Lemons and Lies by Alexis Castellanos: A Review

Valeria Morales is used to being the unexceptional Morales twin. But she didn’t realize that all of her friends were actually Adrian’s friends until he stopped talking to her. She doesn’t regret exposing her brother for trying to steal Ana Maria’s recipes for the family bakery. She just wishes it wasn’t ruining her senior year.

Then Valeria finds out she’s failing math. Eating lunches in the high school bathroom is bad enough, but the prospect of having to repeat senior year while her academically gifted brother and all of her (former) friends graduate is intolerable. After spending so long drifting in Adrian’s shadow, Valeria knows it’s time for drastic action.

Cue Gage Magnussen. Gage is a math whiz and was a lock for valedictorian until a disastrous breakup tanked his grades giving Adrian a chance to get ahead. Gage’s academics are back on track but he isn’t looking for distractions with an extra tutoring assignment. Especially when he also has his parents breathing down his neck to help plan their annual charity auction. With his ex-girlfriend.

Seeing an opportunity, Valeria offers an ideal solution: Gage tutors Valeria and in exchange Valeria will plan the entire auction on her own. While pretending to be his girlfriend so that Gage’s ex will finally leave him alone.

It’s the perfect plan. Except that it raises Valeria’s profile at school and at home much more than she expected. After years of taking up as little space as possible in her family, Valeria isn’t sure how to carve out a larger role in her own life–especially when it comes to admitting that her fake dates with Gage have led to some very scary real feelings in Lemons and Lies (2025) by Alexis Castellanos.

Find it on Bookshop.

Lemons and Lies is a companion novel to Castellano’s previous novel Guava and Grudges (read my review), this time following a new character and set shortly after the events of the first book. The audiobook features Marisa Blake voicing Cuban American Valeria’s first person narration.

While the fake (and perhaps real?) romance takes center stage, both Valeria and Gage also spend the book navigating difficult family dynamics as they both try to break out of the restrictive prescribed roles their parents have created for them. For Valeria this means explaining to her family that she’s much more interested in art than academics and isn’t sure how college fits into that focus. Valeria and Adrian’s feelings about their long-absent mother also come to a head forcing Valeria especially to learn that sometimes chosen families are stronger than any biological ties.

Valeria is a proactive, socially smart protagonist and it’s a pleasure watching her come into her own throughout the novel as she realizes academics aren’t everything. Despite their unlikely start Valeria and Gage quickly find common interests and ways to support each other building a solid friendship between their fake dates.

Lemons and Lies is a fun romance where lies can turn into something much sweeter with a little extra care. Highly recommended.

Possible Pairings: Hot Dutch Daydream by Kristy Boyce, Read-a-Boyfriend by Gloria Chao, Asking For a Friend by Kara HL Chen, Sanskari Sweetheart by Ananya Devarajan, The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo, The Calculation of You and Me by Serena Kaylor, Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee, Nav’s Foolproof Guide to Falling in Love by Jessica Lewis, Never Thought I’d End Up Here by Ann Liang, Build a Girlfriend by Elba Luz, Don’t Date Rosa Santos by Nina Moreno, Just Another Meet Cute by Jenn P. Nguyen, ASAP by Axie Oh, The Christmas Clash by Suzanne Park, The Quince Project by Jessica Parra, Drizzle, Dreams, and Lovestruck Things by Maya Prasad, Class Act by Kelsey Rodkey, Caught in a Bad Fauxmance by Elle Gonzalez Rose, What Happens After Midnight by K. L. Walther

*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*

Undisclosed by Aya de León: A Review

A more condensed version of this review originally appeared in the article “19 YA Series That Are Bursting with Emotion” for School Library Journal:

Fifteen-year-old Amani Kendall has her first assignment as a lead operative in her latest mission. With support from her operative parents, Amani has to get close to Danielle to protect the covert organization known as The Factory and its work to support people of color.

