MEGAN MEADE’S GUIDE TO THE MCGOWAN BOYS

Sixteen-year-old army brat Megan is sent to live with the McGowans when her parents are transferred overseas. The prospect of living with the McGowan brothers—all seven of them—is intimidating to only child Megan. When she arrives in Boston, however, and lays eyes on the eldest four, she becomes terrified. Bad-boy Doug, Abercrombie-wearing Evan, soulful-artist Finn or motorcycle-riding Sean would fulfill any teenaged girl’s fantasy of the perfect guy. Steeling herself against their charms—and their occasional cruelty—Megan tries to concentrate on soccer and making friends. Unfortunately, her rival on the soccer team is Evan’s girlfriend and soon, good-girl Megan finds herself embroiled in a scandal. To sort out the vagaries of the male mind, Megan creates a guide for her friend Tracy that is revealed through e-mails and text messages between chapters. Readers will guess which brother will fall for Megan well before the ending of this fluffy teen romance. Nonetheless, fans of books like Alex Bradley’s 24 Girls in 7 Days (p. 117) will enjoy the escapism—if they can overlook the rather formulaic characterization. (Fiction. YA)