Hawk and Sparrow by. Ayana Gray | ARC and ALC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 0

Title: Hawk & Sparrow

Author: Ayana Gray

Pages: 352

Format: audiobook and ebook

Listening Hours: 10 hours 20 min (approx.)

Narrator (s): Renika Williams-Blutcher

Publisher: Balzer + Bray, Macmillan Young Listeners

Publication Date: 9/1/26

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Mystery, Historical Fantasy

Sparks fly in this Gilded Age novel of mystery, magic, and romance by the author of the New York Times–bestselling Beasts of Prey.

Nineteen-year-old Vesper Evans has always resented Basalton’s high society, and the sorcery that provides them with a luxurious life unimaginable to most. Orphaned as a child and rescued by the editor of TheBasalton Globe, Vesper is now an ambitious reporter determined to keep her newspaper afloat.

While covering a lavish society gala, Vesper happens upon a shocking the murdered body of an inventor whose new machine promised to bring the benefits of sorcery to everyone. Several of the powerful magical elite may want the man dead, but the prime suspect is wealthy industrialist Maximilian Kite.

Max soon makes Vesper a tempting Find the culprit and restore his reputation in exchange for a substantial fee. Despite her distaste for Max’s world, Vesper agrees—the money would save the Globe, and the story would be the scoop of a lifetime. There’s only one In order for her to infiltrate society, the two must pose as a courting couple.

Their investigation takes them from the highest echelons of privilege to the seediest backstreets of Basalton. As they unearth the city’s secrets and scandals, Vesper finds herself in grave danger—while falling for one of the most infuriating, arrogant, handsome men she has ever met . . .

Content Warning: death, violence

+ The narrator did a good job keeping me engaged in this story.

+ Set in the Gilded Age, Vesper is an investigative reporter for The Basalton Globe and she is caught in a murder mystery. A wealthy sorcerer, Maxmilian needs his name cleared so he hires Vesper to figure out who killed the inventor that Max was working with. If Vesper helps, she gets enough money to save the newspaper that is her whole life.

+ I thought Vesper was a very determined reporter and Max, her wealthy partner in crime made them an interesting pair. She opened his eyes to the world of people struggling and she got a taste of the way the upper crust in society was living. Which is why I think their sweet, slow romance was really cute. This is young adult and stays that way, there is no steam or spice in this one which was nice.

+~ If you like murder mysteries, you will love this one. Mystery always move a little too slow for my taste but I do love this author’s work and the narrator kept me engaged! So though it was slow, I admired how invested Vesper was into her investigation – it’s what makes her a good and dedicated reporter. I also like the magic element in the story.

Final Thoughts:

The narrator did a great job keeping me engaged in this story. Vesper is a smart and determined FMC, and Max was a charming partner, and there is a sweet little young adult romance between them. If you like a murder mystery and want to try one set in the Gilded Age and has magic, you might like this one.

Read if you like:

Gilded Age – historical fantasy
young adult fantasy
murder mystery

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

I, Medusa by. Ayana Gray | Book Review – 4.5 ⭐️/1 🌶️

Beasts of Prey by. Ayana Gray | Book Review – 4 ⭐️

Nest of Tongues by. Randy Ribay | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Nest of Tongues

Author: Randy Ribay

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 8/11/26

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Vampires, Filipino Mythology/Folklore

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Random House Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A lyrical, evocative horror about vampires from the Philippines . . . and a hunter on their tail. A brother and sister fight to protect their secrets, their community, and most of all, each other, in this evocative novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Patron Saints of Nothing.

As Filipino vampires known as manananggal, Lily and her brother Caleb understand the value of a secret. After all, to hide is to survive. To lie is to live. They’d never harm another person—but people only believe their worst fears around creatures of myth. So the siblings stay quiet. They follow their community’s rules.

Until a monster hunter turns up and kills a fellow manananggal, anyway.

Until Caleb is marked as the hunter’s next prey.

Suddenly, he and Lily realize there’s always been more at stake than the lives of their people. Because when doing everything “right” is still a death sentence, what can they take as truth? As the hunter nears, the siblings must decide if they’ll be driven from the only home they’ve ever known . . . or fight to protect a community that may already be lost.

