Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins — 5 stars
Stephanie Perkins’s series is one of my very favorite YA contemporary romances. I reread Lola and the Boy Next Door while I was living in San Francisco (see a fun tour of the places mentioned here) and I was able to appreciate the setting so much more. Perkins captures San Francisco so well and I loved knowing the places she writes about. I also loved being reacquainted with Lola and Cricket’s story. I just adore Lola’s quirkiness and everything about Cricket. They have such a sweet love and I loved watching it unfold again.
Seven Days of You by Cecilia Vinesse — 3.5 stars
Seven Days of You is set in Tokyo, and I felt like I was right there in the busy city, even though I have never been there before. I loved the setting since hardly any YA contemporary books (at least ones I’ve heard of) that take place outside of the United States and Europe. It is an enjoyable contemporary book that spans across seven days as Sophia says goodbye to the only real home she has ever had. Full review here.
Future Threat by Elizabeth Briggs — 4 stars
Future Shock is a fast-paced, time-travel mystery full of twists and turns (review here), and I was excited to see where the sequel, Future Threat, would go after finishing it last year.Future Threat picks up six months after Future Shock ended with Elena, Adam, and Chris dealing with the aftermath of what happened in book one. Time-travel books can be hard to pull off, but Elizabeth Briggs succeeds again with Future Threat. These parallel worlds were interesting and conjured up so many questions. Future Threat was a strong sequel to Future Shock and I look forward to reading the last installment of this thriller time-travel trilogy next year. Full review here.
No Holding Back by Kate Evangelista — 3.5 stars
No Holding Back is a fun follow-up to No Love Allowed (review here). I really loved Caleb’s cousins, Nathan and Natasha, in No Love Allowed, so I was excited to have this book focus on Nathan. Preston and Nathan’s friendship was so supportive and sweet, which made them great as a couple. I really enjoyed the European backdrop. The adventures they had in all these different countries definitely made me a little bit jealous! This made such a fun addition to the story. No Holding Back is another cute, summer read! Full review here.