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Sweet Valley University #17
Deadly Attraction
A dangerous game...
Jessica Wakefield is crushed. It turns out her new love, Professor Louis Miles, is married - and his wife is out for blood. Will Jessica's bittersweet romance end in tragedy?
Elizabeth Wakefield and Todd Wilkins are running out of time. If they can't expose the conspiracy that's tearing Sweet Valley University apart, they may not live to see another day.
Winston Egbert in the army? Now that Winston's been caught cheating, his father is teaching him a lesson - by sending him to boot camp!
Lila Fowler and Bruce Patman defied their parents and moved in together. Now they're sleeping under a leaky roof, on a sagging bed, with only roaches for company. Who ever said that poverty was romantic?
Jessica Wakefield is crushed. It turns out her new love, Professor Louis Miles, is married - and his wife is out for blood. Will Jessica's bittersweet romance end in tragedy?
Elizabeth Wakefield and Todd Wilkins are running out of time. If they can't expose the conspiracy that's tearing Sweet Valley University apart, they may not live to see another day.
Winston Egbert in the army? Now that Winston's been caught cheating, his father is teaching him a lesson - by sending him to boot camp!
Lila Fowler and Bruce Patman defied their parents and moved in together. Now they're sleeping under a leaky roof, on a sagging bed, with only roaches for company. Who ever said that poverty was romantic?
229 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
4 people are currently reading
275 people want to read
About the author
Francine Pascal
1,139 books1,851 followersFrancine Paula Pascal was an American author best known for her Sweet Valley series of young adult novels. Sweet Valley High, the backbone of the collection, was made into a television series, which led to several spin-offs, including The Unicorn Club and Sweet Valley University. Although most of these books were published in the 1980s and 1990s, they remained so popular that several titles were re-released decades later.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 7, 2022
The plot is kinda like a soap opera with it's constant drama. I wonder why it seems like almost every character from Sweet Valley High is attending Sweet Valley University. Did none of the kids decide to go to other colleges? How weird.
Plus there is a lot of crime and death in Sweet Valley, especially for a small town.
It's good book and a good series if you're looking for a lot of drama.
Plus there is a lot of crime and death in Sweet Valley, especially for a small town.
It's good book and a good series if you're looking for a lot of drama.
August 29, 2016
Welcome to "On the Road," or SVU #17, "Deadly Attraction."
Lila & Bruce: Despite the fact that Lila has been married before, it was clearly over too soon for her to really understand what it's like to live with another person. Bruce has worn out his welcome with her and vice versa. They have no money and are fed up with their shitty apartment, so they decide to run home to mommy and daddy, natch. Lila is relieved to be in the company of a million pillows at Fowler Crest, and Bruce is relieved to be in the company of a stocked fridge at his mansion. Neither one misses the other very much. They both have enough time on their hands to think about the things they really don't like about one another. Which is a lot, as it turns out. Bruce thinks Lila is a perpetual nag (kinda true). And Lila thinks Bruce is pretty wimpy for not consulting his uncle about his money (kind of true?). But once they've been apart for a while, Bruce comes over and sweeps Lila up in a passionate kiss. He tells her that he only wants to give her the best, and since he can't do that right now, they shouldn't live together. It's mostly the truth - only Bruce wants nothing to do with commitment right now. It doesn't matter, because Lila feels the same. They can be madly in love and spoiled - as long as they aren't spoiled together! For some reason, though, the next book is the Super Thriller "House of Death" with "Lila's new boyfriend" or something... I guess she gets in a fight with Bruce??
