Lies Between Us by Jessica Goodman

“Do you ever really know the people you love?

For the Gold sisters and Silver brothers, life has been idyllic, growing up in side-by-side waterfront mansions in a town where doors are never locked and the police do little more than issue speeding tickets. The Golds and Silvers have known each other their entire lives, as neighbors, as friends, as family.

But one carefree summer takes a dark turn when a beach party ends in tragedy and their perfect world cracks wide open. Suddenly, the bonds that tie these families together are strained by suspicion and fear. Painful secrets surface, revealing the fragile truths they've all been hiding.

Lucy, the oldest Gold girl, harbors a crushing secret from her boyfriend, one of the Silver boys. Millie, the middle sister, quietly yearns for the one person she can't have. And the youngest, Frankie, uncovers something that could blow their island apart.” - taken from Goodreads.

A summer of secrets between the Silver boys and the Gold girls explodes when the body of Billy Godwin is discovered. The youngest gold sister, Frankie takes it upon herself to play detective to find out what happened to Billy Godwin. Told between the present day and the uncovering of the events that occurred on the night of the party that Billy died, Readers will be kept on the edge of their seats until the very end to discover what really happened and who was to blame.

Visit Jessica Goodman’s website.

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.

The Thorn Queen by Sasha Peyton Smith (The Rose Bargain book 2)

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

“Wed to one brother.
In love with the other.

Having won the hand of the faerie King Bram, Ivy is now Queen of England.

But with his ascension to the throne, Bram unleashed the fae into the human world. After hundreds of years of being kept from their favorite playthings, the Others are looking to make up for lost time—and they do, with wicked revelry that sweeps through the country.

To survive, Ivy acts the sweet, devoted wife. Behind the smile, she plots to banish her husband, save her sister Lydia, and reunite with the love of her life, Emmett.

Yet Emmet and Lydia are trapped in the Otherworld, where fae games are deadlier than ever—and a queen must play most viciously of all. Or see herself dethroned.” - taken from Goodreads.

Even though the first book in this duology ended in a cliffhanger, this book was a bit slow to start. Without giving too much away, Ivy, Lydia, and Emmett must find a way to get out from under Bram’s cruel reign of not only England but the Otherworld. The epilogue to the story was great, without giving too much away, I wish it hadn’t been so one sided.

Visit Sasha Peyton Smith’s website.

They'll Never Catch Us by Jessica Goodman

“Stella and Ellie Steckler are only a year apart, but their different personalities make their relationship complicated. Stella is single-minded, driven, and she keeps to herself. Cross-country running is her life and she won't let anything get in the way of being the best. Her sister Ellie is a talented runner too, but she also lets herself have fun. She has friends. She goes to parties. She has a life off the course.

The sisters do have one thing in common, though: the new girl, Mila Keene. Both Stecklers' lives are upended when Mila comes to town. Mila was the top runner on her team back home and at first, Ellie and Stella view her as a threat. But soon Ellie can't help but be drawn to her warm, charming personality. After her best friend moved away and her first boyfriend betrayed her, Ellie's been lookigfor a friend. In a moment of weakness, she even shares her darkest secret with Mila. For her part, Stella finds herself noticing the ways she and Mila are similar. Mila is smart and strong--she's someone Stella can finally connect with. As the two get closer, Stella becomes something she vowed she'd never be: distracted.

With regionals approaching and college scouts taking notice, the pressure is on. Each girl has their future on the line and they won't let friendships get in their way. But then, suddenly, Mila goes out on a training run and never returns. No one knows what happened, but all eyes are on the Steckler sisters.” - taken from Goodreads.

The Steckler sisters are opposites in every way except for their love of cross country running. Striving to be the best, the two are out to impress the college scouts who have taken notice. This year is poised to be the best until fellow runner and competition Mila Keene moves to town. Before too long, both Stella and Ellie begin to see Mila as more than competition; Stella as a friend and Ellie as a confidant. With regions living on the horizon, Mila goes missing. Even though years have passed since the unsolved murders of some female teenage runners, the town of Edgewater begins to fear that its notorious nickname, Deadwater, is being revived. Soon all eyes of the town have landed on Stella and Ellie as suspects even though they also wonder what happened to Mila. 

What secrets are Stella and Ellie holding close? And what happened to Mila Keene?

Visit Jessica Goodman’s website.

