The Fast Track by Angelica Cheng - OPTIONAL

The Fast Track by Angelica Cheng, 325 pages. Simon & Schuster, 2026. $21.

Language: R (20 swears, 3 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (under age drinking, hickey mentioned, passionate kissing) ; Violence: PG (non-fatal car collisions)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

17yo Justine Kwong dreams of being the first female to win a Formula 1 championship. Her new contract as a Formula 3 driver for Orbital racing makes that dream feel closer than ever. However, as the only female driver she feels like a diversity hire and the constant need to prove she is just as good as “one of the boys” is starting to wear down her nerves. Not to mention her adorable, British, pain-in-the-neck teammate – Cameron Evans – seems to think she is way out of her league. Before she can beat her “reckless rookie” allegations and prove she belongs, Justine will have to dig deep and decide how much she is willing to let go to achieve her dreams. 

The Fast Track will satisfy the specific desire to read an enemies-to-lovers, Formula 1 themed romance. I found Justine to be rash and a bit annoying at the beginning of the book. However, she becomes more likeable as she learns to listen to others and develops into a stronger, more fully-developed female character. The romance plot is predictable but sweet. I felt Cheng does a great job writing the racing chapters in particular. The action was fast and engaging. Short chapters at the beginning draw you in and help you sit through the longer ones in the middle.

Justine Kwong is Asian American   

E. Powell, South Ogden Junior High Librarian

Trust Fall by Lynn Painter - OPTIONAL

Trust Fall by Lynn Painter, 410 pages. Simon & Schuster, 2026. $18

Language: R (300+ swears, 60 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (teens drinking and smoking cigars, passionate kissing); Violence: PG (fighting and bullying)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

Julia Lowell, high school senior and brand new resident of New York, meets lifetime resident Damion Rutledge and it’s loathe at first sight. Damion believes that the Lowell family swindled his great uncle Remington out of his home. The Lowell family can’t believe that their elderly friend Lou left them his house in his will. There’s confusion and mixed emotions all around as Julia and Damion sort out what’s happening with the house situation. On top of that, Julia is mercilessly bullied by rich teens at her school, since she’s obviously an outsider. Damion ends up tutoring Julia to get her math scores up and he uses that excuse to dig deeper into how the Lowell’s ended up with Uncle Remi’s house. Julia is unsure of Damion because sometimes he’s rude but other times, he sticks up for her when she’s being taunted and she has no idea if he can be trusted.

I love the line from page 136, talking about reading, “Because there was just something about getting lost in another experience, in forgetting all about your life while riding along on someone else’s journey, that was the sweetest escape.” Also, this statement from Damion on page 163, “When it comes to film and books and the arts in general, you’re rewarded when they make you feel…” This is such a fun book! I love the descriptions of New York and Julia’s hometown in Nebraska, as seen through the eyes of the two main characters, Damion and Julia.

The ethnicity cues white.

LynnDell Watson, Delta High Library, Delta, Utah

I’m Gonna Get You Back by Eva Des Lauriers - ADVISABLE

I’m Gonna Get You Back by Eva Des Lauriers, 342 pages. Henry Holt (Macmillan), 2026. $21

Language: R (100+ swears, 25+ ‘f’); Mature Content: PG-13 (steamy kissing, pants removed, drinking); Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

A few months ago Gwen’s life was ruined when her Legacy scholarship was yanked when someone sabotaged her documentary film showing at the final banquet. While she faced consequences for the compromising footage, the principal’s son, also a scholarship recipient, lost nothing. In the months since, Gwen has barely held it together - icing out even Reid, who might have been the love of her life. Now it’s time for Legacy weekend; Reid and the others are on their way home and everyone is keeping secrets. Gwen is determined to figure and expose whomever it was who hurt her.

Chapters alternate between Gwen and Reid, and between Then and Now. Everything is clearly labeled, so it is ebay to follow along.  The Then chapters do drag a bit, but it was refreshing to see a mystery that doesn’t involve murder. The romance is quite heartfelt and full of misunderstandings and angst. I appreciate the double entendre in the title, too. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

The Christmas Yes List by Melissa Ferguson - OPTIONAL

 The Christmas Yes List by Melissa Ferguson, 352 pages. Thomas Nelson (HarperCollins), 2026. $19.

