It’s time for another mini-review roundup!

As a music lover, I was immediately intrigued by SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW by Maurene Goo, about a K-pop star, an industry I know absolutely nothing about. I loved Lucky’s character right from the beginning—a girl who was passionate about her music career but trying figure out how to regain her love for it within its current confines.

Jack, on the other hand, was both appealing and completely frustrating to me. I thought the fact that he was a tabloid photographer was completely unique. I spent much of the book wanting to reach into the pages to shake him for his intentions toward Lucky, but at the same time, I sort of understood his cynicism. Mostly, I was hoping he’d make the right decisions in the end.

I also really enjoyed traveling around Hong Kong with the characters. It’s not a place I’ve really thought much about visiting, but I’m definitely intrigued now! Also, this was the first Maurene Goo book I’ve read, but I’ll definitely be making her others a priority now.

After reading LISTEN TO YOUR HEART by Kasie West, I’m wondering if I should give podcasts a try. The premise is that Kate Bailey would rather be out on the lake than making connections with people, but when her best friend convinces her to join the school podcasting class, she ends up as the host, doling out advice to anyone who calls in. Further complicating things, her best friend’s crush, Diego, starts calling in, and she finds herself falling for him, both on the phone and in person.

What surprised me about this book is that I wasn’t totally sure where all the relationships were going, even up to the end. There was this niggling thought that maybe Kasie West was going to throw in a big twist. Did she? Well, I’m not going to tell you that! I also liked how working on the podcast caused Kate to consider that there might be other options for her life than she’d always thought—that at least she should explore them. As usual in Kasie West’s books, there was a great supporting family cast.

Although Brigid Kemmerer has had books out in the world for quite a while, the first one I picked up was A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY. I learned about it when I signed with Bloomsbury, and Brigid nicely reached out to me to welcome me as a fellow author. I loved that book, and so when this new YA contemporary came out, I moved it to the top of my TBR list as well.

In CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT, Rob is dealing with the fallout of his father committing fraud and stealing from everyone in town, then attempting suicide. Maegan is facing the consequences of cheating on the SATs and causing 100 kids’ scores to be invalidated, plus issues with her older sister at home. There are so many tough topics being addressed in this story, and I really wasn’t sure how it was all going to play out. There were a lot of gray areas for the characters to navigate through, and they didn’t always make the wisest decisions, but there was so much heartache behind them. I loved how these characters surprised me in ways I didn’t anticipate.

I was intrigued by PAST PERFECT LIFE by Elizabeth Eulberg from the first time I read a description: When Ally Smith applies to college, she discovers she’s not Allison Smith at all but has been missing for 15 years. I really don’t want to give too much away about who took her or who’s looking for her because the cover copy doesn’t say very much more than this. However, what I really love about this book—and what made me think and evaluate—was how conflicted and real Ally’s feelings were about everyone involved. I’d be very curious how a teen approaches this book, because as a mother, it was much more difficult for me to put myself in her shoes than normal.

I read this book in two days. It’s so gripping. In addition to the obviously emotional family dynamics going on, there are fantastic friendships and a sweet romance. Definitely pick this one up!

Royalty plus a European setting? PRINCE IN DISGUISE by Stephanie Kate Strohm already ticked off two of my favorite things in a book before I even started reading. It’s about Dylan, the younger sister of former Miss Mississippi Dusty, who fell in love with a “Prince in Disguise” on reality TV, and now they’re going to Scotland for her Christmas Eve wedding.

Here are five things I loved about the book:
1. The castle – I am so there for anything set in a castle, particularly if there are secret passages.
2. The Disney references – I love all things Disney, so the frequent nods to Disney movies and characters just made me smile, especially the scene involving Frozen.
3. Kit and Heaven – NOT a couple but the best friends of the groom and Dylan, respectively, these two are fun characters both individually and when they interact with each other.
4. The literary references – Not only is the book full of Disney references, the love interest, Jamie, is constantly quoting classic poets and writers. Be still my heart!
5. Jamie – He is so sweet! He quotes poetry and rides horses and maybe is a little too good to be true, but is just what Dylan needs.

Let me know if you’ve read any of these books or have suggestions based on them. I always love to discuss!