'All the Right Reasons' by Bethany Mangle

5 stars!

Book Blurb:

"The Bachelor meets Gilmore Girls in this laugh-out-loud young adult romance about a girl who joins her mother on a reality dating show for single parents—only to fall for a contestant’s son.

Cara Hawn’s life fell apart after her father cheated on her mother and got remarried to a woman Cara can’t stand. When Cara accidentally posts a rant about her father online, it goes viral—and catches the attention of the TV producers behind a new reality dating show for single parent families.

The next thing Cara and her mother know, they’ve been cast as leads on the show and are whisked away to sunny Key West where they’re asked to narrow a field of suitors and their kids down to one winning pair. All of this is outside of Cara’s comfort zone, from the meddling producers to the camera-hungry contestants, especially as Cara and her mother begin to clash on which suitors are worth keeping around. And then comes Connor.

As the son of a contestant, Connor is decidedly off-limits. Except that he doesn’t fit in with the cutthroat atmosphere in all the same ways as Cara, and she can’t get him out of her head. Now Cara must juggle her growing feelings while dodging the cameras and helping her mom pick a bachelor they both love, or else risk fracturing their family even more for the sake of ratings. Maybe there’s a reason most people don’t date on TV." 


Review:

This was a cute and fun quick read of a YA rom-com. The talented author, Bethany Mangle, is a Korean-American adoptee and has a disability called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), and it’s wonderful to see the representation in this book; the main character is biracial, and the love interest is disabled with EDS.

It was great fun to watch through Cara’s perspective as her recently divorced Mom becomes the leading lady in a dating show, where single fathers and their children compete to potentially become her new Stepdad and stepsibling. All the wild, unbelievable antics of a reality TV show mixed well with family drama and a mother-daughter relationship.

Readers with strained relationships with a parent should know that Cara’s relationship with her father is justifiably terrible.  

'All the Right Reasons' will be available on February 15, 2022.

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

'Long Story Short' by Serena Kaylor

5 stars! 

Book Blurb:

"Beatrice Quinn has spent sixteen very serious years studying to get into Oxford University. Homeschooled and a whiz at statistics, Beatrice knows that she belongs at Oxford, where she will finally find people who understand her. She thought the hardest part would be getting in, not convincing her parents to let her go. They’ve put a halt to her plans until she can prove she’s able to make friends with people her own age and function in social situations. Their solution: Shakespearean theater camp and a detailed list of teenage milestones to check off. She has six weeks to show her parents she can pull off the role of “normal” teenager and won’t spend the rest of her life hiding in a library.

Unfortunately, hearts and hormones don’t follow any rules, and there is no textbook for teenage interactions. When she’s adopted by a group of eclectic theater kids, and immediately makes an enemy of the gorgeous popular son of the camp founders, she realizes that relationships are trickier than calculus. As the summer draws to an end, and with Oxford on the line, this girl genius stumbles through illicit parties, double dog dares, and more than your fair share of Shakespeare. But before the final curtain falls, will Beatrice still feel like Oxford alone is enough?

Serena Kaylor’s debut, Long Story Short, is a fun rom-com with a whole lot of heart about friendship, first love, and learning to take a chance on yourself.''

Book Review:

This heart warming Contemporary YA read put a huge smile on my face. Highly recommended!

Beatrice is a sixteen-year-old genius whose very careful routines help to keep her anxiety at bay. Homeschooling worked out best for her, but now that she wants to attend Oxford University, her parents have concerns about her ability to socialize and be on her own.

They agree that if Beatrice can prove she can have a "normal teenage experience" while at a four-week theater camp, she can attend Oxford. She immediately gains a bestie in her roommate Mia, and Mia's camp bestie, the Nolan, takes her under his wing as well. The relationships between these three gems are truly the definition of #FriendshipGoals.

Comically, she gets off on the wrong foot with the son of the camp's owners, Nik. As lead of the play, Nik is everywhere and Beatrice finds she cannot avoid him, try as she might.

'Long Story Short' hits bookshelves on July 26, 2022.

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

'Killer Content' by Kiley Roache

 5 stars!

Book Blurb:

"Knives Out meets One of Us is Lying! In this paperback original thriller a group of famous TikTokers find themselves turning on each other when one member of the group turns up dead at their beachfront Malibu mansion.

35 million followers. One dead body.

The six teenagers who make up the Hype House seem to have it all. A beach front Malibu mansion, millions of TikTok followers, model good looks, and sponsorship deals up to $30,000 per post. Everything's pretty much a Gen-Z paradise. Except that one member of the house has just turned up dead in the infinity pool. And the rest of them are suspects.

When the group TikTok account starts posting cryptic messages about the murder, the police limit their investigation to the members of the house. Now old joke videos are filed as evidence and past rivalries start to look like motives.

As investigators dig into these influencers' lives beyond their glossy internet personalities, they discover all five had reasons their lives would've been easier with Sydney Reynolds dead. But only one of them killed her."


Review:

Fast-paced and captivating, 'Killer Content' was so good that I didn't want to put it down. Chapters flew by as I devoured the events of the hours after Sydney's death, and eventually learned details about the days leading up to it, and how each remaining member of the house came to have a motive. Chapters and narrators are clearly marked, as each person from the Lit Lair collab house shed light on what happened, the friendships and relationships between them all, and the lavish lifestyle they lead while in their beach front Malibu mansion.

Grab 'Killer Content' on November 30th!

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

'Love from Scratch' by Kaitlyn Hill

5 stars!

Book Blurb:

"This summer, Reese Camden is trading sweet tea and Southern hospitality for cold brew and crisp coastal air. She's landed her dream marketing internship at Friends of Flavor, a wildly popular cooking channel in Seattle. The only problem? Benny Beneventi, the relentlessly charming, backwards-baseball-cap-wearing culinary intern--and her main competition for the fall job.

