Sam Cruz's Infallible Guide to Getting Girls

by Tellulah Darling

Why the hell can’t chicks be more like guys?

That question plagues high school senior Sam Cruz.

Sam is perfectly happy being a player. He just wishes girls wouldn’t change the game from sex to relationships. It makes him look like an asshole.

But when Sam’s best friend, Ally Klinger, gets dumped, she begs him to transform her into someone who can screw around then screw off.

No risk of heartbreak that way.

It’s Sam’s chance to create the perfect female AND cheer up his best friend.

Armed with Sam’s Three Step Guide to Backseat Success, Ally gets the game better than Sam thought she would and before long, Sam has his wish: the female version of himself.

Too bad it’s driving him nuts.

Told from Sam’s and Ally's alternating POVs, Sam Cruz’s Infallible Guide to Getting Girls is a fast-paced romantic comedy that follows these teens as they navigate the minefield of sex, love, and friendship.

This contemporary teen romance contains strong language, drinking, euphemisms, and lots of “bow chicka wow wow.”

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, New Adult, Realistic Fiction, Humor, Chick Lit

244 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2012

About the author

Tellulah Darling
noun
1) YA & New Adult romantic comedy author because her first kiss sucked and she's compensating.
2) Firm believer that some of the best stories happen when love meets comedy and awkwardness ensues.
3) Sassy minx.

Both a hopeless romantic and total cynic, Tellulah Darling is all about the happily-ever-after, with a huge dose of hilarity along the way. Her romcoms come in a variety of heat levels and flavors; straight up romantic comedy, shaken with Greek mythology or stirred with urban fantasy.

Sassy girls. Swoony boys. What could go wrong?

Reviews

[KristenReviews · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

I can not bring myself to finish this book! I'm at 75% and I've had enough. Talk about a bunch of crude characters! This is definitely a story about crass high school teenagers behaving amorality.   

I love books that are realistic and show the reality of life, but this book felt like I was hanging out with teens that have no other focus in life than talking about sex, behaving crudely, and figuring out how to get into each others pants. All the bed hopping became repulsive. 

The basic story is a high school friends-to-lovers plot-line with a nerdish heroine and a manwhoring hero. The book begins with the heroine getting dumped by her boyfriend and asking the hero to teach her how to become the ultimate guy fantasy. A hot girl with a "no strings attached" reputation. The hero and heroine end up sleeping together and the drama that ensues is them trying to keep their friends-with-benefits relationship from destroying their life long friendship. To complicate matters, they both continue to sleep with other people.  

The author does a great job writing this story and giving the reader a realistic feel of high school. However, I do not find this type of realism entertaining or fun. I find it offensive, frankly. 

This story might be teenage reality, but I do not want to spend my time in these particular characters' heads or in their world. From the few reviews I've read, I know many loved this book. I, unfortunately, was not one of them!

ARC courtesy of Te Da Media via NetGalley.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

The three stages of "friends to more" books:

1. Denial



2. Someone falls first



3. They both get their shit together

And this one was no different. Still debating on whether I loved or hated it, but it did have some cute moments, so?

[Jaime Arkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I knew I had to read this book when I saw my BFF tweeting bits and pieces of this and I'm so glad I did because I loved this!!

Sam Cruz is a player... and he is proud of it. Love just isn't in the cards for him. (to say he has commitment issues would be an understatement) He doesn't think he should have to look like the asshole when girls who are well aware of his reputation pull a 180 on him.

Ally Klinger is Sam's best friend, and she's happily filled that role for him, but when she gets dumped she turns to him and begs him to help her become the type of person who can screw around and move on. Sam is given the perfect opportunity to create his idea of the perfect woman, but things quickly get out of hand. Ally is better at the game than he thought she ever would be.

I found myself laughing throughout this story! The characters were high school seniors that acted like high school seniors. Told in alternating points of view from both Ally and Sam these two talked to each other like best friends would. They were crude and funny and I loved it.

"Oh my god!" I wail. "I've got a vullet!" "a what?" he asks. "A vullet. A vaginal mullet. Party in the back business in the front."

The pacing of the story was perfect, and I loved the growth in both Sam and Ally. Sam slowly realizes the error of his ways and there were times I truly felt sad for him because the only real relationship he has is with Ally and quite possibly her mother. Even his dad is only partially present it seems.

I loved the conflicting feelings that we see through Sam's point of View and when the tables were being turned on him for once it was wonderful to see him realize what his actions might have made all those girls feel for once.

The end of this book came way too quick and I swooned hard with the big declaration at the end.

I will say this - as a parent this book made me cringe, and I struggle to think that this is what really happens in high school these days. At least this wasn't my high school experience. One can hope that sex isn't treated in this casual a manner, but I know that I'd probably be disappointed. I tried hard not to read this with my 'mom face' and when I ignored that niggling in my brain I truly enjoyed it.

I was pleasantly surprised by this in the end. It is an entertaining, fun, laugh-out-loud story that I think most people will enjoy. It has a tiny bit of angst, lots of funny and even a bit of romance thrown in there. You must give it a read!

**thank you to netgalley for the advanced copy**

Full review can be found on my blog:

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thanks to netgalley for sending me a copy of this book to review!

This is a book about two teenagers who are best friends, and a lot of casual sex. Basically, Sam is a senior in high school who tries to have as much casual sex as possible and has his rules to getting in and getting out fast. Ally is also a senior who is a vegetarian, wears hemp clothing and wants to save animals and the environment and is incredibly intelligent. But after her jerk boyfriend decides to dump her, Ally decides to go for a massive makeover with the help of her womanizing best friend Sam, and becomes incredibly hot. She then decides to have a bunch of casual sex to get her "power" back.

I had numerous issues with this book.

For one, the casual sex. While I don't necessarily mind sex in a teen read, it was strange and so off-putting to read about these kids in high school having numerous one night stands. It was creepy and really sad. There were emotional reasons for Sam to be the womanizer he is, but it's only alluded to. The author kept the story on the surface of these characters, never delving deeper into the emotional or psychological reasons these people may be trying to use sex, or really anything else about the characters except very superficial observations and that they really enjoyed having sex. I teach teenagers, and know quite well how sex obsessed they can be, but they are much more complex than this book portrays and I guess I found this a little insulting on their behalf.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was just Too! Effing! HILARIOUS! From the summary, I knew this was going to be a fun book, and it sure did NOT disappoint. Yes, it was cliche. And yes, it was predictable. BUT, it has been an awfully long time since I've LITERALLY had laugh out loud moments pretty much throughout the ENTIRE book.

Before I begin, I've seen some negative reviews on this book, and they were pretty much complaints that there was so much sex and that characters were too crude. But the summary does warn us that "this book contains strong language, drinking, euphemisms and lots of bow chicka wow wow.” Now whether this was added before or after the reviews, I'm not sure, but I thought part of the reason why the book was so great was BECAUSE it was so crass.

I will say I did think the characters were a bit too young, I mean they're seniors in high school and take the idea of sex and sleeping around WAY too lightly. Perhaps college would be a better time for these kids to experiment and find their sexual comfort zone. But I think adding a few years to our characters would have made the book better because we wouldn't think they're just dumb, horny kids.

But the reason why I liked this book so much compared to many others with the similar player-turning-geek-into-hottie-and-end-up-falling-for-them-instead concept was because of the quirky moments and the great dialogue.

Quirkiness as in the pooping penguin chocolate dispenser and Ally's crazy knowledge of them, the crazy cat and the parrots who learned how to call Sam a jerk - even the fun characters like Ian, Rachel, Matt and Rosie. And the crazy make-believe scenarios that come out of their mouths like, "You could end up in a black market bust buying a rare species of scorpion to send to Jer. Then I'd have to break you out of a foreign prison."

Some of my favorite scenes (edited for length of course)?

"If there were going to be other conditions on this offer, you should have shown me the small print. Beforehand."
"If I'd done that, you would have freaked out."
And there you have it, boys and girls.

"Here it comes," Rosie says.
It was the sweetest kiss I've ever had. I'm melting inside. Nothing has ever been so perfect.
And then realization hits us at the same time because we both stop kissing and freeze. Except our lips still touch. They're not doing anything other than being pressed against each other.
This is now the worst, most awkward kiss ever.
"And there it went," Rosie comments.

"The only reason we've been friends this long is because you didn't think I was hot enough to sleep with before."
"Unfair and untrue. I've slept with way uglier chicks than you."
"Whoa. That's so liberal. And insulting."

So yes, this book may have been a little on the ridiculous side, but I don't care because it was such a fun, fun, fun read!

[Claire Gamblin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Title; Sam Cruz's Infallible Guide To Getting Girls

Author; Tellulah Darling

Publication Date; October 17th 2012


Publisher; Te Da Media

Description; Why the hell can’t chicks be more like guys?

That question plagues high school senior Sam Cruz. Sam is perfectly happy being a player. He just wishes girls wouldn’t change the game from sex to relationships. It makes him look like an asshole. But when Sam’s best friend, Ally Klinger, gets dumped, she begs him to transform her into someone who can screw around then screw off. No risk of heartbreak that way. It’s Sam’s chance to create the perfect female AND cheer up his best friend. Armed with Sam’s Three Step Guide to Backseat Success, Ally gets the game better than Sam thought she would and before long, Sam has his wish: the female version of himself. Too bad it’s driving him nuts. Told from Sam’s and Ally's alternating POVs, Sam Cruz’s Infallible Guide to Getting Girls is a fast-paced romantic comedy that follows these teens as they navigate the minefield of sex, love, and friendship.

Stars; Five out of five.

Would I recommend it? Definitely!

Review; This book is amazing. I really enjoyed it and I think you should just pre-order it already! There were moments where I laughed out loud, which can be rare with me and books and I'm sure the ridiculous smile hardly ever left my face. Honestly, I can't wait to see what else Tellulah brings out, and that's not exaggeration. The book was quirky and fun.
All of the characters were believable. I loved Ally's personality. Sam was portrayed in the right way for me. I loved the Ally and Sam moments best in the book, they are brilliant as best friends. The supporting characters were fun as well.
Usually when there are alternating POVs it can get annoying. That is not the case with Sam Cruz's Infallible Guide To Getting Girls, I actually preferred it that way. Another rare thing for me.
Another thing I loved is that it was un-put-down-able. There's no way I could have put this book down for even a second. It really is a fast-paced romantic comedy. You know, I think this is going to have to go on my favourites shelf. If you're looking for something fast-paced, funny and just plain brilliant, then this is the book for you! Don't forget to pre-order your copy now!

Edit; I really enjoyed this book when I read and it is a book I would read again. Not only is the book good but the author Tellulah Darling is so sweet. It makes me love this book even more! I can't wait to buy a physical copy to put on my shelf!

Another Edit; You can now see the trailer on youtube! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbWPUQ... Probably the best book trailer I've ever seen!

[Navdha · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are times when you just want to put all the novels with paranormal romance and mythical creatures and serious issues on a back-burner and want to read a real nice, short, funny book that leaves you with a stupid grin plastered on your face. Well, I needed a book like that. And this book just gave me what I wanted.

I hadn't expected this book to be so awesome. The plot wasn't new but I wanted a book with a good sense of humor and I knew this book would fill the bill; but it was even better than I thought it would be. From the beginning of the first chapter, till the end, I had a goofy smile on my face. Tellulah Darling does know how to show chemistry.

The book switched between Sam and Ally's POV. Sam is definitely not my kind of guy, he was a player, a flirt and well, basically a dog as he so casually liked to call himself, but besides all that he really was a great guy. Both Sam and Ally and Ally's cousin Rachel and her boyfriend Ian, and almost every other character in this book was lovable and felt real. Ally was smart, funny, geeky and totally adorable. I loved their bickering. I loved how the book paced. I loved everything!

The only thing that seemed to be a little off was that both of them were 17 years, right? Their sexual achievements and endeavors would have seemed more real if they were a little older. But, I don't really mind. Also, the whole Ally turning into Dr. Fuckenstien only cause of being dumped seemed to be a really crazy idea but the way it was worked out in the book and how Ally regained her confidence and realized what she actually wanted to be, was well done.

There scene where Adam is at Ally's place and Sam appears as a delivery guy for Ally's herpes was simply fab! I was snorting and giggling and laughing reading the entire book.

My favorite quote:

I concede it with a grudging nod. “You’re bossy, complicated, passionate, and I think you’re the most amazing girl alive.”
Having just gushed like chicks in a tampon commercial, I feel I need to get this speech back on a more manly track. “So deal with it.”
There. Balls back

Sam’s a dog, and like all good pet owners dealing with that embarrassing leg-humping issue, I just spray him down from time to time and love him anyway.

I received an ARC for this book from Netgalley

[Gayle · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I read through the first chapter of this story something kept tugging at me like an old friend trying to get you to reminisce about an event that you can’t quite remember. Suddenly it came to me that it’s the dialog that is familiar. This is the type of rapid-fire dialog of Howard Hawks’ His Girl Friday, between Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell, or Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn in George Cukor’s The Philadelphia Story.

Then, there are the characters, Sam, who could easily transition into Philip Marlowe. I can also imagine Ally telling Sam, “You know Steve [Sam], you're not very hard to figure, only at times. Sometimes I know exactly what you're going to say. Most of the time. The other times... the other times, you're just a stinker.” I’m not certain if Ms. Darling intended to tip her hat to the classic movies, but that’s how it worked for me, and I loved it.

Sam, who has what he believes is a fool-proof plan for having relationships with girls that keeps him desired, yet detached, is handed the perfect opportunity to make his best friend in his image. The fact that his best friend is female is just icing on the cake. A female who thinks with her libido, rather than her heart—Wow! Ally, recently dumped and feeling it, has come to the conclusion that Sam’s plan can benefit her in oh, so many ways! The quest is a perfect story of the “game” of love involving the back and forth between a couple until they eventually end up on the same page—a place that only they did not see in advance.

Guys will identify with the timeless question, “Why can’t girls be more like guys?” Girls will identify with Ally’s quest to answer that question for herself. All will recognize the search for identity that is universal. Some, like me, will be able to ignore the updated language and settings and be drawn back into the world of the 30s & 40s classic movies. Intentional or not, this book lends itself well to the big screen. Are you writing the screenplay now, Ms. Darling? You should.

