G. Bianco, 2019
 From the bestselling author of Red, White and Royal Blue comes a new romcom set in Europe. Published on August 6th, The Pairing by Casey McQuiston will have you wanting to find your own romance and adventures abroad. Theo and Kit have been a lot of things: childhood best friends, crushes, in love, and now estranged exes. After a brutal breakup on the transatlantic flight to their dream European food and wine tour, they exited each other's lives once and for all. Time apart has done them good. Theo has found confidence as a hustling bartender by night and aspiring sommelier by day, with a long roster of casual lovers. Kit, who never returned to America, graduated as the reigning sex god of his pastry school class and now bakes at one of the finest restaurants in Paris. Sure, nothing really compares to what they had, and life stretches out long and lonely ahead of them, but—yeah. It's in the past. All that remains is the unused voucher for the European tour that never happened, good for 48 months after its original date and about to expire. Four years later, it seems like a great idea to finally take the trip. Solo. Separately. It's not until they board the tour bus that they discover they've both accidentally had the exact same idea, and now they're trapped with each other for three weeks of stunning views, luscious flavors, and the most romantic cities of France, Spain, and Italy. It's fine. There's nothing left between them. So much nothing that, when Theo suggests a friendly wager to see who can sleep with their hot Italian tour guide first, Kit is totally game. And why stop there? Why not a full-on European hookup competition? But sometimes a taste of everything only makes you crave what you can't have. I was really excited to read this book (especially since I loved Red White and Royal Blue) but I was not expecting this book to be as long of a read as it was. I loved all of the details in the book and the way the food and sites of Europe are described made me want to hop on a plane and fly to Europe myself! However, some do the description and minor details felt too drawn out, in addition to the main romance. I enjoyed both Theo and Kit and character (and maybe liked Kit a bit more lol), but the stop and go of their relationship from exes and ex-childhood best friends to tentative fiends, to “yeah we can be friends”, to “let’s have a sex contest”, to pining over one another, to “Pretty Woman”-style ruling for fooling around, to lovers was just way too convoluted and I felt like a lot of extra parts of this book could’ve been cut out to make room for the bigger picture of the novel, which is finding yourself and how loving and accepting yourself can help you love someone else in a new way. There was something nice about this novel that made me keep reading it and I really enjoyed the second hand experience of busing France and Italy through the lens of a sommelier in training and pastry chef. And If you love super detailed descriptions of Europe and commentary on food, wine, and art that borders on pretentious, then you’ll enjoy this book. However to just pose the elegance of a three week European food and wine tour, this book also involves a chaotic second-chance friends-to-lovers romance with LGBTQ+ representation, and steamy scenes including any combo of only one or both MCs. So if you’re into that, then you might enjoy this book a little bit more than I did. *I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest opinion. 
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 From the bestselling author of Give Me A Sign comes another novel with a deaf protagonist and all the YA feels. Brimming with teens desiring for their place in the world, On the Bright Side by Anna Sortino (which came out on July 2nd) is a must-read! Ellie’s Deaf boarding school just shut down, forcing her to leave the place she considered home and return to her hearing family. But being mainstreamed into public school isn't exactly easy. So her guidance counselor pairs her with Jackson, a student who’s supposed to help her adjust. Can the boy who tries to say the right things, and gets it all wrong, be the lifeline Ellie needs? Jackson has been avoiding his teammates ever since some numbness in his legs cost them an important soccer match. With his senior year off to a lonely start, he’s intrigued when he’s asked to help the new girl, initially thinking it will be a commendable move on his part. Little does he know Ellie will soon be the person he wants most by his side when the strange symptoms he’s experiencing amount to a life-changing diagnosis. Anna Sortino has officially become an auto-buy author for me!! I loved her debut novel GIVE ME A SIGN and this book was just as amazing! I really appreciated the disability rep in this book and felt like I learned so much about some of the different experiences people have when both living and getting diagnosed with a disability or life-altering illness. On top of the heaviness that this book deals with, it also has its moments of levity and has most of the same nuances that other YA books have: fitting in at a new school, getting over an ex, dealing with a new crush, family drama, and fears about college/the future. However, through it all there is the message that although your life may seem to be over and the world may be against you, there is always hope and if you surround yourself with the right people, then your life can be bountiful and fulfilling even with the curveballs life throws at you. Overall, this YA book was heartwarming and enlightening into the world of disability and disorders and I highly recommend it! *I received an ARC from Penguin Teen in exchange for my honest opinion.   