Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle & Katherine Webber (Twin Crowns book 1)

“Wren Greenrock has always known that one day she would steal her sister’s place in the palace. Trained from birth to return to the place of her parents’ murder and usurp the only survivor, she will do anything to rise to power and protect the community of witches she loves. Or she would, if only a certain palace guard wasn’t quite so distractingly attractive, and if her reckless magic didn’t have a habit of causing trouble…

Princess Rose Valhart knows that with power comes responsibility. Marriage into a brutal kingdom awaits, and she will not let a small matter like waking up in the middle of the desert in the company of an extremely impertinent (and handsome) kidnapper get in the way of her royal duty. But life outside the palace walls is wilder and more beautiful than she ever imagined, and the witches she has long feared might turn out to be the family she never knew she was missing.

Two sisters separated at birth and raised into entirely different worlds are about to get to know each other’s lives a whole lot better. But as coronation day looms closer and they each strive to claim their birthright, the sinister Kingsbreath, Willem Rathborne, becomes increasingly determined that neither will succeed. Who will ultimately rise to power and wear the crown?” - taken from Goodreads.

This was an incredible story of twin sisters separated at birth after the murder of their parents. Rose is raised as the princess she was born to be while Wren was raised by her witch grandmother in order to take back the crown and avenge the death of her parents. When Rose is kidnapped and Wren takes her place, the true depth of deception in the kingdom unravels.

Will the sisters join forces to take back the throne or do they battle one another for the kingdom? 

Visit Catherine Doyle’s website.

Visit Katherine Webber’s website.

 

When You Get the Chance by 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?” - taken from Goodreads.

Mamma Mia with a gender switch. Millie Price, aspiring Broadway star is on a quest to find her mother. She has her sights set on a prestigious pre-college preparatory program, at the school 3,000 mi away from home. The only thing she knows about her mother is that she left her as a baby with her college student father to raise. After finding a Live Journal blog that her father wrote before her birth, she makes a plan to find the three women he wrote about. At the first stop on her journey, she runs into her high school nemesis, Oliver, where they both compete for an internship. Throughout her journey, Millie realizes that her plan to find her mother isn’t simple, Oliver really isn’t against her, and discovers along the way that her dreams can take many different paths. A wonderful, heartfelt story that’s worth the read.

Visit Emma Lord’s website.

Nightrender by Jodi Meadows (Salvation Cycle book 1)

 

“In the middle of nothingness is the continent of Salvation.

Reality bends easily here. Villages disappear. Forests burn forever. Pockets of inconsistent time are everywhere, their boundaries strung with yellow ribbon. And the three kingdoms of Salvation have been at war for a thousand years.

But the greatest threat is the Malice, an incursion from the demon plane slowly tearing its way through the world's weakest seams. Seams that--once split--will lead to the total unraveling of night and day, light and dark, life and death.

Not that the human world takes much interest. Of more concern is the upcoming marriage of Rune Highcrown, Prince of Caberwill, and Johanne Fortuin, Princess of Embria--the serpent bride, a girl of famous cunning--which offers a possible end to the ancient conflict. But Rune has noticed the growing darkness, and he is determined to summon mankind's only defense: Nightrender, the hammer of the gods, an immortal warrior more weapon than girl.

There is only one problem. The last time she was summoned, she slaughtered every royal in Salvation, and no one knows why. Will she save humanity from the Malice... or plunge it deeper into the fires of eternal war?” - taken from Goodreads

A great start to a new fantasy trilogy that ends in a cliffhanger. Definitely a unique plot that contains a love/hate/user triangle that allows the reader to get insight into all three of the main characters. A highly recommended suggestion from a student who loves fantasy.

Book two in the Salvation Cycle, Dawnbreaker, is expected in 2023.

Visit Jodi Meadows’ website.

Year on Fire by Julie Buxbaum

 

“Can a single kiss change everything?

It was a year on fire. They fell in love. Someone was bound to get burned.

The Spark: Just days before the start of junior year for twins Arch and Immie and their best friend, Paige, a spontaneous kiss shakes the very foundation of their friendship. But some ties run too deep to be broken by accidental betrayal.

The Fuel: Enter Rohan, new to Wood Valley High by way of London, who walks into school on the first day completely overwhelmed by his sudden move halfway around the world. When Paige calls dibs on him—he’s too cute to ignore—Immie is in no position to argue, certainly not after taking the fall for the disloyal kiss. Too bad for Immie that Ro feels like the best kind of familiar.

The Kindling: Former lab partners Arch and Jackson, Paige’s ex-boyfriend, have never considered themselves more than friends. But sometimes feelings can grow like wildfire.

The Flames: When the girls’ bathroom at Wood Valley is set ablaze, no one doubts it’s arson. But in this bastion of privilege, who’d be angry enough to want to burn down the school? Answer: pretty much everyone.” - taken from Goodreads.

Once again, another fabulous read from Julie Buxbaum, There are a couple of Easter eggs sprinkled in the story for fans of her previous books. A complicated love/friendship triangle/pentagon takes center stage in the plot of this story. Stick with this one until the end to see who the arsonist is.

Visit Julie Buxbaum’s website.

A Magic Steeped in Poison by July I. Lin (Book of Tea book 1)

 

“I used to look at my hands with pride. Now all I can think is, "These are the hands that buried my mother."

For Ning, the only thing worse than losing her mother is knowing that it's her own fault. She was the one who unknowingly brewed the poison tea that killed her—the poison tea that now threatens to also take her sister, Shu.

When Ning hears of a competition to find the kingdom's greatest shennong-shi—masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making—she travels to the imperial city to compete. The winner will receive a favor from the princess, which may be Ning's only chance to save her sister's life.

But between the backstabbing competitors, bloody court politics, and a mysterious (and handsome) boy with a shocking secret, Ning might actually be the one in more danger.” - taken from Goodreads

I loved how this fantasy read had a unique twist, magic through the power of tea. Full of secrets, betrayal, and forbidden romance, Ning soon discovers that life in the palace and the competition is cutthroat. Without giving away too many details, readers will be left clamoring for the conclusion after that cliffhanger ending.

This duology will conclude with A Venom So Dark and Sweet on August 23, 2022.

Visit Judy I. Lin’s website.

As If On Cue by Marisa Kanter

 

“Lifelong rivals Natalie and Reid have never been on the same team. So when their school’s art budget faces cutbacks, of course Natalie finds herself up against her nemesis once more. She’s fighting to direct the school’s first ever student-written play, but for her small production to get funding, the school’s award-winning band will have to lose it. Reid’s band. And he’s got no intention of letting the show go on.

But when their rivalry turns into an all-out prank war that goes too far, Natalie and Reid have to face the music, resulting in the worst compromise: writing and directing a musical. Together. At least if they deliver a sold-out show, the school board will reconsider next year’s band and theater budget. Everyone could win.

Except Natalie and Reid.

Because after spending their entire lives in competition, they have absolutely no idea how to be co-anything. And they certainly don’t know how to deal with the feelings that are inexplicably, weirdly, definitely developing between them…” - taken from Goodreads

Reid and Natalie have competed against each for years. When their childish prank war ramps up with some serious collateral damage, the two are forced to work together to develop Natalie’s play into a musical. In putting aside their differences for the greater good, the two begin to see one another in a new light. This book was a fun enemy-to-couple story.

Visit Marisa Kanter’s website.