Content Warning: violence, death

+ I was ecstatic to get my hands on this arc because I read one book from this author and loved it. Plus this one was about the manananggal (I’m Ilocano so all I ever knew them as was the Aswang). So the fact that all these scary Filipino mythology and folklore monsters was being feature in a book was exciting to me! I loved learning all about the different creatures and monsters I didn’t know about and was delighted when I read something familiar like the white lady apparition that seems to be common in Filipino ghost stories.

+~ I love that the manananggal was the good guys in this book. I like how it explores the theme of good and evil. I mean there are always two sides to a story right? So most of the story is a mystery about who this bayani could be that is killing the manananggals and it’s a race to stop them before it kills Caleb. And Lily is not about to let that happen. Also, I loved their Lola (grandmother) she made me laugh a few times, and there were times I wished Lily treated her with a little more respect, but I get it – families are complicated, which is explored in the story as well.

+~ Mysteries always feel a little bit slow to me, so there were times I wish it moved faster. There is action, mostly in the second half, and secrets that are revealed in the end. Mostly, I just enjoyed being immersed in the Filipino-American culture that was featured in the book, especially the family and community elements.

+~ This is a young adult book and yes Lily and Caleb, are very young adult in the way they act and speak. These kids curse a lot, which is realistic, but it was a lot more than I was expecting and a bit too much for me at times. But I did enjoy how close they were as siblings, they looked out for one another. Lily was a protective big sister and would do anything to keep Caleb safe.

Final Thoughts:

I’m very excited to see a story based on Filipino mythology and folklore since that’s what I grew up with. Some of the creatures in the book were monsters my parents used to tell me about so I felt seen by that. I’m glad more people will get to learn something about these stories and creatures from this book. I enjoyed the sibling bond, family and community elements that are themes in the book, even if some of these family connections were complicated. There was a little more cursing than I would have liked in a young adult book, but I do think the teens were portrayed very well. I did like the second half of the story more because it had more action and secret reveals. Overall, I think this is a young adult book that people can learn from and also enjoy if they are into vampires, mystery and mythology.

Read if you like:

Filipino mythology/folklore
sibling bond, family
young adult mystery

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Book Review | Patron Saints of Nothing – 5 stars

The Killing Rules by. Bree Despain | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Killing Rules

Author: Bree Despain

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 416

Publication Date: 8/4/26

Publisher: Entangled: Mayhem Books

Categories: Young Adult, Horror, Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Paranormal, Romance

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Entangled: Mayhem Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Seventeen-year-old Harper Westbrook isn’t afraid of monsters…she is one.

For the past three years, she’s been one of the Blood Bound―girls and women cursed with a bloodlust only satisfied by killing terrible men. Once every three months, she trades in her pom-poms for a lethal throwing axe. Her life is led by a strict set of rules to keep her dark secret as hidden as the bodies she buries.

And her number one rule? Stay away from Grayson Jones.

The boy she was totally falling for until the night her curse manifested, everything went horribly wrong, and she killed his father. It was self-defense. Or at least that’s what she keeps telling herself.

Grayson is an investigative reporter for their school paper, and he’ll stop at nothing to find the truth behind his father’s gruesome death.

As he follows new clues down darker and darker paths―to an unbelievable world of mythical beasts and the men who hunt them―Grayson doesn’t realize he’s on a collision course with Harper’s biggest secrets. Now, she must stop him before he exposes her family to the Hunters, even if it means risking her life and heart.

Because who could ever love a monster like her?

Content Warning: violence, death, injuries, gore, murder

The Killing Rules is about a popular cheerleader named Harper who has a very dark and gruesome secret. She’s a monster, a blood beast. She kills bad men.

This story is a little bit gory, there is a murder mystery and but there is even a romance. I think the first half builds a bit slowly because of the mystery of Grayson’s dad being murdered and other murders that are occurring in town. Harper is living a double life as the popular girl and a killer, plus if her ex-friend/crush Grayson knew her secret he would look at her differently – it’s why she pushed him away when his dad was killed. Everything picks up in the second half where there are a few twists, like Harper isn’t the only one going around killing people – so who is it? Also we learn about blood beasts and hunters!

