The Love Interest Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

The Love Interest
Author: Cale Dietrich
Genre: YA LGBTQ Contemporary 

Release Date: May 16, 2017

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Synopsis:

There is a secret organization that cultivates teenage spies. The agents are called Love Interests because getting close to people destined for great power means getting valuable secrets.

Caden is a Nice: The boy next door, sculpted to physical perfection. Dylan is a Bad: The brooding, dark-souled guy, and dangerously handsome. The girl they are competing for is important to the organization, and each boy will pursue her. Will she choose a Nice or the Bad?

Both Caden and Dylan are living in the outside world for the first time. They are well-trained and at the top of their games. They have to be – whoever the girl doesn’t choose will die.

What the boys don’t expect are feelings that are outside of their training. Feelings that could kill them both.

The Love Interest is a fantastic new addition to the young adult contemporary genre, and is one fans will definitely want to pick up. I'm not usually a big reader of YA contemporary, but I was immediately intrigued by the description of this one. I'm so glad I gave it a shot, because it far exceeded any hopes I had. I personally wouldn't categorize this as just a contemporary novel - there's so much more to it than that. Every aspect of the story was very well done, from the characters to the plot itself. I'll break it down into the specifics of what I really enjoyed:

Characters: The two main characters, Caden and Dylan, were both well rounded and complex. Each had distinct personalities and traits that made them realistic and easy for me to connect with early on. They were each brave, strong, smart, and determined - but they also had flaws like everyone else. I liked getting to know each of them separately as well as watching their relationship grow and change throughout the story. Add in the fact that they are "diverse" characters - and that just makes it even more distinct and fresh.

Plot: Very detailed and intricate - especially the whole concept of the LIC and what they are meant to do once assigned. I loved learning as much as I could about the LIC, what they were up to, what exactly was going on, and all of the other things involved. There's was a plethora of fascinating information, and the author did a fantastic job of getting every single detail just right. I could've read about the LIC and this strange world the author created for much longer - it would've been perfect for a series because of the sheer amount of information and intrigue.

Writing Style: One of the most important things for me is the writing style an author chooses to use. Thankfully, the author chose to write this story in the first person perspective - which was a great fit, in my opinion. We get to really connect on a deep level with the narrator and see what happens through their eyes. I love getting to know them on a such a personal note. It makes the novel all the more exciting and real, and it allows me to slip inside the narrator's mind and world. The style is always a big deal for me, and I'm so glad the author decided to go with the first person POV. It can make or break a book for me - and this was such a huge win for this novel.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book - much more than I thought I would. I highly recommend it for fans of YA contemporary, romance, science fiction, dystopia, and readers looking for something fresh and new.

Cale Dietrich is a YA devotee, lifelong gamer, and tragic pop punk enthusiast. He was born in Perth, grew up on the Gold Coast, and now lives in Brisbane, Australia. The Love Interest is his first novel.

(1) Finished Copy of THE LOVE INTEREST by Cale Dietrich
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