Language: PG (1 swear, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG (illegal activity, mentions of alcohol, and a joke about incest); Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: ADULTS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Chloe’s people-pleasing tendencies have led her to where she is now: jobless and single. So Chloe (25yo) is returning home with a determination to use rejection therapy to cure herself before Christmas. What she wasn’t counting on was a man who continues to say yes to every ridiculous suggestion.

The main characters exhibit the extreme ends of a spectrum of not caring what people think to the point of not caring about being rude versus people-pleasing to one’s own detriment. Obviously, the best answer is a balance somewhere in the middle, and the story is about Chloe’s silly journey to find her own balance. I was really worried about a dramatic climax and cringy third-act breakup, but I was pleasantly surprised that Ferguson took the characters through a much more modest response. Overall, a cute romance for the holidays.

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson

The Last Tiger by Julia and Brad Riew - OPTIONAL

The Last Tiger by Julia and Brad Riew , 416 pages. Kokila, 2025. $22

Language: PG (5 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (brief kissing, mention of physical abuse; a character mentions she was sent as a “comfort woman” at age 14-not graphic); Violence: PG-13 (fantasy violence)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

16yo Choi Eunji already struggles to be the perfect daughter her family wants, so when one of their servants - Lee Seung - spots her outside the house and without a chaperone, she forces him to make a deal. In return for helping her continue sneaking out at night without her family’s knowledge, Choi Eunji agrees to tutor Lee Seung in preparation for the Exam. Seung quickly learns the Exam is another tool used by the ruling Dragon Kingdom to rewrite history and keep powerful dragon ki from the tiger colony citizens. Just as Eunji and Seung's feelings for each other begin to grow, fate rips them apart, and they find themselves on opposite sides of a battle for the last tiger.

Siblings Julia and Brad Riew have written an action packed “romantasy” inspired by the true story of their grandparents secret courtship in Korea under Japanese rule. Each chapter switches from Choi Eunji’s and Lee Seung’s point of view. While this book has a high average rating on Goodreads, it wasn’t my favorite. I felt the pacing was slow for the first half of the book and the plot seemed a bit scattered. I think tweens/teens who love “romantasy”, enemies to lovers, and fantasy with minimal world building would enjoy it more.

Choi Eunji and Lee Seung are Tiger Colony citizens, which is meant to represent Korean ethnicity under colonial rule

E. Powell, Junior High Librarian

How (not) to Renovate a Haunted House by Jenny L. Howe - ADVISABLE

How (not) to Renovate a Haunted House by Jenny L. Howe, 369 pages. Delacorte (Random), 2026. $13 (pb)

Language: R (70+  swears, 3 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG-13 (kissing, porn mentioned); Violence: PG (ghostly danger)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SOME

17yo Amity has great summer plans for her time before college, but everything is upended when her mother declares that she has taken a job across the country in Massachusetts.  Amity has no choice but to follow, because her mother’s job is where also gets a free ride to college. How could they move into the haunted house in little Harlow’s Rest. Even the first night Amity catches the local ghost hunter outside - even if he is handsome. But Theo, the ghost hunter, knows that Amity’s house is haunted and he will have to convince her of that before it's too late. And he thinks she’s pretty special too.

The first half is a tiny bit spooky and mostly getting to know and trust each other. This one doesn’t satisfy as much as Love at Full Tilt did. But it is light and romantic and the final scares are pretty scary.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Last Kiss of Summer by Jessica Felleman - OPTIONAL

Last Kiss of Summer by Jessica Felleman, 305 pages. Penguin Random House, 2026. $13

Language: PG-13 (14 swears, 6 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (descriptive but not graphic sex scene); Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

When 18yo Sera Watkins and her family arrive at their summer house on Cape Cod, she has one goal in mind: protect her heart from the boy who broke it, her next-door neighbor, Luke. The problem is, Luke still has a piece of her heart—literally. When Sera received a new heart as a baby, the healthy valves of her old heart were given to Luke. Then, two summers ago, their friendship almost turned into something more. Key word: almost. Now, Sera is ready for a fresh start, which means no more pining over the boy next door. But Luke has grown up a lot since she’s seen him, and the chemistry she felt two summers ago? It’s still there.

This was a sweet love story with a lot of emotion.  Not complicated writing, just simple and to the point.  I enjoyed the story.

Karen Cutchen, Library Media Aide

Meet Me Under the Lights by Cassie Miller - OPTIONAL

Meet Me Under the Lights by Cassie Miller, 384 pages. Penguin Random House, 2026. $14

Language: R (100+ swears, 19 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (sexual references, kissing, drinking, drugs); Violence: PG (pranks, rivalry) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

12th grader Eliza Crowley is well known in Fairfield as her family owns the local stadium, and her dad coaches baseball. Eliza herself has a passion for stage lighting and is working on this summer’s  production of Romeo and Juliet. Reed Fulton returns to Fairfield after his grandfather asked him to pitch for a new baseball team that hopes to take down the Crowley Cardinals. The two families have been feuding since the Crowleys won the bid to buy the stadium over the Fultons. After a bet puts the stadium on the line, the stakes are higher than ever. Eliza and Reed try to focus on baseball and theater, but something keeps drawing them together.

I enjoyed that this sports-themed romance had parallels to Romeo and Juliet. It also tackles themes of wealth differences, family legacy, handling pressure, and having a military parent. The novel has some familiar tropes and convenient turn-of-events common in romances, but the rich secondary plot adds depth.

Main characters read white. Minor secondary characters are LGBT+.

Ms. Megan, HS Librarian

Stops Along the Way by Anna Sortino - ADVISABLE

Stops Along the Way by Anna Sortino. 256 pages. Putnam (Penguin), 2026. $20.

Language: PG (15 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG (kissing); Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

17yo Iris has recently graduated from high school and is looking forward to college in the fall. Her sister, Amelia, is coming home from college so Iris can have the car. Iris has flown to Amelia's to road trip back with her. Iris loves board games and belongs to a gaming group that meets weekly. She always seems to have to play with Declan. She finds him irritating - he's always recording all her moves in a notebook and thinks he knows everything about board games. They are even competing against each other in an upcoming Board Game creation competition. So, when Iris arrives to pick up Amelia, she is shocked to find Declan there, too, to drive home with his brother, who happens to go to the same college as Amelia. Now it looks like the 2 sets of siblings are driving home together. 

This was a sweet love story. Sortino tends to weave in hearing-impaired characters into each story, and I love that, even though Iris is losing her hearing and wears hearing aids, that's not the focus of the story. The romance is a slow burn with a lot of "Stops Along the Way". There's a long afterward, which would have been a nice book two - I think it covered too much time - but with it, it wraps up nicely and is a standalone. The characters are white. 

Lisa Librarian 

The Christmas Wish by Lee Heart - ADVISABLE

The Christmas Wish by Lee Heart, 130 pages. Simon, 2026. $8 (pb)

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Joy Holly Rudolph was not only born on Christmas Day, but it is her favorite holiday. However, this year for her birthday she wants a day and place that is not decorated for Christmas. And she wants to invite Kris, the boy she has a crush on, who happens to be born on Christmas Eve - how perfect! However, her fixation on her birthday and on Kris is having a negative effect on her relationships and her Christmas spirit. 

A nice little first romance book for our young readers. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Trust Fall by Lynn Painter - OPTIONAL

Trust Fall by Lynn Painter, 416 pages. Simon & Schuster, 2026. $22. Kiss me

Language: R (719 swears, 137 “f”); Mature Content: PG13 (drug and alcohol use, including underage drinking, illegal activity, kissing, innuendo, and mentions of sex); Violence: PG (assault and for mentions of guns and murder)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Julia and her family only learn that their friend Lou was a rich man from New York when the executor of Lou’s estate informs them that Lou left them an inheritance. The catch is that the family must move to the home Lou left in New York and Julia and her brother must attend the local exclusive academy for at least six months or else the millions of dollars will no longer be theirs. Sounds easy, but Lou’s great-nephew, Damion, has other plans.

Painter writes well, and the story is sure to be enjoyable for those who are fans of the tropes Painter chose to use. Damion hides a lot of truths from Julia, and it’s easy to empathize with him when readers get his thoughts and point of view. However, his actions towards Julia were very irritating, and I found myself more stressed reading their story than not. It all works out with a happy ending that is satisfying only because I know it is in the fictional world—I would not be as okay with the ending if Julia was a real-life friend.