I liked Harper, she couldn’t control what she was and I kind of love that the monster in her only killed bad people. This story kinda gave me vibes and energy of the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Final Thoughts:

This had mystery, action, gore and romance. I liked how it explored friendship, family, and feminine rage. I also enjoyed the second half with the twist and turns. Definitely check this out if you like YA thrillers!

Read if you like:

young adult thrillers
horror, gore

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Gingerbread Bones by. Lindsay Lovise | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Gingerbread Bones

Author: Lindsay Lovise

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 8/4/26

Publisher: Entangled: Mayhem Books

Categories: Young Adult, Horror, Survival, Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Paranormal

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Entangled: Mayhem Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

They’re being hunted…

When sixteen-year-old Georgie and her troublemaking brother are shipped off to the wilderness for their stepmother’s newest reality show, Georgie is convinced it’ll be the worst experience of her life. Two weeks. No phones. Hiking. Camping. Cameras catching every humiliating second.

Then she meets Mack Gray. Tattooed, unreadable, and―among a cast of kids already branded as trouble―he’s the one she’s sure is dangerous.

One night, the counselors are chanting affirmations around the fire. By morning, they’re gone.

But the kids are not alone.

Georgie can feel it, stalking them from the shadows―watching, waiting, picking them off one by one. Whatever it is, it isn’t just hunting.

It’s playing.

And in this game, there seems to be only one ending: no one gets out alive.

Content Warning: violence, death, injuries, mention of murder and different crimes, gore

Gingerbread Bones is a young adult horror that definitely brought on the thrills and chills. It starts off a little slow with the world building – a group of delinquent teens are sent to the wilderness to be filmed for a reality show. The messed up part is the person who sent Georgie and Hamish (siblings) is their own step-mother who is some popular parenting influencer. That’s already messed up but things get worse and then the story really picks up.

The group is split up and then they realize someone or something is hunting them in these dark woods. There is a Hansel and Gretel twist to the story and it does not shy away from paranormal activity and horror. But even with those elements I found this to be a fun read because of the characters! Yes, they are teenagers and act like it but I didn’t find it annoying, I found it entertaining. They are all there for some petty and/or big crimes they have committed or their parents just want them to learn a lesson, but when they are put together there are some crazy interactions, some of them making me laugh out loud because they are all kind of losing it (I don’t blame them). Things get crazier when we realize what is hunting them and the ending is wild and climactic, exactly what I wanted from a young adult thriller.

I liked that this had a combination of mystery, thriller, suspense, even a tiny bit of romance, plus a close bond between two siblings. I enjoyed this one despite the slow start and this one has supernatural/paranormal elements so just go with it and try to suspend your belief.

Final Thoughts:

This one gave me some thrills and chills with the setting and the situation that the kids are put in. I enjoyed the drama between the characters and the wild ending was entertaining. It had a slow start but it does pick up nicely. This is a good one to read for fall when you are in a spooky book kind of mood!

Read if you like:

Hansel and Gretel
horror, gore
young adult thrillers

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Our Wicked Gifts by. Kathryn Foxfield | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Our Wicked Gifts

Author: Kathryn Foxfield

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 422

Publication Date: 7/7/26

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Romance, Fantasy

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Random House Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The daughter of a sinister magical family who made a deal with the devil must stop the man killing them off, one by one, in this deliciously dark fantasy thriller that’s House of Hollow meets Succession, laced with a kiss-or-kill romance.

Cicely is the black sheep daughter of the powerful Winter family, who made a deal with the devil in exchange for riches and ruthless magic. Soren is the boy her family banished to the underworld. Their fates intertwine when Cicely’s loathsome Uncle Dorian winds up dead at a masquerade ball.

Once overlooked for her lowly gift of discovering secrets, Cicely is now her family’s only chance at survival, tasked with finding the killer before he takes out every last Winter. With time running out, Cicely narrows her sights on Soren, who she suspects is back for vengeance.

