'Stardust in Their Veins' (Castles in Their Bones #2) by Laura Sebastian

5 magical stars!

Book Blurb:

"Immerse yourself in the second book in a fantasy trilogy from the New York Times bestselling author of the Ash Pricess series. The sequel to Castles in Their Bones is the story of three princesses and the destiny they were born for: seduction, conquest, and the crown.
Princesses Beatriz and Daphne have lost their older sister, but their mother's grand scheme of taking the continent of Vesteria is far from complete. With the country of Temarin now under the Empress's control, only the nations of Cellaria and Friv remain free from her rule. What's worse, an ominous prophecy has begun to shine through the constellations: the blood of stars and majesty spilled.

Usurped by conniving cousins Nico and Gigi, Beatriz fears for her life, while in icy Friv, Daphne continues her shaky alliance with the rebels even as she struggles to stay a step ahead of them. But when an unlikely ally offers Beatriz a deal, she finds herself back in her mother's sights.

With enemies around every corner and the stars whispering of betrayal, Daphne and Beatriz can't trust anyone--least of all each other. If they've learned anything, though, it's that the Empress's game is constantly changing. And the arrival of surprise visitors from Temarin just might tip the scales in the princesses' favor . . . if they manage to avoid meeting their sister's fate before they can make their next move."


My Review:

'Stardust In Their Veins' is a solid second entry in the 'Castles in Their Bones' series, featuring even more twists and turns, uncovered secrets and court intrigue, and a new POV to follow. Eagerly awaiting the next book in this series!

I highly recommend this series for fans of YA Fantasy books with magic, royals and court intrigue.

Grab 'Stardust in Their Veins' on February 7th, 2023!

#StardustinTheirVeins #CastlesinTheirBones #NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s

'You Wouldn't Dare' by Samantha Markum

5 stars!

Book Blurb:


"A rom com about trying to have the summer of your life before everything changes – only to realize change might be exactly what you need…

When Juniper Nash Abreheart kissed Graham Isham for the first time, she had no idea it would nearly be the end of their friendship.

More specifically, she had no idea that the terrible, unforgivable thing she did to keep their summer fling a secret wouldn’t just ruin their friendship, but also Graham’s entire life. Now, months since the fallout, Junie and Graham spend most of their time sidestepping conversational landmines on the journey back to normalcy.

Junie is sure the strangeness between her and Graham is her biggest problem – until her mom hires Tallulah, her boyfriend’s surly teenage daughter, to work at their family café, and then announces they’ll all be moving in together at the end of the summer. The only bright spot ahead is Junie’s dad’s upcoming visit, just in time for her community theater production. And then poor turnout soon threatens that.

But when Junie starts to realize the feelings she swore to take care of last summer have lingered, saving her production and managing her hostile relationship with Tallulah might be the least of her problems. Graham isn’t just off limits – their friendship has been mended to barely withstand a breeze, and the gale force of Junie’s feelings could be just what breaks them.
Samantha Markum’s You Wouldn’t Dare is about the risks and triumphs that come with being brave enough to take a chance at what you really want, including love."

My Review:

This is a lighthearted YA Contemporary, full of beachy summertime vibes, in which we follow Junie through a summer full of strong friendships and changing family dynamics. She is an enthusiastic theater kid and is involved in the summer's Community Theater program, to which she and her friends recruit lots of people from their high school to fill the cast of the Shakespeare comedy. Between the cast and crew, there's enough drama and comedy to create a whole second play.

Junie's busy summer also includes working at her mother's restaurant, where she is forced to spend time with Tallulah, the mother's boyfriend's daughter, as a way to manipulate the girls into getting along. Junie does get to enjoy the beach, and theater rehearsal, with her closest friends, including the handsome and witty Graham; her long-time friend and the previous summer's summer fling. Graham's family changed in a drastic way the previous summer and he and Junie are still ironing out the details of their 'friendship' or 'relationship' and it is so much fun to read!

Grab a copy on March 28, 2023!

I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

‘The Do-Over’ by Lynn Painter

5 stars!


Book Blurb:

In this riotous young adult romp for fans of Recommended for You and A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow, a teen girl has the worst Valentine’s Day ever—only to relive it over and over again.

After living through a dumpster fire of a Valentine’s Day, Emilie Hornby escapes to her grandmother’s house for some comfort and a consolation pint of Ben & Jerry’s. She passes out on the couch, but when she wakes up, she’s back home in her own bed—and it’s Valentine’s Day all over again. And the next day? Another nightmare V-Day.

Emilie is stuck in some sort of time loop nightmare that she can’t wake up from as she re-watches her boyfriend, Josh, cheat on her day after day. In addition to Josh’s recurring infidelity, Emilie can’t get away from the enigmatic Nick, who she keeps running into—sometimes literally—in unfortunate ways.

