Escape Me by Tahereh Mafi (Shatter Me - The New Republic/Series Two book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, Watch Me & Release Me, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“James Anderson needs a new plan. He’s ready to make real moves to destroy the looming threats against their world, but no one is taking him seriously. James is tired of being underestimated by his own family. He wants five uninterrupted minutes alone with Rosabelle. He wants to kill Sebastian.

And he’s done waiting for permission.

Rosabelle Wolff needs to stick to the plan. Which means she needs to stay away from James and the dangerous feelings he brings out in her. When she’s near him she loses control, and she’ll need absolute control if she has any hope of convincing Sebastian—and through him, Klaus—that she’s still carrying out the original plan to destroy the rebel regime.

In the meantime, Warner needs to stay out of her business.

Aaron Warner Anderson is trying not to kill Rosabelle. They might be reluctant allies, but that doesn’t mean they get along. Every day is a new kind of hell for Warner. He’s worried about his wife; he’s worried about his world. He can’t decide what to do about James until he understands Rosabelle’s true motives—and when he’s finally delivered the answers he needs, the stakes prove astronomical. All roads lead to heartbreak and destruction, no matter what choice he makes.” - taken from Goodreads.

This book picks up immediately from the fall out at the end of the third book. James is trying to save Rosabelle from her past, even against her will. Rosabelle is determined that only she can save everyone from the Ark. Aaron doesn't trust Rosabelle because she is still keeping secrets. And he is beyond worried over Ella and her rapidly approaching due date.

What secrets is Rosabelle still hiding? Will Ella be ok and can Aaron survive whatever happens? Can James save Rosabelle from herself?

Great news for fans. This series has two more books planned. Dates to be determined.

Visit Tahereh Mafi's website.

Catching Feelings by Emily Charlotte (Varsity book 2)

SPOILER ALERT. It's not necessary to read the first book in this series, Heart Check, but it will greatly enhance your reading pleasure with this one. Previous characters do play a minor role.

“When Sabrina and Tyler meet by accident outside (okay, inside) the football locker rooms, it’s not a big deal. After a rocky summer, Sabrina is focused on leading the Spirit Committee to its best year ever, while Tyler is eager to leave behind the mess from his old school with a second chance playing football as a transfer. Neither is looking for romance.

But as the team’s newest (and most eligible) varsity athlete, Tyler is suddenly the center of attention. And Sabrina is busy dodging Ryan, her longtime flirtationship who is determined to take her to the homecoming dance. Ryan is exactly the kind of chaos Sabrina doesn’t need, so she asks Tyler to go as friends instead. Eager to fend off other unwanted advances, Tyler is happy to accept.

Of course, this was before Sabrina realized Tyler is Ryan’s cousin. But as long as they’re just friends, everything should be fine. Tyler is less willing to ignore the connection he feels toward Sabrina, but he’s also desperate to keep his past buried. When the chemistry between them becomes impossible to deny, can their carefully laid plans survive the fallout, or will secrets and social pressure threaten everything they’ve built?” - taken from Goodreads.

Sabrina is hiding a world of hurt from her parents divorce underneath her bubbly exterior. She is in charge of the school spirit committee and is determined to make senior year the best Hamilton Lakes has ever seen. On top of it all, she wants to avoid Ryan Thompson's attempts to be her homecoming date at all costs.

When new student Tyler shows up, he is soon proclaimed the most eligible athlete at Hamilton Lakes. All he wants to do is keep his head down, play football and avoid the drama from his old school at all costs. But a chance and counter with Sabrina causes sparks to fly between the two of them that neither expected. Soon the two decide to go to homecoming as each other's date, but only as friends as a way to keep from being overwhelmed by all the girls and Ryan.

It's not long before. Sabrina and Tyler start to become more than friends. But with secrets that they're keeping from one another, can their relationship survive?

Visit Emily Charlotte’s website.

Empire by Sabaa Tahir (Heir duology book 2)

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

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

“A crumbling empire.

An ancient evil.

A lost homeland.

A lie that could destroy the world.

