Watch Us Crack by Gabriella Lepore

“Sadie Morelli and Cason Tano were friends in middle school, back before Cason’s mom died and Sadie transferred to a new school. When they meet again as high school juniors at the local ice rink where Sadie waitresses and Cason’s hockey team plays, what was once friendship blooms into something more. Given the intensity of the rivalry between their schools, their budding romance is a secret for them alone.

But then someone turns up dead at the local train station. Sadie and Cason were both at the station the night of the murder, and both have a reason to want to hurt the victim. With accusations flying and secrets being held close to the chest, Sadie and Cason must decide the lengths they’re willing to go to to clear their own names—and to protect each other.” - taken from Goodreads.

Sadie & Cason knew one another in middle school but drifted apart when she moved to a rival high school. Now as juniors, the two meet again at a local ice rink but decide to keep their relationship to themselves. When someone is found dead at the train station near Sadie’s house, suspicion is cast upon everyone near the victim, including Sadie & Cason. Can the two of them crack the case without destroying their relationship? Just who killed Kai?

Visit Gabriella Lepore’s website.

The Bitter End by Alexa Donne

 

“When a winter storm traps eight teens in a remote ski cabin, they find themselves stranded with a killer—who may be one of their own.

The trip of a lifetime might be the death of them all.

The students of LA’s elite Warner Prep can’t wait for their Senior Excursion—five days of Instagrammable adventure in one of the world’s most exclusive locations. This is not your average field trip.

Which is why eight students can’t believe their bad luck when they end up on a digital detox in an isolated Colorado ski chalet. Their epic trip is panning out to be an epic bore . . . until their classmates start dropping in a series of disturbing deaths. The message is clear: this trip is no accident.

And when a blizzard strikes, secrets are revealed, betrayals are exposed, and survival is at stake in a race to the bitter end.” - taken from Goodreads.

Eight students are on a school trip with their school counselor for a weekend detox retreat. In a mountain chalet without the internet, things begin to go off the rails the following morning when one student is discovered dead. With no way to call out, the counselor decides to take the snowmobile down the mountain to get help. Soon after, a blizzard hits and the cabin is plunged into darkness when the power goes out. Soon the remaining students realize that there is a killer in their midst when the bodies begin to pile up. 

Told between the present and a party that took place 3 years earlier, can the killer be uncovered before it is too late?

Visit Alexa Donne’s website.

I Hope This Doesn’t Find You by Ann Liang

 

“Sadie Wen is perfect on paper: school captain, valedictorian, and a "pleasure to have in class." It’s not easy, but she has a trick to keep her model-student smile plastered on her face at all times: she channels all her frustrations into her email drafts. She'd never send them of course -- she'd rather die than hurt anyone's feelings -- but it's a relief to let loose on her power-hungry English teacher or a freeloading classmate taking credit for Sadie's work.

All her most vehemently worded emails are directed at her infuriating cocaptain, Julius Gong, whose arrogance and competitive streak have irked Sadie since they were kids. "You're attention starved and self-obsessed and unbearably vain . . . I really hope your comb breaks and you run out of whatever expensive hair products you've been using to make your hair appear deceptively soft..."

Sadie doesn't have to hold back in her emails, because nobody will ever read them... that is, until they're accidentally sent out.

Overnight, Sadie’s carefully crafted, conflict-free life is turned upside down. It's her worst nightmare -- now everyone at school knows what she really thinks of them, and they're not afraid to tell her what they really think of her either. But amidst the chaos, there's one person growing to appreciate the "real" Sadie -- Julius, the only boy she's sworn to hate…” - taken from Goodreads.

Sadie Wen is an overachiever, determined to better her life. She is a good girl who is determined not to rock the boat. Sadie has taken out her frustrations with her classmates by responding to what she truly feels in unsent emails that reside unsent in her draft folder. Unfortunately for her, her drafts are mistakenly sent, the majority of them addressed to Julius Gong. Julius is her school rival in everything. When most of the school turns against her, Julius stays by her side. Can enemies become friends and even go beyond?

Visit Ann Liang’s website.

A Long Stretch of Bad Days by Mindy McGinnis

“Lydia Chass doesn’t mind living in a small town; she just doesn’t want to die in one. A lifetime of hard work has put her on track to attend a prestigious journalism program and leave Henley behind—until a school error leaves her a credit short of graduating. Undeterred, Lydia has a plan to earn that credit: transform her listener-friendly local history podcast into a truth-telling exposé. She’ll investigate the Long Stretch of Bad Days: a week when Henley was hit by a tornado and a flash flood as well as its first—and only—murder, which remains unsolved.

But Lydia needs help to bring grit to the show. Bristal Jamison has a bad reputation and a foul mouth, but she also needs a credit to graduate. The unexpected partnership brings together the Chass family—a pillar of the community—and the rough-and-tumble Jamisons, with Bristal hoping to be the first in her family to graduate. Together, they dig into the town’s worst week, determined to solve the murder.

Their investigation unearths buried secrets: a hidden town brothel, lost family treasure, and a teen girl who disappeared. But the past is never far, and some don’t want it to see the light. As threats escalate, the girls have to uncover the truth before the dark history of Henley catches up with them.

This gripping mystery from award-winning author Mindy McGinnis shows the power of a name and one lie and how two girls can use their voices to change a town forever.” - taken from Goodreads

Social and academic opposites, Lydia Chass and Bristal Jamison are both in danger of not graduating due to the guidance counselor's mistake. Both girls are lacking a needed history credit. The two team up to use Lydia’s podcast to highlight the dark history of their small town known as The Long Stretch of Bad Days. The deeper the girls dig into the happenings of that week, the more the story turns darker. Can Lydia and Bristal survive once they uncover secrets that others want to keep buried?

I thoroughly enjoyed this story but the part I loved the most were the characters, especially Bristal and Lydia's mom who added those needed touches of humor in such a turbulent time.

Visit Mindy McGinnis’ website.

Ruling Destiny by Alyson Noel (Stolen Beauty book 2)

 

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

“The second I stepped through the doors of Gray Wolf Academy, my world disintegrated. Here, time is malleable. It can be manipulated, shifted. Changed. And for those of us who Trip—or travel through time—the possibilities are infinite and perilous.

Now my life is caught in the secrets of everyone around me. Arthur, the eccentric billionaire who rules this school. Killian, who could be the only honest person here…or the biggest liar. And Braxton, magnetic, gorgeous, and unfathomable. The only thing I trust about him is our electric connection.

Whether we’re Tripping through Renaissance Italy or thieving from a ball in Regency England, my life’s become a web of lies and strange truths. And beneath the surface is an elaborate puzzle, filled with cryptic symbols and priceless treasures scattered across history—all somehow connected to my strange ability to see through time.

But Arthur has a dangerously ambitious agenda. And if what my dad taught me is true, I’m not just a threat to everyone at Gray Wolf

…I’m a threat to time itself.” - taken from Goodreads.

I think I have a serious case of whiplash with that love triangle. Once again, I loved the history and art aspects sprinkled throughout. And as Natasha begins to discover her true reason for being at Gray Wolf Academy, she learns who she can really trust. I didn’t realize that there would be a third book until the dwindling pages, but readers will be waiting for the next book after that cliffhanger ending.

Visit  Alyson Noel’s website.

The Last Laugh by Mindy McGinnis (The Initial Insult book 2)

 

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

“Tress Montor murdered Felicity Turnado—but she might not have to live with the guilt for long. With an infected arm held together by duct tape, the panther who clawed her open on the loose, and the whole town on the hunt for the lost homecoming queen, the odds are stacked against Tress. As her mind slides deeper into delirium, Tress is haunted by the growing sound of Felicity’s heartbeat pulsing from the “best friend” charm around her fevered neck.

Ribbit Usher has been a punchline his whole life—from his nickname to his latest turn as the unwitting star of a humiliating viral video. In the past he’s willingly played the fool, but now it’s time to fulfill his destiny. That means saving the girl, so that Felicity can take her place at his side and Ribbit can exact revenge on all who have done him wrong—which includes his cousin, Tress. Ribbit is held by a pact he made with his mother long ago, a pact that must be delivered upon in four days.

With time ticking down and an enemy she considers a friend lurking in the shadows, Tress’s grip on reality is failing. Can she keep both mind and body together long enough to finally find out what happened to her parents?’ - taken from Goodreads.

After the cliffhanger ending of the first book, I wasn't sure where the conclusion was going to go. Needless to say, it was like a train wreck that was impossible to ignore and I couldn't wait to get to the end. Tress Montor just wants to know what happened to her parents that night, but no one is talking. With the events from the first book playing out over the course of the following week, where the story ends will have readers shocked at the level of deception.

Visit Mindy McGinnis’ website.

Year on Fire by Julie Buxbaum

 

“Can a single kiss change everything?

It was a year on fire. They fell in love. Someone was bound to get burned.

