Guard My Heart by Sabrina Fedel

“Hit me with your best shot . . .

RYLEIGH VENTO has one goal—literally. She dreams of becoming an all-star goalie on a Division 1 women’s ice hockey team. Senior year is her last shot, and she can’t afford distractions. Not injuries. Not family drama. And definitely not a relationship.

Enter Jett Robitaille, the school’s new hockey god. He wants Ryleigh to be his fake girlfriend to make another girl—Ryleigh’s nemesis—jealous. Ryleigh’s answer? To block his goal. Until Jett ups the stakes: He’ll train her, push her, and use his own skills to help her become the best goalie in the league. As the season heats up, Ryleigh has to decide if letting Jett in will make her stronger—or throw her completely off her game. Because sometimes the hardest save isn’t on the ice . . . it’s guarding your heart.” - taken from Goodreads.

Ryleigh is coming off of a rough year and now senior year is her last chance of securing a D1 slot on a women's ice hockey team. She has no room for distractions, including the hot new boy at school, Jett, who is a hockey star. Paired up as chemistry lab partners, Jett makes a proposition to Ryleigh; fake date each other to make Ryleigh’s nemesis jealous and he will help her improve her hockey skills. Unable to turn down an offer like that, she agrees.

It isn't too long before Ryleigh's hockey skills improve but her feelings for Jett soon turn towards more than just friends. Will Ryleigh be able to achieve her college dreams? Does she act on her feelings for Jett and will he reciprocate?

Visit Sabrina Fedel’s website.

Practically Magic by Jen Calonita

 

“The Hadley sisters of Mystic Hollow are magic. Literally.

But for all the generations of witches behind her, Kat Hadley could swear that she’s utterly invisible to boys.

Then she learns that her perfect older sister, Harriet, cast a curse to protect her from heartbreak. Kat is so furious, she loses control—and it’s not just their sisterhood that shatters. It’s magic itself.

Suddenly, every spell a Hadley witch has ever cast starts reversing. Spells to do good start bringing evil. Curses to repel suddenly attract. And the veil between worlds begins to thin. If Kat and Harriet don’t do something fast, this Halloween might be Mystic Hollow’s last.

As they race to repair the balance of magic—and their relationship—Kat notices that every crush who’s ever rejected her is suddenly magically lovesick. Even her annoying class rival seems to have fallen under her spell. For the first time in her life, she feels practically magic. Who cares if it’s all just a spell? - taken from Goodreads.

This was a cute fall/Halloween. Read about the true meaning of family and sisterly bonds. Kat wants to be responsible for performing the yearly ritual on Sanheim to protect the town of Mystic Hollow. She devises a fictional boyfriend in order for her parents and her aunts to leave town so that she can host a Halloween party at their home. Even though she's never done it before. Her older sister Harry comes back home to ensure that nothing goes wrong. 

What does go wrong is that the sisters get into an epic fight that causes the bonds that protect the town from the paranormal to be shattered. As time counts down to Halloween and the bonds begin to fray, the Hadley sisters must find a way to repair their damaged relationship in order to save the town.

Can the town of mystic hollow be saved? Can the Hadley sisters repair the relationship and work together? What happens when Kat learns about the sacrifice that Harry made?

Visit Jen Calonita’s website.

Immortal Game by Allison Saft

 

“Six years ago, Shea Fury’s sister was whisked away by the High King of the Otherworld, the ruler of the treacherous land of fae. Although Shea has spent the years since dreaming of rescuing her sister from captivity, the Iron Veil that separates the human world from that of the fae has made it only a wish. That is, until an invitation to participate in a once-in-a-lifetime chess tournament in the Otherworld arrives on Shea’s doorstep. The winner of the tournament may ask the High King to grant one wish, and Shea is finally within reach of hers.

But entering the tournament and winning it are two different matters. Dark magic lurks around every corner in the Otherworld, and Shea’s cutthroat opponents are willing to bend the rules to make their own wishes come true. To make it to the end—and to find her sister—she is forced to strike an alliance with her longtime rival, the sharply beautiful fae princess, Ciara of Bri Leith. One wrong move, though, and Shea could lose more than just the competition: She’d lose her sister, her dignity, and maybe even her life.” - taken from Goodreads.

Shea saw her beloved older sister whisked away by the High King of the Fairies six years ago. In that time she has been perfecting her chess game in order to become a grandmaster and to be invited to a tournament in the fairy world. If she can make it through the competition, she will once again be able to face King Midir, in order to secure a boon to bring her sister back by defeating him after her failure 6 years prior.

But once there, it's near impossible for Shea to see her sister. But she does run into several of her current rivals including Midir’s younger sister, Ciara. As the tournament continues, both girls grow closer to one another but each has their own reason for winning the tournament for the opportunity to play against the king. One does not need to know anything about chess in order to enjoy this book.

With romance, friendships and competitive chess tournaments, will she be able to rescue her sister from King Midir? And will she have her heart broken along the way?

Visit Allison Saft’s website.

The Worst is Yet to Come by Trish Lundy

“High school might be officially over, but the real nightmare is just beginning. When two best friends are attacked on graduation night, only one of them makes it out alive.

Left for dead at an abandoned house but determined to find out who killed her best friend, Rose is rescued by former high school quarterback and heartthrob, Jake, who becomes an unexpected ally. . . and maybe something more. But when she learns that seventeen years ago, another girl suffered the exact same fate in the exact same place, she wonders if a murderer might be back with a vengeance. . . or is a copycat killer on the loose?

Time is running out, because whoever the killer is, they’re eager to correct their biggest letting Rose live. As Rose follows the trail of evidence, she’s led down a path of horrors that threatens to expose the insidious secrets at the heart of her community―secrets the killer will do anything to keep quiet.” - taken from Goodreads.

I really enjoyed this mystery of two dead girls 17 years apart. This story is told from Rose's point of view over her best friend's death and her own vicious attack as well as Abigail's former boyfriend telling of his own part in her disappearance leading up to present day. As the two stories converge, can Rose figure out how the two deaths are connected without becoming the next victim? And who is the killer and what was their motivation? Needless to say, the final paragraph of this book will leave you wondering.

Visit Trish Lundy’s website.

The Sixth Faction by Veronica Roth (Sixth Faction; New Divergent book 1)

Spoiler alert: This book would best be enjoyed if you have read the Divergent trilogy first.

“Beatrice Prior stands on the brink of a decision every person in her world must make: five factions, five futures, five lives.

She has a plan: she's going to make the bravest choice, and leave Abnegation behind to join Dauntless, even though it means leaving her family behind.

But when tragedy strikes at her Choosing Ceremony, everything changes—her world, her plans, even Beatrice herself.

Her ensuing decision thrusts her into the crosshairs of an underground rebellion, and into the path of a boy with secrets as dangerous as her own—a boy with only a number for a name.

One choice will change everything.” - taken from Goodreads.

This book is what would have happened if Beatrice Prior had not chosen to leave Abnegation to become Dauntless. Perfect for fans of the original trilogy. Warning, some things stay the same but many things are changed based on Tris’s new choice.

Book two in the Sixth Faction duology, The Last Testimony is due out on February 2, 2027.

Devoured by Jordan Stephanie Gray (Bitten book 2)

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

“Welcome back to the Wolf Queen’s Court.

Vanessa Hart is done being a victim. After the brutal winter massacre stole everything from her, she vows vengeance against her enemies once and for all—even if that means killing the boy she once loved...

Vanessa bides her time playing the role of a docile subject. But beneath her mask, she sharpens her powers, embracing the werewolf within while weaving a complicated web of lies, betrayals, and alliances to topple the throne.

Unfortunately, vengeance isn’t easy, and nothing in the Wolf Queen’s Court is ever as it seems. As the darkness of the castle bleeds into human society, it’s clear no one is safe. Cora’s vicious reign grows stronger by the day, Sinclair continues hiding deadly secrets, and Calix—the boy Vanessa might loathe most of all—is threatening her every plan.

With nowhere to run and no place to hide, Vanessa sheds the last of her humanity to play this lethal game of werewolves. And if she doesn’t win, the consequences will destroy her life—and the entire world as she knows it—forever.” - taken from Goodreads.

This was an incredible ending to this story. I don’t want to give too much away but the ending and epilogue were phenomenal. Book two was as good if not better than the beginning of the story.

Visit Jordan Stephanie Gray’s website.

Checking You Out by Jennifer Chen

“Lizzie Wei is a huge book nerd, and proud of it. And when she realizes there is a mysterious reader who has been checking out all of her favorite books from the library, she can’t help but get a crush on someone she’s never even met. Her friends make it their mission to find Lizzie’s long lost book soulmate and convinces her to leave notes for her crush. But what if the person Lizzie is looking for, isn’t at all what she expects?

Dylan Lin loves reading, secretly anyway. Ever since a bullying incident at his last school, he’s hidden his love of fantasy novels, instead leaning into his jock persona. Now he's the tennis team captain, runs every day, and actively avoids reading. So, when he decides to start volunteering at a kitten nursery, and his super cute co-volunteer Lizzie asks if he likes reading, he says no. He never expects the look of complete and utter disappointment on Lizzie’s face.

Lizzie is certain her secret crush isn’t Dylan. It can’t be! But when he accidentally makes an obscure reference to her favorite book during their volunteer shift, she’s not so sure anymore. Can Lizzie forgive Dylan for lying? And can Dylan be brave enough to be himself?” - taken from Goodreads.

Lizzie enjoys two things in life, fantasy books and cats. When she meets the cute athletic Dylan at the cat's shelter, she is immediately disappointed to learn that he hates to read. In actuality, Dylan loves fantasy novels, but after the extreme bullying he took at his old school, he is determined not to let anyone know about his past. 

Lizzie discovers that someone has been checking out her favorite books from the public library. She is determined to find out who they are. The more she works with. Dylan, the more she likes him but Lizzie doesn't know if she can be with someone that isn't a reader. What happens when she discovers who her book soulmate is?

Visit Jennifer Chen’s website.

The Dream Thieves: the graphic novel by Maggie Stiefvater (Book 2)

“Ronan Lynch is made of secrets. His longest kept one? He can pull impossible things out of dreams. It's a secret that's nearly killed him more than once.

Waking the ley line should have led Blue and the Raven Boys straight to Glendower, the Whelsh king rumored to be sleeping beneath the mountains of Henrietta.

But instead, the forest of Cabeswater has disappeared, energy hums and sputters beneath the town, and the Raven Boys' search is at a dead end. Ronan's dreams may be the key to finding Glendower, but none of the Raven Boys are prepared for what will be unleashed in Ronan's desperate attempt to finally control his power.” - taken from Goodreads.

Another great adaptation of the second book in the Raven Cycle.

Royal Vengeance by Aimee Carter (Royal Blood book 3)

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

“Evangeline Bright has only one shot to prove she isn’t a traitor: by finding the real mastermind behind the plot that almost killed her father, the King of England.

With the help of Kit, her steadfast boyfriend, Evan must find a way to outsmart the real threat to the throne no matter the cost, because the deadliest enemy the monarchy has faced in over a century is back with a vicious vengeance. And Evan soon uncovers the reason why.

A scandal so huge that if it ever becomes public, it will tear the monarchy apart.

To protect her loved ones, Evan must silence her enemies for good—because if the truth gets out, it won’t just shatter the monarchy. It’ll shatter Evan’s entire family.” - taken from Goodreads. 

Without giving too much away, this book picks up after the events of book two. Evan, with the help of Kit, is determined to stop whoever is behind the plot to take out the royal family. This was a very satisfying ending to this trilogy.

Visit Aimee Carter’s website.

We’re All Going to Die Tonight! by Veronica Bane

“The members of the Coastal Canyon debate team have their reasons to hate each complicated pasts, thornier presents, a huge competition loss . . . Now they’re stuck at an Airbnb together for a night during what feels like the storm of the century. Can it get any worse?

Yes. Yes, it can.

A flat tire, a severed landline, someone’s unconscious, and there’s a body outside. The night is unraveling, and it’s becoming no one is safe. But safe from who? A teammate? A teacher? Or is a stranger lurking nearby in the woods?

Seven students.

Three teachers.

One body.

Lock all the doors and trust no one.

After all, death isn’t up for debate.” - taken from Goodreads.

After a devastating performance for the coastal canyon debate team, they are now stuck in a secluded Airbnb during a major storm. Storm. Cut off from the outside world, it isn't too long before strange things begin to happen and people either disappear or get injured or even end up dead. 

Who will survive the night of terror? And who is responsible for everything that is going on? Readers will be left hanging until the last page to see how all the events and the characters play out. 

Visit Veronica Bane’s website.

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.

Black Point by Jacqueline West

“Lucia Sorenson holds on hard to the things she loves. Her tiny hometown clings to the bluffs above the Mississippi River, threatened by weather and time. Unlike most people her age, Lucia plans to stay after graduation and help her grandfather run the Viking Museum of Black Point. Maybe then she can keep everything her ancestors built from washing away.

