Loving Someone Else

Conford's ( If This Is Love, I'll Take Spaghetti ; the Jenny Archer series) latest YA novel is a delectable treat, packed with humor, drama and the trials of adolescent infatuation. Holly is devastated when her father, a successful business executive, loses his job. The repercussions are widespread, but what disturbs Holly the most is that she'll have to attend a local community college instead of the prestigious (and expensive) school that had accepted her. Determined not to let this happen, Holly accepts a well-paying position as a companion/housekeeper to two elderly sisters. What sustains her throughout the heretofore unknown experience of menial labor is the passion she feels for Avery, the sisters' rich, handsome, older (around 30) nephew. From Holly's witty first-person narrative to the artfully developed conclusion, this book is top-notch--and especially timely in its portrayal of a family adjusting to financial difficulties. Ages 10-up. (Aug.)