In the crumbling Martial Empire, crown prince Quil Farrar and his aunt, Empress Helene, are losing a war against the vicious Kegari horde. Quil’s armies dwindle, his faith falters, and the woman he loves vanished months ago, leaving him brokenhearted. Torn between his duty to his people and his desire to discover Sirsha’s fate, Quil embarks on a dangerous quest for aid—from the most treacherous of allies.

Sirsha Westering finds herself tethered to Div, an ancient evil unleashed by a terrible tragedy. Div delights in tormenting Sirsha, hungering for her magical heart. Even as Sirsha struggles for control of her own fate, she is desperate to shield Quil from Div’s destructive power. But Div won’t release Sirsha without a fight. To earn her freedom, Sirsha must uncover Div’s past—and face horrors in her own.

Cero bet-Dafra, former right hand of the Kegari leader, Aiz, now finds himself pitted against her. As Aiz slips further into violence and delusion, Cero must discover if his people have any hope of a future or if they’re condemned to an unending cycle of violence. His journey will force him to confront hidden truths, ancient secrets, and a lie that could destroy the world.” - taken from Goodreads.

Wow! The conclusion of this duology back in the world of Ember in the Ashes blew me away. I don’t wait to give anything away but readers are treated to a brief recap of Heir in the beginning. It did take me a little bit to get my head wrapped around the story again with the multiple POV. This book did break me before the surprising ending which does leave the door open for more stories from this world.

Visit Sabaa Tahir’s website.

Capsized by Charlotte Lillie Balogh

“For high-achieving Margaret Douglas, rowing is everything—her friends, her family, and her way into college. As a senior and varsity captain, she’s sacrificed everything to get where she is. But after mysteriously disappearing over the summer, rumors Was Margaret at Olympic training? Rehab? House arrest? Whatever happened, it haunts her . . . and when she returns at the beginning of the season, Margaret discovers that the sisterhood she once knew has moved on without her.

Meanwhile, spunky freshman and new girl Jo Bryant is being forced to row by her a former Olympian, a Boston legend, and the person Jo blames for her parents’ divorce. Jo knows nothing about the sport, or why Margaret’s return has everyone at the boathouse whispering, but she does know Margaret is the only person who doesn’t treat her like a joke.

For both girls, the varsity team is a fierce, messy found family; a sisterhood earned in five a.m. wake-ups and blistered hands. But there are secrets and scandals waiting to surface—and with the biggest race of the year on the horizon, Margaret, Jo, and their teammates are about to find out just how deep they go.” - taken from Goodreads.

Jo has been given an incredible opportunity that she doesn't want, a private school education where her father teaches. Her parents have also signed her up to row for the Boston Rowing Club, a sport where former Olympian father is a well-known coach. Jo and her father do not have a close relationship because of her parents divorce. 

Thrown into the girls rowing club as a novice. Jo is immediately accepted because of her father's status. An outsider looking in, she sees the return of Margaret Douglas to the team and the downfall in her status as she loses her captaincy and boat seat as the mystery deepens over where she was during the summer. And Jo has a front row seat to the drama surrounding Margaret in the boat house.

What really happened to Margaret over the summer that she doesn't want to talk about? And will Jo fall in love with rowing or be able to build a relationship with her father?

Visit Charlotte Lillie Balogh’s website.

The River She Became by Emily Varga (River & Salt book 1)

“I’m going across the River. And I’m going to save us all.

Yaseema is a brilliant scholar and loyal servant of the Empire—or so they think. By day, she catalogs the fae relics of her conquered kingdom. But by night, she reclaims the artefacts in secret to restore magic to her dying land.

Until she finds the long lost key to cross the River into the fae world and save her people. But a ruthless realm awaits her there, ruled by monsters wearing beautiful skin—especially the cold-eyed captain who sees through her lies. But even he isn’t what he seems—under the guise of upholding a cruel regime, he works to overthrow it from the inside. To succeed, he needs the same lost relic Yaseema seeks: the crown of an ancient Fae Queen.

With magic that is a mystery even to her, Yaseema can help him find the crown and save his family from a fate worse than death. Unless she steals it first to help her own.

To survive, they must work together to outwit ancient curses, battle creatures born of nightmares, and find a power that could resurrect their worlds. But as secrets unravel and loyalties blur, they face the greatest danger of losing their heart to each other.” - taken from Goodreads.

Yaseema and her family are trapped in the Empire, starving as Fae objects are taken from the land and the magic is slowly disappearing. Determined to put a stop to it, she steals artifacts for safekeeping from the Empire during her work as an archivist. When she is discovered stealing a prize piece of jewelry, she must leave her family behind. She is able to escape when she passes through the barrier in the river into the land of Fae.

Kiyan is a prince in hiding. The Court of Water has been taken over by the Court of Salt and the royal family has been trapped inside of a mountain. Working behind the scenes to help the rebel cause, Kiyan has one hope to rescue his trapped family, the lost crown of a fae Queen. Discovering Yaseema by the river, he saves her from a deadly creature and becomes fascinated by the strange human who has entered the land of the fae. 

It turns out both Kiyan and Yaseema are looking for the same relic but for completely different reasons. Can the two of them learn to trust one another in order to work together?

With a heartstopping ending, readers will be awaiting book two, TBD.

Visit Emily Varga’s website.

Stars, Stripes, & Summer Nights by Celeste Dador

“All Abby wants is one normal summer before college. No headlines. No drama. Just a chance to breathe.

But when a run-in at the White House with Gabriel Calabrese—a maddeningly carefree small-town photographer—spirals into a pizza delivery scandal that makes front-page news, Abby’s plans disappear overnight. To escape the fallout, she’s sent to a charming country inn run by Gabriel’s family.

Now she’s stuck with the last person she wants to see.

As Abby and Gabriel team up to save his family’s Fourth of July festival—and tackle Abby’s secret summer bucket list—sparks begin to fly. Especially when he helps her experience all the “real” teen moments she’s missed: parties, picnics… and maybe even a first kiss.” - taken from Goodreads.

This was a super sweet romance. Abby is the First Daughter of the United States and she doesn't get to live the life of a normal teenager. Everyone believes she and the Vice President’s son Oliver, are destined to be a couple, even Abby herself. But when she meets her aunt’s godson Gabe at a state dinner, her summer plans are abruptly changed when she causes a minor scandal over a pizza delivery. Abby and her younger sister are sent to Mystic Hollow, Virginia for the month of June to stay with their aunt at an inn owned by Gabe's mother.

The more time Abby and Gabe spend together working on her summer bucket list, the closer the two become. Can any relationship between Abby and Gabe survive her return to DC?

Visit Celeste Dados’s website.

All We Hunger For by Anna Mercier

“In Anespérer, where magic comes alive through artistic skill, Elara Rousseau knows she'll never be selected for the Objet d’Art. The high-stakes baking competition will elect a new Souverain to join the ruling council, and someone from the slums would never be considered. But when a brooding figure from her past sneaks her into the Objet, Elara has the chance to compete for a better future... as long as no one uncovers her traitorous secret.

Nikolas Dupont will do whatever it takes to impress his powerful father, a Souverain who hasn't officially recognized his son―like handpick a contestant to win and become his father's political pawn. But Elara is more than he bargained for, and she ignites his own subdued passions.

Against all odds, Elara excels and becomes a hero to the city's poor, all while Nik’s faith in his father crumbles and the sparks between them burn brighter. As the competition heats up, Elara and Nik must choose: fight to win the competition and secure a future of safety for them both, or use the power of Elara’s art to spark a revolution.” - taken from Goodreads.

I don't watch a lot of cooking shows but I feel like this could be like the Great British bake off or chopped but with higher stakes. Elara, the daughter of an executed revolutionary leader is given the opportunity to compete to become one of the next leaders of the kingdom. There under false pretenses, Elara soon finds herself sponsored by Nikolas who is trying to impress his powerful father. When her magical cooking abilities thrushed her into the spotlight, she and Nik find themselves at the center of a new revolution where their safety is on the line.

With a slow burn romance between Elara and Nik, readers will find themselves rooting for the two to ignite a change.

Visit Anna Mercier’s website.