Diners, Dives, and Dead Ends by Terri L. Austin

Rose Strickland left the expensive, all-girl college her parents picked out for her and is now making her own way as a diner waitress and part-time local college student.  Her friends – Axton, the stoner computer geek, Roxy, fellow waitress, former juvenile delinquent, and fashion pioneer, Janelle, single mom and fellow student, and Ma, the owner of the diner – may not impress her country club parents, but they’re loyal and help her out any way they can.  Though she doesn’t waste any time describing herself, she must be very attractive as 5 different men are madly in love with her.  Otherwise, she’s tenacious, scrappy, sassy, self-aware, and just all kinds of awesome.  In this first of a series, a very nervous Axton leaves his backpack with Rose for safekeeping and then disappears, and Rose does all sorts of risky things to find him. [Read more...]