Book Reviews - Faves & Flops

««« #3 Laurie’s Song by Suzanne Rand

Even its trite, lackluster opening can’t doom Laurie’s Song, a surprisingly perceptive tale about adjusting to the newfound pressures of high school, while struggling to maintain one’s own sense of “self.” Protagonist and narrator Laurie Adams is a refreshing antidote to the shallow teenage girls so often depicted in pop culture; she worries not only about finding a boyfriend, but, as she ultimately discovers, also about being true to her own interests and striking a balance between her academic, social, familial, and extracurricular aspirations. The plot, which depicts Laurie’s stormy romances with moody rocker Skip Reardon and studious nice guy Jeff Aldridge, ultimately takes a back seat to the starkly realistic characterizations that raise the novel above mediocrity. Because no character, including Laurie herself, is either sainted or vilified, the evolutions of even the novel’s minor characters are noteworthy. The only slightly grating aspect of the novel is the utmost seriousness with which it treats each of Laurie’s teenage crises, as though each episode is some epic moment that will forever change her life. Despite this minor tendency toward melodrama, the novel still offers a flawed, but likeable heroine and an ending that shows respect both to the reader and to Laurie herself.

««« #4 Princess Amy by Melinda Pollowitz

The “haves” and the “have-nots” battle it out to win the affections of Princess Amy in this thoughtful and entertaining novel about the rules of attraction and following one’s heart to find true happiness. Incorporating several familiar motifs (the fish out of water, the rich playboy vs. the working class loner, the summer romance), the novel follows waitress Amy Painter on an adventurous month at her aunt and uncle’s ritzy summer resort, as she absorbs the culture shock of their wealthy lifestyle and maneuvers through the complex social landscape, while struggling with her growing feelings for spoiled, gorgeous Guy, and for Pete, the resort’s kind security guard. Although a few of the characters, like Amy’s hyper-socially-conscious aunt and cousin, seem too stiffly one dimensional, the novel skillfully portrays Amy’s insecurities, Pete’s gentleness, and the ultimate sadness that underlies Guy’s destructive behaviors. The novel is also aided by many humorous touches like Guy’s juvenile obsession with a real-life Dungeons and Dragons game, from which Amy derives the Princess nickname.

«« ½ #5 Little Sister by Yvonne Green

Not much really happens in Little Sister, a somewhat strange novel about, not surprisingly, a little sister living in the shadows of her dramatic and gorgeous older sister. What seems like your prototypical teen romance between gawky narrator Cindy Halley and popular jock Ron Peters takes a bizarre turn when Cindy suspects that Ron is really interested in her sister Christine, his costar in the school’s production of Romeo and Juliet. Naturally, beneath Christine’s confident exterior lies a vulnerability that ultimately reconnects her to her estranged younger sister and solves the mystery of Christine’s secretive behavior. Unfortunately, the novel’s tidy resolution still resonates a bit of ickiness at the revelation that 17 year old Christine has been sneaking around with a 23 year old man.

««« #6 California Girl by Janet Quin-Harkin

California Girl is nearly a Sweet Dreams anomaly; interesting, sweet, humorous, and, most shocking of all, actually romantic, this novel offers something for everyone. Narrator Jennie Webster’s caustic humor drives the story, as she relates her experiences as an Olympic-caliber swimmer uprooted from her California home when her coach moves to Texas to open a new swim club and Jennie follows him to continue her training. Largely shunned by her new classmates, Jennie forges a friendship with reclusive Mark Waverly, a bitter, artistic ex-jock whose football dreams were cut short by a terrible accident that left him partially crippled. The usual, melodramatic romantic travails are tempered by Jennie’s continued dedication to her swimming and her growing anticipation of the upcoming Nationals. Sprinkled with spirited swimming action and driven by real emotional connections, this novel will have you looking at all the duds in the Sweet Dreams series and saying, “I wish they all could be California Girls!”

«« #7 Green Eyes by Suzanne Rand

As silly as it is annoying, Green Eyes provides an impeccable blueprint for dumb novels. Every classic Sweet Dream misstep, from the hokey, convoluted flashbacks to the largely despicable main character, appear in the novel, with most of the problems stemming from the most grievous romance novel error of them all—opening the story with the main character and the object of her desire already a couple, thereby deflating any romantic suspense. Paranoid narrator Julie Eaton seems to have a few screws loose as she fumbles through the first three quarters of the novel, in which basically nothing happens, other than Julie’s bipolar tendencies alienating her boyfriend Dan Buckley, a bona fide saint, whose interest in Julie is truly baffling. Although Julie’s sudden, too-quick turnaround toward the end of the novel seems contrived and disingenuous, it is all that rescues this book from the bad novel wasteland.

«« ½ #9 Cover Girl by Yvonne Greene

The dark side of celebrity and the disillusionment that often accompanies the achievement of one’s dreams underscore the narrative of entertaining but trite Cover Girl. Narrated by understated teen beauty Renée Renshaw, the novel recounts Renée’s brief foray into New York’s elite modeling industry and the subsequent strain her new career places on her relationships with her mother, her best friend, and with her new boyfriend, scholarly Greg Neill, an avid outdoorsman with an inexplicable disdain for fashionable clothing, cosmetics, and other staples of the modeling world. Sweet and likeable, Renée’s captivating narrative propels the story; she garners sympathy for putting up, not only with her overbearing mother and a bevy of condescending modeling executives and rude photographers, but with patronizing Greg, whose insistence that Renée be some granola nature girl, is one of the novel’s few annoyances.

««« #10 Love Match by Janet Quin-Harkin

Smart and funny, Love Match is fast-paced, quick-witted, and thoroughly enjoyable. Spunky tomboy Joanna de Mayo narrates her funny tale of growing from a sports-crazed kid with no interest in boys into a competitive tennis star linked with popular jock and rival-turned-boyfriend Rick Hendricks. With humorous dialogue, exciting tennis sequences, plenty of comic relief-filled subplots, and just enough of a feminist edge, the novel both entertains and extols the virtues of hard work, sticking to one’s convictions, and ultimately of learning to back away from those convictions in the spirit of compromise. Even the normally irritating youth flashback sequences are enjoyable in this upbeat, winning novel.

«« ½ #11 The Problem With Love by Rosemary Vernon

Somehow Rosemary Vernon must have missed the day in 8^th grade English when the teacher went over plot construction. That would seem to be the only explanation for the uneven pacing and utterly anti-climactic ending of her otherwise rather enjoyable novel, The Problem With Love. There is no problem with characterization; it’s quite refreshing, in fact, to find a heroine who isn’t a school nerd, a goody two shoes, or a wallflower in desperate need of a makeover and a shot of self confidence. In fact, main character Cathy Meyers is actually popular, and even seems oddly reminiscent of so many of the over-simplified pretty, flirtatious villains with whom the plain Jane heroine is normally vying for the attentions of the resident dreamboat. The role reversal works perfectly, with vivacious Cathy struggling to make an impression on studious John Crowley, whom her parents hired as a math tutor to help with Cathy’s less than stellar algebra grade. The physical and emotional tension between Cathy and John is electric in spots, and John’s quiet dignity is a pleasant contrast to the typical jocks and hunks that are so often the object of desire in these novels. The dialogue is sharp, the humor is clever, and the teen flippancy Cathy displays is spot-on. The only real drawback is how the narrative rolls smoothly for most of the novel and then grinds to a sudden halt, with an ending that seems rushed and blasé. These characters deserved a better ending than the one they got.

«« #12 Night of the Prom by Debra Spector

“Nightmare of the Prom” might be a more apt description of this long-winded, tedious novel that (shocker!) isn’t really about the night of the Prom at all; rather, it’s a dull, boring, and predictable account of the events preceding the dull, boring, and predictable Prom. Start with Barbara Vreeland, a grating Type A personality school nerd, add laid-back Michael McNally, her longtime nemesis, toss in an annoying best friend/sidekick figure, an inherently evil group of popular kids, and a few too many uninteresting subplots involving Barbara’s editorials for the school newspaper and a seen-it-a-hundred-times-before class project in which students are split into pairs and must pretend to be married and plan budgets, and you’ve got a foolproof formula for a Sweet Dreams dud. Every element of the story, from the plot to the setting to the characters, seems to have been borrowed from other novels that did it better, so don’t waste your time on this bore-fest.

«« ½ #14 Dance of Love by Jocelyn Saal

Highly ambitious, but ultimately disappointing, Dance of Love is weighed down by its excessive length and mired in its own attempts at profundity. Although the premise is intriguing—two best friends and aspiring ballerinas, Polly and Jennifer, struggling to balance their social and athletic aspirations—the novel suffers from several crippling difficulties: Polly’s romance with rich Cott Townsend lacks chemistry; Jennifer’s consequent jealousy-driven snubbing of Polly is extremely immature, grating, and annoying; Polly’s chance at dancing fame later in the novel seems contrived and unrealistic; and perhaps most annoying of all is the sloppy at-times-limited and at-times-omniscient third person narration that generally follows Polly’s thoughts and then arbitrarily switches to Jennifer’s. Although the novel tries to offer more substance than the typical Sweet Dreams novel, the draggy, at-times boring plot makes it difficult to care much about Polly or Jennifer or their pursuits.

«« ½ #15 Thinking of You by Jeanette Nobile

A lot of anticipation amounts to little action in Thinking of You, a somewhat grating tale about standing up for oneself. Main character Fran Pastore, a socially inept school nerd whose oppressive Aunt Jane tries to run her life, is a little too mousy and whiny to be likeable, as she fumbles her way through a summer program for gifted students, all the while pining away for Paul Wingate, the hottie who works at the bicycle repair shop across the street from her class. At the insistence of her perky younger sister Maggie, Fran undergoes a stereotypical Sweet Dreams makeover, thereby gaining Paul’s attention and the scorn of Aunt Jane, who tries to fix Fran up with sweet but dorky Ajit Banerji. Since Fran barely interacts with Paul until the last couple chapters of the book, the remainder of the novel unfortunately focuses on Fran’s neurotic, melodramatic obsession with being considered a “brain,” a conflict that grows old very quickly.

««« #16 How Do You Say Goodbye by Margaret Burman

“It’s cruel to be kind” might be a good logline for How Do You Say Goodbye, a surprisingly perceptive story about walking the fine line between treating people respectfully and spinelessly bowing to their requests. Much of the novel’s effective resonance comes from the playful first person narration of main character Lisa Kentwood, a self-proclaimed “ordinary” girl who routinely finds herself agreeing to do things she does not want to do, in an attempt to spare or placate the feelings of those around her, most notably her drippy guy pal Lawrence. Although she finds herself drawn to funny Alex Wiley, Lisa cannot bring herself to turn down Lawrence’s repeated requests to go steady, thus resulting in a sticky situation and finally forcing Lisa to the realization that being dishonest about her feelings, even with the best intentions, is ultimately the most hurtful course of action. Believable and quick-witted, Lisa’s narration turns what could be an extremely annoying story into a funny, thoughtful novel.

«« ½ #17 Ask Annie by Suzanne Rand

Almost painfully trite and tiresome, Ask Annie seems like the kind of novel Suzanne Rand probably cranked out one some Sunday afternoon when she was bored and had nothing else to do. The characterizations seem uninspired, the plot could be summed up in about two sentences, and the overall effect is underwhelming. Narrator Annie Wainwright (and we sure know her full name because her best friend Kathy annoyingly insists on exclaiming things like “Annie Wainwright, you look fantastic!” and “My face is round as a cookie and white as flour, Annie Wainwright, and you know it!”) is kind of a typical teen wallflower. Once a bit chubby, she has managed to slim down but still can’t seem to get the guys to notice her – well, one guy in particular: Kathy’s twin brother, Tim O’Hara. By a silly plot machination, Annie somehow finds herself as the go-to gal for all the guys in the sophomore class who need advice on everything from dating to dealing with their evil parents. Unfortunately, that also means that Tim is only interested in spending time with Annie when he needs Annie’s “expert” opinion on his unhappy relationship with self-centered, gorgeous drama queen Marcy Cummings. The story line grows quickly tiresome, as does Annie’s bickering with Kathy, and by the time Tim finally realizes that it’s wholesome Annie and not manipulative Marcy that he really likes, you have to wonder why Annie would even want to waste her time on a guy that dense and shallow. I only wish someone had “asked Annie” not to record this boring mess of a novel.

«« ½ #19 Love Song by Anne Park

It’s not to say that every Sweet Dreams novel must be a perfect comedic masterpiece; but Love Song is so hyper-serious, so humorless, so stilted and morose, that it’s almost a struggle to plod through it. Seemingly every moment, main character/narrator Elizabeth Ashton is fretting about something or other: her house is a dump, her widowed mom would rather be a struggling writer than get a “real” job so the family wouldn’t have to live like paupers, and worst of all, popular and rich Dennis Whitcomb can’t seem to commit to her because he doesn’t want to derail his years-in-the-future dream of medical school by (gasp!) going steady with a girl in high school. On top of that is Elizabeth’s seemingly chronic identity crisis in which she can’t seem to decide what to do with her life and whether she should follow the starving artist path of her parents, by becoming a professional violinist, or buckle down and work toward a more stable occupation like her equally talented violinist uncle who plays his instrument only as a hobby. Annoyingly, there’s an odd sense of urgency underscoring everything that happens, with Elizabeth’s botched cheerleading tryouts appearing seemingly just as traumatic, if not more so, than her younger brother’s being hit by a car. The tone is affected and the writing very old-fashioned, like someone much older trying to remember what it was like to be a teenager and not quite getting it right. Dennis’ passive-aggressive pursuit of Elizabeth doesn’t really fit with his otherwise perfectly charming persona, and the final resolution comes off as weighty and solemn, when it should be light and joyful. This “Love Song” is more of a dirge.

«« #20 Her Secret Self by Rhondi Vilott

Weird and a little annoying, Her Secret Self provides an odd new take on the old “just be yourself” mantra that is at the heart of so many books in the Sweet Dreams series. This novel may just be the one case in which the main character is not being “herself,” because she is instead being a motley crew of 80s personalities like Barbara Streisand, Barbara Walters, Miss Piggy, Brooke Shields, and Doonesbury. Joanne Palmer, in addition to being an airhead senior who has flunked one too many classes and is now at risk for not graduating, is a master of impersonation. Of course the guises are just a far too thinly veiled avoidance technique Joanne employs whenever she lacks self confidence, but they are also rather bizarre and borderline creepy, as is Joanne’s “fatal attraction” to ex-boyfriend/resident slimeball Rob McAllister, who has since moved on to dating blonde vixen Christina Roe. Naturally, sweet school president Cliff Wright is a far better match than the manipulative and shallow Rob, but it takes flaky Joanne most of the novel and several melodramatic episodes to figure that out. The real problem with this novel is that it’s pretty hard to have much sympathy for a girl who has somehow made it to the 12^th grade and still thinks that she should fill in a multiple choice American History exam answering every question with “C” because she misunderstood her BFF’s Lynn’s test-taking advice. Cliff Wright can certainly do better than this, and so can the reader.

«« ½ #21 All’s Fair in Love by Jeanne Andrews

Teen romance authors, take note: the easiest way to get on the nerves of your reader is to base the romantic plotline on a delusional premise on the part of the main character. Unfortunately, All’s Fair in Love, an otherwise well-written and interesting novel, violates this basic narrative rule. Main character Anne Jefferson, a fresh-faced small-town girl new to New York City, gets sucked into the world of competitive gymnastics, after her father signs her up for lessons at a swanky gym to help her make some new friends and develop her talent. Despite her initial protests, Anne agrees, and subsequently meets heartthrob fellow gymnast Greg Bartos and his ickily perfect older sister, Sarah. Perhaps the unrealistic gymnastics sequences (like the laughable idea that Anne, a casual newcomer who’s only been doing gymnastics for two years, would be competing against Sarah, a supposed Olympic hopeful) could have been tolerated more easily if it weren’t for Anne’s annoying, delusional assumption that she must beat Sarah in the big competition in order to maintain her relationship with Greg. As a plot device, it does propel the story along, but Anne’s attitude makes absolutely no sense in the context of characterization, and her angst about losing Greg seems overwrought and misplaced. Even the novel’s “fairy tale” ending fails to bring much life to this strangely dissatisfying tale.

««« #22 Secret Identity by Joanna Campbell

In what may be the strangest twist of all Sweet Dreams novels, Secret Identity boasts one truly unique quality – it is a romance novel that is actually very romantic. Sure, it has coming-of-age elements, and of course it’s pure fantasy from start to finish, but beneath the gloss and happenstance lies a beautifully simple love story. What wouldn’t we all give to be in Jena Maxwell’s shoes? She’s sweet 16, blond, beautiful, filthy rich, and spends her school year at a fancy New York boarding school and her summers at her family’s extensive SoCal cattle ranch. Somehow, though, she’s not spoiled or snobby, just a bit lonely, especially when her parents take off for an exciting summer in Europe, forcing Jena to spend the summer at La Paloma, the family ranch, with only the colorful housekeeper, gardener, and ranch manager to keep her company – that is until she stumbles upon fabulously dreamy Eric Bliss lounging about on La Paloma’s private beach. Of course, no one really minds when a fabulously dreamy guy is trespassing on your private beach – particularly when he turns out to be Eric Clayton, lead guitarist for the Ravens, the hottest rock band in the country, spending his summer hiding out from his legions of fans. Naturally, Eric feels it necessary to hide his true identity from Jena, telling himself that since they are just friends and will never see each other again beyond this summer, there’s no need to blow his cover. The fantastical element of the story is made much more palatable by a smart third person narration that delves into both Eric and Jena’s thoughts to portray their growing attraction and confusion and, ultimately, their deep respect, admiration, and love for one another. This is stuff that dreams are made of.

«« ½ #24 The Trouble With Charlie by Jaye Ellen

I never thought I’d hear myself say this, but it seems I have stumbled upon what may be the one and only Sweet Dreams novel that has a bit too much action; from the outset, The Trouble With Charlie strings together one unbelievable misadventure after the next, never pausing for a breath – or, unfortunately, a chance to identify with or sympathize with the characters in any meaningful way. Narrator Charlie Carrington does indeed have troubles: her father is working overseas, her mother is a spineless non-entity, her overprotective older twin brothers Adam and Rick are condescending, intrusive apes who wreak havoc on Charlie’s fragile social existence, and she has an uncanny knack for landing herself in sticky situations – all of which is apparently meant to be humorous, yet comes across more than a little forced and unrealistic. (A novel that tries too hard to be funny almost certainly won’t be.) What Charlie does have going for her is a big singing voice and an ally in cute, brotherly neighbor Andy Dawson, a friend of Adam and Rick’s who helps Charlie find her voice, physically and metaphorically. Almost bordering on slapstick at times early on, the novel gets better as it progresses, focusing more on Charlie and Andy’s budding relationship than on Charlie’s annoying, nonsensical conflicts with her brothers.

«« ½ #26 It Must Be Magic by Marian Woodruff

It’s not exactly “magical,” but It Must Be Magic is pleasantly entertaining, predictable fun. The plot centers on introverted school nerd Kerrie Stewart, whose quiet bookish existence is thrown into chaos when her two meddling BFFs Jill and Allison surprise her with a most unusual birthday present – a week with outgoing dreamboat Mike Price, who as part of Junior Genie Week, has auctioned himself off as a personal genie to the highest bidder. It’s kind of a strange plot device, but it works. Naturally, although they seem to be polar opposites, sparks fly between Mike and Kerrie, until Kerrie’s confidence is undermined by Mike’s current squeeze, snooty Marcy Connaway. Every plot “twist” from Kerrie’s much needed makeover midway through the novel to Jill and Allison’s final sneaky surprise for Kerrie is completely predictable, but that’s not really a bad thing. Sometimes it’s nice to know exactly what you’re getting, and It Must Be Magic does not disappoint.

