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Rockford High #2

Don't Fall for Trouble

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Jessica knew he was trouble. Too bad her heart didn't get the message.

Christian Black was the ultimate bad boy. He'd spent time in juvie. And Jessica's father was the deputy county attorney. He would freak if he knew she was spending time with him. Too bad she has no choice. Being paired up with him for a science project wasn't her idea.

But when he touches her the world spins and her heart melts. She's got it bad for the bad boy.

Christian likes Jessica, but can't allow himself to fall for her. He's leaving Rockford as soon as he can get his sister to a safe place. He's got plans, and they don't include falling in love.

Buy your copy of Don't Fall for Trouble today!

154 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 15, 2019

184 people are currently reading
163 people want to read

About the author

Victorine E. Lieske

64 books561 followers

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5 stars
96 (27%)
4 stars
128 (36%)
3 stars
96 (27%)
2 stars
23 (6%)
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6 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
Profile Image for Katie (hiding in the pages).
3,478 reviews326 followers
July 23, 2019
Christian and Jessica are assigned as partners for a science project and two people couldn't be more opposite--he's trouble and she's a goody-goody. And sometimes, opposites attract.

Jessica's parents would have driven me crazy when I was a teen. Her mom is always on the road as a folk singer and is so lackadaisical, but her dad is the most controlling and overbearing parent that ever existed! No wonder she wants to rebel when she has the chance of hanging out with the resident bad boy. As for Christian, he's definitely misunderstood, and I loved getting to know him and his motives, especially as he loosens Jessica up a bit.

As a parent, I can't condone the sneaking around and lying, but my inner younger self loved this story and it's opposites-attract don't-judge-the-outside-of-a-person moral to this book. The romance was sweet and slightly sizzling, since it was dangerous and forbidden. This series really satisfies my inner teen, and I'm looking forward to more.

Content: mild talk of crimes/violence; mild romance

*I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*
Profile Image for Julie Carpenter.
1,866 reviews236 followers
July 20, 2019
Jessica is in big trouble...like the kind of trouble you find yourself in when you're paired up for an important assignment with the one kid your dad would DEFINITELY not want you to be paired up with.

Jessica and Christian were fun characters to read about. Neither were afraid to say it like they see it. They were straightforward and were able to see past the labels that people can use. I thought the author did a great job showing their friendship develop and grow.

There was some suspense written into the story that was balanced very well with the cute YA romance.

Jessica had some moments where she had to make some choices, be honest or not. I wasn't always positive how she was going to justify her choices or go through with some of them, but I was very pleased with how the author wrapped everything up in the end. Some fun little surprises for you within this book. And there's a sneak peek at book #3 in the series.

Content: Clean. Some kissing, elements of dishonesty/honesty, some talk about abuse but nothing graphic.

I received a copy from the author. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!
Profile Image for Mara.
1,449 reviews108 followers
July 19, 2019
Jessica's assigned partner for her science project is the "school delinquent". Her dad, the deputy county attorney, can't find out or he'd have a fit. Christian Black isn't what most people at school think he is--a hot head and a trouble maker. Jessica needs to get a good grade on this assignment if she plans to get into Juilliard--what's a girl to do?

I liked this good girl falls for bad boy story because Christian wasn't a bad guy--he's more of a misunderstood guy. He's a teenager with a big heart even though his home life is far from ideal. Christian was charged with something he shouldn't have been charged with while trying to protect his much younger sister. I loved how sweet Christian is to his little sister, especially since there's such a big age difference.

I liked that Jessica felt bad when she lied to her dad, but I thought her dad was super protective with the signout book, even though I understand with her mom constantly out of town he's basically a single parent. I totally related when Jessica's dad removed her bedroom door because we did that when our daughter was a teenager, but thankfully not for the same reason Jessica lost her bedroom door. (Thank heavens).

This is a fast read but it kept my interest because I wanted to know if Jessica's dad would ever find out the truth behind what sent Christian to juvie. I was happy with the ending and the set up for the next book in this series. This is a clean YA with no swearing and only a few kisses.

