They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman

 

“In Gold Coast, Long Island, everything from the expensive downtown shops to the manicured beaches, to the pressed uniforms of Jill Newman and her friends, looks perfect. But as Jill found out three years ago, nothing is as it seems.

Freshman year Jill's best friend, the brilliant, dazzling Shaila Arnold, was killed by her boyfriend. After that dark night on the beach, Graham confessed, the case was closed, and Jill tried to move on.

Now, it's Jill's senior year and she's determined to make it her best yet. After all, she's a senior and a Player--a member of Gold Coast Prep's exclusive, not-so-secret secret society. Senior Players have the best parties, highest grades and the admiration of the entire school. This is going to be Jill's year. She's sure of it.

But when Jill starts getting texts proclaiming Graham's innocence, her dreams of the perfect senior year start to crumble. If Graham didn't kill Shaila, who did? Jill vows to find out, but digging deeper could mean putting her friendships, and her future, in jeopardy.” - taken from Goodreads.

A compelling mystery told between the past as the present.

Visit Jessica Goodman’s website.

Ballad and Dagger by Daniel Jose Older (Outlaw Saints book 1)

 

“Almost sixteen years ago, Mateo Matisse's island homeland disappeared into the sea. Weary and hopeless, the survivors of San Madrigal's sinking escaped to New York.

While the rest of his tight-knit Brooklyn diaspora community dreams of someday finding a way back home, Mateo--now a high school junior and piano prodigy living with his two aunts (one who's alive, the other not so much)--is focused on one thing: getting the attention of locally-grown musical legend Gerval. Mateo finally gets his chance on the night of the Grand Fete, an annual party celebrating the blended culture of pirates, Cuban Santeros, and Sephardic Jews that created San Madrigal all those centuries ago.

But the evil that sank their island has finally caught up with them, and on the night of the celebration, Mateo's life is forever changed when he witnesses a brutal murder by a person he thought he knew.

Suddenly Mateo is thrust into an ancient battle that spans years and oceans. Deadly secrets are unraveled and Mateo awakens a power within himself--a power that not only links him to the killer but could also hold the key to unlocking the dark mystery behind his lost homeland.” - taken from Goodreads.

San Madrigal is the Atlantis of the Caribbean. After it suddenly sank, the mismatched group of refugees settled in the Little Madrigal community in Brooklyn. When a long held secret has no choice but to be revealed, Mateo Matisse's life is turned upside down. Enter Chela Hidalgo who has a secret of her own. When the some of the residents believe that the island of San Madrigal can be raised, Mateo finds himself at the very heart of the plot. Who can he trust and who will betray him? 

Book two is expected in May 2023.

Visit Daniel Jose Older’s website.

We Can't Keep Meeting Like This by Rachel Lynn Solomon

 

“Quinn Berkowitz and Tarek Mansour’s families have been in business together for years: Quinn’s parents are wedding planners, and Tarek’s own a catering company. At the end of last summer, Quinn confessed her crush on him in the form of a rambling email—and then he left for college without a response.

Quinn has been dreading seeing him again almost as much as she dreads another summer playing the harp for her parents’ weddings. When he shows up at the first wedding of the summer, looking cuter than ever after a year apart, they clash immediately. Tarek’s always loved the grand gestures in weddings—the flashier, the better—while Quinn can’t see them as anything but fake. Even as they can’t seem to have one civil conversation, Quinn’s thrown together with Tarek wedding after wedding, from performing a daring cake rescue to filling in for a missing bridesmaid and groomsman.

Quinn can’t deny her feelings for him are still there, especially after she learns the truth about his silence, opens up about her own fears, and begins learning the art of harp-making from an enigmatic teacher.

Maybe love isn’t the enemy after all—and maybe allowing herself to fall is the most honest thing Quinn’s ever done.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Quinn and Tarek cross paths every summer during the wedding season. Quinn's parents are wedding planners while Tarek's are caterers. After things don't end well between the two of them, Quinn confesses her feelings for Tarek in an email but he never responds. What happens the following summer when they meet at the first wedding of the year starts a journey of recovery and reconciliation between the two of them, another enjoyable romance by this author.

Visit Rachel Lynn Solomon’s website.

Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon

 

“Today, she hates him.

It’s the last day of senior year. Rowan Roth and Neil McNair have been bitter rivals for all of high school, clashing on test scores, student council elections, and even gym class pull-up contests. While Rowan, who secretly wants to write romance novels, is anxious about the future, she’d love to beat her infuriating nemesis one last time.

Tonight, she puts up with him.

When Neil is named valedictorian, Rowan has only one chance at victory: Howl, a senior class game that takes them all over Seattle, a farewell tour of the city she loves. But after learning a group of seniors is out to get them, she and Neil reluctantly decide to team up until they’re the last players left—and then they’ll destroy each other.