When the Black Point Hotel, a supposedly haunted local landmark, is bought by an outsider, the town is shaken—and for Lucia, fresh changes arrive in the form of the owner’s nephew, Max. As Lucia gets to know Max, she begins to question her role in the town’s rituals and to see the place, and herself, with new eyes.

But the town is flooding, and old secrets are rising to the surface. Soon Lucia will have to choose between the home she thought she knew and the hideous truths hidden underneath.” - taken from Goodreads.

Lucia Sorensen has lived her entire life in Black point Wisconsin and has no desire to leave after graduation. She is determined to stay and help her grandfather with the Viking museum that he owns. The small town is located on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River and is threatened by climate change. And in a town where nothing changes, Lucia finds herself drawn to newcomer Max, who's Aunt has just bought the abandoned hotel. As Max helps with demolition, secrets that the town and its citizens want to keep from seeing the light of day begin to surface. Can Lucia see what has been hidden from her before it's too late?

Visit Jacqueline West’s website.

Change of Plans by Sarah Dessen

“Finley has always felt most comfortable in someone else’s shadow. Fortunately, she’s got Colin, her magnetic boyfriend, who sweeps her along for activities, friendships, and future plans. Then she goes on a last-minute trip with her distant mom to a family vacation house that Finley didn’t know existed and is now about to be sold.

Her mom was estranged from her own parents and siblings since leaving home for college, and it’s a novelty for Finley to see her aunts and cousins, and to meet the handful of teens who work at the Egg, her aunt’s diner, and make up a found family of their own—including undeniably handsome guitarist Ben.

Then her relationship with Colin goes into freefall, and Finley’s roadmap for life after high school is gone. She has no choice but to live, for the first time, without plans. The longer Finley stays, the closer she gets to the truth about why her mother stayed away—and why she’s brought Finley here now.

And the closer she grows to new friends at the Egg, the more she starts to fall for charmingly awkward, soulful Ben and to realize how much of herself she’s been missing. By the end of the summer, nothing will be the same—for this community or for Finley herself.” - taken from Goodreads. 

Finley has plans for the future. They get turned upside down when her graduation trip with her mother to New York City gets changed to a visit to her mother's. A strange family. Not knowing anyone, things get worse for her when her boyfriend dumps her while he's on a cruise. Cruise. It's not too long before Finley uncovers her mother's secrets and begins to find a place in her new found family. And of course, a new boy is soon in the picture to shake up what she thought she knew.

Visit Sarah Dessen’s website.

Queen of Faces by Petra Lord (Queen of Faces book 1)

“A desperate girl at a cutthroat magical academy faces a choice between life and death: become an assassin for the enchanted elite or watch her decaying body draw its last breath.

Anabelle Gage is trapped in a male body, and it’s rotting from the inside out. In Caimor, where the magical elite buy and swap designer bodies like clothes, Ana can’t afford to escape her tattered form. When she fails the entrance exam to the prestigious Paragon Academy, her last hope of earning a new body implodes. As the clock ticks down to her last breath, she’s forced to use her illusion magic to steal a healthy chassis—before her own kills her.

But Ana is caught by none other than the headmaster of Paragon Academy, who poses a brutal ultimatum: face execution for her crime or become a mercenary at his command. Revolt brews in Caimor's smog-choked underworld, and the wealthy and powerful will stop at nothing to take down the rebels and the infamous dark witch at their helm, the Black Wraith.

With no choice but to accept, Ana will steal, fight, and kill her way to salvation. But her survival depends on a dangerous band of an impulsive assassin, a brooding bombmaker, and an alluring exile who might just spell her ruin. As Ana is drawn into a tangled web of secrets, the line between villain and hero shatters—and Ana must decide which side is worth dying for.” - taken from Goodreads.

This book had a very unique premise and that people can swap their physical bodies. The wealthy can afford it while everyone else is at the mercy of their wallets. Anabelle Gage is stuck in a mediocre male body that is dying and she is unable to procure a new one without stealing it. Caught, she soon finds herself at the mercy of Paragon Academy's headmaster. Either she dies or becomes his assassin and does his dirty work.

What happens next is a story full of dark academia and not one character who isn’t flawed, some much more than others. Leading to the ultimate showdown not knowing who will live or die, an ending that no one sees coming will leave readers anticipating book two, King of Masks, is due out February 9, 2027.

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