If your romance-loving heart needs a good dose of swoon, then you’re in luck because 2026 holds many delightful new romance reads for you! Releasing between the months of January and June, you’ll see new releases from Julian Winters, Tessa Bailey, B.K. Borison, Ashley Herring Blake, Meghan Quinn, Falon Ballard, TJ Alexander, Abby Jimenez, Rainbow Rowell, Chloe Liese, Carley Fortune, Eloisa James, Katherine Center, Mazey Eddings, Ashley Poston, and many more, plus spectacular debuts too!

You’ll be sure to find quite a few exciting new reads within this list and be sure to check out our other 2026 round-ups too, including our Most Anticipated, Anticipated YA Books and Anticipated Fantasy and Sci-Fi Books lists!

JANUARY 2026 ROMANCE BOOK RELEASES

Last First Kiss by Julian Winters

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Sparks fly in this second chance m/m rom com when an unlucky-in-love event planner realizes the man-of-honor at the high profile wedding he’s planning is the same man who broke his heart.

Our Ex’s Wedding by Taleen Voskuni

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Two people who can’t stand each other must come together to plan their mutual ex’s wedding in this new romantic comedy by Taleen Voskuni, author of Lavash at First Sight.

Definitely Maybe Not A Detective by Sarah Fox

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In this delightfully charming rom-com mystery, a woman becomes accidentally entangled in a murder investigation (and with a handsome stranger) when her fake detective agency is enlisted to solve a real homicide.

Catch Her If You Can by Tessa Bailey

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#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey is back with an all-new marriage of convenience, friends-to-lovers sports romance about a baseball catcher and the burlesque club owner he can’t get out of his head.

Most Eligible by Isabelle Engel

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Miss Congeniality meets The Bachelor in this action-packed rom-com debut about an investigative journalist who sneaks onto reality TV only to fall for the wrong guy.

We’ve Hit Turbulence by Jessica L. Cozzi

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In this swoony young adult rom-com, things get bumpy when a girl gets stuck on a cross-country flight with her ex—as if flying couldn’t get any worse. . . .

Drive Me Crazy by Lizzy Dent

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Sparks fly when an up-and-coming team principle and her new hot-shot driver—and former childhood crush—are forced to work together to save their careers and team in this deliciously winning Formula 1 romance.

A Killer Kind of Romance by Letizia Lorini

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In this new romance from USA TODAY bestselling author Letizia Lorini, a crime podcast host must solve a chilling serial killer case while navigating an unexpected romance with her mysterious next-door neighbor.

Like In Love With You by Emma R. Alban

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Mean Girls meets Northanger Abbey in this brand new, sapphic, rivals-to-lovers Regency Romance by USA Today bestselling author Emma R. Alban!

Sunk in Love by Heather McBreen

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A second chance at love sets sail when a couple on the verge of divorce pretends they’re still together for one last family trip, from the author of Wedding Dashers.

Enchanting the Fae Queen by Stephanie Burgis

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Stephanie Burgis delivers another irreverent, sparkling, and sexy installment in the Queens of Villainy series, where a seductive fae queen meets her unexpected match in the enemy empire’s valiant general.

For Our Next Song by Jessica James

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The decade-long friendship between two rock goddesses is thrust into the spotlight after their mutual desire strikes a perfect—and very public—chord.

FEBRUARY 2026 ROMANCE BOOK RELEASES

Still Into You by Erin Connor

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Two exes reunite for a make-or-break interview that will either bring them back together … or drive them apart forever.

Game, Set, Match by Jennifer Iacopelli

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She’s a tennis superstar on the rise. He’s the bad boy champ who broke her heart. When they meet on the court, their competition is hot—but their chemistry is even hotter.

Love and Other Brain Experiments by Hannah Brohm

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An academic-rivals-to-lovers rom-com set at a New York conference about two neuroscientists who are forced to pretend they’re dating, leading to unexpected chemistry and a heartfelt journey of self-discovery.

And Now, Back to You by B. K. Borison

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Two competing meteorologists are forced to find common ground in this opposites attract, When Harry Met Sally inspired romance, from New York Times bestselling author B.K. Borison.

Maybe This Once by Sophie Sullivan

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A small-town, opposites-attract romance about two people who end up with more feelings than they bargained for after pursuing a summer fling.

Get Over It, April Evans by Ashley Herring Blake

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A summer job at a lake-town resort brings together two women with an unlikely connection in this new contemporary romance by USA Today bestselling author Ashley Herring Blake.

Skate It Till You Make It by Rufaro Faith Mazarura

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The weather might be icy, but the tension is red-hot in this fake―dating hockey rom―com from the author of Let the Games Begin.

Just for the Cameras by Meghan Quinn

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From New York Times bestselling author Meghan Quinn comes a sizzling sports romance full of flamingo feathers, slow-burn heat, and one grump-meets-sunshine love story that’s anything but fake.

One & Only by Maurene Goo

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In Five Years meets a millennial The Joy Luck Club in the adult debut from the author of YA Reese Pick Throwback— a funny and fresh love story of a woman thrown a curveball by fate, and the family secret that will make her question everything.

Over and Over by Becky Hunter

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A sweeping speculative romance following two soulmates who have met in past lives—but are still searching for their HEA—in this angsty novel, perfect for fans of Josie Silver and One Day.

Hunter’s Treasure by Olivia Jackson

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A brand new spicy forced proximity action adventure romcom set on a desert island, perfect for fans of Christina Lauren, Jo Segura and Meghan Quinn.

How To Kill A Guy In Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson

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A humorous, swoony, and downright terrifying slasher rom-com in which a cinephile gets caught in the middle of a murder spree at a speed-dating event and must use her encyclopedic knowledge of the romance and horror genres to make it as a real-life Final Girl.

MARCH 2026 ROMANCE BOOK RELEASES

How to Write a Love Story by Catherine Walsh

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The newest book from bestselling author and Kindle Unlimited sensation Catherine Walsh, in which an ambitious editor travels to Ireland to help the daughter of a fantasy author legend complete her father’s final book, only to fall in love with her in the process.

Star Shipped by Cat Sebastian

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Cat Sebastian’s long-awaited foray into contemporary romance! A witty, emotional, and deliciously slow burn enemies-to-lovers romance between two costars on a popular sci-fi television series.

Toe to Toe by Falon Ballard

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Allegra Hart’s dream of becoming a principal ballerina is in doubt when a director doubts her allure. Seeking help from dancer Cord Donovan, she enters a dangerous partnership. As chemistry ignites and loyalties are tested, Allegra must choose between ambition, desire, and the life she’s built.

The Fortune Flip by Lauren Kung Jessen

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This charming rom-com is filled with Chinese traditions, second chances, and a luck-changing love story that will appeal to readers of Helen Hoang, Jasmine Guillory, and Sarah Adams.  

The Bridge Back To You by Riss M. Neilson

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Exes discover they’ve both inherited the restaurant they love in this sparkling, emotional new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of A Love Like the Sun.

No Place Like You by Jillian Meadows

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Childhood friends turned high school rivals fall into a small-town fake dating scheme in this sweet, spicy, and utterly irresistible romance from the author of Give Me Butterflies.

To Cage A Wild Bird by Brooke Fast

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Enter the brutal world of Endlock, a prison where the wealthy hunt the inmates for sport. The first novel in an electrifying dystopian romance series, this high-octane debut about forbidden love, found family, and a fight for survival will leave you breathless.

A Lady for All Seasons by TJ Alexander

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From the acclaimed author of Chef’s Kiss and A Gentleman’s Gentleman comes a riotous Regency romp, featuring a charming and unforgettable genderfluid lead.

Thirty Love by Tom Vellner

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Things heat up on and off the court for two tennis rivals in this steamy debut gay sports rom-com, perfect for fans of TJ Alexander and Casey McQuiston.

Anderson In Bloom by Jennifer Dugan

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From the author of Love at First Set, a hilariously sexy enemies-to-lovers, second-chance rom-com about a reclusive former child star turned florist whose quiet life is turned upside down when her annoyingly hot ex (and former costar) shows up in town, with plans to write a tell-all memoir.

The Night We Met by Abby Jimenez

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From the #1New York Times bestselling author of Say You’ll Remember Me comes a beautiful, compelling novel that revels in laughter, friendship, and the messy choices life can throw our way.

In Her Own League by Liz Tomforde

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Reese Remington, baseball’s first female owner, battles scrutiny while proving her worth. Focused and guarded, she clashes with Emmett Montgomery, a former star turned manager. Forced together, rivalry ignites chemistry. With careers and the team at stake, they struggle to resist feelings that could jeopardise everything during a high-stakes season.

APRIL 2026 ROMANCE BOOK RELEASES

Unbound by Peyton Corinne

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A new “angsty, sexy, emotional” (Farrah Rochon, New York Times bestselling author) lyrical romance by Peyton Corinne that follows a college couple through first love, heartbreak, and the struggle to come together again.

Fast Lane by C.S. Quill

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The Flatshare meets Elle Kennedy’s Off Campus series in this opposites-attract campus romance where a brooding bad boy and a heartbroken girl become reluctant roommates amid fast cars and faster chemistry.

Stranger Things Have Happened by Kasie West

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Can fake dating lead to real love? In Kasie West’s next sexy adult romcom two people must decide where the lie ends and the chemistry begins.

How to Fake It in Society by KJ Charles

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Bridgerton meets The Goldfinch in How to Fake It in Society, a stunning queer romance by rising genre star KJ Charles.

The Auction by Sadie Kincaid

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The queen of dark mafia romance, Sadie Kincaid, begins her new explosively sexy Wages of Sin series with The Auction. Beauty and the Beast meets organized crime in this tense slow-burn romance with scorching spice, thrilling suspense, and life-altering secrets. 

The Name Game by Beth O’Leary

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A man and a woman with the same name are looking for a fresh start only to discover they have landed the same job in this charming new romance by bestselling author Beth O’Leary.

Cherry Baby by Rainbow Rowell

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#1 New York Times bestselling author Rainbow Rowell returns with a breathtakingly honest novel about a woman who lost everything — and isn’t sure she wants it back.

Happy Ending by Chloe Liese

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From USA TODAY bestselling author Chloe Liese, a clever and heartwarming rom-com that is perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Annabel Monaghan about two best friends who must fake a relationship for their exes.

Enemies to Lovers by Alisha Rai

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From the author of Partners in Crime, comes a sparkling new adventure rom-com where a con woman and a lawman team up on an epic cross-country road trip to save their families…and each other. 