I received a complimentary copy and chose to leave a review. All thoughts expressed are my own.
Profile Image for Pascale’s*ARC,Unwind,Read,Review.
2,334 reviews31 followers
July 11, 2019
Really fun YA read. A misunderstood “bad” boy and a girl whose father is super strict. Cute, clean read. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series. This book is suitable for all ages and contains no swearing nor sexual references. Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Aimee .
3,068 reviews300 followers
July 29, 2019
Misunderstood Bad Boy

Do you believe that opposites attract? Christian and Jessica appear to be opposites in every way but cannot deny an interest and attraction especially as they start working together on a school project. I loved how Jessica realizes there is more to Christian than she believes and begins to understand his motivations. Christian is definitely misunderstood. It made him the underdog all the way through and I love to root for a good underdog. Apparently, so does Jessica who is an excellent supporter and defender of Christian once she comes to know him- despite her overprotective father!

This is a fun (and quick) young adult high school age romance. Christian and Jessica are great characters and I enjoyed their story. I kind of wish it would have lasted longer!

Content: some sneaking out, kissing, mention of physical abuse
Profile Image for Cindy Hale.
Author 60 books556 followers
July 30, 2019
I devoured this book!

Victorine does a fantastic job with this story. I loved how the characters from the first book in the series are in this book too. How fun! Christian was the perfect Bad Boy. Tough on the outside and sweet inside. His relationship with his little sister melted my heart. And his mom’s boyfriend was horrible. It’s sad because I know there really are guys out there like that hurting women and kids. It was gratifying to see how Victorine brought justice and resolved the story. Everything felt so real, but she still used fun tropes that moved the story along.
2,640 reviews19 followers
July 15, 2019
This young adult story was quite interesting. It is a good girl meets bad boy story that is so much more than what is on the surface. I really liked Christian, the bad boy, especially after learning about his life. I liked his beliefs in the end and how he wanted to proof everyone wrong because he knew they were.

It was interesting to see how Jessica's dad treated her and how that also led to lies and lack of trust. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.
Profile Image for Tiffany  (Bluestocking).
448 reviews18 followers
April 10, 2022
An okay read. Things happened to quickly, Jessica’s cousin & father were over the top. Jessica lied way too much and there were unnecessary scenes with unnecessary characters (Eli, Destiny, Jack). Plus some scenes didn’t make a whole lot of sense.
Profile Image for ☠︎︎༒︎✞︎ ѕℓιм ☠︎︎༒︎✞︎ .
1,519 reviews102 followers
July 20, 2019
Good book

https://ladiikeiii.wordpress.com/2019...

**** There are a few spoilers here and there****

Oh, I can’t wait for the next book, “Don’t Trust the Impostor.” To come out.... because for one I want to know what will happen between Eli and Destiny I knew they were well hoping they were going to get a book.

To me after reading that ending, I don’t think Eli made a bet or a deal with Jack... at all.... and really not an impostor but I will see once that book comes out and I get to read it...


But back to the story about Jessica and Christian.., I was glad that it was Jessica who shown Christian that it’s okay to stay in school and taken Mr. B advice; at least he had someone in the school system which was looking out for him... I also was hoping that they clear his record because what he did to protect his family’ from Michael was important and acceptable heck anyone do anything to protect his or her family. That man was horrible...

Reading this book and learning that his mom boyfriend name... I see that he’s an abuser... I am like aren’t that something... my family member boyfriend an abuser and a got the same name..... but at least, in the end, he didn’t leave, but I do wonder will his mom and sister come back to a new home or their old home since that police officer was going to jail for the crimes that he committed... I mean clearly, people should’ve known something was fishy regardless of him being an officer... not all are good people, and it was BAD that he got away with so much ... and it took him taking Jessica in and harassing her to let them go into more investigating Michael...

I’m just glad he got something coming to him (cop) and Jessica and Christian got to be together in the end, her dad accepted their relationship...
Profile Image for Jessie.
1,469 reviews85 followers
July 25, 2019
As Jessica works on a partner assignment with Christian Black, she starts to realize that there's more to the town "bad boy" than meets the eye, or the rumor mill. I liked how this story explored how we really don't know the motivations behind other's actions. I liked getting to know Christian from his flirty personality, to understanding his cavalier attitude to school. I loved his protective nature, and how he treated Jessica.

