My Return to the Walter Boys by Ali Novak (My Life with the Walter Boys book 2)

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

“Jackie Howard returns to the Walter ranch after a summer in New York. She needed space—and got it. But she doesn't know where things stand with her and Cole Walter after that goodbye kiss. Over the summer, she stopped texting him. She never stopped thinking about him.

Still, with Cole living off in town to work at Tony's garage before he heads off to college, Jackie thinks it'll be easy to avoid him—only to find that when she sees him face to face at last, it's, well... impossible to resist him. Things are getting complicated: he's the boy she can't get off her mind, and the Walters have become the family she loves and needs. How can Jackie move forward when she's afraid of taking the next step?” - taken from Goodreads.

Jackie has returned to Colorado after spending the summer in New York, trying to deal with the grief over losing her family. Now that she is back, she must come face to face with Cole after their kiss. Except, there have been several changes in the Walter family. As the school year begins, Jackie tries to figure out where her place in the Walter family is with it without Cole in her life.

Visit Ali Novak’s website.

The Blood Phoenix by Amber Chen (Fall of the Dragon book 2)

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

“Two years after Ying leaves the Engineer’s Guild and the ghost of her father’s unjust death behind, life seems to regain a semblance of normalcy. But the winds of unrest continue to stir within the Nine Isles, and the aftermath of a horrific pirate attack by the mysterious Blood Phoenix fleet forces Ying back into the tense political world of the new High Commander, Ye-yang. And soon, Ying, Ye-yang and her former friends from the guild must work together to find a way to outsmart the cunning pirates who terrorise the straits—and the elusive mastermind who’s controlling them.  

Meanwhile, Ying’s sister, Nian, now lives in the capital, awaiting the day she will finally marry the High Commander. While her relationship with Ye-yang remains distant, she finds company in her friendship with the fourteenth prince, Ye-kan, and discovers her unexpected affinity for governance and strategy. But the capital is more dangerous than she expects, and when a dark conspiracy arises, Nian and Ye-kan must unravel the mystery in time to prevent the High Command from collapsing from within. 

New dangers arise at every moment, threatening to tear the Nine Isles apart. In order to sail through this storm, Ying and her loved ones must make difficult choices amidst terrible betrayals. With the world on the brink of destruction, will they find a way to defeat their enemies and survive? And will it be worth the cost?” - taken from Goodreads.

Two years have passed and Ying has gone back home, leaving the Engineering Guild and Ye-yang behind. But a pirate attack by the Blood Phoenix forces Ying back to the capital to face not only Ye-yang but her younger sister Nian, who are engaged to one another. She must work with her former friends at the Engineer’s Guild to find a way to stop the Blood Phoenix before an  internal coup can overthrow Ye-yang from the High Command. Nian and Ye-kan work to see who wants to unseat Ye-yang before it's too late.

Visit Amber Chen’s website.

Girls Who Play Dead by Joelle Wellington

 

“When Mikky Graves left his small, stifling hometown of Prophets Lake to live with his estranged mother, he thought nothing could ever make him return for good.

Until his sister Kyla’s best friend, Erin, is murdered.

Mikky never worried about leaving Kyla behind at their family-owned funeral home so long as she had Erin. But when Mikky heads home, determined to help Kyla grieve, the sister he encounters barely resembles the one he remembers. Mikky decides, then and there, to do the one thing that seems even more impossible than stay.

As Kyla spirals further into her rage and secrets, Mikky realizes the only thing that can help his sister is finding the truth about who killed Erin. But the more he investigates, the further he’s pulled into other ugly mysteries of Prophets Lake and the beauty brand that is its lifeblood. The town’s rot runs deep, and everyone has something to hide. Perhaps no one more than Kyla herself.” - taken from Goodreads.

Kyla's best friend Erin is found murdered and the search for her killer is underway. Erin was an up-and-coming influencer for Cook Cosmetics, the town's leading employer. Mikky, Kyla's older brother, only comes back to live in Prophets Lake to be with his sister in her time of grief. Or so he thinks. After being away for more than three years, Mikky finds that Kyla has changed and it’s not for the better. Upon Erin's death, Kyla has taken over the role of resident mean girl. It's not too long before Mikky begins to realize that not all is what it seems in the town of Prophets Lake. Who killed Erin and why? And what secrets is Kyla keeping?

Visit Joelle Wellington’s website.

Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley

SPOILER ALERT! This book is a companion to Firekeeper’s Daughter and the main characters of that story play a major role in this one, as well as spoilers from the previous book are revealed.

“Ever since Lucy Smith’s father died five years ago, “home” has been more of an idea than a place. She knows being on the run is better than anything waiting for her as a “ward of the state.” But when the sharp-eyed and kind Mr. Jameson with an interest in her case comes looking for her, Lucy wonders if hiding from her past will ever truly keep her safe.

Five years in the foster system has taught her to be cautious and smart. But she wants to believe Mr. Jameson and his “friend-not-friend,” a tall and fierce-looking woman who say they want to look after her.

They also tell Lucy the truth her father hid from her: She is Ojibwe; she has – had – a sister, and more siblings; a grandmother who’d look after her and a home where she would be loved.

But Lucy is being followed. The past has destroyed any chance of normal she has had, and now the secrets she’s hiding will swallow her whole and take away the future she always dreamed of.” - taken from Goodreads.

This is a follow-up to Firekeeper's Daughter that I wanted to read four years ago. Once I realized that not only Daunis but Jamie are more than minor characters in the story, this book rose to the top of my TBR list. Lucy has had a hard life bouncing between foster home placements since the death of her father. Readers will discover that she is harboring a secret that may cost her her life. The heart of the story is told through Lucy's flashbacks leading up to the present day. Recovering with the help of both Jamie and Daunis, readers will be clamoring to find out what Lucy is hiding as well as discover what the future holds for both Jamie and Daunis. The events from Firekeeper's Daughter are told to Lucy from both Daunis and Jamie as a recap for readers. Needless to say, the ending did break me a bit.

Visit Angeline Boulley’s website.

Falling Like Leaves by Misty Wilson (Bramble Falls book 1)

“Ellis has a lot of expectations for her senior year, but moving from Manhattan to Bramble Falls, Connecticut is not one of them. Yet in the wake of her parents' separation, that's exactly where she and her mother are headed.

Bramble Falls might be charming, but it's also full of distractions. Like local barista Cooper Barnett, Ellis's one-time best friend—and first kiss—who has not only majorly glowed up but wants nothing to do with Ellis.

Then there's the Falling Leaves Festival, a month-long tourist attraction run by Ellis's aunt—celebrating everything autumn. The festival seems nice and all, but Ellis doesn't have time to be roped into her aunt's enthusiastic planning. Dragged to each event, she can't stop bumping into Cooper, the one person she's hoping to avoid.

But the longer she stays in Bramble Falls, the harder it is to pretend she's not falling for this town and the people in it. As her return to Manhattan gets pushed further and further out, Ellis is forced to confront exactly what she wants for her future—and what that means for her present.” - taken from Goodreads.

A cute fall rom com where every weekend is another autumn festival. Ellis is angry to be plucked from NYC and her dreams of following in her father's footsteps and set down in Bramble Falls, Connecticut. She plans on making the best of the situation until she can get back to the city and pursue her dreams of going to Columbia. Ellis doesn't count on falling for Cooper Barnett who isn't exactly happy to see her back in town. What will happen when Ellis’s dreams for her future seem to change the longer are stays in Bramble Falls?

Visit Misty Wilson’s website.

Fake Skating by Lynn Painter

 

“From play dates on the playground to sneaking into movie theaters, Dani and Alec were inseparable as kids. Until Dani moved away. Years later, Dani is back in Minnesota, and excited to reconnect with the nerdy and comforting Alec. But teenage Alec is NOTHING like the boy she remembers. He's the hockey STAR in a town where hockey players are worshipped as gods – and he loves it. 

When one thing leads to another and Dani and Alec find themselves thrown together and playing the role of boyfriend and girlfriend, “complicated” becomes an understatement. In this Minnesota town, hockey may rule, but romance is about to take its place.” - taken from Goodreads.

Alec and Dani were the best of friends for one month every summer in Minnesota when she and her mother came to visit her grandparents until they weren't. Now five years later, Dani and her mother have moved back to town to live with her Grandpa after her parents divorce. Uncomfortable to see one another after a perceived slight by the other, Dani and Alec agree to fake date in order to improve an unjust reputation for Alec that may bring his hockey dreams to a crashing end. As time passes the two begin to realize that what is happening between the two of them may not be fake at all. Can Alec and Danny find their way over their past hurts to find their happily ever after. Dani’s grandpa had to be my favorite character in this book.

