More swashbuckling sisterly fun, with a healthy dose of hope for a brighter tomorrow: siempre juntas.
A year on from the events of Capitana (2025), Ximena Reale is determined to prove her mettle as a pirate.
Much has occurred since readers last met her: She’s sailed the high seas with her sister, Marquesa, pursued—in more ways than one—by one Dante de León. La República de los Piratas has given her this year to prove herself reformed, no longer a cazadora, an instrument of the empire, but a pirate through and through who’s ready to fight for her people. No one, however, is as hard on Ximena as she is on herself; she agonizes over her past mistakes and worries over the fate of her beloved archipelago. Her worry isn’t unfounded: The Empire of Luza is tireless in its pursuit of control, and the secrets discovered in the duology opener were only the tip of this iceberg of deceit. With her second novel, James falls effortlessly back into the 18th-century Latin American–inspired world she created, expanding both the magic and the political intrigue in service of a moving and nail-biting plot. The seeds of romance planted in the earlier book are allowed to bloom deliciously into an earned connection that’s as swoony as it is believable. The author uses time skips to good advantage, sustaining the story’s momentum and providing ample space for imagined interludes.
More swashbuckling sisterly fun, with a healthy dose of hope for a brighter tomorrow: siempre juntas. (maps) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: June 16, 2026
ISBN: 9780063345669
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
A classic rags-to-riches romantic comedy with irresistible chemistry and heart.
A surprise inheritance thrusts a small-town Nebraska teen into Manhattan’s elite society—and the orbit of a boy who’s determined to prove she doesn’t belong.
Julia Lowell’s life changes overnight when the 80-something man they know as Lou leaves his fortune to her family instead of his New York City relatives. Lou, who lived in a fishing cabin, was a regular customer of the Lowells’ small grocery store and became a family friend. To inherit, they must live in his Upper West Side home for at least six months, and Julia and her twin brother must attend Gardenwood Academy, a Gossip Girl–esque private school. Julia struggles to navigate her rude, privileged classmates—like Damion Rutledge. Unbeknownst to her, Lou—whose real name was Remington—was Damion’s beloved great-uncle. When a teacher assigns Damion to be Julia’s math tutor, he seizes the opportunity to search Uncle Remi’s house, which he believes is his by right, for evidence of the Lowells’ deceit. But as suspicion gives way to genuine feelings, Julia and Damion, who are cued white, question their assumptions about one another. Painter delivers her signature blend of banter, slow-burn chemistry, and emotionally grounded characters. Told in the leads’ alternating points of view, the familiar enemies-to-lovers setup is complicated by Damion’s secret and Julia’s past heartbreak. While the story follows a predictable path and resolution, the central relationship feels earned and heartfelt.
A classic rags-to-riches romantic comedy with irresistible chemistry and heart. (soundtrack) (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2026
ISBN: 9798347100217
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 3, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2026
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head.
The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.
Autumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart; their mothers are still best friends. Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like[s] him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. In the summer after graduation, Autumn and Finny reconnect and are finally ready to be more than friends. But on August 8, everything changes, and Autumn has to rely on all her strength to move on. Autumn’s coming-of-age is sensitively chronicled, with a wide range of experiences and events shaping her character. Even secondary characters are well-rounded, with their own histories and motivations.
There’s not much plot here, but readers will relish the opportunity to climb inside Autumn’s head. (Fiction. 14 & up)Pub Date: April 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4022-7782-5
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Feb. 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
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