Room to Breathe by Kasie West

“When the walls close in, the truth comes out.

When Indy’s life came crashing down, she made a no one could know. To the world, she’s still the same Indy—cool, calm, unshaken. But behind the scenes? It’s chaos.

Her tight-knit crew—Beau, Caroline, and Ava—were once her everything. Now they’re strangers she can’t seem to reach—especially Beau. And the only person she talks to these days is Cody, a skater-boy she used to think was so not her type. Funny how everything changes when your world flips upside down.

And then, as if things couldn’t get weirder, Indy finds herself literally stuck in a school bathroom with Beau. After months of silence, and there’s no escape. If they want out, they’ll have to face the messy truth about what happened between them and find a way back to what they once had. Or maybe even more . . .” - taken from Goodreads.

Indy finds herself locked in the teacher's bathroom after school on a Friday without her cell phone. Her life has been turned upside down due to some family issues. When her former friend Beau gets locked in with her as well, Indy's story between then and now begins to unfold. Locked in the bathroom together overnight, can Indy and Beau repair their damaged friendship and find a way out?

Visit Kasie West’s website.

The Thrashers by Julie Soto

“Welcome to the Thrashers, the elite friend group at New Helvetia High.

They’re everything everyone wants to be.

Jodi Dillon was never meant to be one of them. Julian, Lucy, Paige, and the infamous Zack Thrasher are rich, sophisticated, and love attention. Jodi feels out of place, but Zack’s her childhood best friend, so she’s in.

Then Emily Mills, who desperately wanted to be a Thrasher, dies—and the whispers about the Thrashers begin. As Emily’s journal surfaces, detectives close in, and Jodi faces an impossible choice: betray her friends or protect herself.

But as eerie messages and strange occurrences escalate, it becomes clear—Emily isn’t done with them yet.” - taken from Goodreads.

This was a book that kept you on the seat of your pants until the very end trying to uncover what really happened. Emily MIlls dies by suicide on prom night. She desperately wanted to fit in with a group of popular students known as the Thrashers. Soon, fingers start pointing at Jodi and her friends when Emily’s journal portrays a climate of bullying with Zach Thrasher being the leader. Jodi, not rich like her friends, soon discovers that she is the key to figuring out what really happened. As secrets begin to unfold, Jodi soon realizes that maybe she does not know who her so-called friends really are.

Visit Julie Soto’s website.

The Executioners Three by Susan Dennard

 

“Freddie Gellar didn't mean to get half the rival high school arrested. She’d simply heard shrieks coming from the woods, so she’d called the cops like any good human would do. How was she supposed to know it was just kids partying?

Except the next day, a body is found. And while the local sheriff might call it suicide, Freddie's instincts tell her otherwise. So, like the aspiring sleuth (and true X-Files aficionado) she is, Freddie sets out to prove there's a murderer at large.

But her investigation is quickly disrupted by the rivalry between her school and the school of the partying teens she got arrested. For over twenty years now, the two student bodies have had an ongoing prank war, and Freddie's failed attempt at Good Samaritanism has upped the ante. Big time. Worse, the clever―and gorgeous―leader of the rival prank squad has set his sights on Freddie.

As more pranks unfurl, more bodies also start piling up in the forest. But it's the supernatural warning signs around town―each plucked straight from an old forgotten poem called "The Executioners Three"―that worry Freddie the most. She knows the poem and its blood curse can’t be real, but she's quickly running out of time to prove it.

Because the murderer―or executioners?―knows she's onto them now, and their next target might just be Freddie. - taken from Goodreads

With a throwback to 1999 and all of the cool references from that year, Freddie Gellar soon finds herself involved in a creepy murder mystery that only seems relevant to her.. With weird happenings occurring in the town that seems to relate to an old poem that she uncovers, Freddie is in a race against time before the next victim is discovered.

Visit Susan Dennard’s website.