Speaking of the updated language and settings, assuming this book comes to the attention of just the right “keeper of our morals,” it will of course be banned in the U.S. That is not a bad thing for two reasons: 1) It will be in excellent company, and 2) It will then be read and enjoyed by many more teens who may have not noticed it originally.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was pretty hilarious, although way more *smexy* than I am used to in YA. Characters are seem to be about 17 or 18, with the plot focusing on Sam & Ally's best friend relationship, and the journey to it maybe being something more. Ally is a geeky nerd girl who has just been dumped by her domineering pretentious boyfriend of two years. Devastated, Ally decides to turn her life around and act more like BFF Sam, a total player, who treats girls very badly indeed.

This is an extremely witty novel, with many laugh out loud moments. The two engage in very frank discussions about sex, relationships and dating rules which demonstrates the strength of their friendship. Their conversations are so natural and so authentic, it is easy to adore both of them even when we cringe at their poor decisions, or their inability to see what's right in front of them. And then when we see Sam bewildered and vexed by Ally's makeover and Ally reach out to Sam emotionally the book lifts from light & flirty to tender & poignant.

One thing I found interesting was the setting. I never felt like I was in a typical American high school. For a while I thought it was set in England (Sam talks about being in 'twelfth grade'), but later characters talk about moving to London, so I looked it up and it seems to be set in Canada. Anyway, this never detracted from my enjoyment of the book, in fact, it enriched it since it was so different.

Not out till October I think, but I hope it gets the word-of-month hype it deserves. it's a really great book. But yeah, totally smexy... in a good way.

Received with thanks from from Netgalley

[Ann Sloan · Rating 1 out of 5]

OK, I admit it, I’m getting too old for this kind of YA book. Sam is a high school senior? How many times has he repeated 12th grade? Because he acts like he is in his mid-20s, at least.
Even Tellulah Darling's website says that this is for older YA’s. I agree, in their 20s.
Sex, sex, sex. As I’ve asked elsewhere, when do these kids have time to go to school, do homework, finish research papers? All they do is party, use their parents’ credit cards to buy inappropriate clothes (does the school have a dress code?), and have sex. Not having sex is much more life-threatening than not passing a test, apparently.
And the language. Please, one should be able to express oneself without four-letter words. At least, we used to be able to. If you can’t think of another way to say “pissed off,” get a thesaurus. I hear you can get one built in with Word.
When these kids have done it all before they graduate from high school, what do they have to look forward to?
As I said, I’m too old for this book; maybe I’m just too old. I’ve started thinking that that is what young folks want – for us post-war baby boomers to hurry up and die off, we’re such buzzkills.

[Alexandra Christo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tellulah Darling is a genius. This is a book that's so fantastically funny, I laughed out loud with nearly every page. It's told in alternating point of views and both Ally and Sam's voices are distinct and hilarious, giving two extremely entertaining sides to a truly wonderful story.

[BookHookup · Rating 4 out of 5]

The original review for this story can be found HERE on The Book Hookup.

Christina's Review:

**Note** An eGalley of this title was provided by the publishers via Net Galley. However, that did not influence this review in any way.

♥ The Lowdown: Sam Cruz is your typical player, but he raises the game to a level where it almost becomes an art form, and he’s damn proud of this achievement. He shuns relationships, believing it’s better to get “in” and get out before the girl gets attached. In his ideal world, girls would have his causal approach to sex, both would be in it solely for a good time and then part ways with no hard feelings after the deed was done. It’d be hooking up without the heartache, and he wouldn’t be a jerk for wanting nothing more than a little powwow.

Enter Sam’s best friend and complete opposite in regards to perspective on relationships, Ally Klinger. She’s a girl that likes the idea of love and committed relationships. Or, at least that’s how she used to feel. Whey Ally gets dumped by her long-time boyfriend for another girl, Ally decides that loves is for losers and she wants to be a part of Sam’s “screw around and then screw off” team. You can’t exactly get your heart broken if you don’t stick around long enough to develop feelings for someone.

After a lot of begging on Ally’s part, Sam finally decides to take one for the team (that team being the entire male population) and create the perfect girl. But hey, even if she fails as bad as he thinks she will, at least it should help cheer her up and get her mind off the jerk that broke her heart.

Only it turns out that Ally isn’t bad at the game at all. Armed with Sam’s Three Step Guide to Backseat Success, she’s better at it then either of them ever expected her to be, and it might be Sam getting hurt because of it in the long run.

♥ Author Ego-booster: For me, the greatest aspect of this book was how genuine the characters felt. They’re high school seniors and for the love of all the sparkling princesses, they acted like actual high school seniors. Their language was crude, often (like, a vast majority of the time) the topic of conversation was sex, and life outside of school revolved around fun, friends, and discussing what the future could hold. Told in alternating POV’s between Sam and Ally, you really got a grasp on who they were as people and what motivated their actions throughout the course of the story. What was exceptionally rewarding for me was that by the end, you saw each character come into their own and experience growth. They both learned hard truths about the type of person they were and I enjoyed tagging along for the ride.

Another thing about this story that had me tap-dancing with glee was all the humor. I’m a sucker for a book that can make me giggle or chuckle, and this novel had me literally laughing out loud through the whole thing. Sam and Ally’s banter was so funny that I was practically hanging on their every conversation. But our two main characters weren’t the only ones that brought the silliness; there’s a whole host of secondary characters that charmed their way into my heart with their amusing antics. Ms. Darling has earned herself a fan in me just for this accomplishment alone.

♥ Drawbacks: Hmmm… I guess I wanted more of an explanation about Sam’s unwillingness to be in a relationship to be expanded on. It’s obvious in reading the book that he has some sort of emotional detachment and fear of commitment because of the loss of his mother at a young age and from observing his “player” dad. However, I feel like if the author would have dug a little deeper, we would’ve had a better understanding of why Sam became a player in the first place.

♥ Special Notes: So, the sex in this book is like whoa! Seriously, there’s a lot of casual hooking up going on and they’re 17-18 years old, so if you feel like that’s something you can’t handle reading… I’m just here to hand out the friendly warning. For me, it wasn’t really that big of a deal. I may not have been the girl that settled for random good times at high school parties back in the day, but I was very aware that it was happening all around me. I’ve read a few reviews from some people that were put off by the idea of teenagers having so many one-night stands, but let’s be honest; these days there are thirteen-year-olds spitting out kids. So, all I can say is sex is happening, folks, and it’s best to teach your kids about safety. If it’s better for you to live in denial, that’s cool, but don’t get preachy to Ms. Darling because I really like her and hope she’ll stick around for a while. :D

♥ Verdict: The “I Love You” moment at the end was the most heartfelt and honest one that I’ve read in a really long time. I laughed until I cried in some parts. I rooted for these characters like you wouldn’t even believe, and I’d do it again and again. If you’re looking for an entertaining, laugh-out-loud book with great characters and a realistic story-line, I’d rec this book to you a hundred times over.

♥ A very special thanks to Te Da Media and Net Galley for allowing me to preview an advanced copy of this title. It will be available Wednesday, October 17th.

[Rochelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally published on Books Like Stars

Check out my interview with the author


Typically, I avoid NetGalley. I signed up months ago and my account sits there collecting dust because I generally have TOO MUCH to read already. But when they sent me an email alerting me about Tellulah Darling's book and read the synopsis, I just HAD to request a copy. It sounded very "Friends with Benefits meets Can't Buy Me Love" and I generally enjoy things of that nature. Hot and romantic but not too syrupy and mushy. I'm happy to say I'm glad I have NetGalley or I would've missed this cool and comical debut.

Sam Cruz is the ultimate player. When it comes to girls, he gets it in and gets out quick. No muss, no fuss. No drama or commitments. He relishes in the fact that he can land any girl. His best friend Ally is his total opposite. An uber vintage wearing, veggie eating, environment-conscious geek who's all about the relationship status. That is, until her long time boyfriend dumps her. On her birthday. Ouch! Severely heartbroken, she turns to Sam to help her transform into basically...him. She wants to be sexy, dominate the male species and hook-up with guys with no strings attached. Sam reluctantly agrees, even though he writes off the "Ally Project" as doomed to fail before it even starts. But after Ally gets a haircut, contacts and a tighter wardrobe, Sam fights every nerve (and hormone) in the lower half of his body to go after her himself. What's worse is that Ally is totally excelling at Sam's type of lifestyle and he feels like he's created a monster. Because now all he can think about is being with Ally. But is he ready to jeopardize his one true friendship for something more?

Can I just say how much FUN this book was! It was hilarious. I loved every minute of reading this book. What I loved most about SCIGTGG is how realistic the characters were. I never felt like Sam and Ally's personalities and dialogue came off as overdone. They're both sarcastic and humorous without sounding corny. I always fall for the opposites attract romances. And these two couldn't be more opposite. The book is told from both their POVs, which made my reading experience even more enjoyable. And how refreshing to read a YA book meant for older teens. The duo are seventeen and on their way to college. I think this gave the author a lot of leeway in regards to the scenes that were sex related. She didn't have to restrain herself from cursing or sexual situations and it made the story seem much more real than when authors try to censor themselves. Some may mind the sex and the language but I honestly didn't. It all made the story more genuine.

The only thing I didn't like was...no, nothing. I can't think of one thing I disliked. As far as the author's attempt at the young adult genre goes, Tellulah Darling nailed it. I will be looking out for her books in the future.

Sam Cruz's Infallible Guide to Getting Girls is a fun, fast-paced romantic comedy that will have you laughing out loud and keep you turning the pages. It really over exceeded my expectations.

I'd like to thank the author and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

[Brit · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you follow my reviews, you know that I have two extremes when it comes to genres. Smut and YA. Oddly, this book straddled the line between the two.

No, this was not some hardcore, sex-detailed book. It glossed over all those parts but they were definitely implied. So if you’re wondering if you should let your 13 year old read this… I would maybe wait a little. This is not Twilight or some “hold-up on the sex stuff until marriage” book. Nope, these are two high school students who freely do the deed. I think that’s why I liked it! No, I’m not supporting 17 year olds doing the nasty but I’m not against it. I just think it’s important to be realistic. [Yikes, someone’s going to unfriend me for that statement]

Now that I’ve said that, let me tell you about the book. First, I liked it. I was rooting for the relationship and liked the two main characters. The constant witty one-liners did get a bit much… no one is that quick on their feet… but the story had a great pace and you wanted to know what was going to happen (I’ve read lots of YA books where you really didn’t give a shit after the first 50 pages).

As far as the plot/ending: Is it a surprise? No! It’s a teen-romance book. You know what’s going to happen. Hell, if you haven’t read this genre before still know what’s going to happen. The author could have added a little more substance to the inner-workings/motives for the characters (don’t think “his mom died” or “she got dumped” is a strong justification, but I’m not 17, so maybe it is) but I don’t think it ruined the book. Again, I liked the book. I coo’ed and clapped… and that’s saying something.

If you want a movie equivalent to this one (in case you’re that much of a book snob), think Can’t Buy Me Love meets She’s All That meets My Girl… but with more sex.



Last though: Where they hell does this take place? I was so confused by all the random secondary characters and their backgrounds (names and place of origin). The fact that they called it University (vs. College) made me think Canada… but could be a writing flaw. Oh well!

Disclaimer: I got this book from NetGalley. AKA Free Book. Just gotta put that out there.

[Carina · Rating 2 out of 5]

So to put it simply, I had issues with this book. A lot of issues.

Some books, you can not read, because there are just too many descriptions and not much of anything else going on. No dialogue, no action, etc. This is a problem I have encountered, over and over. But I had the exact opposite problem with Sam Cruz's Infallible Guide to Getting Girls. There was so much dialogue! Nothing was explained really. Everything moved so fast and with no transitions, I felt lost for at least the first 15% of the book. After that, I sort of got the hang of the writing style. Not that I enjoyed it.
Also, the author really tried to make the book sound realistic as to how teen, high schoolers, behave now days. How they talk and how they feel or approach sex. She was crude and honest. But sometimes, too crude. It seemed a bit over the top, and it took away from the credability. I didn't have much problem with all the cuzzing, because that's something I hear people do all the time. Including my self. But the way the dialogue was approached, how the conversations were executed, it just did not make me feel for the characters.

On the plus side, the book was quick. It was a fast read and there must have been SOMETHING to make me keep reading. I think it was the possibilities. I see potential in the author, and I'm pretty sure that a few more works, and she'll have something really good.
So, yes. I will read more books from this author. And no, I am not one of those people who read from an author over and over and never like anything they write, but still keep reading their work and rating them low.
I will most likely try one or two more books by Mrs. Darling and if I don't enjoy them more than this one, well then I'll just say thank you and good luck.(But I am hopeful that I will like the future works more!)

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy for review.

[Jenny E · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really cute ADULT YA book about friends to lovers. I absolutely adored Sam. SAM!! The dialogue was great and funny and real. I could definitely picture these characters vividly. They just jumped off the page!

I gave this four stars because while this book had so many things going for it, I didn't like that it switched back and forth each chapter between POV. Totally my preference ... I would've liked the whole book from Sam's POV, because while I didn't *not* like Ally, I just liked Sam more and I got a little confused and had to look back to see whose POV it was because the "voices" seemed sort of similar. There was a lot of dialogue. Although one could argue that with it switching back and forth you can get in the mind of each character, I don't know...I was just really partial to Sam. I would've like more background on him. I found myself really looking forward to his chapters more.

I think I'm way out of the targeted age bracket for this book and definitely had to shut the "mom brain" off to read this, cringing as they bed hopped their way to their HEA. There were no graphic sex scenes, but it was understood that that's what they'd been up to, and I found myself fretting over whether kids really treat sex so casually these days at that age and determining the best way to lock my 14-year-old daughter away until she's like 30.

It was a great change of pace from I'm reading now, funny and entertaining, not like anything I've read in a while, and while I sometimes felt sort of old and prudy while reading it, it was a few hours well spent :)

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

"'Friends with Benefits' is the greatest phrase ever invented by a guy. Enough said."

This is Sam Cruz's view on women. Seventeen years old and a walking man whore already. He would, and does, pretty much sleep with any girl that walks by him. Funny enough, his best friend just so happens to be a girl.

