Thank you, NetGalley, for an eARC of The Summer of Lost Things by Jenn Bennett.

This was a really fun read. I was hooked from start to finish. I love a good treasure-hunting story, and I felt like this hit a lot of the marks. It was full of adventure, plotting, twists, and a great crew (aka the Wags).

The reconnection between all of the friends was also great. The Wags were definitely friendship goals, and I just really loved the dynamic between all of them. I thought the romance between Seb and Paige was sweet, maybe a bit rushed in terms of not having enough buildup in the earlier chapters, but I still enjoyed their relationship.

The overall plot was good, if not a bit predictable. It definitely gave very heavy Outer Banks vibes, but was distinct enough to stand on its own.

This is definitely a great summer read if you’re looking for a romance with a bit of adventure.

This was another super cute book by Lynn Painter! I absolutely loved the dynamic between Bailey and Charlie, and the way they met was such a perfect lead up to their friendship later on.

I really liked the children of divorce aspect and the ways they both felt about their relationships with not only their parents, but their parents’ new significant others. It felt very realistic and really helped shape both of their characters.

The friendship, the fake dating, the bets, all of it was so, so good. Bailey and Charlie’s chemistry was amazing, and I was giggling so many times while reading this. I will say some parts felt a little childish, but this is YA, so it’s to be expected.

Definitely a fun, easy read!

Thank you, NetGalley, for an eARC of Change of Plans by Sarah Dessen.

I first started reading Sarah’s books when I was a preteen and have such a soft spot for her and her stories, so when I saw she was coming out with a new book after seven years, I was beyond thrilled. Change of Plans brought back all those feelings I used to get reading her books, and I couldn’t get enough.

This is such a classic coming of age novel, full of heart and all those big, messy emotions that no one really knows how to process. Our FMC, Finley, is in the summer before college, where everything is changing. Her high school boyfriend broke up with her, her distant mother wants to go on a trip, and suddenly she’s surrounded by family she never had the opportunity to be a part of. There were so many wonderful pieces to this storyline, but like many of Sarah’s books, I really appreciated the growth our main character had with her parent, in this case her mother. It was so beautiful to watch their relationship evolve and shows that it’s never too late to fix what’s broken, even if it’s uncomfortable.

I also really loved all of the found, and literal, family in this book, especially Lana and Ben. Both played such a big role in letting Finley grow into this new person without any expectations but also pushed her when she needed it.

My only small complaint was that some of the scene and paragraph transitions felt very abrupt and definitely could have been tweaked to flow a bit better.

Overall, this is definitely a book I’d recommend to anyone who is looking for a good YA story about family and finding yourself in the midst of change. It was so beautifully done! 4.5/5

“Maybe how we’d gotten there was awkward. But then, some of the best things are. It’s just a part of it.”

The only thing spectacular about this was the artwork.