Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston - 424 pages

Alex's mother is running for re-election as president of the United States.  So it is a major incident when he gets into a public spat with Henry, the Prince of Wales.  To fix the problem, they are forced to stage a truce and "become" friends.  What starts out as a fake friendship soon turns into a real friendship.  Then it turns into something more.  But will they be able to have a relationship without ruining the re-election campaign?

This book was on several best of 2019 lists.  I'm glad I picked it up to read.  I really enjoyed it.  The characters were interesting and drew you into the story. 

The Garden of Words by Makoto Shinkai

The Garden of Words by Makoto Shinkai - 196 pages

Akizuki plays hooky every first period of a rainy school day.  He goes to the park and draws possible designs for shoes.  That is how he meets the mysterious woman who also plays hooky from work on rainy days to drink beer and chocolate in the park.  A connection is made between the two when she quotes a poem to him as she leaves the first day.  Will Akuzuki figure out the meaning before it's too late?

I picked this up as I was looking for something to read on my lunch break.  I didn't realize I would actually finish it on break.  It's a very quick read with sparse text and conversation between the characters.  It was an interesting story. I kind of wish there was a sequel to see how their meetings changed their lives in the future rather than just ending once they figure out who each other is.

Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey

Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey - 389 pages

Georgie gets no respect from her family.  They all dismiss her as a child even though she runs her own successful entertainment business as a birthday party clown. 

Travis is back home after retiring from baseball due to an injury.  He feels a failure until he's offered a job as a color analyst.  The only problem is that he has to live down his playboy image as the team wants a family-friendly announcer.

So Georgia comes up with a plan.  Georgie and Travis will "date".  Georgie will be seen as an adult by her family and Travis will look as if he settled down with a girl next door.  But will they be able to keep up the pretense without really falling in love?


I picked up this book after reading a review of it on JCL Reads.  I'm glad I did.  It was a fun, quirky romance that I really enjoyed.  In fact, I went and placed several other books by this author on hold as soon as I finished it.  Hopefully, I like them as much.

Blood Magick by Nora Roberts - 322 pages
The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy #3

Branna O'Dwyer and Finbar Burke have been in love their whole lives.  They assumed they would be together forever.  Then the mark of Cabhan appeared on Fin marking him as the demon's descendant.  Still, they work together trying to defeat Cabhan.  Will they allow themselves to acknowledge their love?

This is the third book in the Cousins O'Dwyer trilogy by Nora Roberts.  It did a good job of tying up all the loose ends of the trilogy while focusing on the romance between Branna and Fin.  I would recommend listening to this series rather than reading it.  Each book is narrated by a different actor.  The narrator of this final book probably did the best job with accents and differentiating between the different characters.

Suffer Love by Ashley Herring Blake

Suffer Love by Ashley Herring Blake - 346 pages

Hadley's life has been in turmoil ever since it was discovered that her father had been having an affair.  They moved to a new town.  Her mother has withdrawn.  Her father is constantly trying to reconnect with Hadley.  Then she meets Sam.  He seems to get her -- her grief, her sorrow, and her anger.  Hadley begins to fall in love with Sam.  However, Sam has a secret that he hasn't told her . . .

I enjoyed this teen novel.  It did a good job of really showing the emotions of both of the main characters and how an act can change the lives of several people.  I would recommend this to teens who enjoy Sarah Dessen, Morgan Matson, and Jennifer E. Smith.

Twin Star Exorcists, v. 9 by Yoshiaki Sukeno

Twin Star Exorcists, v. 9 by Yoshiaki Sukeno - 208 pages

Rukoru and Benio conclude their fight against the kegar Hijimaru to save Sayo, however, there are unintended consequences to their battle.

This is the latest volume in the series.  It was interesting to see the series change as it did and look forward to seeing if the author continues with the current storyline or reverts back to the original.  It was very interesting to read the author's note and discover that this change in the series actually brings it closer to his original vision for the series.

Glory in Death by J.D. Robb

Glory in Death by J.D. Robb - 313 pages

Eve Dallas is upset to discover her latest murder case can be linked to her boyfriend Roarke.  It seems someone is killing prominent women -- a prosecuting attorney, a up and coming starlet, and a news reporter.  Now she must juggler her relationship with Roarke while trying to stay impartial on the case.

This is the second book in the Eve Dallas mystery series.  I'm looking forward to reading more of them.

Bunny Drop, v.6 by Yumi Unita

Bunny Drop, v.6 by Yumi Unita - 214 pages

This volume mainly deals with the relationship between Rin and Kouki.  It tells the story of how the rift between them came to be and why a true relationship will never work between them.
I'm still loving the series.  Unfortunately, now I have to wait until I can get the final four volumes of the story.

The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith

The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith - 337 pages

Lucy and Owen meet for the first time when they get stuck in an elevator during a city-wide blackout.  After being rescued they spend the rest of the night together getting to know each other.  It's the start of a relationship . . . or is it?  The next thing you know Lucy and Owen have both moved away.  At first they keep in contact.  But then it starts to slip away.  After multiple moves for both -- they get the chance to meet again.  Will they take that chance?  Or let it slip away?

This is a typical Jennifer E. Smith book.  It deals with the relationship between teenagers and what it takes for that relationship to work.  There are obstacles to overcome - both individually and together.  The characters learn about themselves and life in general as they move through the story.  A great read!