The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott

The Unwritten Rule

by Elizabeth Scott  

He's looking at me like—well, like he wants to look at me. Like he likes what he sees, and he's smiling and his eyes are so blue, even in the faint flow of the porch light they shine, and I nod dumbly, blindly, and then grope for the door handle, telling myself to look away and yet not able to do it. "Sara," he says, softly, almost hesitantly, and my heart slam-bangs, beating hard, and this is what it's like to want someone you can't have. To want someone you shouldn't even be looking at.

Sarah and Brianna have always been friends, and it's always gone like this: guys talk to Sarah in order to get closer to Brianna. So even though Sarah met Ryan first, she's not surprised that he ends up with Brianna (even though Sarah has a massive crush on him).

The three of them hang out, and Sarah and Ryan's friendship grows until one night an innocent exchange between them leads to a moment that makes Sarah realize that Ryan might be interested in her after all. But if there's one unwritten rule, it's this: you don't mess around with a friend's boyfriend.

So Sarah tries to resist temptation. But with the three of them thrown together more and more, tension builds between Sarah and Ryan, and when they find themselves alone together at one point, they realize they just can't fight how they feel anymore...

(summary from goodreads.com)

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Yes, another Elizabeth Scott. I decided to give another one of her contemporary teen books a try. This book reminded me a lot of Emily Giffin's Something Borrowed - this is essentially the teen version of that story. I liked it and appreciated the quality - Elizabeth Scott is a talented writer, but I didn't love the subject matter. She is excellent at creating multifaceted characters - the heroine makes mistakes, terrible mistakes, but you still feel for her and want to cheer her on. Ms. Scott makes tangled tales that usually are difficult to conclude with all ends neatly tied, and this book is no exception. I wanted to shake Sarah and Brianna (especially Brianna) and Ryan and tell them all to chill out. For a short book it was emotionally wringing. I liked Stealing Heaven better, but still an enjoyable book to read once.

Mom note: As a mother of readers, I also want to make a note to myself (and others if they care) why I would or would not have my children read this book, because honestly, sometimes I forget. This is a YA book, so everything is within YA strictures. Violence: none; Profanity: possibly; Lame. Sex: reference to