Tag: young adult romance

ARC Book Review: The Getaway List by Emma Lord

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Emma Lord
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: January 23rd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The day of her high school graduation, Riley realizes two things: One, that she has spent the last four years trying so hard to be a Good Kid for her mom that she has no idea who she really is anymore, and two, she has no idea what she wants because of it. The solution? Pack her bags and move to New York for the summer, where her childhood best friend Tom and co-creator of The Getaway List ― a list of all the adventures they’ve wanted to do together since he moved away ― will hopefully help her get in touch with her old adventurous self, and pave the road to a new future.

Riley isn’t sure what to expect from Tom, who has been distant since his famous mom’s scriptwriting career pulled him away. But when Riley arrives in the city, their reconnection is as effortless as it was when they were young―except with one, unexpected complication that will pull Riley’s feelings in a direction she didn’t know they could take. As she, Tom, and their newfound friends work their way through the delightfully chaotic items on The Getaway List, Riley learns that sometimes the biggest adventure is not one you take, but one you feel in your heart.

Inescapably romantic and brimming with Emma Lord’s signature cheer, The Getaway List is an uplifting and romantic read that will settle into your heart and never leave.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the eARC.

WELCOME TO NEW YORK.

Every time I read an Emma Lord book I think about how much I would have loved reading these when I was the characters age (18/19). There’s so many good themes about growing up, finding your path and making those life long connections that will hold you up when things get rough.

I was very much smitten with the friends to lovers romance. It was reallllly sweet and the clear chemistry between them is there from the GET GO. While this is not full romance (more sub plotish), there’s a lot to learn from Riley and Tom. I loved the dynamic between them and also how you could see both growing up, making mistakes and learning to communicate.

And I adored the friend group. This found family of new and old friends that just accepted everyone as they were, but yet found ways to push each other into new things when the time was right. I love these kind of powerful friendships and there’s even cute side romances between them too.

Filled with all the New York things, some good Taylor Swift references and those hard but necessary conversations with your parents, I highly recommend to pick this one up.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: strong (I will say this was the only issue I had for the YA audience)
  • Romance: kisses

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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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ALC Book Review: Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 304 pages
Author: Kristy Boyce
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: January 9th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When it comes to romance, sometimes it doesn’t hurt to play games. A fun YA romcom full of fake dating hijinks!

Musical lover Riley has big aspirations to become a director on Broadway. Crucial to this plan is to bring back her high school’s spring musical, but when Riley takes her mom’s car without permission, she’s grounded and stuck with the worst punishment: spending her after-school hours working at her dad’s game shop.

Riley can’t waste her time working when she has a musical to save, so she convinces Nathan—a nerdy teen employee—to cover her shifts and, in exchange, she’ll flirt with him to make his gamer-girl crush jealous.

But Riley didn’t realize that meant joining Nathan’s Dungeons & Dragons game…or that role playing would be so fun. Soon, Riley starts to think that flirting with Nathan doesn’t require as much acting as she would’ve thought…

Thank you to Get Underlined for my final copy and PRHAudio for the gifted audiobook.

THIS WAS CUTE.

I had no expectations going in other than hoping the cute cover would supply a cute book. And it did! Very much a young adult romance that is great for a younger audience.

The combination of theater and D&D was fun. I liked seeing both side of this and how you can do all the things you want too. The themes of not having to box yourself into one hobby or passion was important. I also loved seeing divorced parents who could still be amicable for their child and working on not being a negative influence about the other parent.

There’s some fake dating that does have the added high school drama. I loved the side characters and the audiobook was fantastic. If you’re in need of something quick and light I’d recommend this one!

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none that I remeber
  • Romance: kisses
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: divorced parents, parent in the hospital

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Book Review: Face the Night by Lani Forbes

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 335 pages
Author: Lani Forbes
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Release Date: August 15th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

On a harsh frontier where good and evil contend for people’s minds, a young woman must fight for her true identity in this scintillating YA fantasy from the author of the award-winning Age of the Seventh Sun trilogy.

Once, Catriona Macgregor led a charmed life. Daughter of a wealthy rancher, pretty and educated, she looked forward to all the world had to offer–until fate took a turn. Now family, home, and even her name have been stripped away. As “Black Cat Whitfield,” adopted daughter of an outlaw, she’s wanted by the authorities. It certainly wasn’t the destiny she imagined–especially as one of the Blessed.

The Blessed, rare people like Cat, are supposed to use their gifts to carry out missions for the Patron Saints, but she can only imagine that Saint Prudentia made a terrible mistake in choosing her. Still, her gift has never deserted her. Whenever danger threatens, Cat receives a vision–just in time to save her life. And when she meets a renegade priest, Father Ignatius, he helps her understand how her ability may be part of a much bigger picture. A picture that involves facing up to the monstrous Baron Caldwell – the one who ordered her parents killed – and his son, Adrian, who betrayed them all.

Cat is torn between guilt over her parents’ death, a longing for vengeance against their killers, and a dismaying new interest in Adrian. It would be easiest to flee the whole situation and never look back. But as someone once told her, you can’t outrun the darkness on your heels. There’s only one way to break through to sunrise – by turning to face the night.

Thank you Bibliolifestyle and Blackstone Publishing for the gifted copy.

TOOK ME BY SURPRISE.

I feel like I could sit and nitpick small aspects of this that didn’t work for me, but by the end of the book I just FELT good about what I read and how truly enjoyable it was. It’s also well situated within the YA category without any major content issues (other than some light swearing).

The themes surrounding facing the night and the problems of the past was woven beautifully throughout. I loved seeing Cat going from a woman in hiding to taking what happened to her in the past and using that to be a source of strength towards the future. I also loved Adrian and his steadfastness in choosing the right path and looking after his sister.

There’s even a sweet, slow burn second chance romance that I thought was great. Little moments and reminders of who they were in the past and how that played out for them reconnecting and standing together.

I loved the western vibes thrown in with the middling gods fantasy aspects. It felt unique and something I haven’t recently read. It wraps up super well for a standalone and I highly recommend the audiobook!

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy
  • Language: some light
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a parent, loss of a loved one, gun violence, murder

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