Better in Black by Cassandra Clare (Shadowhunter Chronicles book 22)

The Good Storm  Tessa and Will Herondale are on their honeymoon in Paris, after the events of The Infernal Devices. 

The Beautiful Ajatara 

Cordelia and James Herondale as well as Cordelia’s parabatai/James’s sister Lucy are tricked into thinking Lucie’s unfinished story will be published. The demon Ajatara 

Who the Wolves Love 

Luke Garroway writes a love letter to Jocelyn Fray while she is in a coma in The Mortal Instruments series. 

Zachary’s Day Out 

Alistair Carstairs and Thomas Lightwood have been living together for a year now and they are recruited into babysitting Alistair’s 18-month-old brother Zachary. 

The Judgment of King Kieran

It’s been a while since I read The Dark Artifices, so I had forgotten Kieran, Mark, and Cristina’s little love triangle: King Kieran and his two consorts. Mark and Cristina are summoned to the Unseelie Court where Kieran is tasked with choosing the next Lord of All Storms as the previous one was slain

A Surfeit of Annas 

In this story, Anna Lightwood and Ariane (Ari) Bridgestock deal with challenges to their relationship in the aftermath of the events in The Last Hours a year ago. 

Bred in the Bone 

Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn encounter an “Endarkened” version of Emma from the alternate timeline of Thule. 

City of Broken Hearts 

Simon Lewis and Isabelle Lightwood investigate the actions of the jilted greater demon named Ajatara

The Time of Two 

Jace and Clary set out to find Max Trueblood, Jace‘s adoptive mother Maryse Lightwood’s brother. 

Too Wise to Love 

Nene, a faerie who vows to never love anyone, tells us this “faerie tale”. This is Ash Morgansternś origin story.

Visit Cassandra Clare’s website.

Visit Shadowhunters.com

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before : the graphic novel adapted by Barbara Perez Marquez

“What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them…all at once?

Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren’t love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she’s written. One for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed and, suddenly, Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

Experience Lara Jean’s story all over again in an all-new graphic novel format!” - taken from Goodreads.

Super cute graphic retelling of the story. I hope this series continues in graphic format.

Meet Me Under the Lights by Cassie Miller

 

“High school junior Eliza Crowley is known as the Princess of Fairfield, a farm town in North Carolina that loves two things—tradition and baseball. Although Eliza loves “the game,” her life goal is to become a lighting designer on Broadway. Shaking off her reputation as the rich girl and focusing on her town's community theater production are what she’s set her sights on this summer, and nothing will stand in her way. That is until Reed Fulton, the grandson of a struggling Fairfield farmer, and ace pitcher of the Fulton Hawks, returns to town. Reed dreams of putting the catastrophe of last season behind him and leading the Hawks to a championship victory against the Crowley Cardinals. When his childhood friend turned stranger, Eliza, strolls back into his life, she makes his heart accelerate quicker than his fastball, and he’s not sure he can stay away from the girl he’s supposed to despise. Small-town summers and baseball draw Reed and Eliza together, even though the Crowleys and the Fultons are determined to run each other out of town. When the families make a deal to settle their thirty-year-long dispute once and for all, Eliza and Reed are stuck in the middle during the most important summer of their lives.” - taken from Goodreads.

Eliza Crowley is literally Fairfield royalty. Her family is wealthy and her father owns the Crowley Cardinals, the town's baseball team as well as the town’s stadium. She is excited to spend the summer working as a lighting director for the town's production of Romeo and Juliet. Life soon mirrors the theater when Reed Fulton returns to town to be the pitcher for his grandfather's revitalized team, the Fulton Hawks. Knowing that their respective families get along as well as oil and water, circumstances soon bring the two of them into each other's orbit. When the feuding steps up over which family will own the town’s stadium, can Reid and Eliza's burgeoning relationship survive the fight between their families?

This is the perfect read for fans of Kasie West and Lynn Painter.

Visit Cassie Miller’s website.

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 Blood Phoenix by Amber Chen (Fall of the Dragon book 2)

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

“Two years after Ying leaves the Engineer’s Guild and the ghost of her father’s unjust death behind, life seems to regain a semblance of normalcy. But the winds of unrest continue to stir within the Nine Isles, and the aftermath of a horrific pirate attack by the mysterious Blood Phoenix fleet forces Ying back into the tense political world of the new High Commander, Ye-yang. And soon, Ying, Ye-yang and her former friends from the guild must work together to find a way to outsmart the cunning pirates who terrorise the straits—and the elusive mastermind who’s controlling them.  

Meanwhile, Ying’s sister, Nian, now lives in the capital, awaiting the day she will finally marry the High Commander. While her relationship with Ye-yang remains distant, she finds company in her friendship with the fourteenth prince, Ye-kan, and discovers her unexpected affinity for governance and strategy. But the capital is more dangerous than she expects, and when a dark conspiracy arises, Nian and Ye-kan must unravel the mystery in time to prevent the High Command from collapsing from within. 

New dangers arise at every moment, threatening to tear the Nine Isles apart. In order to sail through this storm, Ying and her loved ones must make difficult choices amidst terrible betrayals. With the world on the brink of destruction, will they find a way to defeat their enemies and survive? And will it be worth the cost?” - taken from Goodreads.

Two years have passed and Ying has gone back home, leaving the Engineering Guild and Ye-yang behind. But a pirate attack by the Blood Phoenix forces Ying back to the capital to face not only Ye-yang but her younger sister Nian, who are engaged to one another. She must work with her former friends at the Engineer’s Guild to find a way to stop the Blood Phoenix before an  internal coup can overthrow Ye-yang from the High Command. Nian and Ye-kan work to see who wants to unseat Ye-yang before it's too late.

Visit Amber Chen’s website.

Falling Like Leaves by Misty Wilson (Bramble Falls book 1)

“Ellis has a lot of expectations for her senior year, but moving from Manhattan to Bramble Falls, Connecticut is not one of them. Yet in the wake of her parents' separation, that's exactly where she and her mother are headed.

Bramble Falls might be charming, but it's also full of distractions. Like local barista Cooper Barnett, Ellis's one-time best friend—and first kiss—who has not only majorly glowed up but wants nothing to do with Ellis.

Then there's the Falling Leaves Festival, a month-long tourist attraction run by Ellis's aunt—celebrating everything autumn. The festival seems nice and all, but Ellis doesn't have time to be roped into her aunt's enthusiastic planning. Dragged to each event, she can't stop bumping into Cooper, the one person she's hoping to avoid.

But the longer she stays in Bramble Falls, the harder it is to pretend she's not falling for this town and the people in it. As her return to Manhattan gets pushed further and further out, Ellis is forced to confront exactly what she wants for her future—and what that means for her present.” - taken from Goodreads.

A cute fall rom com where every weekend is another autumn festival. Ellis is angry to be plucked from NYC and her dreams of following in her father's footsteps and set down in Bramble Falls, Connecticut. She plans on making the best of the situation until she can get back to the city and pursue her dreams of going to Columbia. Ellis doesn't count on falling for Cooper Barnett who isn't exactly happy to see her back in town. What will happen when Ellis’s dreams for her future seem to change the longer are stays in Bramble Falls?

Visit Misty Wilson’s website.

Never Thought I’d End Up Here by Ann Liang

 

“Leah Zhang has spent her whole life in LA - it's all she's ever known. But after accidentally wishing her cousin ill health and a very depressing marriage at her wedding, her parents stage an intervention. She's forgotten most of her Mandarin, has zero regard for etiquette, and can't hold a conversation with her own grandparents for longer than a minute. Their solution? Send her on an intensive two-week travel program across China's most beautiful cities. To them, it's the perfect opportunity for Leah to get back to her roots. To Leah, it's simply a much-needed escape.