The Spark: Just days before the start of junior year for twins Arch and Immie and their best friend, Paige, a spontaneous kiss shakes the very foundation of their friendship. But some ties run too deep to be broken by accidental betrayal.

The Fuel: Enter Rohan, new to Wood Valley High by way of London, who walks into school on the first day completely overwhelmed by his sudden move halfway around the world. When Paige calls dibs on him—he’s too cute to ignore—Immie is in no position to argue, certainly not after taking the fall for the disloyal kiss. Too bad for Immie that Ro feels like the best kind of familiar.

The Kindling: Former lab partners Arch and Jackson, Paige’s ex-boyfriend, have never considered themselves more than friends. But sometimes feelings can grow like wildfire.

The Flames: When the girls’ bathroom at Wood Valley is set ablaze, no one doubts it’s arson. But in this bastion of privilege, who’d be angry enough to want to burn down the school? Answer: pretty much everyone.” - taken from Goodreads.

Once again, another fabulous read from Julie Buxbaum, There are a couple of Easter eggs sprinkled in the story for fans of her previous books. A complicated love/friendship triangle/pentagon takes center stage in the plot of this story. Stick with this one until the end to see who the arsonist is.

Visit Julie Buxbaum’s website.

Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

 

“When two Niveus Private Academy students, Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo, are selected to be part of the elite school’s senior class prefects, it looks like their year is off to an amazing start. After all, not only does it look great on college applications, but it officially puts each of them in the running for valedictorian, too.

Shortly after the announcement is made, though, someone who goes by Aces begins using anonymous text messages to reveal secrets about the two of them that turn their lives upside down and threaten every aspect of their carefully planned futures.

As Aces shows no sign of stopping, what seemed like a sick prank quickly turns into a dangerous game, with all the cards stacked against them. Can Devon and Chiamaka stop Aces before things become incredibly deadly?” - taken from Goodreads.com

As I started this book, I wasn't sure where the storyline was going. Aces begins by targeting Devon while Chiamaka is gearing up to make her senior year stellar. Once Chiamaka draws Aces’ attention, the plot line really explodes. This is a dark, twisted academic tale where the mystery of who and why Aces is plotting against Von and Chia leads the two of them to team up to uncover the disturbing truth. Incredible ending to a book that tackles some brutally harsh topics. 

Visit Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé’s website.

What’s Not to Love by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka

 

“In the game of love, there’s always extra credit.”

“Since high school began, Alison Sanger and Ethan Molloy have competed on almost everything. AP classes, the school paper, community service, it never ends. If Alison could avoid Ethan until graduation, she would. Except, naturally, for two over-achieving seniors with their sights on valedictorian and Harvard, they share all the same classes and extracurriculars. So when their school’s principal assigns them the task of co-planning a previous class’s ten-year reunion, with the promise of a recommendation for Harvard if they do, Ethan and Alison are willing to endure one more activity together if it means beating the other out of the lead.

But with all this extra time spent in each other’s company, their rivalry begins to feel closer to friendship. And as tension between them builds, Alison fights the growing realization that the only thing she wants more than winning…is Ethan.”  - taken from Goodreads.com

This author duo keeps getting better with each new book. Alison and Ethan are cutthroat competitors for everything academic at their school, whether it be for valedictorian or an acceptance to Harvard University. Teachers and classmates alike are wary of the constant one-upmanship between the two of them. Tensions between the two soon boil over when the principal assigns them to plan a 10-year reunion for a former class at the school. Soon, Alison and Ethan realize that there is more to their relationship than the competition but, can the rivalry be set aside for a chance at love? 

Fans will appreciate the glimpse of Fitz and Juniper from Time of Our Lives.

Visit Emily & Austin’s website.

The Initial Insult by Mindy McGinnis (The Initial Insult book 1)

 

“Welcome to Amontillado, Ohio, where your last name is worth more than money, and secrets can be kept… for a price.

Tress Montor knows that her family used to mean something—until she didn’t have a family anymore. When her parents disappeared seven years ago while driving her best friend home, Tress lost everything. She might still be a Montor, but the entire town shuns her now that she lives with her drunken, one-eyed grandfather at what locals refer to as the “White Trash Zoo,” – a wild animal attraction featuring a zebra, a chimpanzee, and a panther, among other things.

Felicity Turnado has it all – looks, money, and a secret that she’s kept hidden. She knows that one misstep could send her tumbling from the top of the social ladder, and she’s worked hard to make everyone forget that she was with the Montors the night they disappeared. Felicity has buried what she knows so deeply that she can’t even remember what it is… only that she can’t look at Tress without having a panic attack.

