Review ♥ Capture: Elements of Chemistry by Penny Reid

Capture (Elements of Chemistry #3; Hypothesis, #1.3) by Penny Reid
Series: Elements of Chemistry #3
Published by Cipher-Naught on May 8th 2015
Pages: 234


Amazon

Part 3 of Elements of Chemistry
One week.
Manhattan apartment.
Super-hot ex-boyfriend.…
What’s the worst that could happen?

It’s been nine months since Kaitlyn Parker has seen or heard from Martin Sandeke—nine months and five stages of matter. She’s lived through the worst of first-love heartbreak, and is most certainly stronger (and less likely to hide in science cabinets) than ever before.

But now Martin is back. And he wants to be friends. But he’s sending mixed signals to the Bunsen burner in Kaitlyn’s pants.Will Martin re-capture Kaitlyn’s heart? Can Kaitlyn and Martin ever be just friends? Or, despite an abundance of chemistry, are some bonds just too unstable to endure?

“Maybe love, at its essence, is being a mirror for another person—for the good parts and the bad. Perhaps love is simply finding that one person who sees you clearly, cares for you deeply, challenges you and supports you, and subsequently helps you see and be your true self.”

Capture is the final book in the phenomenal Elements of Chemistry series. The story picks up six months after Kaitlyn and Martin have broken up. Kaitlyn has been going through the five stages of grieving as she copes with losing her first love. She’s made some drastic life changes and emerged much stronger. She’s still quirky but more mature, although I have to say I mourned the loss of the hilarious Kaitlyn we saw in the first two books. Kaitlyn is now a music major and she plays piano in a special events band.

Nine months into the healing process Kaitlyn runs into Martin in Manhattan, where Martin is now a successful venture capitalist. He expresses a desire to be friends again and Kaitlyn agrees to try. When Kaitlyn has a week-long gig in NYC the week before Christmas and her living arrangements fall through, Martin offers to let her stay at his apartment. She reluctantly agrees. Their week in New York shows just how much they have changed since their Spring Break trip. The more time they spend together it becomes clear to Kaitlyn that she isn’t over Martin. Can they just be friends if she still has feelings for him? Is he still in love with her or has he moved on?

This book reads like one long Taylor Swift breakup album. Each chapter is filled with longing, heartbreak, and bittersweet memories in that hurt-so-good way that new adult novels do so well. Even though you know Kaitlyn and Martin are perfect for each other it seems like they are never ever ever getting back together. Both dance around their feelings for each other – Kaitlyn more so than Martin – and Kaitlyn seems almost intentionally obtuse at time. I swear I was ready to have them play Charades to act out their true feelings or draw pictures.

While I understand that some angst is needed in order for happiness to be appreciated, this reader could have used more humor to relieve some of the melancholy. I still found Kaitlyn and Martin to be likeable and fascinating, particularly since they continued to evolve. Despite all the drama the end is quite satisfying and left a smile on my face. I highly recommend this series.

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