Tag: young adult contemporary romance

ALC Book Review: I Wish You Would by Eva Des Lauriers

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Upper YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 305 pages
Author: Eva Des Lauriers
Publisher: Henry Holt
Release Date: May 21st, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In this drama-filled love story, private confessions are scattered on the beach during a senior class overnight and explosive secrets threaten to tear everyone apart, including best friends (or maybe more?), Natalia and Ethan.

It’s Senior Sunrise, the epic overnight at the beach that kicks off senior year. But for Natalia and Ethan, it’s the first time seeing each other after what happened at junior prom―when they almost crossed the line from best friends to something more and ruined everything. After ghosting each other all summer, Natalia is desperate to pretend she doesn’t care and Ethan is desperate to fix his mistake.

When the senior class carries out their tradition of writing private letters to themselves―what they wish they would do this year if they were braver―Natalia pours her heart out. So does Ethan. So does everyone in their entire class. But in Natalia’s panicked attempt to retrieve her heartfelt confession, the wind scatters seven of the notes across the beach. Now, Ethan and Natalia are forced to work together to find the lost letters before any secrets are revealed―especially their own.

Seven private confessions. Seven time bombs loose for anyone to find. And one last chance before the sun rises for these two to fall in love.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

LEAN INTO IT.

I knew going into this that it would be drama with a capital D. Honestly, knowing that going in allowed me to enjoy it more. I wasn’t overanalyzing everything and rode this rollercoaster in style.

Audiobook notes: The audiobook was fantastic. It’s a dual POV story with two narrators which worked wonderfully. Definitely recommend this format.

Anyways, this is a concentrated timeline of about 48 hrs with a few flashback chapters here and there. It kept the pace fast and I did find myself continually wanting to pick it up so I could see what spectacle was going to occur next.

There are some good moments of growth towards the end. And I didn’t mind the main characters. Yes, it’s filled with miscommunication but I also tried to remind myself these are 17/18 year old’s and I’m glad they worked things out in the end.

Overall audience notes:

  • Upper YA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: one closed door scene; mild innuendo throughout
  • Violence: low
  • Content Warnings: mentions of inappropriate teacher/student relationship, homophobic remarks, cheating (off page), divorce, underage alcohol use

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Book Review: Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Talia Hibbert
Publisher: Joy Revolution
Release Date: January 3rd, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Bradley Graeme is pretty much perfect. He’s a star football player, manages his OCD well (enough), and comes out on top in all his classes . . . except the ones he shares with his ex-best friend, Celine.

Celine Bangura is conspiracy-theory-obsessed. Social media followers eat up her takes on everything from UFOs to holiday overconsumption–yet, she’s still not cool enough for the popular kids’ table. Which is why Brad abandoned her for the in-crowd years ago. (At least, that’s how Celine sees it.)

These days, there’s nothing between them other than petty insults and academic rivalry. So when Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods, she’s surprised to find Brad right beside her.

Forced to work as a team for the chance to win a grand prize, these two teens must trudge through not just mud and dirt but their messy past. And as this adventure brings them closer together, they begin to remember the good bits of their history. But has too much time passed . . . or just enough to spark a whole new kind of relationship?

LOVED THE REP.

This was my first Talia Hibbert book and I enjoyed it! It was a good young adult contemporary that brought a lot of things I love seeing in the genre.

The mental health rep was probably my favorite aspect. It was like being inside of my own mind and I appreciated seeing how these situations were handled and I love the kind responses and sincere friendships of loving who someone is as they are, without a need for change.

While occasionally frustrated with both characters I think that just stems from the age category. Mistakes are made, wrong things are said, BUT they are resolved and worked through and I realllllly love seeing that kind of work put into relationships (of all kinds).

Some of the plot set up with the camping, etc. was fine. I don’t feel like I was fully invested in those pieces. This was a heavily character driven story and that is my general sweet spot. I flew through this and thought the themes were right on point.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: make-outs
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: anxiety and OCD rep, parental abandonment

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Book Review: Seoulmates by Susan Lee

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Susan Lee
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Release Date: September 20th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Hannah Cho had the next year all planned out—the perfect summer with her boyfriend, Nate, and then a fun senior year with their friends.

But then Nate does what everyone else in Hannah’s life seems to do—he leaves her, claiming they have nothing in common. He and all her friends are newly obsessed with K-pop and K-dramas, and Hannah is not. After years of trying to embrace the American part and shunning the Korean side of her Korean American identity to fit in, Hannah finds that’s exactly what now has her on the outs.

But someone who does know K-dramas—so well that he’s actually starring in one—is Jacob Kim, Hannah’s former best friend, whom she hasn’t seen in years. He’s desperate for a break from the fame, so a family trip back to San Diego might be just what he needs… that is, if he and Hannah can figure out what went wrong when they last parted and navigate the new feelings developing between them.

Her ex-boyfriend wants her back. Her former best friend is in town. When did Hannah’s life become a K-drama?

KIND OF LIKED.

I went up and down with this book way too many times. Maybe it was supposed to be like a K-drama? (I haven’t read one so I can’t attest to this, but that could be where I missed the full connection with this).

The relationship was pretty sweet and I liked the returning friendship vibes that blossomed into more. Hannah and Jacob were solid YA characters. Nothing flashy or anything outside what you’d expect, but they did the job.

Plot wise, it’s fine. I’ve read some others I’ve loved more with this same kind of vibes and this was a pretty straightforward set-up. It’s a cute story with some dramatic flair that might work well with others.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: brief fade to black

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Book Review: Safe Harbor (Scoops Series #1) by K. Sinko

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 310 pages
Author: K. Sinko
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: June 20th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Melanie’s twin brother made a life-altering mistake, and now her entire world is about to change.

After years of getting straight A’s at Garrison Prep so she could have a shot at getting into Yale, Melanie’s parents announce they are moving to Haverport, a small beach town off the Connecticut coast, to give her brother Duncan “a fresh new start.”

Skeptical that anything will actually change at home, Melanie decides to spend that summer before her senior year working at the local ice cream shop, Scoops By The Sea, where she meets Calvin—tall, broody, and pretty much on a mission to make Melanie’s training absolutely miserable.

Yet while her job and the people at Scoops were meant to be a distraction from her life that was falling apart, Melanie finds them to be a lifeline in the torrential sea of terror she faces at home. And even if Calvin may seem reclusive, Melanie soon learns what it means to truly open up her heart and share the pain that torments her, especially when disaster completely shatters her life once again.

Safe Harbor is a sweet young adult romance featuring the intensity of two people falling in love for the first time, a pack of fiercely loving co-workers that feel like family, and a small town that has an obsession for festivals, fireworks, bonfires, and 32 delicious flavors of ice cream.

INCREDIBLE BOOK.

It took ONE brief scene on a video to convince me to download this. And then it took my only a few chapters to be completely hooked and emotionally invested in this story. I LOVED IT.

It’s complicated. Deep. Hard to read at times and will bring out all sorts of emotions. While occasionally frustrated with Melanie, I completely understood that she is SEVENTEEN and dealing with some really heavy stuff (check trigger warnings). I love that Calvin was the perfect love interest for her. Someone to talk to, to be there, and to calm the chaos. It was swoony and sweet and this brought out all of the quintessential summer reading vibes that I have been seeking.

I adored the found family groups at Scoops and I’m now excited to read other stories in this series. It was beautifully written, captured all of my attention and now I need everyone to go read it too.

BUT BRING TISSUES.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: make-outs
  • Violence: moderate
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: a sibling dealing with substance abuse/addiction (alcohol), death of a loved one

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