Triple Shot Bettys in Love by Jody Gehrman

Summary:
Geena is freaking out. After five perfect and comfortable months with Ben, he's suddenly putting the pressure on to be way more physical. She finds it difficult to even say the word boyfriend out loud, so she's certainly not ready for that.

And then there's Amber, who has an incredible crush on Mr. Sands, Geena's delectably hot and brilliant English teacher (who just happens to speak to Geena's soul!). Amber needs Geena's help talking to him because he's such an intellectual. Geena finds herself writing love notes, MySpace messages, and texts to Mr. Sands under Amber's name - and he writes back! Geena's just doing it for Amber (sort of), so it's not technically cheating on Ben...right?

Sexy teachers, em0-rockers, and glamorous new students populate Geena and Amber's world, making their search for true love bumpy and mystifying. Good thing they always have the Triple Shot Betty coffee shack, where they serve up espressos the way they'd like their guys - hot. (from inside jacket)

Review:
Triple Shot Bettys in Love is the sequel to the hilarious Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty. I read the first book a long time ago, but the sequel can practically be read as a stand-alone, so I didn't really need to remember anything.

In the first book, Geena and Ben start dating and their relationship continues into this book, and no relationship is complete without a few bumps along the way. Ben's friend Sophie moves back to California, and she is much prettier and more stylish than Geena, so she is understandably jealous, especially when it seems that Sophie wants Ben to herself. This causes problems while Ben is oblivious (aren't most boys?) but I still thought that Geena and Ben were so cute together. Besides dating, they are also viciously competing to be number one in their class, which I thought was hilarious.

Geena is not the only one with boy problems; Geena's friend Amber is crushing hard on a teacher at their school. Obviously this is a big no-no, but since Amber doesn't actually have him as a teacher she is able to lie and say she's a college student. Hilarity ensues when Geena and Amber convince Mr. Sands via MySpace that Amber is very intellectual and attends Brown University, which is the complete opposite of Amber. This would never happen in reality (hopefully) but it was extremely funny to watch everything play out.

Speaking of funny, Geena has to be one of the most relatable characters I've read. Triple Shot Bettys in Love is written in first person, so it allows the reader to access all of Geena's hilarious thoughts and witty comments. I don't know if there is another book after this one, but I would love to read more about Geena and her friends.

Overall, Triple Shot Bettys in Love was an extremely cute romantic book and a great sequel to Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty. If you've read the first, I highly recommend picking up the sequel.

Rating: 8 out of 10.
FTC: borrowed from library.

2009/Dial Books/249 pages.

Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty by Jody Gehrman

Geena can't wait for summer: she's working at a cute coffee shop called The Triple Shot Betty and her cousin is coming home from boarding school. Geena is positive that her cousin Hero and best friend Amber will hit if off immediately; but when they don't become instant friends, Geena isn't sure what to do. Trying to reconcile her two friends and work with them at the same time may seem hard, but Geena is up for the challenge. But things get complicated (as always), when boys come into the picture: there's tension between Geena and Ben, Hero is in love with Claudio and John, who is used to getting what he wants, wants Hero. This crazy love triangle causes some problems, but it's nothing the Triple Shot Bettys can't handle.

This book was so cute! I love books that take place during the summer (my favorite season) because the weather is perfect for all kinds of adventures, plus the endless days provide the opportunity for interesting things to happen. And that they did. Geena is the classic girl-next-door, albeit a skater girl-next-door, which was something new. And she was nicely complemented by her soft cousin Hero and outgoing friend Amber. Though at times the animosity between Amber and Hero was annoying and unwarranted, it created the needed tension that made this novel good. Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty was loosely based on a play by Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing. Even though I haven't read Much Ado About Nothing, I could still see the Shakespearan themes coming through (mainly regarding the archetypal villains). John, the villain, had all the characteristics of a bad guy: charming (like the creepy charming), calculating, cunning, and at times just plain evil. I liked this new spin on an old story and think it's the perfect read for someone wanting to sit down and relax with a book.

8 out of 10.