ARC Review: The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich

The Love Interest
Author: Cale Dietrich
Publication: Feiwel & Friends (May 16, 2017)

Description: 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.

My Thoughts: THE LOVE INTEREST was an engaging story that worked if you didn't think about it too hard. Apparently there is a secret organization the raises children to be Love Interests to be foisted onto people of interest to the organization. The boys are divided into Nice and Bad. A Nice renamed Caden is set to win the heart and hand of Juliet because the organization has plans for this scientific genius. But the organization hedges its bets by also assigning a Bad named Dylan to the task. The winner gets to live while the loser is killed.

The story is told from Caden's point of view. He feels that he isn't really a Nice but he has learned to lie and play the game. Only he didn't expect to fall for Dylan instead of Juliet. He likes Juliet but his heart belongs to Dylan who seems to return his affection.

The science fiction comes into the story with the Stalkers who are sent to kill any Love Interest who gets out of line, the body modification that makes the Love Interests gorgeous, and the little devise implanted in their heads that lets their coach talk to them. Juliet also has invented a glove that gives electric shocks and a bomb that can be targeted precisely without collateral damage,

The romance was sweet with Caden realizing that he is gay and falling for Dylan but having to hide his orientation in order to convince Juliet to chose him over Dylan. A lot of the sexual tension is the book came from the conflict between what Caden's heart wants and what his head demands.

Fans of science fiction, LGBT romance, and conspiracies will be a good audience for this story. 

Favorite Quote:

I exhale, but my heart is still beating really hard. This is a thing that happens to people. It's not unprecedented. It's, like, a legitimate thing. And that thing that happens to people? It's clearly happening to me. Because, all of a sudden, all I can think about is what it would be like to hold his hand. 

I received this one for review from Macmillan. You can buy your copy here.