Visit Lynn Painter’s website.

The Crimson Crown by Sara Raasch & Beth Revis (Crimson Throne book 1)

“Samson Calthorpe’s curse has isolated him from everyone he has ever cared about. So, when the opportunity arises to break the curse, he grabs it. All he has to do for his freedom is risk his life and become a royal spy, using every bit of the skills and resolve he’s picked up on the streets of London to infiltrate the court of the Scottish Queen and uncover a plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth.

For years, Alyth Graham has been protecting Mary Queen of Scots from threats both physical and magical, including the Queen’s own husband, Lord Darnley. Alyth is more than meets the eye though, the child of a fae prince and a human mother, she is among the most powerful protectors in Scotland: guardians sworn to defend against the Red Caps, a bloodthirsty fae clan . . . that Lord Darnley is in league with to overtake Scotland.

As Alyth and Samson circle each other in the volatile and glamorous Scottish court, both seek to uncover threats to their own countries. They have one unifying link: their shared hatred and suspicion of Lord Darnley…and their undeniable pull towards each other. Using secret codes, hidden messages, and a little bit of magic, Alyth and Samson unravel a plot centuries in the making. Lord Darnley is only a pawn, and in this game, the queen takes all.” - taken from Goodreads.

This was a great historical fantasy twist about the life of Mary Queen of Scots that occurs just before the birth of her only child, James, and the death of her husband, Lord Darnley. I am not giving anything away in the storyline because these events did happen. Where the twist comes in is that Mary and all of Scotland's protectors is half fae. Upon meeting Samson, Alyth realizes that he is not what he seems. Over the course of trying to uncover the mysteries surrounding not only Samson but Mary’s court, the two stumble into a conspiracy that threatens the future of Scotland. After that shocking twist at the end, readers will be looking forward to the second book. History fanatics already know what occurs.

Book two is to be determined.

Visit Sara Raasch’s website.

Visit Beth Revis’ website.

When We Were Monsters by Jennifer Niven

“At an elite boarding school, 8 students are selected for an exclusive program, but only one will walk away with a lifechanging opportunity to realize their creative dreams. 

Effy is piecing together a story about the tragic betrayal that led to her mother's death. Arlo hopes to publish a novel—but he's also trying to start a new chapter with Effy after he broke her heart and ghosted 3 years earlier. Everyone has a compelling reason to be there—they all want a big break—but only the most ambitious will prevail as the students are eliminated one by one.

Their mentor is the one and only Meredith Graffam, an enigmatic writer, director and actress, whose unorthodox teaching methods push them past the breaking point. Under Graffam's tutelage, the students reveal their darkest secrets, take unthinkable risks, and slowly start to turn on one another. But Graffam never expected they would turn on her . . .” - taken from Goodreads.

As the eight students dwindle down to four over the Jan term, secrets will be uncovered at an alarming rate. As the truth is slowly uncovered, what happens is never what one would expect.

From an author who has written books that have absolutely torn my heart into pieces, I never expected a psychological mystery like this one. Perfect for fans of Lois Duncan.

Visit Jennifer Niven’s website.

A Theory in Dreaming by Ava Reid (A Study in Drowning book 2)

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

“All stories come to an end.

Effy learned that when she defeated the Fairy King. Even though she may never know exactly what happened at Hiraeth, she is free of her nightmares and is able to pen a thesis with Preston on the beloved national fairy tale Angharad. She has finally earned a spot at the literature college, making her the first woman in history to enroll.

But some dreams are dangerous, especially when they come true. The entire university—and soon the entire nation—is waiting for her to fail. With the Fairy King defeated and Myrddin’s legacy exposed, Effy can no longer escape into fantasy. Who is she without her stories?

With Effy under threat, Preston is surprised to discover a rage simmering inside him, ringing in his ears like bells. He begins to dream of a palace under the sea, a world where he is king—visions that start to follow him even in waking.

As the war between Llyr and Argant explodes, Effy and Preston find themselves caught in the crossfire: Effy losing her dreams and Preston losing himself in his.

Are dreams ever truly just dreams?” - taken from Goodreads.

Where Drowning was Effy’s story, Dreaming tells what happens next from Preston’s point of view. Effy is the first female literature student at the college and Preston is ostracized for being Argantian. As Effy begins to spiral under the weight of school, Preston finds that he is now the one caught up in a fairytale that will change the war between neighboring nations. A bit slow in the beginning, the story picks up as Preston begins to uncover the lies.

Visit Ava Reid’s website. 

I’ll Pretend You’re Mine by Tashie Bhuiyan

 

“Summer Ali has been making a name for herself in the music industry for years, slowly but surely climbing the charts—but the world doesn’t know her stage parents are the ones who molded her entire public persona. Finally eighteen, Summer breaks free of their control and focuses on creating her own path.

Upon running into writer’s block, Summer grows eager to take any opportunity to shake things up—even if it means agreeing to a PR stunt with child-actor-turned-playboy, Jules Moradi, famous for his tabloid escapades.

At first, Jules keeps his distance, maintaining professional boundaries. But as time passes, his walls come down, and Summer uncovers who he is beyond his reputation, and it’s someone more like her than she ever realized. As the lines blur between fake and real, Summer begins questioning who she is and what she wants—and if her dreams are worth sacrificing her heart.” - taken from Goodreads.

Tashie Bhuiyan has quickly become one of my go to authors for romance. Summer Ali has just turned eighteen and has taken control of her musical career from her domineering parents. On her own for the first time, she must navigate being a celebrity solo. When her manager suggests she “fake date” a bad boy actor for some publicity, she is in for a situation she never expected.

Bhuiyan knocks it out of the ballpark every time with her stories of romance and struggling to get out from underneath controlling parents.

Visit Tashie Bhuiyan’s website.

Once a Villain by Vanessa Len (Monsters book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, Only a Monster and Never a Hero, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Joan has failed to stop Eleanor.

Now Eleanor rules over a cruel new timeline where monsters live openly among humans, preying on them and subjugating them.

Nick—once a hero to humans, and Joan’s first love—is tormented by the choice he made to save her over the timeline itself. And Aaron—the ruthless heir to a powerful monster family—now finds himself in a world where monsters have power beyond imagining while his feelings for Joan grow.

Wrenched between love and rivalry, the three of them must negotiate their fractured pasts to survive the new world and restore what was lost. Because only they remember that there was once a better timeline.

But how will they defeat a whole world of monsters with control over time itself?” - taken from Goodreads.

This was a great wrap up to this trilogy that finds Joan, Nick, and Aaron in a race against time to stop Eleanor from stopping time travel and creating her version of the perfect timeline. Without giving too much away, the ending was fast paced and satisfying.

Visit Vanessa Len’s website.

The Raven Boys; Graphic Novel by Maggie Stiefvater, adapted by Stephanie Williams (book 1)

“Blue Sargent comes from a family of psychics. Only, she has never had the same clairvoyant abilities they had and has always felt too ordinary within the magic that surrounded her. Enter Gansey, a rich student from Aglionby, the town’s all-boys private school teeming with wealth, privilege, and trouble. Blue's always made it a point to stay away from its students, the Raven Boys.

But when Gansey asks her to join him and three other Raven Boys on his quest to find a long-forgotten Welsh king rumored to be sleeping beneath the mountains of their quiet Virginia town, Blue doesn’t hesitate. She jumps at the chance to finally be a part of something real and full of magic, a world she was born into yet one that always stood just out of reach. Soon enough, she’s swept into a strange and shifting world woven into theirs, one far more dangerous than anything they could have dreamt up.” - taken from Goodreads.

This was a great adaptation of the novel. I thoroughly enjoyed going back to the world of Henrietta and the Raven Boys.

Visit Maggie Stiefvater’s website.

The Executioners Three by Susan Dennard

 

“Freddie Gellar didn't mean to get half the rival high school arrested. She’d simply heard shrieks coming from the woods, so she’d called the cops like any good human would do. How was she supposed to know it was just kids partying?

Except the next day, a body is found. And while the local sheriff might call it suicide, Freddie's instincts tell her otherwise. So, like the aspiring sleuth (and true X-Files aficionado) she is, Freddie sets out to prove there's a murderer at large.

But her investigation is quickly disrupted by the rivalry between her school and the school of the partying teens she got arrested. For over twenty years now, the two student bodies have had an ongoing prank war, and Freddie's failed attempt at Good Samaritanism has upped the ante. Big time. Worse, the clever―and gorgeous―leader of the rival prank squad has set his sights on Freddie.

