A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer (Cursebreakers book 1)

“Fall in love, break the curse.

Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year, Prince Rhen, the heir of Emberfall, thought he could be saved easily if a girl fell for him. But that was before he turned into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. Before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.
Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, Harper learned to be tough enough to survive. When she tries to save a stranger on the streets of Washington, DC, she's pulled into a magical world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

Harper doesn't know where she is or what to believe. A prince? A curse? A monster? As she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what's at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.”- taken from Goodreads.com

Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite fairy tales and this retelling has taken over the top spot as my favorite retelling. I loved all of the creative twists and turns that the author used to make the story her own. Harper is pulled into the story when she tries to save a girl on the streets of DC from being kidnapped by a man. The next thing she knows Harper finds herself in Emberfall, the "beauty" in this retelling. Harper is a strong character who fights for what she believes in. The "beast', Prince Rhen, is human at first and not the monster until much later in the story.

I really wasn't expecting all the shocking reveals and plot twists that came at the end. And that cliffhanger! I am glad that I was able to immediately pick up the next book in the trilogy, A Heart So Fierce and Broken.

The story is continued in book two, A Heart So Fierce and Broken.

Visit Brigid Kemmerer’s website.

Call It What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer

“When his dad is caught embezzling funds from half the town, Rob goes from popular lacrosse player to social pariah. Even worse, his father’s failed suicide attempt leaves Rob and his mother responsible for his care.

Everyone thinks of Maegan as a typical overachiever, but she has a secret of her own after the pressure got to her last year. And when her sister comes home from college pregnant, keeping it from her parents might be more than she can handle.

When Rob and Maegan are paired together for a calculus project, they’re both reluctant to let anyone through the walls they’ve built. But when Maegan learns of Rob’s plan to fix the damage caused by his father, it could ruin more than their fragile new friendship...

This captivating, heartfelt novel asks the question: Is it okay to do something wrong for the right reasons?” - taken from Goodreads.com

This was my first Brigid Kemmerer book despite the fact that her Elementals series has been in a box by my bed for years. Fortunately, this will not be my last book by this author. I literally blew through this book in two days. Maegan and Rob’s story sucked me in and didn’t let go until the end, which was a heartbreaking mixture of emotions. Kemmerer’s contemporary novels are now on my auto-read list. 

Visit Brigid Kemmerer’s website.

Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom

"The Rules:

Don’t deceive me. Ever. Especially using my blindness. Especially in public.

Don’t help me unless I ask. Otherwise you're just getting in my way or bothering me.

Don’t be weird. Seriously, other than having my eyes closed all the time, I’m just like you only smarter. 

Parker Grant doesn’t need 20/20 vision to see right through you. That’s why she created the Rules: Don’t treat her any differently just because she’s blind, and never take advantage. There will be no second chances. Just ask Scott Kilpatrick, the boy who broke her heart.

When Scott suddenly reappears in her life after being gone for years, Parker knows there’s only one way to react—shun him so hard it hurts. She has enough on her mind already, like trying out for the track team (that’s right, her eyes don’t work but her legs still do), doling out tough-love advice to her painfully naive classmates, and giving herself gold stars for every day she hasn’t cried since her dad’s death three months ago. But avoiding her past quickly proves impossible, and the more Parker learns about what really happened—both with Scott, and her dad—the more she starts to question if things are always as they seem. Maybe, just maybe, some Rules are meant to be broken.

Combining a fiercely engaging voice with true heart, debut author Eric Lindstrom’s Not If I See You First illuminates those blind spots that we all have in life, whether visually impaired or not." - taken from Goodreads.com

Awesome book! Absolutely adored Parker's story.

I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

The graduation/welcome home party for Josh Mitchell doesn’t go as planned for Skylar Evans. The two worked together at the Paradise Hotel before Josh joined the Marines and shipped out to Afghanistan. Skylar briefly dated his younger brother Blake during his deployment. Not much happens in the blink and you might miss it town of Creek View, located just off of California’s Highway 99. In fact, at the end of summer, she will start at San Francisco State and leave Creek View behind. Looking everywhere for Josh to welcome him home, she hears him before she sees him. When Skylar turns around, she is stunned to see his gaunt face and lifeless eyes. It is only when he takes a step towards her for a hug does she notice that Josh has lost his left leg, courtesy of the Taliban. After Josh moves on to a new group of friends, Skylar questions Blake on the situation. Josh made their mother promise not to tell anyone. Leaving the party, Skylar recalls the last words Josh said to her before his deployment. “This is as good as it gets for me.”

