Elements of Chemistry: Capture
Hypothesis #1
New Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Humor
May 16, 2015
eARC
Author
(warning! may contain spoilers if you haven't read parts 1&2)
One week.
Manhattan apartment.
Super-hot ex-boyfriend.
…What’s the worst that could happen?
It’s been nine months since Kaitlyn Parker has seen or heard from Martin Sandeke—nine months and five stages of matter. She’s lived through the worst of first-love heartbreak, and is most certainly stronger (and less likely to hide in science cabinets) than ever before.
But now Martin is back. And he wants to be friends. But he’s sending mixed signals to the Bunsen burner in Kaitlyn’s pants.
Will Martin re-capture Kaitlyn’s heart? Can Kaitlyn and Martin ever be just friends? Or, despite an abundance of chemistry, are some bonds just too unstable to endure?15.
So I finally read Capture and unfortunately I was disappointed.
I still liked it. The ending was nice. It was okay. But it didn’t swept me off my feet.
I didn’t have a flash flood of feels compared to when I read the previous books, and my heart wasn’t on the verge of jumping out after reading this. It felt like it was too simple. For a Penny Reid book.
So knowing this was a Penny Reid book, most of you who knew me would expect me to swoon and declare my appreciation for this book but no, not today.
Because today, I am frustrated.
In the previous book, which was Heat, readers were left with a devastating cliffhanger that broke, not just the main characters’ heart, but also this series’ fans’ hearts as well. So obviously I expected Capture to have a come back for every tears that fell and feels that shattered. It did had a come back, it wasn’t just enough for me.
The book was spent mostly on Martin and Kaitlyn, who obviously still love each other after nine months, trying to act smart with each other and go around spouting “friendship” with one another.
AND IT WAS SO DAMN FRUSTRATING.
A LOT of pages and frustrations could have been saved if these two had their “talk” in the first third of the book and spent the rest of the pages being lovey-dovey and adorable with each other, but NO. It was like the author decided to test the patience of her readers.
I mean, REALLY??? They literally only had PAGES of being happy together and finally knowing that both of them can’t live happily and contentedly without the other.
At first I was, “Okay, this drama is necessary after everything they’ve been through.”
But as it continued, I was already, “WTH. This has got to stop.”
I badly wanted to like this more but I can’t. After everything I’ve read from Penny Reid, I can’t believe there’d be a book she wrote I will never love. This was too ordinary, and I never expected ordinary from her.
I would have loved this book more if it were written on a dual POV. I would love to know what Martin was thinking and feeling after all he has done to finally get hold of Kaitlyn’s heart then break it then finally securing it again. He wasn’t just a love interest in this book or a sidekick, he played a big part in this series and his voice deserves to be heard. I hope Penny Reid releases something on his POV, I’d look forward to reading that.
Another thing that I felt unnecessary to the story, aside from the prolonged drama, was the attempt to add a love triangle. I felt like the couple were already going through their own tough times, and adding another boy to the picture would just mess the flow. So even though I felt like he was added to give more climax to the story, I knew, in the end, that he’s gonna get kicked to the curb. He was a sacrificial lamb, and I bet he knew it too.
Setting aside all my frustrations, I did like how real Kaitlyn’s feelings were after going through a break up. Why real? Because it was ugly, and stupid, and just sad. Break-ups tend to bring out a lot of emotions in a person, can be good or bad, and I think the author did a good job on this. I felt what Kaitlyn felt, and it was so sad.
Capture was still a nice conclusion to the series. It was necessary, but not fully satisfying. Like having a single cup of water after exhausting yourself inside the gym for hours. You’d kill for more, but because it’s the only thing you have you’re gonna have to settle for it. It has the conclusion to the story so, of course, if you started and read this series, you will have to read this too. Just heed my warning to lower your expectations.
So, would I recommend reading Elements of Chemistry? YES. Despite its shortcomings towards the end, I still did love this series so much. I will never forget how Martin and Kaitlyn made me feel while reading their story and I don’t regret every second I spent with this book. Every feels and emotions was worth it, and I’d gladly recommend this to anyone who would love to read an NA series with a different kick. Humorous, adorable, and unforgettable.
Maybe love, at its essence, is being a mirror for another person—for the good parts and the bad. Perhaps love is simply finding that one person who sees you clearly, cares for you deeply, challenges you and supports you, and subsequently helps you see and be your true self.
Love, I decided, is being a sidekick.