««« ½ #27 Too Young for Love by Gailanne Maravel

A touching and smart coming-of-age story, Too Young for Love maintains a remarkable, simultaneous level of subtlety, depth, gentleness, and perspective. The novel tells the story of brainy, talented Killy Wyler who, despite incredible responsibility and maturity, lacks confidence and feels like a social outsider, due in large part to the fact that, having skipped two grades in elementary school, she is two years younger than the rest of the junior class. After a life-altering spring break voyage to Florence, however, Killy returns home with a renewed sense of confidence and determination to make amends with potential beau Tom Thompson, in the process gaining the courage to stand up to a long time nemesis and confront her mother about some troubling past issues. Abounding with beautiful description and thoughtful dialogue, the novel treats its heroine with the utmost respect, even at its surprisingly perceptive conclusion.

«« ½ #29 Never Love a Cowboy by Jesse DuKore

Something is really off with Never Love a Cowboy. While it could be the utterly nonsensical title or the fact that the cover model looks nothing like how the main character is described (one might even speculate that the title and cover were intended for a different book entirely), the strangest element of the novel is actually its odd tone which, from the outset, struggles to maintain a balance between whimsical and just plain weird, very often falling to the side of weirdness. Bitsy White is the fish-out-of-water main character, a Brooklyn transplant who has recently moved to Austin, Texas with her father, a former NYPD cop, and who by page three has fallen “in love” with hick wannabe cowboy Billy Joe Bridges. In an effort to get closer to Billy Joe, Bitsy devises a scheme to start a school radio program and enlists Billy Joe’s help. The plot sputters a bit in the middle of the novel as it gets bogged down with a peculiar series of love triangles that finds Billy Joe pining away for snooty cheerleader Betty Lou Bender, who is pining away for football jock Beau Chapparal, who is pining away for Bitsy. Meanwhile, Bitsy is busy stalking Billy Joe, despite the fact that her almost creepy infatuation with him is never explained or justified, and the bizarre climactic scene that finds Bitsy and her musician buddies wreaking havoc on a sleazy bar seems horribly out of place for a Sweet Dreams novel. Although the novel has a few humorous bits and a vaguely charming silly quality, there is no substance behind the madcap antics.

«« ½ #30 Little White Lies by Lois I. Fisher

There is a fine line indeed between a character whose insecurity and even self-deprecation are endearing and humorous, and a character who simply seems desperate and pathetic; unfortunately for Little White Lies, main character Nina Ward falls firmly on the wrong side of that line. The novel follows the unsurprisingly hackneyed tale of Nina’s romance with popular hockey star Scott Holbrook and her ill-fated attempts to break into his exclusive clique of friends (who’ve dubbed themselves the Daltonites). Convinced that she must impress the rich, sophisticated Daltonites, Nina invents a series of dumb tall tales, but of course, this is a Sweet Dreams novel, so naturally the lies unravel and Nina must (oh-so-melodramatically) confront her own dishonesty. Sadly, Nina’s narration and personality are so annoying that as the novel progresses, you’ll probably find yourself hoping she gets what’s coming to her. Of course it goes without saying that inconsistencies abound, perhaps the best of which is Nina’s best friend suddenly, nonsensically being exclusively referred to as “Peg” on page 89 and for the rest of the novel, after being called “Peggy” for the first half of the novel. Not very romantic or entertaining, this novel amounts to a whole lot of silly drivel.

«« ½ #31 Too Close for Comfort by Debra Spector

Too Close for Comfort is, unfortunately, one of those novels that is a bit too boring and takes itself a bit too seriously to be especially likeable; but, it does have some nice moments and even the predictably dissatisfying and unrealistic ending isn’t awful, in the context of the plot as a whole. Narrator Andrea “Drea” Mallory is in a bit of a bind. After dating a string of bozos, she finally opens her eyes to the possibility of a romance with her BFF and next door neighbor, Derek Sebastian. Naturally, it wouldn’t do to bring Drea and Derek together and let them live happily ever after, so of course it turns out that Derek is a lousy kisser who acts possessive and clingy and stifles all of Drea’s big dreams of becoming a marine biologist and traveling to Europe, and Drea finds herself increasingly drawn to fellow “save the whales” junkie Sam Hennessey. If these were real people, Derek and Drea could probably not actually go back to being “just friends” after declaring their undying love for each other mere weeks earlier; but this is Sweet Dreams Land, so characters who act like real people are certainly not a prerequisite. The premise itself is not terribly unrealistic; I’m sure there are plenty of good friends who try dating and wind up breaking up – but that doesn’t mean it’s a good plot line for a romance novel.

«« ½ #32 Daydreamer by Janet Quin-Harkin

There’s nothing really wrong with Daydreamer, a solid, predictable novel about giving up fantasies and being content with what you have; however, there’s nothing particularly special about the novel, either. The story abounds with trite motifs of plot, character, and setting: Plain old Lisa Daniels, daughter of a washed up movie star mom and foreign news correspondent dad, gets shipped off to a small hick town to live with her understanding and quirkily youthful grandmother, meanwhile getting in with the “wrong crowd” and pining away for the wrong boy at her new school, until she finally comes to her senses and falls for the charming, protective, big-brother-like boy next door. So many of the narrative turns – everything from Grandma’s budding romance with her feisty checkers partner to Lisa’s new “friends” tricking her into walking out of a store with stolen merchandise so she will be caught shoplifting – seem overused and familiar. As always, Janet Quin-Harkin’s writing is entertaining, but otherwise, Daydreamer is a fairly mediocre effort.

«« ½ #33 Dear Amanda by Rosemary Vernon

Although its cute premise fizzles out by the end, Dear Amanda remains pleasantly enjoyable. The novel tells the story of ambitious Tina Davis, who has finally decided to immerse herself in school activities, after years of spending most of her time at home helping raise her two younger sisters after the death of their mother. A rocky relationship with her step-mom, a flighty BFF, and a constant battle of words with cute, but infuriating Brandon Wells occupy most of Tina’s time, until she comes up with the idea of creating an advice column for the school newspaper. Under the pseudonym “Amanda,” Tina solves all of her classmates’ problems, and in the process, attracts the attention of a mystery admirer who has somehow guessed her identity despite her attempts at anonymity. Of course, although the identity of the mystery writer is immediately obvious to the reader, it naturally takes dense Tina most of the novel to figure it out. Nonetheless, it’s good fun, and manages to be sweet without grating.

«« ½ #34 Country Girl by Melinda Pollowitz

Pleasant, but rather forgettable, Country Girl provides the typical mix of clichés and teen melodrama. The slow-moving plot centers on insecure, but optimistic farm girl Edie Edmunds whose summer takes a turn for the better when sweet college guy Jake Duncan comes to town for the summer to stay with his uncle, “Doctor John,” the local veterinarian and longtime friend of Edie’s family. A couple of subplots involving Doctor John and Edie’s older sister Kate, and involving the Edmunds’ crusty old neighbor and Miss Harriet, the owner of the bookstore where Edie works, are actually both more romantic and interesting than the rather humdrum flirtation between Edie and Jake. A few gentle moments of wholesome country charm help, but overall, there’s not much of a spark, and there are a few too many red herrings, like Edie’s early infatuation with snooty rich guy Sean who dumps Edie in favor of a flashy fellow snob Liza Melsheimer.

«« ½ #35 Forbidden Love by Marian Woodruff

While there is something vaguely amusing about a Sweet Dreams book that surreptitiously compares itself to Shakespeare, Forbidden Love seems at times, at least, slightly more self-aware of its shameless, banal rip-off of Romeo and Juliet than some later books in the series. Would-be Juliet is serious soprano Patti Curtis, who struggles against the confining rules imposed by her over-protective widower father. Romeo is dreamy Tim McBride, whom Patti has only admired from afar until the fateful day when she crashes into Tim’s car in the school parking lot, and the two form an instant bond. Naturally, the course of true love never did run smooth (and this is never truer than in Sweet Dreams Land), so it turns out that Patti’s insurance agent dad is the mortal enemy of Tim’s feminist, no-nonsense lawyer mom, and the two star-crossed lovers are forbidden to see other. Since of course we all know that kids never do what their parents say, Tim and Patti not only see each other every day at choir practice, but soon fall in love. The resolution and ultimate reconciling of the parents is rather anti-climactic, not to mention a bit creepy, as Patti’s dad seems to be asking Tim’s mom on a date, leading the more perverse of us to wonder what will happen if Patti and Tim end up as step-siblings. The pacing is good, and the writing is far more clever than the average Sweet Dreams book, but the romance element falls flat.

«« ½ #37 Portrait of Love by Jeanette Nobile

Portrait of Love scores a lot of style points; its spirited first-person narration is witty, believable, smart, and at times, laugh-out-loud funny. Unfortunately, the novel loses a lot of ground where it really counts – in the romance department. The novel follows the often-amusing thoughts of New Yorker Samantha Corbett, who gets uprooted and moved to southern California with her quirky artist mom, who has recently divorced Samantha’s uptight stuffed-shirt lawyer dad. And, naturally, Samantha’s huge crush on studious but hunky Tony Pappas runs amok when Tony seems more interested in interacting with Samantha’s mom, as a fellow artist, than with Samantha herself. Naturally all of Samantha’s schemes to get Tony’s attention backfire until she is finally faced with the last possible option (why is the most obvious course of action always the last one these girls think of taking?) – telling Tony that she really likes him and being honest with her mom about how she feels left of the artsy pow-wows. This novel may be a romance in name, but don’t be fooled. It’s really a story about a teenage girl and her relationship with her mom – which is just fine, but a little disappointing when you’re hoping for more of a love story.

««« #38 Running Mates by Jocelyn Saal

The votes are in – and Running Mates is a winner. Somewhere amidst its civic-minded platitudes, high school social clichés, and coming-of-age narrative arc, the novel manages to sneak in a surprisingly charming romance. Rebel rocker turned school politician Carole Weiss is disarmingly likeable as the novel’s protagonist. Despite her lack of interest in mainstream scholastic endeavors, Carole is goaded into running for senior class president by her infuriatingly adorable ex-boyfriend Steve Landy, who is also running for office. As the two campaign against each other, they find themselves drawn together, each secretly hoping to rekindle the romantic flame and each impressed by the other’s personal growth in the time they’ve been apart. With a fun cast of supporting characters and a wry humor about it, the novel keeps a quick pace and builds to the climactic results of the election. The only real drawback is that there is too much time spent detailing the cluttered spate of candidates running against Carole and Steve; it’s impossible to keep all the characters straight and they end up not having much impact on the plot anyway.

«« ½ #39 First Love by Debra Spector

Maybe I just lucked out by getting a nice, normal mom, but it seems to stretch believability to see just how forceful and bizarre the mom is in First Love, a strictly run-of-the-mill affair, with no remarkable qualities. The novel focuses on two major relationships: that of main character Tracy Fox, a newly minted waitress working at a seaside diner, and her mother Nancy, a pushy radio host, and that of Tracy and her co-worker, aspiring chef David Saylor. Tracy’s budding romance with David is derailed by Nancy’s attempts to set Tracy up with a string of “sophisticated” young men, all of whom of course end up to be comically and almost over-the-top horrid. Nancy’s one-track obsession with fixing Tracy up with her friends’ sons comes off as, at best, odd and, at worst, borderline cruel, and her snubbing of David simply because he is a local boy doesn’t make much sense either. Even the slight twist in the final chapter can’t compensate for the unrealistic mess of characterizations that precede it.

««« #40 Secrets by Anna Aaron

Don’t ask me why I’m giving a three-star rating to a book that I didn’t even like. The tone of the first person narration is very weird for a Sweet Dreams book, and I couldn’t exactly place my finger on what was off about it until I happened to glance at the page with all the publication details and realized that “Anna Aaron” is in fact a pen name for Neil R. Selden. Not to be sexist, but does anyone else find it weird that a Sweet Dreams book, especially one with first person narration by a teenage girl, would be written by a dude? It all kind of fit together after that. The novel is written in the style of a man, which isn’t a bad thing of course, but I really feel that this book doesn’t fit with the spirit of the series and would have been a good stand-alone book published outside the Sweet Dreams series. It has a very “After School Special” feel to it by the end, which comes as no surprise, considering that another of Neil R. Selden’s novels was actually made into an After School Special. The plot is fairly simple: narrator Ginny Barnes falls for mysterious daredevil Hal Stone, but the two of them can’t ever quite seem to communicate well enough to get on the same page until it’s too late. They each have secrets, or so they say; Hal’s bitter about his parents’ separation and having to care for his sweet paraplegic sister, Rita, and Ginny has to put on a false smiley front to placate her family’s expectations. Of course, by the time all these “secrets” come out, you’ve already guessed them, and you don’t care too much any more… all of which could probably be tolerated if it wasn’t for the horrible ending and the confusing, preachy message, espoused by Rita and eventually embraced by Ginny that it’s fine if our friends and family make us miserable because as long as we’re trying to make them happy then we’ll be happy, too… Nope, didn’t make sense to me, either.

«« ½ #42 The Perfect Match by Marian Woodruff

Ah, the glorious ‘80s. It’s sort of refreshing, in a way, to remember the early days of modern technology when computers were both romanticized as being able to do everything and vilified as the death knell of real human interaction. A computer generated dating program is at the heart of The Perfect Match – even more so than narrator Alex Randall, who finds herself swept up in a grand scheme that somehow goes beyond her control. After using the computer program as a matchmaking service to find hundreds of kids dates to the big dance, Alex quickly turns from heroic to hated when several of the “perfect matches” set up by the computer begin to unravel, including her own fledgling romance with fellow tech geek Tom Jurgensen. The novel really becomes a story about human communication and how even what the computer botches up can be set right just by sitting down and talking things out. It’s a good lesson, just not a particularly romantic one. The writing is clever, the story is fast-paced, and the characters are likeable – all that’s missing is the romantic spark that is probably lacking due to the fact that Alex spends most of the novel trying to avoid Tom, so there isn’t much chance for a romance to build.

«« ½ #43 Tender Loving Care by Anne Park

Something about this novel is a little weird (maybe the bizarre, too-thick neck on the turtleneck the girl on the front cover is wearing?), but there are certainly worse books in the series. Narrator Juliet Adams comes off a little too whiny, self-obsessed, and dramatic to merit the attention of gentle, handsome Neil Evans, a runaway from Buffalo who ends up staying at Juliet’s house after her do-gooder mom meets him at the charity center where she works. Why Neil, who is still a minor, is allowed to stay with some random family instead of returning home or going into court-mandated foster care, is a bit of a mystery, but it’s usually better not to think too much about the details in these novels. The crux of the story is really about how Juliet finally figures out that, even though she is scarred by her parents’ divorce and her father’s desertion of her and her mother, she’s certainly not unique in suffering personal pain. The idea that we are all hurting inside and hiding behind facades is driven home with annoying clarity by the end of the novel. Despite Juliet’s initial resistance to Neil (and really everyone her mother meets and helps at the Center), she and Neil forge a friendship and eventually a romance – not a particularly compelling romance, but a romance hot and heavy enough to freak out Juliet’s mom who walks in on Juliet and Neil making out and subsequently kicks Neil out of the house. Of course it all turns out okay, and Juliet figures out that (shocker!) she is not the center of the universe after all. I wish everybody else could figure that out, too.

««« #44 Long Distance Love by Jesse DuKore

There is something inexplicably appealing about Long Distance Love – perhaps merely the fact that the plot is not immediately predictable, or perhaps the fact that for once the ending gets things just right without being maudlin or didactic. Unlike so many other books in this series, this one is, actually and undeniably, a love story. The story centers on Pam Gray (or Pamela Grey, as the back cover so lovingly addresses her), a small town hoops star with Ivy League aspirations who decides to ditch her senior year in Hickville to attend the prestigious Busby Academy in order to improve her chances of getting into Princeton. Unfortunately, that means leaving behind Bobby Miller, her volatile two-years-and-running squeeze who has decided to nix college in favor of following his passion of working as an auto mechanic in Hickville. Naturally (and much to the chagrin of Bobby), Pam gets swept up in the excitement of her new ritzy school chums and finds herself the center of attention in a social whirlwind of potential love interests, including her new BFF’s older brother, Jeff Leeds, a current sophomore at Princeton. The novel expertly handles Pam’s navigation through the social landscape, showing with painful realism her struggle of being torn between her old life and her new one. Even to the final page, the conflicts seem fresh and unfeigned and the resolution endearingly genuine.

«« #45 Dream Prom by Margaret Burman

Right up until about the last ten pages of reading Dream Prom, I was convinced that it was an irredeemably dumb novel. At once prosaic and melodramatic, nearly every aspect of this novel is unbearable. Main character Molly Knight (and we certainly get her full name drilled into our heads, as she is constantly exclaiming ridiculous things like, “You want me, Molly Knight, to do that radio show?”) is a whiny brat whose dream in life is to attend the senior prom (oh, and if that doesn’t work out, then become a famous TV reporter). Her boyfriend Duncan Grover is a brooding, moody loner whose goal in life is to graduate high school without having to ask for help on his big English exam. Implausibilities form the backbone of the narrative; every plot development from Molly’s schmaltzy English assignment about her grandma being worthy of the six o’clock news to Duncan’s best friend Matt’s refusal to renege on his offer to take Molly to the prom seems stilted and strange. The characters do not talk or behave like real people whatsoever. Molly is constantly either on the verge of tears, in tears, or shouting at someone, and the rest of the time she is whining about something or other; meanwhile, Duncan acts immature and rude in return. It is only the final ten pages or so of the novel in which any semblance of maturity or meaning is detectable, and by that point you probably don’t care much any more.

««« #46 On Thin Ice by Jocelyn Saal

On Thin Ice may be a teensy bit unrealistic, but even that small issue can’t strip away its charm and likeability. Main Character Ellen Travers has gotten a raw deal from life; relegated to the proverbial “back seat” by her gorgeous, Olympic Gold-winning, figure-skating older sister, Paula, Ellen has lived her life in the shadows, always doing what she’s told, putting up with her prima donna sister, and making do without complaint when Paula’s career forces the family to make numerous sacrifices. The only real bright spot is Paula’s equally gorgeous skating partner, Gene Davenport, who seems to be the only person in Ellen’s world who is very interested in her life, which is trivialized by everyone else, even to the point of forgoing Ellen’s Sweet 16 birthday party simply because Paula strained an ankle in training. The novel plays up the contrast between Paula and Gene’s skating partnership, and the much more meaningful relationship that builds between Ellen and Gene, based on genuine respect and care and attraction. The only real distraction in the novel is the haphazard way it represents the world of competitive skating, occasionally throwing out skating jargon like “sit-spin” and “toe loop” while ignoring the glaring implausibilities like the idea that Gene and Paula would have won Gold medals when they were 14 and 15 years old respectively, that they would still be training on an outdoor rink in the Travers’ backyard, and that Paula, at 18, would still be living at home anyway and sharing a bedroom with her kid sister instead of living and training at a skating facility. Nonetheless, the story is engrossing and Ellen is a perfect heroine for those of us who love to root for the underdog.

«« ½ #48 Dial L for Love by Marian Woodruff

The utter implausibility at the heart of the entire plot of Dial L for Love might have worked in a slightly more whimsical novel, but it ends up coming off as hokey, obvious, and a little weird. Narrator Hattie Winston seems to have it all – a kooky BFF, a supportive fam (even a nice step-mom!), and best of all, hunky hockey star Hank Butterfield on her arm. The only hitch is Mattie’s growing confusion over Hank’s apparent Multiple Personality Disorder, in which he behaves in person like an awkward, bumbling introvert, but when he calls on the phone in the evenings, he is warm and caring and really connects with Mattie. Not to mention the fact that, well, he has a different voice, different mannerisms, and a totally different way of speaking… none of which could possibly add up to the fact that the “Hank” on the phone is really Hank’s best friend Jay Thompson, who initially offered to pretend to be Hank and chat up Mattie as a favor but ended up falling for her himself, right? The Jay as a silly Cyrano angle could have been cute if it hadn’t been for the heavy-handed philosophizing about how we all find ways of hiding behind masks to protect our hearts. The strange fate of the real Hank and the completely unbelievable idea that after months of dating Hank, Mattie would not have caught onto the ploy are problematic, as well.