The first week that Josh is back home, Skylar only runs into him once. She went to pick up her friend Dylan at the diner after she had finished her shift. While waiting, Skylar sees Josh sitting alone at a table, staring out the window, his food untouched. She  recalls how popular Josh was before joining the Marines. Knowing that it is only proper, Skylar walks over to say hello.The first thing Josh says to her is how good she looks. She jokes that he would hit on Marge, the hotel owner, given the chance. Nope, not going there but he is coming back to work as the handyman until he figures out what to do with his life. While driving Dylan to the nearest Walmart, Skylar finds that she cannot keep her mind off of Josh. Dylan says that she is wonders what he would be like under the sheets.

When Skylar gets home, she is surprised to find their trailer door unlocked. She and her mother are adamant about locking it. Her mother should be working at Taco Bell. Carefully opening the door, she hears her mother coughing from the bedroom. Skylar finds her sitting on the bed and just thinks she is having a bad day. Skylar is floored when her mother tells her that she has lost her job and breaks down. Skylar is so close to leaving Creek View behind and her worst fears have come true. She cannot leave her mother alone.

Skylar’s life soon spins out of control. Her mother begins drinking again and refuses to look for a job. And to Skylar’s horror, her mother starts having a guy over. Working at the hotel, Skylar begins to see Josh every day. She no longer sees the wounded warrior or the carefree boy before he joined the Marines. War has changed Josh. His life now revolves around physical and group therapy at the VA and trying to decide whether to stay on the Marines or take an honorable discharge. The two start to spend more time together and Josh becomes the one bright spot in Skylar’s life while everything else comes crashing down around her. Skylar finds herself falling for Josh, but when he starts running away from close encounters, she wonders if she has read Josh’s signals wrong.

Will Skylar be able to leave Creek View behind? Does she get to go to college? Can she help her mother turn her life around? Is Skylar getting the wrong message from Josh? What horrors and loss did Josh suffer in Afghanistan that haunt him? Can Skylar help Josh move forward?

Visit Heather Demetrios’ website.

The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

Ezra Faulkner's life drastically changed just weeks before he finished his junior year of high school. Class president and captain of the tennis team, he and his girlfriend had a disagreement and Ezra went to a party by himself. Expecting to meet Charlotte there, he is shocked when someone tells him to go look in one of the bedrooms at the house where the party is being held. There he finds his girlfriend with another guy and he makes the long trek back to his car after he interrupts them. Stopped in a blind spot, a SUV runs a stop sign and plows into Ezra's car. Everyone at the party scattered when the police arrived in fear of being caught for underage drinking. Not one of his friends rode in the ambulance with him. His mother put on her makeup and jewelry before coming to the hospital when called. In the blink of an eye, Ezra’s life has changed. Once the popular kid at school, Ezra now has a shattered knee that will never be the same. Ezra's tennis career is over and his future uncertain.

Now, no one expects anything from Ezra. On the first day of his senior year, his most humiliating moment occurs at the opening pep rally. Using a cane, Ezra has no one to sit with and must sit on the front row with the teachers. His former best friend Toby sits with him. The two drifted apart at the beginning of seventh grade; Ezra was an athlete and Toby soon joined the debate team. Striking up a conversation, Toby realizes that Ezra is uncomfortable as the athletic teams, including the tennis team are announced. He makes a crack comment and a teacher throws them out of the gym. Ezra is grateful and Toby asks if he will think about joining the debate team.

