Book Review: "Play It Again" by Georgia Clark

As teenagers they were inseparable. Four friends—Annie, Lola, Vicky, and Dylan—took their hometown by storm when they starred in a gender-swapped adaptation of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. It was an incredible summer, but the night the show closed the four were torn apart, and went their separate ways.

Twenty years later, they all have very different lives from what they dreamed of. But when their hometown of Rhodes, NY, gets a less-than-impressive write up in a tourism magazine, the town gets closer to dying out completely. Given that Annie owns a pet grooming place in town, she’s definitely concerned.

All four of them get summoned back to the now-closed playhouse where their fondest memories reside. Jazz, their director, wants to revive their production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead to hopefully bring some life (and money) back into the town and the theater. Of course, it will only work if all four agree.

The pleasantries of their reunion quickly fade as the memories of the show’s end 20 years ago are revisited. There’s no doubt that the feelings both couples had for one another still linger, but so do secrets, misunderstandings, and emotional wounds. Can they put the past aside to not only save Rhodes and put on a show, but also to see if a second chance is possible?

This was a mostly fun and lighthearted story, full of nostalgia and emotion. I was a theater kid so I definitely enjoyed those aspects of the book. I felt like the pacing got very slow in the middle and I also thought at times the characters’ actions were a little more petty and childish than they should have been.

Book Review: "The Disaster Gay Detective Agency" by Lev AC Rosen

I had such fun with this book!

Brandon is in love with love. If a guy smiles at him, his mind moves quickly to dreaming of their happily ever after. His heart gets broken every time (even if 99 percent of the guys weren’t interested in the first place), but his heart-eyed outlook never changes.

One night a handsome man, Jon, checks into the hotel where Brandon works. They definitely share a moment at the front desk, and it’s not long before Jon calls to see if Brandon can deliver extra towels to his room. (Yes, this was a pickup line, and sleeping with the guests is against the rules.)

The next morning, Jon doesn’t text Brandon back as promised. They soon find out he checked out early but left a bag and his cell phone. Brandon is determined that this is his chance at true love, so he and a friend set out to give the phone back. But when they arrive, they witness a murder—and Jon fleeing the scene. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg as far as dangerous things happening.

Brandon, along with his three best friends—workaholic law associate Nicole, dreamy stoner Ollie, and revenge-minded drag queen Ian—are not expecting to get embroiled in any criminal hijinks. But with crime-podcast-loving Ollie leading the way, this ragtag band of detectives sets out to figure out the murder and Jon’s role in it before it’s too late.

I’m a huge fan of the Evander Mills mystery series that Lev AC Rosen wrote (still hoping that will continue), but this book gave him the chance for some quirky fun. The characters all have their own issues but their friendship matters most of all.

Book Review: "Go Luck Yourself" by Sara Raasch

Sara Raasch’s Royals and Romance series is incredibly creative, full of humor, emotion, and some steamy steam. I really enjoyed The Nightmare Before Kissmas and I loved her newest book, Go Luck Yourself, which was released just in time for St. Patrick’s Day!

Kris’ family is in charge of Christmas, and his brother Coal has taken over as Santa. When Kris discovers that someone has been siphoning off Christmas’ joy, since he is the “spare prince,” he agrees to investigate the theft of joy. Since he found a shamrock, he’s headed to the kingdom of St. Patrick’s Day.

Kris is thrown when he discovers that the crown prince of the holiday, Lochlann, is the hot guy who drove him crazy at college. Lochlann isn’t happy that Kris has shown up in his family’s kingdom, even though Kris has been trying to help rescue Lochlann's reputation with the holiday press.

The more times they are thrown together, the more complicated Kris realizes that Loch’s situation is. And at the same time, Kris sees in Loch a kindred spirit—a creative soul unsure of what he wants, who doesn’t believe he’s entitled to his own happiness.

The theft of joy is also far more complicated than Kris suspected. Is Loch responsible? Is Kris’ growing attraction to Loch blinding him? The truth has the potential to hurt both of them, but can it also free them?

