Paper hearts

Gr 9 Up-For Felicity's mom, it was Rose's birthday, but for Felicity, it was desertion day. Four years have gone by since Felicity's sister Rose abandoned the family; Felicity's mom insists on celebrating her older daughter's birthday in hopes that one day she will return. As a child of a divorced family, with a missing sister, Felicity has taken on the world and is trying to fill her mother's emptiness. Oftentimes worrying, Felicity is trying to save up enough to pay for college. In the meantime, she volunteers for the Children's Cancer Alliance. To forget about her troubles, the teen goes to the highly anticipated masquerade ball with her friend Asha. But when Asha disappears into the intimidating crowd of A-listers and celebrities, Felicity meets Alec, a member of the hottest boy band, the Heartbreakers. He agrees to take Felicity to San Francisco to search for her sister. The author introduces Rose through a series of letters Felicity reads along her way to San Francisco. Rose was fond of her little sister but couldn't live up to their mother's expectations, so she disappeared. As Felicity seeks her sister, she also learns about herself, her beau, her friends, and her family. This predictable but sweet novel will resonate with readers of sibling fiction, boy band fans, and teens struggling to meet their parents' expectations. VERDICT Novak's second installment of the series is recommended as a general purchase for older teens.-Keisha Miller, South Orange Public Library, NJ © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Another fluffy romance between a girl and a boy-band member, following The Heartbreakers (2015).Four years ago, after her rebellious older sister, Rose, ran away, Felicity came up with a plan for her future, one designed to make her single mom happy: going to Harvard and becoming a lawyerjust like her absentee dad. It also means working, studying hard, and volunteering as much as she can, leaving little time for enjoying her summer with her best friends, Asha and Boomer. Then, volunteering at a charity ball, she meets the very cute, very reserved Alec, a member of the Heartbreakers. Sparks fly, but right before their first date, Felicity discovers a life-altering secret her mother has been keeping: Rose has been writing Felicity letters since she left. This sends Felicity on a quest to find Rose, accompanied by Alec, Asha, and Boomer. Along the way, she'll have to come to grips with questions about lies, the truth, and whether her plans for the future will make her happycan her happiness include Alec? The romance between Felicity and Alec is standard, from the meet-cute to the inevitable misunderstanding. There's not really anything that elevates the characters or plot beyond the conventional, yet Novak handles it all with a light, deft touch. Save mixed-race Asha, whose mother is Indian and whose father is white, the cast of principals is an all-white one. An undemanding, wish-fulfillment romance. (Romance. 14-16) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.