«« ½ #49 Too Much to Lose by Suzanne Rand

Despite its stubbornly earnest tone and tendency toward melodrama, Too Much to Lose nonetheless offers a likeable heroine, plenty of dating action, and best of all, a whole lotta good advice from Mom. Narrator Suzy Powers has given up on finding one special guy after being unceremoniously dumped by two-timing hottie Barry Howell. After deciding to spend her junior year playing the field, and thereby enduring a string of unfortunate outings that plays out like one of those “bad date” movie montages, Suzy finds herself drawn to sensitive and friendly Mike Kelly, who makes the unfortunate mistake of asking Suzy to go steady and wear his class ring. Frightened by the prospect of being hurt again, Suzy gives Mike the brush-off and then feels sorry for herself for about 50 pages until Mom comes to the rescue with some poignant (if trite) words of wisdom about how loving someone is a risk, but how “you have to accept the pain to receive the joy.” We can all guess how the story ends, but just in case we’re incompetent, the author has kindly included an unnecessary epilogue that leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination.

«« ½ #50 Lights, Camera, Love by Gailanne Maravel

Lights, Camera, Love is one of those strangely disappointing novels that seems to have all the components of a good book, but just can’t pull them together in any remotely compelling way. The premise is good: 15 year-old Holly Giles is a TV soap actress struggling to fit in at a new private high school and balance her work and social lives. The characters are likeable: Holly is grounded and smart, and her new beau Tim Hartley is sweet and genuine. The setting is interesting: the scenes featuring Lindsey on set seem well-researched, and New York is always a good backdrop for romance. Even the writing is good, featuring plenty of vivid descriptions and largely avoiding cheesy dialogue. The real problem seems to be the novel’s plot – or, rather, lack of plot. Holly and Tim have a relatively smooth romance, and while she does have a few run-ins with some snooty classmates, nothing much ever comes of it. The pacing is weird, too slow, and the story lacks much suspense, drama, or romance, which is really a shame, because this could have been quite a good novel.

«« ½ #51 Magic Moments by Debra Spector

It doesn’t bode too well for a novel when both of the main characters are boring, immature, and unlikeable; even the vaguely intriguing backdrop of the magicians’ community can’t bring much life to the childish mess that is Magic Moments. Amateur magician (and by “magician” we mean she does a few feeble cards tricks now and again) Nicki Petersen “the Peerless” hasn’t had much luck with boys since moving from Michigan to southern California and leaving behind her beloved ex-boyfriend Gilly (who, besides having an exceptionally dumb name, never figures into the plot whatsoever except in off-handed mentions that are just confusing and don’t seem to have much of a point). All that changes when she happens to meet mysterious fellow magician Perry Ingram at a party, and she becomes inexplicably infatuated with him. In a not-at-all-contrived twist of fate, Nicki happens to run into Perry again at a magic shop in Hollywood, and he invites her to the “House of Cards,” a theater/training facility for magicians. Naturally, a series of silly miscommunications follows, with infantile Nicki repeatedly running out on her dates with Perry because of some ridiculous reason or another, and Perry acting like it’s all his fault that Nicki is a brat and being all secretive himself. Somehow the novel feels like it’s leading up to some big revelation at the end, but that doesn’t really happen. Predictable and uninspired, Magic Moments seems to have lost the magic somewhere along the way.

««« #53 Ghost Of A Chance by Janet Quin-Harkin

Clever, witty, and engrossing, Ghost Of A Chance holds the reader’s attention from the opening sentence. (This is, in fact, such an enjoyable novel that I think I can even get past the absurdity of capitalizing every word of the title!) In typical fashion, Janet Quin-Harkin manages to create a likeable, round main character who, despite her flaws, the reader will enjoy immensely. Narrator Meredith Markham is in for the ride of her life when her mother receives a letter from eccentric Aunt Harriet, who has broken her leg and needs someone to come take care of her as she finishes writing her latest novel in a spooky rental house on the Maine coast. Much to her chagrin, Meredith is designated for the assignment, and a series of comical mishaps ensues, culminating in Meredith meeting intense Nat Franklin, a dead ringer for the dreamy subject of a family portrait that hangs in Meredith’s bedroom in the creepy old house. Once she realizes once and for all that Nat is just a regular guy and not some supernatural reincarnation of the guy from the painting, Meredith feels an immediate attraction to him – despite the fact that she has the “perfect” boyfriend, Peter, waiting for her back home in Illinois. To complicate matters, Nat also has a steady girlfriend in prissy Sandi Cabot. Nat and Sandi’s relationship is the one sour note of the novel; Sandi comes off as a caricature of superficiality (as the villainesses in these novels so often do) and it simply doesn’t make any sense why down-to-earth Nat would ever be interested in her, unless he is really shallow and superficial himself, in which case, why would Meredith be interested in him anyway? The novel may actually take the point about how Meredith grows up over the summer and realizes that there are more important things in life than clothes and makeup a bit too far by making it seem as though anyone who dresses well or takes an interest in her appearance must automatically be flaky, shallow, and self-centered. The novel also takes an odd turn when a tropical storm batters the town and an oil spill cleanup effort finally draws Meredith and Nat together, and the conclusion is bittersweet, but fitting.

«« ½ #54 I Can’t Forget You by Lois I. Fisher

Even with its slightly unusual plot, I Can’t Forget You is, regrettably, rather forgettable. Main character/narrator Jeri McNally seems to have finally gotten her life in order. After a whirlwind romance her junior year with social, outgoing Keith “Kemp” Kempton – a romance that derailed her academically and forced her into summer school – Jeri has settled down with predictable, quiet new kid in town Ben I’m-Not-Sure-If-He-Has-a-Last-Name. Her grades are up, and Kemp seems content to date the entire senior class – or is he? That’s not really a rhetorical question. This is a Sweet Dreams novel, after all, so of course Kemp is still madly in love with Jeri, who must finally come to terms with the fact that boring Ben was just a rebound guy and she’s still hung up on Kemp, too. But can she figure out some way, this time around, to tell Kemp that his hectic social calendar is wreaking havoc on her already precarious chemistry grade? If you don’t know the answer to that, then you have no business reading a Sweet Dreams novel in the first place.

«« ½ #55 Spotlight on Love by Nancy Pines

Spotlight on Love, a pleasant-enough, though thoroughly unremarkable novel, relies on all the usual trite characterizations and implausible miscommunications to propel its plot. The novel centers on Callie Lloyd, a recent ugly-duckling turned swan, who spends her entire summer swimming laps to turn from chubby into charming in order to win the romantic lead in her school’s production of Guys and Dolls and hopefully also win the heart of dreamy leading man David Palmer, in the process. The story doesn’t precisely follow the usual plot arc, as it allows Callie and David’s romance to blossom early in the novel, only to be followed by the usual tired misunderstanding in which David inexplicably assumes Callie is interested in another guy, and Callie inexplicably assumes David is interested in new girl Kim Crawford. A cute subplot in which Callie befriends a feisty nursing home resident adds a bit of life to this otherwise banal and uninspiring novel.

«« ½ #57 On Her Own by Suzanne Rand

While it is a bit refreshing to find a Sweet Dreams book set somewhere other than a bland high school hallway, On Her Own founders under an apparent plot identity crisis, never quite making up its mind if it wants to be a romance or a coming-of-age, girl empowerment tale. It’s never made quite clear exactly why city girl Katie Carlisle is so desperate to leave behind her Maryland hometown and head for the Roughing It wilderness survival program in the Adirondack mountains; from the outset, she feels out of place and inadequate, especially compared with confident and gorgeous fellow camper Lisa Morrison, who immediately takes Katie under wing. Although Katie manages to strike up a flirtation with cute Jake Summers (who just so happens to be Lisa’s ex-boyfriend), the remainder of the story really becomes more about Katie’s relationship with manipulative Lisa and her eventual realization that her reliance on Lisa’s assistance is cheating her out of her own sense of accomplishment at learning new skills and becoming self-sufficient. It is rather telling that the plot culminates, not in a romantic scene between Katie and Jake, but in Katie’s empowering two day solo hike, when she finally learns the value of pride in one’s own work and accomplishments. The pace moves fairly quickly, considering that not much actually happens in the plot, but the romantic storyline is horribly underdeveloped and seems tossed in almost as an afterthought.

«« ½ #59 Please Say Yes by Alice Owen Crawford

While it is not immediately clear who is supposed to say yes and what he or she is saying yes to, at least the request is made politely; although, if Alice Owen Crawford (aka Jeffrey Marlin) is asking me to “please say yes” to this novel, I’m afraid my answer is a resounding “no.” Like other male-penned Sweet Dreams books, Please Say Yes has a blah sports motif and a dull romantic element. Basketball nut Marlene “Marley” Bennet is initially ecstatic to learn that a school alumnus has croaked and left $5,000 in his will designated for the basketball team. Tempers flare, however, when the boys team refuses to share any of the money with the girls team, despite the dangerous disrepair of the girls’ practice floor. To complicate things further, Marley has finally caught the attention of shy, but sweet Jeff Simmons, only to have the fledgling romance thrown into upheaval by no-nonsense Lizzie, the captain of the girls’ team, who concocts a crazy scheme in which all the girls in the school freeze out all the boys, in an attempt to earn their respect (and a share of the $5,000). The premise isn’t particularly logical, but this is Sweet Dreams land, so that can be overlooked. What simply cannot be overlooked, however, is the ridiculous plot arc of the romance. You know there is something screwy when the boy is holding hands with the girl after they have exchanged words for the first time mere moments before, and then suddenly they are madly in love, without any indication of why they like each other or that they even know each other at all. A subplot involving Marley bickering with her brother, Dunk, doesn’t add much to the story, and the “suspense” of guessing whether the girls will get their new floor or not is about as exciting as you would imagine a story about a floor would be.

««« #61 Exchange of Hearts by Janet Quin-Harkin

Engaging, emotional, and even at times exciting, Exchange of Hearts is another solid effort from Janet Quin-Harkin. The novel tells the story of British exchange student Fiona Henley, a sheltered London city girl whose world revolves around schoolwork and quiet evenings watching TV with her sweet and equally unambitious boyfriend Simon. Enter Fiona’s evil parents, who have cooked up a scheme with their family friend, Professor West, to have Fiona stay with the West family for a year in America, while Sherry West comes to live with the Henleys for a year in London. Poor Fiona is such a wimp she can’t even offer more than a half-hearted protestation, and next thing she knows she is off on a plane to the West family’s New Mexico cattle ranch. In addition to the expected problems of culture shock and home sicknesses, Fiona soon learns she must contend with Sherry’s moody and immature older brother, Gregory “Taco” West, who seems to have it in for Fiona from the moment she arrives and spends a good chunk of the novel playing dirty tricks on her. Of course, it will come as a surprise to precisely no one when Fiona and Taco finally realize that behind their rivalry is a very thinly veiled and very strong attraction – or when Fiona and Simon grow apart and move on – or when Taco’s gorgeous former flame Honey rears her metaphorical ugly head. While there aren’t many surprises, the plot moves quickly, and the setting and descriptions are vivid and captivating. The only real sour note is the novel’s ending, which insists on remaining starkly realistic, even at the expense of romanticism.

««« #63 Kiss Me, Creep by Marian Woodruff

Style over substance seems to be the M.O. of Kiss Me, Creep, a short and sweet novel that relies heavily on anecdotal humor and flashback sequences rather than much of an actual plot. Perky narrator Joy Wilder rather randomly reflects back on a series of events including her move away from Seattle, her first day at her new high school and subsequent run-in with infuriatingly adorable Richie Brennan, and her mother’s relationship with Joy’s young, brawny soon-to-be stepdad. The bulk of the narration, however, centers on a rather comical, if completely implausible, incident in which Richie and Joy are inadvertently marooned on a deserted island together and both finally realize that beneath their antagonism is a very thinly veiled and very strong attraction. After their rescue, the remainder of the plot, in which both Joy and Richie worry that the other was not really serious about their newfound romance, is boring, unnecessary filler. For the actual action that occurs in the novel, this one might have been better served as a short story or novella; there simply isn’t enough plot to support an entire novel.

«« ½ #65 The Two Of Us by Janet Quin-Harkin

Despite her penchant for crafting memorable and charming fish-out-of-water / new-kid-in-town tales (see #6 California Girl; #53 Ghost of a Chance; #61 Exchange of Hearts; #127 My Best Enemy to name a few) Janet Quin-Harkin fumbles a bit with The Two Of Us, an odd amalgam of clichéd characters and settings and a bizarre plot that, even for a Sweet Dreams novel, stretches the bounds of credulity. In a plot that seems to bear more than a casual resemblance to #32 Daydreamer, the novel follows the curious tale of boring, sheltered New Yorker Stephanie Fenton, who relishes the chance to escape her humdrum life at an all-girls school to spend the semester with her hip, fitness-espousing grandma in small-town Connecticut. Of course, disaster immediately ensues, with Stephanie foiling her opportunity for a fresh beginning by making almost immediate enemies of über-popular power couple Melissa Anderson and Oliver Pfeffelfinger (who understandably goes by O.P.) Of course, she does manage to make a couple of genuine friends, including geeky songwriter Charles Patterson. Unfortunately, it’s at this point that the plot degenerates into preposterous nonsense, with Stephanie deciding to reinvent herself as Stormy Felton, her own non-existent twin sister, who just so happens to be an up and coming rock star. Enjoying her newfound popularity, “Stormy” eventually must come to terms the snowball effect of her lies and with what (and who) really matters. If the tone is meant to be whimsical and light, it fails miserably and instead comes across as heavy handed and serious, a fatal combination given the fanciful nature of the plot.

«« ½ #66 Love Times Two by Stephanie Foster

The opening chapters of Love Times Two offer an intriguing promise – a Sweet Dreams novel that manages to have two protagonists without pitting one against the other or tipping its hand as to which will actually end up with the happily ever after. Twin sisters Cassie and Claudia Fletcher play the unwitting heroines of this frothy tale of summer love set at the family’s lake cottage; the first half of the novel gives equal face time to the sisters, detailing each girl’s infatuation with cute T.J. Howard, who lives across the lake. Unfortunately, midway through the novel, the interesting omniscient narration is unceremoniously discarded in favor of a suspense-strangulating abandonment of sporty Cassie’s thoughts and a focus only on shy and dreamy Claudia’s, thereby leaving no doubt in the reader’s mind of every detail of the remainder of the plot. While readers with a sense of humor will enjoy the family’s banter early in the novel, anyone looking for a remotely romantic tale should pass this one by. The pitifully rushed, underdeveloped, and embarrassingly and unduly serious relationship between T.J. and Claudia consistently plays second fiddle to the melodramatic interactions between the sisters.

«« ½ #68 Lovebirds by Janet Quin-Harkin

Not the strongest effort by the usually stellar Janet Quin-Harkin, Lovebirds still manages to entertain. Narrator Tiffany Johns somehow masters that great feat of any literary character – undergoing a dramatic transformation and yet still ending up just as annoying as she was at the outset. The early Tiffany, a snotty, superficial brat whose greatest concerns are clothes, makeup, and a date to the winter formal, is forced to rethink her priorities when her mother remarries and sends her off to stay with her brother and her sloppy, outdoorsy, documentary producing father in the Australian outback for a few weeks. Naturally, city girl Tiffany immediately clashes with the Australian guide, Bruce Dawson, the son of the expedition’s millionaire backer. And, even more predictably, as Tiffany learns to eschew her former interests, she and Bruce grow much closer. What never quite rings true is the novel’s conclusion, in which Tiffany decides she wants to live with her easy-going pop in California instead of returning home to New York to her high-strung mommy. But, since both parents are presented merely as caricatures, Tiffany’s sudden transformation and complete rejection of her mother and her lifestyle and embracing of her father’s seems forced and hollow.

«« # 70 Special Someone by Terri Fields

It’s hard to know exactly what to make of Special Someone, a somewhat weird novel featuring what might very well be the most misleading back cover plot teaser of any book in the series; what is ostensibly a story about a teenager in over her head after falling for an older college guy rather abruptly turns into something very different. Narrator Katie Thompson (who, by the way, is just as generic a character as her name would indicate) opens the story with the standard “My evil parents have forced me to spend my summer vacation away from my friends” whine-fest, but quickly changes her tune when she lands a summer job working at a drug store on the ASU campus, where her father is a visiting professor. Naturally, the job brings her up close and personal with obnoxious and self-centered college hottie Dave Cosburn, who sweeps Katie off her feet by taking her out for a couple of pizzas. Pathetic and desperate seem to be the most fitting descriptors of Katie, whose immature antics and obsession with the front display of the drug store become more grating as the novel progresses. The novel waits far too long to switch directions from Katie’s romance with Dave to her romance with Dave’s cousin, Marc (If-he-has-a-last-name-I-sure-can’t-remember-what-it-is) that the reader has already lost interest in both the plot and the characters.

«« # 71 Too Many Boys by Celia Dickenson

It’s really a shame that the plot of Too Many Boys is so brazenly imbecilic, because the writing itself is actually decent; at times comical, at times dramatic, and with a few very smart characterizations, the novel could have easily avoided being the dud that it is. Protagonist Nan Whitman opens the novel receiving a double-whammy of bad news: her longtime boyfriend, Mac, is going away to college, and her father has quit his job and can no longer afford to send Nan to her private school, so she must start her junior year at a new public school. Determined to remain faithful to Mac, Nan seeks to find some new girlfriends by joining a variety of clubs at the new school, each with a comically disastrous result, in which she ends up meeting only boys instead of girls. While the plot could have offered some marginal bit of originality, it instead plods ahead to its ultimately dissatisfying conclusion, in which, predictably, Nan and Mac grow apart and she instead falls for her library co-worker, Brian. It remains a mystery why yet another Sweet Dreams writer has chosen the plot device of opening the story with the main character already involved in a serious relationship, and even more baffling is why the reader is expected to be happy about the fact that she breaks up with her boyfriend and immediately enters into an equally serious relationship, when the whole point of the novel is ostensibly that it is a foolish idea to date someone exclusively while in high school. Disappointing and dumb, this novel is all the more unsatisfactory because it had the potential to be so much better.

«««½ # 72 Goodbye Forever by Barbara Conklin

Barbara Conklin masterfully scripts yet another bittersweet teen tale in Goodbye Forever, a gentle, slow-developing story that still manages to affect the reader with its low key characterizations and life-affirming conclusion. The first person narration by melancholy teen Kari Langtree strikes a perfect balance of genuine fears, loneliness, and eventual acceptance, as she grieves for the death of her father and another loss, in the form of her sister’s marriage and leaving home. Despite her dramatic insistence that she will never find someone to love, Kari does just that when she and her mother are whisked away on a Caribbean cruise as a post-wedding gift from Kari’s aunt and uncle. Anyone who has been on a Caribbean cruise can attest to the authenticity of Conklin’s lively descriptions and nautical lingo; the novel is aided heftily by its exotic tropical settings and entertaining on-ship sequences. Although the novel is really about Kari’s personal growth, it beautifully weaves in an intertwining story line in which she falls for fellow passenger, kind but troubled Noah Walters, and together the two help each other to overcome their fears and learn to accept what cannot be changed. Barbara Conklin conjures her usual magic with this sensitive and sweet novel.

«« # 73 Language of Love by Rosemary Vernon

Language of Love boasts one bona fide novelty; rare indeed is the novel that can so effortlessly inspire an average of three eyerolls per page. Founded on corny dialogue, trite descriptions, and immature, annoying characters, the novel muddles through its emaciated plot, seemingly blissfully unaware of its own stupidity. Narrator Robin Mackin fails to exhibit any signs of actually having a personality (other than obnoxious) as she travels to Switzerland as an exchange student and bickers with French class rival Henry Bouchet, a smug know-it-all who delights in putting Robin in her place (and deservedly so). There’s no point to mention any of the plot’s conflicts, as there aren’t any; ostensibly one moment Henry and Robin are enemies, the next they are strolling in the moonlight making googly eyes at each other. The sequences set in Switzerland seem both unauthentic and uninspired, and the rest of the novel is completely forgettable.