As more pranks unfurl, more bodies also start piling up in the forest. But it's the supernatural warning signs around town―each plucked straight from an old forgotten poem called "The Executioners Three"―that worry Freddie the most. She knows the poem and its blood curse can’t be real, but she's quickly running out of time to prove it.

Because the murderer―or executioners?―knows she's onto them now, and their next target might just be Freddie. - taken from Goodreads

With a throwback to 1999 and all of the cool references from that year, Freddie Gellar soon finds herself involved in a creepy murder mystery that only seems relevant to her.. With weird happenings occurring in the town that seems to relate to an old poem that she uncovers, Freddie is in a race against time before the next victim is discovered.

Visit Susan Dennard’s website.

Tell Me What Really Happened by Chelsea Sedoti

“It was all her idea. They would get away from their parents and spend the weekend camping. Down by Salvation Creek, the five of them would make smores, steal kisses, share secrets.

But sometime around midnight, she vanished.

Now the four friends who came back are under suspicion―and they each have a very different story to tell about what happened in the woods.

The clock is ticking. What are they hiding? Who is lying? Dark truths must come to light if their friend is to be found...

Told entirely through first-person police interviews, this riveting mystery asks: what really happened that night? - taken from Goodreads.

This story is told from four different points of view as they are each being interviewed by the police. Each chapter is a different question that has been posed to each suspect by the police. As Petra, Nolan, Abigail, and John recount the night in question, the surprising details about Maylee’s disappearance begin to unfold.

Visit Chelsea Sedoti’s website.

Glorious Rivals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Grandest Game book 2)

 

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

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

“Seven players arrived on Hawthorne Island, each with their own secrets and motivations to win the Grandest Game. Millions are at stake, but so are hearts—and lives. The players now must race to win the game, solve myriad mysteries, and survive the twists and turns of Glorious Rivals.” - taken from Goodreads.

Picking up immediately where the first book left off, five players are left in the game and the stakes have picked up. This is really Grayson’s and his sisters’ story and the ride is contagious. Readers will quickly figure out that this is not the end of the series and the explosive ending will leave readers waiting for the next book. Lots of mysteries are still unsolved.

This trilogy will conclude with The Gilded Blade out sometime in 2026.

Visit Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ website.

Wish Upon a K-Star by Kat Cho

SPOILER ALERT. It's not necessary to read Once Upon a K-Prom, but it will greatly enhance your reading pleasure with this one. Previous characters do play a role.

“Moon Minseok—or Moonster as this WDB fans know him—wasn’t born to lead. Even as part of the world’s most popular K-Pop group, he found comfort in his role as the jokester, the sidekick, the unserious one (with the cutest smile). But now WDB is drowning in dating scandals, and it’s time for Moonster to take charge of the group's image.

Shin Hyeri has been dealing with some scandals of her own. An up-and-coming K-Drama actress, she’s been labeled a “nepo baby” (with a famous idol as a big brother) and now, a bully (which couldn’t be further from the truth). Desperate to show the world that she’s earned her spot, Hyeri is determined not to let her rising star crash and burn.

When these two childhood enemies get caught up in yet another scandal while co-hosting a K-Pop festival, there’s only one solution that will save both of their reputations: appear on one of Korea’s most popular variety shows, Our Celebrity Marriage (where celebrities pretend to get married and compete in ‘newlywed’ challenges).

The plan is simple—pretend to get along, win back the fans, then go their separate ways. But what happens when a fake marriage leads to real feelings? Will Moonster and Hyeri bow to the pressures of their famous realities, or will they decide their love is something worth fighting for?” - taken from Goodreads.

Super cute romance that takes place in the same world as Once Upon a K-prom. Childhood frenemies join a reality show in an attempt to repair their respective images and realize that old feelings never really went away.

Visit Kat Cho’s website.

Every Spiral of Fate by Tahereh Mafi (This Woven Kingdom book 4)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first three books in the This Woven Kingdom series, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

Check out Epic Reads if you need a recap of the first three books.

“At long last, the wedding day has arrived.

The Jinn queen and the enigmatic ruler of Tulan are to be married in a magical, enchanted ceremony—but Cyrus, tethered by a blood oath to his bride-to-be, can find nothing to celebrate in this union. He’s falling ever more deeply in love with the one person oathbound to kill him.

Sworn to an ancient, unbreakable magic, Alizeh can only fulfill the prophecy to free her people by ensuring Cyrus dies by her own hand. And Cyrus is forced to await his end all while Prince Kamran inches closer, ready to take his place by Alizeh’s side.