Ally Klinger has just broken up with her boyfriend of two years. Miserable, she goes to the only person she knows will make her feel better. She gets so bent out of shape at being dumped and replaced by another girl that she turns to Sam to transform her into the complete opposite of what she is. In other words, a female version of Sam. Little does he know just how GREAT of a job he will do on his best friend's brand spankin' new makeover.

I really enjoyed this book. It was quite humorous and enjoyed the fluidity of these two best friends and how well they bantered with each other. I giggled at times and even though you know where the story was heading, it was fun to see the journey of them getting there. For me also, I ADORED the Buffy/Angel references:

"You named your research parrots Buffy and Angel, after one of the greatest forbidden vampire love affairs ever memorialized on TV."

Exactly!

Thank you again NetGalley for letting me read this and for being my very first review here on Goodreads (or ever for that matter)

[Preet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sam Cruz is hot! His rules are hot to. They help him bag any girl he wants and he's got a system going. While he's riding the high of scoring with chick after chic, his best friend Ally Klinger is crashing to the Earth after being dumped by her boyfriend on her 17th birthday. Ally wants to pay her ex back by moving on and becoming hot, and Sam reluctantly agrees. But what happens when the guy who only wants to hit and quit it starts seeing his best friend differently?

First off, I really enjoyed this book. The only thing that kept me from giving this book 5 stars was the face I found it disturbing 17 year old's were having sex with multiple partners. Beyond that, this book was so good, I read it in under two hours. And if you can't see the poetic justice of the "player" falling for his best friend after he teaches her how to act like a guy, then this book isn't for you. (I'm pretty sure it's for everyone though).

I'm hoping Tellulah Darling will have more books like this one; funny, sassy, and hot that I'll want to add to my bookshelf. Since this is the first book of hers I've read, I'm thinking all the others will be too.

[Ellis · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

So, this is a book on:



I have a hard time deciding whether this book is ridiculous or hilarious, so it gets the 2.5 for falling right in the middle (or being both - depends on how you look at it). In the spirit of The Infallible Guide I should now probably make a very obvious remark about my use of "a hard time", as in "you can take that any way you like"/"that's what she said"/"see what I did there"/... and then a new one about the innuendo present in "you can take that" and so on. You get the drill.

This must have been a fun book to write. It certainly reads like it was, though I wouldn't exactly use "fun" as the key term for my The Infallible Guide reading experience. The whole idea of Sam moulding Ally into the perfect girl for all mankind was what made me afraid I was going to hate this book. That didn't happen, I mostly just hated Sam. It wasn't a fiery hate, but you can't just talk about girls as "females" or "chicks" or any of his other smartysmartsmart terms and get away with it. I did like how when he kisses Ally at the end and she asks if it was to shut her up, which is something I HATE, he just says that he felt like kissing her and that she can tell him the penguin story, because he wants to hear it. Well done, Sam. Then the thing with these two having dominance issues was annoying as well, and I just don't think that they are very healthy. Of course, any of Ally's fuckmates are to be judged on the role their mother plays. Sam's mother is dead, so commitment issues are a given. Duh. Matteo's mother is nice and she used to babysit Ally, so no way he can be a psychopath, right? Yes, indeed, that is how "the human" works. It's all in the genes, little Ally the Biologist. Adam has a New-Age single mother, which explains everything about his behaviour. This is one of the parts where I'm not sure if we're supposed to take these things seriously. The characters, the situations, the drama, it's all so grotesquely over the top that me thinks it might be meant as ironic. Maybe that's the subtext and this is entire book is one big hipsterific statement. Or not.

One of my reading notes was are these stereotypes for real?, because this is the situation: one player (Sam) + one nerd (Ally) + one hipster couple consisting of an older cousin (Rachel) and a Brit (Ian) They will break up at one moment, which makes everyone reconsider their life choices and ensures the happy end, who often meet in a bar/diner setting, the owner of which is a bitchy male (Matt) which obviously means he's gay, because. This bitchiness only comes across at 68% in. Frequent visitors include Rosie and Vic, whose favourite pastime is discussing the awesome foursome while they can hear them. Hilarity ensues.

Nevertheless, after a while the characters started to feel real to me. My general critique remains that The Infallible Guide wants to be a cutesy book, and that in this it tries too hard, at least to my taste. I did like how when Ally has sex it is described as genuine sex, but although the blurb promises a lot of "bow chicka wow wow", we never see this from Sam's POV, which is a shame. Instead we always get a one-line (or in some cases, one-word) critique à la "it was great"/"it was pleasant"/"it was hot jungle sex"/... with some snark/arrogance/humorous remark mixed in there. It does feel like a lost opportunity, but it seems we just have to assume that Sam is the best thing that will ever make it into your bed. The cutesy thing also goes for the sex. Because it's not exactly shown, it doesn't really have a hot factor, although the characters will try to persuade you that it does/did. Good for them. Now stop telling it.

About the bitchiness. The situation specific went like this: drama between Ally and Sam, Sam wants to talk about it in private (which means in the bar/diner thingy, but in some corner), and while they are moving towards said semi-secluded place, Matt makes a comment about how blind they are not to see it. Ally bites back, which I love, because honestly, the older people in The Infallible Guide behave as if they have the right to discuss and judge the youngsters openly and pass it off as truisms, which irks me very much in general, and that is where the bitch factor shows. This book also gets points for never labelling someone as "slut"/"slutty", although the term "manwhore" is used. Shame about that, but overall, sex is treated as something natural and definitely not as shame-on-you-if-you-have-it-you-SluttyMcSlutSlut.

Props for the shout-out to magical genitalia, though they are used in the wrong way. Sam's thingy is called the magical penis because it instantly transports all *females* to a galaxy far far away, but in the end, Ally seems to be the real magic vagina here. Blame the confusion on the alleged/non-existent ironic, hipsterific subtext I'm spotting.

A special paragraph for Ally. First of all, her makeover - yes everyone could call it with the way you are described in the first chapters. Shame on you for wearing glasses and being eco-friendly and shit - is incredible, double meaning very much stressed. Of course, she is the hot chick in nerdy disguise - aren't we all -, but you know what, she can switch between the two in a matter of nanoseconds. That's some real skill there, folks. However, it will become clear that this whole fascination is just a silly-girly-fancy girlies go through instead of a proper rebound, because always remember, we keep speaking in terms of "boys do this", "girls are like that", "i'm taking one for the entire earthly male population team". There is one part that made me very uncomfortable, about how every male in the vicinity can't behave in a normal manner now that we have Sizzling Sexmachine Ally in all the honour classes, and then the implication that it might be her fault. I'm glad that was never explicitly pointed out, because it just isn't, very much like the assumption that boners spring up all around you when you're made-over Ally is complete and utter shit. This is a very superficial thought, and generally speaking, you can't be everyone's "type", so that is one factual error in your Lament on Sexiness. I did like that it was acknowledged that people treating you differently when your looks change was dealt with with some ambiguity toward it.
Overall, I liked Ally. Yes, her being smart is apparently made clear by the preposterous habit of throwing wikifacts around, but the best part about her is that she takes no shit - though I can imagine her coming across annoying for some people.

