Novel Review: Romancing the Nerd by Leah Rae Miller

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance; Nerdy

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Release Date: April 5, 2016

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Wishlist Thursday.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Dan Garrett has become exactly what he hates—popular. Until recently, he was just another live-action role-playing (LARP) geek on the lowest run of the social ladder. Cue a massive growth spurt and an uncanny skill at taking three-point shots in basketball and voila…Mr. Popular. It’s definitely weird.
And the biggest drawback? Going from high school zero to basketball hero cost Dan the secret girl-of-his-dorky dreams.
A tuba-playing nerd with an eclectic fashion sense, Zelda Potts’s “Coolness” stat is about minus forty-two. Dan turning his back on her and the rest of nerd-dom was brutal enough, but when he humiliates her at school, Zelda decides it’s time for a little revenge—dork style. Nevermind that she used to have a crush on him. Nevermind that her plan could backfire big time.
It’s time to roll the dice…and hope like freakin’ hell she doesn’t lose her heart in the process.

The Cover:

It's a cute cover, and the font and image would probably catch my interest, but I don't love it.

Review:

I was really excited for this one, since I loved her first book. But it was just okay.

I did enjoy the ideas, and all of the geekery, and even the idea of the romance between the characters. The chemistry wasn’t fully there for me, but it was at least present. Both of the characters had very present parents, which I appreciated; they were good parents, too. Their friends were great as well, and I liked seeing Maddie and Logan again.

The start was rough, and I didn’t care for the way that Zelda set out trying to trick Dan. It was just petty and childish. I did appreciate the way that both Zelda and Dan learned about their closed-mindedness by the end, though. They both realized how they were acting and closing people out, and they smarted up. It was a little cheesy, and too blunt and sudden, their revelations and their reactions after, but I can look past that.

My biggest problem was the writing of the voices. Both characters had the same form of thought process, and they were both exaggerated and talking to the reader and it was cheesy and too over the top. I probably would have found it funny and enjoyable when I was younger, but now I’m passed that. It just bored me and got annoying by the end of the book.

I’m glad I picked it up, and I’m glad I’m done with it. It was just okay for me, but I would recommend it to high-school, and even middle-school, readers.