An entertaining, action-packed paranormal tale, angsty romance included.
A new vampire slayer has come to town.
Stella Adams is now 18, which means she’s aged out of Washington state’s foster care system. Abandoned as a newborn, the resourceful young woman has a plan: continue working at the local library, attend community college, and become an ultrasound technician. But then vampires descend on her birthday celebrations and attack her friends. After being saved by handsome green-eyed, honey blond–haired Asher Voss, Stella discovers her familial history: She’s a vampire hunter and a legacy, or a descendant of one of the founders of Veil Haven. Transported via a portal to Veil Haven, where the hunters live, Stella enters Nightguard Academy and begins her studies even as secrets emerge and her feelings for Asher grow. But the white-presenting pair’s past traumas complicate their feelings as they try to surmount obstacles. Stone’s action-packed series opener races along, entertaining readers as Stella adjusts to the surprising revelations about her identity and the intricacies of the vampire hunter world. The tension between Asher and Stella will appeal to romance fans, and the quick pace will keep pages turning and readers rooting for Stella, an appealing hero who faces mounting emotional upheaval and physical danger. An abrupt ending with loose ends leaves things open for the sequel.
An entertaining, action-packed paranormal tale, angsty romance included. (Paranormal. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2026
ISBN: 9781464275647
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Bloom Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2026
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
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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