Category Archives: Romance

Review: The Boyfriend Wish by Swati Teerdhala

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The Boyfriend Wish by Swati Teerdhala

The Boyfriend Wish
Swati Teerdhala
Katherine Tegen Books
Published February 13, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Boyfriend Wish

A charming romantic comedy about a South Indian American teen girl who makes a wish upon a flower for her perfect boyfriend…and then a new boy moves in right next door. With love triangles, prank wars, and a sizzling sweet romance—this is perfect for fans of Sandhya Menon and Jenny Han.

Deepa’s a hopeless romantic. And even though Deepa’s checklist for the perfect boyfriend is a mile long, her mom and dad’s fairy-tale love story makes her feel like romantic success ought to be a family trait. It’s why when her grandmother gives her a jasmine flower with the promise that it will fulfill her heart’s greatest desire, and then a new boy moves in across the street, Deepa knows—he must be her wish come true.

Rohit checks off every box on Deepa’s timelessly handsome, a thoughtful listener, and a romantic who knows his flowers. Deepa’s next-door neighbor (and constant tormentor) Vik also surprisingly approves, though she knows it shouldn’t be a mark against Rohit.

Is it luck or is it magic? Deepa doesn’t want to take chances, so when her grandmother warns her that the wish is only permanent if she seals it with a kiss, she knows she needs to move quickly. Rohit is the right boy in every way, so then why does Deepa not feel like he might not be the right choice?

My Review

This is such a perfect Valentine’s Day book, which is why I’m posting about it today. I enjoyed the whole book, but I think the second half is where all the pieces really come together. In the first half, I found myself wanting to know more about Deepa’s sisters and wanting to understand the connections in the neighborhood a little better. As I crossed into the second half, I felt like I started to see all those connections and relationships more clearly.

The whole setup with the wish adds a dash of whimsy to the book, but it doesn’t dominate the story. This reads like a contemporary romance with a fun cast of characters and a girl whose heart wants what it wants. I loved Deepa’s character. She’s hyper-organized and an overthinker, which automatically endeared her to me. She’s also funny and thoughtful, so it was easy for me to root for her from the first page to the last.

I totally see the comparison to Sandhya Menon’s books here, and I actually thought it had a similar vibe to TEN THINGS I HATE ABOUT PINKY, which is probably my favorite of her books so far. If you’re looking for a romance that’s more sweet than spicy and has a great family and friend group included, check this one out.

Content Notes for The Boyfriend Wish

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Most characters are South Indian American. One girl character is interested in dating another girl.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used somewhat infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Mentions of attraction between two girls.

Spiritual Content
Deepa’s grandmother tells her that the last blossom of the season has the ability to grant someone’s wish. Deepa wishes for the perfect boyfriend and then wonders if the boy who mysteriously shows up next door is the boyfriend she wished for.

Violent Content
Characters play paintball. The neighborhood engages in a prank war, in which they are assigned a person to prank (all participants have opted in), and the best prank wins. Pranks are not harmful but can be embarrassing, such as getting a pie to the face.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: With a Little Luck by Marissa Meyer

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

With a Little Luck (Fortuna Beach #2)
Marissa Meyer
Feiwel & Friends
Published February 13, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About With a Little Luck

After being magically gifted with incredible luck, a boy discovers this gift just may be a curse when it comes to love, in this YA novel by #1 New York Times -bestselling author Marissa Meyer.

Jude is determined to fly under the radar. He just wants to draw his comics, host regular D&D night with his friends, work at his parents’ vinyl record store, and escape high school as unscathed as possible. That is, until the night he comes across a mysterious twenty-sided dice and finds himself inexplicably gifted with a bout of supernatural good luck.

Suddenly, everything Jude has ever wanted is within reach. His first art submission is accepted to his favorite fanzine. He helps his friend’s song become a finalist in a songwriting competition. And he’s the 100th caller to a local radio contest, winning him a pair of coveted concert tickets, which he uses to ask out the popular girl he’s been crushing on since elementary school. For a few blissful weeks, he feels invincible.

But when he loses the magic dice at a local music festival, his luck takes a turn for the worse. He struggles to reclaim his good fortune while fighting off long-buried feelings for his best friend―who is definitely not the girl he’s supposed to be in love with. Can Jude risk stepping into the spotlight long enough to win the true girl of his dreams? Or is he doomed to be unlucky in love forever?

My Review

It’s pretty rare to read a romance that’s written entirely from the boy’s point-of-view, and I thought it was a cool choice to make with this book. I’ve read several books featuring characters playing Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), but it’s also less common for the Dungeon Master to be the point-of-view character, so that was another fun element of this book.

Another great, unexpected thing that WITH A LITTLE LUCK has is graphic novel panels showing the way the D&D campaign and its backstory play out. I thought that was a really clever way of differentiating the game from the real-world scenes, and it made them dynamic and entertaining while also drawing us deeper into Jude’s character since he was supposed to have drawn the panels.

As a D&D player (and occasional DM), I appreciated the way the panels also gave us a lot of information about the campaign without weighing the scene down or distracting us from the plot of the overall story. The panels kept it separate but still allowed for it to be the focus in the right places.

I also felt like this story had a good mix of predictable and unpredictable moments. I mean, it’s a romance, right? So we know there will be some romantic moments, and there are. Some of them I totally saw coming, and others were much more unexpected. I think the balance of those kept the story feeling fresh and fun.

Altogether, this was a very cute, upbeat romance. I definitely think fans of the first book in the series will appreciate this one, and so will fans of Jenna Evans Welch and Kasie West.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Ari, Jude’s best friend is Latina. One minor character is nonbinary.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
Jude finds a twenty-sided dice that seems to make him incredibly lucky.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: The Absinthe Underground by Jamie Pacton

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The Absinthe Underground
Jamie Pacton
Peachtree Teen
Published February 6, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Absinthe Underground

Moulin Rouge meets Holly Black in a thrilling sapphic friends-to-lovers romantasy!

For Sybil Clarion, the Belle Époque city of Severon is a wild, romantic dream, filled with cafés, cabarets, and glittering nightclubs. Eager to embrace the city’s freedom after running away from home, she’s traded high-society soirées for empty pockets and barren cabinets. At least she has Esme, the girl who offered Sybil a home, and maybe—if either of them dared—something more.

Ever since Esme Rimbaud brought Sybil back to her flat, the girls have been everything to each other—best friends, found family, and secret crushes. While Esme would rather spend the night tinkering with her clocks and snuggling her cats, Sybil craves excitement and needs money. She plans to get both by stealing the rare posters that crop up around town and selling them to collectors. With rent due, Esme agrees to accompany—and more importantly protect —Sybil.

When they’re caught selling a poster by none other than its subject, Maeve, the glamorous girl doesn’t press charges. Rather, she invites Sybil and Esme to The Absinthe Underground, the exclusive club she co-owns, and reveals herself to be a Green Faerie, trapped in this world. She wants to hire thieves for a daring heist in Fae that would set her free, and is willing to pay enough that Sybil and Esme never have to worry about rent again. It’s too good of an offer to pass up, even if Maeve’s tragic story doesn’t quite add up, and even if Sybil’s personal ties to Fae could jeopardize everything she and Esme have so carefully built.

Jamie Pacton, author of THE VERMILLION EMPORIUM, dazzles in this lavish and decadent LGBTQ+ fantasy romance that will leave readers utterly enchanted!

My Review

I don’t know how Jamie Pacton does it, but both times I’ve read her fantasy books, I’ve fallen deeply into them and not surfaced until the story concluded. I love this immersive fantasy world inspired by 1890s Paris.

The chapters alternate point-of-view, flipping back and forth between Esme and Sybil’s perspectives. Esme is organized and orderly. Sybil is pure creative chaos, but somehow, the pair really works. I liked the differences between them and watching them navigate those differences in their friendship and as participants in a dangerous heist.

The girls pine for one another a lot throughout the story, which was okay, but sometimes felt a little bit distracting from the other elements. The romantic arc progressed perfectly, though. I loved that– it’s so sweet.

The Fae elements felt both magical and otherworldly, which I find I really like as well. The magic elements were used in very cool ways in connection with the plot.

All in all, this is another hit for me with this author. I think fans of Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fae series or Roshani Chokshi’s The Gilded Wolves books will very much enjoy this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Sybil, whose family is wealthy, has had past romantic relationships with people of all genders. Esme, who grew up poor and in an orphanage, would like a romantic relationship with a girl.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls. The story hints they slept together but does not show this.

Spiritual Content
Contains Fae and characters who can use magic.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. References to physical abuse. Two characters get into a fight, and one is stabbed with a knife.

Drug Content
Characters drink a strong alcoholic drink called absinthe.

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

Review: Destroy the Day by Brigid Kemmerer

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Destroy the Day (Defy the Night #3)
Brigid Kemmerer
Bloomsbury YA
Published January 23, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Destroy the Day

Left for dead, but desperate to survive . . . they have one last chance to save their kingdom.

Prince Corrick is out of options. Held captive by the vicious Oren Crane, he’s desperate to reunite with Tessa, but will need to ally with the rebel leader Lochlan, who until now wished him dead. An unlikely but deadly pair, Corrick and Lochlan must plot their next moves carefully.

An island away, Tessa Cade is heartbroken and angry. Grieving Corrick, and unsure how to find a way back to Kandala, she doesn’t know who to trust. Until Rian—the man she trusts least—makes an offer: aid in a plot to finally oust Oren Crane and see what the future holds . . .

Meanwhile in Kandala, Harristan is dethroned and on the run. He’s struggling to unite the rebels in his fractured kingdom, but he finds support—and maybe more—in unexpected places.

Can Harristan be the king his people need? Can Corrick and Tessa find their way back to each other? As outside threats loom and the fires of revolution burn from within, time is running out to save their kingdom.

In the thrilling conclusion to the Defy the Night series, Brigid Kemmerer crafts heartrending twists and devastating turns that will keep readers breathless to the very end.

My Review

We’ve finally made it to the last book in another Brigid Kemmerer series! And by finally, I mean we made it. There were only three books, so it’s not like it took a decade, but it felt like one while I was waiting. Haha.

This book picks up pretty much where DEFEND THE DAWN leaves off, so if you remember what was going on, it’ll be easy to dive right back into the world of Kandala and all the political machinations threatening the characters we know and love.

Tessa thinks Corrick is dead, so she’s understandably deep in her grief about that. She does make some new friends and unexpected allies as she tries to figure out a way to get back home, if only so she can tell Harristan what’s happened to his brother.

Corrick also makes some new friends and unexpected allies. He learns to trust others more deeply. His point of view probably has the most banter and silliness, so I enjoyed that quite a bit.

Harristan also has chapters from his viewpoint, so we get to go behind the scenes with the rebels left behind, and watch him figure out how to retake his throne while the consuls cook up ever more ways to keep him from doing so.

Lots of political intrigue. Definitely some battles we’ve been looking forward to. And– some confessions of feelings we’ve been looking forward to, too. This is a pretty big chunk of a book at 522 pages, but I read this in two sittings, and I felt like I needed every chapter in it.

This is one of the few books I’d already preordered for this year, and I’m so glad I did!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
One major character is gay, as is a minor character.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Kissing between two boys. Some scenes lead into sexual encounters but fade to black after characters undress one another.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Someone has been poisoning people. Battles between pirates and soldiers or soldiers on opposing sides. References to torture.

Drug Content
Characters (adults) drink alcohol.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support this blog.

Review: The Cursed Rose by Leslie Vedder

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The Cursed Rose (The Bone Spindle #3)
Leslie Vedder
Razorbill
Published February 6, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Cursed Rose

The fate of a cursed kingdom rests on ancient secrets, broken promises, and fierce friendships in this gasp-worthy final book of the bestselling twisted fairytale Bone Spindle series.

Not all curses should be broken. Not all fairytales end happily ever after.

Fi is a prisoner. Briar, a monster.
Shane’s a warrior. And Red is a traitor.

What was once a formidable group of four fighting to reawaken the kingdom is now ruptured, torn apart by the wicked Spindle Witch.

Confined to a tower with the monstrous Briar Rose, Fi is caught in the Spindle Witch’s ever-tightening web. With the Spindle Witch on the verge of finding the Siphoning Spells and crushing Andar—with Fi’s help, no less—Fi’s only hope lies in decoding the ancient riddle of the Rose Witches before she loses Briar forever.

Shane is desperate to save Andar—and her partner. She’s on the hunt for a weapon left by the mysterious Lord of the Butterflies, which holds the key to the Spindle Witch’s demise. Her love for Red has only fortified. But Red’s betrayal puts her in danger from a new enemy—the Spindle Witch’s executioner, the Wraith, a witch as powerful as he is cruel.

The future of Andar lies in the secrets of its past. Fi and Shane must take on the greatest lost ruin of them all—the Tomb of Queen Aurora.

Filled with vicious bone monsters, new alliances, and surprises at every turn, prepare to be swept away by this taut, clever, and heart-filled series conclusion.

My Review

This is one of the books I’ve been most anticipating for this year. The first book in the series was my favorite in 2022, so I’ve been a fan since page one.

The story began as a gender-flipped Sleeping Beauty reimagining, but it’s so much more than that. Not only are there other fairy tales woven in (Little Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel), but the whole magic system and story world is deeply interesting and original.

The magic system– some characters are witches, born with an innate affinity for a certain kind of magic. A witch might be able to speak to animals or walk in dreams. They’re limited to the specific kind of magic they have, and the witches with the most powerful magic can become Great Witches, which gives them some leadership responsibilities and means they give up their names and are known only by their titles, such as the Dream Witch or the Paper Witch. I thought that whole setup was really cool.

Additionally… I love the characters. This book mostly follows the point of view of three female characters: Fi, Shane, and Red. Fi and Shane have been treasure-hunting partners since the first book, and Shane and Red have a complicated history. They began as enemies but are now on the same team. Before they can face their feelings for one another, Red needs to process her guilt over the things she did as an agent of the Spindle Witch.

Because Briar has become a monstrous version of himself, there aren’t a lot of scenes that show what he thinks and feels. He’s slowly turning into this terrifying bone creature, and Fi isn’t sure she can save him, but she won’t give up trying.

Conclusion

The Bone Spindle series is like a gender-flipped Indiana Jones and Sleeping Beauty mashup. If you like stories about treasure hunters, witches, and magic, definitely check out the series, starting with THE BONE SPINDLE.

I read almost the whole book in a single sitting one evening and then finished reading it first thing the following morning. I loved getting to visit this fantasy world and following Shane, Red, Briar, and Fi all the way to the final pages of their tale. Now I can’t wait to see what Leslie Vedder writes next!

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Red and Shane have romantic feelings for one another.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls. Kissing between boy and girl. Two (minor characters) boys were once in a romantic relationship with each other.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic. One witch has the ability to possess others who are sleeping. Another can walk in their dreams. A different witch can bring back the dead.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Some battle scenes. The Spindle Witch uses golden thread to torture prisoners in her custody. A girl reads a dark fairy tale about a child locked in a tower. The story resembles Rapunzel, and the reader can’t help thinking about the cruelty of isolating someone like that and the trauma that would cause.

Drug Content
None.

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

Review: The Summer Queen by Rochelle Hassan

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The Summer Queen (The Buried and the Bound #2)
Rochelle Hassan
Roaring Brook Press
Published January 23, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Summer Queen

This captivating sequel to THE BURIED AND THE BOUND draws readers into the twisted and irresistible world of the Fair Folk—perfect for fans of THE CRUEL PRINCE and THE HAZEL WOOD.

As a new coven, Aziza, Leo, and Tristan faced evil and triumphed. All that’s left is to put their lives back together, a process complicated by the fallout from painful secrets, the emotional and physical scars they now carry, and the mysteries that still haunt them.

But with the approach of the solstice comes the arrival of strange new visitors to Blackthorn: the Summer Court, a nomadic community of Fair Folk from deep in Elphame. They’ve journeyed to the border between the human world and fairyland, far from their usual caravan route, to take back something that belongs to them—something Leo’s not willing to lose.

Refusing to give up without a fight, he makes a risky deal with the Summer Court’s princess and regent. The challenge she proposes sends Coven Blackthorn into the farthest, wildest reaches of Elphame.

But when you play games with the Fair Folk, even winning has a cost.

My Review

I fell in love with Rochelle Hassan’s middle grade debut and devoured THE BURIED AND THE BOUND, so it was never a question as to whether I was going to read THE SUMMER QUEEN. I love the magic-alongside-our-world in this series. The characters are so great! It only took me a couple of days to read this book, and I thought about it so much between my reading sessions. I’ve already gone back and reread some of my favorite passages.

Like the first book in the series, THE SUMMER QUEEN follows the points of view of Aziza, Leo, and Tristan. They’re an interesting trio who joined forces in the first book to defeat a powerful hag who had killed Aziza’s parents. All three characters have super distinct personalities and voices, so I never doubted whose perspective I was reading.

The book is packed with adventure and high stakes. Leo joins the Wild Hunt without really understanding what he’s doing, only knowing if he wins the hunt, he can rescue his sister. Of course, joining means that he, as a human, is taking on a powerful, experienced foe from among the Fair Folk. Pretty intense.

There’s also some star-crossed love happening. Leo has been cursed to forget his true love, and he can’t stop trying to find this person… and can’t tell when he’s standing face to face with them. I couldn’t help hoping that a breakthrough was coming with every new chapter of the book.

All in all, this sequel more than lived up to my expectations. If you like THE LUMINARIES by Susan Dennard or Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey series, definitely add this trilogy to your list. (And start with book one, THE BURIED AND THE BOUND.)

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Aziza is Pakistani American. Tristan is gay. Leo has been in a romantic relationship with a boy before.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two boys. References to sex.

In one scene, Leo discovers that one of the Fairies assaults the servants. He doesn’t witness anything, but overhears a conversation and sees bruises on someone afterward.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic. The story contains fairies and magical creatures, such as pookas, nymphs, and others. Two characters are necromancers and have the ability to summon spirits of the dead and control shadow creatures.

Violent Content
Situations of peril.

Drug Content
The fairies try to convince Leo and his allies to drink Lily wine (which makes them very vulnerable to suggestion) or fairy food, which can also enchant them in some way. Aziza remembers a night spent celebrating with her friends with vodka and beer.

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