Reese's plan to keep work a No Feelings Zone crumbles like a day-old muffin when she and Benny are thrown together for a video shoot that goes viral, making them the internet's newest ship. Audiences are hungry for more, and their bosses at Friends of Flavor are happy to deliver. Soon Reese and Benny are in an all-out food war, churning homemade ice cream, twisting soft pretzels, breaking eggs in an omelet showdown--while hundreds of thousands of viewers watch.

Reese can't deny the chemistry between her and Benny. But the more their rivalry heats up, the harder it is to keep love on the back burner..."

Review:

Really enjoyed this slow burn, friends to lovers YA Contemporary. We follow Reese as she and Benny (the other network intern) have their summer responsibilities broadened into a cooking show together. The episodes are full of food puns, witty interactions, and denied chemistry between the two, and so is their off-camera time. Though we do not get to read Benny's perspective, he is a delightful and supportive ray of sunshine. Reese though, tries her best to appear just as delightful on at work while battling sexism and gender double standards, both from network management and what she has internalized through her life experiences.

I highly recommend this PG-rated YA Contemporary to all YA readers, and think many will find it as incredibly relatable as I do.

Grab 'Love from Scratch' on April 5, 2022!

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

'Cinder the Fireplace Boy' by Ana Mardoll

 
5 stars!

Book Blurb:

"Once upon a time there lived... a beautiful prince who kissed a frog. A cinder-smudged child who hid a secret. A princess who climbed a long braid of golden hair for love. A thumb-sized boy with the courage of a giant. And a valiant little tailor whose wit was as sharp as her needle.

These stories and many more await you in this delightful collection of classic fairy tales, lovingly retold and featuring characters who receive wonderfully queer happily-ever-afters! Let these new takes on the Brothers Grimm warm your heart and nurture your yearning to see yourself reflected in beloved favorites.

Features eight original illustrations by artist Alex Dingley."


Review:

I greatly enjoyed this collection of fairy tale re-tellings!  Some stories were retold with transgender, gender-fluid, or non-binary characters, and others with gender-swapped characters.  Some stories included loving, supportive parents, and others did not.  Some stories included loving, supportive parents, and others did not.

This collection was inclusive and very well put together, with a great range of LGBTQIAP+ representation. Before each and every tale, each character's pronouns are listed, as well as any applicable content notes, which I think is a wonderful idea.

'Cinder the Fireplace Boy' will be available on January 4, 2022.

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

'One for All' by Lillie Lainoff

5 stars!

Book Blurb:

"An OwnVoices, gender-bent retelling of The Three Musketeers, in which a girl with a chronic illness trains as a Musketeer and uncovers secrets, sisterhood, and self-love.

Tania de Batz is most herself with a sword in her hand. Everyone in town thinks her near-constant dizziness makes her weak, nothing but “a sick girl”; even her mother is desperate to marry her off for security. But Tania wants to be strong, independent, a fencer like her father—a former Musketeer and her greatest champion.

Then Papa is brutally, mysteriously murdered. His dying wish? For Tania to attend finishing school. But L’Académie des Mariées, Tania realizes, is no finishing school. It’s a secret training ground for a new kind of Musketeer: women who are socialites on the surface, but strap daggers under their skirts, seduce men into giving up dangerous secrets, and protect France from downfall. And they don’t shy away from a swordfight.

With her newfound sisters at her side, Tania feels for the first time like she has a purpose, like she belongs. But then she meets Étienne, her first target in uncovering a potential assassination plot. He’s kind, charming, and breathlessly attractive—and he might have information about what really happened to her father. Torn between duty and dizzying emotion, Tania will have to lean on her friends, listen to her own body, and decide where her loyalties lie…or risk losing everything she’s ever wanted.

This debut novel is a fierce, whirlwind adventure about the depth of found family, the strength that goes beyond the body, and the determination it takes to fight for what you love."

Review:

Really enjoyed this #ownvoices gender-bent spin on 'The Three Musketeers' in which Tania, our main character, has the POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) sub-type of Dysautonomia, just as the author does. I loved the disability rep, and also the LGBTQIA+ rep and the friendships between the lady Musketeers.  

'One for All' releases on March 8, 2022.  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.

'Spin Me Right Round' by David Valdes

5 stars!

Book Blurb:

"From lauded writer David Valdes, a sharp and funny YA novel that's Back to the Future with a twist, as a gay teen travels back to his parents' era to save a closeted classmate's life.

All Luis Gonzalez wants is to go to prom with his boyfriend, something his “progressive” school still doesn't allow. Not after what happened with Chaz Wilson. But that was ages ago, when Luis's parents were in high school; it would never happen today, right? He's determined to find a way to give his LGBTQ friends the respect they deserve (while also not risking his chance to be prom king, just saying…).

When a hit on the head knocks him back in time to 1985 and he meets the doomed young Chaz himself, Luis concocts a new plan-he's going to give this guy his first real kiss. Though it turns out a conservative school in the '80s isn't the safest place to be a gay kid. Especially with homophobes running the campus, including Gordo (aka Luis's estranged father). Luis is in over his head, trying not to make things worse-and hoping he makes it back to present day at all.

In a story that's fresh, intersectional, and wickedly funny, David Valdes introduces a big-mouthed, big-hearted queer character that readers won't soon forget."

Review:

Fantastic, well-thought-out LGBTQIA+ inclusive YA Contemporary with time travel and nods to several of the greats, including 'Back to the Future' and 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.'  

Luis' narrating was top-notch; fun and easy to follow. It's also really easy to root for him and his friends, both in present-day and 1985. Cannot recommend highly enough!  