Winston & Denise: The ROTC is going swimmingly... for Denise. Turns out she's a better recruit than anyone could have imagined, including herself. But Winston is, well, Winston. Denise wants to make their instructor, Captain GI Muscles, proud, but Winston is a serious cramp to her style. Why is every book about Sweet Valley couples fighting? None of them seem to like each other all that much. Anyway. Just like in the last book Denise is beginning to be embarrassed by Winston again, especially when he makes a fool of himself during drills. Winston overhears Denise telling a friend that Winston's not her boyfriend anymore. Unfortunately, Denise is soon after named Winston's superior, tasked with the hefty responsibility of getting Winston into shape for the routine inspection of GI Muscles' outfit. Winston is enraged at this point and wants nothing to do with Denise and her stupid drills. He's also mighty sick of hearing Denise call him less than man (so am I , to be honest. Just leave him then). Denise takes a date with GI Muscles, only to find that he lets his comrades incessantly mock Winston. Out of the blue she is overcome with love for her boyfriend (who knew?) and decides to teach GI Muscles a lesson. The day of his inspection Winston is doing beautifully, but Denise decides to screw it all up on purpose. She can't hold her gun and falls out of line, causing everyone to fall over. All the recruits tackle GI Muscles, and Denise and Winston walk off into the sunset, happy to be free of ROTC. Thank GOD for the death of that plot line.
Elizabeth & Todd: Lovers on the run! Well, former lovers on the run. Understandably pissed at the Jessica and Louis situation, Liz knows she must keep a low profile. But, being a Wakefield, she just can't let the athletics team story die completely. She is kidnapped by Chloe, Louis's insane ex-wife, who is disappointed indeed to see that Jessica is, in fact, Liz. With the Chloe debacle and the head of the athletics scandal, T. Clay Santos, closing in, Todd and Liz decide to play fugitives. While out getting gas for Todd's car, they spot Lila and Bruce at the pump next to them. Liz & Todd pretend to be a couple again because it's easier than explaining the truth, and Lila gives them the keys to their dumpy apartment so they can hide out. Tom and Gin-Yung are getting fed up and increasingly jealous at the situation. Tom is still in Vegas, preparing to cover the wresting match starring SVU's own Craig Maser. What he doesn't (yet) know is that Maser has been offered money to throw the match by T. Clay Santos. Gin-Yung wants in on the Liz and Todd lovefest, so they finally relent and let her help. Liz keeps circling back to Daryl Cartwright, certain that he will help break their story. He seems finally ready to agree and get his life back. Meanwhile, thugs are tearing up WSVU and threatening Tom (yes, Tom) at every turn. Tom is still being a creep and muttering about how Liz doesn't know what the hell she is doing. Sigh. Tom finds out for himself what's going on, though, when it breaks out over the news that Coach Crane and Dr. Beal are going to make a statement regarding the accusations. This is when Liz, Todd, and Gin-Yung have primed Daryl to speak as well. But - surprise! Daryl turns on them and announces at the press conference that he knows nothing. They threatened his siblings and so Daryl changed his mind. Liz calls Tom to tell him to let Craig know that Daryl didn't make his statement. She doesn't want Craig to ruin his own career. All seems lost until Craig reveals the truth during his interview with Tom in Vegas. He was blackmailed because he had tested positive for illegal steroids and the news could ruin his father's campaign for mayor, but he believes now that the truth is more important. Officials immediately come and arrest Coach Crane and Dr. Beal, which seems a little sudden considering they've only had one utterance of the truth and no one would believe Liz & Todd before. But amidst the madness thugs with guns lure Liz, Todd, and Gin-Yung to what they imagine is T. Clay Santos's torture dungeon. TCS comes down and offers them money... one or two million to keep quiet and say everything was a lie. Todd says they don't have a price, which I don't believe, and Mark Gathers reveals the real team he plays for when he turns on TCS and the thugs, who have tied up Daryl's siblings upstairs. All four of them manage to overpower TCS and his henchmen, and that's about it for the SVU athletics scandal saga. Liz can't enjoy herself, though, because she has to comfort Jessica now...
