THE NEW GUY (AND OTHER SENIOR YEAR DISTRACTIONS)

For years, every minute in Jules McAllister-Morgan’s day has been carefully scheduled and committed to a single cause: getting accepted at Brown University.

Straight A’s? Check. Volunteer work? Check. Student government? Check. And now, editor of Eagle Vista Academy’s 104-year-old newspaper? Check. Just when it seems that nothing could possibly derail her plans for college domination, Alex Powell comes to town. With a little nudging from her two moms and her best friend, Sadie, Jules opens herself up to the idea that making some time for romance might not be the end of the world. Fortunately for readers, the sparks that fly between Jules and Alex, the ex–boy band star and newest addition to the senior class, are hot enough to make them a couple worth rooting for. Unfortunately for readers, Jules’ over-the-top reaction to Alex’s seemingly harmless role supporting a media rival to the school paper turns all that delicious lust into hate prematurely. What follows is a choppy read, in which Jules’ quirky, overachieving charm turns into an off-putting and seemingly unbalanced obsession with crushing the competition no matter the cost. What could have been another light and entertaining addition to the tried-and-true smart-girl-falls-for-bad-boy romp fizzles as Jules loses her grip on reality.

Far too little kissing. Far too much fussing.