My only complaint about this story stems from my age and perspective. Jessica's dad was overprotective, but I still didn't like how Christian encouraged Jessica to lie and sneak out of her house. Jessica and her Dad needed a good conversation, not a bunch of lies!

Great chemistry between Jessica and Christian made this a fun read, and the communication with Jessica and her father did improve at the end.

Content: clean (some kissing, no language, talk of violence/abuse)
Profile Image for Jill.
833 reviews39 followers
July 17, 2019
Sweet yet serious YA book

Jessica’s home life left a lot to be desired. True she has parents who love her but who are so caught up in their work and personal pursuits that she ends up being on her own a lot. Knowing that her dad wants to put a fence around her she seeks out “approved” friends where she can. So any interactions with Christian, the ‘juvie’ kid, had to be avoided. At first Jessica really had a hard time finding a way to work with Christian. Then when she discovered how much she liked him, Jessica really had a hard time hiding her relationship with Christian. It was as if everyone was discouraging her from falling for the “bad boy”. Meanwhile Christian kept surprising her with his thoughtfulness and protective nature. The reasons for Christian earning his bad boy image are good so I wouldn’t call him a true bad boy. But he is definitely my favorite character in the story, a real protector. There are some real issues discussed in this book so I would give this a PG rating. Some sweet kisses but very clean and wholesome.
Profile Image for Nari.
1,232 reviews10 followers
July 15, 2019
I really liked Jessica and Christian together. The seemed to see more in the other person from the beginning. I liked the family values in this book. I thought it was well paced and kept my attention the whole time. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
Profile Image for Victoria - txreadingnook .
66 reviews13 followers
July 15, 2019
Christian and Jessica
This sweet YA has it all !
The bad boy high school boy that seems to have a bad rap sheet .
Jessica is sweet girl who wants to go to Juilliard and play her music .
Jessica’s dad is the Deputy County Attorney.
What Jessica finds out is her dad helped put Christian away .
He is dangerous , Right !
She needs to say away from him except for the school Science project .
Jessica is lying to her dad and it just gets worse .
Christian is not telling her why he has to protect his little sister Molly .
Why is there trouble if his mom is dating a cop her dad knows . Hm.. That’s a mystery to be solved .
Jessica needs to run from Christian but her heart tells her stay .
There is a betrayal between Jessica and her cousin Destiny .
Destiny broke up Jessica and Jack .
Now Destiny is learning that cheaters are always cheaters .
Now there is a new boy named Elijah and he is now involved with the story line of Destiny and Jack.
I will stop here and let you read the book .
‘This book as sweet romance , high school drama , and a suspense / thriller theme as well .
Do not believe everything you see or hear .
Motorcycle 🏍
Bad boy
grounded
Secrets
Redemption
Five Stars ⭐️ Another Masterpiece!
Would love to hear this book on an audio book .
I read this book in one day .
Could not put it down .
Profile Image for Kaitlyn.
281 reviews
September 6, 2019
Don’t Fall for Trouble

I thought this book was okay all in all. I feel like the author did some things in the book I liked and some things I didn’t.
Things I liked include:
How she introduced the main characters of the next book in this book so you had a teaser and an idea of what the next book would be about. I liked how she incorporated physical abuse awareness and how victims can go to shelters to seek help and comfort if needed. I also liked how she maintained the importance of a good education.

Things I didn’t like include:
I felt like the main characters didn’t have enough depth for me I was not able to get attached to them. I also didn’t like how there was no real backstory or connection to the two main characters. I feel like they were just kind of stuck together immediately in the book. I also felt like the book was very unrealistic. Humans are naturally rebellious and especially teenagers. They tend to shout at their parents and talk back. However, Jessica was perceived by me in the book as the perfect child. I really think there should have been a blow up moment for her and her dad.
This book was okay all in all but definitely not a favorite. 3.7
3,328 reviews42 followers
October 16, 2022
In this story, Jessica is an aspiring musician and Christian is a student who has been in legal trouble before. They are assigned to do a science project together and get to know each other. Jessica's mother is never there because of her career and her dad is hardly ever there either but he wants to be a strict dad from the distance so he installs a GPS tracking app to Jessica's phone so he can spy on her at any time. So Jessica doesn't feel like she could tell him that she's spending time with Christian and they resort to sneaking around. His mother's boyfriend is abusive but he's a police officer so Christian doesn't think anyone would believe him if he complained.

I liked the main characters and the forbidden romance but Jessica's dad was way out of line and I really just wanted Jessica to run away with Christian on the back his motorcycle and never look back.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Liz Krane that the author had kindly made available on her youtube. I liked the narrator, even listening to it in double speed which probably made some things sound more dramatic than intended.

3,686 reviews41 followers
July 16, 2019
🍦Jessica's lab partner brings drama and romance to her senior year: sweet with a side of sadness❤
July 15, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition
👍4-4.5 🌟 stars 💘
I enjoyed this short high school romance that had a more serious side. Christian is a wrong-side-of-the-tracks, presumed bad boy but his hidden domestic problems are quickly revealed to good girl Jessica. A number of typical teen issues, like over protective and absentee parents and fickle partners with their eyes on the next good thing are included. This is the second book in the series I've read. Though I think I liked the first better, both are good, sweet stories that I would recommend for a younger, teenage reader. I am not a teenager but enjoyed it just the same, though the ending does wrap things up a bit too quickly.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
Profile Image for Sonya Wasden.
1,069 reviews12 followers
March 20, 2022
This is a cute, fast, sweet read. Christian is the bad boy in school because he spent time in juvie. Jessica is the sweet girl that is paired with Christian for a lab project. Jessica is nervous around him because of his reputation but as she spends more time with him, she sees his sweet side and realizes he isn't the bad boy that everyone thinks he is. Her dad is partly responsible for sending Christian to juvie. Then he catches them kissing in Jessica's bedroom. Will the truth come out about Christian or will Jessica be grounded for the rest of her life?

I listened to the audiobook version on YouTube. The narration is very well done and I was quickly drawn in to the story and I enjoyed it very much. It is clean and would be appropriate for anyone to read if you are looking for a quick read with a happy ending.
Profile Image for Sara .
1,689 reviews255 followers
December 28, 2023
It's a high school romance series, so it has to be cute, fun, and all about feelings and happy endings.

I bought it, even before I knew the book was part of a series, and I loved the name, it gave me something to look forward to, and the story started from the first page, I fell in love with the characters, their lives and how they felt about each other.

The story is fast and clear, everything can be easily predicted, but despite that I enjoyed it, the characters are really teenagers at school not adolt, there are scenes with characters from the next or previous book, which are really unnecessary in this book, I felt like they were a little out of context, and the ending happened very quickly and in a easily Simplicity.

But overall it's interesting book and the story is fun and cute.
Profile Image for Cas H..
417 reviews3 followers
October 20, 2019
This series brings me back to a high school experience that I wish I could have possibly had.
In this book, Jessica and Christian are not friends. He is the schools bad boy, and she is the daughter of the Deputy County Attorney.
They have to figure out a schedule so that they can meet and complete this project without upsetting the balance.
As Jessica spends more time with Christian, she realizes that he is a good guy, just misunderstood. Christian realizes that Jessica is amazing. He wants to get to know her better.
As the attraction grows...life gets complicated.
When they are forbidden from seeing each other...well, what would you do?
I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more in this series.
Profile Image for Penny Leidecker.
2,658 reviews26 followers
July 15, 2019
I really enjoyed this fast, sweet read about Jessica and Christian. Christian and Jessica are lab partners and have to work on a project together. Jess has to lie to her father, the deputy county attorney because Christian is the high school’s bad boy, that has spent time in juvie. Christian was sent to juvie because of Jessica’s father. Everything isn’t as it appears, so grab your copy and see what happens in this enjoyable read. I won’t leave any spoilers, but I will say don’t believe everything you hear. I’m looking forward to reading Destiny’s story, although I didn’t really like what she did to Jessica.
Profile Image for Karen.
734 reviews7 followers
August 6, 2019
Another winner by Victorine. These cute teenage books are fun. It is a clean sweet romance. The characters Jessica and Christian are an interesting couple. Christian with his misunderstood bad boy image and Jessica with her wild hair and music loving style. But can they make things work when they aren’t being honest and when they are sneaking around? My only complaint about this book is that Jessica continuously lies to her Dad. I really hate it when people are dishonest and it tends to lead to trouble. Other than that the book was great and discussed some real issues that teenagers and even adults face.
Profile Image for Tinkerbell.
450 reviews4 followers
December 22, 2022
I listened to this one on youtube and although I normally don't love audiobooks, the narrator was pretty good. Still, I think I would have enjoyed reading it more because that's just the type of human I am. Audiobooks nudge me out of the story (unless they are non-fiction). But I keep trying!

