The Calculation of You and Me by Serena Kaylor (2024)
Serena Kaylor pulls off what I think is a remarkable achievement - to fashion a story comprised of every familiar, unsurprising YA romantic trope and still keep readers fully engaged with its lead characters, anxiously cheering them on through every speed bump on their ride to an HEA.
Your heart aches right away for autistic calculus whiz Marlowe, dumped by her boyfriend Josh in a particularly cruel way. Marlowe's crushed by him telling her she's simply not wired to comprehend and respond to romance and love. Though it's pretty much clear that Josh's charming popularity masks an abysmal human being, Marlowe's determined prove him wrong and w00 him back with flowery prose......as soon as she figures out how.
This daunting task leads her to make a 'Cyrano' bargain with her new unlikely partner in a required English Lit class project on romance novels., the black-clad, moody Ashton. Though seething at Josh's treatment of Marlowe, he reluctantly agrees to help her in exchange for her applying her savvy marketing skills to boost his talented garage band.. Naturally (as if you didn't know), this puts Marlowe and Ash in close proximity to each other. Hamm....what could possibly come from that?
I hardly need to describe how the rest of this plays out, but I don't think anyone picks up a book like this for outrageous twists and reveals. The very familiarity of what happens won't stop any reader from quickly turning those pages to reach that warm hug of a satisfying ending. The bonuses along the way are the ample helpings of wit and wisdom that the author provides (I especially liked Odette and Poppy, the usual BFF Greek Chorus to all the proceedings and I'm guessing readers will wish they had that romance-only bookstore in their neighborhood.)
As well worn as these tropes were, it didn't make the calculated plot turns of 'Calculation' any less fun to read. And a perfect poolside or beachside companion, or just cozy up to it any time at all.
Your heart aches right away for autistic calculus whiz Marlowe, dumped by her boyfriend Josh in a particularly cruel way. Marlowe's crushed by him telling her she's simply not wired to comprehend and respond to romance and love. Though it's pretty much clear that Josh's charming popularity masks an abysmal human being, Marlowe's determined prove him wrong and w00 him back with flowery prose......as soon as she figures out how.
This daunting task leads her to make a 'Cyrano' bargain with her new unlikely partner in a required English Lit class project on romance novels., the black-clad, moody Ashton. Though seething at Josh's treatment of Marlowe, he reluctantly agrees to help her in exchange for her applying her savvy marketing skills to boost his talented garage band.. Naturally (as if you didn't know), this puts Marlowe and Ash in close proximity to each other. Hamm....what could possibly come from that?
I hardly need to describe how the rest of this plays out, but I don't think anyone picks up a book like this for outrageous twists and reveals. The very familiarity of what happens won't stop any reader from quickly turning those pages to reach that warm hug of a satisfying ending. The bonuses along the way are the ample helpings of wit and wisdom that the author provides (I especially liked Odette and Poppy, the usual BFF Greek Chorus to all the proceedings and I'm guessing readers will wish they had that romance-only bookstore in their neighborhood.)
As well worn as these tropes were, it didn't make the calculated plot turns of 'Calculation' any less fun to read. And a perfect poolside or beachside companion, or just cozy up to it any time at all.
4 stars (****) Romance fans shouldn't miss putting this one on their list to enjoy.
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