Category Archives: Contemporary

Review: Legally Yours, Violet Lopez by Elba Luz

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , ,
Legally Yours, Violet Lopes by Elba Luz

Legally Yours, Violet Lopez
Elba Luz
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published October 20, 2026

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About Legally Yours, Violet Lopez

A serious and studious teen reluctantly agrees to defend her elite private school’s lazy golden boy in this young adult rom-com with courtroom intrigue, an opposites attract romance, and witty banter.

Violet Lopez has planned exactly how her life will go: She’ll graduate valedictorian, attend Harvard, and become a big shot lawyer, all so that her injury-prone single dad can finally take a break. 

As a member of her elite private school’s law society, Violet is proud to hold a near-perfect record of defending students against the disciplinary board. But when the popular and infuriatingly charming Theo Hudson is accused of a prank he swears he didn’t commit, Violet recuses herself from his case on the grounds of despising the school’s privileged golden boy, and not even a couple classmates’ offer of a four-figure payout to purposely tank his trial can change her mind.

Then Theo uncovers a secret Violet wants to keep under wraps and blackmails her into representing him. Sick of being pushed around by rich kids, Violet decides she can get sweet revenge on the arrogant jock and some much-needed cash at the same time. She’ll twist his alibi, lose key evidence, mislead witnesses—all while playing the perfect lawyer on the surface. Theo goes down, and Violet gets paid. 

But the closer Violet gets to Theo, the more she sees beneath his devil-may-care attitude to someone caring and surprisingly sensitive…who she’s been planning to sabotage. Is it too late to change her mind? And even if she does, would Theo ever forgive her?

Violet can object to falling in love all she wants, but her heart overrules every time.

My Review

I picked this book up because I’d read two books back-to-back where the dads die, and I needed something a little lighter. This book definitely helped boost my reading morale. I liked the humor and the close female friendship. The mock trial also really had me engaged.

On the downside, I struggled with how the romance was framed. Violet is clearly doing some unhealthy things, like pushing way too far past her fatigue and depriving herself of sleep and food, for example. But Theo uses her unhealthy behavior to disregard her refusal of his offers of help. She says no; she doesn’t want his help. He says it’s clear she needs help and refuses to leave her alone. That’s just not a romance trope that I enjoy, to be honest.

Eventually, Theo and Violet establish a healthier relationship, where she takes better care of herself, and he tries to listen to her more. I appreciated that the story addressed the behavior and showed growth in both their characters.

I did enjoy that the story showed readers a mock trial and featured a driven protagonist with more relaxed parents. There aren’t many books with those dynamics, and I can’t think of many young adult novels featuring an aspiring lawyer. I very much enjoyed that.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Profanity used sparingly.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some brief instances of bullying and manipulation. References to defacing property. References to racist behavior.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Evamar by Margarita Engle

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Poetry, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

Evamar
Margarita Engle
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Published September 8, 2026

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About Evamar

From award-winning author Margarita Engle comes a “spellbinding”(Publishers Weekly, starred review) novel in verse about first love, hidden cultures, and ancestral connections that follows a teen’s journey to uncover her late grandmother’s roots in Cuba.

Just before she was transformed
into an invisible spirit
my grandmother whispered her last wishes
into my ear:

Sprinkle my ashes in a patch of girasoles,
wait patiently, harvest the seeds,
fly to la isla, find el jardín,
plant las semillas.
Then and only then—
read my diaries.

Evamar has arrived in Cuba with her abuela’s ashes and her mother’s warnings: Don’t talk politics, boil the tap water before you drink, y por favor absolutamente, don’t fall in love. But then she meets Río, a captivating drummer whose music and presence she can’t ignore.

Río bears his own scars, separated from his family in the United States. As their bond deepens, Evamar discovers an ancestral treasure that could change her future—and the lives of millions of Caribbeans.

My Review

One thing I loved about this book is how it blended languages in the lines of the poems. English, Spanish, and Taíno words and phrases appear side by side. Sometimes the text reveals what the phrases or words in other languages are. Other times, the reader must use context clues or look up the meanings. I read this book as an ebook, so it was easy to look up different words and translate them.

The book made me feel like I know more Spanish than I realize, yet there’s still so much I don’t know. I didn’t have trouble keeping up with what the author was saying, and I felt like the way she used words across multiple languages made perfect sense and added to the story’s atmosphere. It also kept Evamar’s identity as American, Cuban, and Taíno very present in my mind as I read.

The story does contain a romance, and it’s a little bit of an instalove tale. I wasn’t crazy about that, but it didn’t bother me. I think I found other parts of the story much more compelling than the romance. I don’t know if the goal was to use a romance to pull together both Evamar and Río’s perspectives and better contrast their lives and experiences. If so, it does accomplish that goal.

Near the end of the story, Evamar realizes she must do something that will connect her to a part of her history and family she didn’t previously connect to. I wish that more of that quest appeared on the page.

Like great novels in verse, Evamar tells a lot of story in spare, lyrical writing. I loved the inclusion of the music and drums and the rich descriptions of Evamar’s experience in Cuba. This is definitely worth a read!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
References to some cultural and spiritual beliefs about a drum that only men can play or listen to.

Violent Content
References to war and forced military service at 16. Russian military recruiters try to get Río and his cousin to join them. Desperate people break into a garden, planning to steal its fruit. The story explores the effects of terrible poverty and a high-control authoritarian government on its people.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: The Christmas Wish by Lee Heart

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , , ,

The Christmas Wish
Lee Heart
Simon Spotlight
Published September 8, 2026

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About The Christmas Wish

A girl full of holiday spirit hopes to get her secret crush’s attention for Christmas in this latest installment in the acclaimed tween middle grade rom-com series, Spotlight Sprinkles—full of evergreen tropes like holiday parties and the magic of the season!

Joy Rudolph is convinced nobody loves Christmastime more than her. After all, she was born on Christmas Day! Joy’s birthday parties are always full of holiday cheer, but this year, she has an extra-special wish: for her secret crush, Kris Conrad, to be there. 

Kris is the cutest boy in their grade—and probably ever!—plus, he was born on Christmas Eve! Could they be any more perfect for each other? If Kris comes to Joy’s party, she can figure out if he likes her back…and maybe even share a moment under some mistletoe! Will the combined magic of a birthday and Christmas wish make her dream come true?

My Review

I needed a break after two angsty young adult novels in which the dads died, so I picked up this cute holiday story. It’s very upbeat. Joy’s immediate family members are all present, supportive (except for her older brother, who sometimes finds her annoying), and helpful. Joy has good friends who cheer her on when she does well and comfort her when she’s feeling discouraged. The big issues she faces are how to celebrate her upcoming birthday, which falls right on Christmas Day, and whether her crush feels the same.

The birthday dilemma is a familiar one in my family. One of my sisters and one of my girls were both born in December, and it can be hard to make space amid all the holiday hoopla to give their special days the attention they deserve.

The first crush experience is also pretty familiar– ha! I thought the author captured the excitement and anticipation really nicely.

This is a sweet holiday story perfect for readers who want an uplifting holiday story. Middle grade readers with December birthdays, or birthdays that often fall on a big holiday, will identify with Joy’s struggle to carve out space for her birthday.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages LIST.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
List.

Romance/Sexual Content
List.

Spiritual Content
List.

Violent Content
List.

Drug Content
List.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Just the Good Parts by Robbie Couch

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Magical Realism, Paranormal, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

Just the Good Parts
Robbie Couch
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published September 29, 2026

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About Just the Good Parts

From the New York Times bestselling author of If I See You Again Tomorrow comes a stunningly romantic, speculative novel about a teen looking for his missing dad, who keeps getting pulled into others’ memories and crossing paths with a handsome stranger who also doesn’t belong there.

Caspen Coolsby’s dad is missing. But even though it’s only been a few months, everyone has given up on finding him. Except for Caspen.

He finally gets a break in the case when he meets his new upstairs neighbors and discovers he can somehow transport himself into each of the college students’ memories using candle scents that remind them of important moments. No one loved candles more than his dad, so Caspen is sure there must be clues pointing toward where to find him hidden in the memories.

His thinking hits a snag, though, when a handsome boy named Lars keeps popping up in memories where he also doesn’t belong. As the lines between memory and reality begin to blur, Caspen can’t help but fall for the mysterious boy who keeps chipping away at the rose-colored lens he’s always seen life through. But will Caspen be able to find his dad and his crush outside of these stolen moments if it means reliving the hard truths of his past and not just the good parts?

My Review

This book manages to be both playful and serious at the same time. I loved the wacky whimsy of a boy disappearing into his friends’ memories when they light a candle. Why Lars appears in the memories is never explained, but that didn’t bother me too much. I think it would have been cool if there was a connection that Caspen hadn’t realized until the end, but I was okay with the open-ended storyline there.

The fact that his family owns a candle store is super cute. Between that and the paranormal elements of the tale, I think this book works really well as a cozy fall read with slight Halloween vibes. Nothing truly spooky happens during the story, but the fact that this strange situation is happening and all the references to fall leaves and candles made me really glad I was reading this book during the fall season.

A lot of pieces of the story do get explained, and Caspen learns a lot about himself and his family along the way. I enjoyed seeing those connections, even though the conclusion of the story is pretty emotional. I wasn’t prepared for that considering how goofy and lighthearted the rest of the book is. I think the story works; I just probably wouldn’t have read the last five chapters in a Starbucks if I’d known where things were heading.

Just the Good Parts is the first book by Robbie Couch that I’ve read, and I enjoyed it. I think fans of Lance Rubin will want to check this one out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Brief profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
Caspen experiences the memories of three other people when they light candles and he touches them. Someone else appears in the memories, too.

Violent Content
Caspen’s dad is missing. References to the death of a girlfriend and unresolved grief. Reference to an injury from falling.

SPOILER: (Select the text below to view.)

Death of a parent.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Dead Girls by Beck Kubrick

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Horror, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

Dead Girls
Beck Kubrick
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published September 22, 2026

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About Dead Girls

The teen daughter of an infamous serial killer must prove she isn’t the one behind recent copycat murders in this “tongue-in-cheek” (Booklist, starred review) graphic novel that’s a campy, feminist send-up of slashers that both celebrates and subverts classic tropes.

In the cozy town of Clossdale, a serial killer rampages! Five girls missing in as many weeks! Bodies turning up on the forest floor! And all fingers point to one vile fiend: Ash Hargreeves.

Except Ash didn’t do it. She may be the daughter of the infamous Clossdale Killer, and these copycat killings aren’t exactly convincing proof of her innocence—and okay, she’s kind of a weirdo who has two friends total, but when the murders strike a little too close to home, Ash decides to take a stand.

With the help of her besties, Ash is going to hunt down the killer, clear her mother’s name, and stop there from being any more dead girls—now and forever. After all, WWJLCD: what would Jamie Lee Curtis do?

My Review

Far from delicate damsels waiting in fear as a brutal murderer closes in, these girls have decided to run toward danger and stop it in its tracks. I love the energy on the page as Ash and company gather their courage and go on the hunt.

Though the graphic novel includes some slasher themes and tropes, I appreciated how the illustrations used the animal costumes to blunt the violence a bit. It adds just enough creepiness to have those blank-eyed costume heads looming in doorways, and yet… they’re literally cute costume pieces. I thought that was pretty genius, honestly.

Slashers aren’t my favorite horror subgenre, but something about this one really drew me in. I think it’s because it both subverts tropes and also embraces them? There’s a kind of playfulness in the writing that I can’t help but like.

Ash’s small friend group is a lot of fun, too. I loved the banter and jokes, as well as their deep commitment to one another and the unexpected bit of romance.

This book offers so much for readers looking for a fun twist on classic fall horror tropes. Definitely check this out if you’re a horror fan craving a bit more feminism in your reading life.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 15 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing and dating relationships.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Several characters are murdered on the page. References to past murders. Some characters fight off attackers.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Girls Like Us by Jennifer Dugan

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Girls Like Us (Some Girls Do #2)
Jennifer Dugan
G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Published May 5, 2026

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About Girls Like Us

In this sequel to Some Girls Do , two girls struggle when long distance complicates their relationship.

Ruby and Morgan fell for each other during their senior year of high school, and now, almost a year later, they are fighting to keep their spark alive, even while they are Morgan is on a track scholarship at a university several hours away, studying public policy, while Ruby stayed in her hometown, exploring her love of mechanics in the automotive engineering program at the local community college.

Long distance weighs on the girls, with new friendships and flirtatious classmates adding complications, and the two are looking forward to a spring break getaway to Washington, D.C., and the bliss of a whole summer vacation together. But when Morgan discovers she’s a finalist for the perfect internship, and Ruby gets the shot to appear on her favorite automotive TV show, the trip schedule—and their summer plans—are thrown into question. With both girls unwilling to stand in the way of each other’s future, has the time come for them to go their separate ways?

My Review

As I sat down to write this review, I realized the book that I thought was the first in this series is actually a completely different standalone novel by Jennifer Dugan. For some reason, despite the clear use of totally different characters’ names, I still thought this book was a sequel to Summer Girls.

I remember being confused at a few points in Girls Like Us because I hadn’t remembered anything about the character from Summer Girls being a mechanic. I just assumed I was forgetful. Ha!

At any rate. While I think I would have enjoyed the story more if I’d actually, truly read the first book in the series, I still enjoyed this book a lot simply on its own merit. I had no trouble following the arc of Morgan and Ruby’s relationship. They face so many common obstacles in a long-distance relationship.

I really appreciated that the story didn’t cheat its way through hard things, either. For example, Morgan and Ruby both have things they need to learn, and I felt the narrative gave them space to explore those questions. It didn’t feel rushed or like we were hurrying through those challenges to shove the romance back into the center of the story.

I also like that things weren’t simple. Morgan wrestles with her budding feelings for another girl. Do the feelings mean she and Ruby are ending? Is she simply lonely living far from home? What is she supposed to do with those feelings? How much should she invest in her new college life, even if it risks leaving Ruby behind for good?

I love that the story lets the characters wrestle with hard relationship questions. I genuinely couldn’t tell which way the ending was going to go until I got there, and I love that, too.

Readers looking for a romance set after high school ends and featuring characters navigating the transition to college life will enjoy this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing and references to sex. Some brief details about sexual encounters.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Someone kisses another person without consent, treating them like they’re playing hard to get.

Drug Content
Characters (college-aged) attend a party where alcohol is served.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.