Cold Girls
Maxine Rae

Publisher:
    Flux

Pub Date: Aug. 22nd, 2023
​
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
​

Synopsis:


Eighteen-year-old Rory Quinn-Morelli doesn’t want to die; she wants refuge from reality for even a minute: the reality where she survived the car crash eight months ago, and her best friend, Liv, didn’t. Yet her exasperating mother won’t believe the Xanax incident was an accident, and her therapist is making it increasingly hard to maintain the detached, impenetrable “cold girl” façade she adopted from Liv.

​After she unintentionally reconnects with Liv’s parents, Rory must decide: will she keep Liv’s and her secrets inside, or will she finally allow herself to break? And if she breaks, what will she unearth amid the pieces?

Content Warning: Grief

About the Author:


Maxine Rae attended Tulane University where she was taught and singled out for commendation by two-time National Book Award–winner Jesmyn Ward.

​While working on Cold Girls, Maxine received feedback and mentorship from National Book Award–finalist Charles Baxter. She later revised and workshopped the manuscript in the selective Novel in a Year program at StoryStudio Chicago, whose artistic director is Pulitzer Prize in Fiction–finalist and Andrew Carnegie Medal–winner Rebecca Makkai.

As a young, queer woman from the Chicago area, Maxine has written a debut molded by emotional truth.

To Charm a Dark Prince
Book 1 of The Iron Crystal
Kathryn Ann Kingsley

Publisher: Second Sky
Pub Date: Aug. 18th, 2023
​
Genre: Fantasy Romance


​To save a kingdom, she must charm a monster.


Transported to the magical realm of Avalon, Gwen finds herself in the hands of its dark and beautiful ruler--Mordred, the Prince in Iron.


The prince holds total power in Avalon, trapping his rivals in an enchanted crystal prison. But he shows a strange gentleness to Gwen.


Seeing no other way to escape, Gwen strikes a deal with Mordred’s enemy. If she can break the crystal, she will be free to go home.


Gwen joins Mordred’s court with a plan to steal his heart and destroy his prize.


Desire sparks between them at once. But Mordred is a dangerous host. As they draw closer, his passion and anger burn brighter.


Gwen would be foolish to trust him.


And even more foolish to betray his trust…


A gripping dark fairy tale and a seductive fantasy romance, with slow-burning attraction, enemies-to-lovers banter and an alluring villain. The Iron Crystal series will enchant fans of Sarah J. Maas, Elisa Kova and Danielle L. Jensen.

'To Charm a Dark Prince' by Kathryn Ann Kingsley is a dark fantasy re-telling of the Arthurian legend that focuses primarily on Mordred and Gwen. Other familiar names do make appearances, but the characters are definitely a modern take on their 'could-be' place in Avalon.

Mordred is tasked with a heavy burden, which of course leaves him generally grumpy and overall kind of intriguing. He's powerful and a bit oppressive, which makes him fun to read.. and he's definitely not lacking in the looks department either. 

For me, he was the best part of the book. Gwen I found to be just okay, moderately annoying and sometimes coming across rather clueless. The bones of the story are interesting. There are lots of neat concepts strewn throughout the pages, but the writing could use some development. 

The book is recommended for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Elisa Kova, and Danielle L. Jensen, but in my opinion it's far more Kova than Maas. If you liked Kova's A Trial of Sorcerers, this one is for you.

About the Author:


​As a USA Today bestselling author and award-winning designer, Kat has always been a storyteller. She delights in spinning stories of the sweetest nightmares to delight her readers with her unique twist of fantasy, horror, and romance. With ten years in script-writing for performances on both the stage and for tourism, she has always been writing in one form or another.
​
Also on her list of skills are artistic direction, scenic painting and props, special effects, and electronics. A graduate of Boston University with a BFA in Theatre Design, she has a passion for unique, creative, and unconventional experiences. In her spare time, she builds animatronics and takes trapeze classes.

​House of Roots and Ruin
(Sisters of the Salt #2)
Erin A. Craig

Publisher:
    Delacorte Press/RHC

Pub Date: July 25th, 2023
​
Genre:
    YA Fantasy/Retelling
​

Synopsis:


Seeing as this indeed a sequel, we don't want to give any spoilers so below, we have the synopsis of Book 1!

In a manor by the sea, twelve sisters are cursed.

Annaleigh lives a sheltered life at Highmoor, a manor by the sea, with her sisters, their father, and stepmother. Once they were twelve, but loneliness fills the grand halls now that four of the girls' lives have been cut short. Each death was more tragic than the last—the plague, a plummeting fall, a drowning, a slippery plunge—and there are whispers throughout the surrounding villages that the family is cursed by the gods.

Disturbed by a series of ghostly visions, Annaleigh becomes increasingly suspicious that the deaths were no accidents. Her sisters have been sneaking out every night to attend glittering balls, dancing until dawn in silk gowns and shimmering slippers, and Annaleigh isn't sure whether to try to stop them or to join their forbidden trysts. Because who—or what—are they really dancing with?

When Annaleigh's involvement with a mysterious stranger who has secrets of his own intensifies, it's a race to unravel the darkness that has fallen over her family—before it claims her next.

Those of you who know me, also know I'm terribly prone to jumping into series midway through.. and that's absolutely the case here too.

'House of Roots and Ruin' is book two in the Sisters of the Salt series by Erin A. Craig. I never got around to reading the first, 'House of Salt and Sorrows,' though everything about the synopsis called to me. After this though, I'm definitely making time to go back and read it soon.

It's funny. I get accustomed to the more casual style of modern writers and sometimes forget how much more moving a real wordsmith actually is. Craig is a truly gifted author and I'm so happy to have finally experienced her work.

This story is so full to bursting.. full of emotions.. hope.. pain.. beauty.. love.. and loss. It's an elegant Gothic tale that's at times whimsical and at others devastating. The prose is lyrical, but not overdone. Foreshadowing is subtle, like something in your peripheral vision.. that you might only notice if you're paying proper attention.

In a case of what might normally be 'not everything is as it seems,' this is more akin to 'nothing is as it seems.' 

I absolutely love this story and the delicate manner every aspect is crafted. The characters are richly portrayed and multi-dimensional. They're so fleshed out that I feel as if I know them, rather than the mildly thin caricatures I often experience in other novels.

Craig does a beautiful job with the imagery, making the settings tangible. Managing all the while to help me really see everything without putting me to sleep through redundant, overly long descriptions.

If you're a fan of Gothic thrillers or Gothic fantasy like Ghost Wood Song or Mexican Gothic, you won't want to miss this one! I can't wait to dig into more of her work!

​King of Storms and Feathers
(Courts of the Star Fae Realms #1)
Juno Heart

Publisher:
    Self-Published

Pub Date: July 5th, 2023
​
Genre: Fantasy
​

Synopsis:


I wake in a cage at the gilt market with no memory of my name.

When the fae King of Storms and Feathers purchases me, I vow to escape his palace of dust and gold, reclaim my memories, and return to the home that haunts my visions—a city of ruins in the decaying forests of the human realm.

In the meantime, I’ll pretend to be what King Arrowyn wants—an obedient green-eyed bird, chained and powerless, his for the taunting and taking.

But when I escape and fall into viler clutches, Arrow hunts me down, determined to retrieve his disobedient, most valued possession.

King of Storms and Feathers is the first book in the sizzling adult fantasy romance series, Courts of the Star Fae Realms. Readers who enjoy angsty enemies-to-lovers tension, a strong human heroine, and a morally gray fae king who yearns to control her but, instead, falls helplessly under her spell will love this book!

** This series contains dark elements and is suitable for mature readers. For more information, please visit Juno Heart’s website.

​I was a bit slow making my way through this story, but largely that was because initially I was enjoying it so much and I really wanted to absorb every detail. 

While the synopsis claims "you're going to hate him until you don't".. for me, it was wrong. I never hated him. He was a bit of a jerk, yes.. but in all the hot ways I enjoy a book's romantic interest.. that don't work out so well in real life. 

From the moment Arrow acquires his "disobedient, most valued possession,' he's almost adorably obnoxious and broody. He easily squashes her escape attempts and literally tosses her about, yet all the while I'm over here making grabby hands at him. 

She's a brat too, but in mostly endearing ways. Her snarky responses are relatable and funny. For him, she's annoyingly strong-willed and exactly what peaks his interest. Minus the endearing nature and her penchant for throwing herself into trouble over and over, this is pretty much my dynamic in most relationships.. so I get her in ways I don't normally get MCs. 

That being said, a little over halfway into the novel I did get a bit tired of her getting herself into the same situations. At some point, you learn a little and at least adapt your approach to things. That's also where reading it really picked up for me because I was no longer as invested as I had been in each moment. 

The 'bones' of the tale are all very intriguing. I liked Arrow's backstory, as well as the result that had on his views and behavior. I enjoyed the dynamic between him and the MC.. the constant conflict of emotion.. and the swings between fighting each other and engaging in other more pleasurable past times. 

On a side note, when I first read Heart's work about three years ago, I felt like she had a lot of potential and just really needed to get some experience under her belt. She's absolutely done that and her writing has definitely evolved well. 

Honestly, though despite my impatience with repeating the damsel-in-distress angle too frequently for my taste, I am now eagerly awaiting book two. If you want a fun, steamy read and enjoy a morally grey love interest, definitely give this one a try. 

The Vinyl Underground
Rob Rufus

Publisher:
    Flux

Pub Date: March 20th, 2020
​
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
​

Synopsis:


Dig it.


During the tumultuous year of 1968, four teens are drawn together: Ronnie Bingham, who is grieving his brother’s death in Vietnam; Milo, Ronnie’s bookish best friend; “Ramrod,” a star athlete who is secretly avoiding the draft; and Hana, the new girl, a half-Japanese badass rock-n-roller whose presence doesn’t sit well with their segregated high school.


The four outcasts find sanctuary in “The Vinyl Underground,” a record club where they spin music, joke, debate, and escape the stifling norms of their small southern town. But Ronnie’s eighteenth birthday is looming. Together, they hatch a plan to keep Ronnie from being drafted. But when a horrific act of racial-charged violence rocks the gang to their core, they decide it’s time for an epic act of rebellion.


Content Warning:  Racial violence and harassment, grief, drug use, underage drinking

​About the Author:


Rob Rufus is a musician and writer living in Nashville. His band, Blacklist Royals, has released two full-length albums and played in sixteen countries over the past five years. His new project, The Bad Signs, released their first single in 2015. He is the author of Die Young with Me.

Dark Magic
​(The Chronicle of the Underworld #1)
Raluca Narita

Publisher:
    Underworld Publishing House LLC

Pub Date: June 27th, 2023
​
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
​

Synopsis:


The Goddess of Death, the Grimm Brothers, and the Devil collide in a thrilling new paranormal fantasy series.

Primrose Titan is the Goddess of Death, an ancient deity who reaps the souls of the dead and rules the Underworld. All life ends with death, and in death, there is no happiness. Primrose knows this better than anyone, and her heavy responsibility has twisted her reality, purging her of all feelings for humans—or so she believes.

When the Demon King Lucifer escapes his prison in Hell and threatens chaos on the human world, Primrose must hunt him down. The High Court, a council of deities, is skeptical Primrose can handle Lucifer on her own and appoints the handsome yet icy Atlas Grimm, one of the fabled Grimm Brothers, to assist her. Strange, dark magic and supernatural creatures sent from the Devil himself stand in their way, along with political enemies acquired over the millennia.

As a huge fan of the fantasy genre in general, if you know me.. you know some of my favorite stories are in the theme of the gods/goddesses or fallen angel/demon tropes. So, I was really excited to give this book a read when I saw the synopsis for it.


The premise is an interesting one with Lucifer on the loose and the Goddess of Death on the hunt for him. I liked the way the cast was built from a variety of tales.. not only gods, goddesses, angels, and demons, but also some fun additions like the Grimm Brothers. Add to that, the way they got their way to the council table.. and it certainly had a lot of potential from the get-go.


There's plenty of action, in fact there are moments where it almost feels like a gauntlet quest, and that plays pretty well here. Fabled characters have been modernized to suit the theme of the story and there's a fair amount of subterfuge seemingly happening at all times as well.


If you like options, there are a couple of romantic interests here.. but while I definitely had my own preference, I wasn't really invested in any of them with the protagonist. All the characters are moderately interesting, they just don't have a ton of depth and I didn't find myself connecting that much.