Yet the more Cicely investigates Soren–and gets to know him–the more she begins to question how much family loyalty is worth. After all, when it comes to being a Winter, one can have love or power, but rarely both…

Content Warning: violence, death

World Building: The story is set in a contemporary world but with some fantasy because of the magic and deal with the devil the Winter Family has made. There is also a place called the Ruin which is where their magic comes from or something to that effect and I likened it to hell or the underworld. The Winters are wealthy and powerful and they are trying to hold onto that power, no matter the cost.

Characters: I love the complicated characters in the Winter Family. Told through Cecily, we see every aspect of her flawed family. Her mother who is like the queen of their family, her siblings who are more favored in their mother’s eyes. Her uncle Dorian and his family add to the dysfunction as well – and all of them have some kind of magical power because of the deal with the devil their ancestor made. Then there is Soren, a boy that the family killed to keep a secret, but he isn’t quite dead yet and has come back to cause havoc to the Winter family. Cecily herself is someone who loves her family, wants badly for her mom to love her as much as she loves her siblings, but also realizes how wrong her family is for wielding their power the way they do – yet Cecily will do the same if need be. It made for a lot of drama – fun drama though!

Romance: Cecily is the only one who can go into the Ruin and come back out, so it’s not a surprise that the boy she is falling for is dead and part of the Ruin. Soren wants revenge on her family, and Cecily knows her family isn’t good and she’s trying to uncover all the secrets but there are some hard choices that have to be made where Soren is concerned. I feel like the ending left it open for a book two and I hope there is one so I can see if Cecily and Soren’s romance progresses.

Story: I was very into this story. The Winters are trying to stay the top dog but lately it hasn’t been easy with so many scandals brewing. Most of them are not good people, and when their power starts to crack and someone starts murdering members of the family, it leads to a search for who is trying to kill them. I enjoyed the different magic each family member had, I thought it was unique. I enjoyed the complicated relationship between all of them, how they kind of despise one another but it’s family over everything and everyone. I liked the mystery and the suspense! There were some moments in the middle where it slowed down a little but it does pick up again. There are a few twists and the ending feels like it’s setting up for a book two, which I hope is the case.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was a fun young adult story with magic, so much family secrets and drama, a murder mystery and even a little romance. I hope there is a book two!

Read if you like:

rich family drama
magic

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Shadow Reaper by. Lynette Noni | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Shadow Reaper (#1)

Author: Lynette Noni

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 496

Publication Date: 6/16/26

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Magic, Series

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Knopf Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Never bargain with a reaper.

The city of Aravell is in peril, plagued by a deadly blackmist that kills all it touches and reapers who roam the streets, stealing magic from innocent children in their thirst for power. Seventeen-year-old Viridia Solace has trained for years to hunt these reapers, but their ranks keep growing, led by the man who murdered her parents: the notorious Reaper Priest.

When the Priest’s most loyal follower, Reeve Ashton, is captured, he offers Viri a chance to avenge her parents . . . for a price. She knows better than to bargain with a reaper, let alone this reaper, but his offer is too good to resist.

Soon she’s breaking him out of prison, colluding with his crew of magic thieves, and following him deep into the blackmist forest in search of an ancient legend, all so they can stop the Reaper Priest’s plot to doom the city. Viri is staking her life on Reeve’s plan, but how can she trust a silver-tongued criminal to keep his word? And how can she trust her own heart when a buried secret could shatter everything?

Full of relentless twists, enemies-to-lovers romance, found family, and high stakes action, Shadow Reaper is the start of a breathtaking new duology from international bestselling author Lynette Noni.

Content Warning: violence, death

World Building: This story is set in a city where there is a blackmist that can kill and reapers kidnapping children to siphon magic from them. Hunters like Viri hunt down Reapers, but now she’s onto trying to bring down a bigger player, the Reaper Priest, and there is one reaper who can lead her to him – Reeve, her childhood friend and brother’s best friend. It seems like by the end of this book though, the world will open up in book two to where the reapers live. There is magic but would have liked to learn more about it.

Characters: Viri is a renowned hunter, and she’s hunting down the Reaper Priest with Reeve’s help. I did enjoy their interactions a lot! There are a lot of secondary characters I enjoyed like Viri’s best-friend Wynter, who is like a mad scientist/alchemist – she was fun. And one of Reeve’s friend’s Jonas and his bunny. I did like meeting all these characters and the found family between them.

