Fifteen-year-old Scarlett Martin’s life ought to be exciting and glamorous, but living in a New York City hotel isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. For one thing, she’s expected to work in the hotel for no pay. That should be a violation of some sort of child labor law, but apparently since her family owns the Hopewell, turning down beds and working the front desk are just considered chores.

Scarlett is doomed to have the most boring summer imaginable, while all of her friends are off gallivanting around the world. Already stuck with her spoiled younger sister and sharing a hotel room with her uptight older sister, it doesn’t come as any surprise to Scarlett that she’s also expected to play personal assistant to the hotel’s newest, high-maintenance guest.

The pampered guest turns out to be a drama queen bent on making Scarlett’s life exciting by any means necessary. Throw a cute, southern actor into the mix, and the summer just got a whole lot more interesting.

Maureen Johnson, author of 13 LITTLE BLUE ENVELOPES, DEVILISH, GIRL AT SEA, and several other popular books, has brought quirky characters to life and peppered this book with fantastic wit that keeps readers on their toes.

Non-stop humor is this book’s biggest charm, especially the bantering dialogue between Scarlett and her brother, Spencer. A unique view of the city, highlighted by the book’s native New Yorker protagonist, provides a back drop that plays nearly as much role in the story as its cast of characters.

An entertaining read that made me want to pick up the book at inappropriate times, like at stop lights, just to see what would happen next. I’ll be mailing my traffic tickets to Maureen Johnson. She’ll sell more than enough copies of this book to cover the cost. Trust me!

Off to turn another page….

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