Stay With My Heart by Tashie Bhuiyan

 

“Liana Sarkar lives and breathes music, hoping to follow in the footsteps of her A&R coordinator father. Maybe if she succeeds, he’ll finally give her the time of day instead of drowning himself in work to distract from the grief of her mother’s passing.

When Liana accidentally sabotages an up-and-coming local band, Third Eye, she makes it her mission to steer them towards success—without them discovering her role in their setback. But as she gets closer to Third Eye, especially their enigmatic leader Skyler Moon, it becomes harder to hide the truth.

With both her heart and their futures on the line, will Liana be able to undo the damage she’s caused?” - taken from Goodreads.

Once again, another great love story from one of my new must read authors. With a heavy influence of music throughout the story, Liana is mentally struggling since her mother’s death. When an aspiring musician lies to Liana, causing her to champion him to her record producing father, she is determined to right her wrong without her father’s involvement. The closer Liana gets the the members of Third Eye, especially its leader Skyler Moon, the lines begin to blur and it’s just a matter of time before the horrible truth is discovered.

Visit Tashie Bhuiyan’s website.

My Mechanical Romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth

 

“Nerds are so hot.

Especially battle robot building nerds.

Bel would rather die than think about the future. College apps? You’re funny. Extracurriculars? Not a chance. But when she accidentally reveals a talent for engineering at school, she’s basically forced into joining the robotics club. Even worse? All the boys ignore Bel—and Neelam, the only other girl on the team, doesn't seem to like her either.

Enter Mateo Luna, captain of the club, who recognizes Bel as a potential asset—until they start butting heads. Bel doesn’t care about Nationals, while Teo cares too much. But as the nights of after-school work grow longer and longer, Bel and Teo realize they've built more than just a combat-ready robot for the championship: they’ve made space for each other and themselves.” - taken from Goodreads.

Told from both Bel and Teo’s points of view, the story covers their senior year being on the school's robotics team. Bel is a newcomer who is dealing with her parents divorce and trying to find her path for the future. Teo has his entire life planned out down to the last stressful detail. As sparks fly between the two of them, can Bell survive? What is a boy dominated world to find her place? The end of this book was perfect

Visit Alexene Farol Follmuth’s website.

Twelfth Night by Alexene Farol Follmuth

 

“Viola Reyes is annoyed.

Her painstakingly crafted tabletop game campaign was shot down, her best friend is suggesting she try being more “likable,” and school running back Jack Orsino is the most lackadaisical Student Body President she’s ever seen, which makes her job as VP that much harder. Vi’s favorite escape from the world is the MMORPG Twelfth Knight, but online spaces aren’t exactly kind to girls like her―girls who are extremely competent and have the swagger to prove it. So Vi creates a masculine alter ego, choosing to play as a knight named Cesario to create a safe haven for herself.

But when a football injury leads Jack Orsino to the world of Twelfth Knight, Vi is alarmed to discover their online alter egos―Cesario and Duke Orsino―are surprisingly well-matched.

As the long nights of game-play turn into discussions about life and love, Vi and Jack soon realize they’ve become more than just weapon-wielding characters in an online game. But Vi has been concealing her true identity from Jack, and Jack might just be falling for her offline…” - taken from Goodreads.

Inspired by the Shakespeare play of the same name. Viola plays an online game where she poses as a boy to keep the harassment at bay. When Duke Orsino, the star quarterback, is sidelined with an injury, he spends his newfound time playing the same game as Viola. As the two grow closer online and in real life, what happens when Duke realizes that he's been duped by Viola?

Visit Alexene Farol Follmuth’s website.

She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen

“After losing spectacularly to her ex-girlfriend in their first game since their break up, Scottie Zajac gets into a fender bender with the worst possible person: her nemesis, the incredibly beautiful and incredibly mean Irene Abraham. Things only get worse when their nosey, do-gooder moms get involved and the girls are forced to carpool together until Irene’s car gets out of the shop.

Their bumpy start only gets bumpier the more time they spend together. But when an opportunity presents itself for Scottie to get back at her toxic ex (and climb her school’s social ladder at the same time), she bribes Irene into playing along.” - taken from Goodreads.

