Title: There’s Something About Nik
Author: Sara Hantz
Publication Date: Feb. 13, 2017
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Nik Gustafsson has a secret: He’s not really Nik Gustafsson.
He’s not a spy. He’s not crazy.
He’s just the son and heir to one of the most important families in Europe—one where duty always comes first. And his posh, too-public life is suffocating him. So when he gets the chance to attend boarding school in America, pretending to be an average exchange student is too big of a temptation to pass up.
Then he literally runs into Amber on campus. And she hates him at first sight.
It’s kind of exhilarating to be hated for who he is, not for his family name or his wealth. Maybe if he turns up the charm and turns down the aloof mask he habitually wears, he can win her over. Even though a bad past experience has made her swear off dating this year.
But the more he gets to know her, the more uncomfortable he is keeping things from her.
Because Nik Gustafsson has a secret. And it’s a big one.
Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains a hot boy who’s the strong and silent type, a studious girl who refuses to believe in fairy-tale romance, and one epic secret that could be disastrous if it comes to light.
Sara Hantz was born in Northampton, England, the eldest of four children (she has three younger brothers). School and Sara weren’t a match made in heaven. She was bored a lot of the time, and it seemed much more fun to dream up ways of disrupting lessons than to actually pay attention. Which could explain why she was always in trouble! But she redeemed herself later, when at twenty-one she went back to full-time study.
She wasn’t one of those people who wrote as a small child. She did read, though, avidly. And it took her a few years of thinking about writing before she actually started. But now, she wouldn’t do anything else, and she never gets bored!
In 2001, she moved to New Zealand (an incredibly beautiful country) with her husband and two children. After working at a university for three years, she left to work in their hotel and devote more time to her writing. She wishes she’d done it sooner!
In her spare time, she loves going to the movies, watching TV, and walking. She loves to hear from readers.
Oh how I wanted to love this book! When I read the synopsis I was sure I would love it.
You have a secret, European prince who goes to an American boarding school with the purpose of having a little freedom. A prince who has manners down pat but American vernacular–not so much.
Match that with a sweet American girl who is overcoming some horrific personal issues from the past year and what more could you want from this story?
Well, sadly, I could have done with something a little less trite. The thing is, because this is the kind of story that has been done before (even though it’s an intriguing plot line) it needs to be original and be able to stand up against all the others.
There was the constant, pretty ridiculous, misunderstandings between the two main characters. And the fact that the characters all seemed to have the mentality of nine-year-olds. For me, the main issue with the two protagonists was that, if I didn’t know it was a story about how Nik and Amber come to be “Nik and Amber”, I honestly wouldn’t have ever thought these two should be together. There was no depth to these characters besides their histories. Which, unfortunately, were things we didn’t get to see, but were only told about.
I absolutely hate having to write reviews like this. And because of that, I will definitely give Hantz another chance. I refuse to believe that an author who others love, won’t have a story that I can appreciate also.
