SECRET SOCIETY GIRL, AN IVY LEAGUE NOVEL
DIANA PETERFREUND
ISBN#978-0-440-24389-2
May 8, 2007
Delta-The Bantam Dell Publishing Group
1745 Broadway, New York, NT 10019
Paperback
$10.00 U.S./$13.00CAN
291 Pages
Fiction
Rating: 4 Cups

Amy Maureen Haskel has her college life all figured out. She even knows that she will be tapped by the Quill & Ink Secret Society as it is a tradition for the editor of the campus Literature Magazine to belong to that organization. It is a real shock when she is tapped instead by Rose & Grave, an all male society that has real clout and power in the real world. Belonging to the first group of females admitted to the society makes Amy a little uncomfortable as she feels she does not quite fit in with the rest of the female taps. On top of that her friend with benefits, Brandon, has started pushing for more of a commitment and she is stalling.

Brandon Weare is smart and funny and works along side Amy, who he sleeps with on a regular basis. He does not believe in the idea of belonging to a secret society and looks on with disdain as Amy and the other taps scurry about campus, opting for more traditional sports affiliations. He has been pressing for a commitment from Amy, but has been thwarted so far, until she finally admits she should settle down with him after being tempted to sleep with a well known player. Being the understanding guy that he is, he admits his growing love for her. When she leaves him fast asleep for an emergency meeting of the taps, she comes across the alums and a chained and padlocked Rose & Grave tomb. Things have suddenly turned serious and Brandon must find a way to help his girl.

Amy, her fellow taps, male and female, ponder their options over drinks. The Tobias Trust, or the Patriarchs, had threatened to revoke the women’s memberships and the senior member's memberships for initiating them and they followed through with it a day after initiation. When Amy, along with the other members of her tap class, get their internships revoked, they know the alums mean business. Feeling a mixture of rage and hopelessness, they try and concoct a plan to counteract these moves meant to prove the patriarchs power. Can they win against the old guard? Should they even try, considering the possible damage to their future careers?

Ms. Diana Peterfreund has written a quirky glimpse into the life of a typical college woman trying to navigate through campus politics while managing to have fun in the bedroom without getting too serious. Amy is a sharp witted heroine who chooses to stand up to the powers that be while inwardly quaking. Brandon is a sweet brainiac who loves Amy enough to back her up in the name of sexual equality. The minor characters are a diversified group of students from various backgrounds seen on many campuses. I enjoyed this book immensely.

Kathy
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance
Reviewer for Karen Find Out About New Books