Highly recommended for Young Adult and time travel fans!  Grab 'Spin Me Right Round' on December 7, 2021.

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

'When You Get the Chance' by Emma Lord

5 stars!

Book Blurb:

"An effervescent, endearing, joyful contemporary romance of one young woman searching for her birth mother one summer, by New York Times bestselling author Emma Lord.

Nothing will get in the way of Millie Price’s dream to become a Broadway star. Not her lovable but super-introverted dad, who after raising Millie alone, doesn’t want to watch her leave home to pursue her dream. Not her pesky and ongoing drama club rival, Oliver, who is the very definition of Simmering Romantic Tension. And not the “Millie Moods,” the feelings of intense emotion that threaten to overwhelm, always at maddeningly inconvenient times. Millie needs an ally. And when a left-open browser brings Millie to her dad’s embarrassingly moody LiveJournal from 2003, Millie knows just what to do. She’s going to find her mom.

There’s Steph, a still-aspiring stage actress and receptionist at a talent agency. There’s Farrah, ethereal dance teacher who clearly doesn’t have the two left feet Millie has. And Beth, the chipper and sweet stage enthusiast with an equally exuberant fifteen-year-old daughter (A possible sister?! This is getting out of hand). But how can you find a new part of your life and expect it to fit into your old one, without leaving any marks? And why is it that when you go looking for the past, it somehow keeps bringing you back to what you’ve had all along?

Joyous, heartfelt, and brimming with emotion, WHEN YOU GET THE CHANCE is a novel about falling in love, making a mess, and learning to let go that will have you happy-sobbing and cheering all the way to the end."

Review: 

Author Emma Lord knocks it out of the park again with this fantastic YA Contemporary!  While there are gender-swapped 'Mamma Mia' aspects, YA readers who are unfamiliar with the musical will not be lost at all.  

'When You Get the Chance' is a highly entertaining enemies-to-lovers YA rom-com. Millie is wonderful narrator and lots of fun to follow.

'When You Get the Chance' releases on January 4, 2022.

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

'Awakened' by Ciara Duggan

 4 stars!

Book Blurb:

"After losing her parents in an accident only she survived, Hannah is desperate for answers. Haunted by the events of that tragic night, she struggles to move on, yearning for some deeper truth about her loss.  

But when it comes time to turn a new page and move cross country for college, she vows to leave the past behind. After all, Bellcliff University is a thousand miles away from the ghosts nipping at her heels.

Yet when Hannah accidentally awakens a handsome witch from a hidden cave near campus, she realizes he isn’t the only thing stirring out of slumber. Hannah has roused all magic…including the devil herself.  

As if spells, curses, and college jitters weren’t enough, this witch claims to know Hannah from four centuries prior—and their connection is more than casual.  

Thrust into a world of sorcery and monsters, Hannah must fight to keep the magic she’d unleashed from claiming a price far too steep for her to pay."

Review:

A solid entry in the Young Adult Paranormal genre, 'Awakened' has some 'The Vampire Diaries' vibes, which I enjoyed. We follow the main character, Hannah, as she tries to get a fresh start at a college across the country and move forward, away from grieving her parents' death. The combination of an Anthropology class project and her searching every religion for answers as part of her grief, brings her to a magical grimoire and she unknowingly awakens a witch who knew her in a past life. As they work together to stop the devil who was also accidently awakened, Hannah grows closer to this cute witch, Callan.

Highly recommended for Young Adult Paranormal fans!  Grab 'Awakened' on September 7, 2021.

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

'A Brush with Love' by Mazey Eddings

 5 stars!

Book Blurb:

"Harper is anxiously awaiting placement into a top oral surgery residency program when she crashes (literally) into Dan. Harper would rather endure a Novocaine-free root canal than face any distractions, even one this adorable.

A first-year dental student with a family legacy to contend with, Dan doesn’t have the same passion for pulling teeth that Harper does. Though he finds himself falling for her, he is willing to play by Harper’s rules.

So with the greatest of intentions and the poorest of follow-throughs, the two set out to be “just friends.” But as they get to know each other better, Harper fears that trading fillings for feelings may make her lose control and can't risk her carefully ordered life coming undone, no matter how drool-worthy Dan is.

Blood, gore, and extra-long roots? No problem. The idea of falling in love? Torture."

Review:

Really enjoyed being part of Harper and Dan's world as they got to know each other. Absolutely loved how much detail was shared about Harper's anxiety; her daily routines, sometimes all-consuming anxious thoughts, occasional panic attacks, and the ways in which anxiety impacts her life on a daily basis. It was all so realistic and relatable (to someone with an anxiety diagnosis) and though it affected all of Harper's interactions, her anxiety did not negatively impact the story at all. Dan has his own struggles, and it was wonderful to see Harper and Dan support each other.

This wonderful rom-com can be enjoyed by Adult Contemporary and Romance readers, and also upper Young Adult Contemporary readers. Though the characters are in their mid-twenties, this is set at a college (dental school), with family expectations and interference by hilariously nosey friends.  

'A Brush With Love' releases on March 1, 2022.

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

'Cursed Beauty' by Stacey O'Neale

 

4 stars!

Book Blurb:

"The day has come for sixteen-year-old Aurora to receive her witch mark. She should be thrilled. But unlike the rest of her coven, a centuries-old family curse has already decided her fate; the cost of her new power is her life.  

After the ceremony, her grandmother offers her hope: Aurora can save herself and prevent her coven from dying by awakening a sleeping prince with the power to break her curse. Unfortunately, she must travel through the forbidden Shadowlands to reach him.

The enchanted forest is filled with magical creatures—friends and foes—including the mysterious son of a powerful wolf pack leader. Can she find the prince in time, and if she succeeds, will he choose to help despite having been placed under the sleeping spell?"


