A teen seeking to escape becomes entangled. Out for a night of pre–spring break partying, 17-year-old Meg McPherson is first arrested and then partnered with a cop as part of her punishment for trespassing, underage drinking and illegal drug use. Her weeklong educational experience causes her to miss spring break, but also gives her time to understand and fall in love with 19-year-old John After, the cop responsible for her current predicament. Echols doesn’t miss a single cliché opportunity, from Meg’s secret bout with cancer as a young teenager to John’s obsession with the bridge where his brother died to the soap-opera relationship that develops between the two teens. Of course, this never claims to be anything beyond chick lit, so readers know what to expect from it. Improbable circumstance and thin characters drive the plot, which never delves any deeper than necessary. Staying firmly within the boundaries of her genre, the author offers most fans exactly what they want, but other readers may wish she tried harder. (Fiction. YA)
