“Making Bad Choices” was just such a great, entertaining read that I found myself utterly unable to put down once I picked up. Rita Stradling has a gift for writing characters that always have more going on under the surface than what you initially see, and I loved this novel for the complexity of the family dynamics especially.

Cassie’s world is turned upside down when her mother passes after a drawn-out battle with cancer, and she leaves her comfortable life in LA to live with her father and stepmother in a smaller town in Colorado. One thing I love is that Stradling doesn’t go for the clichéd choice of having Cassie hate everything about her stepmother and her new life. Sure, that element might have been in place at one point, but Cassie is mature and well-adjusted, and has a variety of adult figures in her life she can love.

But the real meat of the story revolves around the tender, sweet relationship that slowly evolves between Cassie and her stepbrother, Culton, a taboo relationship on the one level, even though of course, they share no blood, that brings up interesting questions that gradually tie into the entire cast of characters as a whole. This is a great new adult read, very much recommended, and like always, Rita Stradling’s characters are never quite what they seem.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book. ( )

Cassie Michaels has just lost her mother to cancer. Now she has to leave her friends, her aunt Daisy and sunny California behind to finish her last semester of high school in cold Colorado. She's moving in with her father, her step-mother, her half-brother and her step-brother Culter. Cassie hates Culter, she's hated him since they were kids. But he doesn't hate her, never has. In fact, Culter is in love with Cassie. And Cassie soon finds herself falling in love with Culter.

I thought the writing was strong - things never got boring, it had the right amount of smut, the romance wasn't over the top. I liked how true friends stuck together no matter what. The high school drama and cliques felt real and made me happy those days are over for me. ( )

It's not often that you get a good young relationship/romance type of story. I loved how both Cassie and Culter, while living a somewhat typical high school life (i.e., friend "drama", underage drinking parties, cyber bullying, etc.) despite their completely dysfunctional family life, could form a mature and passionate relationship.

While I really loved this story, I can't help but feel that it should reflect the characters in a college setting and not high school. I work in a high school library and would have loved to put this on my shelves, but feel that I can't which is too bad. ( )

I have to say i was not impressed with this book.It started off in an interesting way, i liked it, but after the tattoo part it all went wrong. I was more interesting in the friendships between Cassie and her new classmates, and the romance left me completely uninterested. It all evolved way too fast, and in a very strange way in my eyes. Culter acts in a stalkery kind of way, and the whole attitute towards the parents was unenecessary.Tyler's character was the best,and i would be more interested in a story about him to be honest. ( )

It was definitely not a "bad choice" to read this book! I was a little concerned because it is a step-sibling romance, but it is written very well and the story plays out in a way that makes sense. The characters are unique and special. Cassie has an incredible family history and it makes you thing everything is all good on the home front, but Culter has a very different experience with the same family. In the end it all works out and everyone is happy. This book did contain quiet a bit of underage drinking and smoking weed that I think would have been better suited to a college aged story instead of high school. I will definitely read more from this author. ( )