So, This is Love by Tracy Andreen (So, This is Christmas book 2)

 

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

“In the sequel to Tracy Andreen's debut romantic comedy So, This Is Christmas, we follow Finley and Arthur back to Barrington Academy for a swoony semester.

Finley and Arthur are back at boarding school and neither quite knows where the other stands--are they couple? Are they not a couple? What does one magical Christmas Eve kiss in Oklahoma mean for their relationship status? This confusion isn't helped by the re-entry of old enemies into their school lives, especially ones that may or may not be crushing on Arthur. Finley is at a loss when navigating the complexities of her new (maybe) relationship, which could very well turn into love. . . if she doesn't blow it.” - taken from Goodreads.

This was a sweet but frustrating continuation of Finley and Arthur’s love story that began in Christmas, Oklahoma. Now back at school, Arthur is shutting Finley out and she doesn't know why. With a new but quiet roommate and a friend from Oklahoma at Barrington, Finley is being pushed into being more social. After a heart to heart about what is going on, will Finley and Arthur be a couple on Valentine's Day or not? The ending does leave open the possibility of a third installment in this series.

Seoulmates by Susan Lee

 

“Hannah Cho had the next year all planned out—the perfect summer with her boyfriend, Nate, and then a fun senior year with their friends.

But then Nate does what everyone else in Hannah’s life seems to do—he leaves her, claiming they have nothing in common. He and all her friends are newly obsessed with K-pop and K-dramas, and Hannah is not. After years of trying to embrace the American part and shunning the Korean side of her Korean American identity to fit in, Hannah finds that’s exactly what now has her on the outs.

But someone who does know K-dramas—so well that he’s actually starring in one—is Jacob Kim, Hannah’s former best friend, whom she hasn’t seen in years. He’s desperate for a break from the fame, so a family trip back to San Diego might be just what he needs… that is, if he and Hannah can figure out what went wrong when they last parted and navigate the new feelings developing between them.

Her ex-boyfriend wants her back. Her former best friend is in town. When did Hannah’s life become a K-drama?” - taken from Goodreads.

I was sucked into this story right away as Hannah, a Korean American teenager, doesn’t quite fit in. She isn’t American enough for some people but when a new girl comes to town, suddenly she isn’t Korean enough either. With her plans for summer drastically changed, she receives the news from her mother that their old friends, the Lees, are coming to spend time with him. Angry with her former best friend, Jacob Lee, Hannah is determined to not to forgive him for moving to Korea and becoming a star. Can Hannah find it in her heart to forgive Jacob, especially when she discovers what life is like for a popular K-drama star?

Perfect read for fans of XOXO by Axie Oh.

Visit Susan Lee’s website.

Chain of Thorns by Cassandra Clare (The Lost Hours book 3, Shadowhunters book 15)

 

SPOILER POTENTIAL! This is the third book in this series. Please stop if you haven’t read the first two books.

Check out the Riveted blog for a recap of the Chain of Gold characters.

“Cordelia Carstairs has lost everything that matters to her. In only a few short weeks, she has seen her father murdered, her plans to become parabatai with her best friend, Lucie, destroyed, and her marriage to James Herondale crumble before her eyes. Even worse, she is now bound to an ancient demon, Lilith, stripping her of her power as a Shadowhunter.

After fleeing to Paris with Matthew Fairchild, Cordelia hopes to forget her sorrows in the city’s glittering nightlife. But reality intrudes when shocking news comes from home: Tatiana Blackthorn has escaped the Adamant Citadel, and London is under new threat by the Prince of Hell, Belial.

Cordelia returns to a London riven by chaos and dissent. The long-kept secret that Belial is James and Lucie’s grandfather has been revealed by an unexpected enemy, and the Herondales find themselves under suspicion of dealings with demons. Cordelia longs to protect James but is torn between a love for James she has long believed hopeless, and the possibility of a new life with Matthew. Nor can her friends help—ripped apart by their own secrets, they seem destined to face what is coming alone.

For time is short, and Belial’s plan is about to crash into the Shadowhunters of London like a deadly wave, one that will separate Cordelia, Lucie, and the Merry Thieves from help of any kind. Left alone in a shadowy London, they must face Belial’s deadly army. If Cordelia and her friends are going to save their city—and their families—they will have to muster their courage, swallow their pride, and trust one another again. For if they fail, they may lose everything—even their souls.” - taken from Goodreads.

Our latest Shadowhunters’ tale takes many twists and turns, some you see coming and others that will completely blind side the reader. Without spoiling too many details, fans of Cassie Clare’s long running series will want to see where the characters fall into the history of her Shadowhunter’s realm.

Visit Cassandra Clare’s website.

Visit Shadowhunters.com

The Stolen Heir by Holly Black (The Stolen Heir book 1)

 

SPOILER ALERT! The Stolen Heir duology continues the story originally told in The Air of Folk trilogy.

“A runaway queen. A reluctant prince. And a quest that may destroy them both.

Eight years have passed since the Battle of the Serpent. But in the icy north, Lady Nore of the Court of Teeth has reclaimed the Ice Needle Citadel. There, she is using an ancient relic to create monsters of stick and snow who will do her bidding and exact her revenge.

Suren, child queen of the Court of Teeth, and the one person with power over her mother, fled to the human world. There, she lives feral in the woods. Lonely, and still haunted by the merciless torments she endured in the Court of Teeth, she bides her time by releasing mortals from foolish bargains. She believes herself forgotten until the storm hag, Bogdana chases her through the night streets. Suren is saved by none other than Prince Oak, heir to Elfhame, to whom she was once promised in marriage and who she has resented for years.

Now seventeen, Oak is charming, beautiful, and manipulative. He’s on a mission that will lead him into the north, and he wants Suren’s help. But if she agrees, it will mean guarding her heart against the boy she once knew and a prince she cannot trust, as well as confronting all the horrors she thought she left behind.” - taken from Goodreads.

Suren’s life didn’t get any easier when she left the Court of Teeth for the mortal world. When she catches the attention of Bogdana, Prince Oak is the one to come to her rescue. Dragged back into the politics of Elfhame, Suren is not sure who to trust. Once childhood friends, Suren tries not to let herself fall under the allure of Oak. On a mission to her former home, can Suren finally find it in herself to trust or will she always need to watch her back? Fans will be eagerly awaiting the conclusion to this story.

The story will be concluded with book two, The Prisoner’s Throne, on February 27, 2024.

Visit Holly Black’s website.