The Getaway List by Emma Lord. Emma Lord writes dependably satisfying YA. In this book, uncertain high school graduate Riley determines a path forward & a new life in NYC, as she & her long-time bestie Tom cross items off their Getaway List. TGL is cute, with moments of sadness as the besties reveal their struggles to each other, & underneath a lovely burgeoning romance is a strong friendship that gave me lots of feels. 4.25⭐️️. Out now. (Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.)
Letters to Half Moon Street by Sarah Wallace. This queer historical romance with some fantasy is so cute! It’s EPISTOLARY, (that’s the magic word, right?), featuring letters written from a sometimes clueless lead, Gavin, to an eventual love interest, his family, etc. Charming, funny, & sweet, this kissing-only book is a delightful & quick read. So happy I read it! 5 ⭐️ ️, out now. (Read for the BookRiot Read Harder Challenge: a cozy fantasy book.) A Feather So Black by Lyra Selene. A fae fantasy featuring a Changeling who’s been raised as the foster daughter of a human queen out for revenge against the Folk. This fantasy has steam, a love triangle-ish situation, & a heroine who’s felt the sting of not being fully accepted most of her life. Lots of angst in this one, & a romantic relationship that grew a bit annoying for me, but also an intriguing story & a nice setup for book 2. 3.5 ⭐️ ️, out 03/12. (Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.) Have you read any of these or are any on your TBR?
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Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.**when you read a YA book & it reminds you of some of your less than pleasant teen family baggage** Betting on You by Lynn Painter has some really sweet moments. Some moments that had me thinking “aww” & “this is so good” & “my heart.“ I know you can tell a “but” is coming & it is but not yet ;). I really loved how opposites Bailey & Charlie develop a strong friendship over time. That’s a lovely thing to me. The initial times they meet and reconnect are given some “When Harry Met Sally” vibes & that’s definitely my jam. That banter between them sparks & the way that Charlie is obviously intrigued & yet also irritated by Bailey’s quirks is cute & funny. There’s some family mess in this YA & while on one hand I love a book that delves deeper emotionally, on the other, the way that this specific book does it doesn’t totally work for me. I ended up being puzzled by some of the actions of the secondary characters & kinda annoyed with how all of that goes down. Some of it has to be my aforementioned teen family drama but I genuinely think it’s also that as a reader I wasn’t satisfied. So my first Lynn Painter book was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I liked it on the surface but didn’t always like how the mess is executed . 3.5⭐️. Out now! Please see a trusted reviewer’s list of CWs.
Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary e-ARC. All opinions provided are my own.Ali Hazelwood’s switching it up with a YA romance that also has some of the things she’s known for, including a reserved hero who’s hard for the heroine to read. Check & Mate has a lot to offer and Hazelwood’s voice translates to YA *so* well. Protagonist Mallory Greenleaf is a witty delight of a heroine who can play chess with tremendous skill, though she’s chosen not to play in years after some family turmoil. But life intervenes & she ends up making grandmaster Nolan Sawyer’s jaw fall to the floor, quite a feat since he is—as I said earlier—reserved, implacable, & doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve. For a bit at least. Mallory is a powerhouse lead, doing what she can to provide for her family & take care of her mother who has Rheumatoid Arthritis. She’s a boss & the way she does whatever it takes is admirable, even more so when she follows her heart. There’s bisexual rep** in this one, a hero who makes some pretty sweet gestures, & an exploration of misogyny in the world of chess. I don’t know anything about chess but this is a really great read that made me excited to see what Ali Hazelwood will write next! 4.5⭐️. Out 11/07. ** Edited: I removed a note regarding “demisexual rep” in this review. Thanks to a question from an Instgram commenter I went back to the book & I think I made some assumptions that maybe I shouldn’t have. The hero has never had sex before & hasn’t had interest “until recently” & meeting the heroine. But I’m not sure that his seemingly unique sexual attraction to her is predicated on their emotional connection and the book never uses the word demisexual. My sincere apologies for any confusion I caused with those assumptions / errors!
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