Review:

Start with 'Sleeping Beauty'  

Swap genders, remove Maleficent 

Make Aurora a witch with magic

Send her to travel through an enchanted forest to break a curse 

Add shifters, magical creatures and a sleeping vampire prince  

Result = 'Cursed Beauty' is a well done fairy tale retelling making for an enjoyable quick read for fairy tale and fantasy fans.

'Cursed Beauty' will be available on August 30th as part of the Amazon Kindle program and wherever physical books are sold.

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

'This May End Badly' by Samantha Markum

 4.5 stars!

Book Blurb:

"Pranking mastermind Doe and her motley band of Weston girls are determined to win the century-long war against Winfield Academy before the clock ticks down on their senior year. But when their headmistress announces that The Weston School will merge with its rival the following year, their longtime feud spirals into chaos.

To protect the school that has been her safe haven since her parents’ divorce, Doe puts together a plan to prove once and for all that Winfield boys and Weston girls just don’t mix, starting with a direct hit at Three, Winfield’s boy king and her nemesis. In a desperate move to win, Doe strikes a bargain with Three’s cousin, Wells: If he fake dates her to get under Three’s skin, she’ll help him get back his rightful family heirloom from Three.

As the pranks escalate, so do her feelings for her fake boyfriend, and Doe spins lie after lie to keep up her end of the deal. But when a teacher long suspected of inappropriate behavior messes with a younger Weston girl, Doe has to decide what’s more important: winning a rivalry, or joining forces to protect something far more critical than a prank war legacy.

This May End Badly is a story about friendship, falling in love, and crossing pretty much every line presented to you—and how to atone when you do."

Review:

Really enjoyed the ride, following prank mastermind Doe and her clever friends in their feud against 'the boys' of the nearby rival elite boarding school. They've all set out to prove to both administrations that Weston girls and Winfield boys are seriously against their schools merging, with some rather creative methods. Elite boarding schools with rich histories and traditions was the perfect setting for unsupervised shenanigans.

I loved the slow burn, enemies-to-lovers after fake-dating between Doe and Wells, and all the ways this affected Doe's group of friends and Wells' complicated family life. These characters are all well-developed and have realistic and relatable reactions to things. I also really appreciated that both Doe and Wells' parents were loving and supportive, despite some dysfunction between cousins and other relatives.

'This May End Badly' is out on April 12, 2022

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

Fools In Love: Fresh Twists on Romantic Tales - Edited by Rebecca Podos

4 stars

Book Blurb:

"Join fifteen bestselling, award-winning, and up-and-coming authors as they reimagine some of the most popular tropes in the romance genre.  

Fake relationships. Enemies to lovers. Love triangles and best friends, mistaken identities and missed connections. This collection of genre-bending and original stories celebrates how love always finds a way, featuring powerful flora, a superhero and his nemesis, a fantastical sled race through snow-capped mountains, a golf tournament, the wrong ride-share, and even the end of the world. With stories written by Rebecca Barrow, Ashley Herring Blake, Gloria Chao, Mason Deaver, Sara Farizan, Claire Kann, Malinda Lo, Hannah Moskowitz, Natasha Ngan, Rebecca Podos, Lilliam Rivera, Laura Silverman, Amy Spalding, Rebecca Kim Wells, and Julian Winters this collection is sure to sweep you off your feet."

Review:

There is something for everyone to enjoy in this collection of LGBTQIA+ inclusive Young Adult short stories, which re-imagine popular tropes in Contemporary, Sci-fi, and Fantasy books.

My Favorites:

What Makes Us Heroes by Julian Winters 

And by Hannah Moskowitz 

My Best Friend's Girl by Sara Farizan 

The Passover Date by Laura Silverman 

Boys Noise by Mason Deaver

'Fools In Love' will be available on December 7, 2021

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

'Out of Character' (True Colors #2) by Annabeth Albert

4 stars

Book Blurb:

"It's friends-to-enemies-to-friends-to-lovers in this LGBTQIA+ Romance for fans of Red, White & Royal Blue and The Pros of Cons who enjoy:

• Ex-best-friends falling in love 

• Gaming, conventions, fandom & cosplay 

• Nerd culture at its finest 

• Learning how to be true to yourself

Jasper Quigley is tired of being everyone's favorite sidekick. He wants to become the hero of his own life, but that's not going to happen if he agrees to help out his former best friend turned king of the jocks, Milo Lionetti. High school was miserable enough, thanks, and Jasper has no interest in dredging up painful memories of his old secret crush.

But Milo's got nowhere else to go. His life is spiraling out of control and he's looking to turn things back around. Step one? Replace the rare Odyssey cards he lost in an idiotic bet. Step two? Tell his ex-best-friend exactly how he feels—how he's always felt.

Jasper may be reluctant to reopen old wounds, but he never could resist Milo. There's a catch, though: if Milo wants his help, he's going to have to pitch in to make the upcoming children's hospital charity ball the best ever. But as the two don cosplay for the kids and hunt for rare cards, nostalgia for their lost friendship may turn into something even more lasting..."

Review:

Great second entry in the True Colors series.  

Set in a fictional college town in New Jersey, our two main characters were best friends in childhood, then turned enemies when Milo's friends and family couldn't accept Jasper even hinting at being gay. Rather than defend Jasper, Milo remained silent and Jasper had the good sense to end their friendship. Years later, Milo needs the type of help only Jasper can provide; he gambled away expensive, rare Odyssey cards that didn't even belong to him. Not only is Jasper a whiz at internet research, but he also works at the local comic-book shop which hosts table top gaming.

My favorite thing about 'Out of Character' is the familiarity between Jasper and Milo. They grew up in each other's houses, with each other's sibling madness, and it shows. They take turns narrating the chapters and their memories of time previously spent together clearly affects their present-day interactions. Watching Milo's hard outward persona soften up and treating Jasper right was very satisfying, and I found Jasper to be incredibly sweet and easy to root for.

This is a slow-burn, former best friends-to-lovers tale with minimal, PG-13 heat. It’s technically classified as New Adult due to the main characters being in their early 20’s but I am comfortable recommending this to mature YA readers (and gaming fans) who have seen the trigger warning and want to read former best friends get together.  

'Out of Character' is available on July 6, 2021.  Please note: Trigger warnings for homophobia and bullying.

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

'If This Gets Out' by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich

5 stars!

Book Blurb:

"Eighteen-year-olds Ruben Montez and Zach Knight are two members of the boy-band Saturday, one of the biggest acts in America. Along with their bandmates, Angel Phan and Jon Braxton, the four are teen heartbreakers in front of the cameras and best friends backstage. But privately, cracks are starting to form: their once-easy rapport is straining under the pressures of fame, and Ruben confides in Zach that he’s feeling smothered by management’s pressure to stay in the closet.

On a whirlwind tour through Europe, with both an unrelenting schedule and minimal supervision, Ruben and Zach come to rely on each other more and more, and their already close friendship evolves into a romance. But when they decide they’re ready to tell their fans and live freely, Zach and Ruben start to truly realize that they will never have the support of their management. How can they hold tight to each other when the whole world seems to want to come between them?"

Review:

As usual, both Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich have done a wonderful job of bringing their characters to life. Our two main characters, Zack and Ruben, alternate narrating each chapter, and it's clear to see how much fun the authors had while writing their story. Fans of writing by Sophie and/or Cale may be able to identify which perspective was written by whom.

This story is so many things, a coming out story, a coming of age story, as well as a light cast on boybands and the music industry, highlighting the lack of control performers have over their public persona, their wardrobe, and their time. 'ITGO' does not contain any forced outings, but does contain forced-closeting.

As usual with a Sophie or Cale book, I could not put it down, and wanted to re-read it the moment I finished. This book is perfect for fans of YA contemporary, and LGBTQIA+ contemporary. 'ITGO' is for all fans of any young musical act which goes on tour; could be any boyband or any musical dance group; this is not specifically tied to any single group out there, nor is it an attempt to mirror any real-life performers.

Cover art by the amazing Sophie Gonzales!

Grab 'If This Gets Out' on December 7th.

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

'The Grimrose Girls' (Grimrose Girls #1) by Laura Pohl

 4.5 stars

Book Blurb:

"The Descendants meets Pretty Little Liars.  

Four troubled friends, One murdered girl... and a dark fate that may leave them all doomed.

After the mysterious death of their best friend, Ella, Yuki, and Rory are the talk of their elite school, Grimrose Académie. The police ruled it a suicide, but the trio are determined to find out what really happened.

When Nani Eszes arrives as their newest roommate, it sets into motion a series of events they couldn't have imagined. As the girls retrace their friend's last steps, they uncover dark secrets about themselves and their destinies, discovering they're all cursed to repeat the brutal and gruesome endings to their stories until they can break the cycle.

This contemporary take on classic fairytales reimagines heroines as friends attending the same school. While investigating the murder of their best friend, they uncover connections to their ancient fairytale curses and attempt to forge their own fate before it's too late."


Review:

Really enjoyed this well written thriller/mystery spin of a fairy tale re-telling with a full LGBTQIA+ cast.  The 4 leading ladies alternate narrating the chapters, so we see 4 unique perspectives, including how each girl's fairy tale affects their feelings and actions.  It was fun to guess which fairy tale was associated with each character, including beyond the 4 narrators.  It was also great to see so much representation: F/F pairing, characters who are pan, on the ace and aro spectrums, and also chronic illness, mental health, and neurodiversity.  A boarding school was the perfect setting for a thriller/mystery and though part of the mystery is resolved in a satisfying way, there is still a larger mystery at play.  Looking forward to the next book in this series.

Grab a copy of  'The Grimrose Girls' on August 1st.

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

'The Pick-Up' by Miranda Kenneally

 

4 stars

Book Blurb:

"When Mari hails a rideshare to a music festival, the last thing she expects is for the car to pick up a gorgeous guy along the way. Mari doesn't believe in dating--it can only end with a broken heart. Besides, she's only staying at her dad's house in Chicago for the weekend. How close can you get to a guy in three days?

TJ wants to study art in college, but his family's expectations cast a long shadow over his dreams. When he meets Mari in the back of a rideshare, he feels alive for the first time in a long time.

Mari and TJ enter the festival together and share an electric moment but get separated in a crowd with seemingly no way to find each other. When fate reunites them (with a little help from a viral hashtag), they'll have to decide: was it love at first sight, or the start of nothing more than a weekend fling?"

Review:

At first glance, 'The Pick-Up' is a quick and fluffy read, where two teens meet and get separated at a huge music festival. But there is more substance to Mari and TJ's story. In the alternating chapters narrated by each of them, readers gain insight to their home lives, their families, and how they've come to think the way they do about relationships and the future. Author Miranda Kenneally highlights consent and compassion, as Mari and TJ support each other through some family stuff, all while figuring out how they feel about each other, and if this new-found attraction can last longer than one weekend.  

Pick up 'The Pick-Up' on September 1st.

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

'Never Saw You Coming' by Erin Hahn

5 stars!

Book Blurb:

"Raised by conservative parents, 18-year-old Meg Hennessey just found out her entire childhood was a lie. Instead of taking a gap year before college to find herself, she ends up traveling north to meet what’s left of the family she never knew existed.

