Book Review - Chain Reaction

Title: Chain Reaction
Author: Simone Elkeles
Series: Perfect Chemistry (book 3)
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Childrens Books
Release Date: 5 July 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0857077479

Synopsis
Like his brothers, Luis Fuentes is a risk taker; whether he's scaling the Rocky Mountains or dreaming of a future as an astronaut, Luis is always looking for the next thrill.
Nikki Cruz lives her life by certain rules ― don't trust a boy who says "I love you", boys lie to get their own way and never date a boy from the south side of Fairfield. Then she meets Luis at his brother Alex's wedding and suddenly she's tempted to break all her rules.
Getting Nikki to give him a chance is Luis's biggest challenge, until he finds himself targeted by the head of the gang that nearly destroyed his brothers' lives. Will Luis's feelings for Nikki be enough to stop him from entering a dark and violent world that could prove to be the ultimate risk?

My Review
This is book 3 in the series, I read 1 and 2 last year and really enjoyed them. In book 1 we followed eldest brother Alex and Brittany, book 2 was middle brother Carlos and Kiara now in book 3 we follow the youngest brother Luis and Nikki.
Luis has always been the 'good' kid, straight A grades, a dream of becoming an Astronaut and staying out of trouble. Moving to Colorado was a good thing for Luis, he made a fresh start, he still had moments of craziness and rebellion but no real threat, but now he's moving back to Fairfield with his mum he's closer to his brother Alex again who now lives there with Brittany (his now wife) and their first born child. But the past can't be ignored and the Gangs have got their eye on Luis. Alex may have escaped, but Luis is an easy replacement.
Nikki has sworn to stay away from Mexican boys after tough boy Marco broke her heart, but there is something about Luis that she just can't stay away from, no matter how hard  she tries. But learning to trust him and let go of her past proves to be much harder than she thought.
I liked Luis, you can feel the family fire that runs through him and his brother but he's also quite sweet and I liked that he had aspirations and determination to be different. He had a real swagger to him too that occasionally got a bit annoying but it just made him feel more realistic. You could tell he was trying to hide his personality so he would look cool but still stay out of trouble.
Nikki was a bit whiny to me, she does go through a lot and I did feel sorry for her, but my goodness can she hold a grudge and she is so stubborn. She won't listen to anyone else and makes life a lot more difficult for herself and in fact for those around her, but by the end of the book you can't help but kind of like her. 
I really like this book because they are so easy to read. I started this book in my lunch break at work today and finished it tonight, the story is exciting and pulls you in and the writing just flows across the page, sweeping you into the story. An hour will pass before you even notice. The characters are realistic and I love how those from earlier books still feature, it really brings the whole world to life and makes it all link together.
I will definitely look out for other books by Elkeles, she has a wonderful way with words.

My Rating