How many days can one girl passively watch her life go up in flames? And when something good starts to come out of these terrible days, what happens when the universe stops doling out do-overs?

My Review:

This is a fun and fabulous time-loop YA Contemporary read, highly recommended!

Readers follow our narrating main character, Emilie, as she re-lives Valentine's Day on a loop, trying desperately to reach February 15th. First, four major things seem to fall apart that day; with her car, her boyfriend, her summer plans, and her family. So the first time she gets to re-live the day, she tries a different approach, tries to fix something. Then she tries to fix all of the big things. Emilie is already a people-pleaser and a straight-A student, so she's resourceful and she has ideas, but it seems that the universe, and the time-loop, are out to teach her that not everything is within her control to fix.

Emilie's friends, family, and a fellow student named Nick, play major supporting roles in her day and it's really fun to watch the different interactions she has with them all. Emilie is really easy to root for.

Grab a copy on November 15th!

I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

'Begin Again' by Emma Lord

 5 stars!

Book Blurb:

“As usual, Andie Rose has a plan: Transfer from community college to the hyper competitive Blue Ridge State, major in psychology, and maintain her lifelong goal of becoming an iconic self-help figure despite the nerves that have recently thrown her for a loop. All it will take is ruthless organization, hard work, and her trademark unrelenting enthusiasm to pull it all together.

But the moment Andie arrives, the rest of her plans go off the rails. Her rocky relationship with her boyfriend Connor only gets more complicated when she discovers he transferred out of Blue Ridge to her community college. Her roommate Shay needs a major, and despite Andie’s impressive track record of being The Fixer, she’s stumped on how to help. And Milo, her coffee-guzzling grump of an R.A. with seafoam green eyes, is somehow disrupting all her ideas about love and relationships one sleep-deprived wisecrack at a time.

But sometimes, when all your plans are in rubble at your feet, you find out what you’re made of. And when Andie starts to find the power of her voice as the anonymous Squire on the school’s legendary pirate radio station–the same one her mom founded, years before she passed away–Andie learns that not all the best laid plans are necessarily the right ones.

Filled with a friend group that feels like family, an empowering journey of finding your own way, and a Just Kiss Already! romance, Begin Again is an unforgettable novel of love and starting again.”

My Review:

It has been an absolute joy to get lost in this world with these relatable, easy-to-root-for characters. As always, I love Emma Lord's writing style and will gladly read anything and everything she ever writes.

'Begin Again' is a coming-of-age story in which we follow Andie through Spring semester of her freshman year at college. She arrives at the school of her dreams with a boyfriend, a plan, and a ton of determination to make everything work. This college is where her parents met and where they left their mark, and Andie is determined to become part of the secret society that her late mother belonged to. For Andie, it's personal, it's about connecting to her past, and she has a plan to achieve it all.

Immediately, her careful plans start falling apart. But her roommate Shay becomes her BFF and their grumpy, coffee-addicted RA helps connect her with a much-needed Work Study job, and Andie discovers fun and found-family in places she wasn't expecting.

'Begin Again' is a heartwarming, fun read and it gave me all the feels. Highly recommended YA Contemporary read.  Grab a copy by January 24, 2023!

#NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

'Always the Almost' by Edward Underhill

5 stars

Book Blurb:

"A trans pianist makes a New Year's resolution on a frozen Wisconsin night to win regionals and win back his ex, but a new boy complicates things in Edward Underhill's heartfelt debut YA rom-dram, Always the Almost.

Sixteen-year-old trans boy Miles Jacobson has two New Year’s resolutions: 1) win back his ex-boyfriend (and star of the football team) Shane McIntyre, and 2) finally beat his slimy arch-nemesis at the Midwest’s biggest classical piano competition. But that’s not going to be so easy. For one thing, Shane broke up with Miles two weeks after Miles came out as trans, and now Shane’s stubbornly ignoring him, even when they literally bump into each other. Plus, Miles’ new, slightly terrifying piano teacher keeps telling him that he’s playing like he “doesn’t know who he is”—whatever that means.

Then Miles meets the new boy in town, Eric Mendez, a proudly queer cartoonist from Seattle who asks his pronouns, cares about art as much as he does—and makes his stomach flutter. Not what he needs to be focusing on right now. But after Eric and Miles pretend to date so they can score an invite to a couples-only Valentine’s party, the ruse turns real with a kiss, which is also definitely not in the plan. If only Miles could figure out why Eric likes him so much. After all, it's not like he’s cool or confident or comfortable in his own skin. He’s not even good enough at piano to get his fellow competitors to respect him, especially now, as Miles. Nothing’s ever been as easy for him as for other people—other boys. He’s only ever been almost enough.