We Become Darkness by Grace Morrow

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A human and a Vampyr forge an unsteady alliance in this marriage-of-convenience romantic fantasy, perfect for fans of The Serpent and the Wings of Night and One Dark Window.

Our Rogue Fates by Sarah Glenn Marsh

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On the hunt for hidden treasure, two former best friends turned adversaries must put the past behind them if they hope to make it home. This childhood friends-to-lovers male/male romantic fantasy for fans of Tusk Love and Sara Raasch crackles with tension and heat.

Don’t Tell Me How It Ends by Adrienne Thurman

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A floundering twenty-something, who’s sworn off romance finds herself roped into her meddling sister’s matchmaking business—in this sparkling debut rom-com that asks: can we protect ourselves while falling in love?

MAY 2026 ROMANCE BOOK RELEASES

Broken Dove by Dani Francis

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
In the heart-pounding sequel to the New York Times bestselling dystopian romance Silver Elite, lines will be crossed, loyalties will be tested, and the fight for the Continent is only just beginning as Wren Darlington finds herself caught in the middle of two wars: one for the fate of her home and another for the fate of her heart.

Soon by You by Dahlia Adler

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
27 Dresses meets The Intimacy Experiment in this sexy, emotional, opposites-attract rom-com set in New York City’s Modern Orthodox community.

Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune

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Best friends have one week in paradise to fix their friendship or fall apart in this heart-stopping, utterly romantic new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After and One Golden Summer.

The Last Lady B by Eloisa James

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Lady B may have married Bluebeard; she may have fallen in love with a gorgeous, grumpy solicitor; she may have met a ghost and survived to tell the tale! New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Eloisa James delights with witty historical romance with a gothic twist.

Bromantasy by Máire Roche

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BROMANTASY is a cozy, queer fantasy about the mortifying ordeal of being known by your totally platonic best friend and the epic quest that might force you to confront the truth.

By The Bootstraps by Alexa Martin

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A cowboy romance enthusiast discovers that everything’s bigger in Texas—even love—in this swoony novel from beloved author Alexa Martin.

The Shippers by Katherine Center

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One of the hottest, fastest-rising rom-com stars delivers her latest swoon-worthy novel about a destination wedding on a cruise ship.

First and Forever by Lynn Painter

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A football star and his team’s die-hard fan find themselves entangled in a PR stunt—that only one side knows is fake—but it might just be the right play…

Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan

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A hardworking single mom returns to her seaside hometown and stumbles into a fake dating situationship with a wealthy, workaholic scion, from the New York Times bestselling author of Nora Goes Off Script.

It Happened One Murder by Liz Lawson

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Only Murders in the Building gets a rom-com twist in a laugh-out-loud mystery-romance following one woman who will have to pair up with an unlikely ally to solve a murder in their quaint New Jersey beach town.

Take Me with You by Steven Rowley

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In Take Me With You, Steven Rowley brings his resonant wit and emotional insight to an epic love story – an exploration of the forces that draw two people into the same orbit and the gravity that threatens to pull them apart.

The Summer Share by Jenn McKinlay

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
When two misfits discover they’ve inherited the same beach house, sparks fly in the most unexpected ways, in this hilarious and heartfelt rom-com from the New York Times bestselling author of Summer Reading.

JUNE 2026 ROMANCE BOOK RELEASES

Nemesis Mine by Amy Archer

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A not-so-evil villain strikes a deal with a not-quite-perfect hero to fake a feud, boost their reputations . . . and try not to fall in love in the process—in this hilarious, tender, sexy, and outrageously fun romp that blends the humor of Assistant to the Villain with the unforgettable romance of Red, White, & Royal Blue and the cozy fantasy vibes of Legends & Lattes.

White Lights by Lauren Kate

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
#1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Kate, whose Fallen series has over 10 million copies in print and has sold over 11 million copies of her novels around the world, is returning to the romantasy world of angels that’s perfect for Fallen fans and new audiences alike.

You Won’t Forget Me by Mazey Eddings

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Cubby Clark is spiralling—her band is broken, her ex is famous, and inspiration is gone. As tabloids spin a love triangle and a summer tour amplifies tensions, Cubby and her best friend Darcy must confront buried feelings or risk losing each other and the music they love.

The Very Definition of Love by Sophia Benoit

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Bridgerton meets Emily Henry in this fresh take on regency romance about a wallflower writing a dictionary of bawdy slang who arranges her own marriage to the ultimate instructor: the town rake.

The Shrouded Queen by Ashley Tropea

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
In the first book in this romantasy duology inspired by ancient Egyptian mythology, a slave and a princess switch places during an enemy attack, igniting parallel journeys of love and survival.

Scandal of the Summer by Alexandra Vasti

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A desperate debutante meets a ragtag smuggler in this sexy Regency romp by USA Today bestselling author Alexandra Vasti.

Harvest Season by Brynne Weaver

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From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Brynne Weaver comes the second book in the devilishly steamy Seasons of Carnage trilogy where dark romantic comedy meets thrilling suspense—and where love is ripe for ruin.

Witch Season by Julia Bianco

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Exhilarating, dangerous, and seductive, Witch Season is an action-packed and fiercely romantic contemporary fantasy from debut author and screenwriter Julia Bianco.

The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
The new head gardener at the enchanting Lilymoor House stumbles upon a secret garden . . . with a mysterious man trapped inside, in the next magical novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Sounds Like Love and The Seven Year Slip.

The Missed Connection by Tia Williams

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
New York Times bestselling author Tia Williams returns with an intensely romantic, deliciously sexy tale about a woman searching for her handsome seatmate on a European flight—and the unexpected places her hunt for love leads her.

The Open Era by Edward Schmit

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Austin Hardy’s Grand Slam debut makes history and headlines as the first openly gay competitor. With anxiety mounting and a complicated bond forming with rival Diego Cruz, Austin must fight pressure, expectations, and his own heart at the US Open.

Tropesick by Lauren Okie

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
In this lush, slow-burning romance, two childhood neighbors, connected by a shared tragedy, unexpectedly reunite to ghostwrite a love story for a reclusive author. Spending the summer at her secluded Hamptons estate, they soon discover that dozens of classic romance tropes, including the ones they’re crafting on page, are mysteriously playing out in real life.

Will you be picking up any of these romance reads? Are there any others you’re looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below! Plus be sure to check back later in the year for our July to December picks!

The post Swoonworthy 2026 Romance Book Releases You Need appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Hi, Liz! Welcome back! It’s been about five(!) years since we last spoke for your debut. How have you been and what have you been up to?

Hi, Elise! Thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to talk about my new book here (and for the lovely piece you ran on my debut The Lucky Ones back then)! The last five years have been wild (not just for me, I’m sure). In terms of book-related things, I cowrote two really fun YA mysteries, The Agathas and The Night in Question, with one of my favorite authors and people, Katheen Glasgow. I then turned my attention to my second solo book—Murder Between Friends!

Your latest novel, Murder Between Friends, is out April 22nd! If you could describe it in only five words, what would they be?

Friendship, memory, A VERY BIG TWIST!

(Whoops—that’s six words, sorry!)

What can readers expect?

Three points of view, a fast-paced plot, lots of small-town secrets, many twists and turns (including the one I hinted at above, which early readers seem to love), a little bit of romance, betrayal, heartbreak, and humor!

Where did the inspiration for Murder Between Friends come from?

Originally, my idea was to write a YA Burbs (the Tom Hanks movie—if you haven’t seen it, rectify that immediately!). After the first draft, the book changed significantly so that sort of fell away, but the neighbors-banding-together-to-solve-crimes remained!

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I really, really loved writing the relationship between Grace and Henry. The Agathas and its sequel didn’t have much romance in it, and I had missed it! Even my editor, who is notorious for telling people to tone down the romance, told me at one point to thread it through more. Grace and Henry forever!

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

Oh yes. Second book syndrome is real. For those unaware: Second books are notoriously difficult for authors to write because . . . well. For many reasons. You have people on your team now who you don’t want to let down; you have readers you don’t want to let down . . . it can be easy to get in your head and second-guess everything you’re doing. Which I did for some time. I wrote a draft that didn’t work at all, and then an entirely different draft, and then finally—at long last—wrote what turned into MBF. It was a Process, and my editor’s a saint.

Can you share with us three of your favourite mystery/thrillers that you’ve read?

Ahh, only three!? That’s so hard. Let me think . . .

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson is maybe my #1 favorite YA mystery. Pip’s voice is so perfect; you’re really rooting for her even as she stumbles along the way.

The Silence of Bones by June Hur, a historical mystery that’s so beautifully written.

Sadie by Courtney Summers is an incredible mystery/thriller. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend you do so immediately!

But I love so many! I mean, I’m leaving out Little Monsters by Kara Thomas, which is a fantastic YA thriller, and has a twist ending that I still think about, years after reading the book; One of Us Is Lying, which is phenomenal, obviously; Truly Devious, which has a main character I adore; Inheritance Games, which is so. much. fun. Other faves include Monday’s Not Coming, I Killed Zoe Spanos . . . I could go on and on.

This is your fourth novel since your debut in 2020. What are some of the key lessons you’ve learned as an author and about the industry over the past five years?

I’ve learned that so much about the process of publishing a book is out of my control, and I’ve had to come to accept that (hard because I am very much a control freak).

What’s next for you?

I’ve been working on something very exciting that will be announced soon, but I can’t talk about it quite yet. More books!

Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?

Oh, so many! These run the gambit from YA to adult, literary to mystery to romance. The French Honeymoon by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau, Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson, The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club by Gloria Chao, Kill Creatures by Rory Power, Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid, The Compound by Aisling Rawle, They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran, Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson, and The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (which I have yet to read but have heard PHENOMENAL things about). Plus, about a hundred more.

Will you be picking up Murder Between Friends? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Liz Lawson, Author of ‘Murder Between Friends’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Liz: Hello, Kathleen. Might I say what an enormous pleasure and privilege it has been to write not one, but TWO books with you over the past few years.

Kathleen: I wish I could say the same! Just kidding. One thing that I loved about creating The Agathas series with you was the way we always ended up laughing, even when the story was tied in knots and we worked out our writerly differences by doing terrible things to the other’s character. Collaborative writing is definitely an art form and one that you have to hone and polish.

Liz: Every time you pushed Alice out of a tree house, I knew something was up. And yes, co-writing is absolutely an art form. But it also means you only have to write half the book… so it’s well worth it.