««« # 74 Don’t Forget Me by Diana Gregory

An unusually well-written Sweet Dreams novel, Don’t Forget Me draws the reader in with colorful descriptions and a perceptively realistic narrator; even the standard after-school-special message about learning to find one’s own way in life, rather than simply following others, isn’t grating. Slightly melodrama-prone main character Wendy Farris takes a trip to Crisis-ville when her mom suddenly decides to take a promotion and move from breezy Florida Gulf town Sea Gate to Philadelphia, and Wendy is forced to move in with her aunt Eva. Wendy is able to put her sulking on hold long enough to fall for new-guy-in-town Gary Vries, an athletic and soulful California transplant; however complications arise when Wendy learns from Gary’s sister that he is planning to move back to California to be with his “girlfriend,” prompting a devastated Wendy to sulk some more before finally landing the guy of her dreams, and, in the process, coming to terms with her relationship with her mother. Although the ending seems far too abrupt and forced, the novel is definitely better than many in the series.

«« ½ #75 First Summer Love by Stephanie Foster

Despite its rather heavy-handed moralizing (most notably with such no-brainer platitudes as: “It’s important to take the time to just be a teenager instead of taking life too seriously” and “Never tell the boy you like that you already have several boyfriends back home”), First Summer Love is a pleasant read, strengthened by stronger-than-the-average characterizations of the novel’s primary characters. Narrator Lynn Madison is a no-nonsense, take-charge teen, who has feels it her place to run the family home following the death of her mother three years prior. However, Lynn’s priorities get called into questions when her family inadvertently ends up sharing their rented beach house with flaky Moira Cassidy, Moira’s mother’s helper Jody Wilson, and her brood of vipers. Never mind the fact that a male “mother’s helper” named Jody is just a tiny bit creepy; it turns out that (shocker!), Jody is a laid-back rocker whose go-with-the-flow attitude is just what Lynn needs to help her loosen up and have some fun. Naturally, the romance goes awry when Lynn invents a fictional boyfriend to make Jody jealous and to hide her own dating inexperience. While the novel makes no real attempt to hide its clichéd plot-line, it does rise above mediocrity by delving into some of Lynn’s fears and psychological hang-ups in a fairly realistic way.

«« ½ #76 Three Cheers for Love by Suzanne Rand

Gimme a D! Gimme a U! Gimme an M! Gimme a D! What’s that spell? Sadly, dumb is the most apt descriptor of Three Cheers for Love, an annoying, overwrought saga of two rival cheerleaders who must learn to put aside their differences for the sake of true love. Main character Mandy Birch seems fairly likeable at the outset of the novel. Feeling like an outsider at her summer cheerleading camp, Mandy finds herself the inexplicable object of attention of resident dreamboat Mick Farris, who (lest we call into question his dreamboat-iness or overt masculinity) we are quick to learn, is only a male cheerleader because of an injury that forced him off the football team. Although Mick and Mandy instantly hit it off and spend the remainder of the summer blissfully cavorting about, drama ensues when the school year resumes and the hapless lovebirds are forced to rejoin their own cheerleading squads, which just so happen to be from high schools that are bitter football rivals. If all the immature bickering about cheerleading jumps and dance routines wasn’t bad enough, Mick and Mandy’s entire personalities grow progressively more exasperating as the novel progresses, leaving the reader almost hoping that they would just break up already and end all the idiocy. Worst of all is the horrible first person narration that relies far too heavily on “foreshadowing” – which is my nice way of saying that almost every chapter starts off with some cheesy description of what is about to happen, thereby deflating suspense and rendering all of what follows completely unnecessary. A little less explication and a lot more action would have gone a long way in this dud of a novel.

««« # 77 Ten-Speed Summer by Deborah Kent

If there were a category for novels in the series that are well-written, interesting, and thoughtful (but still manage to be not totally satisfying), Ten-Speed Summer would be a prime candidate indeed. The novel’s opening premise is not especially promising: unadventurous Rhonda McFarland has been wrangled by her mother into going on a summer bike tour across the southwest, in an effort to force Rhonda to broaden her horizons and, naturally, distance her from long-time steady boyfriend Bruce, who has become almost second nature to Rhonda. Given my penchant for despising plots in which the heroine starts the novel with a serious boyfriend, I was skeptical – even more so when the novel introduces outgoing and flirtatious fellow cyclist Matt Jordan as a possible love interest. The bike trip is a surprisingly non-annoying metaphor for Rhonda’s journey toward maturity and self-understanding, a journey to which Matt is somehow both vital and incidental. The descriptions are vivid and the narrative compelling, and there is something strangely beautiful about the non-formulaic plot arc. This is one of a handful of novels in the series that could probably be a standalone and would be a worthwhile read, even without the Sweet Dreams logo on the front.

«« ½ #80 A Shot at Love by Jill Jarnow

Righting past wrongs and learning to communicate honestly are the primary themes advanced by trite, but better-than-average A Shot at Love. The novel opens on generic teen Samantha Alexander, whose excitement over her father’s company trip/family vacation to tropical Paradise Bay turns into disappointment when she learns that gawky Keith Garson, whom she had dissed and dismissed on a similar vacation two years prior, will be there with his family. Because this is a Sweet Dreams book, of course Keith has turned from ugly duckling into a major hunk, leaving Samantha distraught over her past shoddy treatment of him, particularly when the two are thrown together as Samantha explores her new hobby of photography, at which Keith is an expert. Throw in the usual cast of cute pals, gorgeous villains, and bratty siblings, the standard plot points in which the romance is nearly derailed by a lack of communication, and the requisite happy ending, and you have A Shot at Love, a breezy and unoriginal, but sweet and occasionally realistic novel.

««« # 81 Secret Admirer by Debra Spector

Funny, hip, and unusually unpredictable, Secret Admirer offers mystery, romance, and best of all, a plethora of allusions to all the great bands of the 80s. The story centers on funky DJ Kim Belding, a self-proclaimed music junkie whose obsession with KLAU, the student-run radio station, puts her at odds with petty, but popular Heather Shearson and her merry band of followers, including Student Council president Buddy Forward, who follows Heather’s lead, encouraging the School Board’s plan to shut down the radio station due to monetary concerns. Although more of a subplot than anything else, the novel also treats the reader to a fun story line, involving a mysterious admirer who calls in to Kim’s radio show and requests songs be to dedicated to her. Amidst her attempts to guess the admirer’s identity, Kim also finds herself roped into a fundraiser for the radio station, in which the winner gets to take Kim to the big dance; the resulting chaos is pure enjoyment. Everything in this novel, from the smart character development to the cool subject matter, is right on.

«« ½ #83 Love by the Book by Anne Park

Predictable and a bit boring, Love by the Book seems to suffer from its own sense of hyper seriousness. The novel follows the story of dull, studious Lisa Randall, who somehow talks her parents into allowing her to take over the failing family business, a dusty old antique/book store. With the help of thoughtful, but equally dull Phil Bradley, her assistant in the shop, Lisa spends much of the novel fretting over old books and the acquisition of junk at auctions, all the while pining away for dreamy Kevin Cott who finally asks Lisa out after his steady girlfriend Meredith heads off for Europe for the summer. It doesn’t exactly take a brain surgeon to figure out that Kevin and Lisa have nothing in common, and that Phil is basically Lisa with a Y-chromosome, so it’s hard to feel much sympathy for whiny Lisa when Kevin dumps her, especially after she has spent the entire novel treating Phil so shabbily. Not particularly romantic or entertaining, the most clever thing about this novel is the front cover, which cutely features the model posing with a stack of Sweet Dreams books.

««« # 84 The Last Word by Susan Blake

You wouldn’t think a novel about debate camp could be terribly interesting, but there is something strangely compelling about The Last Word (and it is not just the fact that a young, preppy-looking Courtney Cox is on the cover). The strength of the novel seems to lie in its realistic characterizations; at the heart is competitive debater Shelby Scott, whose long-term romance with childhood sweetheart Tom gets derailed when Tom loses to Shelby in the big debate tournament and, threatened by her success, breaks up with her. Devastated, Shelby takes solace in escaping to a summer debate camp being held at a nearby college. Although she still pines for Tom, Shelby finds herself drawn to serious, yet sensitive Matthew Benson, a second year debater and assistant squad leader at the camp. Although Matthew’s maturity and genuine care and concern for Shelby’s happiness and success are the antithesis of Tom’s stubborn insistence upon maintaining the status quo, Shelby still feels torn between her first love and her newfound romance. Drama is tossed into the mix in the form of various subplots involving Shelby’s new friends at camp, most notably her flaky tennis-obsessed roommate Pam, and the surprising revelation that Shelby and Matthew have been chosen to compete against each other in the prestigious paired debate at the end of the camp. Shelby’s surprisingly genuine portrayal shows her as a real, rounded teen -- equal parts bravado and loneliness, fear and hope; and observing her growth as a debater and a person makes the novel a worthwhile read.

«« ½ #85 The Boy She Left Behind by Suzanne Rand

There are many promising signs at the outset of The Boy She Left Behind. Main character Jill Hawkins seems likeable enough (if a bit dull). The plot and setting, too, hold promise, with Jill taking off for Washington D.C. for the summer to serve as a Congressional page and developing feelings for fellow page Rick Werner, despite still pining away for hometown hottie Scott Driscoll. Somehow, though, the story elements never come together in a compelling way. The sequences set at the Capitol are dull and plodding, and the other pages, who are probably supposed to be colorful characters, add nothing to the story, except as boring filler. Given that Sweet Dreams books are generally fluff-filled, I was surprised to find that this may be the first book in the series in which I actually found myself skipping entire pages at a time. Even the romance between Jill and Rick never sparks, probably because we don’t even get to see it develop, but are simply told after the fact that they have become a serious couple. The novel’s greatest problem, though, lies in the fact that it is nearly impossible to develop any sympathy for Jill, who comes off as a cheater and a two-timer, and I found myself hoping that Rick would not give her another chance and would find someone more interesting and honest.

«« ½ #86 Questions of Love by Rosemary Vernon

If you have Jeopardy on TiVo or enjoy sitting around reading Trivial Pursuit questions just for fun, then Questions of Love may just be the right Sweet Dreams book for you. For the rest of us, however, the novel is a plodding mess of clichés, barely redeemed by a few charming scenes. Competitive trivia whiz Sammi Edwards is thrilled when her school is chosen to compete against rival Rushmore High on teen TV quiz show “The Brain Game.” Even more thrilling is when Rushmore’s adorable history buff, Dave Handlin, asks Sammi out, and the next thing you know the pair is canoodling in corners and making out in parking lots. Unfortunately, any momentum the romantic storyline may have had is effectively deflated when interspersed with a series of completely redundant and unnecessary scenes depicting every match of “The Brain Game.” The questions asked by Ty, the host, are often idiotically simple, and as it reads, it seems the whole show would be over in about five minutes. After every match between the two schools, the lowest scorer on each time is eliminated, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out immediately who the final two will be. There are absolutely no surprises in the entire plot, although there is a strangely compelling subplot involving flashy Sammi’s constant clashes with her ultra-conservative dad – a relationship that serves as a good foil for Sammi and Dave’s, in terms of showing the fragility of male pride. Overall, though, this one is dullsville.

««« # 87 Programmed for Love by Marion Crane

Several of the strange nuances of Programmed for Love – Sweet Dreams oddities such as an extended and overly detailed football sequence and a geeky 80s computer theme – can be explained by the fact that Marion Crane is actually a pseudonym for author Rodney Vaccaro, an L.A.-based Emmy-winning screenwriter and producer. While Programmed for Love is not the only book in the Sweet Dreams series penned by a man (see #40, Secrets, for example) it stands out in that it actually manages a fairly realistic first person narration. The plot is your basic retread of the old “falling for an anonymous pen pal” notion that has been played out in various novels and such notable films as the classic, The Shop Around the Corner, and its popular 90s remake, You’ve Got Mail. This rendition of the story finds plucky narrator Katie McNamara juggling her long-held crush on gorgeous Bobby Allen and her growing attraction to STX1150, an anonymous friend she sends messages to through an assignment for her computer class. Even as a romance finally begins to blossom with Bobby, Katie is tormented by the thought of losing her friendship with STX, and increasingly wary of Bobby’s mysterious relationship with his possessive, sophisticated ex-girlfriend, Tammy Sawyer. The plot is almost embarrassingly predictable, but even that does not detract from the sweetness and genuine connection formed between Katie and Bobby. They are the unusual Sweet Dreams pair you may actually find yourself rooting for.

««« ½ #89 101Ways to Meet Mr. Right by Janet Quin-Harkin

101 Ways to Meet Mr. Right may just be the perfect Sweet Dreams book. Funny without being grating, sweet without being condescending, and romantic without being melodramatic, this novel is the paragon of sugar pop, circa mid-80s, teen confection fiction. Literally every Sweet Dreams convention, from the alternately bumbling and colorful sidekicks/best pals to the heroine’s crush on her older brother’s best bud, is used to amusing and delightful perfection. Even managing to make a statement about not rushing love and allowing it to run its natural course, the novel features a wonderfully likeable heroine, Darcy Summers, whose class project on “101 Ways to Meet Mr. Right” runs amok when she unwittingly falls for longtime sparring partner and her older brother’s cutie cohort Chris Riley. Funny, romantic, and charming, this novel is a real winner.

«« # 90 Kiss and Tell by Shannon Blair

The one good thing that could be said about Kiss and Tell, a bland, blasé tale about how no man is an island, is that it is not quite as dumb as it looks, just from reading the back cover. Summarizing the plot should not take long, as this novel does not concern itself much with having an actual plot. The storyline centers on shy Denise Taylor, whose attempts to make some new friends alienate her reclusive hermit of a boyfriend, Pete Carruthers, who gets all bent out of shape after hearing a nasty rumor that Denise was making out with jock Billy Something-Or-Other at the big party (which, being a reclusive hermit, Pete refused to attend anyway). It’s all very melodramatic, but of course it turns out that dear old Pete is really just an emotional cripple with abandonment issues who’s afraid to let anyone get too close after suffering the death of his mother and putting up with his always-away-on-business father. The plot arc is odd for a Sweet Dreams book, but romance fans will not be disappointed with the happy ending. It’s just a shame that the novel takes such a weird, circuitous route to end up right where it starts.

«« ½ #91 The Love Hunt by Yvonne Greene

There’s nothing particularly remarkable about The Love Hunt, an utterly generic tale about the danger of judging on appearances and the importance of really taking the time to try to walk a mile in others’ shoes. Everything in this novel seems borrowed from other plots and other characters, with the possible exception of a kind of creepy extended metaphor in which the main character’s love interest is equated to an elusive bluebird. Boring main character Erika feels victimized by her lot in life – doomed to harbor an unrequited infatuation for obnoxious jock Matt Duncan, forced to share a room with her snobby cousin Amy, whose recently remarried mother is away on her honeymoon, and embarrassed by the attentions of nerdy Andy Chevalier, who is the brunt of most of the popular kids’ jokes in biology class. Erika and Andy are thrown together, however, as Erika attempts to complete her biology report on bluebirds, and well… you can guess the rest. This is one of those novels that really makes you wonder if the author actually attended high school or if she got all of her ideas of what it is like from watching TV. The conflicts seem trite and overwrought, and even the stock 80’s morality lessons about how malls are ruining the world and divorce screws kids up, lack conviction and realism.

««« # 95 No Strings Attached by Eileen Hehl

Despite its somewhat silly premise and the requisite amount of hokey plot points, No Strings Attached somehow resonates a certain amount of truth. The story opens on shy Abby Morrell, a self-proclaimed “invisible” sophomore who, through a harrowing rafting accident, forms an unlikely friendship with popular junior Kirk Phillips, who insists that the near-death experience has rendered them “Chinese life partners.” Despite the fact that he is already involved in a serious, long-standing relationship with gorgeous and sophisticated Colleen Kelly, Kirk begins a bizarre courtship of Abby, as the two launch a small-scale business enterprise based on Abby’s love of puppetry. The novel, carried by this conflict of forbidden romance, suffers from the natural narrative repercussions of such a conflict; namely, it’s hard to like a guy who would cheat on his girlfriend, even if it is with the story’s protagonist. The novel manages to skirt the issue somewhat, by depicting the blooming romance with skillful subtlety and by adding a slight twist toward the novel’s resolution. In spite of the unusual course of the narrative and a few miscues with respect to character development, there remains something tender, touching, and inherently human in the depiction of the flawed young friends, each in a time of personal transition, each fighting their growing attraction, and each ultimately coming to the realization that they desperately need one another.

««« # 96 First, Last, and Always by Barbara Conklin

Barbara Conklin crafts yet another heart-wrenching tale of love and loss with First, Last, and Always, a novel as much about hopes and dreams as it is about the fragility of life. The story centers on main character and narrator Gina Renzi, a compassionate candy striper who volunteers at the local hospital and aspires to be a doctor. All of her volunteer activities, however, leave little room for a social life, much to the chagrin of her popular but insecure BFF Shelley, who insists that Gina come to the big party she is having. Gina reluctantly agrees and finds herself thrown together on a scavenger hunt with gorgeous and rich soccer star Dave Bender. Fate conspires to bring the two together again when Gina is asked to tutor a sickly student, who turns out to be Dave’s twin sister, Susan. Interspersed in the love story are sweet scenes depicting Gina’s close relationship with her father, her growing friendship with Susan, and her eventual realization that Susan’s condition is far more dire than the Bender family is letting on. An unexpected climactic scene that finally brings Dave to the realization that Gina’s dream of becoming a doctor is a wonderful idea after all, and an ambiguous but hopeful ending are classic Conklin style.

««½ #100 Follow That Boy by Janet Quin-Harkin

If the inside front cover of the book’s assertion is correct and Follow That Boy, the “milestone” 100^th book of the Sweet Dreams series, was in fact “the teen romance event of the year,” one can only assume that 1985 must have been quite a dull year for teen romance events. Choosing prolific and generally fabulous Sweet Dreams author Janet Quin-Harkin to pen #100 in the series was a good move; unfortunately, this is not one of her stronger efforts. The plot is promising. Chronically uprooted Kristy Johnson is thrown for the loop once again when her father informs her that the family will be moving from cozy, small town Massachusetts to Hawaii, forcing Kristy to leave behind her first real boyfriend, sweet All-American boy Don Partridge. Kristy’s adjustment to the culture shock of her new island lifestyle is aided considerably after a chance encounter with fun-loving Hawaiian native Jason Whitmore. At this point, the plot unravels a bit, with Kristy juggling feelings for Don, Jason, and Darren, a Hawaiian Don lookalike. The bigger problem, though, is characterization. While the boys is Kristy’s life bend over backwards to accommodate her, Kristy consistently comes off as selfish, immature, and self-absorbed. Even the novel’s tidy conclusion gives Kristy everything she wants with seemingly no repercussions for her mistreatment of both Don and Jason. The writing is entertaining, and the setting is enjoyable, but otherwise, this novel is dissatisfying.

«« # 102 Hearts Don’t Lie by Terri Fields

Hearts may not lie, but the back cover of this novel certainly does, when it tries to make reading this boring, pointless mess of a novel out to be a worthwhile use of your time. Yet again, the fatal Sweet Dreams error comes into play in Hearts Don’t Lie, an utterly un-engaging and irredeemably dumb novel ostensibly about how important trust is in a relationship (but really more of an inadvertent reminder that insecure, annoying high-schoolers should probably refrain from serious dating in the first place). The novel centers on main character/narrator Michelle Gunderson, who whines about her boyfriend Steve going off on a ski trip with his ex-girlfriend/resident blond villain Heather, then whines about her dumb job at a department store, then whines about getting dumped by Don, her erstwhile love interest/obligatory cute co-worker at the store, and then whines about getting dumped by Steve, who finds out about Michelle’s date with Don (and acts like a whiny brat himself). Just once, I’d like to see one of these boring main-character-already-has-a-boyfriend-so-there’s-really-nowhere-to-go-with-the-plot-from-here novels end up with the girl realizing that her steady beau is a jerk, and so is she, and they’re probably better off flying solo in the first place.