So why, when he’s with Eric, does it feel like the only person he’s ever really not been enough for...is himself?"

My Review: 

This is a lovely coming-of-age story in which Miles, our main character, finds queer joy with the help of his piano teacher, love interest, and his friends.  He begins the New Year with two goals; to win upcoming piano competitions and to get back together with his ex-boyfriend.  Readers follow his narration as he learns more about what makes him happy and what music means to him, all while stumbling through messy friendships and relationships, as all teenagers do.

Highly recommended LGBTQIA YA Contemporary read. Out February 14th, pre-order here.

#NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

'Those Summer Nights' by Laura Silverman

5 stars!

Book Blurb:

"After recovering from a life-changing injury, a teen girl must navigate a new summer job, an ex-best friend, and two surprisingly attractive coworkers in this romp of a rom-com for fans of Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian.

Hannah used to be all about focus, back before she shattered her ankle and her Olympic dreams in one bad soccer play. These days, she’s all about distraction—anything to keep the painful memories of her recent past at bay, including the string of bad decisions that landed her at boarding school for a year.

Enter Bonanza, the local entertainment multiplex and site of Hanna’s summer employment. With its mini golf course, bowling alley, and arcade—not to mention her hot, flirty coworker Patrick—Bonanza seems like the perfect way to stay distracted. Until her boss announces the annual Bonanza tournament, a staff competition that brings her past Olympic nightmares crashing back into her present.

On top of that, the Bonanza staff includes Brie, the ex-best friend she cut off last year, and Ethan, her brother’s best friend who became unreasonably attractive in her year away and who accepts her, even knowing her worst secrets. Under the neon lights of Bonanza, Hannah must decide whether she can find a way to discover a new self in the midst of her old life."

My Review:

Excellent YA Contemporary read, full of fun summer vibes. We follow Hannah as she picks up the pieces of the previous summer when she lashed out at everyone around her after losing both her grandmother and the sport she lived for. She sets out to achieve the four goals outlined by her parents, so that she can complete her senior year of high school at her old school, rather than being sent away again.

At first, Hannah just goes through the motions; she gets a job, she's nice to her family and co-workers, and she plans to basically 'fake it' with her parents' list. Until her job and co-workers turn out to be lots of fun, and reconnecting with her brother and old friends turns out to heal the soul. And her brother's best friend? He grew up in the year she was away.

Out now! Grab a copy here

#NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

'The Make-Up Test' by Jenny L. Howe

 4.5 stars

Book Blurb:

 
“In this smart, swoony, rom-com debut from Jenny L. Howe The Make-Up Test, two college exes find themselves battling against each other―and their unresolved feelings―for a spot in a prestigious literature Ph.D. program.
 
Allison Avery loves to win. After acing every academic challenge she’s come up against, she’s finally been accepted into her dream Ph.D. program at Claymore University, studying medieval literature under a professor she’s admired for years. Sure, grad school isn’t easy—the classes are intense, her best friend is drifting away, and her students would rather pull all-nighters than discuss The Knight's Tale—but she’s got this. Until she discovers her ex-boyfriend has also been accepted. Colin Benjamin might be the only person who loves winning more than Allison does, and when they're both assigned to TA for the same professor, the game is on.

What starts as a personal battle of wits (and lit) turns into all-out war when their professor announces a career-changing research trip opportunity—with one spot to fill. Competing with Colin is as natural as breathing, and after he shattered her heart two years ago, Allison refuses to let him come out on top. But when a family emergency and a late night road trip—plus a very sexy game of Scrabble—throw them together for a weekend, she starts to wonder if they could be stronger on the same team. And if they fall for each other all over again, Allison will have to choose between a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and what could be a twice-in-a-lifetime love.
 
Charmingly bookish and unequivocally fat positive, The Make-Up Test embraces the truth that people can sometimes change and grow, even when you least expect it.”

My Review:

This is a delightful New Adult Contemporary, set in graduate school where Allison and her ex, Colin, must work together as TAs (teaching assistants) for the same professor. Competing against is each other is nothing new, but as time goes on, Allison's old feelings for Colin start coming back, and maybe he's no longer as awful as she remembers.

Grab your copy by September 13^th  

#NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

'The Liar’s Crown' by Abigail Owen

5 stars!

Book Blurb:

“One born to rule. One to forfeit…

Everything about my life is a lie. As a hidden twin princess, born second, I have only one purpose—to sacrifice my life for my sister if death comes for her. I’ve been living under the guise of a poor, obscure girl of no standing, slipping into the palace and into the role of the true princess when danger is present.

