Teen-Age Romances #14

A young woman uses deception and manipulation to come between her friend Pam and the fellows in Pam's life, convinced that tricks and lies are the path to romance—until a romantic setback of her own forces her to confront what her scheming has really cost her. "I Tried to Win Love with Lies" explores how playing dirty in matters of the heart only leads to loneliness, no matter how many times you manage to turn a fellow's head.

Betty's scheme to win Jim away from her cousin Pam takes a twisted turn when she meddles in both their love lives—first by revealing a secret about another boy, then by orchestrating an elaborate setup that backfires spectacularly. As Betty tries to manipulate everyone around her, she discovers that her carefully laid plans have consequences she never saw coming, and the truth has a way of catching up with a schemer. "Caught!" is a sharp lesson in why meddling in matters of the heart rarely ends the way you hope.

When Shirley's set up on a blind date with Jack Logan at a beach party, she quickly realizes he's trying to act like the other boys—pushing for thrills in the dark rather than getting to know her. But as she stands her ground and calls him out, Shirley discovers his nervousness is genuine, and Jack finds in her something he'd almost stopped hoping for: a girl who demands respect. What starts as an awkward night of mismatched expectations becomes the beginning of something neither of them saw coming.

A dress designer turned studio seamstress, Edythe Walters lands a lucky break as stand-in for glamorous new star Valerie Cort—but the thrill of Hollywood life ignites jealousy when Valerie's icy behavior stings too much to ignore. When scheming with a disreputable actor seems like the perfect way to get revenge, Edythe discovers that her plot unravels in ways she never expected, forcing her to face hard truths about ambition and her own character.

When Jean turns sixteen, the rules that once seemed absolute start to feel negotiable—especially when her friend Ann talks her into abandoning their dates for the thrill of getting picked up by strangers on the parkway. A chance encounter with the charming Eddie leads Jean far from town into situations she's increasingly unprepared to handle, and a moment of panic sends her tumbling into a dark sand pit. What Jean discovers when she's rescued will shatter her faith in the boys who picked them up, and force her to confront just how easily good judgment can be worn down by peer pressure and romantic excitement.