Review: Royal Summer

Royal Summer by Kass Morgan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hannah has a great summer planned.  She is spending it in Edinburgh, Scotland, as a summer intern for her favorite author.  She is in the country for less than 48 hours when her employer tells her she is going to Japan with her boyfriend, and Hannah isn’t needed.  Thank goodness Finn, a boy she met the night before, stopped by because he has connections and can get her a summer job at Inveresk Castle.  She finds out on her first day of work that Finn is also known as Finnian … the prince of England.  Are Finn and Hannah destined for a summer fling or something more? 

 

Royal Summer is a stand-alone romance that will be perfect for fans of all things royal.  There are a few scenes that stretch the limit on being racy, but overall, this romance is good for most teen readers.  The story was interesting and exciting, and I enjoyed it even more because I have visited some of these areas in Scotland.  I’m not on the lookout for a new romantic encounter, but if I were… this is what I would want.  Royal Summer is a great teen romance.   

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Review: In the Blood

In the Blood by April Henry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Tessa has lived a good life, but she doesn’t know who her biological parents are. She was left at a fire station as a newborn and adopted soon after. She has just turned 18 and decides to take an at-home DNA test that she anticipates will give her some answers. Although she does find out some things about her mother’s family, no one has spoken to her since the day she ran away, and her father is a complete mystery. Soon after her test results come in, she is contacted by the Portland police because it appears that she is related to the Portland Phantom, a serial killer who has spanned fifteen years. What is Tessa’s origin story? Will the Portland Phantom be caught?

In the Blood is a stand-alone mystery that was an interesting read with the advancements in forensic science and AI. I normally think of Henry’s books starting with a dead girl, and this one was a different format. I enjoyed the different points of view (Tessa, the detective, and the serial killer), and these views give the reader a deeper understanding of the events. In the Blood was a quick read and kept me invested until the end.

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Review: Change of Plans

Change of Plans by Sarah Dessen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Finley is happy with her life.  She has recently graduated from high school and is going to the same college as her boyfriend.  Her summer is upended when her mother takes her on an unexpected trip to the family vacation house she didn’t know about.  Finley is suddenly surrounded by family she’s never met and facing an uncertain future … since her boyfriend dumped her on a video call.  Why has Finley’s mom been estranged from her family?  What will her future hold with this change of plans?

Change of Plans is a realistic fiction story that I would call romance adjacent.  There is love weaved into the story, but the overall plot is not about romance.  Dessen has created a cast of characters that I enjoyed spending time with, and it had a satisfying resolution.  Change of plans is a great read for all YA fans, even if you aren’t a romance fan.  

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Review: Soundtrack: A Novel

Soundtrack: A Novel by Jason Reynolds
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Stuy has left his mother and moved in with his uncle. He had taught himself to play the drums, just like his mom, and while at his uncle’s house, he meets other players and they form a band. They are becoming popular as an underground group, yet the pressure each is faced with is varied and real. When their bassist must hide from the police, they must really go “underground.”

Soundtrack is a realistic mixed medium story. Most is narrative with a lot of poetry and play-type dialogue interspersed. The original story was an audiobook with a full cast performance, and this print version does a wonderful job adapting it to a new format. Fans of Reynolds will not be disappointed with this newest addition to his library.


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Review: Skyshattered

Skyshattered by Julie Kagawa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Remy and Gem may be an unlikely duo, but with the help of Storm and some sky pirates, they may be exactly what the world needs to keep the land from falling into the Maelstrom.  As this group races to find the machine the dwarves were tasked to create, they must also overcome an evil pirate and a True Dragon.  Gem’s powers continue to grow, and she quickly learns what her future throne will require of her.  Will they stop the land from falling and save the world?

Skyshattered is the third book in the Storm Dragons series.  Readers of the first two books will easily fall into the continuation of this story and, with a few strategic nudges … recall pertinent details.  Kagawa wraps up this tale with a satisfactory ending, although most readers will be disappointed that it is a trilogy.  A great read for fans of dragon adventures. 

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Review: A Deadly Inheritance

A Deadly Inheritance by Kelley Armstrong
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Liliana is trying to stay under the radar and survive until her eighteenth birthday.  Her life is turned upside down when her grandparents’ lawyer shows up at the same time as DCFS, and she is whisked away to an elite boarding school.  Westwood Academy is the same school her mother attended before being disowned.  Lili quickly learns that there are secrets and then there are SECRETS about the school, her fellow students, and her parents.  Will Lili discover why her mother left Westwood Academy and her inheritance behind?  What about the suspicious deaths in the school’s history? 

 

A Deadly Inheritance is a stand-alone mystery that is entertaining and enjoyable.  I was afraid it would be too similar to other recent books about rich families taking in an orphan, but I was pleasantly surprised that this one went in a different direction and had me waiting to find out what would happen next.  A Deadly Inheritance will be enjoyed by all fans of young adult mysteries.   

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Review: Two Perfect Lies

Two Perfect Lies by Natalie D. Richards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Clara made a mistake in her freshman year, and the result was she became a social outcast.  When Lily stepped in and offered her friendship, Clara believed that her future wasn’t so bleak.  Clara’s life (and future) took a tragic turn when she discovered Lily’s plan to take revenge on teachers and students … and framed Clara for everything.  Is the plan real?  Can Clara prove her innocence?  Why is Lily doing all of this?

Two Perfect Lies is a stand-alone mystery that made me question if I am too trusting.  As the truth is slowly unraveled, readers will need to come to terms with their own relationships and what they allow others to know about them.  Richards has created a story that is completely plausible with the right people and as the story came together, I was hoping for a slightly different outcome.  A great read for all mystery fans.

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Review: Enola Holmes and the Clanging Coffin

Enola Holmes and the Clanging Coffin by Nancy Springer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While Enola is attending the funeral of her landlady, she discovers (and uncovers) a young lady who was buried alive.  The girl doesn’t remember what has happened to her, but Enola steps in as her protector.  She soon learns that the girl’s enemy is related to a mystery her older brother, Sherlock, is investigating.  Will Enola be able to protect Trevonia from her uncle? 

Enola Holmes and the Clanging Coffin is the tenth book in the Enola Holmes series.  This next chapter in Enola’s life brings in additional details from other Sherlock adventures and will be enjoyed by readers of the series or as a stand-alone story.  Springer has crafted a character that is fun to read about and brings this historical period to life.  I’m not sure if another book is in the works, but if it is, I will be looking for it. 

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Review: Red Star Rebels

Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The United Nations base has an emergency, and everyone evacuates.  Everyone except Hunter and Cleo.  Hunter is rich and entitled … Cleo is snarky and used to living under the radar.  Eventually, they learn that the evacuation was a cover-up for a group that plans to blow up the base.  Neither one wants to die, but they have 8 hours until an imminent explosion.  They don’t want to work together, but they must learn to trust each other if they want to survive. 

Red Star Rebels is a stand-alone science fiction novel with a splash of romance.  Although there is space travel and other sci-fi elements in this story, it is not science-dense and will appeal to a wide reader base.  Kaufman has created two characters that are easy to relate to and a situation that is easy to understand, even if we will not find ourselves on a Mars colony.  A fun sci-fi escape that is also a quick read.

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Review: Love Me Tomorrow

Love Me Tomorrow by Emiko Jean
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Emma has decided that love is not for her, especially after seeing what her parents’ divorce did to them.  She then makes a wish at the festival of Tanabata … proof that love is real.  She doesn’t think her wish will come true, but then she receives a note from the future saying they are the love of her life.  As more notes arrive, Emma must accept that this is not a prank.  The writer tells her not to try to find them, but Emma begins to wonder about every person she meets.  Will Emma find the writer of these letters?  What will Emma discover about love?

Love Me Tomorrow is a stand-alone magical realism book.  The only part of the story that requires a suspension of disbelief is the letters from the future.  Emma learns a lot about herself as well as those closest to her.  Although there is no clear answer at the end, I believe most readers will be satisfied with how everything wraps up.  

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