Kathleen: Let’s catch readers up. The first book, The Agathas, about two very messy girls solving the murder of the richest girl in town, was written in secret. You and I write solo books that are often quite sad and touch on difficult topics and when we first started musing about *maybe* writing something different, and together, it was originally just a project to keep us writing every day. Mystery seemed a natural fit, since you love Agatha Christie and I love true crime. We were also determined to make this story of two girls, a seaside town, and a bucket full of lies an adventure to read.

Liz: We also had to plant a few small threads about other mysteries in Castle Cove, in case we were lucky enough to get a sequel. Which we did! Book two opens on a stormy night at Levy Castle, during the annual Castle Cove High School Sadie Hawkins dance. Alice Ogilvie has decided to take this rare opportunity inside the Castle to explore the life of Mona Moody, who readers might remember as the Hollywood starlet who fell to her death from a balcony in the 1950s. During her hunt, she stumbles–

Kathleen: Remember how collaborative writing is an art form, Liz? I’m cutting you off here before you give too much away. This is why we agreed to keep our dual POV chapters short, because we both tend to ramble. This is also why we work well together and why we could create such a good friendship between Alice and Iris.

Liz: True, true. Their friendship is something that is truly at the heart of the series, and it’s been so lovely hearing how readers respond to it. I will say that writing the second book, on deadline, was a wee bit harder than writing the first in secret, wouldn’t you say?

Kathleen: Absolutely, in terms of growing the seeds we planted in the first book and then planting an entirely new, twisty, devious garden around them. We had to keep track of things old AND new, remember to let Alice and Iris’s friendship evolve in believable ways, let The Zoners move a bit more to the front, and also flesh out Mona Moody’s character, which was a lot of fun and involved researching Hollywood in the ‘40s and ‘50s.

Liz: I will say that I think the mystery in book two is even more intricate than the mystery in the first. It was complicated as hell to plan, but oh-so rewarding once we got it all down on the page. Just like book one, first we worked out the plot in our spreadsheet (google docs rule!), trying to get the general gist of what would happen down, and then we dove into the writing.

Kathleen: Yes. We traded chapters each day, tried to follow our intricate plot-map and made sure to be flexible story-wise, because sometimes in the midst of actually writing, you realize something isn’t working! We’ve gotten a lot of questions about what it’s like to co-write and I’d say the number one thing is being flexible. This isn’t one writer’s book; it belongs to two people and the story is shared. If you can’t do that, then I think cowriting is not for you. Also, cowriting is excellent because solo writing is often lonely; cowriting means chatting with someone else all the time about your absolutely bonkers and amazing mystery.

Liz: Things you will find in OUR amazing mystery, The Night In Question: 1950s Hollywood starlets, a road trip, mixed media, police transcripts, news reports, vintage diaries, more Levy Castle!, secret passages, a deadly dance, more Zoners, a maze, hints of romance…

Kathleen: And very, very bad people! Including some very bad elderly people. I tell you, Liz, old people…they keep a lot of secrets for years and years and years. Quite crafty.  Also, I love how in The Agathas and in The Night in Question, you open each Alice chapter with a quote from an Agatha Christie book. I was so jealous you got to do that for The Agathas that I was determined to wedge myself into that somehow with The Night in Question, so….each Iris chapter opens with a quote from starlet Mona Moody. Take that, Liz!

Liz: Uber competitive as always, Kathleen. (Just kidding!) I do love your Mona Moody quotes, though, very much. And finding the Agatha Christie quotes was so much fun, I can see how you would be jealous of it. Much like book one, in book two Alice and Iris use tips and tricks from their dear friend Agatha Christie to solve the central myster…ies at hand. That’s right, in book two, the girls solve not one, not two, not three… but FOUR crimes.

Kathleen: There is crime-ing all over the place in The Night in Question and you know what? The best part of all this misbehavior is that we, in wrapping up this book, actually planted seeds that might….someday come to fruition in a book 3? Maybe? Someday? I might not be ready to let Alice and Iris go.

Liz: I really hope we get to revisit Castle Cove in the future. Alice and Iris forever! Everyone, go get caught up with The Agathas and then jump into The Night in Question! Out May 30, 2023! Available in a store near you (or online! Or at your local library! Also on audiobook! And ebook!)!

CHAPTER ONE
Alice Ogilvie

February 11, 2023
9:02 p.m.

“‘I’m not often bored,’ I assured her. ‘Life’s not long enough for that.’” —Agatha Christie, Murder in Mesopotamia

Brooke Donovan is staring at me from across the room.

She’s wearing the dress we picked out in LA freshman year, when her mom drove us down there to go shopping for prom. The two of us were the only freshman invited that year, much to the chagrin of Rebecca Kennedy.

She looks good, Brooke, fresh and happy, smiling and carefree.

I crumple a cocktail napkin into a tight little ball in my hand. Whoever decided to hang a giant portrait of her in here should be stabbed.

Tearing my eyes away from Brooke’s, I survey the ballroom. It’s filled with my classmates from Castle Cove High School, all in various stages of celebration, all here for the annual Sadie Hawkins Dance. To my left, a group of guys from the basketball team huddle together in a circle, not-so-slyly passing a silver flask between them. To my right, couples are basically dry humping on the dance floor.

I frown.

We’re at Levy Castle, for god’s sake. Some respect should be shown to its past. The site of elegant balls for almost a hundred years, a place where Old Hollywood used to come and play. Charles W. Levy would be rolling over in his grave if he knew what this room was being used for now.

As Brooke’s best friend, I grew up listening to all sorts of tales about Brooke’s great- grandfather. He spent millions of dollars building Levy Castle. It’s five stories and 60,000 square feet of opulence. And with eighteen bedrooms, three pools, two kitchens, and secret passages extending throughout, it basically put the tiny town of Castle Cove on the map. It was also where the film star Mona Moody lived for a few short years, until her untimely death on Castle grounds at the age of twenty.

Mona Moody, with her platinum blonde hair, baby blue eyes, and the husky, sexy voice that made her famous. After several years starring in popcorn flicks, she was all set to break out in her first serious film as the titular role in Jane Eyre, but tragically fell off the Castle’s side balcony just before filming started.

According to the internet, she and Charles Levy had a brief but super intense love affair, and he was so broken up by her death that eventually his own life collapsed around him: he lost everything he’d worked so hard for over the years when he was arrested for embezzlement and spent the rest of his days in prison.

Ever since I was little, I’ve been fascinated by Mona Moody’s life and death, and tonight is my chance to sneak upstairs to see her private quarters.

I turn to find Iris when raised voices pull my attention to the massive DJ booth Kennedy’s dad had built for the dance. According to her, it’s the only way DJ Porcini would agree to play tonight.

I pop up on my toes for a better look, and I’m entirely unsurprised to spot the very same Kennedy arguing with my other former friend Helen Park. They’re both wearing this season’s Natasha Matte off-the-shoulder satin gown in blue, the only difference being the obnoxiously expensive necklace around Kennedy’s neck.

I let out a sigh. This won’t end well. Ever since Brooke died last fall, the two of them can’t seem to hold it together to save their lives. Clearly, they forgot to consult with each other about what they were going to wear tonight. Which is, like, Dance Etiquette 101.

Through the crowd, I spot Ashley Henderson. She’s watching them, probably trying to figure out a way to interject herself into the drama. She thrives on this stuff; says it’s good for her craft, since she desperately wants to be an actress. Mostly, though, I think she’s just nosey. I never really meshed with Henderson, so it’s a relief not to have to pretend to be friends with her anymore. Which goes for all of my former friends, if I’m being perfectly honest.

“What’s going on up there?” Iris says, sidling up to me. “Want one?” She holds out a plastic cup of sparkling apple cider and I take it, noticing Spike at her back.

Iris is wearing a 1950’s vintage prom dress, a black blazer, and Chuck Taylors. I adore the dress, but the blazer and shoes . . . they’re cool and all, but not exactly right for a formal dance. I inhale a calming breath, reminding myself I’m not that person anymore. The one who judges everyone by the labels on their clothing. I’ve evolved.

“Park and Kennedy are at it again.” I say, taking a tiny sip from my cup.

Cole Fielding materializes in front of me. “What’s going on up there?” he asks, echoing Iris. From somewhere outside the castle, there’s a loud crack of thunder.

Spike immediately glances at Iris, who’s whispering into Cole’s ear. Spike’s face falls. “Park and Kennedy,” I repeat loudly. “They are arguing, yet again.”

“Brooke’s murd—. . . err . . .” Spike’s eyes dart to my face as he realizes what he’s saying. “Without Brooke around, they’ve really fallen apart, huh?” he finishes.

I shrug. Kennedy tried to pull me back into their little circle after Iris and I figured out who was responsible for Brooke’s death, but I wasn’t interested. I have no desire to be involved in mundane high school drama, and I have Iris. That’s enough. For now, at least.

“Do you think they’re fighting over—” Spike starts but a familiar voice interrupts him and my stomach, my most traitorous of organs, does a little dance.

“Blini with caviar?”

I turn. “Hello, Raf.”

“Hello, Alice.” He smiles.

“Hey, Raf,” Iris says, taking one of the blinis off the tray and examining it. “Um, what the hell is this thing?”

He shrugs. “Hell if I know. I just bring out what they tell me; I don’t ask questions.” He squints down at his tray. “I think it’s like . . . weird little eggs or something?”

I sigh. “It’s basically a pancake with caviar.” I take one and pop it in my mouth. “They’re delicious.”

Iris bites a nibble off a corner. “Oh, that is good,” she says and nudges Cole. “Grab one.” Cole does as instructed, and as soon as Iris turns away, he wraps it into his cocktail napkin and stuffs it into his back pocket.

“How’s work going?” Iris asks Raf. Since Raf helped Iris and I out with Brooke’s case last year, we’ve all become . . . well, I guess the best word for it is friends. It’s odd; I’ve never been friends with a boy before, not really, so I’m not sure what to do about it or how to act with him, although Iris doesn’t seem to have that same issue. They chat all the time, or at least that’s what it seems like to me. Not that I care.

What I do care about, maybe a little more than I should, is that he has a girlfriend, now, who just so happens to be Cole’s older sister. She works for Splendid Spread Catering part-time, and (according to Iris’s intel) got Raf this gig so he could make some extra cash for college since the Castle Cove Police Department barely pays their interns.

He smirks. “Fine. I’m pretty much invisible to most of the kids here. Which works for me. Really don’t need to get recognized from my high school days, you know?”

