Night Owls by Jenn Bennett

Simon & Schuster, 2015. ISBN: 9781471125300
(Age: 17+) Recommended. Beatrix (Bex) Adams is artistic, very talented and is seeking to win a scholarship by drawing cadavers (Leonardo Da Vinci style). Jack is charming, too good to be true, mysterious and dangerous. Their eyes meet across a crowded bus (The Owl) and there is overwhelming attraction.
'His gaze lifted and met mine. We stared at each other.
And stared. And stared . . .
A strange heat sparked inside my chest and spread over my skin. - I didn't know what was happening between us, but I honestly wouldn't have been surprised if the Owl had burst into flames, veered off the road, and exploded in a fiery inferno.'
This is a fine romance. There are many references to how gorgeous Jack is (and he is, of course, rich), however there doesn't seem to be a corresponding amount of depth to his character. Bex's mother and brother are gritty and real with both having a very positive and open approach to sex. There are many positive messages about safe sex and caring relationships.
This is a book all about relationships: romantic, familial, and platonic. The reader will discover why these simple words: BEGIN, FLY, BELONG, JUMP, TRUST, BLOOM, CELEBRATE, ENDURE, RISE, and LOVE can be so important, so illegal and so endearing. Will and Jillie are two of the powerful characters who give depth and insight to the world inhabited by Jack and Bex and develop another important theme in the book - mental health. The author subtly portrays the very different ways individuals manage (or deny) their issues and how it ripples throughout their lives.
Linda Guthrie