Jessica & Professor Miles: After Chloe kidnaps Liz, Jessica goes on the run with Louis. Liz isn't happy about this, or the whole situation, for that matter, but she lets Jessica go. Jessica, being about as insane as Chloe, thinks it's super romantic being on the run. She also thinks she can keep Louis at all costs, no matter how crazy his wife. So Jessica is no smarter than Chloe, really. Professor Miles must have a beer-flavored dick with all these chicks after him. Anyway. First stop is a cabin in Arizona. There is love gurgling and making out and vomit-inducing talk between the two, including Jessica making Louis promise that the next day they will have "one perfect day" together, meaning no talk of Chloe or his life on the run. The next day they are in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Louis does pretty well at having one perfect day with Jessica. But the next day he is immediately tense and frightened that they have stayed in one place for way too long. They drive and drive and drive, with Jessica quickly becoming sick of the road. Louis is hallucinating from lack of sleep, and he pulls to a diner to get some coffee. Immediately Chloe's black Mazda comes out of nowhere and tries to run over Jessica. Louis flings her back in the car and they take off. The Mazda is close behind, but police are on the scene and she takes a u-turn away from them. Louis insists that the police cannot help, and I insist that Louis is a dumbass. After driving again for eons, they stop at a lady's place to rent out one of her properties. She lets them rent a cabin in the Colorado woods. I'm pretty sure it's someplace Ted Bundy stayed. At this place they are able to have several blissful days together. Jessica loves it and naively thinks they will never have to leave. This is not romance, Jessica, it is extreme ignorance. They ARE fine... until Louis has a nightmare about Chloe killing Jessica. He is immediately on his guard all the next day, and his fears prove to be right. Louis follows the scent of Chloe's perfume out to the barn and tries to talk with her, but she swiftly runs back into the house and turns on the gas stove, choking the house with the smell. Louis locked Jessica in their bedroom for protection, but now he needs to get her out. He breaks down the door and carries her outside... just as the house explodes into a fireball behind them. Jessica is rushed to the hospital and Louis won't leave her side. The police tell him Chloe died in the house, but Louis cannot believe them. He says he'll stay with Jessica if they won't, but he goes for coffee because of course he does. When he's not even halfway down the hall he realizes what he's done, and he races back to find Chloe with a knife at Jessica's throat. He tackles her (Chloe, not Jessica) and they end up on the floor, and Louis ends up with the knife in his side, obviously not Chloe's intent. Chloe flees and Louis follows with a plan, pretending to be in love with Chloe and getting her in his car. He's quickly losing blood, but it doesn't matter: his plan involves driving them both off a cliff a la Thelma and Louise. So much for THAT love story. Why didn't I see how quickly this story would go off the rails? I just thought the administration would catch Jessica and Louis together or something. But because he's dating Jessica that also means he has to die. So now I guess Jessica is up to 6,000 dead boyfriends, or something like that.
Quotes: "'Hey! I've known you and Jessica practically my whole life. Jessica is like a sister to me, too.'" -Said by Todd. So that makes Sweet Valley Confidential... incest?
"The worst thing that could happen was that they would waste a lot of time and feel foolish." - No, Tom, that will be you, because you are douchenozzle.
Jessica: "'There aren't too many things that I'm really good at - but having fun is one of them. I'm good at ignoring problems, too.'" - Finally! An explanation as to why Liz and Jess never have PTSD after all the trauma they experience.
Liz: "'I've had a lifelong suspicion of meat loaf. You never know exactly what's in it.'" - Me too, Liz.
Jessica: "'Look. I'm slowly but surely developing a mind of my own.'" -Well, it had to happen sometime.
Liz: "'If anybody gets hurt because of us, I'll hang up my investigative reporter's license forever.'" -Shhh. No one tell her you can't actually get a license for that.
"They had been bickering back and forth with each other for the last two hours. This wasn't the behavior of two people madly in love who were possibly sharing the last hours of their existence." -Isn't it, though? Liz and Todd were characterized by how much they fought.
Lila & Bruce: Despite the fact that Lila has been married before, it was clearly over too soon for her to really understand what it's like to live with another person. Bruce has worn out his welcome with her and vice versa. They have no money and are fed up with their shitty apartment, so they decide to run home to mommy and daddy, natch. Lila is relieved to be in the company of a million pillows at Fowler Crest, and Bruce is relieved to be in the company of a stocked fridge at his mansion. Neither one misses the other very much. They both have enough time on their hands to think about the things they really don't like about one another. Which is a lot, as it turns out. Bruce thinks Lila is a perpetual nag (kinda true). And Lila thinks Bruce is pretty wimpy for not consulting his uncle about his money (kind of true?). But once they've been apart for a while, Bruce comes over and sweeps Lila up in a passionate kiss. He tells her that he only wants to give her the best, and since he can't do that right now, they shouldn't live together. It's mostly the truth - only Bruce wants nothing to do with commitment right now. It doesn't matter, because Lila feels the same. They can be madly in love and spoiled - as long as they aren't spoiled together! For some reason, though, the next book is the Super Thriller "House of Death" with "Lila's new boyfriend" or something... I guess she gets in a fight with Bruce??
