The Oks Are Not OK by Grace K. Shim

“Seventeen-year-old Elena Ok (pronounced Oak) has mastered the art of being both a Los Angeles party girl and financially savvy influencer, but her family doesn’t see the brilliance behind her carefully curated image. Instead, they endlessly praise her older brother Gavin, whose most impressive achievement is consistently forgetting his homework. All of Elena’s hard work and social clout disintegrates when the Oks, founders of the wildly popular (and now bankrupt) fast fashion brand It’s Ok! (pronounced “OKAY”), lose their fortune overnight.

With their empire crumbling and an investigation underway, the Oks flee to Blaire, CA—a farming town that’s as glamourous as Temu. Mr. Ok, a now disgraced retail mogul, and Mrs. Ok, a now also disgraced fashion-forward matriarch, realize they’ve spent decades perfecting their public personas at the expense of actually knowing their kids. Meanwhile, Elena and Gavin are stuck in the middle of nowhere, with nothing to distract them from their family’s unraveling dynamics—or each other’s annoying habits.

But life in Blaire isn’t all bad. As the family reconnects with their Korean farming heritage, Elena discovers a hidden the Blaire Fair, the local market brimming with untapped potential. Applying her business savvy, she helps the small-town vendors thrive and sees how they put their profits back into the community. For the first time, Elena begins to question her own definition of success.

The Oks are Not OK offers humor and drama to tell a story about family, self-discovery, and the fine line between building a brand and building a life.” - taken from Goodreads.

The Oks lose everything when they must declare bankruptcy. The only things they are left with are daughter Elana’s earnings as a social media influencer and a tiny house in a backwater town. Can this family find a way to pivot to survive living in small town Blaire while repairing their relationship?

Visit Grace K. Shim’s website. 

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.

Kisses, Codes, and Conspiracies by Abigail Hing Wen

 

“Tan Lee finds himself embroiled in an unusual love triangle, all while trying to defuse a heist, unravel a conspiracy, and navigate the most complicated babysitting assignment ever in this YA novel by national bestselling author Abigail Hing Wen.

After a magical kiss at Prom, best friends Tan Lee and Winter Woo agree to cool it off, a plan that goes awry when their parents jointly head off to Hawaii and leave Tan and Winter to babysit Tan's sister Sana together. If that isn't complicated enough, Tan's ex-girlfriend from Shanghai arrives on his doorstep with money stolen from her billionaire father and thugs on her heels.

Tan soon finds himself on the run, trying to out-manuever international hackers and protect his friends, family and sister - and his own heart.” - taken from Goodreads.

Visit Abigail Hing Wen’s website.

My Life With the Walter Boys by Ali Novak

 

“Jackie Howard does not like surprises. Chaos is the enemy. The best way to get her successful, busy parents to notice her is to be perfect. The perfect look, the perfect grades—the perfect daughter. And then…

Surprise #1: Jackie’s family dies in a freak car accident.

Surprise #2: Jackie has to move cross-country to live with the Walters—her new guardians.

Surprise #3: The Walters have twelve sons. (Well, eleven, but Parker acts like a boy anyway.)

Jackie is now surrounded by the enemy. Loud, dirty, annoying boys—who have no concept of personal space. Okay, several of the oldest guys are flat-out gorgeous. But still annoying. She’s not stuck-up or boring—no matter what they say. But proving it is another matter. How can she fit in and move on when she needs to keep her parents’ memory alive by living up to the promise of perfect?” - taken from Goodreads.

Jackie Howard's life has been turned upside down with the car accident that killed her family. Three months later, her guardian thinks a change in scenery would be best and her mother's college roommate offers to take her in. Moving from New York City to Colorado is enough of a culture shock, but the Walter family has 12 boys. Can Jackie fit into the ranch life and what happens when more than one brother shows an interest in her?

Visit Ali Novak’s website.