I love Raasch’s storytelling and the amazing universe she has created. This book is so much more than a simple romance, as both of its main characters really have to deal with some tough emotional baggage. But the banter and the supporting characters make this even more special.

Book Review: "The Z Word" by Lindsay King-Miller

The first Pride was a riot. The last Pride is a bloodbath.

This was so wild and crazy and I was totally there for it! If you watched The Walking Dead and thought, “What if there were more LGBTQ+ characters?”, this one is for you.

Getting over your ex is often difficult, but when your ex is hooking up with your friends, that can be torture. That’s the issue for Wendy. She’s trying to find her way in a new place, but jealousy isn’t a good look on her.

And then the people around them start turning into zombies. Blood-thirsty zombies. Luckily, Wendy isn’t the only one who notices. Her new friends—a mixed bag of queer people, including her ex, Leah—have to band together to figure out what’s causing the outbreak. But perhaps more importantly, they have to save themselves and save Pride.

Horror is definitely not a genre I read very often, but this book definitely was more than I expected. Sure, there’s gore and violence, but there’s also humor, emotion, and lots of steam. I enjoyed how Lindsay King-Miller turned some typical stereotypes on their head and gave queer characters the power to kick some ass.

Thanks so much to Quirk Books for the complimentary copy; sorry it took me so long to read the book!

Book Review: "Make Sure You Die Screaming" by Zee Carlstrom

Thanks so much to Flatiron Books for the complimentary advance copy of this book! This definitely is a bleak yet well-written book that will stick in your mind.

If you think your life is out of control, it’s nothing compared to that of our unnamed narrator. They’ve recently come out as nonbinary, lost their corporate job in fairly spectacular fashion, and probably suffered a brain injury in a fight with their ex-boyfriend.

“I guess you could call me the World’s First Honest White Man, but I don’t identify as a man anymore, so you’d probably call me other things first…”

To top it off, their mother called to let them know that their father, an ultra-conservative conspiracy theorist, has gone missing. So now they’re headed from Chicago to Arkansas (no culture shock there) in a fancy car they’ve stolen from their ex-boyfriend.

Their partner on this road trip from hell is Yivi, whom they met when they were both crashing at an illegal Airbnb. Yivi has her own issues: she screams in her sleep, she’s constantly high on something, and there’s apparently someone following her.

This book taps into some really raw emotions. The narrator has been avoiding dealing with some real emotional baggage beyond their father’s disavowal of their sexuality. There’s loss, trauma, and addiction, but there’s also real rage at the inequity that exists. This isn’t a lighthearted book but it’s a good one.

It will publish 4/8/2025.

Book Review: "Bunt! Striking Out on Financial Aid" by Ngozi Ukazu and Mad Rupert

A few years ago, I fell head over heels for Ngozi Ukazu’s graphic novel series, Check, Please!. Recently, when reading an article ranking the top queer fiction books, I came across a mention of Ukazu’s latest graphic novel, and I had to jump on it at once.

Molly has wanted to go to art school at PICA, which is in her hometown, for as long as she can remember. But on the first day, she discovers that her full-ride scholarship no longer exists. Desperately wanting to go to school while keeping this from her mothers, Molly takes loans to stay afloat while looking for a solution.

In looking through PICA’s often-overlooked financial aid manual, Molly discovers a loophole. If she can recruit 9 of her fellow art students to play in a softball league, and if they win 1 game, everyone on the team will get major athletic scholarships.

Of course, at an art school, finding people willing to step outside their comfort zone and play an organized team sport is a bit of a challenge. But with the help of her best friend Ryan (himself a PICA dropout), who promises to coach the team, she begs, bribes, and cajoles students into joining the team. Some of the students are actually athletically inclined, while some are definitely not.

The team starts off horribly, even though there is definite promise. There are one or two ringers, plus a fashion student who can hit but refuses to run because it isn’t ladylike. But all they need is to win one game, and they find out that depending on one another and being part of a team feels good, too.

This was such a fun read, full of drama, joy, found family, and queer students finding their confidence. Mad Rupert’s illustrations are fantastic, and once again, Ukazu’s storytelling hit me in the feels.

