Murder turns would-be romance novelist Emmy into the heroine of her own romantic mystery.The worst Emmy Danvers, a white 16-year-old, has faced is the long string of losers her mom has dated since her dad left them while her mom was still pregnant and the tension of unrequited feelings for good white friend Ben. But while shes working on another story idea for a romance in a coffee shop, an unknown elderly man warns her that shealong with her absent fatheris not safe before covertly handing off an encrypted high-tech tablet and promptly dying right on top of her. As in the improbable scenarios of her stories, Emmy, not knowing which adults to trust, brashly accepts the offer of the murdered mans rich, white teenage grandson, Sebastian, a self-described Certified Bad Boy, to attend elite Emptor Academy on a scholarship. Although this is nominally a murder mystery, the suspense is mild, as Emmy spends more time navigating her new high school (particularly interactions with mean girls) and reconciling her feelings for both Ben and Sebastian (this is a romance, after all) than trying to track down her missing father, access the tablets hidden contents, and stay out of danger. The author adds diversity through Emmys circle of new and old friends and Emptors instructors. A heightened conclusion with unresolved answers sets the scene for a sequel. For readers who like a light serving of mystery with a side of romance. (Mystery. 14-17) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Gr 7 Up-Emmy Danvers is working on her latest romance novel at Starbucks when a seemingly senile old man approaches her. After warning her that she and her father are in danger, he tackles her to the ground and then dies. Emmy is shaken, but full-on panic sets in when she learns that the old man was murdered while protecting her and that she was the original target. Suddenly, Emmy is swept up in a cat and mouse game that brings her to a prestigious boarding school, Emptor Academy, the home of the deceased old man and his grandson, Sebastian St. James. Emmy has no choice but to trust Sebastian as she races to unlock a high-tech tablet loaded with confidential information about her father, all before an elusive killer stops her. After the strong opening, the promising premise falls flat. The plot quickly devolves into a confusing series of events that lack connection, the inconsistent pacing fails to successfully maintain suspense, and the characterization relies too heavily on tropes-sexy bad boy, beautiful but nasty rich girl-to provide real depth. VERDICT Too many loose ends, weak characterizations, and an anticlimactic conclusion will not entice readers. Pass.-Kelsey Johnson-Kaiser, St. Paul Public Library © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

All Emmy wants to do is go to school, be with her best friends, Audrey and Ben well, maybe move beyond friendship with Ben and draft her romance novel while sipping Frappuccinos. Unfortunately, a mysterious old man in Starbucks has different plans: before collapsing, dead, on top of her, he secretly slips an electronic tablet into Emmy's pocket, warns her that her long-lost father is in danger, and tells her to trust no one. That last caveat proves impossible when someone starts stalking her, and her only confidante is wealthy, arrogant Sebastian St. James, the Starbucks enigma's grandson. On a scholarship from Sebastian, Emmy attends Emptor Academy, a private school with How to Get Away with Murder-style classes. Loose ends abound, and it's not clear what the school's objective is for its students, but Emmy pursues the truth to a thrilling conclusion. Full of witty back-and-forth banter and a knowing tongue-in-cheek tone, Emmy's mystery is far from solved, and all clues point to a sequel.--Kling, Caitlin Copyright 2017 Booklist