#ya contemporary

[jessread-s]

Thanks to @ireadyabooks for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

✩💌💻Review:

This is the second ya rom-com I have read by Ann Liang and I cannot get enough of her writing! 

“I Hope This Doesn’t Find You” follows Sadie Wen, the perfect student who channels all her frustrations into her email drafts. While some are addressed to her teachers and classmates, most are directed at her infuriating co-captain Julius Gong. When they are accidentally sent out, her carefully crafted reputation begins to crumble. But amidst the chaos, the one boy she is sworn to hate begins to fall for her true self. 

I have never connected with a character as deeply as I connect with Sadie Wen. I felt so seen by her need to be perfect and her people-pleaser tendencies. Julius calls her out for being fake, because she never allows herself to express how she truly feels, and she undergoes so much growth because of it. I loved seeing her begin to prioritize herself towards the end.

Julius and Sadie’s relationship is top tier. The pace of the romance in this book is so deliciously slow with the most satisfying pay-off. Liang takes her time in establishing their decade old rivalry, even going so far to explain its origins and the point system attributed to it. It felt so real and her gradual blurring of the line between loathing and love is so well done. I especially enjoyed reading the contents of Sadie’s emails after Julius committed them to memory because they are what made them both come to the realization that they were meant for each other.

Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph

#i hope this doesn't find you #ann liang #sadie wen #julius gong #academic rivals to lovers #rivals to lovers #ya contemporary #contemporary romance #ya romance #forced proximity #slow burn #booklr #book blog #book blogger #book review #young adult literature #young adult books #young adult #romance books

[therefugeofbooks]

Merry Christmas ✨️

#booklr #books #book photography #dash and lily's book of dares #david levithan #rachel cohn #ya contemporary #ya romance #christmas books #books and food #books and candles #books and christmas #books and coffee #the refuge of books

[halogen2]

It's been a while since I've posted about this (and I have a few new followers, hi!) so here's a reminder that I wrote IF I CAN GIVE YOU THAT - a queer, trans, coming-of-age YA novel that released 2/28 of this year! The audiobook was narrated by the very talented Avi Roque. :)

Goodreads / Amazon / Bookshop / Barnes & Noble

#if i can give you that #young adult novel #young adult fiction #lgbt ya #yalit #yalitedit #trans books #ya fiction #ya contemporary #lgbt fiction #queer fiction #coming of age #my writing #iicgyt #harpercollins #quill tree

[sapphicbookoftheday]

Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick

Today's sapphic book of the day is Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick!

Summary: "A romantic ode to the strength of love and the power of choosing each other, against odds and obstacles, again and again.

What would you do if you forgot the love of your life ever even existed?

Stevie and Nora had a love. A secret, epic, once-in-a-lifetime kind of love. They also had a plan: to leave their small, ultra-conservative town and families behind after graduation and move to California, where they could finally stop hiding that love.

But then Stevie has a terrible fall. And when she comes to, she can remember nothing of the last two years—not California, not coming to terms with her sexuality, not even Nora. Suddenly, Stevie finds herself in a life she doesn’t quite understand, one where she’s estranged from her parents, drifting away from her friends, lying about the hours she works, dating a boy she can’t remember crushing on, and headed towards a future that isn’t at all what her fifteen-year-old self would have envisioned.

And Nora finds herself…forgotten. Can the two beat the odds a second time and find their way back together when 'together' itself is just a lost memory?"

#sapphic #wlw #queer #lgbtqia #lgbtq #lgbt #books #book recs #book recommendations #booklr #ya #ya books #young adult #young adult books #romance #ya romance #contemporary #ya contemporary #forget me not #alyson derrick

[franticvampirereads]

I think I’ve found another favorite book of the year! This is one of the ones that I desperately wish had been around when I was in high school. I’m sitting here crying because this book made me so ridiculously happy that it exists now (and it takes so much for me to cry over a book). It’s lovely to see a fat character like Skye, genuinely loving the body they’re in and for the story to not focus on her losing weight to feel loved or accepted. It made me so, so happy to see her living her best life and standing up not just for herself, but for everyone who’s ever been told they can’t do something because of their size. There were so many lines and quotes that I highlighted in this book because they were things that hit home. I felt so seen and understood by this book. I just want to scream at the top of my lungs that everyone should read I’ll Be The One. It was a fantastic book and I’m giving it a solid five stars. And now I need to go dry my eyes 😭.