But she’ll have to.

Tress has a plan. A Halloween costume party at an abandoned house provides the ideal situation for Tress to pry the truth from Felicity – brick by brick – as she slowly seals her former best friend into a coal chute. With a drunken party above them, and a loose panther on the prowl, Tress will have her answers – or settle for revenge.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Missing parents in a damaged friendship takes center stage and this mystery draws heavily from The Works of Edgar Allan Poe. Told in alternating points of view, readers will be drawn into what happened the night that Tress Montor's parents disappeared and Felicity Turnado is the only witness. Once best friends, the girls are at odds during a Halloween party where things are taken a bit too far. Fans of this book will be eagerly awaiting the final installment after the cliffhanger ending.

This duology will conclude with The Last Laugh in 2022.

Visit Mindy McGinnis’ website.

If I’m Being Honest by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka

“High school senior Cameron Bright’s reputation can be summed up in one word: bitch. It’s no surprise she’s queen bee at her private L.A. high school—she’s beautiful, talented, and notorious for her cutting and brutal honesty. So when she puts her foot in her mouth in front of her crush, Andrew, she fears she may have lost him for good.

In an attempt to win him over, Cameron resolves to “tame” herself, much like Katherine in Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. First, she’ll have to make amends with those she’s wronged, which leads her to Brendan, the guy she labeled with an unfortunate nickname back in the sixth grade. At first, Brendan isn’t all that receptive to Cameron’s ploy. But slowly, he warms up to her when they connect over the computer game he’s developing. Now if only Andrew would notice…

But the closer Cameron gets to Brendan, the more she sees he appreciates her personality—honesty and all—and wonders if she’s compromising who she is for the guy she doesn’t even want.” - taken from Goodreads.

When I came to enjoy about this book was Cameron Bright's journey of self-acceptance and her attempts to right past wrongs. Loosely based on Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew, Cameron gets the idea to “tame” her personality to win over a boy. In working through her list of amends, Cameron makes new friends and soon realizes that what she thought her future would bring is not what she expected. 

Visit Emily & Austin’s website.

 

10 Truths and a Dare by Ashley Elston

 

“It's Senior Week, that magical in-between time after classes have ended but before graduation, chock-full of gimmicky theme parties, last-minute bonding, and family traditions. Olivia couldn't be more ready. Class salutatorian and confident in her future at LSU, she's poised to sail through to the next phase of her life.

But when the tiny hiccup of an unsigned off-campus P.E. form puts Olivia in danger of not graduating at all, she has one week to set things straight without tipping off her very big and very nosy extended family. Volunteering to help at a local golf tournament should do it, but since Olivia's mom equipped her phone with a tracking app, there'll be no hiding the fact that she's at the golf course instead of all the graduation parties happening at the same time. Unless, that is, she can convince the Fab Four--her ride-or-die cousins and best friends Sophie, Charlie, and Wes--to trade phones with her as they go through the motions of playing Olivia for the week.

Sure, certain members of the golf team are none too pleased with Olivia's sudden "passion" for the game. And sure, a very cute, very off-limits boy keeps popping up in Olivia's orbit. But she is focused! She has a schedule and a plan! Nothing can possibly go wrong . . . right?” - taken from Goodreads.com

This book takes place about 5 months after the events of 10 Blind Dates. It's not necessary to have read The previous book in order to enjoy this one but certain people and events will make it much more enjoyable.

Olivia Perkins is going to be the salutatorian for graduating class. That is until an email arrives telling her that she didn't complete her off campus PE class. Trying to keep her failure from her nosy family, hilarity ensues when she gets her cousins to help her with her ruse. Another sweet rom-com.

Visit Ashley Elston’s website.

Breathless by Jennifer Niven

 

“Before: With graduation on the horizon, budding writer Claudine Henry is making plans: college in the fall, become a famous author, and maybe--finally--have sex. She doesn't even need to be in love. Then her dad drops a bombshell: he's leaving Claude's mother. Suddenly, Claude's entire world feels like a lie, and her future anything but under control.