Trying to get over her girlfriend, Scottie decides to fake date the popular Irene when a car accident forces the two of them to carpool to school. But not all is fair in love and “war” when feelings get in Scottie’s way as she tries to navigate past hurts and new found feelings without losing her way. Super cute read.

Visit Kelly Quinlin’s website.

The Night in Question by Kathleen Glasgow & Liz Lawson (The Agathas book 2)

 

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

“Alice Ogilvie and Iris Adams became the talk of Castle Cove when they cracked the biggest case of the fall: the death of Brooke Donovan. Together, the Agathas put Brooke's killer away for good, and since then things around town have been almost back to normal. Quiet, even.

But if Alice and Iris know anything, it's that sometimes quiet is just the calm before the storm. The truth is, Brooke's disappearance wasn't the first mystery to rock Castle Cove, and it won't be the last. So when their school dance at the infamous Levy Castle—the site of film starlet Mona Moody's unsolved death back in the 1940s—is interrupted by a violent assault, Iris and Alice pull out their murder boards and get back to work.

To understand the present, sometimes you need to look into the past. And if the Agathas want a chance at solving their new case, that's exactly where they'll need to start digging. Only, what they uncover might very well kill them.” - taken from Goodreads.

4 months have passed  severe weather alert flooding and possible mud slides  mud slide has blocked Levy Castle access   fight between Helen Park &  Rebecca Kennedy (injured)

Picking up four months after the first book, Alice and Iris soon find themselves trying to solve not one mystery, but two. After a disastrous dance at Levy Castle, the Agathas are soon back on the case. Delving deeper into the personal lives of our Agathas, these two spitfires still come up on top and once again solve the case.

Visit Kathleen Glasgow’s website.

Visit Liz Lawson’s website.

Not Here to be Liked by Michelle Quach

 

“Eliza Quan is the perfect candidate for editor in chief of her school paper. That is, until ex-jock Len DiMartile decides on a whim to run against her. Suddenly her vast qualifications mean squat because inexperienced Len—who is tall, handsome, and male—just seems more like a leader.

When Eliza’s frustration spills out in a viral essay, she finds herself inspiring a feminist movement she never meant to start, caught between those who believe she’s a gender equality champion and others who think she’s simply crying misogyny.

Amid this growing tension, the school asks Eliza and Len to work side by side to demonstrate civility. But as they get to know one another, Eliza feels increasingly trapped by a horrifying realization—she just might be falling for the face of the patriarchy himself.” - taken from Goodreads.

 A quick read where Eliza is dumbfounded not to be elected as the next editor of the school newspaper despite her qualifications. When her private tirade against losing out is published in the newspaper, Eliza decides to fight against what she sees as a misogynist society at her school.  Drawing on the support of the female population, it's not too long before she finds herself at a crossroads when she develops feelings for Len, the boy who beat her out as editor. Will Eliza still be able to lead the fight as a feminist and she finds herself falling for the enemy?

Visit Michelle Quach’s website.

The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow & Liz Lawson (The Agathas book 1)

 

“Last summer, Alice Ogilvie’s basketball-star boyfriend Steve dumped her. Then she disappeared for five days. She's not talking, so where she went and what happened to her is the biggest mystery in Castle Cove. Or it was, at least. But now, another one of Steve’s girlfriends has vanished: Brooke Donovan, Alice’s ex–best friend. And it doesn’t look like Brooke will be coming back. . .

Enter Iris Adams, Alice's tutor. Iris has her own reasons for wanting to disappear, though unlike Alice, she doesn't have the money or the means. That could be changed by the hefty reward Brooke's grandmother is offering to anyone who can share information about her granddaughter's whereabouts. The police are convinced Steve is the culprit, but Alice isn't so sure, and with Iris on her side, she just might be able to prove her theory.

