Beautiful One

Elizabeth “Liz” Ryan excels in her high school studies.  Meanwhile her twin, Mason, excels on stage with his band as well as in the looks department. When Aiden Mitchell, the new guy, comes to town, his lack of interest ignites her determination to make a change. Her daily routine to take the pounds off soon equals more than forty pounds lost, lodging her squarely as a “bombshell” in the beauty department. But can both Mason and Liz have the fairytale high school romance? Fate and jealousy come into play, both putting Liz into the arms of one equally good-looking church band leader named Spencer Hayes.

Despite the occasionally abrupt scene shifts and the feeling that Spencer arrives a little late in the book, Ms. Cope pens an enrapturing tale. She deftly pits the current teen sex scene against the dilemma of strong moral values, with the latter shining as a believable objective. She gives the story a believable wrap-up that invites the reader into the lives of the secondary characters in future volumes without leaving the reader unsatisfied with her novel. Young Adults will relate with the characters and even dream of achieving similar goals while adults will nod in approval, if not full agreement. A well-done first in her trilogy!

Shaunna Gonzales