“Okay, break it up,” someone—a teacher?—yells over by Porcini’s booth. I sigh again. I suppose I should go help calm those two down. It’s what Brooke would have wanted, after all.

“Be right back,” I say, and push past Reed Gerber and Mason Jefferson, two of Steve’s old buddies from the basketball team, to make my way through the crowd.

When I reach the front of the throng I end up next to Henderson and Steve, who are standing next to each other, watching the scene. Henderson’s mouth is tilted up into a grin, but when she spots me, she quickly rearranges it into a frown. She’s so transparent it’s laughable.

Steve, on the other hand, looks petrified. “Alice,” he says when he notices me. “You’ve gotta do something. They’re at it again.”

I haven’t seen him in two months. After I got him out of jail, he dropped out of school and moved down to LA. He’s only back tonight to catch up with some of his old friends. I bet he’s regretting it now.

“Fine,” I say, irritated that it’s the first thing he’s said to me tonight. I turn at the same moment Park leaps at Kennedy. She grabs a clump of Kennedy’s hair in her hand and yanks her head back, hard.

“Ow!” Kennedy screeches, trying to twist out of Park’s grasp. “Get off me, you brat.”

Ms. Hollister, one of the teachers chaperoning the dance, hovers on the other side of Park and Kennedy wearing a horrified expression. Ever since the stuff came out about Coach and all his lady friends, Hollister and a few other teachers have been going above and beyond the call of duty, kissing Principal Brown’s ass.

A hand clutches my arm. Iris. “I’ll help you, Alice.”

I look over at Park and Kennedy, now wrestling on the floor. “I’d like that very much.” And together, we make our way toward my ex-friends—the Mains.

CHAPTER TWO
Iris

February 11
9:14 p.m.

“All a girl wants is to put on a pretty dress and dance for a few hours. Is that too much to ask?” – Mona Moody, Matched Set, 1947

Alice and I manage to extricate Park and Kennedy, though not without difficulty. Park is quite flexible and keeps slipping from my grasp, though I’m finally able to subdue her by wrapping her in a bear hug just as Alice is able to yank Kennedy backward.

The instant the fight stops, a disappointed “Aww, no, they were gonna kiss!” rises up from the crowd. Of course, it’s from the boys because it’s typical (and boring) that when girls fight, all guys can do is stand there hoping at any moment it’s going to turn sexy.

Alice smooths her hair and glares at Park and Kennedy. Kennedy is inspecting her nails. “Jesus, Park, I spent fifteen hundred dollars on this,” Kennedy pouts. “What’s your problem, anyway?”

Park is huffing, trying to scoop her disheveled hair out of her face and straighten the neckline of her dress. She’s wearing a lacy pink strapless bra with tiny, embroidered hearts, which I find oddly endearing.

“I specifically told you I was going to wear this dress! I sent you pics! And you copied me, anyway! God, sometimes I wish you’d just shrivel up and die,” Park says.

Kennedy rolls her eyes and plays to the crowd. Phones are back up and filming. She’ll be on a hundred stories in about three minutes. This is her moment. “Sounds like a you issue to me, babe. Jealous much?”

Park lunges at Kennedy again, almost catching Kennedy’s necklace in her fingers, an extremely expensive-looking thing with tear-drop shaped jewels. But Kennedy cackles and ducks away, then Park storms off.

Alice shakes her head and looks at me, her eyes drifting from my sea-foam green gown down to my sneakers.

“Gorgeous girl, gorgeous gown, and yet……………………………………… a blazer and sneakers,” she sighs.

I finger the lapels of the black velvet blazer. I just like to feel protected. And I was already nervous about other things concerning this dance, like Cole Fielding. I’d casually asked him if he was going to the Sadie Hawkins dance, definitely stressing the fact that it was a group thing. Ever since Brooke, and the investigation, and, you know, me accidentally accusing him of murder, we’ve been hanging out. Very casually. Roller-skating once or twice on his breaks at Seaside Skate. Maybe a coffee together at Dotty’s Doughnuts. Texting sometimes. None of which I’ve told Alice about, because her feelings toward Cole are well-known. She sees me sometimes chatting with him at school and that’s enough to get me some pointed looks. My mom doesn’t know anything but the barest details, either, because she’d flip out, especially if she knew about me riding on the back of his motorcycle along Highway one. I don’t know how to explain to anyone, even Alice, what’s happening inside me. Like something’s been knocked loose. I can’t stop thinking of Brooke’s body at the bottom of the cliff. I can still feel my father’s fist on my face. The whole time on the back of Cole’s motorcycle, I felt . . . free. Like nothing could touch me.

Brooke is dead, but she’s still here. The Thing is locked up, but for how long?

The only other place I feel like nothing can touch me is when I’m reading one of the many Agatha Christie novels I’ve borrowed from Alice, in a vain attempt to catch up with her knowledge of the Queen of mystery, losing myself in the spirals of deceit and deception. Or when Raf and I are talking about the Remy Jackson case, painstakingly reading the poorly put together case files about his cousin, who was found in a dumpster in downtown Castle Cove, wrapped in a trash bag secured with duct-tape. I’d like to see how Miss Marple would tackle that.

Alice isn’t happy about me hanging out with Raf, either. I can’t tell if she’s jealous or just . . . doesn’t want to get that close to a death case again, after Brooke. The Mona Moody thing she’s skirting around . . . it’s a mystery, for sure, but one that maybe Alice likes because it’s so far in the past, it can’t really touch her. Who knows? As long as I live, I’ll probably never fully understand Alice Ogilvie.

She snaps her fingers at me. “Helloooo?” “Sorry,” I say. “Brain fog.”

I take a deep breath to get my bearings, look around the mammoth Levy Castle ballroom.

I love this, actually. I didn’t think I would. The dance. But everyone looks beautiful, and shiny, and grown up, even Spike, gazing up at the chandelier glistening above us, mesmerized by what seems like a thousand twinkling lights. He seems different tonight, more mature somehow, dressed in his powder blue suit with a paisley tie. His hair’s grown out a bit. He’s been checking in on me regularly since last fall, texting me at night to make sure I get some sleep, and not calling me out for lying when I answer “Yep.”

I shake myself away from the tingling in my stomach. Spike? Stop, Iris. There are entirely too many hormonal things happening to me lately. I force myself to look anywhere but Spike.

The inside of Levy Castle with its golden walls and polished marble staircase is like something from a dream. That chandelier above us? A placard on the wall says it weighs almost 1,700 pounds and has 9,500 crystals. Above the grand, Spanish-tiled staircase to the second floor, a glossy banner hangs: The Films of Mona Moody: A Retrospective, March 29-30, 2023. All around the downstairs, hung carefully on the walls for tourists, are movie stills from Mona Moody films and placards with tidbits of information about the Castle when it was built: six suits of armor from Spain; a private zoo on the grounds for Levy’s daughter, Lilian, that included llamas and lemurs.

Shouts and laughter from the corner of the room distract me. The selfie booth has become a madhouse of photobombing, our classmates jumping in and out of each other’s frames, displaying some choice hand gestures and what looks like a lot of booty patting.

Alice suddenly frowns, staring at something in the distance. I follow her sightline.

I know we did the right thing. I know it’s a good that we found out who murdered Brooke Donovan, even though all hell broke loose.

But having Brooke stare down at us from the huge portrait in the middle of the room makes my heart sink.

“It’s gauche,” Alice says. “And it’s creepy. I know the Castle can do what it wants and they want to honor her with a permanent portrait. But it . . . feels weird.”

It’s been four months since Brooke died. Alice doesn’t talk much about her, but I know she’s hurting. I’m trying to let her have some space. Lately, she’s been throwing herself into odd projects, like learning how to pick locks. While I think all that is valid and interesting, I’m a little worried she’s not spending enough time on other things, like school. She hasn’t even started the Ancestry project in McAllister’s class and it’s due in two weeks.

“I might,” she says now, very smoothly. “Look around. Just while I’m here. Mona stuff, you know?”

In 1949, Moody was found dead at the age of twenty on the lawn of Levy Castle. From my casual internet sleuthing, old articles say her death resulted from a prolonged bout with tuberculosis; weakened, she lost her balance, tumbling off the second-floor balcony, but if you spend some time digging, there are whispers that maybe it wasn’t an accident. After all, she was young and beautiful with creamy skin and a sparkling smile—a film star in the making. She was also Charles Levy’s younger girlfriend and people love to gossip. He was powerful and wealthy and as my former babysitter Ricky Randall once told me, “The closets of the rich are positively ringing with skeleton bones.” But she’s a lawyer, and it’s her job to consider all angles.

“Alice,” I remind her. “This is supposed to be a dance. You know, something fun.” She fixes her ice-blue eyes on me. “It will be fun. Plus, you’ll be busy,” she says, nudging me. “With that.” I follow her eyes.

Cole Fielding is standing by the fountain (I still can’t believe there is an actual fountain inside this mansion), hands in his pockets, looking at me.

“I don’t approve,” Alice murmurs. “But you know that.”

From the corner of my eye, I see Spike. Our eyes meet. He smiles and flicks his hand toward the crowd of dancers. The song is a bop. Is he asking me to . . .

Just then, one of the Stitch Bitches, Tabitha Berrington, sidles up to him and slips her arm through his, tugging him toward the dance floor. He gives me a last glance as he disappears into the writhing bodies.

Why . . . does my stomach drop a little?

I look back at Cole. He tilts his head to the side, like let’s get outta here and I can’t help it. I just can’t. My whole body lightens at the sight of his smile, his tousled hair.

But there is also the tiniest part of me that wants to do what Alice is doing, what I know she’s about to do. Snoop around for Mona Moody stuff. I don’t know what we’d find; there can’t be much here but . . . you never know.

“Alice,” I say as she turns to walk away. “Wait—”

But she’s already gone, disappeared somewhere into the vast gold beauty of the Castle.

The post Authors In Conversation: Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Any book that pays homage to Agatha Christie instantly has my heart and the intricate plotting of The Agathas was worthy of the Queen of Crime herself. The way Glasgow and Lawson combined their fiendish brains together meant that a twisted concoction of secrets, alibis, and red herrings was formed. In many ways, we have the classic Christie set-up of an isolated location, pretty closed in community and basically everyone having a reason to want someone gone. I loved the way they transported this to a YA setting, creating this network of messed-up relationships and entanglements. The entire book is a love letter to the genre and its undisputed queen, but the way Christie’s books are also woven into the plot is ingenious. One of the characters is a big fan of her books and relates the events to plot points. This creates this meta, fantastically enjoyable humour and cheeky wink to the readers. It feels like a book that will go off and inspire a new generation to pick up her works.

That being said, this gem stands well on its own. Snippets of Christie are woven in, but this is a unique and well-crafted story. I loved how all of the narrative threads were pieced together into a complex and fascinating mystery. This was a tricksy little story with plenty of shocking twists and turns that kept me glued to the page.

The dual narrative is handled really well, adding enough seeds of doubt and unreliability in both our narrators. They’re flawed people dealing with their own secrets and trauma, but somehow you just root for them. Despite knowing they could be lying right to your face, you want to believe their version of events and for the truth to shine through. They both have such distinctive voices, with Iris’ snarky closed-off nature betraying a deeper survival instinct and a life spent running away from her past. Alice is cocooned in seemingly the perfect life of privilege, popularity and power but her troubles bubble just under the surface. The way the two of them interact is brilliant, with plenty of humourous dialogue and nuanced conversations about privilege, particularly in terms of wealth and class. Also, the wider supporting cast is fascinating, particularly the extra teammates for solving the mystery. I would happily read more books featuring this feisty firecrackers of a found family. The atmosphere between them all and the vibe created is a playful, fun and relaxed one, but they also always have one another’s backs. You get a modern-day Nancy Drew vibe of teenagers solving all the cases ignored and dismissed by the authorities.

On that note, this book really digs into the idea of the ‘perfect’ victim. It questions why some cases are seen as more worthwhile than other and how issues of privilege, race and class complicate this further. One death becomes national news, while another is forgotten and dismissed. The Agathas asks why justice is selective and dependent on the status of the victim. It also is a pretty feminist book, discussing why women’s testimonies are often ignored and dismissed as irrational or melodramatic. This is a pertinent and timely narrative, looking at recent news. Both protagonists and their suspicions are dismissed for being teenage girls. Lawson and Glasgow interrogate why that is in a thought-provoking and complicated analysis that is further expanded by questions of privilege and victimhood.

The Agathas is a layered mystery, combining thrilling plot lines, fascinating characters and important questions surrounding the politics of justice and victimhood.

The Agathas is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of May 3rd 2022.

Will you be picking up The Agathas? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

Who killed Brooke Donovan? It’s the biggest mystery of the summer, and everyone in Castle Cove thinks it’s the wrong guy. Fans of One of Us Is Lying and Riverdale can’t miss this page-turning who-done-it that’s sure to be the next must read Young Adult thriller!

Last summer, Alice Ogilvie’s basketball-star boyfriend Steve dumped her. Then she disappeared for five days. She’s not talking, so where she went and what happened to her is the biggest mystery in Castle Cove. Or it was, at least. But now, another one of Steve’s girlfriends has vanished: Brooke Donovan, Alice’s ex–best friend. And it doesn’t look like Brooke will be coming back. . .

Enter Iris Adams, Alice’s tutor. Iris has her own reasons for wanting to disappear, though unlike Alice, she doesn’t have the money or the means. That could be changed by the hefty reward Brooke’s grandmother is offering to anyone who can share information about her granddaughter’s whereabouts. The police are convinced Steve is the culprit, but Alice isn’t so sure, and with Iris on her side, she just might be able to prove her theory.

In order to get the reward and prove Steve’s innocence, they need to figure out who killed Brooke Donovan. And luckily Alice has exactly what they need—the complete works of Agatha Christie. If there’s anyone that can teach the girls how to solve a mystery it’s the master herself. But the town of Castle Cove holds many secrets, and Alice and Iris have no idea how much danger they’re about to walk into.

The post Review: The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

The YA genre is not holding back when it comes to 2022’s upcoming book releases! Between the months of January and June, readers are going to be delighted as to what they can get their hands on with books from favourite authors, to those making their debut!

From stories of love, magic, and mystery, to retellings, anthologies, and sequels, you will surely find several new reads to add to your TBR and we apologies in advance for adding to it!

Looking for more releases? Check out our Most Anticipated 2022 Releases and our Must-Have 2022 Queer Releases.

Read on to discover our picks and tell us in the comments below which ones you’re looking forward to!

JANUARY

When You Get the Chance by Emma Lord
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A bighearted novel about falling in love, making a mess, and learning to let go, When You Get the Chance is the next effervescent novel from Emma Lord, New York Times bestselling author of the Reese Witherspoon YA Book Club pick You Have a Match.

Hopepunk by Preston Norton
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A heartfelt and funny new novel about forgiveness and redemption, and about how hope is the ultimate act of rebellion, perfect for fans of John Green and Becky Albertalli.

The Red Palace by June Hur
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June Hur, critically acclaimed author of The Silence of Bones and The Forest of Stolen Girls, returns with The Red Palace—a third evocative, atmospheric historical mystery perfect for fans of Courtney Summers and Kerri Maniscalco.

Into The Midnight Void by Mara Fitzgerald
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Fans of Holly Black and Kendare Blake will obsess over the conclusion to this deliciously dark YA fantasy duology!

Serendipity, edited by Marissa Meyer
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From stories of first love, unrequited love, love that surprises, love that’s been there all along, 10 of the brightest and award-winning authors writing YA have taken on some of your favourite romantic tropes, embracing them and turning them on their heads. Readers will fall for this collection of stories that celebrate love at its most humorous, inclusive, heart-expanding, and serendipitous. Contributors include Elise Bryant, Elizabeth Eulberg, Leah Johnson, Anna-Marie McLemore, Marissa Meyer, Sandhya Menon, Julie Murphy, Caleb Roehrig, Sarah Winifred Searle, and Abigail Hing Wen.

Waking Romeo by Kathryn Barker
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Kathryn Barker’s Waking Romeo is a spectacularly genre-bending retelling of Romeo & Juliet asking the big questions about true love, fate, and time travel

Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves by Meg Long
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Meg Long’s Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves is a captivating debut about survival, found family, and the bond between a girl and a wolf that delivers a fresh twist on classic survival stories and frontier myths.

Salaam, with Love by Sara Sharaf Beg
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This heartfelt and humorous YA contemporary follows Dua, who spends the month of Ramadan making unexpected discoveries about family, faith, and first love.

Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Prepare yourself for something unlike anything: A smash-up of art and text for teens that viscerally captures what it is to be Black. In America. Right Now. Written by #1 New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Jason Reynolds.

The Kindred by Alechia Dow
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To save a galactic kingdom from revolution, Kindred mind-pairings were created to ensure each and every person would be seen and heard, no matter how rich or poor…

Medusa by Jessie Burton
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A dazzling, feminist retelling of Greek myth from the internationally bestselling author of The Miniaturist, stunningly illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill.

Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz
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A gothic tale full of mystery and romance about a willful female surgeon, a resurrection man who sells bodies for a living, and the buried secrets they must uncover together.

FEBRUARY

And We Rise by Erica Martin
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A powerful, impactful, eye-opening journey that explores through the Civil Rights Movement in 1950s-1960s America in spare and evocative verse, with historical photos interspersed throughout.

Lulu and Milagro’s Search for Clarity by Angela Velez
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Booksmart meets Never Have I Ever in this Latinx road trip adventure—a big-hearted, voice-driven YA about two sisters who couldn’t be more different, but become begrudging partners on their school’s cross-country college trip—from debut author Angela Velez.

Bright Ruined Things by Samantha Cohoe
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Extasia by Claire Legrand
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From New York Times bestselling author Claire LeGrand comes a new, bone-chilling YA horror novel about a girl who joins a coven to root out a vicious evil that’s stalking her village. Perfect for fans of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Grace Year.

All the Right Reasons by Bethany Mangle
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The Bachelor meets Gilmore Girls in this laugh-out-loud young adult romance about a girl who joins her mother on a reality dating show for single parents—only to fall for a contestant’s son.

League of Liars by Astrid Scholte
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In this fantasy thriller, four teens charged with murder and the illegal use of magic band together to devise the ultimate jailbreak. Perfect for fans of Six of Crows and How to Get Away with Murder.

You Truly Assumed by Laila Sabreen
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In this compelling and thought-provoking debut novel, after a terrorist attack rocks the country and anti-Islamic sentiment stirs, three Black Muslim girls create a space where they can shatter assumptions and share truths.

Castles in Their Bones by Laura Sebastian
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A spellbinding story of three princesses and the destiny they were born for: seduction, conquest, and the crown. Immerse yourself in the first book in a new fantasy trilogy from the author of the New York Times bestselling Ash Princess series.

Full Flight by Ashley Schumacher
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A heartbreaking novel about finding your first love and what happens when it’s over too soon. Ashley Schumacher’s Full Flight is about how first love shapes us—even after it’s gone. 

Sunny G’s Series of Rash Decisions by Navdeep Singh Dhillon
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For fans of Sandhya Menon and Adam Silvera, a prom-night romantic-comedy romp about a Sikh teen’s search for love and identity

Only a Monster by Vanessa Len
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The sweeping romance of Passenger meets the dark fantasy edge of This Savage Song in this stunning contemporary fantasy debut from Vanessa Len, where the line between monster and hero is razor thin.

These Deadly Games by Diana Urban
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Author of All Your Twisted Secrets, Diana Urban’s explosive sophomore novel, These Deadly Games, will keep you riveted until the final twist is revealed.

MARCH

The One True Me and You by Remi K. England
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A big-hearted, joyful romance and a love letter to all things geek, Remi K. England’s The One True Me and You is a *witness me* celebration of standing up for, and being, yourself.

Debating Darcy by Sayantani DasGupta
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This Pride & Prejudice retelling brings New York Times bestselling Sayantani DasGupta’s trademark wit and insight to her bright and funny YA debut!

A Thousand Steps into Night by Traci Chee
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From New York Times bestselling author and National Book Award finalist, Traci Chee, comes a Japanese-influenced fantasy brimming with demons, adventure, and plans gone awry.

This Golden State by Marit Weisenberg
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Marit Weisenberg’s This Golden State follows a family on the run, a restless teenage daughter hungry for the truth, and the simple DNA test that threatens their carefully crafted world

Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram
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A smart, sexy YA novel about a boy band star, his first breakup, his first rebound, and what it means to be queer in the public eye, from award-winning author Adib Khorram.

Travelers Along the Way: A Robin Hood Remix by Aminah Mae Safi
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A ragtag band of misfits gets swept up in Holy Land politics in Travelers Along the Way by Aminah Mae Safi, a thrilling YA remix of the classic legend of Robin Hood.