Beth is Dead by Katie Bernet

 

“When Beth March is found dead in the woods on New Year’s Day, her sisters vow to uncover her murderer.

Suspects abound. There’s the neighbor who has feelings for not one but two of the girls. Meg’s manipulative best friend. Amy’s flirtatious mentor. And Beth’s lionhearted first love. But it doesn’t take the surviving sisters much digging to uncover motives each one of the March girls had for doing the unthinkable.

Jo, an aspiring author with a huge following on social media, would do anything to hook readers. Would she kill her sister for the story? Amy dreams of studying art in Europe, but she’ll need money from her aunt—money that’s always been earmarked for Beth. And Meg wouldn’t dream of hurting her sister…but her boyfriend might have, and she’ll protect him at all costs.

Despite the growing suspicion within the family, it’s hard to know for sure if the crime was committed by someone close to home. After all, the March sisters were dragged into the spotlight months ago when their father published a controversial bestseller about his own daughters. Beth could have been killed by anyone.

Beth’s perspective told in flashback unfolds next to Meg, Jo, and Amy’s increasingly fraught investigation as the tragedy threatens to rip the Marches apart.” - taken from Goodreads.

I have never read the book Little Women but one only needs to know the basics of the story to enjoy this modern day retelling. The father, Mr. March has written a controversial best selling novel based on the lives of his four daughters, Little Women. Just like in the original story, Beth dies in the book. Only in real life, Beth is still alive…until she isn’t.

This book is told in four POVs, between before Beth’s death and after and begins with Jo and Amy finding Beth’s body on the morning of January 1. As the March sisters begin to tell their stories and the pieces come together surrounding the mystery over Beth’s death, readers will be shattered by the ending.

Visit Katie Bernet’s website.

Spectacular by Stephanie Garber (Caraval book 3.5)

 

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

“Snowflakes are falling.

Invitations are arriving.

And holiday magic is swirling in the capital city of the Meridian Empire.

It’s Great Holiday Eve Eve. Scarlett Dragna is planning a spectacular Holiday celebration for the city. Donatella is searching for the perfect gift. Julian is looking ridiculously handsome in green. And Legend . . .

Well, sadly Legend is not fond of the Great Holiday. Tella is hoping her perfect gift will change his mind. Unfortunately, she hasn’t found this perfect gift just yet. But it is Great Holiday Eve Eve . . . surely there’s some holiday magic swirling around.

Welcome, welcome back to the world of Caraval, where even holidays are not as they seem.” - taken from Goodreads.

Visit Stephanie Garber’s instagram.

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.

The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith

 

“Every citizen of England is granted one bargain from their immortal fae queen.

High society girls are expected to bargain for qualities that will win them suitors: a rare talent for piano in exchange for one’s happiest childhood memory. A perfect smile for one’s ability to taste.

But Ivy Benton’s debut season arrives with a shocking twist: a competition to secure the heart of the Queen’s fae son, Prince Bram. A prize that could save Ivy’s family from ruin… and free her sister from the bargain that destroyed her.

Yet every glittering fae deal has a rotting heart—and at the center of this contest is a dark plot that could destroy everything Ivy knows.” - taken from Goodreads.

This book was pitched as The Cruel Prince meets The Selection and boy was that correct. It is also a twist on the history of English royalty where a fae queen sits on the throne. Ivy Benton is determined to find out what happened to her older sister Lydia during her disappearance. Fallen from society because of her sister, the family’s hopes are dependent on the match Ivy can make during her season. The stakes are raised substantially when the Queen announces that her son, Prince Bram, will be looking for a wife. Can Ivy survive the brutal season that she is about to face?

No word yet on a second book, but with that ending, there better be one on the horizon,

Visit Sasha Peyton Smith’s website.

Our Infinite Fates by Lauren Steven

 

“They've loved each other in a thousand lifetimes. They've killed each other in every one.

Evelyn remembers all her past lives. She also remembers that in every single one, she’s been murdered before her eighteenth birthday by Arden, a supernatural being whose soul―and survival―is tethered to hers.

The problem is that she’s quite fond of the life she’s in now, and her little sister needs her for bone marrow transplants in order to stay alive. If Evelyn wants to save her sister, she’ll have to:

1. Find the centuries-old devil who hunts her through each life―before they find her first.

2. Figure out why she’s being hunted and finally break their curse.

3. Try not to fall in love.” - taken from Goodreads.

Visit Laura Steven’s website.

Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma (Immortal Dark book 1)

 

“It began long before my time, but something has always hunted our family.

Orphaned heiress Kidan Adane grew up far from the arcane society she was born into, where human bloodlines gain power through vampire companionship. When her sister, June, disappears, Kidan is convinced a vampire stole her—the very vampire bound to their family, the cruel yet captivating Susenyos Sagad.

To find June, Kidan must infiltrate the elite Uxlay University—where students study to ensure peaceful coexistence between humans and vampires and inherit their family legacies. Kidan must survive living with Susenyos—even as he does everything he can to drive her away. It doesn’t matter that Susenyos’s wickedness speaks to Kidan’s own violent nature and tempts her to surrender to a life of darkness. She must find her sister and kill Susenyos at all costs.

When a murder mirroring June’s disappearance shakes Uxlay, Kidan sinks further into the ruthless underworld of vampires, risking her very soul. There she discovers a centuries-old threat—and June could be at the center of it. To save her sister, Kidan must bring Uxlay to its knees and either break free from the horrors of her own actions or embrace the dark entanglements of love—and the blood it requires.” - taken from Goodreads.

This book does start off slow as there is a ton of backstory and world building to start off this trilogy. Kidan Adane is alone in this world as the only family she has left has passed. Her twin sister June has disappeared. The only clue she has to her disappearance is the name of her family's vampire, Susenyos Sagad. Brought to Uxlay University to lay claim to her family's house, she must live with Susanyos and pass a class in order to inherit. The only cute that Kidan has about June’s disappearance is that she was taken by Susenyos. Kidan must find her way in the Uxlay world as an outsider while living under the same roof as Susenyos. 

As the story unravels, reader's will be anxious to discover who the real monsters are and what secrets lie at Uxlay's gate.

Book two is due to be published on Sept. 11, 2025.

Visit Tigest Girma’s website.

The Shadows Rule All by Abigail Owen (Dominions book 3)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, The Liar’s Crown and The Stolen Throne, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“King Eidolon has taken everything. Meren's throne, her Shadowraith, and even her kingdom. She is a queen with no one to rule, and a tattered army that's not even hers. And now the shadows who once tormented Reven live within her, enticing her to betray her friends. The Alignment is almost upon them--the culmination of centuries that have fueled a vengeful king's festering rage. They're outnumbered and underpowered. And even if they could unleash the trapped goddesses, they could destroy the kingdom and everything in it.”

The final book in this trilogy did take me a while to get into but once Reven reenters the story, the action begins to pick up. Even through the twists and turns in the fight to stop Eidolon, no one is spared in the journey to the end.

Visit Abigail Owen’s website.

Fangirl, Vol. 4: The Manga by Rainbow Rowell

 

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

“Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, everybody is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life. Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath just can’t let go…

Cath and Levi are officially dating—finally!—but Cath still has a lot on her plate as the end of freshman year approaches. She only has a few more weeks to save her grade in Fiction Writing, her twin sister, Wren, is acting increasingly reckless, and an unexpected reunion with her mother has thrown everything off-balance. Plus, with the release date for the last Simon Snow novel looming, Cath is struggling to focus on anything except finishing her epic fanfiction—including her relationship with Levi.

In this final volume of Fangirl , Cath must decide whether finding her own path forward means walking away from Simon Snow for good.” - taken from Goodreads.

This volume finishes up the manga version of the book Fangirl. I will say that this is an incredible graphic rendition of the book. Well worth the read!

The Blonde Dies First by Joelle Wellington

“Devon is always being left behind by her genius twin sister, Drew. At this point, it’s a fact of life. But Devon has one last plan before Drew leaves for college a whole year early—The Best Summer Ever. After committing to the bit a little too much, the twins and their chaotic circle of friends learn why you don’t ever mess with a Ouija board if you want to actually survive the Best Summer Ever, and soon find themselves being hunted down by…a demon?

But while there’s no mistaking the creeping, venomous figure is not from around here, their method doesn’t feel very demonic at all. In fact, it’s downright human—going after them in typical slasher movie kill order. And that means Devon, the blonde, is up first and her decade-long crush, Yaya, is the Final Girl who must kill or be killed to end the cycle.

Devon has never liked playing by anyone else’s rules though, not even a demon’s, and the longer this goes on, the more she feels Drew and Yaya slipping away from her even as she tries to help them all survive. Can they use their horror movie knowledge to flip the script and become the hunters instead of the hunted? Or will their best summer ever be their last?” - taken from Goodreads.

A creepy yet cheesy horror film like thriller that will shock readers by the ending. This book does start off super slow in building the plot and the action really doesn’t start until around chapter five. The best parts of this book are the friendships and Devin trying to repair the bond with her sister Dru.

Visit Joelle Wellington’s website.

Fangirl, Vol. 3: The Manga by Rainbow Rowell

 

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

“Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, everybody is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life. Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath just can’t let go…

Everything in Cath’s offline life is going wrong. Just when she’s started to realize her feelings for Levi, she sees him kissing someone else. Plus, her writing partner, Nick, is acting strange, and her twin sister, Wren, is suddenly making time for their mother—the same woman who walked out of their lives ten years ago!

When their dad ends up in the hospital, Cath decides it’s time to rethink her plans for the future.

But how can she leave the past behind when it keeps showing up at her door?” - taken from Goodreads.

And of course, volume 3 ends on another major cliffhanger. Good news is that volume 4 will conclude the story.

The story will be finished with volume 4 due out in 2024.

Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley

“Perry Firekeeper-Birch was ready for her Summer of Slack but instead, after a fender bender that was entirely not her fault, she’s stuck working to pay back her Auntie Daunis for repairs to the Jeep.

Thankfully she has the other outcasts of the summer program, Team Misfit Toys, and even her twin sister Pauline. Together they ace obstacle courses, plan vigils for missing women in the community, and make sure summer doesn’t feel so lost after all.

But when she attends a meeting at a local university, Perry learns about the “Warrior Girl”, an ancestor whose bones and knife are stored in the museum archives, and everything changes. Perry has to return Warrior Girl to her tribe. Determined to help, she learns all she can about NAGPRA, the federal law that allows tribes to request the return of ancestral remains and sacred items. The university has been using legal loopholes to hold onto Warrior Girl and twelve other Anishinaabe ancestors’ remains, and Perry and the Misfits won’t let it go on any longer.

Using all of their skills and resources, the Misfits realize a heist is the only way to bring back the stolen artifacts and remains for good. But there is more to this repatriation than meets the eye as more women disappear and Pauline’s perfectionism takes a turn for the worse. As secrets and mysteries unfurl, Perry and the Misfits must fight to find a way to make things right – for the ancestors and for their community.” - taken from Goodreads.

This book takes place ten years after the events in Firekeepers Daughter in 2014. The main character is Daunis' younger cousin, Perry as she deals with the continuing atrocities over Native American remains and sacred items. Great read but not as hard-hitting as Firekeepers. Daunis and several characters from the previous book play integral roles in this one 

Visit Angeline Boulley’s website.

Threads That Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou

 

“Descendants of the Fates are always born in threes: one to weave, one to draw, and one to cut the threads that connect people to the things they love and to life itself. The Ora sisters are no exception. Io, the youngest, uses her Fate-born abilities as a private investigator in the half-sunken city of Alante.

But her latest job leads her to a horrific discovery: somebody is abducting women, maiming their life-threads, and setting the resulting wraiths loose in the city to kill. To find the culprit, she must work alongside Edei Rhuna, the right hand of the infamous Mob Queen—and the boy with whom she shares a rare fate-thread linking them as soul mates before they’ve even met.

But the investigation turns personal when Io's estranged oldest sister turns up on the arm of her best suspect. Amid unveiled secrets from her past and her growing feelings for Edei, Io must follow clues through the city’s darkest corners and unearth a conspiracy that involves some of the city’s most powerful players—before destruction comes to her own doorstep.” - taken from Goodreads.

This was a great start to a new series. Full of mystery and Greek mythology retelling, this story brings a new concept to the world of young adult literature. Io is a private investigator whose latest case brings her into close proximity to her fate bound love. Forced to work together to solve the mystery, the closer the two become. Soon, Io is forced to make some difficult decisions.

Readers will be eagerly awaiting the next book.

Visit Kika Hatzopoulou’s website.

These Twisted Bonds by Lexi Ryan (These Hollow Vows book 2)

 

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

“Brie finds herself caught between two princes and two destinies while the future of the fae realm hangs in the balance.

After Abriella's sister was sold to the fae, she thought life couldn't get any worse. But when she suddenly finds herself caught in a web of lies of her own making ­- loving two princes and trusting neither - things are not quite as clear as she once thought.

As civil war wages in the Court of Darkness, Brie finds herself unable to choose a side. How can she know where she stands when she doesn't even know herself anymore? In this darkly romantic thrill ride, the more Faerie is torn apart from the inside, the clearer it becomes that prophecies don't lie and Brie has a role to play in the fate of this magical realm - whether she likes it or not.” - taken from Goodreads.

This book was the conclusion to Brie’s journey to fae and the deception that she found there. With never a dull moment and a few surprises thrown in along the way, fand of the series will be satisfied with the ending.

Visit Lexi Ryan’s website.

Fangirl, Vol. 2:The Manga by Sam Maggs

 

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

“Cath just wants to hang out with her twin sister and write fanfiction. But now that they’re at college, her sister doesn’t have time for her. And life keeps pulling Cath further and further out of her shell. For the first time ever, Cath has her own social circle. There’s Nick, her handsome classmate who wants her to write short stories with him… And then Levi, who keeps showing up when she isn’t looking for him … Actually … maybe Cath’s circle is more of a triangle?” - taken from Goodreads.

So I discovered at the cliffhanger ending of volume 2 that readers are being treated to four volumes in total. Now to wait.

To be continued with volume 3 due out on August 8, 2023.

How to Survive Your Murder by Danielle Valentine

 

“Alice Lawrence is the sole witness in her sister’s murder trial.

And in the year since Claire’s death, Alice’s life has completely fallen apart. Her parents have gotten divorced, she’s moved into an apartment that smells like bologna, and she is being forced to face her sister’s killer and a courtroom full of people who doubt what she saw in the corn maze a year prior.

Claire was an all-American girl, beautiful and bubbly, and a theater star. Alice was a nerd who dreamed of becoming a forensic pathologist and would rather stay at home to watch her favorite horror movies than party. Despite their differences, they were bonded by sisterhood and were each other’s best friends.

Until Claire was taken away from her.

On the first day of the murder trial, as Alice prepares to give her testimony, she is knocked out by a Sidney Prescott look-alike in the courthouse bathroom. When she wakes up, it is Halloween morning a year earlier, the same day Claire was murdered. Alice has until midnight to save her sister and find the real killer before he claims another victim.” - taken from Goodreads.

Alice is a horror film buff. She is the only witness to her older sister Claire's murder in a corn maze during a Halloween party. Several people doubt that Alice saw the real murderer. One year later, just as the murder trial is about to begin, Alice is knocked unconscious in the bathroom at the courthouse. Upon waking, Alice finds herself back in time to the night of the murder with the opportunity to save her sister and to discover if she saw the correct killer.

A terrific Halloween mystery for fans of horror movies. Be warned, there are some gory scenes.

Visit Danielle Valentine’s website.

Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor

 

“All her life, Jani has dreamed of Elsewhere. Just barely scraping by with her job at a tannery, she’s resigned to a dreary life in the port town of Durc, caring for her younger sister Zosa. That is, until the Hotel Magnifique comes to town.

The hotel is legendary not only for its whimsical enchantments, but also for its ability to travel—appearing in a different destination every morning. While Jani and Zosa can’t afford the exorbitant costs of a guest’s stay, they can interview to join the staff, and are soon whisked away on the greatest adventure of their lives. But once inside, Jani quickly discovers their contracts are unbreakable and that beneath the marvelous glamour, the hotel is hiding dangerous secrets.

With the vexingly handsome doorman Bel as her only ally, Jani embarks on a mission to unravel the mystery of the magic at the heart of the hotel and free Zosa—and the other staff—from the cruelty of the ruthless maître d’hôtel. To succeed, she’ll have to risk everything she loves, but failure would mean a fate far worse than never returning home.” - taken from Goodreads.

The Hotel Magnifique is legendary for not only its magical enchantments but for its ability to travel to a new location each night. Since her mother's death, Jani has cared for her younger sister Zosa and works a dead-end job. When the Hotel arrives in their town, the sisters quickly accept jobs to work there to better their lives, Unfortunately, the Hotel isn’t what it seems and Jani and Zosa soon find themselves in danger. A great mysterious fantasy read.

Visit Emily J. Taylor’s website.