Book Review: Trade Secrets by Yvonne Collins & Sandy Rideout

Title: Trade Secrets

Author: Yvonne Collins & Sandy Rideout

Publisher: Self-Published

Pages: N/A

My Rating: 4-4.5/5 stars

Source: I received an e-book from the authors in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review

Kali Esposito, matchmaker extraordinaire, couldn’t be happier that Love, Inc., the relationship management service she created with best friends, Syd and Zahra, is back in business. After a brief setback, the girls are once again using their skills to help the lovelorn break-up, make-up or take-up with someone new.

Fun, flirtatious Kali is a little gun shy about commitment—no big surprise when your mom’s racked up four divorces and your dad’s permanently AWOL—but she’s a diehard romantic when it comes to bringing others together, and her end-to-end makeovers can transform the most socially-challenged client into a confident charmer. The “Kali Method” she develops is helping Love, Inc. grow by leaps and bounds.

But when a competitor steals the Kali Method and corrupts it to turn regular guys into wicked players, Kali is forced to rethink her views on love, and come up with a plan to reclaim Love, Inc.’s trade secrets before every girl in Austin gets her heart broken.

Yvonne and Sandy are easily one of my favorite writing duos to ever grace the YA world with their presence. Well, if I’m being perfectly honest, they one of the very few writing duos I have ever read books from, but that is aside from the point. Their books just make me smile like a goonie from ear to ear and cause me to feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I first started out reading Girl v. Boy and it is safe to say that I loved it. I quickly moved on to Love, Inc. and even though I didn’t think it was possible, their books got even cuter, funnier, and all around better. I wasn’t nervous to read Trade Secrets but I was anxious. I had no idea what to expect. No worries lovelies because Yvonne and Sandy are totally awesome and they have created their most adorable story yet!

I loved getting to meet Syd, Zahra, and of course Kali in Love, Inc. While the focus was mostly on Zahra in the first book, we got to learn about ALL of their super fabulous personalities! Syd is a tough cookie on the outside but really sweet and gooey on the inside. Zahra is the calm, serene voice that keeps the group together. And then there’s Kali. In Love, Inc. we learn she has a very vibrant personality and while reading Trade Secrets we get to learn even more about her!

Kali is definitely a one of a kind character. She is a musician, an environmental activist, a girl with a singing arch enemy, she is trying to cope with her family issues while also balancing her friendship and first “real” relationship. Kali has a lot going on and she handles it with confidence, humor, and the most infectious personality! She is just a bright ray of sunshine everywhere she goes. I love that she is so confident and such a hard worker. She isn’t just some airhead blonde trying to make it into the showbiz. In fact, she is a bit of a genius and it is her amazing skills that gets Love, Inc. up and running again!

The girls are back in business and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Of course there are more hilarious situations (I was caught laughing more than a few times during class when I was supposed to be doing homework), quite a bit of drama, a new company ruining their business, lots of secrets hidden from the parentals, a few secret missions, some costumes, and let’s not forget the romance!

Some of the relationships that started in Love, Inc. are blossoming even more in Trade Secrets which obviously makes me super excited! I am going to resist spoiling anything for those who have not read the books yet, but you will not be disappointed by the couple(s) that you see reappearing in this story. And speaking of romance, Kali finds herself amidst some (Yes I said “some.” As in PLURAL) despite her “independent, free-bird” type of personality she tries to pull off. Kali really struggles in the love department in this book but I think it shows just how human she is. She makes mistakes, gets hurt, even hurts others but trust me, it all turns out for the best in the end!

Basically this book is so dang adorable and I think you need to go read it right now…unless you haven’t read Love, Inc. yet! Then you need to smack yourself silly, go read THAT book, then pick up Trade Secrets!