In order to get the reward and prove Steve's innocence, they need to figure out who killed Brooke Donovan. And luckily Alice has exactly what they need--the complete works of Agatha Christie. If there's anyone that can teach the girls how to solve a mystery it's the master herself. But the town of Castle Cove holds many secrets, and Alice and Iris have no idea how much danger they're about to walk into.” - taken from Goodreads.

Alice Ogilive returns to the halls of Castle Cove High School on Halloween after disappearing for five days and finishing her house arrest. Behind in her classes, Alice’s parents hire a tutor for her, fellow classmate Iris Adams. Far from being two peas in a pod, Alice and Iris soon bond over trying to find out what happened to missing classmate, Brooke Donovan, Alice’s ex best friend. With the help of Agatha Christie, the girls are convinced they can discover who killed Brooke while proving Steve Anderson’s innocence. But Castle Cove holds its secrets close and the closer Alice and Iris get to the truth, the more danger they find themselves in.

Book two, The Night in Question, is out now.

Visit Kathleen Glasgow’s website.

Visit Liz Lawson’s website.

Love, Decoded by Jennifer Yen

 

“High school junior Gigi Wong strives to be the best: the top student, the perfect friend, and the ideal daughter. But it's tough when there's always someone who is just a little bit better. With college applications looming, she can't help but worry that she won't make the cut. Thankfully, her best friend Kyle never fails to find the right words--and the perfect bowl of ramen--to cheer her up.

After her teacher, Ms. Harris, announces she'll be nominating students for an app writing contest, Gigi is determined to be picked. After all, first prize is an exclusive tech internship, sure to make her application stand out. There's only one problem: she doesn't have a winning program. It isn't until transfer student Etta admits she's struggling to fit in at Superbia that Gigi stumbles on an idea. She'll use her coding skills--and the matchmaking experience she's gotten from weekends with Auntie Rose--to create a friend matching app! Etta will meet new people, and Gigi will guarantee her acceptance into college. It's foolproof.

What Gigi doesn't expect is for her app to go viral around school. Soon, she finds herself at the center of a scandal--and at odds with both Etta and Kyle. Can Gigi fix what went wrong, or will her desire to be perfect cost her the people she cares about most?” - taken from Goodreads.

I didn’t realize that this story was based on Emma by Jane Austen. Gigi’s aunt is teaching her the art of matchmaking, but she thinks she can do a better job with an app she is programming. Misunderstandings and hijinks ensue as Gigi tries to make matches and fails without seeing what is happening around her. Will Gigi see the error of her ways or will she finally realize what is right in front of her?

Gigi is the younger sister of James from the author’s first book, A Taste of Love.

Visit Jennifer Yen’s website.

With and Without You by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka

 

“If high school seniors Siena and Patrick were a superlative, they'd be the Couple Most Likely to Marry. They've been dating for three solid years, and everyone agrees they're perfect for each other. But with college on the horizon, Siena begins to wonder whether staying together is the best idea. Does she really want to be tied down during possibly the most transformative years of her life? So she makes a decision to break up with Patrick, convincing herself it's for the best. Before she can say the words, though, he beats her to the punch: his family is moving out of state. Caught off guard by the news, Siena agrees to stay with Patrick, believing their relationship will naturally fizzle out with time and distance. But over a series of visits throughout the school year, Siena begins to see a different side of Patrick--one that has her falling in love with him all over again.” - taken from Goodreads.

After three uneventful years of dating, Siena is ready to break things off with Patrick. Before she can end their relationship, Patrick announces that he is moving from Phoenix to Austin, Texas for their senior year of high school. The two decided to try their relationship long distance. Taking place over the next year, will Siena decide to stay with Patrick or finally end things between the two of them?

Visit Emily & Austin’s website.

Nothing More to Tell by Karen M. McManus

 

“Be sure to keep your friends close . . . and your secrets closer.

Four years ago, Brynn left Saint Ambrose School following the shocking murder of her favorite teacher—a story that made headlines after the teacher’s body was found by three Saint Ambrose students in the woods behind their school. The case was never solved. Now that Brynn is moving home and starting her dream internship at a true-crime show, she’s determined to find out what really happened.