««« #103 Cross My Heart by Diana Gregory

Potentially dissatisfying, yet strangely enjoyable, Cross My Heart breaks with convention, but retains a surprising level of realism. The novel centers on feisty teen, Meg Main-Character-Who-Apparently-Has-No-Last-Because-It’s-Basically-Impossible-To-Work-It-Into-First-Person-Narration-In-Any-Even-Remotely-Non-Cheesy-Way, who secretly pines away for oblivious longtime chum Craig Markham. Craig, Meg, and their other two BFFs since kindergarten, Pati and Don, seem bizzarely possessive of each other, so drama erupts when Craig begins mysteriously being seen in the company of rich, gorgeous Cynthia Collier and Meg ends up inadvertently accepting a date with cute, comical biology classmate Mike Sanders. The plot meanders a bit, never quite seeming to settle on where it’s going, even by the novel’s unusual, yet fitting, conclusion. Humorous dialogue and vivid descriptions draw the reader in, despite a few moments of silly melodrama interspersed throughout the novel.

««½ #104 Playing for Keeps by Janice Stevens

More of a coming of age tale than a by the numbers romance, Playing for Keeps nonetheless manages to produce sympathetic characters and a fitting conclusion. The novel follows the tale of shy Air Force brat Lindsey Bryant, another otherwise typical teen struggling to fit into the social landscape despite frequent moves propagated by her father’s military career. Finally settling in at her current school, finding a steady beau in cute basketball star Doug McConnell, and lining up the perfect summer job, Lindsey at last feels a sense of belonging – the sure sign that everything will immediately fall apart, which of course it does when Lindsey’s dad gets a promotion and announces the family will be moving yet again. The last quarter of the novel is its strongest section, as Lindsey’s struggles take on the right blend of drama, bittersweetness, and ultimately, hopefulness. Well-written and even funny in parts, it’s a shame this “romance” novel isn’t actually very romantic at all.

«« #106 Mission:LOVE by Kathryn Makris

As a tale of teen friendship, Mission:Love isn’t terrible, but as a romance, it desperately fails. Although the novel is told from her perspective, would-be James Bond Allison Perrin-James (better known as Allie) is one of four principle characters, with serious and paranoid Marion Duvall, shy and studious Sara Novello, and cute boy magnet Nicky Gould filling out the quartet of gal pals. When Marion begins to suspect that her boyfriend Burke may be cheating on her, Allie decides to resurrect the old spy capers the girls last used in the 5^th grade because, clearly, high school students regularly go around behaving like 10 year olds. Naturally, the spying goes awry with one embarrassing mishap after another; meanwhile, Allie embarks on an underdeveloped story line in which she asks out long time crush Greg Segura. Beyond that, nothing much really happens; even the predictable epiphany moment in which Allie finally realizes how immature she is behaving seems flat and undramatic. A snappy writing style and a few clever quips keep the novel from being too boring, but overall this one is rather forgettable.

«« # 107 If You Love Me by Barbara Steiner

Even a hardcore tennis junkie will have a hard time getting into If You Love Me, a non-descript and forgettable novel that tries to do too much and ends up not doing much at all. Tennis-obsessed tomboy Argie Benson (prepare yourself for some major eyerolls as Argie describes how she acquired her unusual nickname) lets her tennis suffer as she falls for secretive new guy in town Chris Thayer, a talented novice who comes to work at the tennis camp where Argie lives and works with her single mom. The plot attempts to walk the fine line between romance and mystery as Argie struggles to figure out Chris’ unexplained absences and generally flaky behavior; however any credibility or dignity Argie may have had as a character is completely obliterated by her dumb, love-struck willingness to give Chris chance after chance even after he acts like a major jerk. The biggest problem this novel has is that no one will care much if Argie and Chris end up together or not; neither character is likeable enough to create any interest whatsoever. A more interesting story might have come from the romance between Argie’s BFFs Ellie and David, or even the romance between Argie’s mom and resident tennis pro Bernie. Predictable and silly, this one is doomed to sit around, collecting dust.

«« ½ #108 One of the Boys by Jill Jarnow

Athletic girls everywhere should be heartened by reading One of the Boys, a pleasant novel about accepting oneself and finding one’s own way rather than trying to copy others. Tomboy soccer jock Jenny Miller thrives on palling around with older brother Roger and his chums on the soccer team, pining away for the chance to play on a team herself while immersing herself in her duties as the new manager of the boys’ team; however, she rethinks her sloppy look after developing a crush on dreamy Rick Henley, the current boytoy of sophisticated school queen Stephanie Danforth. Naturally, Jenny’s attempts to emulate Stephanie go awry, and she fears that friendly, but aloof Rick will never see her as anything more than Roger’s kid sis. Of course, this is a Sweet Dreams book, so no more plot exposition is really necessary. The romance builds slowly, and there’s a bit more soccer action than might hold the interest of the average reader, but overall this novel is entertaining and does offer a nice (if a bit anticlimactic) ending.

««« #110 Playing Games by Eileen Hehl

Funny, sweet, charming, romantic, and uplifting, Playing Games is an unusually smart novel that makes excellent use of its strong characterizations and gentle moralizing to create just the right blend of entertainment and wisdom. Zany main character Kerry Fields (aka “Kerry the Flash”) remains one of the most vivid, likeable heroines in the series; her comical antics create a sharp contrast with potential love interest and resident “nerd” Jon Madison, a quiet, studious (albeit dreamy, in a geeky sort of way) classmate whose introversion both attracts Kerry and confounds her. Acting as a go-between in a game of correspondence chess between Jon and her brainy older brother Bill, Kerry finds herself increasingly drawn to mysterious Jon, whose stoicism makes his opinion of Kerry seemingly unreadable. Utilizing the sweeping metaphor of a chess game, the novel paces the developing romance just right, tossing in for good measure a few life-affirming platitudes about the fallacy of stereotyping others, how love knows no boundaries of cliques, and about the importance of recognizing one’s own self worth. This will be one of those novels that you can read and enjoy again and again.

««½ #111 Stolen Kisses by Elizabeth Reynolds

There are certainly far worse books in the Sweet Dreams series than Stolen Kisses, but that is about the most that can be said for it. The novel’s problem is twofold. For starters, the main character, artsy Rachel Ames, is, throughout most of the novel portrayed as an immature and whiny brat; and secondly, there simply isn’t much action in the plot. It really just becomes a repetitive series of the exact same incident over and over again – Rachel getting all worked up because her family monopolizes seemingly perfect David Breckenridge every time he comes over – until finally you begin to wonder why David is interested in Rachel in the first place. Setting the novel against the backdrop of the school’s production of Camelot occasionally helps move the story minutely forward, but there isn’t much to propel the relationship between Rachel and David; and Rachel’s insecurities about being the only tone deaf person in an otherwise hyper-musical family quickly grow old, too.

««½ #112 Listen to Your Heart by Marian Caudell

By the time the romance element finally starts moving, you will probably already have long lost interest in the plot of Listen to Your Heart, an almost painfully slowly paced novel, more about adjustment to new circumstances than about romance. Narrator Lori Nichols leaves behind her mom and stepdad’s NYC digs to spend the summer with her father in Westville, Iowa, her former hometown before her parents’ divorce. The summer gets off to a rocky start, with the plot following every “fish out of water”/”new kid in town”/”child of divorce” cliché imaginable. Every conflict resolves in equally trite fashion. Lori struggles to make friends (but finally gets in with a clique led by chubby and insecure Gerry), feels initial animosity toward her father’s girlfriend Cathy (but eventually ends up befriending her), and pines away for gorgeous and aloof Tim Cortland (who ignores her for about ¾ of the novel before suddenly taking an interest). Because Tim treats Lori shabbily and doesn’t figure much into the plot until far into the second half of the novel, it’s difficult to muster much anticipation for what will happen between the pair in the future; and while adaptive, strong-willed Lori is likeable enough, one can’t help feeling that she can do a little better than brash, inconsiderate Tim.

««½ #113 Private Eyes by Julia Winfield

While the novel’s effort to bridge two genres of teen lit is noble enough, its execution is sorely lacking, and Private Eyes will likely disappoint both mystery and romance enthusiasts. The premise certainly has promise: spunky Nancy Drew wannabe Christine Harter, who dreams of becoming a private investigator, sets out to solve her first real case, after a series of thefts from the boys’ locker room at her high school. Enlisting the help of cute football team manager Andy Mellon, Christine grows increasingly conflicted as she finds herself both falling for Andy and painting him as her prime suspect. The mystery element is utterly ridiculous and simplistic, and with no real suspects and a handful of super obvious clues, everyone will have figured out who the thief is long before Christine stumbles across the truth. The romance side of the plot fares no better, with a ridiculously rushed and underdeveloped relationship between Christine and Andy suddenly turning into “true love.” While there are a few comic bits and a charming tone to the narration, one wonders how this novel spawned its own spin-off mini-series, featuring two more “mysteries” to be solved by our P.I. pair.

««« #114 Just the Way You Are by Janet Boies

“Just be yourself”—that standard, ambiguous platitude that fuels so many Sweet Dreams novels, after-school specials, and talks with Mom—is the unabashed message of Just the Way You Are, a funny, thoughtful novel that moves beyond the “Be Yourself” societal mandate to consider just what it means to be oneself and how to balance the desire to please others with the need for self-fulfillment. The novel follows brash, comedic main character Dee Davidson, who tones down her klutzy class clown act in an effort to impress her secret crush, cute but stuffy Jeremy Griffin. Although Dee’s phony sophisticated act does achieve her goal of dating Jeremy, Dee quickly discovers that the pressures of dressing and acting unnaturally are not worth the bother, especially once she finally discovers that snivelly, hyper-critical Jeremy is not all she had hoped, and that sweet and athletic Ted Connors, her older brother’s best pal, likes her just the way she is. The novel resonates particularly because it avoid the all-or-nothing characterization trap; although Dee learns that she should not pretend to be someone she’s not, she also discovers that her old hyper-attention-seeking persona was not really making her happy either, and she finally determines to settle on a happy medium. The novel’s only real drawback is bringing Ted and Dee together a bit too early on in the novel, leaving too much “plot resolution” time toward the end of the novel.

«« ½ #117 The Other Me by Terri Fields

Surprisingly, somehow, The Other Me, a blatantly silly story about “being oneself” is not nearly as dumb as it should be. The first-person narrative follows unobtrusive Jill Novick on an adventurous summer job at a gorgeous, glamorous Colorado resort. Tired of operating on the fringes at her high school and wary of trying to make new friends at the resort, Jill concocts an obviously ill-founded scheme in which she adopts the personality of sultry Cyndi Norwood, the most popular girl in school. Copying Cyndi’s techniques verbatim, Jill is thrust into the spotlight, turning her summer into a social whirlwind that ultimately alienates Peter Wilson, Jill’s handsome, but aloof boss whose no-nonsense approach to work puts him at odds with Jill’s laid-back façade. Although the novel ultimately makes a valid point about the dangers of pretending to be what one is not and of succumbing to negative peer pressure in an effort to be popular, a few annoyances detract from the story’s likeability, most notably the overly immature behavior of both Jill, whose Cyndi alter ego is almost intolerable, and Peter, whose shabby treatment of Jill as a means of hiding his true feelings, is strictly 6^th grade stuff.

«« #118 Heart to Heart by Stefanie Curtis

Dull, plodding, and annoying, Heart to Heart lacks even a semblance of romance or narrative suspense. The convoluted mess of a plot finds a love pentagon between unbearably tedious main character Becky Calloway, her obnoxious BFF Mindy Johnson, her immature sometime boyfriend Tim Handy, Mindy’s British-accented crush Jeff Spenser, and Becky’s archrival for Tim’s affections, gorgeous Melody Ferguson. Every plot point is excruciating, starting with Tim and Becky’s juvenile squabble over the fact that he was late picking her up for Melody’s birthday party, to Becky and Mindy’s botched trip to NYC to hear Tim sing in the U.S. Choral Competition (whatever that is), to Tim and Becky’s mutual miscommunications about the other’s interest in Melody and Jeff, respectively. Every clichéd narrative device, from the lackluster flashbacks to the early days of Tim and Becky’s romance, to their ultimate reunion atop the Empire State Building, is cringe-inducing. While every principal character in the story is immature and self-absorbed, Mindy and Jeff come off as by far the more interesting pair, and one begins to wish the story were about their romance, rather than Becky and Tim’s. And, as horrible as it sounds, I doubt that I was the only person who, when reading the weird last bit of the novel, almost wished the elevator had gone ahead and plunged on down, taking Becky right with it.

««« # 119 Star-Crossed Love by Sharon Cadwallader

Shakespeare it isn’t, but by Sweet Dreams standards, Star-Crossed Love comes closer than most to achieving the spirit of the Bard. Drama queen Blair Young takes center stage in this theatrical novel about finding true love—even where you least expect it. The story follows Blair’s dramatic travails from her painful audition for the school’s production of Romeo and Juliet, to the show’s predictably successful performance. Raising the novel above mediocrity is the adept depictions of the novel’s secondary characters, including Blair’s sweet, but timid best friend Frances; cute, but dense Romeo Shane Lawson; clownish, but sensitive Mercutio Charlie McGuire; and Blair’s rival Juliet, the beautiful, but insecure Margie Mason. Flawed, but likeable, none of the novel’s characters, including Blair herself is depicted as entirely good or entirely evil, as is so often the case in such novels. The novel’s only real drawback is its tendency to insert superfluous descriptions and dialogue, including interesting, but unnecessary literary commentary on Shakespeare and too-long sequences describing the high school basketball team.

«« ½ #121 Only Make-Believe by Julia Winfield

Only Make-Believe seems to be a fitting title for this unrealistic, albeit entertaining, novel; it is after all only in Sweet Dreams Land where you find the eccentric, beloved social studies teacher who, rather than using a textbook, assigning homework, or giving exams, instead pairs the entire class into “married” couples who have to make budgets and plan for their future. All this spells disaster for bratty Darcy Stevens, who is aghast that her teacher would dare to pair her with quiet

«« ½ #122 Stars In Her Eyes by Dee Daley

Despite its problematic primary plot device, Stars In Her Eyes offers glimmers of realism as it painfully delves into the infrequently covered issue of falling for Mr. Wrong. Set against the dazzling backdrop of Manhattan, the story centers on gifted artist Linda Wills, who moves from her small Kansas home town to New York to live with her aunt and cousin and to attend the prestigious School of Art and Design. Upon her arrival, Linda quickly finds herself torn between the attentions of two talented musicians—hip Shane Harley and understated Tom Hagen. Because most of the plot focuses on Linda’s obviously unfounded and unwise obsession with Shane and consequent snubbing of Tom, it’s difficult to develop much sympathy for Linda and even harder to buy into the novel’s too tidy and undeveloped ending. Nonetheless, the novel exudes a contagious cosmopolitan spirit that helps in overcoming the somewhat trivial manner with which the novel treats its heroine and her emotions.

«« ½ #123 Love in the Wings by Virginia Smiley

Coulropobes are better off avoiding Love in the Wings, an oddly paced tale of Sweet Dreams – Bozo-style. The novel focuses on math nerd Roberta “Bobbie” Reese, who agrees to don her father’s old clown costume to entertain the kiddies at her niece’s birthday party. She unexpectedly forges an instant connection with the other half of the party’s entertainment department – dreamy banjo player Jay Hartwell, who convinces Bobbie to resurrect the clown act for an encore at a performance he is scheduled to do at a local children’s hospital. As Bubbles the clown, Bobbie is a smash, and she thrives on the thrill of bringing joy into the lives of the sick, elderly, and infirm – not to mention the thrill of performing alongside sensitive and handsome Jay. Bobbie’s newfound confidence founders when Jay unexpectedly dumps her to pursue banjo lessons with a renowned musician, and she struggles to decide whether she can continue as a solo act. As Jay disappears for most of the latter half of the novel, the plot becomes less about romance than about Bobbie’s pursuit of her true passion in life – and her struggle to decide just what that is. Despite a few implausible scenes (like the ridiculous notion that geeky Bobbie dressed as a green-wigged clown could wow and delight a group of her high school peers at the big Valentine’s dance), the plot does manage to delve into the often ignored, yet very real, problem faced by teens who try to spread themselves too thin and pursue too many different interests. Solid writing and a sweet ending elevate the novel above mediocrity, as well.

«« ½ #124 More Than Friends by Janice Boies

More Than Friends is unfortunately one of those novels that just should be a little better than it is; it has all the promise of holding more depth than the typical Sweet Dreams novel, and yet it wastes an interesting premise and potentially complex characters as the plot fizzles halfway through the novel. No-nonsense main character Kelsey Kramer (bonus points for the cheesy alliterative name!), fed up with boorish boys and buoyed by her disdain of her bevy of silly, boy-crazy best buds, has sworn off dating – until, of course, hottie new kid in town/part-time model Shawn Horton enters the picture, and Kelsey is torn between her desire to stick to her principles and her desire to spend time with dreamy Shawn as “more than friends.” The novel takes the time to develop Kelsey and Shawn’s characters, even throwing in some likeable minor characters like Kelsey’s wise, soon-to-be sister-in-law Jill, and actually makes a nice point about how all great lovers are friends first and foremost; however, a better plot construction would have left Shawn and Kelsey’s relationship a bit more ambiguous instead of throwing them together as an official couple mid-way through and then ambling through the annoyingly inevitable series of miscommunications that threatens everything.

«« #125 Parade of Hearts by Jahnna Beecham

Originality is a foreign concept in the rather bland melting pot of clichés that is Parade of Hearts. Start with one gorgeous heroine, Sara Arandel, forced to moved from Vienna to Fort Reno, Oklahoma to live with her quirky, scatterbrained grandmother, aunt, and cousin. Toss in gawky guy pal Rob Proctor, evil incarnate head cheerleader Caitlin O’Donnel, All-American dreamboat Brad Ayres, a prank war with the other local high school, and a float contest in the town parade, and it doesn’t take the next Einstein to figure out what’s going to happen. Because Sara and Co. don’t seem to have distinct personalities or emotions, and there’s very little plot to propel the story, the novel is forced to rely much too heavily on its backbone of clichés, offering little support to its anemic romantic story line.

«« #126 Here’s My Heart by Stefanie Curtis

Generic and hopelessly trite, Here’s My Heart focuses unproportionately more on over-hyped family conflict than on romance. The bare-bones narrative follows tall teen Kim Sommers and her sister Vicki through the final preparations for Vicki’s Valentine’s Day wedding. Almost as an afterthought, the novel throws in a painfully undeveloped subplot in which Kim becomes infatuated with Vicki’s fiancé’s cousin, a prototypical initially standoffish “hunk with a heart of gold” named Rick Stone. Unfortunately, the novel not only fails to offer any insight into the personality of Rick (if he indeed has one), but it also completely obscures even the hint of a romantic dynamic between Kim and Rick, by overloading the narrative landscape with red herring subplots involving Kim’s two best friends’ romantic crises. The only even slightly stirring moments of the novel occur in the interaction between the two sisters; but in every other respect, the novel trivializes its characters and their struggles.

««« #127 My Best Enemy by Janet Quin-Harkin

Fun and adventure abound in My Best Enemy, a captivating tale about gaining the independence and self confidence needed to stand up for oneself. The story opens on discontent tennis star Vicky Wilding who, at the request of her overbearing coach, agrees to travel to Australia to compete in the pro circuit, along with her mother and bratty, but adorable younger sister. Despite suffering some unsavory run-ins with the Australian media, being paired up to play doubles with notoriously bad-tempered tennis rebel Scott Cameron, and even becoming lost on a harrowing journey through the Australian bush, Vicky eventually learns to come to terms with the pressures and rewards of competitive tennis stardom, while learning to open herself up to the possibility of romance. Aided heftily by its exotic locale and out of the ordinary subject matter, the novel overcomes its lack of realism with interesting characters and a memorable climactic scene.