Message Not Found by Dante Medema
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An emotionally complex portrayal of secrets, loss, and grief from Dante Medema, Indies Introduce author of the Indie Next Pick title The Truth Project. 

A Forgery of Roses by Jessica S. Olson
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From the author of Sing Me Forgotten comes a lush new fantasy novel with an art-based magic system, romance, and murder…

Love, Decoded by Jennifer Yen
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For fans of Jenny Han and Jane Austen, a rom-com that’s equal parts hilarious and heartfelt about the unexpected consequences of one teen’s quest to help her friends find love, from the author of A Taste for Love.

Cinder & Glass by Melissa de la Cruz
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Blockbuster author Melissa de la Cruz’s YA retelling of Cinderella, set in 17th Century Versailles.

The Book of Living Secrets by Madeleine Roux
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Perfect for fans of The Hazel Wood, this genre-bending page-turner from New York Times bestselling author Madeleine Roux follows two girls who transport themselves into the world of their favorite book only to encounter the sinister alternate reality that awaits them. 

A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft
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A romantic YA fantasy perfect for fans of Erin A. Craig and Margaret Rogerson, about two people who find themselves competing for glory – and each other’s hearts – in a magical fox hunt.

APRIL

Year on Fire by Julie Buxbaum
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What secrets will people keep—or reveal—to protect those they love? This novel, set against the frightening backdrop of an encroaching fire season, sparks reflection about friendship, the allure of romantic love, and loyalty to family.

This Rebel Heart by Katherine Locke
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The Fountains of Silence meets Spinning Silver in this rollicking tale set amid the 1956 Hungarian revolution in post-WWII Communist Budapest from Sydney Taylor Honor winner Katherine Locke.

Queen of the Tiles by Hanna Alkaf
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They Wish They Were Us meets The Queen’s Gambit in the world of competitive Scrabble when a teen girl is forced to investigate the mysterious death of her best friend a year after the fact when her Instagram comes back to life with cryptic posts and messages.

K-Pop Revolution by Stephan Lee
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She thought that debuting in a K-Pop band was the finish line, but it was only the beginning. Because now it’s not only her company judging her—it’s the entire world. If K-Pop Confidential was about finding your voice, K-pop Revolution is about finding the courage to stand by your beliefs, even when powerful forces are trying to shame and silence you.

My Dearest Darkest by Kayla Cottingham
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Wilder Girls meets The Craft in this Sapphic horror debut that asks: what price would you be willing to pay to achieve your deepest desires?

Some Mistakes Were Made by Kristin Dwyer
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Sarah Dessen meets Adam Silvera in the debut YA romance everyone is talking about!

Very Bad People by Kit Frick
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In this dark academia young adult thriller for fans of The Female of the Species and People Like Us, a teen girl’s search for answers about her mother’s mysterious death leads to a powerful secret society at her new boarding school—and a dangerous game of revenge that will leave her forever changed.

My Sister’s Big Fat Indian Wedding by Sajni Patel
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A fresh, witty rom-com romp set against the backdrop of a high-profile music competition and a riotous Indian wedding.

Flirting With Fate by J.C. Cervantes
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Jane the Virgin meets The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants in New York Times bestselling author J.C. Cervantes’s charming, romantic YA debut.

This May End Badly by Samantha Markum
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When a high stakes boarding school prank war leads to a fake dating scheme, two teens must decide if they are ready to take the ultimate risk — falling in love.

The Genesis Wars by Akemi Dawn Bowman
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Black Mirror meets Marie Lu’s Warcross in Nami’s continuing adventures as she fights to free her friends in this high-stakes sequel to The Infinity Courts by award-winning author Akemi Dawn Bowman.

All the Best Liars by Amelia Kahaney
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Amelia Kahaney’s All the Best Liars is a dark, modern psychological thriller and coming-of-age story about obsession, manipulation, and the intensity of those first friendships that take hold of you and never let go

MAY

See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon
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From the author of Today Tonight Tomorrow comes a magical romance in the vein of Groundhog Day about a girl forced to relive her disastrous first day of college—only to discover that her nemesis is stuck in the time loop with her.

Together We Burn by Isabel Ibañez
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An ancient city plagued by dragons. A flamenco dancer determined to save her ancestral home. A dragon hunter refusing to teach her his ways. They don’t want each other, but they need each other, and without him her world will burn.

Not Good for Maidens by Tori Bovalino
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Salem’s Lot meets The Darkest Part of the Forest in this horror-fantasy retelling of Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market.”

A Show for Two by Tashie Bhuiyan
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New from the author of Counting Down with You comes a sparkling YA romance about an aspiring screenwriter who falls for the indie film star who goes undercover at her school.

The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson
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Who killed Brooke Donovan? It’s the biggest mystery of the summer, and everyone in Castle Cove thinks it’s the wrong guy. Fans of One of Us Is Lying and Riverdale can’t miss this page-turning who-done-it that’s sure to be the next must read Young Adult thriller!

The Summer of Bitter and Sweet by Jen Ferguson
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In this complex and emotionally resonant novel about a Métis girl living on the Canadian prairies, debut author Jen Ferguson serves up a powerful story about rage, secrets, and all the spectrums that make up a person—and the sweetness that can still live alongside the bitterest truth.

Destination Unknown by Bill Konigsberg
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From Stonewall Award winner Bill Konigsberg, a remarkable, funny, sexy, heartbreaking story of two teen boys finding each other in New York City at the height of the AIDS epidemic.

Murder for the Modern Girl by Kendall Kulper
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Gatsby-era glamour, a swoon-worthy love story, and an indomitable heroine dazzle in this romp that captures the extravagance of the Roaring Twenties and the dangers of vigilante justice.

Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle
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Hitch meets The Sun Is Also a Star in this witty and romantic teen novel about a self-professed teen love doctor with a popular radio segment who believes he can get a girl who hates all things romance to fall in love with him in only three dates.

Once Upon a K-Prom by Kat Cho
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What would you do if the world’s biggest K-pop star asked you to prom? Perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Sandhya Menon, this hilarious and heartfelt novel brings the glamour and drama of the K-pop world straight to high school.

All Signs Point to Yes, edited by G. Haron Davis, Cam Montgomery, and Adrianne White
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A YA anthology of love stories for each of the star signs that will showcase multicultural characters and celebrate the myriad facets of love, from meet-cutes to the lesser-explored love expressed by aromantic people, featuring 13 bestselling and award-winning multicultural authors.

A Cruel and Fated Light by Ashley Shuttleworth
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Half-fae Arlo becomes entangled in the courtly intrigue at the Seelie Summer palace as danger for ironborns mounts in this gripping sequel to A Dark and Hollow Star that’s The Cruel Prince meets City of Bones.

JUNE

Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert
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Secrets. Lies. Super-bad choices. Witchcraft. This is Our Crooked Hearts, a darkly gripping contemporary fantasy from Melissa Albert, the New York Times bestselling author of The Hazel Wood

The Song That Moves the Sun by Anna Bright
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This sweeping YA fantasy romance full of star-crossed love, complex female friendship, and astrological magic is perfect for fans of Laini Taylor, Alexandra Bracken, and V.E. Schwab. From the acclaimed author of The Beholder.

This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede
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Emily Thiede’s exciting fantasy debut, This Vicious Grace, will keep readers turning the pages until the devastating conclusion and leave them primed for more!

Blade Breaker by Victoria Aveyard
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In the sequel to Victoria Aveyard’s instant #1 New York Times bestselling Realm Breaker, a divided world must rally, an unstoppable enemy must be defeated, and the fate of the world rests on a blade’s edge.

This Place Is Still Beautiful by XiXi Tian
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A sweeping debut novel about first love, complicated family dynamics, and the pernicious legacy of racism. Perfect for fans of Tahereh Mafi, Jandy Nelson, and Emily X.R. Pan, with crossover appeal for readers of Brit Bennett’s The Vanishing Half and Celeste Ng’s Everything I Never Told You.

Valiant Ladies by Melissa Grey
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Two teen vigilantes set off on an action-packed investigation to expose corruption and deliver justice in Valiant Ladies, Melissa Grey’s YA historical fiction novel inspired by real seventeenth century Latinx teenagers known as the Valiant Ladies of Potosí.

Rise of the Vicious Princess by C.J. Redwine
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The first in a YA political fantasy duology about a fierce princess determined to bring lasting peace to her kingdom regardless of the cost to her heart —from C.J. Redwine, the author of the Defiance series and the New York Times bestselling Ravenspire series. Perfect for fans of These Violent Delights, And I Darken, and Ash Princess.

Stealing Infinity by Alyson Noel
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The Dream Runners by Shveta Thakrar
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Go Hunt Me by Kelly deVos
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For Dracula lovers and fans of Diana Urban’s All Your Twisted Secrets, this spine-tingling thriller follows seven horror buffs as their dream trip to a remote Romanian castle turns into a nightmare when they begin to be killed one by one.

Game of Strength and Storm by Rachel Menard
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Game of Strength and Storm is a YA gender-bent Hercules retelling. Teenagers of Olympia Gen and Castor race to be the first to complete six nearly impossible challenges to obtain their greatest desire. Only one will win. The other walks away with nothing—if she walks away at all.

Bad Things Happen Here by Rebecca Barrow
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I Killed Zoe Spanos meets The Cheerleaders in this haunting mystery about an island town with a history of unsolved deaths—and a girl desperate to uncover the mystery behind it all.

What 2022 YA book releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 72 Upcoming YA Book Releases To Add To Your TBR appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Jack Kerouac Is Dead to Me by Gae Polisner
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Gae Polisner’s Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me is a story about the fragility of female friendship, of falling in love and wondering if you are ready for more, and of the glimmers of hope we find by taking stock in ourselves.

The Lucky Ones by Liz Lawson
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For fans of Thirteen Reasons Why, This Is How It Ends, and All the Bright Places, comes a new novel about life after. How do you put yourself back together when it seems like you’ve lost it all?

The Loop by Ben Oliver
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Life inside The Loop-the futuristic death row for teens under eighteen-is one long repetitive purgatory. But when news of the encroaching chaos in the outside world reaches the inmates and disorder begins to strike, the prison becomes the least of their worries. Perfect for fans of The Fifth Wave and The Darkest Minds.

Late to the Party by Kelly Quindlen
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From author Kelly Quindlen comes a poignant and deeply relatable story about friendship, self-acceptance, what it means to be a Real Teenager. Late to the Party is an ode to late bloomers and wallflowers everywhere.

