What I Read In February

I didn't intend to, but like....I read a lot of mushy love stories in February. Mood reader to a fault, man. But really, life's been cold and confusing and harder than usual and I needed the fluff to sustain me. Thank you, authors of (especially YA) cheesy romance for providing us all with the sustenance needed to survive a Buffalo winter!

Here's what I read this February...





American Royals by Katharine McGee
This book was the most fun, and full of many shades of angst. It follows four female characters, two of which are royals in the fictional (alternative reality-style) American monarchy. For the majority of the book, no one is paired with who they really want to be with, creating all kinds of yummy longing and secrecy. The story continues with a book that's set to release this fall, and I can't wait for it!

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
This was a super cute story about a multi-generational business feud that went viral in the hands of the current generation's millennial-aged kids. The characters feel real, multi-faceted and honest, and they stay with you long after the story ends. There's romance, there's puns, there's twitter fueds, meme wars, and angsty high school navigation that all added up to deliver the cutest Romeo & Juliet lite story.

Virtually Yours by Sarvenaz Tash
So, this is kind of a weird out-there, big-brother creepy premise with some thought provoking issues going in. Actually, if you were into Netflix's Love Is Blind last month, you may be into this one. In this book's reality, dating has taken the form of virtual reality - a place where you can go anywhere, with anyone, and look like anything you want to. A pair of teens that had already tried and failed at love rekindle their relationship - with one of them not realizing who the other is. How the main character's relationships evolve in real live vs her virtual experience is an interesting situation to witness. Despite the creepy vibes of the VR situation (and the intervening AI), I liked the characters and the time I spent with them, and this is certainly a little different from your typical high school drama.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E Smith
I....really loved this. I'd gotten this from a used book group to bring me up to a free shipping threshold and I'm SO glad I did. This book follows a really busy and stressful 24 hours as a girl travels internationally to attend her Dad's wedding. She has to deal with her feelings about her Dad, his new wife, and the choice he made to leave her in the first place, when she meets an interesting guy who is more than willing to pass the time with her. Their chemistry and banter is so much fun, and they have you fully convinced that their face paced love story is 100% probable.

Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli & Aisha Saeed
Ahh, love! So much to say - I don't know where to start! There isn't a whole lot of romance in this one - more like a really genuine relationship that slowly grows because of everything else they're going through. This book is highly political - not only in that the main characters spend their time canvassing and volunteering for a local campaign, but in it's messages of change, racism, prejudice, cultural misunderstandings, and even the negativity present in our actual political environment. I loved the messages and strength in this book above all, and I think everyone invested in our current and upcoming elections should pick this one up!

The Upside of Falling by Alex Light
Sigh. I really really wanted to love this book. It's got the whole fake relationship turned real trope (which is one of the greatest going, if you ask me), with the juicy drama of high school mixed in. My library didn't have this new release on order, so I actually requested that they order it for me.......and now I kind of feel bad. The first half of this book read like a huge Jenny Han rip off. There were so many similarities to the To All The Boys series that it was laughable. The writing wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. The characters had no depth to themselves or chemistry with each other. It was just....kind of a nothing book. I give this one a big 'ol don't waste your time.


March has been a slow start so far, but I'm kicking it off with a REAL doozy...can't wait to share my thoughts! So, whatcha reading?



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