I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick

 

“What happened to Zoe won't stay buried...

When Anna Cicconi arrives to the small Hamptons village of Herron Mills for a summer nanny gig, she has high hopes for a fresh start. What she finds instead is a community on edge after the disappearance of Zoe Spanos, a local girl who has been missing since New Year's Eve. Anna bears an eerie resemblance to Zoe, and her mere presence in town stirs up still-raw feelings about the unsolved case. As Anna delves deeper into the mystery, stepping further and further into Zoe's life, she becomes increasingly convinced that she and Zoe are connected--and that she knows what happened to her.

Two months later, Zoe's body is found in a nearby lake, and Anna is charged with manslaughter. But Anna's confession is riddled with holes, and Martina Green, teen host of the Missing Zoe podcast, isn't satisfied. Did Anna really kill Zoe? And if not, can Martina's podcast uncover the truth?  - taken from Goodreads.com

First of all, this story is loosely based on Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca. Next, the points of view are Anna in the past (the summer she nannied in Herron Mils), Anna in the present, and Martina in the present. We soon learn that Anna Cicconi confesses to accidentally killing Zoe Spanos. Readers quickly realize through Anna’s past that she is having serious issues with Deja Vu and that there are plenty of secrets waiting to be uncovered. Come along for a suspenseful tale of who done it. Perfect read for fans of Holly Jackson’s A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder.

Visit Kit Frick’s website.

A Taste for Love by Jennifer Yen

 

“To her friends, high school senior Liza Yang is nearly perfect. Smart, kind, and pretty, she dreams big and never shies away from a challenge. But to her mom, Liza is anything but. Compared to her older sister Jeannie, Liza is stubborn, rebellious, and worst of all, determined to push back against all of Mrs. Yang's traditional values, especially when it comes to dating.

The one thing mother and daughter do agree on is their love of baking. Mrs. Yang is the owner of Houston's popular Yin & Yang Bakery. With college just around the corner, Liza agrees to help out at the bakery's annual junior competition to prove to her mom that she's more than her rebellious tendencies once and for all. But when Liza arrives on the first day of the bake-off, she realizes there's a catch: all of the contestants are young Asian American men her mother has handpicked for Liza to date.

The bachelorette situation Liza has found herself in is made even worse when she happens to be grudgingly attracted to one of the contestants; the stoic, impenetrable, annoyingly hot James Wong. As she battles against her feelings for James, and for her mother's approval, Liza begins to realize there's no tried and true recipe for love.” - taken from Goodreads.com

This is a cute rom-com where The Great British Baking Show meets The Bachelorette. Liza Yang is at odds with her traditional mother over her future, including who she dates. Baking is the one thing these two share a passion for. Her mother blindsides her during the family’s annual baking contest by having aloof the contestants be eligible boyfriend material. It’s not too long before one contestant catches her eye. The family dynamics round out this solid read.

Visit Jennifer Yen’s website.

Time of Our Lives by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka

“A boy desperate to hold on, a girl ready to let go.

Fitz Holton waits in fear for the day his single mother's early-onset Alzheimer's starts stealing her memory. He's vowed to stay close to home to care for her in the years to come--never mind the ridiculous college tour she's forcing him on to visit schools where he knows he'll never go. Juniper Ramirez is counting down the days until she can leave home, a home crowded with five younger siblings and zero privacy. Against the wishes of her tight-knit family, Juniper plans her own college tour of the East Coast with one goal: get out.

When Fitz and Juniper cross paths on their first college tour in Boston, they're at odds from the moment they meet-- while Juniper's dying to start a new life apart for her family, Fitz faces the sacrifices he must make for his. Their relationship sparks a deep connection--in each other's eyes, they glimpse alternate possibilities regarding the first big decision of their adult lives.

Time of Our Lives is a story of home and away, of the wonder and weight of memory, of outgrowing fears and growing into the future.” taken from Goodreads.com

I really enjoyed this story about two high school seniors as they begin to make plans for their college futures, Juniper just wants to escape from her large family while Fitz wants to cling to his mother who will eventually develop early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Bumping into each other on the first stop of their college tours, the two are intrigued enough by each other to seek each other out at their next stops. I felt that Juniper jumped from her long-time boyfriend Matt to Fitz really quickly. I also hate how the story seemed to just suddenly stop unexpectedly for me.

Visit Emily & Austin’s website.

 

Seasons of the Storm by Elle Cosimano (Seasons of the Storm book 1)

 

“One cold, crisp night, Jack Sommers was faced with a choice—live forever according to the ancient, magical rules of Gaia, or die.

