Throwback Book Review - 10 Blind Dates

 📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

10 Blind Dates

by Ashley Elston

When Sophie walks in on her boyfriend Griffin discussing breaking up with her, she is heartbroken. Thankfully she has a built-in escape as she is spending the holidays at her grandparents’ house. To help Sophie’s broken heart, her Nonna thinks Sophie should go on some dates. Ten dates, to be exact, with the guy and activity selected by one of the members of her large family. Some she won’t have to worry about, such as her cousin Sara’s and her other cousin Olivia’s pick. In contrast, her evil cousin Jo’s and crazy Aunt Patrice’s are unknowns. Then Griffin pops up, asking for forgiveness so it should be simple, but reconnecting with the boy next door throughout the process makes it complicated.

It doesn’t have to be the holidays to enjoy this fun and entertaining read. Some parts of the story are corny but easy to forgive. While Sophie’s dates play a significant role in the story, it is also about her growth over her time there and reconnecting with her large family. Readers will enjoy finding out who her dates are, what the activity is, and just how it goes.

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Book Review - Last Chance Books

  📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

Last Chance Books

by Kelsey Rodkey

Books & Moore has been in Madeline Moore’s family for generations, and she has dreams of taking it over from her aunt. When Prologue, a chain bookstore, opens up across the street, the fate of Books & Moore is put in jeopardy. It also doesn’t help that Madeline is also dealing with family drama. Then there’s Jasper Hamada, the cute customer who turns out to be the son of the family who owns Prologue. The two find themselves in a prank war that turns out to be less harmless than they thought.

Told entirely from Madeline’s point of view, this is a fun story with lots of drama. Madeline herself can be a tad annoying at times, but she often comes from a good place. While it takes place in the summer after Madeline’s senior year of high school, it doesn’t feel like a typical summer story. The dynamic between Madeline and Jasper is excellent, and readers will enjoy following them throughout the book.

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Book Review - A Taste for Love

  📖Recommend for Grades 8 and up📖

A Taste for Love

by Jennifer Yen

Liza Yang is used to her mother’s match-making schemes, but this one is like no other. Like her mother, Liza has a passion for baking and hopes to enter the baking contest she holds every summer. Afraid of bias, Liza’s mother allows her to be a judge instead. When Liza arrives on the first day, she discovers that all of the contestants aren’t all talented bakers like they were in the past. This year, all contestants are Asian-boys who Mrs. Wong thinks are suitable matches for her daughter.

Sorry to say this is yet another book that will have you craving yummy treats. Besides that, this is a fantastic read with a fun character. While primarily a romantic comedy, this book does tackle family and parental expectations. There is also a bit of mystery thrown in as it appears somebody is trying to sabotage the contest. This book truly is a great story filled with a fantastic cast of characters that won’t disappoint.

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Book Review - Be Dazzled

 📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

Be Dazzled

by Ryan La Sala

Raphael “Raffy” Odom loves cosplay and views each new costume he creates as a work of art. Even if his mother disagrees, he is willing to do whatever it takes to win Boston’s Controverse Champion-ship of Cosplay with his best friend, Mae. His partner was supposed to be his once-boyfriend Luca, but he broke Raffy’s heart, and now they are competing against each other. When things start to unravel, Raffy may have nobody but Luca to turn to for help.

Alternating between the weekend of the convention and the months leading up to Raffy and Luca’s break-up, this book is a must-read. The characters are likable, and those that aren’t are ones you will love to hate. There are many references to anime and fandoms, but one’s lack of knowledge of them won’t take away from the story. At times the book slips into too much crafting detail, but the boring part can be easily overlooked. Heavy topics are balanced with fun and humor, and ultimately a great message.

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Book Review - Happily Ever Afters

 📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

Happily Ever Afters

by Elise Bryant

Tessa Johnson has only ever seen herself as the leading lady in the stories she writes. Stories she only shares with her best friend, Caroline. After moving to a new town, Tess is accepted into a prestigious Creative Art School. She is finally ready to share her stories with others, except Tessa has been met with major writer’s block. Luckily Caroline has a plan, get Tessa’s crush Nico, who also happens to look like the love interest in Tessa’s story, to fall in love with her for inspiration. As the plan goes on, and it looks like Tessa may be getting what she wants. She also finds that she may be losing things, such as her sweet new neighbor Sam.

Tessa’s story is a sweet and fun read. Readers will have fun choosing sides if they want Tessa to end up with Nico or Sam. This book may be a love story, but it also deals with many other factors, including family and friendship. Tessa’s older brother Miles has disabilities, which is a significant aspect of her life, and affects her relationship with her parents. A wonderful part of this book is that it features a diverse cast of characters. Racism and Ableism do exist in this book, but they do not control the narrative. Oh, and just a side warning, Sam is a baker, so be prepared to be craving the yummy treats he makes throughout the book.

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Book Review - Rent a Boyfriend

  📖Recommend for Grades 8 and up📖

Rent a Boyfriend

by Gloria Chao

Hoping to get out of accepting a proposal from the wealthy (and slimy) Hongbo, a young bachelor in their tight-knit Asian American community, Chloe Wang hires a fake boyfriend. Rent for Your' Rents, specializes in matching female members of the Asian community with boyfriends their parents would approve. The relationships are pretend and often just temporary. Chloe hires Drew, or Andrew, when working, to come home with her for Thanksgiving. Things go well, and the pair end up talking after the gig is over, and Chloe hires him for other holidays. As the two get to know each other, they begin to fall for each other. Unfortunately, Drew doesn't know if Chloe is falling for Drew or Andrew.

Told through both Chloe and Drew's perspectives, this is a fun romantic comedy for those who enjoy the genre. Chloe and Drew's dynamic is enjoyable. The dynamic between Chloe and her parents is realistic and relatable. The book is based on a premise that actually occurs in Asia but is a fictionalized version taking place in the United States.

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Book Review - Today Tonight Tomorrow

 📖Recommend for Grades 8 and up📖

Today Tonight Tomorrow

by Rachel Lynn Solomon

For all of high school Neil McNair has been Rowan Roth's arch-nemesis, the pair competitors in everything they do. Now, with school over and graduation days away, Rowan has one last chance to beat Neil. Every year the seniors play Howl, a game that is part scavenger hunt and part assassins. Rowan hopes to win, but then she learns a group of classmates, tired of her or Neil also coming on top, are teaming up to take them. Now she realizes her former nemesis may be her biggest alley in this game. As the pair spend Howl together, Rowan learns things about Neil she didn't know and that maybe he isn't bad after all.

This book may occur at the end of the school year, but it is a fun read anytime. Rowan and Neil are both delightful characters, and the dynamic between them was amusing. Some things seem a little unrealistic, but it doesn't take away from the story's fun and enjoyment. This book will make you wish you could go on a community-wide scavenger hunt against your friends and peers. 

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Book Review - Charming as a Verb

   📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

Charming as a Verb

by Ben Philippe

Henri “Halti” Haltiwanger can charm anybody, except for his neighbor and classmate Corinne Troy. After uncovering Halti’s dog walking scheme, Corinne decides to blackmail him into helping her improve her image at school and getting her a better recommendation to her dream school. As the two spend time together, Halti discovers he enjoys hanging out with Corinne and that maybe she may provide a way to help him get into his own dream school.

A fun romantic comedy that starts with a nice dose of blackmail. The story is told from Halti’s point of view. Readers will get insight into what it’s like for him to be a first-generation Haitian-American looking to meet his father’s expectations. While Halti and Corinne are terrific and likable characters, Halti’s friend Ming often steals the scene or makes it better. Readers will love the authenticity of the characters and the ways they can relate to them.

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Book Theme Graphic - Romantic Comedies

 

Book Review - Now That I've Found You

  📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

Now That I’ve Found You

by Kristina Forest

Evie Jones is going to be a big Hollywood star like her grandmother Gigi. That is until her supposed best friend leeks a video that gets Evie fired from an upcoming job and blacklisted. When she gets the chance to present a lifetime achievement award to her grandmother, Evie thinks it could help get her back in the spotlight for good reasons. When her grandmother takes off without sharing where Evie finds herself in a situation with only Milo, the cute musician Gigi helps out, to help her.

This story is a fun and adventurous one taking place mainly over a week with some personal growth thrown in. Evie isn’t the most likable character, but readers will still route for her. Milo, on the other hand, is incredibly likable, and his dynamic with Evie is envy-worthy. The story isn’t neat and pretty, but it is light-hearted. You also don’t have to be knowledgeable of NYC to fall into Evie’s journey around it, searching for Gigi.

One of the aspects of this book that I love is that it’s about a black teen girl just being. Her issues have little to nothing to do with the color of her skin. We need stories like this in addition to ones where race plays a significant role.

