Author: Tirzah Price

Nora is the daughter of a con woman, and she’s been living a lie her entire life. The latest lie is that she lives with her big sister in a small town, and that nothing about her is unusual in any way. The truth? Nora isn’t her real name, her mom is in prison, and Nora put her there. She’s mostly happy, until the day that she and her new girlfriend Iris and ex-boyfriend Wes have to go to the bank together to deposit money from a fundraiser. What should just be an awkward ten minutes turns into a nightmare when the bank is held up by two gunmen, and Nora, Iris, and Wes are all taken hostage. Nora has a sense that this whole thing could go very, very wrong, so she pulls upon all of the tricks she learned in a lifetime of subterfuge in order to get out alive with the two people she cares about, but doing so also means directly confronting a traumatic past.

I love books that (mostly) take place over the course of a single day or event, because I think it really heightens tension and it takes a talented writer to pull it off. Sharpe does this brilliantly here, alternating between present action scenes and flashbacks from all the different girls that Nora has had to become over the years to survive. This demonstrates her struggles with being genuine, and her inability to know who she even is after all of the identities she’s impersonated. I loved that Sharpe really explores what it is to have morals and be ethical when you’ve lived a life of deception, and Sharpe illuminates how Nora makes sense of her experiences and decides what she’s going to stand up for. This rich emotional landscape is contrasted against a really thrilling plot of Nora outwitting the bank robbers at every turn, balancing her many secrets, and also maintaining her platonic and romantic relationships—which force her to be brutally honest in a way she’s always avoided before. It’s a story that requires a deft hand in its telling and lots of balancing between the emotional moments and high-powered action, but Sharpe absolutely nails it!

When Hwani and her sister Maewol were children, they went missing in the forest only to be found hours later yards away from a grisly murder scene. Hwani remembers nothing of that day, and shortly after her family was torn apart. But years later their father, Detective Min, hears that thirteen other girls have gone missing in that same forest and decides to investigate…only to vanish without a trace himself. Hwani decides that if anyone is going to figure out the forest’s secrets and discover where her father went, she must face the past…and her estranged sister, Maewol.

This novel is set in the early 15th century, on Jeju Island, and it provides a fascinating history of the island and the politics of the time, alongside a riveting family story. The tension between the sisters provides plenty of drama, as Maewol hasn’t forgiven Hwani for leaving, and Hwani has her own conflicted feelings about their shared dark history and separation. As much as Hwani wants to solve the disappearance of her father and unravel the island’s secrets, she must come to terms with the fact that she needs her sister, and that in order for them to solve the (many!) mysteries of the island, they need to work together. This adds some challenges to Hwani’s mission, and the plot is a tightly wound mystery that will keep you turning the pages.

I also really enjoyed the complex community that Hur depicts, and how even though Hwani spent her childhood there, she comes to it as an outsider, searching for clues. Maewol stayed behind and has expert insight, but in many ways she’s too close to the community to see the full picture. The greater politics of the region also play a close role in the mystery, even if it isn’t obvious the girls at the very beginning. The climactic scene had me literally holding my breath—it was that tense! If you love historical fiction, want something that gives you a glimpse into a non-European region, and provides an excellent mystery, June Hur really delivers!

Prince Kiem is the most disappointing of the emperor’s grandchildren, so when he finds himself summoned to her presence, he’s not quite sure why he’s in trouble. Turns out, he’s not…but there is something the emperor wants, or rather, demands: for Kiem to marry Count Jainan, the representative of his tiny planet to the Galactic Empire. Kiem knows a publicity stunt when he sees one, but there’s no way wiggling out of it, so he goes along with the ploy. But it turns out that Count Jainan is quiet, withdrawn, and grieving the death of his first husband…whom he is suspected of murdering in an “accident.” As the political intrigue heightens, Kiem and Jainan must figure out a way to work together and solve a few mysteries in order to save the empire.