But before Leah can even begin to enjoy the luxurious hotels, stunning scenery, and mouth-watering cuisine, she finds that also on the trip is her former classmate and least favorite person cynical, sarcastic Cyrus, who's somehow only gotten more annoyingly handsome since they last saw each other.

While Leah might be tempted to shove him off the peak of the Yellow Mountain when nobody's looking, she can't get rid of him just yet. After all, she might never get another chance to get revenge on the boy who ruined her life.

Yet the deeper they wander into China's provinces, the deeper Leah finds herself falling in love - with the boy she once thought she despised, the home she never thought she'd call her own, and the parts of herself she thought were already lost.” - taken from Goodreads.

When Leah flubs her congratulatory message in Chinese to her cousin on her wedding, her mother has had enough. Deeply embarrassed, her mother enrolled Leah in an immersive cultural experience in China to regain some respect from their family. Unfortunately, the one boy who is the cause of two of the most traumatic experiences in her life, is on the trip as well. She is determined to get back at Cyrus. But what happens when her heart has other plans?

Visit Ann Liang’s website.

Bingsu for Two by Sujin Witherspoon

 

“Meet River Langston-Lee. In the past 24 hours, he’s dumped his girlfriend, walked out of his SATs, and quit his job at his parents’ cafe in spectacularly disastrous fashion—even for him.

Somehow, he manages to talk his way into a gig at a failing Korean cafe, Bingsu for Two, which is his lucky break until he meets short, grumpy, and goth: Sarang Cho. She’s his new no-BS co-worker who’s as determined to make River’s life hell as she is to save her family’s cafe.

After River accidentally uploads a video of his chaotic co-workers to his popular fandom account, they strike viral fame. The kicker? Their new fans ship River and Sarang big-time. In order to keep the Internet’s attention—and the cafe’s new paying customers—River and Sarang must pretend that the tension between them is definitely of the romantic variety, not the considering the best way to kill you and hide your body variety.

But when Bingsu for Two’s newfound success catches the attention of River’s ex and his parents’ cafe around the corner, he faces a choice: keep letting others control his life or stand up for the place that’s become home. And a green-haired girl who’s not as heartless as he originally thought . .” - taken from Goodreads.

I really liked this book. River is just trying to do what is right for him even if it goes against his family’s desires for him. When he meets Sarang, he quickly realizes how a past business decision has deeply impacted her and her family. As he sets about to attempt to right his wrong, what happens when his heart gets in the way?

Visit Sujin Witherspoon’s website.

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (A Hunger Games novel)

 

SPOILER ALERT! This book is a prequel to The Hunger Games and is a continuation of the story.

“When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?

As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.

Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.

When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.” - taken from Goodreads.

The story of Haymitch Abernathy and the absolute horrors he suffered during his time in the Hunger Games. Seeing life in District 12 before Katniss and Peeta were born and how events from The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes fit together was incredible. I also loved seeing some previous victors that we met in Catching Fire. It was insightful. I cannot wait to see what story Ms. Collins will tell next.

Visit Suzanne Collins’ website.

The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes by Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games book #0)

 

SPOILER ALERT! This book is a prequel to The Hunger Games and is a continuation of the story.

“Ambition will fuel him.

Competition will drive him.

But power has its price.

It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

The odds are against him. He's been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined -- every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute... and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.” - taken from Goodreads.

I cannot believe I waited so long to read this book. I loved seeing inside the inner workings of Coriolanus Snow and what it took to make him the ultimate villain that we loved to hate in The Hunger Games.

Visit Suzanne Collins’ website.

Murder Between Friends by Liz Lawson

“Grace, Henry, and Ally grew up together on the same block. They used to be best friends--until Grace's testimony put Henry's brother, Jake, away for killing their English teacher. Now, two years later, Ally and Henry hate Grace, and Grace is doubting what she thinks she saw that night. 

