A little too much

Aspiring singer Hilary McIntyre hopes to catch her big break on Broadway, and her live-in boyfriend, theater's new hot "it" guy, might be her ticket. Her life comes to an abrupt stop when on her apartment steps she discovers Alessandro Moretti, a ghost from her troubled past who left an unforgettable memory in his wake. Hilary hasn't seen Alessandro, her only solace from a childhood of despair, since he left their group home eight years ago. Her anger slowly melts as she learns that Alessandro's struggles and determination to make amends for his transgressions reveal the sweet soul that she has always known him to be. The two make a pact to show each other the undiscovered parts of the city every week, and while they easily fall back into comfortable companionship, floating just below the surface is a secret Hilary harbors that will change the course of their future. Verdict Although Hilary is tough on the outside, her honest narration leaves her raw and exposed to the reader, which makes her plight all the more substantial. Desrochers's (A Little Too Far) story offers the genre hallmarks (a young woman in the midst of self-discovery navigating her career and a tension-laden romance), but it is important to note that this new adult offering has a much more serious tone that its cohorts.-Kara Kohn, Plainfield P.L., IL (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.