​
Nonetheless, it's a fun story.. worth checking out.

About the Author:


Raluca Narita was born in Romania and grew up in Southern California and West Texas.


​She currently resides in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and loves to travel in her free time. Raluca is the author of The Chronicles of the Underworld series.

When Oceans Rise
Robin Alvarez

Publisher:
    Creative James Media

Pub Date: May 23rd, 2023
​
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
​

Synopsis:


Submerged in a toxic relationship and disconnected from everyone, she turns to the sea to decide her fate. Its decision? Toss her to the sea witch.

Seventeen-year-old Malaya is cursed. In her family, every girl’s first love ends in death after falling for someone evil. Good thing Malaya’s dream guy isn’t monstrous.

Except the curse is real and preventing Malaya from noticing how much he has gaslit and isolated her until she can’t be saved. With no other options, the sea witch is the only one to help her. Bartering her voice for a new life where she and her abusive boyfriend never met, Malaya accidentally swaps places with an alternate timeline version of herself who didn’t make her mistakes. As she tries to undo the switch, the sea witch uses Malaya’s voice to unleash Filipino mythological creatures into the worlds.

Can a champion, an alternate timeline sister, and Malaya fight these beasts and stop the sea witch before she destroys both timelines?
Content Warning: gaslighting, one paragraph with physical abuse

Tell me a little about how this story first came to be. Did it start with an image, a voice, a concept, a dilemma, or something else?


This book started with a moment in my past when I chose to go surfing during a hurricane. Not during the day of the storm, of course. People who live near beaches will likely know this, but in the days leading up to a hurricane, the storm will feed the ocean. At seventeen, I chose to go out into those dangerous swells, and I almost died.

A creative writing professor asked me to explore why, and my immediate answer was that I was seventeen and at seventeen you just do reckless things. But I’d blocked out most of the truth…

At the time, I’d been in an abusive relationship with a guy who gaslit me until I’d lost my power, my sense of self, and my connections with the people who could have saved me. That day in the surf, I got caught in a fierce riptide, and I wondered if it would just be easier to let go.

Ultimately, I didn’t. But When Oceans Rise is built around that entire scene of powerlessness and struggle and questioning what I was worth.


Can you share something about the book that isn’t in the blurb?


One of my favorite aspects about this book that never gets mentioned is the web series Debunking the Aswang! In When Oceans Rise, the sea witch gains power as people see and believe the monsters she’s releasing. So Malaya and her family create a paranormal hunters web show called Debunking the Aswang to prove the monsters aren’t real (even though they are), so that they can keep the sea witch from gaining the power she needs to escape her underwater prison.


What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?


Marie Lu is a big influence. I loved her Legend series! I also mention Maggie Stiefvater! Her prose is so lyrical, and her plots are intricate. I always have to read her stuff at least twice: once for enjoyment and once for studying!


What life experiences have shaped your writing most?


I was quite the introvert as a child and very fearful of speaking up when people misunderstood me. Just feeling unheard for so long drives me write! At least, if someone picks up my book it’s because they’re choosing to hear me.

​
What do you like to do when you're not writing?


I like to take on new hobbies just to see if I can do them and then give them up! No, but seriously, I really like learning new things. I know how to do a lot of stuff like surfing, woodworking, knitting, etc, because I just want to do a bunch of different things. I always secretly justify it by thinking, maybe I can make a superhero character who likes to knit or a woodworking vampire!


What other projects are in the works?

​
I am working on a novel about soul families called Starseed! It’s based on the idea that we all come to Earth to experience growth as souls, and we do that by signing contracts about the experiences on Earth we will endure that will help us grow.

But these two sisters, who are twin flames and love each other very much in the soul realm, actually betray and kill each other in every human life to the point of near obliteration. They have to figure out how to navigate their next human life cycle or risk their own destruction.

About the Author:


Robin Alvarez is the author of the #1 New Release YA Ethnic Fairy Tale When Oceans Rise (May 2023). 


Strong female characters, mythological creatures, and mixed-race perspective are hallmarks of her work. While she’s spent the majority of her life in beach towns, having almost drowned several times, she currently resides in a desert where the waters are less likely to kill her.


Robin’s work has been featured on OwlCrate, ABC, and NBC news affiliates.

A Shadow Crown
The Halfling Saga #2
Melissa Blair

Publisher:
    Union Square & Co.

Pub Date: May 9th, 2023
​
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
​

Synopsis:

​The highly anticipated second installment of the fantasy saga that took BookTok by storm sees Keera navigate political scheming, backstabbing, and her own grief as she moves against the cruel king that holds her kingdom hostage.

To the kingdom, Keera is the king’s Blade, his most feared and trusted spy and assassin. But in the shadows, she works with Prince Killian and his Shadow—the dark, brooding Fae, Riven, who sets her blood on fire. Together, they plot to topple the crown that sits upon the king’s head.

A secret can only survive as long as its conspirators, and when nothing is as it seems, all are in danger. Keera swore she would never open her heart again after a loss she barely survived. But she will soon find she has more to lose than she ever imagined . . .

About the Author:


Melissa (she/her/kwe) is an Anishinaabekwe of mixed ancestry living in Turtle Island. She splits her time between Treaty 9 in Northern Ontario and the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabeg in Ottawa, Canada. She has a graduate degree in Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies, loves movies, and hates spoons.

​Melissa has a BookTok account where she discusses her favorite kinds of books including Indigenous and queer fiction, feminist literature, and non-fiction. A Broken Blade is her first novel.

The Rules of Us
Jennifer Nissley

Publisher: Labyrinth Road /
    Random House Children's

Pub Date: May 9th, 2023
​
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
​

Synopsis:


​Come out. Break up. Stay friends? In this heartwarming queer love story about love of all kinds, exes navigate new crushes, new feelings, and a newly uncertain future after unexpectedly coming out to each other on prom night turns their lives–and their friendship–upside down. Can they figure out how to move on without losing each other?

Jillian and Henry are the kind of couple who do everything together. They take the same classes, have the same hobbies, and applied for the same super-competitive scholarship so they can go to the same dream college. They even come out as gay to each other on the same night, after junior prom, prompting a sudden breakup that threatens their intertwined identities and carefully designed future. Jillian knows the only way to keep everything on track is to approach their breakup with the same precision and planning as their scholarship application. They will still be “Jillian and Henry”–even if they’re broken up.

Except they hadn’t planned on Henry meeting the boy of his dreams or Jillian obsessing over a cool girl at school. Jillian is desperate to hold on to her best friend when so much else is changing. But as she and Henry explore what–and who–they really want, it becomes harder to hold on to the careful definitions she has always lived her life by. Stuck somewhere between who she was with Henry and who she might be on her own, Jillian has to face what she can’t control and let go of the rules holding her back.

Jillian and Henry's story is complicated.. and not just because their relationship is being pulled in opposite directions by their recent revelations. They're also smart, messy, complicated individuals who are prone to allowing their feelings to dictate their behaviors.

Both Jillian and Henry are extremely driven, college-bound students. It seems as if they've shared everything since they met, been absolutely in-step with one another all the way. Here those steps are starting to falter.

From a character standpoint, they each are alternately flawed and frequently relatable, if somewhat hypocritical. Unfortunately, this aspect of Jillian's personality is heavily frontloaded in the story, which made me dislike her for awhile.. but as things evened out, I began to root for both of them.

Generally speaking, the characters are diverse and adorable. I liked the supporting cast as much as the leads, sometimes more. I cared about them as people and their struggle resonated with me. It's not always easy to do what's right for oneself without causing collateral damage to those in our immediate circle, try as we might.

Initially this author had a small habit of interjecting really cringe internal monologue in what appeared to be an effort to use niche modern vernacular. While that would be fine for me if the rest of the book's tone matched it, the lines would come out of nowhere after a flowery description or more standard stylings. It just felt, out of sync with the writing as a whole.

I promise you though, it gets better. If it throws you off at the beginning, push on. Nissley does ease up on those kinds of phrases. Once they become fewer and farther between, softer even.. they stop jarring the reader out of the moment. 

The story itself is inherently cute, filled with themes of self-discovery, hope, and perseverance. I was pleased to see important topics discussed as well, like the flaw in idealized allyship over the importance of an individual's needs and wishes. I read it through in one shot and enjoyed it immensely. ​

About the Author:


Jennifer Nissley (she/her/hers) is the author of THE MYTHIC KODA ROSE, which will be published by Simon & Schuster in Summer 2021. Although her first love is writing, she is powerfully attracted to video games, horses, and pretty much any piece of clothing or interior design with an animal on it.

She received her MFA in Fiction from Stony Brook Southampton and lives in Queens with her wife and doggo, but sadly no horses.
​
Currently, she’s at work on multiple writing projects.

Fake Dates and Mooncakes
Sher Lee

Publisher: Underlined / PRH

Pub Date: May 16th, 2023
​
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
​

Synopsis:


Heartstopper meets Crazy Rich Asians in this heartfelt, joyful paperback original rom-com that follows an aspiring chef who discovers the recipe for love is more complicated than it seems when he starts fake-dating a handsome new customer.

Dylan Tang wants to win a Mid-Autumn Festival mooncake-making competition for teen chefs—in memory of his mom, and to bring much-needed publicity to his aunt’s struggling Chinese takeout in Brooklyn.

Enter Theo Somers: charming, wealthy, with a smile that makes Dylan’s stomach do backflips. AKA a distraction. Their worlds are sun-and-moon apart, but Theo keeps showing up. He even convinces Dylan to be his fake date at a family wedding in the Hamptons.
​
In Theo’s glittering world of pomp, privilege, and crazy rich drama, their romance is supposed to be just pretend . . . but Dylan finds himself falling for Theo. For real. Then Theo’s relatives reveal their true colors—but with the mooncake contest looming, Dylan can’t risk being sidetracked by rich-people problems.
Can Dylan save his family’s business and follow his heart—or will he fail to do both?

1. Slow-heating romance: 
It's a fake dating story that takes its time. The near-miss romantic moments making you yearn for Theo and Dylan to find their way to each other.

2. Diaspora culture preservation: 
Examples of Chinese diaspora experiences are littered throughout the book as Dylan strives to preserve his culture and Theo grasps at the threads of his own via his connection with Dylan.

3. Positivity and productivity around grief: 
The story journeys along an exploration of grief and the different ways we deal with that, whether it be mourning a death or another type of loss, but remains light-hearted and full of warmth.

4. Loveable, relatable characters: 
Theo and Dylan are both sweet, wonderful characters. While they're not perfect, they're genuine and care deeply about those around them.

5. Quick, cute read: 
Perfect for a day read, most of the topics are handled gently and Dylan's family is a delightfully, fun bunch.

'Fake Dates and Mooncakes' is a delightfully queer, Not-So-Meet-Cute in the vein of To All the Boys I've Loved Before. 

Dylan is a quiet, hard working guy who's struggling to preserve his connection with his late mother and the culture he grew up in, while trying to balance school and helping to save his aunt's Chinese takeout. Surrounded by his loving, supportive family.. for the most part, life is pretty good.

Theo seemingly has it all. He's gorgeous, wealthy, and worldly for his age. There's a kindness to him that Dylan finds almost suspicious. So, when he talks Dylan into being his fake boyfriend for a family wedding, Dylan spends the weekend sort of waiting for the catch and trying to remind himself that none of it's real.

The pair are both lovely and I really enjoyed the slow, inevitable way they were drawn to each other initially. Though they met under strange, even uncomfortable circumstances, I found myself really wanting to see things go well for them.

While Dylan's family is great, Theo's leaves a little something to be desired. For the most part, they're inherently self-absorbed, unpleasant people.. with just a few exceptions. 

The romance was sweet, not overdone at all and I love that Lee did not just jump them right into physical intimacy. I also really enjoyed the glimpses of Dylan's heritage through the proverbs his family had carried with them, the expression of how they conveyed their traditions and feelings through their creation of meals, as well as little anecdotes relating to their spiritual beliefs.

This was a really cute, quick read and I didn't want to put it down. I look forward to seeing more stories from this author and would recommend the book to anyone looking for something relatively light that's filled with hope and joy.

About the Author:


Sher Lee writes rom-coms and fantasy novels for teens. She lives in Singapore and has an abiding love for local street food (including an incredible weakness for xiao long bao).
​
FAKE DATES AND MOONCAKES, pitched as Heartstopper meets Crazy Rich Asians, is her debut YA rom-com coming Summer 2023 from Penguin Random House.