Joining Danielle’s band at an elite music camp, Amani has to stop Danielle from revealing the existence of the agency while processing grief over her father’s death. Something that becomes increasingly difficult as Danielle tries to use her song writing to process her grief and anger.

Amani needs to get Danielle to therapy before The Factory has to force Danielle to go off grid for everyone’s protection in Undisclosed (2025) by Aya de León.

Find it on Bookshop.

Undisclosed is de Leon’s third book about the Factory and its teen operatives. The series starts with Undercover Latina and Untraceable which is a prequel novel explaining how Amani first learned about her parents’ roles within the organization. Amani has help in this installment from her best friend (and the protagonist of book one) Andréa as they navigate spycraft and band dynamics.

Amani is Black, plus size, and confident in her own skin even if she is aware not everyone else is as comfortable with her taking up space. During the band camp she ably navigates rampant racism and fatphobia from industry professionals while completing her assignment. At the same time she faces ethical qualms from befriending Danielle while trying to silence her revelations about the Factory and also content with excessively amorous attentions from a fellow band member–something she isn’t used to receiving and isn’t sure she wants at this stage.

Undisclosed is an action-packed blend of spies and music where friendship is the ultimate weapon in a spy’s toolkit; slow pacing is the only wrong note in this bopping body positive adventure.

Possible Pairings: Stay With My Heart by Tashie Bhuiyan, I’d Tell You I Love You But Then I’d Have to Kill You by Ally Carter, Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu, No Filters and Other Lies by Crystal Maldonado, Ride or Die by Gail-Agnes Musikavanhu, Noteworthy by Riley Redgate, Lies I Live By by Lauren Sabel, Love, Decoded by Jennifer Yen

A Fate So Cold by Amanda Foody and CL Herman: A Review

A more condensed version of this review appeared in an issue of School Library Journal:

Every year Winter tears through the near-perpetual Summer of Alderland for six brutal weeks. It brings chilling cold, monstrous winterghasts, and dangerous storms that can appear anywhere–often with disastrous consequences.

In a modern society driven by magic, the country lives in fear of the next cataclysm where only the strongest Living Wand bound to Summer magic and the next Chosen One will be able to defend the land from Winter’s threats.

With a limited number of wands waiting to be bound to new magicians, competition is always fierce among ambitious students keen to make their marks in Aldrish society and rise beyond the ranks of lowly hedge witches. When Valmordion awakens for the first time in living memory, it marks the approach of the next–and potentially most dangerous–cataclysm and the call for a new Chosen One.

Domenic Barrow–a boy shrouded in tragedy and a bad reputation he wears like a shield–is horrified when he is Chosen. Ellery Caldwell, who turned her own tragic history and raw potential into armor, is a much more likely candidate. Until she creates the first Winter wand in history making the duo an unprecedented Chosen Two. But only time will tell if they’re allies meant to fight th cataclysm together or rivals on opposite sides in a generations-long struggle in A Fate So Cold (2025) by Amanda Foody and C. L. Herman.

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A Fate So Cold is the first book on Foody and Herman’s new duology. Chapters alternate between Ellery and Domenic’s perspectives. Most main characters are cued as white.

Complex protagonists and their mixed feelings about their destinies give lie to the comparatively superficial world building that never fully reconciles the existence of seasonal magic alongside modern technology. The push and pull between the protagonists is similarly uneasy as Domenic and Ellery (and readers) try to figure out how they are both supposed to save Alderland. And if that’s what the prophecy is actually asking of them.

A Fate So Cold is an engaging if sometimes predictable interpretation of the Chosen One archetype and its related tropes.

Possible Pairings: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, Of Flame and Fury by Mikayla Bridge, Draw Down the Moon by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast, The Never Tilting World by Ron Chupeco, Winter, White, and Wicked by Shannon Dittenmore, The Darkening by Sunya Mara, Heir of Storms by Lauryn Hamilton Murray, Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes, A Ruinous Fate by Kylie Smith

You and Me on Repeat by Mary Shyne: A Graphic Novel Review

If Chris O’Brien can share a perfect first kiss with his crush, Andy, he’s sure that he can finally break the time loop that has had him repeating his high school graduation day … well … repeatedly. It makes pefect sense to Chris since Andy is a great girl but she’s been weirdly hesitant about taking their relationship to the next level. Surely, this is the thing to break the loop.

Except Chris keeps fumbling the actual kiss.

Then there’s the fact that Alicia Ochoa has been stuck in this loop for much longer. The nerdy valedictorian is running out of ways to break the monotony of the loop even with chasing fleeting internet fame, dramatic mic drops at graduation, and avoiding all of her baggage with Chris.

Former friends who grew apart when Chris chose the cool crowd and swim team, now Chris and Alicia have to work together if they want to make it through graduation and move onto whatever comes next in You and Me on Repeat (2025) by Mary Shyne.

Find it on Bookshop.

You and Me on Repeat is Shyne’s debut graphic novel. It was a finalist for the 2026 Morris Award. Chris is white and Alicia is latine with additional diversity in the supporting cast. Shyne’s monochrome illustrations make use of color throughout to convey the passage (or lack thereof) of time with flashbacks in blue and different iterations of the time loop going through the rainbow.

Moving through the time loop gives both Chris and Alicia ample space to contemplate their previous friendship, the reasons they grew apart, and what should come next. While Chris is desperate to get out of the time loop as quickly as possible, Alicia is less sure about moving forward with a future mired in responsibilities that include numerous family obligations that haven’t given her much room to think about her individual wants and hopes.

While Chris and Alicia are fully-realized characters, their chemistry as a couple doesn’t always translate well onto the page with both characters lashling out meanly at certain points in the story. Motivations for other secondary characters can feel similarly opaque alongside a frustrating lack of consequences for Mr. Landau–a teacher described in the story as cultivating inappropriate relationships with his students.

Shyne’s impressive artwork makes excellent use of colorwork to convey time and place within a restricted palette. Varied panels and page design create dynamic spreads filled with movement–especially as Chris and the swim team help Alicia craft a viral video during one graduation day. The depiction of adult characters is also somewhat confusing with many seeming much older than their stated ages (Chris’s coach is born in 1988 but looks more like a senior citizen than her actual 37 years assuming the book is set in 2025 when the story is first published).

You and Me on Repeat is a visually stunning time loop story where Shyne’s artwork shines while reminding readers of the value of taking things one day at a time (whether that day is being repeated or not).

Possible Pairings: Dreamover by Dani Diaz, Time and Time Again by Chatham Greenfield, Tripping Over You by Suzana Harcum, A Star Brighter Than the Sun by Kazune Kawahara, Hitomi-Chan is Shy With Strangers by Chorisuke Natsumi, The Kiss Bet by Ingrid Ochoa, The Do-Over by Lynn Painter, See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon, Flip by Ngozi Ukazu, Fall in Love You False Angels by Coco Uzuki

*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*

The Cuffing Game by Lyla Lee: A Review

It is a truth universally acknowledged that when there is a hot person, there is also someone with a crush on them.

Being the girl with a plan has served Mia Yoon well. She got a full scholarship to her dream film school, she has a four year plan for her classes, and she’s ready to produce her first show at Marlon University. Everything is right on track with the added bonus of distracting her from her incredibly frustrating crush on Noah Jang.

Noah Jang loves film school; it was the logical next step after years of creating short form videos for his popular social media channel. He doesn’t understand why the school voted him “most eligible student bachelor” but he knows it’s good for his brand the same way being part of his fraternity is even if Noah doesn’t have much use for all of the campus parties.

In class, Mia and Noah argue back and forth constantly–much to their professor’s dismay. But, even if Mia hates to admit it, with his campus celebrity status Noah might also be the key to getting her show from ideation to actual production. With Noah’s promotion and the support of her friends on the production crew Campus Crush is quickly rebranded as The Cuffing Game and set to film over winter break.

With a tight schedule, themed competitions, and lots of personalities, the show has everything fans love from good reality TV. But as Mia and Noah get closer behind-the-scenes it also has a lot of backstage drama. As Noah’s dates get more romantic and Mia is watching it all unfold behind the camera, will Noah and Mia have a chance at their own happy ending before the final credits roll? in The Cuffing Game (2025) by Lyla Lee.

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Lee’s latest standalone YA novel is an homage to reality TV and film wrapped up in a refreshingly modern remix of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Chapters alternate between Mia and Noah’s perspectives with transcriptions between chapters of footage from the show including cast interviews. Mia is Korean American by way of Texas while Noah is a Korean emigrant with family still residing in South Korea. The supporting cast is realistically and authentically inclusive with characters from a variety of social and ethnic backgrounds as well as across the LGBTQ+ spectrum.

The show-within-the-book adds another layer to the story as readers are able to read Noah and Mia’s reactions to how the show progresses (particularly with Noah and Mia’s roommate Celine who has been crushing on Noah and nominates him for the show) while also seeing how the audience feels about the show in included comments as each episode airs online. This combination leads to social commentary worthy of Austen herself as societal expectations and interpersonal relationships are turned upside down again and again as the show’s “cuffles” change for better or worse throughout the week of production. With both protagonists learning how to be vulnerable and feel their feelings, Mia and Noah have to figure out how to love themselves throughout the novel even as they navigate their changing feelings for each other.

Filled with wintry vibes and snowy landscapes, The Cuffing Game is inherently cozy and always keeps its teen audience in mind. While there is plenty of romance it is grounded in scenarios that are developmentally relevant and authentic to actual teen readers. The resolution of various side plots is also handled gently at every level (Noah’s big confrontation with this novel’s version of Wickham ends with a dance-off that occurs off page).

The Cuffing Game is enthusiastic, cheerful, and so fun on every level. A must read for romance readers and not to be missed by Austenites.

Possible Pairings: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, A Show for Two by Tashie Bhuiyan, Lemons and Lies by Alexis Castellanos, Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao, Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice by Katie Cicatelli-Kuc, 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston, Even if it Breaks Your Heart by Erin Hahn, Everyone Hates Kelsie Miller by Meredith Ireland, Unnecessary Drama by Nina Kenwood, Solving for the Unknown by Loan Le, Make My Wish Come True by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick, I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm by Mariama J. Lockington, The Quantum Weirdness of the Almost-Kiss by Amy Noelle Parks,  Being Mary Bennet by JC Peterson, The Boy You Always Wanted by Michelle Quach, Accomplished: A Georgie Darcy Novel by Amanda Quain, Class Act by Kelsey Rodkey, See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon, Emiko by Chieri Uegaki, Bingsu for Two by Sujin Witherspoon, Alien, Barbie, Cabin in the Woods, The Kardashians, Lamb, Love is Blind, Love Island, Oppenheimer, Roman Holiday, A Star is Born (2018), Selling Sunset, Singin’ in the Rain, Tangled 

*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*

We Could Be Magic by Marissa Meyer, illustrated by Joelle Murray: A Graphic Novel Review

Tabitha Laurie loves the Sommerland theme park with her whole heart. Even though her parents divorced when she was little, Tabi has always been able to look to Winda Sommers’ characters to restore her faith in true love. After seeing the magic of Sommerland firsthand, Tabi’s dream is finally coming true with a coveted summer internship at Sommerland at the end of high school. While the dorms aren’t quite as magical as she’d imagined, Tabi is so ready to do her part to help make magical memories for a new generation of park visitors.

Tabi knows she has everything it takes to be one of Sommerland’s most competitive park jobs as a princess. The only problem is that all of Sommerland’s princesses are thin and Tabi isn’t. Now, instead of meeting guests and participating in the daily performances and parades, Tabi is relegated to the nacho food stand–one of the worst jobs for park interns. She doesn’t even get a cute uniform!

