If you love the ice-queen trope and love the plucky girl who melts said ice queen’s heart—and especially if you enjoy said plucky girl working very hard to do so—then Rachael Sommers’ Chemistry is a book you’re going to enjoy, I’m very confident in saying.
High-school teacher Eva Thomas is literally bumped into by new teacher Lily Cross. You might then expect some sort of spark that leads to the chemistry, but if so, you might be surprised to find that what is mostly prevalent is animosity, at least on Eva’s part. For her part, Lily can’t quite believe why Eva would be so hostile and cold, and she thus determines that she simply needs to be nice, friendly, and helpful so as to befriend Eva.
To Eva’s chagrin, of course fate determines that she and Lily will be thrown together, such as after-school clubs, school dances, and such.
Ms. Sommers has written a really engaging enemies-to-lovers story with compelling leads. Eva is a real ice queen—smart and gorgeous, but cold and distracted (and distracting!)—who is committed to her mother (in her ill-health), career, and students, with whom she can be strict but with whom she also shows her compassionate side. No prizes for guessing that Lily will likely witness both on occasion, which leads her to being more determined to take on the icy challenge.
However, really that’s all the decoration and what you would expect in a book such as this. The fantastic twist is that the girls will meet anonymously on a dating app, and that is how they will get to know each other behind the façade of roles and real life. Readers get to predict when the girls might find out about the truth of the situation and how the consequences will play out. The author teases us well, let me tell you!
The characters, the atmosphere, and the burgeoning relationship between the two girls are brilliantly crafted by the Rachel Sommers. With neatly crafted and flowing prose, the narrative was enjoyable from beginning to end. So much so that I would love the sequel.
Highly recommended. Oh, and I loved the cover!
Many thanks to the author, to Ylva Publishing, and to NetGalley for this ARC, which I was delighted to find, given that the book has been out for some time.