After Hours by Claire Kennedy

* * * 1/2

Isa, Xavi, Peter, and Finn know that a job at the high-end Waterside Cafe isn't just about waiting tables. It's about the gossip, the hook-ups, the after-hours parties and, most of all, it's about Tips.

Tips--the high-stakes game based on dares. Whoever completes the most dares wins the collected money. A sum that could change a wasted summer into a Summer to Remember.

Isa is the new girl with an embarrassing secret, and as long as she stays on top of her game, she sees no reason why anyone could ever find out.

Xavi will do anything for the money...absolutely anything.

Peter, Xavi's stepbrother, has been in love with her for years, and he thinks the game is the perfect time to confess his feelings.

Finn is in the game just for the thrill. He has enough tips coming in to keep him happy...even if those tips come with some conditions.

From seduction to stealing to threats, the dares are a complete free-for-all, and only the best can win.

The sophisticated Waterside Cafe is anything but classy behind the scenes...and things are about to get dirty.

This will be a short but sweet review as the best thing about After Hours is unlocking its secrets chapter by chapter. I was very intrigued by this story of several teens who have everything to gain and much to lose. I’m normally not a fan of several points-of-view but in this case, I liked it. Probably because each character's chapter is short, it makes getting to the point that much more enjoyable for me. I'll also mention that while I've never worked in the restaurant business, I've heard some stories which made me that much more curious about After Hours.

From what you can gather from the description above, each employee who works at Waterside Café has an agenda. They're all guarded and on alert wondering who can be trusted while keeping a close eye on the suspicious ones. The game they play, Tips, is an eagerly anticiated game where once they're invivted to participate, they can make quick cash as long as they complete the dare. That cash represents different things to each one of them though not everyone’s reason is immediately disclosed.

Each one of these characters fascinated me as I tried to uncover their motives. Their lives are complicated, their secrets potentially scandalous and some of them have surprises up their sleeves. Tensions worsen after one particular game goes south and then everyone has to put their heads together to fix the problem. Seeing how all the mischief and mayhem play out is what makes After Hours a very fun read!

~ Bel