While there, she meets Micah Allen, a former pastor’s kid whose dad ended up in prison, leaving Micah with his own complicated relationship about the church. The clock is ticking on Pastor Allen’s probation hearing and Micah, now 19, feels the pressure to forgive - even when he can’t possibly forget.

As Meg and Micah grow closer, they are confronted with the heavy flutterings of first love and all the complications it brings. Together, they must navigate the sometimes-painful process of cutting ties with childhood beliefs as they build toward something truer and straight from the heart.

In Erin Hahn’s Never Saw You Coming, sometimes it takes a leap of faith to find yourself. "

Review:

Wonderful YA/NA contemporary about self-discovery. Readers follow Vada’s bestie, Meg, from ‘More Than Maybe’ and newcomer Micah on their paths to self-discovery and finding happiness with each other. Both have had their worlds forever shifted by their parents’ actions and are figuring out how to balance expectations put on them by their families, their church communities, and society at large.

‘Never Saw You Coming’ can stand on it’s own, even if you haven’t read Erin Hahn’s excellent ‘More Than Maybe.’ You also don’t need to be part of a church community to enjoy this book.

Grab a copy on September 7, 2021. 

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

'The Love Song of Ivy K. Harlowe' by Hannah Moskowitz

4 stars

Book Blurb:

"Ivy K. Harlowe is a lot of things.

She’s my best friend.

She’s the center of attention.

She is, without fail, the hottest girl in the room. Anytime. Anyplace.

She has freckles and dimples and bright green eyes, and with someone else’s energy she’d be adorable. But there is nothing cute about Ivy. She is ice and hot metal and electricity.

She is the girl who every lesbian wants, but she has never been with the same person twice. She’s one-of-a-kind but also predictable, so I will always be Andie, her best friend, never Andie, her girlfriend.

Then she meets Dot, and Ivy does something even I would have never guessed—she sees Dot another day. And another. And another.

Now my world is slowly going up in smoke, and no matter what I do, the flames grow higher. She lit that match without knowing who or what it would burn.

Ivy K. Harlowe is a lot of things.

But falling in love wasn’t supposed to be one of them…unless it was with me.”

Review:

 'The Love Song of Ivy K. Harlowe' features an all-queer cast and incredibly tasteful disability and mental illness rep, and is the perfect New Adult read for every introvert (or somewhat quiet extrovert) with a loud and flashy extrovert best friend.  This story is all about Ivy, beautiful and desirable Ivy, with her one-night stands and her new maybe-relationship with Dot, and the family issues she hides from almost everyone - narrated by Andie.  

Best friends since childhood, Andie loves that she is the only person allowed to see the real Ivy, to know the family drama and all the complicated things that make up Ivy, rather than the fake show Ivy puts on for everyone else.  She's even in love with Ivy and firmly believes that once Ivy gets certain things out of her system and is ready to settle down, it'll be Ivy + Andie forever.  Reader, if you've had a loud and flashy extrovert best friend, you may see where this is headed.  You may very well know how Andie feels at certain parts throughout this book.  This is well-written, relatable content (even if you did not have a crush on that extravert bestie.)

'The Love Song of Ivy K. Harlowe' will be available on June 1, 2021

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

'Temper the Flame' by Jade Church

 

Book Blurb:

"A curse. A betrayal. A love that could break her.  

When Ivy is taken to a compound outside of London to meet with a group of angels, she thinks she's going mad. Faced with the truth of powers she never knew she had and a world much bigger than she realised, her life couldn't be more complicated. Or so she thought. When Devlin crashes into her life, Ivy must decide what is more important: finding the love, passion and adventure she'd never allowed herself to dream about, or protecting her heart. She could have everything she never knew she wanted... if she only dared to let someone in. Caring makes us vulnerable, but when everything Ivy believes is pushed to the limit, who will be by her side to see her through the dark?"

Review:

A solid entry in the New Adult Paranormal Romance genre, 'Temper the Flame' sets a fast pace as a feisty psychic gets wrapped up in the hidden world of fallen angels and their goal to prevent Earth from being destroyed by the same angel-gone-bad who cast them out of Heaven. Buckle up for this one!  

'Temper the Flame' will be available on June 20, 2021.

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

‘Shattered Souls’ (Flames of Time #3) by Erica Lucke Dean

5 stars!

Book Blurb:

 “Don’t miss the explosive conclusion to the Flames of Time trilogy.

Ava Flynn walked through flames to erase the past and bring her little brother, Josh, back from the dead. But the reboot doesn’t come without strings. While navigating her new reality, Ava must avoid Maddox... without fracturing the timeline. If she fails, she may never find Laith again.

With her own heart at stake, Ava scours time for the key to unraveling the curse binding her soul to both Laith’s and Maddox’s. One brother is the love of her life. And the other... Not even death will stop him from keeping them apart.

As Ava’s present collides with the brothers’ pasts, she discovers that breaking the curse might have unintended consequences. And this time, her soul isn’t the only one on the line.”

Review:

Such an amazing conclusion to this trilogy!  ‘Shattered Souls’ will shatter your heart and then put it back together again, in the best way.

I loved being back in Ava’s world, following as her story re-set to the beginning, to when readers first met her.  She retains the memories of what happened before she walked through flames to re-set her timeline but no other characters do, not even her time-traveling soul mates.  Having knowledge of the future could be an advantage, but it only gets her so far, since she makes different choices and has a different goal than before.  Watching these differences play out is one of the things I enjoyed most about this trilogy’s conclusion.

My absolute favorite thing about this book is that it is partially narrated by Laith.  Author Erica Lucke Dean chose perfectly which scenes to share Laith’s thoughts and feelings with readers.

