Firkins, Jacqueline. The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch. St. Martin’s Press, 2023. 352 pp. ISBN 9781250836526 $18.00. *** Poor Imogen. She’s been dumped seventeen times and is returning to her coastal home to lick her wounds, when she encounters the One That Got Away: Eliot, back in town for his father’s funeral. He’s determined to help her crack her mother’s prophecy that she will never be first in anything she tries (hence, all the breakups–they all leave her for someone else) with a series of summery challenges to win SOMETHING. Chapters of the present-day narrative’s experiments w ..read more

Linden, Rachel. Recipe for a Charmed Life. Berkley, 2024. 352 pp. ISBN 9780593440216. $17.00 *** I struggled to get through this, and put it down and picked it back up several times. After losing her job at a prestigious Parisian restaurant, Georgia May accepts her estranged mother’s invitation to visit her in the Pacific Northwest. There, she learns that her loss of taste may be related to her career burnout, and the cure for regaining it is to find her passion for cooking. Her mother Star thinks touring the small town’s artisan offerings in the company of handsome oyster farmer Cole might do ..read more

Cervantes, J. C. Always Isn’t Forever. Penguin, 2023. 384 pp. ISBN 9780593404485 $19.99 **** Still reeling from the unexpected death by drowning of her best friend turned boyfriend Hart, Ruby is struggling to cope with senior year, a decision to sell the boat they had restored, and college decisions. The powers that be decide to give Hart another chance by reincarnating his soul into a classmate who suffered an accident; the trade off is Hart will have access to Jameson’s memories as Hart’s fade—and he may miss the chance to reconnect with Ruby and for her to realize who he really is, since he ..read more

Young, Louisa. Twelve Months and a Day. Penguin Putnam, 2023. ISBN 9780593542651. $17.00 **** More of a narrative with romantic elements, Twelve Months and a Day tells the story of two recently widowed people — and their recently deceased partners, who come together in their confusion and sorrow and develop friendships. The living one between musician Rasmas and videographer Roisin is gently and strategically nudged along by the ghostly Nico and Jay, whose presences are felt so strongly because they are literally still there, calling on help when Rasmas falls into a depressive episode, holding ..read more

Flynn, Avery. Witcha Gonna Do. Berkley, 2022. 336 pp. ISBN 978-0593335215. $17.00 *** I fell in love with Cate Tiernan’s Sweep series as a young adult librarian about twenty years ago (I might or might not but definitely do still have a three-in-one compendium of the first volumes–ICYMI, the series is concerned with a magical teen who doesn’t know her heritage who gets caught up in a love triangle with two other powerful witches). I’m surprised I have not pursued more books in this vein: charming magical realism romance like The Charmed List, which I really enjoyed for its more complete, and b ..read more

June, Jason. Out of the Blue. HarperTeen, 2022. ISBN 978-0063015203. 384 pp. $17.99 *** Merperson Crest is on a coming-of-age journey on land to help a human and earn his return to the sea — if they choose to return after experiencing the wonders of twenty-first century Los Angeles. When Crest, who goes by Ross on land, runs into recently (unceremoniously) dumped Sean, it seems their mission is to help Sean win back his ex, and Crest/Ross becomes a willing participant. Of course, there are rules: no human can find out Crest/Ross’s true nature, and if they return to the sea before the month is ..read more

Abe, Julie. The Charmed List. Wednesday Books, 2022. 304 pp. ISBN ‎978-1250830098. $18.99 **** This magical realism young adult friends-to enemies-to-lovers romance is utterly, well, charming. Author Abe imagines a reality where some small percentage of the population is able to pull raw magic from a source to imbibe food or potions or salves for a little something extra: a boost of confidence with your tea or quicker healing for a rash. Those with magic tend to band together in small communities and those without are oblivious but benefit. Artist Elie is looking forward to a road trip with he ..read more

June, Jason. Out of the Blue. HarperTeen, 2022. ISBN 978-0063015203. 384 pp. $17.99 *** Merperson Crest is on a coming-of-age journey on land to help a human and earn his return to the sea — if they choose to return after experiencing the wonders of twenty-first century Los Angeles. When Crest, who goes by Ross on land, runs into recently (unceremoniously) dumped Sean, it seems their mission is to help Sean win back his ex, and Crest/Ross becomes a willing participant. Of course, there are rules: no human can find out Crest/Ross’s true nature, and if they return to the sea before the month is ..read more

Bender, Aimee. The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake. Doubleday, 2010. 292 pp. $25.95 ***** I’m usually not a fan of magical realism, preferring straight fantasy, but I started reading the Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake this evening, went to bed, and got up an hour later to finish it, compelled to find out what happened. What a lovely, lovely book. When Rose takes a bite of dessert one night, she not only tastes the flavor of the food, but the emotion of the baker behind it, her sad mother. And it keeps happening, to a point of distraction, until she can only eat processed, packaged food. Mea ..read more

Abe, Julie. The Charmed List. Wednesday Books, 2022. 304 pp. ISBN ‎978-1250830098. $18.99 **** This magical realism young adult friends-to enemies-to-lovers romance is utterly, well, charming. Author Abe imagines a reality where some small percentage of the population is able to pull raw magic from a source to imbibe food or potions or salves for a little something extra: a boost of confidence with your tea or quicker healing for a rash. Those with magic tend to band together in small communities and those without are oblivious but benefit. Artist Elie is looking forward to a road trip with he ..read more