Romance: There is a romance brewing between Viri and Reeve but it’s not at the forefront of this story. It’s very much in the background with a some moments of them bantering, I just wanted more though. Not sure what will happen to them in book two though.

Story: The first half felt like it dragged, including the chapters with the journal from the celestial mage – it would kind of take me out of the story, though it’s very important to the history of the magic and certain events in this story. I’m not sure why it didn’t interest me. So the pacing for me was off. Things pick up a lot in the second half and there are some secrets and betrayals.

Vibes: Hunters, Reapers, Magic, Betrayal

Final Thoughts:

I didn’t connect to this one as much as I wanted to but I did like the world building and the cast of characters when they were all together. I would have liked a little more romance. The first half was definitely a struggle for me to get through because it moved slow but it picks up in the second half. I enjoyed the secrets and betrayals and look forward to seeing what happens in book two.

Read if you like:

magic
secrets and betrayal
found family

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Wandering Wild by. Lynette Noni | ARC Review – 4 stars

The Prison Healer by. Lynette Noni | Book Review (#1) – 4 stars

The Gilded Cage by. Lynette Noni | Book Review (The Prison Healer, #2) – 3.5 stars

The Blood Traitor by. Lynette Noni | Book Review (The Prison Healer, #3) – 4 stars

Their Will Undone by. R.J. Valldeperas | ARC and ALC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Their Will Undone (#1)

Author: R.J. Valldeperas

Format: eBook (NetGalley) and audiobook (netgalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 6/2/26

Publisher: HarperCollins

Categories: Historical Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Series

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to HarperCollins for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

When a maiden is selected to marry the emperor, her journey to the palace will see her fighting both a spark of magical power and her growing feelings for her broody escort in this romantic fantasy duology opener, inspired by a true story from the Inca empire.

In the Amaru Empire, it’s considered an honor to be chosen for the annual harvest. But when guards stole Nina’s brother away, it devastated her family. So, when the guards returned for Nina’s sweet sister, she threw herself into their clutches instead. And Nina has spent every moment since then in the acllahuasi, a gilded cage where women are trained to become servants or wives.

When Kasik, an obedient lieutenant in Amaru’s army, is sent to the acllahuasi to retrieve the emperor’s new wife, it’s only the promise of his own command—and a chance to escape his controlling father—that forces him to accept.

Kasik has no reason to trust Nina, nor she to trust him. But, as they begin their journey, their chemistry is hard to ignore. Also hard to ignore? The tugging sensation of magic in Nina’s chest, awakening more questions than she can possibly answer as she travels with a handsome stranger to her unknown fate.

Content Warning: violence, death, sacrifice

World Building: Set in a fantasy world inspired by Incan culture, I love how lush the world building is with the different words (use the glossary in the back), the customs, religion, mythology and politics.

Characters: Kasik is sent by the emperor (his friend) to retrieve a certain young lady to be his wife. But Kasik isn’t given all the information and when he meets Nina, she is always fighting him. Nina is a young woman who is trying to protect her sister, but she’s taken to be the emperor’s new wife and she feels like she has no choices. She finds out she has powerful magic and later in the story her female rage makes it’s appearance and changes her from someone with no choices to being someone to be feared and deadly. I thought it was fascinating to see what she would do with her powers. There are some other characters that stood out like the empress and the emperor that lended to the political intrigue going on in the later half of the story.

Romance: This is a forbidden romance between Kasik and Nina. She’s retrieved to marry the emperor but on their harrowing journey together, they are attracted to one another. Kasik knows he can’t have her, and Nina knows there is not hope between them, but it doesn’t stop him from yearning for her which I loved. By the second half of the book he will do anything for her. There is no spice, just some really lingereing looks and thoughts about one another. But I still enjoyed it that way since they can’t be together and makes me want to know what will happen in book two.

Story: Kasik is tasked to retrieve Nina and we get to know both of them on this journey. Kasik is loyal to the empire, Nina is trying to save her sister and figure out her deadly magic powers. I feel like Nina’s character goes through a few transformations and it was very interesting to see go from powerless to powerful and what she chooses to do with that power. I enjoyed the world-building a lot though I had to use the glossary to understand some things. And I really enjoyed all the political intrigue that was happening when they are all at the palace.

