For die-hard fans of the genre.
Ryan’s passion is her Texas family’s minor league baseball team in this satisfyingly utterly predictable saga of girl-meets-boy (whom she should not fall for but does).
Ryan is focused on running the Buckley Beavers, which used to be a mom-and-pop organization. But since Mom and Dad divorced, she’s shouldering extra responsibilities, including picking up Sawyer Campbell, the No. 1 draft pick, at the airport. He arrives just in time to puke all over Ryan; the meet-cute requirement is met, and all ensuing expectations of the genre follow, including the embarrassing almost-naked moment and being forced to spend time together by clueless adults. Little baseball is in evidence, and the business side of sports is the mechanism for the developing romance as mascots, on-field promotions, chasing of sponsors, advertising, and special events run rampant. Ryan fights for the survival of the team while her mother threatens to sell out her share to heartless corporations. Both Ryan and Sawyer know that a relationship is a bad idea—not to mention against the rules—but the kiss at the end is foretold from the beginning. Ryan and Sawyer are white, and Ryan’s wealthy best friend, Mia, is Latinx. Sawyer’s twin brother has cerebral palsy and seems to stand in as a symbol signaling Sawyer’s goodness rather than being a well-rounded character.
For die-hard fans of the genre. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: July 9, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-62414-764-7
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2019
Seductive if somewhat overdone.
There’s something in the ocean, and it wants blood.
Briar Winters has been haunted all her life—by the drowning death of her twin brother when they were six and by a voice in her head that says she’ll one day join him. It’s almost the end of summer, and soon Briar’s three closest friends—Kai Baisho, Astrid Hoffman, and Finn Adler—will disperse to various colleges, leaving her behind in their hometown of Loch Creek, Massachusetts, where tragedies seem to strike repeatedly. Finn is logical and math-oriented, but he’s nevertheless been researching occult matters that just happen to involve both quantum physics and Loch Creek’s strange happenings. He and Briar are friends, found family, and maybe more? But the day after the summer carnival, Finn vanishes—and only Briar, Kai, and Astrid remember that he ever existed. As Briar’s 19th birthday party approaches, odd events in town, rumors of witches, and her own seemingly pending demise won’t stop her from finding Finn and bringing him back home. Debut author Elizabeth’s narrative is littered with moody purple prose that establishes the melodramatic atmosphere, perhaps inspired by the Edgar Allan Poe poem “The City in the Sea” that’s quoted at the beginning of each of the book’s six sections. The lead-up to the climax will enthrall readers who are willing to wade through a few confusing detours along the way. The leads present white, and both are bisexual.
Seductive if somewhat overdone. (Horror. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2025
ISBN: 9780823459384
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
A strongly plotted romantic comedy with plenty of well-structured, pitch-perfect drama to dig into.
A travel disaster turns into an unexpected adventure in this swoony romantic comedy.
Darcy Milligan is on her way back home to Los Angeles from the Silverspun Music Festival (“the Coachella of Nevada!”). Her phone is dying, and when the bus breaks down, she ends up stranded near the scenic (but desolate and remote) town of Jesse, a couple of hours north of Las Vegas. Enter Russell Henrion, a young man with whom she has a tension-filled, love-at-first-sight moment. He’s an adorable and awkward aspiring musical theater writer who will soon be starting a BFA at the University of Michigan. He also needs to charge his phone. As Darcy and Russell wait for the next morning’s replacement bus, they undertake an emotional journey that’s much more complicated than either of them anticipated. Readers will appreciate how Darcy and Russell’s relationship captures the essence of a dreamy whirlwind romance while addressing the realities of awkward, in-person dating that people who spend so much time online often experience. The quippy dialogue, hilarious jokes, and corny but juicy chemistry will delight those looking for something steamy without explicit on-page sex. Matson has mastered the art of the gradual reveal; she also weaves the transition to college, navigating parental expectations, and explorations of privilege into the story. The main characters read white.
A strongly plotted romantic comedy with plenty of well-structured, pitch-perfect drama to dig into. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: May 7, 2024
ISBN: 9781481499019
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2024
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