Sunkissed by Kasie West — 4.5 stars
Sunkissed is a YA romance perfect for summer! It’s super sweet like all of Kasie West’s other books and also has a focus on family, especially the relationship between two sisters. I loved the summer camp setting + all the music, which gave me Camp Rock vibes!
Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith — 3.5 stars
Windfall is the second Jennifer E. Smith book I’ve read. This book follows what happens after winning the lottery and how it can complicate relationships. I especially loved the focus on philanthropy and random acts of kindness!
Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson — 5 stars
I finally read Since You’ve Been Gone, which has has been in my tbr for ages. I loved reading this book and flew through the audio! It’s fun and full of friendship and adventure. I loved going through the to-do list with Emily and the new friends she makes along the way. Plus, the love interest is super swoony.
The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson — 4 stars
I loved reading The Unexpected Everything. When Andie’s summer plans are completely ruined, she takes the unexpected job of a dog walker—not ideal for her college application but it will do. I loved how Andie was able to embrace this job and how it ended up influencing her future plans. The love interest (Clarke) and his nerdiness were the absolute best. I also really enjoyed watching Andie’s relationship with her dad grow and her fun group of friends.
The Summer of Jordi Perez (and the Best Burger in Los Angeles) by Amy Spalding — 4 stars
The Summer of Jordi Perez (and the Best Burger in Los Angeles) is such a cute and fun read! It’s perfect for summer. The main character, Abby, is bright and bubbly and wears the coolest outfits. The romance between her and Jordi was so sweet, and I loved the unlikely friendship she develops with Jax.
How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love With the Universe by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland — 4.5 stars
How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love With the Universe is such a gorgeous novel. At its heart, it’s a story about finding your self-worth (especially after toxic/abusive family has hurt you)—and it does it in such a beautiful way. The romance is A+, and Moon has the best banter with Santiago, the very grumpy love interest.
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé — 4 stars
I’ve been seeing Ace of Spades all over bookstagram, so I was excited for my audio hold to arrive from the library! I’m glad I didn’t really know a lot going into this book as it helped build the tension, suspense, and dread as the story slowly unravels. Gossip Girl meets Get Out is a very accurate description!
All Eyes on Us by Kit Frick — 4 stars
I loved reading I Killed Zoe Spanos last year, so I knew I needed to dive into Kit Frick’s backlist this year. All Eyes on Us is a great addition to a fall/winter TBR as it takes place in January. I loved watching this mystery unfold through the dual POVs and seeing both characters take charge of their own lives. The suspense had me flying through the book until the final reveal, which I didn’t see right away but ended up making so much sense.
Content Warnings: flashback scenes depicting abusive conversion therapy, homophobia, parental alcoholism, kidnapping, violence
Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian — 4 stars
Stay Sweet was a perfect end of summer read! It’s a sweet story full of friendship, sisterhood, and lots of ice cream. I loved seeing the past through Molly’s diary entires and following Amelia in the present during her last summer before college as she starts to figure out her future. The ice cream stand was a fun setting, and the story was super cute!