Winston & Denise: The ROTC is going swimmingly... for Denise. Turns out she's a better recruit than anyone could have imagined, including herself. But Winston is, well, Winston. Denise wants to make their instructor, Captain GI Muscles, proud, but Winston is a serious cramp to her style. Why is every book about Sweet Valley couples fighting? None of them seem to like each other all that much. Anyway. Just like in the last book Denise is beginning to be embarrassed by Winston again, especially when he makes a fool of himself during drills. Winston overhears Denise telling a friend that Winston's not her boyfriend anymore. Unfortunately, Denise is soon after named Winston's superior, tasked with the hefty responsibility of getting Winston into shape for the routine inspection of GI Muscles' outfit. Winston is enraged at this point and wants nothing to do with Denise and her stupid drills. He's also mighty sick of hearing Denise call him less than man (so am I , to be honest. Just leave him then). Denise takes a date with GI Muscles, only to find that he lets his comrades incessantly mock Winston. Out of the blue she is overcome with love for her boyfriend (who knew?) and decides to teach GI Muscles a lesson. The day of his inspection Winston is doing beautifully, but Denise decides to screw it all up on purpose. She can't hold her gun and falls out of line, causing everyone to fall over. All the recruits tackle GI Muscles, and Denise and Winston walk off into the sunset, happy to be free of ROTC. Thank GOD for the death of that plot line.
Elizabeth & Todd: Lovers on the run! Well, former lovers on the run. Understandably pissed at the Jessica and Louis situation, Liz knows she must keep a low profile. But, being a Wakefield, she just can't let the athletics team story die completely. She is kidnapped by Chloe, Louis's insane ex-wife, who is disappointed indeed to see that Jessica is, in fact, Liz. With the Chloe debacle and the head of the athletics scandal, T. Clay Santos, closing in, Todd and Liz decide to play fugitives. While out getting gas for Todd's car, they spot Lila and Bruce at the pump next to them. Liz & Todd pretend to be a couple again because it's easier than explaining the truth, and Lila gives them the keys to their dumpy apartment so they can hide out. Tom and Gin-Yung are getting fed up and increasingly jealous at the situation. Tom is still in Vegas, preparing to cover the wresting match starring SVU's own Craig Maser. What he doesn't (yet) know is that Maser has been offered money to throw the match by T. Clay Santos. Gin-Yung wants in on the Liz and Todd lovefest, so they finally relent and let her help. Liz keeps circling back to Daryl Cartwright, certain that he will help break their story. He seems finally ready to agree and get his life back. Meanwhile, thugs are tearing up WSVU and threatening Tom (yes, Tom) at every turn. Tom is still being a creep and muttering about how Liz doesn't know what the hell she is doing. Sigh. Tom finds out for himself what's going on, though, when it breaks out over the news that Coach Crane and Dr. Beal are going to make a statement regarding the accusations. This is when Liz, Todd, and Gin-Yung have primed Daryl to speak as well. But - surprise! Daryl turns on them and announces at the press conference that he knows nothing. They threatened his siblings and so Daryl changed his mind. Liz calls Tom to tell him to let Craig know that Daryl didn't make his statement. She doesn't want Craig to ruin his own career. All seems lost until Craig reveals the truth during his interview with Tom in Vegas. He was blackmailed because he had tested positive for illegal steroids and the news could ruin his father's campaign for mayor, but he believes now that the truth is more important. Officials immediately come and arrest Coach Crane and Dr. Beal, which seems a little sudden considering they've only had one utterance of the truth and no one would believe Liz & Todd before. But amidst the madness thugs with guns lure Liz, Todd, and Gin-Yung to what they imagine is T. Clay Santos's torture dungeon. TCS comes down and offers them money... one or two million to keep quiet and say everything was a lie. Todd says they don't have a price, which I don't believe, and Mark Gathers reveals the real team he plays for when he turns on TCS and the thugs, who have tied up Daryl's siblings upstairs. All four of them manage to overpower TCS and his henchmen, and that's about it for the SVU athletics scandal saga. Liz can't enjoy herself, though, because she has to comfort Jessica now...