Narrator: I did have a hard time getting into the ebook because of all the words I had to look up in the glossary but once I started the audiobook I was sucked into the story! The story has dual narrators and they both were great, but at times I felt the male voice sounded softer than the female – her voice was crisp where his sounded just softer.

Final Thoughts:

I found the world-building lush and really loved the political intrigue especially in the second half. The narrators did a great job keeping me invested in the story and it makes me want to read book two to see what happens with Nina and Kasik!

Read if you like:

forbidden romance
political intrigue
Inca inspired world building
magic

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Beckett Effect by. Nashae Jones | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Beckett Effect

Author: Nashae Jones

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 5/5/26

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Simon Pulse for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

There’s no one teenage filmmaker Wren hates more than notorious playboy Beckett Lane. Girls love him because of his famous dad, and Beckett revels in the unearned attention. It seems like everyone is under his spell but Wren—including Wren’s sweet, naive sister Kennedy, who has a huge crush on him.

When Beckett humiliates Kennedy in front of the entire school, Wren swears to bring him down once and for all by teaming up with her BFF Chelsie to make a documentary showing everybody exactly who he really is. They launch an investigation meant to expose him, which includes Wren cozying up to Beckett to get inside information—because she’s the only one in school not susceptible to the Beckett Effect.

Only, as she gets closer to Beckett, Wren wonders if the line between love and hate is as obvious as she thought it was. Could there be more to the school’s biggest playboy than she realized?

Content Warning: divorce

+~ Wren wants to make movies, so she’s always thinking of life in scenes, which made this an interesting but fun story to read. She’s also over protective over her sister Kennedy and despises school heartthrob Beckett Lane (who her sister has a crush on). I loved Wren, but yes there were times she did a little too much when it came to her sister or Beckett and it leads her to some disastrous situations. I think some readers will not Wren as much as I did, she is so stubborn.

+ This story reminded me of my favorite teen rom-coms that dominated the early 2000’s. II kept thinking they should make this into a movie on Netflix because I’d totally watch it for all the shenanigans Wren and her bestie was up to while doing this school project that revolved around Beckett Lane. You already know it’s a bad a idea but Wren was on a revenge kick. And though things blow up in Wren’s face, I loved seeing her trying to fix everything and acknowledge that she was in the wrong. I loved the humor throughout the story and it made for such a quick read.

+ The romance is so cute – Wren hates Beckett, but Becket is a heartthrob for a reason – he’s gorgeous but such a charmer too! I can see why he was so hard to resist. So as much as Wren is using Beckett, he eventually gets under his skin when she learns the real him.

Final Thoughts:

I had a fun time reading this one because it reminded me of early 2000’s teenage rom-coms, and would love to see this made into a movie. Wren is a stubborn FMC who has a lot to learn but the main thing is she does learn in the end. I thought the romance was super cute because Beckett is such a charmer – how could Wren resist? Overall, I enjoyed this one.

Read if you like:

high school drama
humor, banter
sweet dislike to like romance

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Summer of Second Chances by. K.L. Walther | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: The Summer of Second Chances

Author: K.L. Walther

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 5/5/26

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Coming of Age

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Summer of Broken Rules comes another incredible summer romance about holding onto memories, making new ones, learning to let go, and unexpectedly falling in love.

Olivia Lupo feels stuck. All her friends have gone on to their first year of college while she’s still at home with her family. There’s a good reason though, her beloved grandmother, Annie, has dementia, and Olivia can’t bear the thought of being so far from home when Annie needs her the most.

So when her stepmother asks the family to spend three weeks of the summer on Martha’s Vineyard, Olivia plans to say no…until she discovers an old box Annie filled with photos and memories from her own time there. Olivia decides to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps and spend some time on the island that Annie describes as magical.

When she arrives, she meets Connor, a boy from her past who really wants to be a part of her present… and future. Olivia’s never thought about forever with someone until meeting Connor…and it scares her. How can she make plans when all she wants to do is keep close to her grandmother before she’s gone forever? As she recreates the memories Annie made a lifetime ago, she has to decide if she’s finally willing to give someone her heart, just when she needs it the most.