Reading Challenge Prompt Fills:

Read Queerly 2023: a queer POC main character

Shop Your Shelves: highlights or tabs, read & recommend

PopSugar 2023: a romance with a fat main character

#I’ll Be The One #booklr #book review #please read this book #books that made me cry #mini book review #books #reading #read #book #bookish #lgbtq+ books #queer books #ya contemporary #bisexual books #bisexual representation #bisexual #contemporary books #kpop books #music books #fat main characters #fat representation #plus size main characters

[annelisreadingroom]

Hello, here is a pretty book to brighten up your week. I love pink books.

#books #booklr #bookblogger #book photography #ya books #yalit #book photo #ya contemporary #beautiful books #sara barnard #pink books #on wednesdays we read pink #a quiet kind of thunder

[wrenaissancewriter]

oh no i've been working on my book again

(snippet under the cut) (also if anyone's interested in a sapphic YA romcom about the fake-dating escapades of the First Daughter of the United States and a struggling fantasy author, or hearing me scream about such a thing, please do let me know! after I left twitter I just... have no idea where to find writers anymore)

(...)

I saunter past a group of suits on my way to the bar, and a couple of them shoot looks in my direction, but it’s a dark-skinned girl in a smart navy dress who actually approaches me as I stick my hand in a glass bowl to fish for a Sprite.

“Miss Mitchell,” she says, with all the politeness of someone shoving a microphone or a knife under your chin.

I set down the green can. “Miss Mitchell is my mom. Please, call me Naomi.” Standard line — works 60% of the time, every time.

“Alright,” she says, taking a bar stool and crossing her legs at the ankle. “I figure you’ve seen your new Instagram post.”

I laugh, drumming my fingers against the can. “I mean, I made it. You’d hope so, wouldn’t you?”

“Fair enough. Fun to see you taking a stance on something.”

“That’s the idea,” I say with a smile. “No more Mini-Mitchell.”

She smirks. “You think Fox News invented that one because half their anchors couldn’t handle the idea that you’re taller than them?”

“They’re convinced it’s all some AI psyop,” I say dryly. “God forbid a woman have beanstalk genetics and a good friend named Jimmy Choo.”

#ya contemporary #writing #wip #writers on tumblr #writeblr #sapphic fiction

[goddessofwisdom18]

All the girlies in my rural fantasy/Ontario gothic novel WIP, Dream Catcher <3

#rory mercado #skyla linderman #teagan lysander-knox #bellamy spieth #akira kato #blair adeniyi #jules boehmer #dream catcher #character line up #character sheet #character design #urban fantasy #ya fantasy art #ya contemporary #artists on tumblr

[shittily-reviews-books]

YA Novels that are Worth your Time

Spoiler warning given before review

The Lies of Locke Lamora 10/10

100%yes. Heist adventure, dark themes, revenge, angst a rollercoaster of emotions. Just a beautiful book.

2. The Secret History 8/10

Honestly don't read for the plot, read for the vibes and the good writing because it transports you until you feel like a 'romantic classics student' that 'no one could ever understand', because they don't 'appreciate the arts'. It's pretty cool.

3. TJ Powar has something to Prove 8/10

Just yes. Realistic Desi portrayal?? War against the concept of a beauty standard???? 200% yes.

4. The Final Gambit 6/10

Ngl kinda disappointed in the whole 'climax' scene that lasted a page. She really took Rick Riordan's advice. BUt the characters are still extremely dramatic so slay.

5. Daughter of the Moon Goddess 7/10

Beautiful writing, sexy male leads, smart female lead. Love.

6. The Theft of Sunlight 10/10!!!

I'm sorry poc female lead who doesn't have any powers but is smart, cunning, courageous and reaps chaos wherever she goes???? Murdering thief that loves her to bits??? YESSSS

7. The Stolen Heir 10/10

Spoiler Ahead for TSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨

This whole book was a villain origin story and I didn't even realise it because I honestly don't consider chaining hot faerie princes in your basement bc they lied to you, as morally wrong.

Spoiler ended!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

8. Chain of Thorns 9/10

Honestly was just there to have each couple (Herondaisy, Jucy, Talastair) smash. I wanted more of them being happy and in love and less of plot. Still really good though.

9. The Kinder Poison 9/10

It's really hard to find fantasy novels in which the lead doesn't have any special powers but is just trying their best to have courage and be kind. I think that's the ultimate superpower so yes, loved this book.