His first class, AP Euro is taught by his former tennis coach and even though the situation is beyond Ezra's control, it seems as if Mr. Anthony has it out for him. He does notice that there is a new girl in the class who stands out in her attire. She is dressed in a men's button down shirt with jean shorts and carries a worn leather satchel. Definitely not trying to fit in, Ezra is intrigued by her deep blue eyes and red hair. She asks where to find her second class and even though it is the same one he has, he declines to escort her. Ezra struggles to walk with his cane and doesn't want anyone to see him. Knowing he is no longer part of the in crowd, he finds another place to spend lunch, not realizing how truly awful coming back to school would be after his accident.

Ezra arrives early for his senior Spanish class. Soon some of his former teammates come in and sit next to him. They begin talking and offer to share some of their takeout lunch with him and ask if he would like to join them tomorrow. Charlotte enters and comes over to talk with the other boys. He soon realizes that not only is Evan the new tennis team captain but dating Charlotte as well. He has effectively stepped into Ezra's old life. Charlotte ignores him either out of pity or guilt, he isn't sure. Comments are made when the new girl walks into class. Mrs. Martin has everyone to pair up for introductory interviews. Everyone will introduce their partner to the class en espanol. Where the guys were friendly with Ezra just moments ago, he is now the odd man out and finds himself with the new girl. She tells him that her name is Cassidy and that she use to go to a boarding school. She spent the summer in a high school program at Oxford University studying Shakespeare. Ezra has never really been out of the country. They make it through the introductions.

Ezra is invited the next day to have lunch with Toby and his group of friends. Cassidy joins them. An eclectic mix of teens, Ezra has a clear shot of his former table with his friends. The same friends who texted him all summer to join them on outdoor excursions he couldn't physically do and never visited him at the hospital. The sight of Evan and Charlotte all over each other stings and he realizes that they have been together for a while. Even more shocking is the fact that Toby knows Cassidy. She is an excellent debater who always won the competitions. Toby is surprised that the two of them know each other.

One evening after a meeting with his senior advisor, Ezra is no longer sure of his future. Before the accident he was the golden boy who colleges would be recruiting him to play tennis. Now he is unsure. He sees Cassidy in the parking lot coming from her own meeting with her advisor. They begin talking and Ezra notices for the first time how beautiful she is so unlike the other fake looking girls at their school. He asks where her car is and she says that she rode her bike, trying to reduce her carbon footprint. Before he can think about, Ezra offers her a ride home; carpooling reduces the footprint as well. He is afraid a coyote may come down into the neighborhoods on her way home. She readily agrees.

In the car, Cassidy comments how she likes the Ezra who isn't afraid to talk better than the closed of Ezra at school. He is startled that she has noticed. After the third degree by the gate guard at her subdivision, she immediately suggests that they go to the park. After Ezra pushes her on the swings and he points out his bedroom window, the park lies in between their respective houses, he phone buzzes. It is her mother. Not use to living at home and checking in, Cassidy leaves on her bike. Ezra watches her knowing that in a million years a girl like Cassidy would never be interested in a boy like him.

As a joke, Toby signs up Ezra for the debate team when the coach passes around an interest page. He sees his name and writes Cassidy's down as well. When the two of them are called early from their lunch, it is to let them know that the coach has already signed them up for a competition the following weekend. Cassidy is furious when they leave. She no longer wanted to debate. The only way to now refuse is to publicly forfeit. Ezra had no idea how she felt and he admits to signing her name on the page. Her anger turns to Ezra. He walks with a limp and a cane; people know why he no longer plays tennis. She doesn't want to explain why she no longer debates to people she has just met. Ezra feels awful.

Later that night, Toby's group of friends has invited Ezra to join them for a movie screening at the high school. Cassidy is already there when Ezra arrives and the movie has started. He spends the entire night secretly watching Cassidy. She seems so sad and he wonders what has happened in life. He is surprised when Cassidy comes over to talk to him when the movie is over. He says that is surprised that she is talking to him. She lets him know that she is over being mad. She is going to prep him so that he can win the debate competition.

What happened to Cassidy that she quit debating? Does Ezra win the debate competition? Will Ezra's accident and injuries turn out to be a positive turning point in his life? What does his future hold? Can he go from being Eastwood's most popular golden boy to finding who his true friends really are? Will Cassidy be able to return Ezra's feelings? And what happens when their friendship hits a major bump in the road?

Visit Robyn Schneider's website.