Jack chose to live, and in exchange, he became a Winter—an immortal physical embodiment of the season on Earth. Every year, he must hunt the Season who comes before him. Summer kills Spring. Autumn kills Summer. Winter kills Autumn. And Spring kills Winter.

Jack and Fleur, a Winter and a Spring, fall for each other against all odds. To be together, they’ll have to escape the cycle that’s been forcing them apart. But their creator won’t let them go without a fight.” - taken from Goodreads.com

This book is seriously underrated It has a unique premise; the four Seasons, Mother Earth, and Father Time are personified. Each waning Season is killed by the upcoming one, a cycle that never ends. Forbidden from being together, Jack, a Winter, and Fleur, a Spring, fall in love and devise a plan to be with one another that throws everything into chaos.

The story continues with Seasons of Chaos on June 8, 2021.

Visit Elle Cosimano’s website.

Bone Crier’s Dawn by Kathryn Purdie (Bone Grace book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Bone Crier’s Moon, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Love is a matter of life and death.

Bone Criers have been ferrying the dead into the afterlife for centuries, a dangerous duty only possible with the powers they gain from sacrificing their amourés the men destined to love them and die. But Bone Criers Ailesse and Sabine—along with Ailesse’s love, Bastien—are working to chart their own course and rewrite the rules of the afterlife. If they don’t break the soul between Ailesse and her amouré, she could die—just as Bastien’s father did.

Sabine struggles to maintain her authority as matrone of her famille—the role always destined for her sister—even as she fights to control the violent jackal power within her.

Bastien is faced with a new dilemma as the spirits of the Underworld threaten the souls of his friends—and his father.

Ailesse attempts to resist her mother’s siren song as she’s drawn into her own version of the Underworld. How will she save her friends once she’s cut off from their world?” - taken from Goodreads.com

This title was a great wrap-up to this fantastic duology. Picking up immediately where the first book left off, our characters are trying to figure out how to get out of the mess they have found themselves thrust into. Things quickly take a turn for the worse and several bombshell secrets are revealed. A very unique story for fans of the fantasy genre. 

Visit Kathryn Purdie’s website.

Visit Charlie Bowater’s website.

Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo (King of Scars/Nikolai duology book 2) (Grishaverse book 7)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, King of Scars, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

Check out Book Series Recaps for a refresher of the first book.

Please visit the Recaptains blog if you need a refresher on the first book.

“The Demon King. As Fjerda's massive army prepares to invade, Nikolai Lantsov will summon every bit of his ingenuity and charm—and even the monster within—to win this fight. But a dark threat looms that cannot be defeated by a young king's gift for the impossible.

The Stormwitch. Zoya Nazyalensky has lost too much to war. She saw her mentor die and her worst enemy resurrected, and she refuses to bury another friend. Now duty demands she embrace her powers to become the weapon her country needs. No matter the cost.

The Queen of Mourning. Deep undercover, Nina Zenik risks discovery and death as she wages war on Fjerda from inside its capital. But her desire for revenge may cost her country its chance at freedom and Nina the chance to heal her grieving heart.

King. General. Spy. Together they must find a way to forge a future in the darkness. Or watch a nation fall.” - taken from Goodreads.com

What a way to cut my heart out and still leave me wanting more. Without spoiling any wonderous detail, the next book is going to be awesome! In the meantime, bring on the Netflix series.

Visit Leigh Bardugo’s website.

Visit the Grishaverse.

Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holy Jackson (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Pip is "not" a detective anymore.

With the help of Ravi Singh, she released a true-crime podcast about the murder case they solved together last year. The podcast has gone viral, yet Pip insists her investigating days are behind her.

But she will have to break that promise when someone she knows goes missing. Jamie Reynolds has disappeared, on the very same night the town hosted a memorial for the sixth-year anniversary of the deaths of Andie Bell and Sal Singh.

The police won't do anything about it. And if they won't look for Jamie then Pip will, uncovering more of her town's dark secrets along the way... and this time "everyone" is listening. But will she find him before it's too late?” - taken from Goodreads.com

Pip solved the mystery surrounding the death of Andi Bell and Sal Singh. It has brought her both good and bad notoriety. After completing a podcast about the case and the following court trials related to it, Pip is a bit of a celebrity. Although she wants nothing more to do with solving missing person cases, Pip soon finds herself at the heart of another disappearance when the police refuse to investigate. Toll through a current-day narrative and Pippa's podcast, readers will soon find themselves immersed in another case.