The Hunting Moon by Susan Dennard (The Luminaries book 2)

 

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

“Winnie Wednesday has gotten everything she thought she wanted. She passed the deadly hunter trials, her family has been welcomed back into the Luminaries, and overnight, she has become a local celebrity.

The Girl Who Jumped. The Girl Who Got Bitten.

Unfortunately, it all feels wrong. For one, nobody will believe her about the new nightmare called the Whisperer that's killing hunters each night. Everyone blames the werewolf, even though Winnie is certain the wolf is innocent.

On top of that, following her dad's convoluted clues about the Dianas, their magic, and what happened in Hemlock Falls four years ago is leaving her with more questions than answers.

Then to complicate it all, there is still only one person who can help Jay Friday, the boy with plenty of problems all his own.

As bodies and secrets pile up around town, Winnie finds herself questioning what it means to be a true Wednesday and a true Luminary―and also where her fierce-hearted loyalties might ultimately have to lie.” - taken from Goodreads.

This book picks up where the last one left off.  Winnie is still full of questions surrounding her father's bombshell confessions and what exactly is happening in the forests of Hemlock Falls. Lots of things occur like discovering her father's clues, growing closer to Jay Friday, and her family’s return to The Luminaries, but even more secrets are uncovered. With one mystery now discovered by Winnie, the conclusion to this trilogy is set up nicely for the next volume. 

The trilogy will conclude with The Whispering Night on October 1, 2024.

Visit Susan Dennard’s website.

Never Vacation With Your Ex by Emily Wibberly & Austin Siegemund-Broka

“Seventeen-year-old volleyball star Kaylee Jordan lives a life of player rankings, constant training, and a carefully curated social media full of followers watching to see if she'll go pro out of high school like her famous mom. Her one refuge, and the thing she looks forward to every summer? The vacation her family spends in Malibu with the Freeman-Yus. This year, there’s only one problem: Kaylee and their son, Dean, dated for the past three months, and Kaylee just unceremoniously dumped him.

Hoping to spare them the worst summer ever, Kaylee comes to Dean with her unconventional solution: she’s going to walk him through her rules for getting over an ex. When Dean grudgingly cooperates, Kaylee’s got her work cut out for her. But helping Dean follow her own rules starts becoming difficult when the pressures of Kaylee’s family legacy and perfect life start to feel less like a plan and more like a prison… and amid warm California nights and stolen laughs, Kaylee feels herself falling for Dean for the same reasons and some new ones.

With their trip coming to an end, Kaylee has to make the complicated choice between doing what’s expected and taking a (second) chance on love.” - taken from Goodreads.

Kaylee Jordan wasn’t this author duo’s best love interest. She didn’t treat Dean like she should have. Kaylee also places a lot of pressure on herself and it affects her relationships. She dumped Dean after only two months of dating, making for a rough family vacation. Dean takes Kaylee up on her offer to help him move on from her but what happens when Kaylee isn’t able to follow her own advice?

Visit Emily & Austin’s website. 

The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (The Inheritance Games book 4)

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

Check out Book Series Recaps for a refresher of the first three books.

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

“Grayson Hawthorne was raised as the heir apparent to his billionaire grandfather, taught from the cradle to put family first. Now the great Tobias Hawthorne is dead and his family disinherited, but some lessons linger. When Grayson’s half-sisters find themselves in trouble, he swoops in to do what he does best: take care of the problem—efficiently, effectively, mercilessly. And without getting bogged down in emotional entanglements.

 

Jameson Hawthorne is a risk-taker, a sensation-seeker, a player of games. When his mysterious father appears and asks for a favor, Jameson can’t resist the challenge. Now he must infiltrate London’s most exclusive underground gambling club, which caters to the rich, the powerful, and the aristocratic, and win an impossible game of greatest stakes. Luckily, Jameson Hawthorne lives for impossible.

 

Drawn into twisted games on opposite sides of the globe, Grayson and Jameson—with the help of their brothers and the girl who inherited their grandfather’s fortune—must dig deep to decide who they want to be and what each of them will sacrifice to win.” - taken from Goodreads.

