Review: Most Likely to Succeed

Most Likely to Succeed
Author: Jennifer Echols
Published: August 4th, 2015
Paperback, 352 pages
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

As vice president of Student Council, Kaye knows the importance of keeping order. Not only in school, but in her personal life. Which is why she and her boyfriend, Aidan, already have their lives mapped out: attend Columbia University together, pursue banking careers. and eventually get married. Everything Kaye has accomplished in high school - student government, cheerleading, stellar grades - has been in preparation for that future.

To his entire class, Sawyer is an irreverent bad boy. His antics on the field as the school mascot and his love of partying have earned him total slacker status. But while he and Kaye appear to be opposites on every level, fate - and their friends - keep conspiring to throw them together. Perhaps the seniors see the simmering attraction Kaye and Sawyer are unwilling to acknowledge themselves.

As the year unfolds, Kaye begins to realize her ideal life is not what she thought. And Sawyer decides it's finally time to let down the facade and show everyone who he really is. Is a relationship between them most likely to succeed - or will it be their favourite mistake?

The Superlatives is a series I quickly fell in love with after reading the first book, Biggest Flirts. The characters are real, their struggles are real, and the love is swoon-worthy. I love the underlying superlatives titles being the name of the books, especially since they cause so much drama between the students when they are announced. Each of the characters from the first book get their own books later and this one follows Tia's friend Kaye as she struggles to figure out who she really wants to be after high school finishes. She's been dating Aidan for as long as she's known and they've made plans together for college, but lately he's been a different person and Kaye isn't sure she wants to be with him anymore. Her friend Sawyer, the school mascot and all around bad boy, makes her feel like a totally different person and notices her more than Aidan does. The more time she spends with him, the more she loves that he flirts with her and hates that he flirts with everyone else. Can Kaye recognize her feelings for Sawyer before it's too late, and does he feel the same way about her?

Kaye has everything that high school students dream of, and though she wasn't happy with a lot of it, not once did I roll my eyes at her. I understood exactly how she felt with the pressure of trying to be someone she no longer was. Being with Sawyer made her feel alive, normal, and more loved that she ever felt with Aidan. Kaye, like Tia and Harper, is loveable and real. I especially loved that she was a woman of colour and even though she'd worn her hair for so long in a way to make it less of an afro but one day just goes all out and lets her glorious hair free. The reactions are what you might expect, some people hate it, but most people love it, especially Sawyer. Moments like this in the book stood out to me, small moments where Kaye finds herself more and more and Sawyer is there to help her along the way. Sawyer has a lot of his own problems. His dad was in jail, his family doesn't have much money and all his classmates expect him to fail. The amount that Kaye believes in him and him her is enough to make anyone believe in real love. Their mutual support is all anyone really needs in life and if you can find that, than you're golden.

I'm glad we got to see Tia and Matt still in a happy relationship and Harper and Brody at a point in theirs where things may be going further for the first time. Series like this that follow different friends always make me smile when old friends show up throughout the pages. This series has gone through so many teenage experiences following people with different experience and not once making anyone feel ashamed for how sexual they are. It's realistic and will hopefully show real teens that there is nothing to be ashamed of when wanting to go further with someone you love and that real friends don't call each other sluts. Sawyer and Kaye's relationship is something I think we all dream of and they are just so darn cute together. I love a good story like this and this series has brought many smiles to my face. Perfect addition to my contemporary collection!