Solving For the Unknown by Loan Le

 

SPOILER ALERT! The characters in the author’s previous book, A Pho Love Story do appear, but it is unnecessary to read the first book in order to enjoy this one.

‘To his friends back home, Viet Ho is calm and collected and a lovable oddball who nurses an obsession with forensic science. He’s relieved to head off to UC Davis and escape from being in the middle of his bickering immigrant parents. Yet, on campus and with the school year unfolding at an overwhelming pace, Viet struggles to belong and to keep his depression hidden.

Evie Mai is a junior biology major and the eldest daughter who has never trod far off the beaten path. She has everything: good grades, a solid group of friends, and a smart, ambitious boyfriend, who’s the son of a well-connected university board member. But their busy schedules, as well as their interests, no longer align. Determined to close the distance, she and her boyfriend both apply to a student-run clinic for underserved communities. But will that save or expose the gaps in their relationship?

When a clumsy accident brings Viet and Evie together, they bond over their shared hometown and similar history—and their orbits grow smaller as their friends collide. The more time they spend with each other and support each other, mentally and emotionally, the more their friendship shifts into something else.” - taken from Goodreads

Evie is Lihn’s sister and Viet is Bao’s friend from A Pho Love Story. This tender story about college life and personal relationships is a quick read told from each of the characters’ points of view. A quick and clean read that gives readers not only a satisfying ending but a glimpse into the lives of previous characters.

Visit Loan Le’s website.

The Meadowbrook Murders by Jessica Goodman

 

“It’s the first week of senior year at Middlebrook Academy. For Amy and her best friend Sarah, that means late-night parties at the boathouse, bike rides through their sleepy Connecticut town, and the crisp beginning of a New England fall.

Then tragedy. Sarah and her boyfriend are brutally murdered in their dorm room. Now the week Amy has been dreaming about for years has turned into a nightmare, especially when all eyes turn to her as the culprit. She was Sarah’s only roommate, the only other person there when she died—or so she told the police to cover for her own boyfriend’s suspicious whereabouts. And even though they were best friends, with every passing day, Amy begins to learn that Sarah lied about a lot of things.

Liz, editor of the school newspaper and social outcast, is determined to uncover the truth about what happened on campus, in hopes her reporting will land a prestigious scholarship to college. As Liz dives deeper into her investigation, the secrets these murdered seniors never wanted out come to light. The deeper Liz digs, the messier the truth becomes – and with a killer still on campus, she can’t afford to make any mistakes.” - taken from Goodreads.

Amy discovers one morning that her roommate and best friend Sarah and Sarah’s boyfriend have been brutally murdered during the night. Forced to leave her dorm room and bunk with Liz, the school newspaper editor, the two do not immediately click. As the mystery surrounding the deaths on campus deepens, Amy and Sarah soon rely on one another to piece together the clues to stop them from becoming the next victims. 

Visit Jessica Goodman’s website.

The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor

 

“Seven years ago, Maeve Abenthy lost her world, her father, even her name. Desperate to escape the stain of her father’s crimes, she lives under a fake name, never staying in one place long enough to put down roots.

Then she receives a mysterious letter with four impossible words Your father was innocent.

To uncover the truth, she poses as an apprentice for the Otherwhere Post, where she’ll be trained in the art of scriptomancy—the dangerous magic that allows couriers to enchant letters and deliver them to other worlds. But looking into her father’s past draws more attention than she’d planned.

Her secretive, infuriatingly handsome mentor knows she’s lying about her identity, and time is running out to convince him to trust her. Worse, she begins to receive threatening letters, warning her to drop her investigation—or else. For Maeve to unravel the mystery of what happened seven years ago, she may have to forfeit her life.” - taken from Goodreads.

This was a great mysterious fantasy that will suck readers into Maeve’s quest to uncover the truth about her father. Attempting to keep her identity a secret while learning the art of scriptomancy, Maeve beings to fall for the one person who can destroy her plans, A definite read.

Visit Emily J. Taylor’s website.

Bingsu for Two by Sujin Witherspoon

 

“Meet River Langston-Lee. In the past 24 hours, he’s dumped his girlfriend, walked out of his SATs, and quit his job at his parents’ cafe in spectacularly disastrous fashion—even for him.

Somehow, he manages to talk his way into a gig at a failing Korean cafe, Bingsu for Two, which is his lucky break until he meets short, grumpy, and goth: Sarang Cho. She’s his new no-BS co-worker who’s as determined to make River’s life hell as she is to save her family’s cafe.

After River accidentally uploads a video of his chaotic co-workers to his popular fandom account, they strike viral fame. The kicker? Their new fans ship River and Sarang big-time. In order to keep the Internet’s attention—and the cafe’s new paying customers—River and Sarang must pretend that the tension between them is definitely of the romantic variety, not the considering the best way to kill you and hide your body variety.

But when Bingsu for Two’s newfound success catches the attention of River’s ex and his parents’ cafe around the corner, he faces a choice: keep letting others control his life or stand up for the place that’s become home. And a green-haired girl who’s not as heartless as he originally thought . .” - taken from Goodreads.

I really liked this book. River is just trying to do what is right for him even if it goes against his family’s desires for him. When he meets Sarang, he quickly realizes how a past business decision has deeply impacted her and her family. As he sets about to attempt to right his wrong, what happens when his heart gets in the way?

Visit Sujin Witherspoon’s website.

Between These Broken Hearts by Lexi Ryan (These Hollow Vows book 4)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book, Beneath These Cursed Stars, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Princess Jasalyn has eleven days to live.

Jasalyn is facing the repercussions of a deadly bargain. Her life, and the future of the shadow court, are forfeit on her birthday unless she can stop the evil fae king Mordeus. She needs to face her greatest fears and find him before she runs out of time, but even after everything, Kendrick won’t let her face this alone.

Shape-shifter Felicity has vanished.

Felicity disappeared from King Misha’s dungeons, and her friends have been searching for her to no avail. But even if she’s found, Felicity will never be able to escape the oracle’s tragic prophecy for her and her family. In her lonely battle with fate, Misha is the last person she can ask to stand by her side, but the first one she’ll need.” - taken from Goodreads.

A good ending to not only the duology but the overall series as well,

Visit Lexi Ryan’s website.