The kids who found Mr. Larkin are her way in, and her ex–best friend, Tripp Talbot, was one of them. Without his account of events, the other two kids might have gone down for Mr. Larkin’s murder. They've never forgotten what Tripp did for them that day. Just like he hasn’t forgotten that everything he told the police was a lie.

Digging into the past is bound to shake up the present, and as Brynn begins to investigate what happened in the woods that day, she begins to uncover secrets that might change everything—about Saint Ambrose, about Mr. Larkin, and about her ex-best friend, Tripp Talbot.

Four years ago someone got away with murder. The most terrifying part is that they never left.” - taken from Goodreads.

This story is Karen McManus at her finest. Dark academia and a renewed interest in a four year old unsolved murder set the stage when Bryn Gallagher returns to Sturgis, Massachusetts after moving away. When she lands her dream job with a true crime show, Bryn is tasked with gathering new information on Mr. Larkin’s death at St. Ambrose School. After being placed on a committee with her former crush turned nemesis, Tripp Talbot, to plan a memorial garden for Mr.Larkin, her curiosity about his death begins to get the best of her. Can Bryn uncover mMr. Larkin’s killer or will she be next?

Visit Karen M. McManus’ website.

As If On Cue by Marisa Kanter

 

“Lifelong rivals Natalie and Reid have never been on the same team. So when their school’s art budget faces cutbacks, of course Natalie finds herself up against her nemesis once more. She’s fighting to direct the school’s first ever student-written play, but for her small production to get funding, the school’s award-winning band will have to lose it. Reid’s band. And he’s got no intention of letting the show go on.

But when their rivalry turns into an all-out prank war that goes too far, Natalie and Reid have to face the music, resulting in the worst compromise: writing and directing a musical. Together. At least if they deliver a sold-out show, the school board will reconsider next year’s band and theater budget. Everyone could win.

Except Natalie and Reid.

Because after spending their entire lives in competition, they have absolutely no idea how to be co-anything. And they certainly don’t know how to deal with the feelings that are inexplicably, weirdly, definitely developing between them…” - taken from Goodreads

Reid and Natalie have competed against each for years. When their childish prank war ramps up with some serious collateral damage, the two are forced to work together to develop Natalie’s play into a musical. In putting aside their differences for the greater good, the two begin to see one another in a new light. This book was a fun enemy-to-couple story.

Visit Marisa Kanter’s website.

What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter

 

“There are a million things that Halle Levitt likes about her online best friend, Nash.

He’s an incredibly talented graphic novelist. He loves books almost as much as she does. And she never has to deal with the awkwardness of seeing him in real life. They can talk about anything…

Except who she really is.

Because online, Halle isn’t Halle—she’s Kels, the enigmatically cool creator of One True Pastry, a YA book blog that pairs epic custom cupcakes with covers and reviews. Kels has everything Halle doesn’t: friends, a growing platform, tons of confidence, and Nash.

That is, until Halle arrives to spend senior year in Gramps’s small town and finds herself face-to-face with real, human, not-behind-a-screen Nash. Nash, who is somehow everywhere she goes—in her classes, at the bakery, even at synagogue.

Nash who has no idea she’s actually Kels.

If Halle tells him who she is, it will ruin the non-awkward magic of their digital friendship. Not telling him though, means it can never be anything more. Because while she starts to fall for Nash as Halle…he’s in love with Kels.” - taken from Goodreads.

This was a quirky love triangle between Nash, Halle, and Halle's online Persona, Kels. Having only meant and interacted with the internet, Halle, who keeps her real identity a secret online, is shocked to meet Nash in real life when she moves to her grandfather's hometown. Halle immediately knows who Nash is but she doesn't divulge her true identity. Soon Nash is everywhere Halle goes but she never tells him who she really is. Drawn to each other, Nash still feels a pull towards Kels, even though they've never met in real life. Will Halle come clean before it's too late?

This was a meet-cute romance that involves books and blogs.

Visit Marisa Kanter’s website.