Book Review: "Up All Night" by Annabeth Albert

After more than 20 years and two children, Sean’s marriage to his best friend has ended amicably, and he decides to return to his hometown of Mount Hope, Oregon, to fill in for a firefighter on maternity leave. He moves in with one of his oldest friends, Eric, to help him deal with the death of husband and help care for his four children.

When Sean meets Denver, the overnight cook at the local diner, the handsome, rugged man awakens feelings he’d always kept inside. And when their encounter turns physical, Sean is hooked right away, but Denver isn’t the type to want a relationship—or even put down roots anywhere.

As their hookups intensify and feelings grow stronger, Sean wants Denver to be a bigger part of his life. But Denver is getting ready to leave again before he gets burned emotionally—although his heart wants to stay with Sean.

While Sean has a fairly good relationship with his parents and a solid group of friends, Denver hasn’t let himself get too close to anyone. Growing up in foster care, he learned to tamp down emotional expectations and quash relationships before they hurt him. But being with Sean makes him feel good, although he’s wary of getting in too deep.

I felt like there were a number of issues in the book that were really glossed over. For one, Sean literally had sex and decided to come out—no anguish, no nothing—and that seemed odd to me. And second, Eric was raising four teenage kids who had come from foster care. Eric’s husband died, and yet for the most part, the kids had no issues. (And don’t get me started on the eleventh-hour appearance of Sean’s adult son.)

There’s intense chemistry and steam between Sean and Denver, and I enjoyed Sean’s circle of friends. I just wish the book was less disjointed and inconsistent. However, I am a fan of Annabeth Albert's books, so I may give this series one more try.

Book Review: "Four Squares" by Bobby Finger

What an absolutely fantastic, moving, hopeful book this was. Easily one of my favorites of the year.

“One of the toughest things about any friendship is remembering that the mere act of listening is often not only enough but also the totality of what the other person wants. Sometimes there is no follow-up question, no complementary personal anecdote, no soothing cliché that will do more than a silent nod or caress on the hand or pat on the knee.”

Bobby Finger’s new book begins in 1992 in NYC. It’s Artie’s 30th birthday and he and his two best friends, Adam and Kim, are going to celebrate. They’re still in the midst of losing friends to AIDS, which makes them cling tighter to one another. That night, at their favorite bar, Julius’, Artie meets Abe, a closeted bisexual lawyer who will be the love of his life.

Thirty years later, Artie has a successful writing career (mostly as a ghostwriter), and a relationship with Halle, Abe’s daughter. It’s a quiet life, and once Halle moves across the country, it’s a lonely one, but Artie is determined to thrive. And when a freak accident leads to his becoming a member of GALS, a center for queer seniors, he opens his life to a new circle of friends, realizing that the length of a friendship isn’t what matters.

The book shifts back and forth between the 1990s and 2022-23. It’s sometimes sad, sometimes funny, and just absolutely beautiful. It’s the story of friendship, love, chosen family, fear, and hope, as well as the power of connection. I’ll be thinking about this for a long time.

Book Review: "Prince of the Palisades" by Julian Winters

Wow, this was such a great book! I didn’t realize how much I needed a story like this until I was fully immersed in it.

Jadon’s parents are the king and queen of Îles de la Rêverie, a small island off the coast of Africa. When a drunken tirade of his goes viral and causes an outrage, Jadon is sent to California—where his mother grew up—to try and rehabilitate his image.

The palace hopes that some carefully crafted public appearances, along with attending a private high school, might show Jadon in a more favorable light. But no matter how hard he tries to be the prince he believes the people of Rêverie want, the more mistakes he makes. If he doesn’t clean up his act, he may be forever banned from returning home.

Things get even more complicated when he falls for Reiss, a pink-haired, movie-loving, aspiring film student. Reiss isn’t necessarily impressed with Jadon’s arrogance, but he can see the vulnerability and hurt in the young prince, and sees how much more comfortable he is when he is being himself and speaking his own mind.

This has glimpses of Red White & Royal Blue, but it goes beyond a sweet romance. This is a powerful story about being your authentic self and speaking out, even if it might not be what people want from you. It’s also a thought-provoking commentary on racial disparity, how young Black people have to act a certain way to be accepted.