10. Love on the Brain 9/10

Enemies to lovers, smart NASA scientist, and good *smashing* scenes. what else do u need???



#review #book #ya contemporary #ya fiction #cassandra clare #the last hours #chain of thorns #books #bookshelves #bookstagram #book review #the secret history #the final gambit #the stolen heir #holly black

[carlijcorson]

Oh hey, it's my book deal announcement! 🤩🥳🤯

#YA books #YA contemporary #queer YA #sapphic books #2025 debuts #figure skating #womens hockey #pairs skating #queer fiction #lgbt fiction #wlw fiction #sapphic fiction

[curlyhairedbibliophile]

Cover Art | We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds

Family secrets, a swoon-worthy romance, and a slow-burn mystery collide in We Deserve Monuments, a YA debut from Jas Hammonds that explores how racial violence can ripple down through generations.   What’s more important: Knowing the truth or keeping the peace? Seventeen-year-old Avery Anderson is convinced her senior year is ruined when she's uprooted from her life in DC and forced into the hostile home of her terminally ill grandmother, Mama Letty. The tension between Avery’s mom and Mama Letty makes for a frosty arrival and unearths past drama they refuse to talk about. Every time Avery tries to look deeper, she’s turned away, leaving her desperate to learn the secrets that split her family in two. While tempers flare in her avoidant family, Avery finds friendship in unexpected places: in Simone Cole, her captivating next-door neighbor, and Jade Oliver, daughter of the town’s most prominent family—whose mother’s murder remains unsolved. As the three girls grow closer — Avery and Simone’s friendship blossoming into romance — the sharp-edged opinions of their small southern town begin to hint at something insidious underneath. The racist history of Bardell, Georgia is rooted in Avery’s family in ways she can’t even imagine. With Mama Letty's health dwindling every day, Avery must decide if digging for the truth is worth toppling the delicate relationships she's built in Bardell — or if some things are better left buried.

Artwork by Laylie Frazier

Release date | Nov 29, 2022 Goodreads

#we deserve monuments #jas hammonds #laylie frazier #book cover art #book cover reveal #ya fiction #ya contemporary #LGBTQIA+ #lgbt reads #sapphic reads #black authors #bipoc authors #booklr #bookblr

[jessread-s]

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

✩💐💍Review:

I absolutely adore this book! It is like “The Proposal”, but in young adult book form.

“Just Say Yes” follows Jimena Ramos, a seventeen-year-old who had no idea she was undocumented. The quickest way to get her green card is to find an American to marry. Her best candidate: Vitaly, her next-door neighbor and friend. But Vitaly has his own plans for the future. So Jimena tries online dating…only she can’t stop thinking about him.

I appreciate how this book not only focuses on teenage love, but also how difficult it can be for undocumented teens trying to go through the immigration process in the United States.

Within the first chapter, Jemina discovers that she is not a legal citizen. Her resilience and determination to overcome one of the most difficult times in her life is what made me love and admire her character so much. While I cannot relate to her situation personally, I understood her devastation and how badly she wanted to be a normal teenager. I couldn’t help but root for her.

I really loved Jimena and Vitaly’s slow development from neighbors-to-friends-to-lovers. They are so so cute and absolutely perfect for each other! I wish the ending was more drawn out so that I could bask longer in their coupledom because I could not get enough of them.

Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph

#just say yes #goldy moldavsky #jimena ramos #vitaly petrov #marriage of convenience #friends to lovers #ya romance #ya contemporary #contemporary romance #booklr #book blog #book blogger #book review #book rec #bookworm #book recommendations #bookish #young adult literature #young adult books #ya recs #ya lit #ya books

[therefugeofbooks]

Currently reading Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram

#booklr #books #book photography #darius the great is not okay #adib khorram #ya contemporary #queer books #the refuge of books

[brightbeautifulthings]

A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares by Krystal Sutherland

"'Point is, you gotta be scared. Fear protects you. You gotta be scared right down to your bones'--he touched his fingertips to her collarbone--'for bravery to mean anything.' Esther looked over at him. 'What if I die?' 'What if you live?'"