This book ticks a lot of my boxes: Space opera, queer couple, banter, marriage of convenience, murder mystery, political intrigue, and (I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say!) romance! One thing I really loved about this book is that queer characters are the norm and aren’t persecuted in any way, and gender expression is very intentional—i.e. people don’t just assume gender based on biology, it is an intentional expression that varies across cultures, and even still can be confusing and nonbinary. I love books that reimagine cool ways of personal expression that are open, accepting, and nuanced.

The world building is exciting, but of course it’s not all progressive paradise. The empire rules all, and the smaller planets aren’t always happy about this. Political alliances are complicated, and the future of everyone in the empire hangs in the balance. That all provides an interesting backdrop for the story of Kiem and Jainan, two seemingly opposites who are thrown together rather awkwardly at first, but quickly learn that they care for one another. It’s not always clear if they’re just doing their duties, or if there’s something more brewing, which is another great source of tension. Communication is a big barrier for them, but I appreciate that Maxwell always does a great job at showing the legitimate reasons why they struggle to connect at times rather than making it a convenient excuse. Kiem is self-deprecating, personable, funny, and a bit of a goofball. Jainan is focused and intelligent, but reserved and not always very self-confident. Their personalities don’t seem like a perfect match, but when they’re together they just work, and it was a joy to read about them connecting. The romance is a bit of a slow burn, but always an enjoyable one, and their dynamic had me laughing and swooning in equal measure!

The other perk to this book? It’s a standalone novel, so if you have series fatigue this is the perfect book for you! (Although, be warned that it’s so delightful you’ll want more of Kiem and Jainan! Lucky for us, Maxwell is working on another book set in the same universe!)

Kareena Thakkar started practicing Muay Thai as a kid, in part because she needed an outlet for the stress of her father’s terminal illness diagnosis. Now she’s in high school and at the top of her game. When she receives an invite to the Muay Thai US Open, she’s ecstatic. Winning could mean incredible things for her career as an athlete, and it could even mean a shot at the Olympic team when Muy Thai is officially incorporated as an Olympics sport. But there are a few problems: Her family can’t afford the cost of her competition, her dad’s health is worsening, their Indian community has pretty much abandoned the family, and in order to keep her grades up, she’s agreed to tutor Amit Patel, the model Indian guy she’s falling for. No pressure.

I was a huge fan of Patel’s adult romance, The Trouble With Hating You, so I was super excited to check out her YA debut, and I was not disappointed. This is such a great novel about not only the physical intensity of being an elite athlete training for a big competition, but also the mental toughness that is required. Kareena can’t help but worry about her parents and their family’s financial burden, even though she’s told not to let it distract her from her training. Add on top of that the social pressure and the alienation she feels from her Indian community because she isn’t considered ladylike or proper since she takes part in an intense contact sport, and Kareena has a lot of mental and emotional challenges in addition to the physical challenges of training constantly, eating right, and getting her head in the competition. I can’t help but think that this nuanced focus on an athlete’s mental and emotional wellbeing is more important than ever, especially given how Simone Biles made the brave choice to value her mental health over a competition.

The book is also really swoony, and I love that Patel never puts Amit in direct opposition of Kareena’s aspirations. She keeps her sport a secret from him at first because she’s worried about the judgment she might face, from him and his parents, but when she tells him about her sport and her big competition, he’s so supportive and he lets her set the pace of their relationship. That was so wonderful to see, and I loved that their relationship is very considerate and healthy, and Amit is supportive of Kareena and respectful of her wishes and boundaries when it comes to training.

At its heart, this is a book about an elite athlete who has what it takes to go all the way to the top, but her emotional journey is about learning to accept support from the people who are enthusiastic about giving it…and drawing boundaries between herself and those people who aren’t supportive or whose support is conditional. And that’s why Kareena is such a strong and admirable protagonist, and why we root for her!

Bonus: I listened to the audiobook narrated by Soneela Nankani, and it was excellent, as all of her audiobook narrations are!