With hard work and perseverance, Tabi is determined to make her dreams of being a princess come true. She just needs to convince park management to look beyond her size with a little help from her friends, a new crush, and her own dose of Sommerland magic in We Could Be Magic (2025) by Marissa Meyer, illusrated by Joelle Murray.

Find it on Bookshop.

We Could Be Magic is Meyer’s first graphic novel and features full-color illustrations by Joelle Murray. The story centers Tabi, a Black girl, and features a supporting cast with a variety of skin tones.

From the first page, Tabi’s enthusiasm and affection for Sommerland is infectious. Her fondness for the park and its characters imbues the story making it easy to believe that Sommerland is real and to easily follow the quick world building to establish the park ecosystem. Meyer has written a story that is inherently kind where, given the full length of the book, everything will work out for Tabi and her friends. Murray’s illustrations are beautifully detailed with an inviting palette of soft colors and intricate line work.

A rocky start with a failed princess audition, placement at the infamous nacho stand, and obnoxious comments about her size from some of the other park interns only strengthens Tabi’s resolve to not just succeed but thrive at Sommerland. An evolving friendship with her initially prickly roommate Kyra and support (and light romance!) with park expert James add additional layers to the story.

We Could Be Magic is a gentle story where dreams can come true with hard work and optimism–and sometimes that can feel just a bit like magic

Possible Pairings: Lifetime Passes by Terry Blas, Claudia Aguirre (Illustrator), Nerdcrush by Alisha Emrich, It Sounded Better in My Head by Nina Kenwood, Mall Goth by Kate Leth, Diana Sousa (colorist), and Robin Crank (lettering), You Belong Here by Sara Phoebe Miller, Morgan Beem (illustrator), Ready or Not by Andi Porretta, Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks, Zoe Rosenthal is Not Lawful Good by Nancy Werlin, Navigating With You by Jeremy Whitley, Casio Ribeiro (Artist), Nikki Fox (Letterer), Micah Myers (Letterer), Love, Decoded by Jennifer Yen

*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*

The Executioners Three by Susan Dennard: A Review

Freddie Gellar didn’t plan to get half the student body of Fortin Prep boarding school arrested. She was simply being responsible when she heard screaming in the woods. Just like any normal person would.

Unfortunately for the Fortin Prep students the police descend on a party rife with underage drinking. Fortunately for Freddie’s school, Berm High this gives them a major edge in the years-long prank war with Fortin Prep.

Deemed a local prank wizard, Freddie is more than willing to take credit for the genius move when it means she has an in with the popular crowd and, dazzingly, with her crush. No one except Freddie’s best friend Divya has to know why she really called the cops as the two girls join the inner circle of Berm High’s prank planners.

While Freddie schemes for ways to best the annoyingly capable Fortin Prep prank captain Theo, it soon becomes clear that something is very wrong in City-on-the-Berme Village Historique. It starts with a dead body in the woods. Then there’s a creepy poem in the town archives and even creepier happenings throughout the town. That isn’t counting Theo’s horrifying taste in boy bands or the way that Freddie might disastrously be falling for the enemy.

As an aspiring detective, Freddie knows it’s her duty to get the bottom of what’s happening in her town–especially before it can interfere with the annual festival her mom has been planning all year–but when things take a supernatural turn Freddie will need all of her expertise from practical experience and from repeated viewings of The X-Files to save the town–and Theo–before it’s too late in The Executioners Three (2025) by Susan Dennard.

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The Executioners Three is a delightfully fun standalone mystery. Set in the 1999 this book is delightfully grounded in the time period with nods to technology and trends of the time. Readers should be ready to choose a boy band to back in the eternal struggle between NSYNC and Backstreet Boys–a war that is almost as timeless and important to the plot as the prank war between the two high schools.

Dennard blends supernatural elements with a contemporary setting to create a genre blender reminiscent of classic shows like Scooby Doo crossed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The idyllic small town setting of City-on-the-Berm even adds a Gilmore Girls sensibility to the entire thing.

Lush descriptions of the forest and town give peak fall vibes as Freddie and City-on-the-Berm move inexorably toward their annual autumn festival and the dangerous resolution of the strange happenings in the town. Although Freddie is the driving force in the investigation she also has a strong ensemble cast behind her notably including her reluctant (and risk averse) sidekick Divya and her rival-turned-ally-turned-love-interest Theo. The very real scares of the murders and strange happenings around town are lightened with the escalating pranks between the schools and, of course, with Freddie’s romance with Theo.

The Executioners Three is a satisfying mystery and so much fun. Come for the pranks and stay for the scares. Highly recommended.

Possible Pairings: In Every Generation by Kendare Blake, Don’t Get Caught by Kurt Dinan, How to Survive a Horror Movie by Scarlett Dunmore, Burden Falls by Kat Ellis, Dead Flip by Sara Farizan, The Lies of Alma Blackwell by Amanda Glaze, Girl Forgotten by April Henry, The Drowning Summer by CL Herman, The Forest Demands its Due by Kosoko Jackson, A Spell to Wake the Dead by Nicole Lesperance, Six of Sorrow by Amanda Linsmeier, The Hex Girls: A Rogue Thorn by Lily Meade, There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins,The Haunting by Natasha Preston, When the Bones Sing by Ginny Myers Sain, Past Perfect by Leila Sales, Small Town Monsters by Diana Rodriguez Wallach, Now Entering Addamsville by Francesca Zappia

*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*

Red as Royal Blood by Elizabeth Hart: A Review

“Nothing is more dangerous than a crown.”

Life as a palace maid is far from glamorous but it’s all Ruby has ever known after being found as a baby and taken in by the royal cook. The work is far from stimulating and often leaves her mind free for reading in her scant free time and playing chess against an unknown opponent in the palace library.

Everything changes when the king dies after a prolonged illness and names Ruby as his heir. No one is more suprised by this change of circumstances than Ruby herself. The king’s widow is horrified. Prince Asher, the reluctant new heir after his older brother’s recent death, is furious. Prince Rowan–Ruby’s most secret friend–is shocked. That isn’t even counting the rest of the royal family or the council.

Ruby barely has time to understand her new role before she finds a shocking missive from the dead king telling Ruby that he was murdered. And Ruby will be next if she can’t find the culprit.

In order to solve the murder Ruby will have to dig up all of the palace’s secrets including the most dangerous one of all: the truth behind her own mysterious past in Red as Royal Blood (2025) by Elizabeth Hart.

Find it on Bookshop.

Red as Royal Blood is Hart’s debut novel. Ruby and most main characters are cued as white. Ruby’s affinity for chess and puzzles imbues her first person narration as she works to make sense of the strange circumstances that have so elevated her station.

Solving the mystery alongside Ruby is entertaining with ample clues to lead readers through the plot without, for the most part, feeling too heavy-handed. The romance with both Rowan and Asher adds tension to the story. Some readers might feel hesitant supporting a love interest who attempts to strangle Ruby in their first meeting after her becoming heir to the throne although the pair’s chemistry otherwise is clearly meant to offset this rocky start. These relationships also give Ruby some much needed allies besides her best friend and fellow maid, Sara.

Red as Royal Blood is a largely satisfying mystery with a resilient heroine and just the right amount of romance and a hint of wish fulfillment as a common maid is elevated to royalty. Recommended.

Possible Pairings: The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Contest of Queens by Jordan H. Bartlett, Dividing Eden by Joelle Charbonneau, The Kindred by Alechia Dow, Rule by Ellen Goodlett, The Lies We Conjure by Sarah Henning, The Shadows Between Us Tricia Levenseller, Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte, Castles in Their Bones by Lauren Sebastian, Midnight Strikes by Zeba Shahnaz

*An advance copy of this title was provided by the publisher for review consideration*