««« #128 One Boy at a Time by Diana Gregory

Featuring a (slightly) surprising ending, One Boy at a Time is one of few Sweet Dreams books that may actually manage to keep its readers guessing. In another Sweet Dreams rarity, the novel attempts to infuse a bit of cultural diversity by focusing on main character Wendy Fong, a third generation Chinese American. By today’s standards of political correctness, the characterization of Wendy, her parents, and even her grandmother may seem just slightly stereotypical, but overall the novel seems to handle fairly convincingly Wendy’s struggles to reconcile her Chinese heritage and her American upbringing. The romantic storyline in which Wendy is torn between recent flame Jay Hammond, the school’s swimming star whose recent athletic successes have puffed up his ego, and new kid in town, Marc Chandler, whom Wendy unabashedly uses to try to make Jay jealous, could have easily become painfully annoying, but the likeability of Wendy makes it possible to sympathize with her situation, despite her shoddy treatment of both Marc and Jay. But it is the novel’s right-on conclusion that ultimately redeems it.

««« #132 Winner Takes All by Laurie Lykken

Interesting, exciting, and driven by a strong, overarching competitive spirit, Winner Takes All gracefully explores such issues as personal integrity, sportsmanship, and the repercussions and rewards of success. Centering on underachieving novice sailboat skipper Trish Everett, the novel follows Trish’s gradual progress as she gains the confidence and experience needed to step out from her expert older brother’s shadow and to prove her sailing and racing skills. Despite several initial rocky outings, Trish, with the help of gorgeous, talented champion sailor Jonathan Stewart, eventually learns a multitude of valuable lessons about sailing and relationships. Very authentic, with plenty of sailing jargon and exciting racing sequences, the novel simultaneously develops both Trish’s personal growth and the slowly developing romance between Trish and Jonathan with clarity and realism.

«« ½ #136 Stand By for Love by Carol Macbain

Interesting and nuanced, Stand By for Love draws the reader into the fascinating subculture of TV production, maintaining an engaging level of specificity without becoming too technical. The novel focuses on insecure perfectionist Erin Marksson who, while interning at the local TV station, teams up with talented Matt Blakeslee in a class video project. Conflicts arise when Erin feels her rookie mistakes may cost Matt the prestigious scholarship for which they are competing, and she risks losing their newfound romance to protect his chances, in the process learning invaluable lessons about teamwork, setting realistic goals, and overcoming the setbacks that invariably arise. Even with a few romantic moments and a genuine, likeable heroine, the novel’s greatest asset is still its out-of-the-ordinary subject matter and the knowledgeable way in which it is handled.

«« #140 Love Detour by Stefanie Curtis

Occasionally boring, frequently silly, and consistently unimaginative, Love Detour is doomed from the start. Pointless seems to be the most apt descriptor of this novel and others of its kind, in which the main character already has a steady boyfriend at the story’s outset; the only possible plot derivatives are invariably contrived, shallow, and thoroughly unromantic, and this novel is no exception. The story centers around non-descript driving student Beth Brooks, whose characterization is so unfocused that most of the descriptions of her center on her choice of outfits. Possible love interests include her wisecracking steady beau Craig Thatcher and handsome newcomer Jonathan Stephens, both of whom vie for the opportunity to teach Beth how to drive. Not surprisingly, plot inconsistencies abound: for example, the fact that Beth apparently feels that she can only learn how to drive from one of the two suitors (um, hello, heard of parents?), the fact that Craig is supposedly the funniest, most hilarious cut-up in town, yet he never makes even one funny remark throughout the entire novel, and the fact that Jonathan speaks with a southern drawl and dresses like a cowboy, despite coming from urbane Surprise, Arizona. The only thing that saves this novel from receiving the lowest possible rating is the glimmer of sweetness at the novel’s conclusion.

«««« #141 Winter Dreams by Barbara Conklin

With characteristic subtlety and gentleness, Barbara Conklin provides yet another beautiful and bittersweet coming-of-age tale in Winter Dreams. Genuine conflicts, real issues, and authentic emotional responses are the driving forces behind the story, which features new kid in town Anna Willows, a refreshingly typical teen upset by being uprooted and forced to move to the tiny town of Blue Mountain to help her father and stepmother open a bed and breakfast. Anna’s life becomes even more complicated when she unwittingly falls for bitter, reclusive Michael Cartwright, who has been left blind by a tragic automobile accident that killed his longtime girlfriend Lisa. The novel is able, with skillful characterizations and realistic dialogue and scenarios, to depict Michael’s slow journey of mourning and denial to his eventual acceptance of his condition and reentry into society, with Anna by his side. The only element of the story that doesn’t quite ring true is how quickly Michael seems to have moved on after Lisa’s death, the same problem evident in Conklin’s earlier companion novels #1 P.S. I Love You and #23 Falling In Love Again.

««« #143 Crazy for You by Jahnna Beecham

Good-humored and infectiously upbeat, Crazy for You draws on the age-old Cinderella story, while weaving a modern fable about looking beyond appearances and learning to appreciate what you have. Dreamer Piper Elliott, a waitress at the local country club, stands in for every girl who has ever imagined a glamorous life beyond what she currently knows. Although Piper’s fairy tale fantasy revolves around attending the exclusive Harlequin masked ball with rich but oblivious David Barkley, she finds herself sideswiped by unlikely Prince Charming, dynamic and unpredictable Max Cavanaugh. A funny ending “twist” (that even a novice romance reader would see coming a mile away) provides the perfect happily ever after to this charming and funny novel.

«« ½ #145 This Time for Real by Susan Gorman

There doesn’t seem to be much of a point to This Time for Real, a straightforward and unmemorable “ugly duckling” tale basically about orthodontia and school musicals. The novel follows the teenage trials of dentally-challenged Jody Bauer, who feels that her braces are hampering her social life and that the only way to remedy the situation is to perform in the school’s production of Finian’s Rainbow – an assumption that makes just about as much sense as the school’s popular, snide power couple (Jeff and Laura)’s unwarranted and nonsensical jabs at Jody. Despite Jody’s paranoia about her braces and her inexplicable crush on Jeff, the star of the musical, she finds herself drawn to friendly Tom Arnold (hehe – nice name). But don’t be fooled by the plot synopsis on the back cover of the novel, which posits that Jody begins to fall for Tom when Jeff gets sick and Tom has to take over the lead role. Sadly, that sequence of events probably would have been much more interesting than what actually happens – that Jeff gets sick in the last five pages of the novel, long after Tom and Jody have already fallen for each other and suffered the usual tired series of miscommunications.

««« #148 Riddles of Love by Judy Baer

Part mystery, part romance, and part melodrama, Riddles of Love provides an adequate, but unremarkable representation of each genre. The novel tells the story of grieving teen Darby Sutton, who must solve a series of mysterious riddles in order to receive her inheritance and to clear her grandfather’s name of accusations of senility made by other members of her family and the community. Enlisting the help of brash neighbor Alex Colton, Darby struggles to solve the mystery left by her grandfather and the much greater mystery of love. Despite its loftier ambitions, the novel seems to spread itself too thin at times, rather ineptly melding the various conventions of the genres it seeks to emulate; nonetheless, the novel at no point fails to entertain and consistently engages the reader with its quick pacing, interesting characters, and the relative novelty of its riddle-based subplot. (By the way, if you like this one, try reading Sweet Dreams #213 Finders Keepers. It has a rather similar plot.)

«« ½ #149 Practice Makes Perfect by Jahnna Beecham

Straight-laced and by the books, Practice Makes Perfect knows its genre and meticulously follows the prescribed formulaic plot conventions. There truly are no surprises in this paint-by-numbers story about quirky reporter/matchmaker Kit Carson, who tries to set up her gorgeous best friend Jessica with new kid in town Zach Taylor, but ends up falling for Zach herself. The only real problem with this pleasant-enough novel and others with similar storylines is the sense of dramatic irony taken too far; because the reader has figured out from just looking at the back cover that the guy really likes the protagonist and not the best friend, the heroine comes across as clueless and delusional, and the reader is forced to sift through 150 pages worth of silly misconceptions before finally getting to the big payoff at the novel’s conclusion.

«« ½ #150 Summer Secrets by Susan Blake

There’s not much to glean from Summer Secrets, a no-surprises, just-pleasant-enough tale that combines all the usual plot elements – summer romance, a fish-out-of-water scenario, and the struggle for independence – and sets them at summer camp, just for good measure. Main character Tabby finds her summer plans of catching some rays at posh Camp Sail-Away with BFF Megan washed away with the tide when her uncle Pete calls begging Tabby and her mom to come work at his summer camp for rich, bratty (not to mention troubled) kids. Not surprisingly, the summer begins to look up, as it turns out that Camp Cherokee is also home to dreamy Dean (yes, apparently none of these people have last names), a resident outdoorsy, male-model type who is the senior counselor (and just happens to be single). Naturally, Megan nearly blows her chances at romance with an ill-fated scheme (that makes absolutely, positively no sense whatsoever) in which she insists on pretending that she is not related to her mother, who is working as the camp cook. A few subplots involving the animals at the camp and the kids Tabby is mentoring fail to drum up much interest, and once Tabby’s “secret” is blown and there are no more obstacles to the romance, that story line basically falls flat as well.

«« ½ #152 Cross-Country Match by Ann Richards

Anyone looking for even a hint of originality should probably avoid Cross-Country Match, a straightforward, if inoffensive take on the sometimes overwrought motivation that drives high school athletics. At the heart of the story is cross-country enthusiast Liz Martin, whose plans for running domination become obscured by her fledgling romance with cute basketball star Tyler Hanes, Liz’s new neighbor, who has joined the cross-country team to increase his stamina for the upcoming basketball season. A red-herring subplot involving Liz’s buddy and team captain Steve Keller provides little more than a grating distraction, and the tumultuous romance between Liz and Tyler quickly grows stale as well. Where the novel shines, however, is in its depiction of Liz’s emotional maturation from an insecure follower to a winner in both running and in life.

«« #156 Two Boys Too Many by Janet Adele Bloss

The greatest flaw of Two Boys Too Many seems to be not so much a matter of an excess of boys (though with three love interests for our heroine, one might begin to wonder); rather, the problem seems to be that there is one girl too many – namely, main character Bonnie Jean (B.J.) Tyler. Inexcusably immature, shallow, and insecure, Bonnie Jean drags down not only the plethora of boys in her warpath, but the reader as well. Stringing along upstanding basketball star Jack Arnold and flashy rich guy Paul “Zep” Zepperelli, Bonnie Jean claims to “love” both boys and thus rationalizes continuing to date them both, despite increasing protests from the guys. While there is nothing inherently wrong with casually dating multiple people in high school (or beyond) when all parties are complicit, the novel so brashly cajoles the reader into sympathizing with Bonnie Jean’s dating woes, that the reader will likely have difficulty mustering even an ounce of sympathy for the floundering heroine, particularly as she generally comes off as whiny and underhanded. Further complicating matters is Bonnie Jean’s latest crush on studious Brian Macklin, the understanding computer geek who tends to get an earful of Bonnie Jean’s woes when all he really wants to do is spend time in the library writing a paper about processors and stuff. Why any of these guys has the slightest interest in Bonnie Jean is never explained (particularly if we are to believe she looks anything like the cover model, who appears to be pushing 30); last time I checked, manipulative drama queens weren’t fending off guys from all directions, and the reader will probably ultimately pity the poor schmuck that ends up with her after the dust clears.

«« ½ #157 Mr. Perfect by Stefanie Curtis

Subtlety is not the forte of likeable, but conspicuously didactic Mr. Perfect, an ultimately pleasing tale of the rewards that lie at the end of the rocky road toward self-acceptance. Introverted Randi Hinton serves as the disarmingly relatable heroine, whose frequent public, academic, and social blunders draw the attention of “Mr. Perfect,” Ned Taggert, who, by revealing his own vulnerabilities, helps Randi overcome some of her emotional insecurities. Although the patent low self esteem of both of the novel’s main characters serves as a cute plot device, the novel nearly undermines its own sweetness with the sledgehammer “Love yourself” message it unabashedly and, at times, annoyingly promotes. Not especially romantic, and occasionally bogged down by the genre’s usual red herrings including a meddling best friend, romantically challenged single mother, and the popular, gorgeous rival for the hero’s affections, the novel still exudes the sort of feel-good sentiment of an after school special.

«« #158 Crossed Signals by Janet Boies

It would be hard to say which element of this novel is the most offensive; the hackneyed settings, absurd plot, and immature characters each contribute to the convoluted mess that is Crossed Signals. The novel follows the story of human doormat Amy Tyler, who agrees to put her romance with impatient Ben Richardson on hold after being issued an ultimatum by her manipulative best friend Laura Newman, who harbors a personal vendetta against Ben after an ill-fated double blind date in which Ben paid more attention to Amy than to Laura. Why any of these people are friends in the first place is just one of the many unexplained questions that plague the novel from its generic opening to its silly, anti-climactic conclusion. Don’t be surprised, therefore, to find yourself, throughout the course of the novel, wishing you could grab these kids by the collar and slap a little common sense into them.

«« ½ #160 Blue Ribbon Romance by Virginia Smiley

Although lacking originality and the all-important romantic spark, Blue Ribbon Romance offers an engaging look into the world of competitive horseback riding. Told from the perspective of equestrian enthusiast Ronnie Wilson, the novel slowly follows Ronnie’s interactions with brooding stable hand Troy Bennett, whose sense of familial obligation and unwavering commitment to competitive victory nearly derail the potential romance. Although the novel attempts to delve into deeper topics including overcoming personal tragedy and focusing more on the enjoyment of sport rather than the outcome, the moralistic lessons lack real emotional depth. The same general problem applies to the romantic element of the story line; the interactions between Ronnie and Troy consistently lack suspense and chemistry. Nonetheless, the country charm of the novel and the sweetness of its heroine combine to create a pleasant, comfortable feeling that provides an appealing contrast to many other novels in the series.

«« ½ #161 My Perfect Valentine by Judy Baer

There’s nothing earth-shattering about My Perfect Valentine, a pleasant (if non-descript) saga about learning assertiveness. Main character Carissa Stevens could certainly use a lesson or two on asserting herself; fresh off of being dumped by slimy Glen Matlock, Carissa seems to have little semblance of self respect left. Fortunately, what she does have is an outgoing, no-nonsense BFF, Julie, who insists that Carissa put herself back in the game and stick it to Glen by serving on the planning committee for the big Valentine’s dance. Thrown together on the decorating committee with gorgeous and mysterious Rafe Kelton, Carissa soon forgets all about Glen – or does she? And what’s with Rafe disappearing right after school every day? And why, but oh why won’t he ask her to the dance? Despite the likeable characterizations of Carissa and Rafe, and a few appealing moments between them, the novel ultimately falls victim to its lack of plot. Even at a mere 137 pages, there just isn’t enough action to create any sense of suspense, drama, or interest.

«« #162 Trading Hearts by Susan Blake

A ridiculous premise degenerates into tedious teen melodrama in Trading Hearts, a tiresome novel that ultimately validates behaviors it ostensibly attempts to condemn. At the novel’s outset, it may be possible to summon a bit of sympathy for dull Val Cassidy, a nondescript teen who pines away for charming new kid in town Jason Talbot, especially as Val, on the cusp of finally admitting her secret crush to BFF Alberta “Petey” Boyd, learns that Petey is interested in Jason herself. Naturally, because this is Sweet Dreams Land, where rational behavior is forbidden, rather than just admitting to Petey that she also likes Jason, Val instead agrees to act as the go-between to ascertain if Jason would be interested in going to the Valentine’s dance with Petey. And because this is Sweet Dreams Land, instead of saying, “Who are you again? And why the heck does your friend Alberta call herself Petey?” Jason reveals that he would like to go to the dance with Val, not Petey, and concocts an absurd plan to match up Petey with his own BFF, dorky David MacIntosh. As their efforts to throw their two friends together grow more outlandish (hacking into a teacher’s computer program, locking Petey and David into a supply closet, etc.), Val and Jason grow more and more unlikable, to the point where you root for Petey and David to get together only because they both seem far too nice to get stuck with either manipulative Jason or spineless Val. The requisite “happy” ending only adds to the mess, with Val facing no consequences for her selfish scheming, thereby giving the impression that as long as it all ends up fine, it is okay to mistreat your friends.

«« ½ #163 My Dream Guy by Carla Bracale

There’s nothing remotely profound to be discovered within the pages of My Dream Guy; nonetheless, it is a pleasant summer read, due in large part to the personable, spirited narration of main character Kate Weatherby. After her parents have the gall to cancel the family vacation to California, in favor of a stay at Hidden Ranch in her home state of Colorado, Kate assumes she is in for a 10 day borefest, until she meets smooth-talking hottie Steve “Stony” Mahoney, a dreamy ranch employee who spends his time tending the horses and sweet talking the young female guests. Kate revels in Stony’s attentions until she is informed by fellow guest (and possible love interest of her older brother Jeff), Julie Harrison, that Stony is a slimeball who routinely makes girls fall for him and then kicks them to the curb. Naturally, hijinks ensue, leaving Kate to wonder if she and Stony can ever find true love, because of course a relationship based on a 10 day summer romance is bound to be one for the ages anyway.

«« ½ #165 A Brush With Love by Stephanie St. Pierre

Often enough in the Sweet Dreams series, where static characters love to lurk, when the main character opens the novel as a whiny, obnoxious flake, she ends it in similar fashion; not so in A Brush With Love, a surprisingly enjoyable tale not merely of romance, but of personal maturation, as well. Though the back cover of the novel touts a love triangle between main character Melissa Darby and the two boys her mom hires to paint the Darby house over the summer, outrageous Matt Warner and responsible Kirk Gardener, the reader will nearly immediately (though of course it takes Melissa half of the novel to do so) realize that Matt’s mean-spirited antics and selfish behavior are no match for Kirk’s considerate and kind personality. Even the climactic scene, in which Melissa finally learns to take responsibility, manages to be instructive without overbearing moralizing, and the reader will actually feel, along with Melissa, pride in doing the right thing.

«« ½ #166 Three’s a Crowd by Alison Dale

As it’s always good for a novel’s title to set the tone, it is particularly fitting for Three’s a Crowd to resort to cliché even from the outset; no character, setting, or plot element exhibits even the remotest hint of originality through the remainder of the novel, either. Main character Mindy Hamilton certainly can’t be distinguished from any other Sweet Dreams hapless heroine, though her BFF Janet Swinton has one identifiable (if annoying) trait – that of being an immature hothead, a personality flaw that becomes particularly problematic when Mindy begins dating Janet’s suddenly dreamy older brother Brian, and Janet grows jealous and moody, leaving Mindy feeling as though she must choose between her BF and her BFF. Fortunately, as this is Sweet Dreams Land, rather than reality, she doesn’t really have to choose; she just has to wait out the tired series of misunderstandings to get to the requisite happy ending. For a similar (yet far more entertaining) plot (this time with the girl falling for her brother’s BFF) try Janet Quin-Harkin’s 101 Ways to Meet Mr. Right, #89 in the series.

«« #168 Dream Date by Carla Bracale

Featuring a shamelessly immature protagonist and a plot that’s ridiculous, even by Sweet Dreams standards, Dream Date simply can’t overcome its brazenly moronic premise. What little plot there is focuses on whiny Marylou Watkins and her goofy attempts to learn the identity of a mysterious secret admirer. Not even tempered by a shred of reality, the story follows Marylou’s interactions with the three most likely suitors—the embarrassingly one-dimensional Chris, Bill, and Jesse. While the idea of a secret admirer could be appealing and narratively promising, Dream Date never manages to capture the sense of mystery and romance needed to make a story like this successful.

«« ½ #169 Golden Girl by Jane Ballard

A potentially cute premise withers into a tedious muddle of clichés in Golden Girl, a lackluster tale that struggles beneath its flimsy plot. What passes as the plot centers around understated Claire Montgomery who, on a dare from her older brother, auditions to be the new Golden Girl spokesmodel of Trent’s Department Store. For some unknown reason, instead of auditioning the applicants himself, the executive producer of the Trent’s commercials sends in his son, dreamy Ben Riley, to narrow down the group to the final five girls. And – what a surprise! – fresh-faced Claire is chosen from all the applicants (including the almost buffoonishly haughty Lana Boysen, Claire’s nemesis for the remainder of the novel) to be the Golden Girl. The plot starts to deconstruct at this point, wasting most of its time on following Claire through a blatantly hackneyed makeover and her subsequent attempts to deal with her newfound “celebrity” status. The novel plays out every tired Sweet Dreams scenario, from the dowdy BFF who fears that she will be left behind, to the evil blond who possessively hangs all over Ben, without ever taking the time to advance the romance between Claire and Ben or bothering with minor things like character development. It’s all very generic, even for a Sweet Dreams book.

