Blurb:
High school freshman, Danny Burns, loves life, art, and boys. From the outside, he looks like a happy-go-lucky guy with no concerns. He blows off the bullies and he’s an amazing friend. What people don’t know is that he’s had a boyfriend since the summer, and when Danny decides being a secret isn’t enough for him and tries to end it, it’s not as easy as he expects.
High school freshman, Noah Glass, thinks he knows exactly who he is, what he wants, and where he’s going. Unfortunately, when the strict religious rules he’s grown-up with don’t line up with him being able to have friendships with people he cares about, he begins to question his own beliefs.
Guidance Counselor, Mrs. Shaw, formed a special club forty years ago. Each year, she handpicks twelve students to participate, but no one knows what they talk about, and former students never tell.
Danny and Noah are two of the chosen this year. When Mrs. Shaw partners them up, their lives begin to alter in ways that they couldn’t have imagined. While Danny is confronted with a stalking ex, Noah begins to question his values. As their friendship grows within the nurturing circle of Club Shaw, will that foundation be enough to get them through the troubles ahead? Will Noah be strong enough to set aside his preconceived notions and be there for Danny? Will Danny trust in Noah’s friendship and strength to help him move on from his ex to give the new guy Noah introduces him to a chance?
This is book two in the Mrs. Shaw's Club series. We’ll continue to get glimpses into the lives of the students, and with each book, we’ll see a romance bloom. This is a standalone, but more fun if you watch them all grow together through the year.
Excerpt
Noah looks back and forth between the two of us, his face more agitated than ever, before sighing and shaking his head. He looks up and smiles fondly at Josh, an expression that seems to be reserved exclusively for him, but then he turns it on me. On me! O.M.G. He’s smiling at me fondly. His next words almost make me pass out. “Who knew it was gonna be such a pain in the ass to have two best friends? Geesh.”
Pushing past me gently, he grabs the cart himself and says, “Well, come on,” over his shoulder as he walks down the aisle deeper into the store.
“Um, did he seriously call me one of his best friends? Like, did I really hear that? Do you think he was serious? Tell me the truth, Josh, did that just happen?”
Laughing at me—no I don’t think he’s laughing at me exactly, but more like happily with me—he wraps his arm around my neck, pulls me closer to him, and tugs me along next to him to follow Noah down the aisle. He whispers into my ear, “He’s the best friend a guy can have, Danny. If he’s saying it, he means it. And he’s as loyal as they come, which means you now have a friend for life, and there’s nothing he won’t do for you.”
He squeezes his arm a little harder around me for a second before letting me go and winking at me, again. Again. O.M.G. Noah’s calling me his best friend, Josh is winking at me ~ Sigh... and the angels sing ~ and touching me. What next?
3 Stars!
Danny is starting to realize that his boyfriend may not be the perfect guy he originally thought. How can he really love Danny if he doesn’t want anyone to know they are together? He made time for Danny over the summer but now even 15 minutes seems to be too much to ask for. Danny is getting sick and tired of assuring him that he won’t tell anyone about their relationship.
When a School Guidance Counselor, Mrs. Shaw, invites Danny into her special club along with an eclectic group of 11 other students, he doesn’t know what to think. They aren’t allowed to reveal what they discuss and each year a different group is picked. He’s quickly beginning to realize each and every one of the students has a good reason to be there.
Noah is starting to struggle with who he is, who his parents want him to be and who he wants to be. He’s believed things had a certain way to be but it’s not all black and white. He’s forced to reevaluate his life, his friendships and his beliefs. It turns out Mrs. Shaw’s group is an eye opener.
This is an interesting story. There was this good message and I completely jumped on board for it. However, there were some issues as well and I found myself not loving it as much as I wanted to. I didn’t read book one so I had no idea what to expect going in. However, I thought with such an interesting blurb, I couldn’t pass it by. I’m glad I read it, I love the premise but I hope that if there is a book three, that there are characters I can feel a better connection to.
Noah was not my favorite and it took me a while to warm up to him. Danny was better but at times I found he was a teensy bit over the top. This is YA, though, so maybe that’s to be expected. I will share though that I absolutely loathed Danny’s “boyfriend”. He made me want to facepalm myself more than once. Why Danny even liked him I’ll never know.
Overall, this is full of sweet and a bit different. It isn’t my favorite but if you like YA you should give it a try.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
About the author:
Steph Marie is a proud mom of two teenage daughters and her pup. She’s always had a love for words and what they can do, their ability to create and transform life. She’s shared her words and stories with people in her immediate life, but never considered writing and publishing Young Adult until her oldest daughter said she wished all teens had the ability to sit around her kitchen table and talk. That night a series was born, and characters haven’t stopped popping up in her head wanting their story told yet. Her favorite things in life outside of her family are a huge cup of coffee, a blanket to snuggle under, and a delicious piece of cake—if you’re nice, she’ll even share.
Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100024425088263
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