Beatrix Adams knows what she wants to be: an illustrator for medical books. To become successful, she knows that she has to attend one of three very prestigious schools. To get into one of these schools, she has to do something big, and make money off of it. That’s why Beatrix is competing in a scholarship contest, and why she is wanting to spend her summer with cadavers at the medical school. When she misses the last train home and meets Jack, her summer doesn’t quite go as planned. Jack has secrets, and Beatrix is intrigued. As the summer progresses, Beatrix grows, both in experience and artistically, with the help of Jack, but will it cause her to change her mind about her future?

Jenn Bennett crafted a beautiful story. She was able to portray Beatrix’s passion in a very real way, which was excellent since the passion is unusual. Bennett also gave some perspectives on other topics, such as sexuality and mental health. These topics added to the story quite nicely, as they were important to the story, and gave a different point of view on these topics. They explained why some characters took the actions that they did, and the reader is able to understand how these affected the other characters.

I really enjoyed this book. I honestly couldn’t put it down until I finished it, and even then I still wanted to read more. While it is labeled a Young Adult Romance, it isn’t really the mushy love type of romance that some YA fiction has, so I think that many people could enjoy it. The characters do gain a connection through their experiences and their passions, which is partly why I enjoyed this story so much. I also love reading good character development, and I believe that this story has that. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially those who love the romance genre.

Want to read it for yourself? Check it out from the WIU QC Library today!