After: Claude's mom whisks them away to the last place Claude could imagine nursing a broken heart: a remote, mosquito-infested island off the coast of Georgia. But then Jeremiah Crew happens. Miah is a local trail guide with a passion for photography--and a past he doesn't like to talk about. He's brash and enigmatic, and even more infuriatingly, he's the only one who seems to see Claude for who she wants to be. So when Claude decides to sleep with Miah, she tells herself it's just sex, nothing more. There's not enough time to fall in love, especially if it means putting her already broken heart at risk.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Claude's story of endings and new beginnings literally broke my heart but put it back together in just the right way. With her world completely ripped out from underneath her just before her high school graduation, the story counts down the days leading to the end of their life as a family to the days she spends with her mom on the small remote Georgia island that her mother's family has ties to. When Jeremiah Crew drops into her life, an entire world of new beginnings opens up for both of them.

This book broke me more than the author's All the Bright Places and I think that the narrator's voice really conveyed Claude's voice. One can always hope for a future epilogue.

Visit Jennifer Niven’s website.

All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban

“Welcome to dinner, and again, congratulations on being selected. Now you must do the selecting.

What do the queen bee, star athlete, valedictorian, stoner, loner, and music geek all have in common? They were all invited to a scholarship dinner, only to discover it’s a trap. Someone has locked them into a room with a bomb, a syringe filled with poison, and a note saying they have an hour to pick someone to kill … or else everyone dies.

Amber Prescott is determined to get her classmates and herself out of the room alive, but that might be easier said than done. No one knows how they’re all connected or who would want them dead. As they retrace the events over the past year that might have triggered their captor’s ultimatum, it becomes clear that everyone is hiding something. And with the clock ticking down, confusion turns into fear, and fear morphs into panic as they race to answer the biggest question: Who will they choose to die?” - taken from Goodreads.com

I listened to the audio version of this book and was a little disappointed the main character, Amber Prescott, was the only narrator. A reviewer had described the plot of this book as a cross between The Breakfast Club and Agatha Christie with the splash of One of Us is Lying thrown in. With six students locked in a room under the guise of a scholarship dinner, they soon find that in order to get out either they must decide which one of the six will die or the bomb will go off in one hour killing them all.

Told in alternating chapters between now and what has occurred in their lives during the past year, readers will be counting down just to see who the evil mastermind is.

Visit Diana Urban’s website.

How to Speak Boy by Tiana Smith

“Quinn and Grayson have been fierce speech and debate rivals for years. They can't stand one another, either in competition or in real life.

But when their AP Government teacher returns their school assignments to the wrong cubbies, they begin exchanging anonymous notes without knowing who the other is.

Despite their differences, the two come together through their letters and find themselves unknowingly falling for the competition. Before the state tournament, the two of them need to figure out what they want out of life, or risk their own future happiness. After all, what’s the point of speech and debate if you can't say what's in your heart?” - taken from Goodreads.com

Quinn Edwards has always seen Grayson Hawkes as her main speech and debate rival. When they are named co-captains of the team, Quinn is determined to come out on top in the end. After an AP government assignment is mixed up upon return, Quinn starts a secret penpal relationship with a male classmate. As the season goes on, Quinn begins to fall not only for Grayson, whom she doesn't completely trust, but her unknown pen pal. This was another one of those cute rom-coms where the girl is completely caught off guard in the end. 

Visit Tiana Smith’s website.

Lucky Caller by Emma Mills

“When Nina decides to take a radio broadcasting class her senior year, she expects it to be a walk in the park. Instead, it’s a complete disaster.

The members of Nina's haphazardly formed radio team have approximately nothing in common. And to maximize the awkwardness her group includes Jamie, a childhood friend she'd hoped to basically avoid for the rest of her life.

The show is a mess, internet rumors threaten to bring the wrath of two fandoms down on their heads, and to top it all off Nina's family is on the brink of some major upheaval.

Everything feels like it's spiraling out of control―but maybe control is overrated?” - taken from Goodreads.com

Emma Mills has written another feel good out of touch friends to romance story that definitely has multiple bumps thrown Nina’s way. Definitely the brain break from an intense read that I needed.

The Poet X by Elizabeth Avecedo

“A young girl in Harlem discovers slam poetry as a way to understand her mother’s religion and her own relationship to the world.

Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.

But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about. With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself.

So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out, much less speak her words out loud. But still, she can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.

Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.” taken from Goodreads.com

My students know that I’m not a fan of poetry but any free verse novel that I do “read”, I actually listen to. The Poet X had caught my attention when it was first published but I didn’t pick it up until just now when I listened to the audio version read by the author. Elizabeth Acevedo is a National Poetry Slam Champion and brings her words literally to life. An absolutely heartbreaking yet encouraging read about Xiomara and her struggles with her domineering mother. The author is also an audiobook narrator for other author’s novels. This will definitely not be my last listen by the author.

Visit Elizabeth Avecedo’s website.