It feels like everyone's getting a second chance, then, when due to a mistrial, Jake is suddenly released. And Henry knows his brother is innocent, but when Grace reaches out to say she’s rethinking what she saw the night of the murder, Jake’s reaction is confusing. He doesn’t want Henry—or Grace--getting involved.

For Ally not getting involved isn’t an option, and there’s nothing Grace can say to convince Ally she’s not the enemy. But can Ally afford to push Grace out when she’s one of the only other people willing to believe in Jake’s innocence?  

The clock is ticking. Jake’s new trial date is about to be set, and he's sure to be found guilty again unless there's new evidence to prove he's innocent. Grace, Henry, and Ally are going to have to decide whether you can trust an old friend now that they’re your enemy. - taken from Goodreads.

Told in three different points of views, this trio of former friends work together to clear one brother’s name and uncover who the real culprit is. Suspenseful until the end.

Visit Liz Lawson’s website.

Salvacion by Sandra Proudman

 

“Lola de La Peña yearns to be free from the societal expectations of a young Mexican lady of her station. She spends her days pretending to be delicate and proper while watching her mamá cure the sick and injured with sal negra (black salt), a recently discovered magic that heals even the most mortal of sicknesses and wounds. But by night, she is Salvación, the free-spirit lady vigilante protecting the town of Coloma from those who threaten its peace and safety among the rising tension in Alta California after the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

But one night, a woman races into Coloma, barely alive, to tell the horrifying tale of how her town was obliterated by sal roja, a potent, deadly magic capable of obliterating anything it comes into contact with and the man who wields it: Damien Hernández. And when Hernández arrives the next day with a party of fifty strong and promises of returning Alta California to México, Lola knows it’s only a matter of time before he brings the region under his rule—all Hernández needs is the next full moon and the stolen, ancient amulet he carries to mine enough sal roja to conquer the land. Determined to protect everything she loves, Lola races against time as Salvación to stop his plans. What she didn’t count on was the distracting and infuriating Alejandro, who travels with Hernández but doesn't seem to share his ambitions. With the stakes higher than ever and Hernández getting closer to his goals, Lola will do anything to foil his plans, even teaming up with Alejandro—who she doesn’t fully trust, but can’t help but fall in love with.” - taken from Goodreads.

This gender swapped Zorro story was slow to start but the ending was worth the read,

Visit Sandra Proudman’s website.

It’s Not Me, It’s You by Alex Light

 

“Jackie Myers is a fraud. Or she might be a genius—the jury’s still out. The thing is, she secretly runs "pleasebreakmyheart," a gone-viral account aimed at breaking hearts and ending relationships—and she just used it to break up her insufferable eternal nemesis's picture-perfect relationship.

Wilson is the buttoned-up, type-A assistant manager of her nightmares—but it turns out he’s also, apparently, a really great boyfriend.
So with her conscience (and paycheck) on the line, Jackie decides there’s only one thing to do: She’s going to help Wilson win his ex-girlfriend back. Which should be easy, considering Jackie hates him…right?” - taken from Goodreads.

Ex Marks the Spot by Gloria Chao

 

Ex Marks the Spot by Gloria Chao

“For Gemma's whole life, it has always been her and her mom against the world. As far as she knew, all her grandparents—and thus her ties to Taiwanese culture—were dead. Until one day when a mysterious man shows up at her door with two shocking the news that her grandfather has just recently passed, and the first clue to a treasure hunt that Gemma hopes will lead to her inheritance.

There's just one major problem: to complete the hunt, she has to go to her grandfather's home in Taiwan. And the only way she can get there is by asking her ex and biggest high-school rival, Xander, for help. But after swallowing her pride, Gemma finds herself halfway across the world, ready to unearth her life-changing prize. Soon Gemma discovers that the treasure hunt is about much more than money—it's about finally learning about her family, her cultural roots, and maybe even finding true love.” - taken from Goodreads.

