Today we welcome Christina Li to Rich in Color. Christina is the author of the recently released book True Love and Other Impossible Odds. [Our review can be found here.] Publisher summary: College freshman Grace Tang never meant to rewrite the rules of love. She came to college to move on from a grief-stricken senior year and to start anew. But when her roommate encounters dating woes and Grace takes an intriguing mathematics class, she develops an algorithm for a class project, the Match-Up, to find people’s perfect matches on campus. The algorithm takes campus by storm and matches up half o ..read more

With spring on its way out, I thought it would be fun to do a quick roundup of some contemporary romances. Here are three that are out this month–which ones are on your reading list? Bite Me, Royce Taslim by Lauren Ho Disney Hyperion Agnes Chan never expected to be the punchline of her own life . . . But how else do you explain getting accidentally run over and seeing a lifetime of careful preparation, endless training, and all your hopes of a track scholarship to college destroyed in a split second? Not to mention the only witness to your humiliation being your #1 archnemesis, Royce Taslim. S ..read more

Title: Icarus Author: K. Ancrum Genres: Contemporary, Romance, LGBTQIA, Thriller Pages: 382 Publisher: HarperTeen Review Copy: Review copy provided by publisher Availability: Available now Summary: Icarus Gallagher is a thief. He steals priceless art and replaces it with his father’s impeccable forgeries. For years, one man—the wealthy Mr. Black—has been their target in revenge for his role in the death of Icarus’s mother. To keep their secret, Icarus adheres to his own strict rules to keep people, and feelings, at bay: Don’t let anyone close. Don’t let anyone touch you. And, above all, don’t ..read more

April is National Poetry Month and I thought I’d highlight some amazing books. Novels in verse and YA poetry collections are becoming more popular as teens respond to the genre. I thought I’d share a few that I’ve read and loved. Saints of the Household by Ari Tison Max and Jay have always depended on one another for their survival. Growing up with a physically abusive father, the two Bribri American brothers have learned that the only way to protect themselves and their mother is to stick to a schedule and keep their heads down. But when they hear a classmate in trouble in the woods, inst ..read more

Welcome to our group discussion of Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and illustrated by LeUyen Pham. Please note that this is a full spoiler discussion! You will be spoiled if you continue reading. Valentina Tran was named after Valentine’s Day, which used to be her favorite holiday. But when Val learns the truth behind what happened with her parents and why she’s being raised by a single father, she realizes true love is a lie. This is reinforced when she meets the spirit of Saint Valentine, who tells her she and her family are cursed to always be unlucky in love. Val is ready to g ..read more

Title: The Fox Maidens Author: Robin Ha Publisher’s Summary: Kai Song dreams of being a warrior. She wants to follow in the footsteps of her beloved father, the commander of the Royal Legion. But while her father believes in Kai and trains her in martial arts, their society isn’t ready for a girl warrior. Still, Kai is determined. But she is plagued by rumors that she is the granddaughter of Gumiho, the infamous nine-tailed fox demon who was killed by her father years before. Everything comes crashing down the day Kai learns the deadly secret about her mother’s past. Now she must come to terms ..read more

Title: The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee Author: Ellen Oh Genres: Contemporary, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Romance Pages: 305 Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers Review Copy: eARC provided via NetGalley Availability: Available now Summary: Mina has become the hero of her own story. Literally. When Mina Lee woke up on Saturday morning for SAT prep, she did NOT expect Nearly be fried by a superhero who turned out to be a supervillain. Come face to face with Jin, the handsome boy of her dreams. Discover a conspiracy involving the evil corporation Merco that she created. And it’s all happening in her ..read more

Title: My Week with Him Author: Joya Goffney Genres:  Contemporary/Romance Pages: 400 Publisher: Harper Teen Review Copy: ARC by publisher Availability: Available now Summary: Nikki’s always had a difficult relationship with her mum. So when she finds herself homeless at the start of spring break, she decides to rage-quit Texas and give California a shot, to pursue her dream music career. Until her best friend and long-time crush, Malachai, discovers her plan and convinces her to spend spring break with him, so he can show her all the reasons she should stay in Texas. But when Nikki’s lit ..read more

Title: Goddess Crown Author: Shade Lapite Genres: Fantasy, Romance Pages: 276 Publisher: Candlewick Press Review Copy: Provided by publisher Availability: Available now Summary: In this thrilling Afro-fantasy, the first set in the lush, opulent kingdom of Galla, a girl raised in secret must leave her sheltered rural home for the subtle dangers of the royal court, where she becomes caught up in deadly power struggles and romantic intrigue. Kalothia has grown up in the shadows of her kingdom, hidden away in the forested East after her parents were outed as enemies of the king. Raised in a woodla ..read more

Title: Flower and Thorn Author: Rati Mehrotra Genres: Fantasy, Historical, Romance Pages: 338 Publisher: Wednesday Books Review Copy: Purchased Availability: Available now Summary: Irinya has wanted to be a flower hunter ever since her mother disappeared into the mysterious mist of the Rann salt flats one night. Now seventeen, Irinya uses her knowledge of magical flowers to help her caravan survive in the harsh desert. When her handsome hunting partner and childhood friend finds a priceless silver spider lily—said to be able to tear down kingdoms and defeat an entire army—Irinya knows this is ..read more