To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, book #1 by Jenny Han Realistic Fiction Romance Review #1 * * Stars (Just Ok) Lara Jean has had five crushes that actually mattered throughout her whole life. The things is, Lara Jean has never openly admitted her crushes, and when she has feelings that overwhelm her so much about her certain crush, she would write a letter to lock her … Read more
Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson Adventure Historical Fiction Realistic Fiction Romance Review #1 * * * * Stars (Great!) It’s the first World war. Hattie Inez Brooks lives with her rather harsh and VERY opinionated aunt, and her passive and a bit kinder uncle. She’s living a humdrum life, nowhere close to where she wants to be, when she gets a letter from her Uncle Chester. In it, he deeds his homestead in Montana … Read more
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz Historical Fiction LGBTQ+ Romance Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Aristotle Mendoza is angry. At 15 years old, his older brother’s in prison, his father seems a million miles away, and he wakes up every morning hoping the world will be different. Then one day he meets Dante. In Ari’s head, Dante’s a kid who’s his exact opposite. Ari … Read more
You Have a Match by Emma Lord Mystery Realistic Fiction Romance * * * Stars (Pretty good) When Abby’s best friends convince her to get a DNA test she doesn’t expect to find that she has a secret older sister. But the more she learns the more indisputable the facts are. After meeting Savannah (Savvy), who has a huge social media presence, Abby decides to attend the same summer camp where Savvy is working – … Read more
Sister of the Bollywood Bride by Nandini Bajpai Realistic Fiction Romance Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) The book “Sister of the Bollywood Bride” follows the protagonist, Mini Kapoor (short for Padmini), whose older sister Vinnie Kapoor is getting married over the summer. Vinnie is known as the over-achiever Indian daughter who is currently in the second year of her medical residency. She met her future husband there and he is named … Read more
Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor Fantasy Mystery Romance * * * Stars (Pretty good) Jani and her sister Zosa are living on their own and trying to make ends meet when Jani learns that the Hotel Magnifique (a hotel that magically travels around to different locations) is in town and that they are picking up guests and hiring staff and entertainers. She hopes that she and Zosa can work as hotel employees, but when … Read more
Twilight: The Graphic Novel Vol. 1 By Stephenie Meyer + Young Kim Graphic Novel Romance Supernatural * * * Stars (Pretty good) The graphic novel adaptation of Twilight… Bella Swan moves to Forks, Washington, after her mother remarries (to get out of her hair), and immediately becomes obsessed with fellow high school student, Edward Cullen. They are inexplicably drawn to one another and after some initial stumblings, they decide to throw caution to the wind … Read more
A Magic Steeped in Poison Book of Tea #1 by Judy Lin * * * * Stars (Great!) Tea laced with magic and a fantasy laced with romance, mystery, and suspense! Ning is competing for a court position, but she’s had to falsify some information in order to enter. She was NOT her mother’s apprentice – her sister was, but her sister is deathly ill from the same poison that ended their mother’s life. Ning … Read more
A Complicated Love Story Set in Space by Shaun David Hutchinson LGBTQ+ Mystery Romance Science Fiction Suspense Thriller * * * Stars (Pretty good) Noa wakes up in space – literally in a spacesuit floating outside a spaceship. He has no idea how he got there. At least he isn’t alone. DJ reaches out to him from the ship with some rather unfortunate news – the ship may explode if they don’t do something to … Read more
The Final Gambit The Inheritance Games #3 by Jennifer Lynne Barnes Mystery Romance Suspense Thriller * * * Stars (Pretty good) Pretty satisfying conclusion to the Inheritance Games trilogy. Avery Grambs manages to unravel the mystery surrounding her unexpected inheritance as well as survive the terms of its settlement. Family drama! Romance! Secrets! Puzzles! The game/puzzle-solving elements are fun. What will she do with the money? What would you do? It’s interesting to speculate. For … Read more