Told from two points of view, our story now shifts to Grayson and Jameson. Digging deeper into both of their backgrounds, I found myself more invested in Grayson’s story about his sisters than Jameson playing yet another high stakes game. The story really picks up at the end when a huge secret is spilled.

Book five, The Grandest Game, is due out on July 30, 2024.

Visit Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ website.

Private Label by Kelly Yang

 

“Serene dreams of making couture dresses even more stunning than her mom’s, but for now she’s an intern at her mom’s fashion label. When her mom receives a sudden diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, all that changes. Serene has to take over her mother’s business overnight, dealing with ruthless investors who do not think a seventeen-year-old can run a fashion empire, while trying to figure out what happened with her dad in Beijing. He left before she was born, and Serene wants to find him, even if it means going against her mom’s one request—never look back.

Lian Chen moved from China to Serene’s mostly white Southern California beach town a year ago. He doesn’t fit in at school, where kids mispronounce his name. His parents don’t care about what he wants to do—comedy—and push him toward going to MIT engineering early. Lian thinks there’s nothing to stick around for, until one day, he starts Chinese Club after school . . . and Serene walks in.

Worlds apart in the high school hierarchy, Serene and Lian soon find refuge in each other, falling in love as they navigate life-changing storms.” - taken from Goodreads.

This was a quick read about two Chinese American teenagers who are on opposite ends of the high school hierarchy that soon find themselves being there for one another when Serene desires to learn more about her heritage as they help one another navigate what it means to be themselves in a world where they are seen as different.

Visit Kelly Yang’s website.

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard (The Luminaries book 1)

“Hemlock Falls isn't like other towns. You won't find it on a map, your phone won't work here, and the forest outside town might just kill you.

Winnie Wednesday wants nothing more than to join the Luminaries, the ancient order that protects Winnie's town—and the rest of humanity—from the monsters and nightmares that rise in the forest of Hemlock Falls every night.

Ever since her father was exposed as a witch and a traitor, Winnie and her family have been shunned. But on her sixteenth birthday, she can take the deadly Luminary hunter trials and prove herself true and loyal—and restore her family's good name. Or die trying.

But in order to survive, Winnie enlists the help of the one person who can help her train: Jay Friday, resident bad boy and Winnie’s ex-best friend. While Jay might be the most promising new hunter in Hemlock Falls, he also seems to know more about the nightmares of the forest than he should. Together, he and Winnie will discover a danger lurking in the forest no one in Hemlock Falls is prepared for.

Not all monsters can be slain, and not all nightmares are confined to the dark. - taken from Goodreads.

This was a surprisingly great read that I had a hard time putting down. The families/protectors of Hemlock Falls are sorted/named after the days of the week. Winnie Wednesday still dreams of becoming a hunter even after her father’s betrayal and her family’s shunning by the community. When she enters the hunter trials to everyone’s dismay, they are shocked to see she made a kill. Winnie didn’t but she didn’t correct anyone’s assumption, especially when her family was accepted back into the Luminaries. Back into the fold, Winnie gets help from Jay Friday, a former friend. The deeper Winnie gets back into her training, the more secrets and strange happenings that occur.

Book two is expected to be published in 2023. 

Visit Susan Dennard’s website.

Places We’ve Never Been by Kasie West

 

“Norah hasn’t seen her childhood best friend, Skyler, in years. When he first moved away, they'd talk all the time, but lately their relationship has been reduced to liking each other’s Instagram posts. That’s why Norah can’t wait for the joint RV road trip their families have planned for the summer.

But when Skyler finally arrives, he seems...like he’d rather be anywhere else. Hurt and confused, Norah reacts in kind. Suddenly, her oldest friendship is on the rocks.