As Rowan spends more time with Neil, she realizes he’s much more than the awkward linguistics nerd she’s sparred with for the past four years. And, perhaps, this boy she claims to despise might actually be the boy of her dreams.

Tomorrow…maybe she’s already fallen for him.” - taken from Goodreads.com

A lovely story about coming to terms with the end of high school and realizing what happens to be right in front of you. Told over the period of one day, Rowan Roth sees the senior class game as her last opportunity to best her rival Neil McNair. When they unexpectedly partner up to play the game, Rowan begins to see that Neil isn't the person she thought he was. A great enemies to lovers story.

Visit Rachel Lynn Solomon’s website. 

Recommended For You by Laura Silverman

 

“Shoshanna Greenberg loves working at Once Upon, her favorite local bookstore. And with her moms fighting at home and her beloved car teetering on the brink of death, the store has become a welcome escape.

When her boss announces a holiday bonus to the person who sells the most books, Shoshanna sees an opportunity to at least fix her car, if none of her other problems. The only person standing in her way? New hire Jake Kaplan.

Jake is an affront to everything Shoshanna stands for. He doesn’t even read! But somehow his sales start to rival hers. Jake may be cute (really cute), and he may be an eligible Jewish single (hard to find south of Atlanta), but he’s also the enemy, and Shoshanna is ready to take him down.

But as the competition intensifies, Jake and Shoshanna grow closer and realize they might be more on the same page than either expects… “ - taken from Goodreads.com

Recommended For You was a cute holiday story that reads like a Hallmark Christmas movie. Shoshana, who is Jewish, loves working at a local bookstore. When her boss offers a holiday bonus for the top seasonal seller, she sees it as a way to get her car fixed if not to relieve some of the tension at home. Jake Kaplan, the cute new hire, is her only competition. With lots of stumbles and realizations, Shoshana soon realizes that Jake isn't what he originally seemed. 

Visit Laura Silverman’s website.

Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed

“YES

Jamie Goldberg is cool with volunteering for his local state senate candidate—as long as he’s behind the scenes. When it comes to speaking to strangers (or, let’s face it, speaking at all to almost anyone), Jamie’s a choke artist. There’s no way he’d ever knock on doors to ask people for their votes…until he meets Maya.

NO

Maya Rehman’s having the worst Ramadan ever. Her best friend is too busy to hang out, her summer trip is canceled, and now her parents are separating. Why her mother thinks the solution to her problems is political canvassing—with some awkward dude she hardly knows—is beyond her.

MAYBE SO

Going door to door isn’t exactly glamorous, but maybe it’s not the worst thing in the world. After all, the polls are getting closer—and so are Maya and Jamie. Mastering local activism is one thing. Navigating the cross-cultural romance of the century is another thing entirely.” - taken from Goodreads.com

This was an adorable book of first love and standing up for what you believe in. Maya, who is Muslim, and Jamie, who is Jewish, reconnect while volunteering on a political campaign. Their families were friendly when these two were younger. Taking place during Ramadan, Jamie and the reader learn about the Muslim holiday just as Maya gains some insight into Jamie's younger sister's bat mitzvah.

According to the authors' note at the end, the event surrounding Maya and Jamie's story was based on the current political climate here in the United States. This shouldn't be a turn off because the reader gets some insight into how our political system works. Putting yourself into either Maya or Jamie's shoes is an invaluable lesson.

Visit Becky Albertalli’s website.

Visit Aisha Saeed’s website.

Blood For Blood by Ryan Graudin (Wolf By Wolf book 2)

“The action-packed, thrilling sequel to Ryan Graudin's Wolf by Wolf.

There would be blood.

Blood for blood.

Blood to pay.

An entire world of it.

For the resistance in 1950s Germany, the war may be over, but the fight has just begun.

Death camp survivor Yael, who has the power to skinshift, is on the run: the world has just seen her shoot and kill Hitler. But the truth of what happened is far more complicated, and its consequences are deadly. Yael and her unlikely comrades dive into enemy territory to try to turn the tide against the New Order, and there is no alternative but to see their mission through to the end, whatever the cost.

But dark secrets reveal dark truths, and one question hangs over them all: how far can you go for the ones you love?

This gripping, thought-provoking sequel to Wolf by Wolf will grab readers by the throat with its cinematic writing, fast-paced action, and relentless twists.” - taken from Goodreads.com

In this thrilling conclusion, Yael, Luka and Felix are now on the run after her failed assassination attempt. When the true depth of just how far Adolf Hitler will go to stay in power is revealed, Yael and the others must come up with a new plan. Unbeknownst to them, a desperate person willingly to do anything to save the ones they love, is in their midst and ready to betray the Resistance.

Can Hitler to stopped? Who is willing to betray the Resistance? What is Hitler’s plan to stay in power? How does Yael’s story end? Visit Ryan Graudin’s website.