I really loved everything about the story, including Jadon’s royal guard, his sister the crown princess, and the palace liaison. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Viking Books for the advance copy; the book will publish 8/20.

Book Review: "The Pairing" by Casey McQuiston

There’s always that sense of anticipation I feel when I pick up the latest release from an author whose work I enjoy. Sadly, the upcoming book by Casey McQuiston (author of my all-time fave, Red White & Royal Blue), resulted in disappointment for me. There were definitely things I liked, but overall, I just didn’t enjoy it.

Kit and Theo were childhood best friends who became lovers, until their relationship disintegrated on a plane to Europe. The breakup led to their canceling a European food and wine tour, and after all their history, they were out of each other’s lives for good.

After 4 years apart, both have moved on. Theo is a bartender who is studying to be a sommelier; Kit went to pastry school, and he now bakes at a fancy Parisian restaurant. When both decide to use their tour cancellation vouchers at the last possible opportunity, they see each other for the first time in 4 years.

Both Theo and Kit haven’t been lacking for sexual relationships during their time apart; both have had male and female lovers. While neither likes watching the other flirt during the tour, they’re both over each other, so why not challenge each other to see who can hook up with more people?

As both throw themselves into the challenge, of course, they realize they’ve never stopped loving each other. But have they truly changed in four years?

One of the things I dislike most in romances is miscommunication. So much of the plot hinged on their inability to express their feelings to one another or discuss what went wrong between them. And while I enjoyed the sumptuous, detailed descriptions of food, wine, and tourist attractions, neither character really appealed to me, and I never believed they really loved each other.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance copy! The book will publish 8/6.

Book Review: "Really Cute People" by Markus Harwood-Jones

While I definitely have a fondness for books about family drama and dysfunction, what I love more are books about chosen family. That is something Really Cute People has in heartwarming abundance.

“If you think you’ve found your people, hold on tight. From there, everything else will sort itself out.”

Charlie is definitely in a bit of an emotional slump. The queer collective they once were a part of has fallen apart, and their former housemates all seem to blame Charlie. To top it off, their job at what was once a crisis hotline—now staffed by a chatbot because of budget cuts—isn’t exciting them as it used to, although the a promotion would be appealing.

Charlie’s boss asks them to take a trip to a small town outside the city to check out a new model of community center. They can’t wait to relax in the luxurious Airbnb their boss has reserved. But when Charlie arrives, they find chaos—a couple, along with their five-year-old daughter, as well as a dog, a cat, and a bird, messed up the schedule of when they were renting their home out. However, they promise to be out of Charlie’s hair the next morning.

Except the next morning, there’s a massive snowstorm, so Charlie is stuck with Buffy, Hayden, and their family. To everyone’s surprise, Charlie seems to relish the craziness—and it doesn’t hurt that both Buffy and Hayden seem to be flirting with Charlie. Could this be what they’ve been looking for all along, or will the fantasy end when Charlie has to return home?

This story was sweet, steamy, and sensitive. As the author said in their notes, why can’t a triangle turn into a triad? I’ve really never read a book with this as its focus, and it definitely made me smile and feel all the feels.

Book Review: "For Her Consideration" by Amy Spalding

What if her Hollywood job turns into a Hollywood ending?

Nina was devastated when her last relationship ended three years ago, especially when her girlfriend sent her a list of all her faults. She fled Los Angeles for the suburbs and moved into her aunt’s condo, leaving all of her friends and her old life behind.

Working for a talent agency, her job is to respond to emails that celebrities receive, but use their own tone and voice. One day she is summoned to Los Angeles by her boss because one of her clients, actress-on-the-rise Ari Fox, doesn’t quite feel that “her” emails sound genuine enough, and she wants to get to know Nina a little better.

Ari, whose name is being talked about as a potential Oscar winner, is a bit of a control freak. But she’s also proudly out, and sexy as hell, and she keeps wanting to meet with Nina. Is she flirting? She couldn’t possibly be interested in someone like Nina, could she?

Before she realizes it, Nina has fallen for Ari completely, and it seems the feeling is mutual. As the two take tentative steps toward a relationship, Nina is riddled with fears that Ari will quickly recognize the faults her ex-girlfriend enumerated. And at the same time, Ari pushes Nina to get back to writing scripts, which is what brought Nina to LA in the first place.

This is a sweet, steamy, emotional romance about allowing yourself to be vulnerable, remembering who in your life is there to have your back, and fighting for what you want. Nina is such a complex character, and I loved all of her friends and her aunt Lorna as well. Ari seemed a little less developed but I still enjoyed her. A fun one!!

Book Review: "Endpapers" by Jennifer Savran Kelly

It’s 2003. New York City is just starting to move forward after 9/11. Dawn works as a bookbinder at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, repairing old books while hoping to find the spark to reignite her own artistic efforts.

At the same time, she is struggling with her sexual identity. She is dating Lukas, who wishes she were a man, while there are days she isn’t sure what or who she really is. In a time before people generally understood the concept of nonbinary or genderqueer, Dawn’s exploration serves to complicate her relationship with Lukas, her colleagues, and her family.

One day while repairing a book she finds the cover of a pulp novel from the 1950s bound inside the back cover. She cannot figure out how it would’ve gotten there. But that’s only the start of the mystery. The cover features a woman dressed as a man, and on the back is a love letter from one woman to another, written in German.

Who were these women? What happened to them and their relationship? And why does this book cover speak to Dawn so much? Solving this mystery becomes an obsession for her, as well as an opportunity to avoid dealing with her concerns about her creative block, her relationship with Lukas, and the violence that always threatens the LGBTQ community. It's sad that many of the issues addressed in the book haven't changed much in 20 years.

This was so good. Thanks so much to Algonquin Books for inviting me on the tour for this. I found it so compelling, and I cannot get it out of my mind.

Book Review: "Kiss Her Once for Me" by Alison Cochrun

I couldn’t love this book any more if I tried!!

Alison Cochrun's debut novel, The Charm Offensive, was one of my absolute favorites from last year. I’ve been eagerly waiting for her follow-up book and it was all kinds of sweet, emotional, and romantic.

Ellie can never forget the woman she met last Christmas Eve, when she was at an emotional low point. But after a magical day (and night), she gets her heart broken, and shortly thereafter, loses her job as an animator.

Almost one year later, Ellie is barely making ends meet, working in a coffee shop (it is Portland, after all), and struggling both emotionally and financially. But then Andrew, the handsome and very wealthy landlord of the coffee shop, makes her a deal: if she’ll marry him for one year, he can access his trust fund, and he’ll give her a healthy cut of the inheritance.

Seems easy, no? They agree to spend Christmas with Andrew’s family at their winter cabin. Ellie feels quickly immersed in the family and finally being cared for—until she discovers that Andrew’s sister is Jack—the woman with whom she spent that one magical day a year ago. It turns out things didn’t quite end the way Ellie believed, so Jack is utterly shocked that Ellie has reappeared in her life—and is now engaged to her brother.

The more time Ellie spends in Jack’s presence the more she longs to tell her the truth. But she needs the money, and she’s fairly convinced that it’s easier not to risk your heart for something that might not work.

This was such a charming, sweet, and emotional story, full of humor but also some serious exploration of family pressure, anxiety, and the fear of taking a risk. Another home run for Alison Cochrun!!

Book Review: "The One True Me and You" by Remi K. England

The One True Me and You was absolutely adorable and it left me smiling!

Kaylee is excited about attending her first Con and meeting friends she’s known online for years. And as a popular fanfic author, she’s looking forward to meeting some of the people who inspired her to start writing. But more than that, she wants to do three things: try using they/them pronouns, wear cosplay that’s more masculine, and kiss a girl for the first time.

Teagan is competing as Miss Virginia in the Miss Cosmic Teen USA pageant. She has a real shot to win it all this year, and the $25,000 scholarship will really make a difference in her future. She loves competing but doesn’t like having to hide who she really is—a gay, fanfic-loving, fan art-drawing geek. She just has to keep it all to herself for one more week.