««« #170 Rock ‘N’ Roll Sweetheart by Laurie Lykken

Scorners of cheesy song lyrics may not enjoy Rock ‘N’ Roll Sweetheart, but for those of us just looking for a pleasant little romance, the novel is more than sufficient. Tall teen Chrissy McCall’s passion in life is music -- she even has a part time job at a record store to try to save up enough money to buy a fabulous electric guitar – so just imagine her elation when cute rocker Robin James, lead singer of the hot local band Robin and the Hoods, shows up at the store and overhears Chrissy practicing one of her own original songs and invites her to come and play with the band at their next rehearsal. Of course, all of this (and pretty much everything else) would go a lot smoother if Chrissy’s plans weren’t consistently foiled by obnoxious photography junkie Duncan West, the son of her parents’ BFFs, who has the uncanny knack of taking unflattering photos of Chrissy. This is Sweet Dreams Land, so it comes as little surprise that dreamy Robin James is actually an insecure, attention starved control freak, while earnest Duncan is actually hiding a sweet personality (not to mention a huge crush on Chrissy) beneath his quirky fedora. The novel’s major drawback is the abrupt manner in which it depicts Chrissy’s shift of affections. Even the big ending payoff scene at the school dance seems rushed and underdeveloped, but the happy ending for all nearly compensates.

«« ½ #172 Sun Kissed by Stephanie St. Pierre

Flamingos, sun poisoning, and geriatric romance collide in pleasant Sun Kissed, a breezy, summery Sweet Dreams confection. Things are looking up for main character Jessie Statler, when her kindly grandmother, Anna, invites her and BFF Taryn Gold, to spend spring break in Florida with her, as a means of helping Jessie take her mind off of her recent break up with friendly but not-so-romantic boyfriend Adam. The trip gets off to a poor start, however, when Jessie discovers that Anna has asked gorgeous Steve Jacobs to show the girls around; Jessie’s initially standoffish behavior toward Steve doesn’t quite ring true and is the novel’s one sour note, though soon enough the two are sharing moonlit strolls in the flamingo lagoon. Of course it wouldn’t be a Sweet Dreams novel without at least one unfounded misunderstanding that threatens to derail the romance – this time in the form of the appearance of Steve’s ex-girlfriend Angela; nonetheless, overcoming her own insecurity (and one heck of a sunburn), Jessie ultimately finds her happy ending.

«« ½ #173 Music from the Heart by Pamela Laskin

High school band enthusiasts may cringe a bit at the premise of Music from the Heart, but, then, high school band enthusiasts are probably not the target demographic here anyway. The novel follows the antics of feisty Madeline “Maddy” Davis, a tone deaf Brooklynite who mistakenly gets placed in band class and decides to stick around when she meets gorgeous saxophone player and resident class clown George Held. Befriending fellow beleaguered clarinetists Cynthia and Sonia, Madeline schemes to get George’s attention, even to the point of attending private tutoring sessions with studious flutist Jeff Lang, but somehow whenever she thinks she is finally making progress on the George front, he acts aloof, much to Madeline’s chagrin. Ultimately alienating both Jeff and her BFF Lisa with her single-minded obsession with George, Madeline must ultimately discover the music her heart is singing. The pacing is quick, with just enough zany humor tossed in, despite a few plot inconsistencies (for example, while it is Madeline’s job to lock up all the band instruments after class every day, how is it that she and Jeff have their instruments with them to practice after school?); but a satisfying ending will leave the reader pleased, nonetheless.

«« ½ #174 Love on Strike by Janice Boies

If it hadn’t already been claimed by #180 in the series, “Opposites Attract” might have been a better title for Love on Strike, a novel, sadly, more about communication and tolerance of differing viewpoints than actual romance. The novel focuses on high school go-getter/student council member Lillie Evans, whose sheltered life of dances and school functions gets jumbled up by the sudden appearance of Jay Carson, the school’s resident artsy, self-righteous, satirical loner. After convincing Jay to help draw publicity posters to advertise the student council’s jump-roping fundraiser for homeless children, Lillie forges an unlikely friendship with him – that is, until the teacher’s union (of which Lillie’s dad is a member) goes on strike, and Jay shows up to protest the protestors. The “opposite sides of the picket line” (to quote the back cover) device is not much more than a gimmick to expose the obvious ideological differences between perky Lillie and brooding Jay (as if we hadn’t picked up on the fact that the pair has nothing in common), and the ensuing arguments between the two are almost painfully ugly, to the point that the rushed, pat ending in which Jay and Lillie sort of feebly agree to disagree, (so long as they can keep making out and stuff) feels like a cheat. While obviously there is something to be said for communication, compromise, and empathy toward opposing viewpoints, the novel doesn’t actually say it, instead making it seem as though love itself will somehow solve all of the couple’s problems. I’d say these two are in for a rude awakening.

«« ½ #179 Racing Hearts by Susan Sloate

Although it’s not too likely that Racing Hearts will actually get anyone’s heart “racing”, the novel is vaguely entertaining. Unfortunately, most of the novel’s charm comes from its setting rather than its considerably annoying main characters. Lazy party girl Barrie Sampson finds her plans of sunbathing by the pool and dancing the summer away with her dream boy thrown into disarray when her parents decide it would be a good character-building experience for Barrie to spend the summer working on her Aunt Christy and Uncle Harv’s farm in Connecticut. It’s only a matter of time, of course, before a trip to the neighboring horse farm brings Barrie up close and personal with cute Paul Kaufman, a student at the jockey school there. Despite her initially questionable motives for wanting to enroll in the school herself, Barrie does just that, and quickly finds that she thrives on the hard work and enjoys learning to care for the horses – not to mention the one-on-lessons with Paul as her tutor. Unfortunately, mixing a pair of high heeled silver shoes with a shrimp of a jockey-wannabe spells dancing disaster on Barrie’s and Paul’s first date, and the rest of the novel is wasted with the two of them acting like brats, until the big horse race that pits Paul and Barrie against each other, with surprising results. The ambiance of the horse farm is all summery pleasantness, and the process of jockey training is interesting, but as is so often the case, the romance element falls flat.

«« ½ #180 Opposites Attract by Linda Joy Singleton

There’s nothing particularly offensive about Opposites Attract; unfortunately, there’s nothing particularly likeable about it either. A few glimmers of humor, slightly complex characters, and a late-dawning moral about standing up for oneself and being honest in relationships keep the novel from utter mediocrity. The story centers on self-proclaimed “wimp” Jessie LaFont who begins to rethink her priorities when thrown into the company of serious 4-H champ Dave Morton, who challenges her to pit his dairy project against her fashion project for the blue ribbon. Somehow amidst their squabbling, bickering, and dog-related foibles, the two “opposites” do indeed attract, and Jessie eventually gains the courage to follow her heart. (Too bad her new sense of empowerment doesn’t allow her to do much more than ditch her best friend’s big party and dump the modeling deal her mom arranged for her.)

«« #183 The Real Thing by Elisabet McHugh

Utterly simplistic, demeaning, and unoriginal, there is nothing at all “real” about The Real Thing. The characters certainly don’t seem real. Narrator Katie Frazer appears to lack any semblance of a personality, and hunky Texas transplant Brian Parks might as well be a cardboard cutout for all the charm he exhibits. Even bookish John Macmillan, who is supposed to be such a contrast to Brian, comes off as dry and impassive. The plot doesn’t seem real either, as Katie and Brian’s fledgling romance is derailed by a hideous class project assigned by resident teacher/ogre Mr. Sargent (whom the kids oh-so-cleverly refer to as “Sarge”) in which the students are forced to carry around ten pound bags of salt, pretending the bags are babies. (Yeah, because we’ve never seen that plot before.) Naturally, the “babies” wreak havoc on the students’ social lives, but Katie finds an unexpected ally in studious junior John Macmillan (who apparently didn’t have to do this project his sophomore year??) and she finds herself a little disappointed by the fact that apparently Brian is not actually treating the bag of salt as if it is a real child (how dare he?) The project itself is ridiculous, and its utter invasiveness is beyond unrealistic. (With every new twist Sarge comes up with, we are supposed to believe that he has personally called and gotten the approval of every parent in the sophomore class for this preposterous charade?) Even worse is the absurd handling of the “romantic” story line. After pining away for Brian and dreaming about him for most of the novel, all of a sudden on page 115, Katie tritely explains, “The sudden realization that I was in love with John swept over me like a tidal wave, drowning out everything else.” Ri-i-i-ght. Is this the same John who she shared one lunch with and ran into the library that one time with, and now she is in love with him??? Everything about this novel goes beyond the boundaries of believability – kind of ironic, for a novel supposedly about the “Real Thing.”

«« ½ #184 Too Good to be True by Susan Kirby

Despite a rocky opening, Too Good to be True relies on a few memorable scenes and a satisfying conclusion to stay afloat. The novel centers on independent Marty Evans, who dumps predictable, steady beau Darrin after developing feelings for rugged Hank Maxwell, a cousin of her best friend Brenda. When it becomes clear that Hank is still involved with his own steady girlfriend Lila, the usual melodrama ensues. Heftily aided by its interesting backdrop of the maple syrup farm owned by Hank and Brenda’s grandmother, the novel, while making no real ideological statement, is entertaining enough to overcome its lack of substance and less-than-promising beginning.

«« ½ #186 That Certain Feeling by Sheri Cobb South

It’s not immediately clear which “certain feeling” we are supposed to be getting from this novel. Annoyed? Exasperated? Incredulous? The possibilities are limitless. Narrator Penelope “Penny” Collier is an average teen, dreaming of a date with school hunk and basketball star Brandon Phillips. It seems all her wildest dreams are about to come true when she receives an invitation to join the school’s most exclusive sorority (which seems to be a fancy word for clique), the Honeybees. Because it is not actually possible to be a Sweet Dreams heroine without being completely delusional, Penny can’t figure out why the most popular girls in school are suddenly interested in being her friend; even after the Honeybees ask her to steal the rival basketball team’s playbook from Woody, the sweet, but dense stockboy at her parents’ store, Penny’s grasp of reality (not to mention her moral compass) is shaky at best. Naturally, in her eagerness to complete her initiation and appease her new friends, Penny shamelessly finagles a couple of dates with Woody and steals the playbook. What she didn’t count on, of course, (although all the rest of us very obviously did) was the fact that Woody is actually really nice and cute, in a shy, dorky sort of way, and she really likes him. While Penny does eventually try to make amends for betraying, manipulating, and brazenly using Woody, his almost immediate willingness to give her another chance seems painfully rushed and unrealistic. You’ll probably end up feeling sorry for the pair of them.

«« ½ #187 Fair-Weather Love by Carla Bracale

Almost lovingly deluded, Fair-Weather Love makes the most of its implausible premise; it is indeed only in Sweet Dreams Land where the geeky science nerd actually can end up with the hot jock baseball star. Meteorologist wannabe Molly Baker spends most of her time fiddling around in a cold shed with weather instruments and reading romance novels, while outgoing, popular Frank Sanders is known for downing banana splits at the Dairy Barn and playing a mean shortstop. So, clearly the only thing that could happen when these opposites get thrown together in a class project is that they would immediately fall in love, right? Just comical enough and with just enough of an edge to be enjoyable, the novel even manages to make a nice (if totally obvious) point about not stereotyping others based on outward appearances. Pleasant, predictable fun is the forecast for this entertaining novel.

«« ½ #188 Play Me a Love Song by Bette R. Headapohl

Failing to offer even a glimmer of originality, Play Me a Love Song is a bit like an old song you’ve heard so many times before that it’s become a bit tiresome. Overused characterizations and plot points abound. Main character Liberty Layton is the “new kid in town,” homesick in San Diego after moving there from Indiana with her widowed workaholic mom and feisty grandma. (I count about four or five clichés just in that one description of Liberty.) Of course it would naturally follow that the sulky and friendless (well, friendless other than chunky Maribeth, who doesn’t exactly seem like the hottest girl in school) Liberty would attract the attention of gorgeous and popular senior Brent Miller, who has recently broken up with his snooty, blond girlfriend Margo Thompson. (The cliché tally continues to rise.) Not much really happens in the middle 75% of the novel or so, with Liberty volunteering at a homeless shelter and fretting about why Brent isn’t more interested in her. Then the plot suddenly comes to a rushed end, culminating in Liberty’s classical guitar performance in the school talent show. A bit boring and more than a bit trite, the novel feels rather sappy and tries to do too much. For all of its attempts to be a social commentary, a romance, a coming-of-age story, and a how-to guide on family relationships, Play Me a Love Song doesn’t really do much at all.

«« #189 Cheating Heart by Laurie Lykken

For a novel that comes in at a mere 136 pages and has an enormous font size not seen since Dr. Seuss, it should be no surprise that Cheating Heart isn’t exactly teeming with plotlines – or, actually any plotlines – and, unfortunately, simplistic writing and generic characters don’t help matters much. Main character Claire Diaz spends most of the novel sparring with fellow math geek Rob Meyers and spearheading the school’s entry into a contest sponsored by the local grocery store in which the prize is a new computer for the winning school. The novel veers off a bit strangely when Claire falls for prep school snot Ben Hamilton, who is obviously just using her to get the upper hand in the competition. It will surprise exactly no one when Claire realizes that Ben is a jerk and that the prep school cheated in the competition, but the novel falls into the annoying trap of failing to develop any relationship between Claire and Rob and then suddenly making it seem as though just because Ben turned out to be a jerk, then Rob must obviously be an immediate love interest. Silly and boring, this one is a dud.

«« ½ #190 Almost Perfect by Linda Joy Singleton

“Almost perfect” may be a bit of a stretch, but this is a likeable novel with a strong opening; unfortunately, as is so often the case, the plot fizzles in the latter half of the book. The novel is narrated by swimming enthusiast Serena Waller, a reclusive orphan living with her eccentric artist grandmother since the car accident that killed her parents and left her with a scarred leg and a limp, three years prior. A run-in on the beach with gorgeous and popular Sonny Sinclair leads to a newfound friendship with Sonny and with his longtime gal-pal Diane, who invites Serena to join the school swim team, to which she reluctantly agrees. Things start to unravel as a few too many subplots begin to compete: Sonny must find a way to tell his banker dad that he wants to be a radio broadcaster and doesn’t want to settle down with Diane; Diane struggles to find a way to ask out geeky Melvin Engeldinger; Diane’s BFF Pamela, jealous of Serena’s success on the swim team and her friendship with Diane turns increasingly nasty; even Serena’s dolphin buddy Twinkie is having a crisis when his mate gets trapped in a fishing net and needs to be rescued. The novel probably would have been stronger if it had just focused on Serena and Sonny and their romance; as it is, there isn’t much of a romance at all.

«« ½ #191 Backstage Romance by Kelly Kroeger

Fans of the theater (then again, fans of the theater are just pretentious enough to spell it “theatre,” right?) may derive some pleasure from the stage setting; unfortunately, fans of good romance novels aren’t quite so lucky. Narrator Krista Winters is just a teensy bit annoying as a newly minted stagehand who volunteers on the set of the local play to get close to gorgeous teen actor Jason Stuart. Although she’s a bit bumbling at first, Krista quickly learns the ropes, with the help of zany fellow stagehand Trevor Johnson, whose claims to fame are apparently a horrible sense of kiss-timing and a car that never starts. When one of the actors has to bail out at the last minute, Trevor convinces Krista to audition, and (in another classic Sweet Dreams implausibility) she beats out several other seasoned actresses for the role, finally giving her the opportunity she has been dreaming of to get closer to Jason, but in the process alienating poor Trevor who has developed a big crush on Krista. It will come as a huge surprise to exactly no one when Jason turns out to be a jerk, and Krista realizes that it’s Trevor she really likes. Of course, with the help of Krista’s BFF Beth, everything works out in the end; but it all feels a bit forced, and it simply doesn’t logically follow that just because Jason is a jerk, then Krista must actually be in love with Trevor, who really seems like more of a friend than a romantic interest, regardless of whether Jason is a jerk or not.

«« #192 The Cinderella Game by Sheri Cobb South

The Cinderella Game certainly had potential to be decent; the writing isn’t bad at all, but the convoluted mess of utter improbabilities masquerading as a plot certainly is. Narrator Wendy Miller is quietly enjoying her summer job working backstage as a seamstress on the set of the America’s Teen Beauty Pageant. Despite some run-ins with snarky and spoiled Clarissa Devoe, Florida’s Teen Beauty, Wendy is basically content with her role behind the scenes – that is, until gorgeous Spencer Phyffe shows up and mistakes Wendy for one of the pageant contestants. For reasons that completely defy logic, Wendy continues the ruse, and as her story snowballs, she must fabricate progressively more creative (not to mention far more unbelievable and dumb) lies to cover her tracks. (I mean, seriously, like someone is really going to believe that her “host family” has a quarantine on their house because the parents have small pox?? Or that she is really an undercover reporter for a famous magazine???) Wendy comes off as delusional and pathological, and Spencer’s character is forced into a trap in which he must either be a complete moron for not figuring out that she is lying or a desperate loser for still liking her if he has figured out that she is not really a beauty pageant contestant. The novel seems to be struggling for a whimsical, comic fairy tale tone, but it fails miserably, instead making each dramatic episode seem like a matter of life and death. For a similar story line with far better execution, try #143 Crazy for You instead.

«« ½ #193 Love on the Upbeat by June O’Connell

A summer away at music camp isn’t exactly the fodder for a transcendent love story, but Love on the Upbeat is a quick, non-offensive read. The story centers on insecure April Sullivan, who struggles to fit in at her first summer at Bear Mountain Music Camp, after her BFF Janie ditched the camp for a trip to Europe. April’s concerns about fitting in and meeting new people seem particularly relatable, but the plot almost immediately starts to tread into unrealistic waters when resident pianist and camp hottie Todd Barrett suddenly ditches his ready-made group of friends and flocks of adoring girls to dote on April. Their romance seems forced, rushed, and uninspired (not to mention filled with horribly cheesy and cliché-ridden lyrics penned by Todd); and April’s paranoia about Todd’s friendship with gorgeous and talented singer Connie, and preoccupation with the idea that he has a girlfriend back home, make April seem desperate and kind of pathetic. The details about the camp and descriptions of the musical activity there appear generic and flat, as well. The climactic scene at the big end-of-camp concert is the only really uplifting moment in an otherwise boring novel.

«« ½ #194 Lucky in Love by Eileen Hehl

Nautical, breezy summer fun abounds in Lucky in Love, a novel that might have fared a bit better if it hadn’t tried to take itself quite so seriously. The setting is absolutely perfect – a gorgeous seaside town in Connecticut – and the characters are likeable. Upon her arrival in Seabreeze for her annual summer stay with her grandfather, narrator Maureen Butler is pleasantly surprised to find that Grandpa’s longtime neighbor (and Maureen’s longtime nemesis) Conor Davis has turned from goofball to gorgeous over the previous year. Naturally, despite his proclamation that they have nothing in common and that he never dates studious girls who plan to go to college, Conor almost immediately woos Maureen, and within days they are making out and taking starry eyed walks on the beach. Along the way, the pair spends most of their time helping Grandpa achieve his longtime dream of restoring an old Chris-Craft boat, much to the chagrin of Maureen’s mom and Uncle Reggie, who both think that Grandpa should take it easy and move into a retirement home since he had a pacemaker put in. The vilification of Uncle Reggie and especially the final showdown between Reggie and Grandpa seem particularly cartoonish, which is one of the novel’s major problems. Another is Conor’s unexplained and unabashed refusal to consider attending college and his shunning of Maureen if she so much as suggests an alternative to his plan of working with his dad and brothers in the local boatyard. The “never give up on your dreams” mantra is hammered home with such force that it’s more patronizing than inspirational, too.