The careful planning and attention to detail that went into crafting the story of these soul mates is clear for readers to see.  I love how creative Dean got with the curse, the timelines, and the characters, throughout the entire series, and how beautifully everything comes together in its conclusion.  At long last, the details of the curse are all laid out and explained to Ava, and it is worth the wait.

I enjoyed ‘Shattered Souls’ so much that I read it through once, then re-read certain key scenes and character interactions.  After re-reading ‘Splintered Souls’ and ‘Shattered Souls’ to refresh my memory before diving into the trilogy’s conclusion, I am happy to say that everything checks out; the time-travel math adds up perfectly, and Ava got the perfect ending she deserved after all she’s been through.

As usual, Erica Lucke Dean’s writing flows wonderfully.  In the days since I finished this book, I’ve missed both her writing style and these characters.  I can’t believe the Flames of Time series is over and I will definitely be re-reading this trilogy in the future.

‘Shattered Souls’ will be available on May 18, 2021.

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

‘The Summer of Broken Rules’ by K. L. Walther

5 killer stars!

Book Blurb:

“Meredith Fox has been going to Martha's Vineyard for the summer as long as she can remember. But this summer is the first one back since the death of Meredith's sister. It will all be overwhelming, but even more since the entire extended family will be together for her cousin's big wedding.

Unfortunately, Meredith's longtime boyfriend unexpectedly dumped her two weeks before the wedding, leaving her dateless. Luckily, she has the perfect distraction. Her family has a tradition of playing the ultimate game of Assassin every summer, and this year it will take place during the week of wedding festivities.

But her target just happens to be a very cute groomsman. She's determined to not let herself get distracted, not let herself be lost in another doomed relationship. But as the week progresses, she can't help falling for him, which may cost her not only the game, but also her heart.

Perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Katie Cotugno, this is a story of loss, romance, and the time it takes to become who you really want to be.”

Review:

‘The Summer of Broken Rules’ has so much to offer, I hope this review can do it justice.  It is brilliantly written with witty banter, clever dialog, a fully fleshed-out whirlwind new romance, and so much more.  Author K. L. Walther creates the perfect storm in which Meredith and Wit become tangled up in each other’s lives and it’s so easy to root for them as they fall for each other.  Walther expertly entwines the detailed threads of young love, self-discovery, large family gatherings, and a wide-spread game of Assassin, with all the best parts of a summer vacation.

I love being inside Meredith’s head – love her narrating through memories of prior summers, the loving moments between sisters including snarky moments, her feelings towards her family, friends, and her crush on Wit.

This book is also a wonderful illustration of how loved ones who’ve passed away too soon are “always with us.”  There are numerous ways in which Meredith feels her sister Claire’s presence, both on her own and with the help of family and friends pointing it out to her.  This is a truly lovely way to share the story of a main character who is still reeling from losing her sister, but is starting to find her way back to joy – with the memory of her sister by her side helping her find happiness, rather than despite her recent loss.

This book handles grief over a loved one spectacularly well without taking anything away from the light-hearted, comedic, or romantic aspects of this book.  Meredith’s older sister, Claire, had passed away approximately a year and a half before this story begins, and so while we don’t see Meredith and her family process fresh, brand-new grief, we do follow how they’re doing after some aspects of life have gone “back to normal.”  Grief does not go away overnight, and this book handles that beautifully.

Claire is in Meredith’s every memory of the island they’ve spent all their summer vacations on.  Claire is in her thoughts in every chapter of this book, and is discussed between characters many times throughout.  Meredith discovers that Claire is, indeed, still with her in most things she does on the island.

Claire was the reigning champion of the family’s massive summer game of Assassin played each year.  This year’s game is dedicated to Claire and will be played to honor her memory during a busy week of festivities leading up to a cousin’s wedding.  By strategizing and taking a more active role than usual, Meredith finds greater enjoyment in the game and feels closer to her sister.

‘The Summer of Broken Rules’ brought back wonderful memories of summer moments, and can do the same for you!  We follow Meredith through many scenes on hikes, at the beach, a pond, a nearby town, driving over sand in Jeep-type vehicles – there’s a scene for every reader to connect with and fondly remember our own joys under the sun.

While the scenery is a wonderful jog down memory lane, the fully fleshed-out characters and plotline are even more amazing.  The attention paid to the little details, such as side characters with their own goals and relationships, help bring the summer atmosphere to life.

‘The Summer of Broken Rules’ will be available on May 4, 2021.

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

‘Tink and Wendy’ by Kelly Ann Jacobson

5 stars

 Book Blurb:

“What happens when Tinker Bell is in love with both Peter Pan and Wendy? In this sparkling re-imagining of Peter Pan, Peter and Wendy’s granddaughter Hope Darling finds the reclusive Tinker Bell squatting at the Darling mansion in order to care for the graves of her two lost friends after a love triangle gone awry. As Hope wins the fairy’s trust, Tink tells her the truth about Wendy and Peter—and her own role in their ultimate fate. Told in three alternating perspectives—past, present, and excerpts from a book called Neverland: A History written by Tink’s own fairy godmother—this queer adaptation is for anyone who has ever wondered if there might have been more to the story of Tinker Bell and the rest of the Peter Pan legend.”

Review:

I spent most of a Saturday devouring the entirety of 'Tink and Wendy' and really enjoyed this re-telling of 'Peter Pan'.  Readers get to follow Tink’s actions and thoughts in the modern day real world, as well as memories in both the real world and Neverland.

This is a deeply emotional re-telling; there are fun adventures in Neverland, flirting and young love, but this tale also has some somber aspects, including grief and mourning of loved ones.  Though there’s a happy ending, it takes most of the book to get there.  It takes a swift kick in the butt from Hope Darling, for a moody and depressed Tink to get there.