Now the queen is dead and the ageless King Eidolon has sent my sister a gift—an eerily familiar gift—and a proposal to wed. I don’t trust him, so I do what I was born to do and secretly take her place on the eve of the coronation. Which is why, when a figure made of shadow kidnaps the new queen, he gets me by mistake.

As I try to escape, all the lies start to unravel. And not just my lies. The Shadowraith who took me has secrets of his own. He struggles to contain the shadows he wields—other faces, identities that threaten my very life.

Winter is at the walls. Darkness is looming. And the only way to save my sister and our dominion is to kill Eidolon…and the Shadowraith who has stolen my heart.”

My Review:

This is a beautiful YA Fantasy read with rich world building, complex and well-developed characters, and a PG slow-burn romance. So well done, this gets all the stars! Highly recommended!

Pre-order your copy before it's release on August 30, 2022!

#TheLiarsCrown #NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. 

'The Wicked Remain' (Grimrose Girls #2) by Laura Pohl

5 enchanted stars!

Book Blurb:

“At Grimrose Académie, the fairy-tale deaths continue. And unless the curse is broken, one of the girls could be next.

Nani, Yuki, Ella, and Rory have discovered the truth about the curse that's left a trail of dead bodies at Grimrose. But the four still know nothing of its origins, or how to stop the cycle of doomed fates.

And each girl harbors her own secret. One is learning why she was brought to the school. One struggles to keep her new and deadly power under control. One knows exactly how much time she has left.

And one, trying to escape her dark destiny, will come even closer to fulfilling it.

Can the girls change their own stories and break the curse? Or must one of them die to end it forever?“

My Review:

'The Wicked Remain' contains a satisfying conclusion to the 'Grimrose Girls' duology, after our four narrators learn much more about the curse and those around them.  After the events in 'Grimrose Girls,' the wicked do, indeed, remain.  While one piece of the puzzle was resolved, the four friends have much investigating left to do, in order to discover the greater mystery of the curse that affects them all.

Once again, I enjoyed the variety of representation: F/F pairing, characters who are pan, on the ace and aro spectrums, and also chronic illness, mental health, and neurodiversity rep.

Pre-order your copy before it's release on November 1, 2022!

#NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. Read more reviews! http://dreamerjbookreviews.blogspot.com

'Violet Made of Thorns' (Violet Made of Thorns #1)

5 stars!

Book Blurb:

“A darkly enchanting fantasy debut about a morally gray witch, a cursed prince, and a prophecy that ignites their fate-twisted destinies—perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and Serpent & Dove.

Violet is a prophet and a liar, influencing the royal court with her cleverly phrased—and not always true—divinations. Honesty is for suckers, like the oh-so-not charming Prince Cyrus, who plans to strip Violet of her official role once he’s crowned at the end of the summer—unless Violet does something about it.

But when the king asks her to falsely prophesy Cyrus’s love story for an upcoming ball, Violet awakens a dreaded curse, one that will end in either damnation or salvation for the kingdom—all depending on the prince’s choice of future bride. Violet faces her own choice: Seize an opportunity to gain control of her own destiny, no matter the cost, or give in to the ill-fated attraction that’s growing between her and Cyrus.

Violet’s wits may protect her in the cutthroat court, but they can’t change her fate. And as the boundary between hatred and love grows ever thinner with the prince, Violet must untangle a wicked web of deceit in order to save herself and the kingdom—or doom them all.”

Author’s Message:

“Violet Made of Thorns is my fairytale love story for cynics. It isn't very pretty sometimes, kind of messy all of the time, but hopeful despite it all—or at least, I think so.

I wrote Violet for those who feel they only relate to the "unrelatable" characters—the ones who are too cold, too proud, too much and not enough at the same time. Violet isn't your role model or your #girlboss (one of my peeves is ambition being uncritical shorthand for "strong" among heroines, when power is complicated and rarely scrupulous); she is her own contrary character: a prickly girl carving a place for herself in a world she doesn't believe in.

That aside—the story is fun! There's banter and dramatics and princely shirts torn asunder! It borrows elements from fairytales, nods to them, and gets kind of meta with them (but it's not a retelling). As for the romance, it's a bit of an...intense love/hate situation. Think childhood it's complicated-to-it's still complicated.

Well, you'll see.”

My Review:

Excellent fantasy read, highly recommended.

This beautiful YA fantasy tale incorporates elements of the fairy tales we know and love into a unique and original magical story where it’s the not-so-charming prince that needs saving.  ‘Violet’ kept me on my toes, with a snarky, relatable narration style and a few surprise twists.  I’m excited for the next book in this series, and am looking forward to seeing what author Gina Chen writes next.

Pre-order your copy of 'Violet Made of Thorns', releasing on July 26th!

#VioletMadeofThorns #NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.