The book was cute and had chemistry. There were some aspects of the story that pulled me out a bit (like every time a new person was introduced for the reason of getting their own book later, which is a personal pet peeve, but I know why authors do it) but for the most part everything was believable, and the chemistry was great.
Profile Image for Maria.
338 reviews24 followers
October 3, 2022
"Don't Fall for Trouble" (2019) by American writer Victorine E. Lieske.

Jessica knew Christian Christian Black was trouble. The ultimate bad boy. He'd even spent time in juvie for assault. And Jessica's father was the deputy county attorney and he wouldn't like his daughter being around Christian. But she's paired up with him for a science project, she haven't got a choice.
But they start falling for each other, but Christian's leaving Rockford as soon as he can get his sister to a safe place. He's got plans, and they don't include falling in love.
But love works in mysterious ways.
2,249 reviews26 followers
July 23, 2019
I loved Jessica and Christian!!! Being a mom I don't condone her deceiving her dad but loved the connection between these two characters. He has a "bad boy" reputation but keeps showing Jessica he really isn't. You can't always believe what you hear. Christian is awesome with his little sister and my heart broke for his pain with what they and his mom are enduring. Her cousin is a piece of work ---- Loved the ending!!!!
Profile Image for Tina Delia.
20 reviews
February 10, 2020
Sweet

I came across this author by chance, looking for something not as naughty as my norm. It was a sweet read. A nice little break from fantasy. I say that because the circumstances in books 1 & 2 have been believable. It's not always dramatic but misunderstanding. There are some real life situations that make it better than I was expecting. Will definitely keep an eye on this author.
Profile Image for Lily.
401 reviews29 followers
May 2, 2020
I had loved the first one that I had high hopes for this one, but it felt a bit rushed and forced. I feel like they got together too fast, had the drama too fast, and it was all resolved fast. If the author had paced it out I think it would have been better. And if she had given the main character a conflict herself. From the way things left off in the first book, I thought it would have been a body image issue or something that would have been neat to read- would have been a good dynamic.
Author 1 book68 followers
May 25, 2020
Jessica is a good student. Her dad is strict, trying to protect her. She's paired to a "bad boy" on a school project. Then she's attracted to him and caught kissing him.

I felt transported into the world of teens. It took me back to my high school days and I loved it. The story kept me engaged. The characters, interested. Very good. I look forward to the next one.
Profile Image for Mimia The Reader.
453 reviews12 followers
October 12, 2022
Fun and fast read. I'm still pretty sure YA is not for me anymore. I really liked how this series (and this book in particular) deals with tough topics while managing to not make fall into despair, and the way it deals with difficult topics in general.
The audiobook is available on Youtube if you want to check it out.
Profile Image for Jesica.
1,670 reviews15 followers
November 21, 2024
CLASIFICATION: 2.0 ESTRELLAS

Historia juvenil sencilla donde la good girl se enamora del bad boy de la escuela que al final del dia no es tan bad boy como la gente esperaba, tienen final feliz y zas se acabo.
Demasiado predecible, solo lo termine porque era corto...
No creo que vuelva a leer a esta autora ...
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