Kissing Lessons

April 1, 2020

Gr 10 Up-Nolan Martin and Hayden Vargas are well known in their community. Nolan is the trusted, handsome athlete, while Hayden is the spontaneous, sexy girl from the wrong part of town. Throughout most of their lives their paths have not crossed; so when the two are thrown together by Nolan's younger sister, their long-standing assumptions are all they have to go on. Following the death of his father, Nolan vows to look out for his quiet and nerdy younger sister, Emmaline, and is suspicious of Hayden's sudden interest in friendship with her. But in confronting Hayden about her intentions, he comes to discover his own prejudices. As the unlikely friendship between Nolan and Hayden develops, Emmaline's feelings for Nolan's best friend, Beau, are becoming more obvious. Like Hayden, Beau is from the less affluent side of town and has a reputation for being a player. Emmaline and Beau find themselves facing the same issue as Hayden and Nolan: Will their relationship be accepted by the people around them? The story is told from the viewpoints of Nolan, Hayden, Emmaline, and Beau. The plot moves along at a readable pace and readers will be eager to find out more. However, the resolution is rushed, and Hayden's reactions are inconsistent with her character development throughout the story. VERDICT Steamy sex scenes make this best suited to older readers who may enjoy a flipped Lady and the Tramp romance.-Lynn Rashid, Marriotts Ridge High School, Marriottsville, MD

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2020
A teen with a promiscuous reputation is hired for lessons on seduction and falls for her client's brother. Independent 18-year-old Hayden Vargas looks forward to leaving behind her judgmental high school classmates and neglectful mother to pursue her dream of becoming a tattoo artist. Every penny counts toward her dream, and when Emmaline Martin offers her money to teach her how to attract boys, Hayden struggles to turn her down. Popular classmate Nolan Martin has made it his mission to care for his family since his father's death, so when he notices his younger sister, Emmaline, hanging out with Travis High School's bad girl, he becomes suspicious and overprotective. But his attempts at intervention only result in him growing fonder of Hayden, who surprises him as she opens up. Points of view mainly shift between Hayden and Nolan but also focus, less frequently, on Emmaline and Beau--Nolan's best friend, whose reputation at school mirrors Hayden's. Despite cookie-cutter characterization, Jordan's handling of themes surrounding teen relationships, such as the double standard of girls being sluts versus boys being players, is honest. The only kissing lessons involve girls practicing on one another at a sleepover, which later leads two of them to explore their mutual attraction. The sweetness of the happy ending does not make up for its abruptness, unfortunately. Characters are assumed white except for Hayden, who is cued as Latinx. A steamy, straight-to-Netflix teen romance. (Fiction. 14-17)

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September 1, 2020
Grades 9-12 Hayden Vargas isn't interested in forming attachments. Her relationships with boys are fun but brief?as soon as high school is over, she's getting out of her Texas town, away from her irresponsible mom (and her mom's creepy boyfriends), and becoming a tattoo artist. Nolan Martin is her opposite: he and his long-term girlfriend are the school's It Couple. They're so sure a thing that they're applying to colleges together, and Nolan's only worried about leaving his mom and younger sisters. When one of those younger sisters, Emmaline, tracks Hayden down and asks for her help with, well, boys, Nolan and Hayden's paths intersect, and though neither of them wants it, sparks fly. An abrupt ending may leave some readers looking for closure (or further recommendations), but the sex positivity is welcome, while the rotating ensemble narration buoys the stock characters and prevents the story from falling into a not-like-other-girls trap. A steamy pick for fans of the slow burn.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)