Swoon At Your Own Risk by Sydney Salter

The Gist (Gracias, Amazon!):

You’d think Polly Martin would have all the answers when it comes to love—after all, her grandmother is the famous syndicated advice columnist Miss Swoon. But after a junior year full of dating disasters, Polly has sworn off boys. This summer, she’s going to focus on herself for once. So Polly is happy when she finds out Grandma is moving in—think of all the great advice she’ll get.

            But Miss Swoon turns out to be a man-crazy sexagenarian! How can Polly stop herself from falling for Xander Cooper, the suddenly-hot skateboarder who keeps showing up while she’s working at Wild Waves water park, when Grandma is picking up guys at the bookstore and flirting with the dishwasher repairman?           

No advice column can prepare Polly for what happens when she goes on a group camping trip with three too many ex-boyfriends and the tempting Xander. Polly is forced to face her feelings and figure out if she can be in love—and still be herself.

My Review:

Wow. I've never read any of Salter's books before, but I'm glad I read this one, and I'm especially glad I read it now so I could escape to a world where it was 90 degrees instead of 40. I can definitely say I relate completely to Polly (which is my Chihuahua's name, FYI)- in the sense that she has a definite issue with vulnerability. Whenever someone gets close, she takes a few steps backwards. This creates somewhat of a problem when her exes keep showing up wherever she goes (not to mention having to be bossed around by one of them at her summer job). You can tell that Polly's had it pretty rough in the past, and she's determined not to let it happen again- that is until Xander comes along. Not to say too much, except for the fact that he is totally swoon-worthy (I couldn't resist).

I can see where this could have been a quick beach read, but Salter creates some truly deep characters, as well as delves into some of the things our society is facing today, such as the tough economy. While some may become frustrated with Polly's reservations, this novel is one not to be put down. 

With a girl who's got a lot to learn about who she is (and don't we all), I give this book:

Five Stars
Get your copy of Swoon a Your Risk on April 5, 2010!