The Dating Debate by Chris Cannon
Release Date: February 5, 2018
Publisher: EntangledTeen
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Nina Barnes thinks Valentine’s Day should be optional. That way single people like her wouldn’t be subjected to kissy Cupids all over the place. That is, until her mom moves them next door to the brooding hottie of Greenbrier High, West Smith. He’s funny, looks amazing in a black leather jacket, and he’s fluent in Harry Potter, but she’s not sure he’s boyfriend material.
West isn’t sure what to make of Nina. She’s cute and loves to read as much as he does, but she seems to need to debate everything and she has a pathological insistence on telling the truth. And West doesn’t exactly know how to handle that, since his entire life is a carefully constructed secret. Dating the girl next door could be a ton of fun, but only if Nina never finds out the truth about his home life. It’s one secret that could bring them together or rip them apart.
Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book is not for anyone who has to get in the last word, but it is for all book nerds, especially those who live next door to so called unapproachable gorgeous guys. There’s no debating the chemistry.
Review:
Three words to describe Chris Cannon's The Dating Debate? Bookish, charming and laugh-out-loud funny!
The Dating Debate introduces Nina Barnes and West Smith - neighbors, classmates, and...potential...love interests?
Nina is a girl after my own heart. She loves - and I mean LOVES - books. Throughout The Dating Debate, Nina talks about everything book related - eBooks versus physical copies, libraries, her favorite series, etc. - and I ate it right up. Plus it didn't hurt that I completely related/agreed to almost everything she said. Besides the book aspect, I also loved that Nina was her own person. She's not afraid to let her personality shine through no matter what people may say. She's also passionate as well as truthful. I gave her major props for always following up on her commitments, even if it meant going to her school's Valentine's dance with the swoon-worthy yet arrogant boy.
I also found West to be lovable. Honestly, West is kind of a grouch - think old man in teen's body. However, I came to love grouchy West, especially when his grouchiness ended up landing him in messes (i.e. the Nina dating dilemma). Beneath the surface, though, West is anything but a jerk: he's kind, a book-loving nerd, and most importantly, a protective and loving son. His family situation broke my heart, especially since West felt so responsible for making everything perfect.
The Dating Debate is more character driven than plot driven, and I was completely okay with that. I loved getting to know West and Nina. It was fun to see them doing ordinary things, especially when those ordinary things brought them together. The romance between West and Nina was slow-burn and well developed. Their banter was also hilarious. I could honestly read an entire book based on their back-and-forth. Additionally, I loved the family aspect. Both Nina's and West's families play a big part, and I appreciated that greatly.
The one aspect I didn't like, however, was West and Nina's debate over the library. Yes, I love libraries, and yes, I agree with Nina in the fact that it should stay open; however, I thought she was a bit ridiculous when it came to arguing with West about it. She made a mountain out of a molehill, and honestly, it was annoying and frustrating. I just wanted her to realize that people can have their own opinions, and while you don't have to agree with them, you should respect them. It's a part of life.
Overall, The Dating Debate is still a sweet book, perfect for Valentine's Day. I can't wait to see whose Dating Dilemma is featured next. Personally, I'm hoping for a pairing between Nina's brother and best friend.
4 stars!!
The Dating Debate is now out!
Chris Cannon is the award-winning author of the Going Down In Flames series and the Boyfriend Chronicles. She lives in Southern Illinois with her husband and several furry beasts.
She believes coffee is the Elixir of Life. Most evenings after work, you can find her sucking down caffeine and writing fire-breathing paranormal adventures or romantic comedies. You can find her online at www.chriscannonauthor.com.
Author Links:
Twitter | Facebook | Website | Blog | Street Team/Facebook Group | Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads
Giveaway:
Excerpt from The Dating Debate:
“So, this whole dance thing?” West picked up a fork, took a bite of rice, and stared at me like he was waiting for me to give him an easy out. Not going to happen. Mess with a smart girl and suffer the consequences.
“You started it,” was the most amusing response I could come up with.
“No.” He shook his head as if trying to emphasize his response. “You started it when you invited me in for dinner.”
“Why? Because I knew you’d rather eat dirt than join us for rice? That’s your fault for being a suck-up and carrying my mom’s food.”
“I was being nice,” he shot back.
“No good deed goes unpunished.” I batted my eyelashes at him. “Besides, I was going to help her before you rushed over.”
He looked at me like I was crazy. “So I shouldn’t have helped your mom, but it’s okay for you to shove Cole off on Vicky.”
“Please. He’s a nice guy. She’ll fall for him...maybe because he’s the total opposite of you.”
He pointed his fork at me. “Where do you get off judging me?”
“I’m not judging you. I meant you’re all black-leather- jacket-brooding loner guy, and he’s Mr.-Happy-Sunshine- everyone-is-my-friend.”
“Fine. Mr. Sunshine is out of the way now, so there’s no need for us to go to the dance.”
“Nice try,” I said. “We’re going to the dance.”
“Why?”
“Because you said we were,” I said. “And lying is never acceptable. Don’t stress about this. I’m not proposing we run off to Mexico and get matching his-and-her tattoos. We’ll just go to the dance together. No big deal.”
“Right. Nothing is ever that simple.”
Always fun reading about bookworms! Sounds like a really cute read! I've grown over these types of cutesy contemporaries, but I'm glad you enjoyed it so much! :)
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