An unexpected summer spent driving across the country leads both Norah and Skyler down new roads and to new discoveries. Before long, they are, once again, seeing each other in a different light. Can their friendship-turned-rivalry turn into something more? - taken from Goodreads.

This book takes place over an RV trip between former best friends, Norah and Skyler. Excited to see her best friend/”crush” for the first time in four years, Norah is quickly hurt that Skyler doesn’t seem to want to still be friends. Trying to figure out what has changed between the two of them, Norah tries to find ways to break through Skyler’s tough exterior. When the details of the trip seem sketchy, Norah is determined to find out what is going on. As the miles click away, can these two go back to being friends or are the obstacles in front of them just too much? 

Visit Kasie West’s website.

The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (The Inheritance Games book 3)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, The Inheritance Games and The Hawthorne, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

Check out Book Series Recaps for a refresher of the first two books.

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

“Avery’s fortune, life, and loves are on the line in the game that everyone will be talking about.

To inherit billions, all Avery Kylie Grambs has to do is survive a few more weeks living in Hawthorne House. The paparazzi are dogging her every step. Financial pressures are building. Danger is a fact of life. And the only thing getting Avery through it all is the Hawthorne brothers. Her life is intertwined with theirs. She knows their secrets, and they know her.

But as the clock ticks down to the moment when Avery will become the richest teenager on the planet, trouble arrives in the form of a visitor who needs her help—and whose presence in Hawthorne House could change everything. It soon becomes clear that there is one last puzzle to solve, and Avery and the Hawthorne brothers are drawn into a dangerous game against an unknown and powerful player.

Secrets upon secrets. Riddles upon riddles. In this game, there are hearts and lives at stake—and there is nothing more Hawthorne than winning.” - taken from Goodreads.

This was an exciting ending to the mystery of why Tobias Hawthorne left his billions to the unknown Avery Grambs. With lots of secrets left to be uncovered and a new danger lurking, will Avery survive to inherit the money? 

And there’s more! Book four, The Brothers Hawthorne, is due out on August 29, 2023.

Visit Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ website.

Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury (Blood Like Magic book 1)

 

“After years of waiting for her Calling—a trial every witch must pass in order to come into their powers—the one thing Voya Thomas didn’t expect was to fail. When Voya’s ancestor gives her an unprecedented second chance to complete her Calling, she agrees—and then is horrified when her task is to kill her first love. And this time, failure means every Thomas witch will be stripped of their magic.

Voya is determined to save her family’s magic no matter the cost. The problem is, Voya has never been in love, so for her to succeed, she’ll first have to find the perfect guy—and fast. Fortunately, a genetic matchmaking program has just hit the market. Her plan is to join the program, fall in love, and complete her task before the deadline. What she doesn’t count on is being paired with the infuriating Luc—how can she fall in love with a guy who seemingly wants nothing to do with her?

With mounting pressure from her family, Voya is caught between her morality and her duty to her bloodline. If she wants to save their heritage and Luc, she’ll have to find something her ancestor wants more than blood. And in witchcraft, blood is everything.” - taken from Goodreads.com

This was a unique dark story about one girl’s path during her coming-of-age ritual to gain her family’s witch powers. When she fails at her first attempt and begs for a second chance, Voya Thomas is given the task of destroying her first love within the next 30 days. Easy right? Not even when Voya has yet to meet her first love. What begins as a quest to make her recent genetic match fall in love with her soon opens the tightly locked vault of family secrets that the adults tried to keep buried. A thrilling and unexpected ending that sets up a new story arc for the next book in the series.

The story will continue with book two, expected sometime in 2022.

Visit Liselle Sambury’s website.

The Perfect Escape by Suzanne Park

“Nate Jae-Woo Kim wants to be rich. When one of his classmates offers Nate a ridiculous amount of money to commit grade fraud, he knows that taking the windfall would help support his prideful Korean family, but is compromising his integrity worth it?