But the Con and the pageant are in the same Orlando hotel. And when Kay and Teagan meet, they both feel an instant connection, but Kay hasn’t ever felt this way before and Teagan has to outsmart the pageant chaperones. Of course, both have the same nemesis—Miss North Carolina—who, if she discovers all that is going on, will make life hell for Kay back at home and will stop at nothing to ruin Teagan’s chances for victory at the pageant.

Cosplay and pageants in the same book? How did Remi England know me so well? I thought The One True Me and You was just a great story, one about finding your authentic self and finding the courage to show it to the world. While there certainly was angst in this book, ultimately I found it really joyful, and I read it in one sitting.

Definitely a fun, sweet, positive YA romance!

Book Review: "And They Lived..." by Steven Salvatore

Steven Salvatore's second YA book, And They Lived..., hit me square in the feels.

Chase is a lover of fairytales, of happy endings. He dreams of a career as an animator and is pursuing that in college. He’s struggled with body dysmorphia and an eating disorder in the past, and he’s not quite sure if he’s gay, genderqueer, or nonbinary. Ultimately, he’s hoping college will help him feel more comfortable with himself as he finds his circle and has to deal with the drama of competing with a former friend.

And then he meets Jack. Jack is a poet, a writer, obsessed with stories and the power of words. He’s handsome, athletic, confident—or at least appears that way—and immediately they feel a pull toward one another. But Jack isn’t sure about whether he’s gay, and worries about the reactions of his conservative family, so he’s constantly giving Chase mixed signals.

As the semester heats up, and Chase is trying to win a prestigious mentorship, he’s desperate to figure out who he is, where he wants his life to go, and whom he wants around him. But at the same time, he needs to see if a happy ending with Jack is possible or if their story needs to go in a different direction.

I fell in love with And They Lived... almost immediately. Chase is such an endearing character—some of his struggles were very familiar and personal to me—and the supporting characters were such fun, too. Salvatore knows how to touch your heart, and they say in their author’s note that this is their most personal book to date.

Thanks to Storygram Tours and Bloomsbury YA for inviting me on the tour for And They Lived... and providing me with a complimentary advance copy of the book. Pick it up when it publishes 3/8!!

Book Review: "Under Red Sky: The Chief" by J Calamy

This thriller was action-packed and steamy!!

One of the things I love about Bookstagram is being introduced to books and authors I might not have heard of otherwise. I’m grateful not only for recommendations from friends but also from tours I’ve been fortunate to participate on.

Earlier this year I partnered with Pride Book Tours to read The Boss, by J Calamy. It was a great book, complete with action, intrigue, and lots of steamy romance. The second book in Calamy’s Under Red Sky series, The Chief, was just released and it’s another page-turner that got my pulse racing because of the suspense and the steam.

Natalie has one more assignment before she retires from her career as a counterterrorism agent. She’s posted to Sri Lanka and the beach is the perfect setting for a hot hookup with a sexy, bisexual surfer. And wouldn’t you know it? He’s her final assignment.

Alex is a money launderer for Red Sky, the behemoth crime syndicate in Southeast Asia. He wants out but he sees it as the best way to raise his younger brother, plus he’s loyal to the boss of Red Sky. But the deeper he gets in with Natalie, he’s torn about what to do.

Natalie has had a stellar career of following orders. But her connection with Alex makes her question her job for the first time, and the more she discovers what the powers that be have in store for Red Sky, the more she realizes she may have to turn her back on everything she’s held dear for someone she hopes she can trust.

I really got into this story and the steam factor is 🔥!! I definitely recommend this series if you like a mix of intrigue, crime, and hotness.

Book Review: "Have We Met?" by Camille Baker

Can a dating app really find your soulmate? That's the question at the core of Camille Baker's debut rom-com, Have We Met?

Do you believe there’s one person out there for everyone? Corinne doesn’t have time or energy to think about that—she’s just moved back to Chicago after the death of her best friend; she needs to find a job and figure out her life.

But when a dating app called Met mysteriously appears on her phone and tells her she’ll reconnect with four people from her past and one of them will turn out to be her soulmate, after some healthy eye-rolling she realizes she can’t resist the opportunity. And when she meets two people she hasn’t seen in some time, she thinks the app might be speaking the truth.

As Corinne tries to navigate her demanding mother, come to terms with her grief over the loss of her friend, and find the perfect job (if she can figure out what that is), she’s also been spending time with a guy she met outside the app. But if he’s not her soulmate, should she bother?

I thought Have We Met? was a cute, quirky, creative rom-com. I liked the chemistry between Corinne and her love interest. But what I liked best was the diversity of the characters—there were characters of different races and ethnicities, and a character with a disability, as well as lesbian, bisexual, and non-binary characters. And it never felt like this diversity was there for diversity’s sake.

Of course, the whole app thing seemed a little contrived to me and it never quite was explained exactly how it even wound up on her phone, but I didn’t dwell on the small details! This was a fun story that also touched on the challenges of moving on when you’re grieving.

Thanks so much to Amazon Publishing and Blankenship Public Relations for providing me with a complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review!

Book Review: "The Ghosts We Keep" by Mason Deaver

For a poignant look at grief and moving on, and learning how easy it is to miss things that are right in front of us, pick up Mason Deaver's newest YA novel, The Ghosts We Keep.

The unthinkable happens for Liam when their older brother Ethan is killed in an accident. Like any pair of high school-aged brothers, their relationship had its ups and downs, with Liam often feeling as if their parents loved Ethan more because he was athletic and had a girlfriend, while Liam is non-binary and more into music.

With Liam and their parents each trying to deal with their grief in the best way they can, Liam is struggling. They feel like a third wheel because their two best friends, Joel and Vanessa, are dating now, so Liam keeps pushing them away even though they try to see if they can help. Liam is finding it harder and harder to concentrate in school and be understanding of what their parents are going through, and they feel their mental health deteriorating.

Liam seeks out the only other person they think might understand—Marcus, who had been Ethan’s best friend since childhood. While Marcus and Liam are grieving differently, each are dealing with the loss of someone important to them and neither knows how to communicate the gravity of that loss. But little by little, Liam begins to understand that there was so much Ethan was keeping secret, so much that Liam wish they knew.

The Ghosts We Keep really was such a beautiful, emotional story on so many levels. Nothing that happened was surprising but I love the way Deaver lets the story unfold. (I loved their first book, I Wish You All the Best, and they’ve said this was a more personal book for them.)

The loss of someone we love can be devastating, especially when it happens suddenly. This book looks at grief from many different angles and shows that there’s no perfect way to grieve, but it’s easier when you let someone in.

Storygram Tours and I Read YA provided me with a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!!

Book Review: "Cool for the Summer" by Dahlia Adler

When you get everything you wanted, why doesn’t it make you happy? That's a question at the core of Dahlia Adler's YA romance, Cool for the Summer. (Yes, it's named after the Demi Lovato song.)

Larissa has spent most of high school in the shadow of her best friend Shannon and wishing that Chase, the handsome star athlete, would notice her.

But having to spend the summer in the Outer Banks at her mother’s boss’ house changed her perspective, mainly because she got to spend time with Jasmine, the boss’ daughter. The two quickly struck up a friendship, which transformed into something more, something unexpected, but then they went their separate ways after the summer.

Larissa returns to school for her senior year with a different kind of confidence, one which makes Chase really notice her for the first time. She has finally gotten what she’s wanted for years, which is great—and then Jasmine shows up at her high school, having transferred from North Carolina.

Why does Jasmine’s presence throw her completely? They just had a summer thing, and now they’re pretending it never happened. But why, when she’s with Chase, is Jasmine all she thinks about? Larissa is left with a choice—does she follow the path she always wanted to, or does she follow her heart?

I really enjoyed Cool for the Summer. I remember feeling like Larissa did when I was in high school, although it was fighting a crush on one of my male friends while “dating” a girl. (Things were both more and less complicated in the 80s!) Adler really captured that mess of emotions so well.

I liked that many of the characters were far more complex and diverse than you’d expect. Even Chase, who could’ve been written simply as the handsome, dumb jock, had far more complexity, and it really added to the book’s appeal.

Definitely a fun, thought-provoking, romantic summer read!