So This is Love by Elizabeth Lim
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What if Cinderella never tried on the glass slipper? Unable to prove that she’s the missing princess, and unable to bear life under Lady Tremaine any longer, Cinderella attempts a fresh start, looking for work at the palace as a seamstress. But when the Grand Duke appoints her to serve under the king’s visiting sister, Cinderella becomes witness to a grand conspiracy to take the king-and the prince-out of power, as well as a longstanding prejudice against fairies, including Cinderella’s own Fairy Godmother.

Verona Comics by Jennifer Dugan
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From the author of Hot Dog Girl comes a fresh and funny YA contemporary romance about two teens who fall in love in an indie comic book shop.

Time of Our Lives by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
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A reflective, romantic coming-of-age novel that explores life after high school–perfect for fans of Fangirl and Emergency Contact.

This Boy by Lauren Myracle
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Lauren Myracle brings her signature frank, funny, and insightful writing to this novel of a teenage boy’s coming-of-age.

Crave by Tracy Wolff
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My whole world changed when I stepped inside the academy. Here I am, a mere mortal among gods…or monsters. Then there’s Jaxon Vega, a vampire with deadly secrets  and there’s something about him that calls to me. Which could spell death for us all. Because Jaxon walled himself off for a reason. And now someone wants to wake a sleeping monster, and I’m wondering if I was brought here intentionally—as the bait.

They Went Left by Monica Hesse
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A tour de force historical mystery from Monica Hesse, the bestselling and award-winning author of Girl in the Blue Coat.

Don’t Call the Wolf by Aleksandra Ross
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A forest, besieged. A queen, unyielding. Fans of Leigh Bardugo and Holly Black will devour this deliciously dark Eastern European–inspired YA fantasy debut.

The Burning by Laura Bates
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From Laura Bates, internationally renowned feminist and founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, comes a debut novel for the #metoo era. It’s a powerful call to action, reminding all readers of the implications of sexism and the role we can each play in ending it.

Will you be picking up any of these YA books? Tell us in the comments below!

The post April 2020 Book Releases: YA appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

We had the pleasure of chatting to debut author Liz Lawson about her recently published YA contemporary, The Lucky Ones. She chats about its inspiration and the challenges she faced while writing, along with her publishing journey, writing process, and book recommendations!

Hi, Liz! Thanks for chatting with us! Why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself?

Hi! Thanks so much for having me on the blog. I’m Liz, and THE LUCKY ONES is my debut novel. It released on 4/7/2020 from Delacorte Press. I started writing for teens a few years ago when I was in a place in my life where I remembered how it feels to be a teenager. The pain and the hope and the confusion and the idea that you’re simultaneously invincible and incredibly vulnerable. It’s amazing to me how high school is only four years but feels now like it was a lifetime. So much happens, so much growing and learning and changing. It’s an incredible time of life to explore.

Your debut novel, The Lucky Ones, released on April 7^th. If you could only use five words to describe it, what would they be?

Emotional, contemporary, hopeful, musical, difficult

Now, tell us a little more! What can readers expect?

THE LUCKY ONES is the story of May and Zach, two LA teenagers who have both been affected in different ways by a school shooting that occurred a year prior. It’s a book about finding hope through tragedy. It’s dark and about a serious subject, but it’s really about finding light on the other side of that darkness.

Where did the inspiration for The Lucky Ones come from?

I grew up and graduated from high school right when Columbine happened, and that changed the entire landscape of our country, forever. I started writing this book for all the kids who are faced with this reality, day in and out. I wrote it for the kids who have lived through the shootings that are mentioned above and the many other shootings that aren’t, and for those who fear that they might endure a similar fate someday. For those who have made their way through painful, heartbreaking times and managed to find their way through to the other side. I wanted to show them that there is hope.

Did you face any challenges while writing?

The biggest challenge was the research the book entailed! It was rough, some days, reading the stories of shootings and the people who lost their lives and the people who survived.

What was your writing process like? Did it change at all as you went on?

It was really hard at times. Like I said above, the research I had to do was rough and emotionally draining at times. I found it necessary to give myself a break every once in a while to watch some silly TV (THE OFFICE, etc) or read something light hearted to break up the darkness of my research and writing.

The road to becoming a published author is different for everyone. What was your journey like?

Well, leading up to THE LUCKY ONES I wrote two other books! The first, I immediately shelved and hasn’t seen the light of day since—very much my practice book. Then, I wrote one that I decided to take more seriously and queried it to no avail. I came close a few times, but it ended up on the shelf too. And then, while I was querying that book, I started writing THE LUCKY ONES. In retrospect, I can see that I absolutely needed to get through those first two books to grow as a writer and write something that was actually publishable. You really do learn so much with each new book. I queried, accepted an exclusive R&R with Writers House, and spent the next three months working on it as much as I could. And then I signed with my agent there!  Because my R&R was so extensive, there wasn’t much more to do before going on sub, and once we went on sub, my book sold in a week (I was very fortunate). So it was very, very slow for a long time, and then very, very fast at the end!

What do you hope readers will take away from reading The Lucky Ones?

THE LUCKY ONES is a story of pain and fear and loss, but also one of hope.  And I truly believe that we need stories of hope in this world, stories where people go through some shit but manage to come out on the other side. Someone recently described reading THE LUCKY ONES as a cathartic experience, and that’s exactly what I’ve always hoped that readers would get from the read.

It’s a crazy world right now. What is it like at your household right now and have you made any changes to get through the now very long days at home?

Well I’m still working at my day job (and trying to promote my book!), so my husband has been handling hanging with our toddler since he’s out of school. It’s a lot some days, but I know we’re very lucky compared to so many people who have lost their livelihoods.

Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?

There are several other debuts coming out on April 7^th that I highly recommend—THE BEST LAID PLANS by Cameron Lund and THE PERFECT ESCAPE by Suzanne Park are excellent. Also, Dante Medema’s fall book THE TRUTH PROJECT is an incredible novel in verse that everyone should put on their to-read lists! And, right now, I’m reading YOU’RE NEXT by Kylie Schachte, which is FANTASTIC! The voice reminds me a lot of early season Veronica Mars, which isn’t something I say lightly. I highly recommend checking it out!

Will you be picking up The Lucky Ones? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Liz Lawson, Author of ‘The Lucky Ones’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Contemporaries seem to go hand in hand with warm and sunny weather, delving into the often at times complicated lives of everyday people. Contemporaries are great reads because there are so many different takes on the genre. There are no two books alike in this genre and with the new focus on #ownvoices authors, contemporaries are now touching on more and more societal issues. To find your next contemporary read, check out this list of 10 must read contemporaries of 2020!

Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen
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When eighteen-year-old Ever Wong’s parents send her from Ohio to Taiwan to study Mandarin for the summer, she finds herself thrust among the very over-achieving kids her parents have always wanted her to be, including Rick Woo, the Yale-bound prodigy profiled in the Chinese newspapers since they were nine—and her parents’ yardstick for her never-measuring-up life.

Unbeknownst to her parents, however, the program is actually an infamous teen meet-market nicknamed Loveboat, where the kids are more into clubbing than calligraphy and drinking snake-blood sake than touring sacred shrines.

Free for the first time, Ever sets out to break all her parents’ uber-strict rules—but how far can she go before she breaks her own heart?

Echoes Between Us by Katie McGarry
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Echoes Between Us is bestselling author Katie McGarry’s breakout teen contemporary novel about a girl with everything to lose and the boy who will do anything to save her.

Veronica sees ghosts. More specifically, her mother’s ghost. The afterimages of blinding migraines caused by the brain tumor that keeps her on the fringes and consumes her whole life haunt her, even as she wonders if it’s something more…

Golden boy Sawyer is handsome and popular, a state champion swimmer, but his adrenaline addiction draws him to Veronica.

A girl with nothing to live for and a boy with everything to lose–can they conquer their demons together?

Jane Anonymous by Laurie Faria Stolarz
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Bestselling author Laurie Faria Stolarz returns with Jane Anonymous, a gripping tale of a seventeen-year-old girl’s kidnapping and her struggle to fit back into her life after she escapes.

Then, “Jane” was just your typical 17-year-old in a typical New England suburb getting ready to start her senior year. She had a part-time job she enjoyed, an awesome best friend, overbearing but loving parents, and a crush on a boy who was taking her to see her favorite band. She never would’ve imagined that in her town where nothing ever happens, a series of small coincidences would lead to a devastating turn of events that would forever change her life.

Now, it’s been three months since “Jane” escaped captivity and returned home. Three months of being that girl who was kidnapped, the girl who was held by a “monster.” Three months of writing down everything she remembered from those seven months locked up in that stark white room. But, what if everything you thought you knew―everything you thought you experienced―turned out to be a lie?

If You Only Knew by Prerna Pickett
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A boy recently released from jail and the daughter of a prosecutor fall for each other against the odds in this YA novel.

Corey has just been released from jail, and all he wants is a new beginning. But when his former gang comes knocking, Corey agrees to vandalize the home of Kent Hopper, the prosecutor who put him away.

To erase the guilt she carries from getting away with a crime, Tessa spends most of her nights riding her motorcycle. When she catches Corey destroying her father’s car, she doesn’t see a criminal: She sees a way to finally right her own wrongs. So instead of turning Corey over to the police, she convinces her father to give Corey a second chance.

As Tessa and Corey spend more time with each other, it becomes difficult to ignore the pull between them. But they’re both keeping secrets, and when those secrets come to light, they’ll each have to face their demons in order to have a future together.

Harley in the Sky by Akemi Dawn Bowman
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Harley Milano has dreamed of being a trapeze artist for as long as she can remember. With parents who run a famous circus in Las Vegas, she spends almost every night in the big top watching their lead aerialist perform, wishing with all her soul that she could be up there herself one day.

After a huge fight with her parents, who continue to insist she go to school instead, Harley leaves home, betrays her family and joins the rival traveling circus Maison du Mystère. There, she is thrust into a world that is both brutal and beautiful, where she learns the value of hard work, passion and collaboration. But at the same time, Harley must come to terms with the truth of her family and her past—and reckon with the sacrifices she made and the people she hurt in order to follow her dreams.

The Lucky Ones by Liz Lawson
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For fans of Thirteen Reasons Why, This Is How It Ends, and All the Bright Places, comes a new novel about life after. How do you put yourself back together when it seems like you’ve lost it all?

May is a survivor. But she doesn’t feel like one. She feels angry. And lost. And alone. Eleven months after the school shooting that killed her twin brother, May still doesn’t know why she was the only one to walk out of the band room that day. No one gets what she went through–no one saw and heard what she did. No one can possibly understand how it feels to be her.