Luck comes in the form of Kate Anderson, Nate’s colleague at the zombie-themed escape room where he works. She approaches Nate with a plan: a local tech company is hosting a weekend-long survivalist competition with a huge cash prize. It could solve all of Nate’s problems, and Kate needs the money too.

If the two of them team up, Nate has a true shot at winning the grand prize. But the real challenge? Making through the weekend with his heart intact…” - taken from Goodreads.com

This was a unique spin on your typical rom-com. Having met while working at a zombie themed escape room, Nate Kim and Kate Anderson decide to team up to compete in a zombie survival competition. They are hoping to split the grand-prize since they each have a need for the money. When the competition heats up, can Nate and Kate's blooming relationship survive? 

Visit Suzanne Park’s website.

 

Bone Crier’s Dawn by Kathryn Purdie (Bone Grace book 2)

 

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

“Love is a matter of life and death.

Bone Criers have been ferrying the dead into the afterlife for centuries, a dangerous duty only possible with the powers they gain from sacrificing their amourés the men destined to love them and die. But Bone Criers Ailesse and Sabine—along with Ailesse’s love, Bastien—are working to chart their own course and rewrite the rules of the afterlife. If they don’t break the soul between Ailesse and her amouré, she could die—just as Bastien’s father did.

Sabine struggles to maintain her authority as matrone of her famille—the role always destined for her sister—even as she fights to control the violent jackal power within her.

Bastien is faced with a new dilemma as the spirits of the Underworld threaten the souls of his friends—and his father.

Ailesse attempts to resist her mother’s siren song as she’s drawn into her own version of the Underworld. How will she save her friends once she’s cut off from their world?” - taken from Goodreads.com

This title was a great wrap-up to this fantastic duology. Picking up immediately where the first book left off, our characters are trying to figure out how to get out of the mess they have found themselves thrust into. Things quickly take a turn for the worse and several bombshell secrets are revealed. A very unique story for fans of the fantasy genre. 

Visit Kathryn Purdie’s website.

Visit Charlie Bowater’s website.

You Have a Match by Emma Lord

 

“A new love, a secret sister, and a summer she'll never forget.

From the beloved author of Tweet Cute comes Emma Lord's You Have a Match, a hilarious and heartfelt novel of romance, sisterhood, and friendship...

When Abby signs up for a DNA service, it’s mainly to give her friend and secret love interest, Leo, a nudge. After all, she knows who she is already: Avid photographer. Injury-prone tree climber. Best friend to Leo and Connie…although ever since the B.E.I. (Big Embarrassing Incident) with Leo, things have been awkward on that front.

But she didn’t know she’s a younger sister.

When the DNA service reveals Abby has a secret sister, shimmery-haired Instagram star Savannah Tully, it’s hard to believe they’re from the same planet, never mind the same parents — especially considering Savannah, queen of green smoothies, is only a year and a half older than Abby herself.

The logical course of action? Meet up at summer camp (obviously) and figure out why Abby’s parents gave Savvy up for adoption. But there are complications: Savvy is a rigid rule-follower and total narc. Leo is the camp’s co-chef, putting Abby's growing feelings for him on blast. And her parents have a secret that threatens to unravel everything.

But part of life is showing up, leaning in, and learning to fit all your awkward pieces together. Because sometimes, the hardest things can also be the best ones.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I really thought this book was going to be a cute retelling of Disney's The Parent Trap. And it was to some extent but the reasoning behind the girls’ separation was a bit heartbreaking if not a little bit unbelievable. There is a touch of romance but it is not the main focus of the story. I couldn't put down this book in my attempt to discover why Abby and Savannah were separated. I can definitely see why Reese Witherspoon picked this title for her YA book club.

Visit Emma Lord’s website.

Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao

 

“Chloe Wang is nervous to introduce her parents to her boyfriend, because the truth is, she hasn’t met him yet either. She hired him from Rent for Your ’Rents, a company specializing in providing fake boyfriends trained to impress even the most traditional Asian parents.