Visit Gloria Chao’s website.

Fearless by Lauren Roberts (Powerless trilogy book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, Powerless & Reckless, 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 two books.

“Paedyn Gray and Kai Azer return to the Kingdom of Ilya…

And Paedyn has a life-altering choice to make. Whatever she decides will determine her fate—and the fate of those around her—forever.

In the ultimate battle of love and loyalty, who wins?” - take from Goodreads.

Picking up immediately from the ending of Reckless, Paedyn finds herself torn between Kitt and Kai. Without giving too much away, this book does answer all of the mysteries surrounding our characters and doesn’t rush the ending. An excellent end to this trilogy.

Visit Lauren Roberts’ website.

Rebel Witch by Kristin Ciccarelli (Crimson Moth book 2)

 

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

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

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

“A WITCH...

Rune Winters is on the run. Ever since the boy she loved, Gideon Sharpe, revealed who she was and delivered her into enemy hands, everyone wants her dead. If Rune hopes to survive, she must ally herself with the cruel and dangerous Cressida Roseblood, who’s planning to take back the Republic and reinstate a Reign of Witches—something Cressida needs Rune to accomplish.

A WITCH HUNTER...

Apparently it wasn’t enough for Rune to deceive Gideon; she’s now betrayed him by allying herself with the witch who made his life a living hell. Gideon won’t allow the Republic to fall to the witches and be plunged back into the nightmares of the past. In order to protect this new world he fought for, every last witch must die—especially Rune Winters.

AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE...

When Rune makes Gideon an offer he can’t refuse, the two must pair up to accomplish dangerous goals. The more they’re forced into each other’s company, the more Gideon realizes the feelings he had for Rune aren’t as dead and buried as he thought. Now he’s faced with a terrible choice: sacrifice the girl he loves to stop a monster taking back power, or let Rune live and watch the world he fought so hard for burn.” - taken from Goodreads.

Two months have passed since the end of the first book.Without giving too much away, our characters must make some heart wrenching decisions that keep the story moving. This book was an incredible ending to this duology that has to be one of my favorite books of the year.

Visit Kristen Ciccarelli’s website.

Powerless by Lauren Roberts (Powerless trilogy book 1)

 

“She is the very thing he’s spent his whole life hunting.

He is the very thing she’s spent her whole life pretending to be.

Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya—the exceptional, the empowered, the Elites.

The powers these Elites have possessed for decades were graciously gifted to them by the Plague, though not all were fortunate enough to both survive the sickness and reap the reward. Those born Ordinary are just that—ordinary. And when the king decreed that all Ordinaries be banished in order to preserve his Elite society, lacking an ability suddenly became a crime—making Paedyn Gray a felon by fate and a thief by necessity.

Surviving in the slums as an Ordinary is no simple task, and Paedyn knows this better than most. Having been trained by her father to be overly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a Psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can in order to stay alive and out of trouble. Easier said than done.

When Paeydn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilyas princes, she finds herself thrown into the Purging Trials. The brutal competition exists to showcase the Elites’ powers—the very thing Paedyn lacks. If the Trials and the opponents within them don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for certainly will if he discovers what she is—completely Ordinary.” - taken from Goodreads.

I LOVED this book that reminded me of a mashup between Throne of Glass and The Hunger Games. Paeydn is just trying to survive in the Loot. Unknowingly saving Prince Kai brings her to the attention of the kingdom and a place in the Purging Trials. As an illegal Ordinary, her secret is in danger of being exposed, especially by the most powerful Elite in the kingdom, the very prince she saved. As the Trials continue, Paeydn and Kai are continually thrown together and find their feelings becoming more complicated. With a few twists and uncovered secrets at the end, readers will be ready to read the next book.

I actually read Powerless as a tandem read with the novella Powerful. 

Book two, Reckless, is now out.

Visit Lauren Roberts’ website.