Content Warning: complicated families, grief, dementia

This is my third book from this author and I thought this was a really sweet young adult romance. Olivia Lupo is going through some things – she doesn’t know what to do now that high school is over, she’s on a gap year, spending time with her grandmother Annie who has dementia, and going on vacation with her family to her step-mom’s home.

Vacation in Martha’s Vineyard helps Olivia meet a lot of people, especially in her step-family’s side. There are some fun characters in this story, but there are a lot of them. So sometimes I didn’t know who was who – there are step family and neighbors but the whole community is quaint and wholesome. There are a lot of family themes in these book because Olivia feels out of place, but she also wants to belong. So she has some conflicting feelings about her step-mom. As for her grandma with dementia, she’s afraid to lose her because she’s already lost her mom, and grandpa. This fear of losing people makes her push people away. Also while at Martha’s Vineyard she does some digging into Annie’s past and finds out a few things.

The romance is really sweet because Connor is a good guy and a golden retriever energy kind of guy. He is a manny to the kids for this vacation, and he is so into Olivia. They met long ago at camp but she doesn’t remember him until he jogs her memory a little bit. But their summer vacation forces them to spend some time together and their romance was just right. She has to work with her commitment issues but I like that she’s given time to think about things.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I thought this was a cute romance that has summer vacation vibes, a mystery, and family themes. I think if you like this author’s other books, you will enjoy this one.

Read if you like:

summer beach read
sweet romance
coming of age YA stories

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From this Author:

We’re A Bad Idea, Right? by. K.L. Walther | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Summer of Broken Rules by. K.L. Walther | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Change of Plans by. Sarah Dessen | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Change of Plans

Author: Sarah Dessen

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 5/5/26

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Coming of Age

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Finley has always felt most comfortable in someone else’s shadow. Fortunately, she’s got Colin, her magnetic boyfriend, who sweeps her along for activities, friendships, and future plans. Then she goes on a last-minute trip with her distant mom to a family vacation house that Finley didn’t know existed and is now about to be sold.

Her mom was estranged from her own parents and siblings since leaving home for college, and it’s a novelty for Finley to see her aunts and cousins, and to meet the handful of teens who work at the Egg, her aunt’s diner, and make up a found family of their own—including undeniably handsome guitarist Ben.

Then her relationship with Colin goes into freefall, and Finley’s roadmap for life after high school is gone. She has no choice but to live, for the first time, without plans. The longer Finley stays, the closer she gets to the truth about why her mother stayed away—and why she’s brought Finley here now.

And the closer she grows to new friends at the Egg, the more she starts to fall for charmingly awkward, soulful Ben and to realize how much of herself she’s been missing. By the end of the summer, nothing will be the same—for this community or for Finley herself.

Content Warning: complicated family dynamics

I haven’t read a Sarah Dessen book in so long, and though I feel she still has it when crafting coming of age, young adult books, it took me a little while to get into this one. Is it because I’ve outgrown her books? I don’t think that’s the case, because I read a few young adult books during the year, so I can’t say I’ve outgrown the genre. I think there are so many characters in this story, that it was hard to get invested right away.

Finley’s life is pretty set – she and her boyfriend, Colin will attend the same University and things will be the same. Until things are not and plans change. Her parents are divorced and she was mostly raised by her father, and then he got remarried and had more kids, but Finley’s relationship with her bio mom, is almost non-existent and cold. When their summer plans change and her mom brings her back to where she grew up, Finley starts to see another side of her mom.

I feel like there was too much going on in this story – especially with her mom and her own drama with her sisters. It felt a bit all over the place. I did like seeing Finley making new friends, and getting to know her aunts. There is romance too with a guy in town named Ben, but it never feels like the main event. It truly is a coming of age story as we see Finley learn to accept change and that’s a really good lesson from this story.

Final Thoughts:

It took me awhile to get invested in the story, but things do pick up in the second half and I start to root for Finley and all the changes in her life. I do think there is too much going on and too many characters but overall, I thought the romance was cute and it was nice to see Finley get to know her mom and her side of the family.

Read if you like: