The Beckett Effect

By: Nashae Jones

Many thanks to Simon Pulse/Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for the ARC of this book!

Wren despises Beckett Lane, even though all of the girls seem to swoon over him. He has a terrible reputation of being a playboy. Her sister, Kennedy, is “in love” with him the way that all of the other girls are. So when Beckett embarrasses Kennedy, Wren wants revenge. With her friend Chelsie, for her film class, they decide to make a documentary about how terrible Beckett is. Except, the plan seems to backfire a bit. Wren seems to think she’s immune from “The Beckett Effect” but as they conduct interviews and she gets close to him, she may not have been right about him after all.

This is such a cute YA read! It’s wholesome, so absolutely perfect for teenage girls, especially those in high school as this takes place in high school. I found Wren to be a bit annoying at times, but maybe she was supposed to be. She just couldn’t let go how terrible of a person that she thought Beckett was. Beckett on the other hand seemed to be a typical high school boy, but he was more than that. He riled Wren up because it was fun for him. For their first date, he was so thoughtful and sweet. I absolutely loved his out of the box idea for the date.

This book is definitely more than just a sweet YA romance book, though. Once you really sit with the book, you realize that this book explores the idea of how much rumors will shape views of people – especially when you’re in high school. One of my favorite relationships in the book was between Kennedy and Wren. Because of Wren’s obsession with revenge on Beckett, it drives a wedge between the two, but it also makes them grow.

Make sure to check this out if you like YA romance!

Publish Date: May 5, 2026
Find the book here.
*This post contains an affiliate link. I earn a small commission if you purchase the book through this link.