The countdown to murder coils tensions ever tighter, but the historic wedding has already drawn deadly attention. To prepare for war and protect her people, Alizeh must finally discover her magic—and outrun the enemies trying to stop her.

Alizeh and Cyrus, along with Kamran and their friends from Ardunia, must flee on dragon-back to begin the perilous journey into the legendary mountains of Arya, where a firestorm of revelations, magical discoveries, and fresh allies awaits them. Every allegiance will be tested, every darkness uncovered, and when the shattering secrets of the Tulanian king are finally revealed . . .

Nothing, and no one, will be the same.” - taken from Goodreads.

WOW! This book really picks up the pace where the story left off in the third book. Without giving too much away, the cliffhanger ending sets up the ultimate showdown between Alizeh and Iblees in the final book.

This series is slated to end with book five, due out sometime in 2026.

Visit Tahereh Mafi’s website.

Holler by Denali Sai Nalamalapu

“Real people are standing up for both their communities and the planet. Drawing from original interviews with the author, Holler is an illustrated look at six inspiring changemakers whose stories should be better known. Denali Nalamalapu, a climate organizer in their own right, introduces readers to six ordinary people who became resistors of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, a project that spans approximately 300 miles from northwestern West Virginia to southern Virginia—a teacher, a single mother, a nurse, an organizer, a photographer, and a seed keeper.

In West Virginia, Becky Crabtree, grandmother of five, chains herself to her 1970s Ford Pinto to stop construction from destroying her farm. Farther south, in Virginia, young organizer Michael James-Deramo organizes mutual aid to support community members showing up to protest the pipeline expansion. These (and more) are the stories of everyday resistance that show what difference we can make when we stand up for what we love, and stand together in community. While each resistor has their own motivation and methods, they share a love for the land and a desire to preserve it. When the world tells them to sit down and back off, each one refuses to be quiet or give up. There is always hope.

More than anything, Holler is an invitation to readers everywhere searching for their own path to sending the message that no matter how small your action is, it’s impactful. The story of the Mountain Valley Pipeline is one of the people of Appalachia have resisted fossil fuel projects for a century. And it’s a story we can all relate to, in one way or another, as each and every one of our communities faces the increasing threats of the climate crisis, and the corporations that benefit from the destruction of our natural resources.” - taken from Goodreads.

This was a very informative graphic novel about the resistance people in our actual area put up against the Mountain Valley Pipeline that came through the eastern part of our county,

Visit Denali Sai Nalamalapu’s website.

Better Than Revenge by Kasie West

 

“Seventeen-year-old Finley has only ever had one to become a famous podcaster. This includes coming up with the perfect pitch to land her on her school's podcast team. But when her football-obsessed boyfriend, Jensen, decides to also try out—and uses her idea—she's left confused and betrayed. 

Determined to get back at him, Finley and her friends try to find the perfect revenge scheme, but quickly discover that Jensen is almost-impossible to best. Keyword, almost. 

By chance, Finley discovers a knack for kicking and decides to take Jensen's spot on the football team. To help her train, she recruits Jensen's cute but conceited nemeses, Theo. Soon the two discover that their connection runs deeper than football. But Finley can't let herself get distracted, and Theo has secrets of his own. Is true love really better than the perfect revenge?   - taken from Goodreads.

So Jensen was a horrible boyfriend who backstabs Finley and takes her idea and what she perceives as her future. She wants to take what's important to him, the kicking position on the school’s football team. Theo offers to help train her for the tryouts. What begins as a revenge plot soon turns into something more. What will Finley do when it come down to it, take revenge or follow her heart?

Visit Kasie West’s website.

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao (Iron Widow book 1)

 

“The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn't matter that the girls often die from the mental strain.

When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it's to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.​

To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia​. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life, until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way—and stop more girls from being sacrificed.” - taken from Goodreads.

This is a unique twist on Chinese history through a science fiction lens. Zetain is the ultimate feminist anti-hero who will continue to rebel against society’s constraints against women to the end. Soon caught between the boy she knew before joining the military and the boy she is ultimately paired with, Zetian is determined to live her own life. With that shocking reveal at the end, readers will be ready to conclude Zetian’s story with the next book. 

The story concludes with Heavenly Tyrant, out now.

Visit Xiran Jay Zhao’s website.