« ½ #199 Wings of Love by Anne Herron Wolfe

There is nothing terribly wrong with Wings of Love, a scant little tale about a girl, a boy, and some birds; however, utilizing a huge font and still coming in at a mere 121 pages, this is one of the shortest books in the Sweet Dreams series, and it seems evident that the author could not be bothered with small details such as creating an actual plot. The characters have the potential to be interesting, but are never given the opportunity to act as more than banal stereotypes of the high school fiction genre. Main character, gypsy bird-keeper Kalia Lipa, could captivate the reader if fleshed out a bit more; as is, we only see glimpses of her hopes and fears and the toll taken on her by her family’s nomadic lifestyle. Instead, the reader is dragged through a bland, unromantic narrative that finds Kalia juggling the attentions of her annoying neighbor and BFF Milo Masone and those of wannabe plumber Tom Wickford, her landlord’s son. You know there is a problem when the disappearance of Sumee the macaw is more interesting than the stop and go romance of Tom and Kalia. The whole novel comes off as a lazy effort that the author probably cranked out over the course of a day or two.

«« ½ #201 His and Hers by June O’Connell

While it’s not laugh out loud funny, His and Hers provides some genuine giggles. The novel follows the antics of class president Kari Cortland, whose organized life is thrown into upheaval when her widower mother begins dating the father of none other than seemingly brainless school jock Brandon “Bubba” Duncan. Drawn together by a mutual desire to derail their parents’ relationship, polar opposites Kari and Brandon join forces and begin scheming. Despite butting heads on a regular basis, somehow the more time the two spend together, the more they become attracted to each other. Opening the novel with the two main characters despising each other is a cute narrative device, and a bit refreshing next to the usual “infatuation at first sight” story lines; however, it’s hard to develop too much sympathy for the scheming pair. They both come off as immature and more than a little selfish for trying to mess up a relationship that is clearly making their parents extremely happy. The ending also creates a bit of an ick factor when it fails to resolve the problem of what will happen if the parents end up getting married and Kari and Brandon end up step-siblings. A few amusing scenes, particularly those involving Kari’s BFF Wendy’s attempts to break into the modeling industry, thankfully provide much of the comic relief.

«« ½ #202 Love on Wheels by Sandy Jones

Pleasantly undemanding, Love on Wheels rolls smoothly along its predictable, yet enjoyable path. Main character Holly Benson, a competitive roller skater, is fortunate enough to live in the one town in America in which competitive roller skating is apparently quite the hip activity. When snooty rival skater Valerie breaks her ankle in a freak gym class accident, Holly finally has the opportunity to skate free dance with Valerie’s talented partner Steve. As an added bonus, all that extra practice time at the rink brings her up close and personal with handsome, but mysterious, Kyle Evans, a fellow skating enthusiast who works part time at the skating rink. Amidst a rash of bizarre pranks, Holly must solve the mystery of who is trying to sabotage her, and, more importantly, what exactly is Kyle hiding? (Naturally, the reader will have fairly easily guessed the answers long before Holly gets clued in, but a Sweet Dreams novel with a non-delusional heroine would be like a peanut butter sandwich without the jelly.) Fortunately, the novel is carried on the sweet characterization of resilient and resourceful Holly, who rolls with the punches and seems like the kind of girl we all wish we would have been friends with in high school.

«« ½ #203 Lessons In Love by Bette Headapohl

A day-dreaming straight-A student, a stuttering cowboy with a heart of gold, even a tree-hugging social commentary – Lessons in Love has it all. Skye McDaniels isn’t exactly ecstatic when she is paired with shabby new kid in town Clayton Bonds on a project for their government class; not only can Clay apparently not read well, but he drives a nasty truck you can hear coming a mile away, and is a fashion menace (his first appearance in the novel is marked by a horrific denim on denim monstrosity!!) As they throw themselves into the civic project of organizing a cleanup of a popular local park, however, Skye and Clay bond over their tree-hugging ideologies and mutual affinity for chocolate chip cookies. Of course, it doesn’t really help matters that Skye is embarrassed to be seen with Clay while out on their first date, or that Clay has a humongous chip on his shoulder about the dumpy apartment he lives in with his widower dad. But, this is Sweet Dreams land, so naturally the smart, rich girl can end up happily ever after with the redneck who flunked a grade and lives squarely on the wrong side of the tracks, after all.

«« ½ #207 My Secret Heart by Susan Kirby

There are no surprises lurking within the plot of gentle My Secret Heart, a nice novel that does not try to go beyond its genre and is content to be simply what it is – a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. Main character Sayuri Takada, a second generation Japanese-American, adequately fulfills the “typical teen role” – pining away for dreamy Adam Aldridge, all the while being pursued by her best bud and class clown Benji Richmond. Channeling a bit of a Pretty in Pink vibe, obnoxious Benji puts Duckie to shame in his annoying attempts to get Sayuri’s attention; she meanwhile relishes the chance to get close to Adam when he takes a part-time job assisting her grandfather with his shiitake mushroom business. Naturally, misunderstandings quickly follow, along with the obligatory pat ending. The novel’s one remarkable quality is its cheerful representation of the high school social scene; it’s surprisingly comforting to run across a novel in which seemingly every member of the junior class is friendly to each other, and the social landscape is free from the so-often tiresome cliques and “mean popular kids” stereotypes.

«« #208 Romance on the Run by Catt Hastings

Despite being short on plot, Romance on the Run stays afloat on the charm of its winsome characters. Main character Monica Williams seems like the kind of girl everyone would have wanted to be friends with in high school; she is popular without being snobby, talented without being conceited, smart without being elitist, and above all sensible without being dull. Even her BFF June is energetic and supportive without being annoying. The novel’s problems arise as it strains to maintain the momentum of the barely-there romantic story line that finds Monica struggling to impress fellow track star and would be beau Eric Chase, whose hyper-serious attitude clashes with Monica’s more mellow approach toward her excess of extracurriculars. A diverse mix of minor characters, including Monica’s surprisingly normal parents, helps move things along to the final sweet, if predictable, finish.

«« ½ #209 Weekend Romance by Peggy Teeters

A worn out, recycled series of characters and plot events regains a spark of life from the unusual setting of Weekend Romance, an otherwise predictable and slightly annoying affair. Currently living in Georgia with her military dad, Army brat Katie O’Connor is swept up in a newfound romance with gorgeous and popular Scott McAllister, the resident big man on campus. (Again, I must lodge my usual complaint about the fallacy of opening a romance novel with the main character already having a boyfriend. There really are only two possible outcomes: 1) They break up and spend the rest of the novel getting back together or 2) The guy turns out to be a jerk and she ends up getting together with the “nice guy” who she thought was only a friend.) Weekend Romance opts for choice number 2, with Scott cheating on Katie with her BFF Melissa, and Katie falling instead for her brother’s buddy, sweet Army cadet Ben Anderson. The scenes set at West Point are interesting and vaguely romantic, but the rest of the teenage melodrama is rather bland. It defies reason in yet another Sweet Dreams novel why the reader is expected to feel happy that the main character, who was clearly in too serious of a relationship to begin with, breaks up with the jerk only to enter into another serious relationship, in this case with an older guy who lives thousands of miles away.

«« #210 Oh, Promise Me by Laurie Lykken

It’s never a good sign in a novel when pretty much every one of the secondary characters is more interesting and likeable than the heroine and her “hero.” Non-descript teen Meredith Miller is in a steady, boring relationship with fellow non-descript teen Zak Drake. A spoiled evening at Meredith’s BFF Claire’s Halloween party leads Zak into a one-track obsession with buying a car (ostensibly so he and Meredith never have to miss another riveting moment of some teenage party because Zak’s evil stepfather needs the car). Unfortunately, this means that Zak is suddenly a workaholic who spends every moment either busing tables at the Leaning Tower of Pizza or fixing up and reselling old junk from garage sales. Not to be outdone, Meredith’s life is thrown in a whirlwind by the news that her older sister, Olivia, is getting married. After several tired and obnoxious tiffs about how they are too busy for each other, the final blow comes when Zak has to ditch the wedding because the back-up pizza delivery guy is busy that day. Zak is a brat, and Meredith is a drama queen, and it probably won’t make much of any difference to the reader whether they end up together or not. A much better story could have been molded from Meredith’s saucy sister Tiffany’s budding romance with Olivia’s fiancé’s younger brother; or about Claire’s fling with Zak’s pal Darin; or about Olivia and her fiancé, Michael – heck, even Mr. and Mrs. Miller are more interesting than this pair of whiny kids.

«« ½ #211 Dreamskate by Angela Cash

Shamelessly predictable and unabashedly unrealistic, Dreamskate fails to offer even the most marginal hint of originality; however, it is precisely the novel’s formulaic fairy tale plot that ultimately redeems it. The story centers around figure skating enthusiast Lindsey Matthews, an otherwise generic teen typecast, who must overcome her own insecurities in order to win the heart of dreamy Paul Taylor, an Olympic figure skater who just happens to have relocated and enrolled at the local high school. Wrought with implausibilities from start to finish, this novel features every tired cliché from Lindsey’s obviously unfounded jealousy of rival skater Becky Williams to the climactic skating performance in which she finally lands her man. Despite its shortcomings, however, the story triumphs as a modern fairy tale, complete with the distressed damsel, Prince Charming, and that all-important happily ever after.

«« ½ #212 Highland Hearts by Maggie Hayes

You can sort of tell that Sweet Dreams authors were starting to run out of fresh “hooks” for their storylines by the end of the series – hence, Highland Hearts which takes the reader into the world of competitive Highland dancing. (Which is what, exactly? Sort of like Michael Flatley, only in kilts? Even after reading this book, I’m still not sure.) Anyway, Shona Fraser is a Highland dancer, and apparently a pretty good one, even though she lost the previous year’s Championship to arch rival Aynsley Olsen. That’s not her only problem. She’s also dealing with over-protective parents and a slave driver of a dance coach, who just so happens to be the mother of gorgeous former Highland dancer Hugh MacKendrick. Even though Hugh goes to a different high school, Shona runs into him when she’s at her coach’s house for dance lessons, and after a slightly rocky introduction, the sparks between them start to fly. Soon enough, they are making out on park benches, and Shona starts missing her curfew, much to the chagrin of her parents, who can’t help but remind her how much dough they’re shelling out for her fancy dance lessons. To add to the drama, Hugh gets all bent out of shape when Shona insists on resting up for the dance Championship instead of going to his band’s huge gig. But will she and Hugh reconcile, and will she be able to pull out a victory over evil Aynsley Olsen? I’m sure you’ll never guess the answer to these compelling questions.

««« #213 Finders Keepers by Jan Washburn

In what seems like a reincarnation of Sweet Dreams #148 Riddles of Love, Finders Keepers offers another stab at a mystery/romance, with about the same level of success. This time around, though, the mystery element is quite engaging, but the romance has an almost embarrassingly bashful “aw shucks” quality to it. Laurie Adams is a bit of a space cadet. She’s always doing something humiliating around her huge crush Matt Harding, like spilling the entire contents of her locker on his head, accidentally chaining his bike to hers, or flying literally head over heels from her own bike while carrying a bunch of balloons and wearing an oversized clown costume. Of course it turns out that seemingly surly Matt isn’t really a jerk; he’s just a nice guy who’s been down on his luck ever since his dad’s car accident left the family basically destitute. The answer to Matt’s money woes may just come in form of a generous gift from Mr. Allerton, the stock feisty old guy Matt has befriended – but somehow he and Laura have to wrestle the gift away from Mr. Allerton’s greedy, mean-spirited daughter. A genuine mystery and several colorful episodes involving Laurie’s singing telegram job later, and all is once again right with the Sweet Dreams world.

«« ½ #214 Don’t Bet on Love by Sheri Cobb South

It was, sadly, only a matter of time before someone brought us Pygmalion – Sweet Dreams style. In this simplistic rendition of the classic tale, generic Molly McKenzie is blackmailed by her twin brother Mark into turning geeky class klutz Gary Hadley into a hunk so he can woo snooty and gorgeous Collette Carroll, thereby winning some dough for Mark, who has bet his two BFFs Eddie and Steve $20 that Gary can get Collette to go to prom with him. It’s actually a lot simpler than it sounds, and the novel doesn’t bother to waste much time on characterizations or plot set-up, with the whole scheme starting to play out already in the first couple pages. The story is snappy with lots of cute dialogue strung together in a series of comic scenes, as Molly teaches Gary the finer points of fork etiquette, hairstyles, eyewear, and how to dance without injuring anyone. Naturally, Gary’s transformation from dork to dreamboat isn’t lost on Molly, but can she ever compete with Collette for Gary’s heart? (Actually, a more important question might be why Gary’s new sexy hairstyle sounds suspiciously like a mullet. Did people still have mullets in 1994??)

«««« #219 Heartstrings by Barbara Wilson

Written with surprising humor and unusual depth, Heartstrings is truly a gem. Gracefully tackling real teen issues including social and class prejudice, loneliness, peer pressure, and loss of a loved one, Heartstrings manages to be simultaneously meaningful and sweet. The novel centers around Tess, a spoiled but good-hearted city girl who struggles to find acceptance and romance when her family moves to a small southern town. This classic fish-out-of-water tale follows Tess on her small-town adventures with an eccentric neighbor, a conceited rich guy, and ultimately with Luke Stoddard, a brooding musician who must overcome his painful past, with Tess’s help. Wrought with emotion and sprinkled with wry humor, this book will really tug at your heartstrings.

« ½ #220 My Funny Guy by Helen Santori

If it were indeed possible to sum up an entire book in one word, “dumb” would have to be that word for My Funny Guy, a hideously trite and boring mess of a novel that lacks romance, humor, and charm of any sort. Annoying main character Connie Fernandez fumbles her way through some of the most clichéd first-person narration imaginable, along the way surrounding herself by the usual cast of lame minor characters (one shy and one outgoing BFF; one rich, blond snobby girl; and, worst of all, one idiotic boyfriend, Mac Doyle). The ridiculous “plot” revolves around Mac’s pathetic attempts to become the next big stand-up comedian and his subsequent reliance on Connie to write him some passable jokes because he is too much of a moron to write any remotely funny jokes himself. For a novel supposedly about comedy, this is one of the most unfunny books in the series. Everything about it is grating, most especially Connie’s 1950s-inspired servitude and blind support of Mac, even though he acts like a total punk throughout most of the novel. Although this total dud is not worth the paper it’s printed on, it does earn a few props for the simple fact that the cookie-cutter evil blond villainess is most fabulously named Gilda Drew. But, that’s about all that can be said for this otherwise unforgivably bad novel.

««« #221 A Little More to Love by Arlene Erlbach

It’s hard not to like A Little More to Love, a touching holiday story about following one’s dreams, the importance of helping others, and the struggle for independence and self- acceptance. Set against the wintry festivities of Christmas in Chicago, the story is told from the point of view of overweight, insecure teen Laini Olindorf, who reacts to the constant scrutiny and criticism she receives from her wealthy, image-conscious mother by taking a part time job in a local pet boutique. Although she struggles to build a romance with her initially surly co-worker Frank Gasowski, Laini eventually learns that she cannot find love until she first learn to accept herself. This novel stands out because, unlike most of the books in the Sweet Dreams series, its characters seem like real people, not just tired teen prototypes.

«« #223 Heartthrob by Betty Jo Schuler

Despite its very promising premise, Heartthrob fails to live up to its potential. The plot opens on chronic do-gooder Sam Morrison, who, with the help of long-time pal Mike Lindley, convinces her parents to allow her to add candy striper to her long list of service-oriented extracurricular activities. Complications arise when Sam clashes with a handsome, mysterious patient known only as Bill Smith, and buddy Mike grows jealous of all the attention Sam is forced to give to Bill. If all of this sounds a little convoluted, that’s probably because it is. While it may be possible to overlook the uneven pacing and the contrived, one-dimensional characters, this novel is ultimately doomed by its anti-climactic and somewhat disappointing ending.

« ½ #224 Boyfriend Blues by Lauren M. Phelps

Littered with boring characters, immature dialogue, and silly teen melodrama, Boyfriend Blues lacks focus, coherence, and humor. The story is an unromantic, blasé tale of three bickering best friends, Kristen, Jason, and Heidi and their ill-fated attempt to open their own business with the help of conceited newcomer Troy Pittman. The ridiculous plot points are not worth mentioning, and the reader is given very little reason to care about the trivial romantic crises of the three self-centered, back-stabbing, and jealousy-driven main characters. There’s really no way around it: this book is a total dud.

«« ½ #227 Dreamboat by Linda Joy Singleton

Cliché-ridden and filled with stock characters, this novel somehow still manages to be likeable. Set against the exotic locale of a Caribbean cruise, Dreamboat successfully mimics the Wizard of Oz mantra, “There’s no place like home,” as it follows the seafaring intrigues of Cassidy Cooper, who must leave home before she can truly appreciate the simplicity of her small town roots. Toss in Cassidy’s longtime archrival Josh Cortez, mysterious British bad boy Marcus O’Roark, and her lonely widower father, and you’ve got a recipe for “romance on the high seas” (to quote the back cover of the book). While Dreamboat doesn’t really make any particularly profound commentary on the human condition, it’s entertaining, upbeat, and worth the time it takes to read it.

«« #229 Rich in Romance by Angela Cash

Far-fetched and silly, Rich in Romance demeans not only the main characters, but the reader as well. Although the story is told from her perspective, it’s hard to muster any sympathy for main character Lexie Tucker, a working class stable hand with a major chip on her shoulder and an inexplicable vendetta against the wealthy patrons of the resort at which she works and lives with her landscaper father. Conflicts arise when Lexie exploits a case of mistaken identity to teach hapless rich kid Max Bannemore a lesson, but ends up falling for Max instead. Despite its potential to make some sort of statement about not judging people based on their social standing, the novel bypasses this opportunity, instead validating Lexie’s immature, judgmental behavior. Unfortunately, a funny ending twist and a few very sweet, romantic moments are not enough to save this novel.

««« #233 Follow Your Heart by Bette Headapohl

Festive, sweet, and didactic without being condescending, Follow Your Heart provides a wonderful end to the Sweet Dreams series. Touching and bittersweet, the story centers around caring teen Kerri Andrews, who struggles to bring holiday cheer to two families splintered by conflict and hardship, while pursuing a new relationship with troubled, but resilient Austin Parker. Despite a few too many unrealistic coincidences, this novel teems with Christmas spirit, teaches the importance of strength in the face of adversity, and remains unwaveringly optimistic, even at its bittersweet conclusion.

««« Sweet Dreams Special #1 My Secret Love by Janet Quin-Harkin

Strange and (dare we say?) even a bit surprising, My Secret Love breaks from the mold of the typical Sweet Dreams book and most certainly earns its moniker as a “Special.”

The novel gets off to a slow start with an intimate first person narration by heroine Lara Mitchell, a shy, dreamy sort who spends most of her time writing cheesy fan fiction about Starbright, her favorite fantasy series of novels – and most especially about Starbright’s resident hero on wingsaur, Doren. The escapist longings become more understandable as Lara is quickly characterized as the standard “misunderstood rich girl” whose superficial parents are constantly pressuring her to make more of an effort to fit in with the teenage kids of their snobby friends.

After what seems like an eternity, Lara finally stumbles upon Billy Jo Kane (of the notorious Johnson’s Crossing, Texas Kane Clan) while hiding out behind the dumpster after a disastrous date at the school dance with popular but nasty Derreck Robbins. Despite the terrible reputation of his family (and having a slightly annoying tendency to refer to Lara as “girl”), Billy Jo Kane is clearly the standard “misunderstood poor boy” who is struggling to rise above his circumstances.

As Lara and Billy Jo throw themselves into a bizarre science fair project in which they build a Starbright-style model of their town, their undeniable connection quickly leads to love. Unfortunately, like all star-crossed lovers before, the young couple must deal with their fair share of drama before they can be truly accepted.

The novel’s slow start ends with a bang at its gripping climactic scene and typical patented bittersweet Janet Quin-Harkin ending. With characters that are easy to root for, a setting that feels authentic (even in its seeming familiarity) and a plot that is not immediately predictable, My Secret Love is sure to please any Sweet Dreams fan.