Navigating best friends and boys has never been sweeter than in Heather Hepler's brand-new novel!
Former Manhattan girl Penny has quickly discovered that life in a small town is never dull. Not when there's a festival for every occasion, a Queen Bee to deal with, an animal shelter to save, and a cute boy to crush on. There's a new girl in town: Esmeralda. She's beautiful, French, and just happens to be Queen Bee Charity's best friend. Penny hopes the arrival of Esmeralda means Charity might be too busy to keep making her life miserable. But Penny doesn't have a lot of time to worry about Charity. Her best friend, Tally, has recruited her to help raise money to save the local animal shelter. Then there's Marcus, the adorable and mysterious boy that Penny thinks maybe likes her as much as she likes him. Plus, this is Penny's first holiday season as a "divorced" kid - although she has no idea what this means. Can Penny help her friends save the shelter, navigate her new family dynamics, and get the boy, or will Charity and Esmeralda find a way to ruin everything? Praise for The Cupcake Queen"Hepler's novel is greater than the sum of its parts, held together by Penny's genuine voice and emotions. Readers will root for Penny, a talented artist, as she develops her gifts and adapts to small-town life." –Kirkus Reviews"{A}n endearing and poignant story about standing up to adversity and finding peace in what is, rather than holding out for what could be." –Publishers Weekly"The story is heartwarming and is as comforting as the confections produced by The Cupcake Queen bakery." –Children's LiteraturePraise for Love? Maybe"{T}eens will likely race through Hepler's heartwarming, sweet-as-a-candy-heart novel and enjoy not only the characters' drama-filled love lives but also her realistic portrayal of imperfect friendships and families." –Booklist"{R}eaders seeking a romance with sweet, salty, and spicy moments . . . should be entertained." –Publishers Weekly"Hepler establishes realistic, relatable, and strong characters with very endearing relationships."– VOYA Heather Hepler is the author of The Cupcake Queen and Love? Maybe. She also wrote Scrambled Eggs at Midnight and The Dream Factory with Brad Barkley. She holds a master's in library science from the University of North Texas and an MFA in creative writing from the University of Southern Maine. She works as a reviewer for VOYA, Kirkus Reviews, Publiers Weekly, Library Media Connection, and the New York Times. Heather lives with her family in Tyler, Texas. I glance over at Marcus wondering if that could ever be us. Then I look at his tray. There's a vaguely grey piece of meat floating in a brownish sauce. "What is that?" He cuts off a piece and chews it thoughtfully. "Hamburger," he says. "Or maybe chicken fried steak.""Don't think, man," Blake says. "Just eat it." "Good advice," Marcus says, taking another bite. "After school, I'm heading back up to Saturn. Want to come?" he asks me. "I want to," I say, "but I promised my mom I'd work the counter for her. I'm free tomorrow," I say, trying not to sound too eager."Cool," he says. Tally kicks me hard under the table. She nods toward the front of the cafeteria. I look over and see both Esmeralda and Charity staring at me. I stare right back, refusing to be intimidated by them. But they don't look away. It's then that I realize they aren't looking at me at all, but at Marcus. Charity leans over and whispers something to Esmeralda, who smiles and nods. Marcus is too busy inhaling his mystery lunch to notice. But Charity sees me watching and grins. I glare at her, but it just makes her smile wider. In the end I do look away first. I frown at my sandwich. (Peanut butter and honey.) Stinkin' Charity. I must make a frustrated noise aloud because Marcus glances over."You okay?" he asks. "Absolutely," I say. I slide the tiniest bit closer to