Famous in a Small Town by Emma Mills

“For Sophie, small town life has never felt small. With her four best friends—loving, infuriating, and all she could ever ask for—she can weather any storm. But when Sophie’s beloved Acadia High School marching band is selected to march in the upcoming Rose Parade, it’s her job to get them all the way to LA. Her plan? To persuade country singer Megan Pleasant, their Midwestern town’s only claim to fame, to come back to Acadia to headline a fundraising festival.

The only problem is that Megan has very publicly sworn never to return.

What ensues is a journey filled with long-kept secrets, hidden heartbreaks, and revelations that could change everything—along with a possible fifth best friend: a new guy with a magnetic smile and secrets of his own.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I have enjoyed reading Emma Mills’ books since her first, First & Then, but this one blew me away. Readers will go in thinking that the book is just about getting a famous singer to return to her hometown but Sophie and her friends go through some heart-wrenching journeys to make it out on the other end. Lots of shocking revelations occur. Definitely, my favorite book of her’s so far.

If There's No Tomorrow by Jennifer L. Armentrout

“Lena Wise is always looking forward to tomorrow, especially at the start of her senior year. She's ready to pack in as much friend time as possible, to finish college applications and to maybe let her childhood best friend Sebastian know how she really feels about him. For Lena, the upcoming year is going to be epic—one of opportunities and chances.

Until one choice, one moment, destroys everything.

Now Lena isn't looking forward to tomorrow. Not when friend time may never be the same. Not when college applications feel all but impossible. Not when Sebastian might never forgive her for what happened.

For what she let happen.

With the guilt growing each day, Lena knows that her only hope is to move on. But how can she move on when her and her friends' entire existences have been redefined? How can she move on when tomorrow isn't even guaranteed?” - taken from Goodreads.com

This isn’t your normal Jennifer Armentrout read. Yes, there is a sweet romance but the heart of the story is Lena’s journey of recovery after one bad choice. Not only is Lena’s recovery a physical one but an emotional one on many different levels. Readers won’t be able to put this book down to find out exactly what happens to Lena. Once again, JLA has written a great book.

Visit Jennifer L. Armentrout’s website.

The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick (My Life Next Door book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book about the Garrett family, Stop! This book continues the story began in My Life Next Door.

Seventeen year old Tim Mason is the boy most likely to need to turn his life around. He has been suspended from three schools and fired from five of his last seven jobs. His father is kicking him out of the house and giving him four months to straighten out his life. If he hasn’t turned it around by the time he turns eighteen in December, his father has promised to cut off his allowance, quit paying his expenses and transfer his college fund to his twin sister Nan. Since the end of June, he has lived a clean life and diligently attended meetings. He is working at the Garrett’’s hardware store and moved into their garage apartment that eldest child Joel has moved from. The only problem about living at the Garrett's’ is his best friend’s sister, Alice.

It has been nearly a month since Grace Reed ran over her father and left him on the side of the road. In that time, Alice Garrett has been trying to help out her parents and keep the gaggle of Garrett children afloat. Summer is her favorite time of the year and instead of sandy toes, she is struggling to keep it together. The one bright spot she sees in her future is moving out of their crowded house and into the garage apartment that her brother just vacated. When she finds out that Jase has let the self destructive Tim Mason move in, she is furious. When she goes to confront Tim over the apartment, Alice sees the Tim that he has carefully hidden away. Realizing that Tim is truly trying to turn his life around, Alice’s heart softens and her attitude changes.

Not one to cut him any slack, Alice offers Tim the help he doesn’t think he needs or deserves. Seeing his struggles, Alice rethinks her own relationship and breaks up with her boyfriend, Brad. Tim has always had a thing for Alice and being constantly in her orbit means that he is trying hard not to act on his feelings. The night Alice invites Tim to meet her for dinner, both of their worlds come crashing down. Alice’s father has finally been moved to a rehabilitation unit. She is shocked to read her father’s medical records and discover a secret her father is keeping. Tim is getting ready to meet up with Alice when one of his past transgressions shows up on his doorstep. Dinner with Alice is quickly forgotten and the bottom comes out of his world.

Who or what from Tim’s past has come back to haunt him? Will Mr. Garrett ever recover from his accident? Can Alice look beyond Tim’s past to see the new man he is trying to become? Will Tim be able to turn his life around and make amends with his estranged family? What happens when Tim and Alice act on the sparks flying between them? Will the Garret family be able to look beyond Tim’s past?

Visit Huntley Fitzpatrick’s website.