The story is told through three alternating perspectives, including both past and present narrated by Tink in third person subjective.  The third perspective, “excerpts from a book called Neverland: A History written by Tink’s own fairy godmother” provides light-hearted and sometimes humorous world-building, and explains how Neverland, with its magic and traditions, came into existence. 

 Trigger warning for grief and mourning of loved ones.

‘Tink and Wendy’ will be available on October 26, 2021.  Highly recommended LGBTQIA YA Contemporary re-telling of ‘Peter Pan.’   

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

‘One Last Stop’ by Casey McQuiston

 

5 stars
 
Book Blurb:
 
“For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don't exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can't imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there's certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures.
 
But then, there's this gorgeous girl on the train.
 
Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile, showing up in a leather jacket to save August's day when she needed it most. August's subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there's one big problem: Jane doesn't just look like an old school punk rocker. She's literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her. Maybe it's time to start believing in some things, after all.”
 
 
 
Review:
 
Casey McQuiston has delivered yet another brilliant, 5-star book with a fun and relatable LGBTQIA+ cast.
 
I love that most characters, if not all, are part of the LGBTQIA+ community, and that differences are celebrated.  August discovers a truly amazing “found family” in her 3 roommates.
 
Though there was no time travel involved, August’s love interest, Jane, is displaced from the 1970’s and has been riding the subway every day since that displacement.  Jane’s collection of ‘stuff’ stored in her backpack brings a touch of history to this book.  Also, Jane is absolutely adorable when trying to figure out how to use a cell phone.
 
There’s a lot to love here; the found family, the mystery of who Jane is, everyone pitching in to save a beloved neighborhood diner.  I can feel the sense of community and belonging just jumping off the pages, it’s quite comforting.
 
Highly recommended LGBTQIA New Adult Contemporary read.
 
‘One Last Stop’ will be available on June 1, 2021 – run, don’t walk!
 
#NetGalley - I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s.

'That Way Madness Lies' by Dahlia Adler

5 stars!

Blurb:

"Fifteen acclaimed YA writers put their modern spin on William Shakespeare’s celebrated classics!  

West Side Story. 10 Things I Hate About You. Kiss Me, Kate. Contemporary audiences have always craved reimaginings of Shakespeare’s most beloved works. Now, some of today’s best writers for teens take on the Bard in these 15 whip-smart and original retellings!

Contributors include Dahlia Adler (reimagining The Merchant of Venice), Kayla Ancrum (The Taming of the Shrew), Lily Anderson (As You Like It), Patrice Caldwell (Hamlet), Melissa Bashardoust (A Winter’s Tale), Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy (Much Ado About Nothing), Brittany Cavallaro (Sonnet 147), Joy McCullough (King Lear), Anna-Marie McLemore (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Samantha Mabry (Macbeth), Tochi Onyebuchi (Coriolanus), Mark Oshiro (Twelfth Night), Lindsay Smith (Julius Caesar), Kiersten White (Romeo and Juliet), and Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka (The Tempest)"

Review:

All of the Shakespeare re-imaginings were quite good. My favorites:  

The Tempest - "Severe Weather Warning" by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka 

Taming of the Shrew - "Taming of the Soul Mate" by K. Ancrum 

Merchant of Venice - "I Bleed" by Dahlia Adler 

Romeo and Juliet - "Partying is Such Sweet Sorrow" by Kiersten White - this entry had me laughing so hard!

'That Way Madness Lies'

Cover Reveal: 'A Bargain of Blood & Gold' by Kristin Jacques

A Bargain of Blood & Gold by Kristin Jacques
Published by: City Owl Press
Publication date: June 15, 2021
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance 

Synopsis:

A novice vampire hunter with a mission. A three-hundred-year-old vampire with a strong sense of irony. A town plagued by otherworldly creatures they must save.

When Johnathan Newman arrives alone in the isolated lumber town of Cress Haven, Maine, the last thing he expects is for his life to be irrevocably changed. Sent by the Society, a clandestine league of vampire hunters, to investigate a string of murders and disappearances among the town’s young women, the grisly state of the recovered bodies most certainly points to a vampire lurking amid the townsfolk. Johnathan’s attempts to enlist the locals leads him to an unlikely partnership with the alluring Vic, the town’s most eligible, if enigmatic, bachelor.

As the pair work to solve the mystery, Vic’s own secrets come back to bite him. Revealed, the vampire fights his growing attraction to a man trained to destroy him at whatever cost. But he is not alone. Johnathan’s confusing emotions land him in the middle of forbidden desires. Forbidden not only by those who created him, but by his heart itself. Even if Vic isn’t the murderer Johnathan seeks, how can he yearn for a creature who should be his natural enemy?

With an evil presence creeping through Cress Haven and inhabiting its citizens, the two men must suffer their feelings and walk together into the unknown. As Vic leads Johnathan into encounters with terrifying beings straight from children’s stories, Johnathan learns that not only is the world far stranger than he knew, but that the Society he has trusted has far more disturbing intentions for the invading creatures than he imagined. Intentions that will place hunter and vampire at the center of a conflict between realms.

Unfortunately, Cress Haven holds far more sinister secrets than its resident vampire, a secret so great, it could unleash Hell itself. 

For fans of Gail Carriger’s Supernatural Society, The Charm of Magpies series by KJ Charles, Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh, and The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee.

Add to Goodreads


Author Bio: 

Kristin Jacques is an author from small town New England. She grew up in the sticks, surrounded by river wildlife and various swamp inhabitants. Somehow she managed to keep all her toes, despite a run in with a snapper or two. 

She lives with her husband and sons in another small New England town. She is mighty attached to them. When not writing, she is likely reading, watching a terrific B-Horror flick, or further spoiling the family cats. Sometimes she has blue hair.


Author Links:
Kristin Jacques website
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