This YA romance is fun and chockfull of literary references. A tad too long at 369 pages (when did romances have to go past 300?!), it's still funny, relatable (yes, even for this middle-aged lady!), and charming. Mary Porter-Malcolm is a VERY bookish teen who always seems to be the odd girl out. Devoted to classic novels, she looks at life through the lens of the characters and storylines in the books she adores. It's through this pursuit that she becomes friends with some of the popular kids at her new public school and the foursome create the Scoundrel Survival Guide--a list of literary lothsarios to avoid. Meanwhile her friends are determined to get Mary a date to the winter formal. Will she fall for the cad-like charms of Alex Ritter, the class' Vronsky (the scoundrel who seduces Anna Karenina)?

Even though Mary is like a 46-year-old in a 15-year-old body (she sounds a lot like me at times!), she's such a great character. As a reader you love seeing her break out of her shell and enjoy the first blushes of love. And as a reader who loves to read, you really enjoy the lit references (lots of mentions of A Room With a View, one of my favorite books AND movies). I also loved how each of her friends had different personalities, but were collectively so good with her. Yes, she's not a typical teen, but they celebrate that and want to help her open up a bit, not become a totally different person. No ridiculous teen nastiness...it's refreshing. Alex is a great male lead, too. Of course he has a heart of gold beneath the smoldering. But it's so fun watching each of them peel away each other's layers to reveal their smitten hearts.

I really liked this one. Cute, funny, sweet, romantic. If you're looking for an enjoyable escape (with a gorgeous cover) put this book on your radar.