Another Little Piece of My Heart, by Tracey Martin

Another Little Piece of My Heart is about a girl named Claire who's got a lot working against her. She's just graduated high school and recently lost her mom to cancer; the details of her first break-up have been dramatized and broadcast to the world via best-selling album by her now-famous ex; her dad's lost his job, gone off his rocker, and is dating his secretary who happens to be obnoxious; with the losing of the job comes the loss of her college fund; and, Claire's an aspiring musician who can't seem to get a decent song together.

As you can imagine, her family's month-long escape to her aunt and uncle's house in New Hampshire comes as a welcome retreat to Claire. However, she's not there long before the Claire-bashing ex, Jared (now a hot, famous, sought-after rock star) shows up in the same small beach town. Claire's cousins and new friends are fawning over Jared, and Claire's just trying to keep their history under wraps so that no one realizes that she's the one his songs are about. In the end, though, Claire realizes that maybe Jared wasn't such a bad guy after all.

I did find Martin's writing clever and her characters endearing, but overall, I just found the novel a little predictable. I felt like I knew what was going to happen before it did, and I don't really like that in a novel. It was a quick, easy read though, and I can think of several students who would enjoy it.

The Heartbreak Messenger, by Alexander Vance

The Heartbreak Messenger is about an average, run-of-the-mill kid named Quentin. Quentin's dad left when he was six years old, and he and his mom have been just barely seeking by ever since.

 Quentin's best friend Rob's older brother one day approaches Quentin with a proposition: he wants to break up with his girlfriend but doesn't want to go through the trouble of having to do it himself.  So, he offers to pay Quentin to make the break for him. Quentin sees this as a lucrative opportunity, and before he knows it, he's running a full-fledged business.

Word spreads about his services, and high schoolers are approaching him constantly. Some of his 'clients' are less than desirable, and Quentin even winds up with a black eye. Before long, much discussion surrounds this mysterious, elusive, "Heartbreak Messenger", and Quentin struggles to keep his identity a secret.

Before long, his other best friend, Abby, has figured out what Quentin's up to, and is none too satisfied with his actions. Will Quentin stop, or is the money too good?

I LOVED this book - it was fast-paced, the characters were lovable, and the premise was so funny. It does have a romantic ending, but I'd recommend it to both boys and girls. It would really appeal to both.

Here's a book trailer from youtube: