When Zoe was in middle, she proudly wore comic shirts and displayed her knowledge of all things geek with her best friend and neighbor, Zak, until she started being made fun of by seemingly everyone. Now in high school, she has reinvented herself to be the ultimate popular girl with new clothes and new friends...friends who don't know about her staff of X-Men books in her room. Zak still lives next door, but they hardly talk now since he is King Dork, even though Zoe can't stop thinking about him or trying to get his attention. When they finally do start talking again and Zoe grows more and more tired of her double identity, she will have to decide whether or not she can face the world, and her high school, knowing what she is really like.

I had high expectation for HOW TO DATE A NERD by Cassie Mae, because I'm an absolute sucker for all things geeky and rom-com-y. This book definitely has that, but what blew me away was the serious side to this story. It brings up issues about parents who are never home for dinner, or who are never home at all, bullying, etc. I was happily shocked at the emotional depth found in this that somehow parallels the funny, romantic, quirky, nerdy side to it as well. Zoe is completely hilarious, and her character is precious and strong. I rooted for her the entire time. Some of the romantic scenes with her and Zak are so full of swoons, I wanted a fan nearby. It's an absolutely wonderful novel that pulls you in from the first chapter and makes you stay up late to finish it.

Whether you're nerdy, popular, or some mixture of both, if you like contemporary romance YA stories full of humor, surprising depth, and all kinds of love, then this is a great one to pick. I can't wait to read the sequel.