Zach lost his old life when his mother decided to defend the shooter. His girlfriend dumped him, his friends bailed, and now he spends his time hanging out with his little sister…and the one faithful friend who stuck around. His best friend is needy and demanding, but he won’t let Zach disappear into himself. Which is how Zach ends up at band practice that night. The same night May goes with her best friend to audition for a new band.

Which is how May meets Zach. And how Zach meets May. And how both might figure out that surviving could be an option after all.

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
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From Stonewall and Lambda Award-winning author Kacen Callender comes a revelatory YA novel about a transgender teen grappling with identity and self-discovery while falling in love for the first time.

Felix Love has never been in love—and, yes, he’s painfully aware of the irony. He desperately wants to know what it’s like and why it seems so easy for everyone but him to find someone. What’s worse is that, even though he is proud of his identity, Felix also secretly fears that he’s one marginalization too many—Black, queer, and transgender—to ever get his own happily-ever-after.

When an anonymous student begins sending him transphobic messages—after publicly posting Felix’s deadname alongside images of him before he transitioned—Felix comes up with a plan for revenge. What he didn’t count on: his catfish scenario landing him in a quasi–love triangle….

But as he navigates his complicated feelings, Felix begins a journey of questioning and self-discovery that helps redefine his most important relationship: how he feels about himself.

Felix Ever After is an honest and layered story about identity, falling in love, and recognizing the love you deserve.

Last Girls by Demetra Brodsky
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No one knows how the world will end. On a secret compound in the Washington wilderness, Honey Juniper and her sisters are training to hunt, homestead, and protect their own.

Prepare for every situation. But when danger strikes from within, putting her sisters at risk, training becomes real life, and only one thing is certain: Nowhere is safe.

Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon
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The Hating Game meets Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by way of Morgan Matson in this unforgettable romantic comedy about two rival overachievers whose relationship completely transforms over the course of twenty-four hours.

Today, she hates him.

It’s the last day of senior year. Rowan Roth and Neil McNair have been bitter rivals for all of high school, clashing on test scores, student council elections, and even gym class pull-up contests. While Rowan, who secretly wants to write romance novels, is anxious about the future, she’d love to beat her infuriating nemesis one last time.

Tonight, she puts up with him.

When Neil is named valedictorian, Rowan has only one chance at victory: Howl, a senior class game that takes them all over Seattle, a farewell tour of the city she loves. But after learning a group of seniors is out to get them, she and Neil reluctantly decide to team up until they’re the last players left—and then they’ll destroy each other.

As Rowan spends more time with Neil, she realizes he’s much more than the awkward linguistics nerd she’s sparred with for the past four years. And, perhaps, this boy she claims to despise might actually be the boy of her dreams.

Tomorrow…maybe she’s already fallen for him.

Miss Meteor by Tehlor Kay Mejia & Anna-Marie McLemore
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There hasn’t been a winner of the Miss Meteor beauty pageant who looks like Lita Perez or Chicky Quintanilla in all its history. But that’s not the only reason Lita wants to enter the contest, or why her ex-best friend Chicky wants to help her. The road to becoming Miss Meteor isn’t about being perfect; it’s about sharing who you are with the world—and loving the parts of yourself no one else understands. So to pull off the unlikeliest underdog story in pageant history, Lita and Chicky are going to have to forget the past and imagine a future where girls like them are more than enough—they are everything.

Witty and heartfelt with characters that leap off the page, Miss Meteor is acclaimed authors Anna-Marie McLemore’s and Tehlor Kay Mejia’s first book together.

What 2020 YA contemporaries are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 10 Must-Read YA Contemporaries of 2020 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Who’s ready to get their hands on some new YA releases!? We definitely are and we bet you can’t wait too! We love a new year because that means there’s going to be so many new books coming out over the next 12 months from authors we already love as well as authors releasing their very first novel into the wild!

Naturally there’s many books being released, so we’ve narrowed it down to 48 titles that we are really looking forward to being released between the months of January and June!

So, what can we expect from 2020? Well there’s new books from familiar names such as Cassandra Clare, Melissa de la Cruz, Suzanne Collins,  Alwyn Hamilton, and many more! In terms of content, there’s gender-swapped retellings, vampires, assassins, magic, thrillers, dragons, sweet contemporaries, stories of friendship, tales of love and revenge, and much, much more!

Read on to discover just a few of our favourites and tell us in the comments if you are looking forward to any of these releases!

JANUARY

Oasis by Katya de Becerra
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In this young adult thriller for fans of Lost and The Twilight Zone, a group of teens are saved when they come across a mysterious oasis. But who will save them from the oasis?

Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen
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Perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Sarah Dessen, and praised as “an intense rush of rebellion and romance” by #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Garber, this romantic and layered Own Voices debut from Abigail Hing Wen is a dazzling, fun-filled romp.

Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore
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With Anna-Marie McLemore’s signature lush prose, Dark and Deepest Red pairs the forbidding magic of a fairy tale with a modern story of passion and betrayal.

Rogue Princess by B.R. Myers
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A princess fleeing an arranged marriage teams up with a snarky commoner to foil a rebel plot in B. R. Myers’ Rogue Princess, a gender-swapped sci-fi YA retelling of Cinderella.

Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibañez
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A lush tapestry of magic, romance, and revolución, drawing inspiration from Bolivian politics and history.

Black Girl Unlimited: The Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard by Echo Brown
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Heavily autobiographical and infused with magical realism, Black Girl Unlimited fearlessly explores the intersections of poverty, sexual violence, depression, racism, and sexism―all through the arc of a transcendent coming-of-age story for fans of Renee Watson’s Piecing Me Together and Ibi Zoboi’s American Street.

Blood Countess by Lana Popović
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A historical YA horror novel based on the infamous real-life inspiration for Countess Dracula.

Don’t Read the Comments by Eric Smith
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Slay meets Eliza and Her Monsters in Eric Smith’s Don’t Read the Comments, an #ownvoices story in which two teen gamers find their virtual worlds – and blossoming romance – invaded by the real-world issues of trolling and doxing in the gaming community.

FEBRUARY

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller
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Tricia Levenseller, author of Daughter of the Pirate King, is back with an epic YA tale of ambition and love in The Shadows Between Us…

The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper
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Teen boys find love when their parents’ NASA mission uproots their lives in this sweet debut perfect for Adam Silvera fans.

The Queen’s Assassin by Melissa de la Cruz
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Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Red Queen, this is the first novel in a sweeping YA fantasy-romance duet about a deadly assassin, his mysterious apprentice, and the country they are sworn to protect from #1 NYT bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz.

Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed
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New York Times bestselling authors Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed have crafted a resonant, funny, and memorable story about the power of love and resistance.

Belle Révolte by Linsey Miller
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From the author of the Mask of Shadows duology comes a standalone fantasy where two young women must trade lives, work together to stay alive, and end a war caused by magic and greed.

The Last Confession of Autumn Casterly by Meredith Tate
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If I Stay meets One of Us is Lying in this gripping contemporary thriller.

Ink in the Blood by Kim Smejkal
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A lush, dark YA fantasy debut that weaves together tattoo magic, faith, and eccentric theater in a world where lies are currency and ink is a weapon, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Kendare Blake.

Foul Is Fair by Hannah Capin
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Foul is Fair is a bloody, thrilling revenge fantasy for the girls who have had enough. Golden boys beware: something wicked this way comes.

MARCH

Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare
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Chain of Gold is the first novel in a new trilogy that stars the Shadowhunters of Edwardian London.

Bone ​Crier’s Moon by Kathryn Purdie
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From #1 New York Times bestselling author Kathryn Purdie comes a high-stakes fantasy duology flush with doomed romance and macabre magic, perfect for fans of Stephanie Garber and Roshani Chokshi.

Anna K.: A Love Story by Jenny Lee
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Dazzlingly opulent and emotionally riveting, Anna K.: A Love Story is a brilliant reimagining of Leo Tolstoy’s timeless love story, Anna Karenina―but above all, it is a novel about the dizzying, glorious, heart-stopping experience of first love and first heartbreak.

Greythorne by Crystal Smith
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Brimming with deliciously mysterious magic, political intrigue, and a passionate heroine who will do anything to save the ones she loves—this highly anticipated sequel to Bloodleaf won’t disappoint.

Harley in the Sky by Akemi Dawn Bowman
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The Greatest Showman meets This Is Us by way of Sarah Dessen in this heart-wrenching, hopeful contemporary novel about a multiracial teen who risks it all to follow her dreams by joining the circus, from the critically acclaimed author of Starfish.

Havenfall by Sara Holland
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A safe haven between four realms. The girl sworn to protect it–at any cost. New York Times bestselling author Sara Holland crafts a breathtaking new contemporary fantasy perfect for fans of Melissa Albert and Holly Black.

Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales
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Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda meets Clueless in this boy-meets-boy spin on Grease.

When We Were Magic by Sarah Gailey
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A sly, witchy dark comedy about four teens whose magic goes wildly awry from Magic for Liars author Sarah Gailey, who Chuck Wendig calls an “author to watch.”

APRIL

Incendiary by Zoraida Córdova
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Jack Kerouac Is Dead to Me by Gae Polisner
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Gae Polisner’s Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me is a story about the fragility of female friendship, of falling in love and wondering if you are ready for more, and of the glimmers of hope we find by taking stock in ourselves.

Time of Our Lives by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
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A reflective, romantic coming-of-age novel that explores life after high school–perfect for fans of Fangirl and Emergency Contact.

The Lucky Ones by Liz Lawson
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For fans of Thirteen Reasons Why, This Is How It Ends, and All the Bright Places, comes a new novel about life after. How do you put yourself back together when it seems like you’ve lost it all?

Clique Bait by Ann Valett
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Pretty Little Liars meets Burn for Burn in this thrilling debut from Wattpad star Ann Valett.

Verona Comics by Jennifer Dugan
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From the author of Hot Dog Girl comes a fresh and funny YA contemporary romance about two teens who fall in love in an indie comic book shop.

Late to the Party by Kelly Quindlen
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From author Kelly Quindlen comes a poignant and deeply relatable story about friendship, self-acceptance, what it means to be a Real Teenager. Late to the Party is an ode to late bloomers and wallflowers everywhere.

Loveless by Alice Oseman
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Loveless is a journey of identity, self-acceptance, and finding out how many different types of love there really are. And that no one is really loveless after all.

MAY

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
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The post 48 YA Book Releases To Look Out For In 2020 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.