Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes [Review]

4 out of 5 Robots!

  

The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes
Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction
Release: May 20, 2014
Paperback:  384 Pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
My Copy: Publisher (Edelweiss)
Reviewer: Shannon
Buy the Book: Amazon

Book Summary:

Soccer star Lainey Mitchell is gearing up to spend an epic summer with her amazing boyfriend, Jason, when he suddenly breaks up with her—no reasons, no warning, and in public no less! Lainey is more than crushed, but with help from her friend Bianca, she resolves to do whatever it takes to get Jason back.

And that’s when the girls stumble across a copy of The Art of War. With just one glance, they're sure they can use the book to lure Jason back into Lainey’s arms. So Lainey channels her inner warlord, recruiting spies to gather intel and persuading her coworker Micah to pose as her new boyfriend to make Jason jealous. After a few "dates", it looks like her plan is going to work! But now her relationship with Micah is starting to feel like more than just a game.

What's a girl to do when what she wants is totally different from what she needs? How do you figure out the person you're meant to be with if you're still figuring out the person you're meant to be?

(Courtesy of the Publisher)

Shannon's Thoughts:

I wasn't sure how this book and I were going to get along.  At the beginning, Lainey is a popular girl who gets dumped by her popular boyfriend.  She and her friends devise a plan to use the techniques found in The Art of War to win him back.  Part of this plan involves faking dates with coworker Micah and generally trying to appear unavailable.  In all honesty, I was not such a fan of this premise.  I don't relate very well to the popular girl mentality and the desperation of "getting the guy" back.  Luckily, once Lainey starts going on her dates with Micah, my feelings started to turn around. 

I found Lainey and Micah adorable together.  They are that couple that have a really good rapport with each other and I enjoyed watching their showmance turn into real romance.  Lainey comes a long way from the beginning of the book and by the end I was really rooting for her. 

Overall, The Art of Lainey is fun, fluffy romance.  I enjoyed Lainey's ability to overcome her desperation over winning Jason back and realize there is more to life than having a popular boyfriend.  I especially enjoyed the relationship between Micah and Lainey and found them quite adorable together.  I think this is a fun, easy book.

Disclosure:  I reviewed a copy free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.