Set to be released on July 2nd, Bound to the Shadow Prince by Ruby Dixon (aka the same author of the uber-popular Ice Planet Barbarians Series) will scratch any itch you have for a steamy romantasy book. In order to protect her kingdom from the wrath of a vengeful goddess, Princess Candra must remain locked inside a tower for seven years. Seven long years without a friend―or a lover―by her side. And shut inside the tower with her? A Fellian, the enemy of her people, a fearsome warrior race complete with wings and claws and fangs. Nemeth is terrifying, cruel, and disturbingly magnetic. Candra should kill him for his supplies, but she’s desperate for his company…and his touch. As time inside the unchanging tower rolls on, Candra uncovers the man behind the stony facade. And when their tenure hits an unexpected snag, Candra and Nemeth are forced to make a difficult choice. They’ll need to face an outside world they no longer recognize, one that threatens their lives and their surprising love. This was a really unique fantasy book that was also a monster romance wrapped up in one (is monster romantasy a thing?). Either way, this book almost felt like 4 books in one with the lengthy plot and many trials that our main character, Candra, has to go through. However this is a standalone book so you can go into this book knowing that there will be some sort of conclusion after 50+ chapters of reading. I felt like portions of this book could’ve been cut down to make it a bit more concise; however, fantasy fans will enjoy the world building and mythology that is the backdrop to this novel and romance lovers will love all the steamy scenes between Candra and Nemeth. So there’s a little bit of something for everyone! Despite there being death and blight throughout the entirety of the novel and things seeming bleak for our characters, there is an underlying message of hope and trust in the people you care about that can motivate you to keep moving forward which was very nice to read about in this novel. If you like adventure, fantasy, and monster romances, then this book is one to add to your TBR! *I received an ARC from Wattpad Books in exchange for my honest opinion.   From debut author Maggie North comes a story about a marriage-in-crisis, but also about self-discovery. For those looking for a fun romance with deep themes, Rules for Second Chances is the romance book to add to your TBR! Liz Lewis has tried everything to be what people want, but she’s always been labeled different in the boisterous world of wilderness expeditions. Her marriage to popular adventure guide Tobin Renner-Lewis is a sinkhole of toxic positivity where she’s the only one saying no. When she gets mistaken for a server at her own thirtieth birthday party, Liz vows to stop playing a minor character in her own life. The (incredibly well-researched and scientific) plan? A crash course in confidence . . . via an improv comedy class. The catch? She’s terrible at it, and the only person willing to practice with her is a certain extroverted wilderness guide who seems dead set on saving their marriage. But as Liz and Tobin get closer again, she’s forced to confront all the reasons they didn’t work the first time, along with her growing suspicion that her social awkwardness might mean something deeper. Liz must learn improv’s most important lesson—“Yes, and”—or she’ll have to choose between the love she always wanted and the dreams that got away. What a wonderful debut novel! Part romance and part women’s fiction, this book packs a punch when it comes to humor and emotions, even if it is a bit lacking in the steam department. While I did get frustrated in the beginning with some of Liz’s decisions and her reasonings behind trying to change herself, I ultimately grew to love her character growth and how she learned to be honest with those around her and herself. I am also a sucker for a good marriage-in-crisis book so I definitely got a bit teary-eyed at the end of this book! The way that Liz and Tobin just loved each other and tried to support what the other one needed despite hitting a rough patch in their marriage was so heartwarming to read about. I found the incorporation of improv into a version of couples counseling to be fascinating and thought that it was an interesting detail that made this book stand out from other marriage-in-crisis/second chance romance books I’ve read. While I am not autistic, I really appreciated the autism rep in this book and the insight into what one person’s experiences pre-diagnosis was like. Seeing Liz try to embrace her quirks and differences and view her autism as an advantage in a neurotypical world was very inspiring to see. If you’re looking for a debut book that has a lot of character development and autism rep, then I definitely recommend this one! *I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest opinion.  Jen Devon’s follow up to her novel Bend Towards the Sun follows the Duncan Family again and one of their members falling in love. Right Where We Left Us (which is set to be released on June 18th) is a story about family, loyalty, and finding love at the right place at the right time. Temperance Jean Madigan and Duncan Brady have never gotten it right. After one radiant, secret summer together when they were eighteen, they’ve been on-again off-again ever since. Now, despite red-hot chemistry and TJ’s closeness with Duncan’s family, they’re virtually strangers, only capable of adversarial banter, awkward small talk—and the occasional messy hookup. When a wedding at the Bradys’ vineyard lands TJ there for the summer, their mutual avoidance strategies prove impossible. When forced proximity begins to chip away at their armor, buried tensions resurface, old wounds urge confrontation, and once-in-a-lifetime love demands one last chance to finally get it right. This book took me a little bit to get into, but by the halfway point I was really itching to see when Duncan and Temperance would finally give into their feelings. I found the pining to be a little too dragged out and their communication skills to be lacking something, but overall this book has a bit of everything: steamy moments, heartwarming family moments, a bit of family drama, long kept secrets, funny moments, a wedding, and characters you’ll fall in love with (even if you do need a family tree to keep everyone in order lol)! I felt a lot of the plot points from BEND TOWARDS THE SUN (which chronicles Duncan’s brother and Temperance’s best friend fall in love) transitioned over to this book which made it more enjoyable of a read for me. That being said, this book can definitely work as a standalone novel also! If you like second chance romances with a slow burn and LOTS of pining, then this is the book for you! *I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest opinion.  Marie Lu returns to the world of spies and stardom with the sequel to Stars and Smoke. In Icon and Inferno, Sydney and Winter must team up again for a mission, but will their relationship rekindle alongside the danger they face? A year has passed since superstar Winter Young last saw secret agent Sydney Cossette. After barely surviving their first assignment together in London -- and their intense chemistry – the two haven’t spoken at all. Though they’re never far from the other’s thoughts, or fantasies. So when Syndey shows up at Winter’s studio one day with a new mission from Panacea, he has no choice but to accept. With the clock ticking, the duo prepares to head to Singapore to rescue an operative in danger -- only to learn he’s none other than Sydney's ex, a rogue agent known as the Arsonist. Of course, nothing is ever simple when it comes to Winter and Sydney. Especially not with the glamorous Gavi Ginsburg, a globe-trotting socialite and Winter’s one-time girlfriend, in the mix. Is she back for Winter’s heart – or does she have her eye on another prize? Winter and Sydney are on yet another treacherous mission that grows more sinister with each twist and turn. To make it out alive, they'll have to figure out how to be partners again -- and if they can resist the burn of something more. Marie Lu: you better be writing a third book for this series!! I was shocked at how quickly I fell back into this world of secret agents and international spy missions but I absolutely loved every second of it! If I didn’t have to go to sleep because ya know, life, I probably would’ve binge read this book in one day! Winter and Sydney grew a lot as characters in this book and I forgot how much I loved their “I’m supposed to be colleagues with you and not be in love with you so I’ll act like I hate you instead” dynamic! The way they work together and still try to protect one another is so endearing to read about. While there were a bit more bittersweet and sad moments in this book than the last one, I still really enjoyed this book! I found one or two of the plot twists a bit predictable but sometimes I like a little predictability in stories! Overall, if you love action-packed books or movies that feature a boatload of fun characters and super cool spy adventures, then you MUST check out this series! *I received an ARC from Fierce Reads in exchange for my honest opinion.  In her latest YA novel, Kristin Cashore (most well known for her Graceling Realm books), tells the story of a girl struggling with grief during COVID-19. Set to be released on June 11th, There Is a Door in This Darkness combines magic with reality in a unique way. Wilhelmina Hart is part of the infamous class of 2020. Her high school years began with the election of Donald Trump and they ended with COVID. Now Wilhelmina, like so many of her peers, is in limbo, having deferred college because of the pandemic. Compounding the national trauma of 2016 to 2020, Wilhelmina has wrestled with the devastating loss of one of her three beloved aunts shortly after the 2016 election. This is a loss she felt so keenly that she’s spent the last years deep in her personal depression, only obscured by the seemingly endless waves of national trauma. Now on the cusp on the most consequential election in living memory, Wilhelmina may have found a door in her darkness and perhaps the courage to pass through it, if she can decipher the bizarre messages that keep appearing in her life. I really wanted to like this book but I just couldn’t relate to the main character at all. While I loved Wilhelmina’s aunts and friend, Wilhelmina herself just was so self-absolved and confused that I just couldn’t really empathize with her feelings. Due to the time and setting of this book, I can understand why Wilhelmina was characterized in this particular way, but I still found her dislikable and wish there would’ve been more moments with other side characters or an earlier realization from Wilhelmina about some of the positivities in her life rather than constantly have her be a pessimist being mad at the weirdest of triggers. I appreciated the way that Cashore tried to showcase grief and coming of age during tough times, but I felt like some of the more supernatural/speculative portions of the book became too confusing paired with the real life events that happened in 2020. I just felt like the balance between reality and fiction in this book wasn’t quite there which led to more confusion than anything else. I’m also not a fan of politics being heavily mixed into stories and having such a defined “this side is wrong and the side I’m on is right!” vibe to it and I had to keep putting this book down because of how much the politics of it were frustrating me. Being that this book is set during 2020, I’m sure you can guess what major political event occurred during this time, but it felt like the focus in that took away from Wilhelmina’s journey of grief and lonely instead of adding to it like I think the author intended it to. While I could see the ways in which this book might resonate with some people, I just wasn’t one of them and instead found myself struggling to get through certain parts just so I could keep up with the portions I did like. Unfortunately, there ended up being more slow moments than good moments for me while reading this book which wasn’t justified enough for me by the end of the book. *I received an ARC from Penguin Teen in exchange for my honest opinion.   For those looking for a unique coming-of-age story to add to their TBR this summer, look no further than Michael Ruhlman’s If You Can’t Take the Heat (which comes out June 4th). When high school football star Theo Claverback breaks his leg just weeks after a devastating break-up, he’s forced to call an audible on his summer plans and put his college ones on hold. He soon finds himself in the most unlikely of places for a jock on the kitchen of an upscale French restaurant, where he’ll work as a line cook while his heart and leg heal. But it’s in the kitchen where Theo finds new purpose and a new romance. As he becomes a trusted employee to Chef and is welcomed into his inner circle, Theo begins to discover the true costs of running a restaurant—and what happens when you get into hot water with the wrong people. Ruhlman takes the setting of 1980s Cleveland and crafts such a wonderful coming-of-age story! With messages of finding a new path in life and how responsibility and hard work can help you grow as a person, I loved Theo’s character and how he grew throughout the novel. Having this novel set around a teenage boy working in a restaurant and learning to love cooking was so fascinating and basically felt like all of my favorite cooking shows come to life. Seriously, the descriptions of the food in the book made me so hungry that I was wishing that the food was right in front of me in real life! I also loved the misfits that made up the kitchen staff and helped Theo find a home with them. It really helped highlight how integral each and every person in a restaurant matters and makes me even more amazed at how much work goes into creating a menu and cooking! This coming-of-age story was so wonderfully written and I cannot recommend it enough! *I received an ARC from Penguin Teen in exchange for my honest opinion.  Do you love reality TV competition shows? Then you HAVE to pick up Christine Riccio’s latest novel, Attached at the Hip, which came out on May 21st. Orie Lennox has spent her entire life prepping for her happily ever after -- and now that she’s graduated, she’s low-key wondering, when the heck is it gonna hit. Her love life, her new job, her relationship with her sister: none of it is quite what she envisioned it to be. One evening, on a whim, she applies for a reality show where she’ll be stranded on an island, with a bunch of strangers, to play a game of human chess for a shot at a million dollars. What better way to force herself to break up with the things that aren’t bringing her joy, than to abandon them all on short notice to live off the grid on a beach in the South Pacific! Orie's shocked when she ends up cast in an experimental romantic edition of the show: and even more surprised to find that her old high school crush, Remy, has been cast as well. Orie's one of ten contestants, set to compete in formidable challenges, while speed dating, in the wilderness: without deodorant, toilets, shaving cream, or showers. (How!?) She finds herself tied up — literally — in a game of risky alliances as she navigates ever-growing feelings for her one that got away, alongside an exciting array of budding new relationships. This novel was just as gripping as a real television show! It was like Survivor meets F-Boy Island in the best way possible! Seriously, this book was every reality competition show most of us love in book form! I adored the characters and could really relate to Orie and her struggle with figuring out what she wanted to do with her life as a post-college young adult and taking risks. And honestly, this book makes me want to go on a new adventure (although I doubt that adventure will include me climbing coconut trees on a beach in Fiji lol…). I honestly want there to be a sequel to this book that almost mimics a season 2 of “Attached at the Hip” because the concept was so cool (hint hint: Christine Riccio and Wednesday Books!!) If you love reality TV or are looking for an inquiry storyline to hook you in, this book is definitely worth picking up! *I received an ARC from Wednesday Books in exchange for my honest opinion.  Get in the nostalgic summer mood with Paige Toon’s latest release Seven Summers. Set to be released on May 21st, this novel's dual timelines will have you enthralled in our main character’s story. Liv and Finn meet six summers ago working in a bar on the rugged Cornish coastline, their futures full of promise. When a night of passion ends in devastating tragedy they are bound together inextricably. But Finn’s life is in LA with his band, and Liv’s is in Cornwall with her family—so they make a promise. Finn will return every year, and if they are single they will spend the summer together. This summer Liv crosses paths with Tom—a mysterious new arrival in her hometown. As the wildflowers and heather come into bloom, they find themselves falling for one another. For the first time Liv can imagine a world where her heart isn’t broken every autumn. Now Liv must make an impossible choice. And when she discovers the shocking reason that Tom has left home, she’ll need to trust her heart even more . . . This was one of those books where if I put it down, I procrastinated picking it back up again, but once I started reading it again, I got sucked straight into the story! This story is about grief and finding your way through the dark times in your life, but also not letting them define you too much. I felt myself torn between which MMC I loved more, but ultimately, I think Toon crafted a story that perfectly encompasses the complexity of real life and how unpredictable it can be, yet also how sometimes people enter our lives for the right reasons but at the wrong times, and whether or not the right time comes along, it still stays with us and helps us grow as people. The setting of summertime being a feeling time of the year plays perfectly with the themes of the novel and I think Toon crafts a masterful story that really showcases a true human experience. *I received an ARC from Random House in exchange for my honest opinion. |
AuthorHi! My name is Elisa and my bookshelf is quite literally overflowing! Join me in my journey of reading as many books as humanly possible! Archives
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