Drew Chan’s passion is art, but after his parents cut him off for dropping out of college to pursue his dreams, he became a Rent for Your ’Rents employee to keep a roof over his head. Luckily, learning protocols like “Type C parents prefer quiet, kind, zero-PDA gestures” comes naturally to him.

When Chloe rents Drew, the mission is simple: convince her parents fake Drew is worthy of their approval so they’ll stop pressuring her to accept a proposal from Hongbo, the wealthiest (and slimiest) young bachelor in their tight-knit Asian American community.

But when Chloe starts to fall for the real Drew—who, unlike his fake persona, is definitely not ’rent-worthy—her carefully curated life begins to unravel. Can she figure out what she wants before she loses everything?” - taken from Goodreads.com

I adored this book as much as the author's previous novel, American Panda. Chloe Wang is so desperate not to return home from college for Thanksgiving without a boyfriend that she resorts to renting one. Enter struggling artist and college dropout, Drew Chan, aka Chloe/Jing Jing’s boyfriend, Andrew. The main reason Chloe has pulled out all of the stops is to keep her uber traditional Chinese parents from marrying her off to the super-rich and super self-centered Hongbo. Soon Chloe finds that her plan has worked a little too well when she realizes that she is falling for Drew, a boy who her parents would never approve of. How will Chloe keep her web of lies from unraveling?

This seems to be an authentic look into what American born Chinese children face when their new cultures and traditional parents collide. A truly great story. 

Visit Gloria Chao’s website.

The Cousins by Karen M. McManus

 

“Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each another, and they've never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they're surprised . . . and curious.

Their parents are all clear on one point—not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother's good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it's immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious—and dark—their family's past is.

The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn't over—and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I wholeheartedly believe that Karen McManus is a master of YA mystery. The Cousins was so different from her previous YA books that the reader is left hanging until the very end to see what really has happened. The four Story children; Adam, Anders, Allison, and Archer, are banished from their mother's life with a letter from her attorney is it states “you know what you did.”. They never hear from her again, not even after marriages or the birth of their children.

When the three Story grandchildren, Millie, Aubrey, and Jonah; receive letters offering them summer employment at their grandmother's luxury resort, their parents leave them no choice. Soon, they find themselves deep in the infamous Story mystery.

 Full of shocking twists, turns, and reveals, readers will be holding their breath until the very end. 

Visit Karen M. McManus’ website.

10 Things I Hate About Pinky by Sandhya Menon (Dimple and Rishi book 3)

 

SPOILER ALERT! This is a companion story that takes place after There’s Something About Sweetie. While it’s not necessary to read the previous book first, I wouldn’t want to spoil any of the details for you. 

“Pinky Kumar wears the social justice warrior badge with pride. From raccoon hospitals to persecuted rock stars, no cause is too esoteric for her to champion. But a teeny-tiny part of her also really enjoys making her conservative, buttoned-up corporate lawyer parents cringe.

Samir Jha might have a few . . . quirks remaining from the time he had to take care of his sick mother, like the endless lists he makes in his planner and the way he schedules every minute of every day, but those are good things. They make life predictable and steady.

Pinky loves lazy summers at her parents’ Cape Cod lake house, but after listening to them harangue her about the poor decisions (aka boyfriends) she’s made, she hatches a plan. Get her sorta-friend-sorta-enemy, Samir—who is a total Harvard-bound Mama’s boy—to pose as her perfect boyfriend for the summer. As they bicker their way through lighthouses and butterfly habitats, sparks fly, and they both realize this will be a summer they'll never forget.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I enjoyed Pinky and Samir’s story who we first meet in There’s Something About Sweetie. This book is your typical fake boyfriend troupe but it really works well in this story. Both of our characters grew over the course of the summer. Unfortunately for fans of the previous books, only Ashish has the briefest of mentions at the beginning and end of the story. I hope that the author writes an epilogue of all six of these characters in the future to see how everyone turns out.

Visit Sandhya Menon’s website.