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Book Review - 10 Things I Hate About Pinky

📖Recommend for Grades 8 and up📖

10 Things I Hate About Pinky

by Sandhya Menon

Pinky Kumar and Samir Jha, who readers met in There’s Something About Sweetie, are back in their own story in the When Dimple Met Rishi universe.

When it comes to social causes, Pink is a crusader. She also enjoys pushing the buttons of her conservative parents. Samir is somebody Pinky’s parents would love with his carefully scheduled day and dreams of becoming a lawyer. When Samir’s summer internship falls through, he doesn’t know what to do. Then he gets a text from Pinky inviting him to her summer home where she needs him to be her fake boyfriend, as she suddenly finds herself needing to prove something to her parents. Having not always gotten along in the past, and conflicting personalities, they are both in for one exciting summer.

Told in the alternating viewpoints of Pinky and Samir, this is a fun read with amusing characters. This book tackles several topics but not in a messy jumbled way. These topics are Pinky and Samir’s fake relationship, Pinky’s parental issues, a social justice project they find themselves involved in, and the growth of the main characters throughout the story. Fans of the previous books in this series and/or fake dating troupes should not miss this book. If you haven’t read the previous books, it’s okay, as this story stands on its own.

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Book Review - I'll Be The One

📖Recommend for Grades 8 and up📖

I’ll Be The One

by Lyla Lee

For most of her life, Skye Shin has been told she couldn't do certain things because she was fat, with her mother being her harshest critic. Skye's dream is to be a K-Pop star, and she secretly auditions for You're My Shining Star for both singing and dancing. Turns out, auditioning was the easy part. Sky has to deal not just with the other contestants, but a fat-shaming judge, negative media attention, and the fact that her dance partner is famous Henry Cho. Skye isn't about to let anybody get in her way.

An inspiring read for all readers who have ever been told they can't do something. This book may be a romantic comedy to some, but it's got tons of drama too. While the story is about Skye's journey to become a K-Pop star, you don't have to know or like K-Pop to enjoy this. Skye truly is a fantastic character and readers won't be able to help falling in love with her or her journey.

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Book Review - I Love You So Mochi

📖Recommend for Grades 8 and up📖

I Love You So Mochi

by Sarah Kuhn

After getting into a fight with her parents about dropping her advanced fine arts class, inspiring fashion designer Kimi Nakamura jumps at the invitation to visit her estranged grandparents in Kyoto. Her visit gets off to not the best start as meeting her grandparents for the first time is a bit awkward. Luckily, when it comes to having a tour guide around Kyoto, Kimi meets Akira, a cute guy who assists his uncle with his mochi business. Now Kimi is spending her time getting to know her grandparents and exploring her feelings for Akira, all while learning about her Japanese culture.

An adorable, sweet, and fun love story that you’ll be wishing you had some mochi to enjoy while reading. The book explores the relationship between Kimi and Akira, Kimi, and her family (both with her grandparents and her mother back home) and Kimi’s growth in Japan in a way that works well together. The story is also light despite the family drama. It helps that all the characters are very much likable. Some readers may be wishing they had Kimi’s grandparents as grandparents too.

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Book Review - I Wanna Be Where You

📖Recommend for Grades 7 and up📖

I Wanna Be Where You Are

by Kristina Forest

Chloe Pierce wants nothing more than to audition for a ballet conservatory. However, her mom won't allow her to while her mom is away on vacation, Chloe devices a plan to audition anyway, which involves hitting the road to D.C.  When her neighbor Eli asks for him and his dog Geezer to hitch a ride, Chloe hits the first of the speed bumps on her road to audition. With two unwanted guests, butterflies in her stomach, and other obstacles along the way, can Chloe make it to her audition?

Readers looking for a great road trip story can find one here. The story is told through Chloe's point of view, and readers will enjoy hearing her insight. Chloe and Eli are both intriguing and entertaining characters, and the relationship between them is engaging.

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E-book

• 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston
• Also available on Hoopla
• I Love You So Mochi by Sarah Kuhn
• Save the Date by Morgan Matson
• Maybe This Time by Kasie West (Tween Friendly)
• Frankly in Love by David Yoon

Book Review - Of Curses and Kisses

📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

Of Curses and Kisses

by Sandhya Menon

A contemporary spin on Beauty and the Beast, this story tells the tale of Princess Jaya Rao and His Lordship Grey Emerson, who come from feuding families. Years ago, the Emerson family stole a ruby from the Rao's, and Jaya's great-grandmother put a curse on it and the Emersons. After his mother dies in childbirth, Grey's father believes the curse to be real. Grey is then sent away in the mountains at St. Rosetta's International Academy to not have to deal with him. When a photo of Jaya's sister Isha gets leaked to the press, their parents also send them to St. Rosetta's unaware Grey goes there. When Jaya discovers an Emerson, who likely leaked the photo is Isha, attends her new school, she plans to make him fall for her, all to break his heart. Grey can't shake the feeling Jaya is hiding something, and he thinks it has something to do with her ruby rose pendant. As the pair spend time together, they start to question things they thought they knew.
Alternating between both Jaya and Grey's point of view, this is a fun fairytale retelling. Both characters are fun and distinct, and the dynamic between them is enjoyable. Readers will enjoy the similarities to the fairy tale it's based on but often in different takes. Though this is a fairy tale retelling and has the mention of curses, it is not a fantasy novel but does have hints of possible magic.

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Book Review - The Upside of Falling

📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

The Upside of Falling

by Alex Light

When Becca's former best friend teases her for not dating anyone, Becca lies and says she does have a boyfriend. Overhearing this lie, Brett steps in and pretends to be the guy Becca is dating. Having been pressured himself to have a meaningful relationship, he sees this as mutually beneficial. Now the pair are pretending to be a couple. Still, as they start to spend time together to keep up appearances, things get complicated. It doesn't help that both Becca and Brett have family issues going on at the same time. If you are a fan of books involving fake relationships, this isn't the best, but maybe worth a shot. At times the plot seems rushed and flawed, but the story is still at times cute and intriguing. It is, however, a relatively quick read and decent escape. The story alternates between Becca and Brett's point of view, so readers get insight into both characters. Just a warning, this book may cause you to crave cupcakes or other baked goods.

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*Please note that UPL does not currently own a physical copy of this book but you can request it from another library

Book Review - 10 Blind Dates

📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

10 Blind Dates

by Ashley Elston

When Sophie walks in on her boyfriend Griffin discussing breaking up with her, she is heartbroken. Thankfully she has a built-in escape as she is spending the holidays at her grandparents’ house. To help Sophie’s broken heart, her Nonna thinks Sophie should go on some dates. Ten dates, to be exact, with the guy and activity selected by one of the members of her large family. Some she won’t have to worry about, such as her cousin Sara’s and her other cousin Olivia’s pick. In contrast, her evil cousin Jo’s and crazy Aunt Patrice’s are unknowns. Then Griffin pops up, asking for forgiveness so it should be simple, but reconnecting with the boy next door throughout the process makes it complicated.

It doesn’t have to be the holidays to enjoy this fun and entertaining read. Some parts of the story are corny but easy to forgive. While Sophie’s dates play a significant role in the story, it is also about her growth over her time there and reconnecting with her large family. Readers will enjoy finding out who her dates are, what the activity is, and just how it goes.

Library Catalog - E-book - Downloadable Audio

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Book Review - Frankly in Love

📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

Frankly in Love

by David Yoon

It’s an unspoken rule that Frank Li’s parents want him to date only Korean American girls. Which would be fine except Britt is European American, and she is who Frank finds himself flirting with and kissing. Enter Joy, who, like Frank, is Korean American and expected to date another Korean American. Except, Joy’s boyfriend is not Korean American. To appease their respective parents and see who they want, Frank and Joy decide to fake a relationship. Of course, with fake dating, there are always complications.

This book is more than a romance story, but frankly (pun intended) adding the drama Frank has with his family and the struggles of being a senior and applying to college take away the fun of summarizing it. However, it doesn’t take away from the story (well okay, maybe one storyline could have been taken out, in my opinion) and romance drama. Yoon weaves in racism, classism, and other forms of prejudice in a way that tackles the topics wonderfully. The characters are all well written and realistic, with Frank as a terrific narrator telling the whole story.

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Book Review - When Dimple Met Rishi

📖Recommend for Grades 8 and up📖

When Dimple Met Rishi

by Sandhya Menon

            When Rishi introduces himself to Dimple by saying they are going to get married, the result is an iced coffee in his face. Now what Dimple thought was her Indian parents loosening up and allowing her to attend her dream summer program, was actually a plan for her to spend time with the boy they want her to marry. Rishi is good with the arrangement and plans to spend the summer wooing Dimple.

            This book is not a mushy romance but an awesome cultural romantic comedy. Readers will get both Dimple and Rishi’s side of the story and enjoy their different views on the situation they find themselves in.

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