Twenty-Four Seconds from Now by Jason Reynolds

 

4*

This is a sweet, clean romance about two 17-year-olds in love and on the precipice of losing their virginity to each other two years into their relationship. Reynolds starts the story in the present, and then goes back in time two years (in increments) to when Neon first met Aria at his grandfather’s burial, returning to the present in the last short chapter. It takes place in an unnamed urban setting (presumably DC/MD area, based on the names of the neighborhoods), but it’s nice to read a YA book that isn’t full of inner-city violence and tragedy. Instead, it’s focused on emotions, sage advice, parental support from both of Neon’s parents and Aria’s father, and solid friendships. Due to childhood abuse and the resultant trauma, Aria’s mother is difficult, but there’s no real angst in the story. This is very much character-driven with not much of a plot to speak of, and readers who are not familiar with black colloquial language may struggle a bit to understand some of the dialogue and Neon’s narrative (it’s told from his POV), but the message isn’t muddied. Recommended for libraries that serve teens.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Simon & Schuster BYR through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Learning Curve (Dickson U #1) by Max Monroe

 

4*

Since I expected this first book in the Billionaire Bad Boys next generation series to be as funny, irreverent and sexy as the original, I was surprised at how emotionally heavy it got. This isn’t a criticism, but more of a heads up that the writing duo Max Monroe seems to have taken a turn away from their lighthearted fare (which started with their last book, What I Should’ve Said). Yes, we still get the hijinx from Thatch and Cassie’s older son Ace and frequent appearances from all the billionaires and the Winslow brothers, but there are also some pretty serious topics including physical abuse, alcoholism, sexual harassment, and more.

Finn (much younger half-brother to the Winslow’s) is Ace Kelly’s freshman year roommate. With the same captivating personality, loyalty, and mischievousness as his dad Thatcher, it’s no surprise that they become fast friends. We also get to know Ace’s best friend Julia who is Kline and Georgia Brooks’ daughter (and, with all the hints dropped, probably the FMC in a future friends-to-lovers entry in the series), see Winnie Winslow and Wes Lancaster’s autistic daughter Lexi not give the Dickson U star quarterback, Blake Boden, the time of day (theirs is the next book in the series), and learn more about what became of the Winslow’s deadbeat dad who abandoned them all when they were kids.

Despite a curveball or two, I really enjoyed seeing all of the older generation as parents. Although they’re only 18 when the story opens, both Scottie and Finn had troubling childhoods that forced them to grow up too quickly. This hard fought maturity made it easy to believe that they could have a happily ever after. Highly recommended.

The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood

 

5*

A delightful, heartwarming romance that’s both an homage to the genre featuring plenty of tropes and a ghost story with a liberal serving of magical realism.

After an adolescence full of bullying by her peers (including her former best friend) and neglect and abandonment by both of her parents post-divorce, Delphie (age 27) purposely made her life small, avoiding any relationships (platonic or otherwise) for fear of letting in love which would further harm her. So, when she dies after choking on a hamburger, there’s little she regrets leaving behind. When she is awakened by Merritt, her quirky Afterlife Therapist, she finds herself in a launderette, a version of heaven called Evermore. When a handsome new arrival appears, there’s an instant attraction, but realizing that he’s just sedated not dead, Merritt zaps him back to Earth, leaving Delphie feeling like she’s lost a potential soulmate. Due to a clause in the Evermore Handbook, which hopeless romantic Merritt makes unsanctioned use of to satisfy her craving for a real-time epic love story, she allows Delphine to return home for 10 days to find him and get a kiss so she can stay.

What follows is a series of missed opportunities, zany adventures that pull Delphie far out of her comfort zone, and startling revelations concerning her colleagues and neighbors (especially the grumpy, handsome womanizer Cooper and the elderly, mute Mr. Yoon). Although it’s mostly lighthearted, there are some tearful moments related to grieving the death of a loved one, but it’s ultimately a redemptive story of Delphie’s breaking the chains of the trauma that left her in a joyless, loveless, self-imposed prison. The pacing is perfect, the angst is minimal, the characters are all fully formed, and it’s set in my favorite city, London. I highly recommend this hidden gem, and hope it finds a large readership in the U.S. market. Highly recommend to fans of Ashley Poston, Katherine Center, and Sarah Ready.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Berkley through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Better Hate Than Never by Chloe Liese

 

5*


In this 2nd book of the Wilmot Sisters series, Liese gives her readers a delightful, modern interpretation of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. Christopher Petruchio suffers from chronic migraines and anxiety and has spent 20 years (since his parents died in a car accident) trying to keep himself from letting anyone else too close for fear of losing more people he loves. His neighbors, the Wilmot family, pretty much adopted him, but it’s Kate Wilmot, six years his junior, who really captured his heart, although he masks his feelings by acting like she’s the bane of his existence practically from the moment she was born.

Kate, the youngest of the three Wilmot sisters, has ADHD and has always felt like she doesn’t quite belong. Her parents have a loving relationship, her older twin sisters have each other, and Christopher is the son they never had. However, her feelings for him have never been brotherly, despite the animosity between them that escalated once they both reached adulthood. She’s convinced that Christopher hates her when all he ever wanted was for her to hate him, to keep her at a distance. Unfortunately, after years roaming the world as a photojournalist, she’s home indefinitely and is being forced to face the feelings she ran away from years before. Is it possible for two people, who have seemingly hated each other and purposely kept their distance, to mend the rift while still protecting their hearts?

Liese, who is neurodivergent herself, is a master at writing feel-good romances featuring characters dealing with chronic illnesses, neurodivergency, or both, proving that they are able to find their happily-ever-afters despite their disabilities. Highly recommended!

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Berkley Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.