Jessica & Professor Miles: After Chloe kidnaps Liz, Jessica goes on the run with Louis. Liz isn't happy about this, or the whole situation, for that matter, but she lets Jessica go. Jessica, being about as insane as Chloe, thinks it's super romantic being on the run. She also thinks she can keep Louis at all costs, no matter how crazy his wife. So Jessica is no smarter than Chloe, really. Professor Miles must have a beer-flavored dick with all these chicks after him. Anyway. First stop is a cabin in Arizona. There is love gurgling and making out and vomit-inducing talk between the two, including Jessica making Louis promise that the next day they will have "one perfect day" together, meaning no talk of Chloe or his life on the run. The next day they are in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Louis does pretty well at having one perfect day with Jessica. But the next day he is immediately tense and frightened that they have stayed in one place for way too long. They drive and drive and drive, with Jessica quickly becoming sick of the road. Louis is hallucinating from lack of sleep, and he pulls to a diner to get some coffee. Immediately Chloe's black Mazda comes out of nowhere and tries to run over Jessica. Louis flings her back in the car and they take off. The Mazda is close behind, but police are on the scene and she takes a u-turn away from them. Louis insists that the police cannot help, and I insist that Louis is a dumbass. After driving again for eons, they stop at a lady's place to rent out one of her properties. She lets them rent a cabin in the Colorado woods. I'm pretty sure it's someplace Ted Bundy stayed. At this place they are able to have several blissful days together. Jessica loves it and naively thinks they will never have to leave. This is not romance, Jessica, it is extreme ignorance. They ARE fine... until Louis has a nightmare about Chloe killing Jessica. He is immediately on his guard all the next day, and his fears prove to be right. Louis follows the scent of Chloe's perfume out to the barn and tries to talk with her, but she swiftly runs back into the house and turns on the gas stove, choking the house with the smell. Louis locked Jessica in their bedroom for protection, but now he needs to get her out. He breaks down the door and carries her outside... just as the house explodes into a fireball behind them. Jessica is rushed to the hospital and Louis won't leave her side. The police tell him Chloe died in the house, but Louis cannot believe them. He says he'll stay with Jessica if they won't, but he goes for coffee because of course he does. When he's not even halfway down the hall he realizes what he's done, and he races back to find Chloe with a knife at Jessica's throat. He tackles her (Chloe, not Jessica) and they end up on the floor, and Louis ends up with the knife in his side, obviously not Chloe's intent. Chloe flees and Louis follows with a plan, pretending to be in love with Chloe and getting her in his car. He's quickly losing blood, but it doesn't matter: his plan involves driving them both off a cliff a la Thelma and Louise. So much for THAT love story. Why didn't I see how quickly this story would go off the rails? I just thought the administration would catch Jessica and Louis together or something. But because he's dating Jessica that also means he has to die. So now I guess Jessica is up to 6,000 dead boyfriends, or something like that.
Quotes: "'Hey! I've known you and Jessica practically my whole life. Jessica is like a sister to me, too.'" -Said by Todd. So that makes Sweet Valley Confidential... incest?
"The worst thing that could happen was that they would waste a lot of time and feel foolish." - No, Tom, that will be you, because you are douchenozzle.
Jessica: "'There aren't too many things that I'm really good at - but having fun is one of them. I'm good at ignoring problems, too.'" - Finally! An explanation as to why Liz and Jess never have PTSD after all the trauma they experience.
Liz: "'I've had a lifelong suspicion of meat loaf. You never know exactly what's in it.'" - Me too, Liz.
Jessica: "'Look. I'm slowly but surely developing a mind of my own.'" -Well, it had to happen sometime.
Liz: "'If anybody gets hurt because of us, I'll hang up my investigative reporter's license forever.'" -Shhh. No one tell her you can't actually get a license for that.
"They had been bickering back and forth with each other for the last two hours. This wasn't the behavior of two people madly in love who were possibly sharing the last hours of their existence." -Isn't it, though? Liz and Todd were characterized by how much they fought.
April 27, 2023
This was my first ever sweet valley university book 📖 my girlfriend wanted me and my grandmother to read it with her and boy did she ever suggest a fantastic book, sweet valley university deadly attraction had it all romance, comedy, thrills, horror, it was a very good book kept me entertained all the way through I'll definitely be reading another in this series.
June 17, 2018
Although the title sounds like this book in the Sweet Valley series is going to be a Thriller edition, Deadly Attraction is a regular volume. And, believe it or not, the ominous title applies to both Wakefield twins!
Jessica is still trying to make it work with her college professor, and Elizabeth is still trying to expose the corruption of the university bigwigs. Isn’t this exactly the same as the previous book, you ask? No, because as both girls’ plots escalate, they find themselves in great danger.
I absolutely love the time devoted to Denise and Winston in this book. Up until now, Denise has been described as sweet and beautiful, and not much else. Winston is a clueless goofball, and not much else. In Deadly Attraction, readers are shown more dimensions to each character. Denise learns about responsibility and respectability, and Winston learns some hard truths about himself and his deficiencies. Will the young couple decide they’re too different to stay together? You know what I’m going to say: read the book to find out.
http://hottoastyrag.weebly.com/svu-17...
Jessica is still trying to make it work with her college professor, and Elizabeth is still trying to expose the corruption of the university bigwigs. Isn’t this exactly the same as the previous book, you ask? No, because as both girls’ plots escalate, they find themselves in great danger.
I absolutely love the time devoted to Denise and Winston in this book. Up until now, Denise has been described as sweet and beautiful, and not much else. Winston is a clueless goofball, and not much else. In Deadly Attraction, readers are shown more dimensions to each character. Denise learns about responsibility and respectability, and Winston learns some hard truths about himself and his deficiencies. Will the young couple decide they’re too different to stay together? You know what I’m going to say: read the book to find out.
http://hottoastyrag.weebly.com/svu-17...
February 26, 2017
SWEET VALLEY UNIVERSITY
Written by Francine Pascal
General Review for series as I cannot remember each novel.
I read Sweet Valley University when I was in junior high school to high school. While there is sexual content it is very mild (not explicit) compared to teen books today. If you like the Sweet Valley High you will love this series as it continues with the twins' story as they attend University and are away from their parents. I am not sure how they would relate to teens today as this was before cell phones were common and social media. They are fun teen romances with "real-life" situation. I did not complete the series as I started to save for school so I wasn't able to collect them any further (they are out of print). I still have the books I bought and may try to read one again (I did reread the series a few times).
Written by Francine Pascal
General Review for series as I cannot remember each novel.
I read Sweet Valley University when I was in junior high school to high school. While there is sexual content it is very mild (not explicit) compared to teen books today. If you like the Sweet Valley High you will love this series as it continues with the twins' story as they attend University and are away from their parents. I am not sure how they would relate to teens today as this was before cell phones were common and social media. They are fun teen romances with "real-life" situation. I did not complete the series as I started to save for school so I wasn't able to collect them any further (they are out of print). I still have the books I bought and may try to read one again (I did reread the series a few times).
March 25, 2011
In this book, Jessica has decided to run away with her Medieval History professor, who is on the run from his insane ex-wife. Having recently been stalked by a vampire (don't ask), Elizabeth lets her sister go. Who else decides to let her "free spirit" go, you ask? Alice Wakefield, who thinks it is romantic (and, face it, is thanking her lucky stars she was actually informed by Jessica). This book is not helped by the b plot, which is Winston and Denise in ROTC. Perhaps it could have been improved had the plot of book 18, Billie's Secret, been inserted as a c plot, as there is no continuation between the two.
August 6, 2009
Okay seriously... what is up with Jessica's AWFUL luck with men? This book made me cry.
June 21, 2013
I remember the cover but just not the story.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews