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Review: Venom & Vow by Anna-Marie McLemore and Elliot McLemore

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,
Venom and Vow by Anna-Marie and Elliott McLemore

Venom & Vow
Anna-Marie McLemore and Elliot McLemore
Feiwel & Friends
Published May 16, 2023

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About Venom & Vow

Keep your enemy closer.

Cade McKenna is a transgender prince who’s doubling for his brother.
Valencia Palafox is a young dama attending the future queen of Eliana.
Gael Palma is the infamous boy assassin Cade has vowed to protect.
Patrick McKenna is the reluctant heir to a kingdom, and the prince Gael has vowed to destroy.

Cade doesn’t know that Gael and Valencia are the same person.
Valencia doesn’t know that every time she thinks she’s fighting Patrick, she’s fighting Cade.
And when Cade and Valencia blame each other for a devastating enchantment that takes both their families, neither of them realizes that they have far more dangerous enemies.

Cowritten by married writing team Anna-Marie and Elliott McLemore, this is a lush and powerful YA novel about owning your power and becoming who you really are – no matter the cost.

My Review

I’ve really wanted to read books by Anna-Marie McLemore for a long time, but so far only managed to read a short story by them in SERENDIPITY: TEN ROMANTIC TROPES TRANSFORMED. I loved the short story, and when I saw this book up for grabs as a review copy from MacMillan, I knew I wanted to read it.

To be honest, I had kind of a mixed experience with this book.

First, I loved the characters. Cade is a transgender prince who should be next in line to rule, but has complicated feelings about that. Instead, he impersonates his brother, Patrick, when Patrick needs things taken care of.

Valencia serves as a dama to her princess, but also as an assassin as Gael, a boy with an affinity for knives. Valencia wrestles with questions about whether her identity as both male and female is something her people will accept. Gael also makes some powerful enemies, which could be bad if those enemies connect his identity to Valencia’s.

The story world is definitely rich with magic and interesting elements that seem both inspired by Latine culture and Scottish culture. Super cool. The Eliane people are protected by Quetzals and other magical creatures that emerge from their tapestries. Sea monsters guard the Adare.

While the story world has some rich elements, I felt like there were also some confusing aspects. We know there’s been a curse, which removed both kingdom’s leaders and a few others. Descriptions of that night are choppy, which makes sense at first, because it’s a memory from years ago and both Cade and Valencia were not close enough to make out all the details.

As the story progresses, though, there were times information kind of got dropped into a scene and it felt like it was something we were already supposed to know, but yet was new information.

The progression of events from scene to scene felt choppy, too. At one point, a scene ends in the middle of a battle, with one character appearing to be the victor. The next scene opens with the apparent victor lying dead, but we never learn how they were overpowered or what happened. Stuff like that.

I did really enjoy the relationships between the characters and getting to see the representation of both Cade and Valencia/Gael. Both have chronic pain as well as queer identities.

Content Notes for Venom & Vow

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Cade is a transgender prince with chronic pain. He uses a staff for support and as a weapon. Valencia/Gael is bigender and also has chronic pain. Valencia and her people are Latine-coded.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Some brief profanity in Spanish used pretty infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl or boy and boy. In one scene maybe the characters go to bed together? It’s written kind of subtly, and then mentions someone waking and their partner being already gone.

Spiritual Content
Magical creatures appear and help the members of the kingdoms they support.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Battle violence.

Drug Content
Characters consume drinks that contain alcohol and also, for the first time, caffeine. The caffeinated drinks make them feel mentally sharper but also jittery, so it’s presented much like drinking alcohol would be.

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 VENOM & VOW in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Julieta and the Romeos by Maria E. Andreu

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Julieta and the Romeos
Maria E. Andreu
Balzer + Bray
Published May 16, 2023

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About Julieta and the Romeos

You’ve Got Mail meets a YA Beach Read with a bookish mystery at its heart in the newest rom-com from Maria E. Andreu. The ideal next read for fans of Emily Henry, Kasie West, and Jennifer E. Smith.

Julieta isn’t looking for her Romeo–but she is writing about love. When her summer writing teacher encourages the class to publish their work online, the last thing she’s expecting is to get a notification that her rom-com has a mysterious new contributor, Happily Ever Drafter. Julieta knows that happily ever afters aren’t real. (Case in point: her parents’ imploding marriage.) But then again, could this be her very own meet-cute?

As things start to heat up in her fiction, Julieta can’t help but notice three boys in her real life: her best friend’s brother (aka her nemesis), the boy next door (well, to her abuela), and her oldest friend (who is suddenly looking . . . hot?). Could one of them be her mysterious collaborator? But even if Julieta finds her Romeo, she’ll have to remember that life is full of plot twists. . . .

From the author of Love in English comes a fresh take on love and romance, and a reminder to always be the author of your own life story.

My Review

I haven’t read anything by Emily Henry, but I definitely see the comparisons between this book and books by Kasie West or Jennifer E. Smith. It has a fluffy romance anchored in family life like I’ve seen in Kasie West’s books.

I loved the references to writing. Julieta is a writer and often thinks about a moment in terms of how she would write it. One of the things she wrestles with is the way that internalizing or imagining takes her out of the present and sometimes leads her to overlook what’s right in front of her.

My favorite thing about the book is the way the mystery of the identity of Happily Ever Drafter unfolds. I also loved the way the romance develops in her life. At first, I thought I knew exactly how the story would go– I’ve read enough romance novels to pick up some clues. And I was right about some elements, but I was completely blown away by others.

Julieta’s family owns a restaurant which she discovers isn’t doing all that well since the pandemic. She also lost her grandfather during the pandemic (I think) and since then, her grandmother has moved to town to be closer to the family. The relationship between Julieta and Abuela is so great. I absolutely bawled through one of the tender scenes in which Abuela opens her heart to Julieta and delivers some much-needed encouragement and wisdom.

On the whole, I had such a great time reading this book! It’s my first time reading anything by Maria E. Andreu, but I can tell it won’t be the last. I found the story really entertaining and tender. It’s a great book to start the summer with.

Content Notes for Julieta and the Romeos

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Julieta and her family are Argentinian Americans.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mostly mild profanity used fewer than ten times. One instance of stronger profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. In one scene, Julieta sees a boy on top of a girl and references that he’s touching her. She doesn’t say where but implies it’s sexual.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
Teens drink alcohol at a party.

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 JULIETA AND THE ROMEOS in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Rubi Ramos’s Recipe for Success by Jessica Parra

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

Rubi Ramos’s Recipe for Success
Jessica Parra
Wednesday Books
Published May 16, 2023

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About Rubi Ramos’s Recipes for Success

Graduation is only a few months away, and so far Rubi Ramos’s recipe for success is on track.

*Step 1: Get into the prestigious Alma University.
*Step 2: Become incredibly successful lawyer.

But when Alma waitlists Rubi’s application, her plan is in jeopardy. Her parents–especially her mom, AKA the boss–have wanted this for her for years. In order to get off the waitlist without her parents knowing, she needs math tutoring from surfer-hottie math genius Ryan, lead the debate team to a championship–and remember the final step of the recipe.

*Step 3: Never break the ban on baking.

Rubi has always been obsessed with baking, daydreaming up new concoctions and taking shifts at her parents’ celebrated bakery. But her mother dismisses baking as a distraction–her parents didn’t leave Cuba so she could bake just like them.

But some recipes are begging to be tampered with…

When the First Annual Bake Off comes to town, Rubi’s passion for baking goes from subtle simmer to full boil. She’s not sure if she has what it takes to become OC’s best amateur baker, and there’s only one way to find out–even though it means rejecting the ban on baking, and by extension, her parents. But life is what you bake it, and now Rubi must differentiate between the responsibility of unfulfilled dreams she holds, and finding the path she’s meant for.

My Review

One of the things I loved about this book is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. There’s a lot of celebration of puns and baking and the goofy awkwardness of first relationships and love. I loved those parts of the story.

RUBI RAMOS’S RECIPE FOR SUCCESS has a lot more than that to offer, though. We experience the pressure Rubi faces in her parents’ expectations for her, and her conflicting desires for her own life. She wants to do what’s right by her parents and honor the sacrifices they’ve made for her. But she also wants to find a way to make room for her own dreams. The struggle felt so real.

The romantic elements of the story are really sweet. It’s a simpler plot element, so there’s not a lot of drama or big trope-y conflict. That made for kind of a refreshing read, actually.

I think fans of baking stories like SALT AND SUGAR by Rebecca Carvalho or sweet romances, like books by Kasie West will enjoy Rubi’s tale of culinary confections and family connections.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Rubi and her family are Cuban American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
A white girl on Rubi’s debate team and in another leadership group with her makes some racist comments.

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 RUBI RAMOS’S RECIPE FOR SUCCESS in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Don’t Ask If I’m Okay by Jessica Klara

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Don’t Ask If I’m Okay
Jessica Klara
Page Street
Published May 9, 2023

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About Don’t Ask If I’m Okay

Heartfelt and bittersweet, this coming-of age story explores the tender space of healing where grief meets love

A year ago, Gage survived a car accident that killed his best friend, Hunter. Without the person who always brought out the best in him, Gage doesn’t know who he is. He likes working as a fry cook and loves his small-town friends and family, but they weren’t in the wreck and he can’t tell them how much he’s still hurting. He just wants to forget all his pain and move on.

So when his stepdad shows him a dream job opening in one of his idol’s restaurants, Gage knows this is his chance to convince everyone and himself that he’s fine. To try to push past his grief once and for all, Gage applies for the job, asks out a crush, and volunteers to host a memorial for Hunter.

But the more Gage tries to ignore his grief, the more volatile it becomes.

When his temper finally turns on the people he loves, Gage must decide what real strength is—holding in his grief until it destroys him, or asking for help and revealing his broken heart for all to see.

My Review

My friend recently asked me what things are common to the books that I love. I think she asked what makes me love books or think they’re good or something more in that vein, but it started me thinking about what the common denominators are in the books that I tend to love and enjoy.

For me, one thing that comes up over and over is stories that explore the value of community, whether that’s in a friend group, family, or found family. I also love stories that wrestle with grief of some kind, because I think we don’t talk enough about that. And the relationships between characters are also really important to me, so I tend to love books with banter or compelling dialogue of some kind.

I feel like DON’T ASK IF I’M OKAY really hit all those marks for me. I loved Gage’s friend group and especially the way they functioned as a support group/community to help one another through dark times. My favorite scene was after they’ve finished watching part of a movie in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and they need to go do something. One friend turns to Gage and says, “You have my sword.” Another tells Gage he has his bow. A third says, “And my Suburu.” Which straight up made me laugh out loud. So great.

I also cried through some of the scenes in which he’s caught in this spiral of grief. He’s listening to some bad advice about what grief looks like and how he should feel instead of healthy counsel, and I could just feel how much it was hurting him to believe that toxic stuff.

Which made his journey from that moment so much more powerful and meaningful.

The only thing that I’d say caught me off guard with this book is that for some reason I thought the story was going to be about him getting a new cooking job and starting that job and how that helps him. Pretty much the whole story takes place in his hometown. I loved his small Idaho town, though, so that was great. For some reason I was expecting something else from the book, but I’m not unhappy with the story I read.

On the whole, I think this is a great celebration of the importance of a support network and of emotional vulnerability. I loved it and I would definitely read more by Jessica Klara.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Major characters are white. Gage has panic attacks and PTSD-like symptoms resulting from a car accident that killed his cousin and best friend. Minor characters are POC and LGBTQIA+.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. References to making out.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Gage experiences some explosive feelings of anger. At one point he shouts at a younger cousin. A veteran visiting Gage’s house is triggered by a gunfire-like sound. Gage experiences slivers of memories from the car accident, including seeing his cousin’s lifeless face. In one scene, Gage throws a man out of a restaurant after an altercation that began when the man made inappropriate comments to a girl who was working as his server.

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 DON’T ASK IF I’M OKAY in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

Review: You Don’t Have a Shot by Racquel Marie

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You Don’t Have a Shot
Racquel Marie
Feiwel & Friends
Published May 9, 2023

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About You Don’t Have a Shot

A queer YA romance about rival soccer players from author Racquel Marie, perfect for fans of She Drives Me Crazy .

Valentina “Vale” Castillo-Green’s life revolves around soccer. Her friends, her future, and her father’s intense expectations are all wrapped up in the beautiful game. But after she incites a fight during playoffs with her long-time rival, Leticia Ortiz, everything she’s been working toward seems to disappear.

Embarrassed and desperate to be anywhere but home, Vale escapes to her beloved childhood soccer camp for a summer of relaxation and redemption…only to find out that she and the endlessly aggravating Leticia will be co-captaining a team that could play in front of college scouts. But the competition might be stiffer than expected, so unless they can get their rookie team’s act together, this second chance―and any hope of playing college soccer―will slip through Vale’s fingers. When the growing pressure, friendship friction, and her overbearing father push Vale to turn to Leticia for help, what starts off as a shaky alliance of necessity begins to blossom into something more through a shared love of soccer. . . and maybe each other.

Sharp, romantic, and deeply emotional, You Don’t Have a Shot is a rivals-to-lovers romance about rediscovering your love of the game and yourself, from the author of Ophelia After All .

” You Don’t Have a Shot has every ingredient that makes rivals-to-lovers such a great trope, but it’s also so much more. It’s a story of grief and loss, of legacy, of culture, of holding the things and people that bring us joy close. I don’t think anyone will be surprised when I say that Racquel Marie has done it this is truly young adult contemporary at its best.” ―Jonny Garza Villa, author of the Pura Belpré Honor Book Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun

My Review

Okay, so, I’m not a very sporty person. It’s just not something I’ve got real natural talent in, so not something I’ve personally pursued, though I think it’s cool. So the soccer is not what drew me to this book, is what I’m saying. I read Racquel Marie’s debut, OPHELIA AFTER ALL, and absolutely loved it. The insightfulness of the characters’ emotions. The movement of the story. All of it, so good. I was so moved by that book that I wanted to read Marie’s next book pretty much no matter what it would turn out to be. So… soccer.

Y’all. I cried over soccer in this book. More than once!

Again, the characters are so deep and complex. I loved the relationships between them and the growth that Vale experiences as she begins to bond with her team and see them and herself in a new way, and through that, to see soccer in a new way. It is an incredible book. I loved it so much.

I felt like the soccer parts of the story were all really accessible and easy to understand, even for someone like me who doesn’t know much about the game. (Knowing the positions of the players probably would have helped a little bit, but I feel like I picked up enough from the context of what was happening to be clued in to what I needed to know.) It was so easy to invest in the characters and to want them to succeed. I also loved the banter, especially between Vale and Leticia. So perfect! So much fun.

I also just really enjoyed the theme about learning to fall in love with the game again and learning that you get to define success for yourself. Great stuff. I think fans of Racquel Marie’s first book will definitely enjoy this new one. And rivals-to-lovers fans will get lots of satisfaction from the snappy banter and romantic tension. All in all, a perfect summer romance.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Vale and Leticia are Latine and romantically interested in girls. Vale’s two best friends, both girls, are dating. One minor character is transgender.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
I’m not totally sure where the line is between verbally toxic and verbally abusive, but one character says pretty high pressure, harsh things to another character.

Vale picks a fight with a rival during a soccer game.

Drug Content
References to teens drinking alcohol (off-scene).

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 my honest review. All opinions my own.

Review: If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come by Jen St. Jude

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

If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come
Jen St. Jude
Bloomsbury YA
Published May 9, 2023

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come

WE ARE OKAY meets THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END in this YA debut about queer first love and mental health at the end of the world-and the importance of saving yourself, no matter what tomorrow may hold.

Avery Byrne has secrets. She’s queer; she’s in love with her best friend, Cass; and she’s suffering from undiagnosed clinical depression. But on the morning Avery plans to jump into the river near her college campus, the world discovers there are only nine days left to an asteroid is headed for Earth, and no one can stop it.

Trying to spare her family and Cass additional pain, Avery does her best to make it through just nine more days. As time runs out and secrets slowly come to light, Avery would do anything to save the ones she loves. But most importantly, she learns to save herself. Speak her truth. Seek the support she needs. Find hope again in the tomorrows she has left.

IF TOMORROW DOESN’T COME is a celebration of queer love, a gripping speculative narrative, and an urgent, conversation-starting book about depression, mental health, and shame.

My Review

One of the things I’m learning about the way I manage reviews is that it doesn’t allow me to be a mood reader as often as I’d like. Lots of times, I don’t think it matters, because I have pretty broad interests. Books like this, though, which touch on deeply painful issues like depression and, you know, the literal end of the world, would probably be better suited to a mood read experience.

That said, I liked a lot of things about this book even with its heavy topics. Much of the story is told in two timelines, which gives us a chance to see Avery’s backstory play out in real time. We get to experience her plunge into depression and loneliness. We are with her as she realizes she’s in love with her best friend. Getting to experience those moments with her firsthand means that as we zip back to the present, a scant few days before an asteroid will destroy life on earth, the relationships with her family and with her best friend Cass feel fraught and raw, as if those other memories just happened. I thought that was a smart way to tell the story and give the relationships and history a centerstage feeling without letting the whole end-of-the-world element upstage everything.

Avery’s brother and his family? His wife and their three year old son? OMG. They absolutely wrecked me. I mean, completely demolished. I loved them even though thinking about parenting a small child in a moment like that is heartbreaking and terrifying.

On the whole? I think in concept, this book reminds me a little bit of THIS IS NOT A TEST by Courtney Summers because that’s also about a girl who is suicidal and faced with the potential end of the world, in this case a zombie apocalypse. The emotional depth of the story really moved me, and the relationships between characters and moments showing the beauty of life and humanity made this a lovely read.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Avery has undiagnosed clinical depression and is suicidal. She’s also in love with a girl. Cass is a lesbian and biracial. She’s Mexican American and Indian American. A minor character is a Muslim.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls. Sex between two girls.

Spiritual Content
Avery is raised Catholic. She prays and volunteers with the church and has a pretty deep guilt complex over things. She’s been raised to believe that being gay is a sin. A priest tells her this and also that suicide is the greatest sin. (Super yuck.) She later tells the priest this is harmful and not to do this to anyone else. A family member also publicly affirms her in front of the church.

Violent Content
In the opening scene, Avery is on the brink of killing herself. There are rumors of shootings, riots, and other violence once news spreads of the asteroid heading toward earth. Two men with guns tie up a couple and steal their stuff. A man with a gun and another man threaten and chase two girls.

Drug Content
Teens drink alcohol. References to smoking pot.

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 IF TOMORROW DOESN’T COME in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.