Ink My Heart

Gr 7 Up—A local favorite in their unnamed Michigan city, Luminescent Juliet is an up-and-coming band with four members who are very different from each other. The first book, In the Band, focused on guitarist Romeo and the girl he falls for: drummer Riley. This one features the lead singer, egotistical, womanizing, rich boy Justin who has his heart turned upside down by talented tattooist Allie. Nick Podehl is completely convincing as Justin, giving him just the right amount of cocky confidence and then slowly breaking down that façade as Justin falls for Allie. Unlike the series launch, this story is told from both Justin and Allie's points of view. Amy McFadden does an admirable job as once-bitten-twice-shy tattooist, single mother, and college student Allie, making her both tough and tender as she experiences her first real romance since divorcing her son's father. This is a good old-fashioned love story, but it does have some steamy scenes and a great deal of graphic language, making it a better fit for older teen listeners and adults.—Shari Fesko, Southfield Public Library, MI