Fans will appreciate this fulfilling sequel that centers on a familiar premise.
As the new queen of England, Ivy attempts to repair her life, which has been torn apart by her evil husband.
This follow-up to The Rose Bargain (2025) begins about four months after 18-year-old Ivy Benton’s wedding to Bram. Upon gaining power from their union, he arrested his mother, Queen Mor, and seized control of both the human world and the faeries’ Otherworld. Ivy appears to placate her devious husband while secretly planning to locate and rescue her sister, Lydia, and Prince Emmett De Vere, both of whom she believes to be somewhere in the Otherworld. Soon, her plans take her there, and she’s pitted against Lydia in another competition for King Bram’s hand, this time for the title of queen of the Otherworld, while Emmett observes from the sidelines. While Ivy wonders what’s happened to the sister she no longer recognizes and the boy she first met in a carriage in London, she’ll need to engage in deceptive political maneuvering to survive. Danger lurks both inside and outside the castle walls, and Ivy must draw upon inner strength to save Emmett, Lydia, and herself. The revelation of carefully held secrets creates unexpected and enjoyable plot twists. Smith’s vivid worldbuilding introduces a dreamy faerie kingdom where much is concealed. Although the competition to become queen feels repetitive, this satisfying duology closer answers questions left open by the cliffhanger ending of the first book. Central characters present white.
Fans will appreciate this fulfilling sequel that centers on a familiar premise. (Fantasy. 14-adult)Pub Date: April 14, 2026
ISBN: 9780063372573
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2026
Exactly what the title promises.
A grieving teen’s devotion to romance films might ruin her chances at actual romance.
Liz Buxbaum has always adored rom-coms, not least for helping her still feel close to her screenwriter mother, who died when she was little. Liz hopes that her senior year might turn into a real-life romantic fantasy, as an old crush has moved back to town, cuter and nicer than ever. Surely she can get Michael to ask her to prom. If only Wes, the annoying boy next door, would help her with her scheming! This charming, fluffy concoction manages to pack into one goofy plot every conceivable trope, from fake dating to the makeover to the big misunderstanding. Creative, quirky, daydreaming Liz is just shy of an annoying stereotype, saved by a dry wit and unresolved grief and anger. Wes makes for a delightful bad boy with a good heart, and supporting characters—including a sassy best friend, a perfect popular rival, even a (not really) evil stepmother—all get the opportunity to transcend their roles. The only villain here is Liz’s lovelorn imagination, provoking her into foolish lies that cause actual hurt feelings; but she is sufficiently self-aware to make amends just in time for the most important trope of all: a blissfully happy ending. All characters seem to be White by default.
Exactly what the title promises. (Romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-6762-0
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK TO SCREEN
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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