Year Read: 2023

Rating: 4/5

About: Esther's family is cursed. Each member of her family has one great fear that will eventually kill them. For her mother, it's bad luck. For her father, who hasn't left the basement in years, it's open spaces. Her twin brother, Eugene, is so afraid of the dark and the monsters he sees in it, that he white-knuckles it through every night. Esther hasn't identified her phobia yet, but she's compiled a semi-definitive list of worst nightmares and simply avoids them all. If she never knows her fear, then it can't kill her. Then, her childhood crush, Jonah, resurfaces and encourages her to face the fears on her list, one by one, in order to break the curse. Spoilers will be clearly marked. Trigger warnings: death, suicide attempt, suicidal ideation, self-harm/cutting, war, drowning, severe illness, stroke, untreated mental illness, depression, agoraphobia, many many many phobias, including a hideous spider on the inside cover page that I kept thinking was real.

Thoughts: Ever in awe of Sutherland's writing. This is an expert look at a variety of mental illnesses and the way our destructive behaviors can start to look utterly normal from the inside. While the concepts and writing are gorgeous, and I'm in love with the way she describes things, it's very much not for the faint of heart. Beware a lot of triggering content, and triggers aside, it's still a very emotionally heavy novel--as any serious novel about mental illness would have to be. I found myself having to read something lighter alongside it to get through. I'm not sure it's the kind of thing I'll have the heart to return to, but the characters will live on inside my head.

Esther is such a complicated main character, at times broken and brave, quirky and unlikable, insightful and flawed. I've never met another like her, and I doubt I ever will. Jonah is a bit flatter, but we know how I am about love interests. Their relationship has its own complications, and I typically enjoy couples working through their issues over being cute and happy together. I'm in love with Esther's twin brother, Eugene, so fragile that he's constantly described with ghostlike qualities-- I wasn't even positive for much of the book that he was actually there. I also loved the subplot about Death, and that turned out to be one of my favorite parts of the book.

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS. TURN BACK BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE.

There's a very specific bait and switch in this novel that I hate, and that's in promising magical elements that turn out not to exist. It's almost a pet peeve in fiction, so that even while I understand the book had to be written this way, I still lowkey hate that it is. While Esther slowly comes to the realization that the curse isn't real, the reader comes to that conclusion along with her. It's expertly done, and it makes the message that much more powerful, so much so that it's hard to imagine it going another way (despite my love for actual magic). It's so much easier to believe a curse is the root of all our problems, rather than a very real illness that will have to be managed for a lifetime. The middle-end of this novel is just so fucking sad, but it ultimately ends on hopeful notes that healing and connection are possible.

#book review #krystal sutherland #a semi-definitive list of worst nightmares #ya paranormal #ya contemporary #4/5 #rating: 4/5 #2023

[sapphicbookoftheday]

Out of Character by Jenna Miller

Today's sapphic book of the day is Out of Character by Jenna Miller!

Summary: "If you asked seventeen-year-old Cass Williams to describe herself, she’d happily tell you she’s fat, queer, and obsessed with the Tide Wars books. What she won’t tell you—or anyone in her life—is that she’s part of an online Tide Wars roleplay community. Sure, it’s nerdy as hell, but when she’s behind the screen writing scenes as Captain Aresha, she doesn’t have to think about her mother who walked out or how unexpectedly stressful it is dating resident cool girl Taylor Cooper. But secretly retreating to her online life is starting to catch up with Cass. For one, no one in her real life knows her secret roleplay addiction is the reason her grades have taken a big hit. Also? Cass has started catching feelings for Rowan Davies, her internet bestie…and Taylor might be catching on. As Cass’s lies continue to build, so does her anxiety. Roleplaying used to be the one place she could escape to, but this double life and offline-online love triangle have only made things worse. Cass must decide what to do—be honest and risk losing her safe space or keep it a secret and put everything else on the line."

#lesbian #sapphic #queer #lgbtqia #lgbtq #lgbt #books #book recs #book recommendations #booklr #ya #ya books #young adult #young adult books #romance #ya romance #contemporary #ya contemporary #contemporary romance #out of character #jenna miller #wlw

[haileygonzales]

UK sale! £0.99 May 6-12th!

Take Me to Your Nerdy Leader is a coming of age novel about friends, fandom, anime, finding your confidence, and art.

My main character Paige is alloaro!

#aromantic character #aro #aromantic #aro fiction #arospec #ebooks #kindle #aro representation #ya books #ya contemporary #contemporary ya #contemporary fiction #canon aro #canon aromantic #alloaro rep #amazon uk