A rom-com that deftly hits many emotional beats.
An aspiring documentarian finds her new subject in her estranged ex–best friend.
Eighteen-year-old high school senior Saine Sinclair hopes to secure a coveted spot in a documentary pilot program at Temple University. To complete her application, she’ll need to submit a short documentary. When her original subject, a woman competing in the Vice and Virtual video game competition, drops out and the deadline looms, Saine turns in desperation to another competitor, Holden Michaels. Not only is Holden her childhood best friend, but he’s also the ex-boyfriend of her current BFF, Corrine Baker. Saine has done her best to avoid Holden since an awkward spin-the-bottle incident in sixth grade, but now she’ll be filming his every move. The twosome’s journey plays with rom-com tropes as Rodkey explores the messiness of feelings—including growing pains and miscommunication—through flawed characters who don’t always take the easy road. Saine, who is single-minded about filmmaking and not above manipulation if it’ll make for a better movie, has to reckon with the consequences of her actions. Some plot points are clearly foreshadowed, but with a well-developed secondary cast and lots of places for the protagonists to go, the fast-paced story maintains readers’ interest. Main characters are White; there is some diversity in race and sexual orientation in the supporting cast.
A rom-com that deftly hits many emotional beats. (Romance. 13-18)Pub Date: July 5, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-299449-3
Page Count: 368
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: April 12, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2022
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters.
When star hockey player Alec Barczewski’s estranged childhood friend, Dani Collins, moves to town, they end up in a mutually beneficial fake-dating relationship that reignites old feelings.
Following her parents’ divorce, Dani and her mom move in with Dani’s hockey legend grandfather in Southview, Minnesota, where she spent a month every summer as a child and where her friendship with Alec grew. Between visits, the two were pen pals, but they eventually fell out of touch. Despite some tensions over their loss of friendship, the high school seniors reconnect. Desperate to get off Harvard’s waitlist, Dani needs another extracurricular activity, while Alec—whose reputation took a hit when a photo of him holding a bong appeared on social media—is eager to improve his tarnished image for NHL scouts. The pair strike a deal: They’ll fake date, making Alec look like a stable guy whose academically gifted girlfriend is related to hockey royalty, and in exchange, he’ll get Dani a team manager position that will catch the eye of Harvard’s admissions officers. Eventually, complicated feelings about their past, stressful family relationships, and their brewing romance boil over. Romance fans will love the deliciously tension-filled scenes between Alec and Dani, who are believable friends with heavy demands weighing on them. They feel like real teenagers, and readers will enjoy rooting for them as the well-paced story unfolds. Main characters present white.
A compelling romance inhabited by complex and appealing characters. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2025
ISBN: 9781665921268
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
A delightfully autumnal small-town romance buoyed by strong characterization.
Ellis Mitchell has her whole life planned out.
Heading into senior year, Ellis plans to study hard and crush it at the journalism internship her media executive dad got her, paving the way for her acceptance to Columbia University. But then Ellis’ parents announce they’re separating—and that Ellis and her mom will be heading to Bramble Falls to stay with her aunt and cousin. Furious that her careful plans have been upended, Ellis struggles to settle into the small, charming Connecticut town even as everyone around her gears up for the annual Falling Leaves Festival. Ellis runs into Cooper Barnett—her long-ago summer friend from visits to Aunt Naomi and cousin Sloane—who’s grown up to be very handsome. But Cooper isn’t pleased to see Ellis; he’s cold and curt, and she has no idea why. Wilson’s YA debut is chock-full of charm. Readers will swoon at Cooper’s and Ellis’ developing feelings following their frosty reunion and sympathize with Ellis’ difficulties even as Bramble Falls grows on her. She must choose between small-town community ties and big-city ambitions—between what her dad wants for her and what she really wants. Ellis’ relationships with her mom, aunt, and cousin are lovely and aspirational. The depiction of Bramble Falls is evocative, and the book contains enough seasonal delights to satisfy even the most devoted pumpkin spice latte lover. Main characters are cued white.
A delightfully autumnal small-town romance buoyed by strong characterization. (Romance. 13-18)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9781665975209
Page Count: 352
Publisher: McElderry
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
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