S Jae Jones
[isbn]
A darkly fantastical mix of Goblin King mythology, romance, family drama, and baroque music. Wintersong is all things lush and gorgeous and breathtaking. This book filled the place in my heart left by Labyrinth.
Recommended by Joanna S.
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Joanna Hathaway
[isbn]
Feuding families. Teenagers in love. War on the horizon. Dark of the West is a deeply emotional exploration of the quiet, creeping prelude to war. In true Shakespearean fashion, we're shown the inevitable outcome of Aurelia and Athan's relationship in the very first few pages, and the resulting tension is as delicious as it is heartbreaking.
Recommended by Joanna S.
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Whitney Gardner
[isbn]
Love cosplay, feminism, and girls disguising themselves as boys to smash the patriarchy and play D&D? Chaotic Good has all of that, and it creates a fabulous mix of lighthearted fun and serious examination of some social issues. (Also, my favorite Portland comic shop, Books With Pictures, has a cameo!)
Recommended by Joanna S.
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Rory Power
[isbn]
If you like girls supporting girls, girls kissing girls, and occasionally, girls turning into monsters, then this book is for you. Wilder Girls is atmospheric and haunting and disturbing and beautiful, just like its stunning cover art. I'm going to be reading whatever Rory Power writes.
Recommended by Joanna S.
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Lisa Kleypas
[isbn]
The last in The Ravenels series! Cassandra Ravenel and Tom Severin finally get their story, and with their fiery chemistry and emotional journey (and prioritization of consent!) it was absolutely worth the wait. Lisa Kleypas's books are the kind you can't help but read over and over again (I read Devil in Spring, uh, five times last year) and Chasing Cassandra is no exception.
Recommended by Joanna S.
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Laura Ruby
[isbn]
Printz Award-winning Laura Ruby's exploration of war, desperation, family, love, betrayal, and womanhood — told by the ghost of one girl as she follows the life of another girl in WWII-era Chicago — is lyrical and gorgeous and sharp enough to cut. This book left me reeling for days.
Recommended by Joanna S.
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Emily Suvada
[isbn]
Suvada's This Mortal Coil series comes to an explosive end in This Vicious Cure, a heart-pounding, plot-twisty sci-fi thriller that asks big questions about humanity, genetic technology, and identity. My all-time favorite sci-fi series.
Recommended by Joanna S.
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Jessie Mihalik
[isbn]
For when you want your political thriller space opera to have a (large) dash of some of the very best romance tropes. This series is an absolute delight.
Recommended by Joanna S.
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Shelby Mahurin
[isbn]
"Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." Lou (a scrappy, snarky witch of a girl) and Reid (a stoic, principled witch hunter) accidentally stumble their way into a forced marriage. Lou must hide the secret of her magic from her unexpectedly kind but undeniably dangerous new husband, and Reid, honorable to his core, begins to question where his loyalties lie. A lush, gorgeous, and incredibly fun debut.
Recommended by Joanna S.
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Joanna Shupe
[isbn]
For when you want a delicious historical romance, but you want something that breaks out of Regency England, Joanna Shupe's Gilded Age romances set in the United States are delightful and gorgeous and sexy. The Prince of Broadway is the excellent newest book by Shupe in her Uptown Girls series, with a great mix of off-the-charts chemistry, a striking heroine, and a gruff (but secretly soft) hero. One of my favorite things about this book... (read more)
Recommended by Joanna S.
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Sarah Gailey
[isbn]
Sarah Gailey's debut YA novel is about a lot of things: secret magic powers, an accidental murder on prom night, and a group of friends desperately working to hide the body (yay, teamwork!). But Gailey also does things in this book that are unexpected and wild, a magic of a different nature. They dig deep into feelings about friendship, family, queerness, growing up, and messing up, in all the most painful and beautiful ways.
Recommended by Joanna S.
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Tessa Bailey
[isbn]
Fix Her Up is one of the smartest, sweetest, sexiest contemporary romances I've ever read. The emotional journeys the characters take are thoughtful and cohesive, and the chemistry between Georgie and Travis is absolute fire. Bailey also brilliantly sets up her next romance, Love Her or Lose Her, a second-chance romance that made me melt.
Recommended by Joanna S.
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Jen DeLuca
[isbn]
Jen DeLuca's Well Met is an adorable new hate-to-love romance set at a small-town Renaissance Faire. Simon and Emily's relationship is sweet and sexy, the side characters are well developed, and all of the history and Shakespeare jokes made my little English major heart sing. It's also the start of a series of standalone romances set in this town, and I can't wait to read them all!
Recommended by Joanna S.
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Rebekah Weatherspoon
[isbn]
With wit, emotion, and a whole lot of sexiness, Rebekah Weatherspoon's Rafe: A Buff Male Nanny immediately joins the ranks of my go-to reads and recommendations. Because honestly? Reading this book is self-care.
Recommended by Joanna S.
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Nina Varela
[isbn]
The beginning of an epic new duology, Crier's War is the queer enemies-to-lovers YA fantasy we've all been waiting for, filled with court intrigue and lush, gorgeous writing. I can't wait to see what Nina Varela writes next.
Recommended by Joanna S.
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Cynthia Hand and Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows
[isbn]
My favorite retelling of Jane Eyre! In My Plain Jane, Charlotte Brontë goes to school with Jane, there are ghosts (and a pre-Victorian Ghostbusters-esque society), and Jane's best friend is a dead girl who gives snarky, feminist critiques of Rochester's somewhat problematic approach to romance. This dynamic trio of authors — Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows — brilliantly handles this beloved classic with... (read more)
Recommended by Joanna S.
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Sonia Hartl
[isbn]
Sonia Hartl's Have a Little Faith in Me is one of the funniest books I've read this year. Internet humor has taught me how to read jokes without moving a single facial muscle, but this book had me laughing out loud (really) in public. Not only does it have one of my very favorite romantic tropes — fake dating! — but it also explores real issues like consent in the context of modern day religion. Hartl's writing is dynamic, comedic,... (read more)
Recommended by Joanna S.
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Julia Quinn
[isbn]
Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series is one of my all-time favorites. The first book, The Duke and I, introduces a family saga so heartwarming, funny, romantic, and sexy that I find myself coming back again and again. Don't sleep on these books — especially because Shonda Rhimes is adapting the series for Netflix. Looking for queer historical romance as good as Julia Quinn? Try Cat Sebastian!
Recommended by Joanna S.
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Emily Wibberley, Austin Siegemund Broka
[isbn]
In If I'm Being Honest, mean girl Cameron Bright goes on a (somewhat misguided) quest for self-improvement inspired by Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. But when her venture leads to an unexpected group of new friends and an even more unexpected romance, Cameron starts to wonder if she can't — or shouldn't — be tamed.
Recommended by Joanna S.
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Elana K Arnold
[isbn]
Damsel uses the prince-rescues-damsel trope as an allegory for the perpetuation of violence against women through the ages. Elana K. Arnold's lyrical prose itself makes me want to weep. If you, too, want to be filled with the righteous fury of a dragon, read this book.
Recommended by Joanna S.
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