This was a quick read. Not much of it screams originality, but the characters try very hard. I can see how their witty remarks etc. can get old fast. Be prepared for a makeover (obvies standard, for reasons and things), the word "hot" flying around as if synonyms where never invented, many pop culture references as well as some updated takes on classics - the monster Fuckenstein being the most prominent - and a general too-cool-for-school attitude. It reminded me a bit of The Future of Us with the first person perspective alternating between Sam and Ally in each chapter, but the execution was much better, even though the voices are a bit too similar in the beginning. Here the characters seem to have a life of their own and are not constantly trying to make each other jealous. They do have other concerns, although Ally seems to have more of a life than Sam. My notes on him descended from "typical" to "douche"/"jerk"/"ass"/and the finer synonyms, but, you know, his mother died, and deep down he is a decent boy.



So all is forgiven.

Only not really.

Pff, it was amusing at times, annoying at others, and it didn't leave me with much of an impression, only a bunch of notes that obviously show off my hilarious side and that I should be part of this clique.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

My original review for this story can be found HERE on The Book Hookup.

**Note** An eGalley of this title was provided by the publishers via Net Galley. However, that did not influence this review in any way.

♥ The Lowdown: Sam Cruz is your typical player, but he raises the game to a level where it almost becomes an art form, and he’s damn proud of this achievement. He shuns relationships, believing it’s better to get “in” and get out before the girl gets attached. In his ideal world, girls would have his causal approach to sex, both would be in it solely for a good time and then part ways with no hard feelings after the deed was done. It’d be hooking up without the heartache, and he wouldn’t be a jerk for wanting nothing more than a little powwow.

Enter Sam’s best friend and complete opposite in regards to perspective on relationships, Ally Klinger. She’s a girl that likes the idea of love and committed relationships. Or, at least that’s how she used to feel. Whey Ally gets dumped by her long-time boyfriend for another girl, Ally decides that loves is for losers and she wants to be a part of Sam’s “screw around and then screw off” team. You can’t exactly get your heart broken if you don’t stick around long enough to develop feelings for someone.

After a lot of begging on Ally’s part, Sam finally decides to take one for the team (that team being the entire male population) and create the perfect girl. But hey, even if she fails as bad as he thinks she will, at least it should help cheer her up and get her mind off the jerk that broke her heart.

Only it turns out that Ally isn’t bad at the game at all. Armed with Sam’s Three Step Guide to Backseat Success, she’s better at it then either of them ever expected her to be, and it might be Sam getting hurt because of it in the long run.

♥ Author Ego-booster: For me, the greatest aspect of this book was how genuine the characters felt. They’re high school seniors and for the love of all the sparkling princesses, they acted like actual high school seniors. Their language was crude, often (like, a vast majority of the time) the topic of conversation was sex, and life outside of school revolved around fun, friends, and discussing what the future could hold. Told in alternating POV’s between Sam and Ally, you really got a grasp on who they were as people and what motivated their actions throughout the course of the story. What was exceptionally rewarding for me was that by the end, you saw each character come into their own and experience growth. They both learned hard truths about the type of person they were and I enjoyed tagging along for the ride.

Another thing about this story that had me tap-dancing with glee was all the humor. I’m a sucker for a book that can make me giggle or chuckle, and this novel had me literally laughing out loud through the whole thing. Sam and Ally’s banter was so funny that I was practically hanging on their every conversation. But our two main characters weren’t the only ones that brought the silliness; there’s a whole host of secondary characters that charmed their way into my heart with their amusing antics. Ms. Darling has earned herself a fan in me just for this accomplishment alone.

♥ Drawbacks: Hmmm… I guess I wanted more of an explanation about Sam’s unwillingness to be in a relationship to be expanded on. It’s obvious in reading the book that he has some sort of emotional detachment and fear of commitment because of the loss of his mother at a young age and from observing his “player” dad. However, I feel like if the author would have dug a little deeper, we would’ve had a better understanding of why Sam became a player in the first place.

♥ Special Notes: So, the sex in this book is like whoa! Seriously, there’s a lot of casual hooking up going on and they’re 17-18 years old, so if you feel like that’s something you can’t handle reading… I’m just here to hand out the friendly warning. For me, it wasn’t really that big of a deal. I may not have been the girl that settled for random good times at high school parties back in the day, but I was very aware that it was happening all around me. I’ve read a few reviews from some people that were put off by the idea of teenagers having so many one-night stands, but let’s be honest; these days there are thirteen-year-olds spitting out kids. So, all I can say is sex is happening, folks, and it’s best to teach your kids about safety. If it’s better for you to live in denial, that’s cool, but don’t get preachy to Ms. Darling because I really like her and hope she’ll stick around for a while. :D

♥ Verdict: The “I Love You” moment at the end was the most heartfelt and honest one that I’ve read in a really long time. I laughed until I cried in some parts. I rooted for these characters like you wouldn’t even believe, and I’d do it again and again. If you’re looking for an entertaining, laugh-out-loud book with great characters and a realistic story-line, I’d rec this book to you a hundred times over.

♥ A very special thanks to Te Da Media and Net Galley for allowing me to preview an advanced copy of this title. It will be available Wednesday, October 17th.

[Sara (Freadom Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Be aware that the only thing that saved this book from two stars was the amazing humor in it.

Critically
Plot - 3 out of 5 stars
The plot of this book was all over the place. Totally inconsistent with way too many characters thrown out at once. But it was very, very funny and entertaining.

Writing Style - 2 out of 5 stars
Really, really messy and juvenile. It's way too conversational with almost no thought processes. Bad pacing, incredibly rushed throughout, which if it were another genre would be great but it made it hard to digest everything. But really good with comedy and puns.

Characters - 2 out of 5 stars
I felt like all the characters were pushed to be way too stereotypical. There was nothing unique or quirky about their personalities, nothing that really set them apart from the box they were placed in, I'm also including side characters in this. Ally was smart, sophisticated, socially clueless and way too focused on having a boyfriend at the start of the story. Again, she was too focused on being the nerdy, smart girl. Sam, although really hilarious, is following in his father's footsteps as a player, mawhore type of man. He's rude and takes the "no feelings involved" approach to relationships. Again, too over the top and forced for his personality.

Emotionally
Although I had quite a few problems, this book was really, really funny and I had a good time reading it.

The plot was all over the place. We get introduced to a lot of characters in a short amount of time. Like 3 to 4 at once with no real descriptions. Things happened either too fast or way too slow. Certain plot points that seemed important were rushed and those that seemed trivial took too long. Sometimes it all felt unrealistic and completely juvenile.

I didn't like the writing style at all unfortunately. It was messy and it was too conversational. I like when writing is portrayed like the character is talking to you, but this was too much. They almost had no thought process and a lot of their actions are very confusing, so we had no way of really knowing their intentions behind what they said.

I felt like most of the characters were extremely stereotyped. They all seem to fit in predestined boxes and none of them really have a personality quirks. It's strange because there are a lot of characters so someone should have a interesting trait to them but no. We also have two foreigners, one English and one French, but even they are very stereotypical. The French, Etienne, is a player and a manwhore and the reason given for that is well, he's French. That pretty much explains every trait of every character in this book. Also, there were so many there were hard to keep track off and it was annoying.

The only thing that I really enjoyed about this book was the humor. It's very sarcastic and in your face with lots of banters between characters and I laughed a lot since it's similar to my humor.
Overall I wouldn't recommend unless you want a totally not serious, funny story.

[Emily Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam Cruz's Infallible Guide to Getting Girls is Tellulah Darling's debut novel and a hilarious one at that! I read this after reading (and loving) her second novel, My Ex From Hell. I must admit that I did not enjoy this one as much. That's not to say it's a bad book. It's fantastic! It was just different than what I had expected.

If you looked up, "player" in the dictionary, you'd see Sam Cruz's face. He's a ladies man and not ashamed of it. When his best friend, Ally, asks him to teach her how to treat sex the way he so publicly does, he's sure that he finally found a girl that can handle "friends with benefits." Ally, on the other hand, has just been dumped for her long-term boyfriend. She's ready to screw around without letting her heart get in the way. As Ally's transformation rounds out, Sam discovers something he never expected: feelings for his best friend.

The best part of this novel was the banter between the characters. Ms. Darling writes with great humor that had me laughing out loud several times. Sam Cruz's Infallible Guide to Getting Girls is not a complex, moral-led story. It's a coming-of-age, fun-to-read, simplistic novel. And it works for her. It's a bit predictable, but the friends-to-lovers storyline never gets old! Tellulah's plot moved smoothly and at a really steady pace that had my almost constant attention--stupid school taking up so much of my time!

I liked the characters, but didn't love them. Each had realistic flaws, but often grated on my nerves. Sam's casual approach to sex is not something I generally enjoy, but rooting for him and Ally to make things work between them came naturally. They had a fantastic friendship that lead to a adorable, albeit sexy, relationship. All of these characters had their own flavor of wit and charm that tied together for a fantastic cast.

The themes in this novel are not for the immature. The focus is sex that means: there is a lot of sex, a lot of innuendo, and a whole lot of hilarious awkwardness. This is really a book about two teenagers growing up and discovering themselves. Though it's a pretty mature storyline, Sam Cruz's Infallible Guide to Getting Girls takes a humorous approach to the subject. It will make its readers laugh. It will make them swoon. And it will provide a kind of entertainment that will have its readers looking for opportunities to read it again.

Tellulah has a ton of talent. She's a real comedian that I'm sure will excel in her writing career. Her stories are full of heart, humor and some extremely attractive, fictional boys--so basically, they've got everything. I definitely recommend her work! (Seriously, go read these books!)

I received an e-copy of this novel from the author for my honest opinion and review via Netgalley.
This review can be seen here on my blog as well.

[Hira · Rating 4 out of 5]

*To read more reviews by me, visit Views & Reviews *

I loved this book! It was so cute and funny! I gotta admit I was nervous about reading it because it had mixed reviews on Goodreads (half of the people gave it 4 stars and the other half gave it 1) and none of my friends have read this book. So I didn't really know what to expect. And when it started out I was still kind of unsure. But by the third chapter I started enjoying it. And when I finished it, I ended up loving it!

I love best-friend love stories. I know it's a big cliche but I still love them! I think romantic relationships should always have friendship in them. And when you've been best friends with a person for 17 years, you know everything about them. And if you love them still, for better or for worse, well, then that's true love. So naturally I loved this book, because it totally complied with my opinions.

The writing was good. There were times when I didn't get some references (like movie references and all). But all around it was good and it wasn't boring. Although if the writing would've been a bit different, I would've given the book 5 stars. I'm not saying that the writing was bad, I'm just saying that it was ok or good. That it wasn't 'amazing'. Or my type...

But I loved that it was written in alternating POV! I love those kind of books. I love reading both sides of the story.

I loved the characters! The thing I liked the most about them was that they were real. They felt real emotions and made real decisions. I didn't feel like "what the hell, that's not even believable!" Because all of it was! And they were well developed. But most of all, they didn't have mysterious pasts and everything happened in the present. Not that I don't like the 'mysterious pasts' thing. But the books I've been reading, almost all of them had the mysterious past thing going on. This was fresh for me.

I didn't develop a book crush on Sam (even if I do love his name!) but he was really sweet. And I really liked his character. I don't usually like guys like Sam, you know the player type, "jump in bed with anyone" type, "no commitment" type, but I get his reasons. And he was a really great friend and over all a really good guy.

At first I didn't like Abby. She was too nerdy. But then around Sam and her other friends she was fine and I realized that the nerdiness was only around her boyfriend and that was only a part of her character, to show how she evolved.

My favorite part of the book was Sam's and Abby's relationship. To see how they evolved and accepted each other. How they realized what they actually wanted.

Overall, this was a fun read and I would definitely recommend that you check it out. A warning though, there's sex and swearing in the book so if you're not comfortable with that, I recommend that you pass this book. If you're fine with it, then go ahead and read it! Then come back here and let me know what you think.

[Vikki ~ *squee* lite ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another random Amazon inpulse purchase. I'm lucky that that strategy has worked out well the last few times. This was a very cute, funny YA (ish) book. (Ill get back to the "ish" part since it's my only real gripe.

Sam and Ally are best friends. The kinds of best friends who have been inseparable since they were in diapers. Sam is a serious player. He is a love-em and leave-em guy, who isn't shy about his attitude about relationships.

"Sweet, idiotic boy, contrary to your belief that you respect women, treating them like socks to jack off into is not actually respect. So forgive me if I don't follow your brilliant advice."

Ally is your classic geek girl, funny, and quirky and awkward. Unlike a lot of friends-to-lovers books, there is no unrequited love on one side or the other. When the books opens, they both have each other very firmly in the "friend zone".

The start of this book feels very early 2000 teen romantic comedy. Think "She's all that" and "10 Things I hate about you ". Some of the dialogue (inner and otherwise) is a bit over the top, bordering in silly occasionally. However, it pretty quickly catches its stridemand it turns into a just plain fun, funny, and surprisingly smart read.

"Relax," Ally continues. "You can still believe in the power of your magical penis." .... "Don't talk about that. It's weird". Ally leans over Rachel and Ian and mock whispers, "He's scared naming it will kill his power." She begins to chant "One penis to rule them all, one penis to find them, one penis to bring them all and in the darkness bind them"

Dispite it's semi cliched premise, the book manages to keep things fresh. Sam and Ally don't follow the straight path to true love, and that made it feel far more real then many other similar books.

"It's the sweetest kiss Ive ever had. I'm melting inside. Nothing has ever been so perfect. It's totally different from every other kiss we've had. Not throw me down and take me now. But scarily more intimate. .....That kiss wasn't supposed to happen with Sam. That kiss was suppose to happen with Adam. Or some future boyfriend. Because that kiss, that once in a lifetime kiss, is only supposed to happen with someone you truly, shamelessly, unconditionally love. FUCK!"

Now, for my one gripe - the YA "ishy-ness". Sam and Ally are supposed to be 17 year only high school students. For a lot of reasons, that just doesn't ring true at all with how they behave and talk throughout the novel. I had to mentally pretend they were twenty-something college kids. I'm not sure why it was set in highschool - it could have easily been a college romance. I just don't get it.

Still, I loved Sam and Ally, and all the other cast of characters in this fun easy read.

[Gem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley, Te Da Media and Tellulah Darling for allowing me to read this before the publication date.

Sam Cruz is your typical player, and he knows it! He goes for pretty much every girl, apart from his best friend, Ally. She gets dumped by her earthy, vegan boyfriend on her birthday. Together Sam and Ally make a pact to transform her into a female version of him. But has his plan worked too well? When Sam realises he’s attracted to Ally will he decide to choose friendship over his lustful feelings, or is there a way the two can be combined?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. I have only recently decided to read more YA books and I found this to be a lot sexier than others. Well, I liked it! It did have my pulse racing at times, each sex scene was different to the one before which I found refreshing. They spoke to each other like any two best friends at 17/18 would and I thought the exploration of sexual attraction and interaction was spot on for this age.

I loved knowing Sam and Ally’s point of view. I think I connected more with Sam because I felt sorry for him having lost a friend at the points where all Ally seemed to care about was their sexual relationship. I would have liked to know more about the death of Sam’s mother and how this affected his father. I think seeing his father behave the way he does is the making of Sam’s personality and I wanted a bit more background on their relationship.

Both Sam and Ally are so witty. They had me laughing and smiling all the way through, definitely the signs of a well written book. I never felt myself needing to skim read any part of this which is something I usually have to stop myself doing. The story moved at just the right pace.

I would recommend this book to those interested in YA and romantic comedy fiction. I’ll be buying the book in October to meet with Sam and Ally again!

Sam turns to me. 'I am never getting you tampons.' I snap open the top button of my cardigan to flash him my black lace bra. 'Probably never,' he amends.

http://bookshelfreviews.tumblr.com/

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm annoyed with the universe for not bringing Tellulah Darling to my attention before last week. That's one big bad in the universes part.

Now, this book. LOL, let's start with all that's horrible: It's a little predictable. Tragedy, right? ::said with a huge dose of sarcasm::

As for all the great in this book:
The writing - fresh and spot on.
The voices - best 17yo voices in this genre, for sure. I'm still boggled when I remember how fantastically Darling channeled Sam. Then you have Ally, then nerdy, Sam's best friend. She's just adorkable. And a clandestine hottie, as it turns out.

Here's the skinny on this book: Sam is a big boywhore (17 yo, after all, can't call him a man yet). When Ally, his besite gets dumped on her birthday (IKR?) by her 2-year idiot, boring, less than mediocre boyfriend, Sam helps her channel her inner boywhore.

What is it that Sam doesn't foresee? Ally turning out to be his hot best friend. Who's awkwardness is a plus when it comes to attract the boys. And when Sam "accidentally" kisses her, their friends-turned-friends-with-benefits turns his philosophy about dating upside down.

I enjoyed the humor, the puns, Sam and Ally's own language that wasn't understood by pretty much anyone else in the book. I also enjoyed their best friends, Ian and Rachel (also Ally's cousin) and the less significant characters in the book, who basically drove them both to realize what they meant for each other.

I'm not quoting from this one. Anything I will won't make any sense to anyone without the context. But trust me, you want to read SCIGtGG. It's awesome.

[Risbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This whole New Adult genre...I am in love.

What typically happens when I read a book with characters in HS, I reminisce and fall in love with perfect boy with the perfect swoon. And then the cranky, cynical little voice in my head starts to protest because that perfect boy doesn't exist in RL. Well, at least he didn't when I was in HS.

But the characters in this book, are "real" characters. The crudeness and the snark and the humor, THAT is the type of relationship that 17 year olds have. I admit it, at that age (and even still today) I wanted the swoony prince charming, but my life was full of Sams. My best friend WAS a Sam.

And Ally, bless her right-brained heart. I mean, when she was trying to learn how to flirt, I could barely breath because it was just so perfectly awkward. Sure, looks can change like a light-switch - and hers did - but underneath the makeover and new clothes, she was still brainy Ally. There was a point where her inner monologue uses the word 'clitoris' and I giggled because that was definitely a smart-Ally word. I love that she never lost the "no short cuts, do things the scientific way or don't do them at all" part of her. You can lead a horse to water and all that...

This book had everything I was looking for - cuteness and humor with the appropriate amount of realistic angst. And where the ending was tied up neatly with a bow, it was still the type of bow that you get when a 17 year old boy gets in the way.

[Jess (jessreads1985) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Big thanks to Diane and Tellulah for an ARC copy for review.

What a cute and funny story all wrapped into one. It reminded me of one of my old favorite movies from the early 2000's called Whatever It Takes with similar aspects. I loved Sam and Ally's perspectives, those two had me laughing out loud quite a bit, and still wanting to shake them both at the same time.

Sam is the your popular, teenage boy who is also loves the girls. The boy is a player and he is well aware. When his best Ally gets dumped by her boyfriend Adam, she turns to Sam for "guidance" to show her his approach to dating. They both strike up a friends with benefits with each other, and that's where it gets it gets complicated..

Soon there are hidden feelings, insecurities and jealousy started to surface. Before either of them know it, what started out as "helping out a friend" turned into something much more. It was cute and frustrating to watch Sam and Ally's interaction with each other because you know they love each other, yet Sam and his stubbornness. Though I rooted for Ally with her straight forward ness with him.

"No," she mocks. "You don't have any. You're the perfect guy. Want to know the irony."

"Do I have a choice? Then no."

"I'm the perfect girl for you. And you can't handle that. You can't even see that. You never have." ~Ally to Sam

This had a good ending, and it left me with a good feeling.


Review also posted at: http://jesstimetoread.blogspot.com

[Richard Hayes · Rating 2 out of 5]

NOTE: I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author.

There are three types of books. Those that grab the reader within the first few pages, those that take a little longer and those that fail to grab the reader. This book is one that if I hadn't received a copy for an honest review, I would have probably stopped reading after about 50 to 75 pages, but I felt honor bound to finish reading the book and review it.

The two main characters in the book are Sam and Ally. Two teenagers who have known each other since, it seems. Sam is the typical teenage horndog boy and Ally is the typical geek girl. After being dumped by her boyfriend, Ally asks Sam for help to become a female version of a horndog. Sam doesn't really want to but gives her what he things is his wisdom which, of course, backfires on him when he finds out how much he really likes Ally. But does she feel the same way?

This book seems to be mainly the characters thinking about sex, talking about sex, picking up partners for sex or crying about their sex lives. There appears to be little development of the main characters. The supporting characters seem to be there for nothing more than sounding posts. The book did get a little better after about the halfway point when I did care a little bit about the main characters, but it was too little and too late for what could have been a good comedy.

[Seanean · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://librarytalker.blogspot.com/201...

Sam Cruz has been a major player for a while now. He may just be a high school senior, but he's got all the moves. He has mastered the one-night stand. No sex at his place. No cuddles after. He's the "hit 'em and quit 'em" type all the way.

If only the girls weren't always looking for something more...

When Sam's best friend, Ally, gets dumped, she begs Sam for help. She wants to be a player, too. Just a few one-night stands with no emotional attachments would really help boost her self-esteem and get over her ex. So Sam becomes Dr. F@*kenstein and teaches Ally all his best techniques.

And it works! Now Ally has guys falling at their feet for her... including Sam.

It so was not meant to be like that.

Final thoughts: It's cotton candy and it has its moments, but it's not great. The idea of promoting casual sex among high schoolers is a little disturbing and Sam's conversion from player to jealous guy is messy. It's a roller coaster for both him and Ally told in alternating viewpoints. I actually liked Sam's point of view more, but I still with there had been a little more development of his emotions.