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson

Room to Breathe by Kasie West - ADVISABLE

Room to Breathe by Kasie West, 272 pages. Random House, 2026. $13 (paperback) 

Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG (Kissing, making out); Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

High school junior Indy is constantly trying to be the best - she competes for grades against her best friend Beau, she tutors at an education center and is a model citizen. Until, her family begins to implode when her father seems to be in trouble with the FBI, and her mother has forbidden Indy from telling anyone. Suddenly her perfect world isn't spinning right, her studies suffer, her friends are mad and even her relationship with Beau is on the rocks. 

Told in alternating chapters between Now - when Indy is locked in a restroom at school with Beau - and Then - the story of how everything went wrong. West masterfully arranges these chapters so the reader is just barely ahead of the reveals happening in the now. I was thoroughly entertained. I also loved the stress of Indy doubting her father, and how everyone is fighting in her home and it spills into her whole life. Although Indy is in High School, Room to Breathe will appeal to 8th and 9th graders as well. The characters default white.

Lisa Librarian 

Vacation Shift by Lily Chu - OPTIONAL

Vacation Shift by Lily Chu, 352 pages. Harper, 2026. $20

Language: R (18  swears, 6 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

16yo Ivy Yu is on a bonding trip to Japan with her mother. Unfortunately their curated trip is populated mostly by senior citizens - except a boy her age and his dad, who is near Ivy’s mom’s age. Since her parents separated, Ivy has been harboring hope that they will get back together and she is also battling depression on her own, as her mother feels Ivy can just “get over herself". Keith, the other teenager on the trip, agrees with Ivy that their parents shouldn’t get together.  Will the pair be able to sabotage their elders?

Chu focuses mostly on Ivy and her relationships with her parents and gives us beautiful looks around Japan.  And the growing relationship between the two teens will satisfy romance readers.  

Lily is Asian American.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Kissing Cowboys by Meg Cabot - ESSENTIAL

Kissing Cowboys (Kissing Cowboys #1) by Meg Cabot, 336 pages. HarperCollins, DECEMBER 2026. $20.

Language: PG13 (37 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG (making out, reference to breasts); Violence: PG (fight, accident with injury)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ESSENTIAL

APPEALS TO: MANY

When 16yo Winn is forced to move cross-country from New York to Montana for her mom's job, she finds herself attending her brother's school. An all-boys ranch school "for intellectually gifted boys, with emotional, behavioral or academic challenges." She's the only girl, allowed to attend classes because her mother is teaching there. She's actually delighted (and a bit scared - what if one of them is a serial killer?) and is quickly, literally embraced by the student body. But she has her eye on a couple of them, and she's hoping she doesn't fall in love. As fresh and funny as Princess Diaries,

I couldn't put it down. I loved her displacement, Winn describes her outfits, which are usually terrible for the winter weather in Montana, and true to Meg Cabot gets herself into some awkward situations. I loved this romance; there's some making out that doesn't go too far, and a lot of sexual tension - of course - there are 80 boys at the school! The characters default white.

Lisa Librarian - 

Jin Young In Between by Ellen Oh - ADVISABLE

Jin Young In Between (Colliding Worlds #2) by Ellen Oh, 248 pages. Crown (Random House), 2026. $20

Language: PG (19 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG (kissing); Violence: G (some danger)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

High schooler Mina is back in her world, but while everyone else has forgotten her, Jin remembers everything. Then one day he crosses over to Mina’s world, unknowingly starting a chain reaction that may have devastating consequences for his world. But Jin’s heart can’t stay away from Mia. The pair hopes that with the help of a physicist from Jin’s world that they can figure out how to be together.

I had no idea there was going to be a sequel! Oh mixes in the interdimensional physics with a deft hand - you can tell she did her research. The danger from a rogue scientist who wants to capture Jin for study was also a great addition. Jin and Mina’s Asaian culture doesn’t add any plot points.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

Rebel Heiress by Amalie Howard - ADVISABLE

Rebel Heiress (The Diamonds #3) by Amalie Howard, 347 pages. Joy Revolution (Random House), 2026. $20

Language: G (4 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG (passionate kissing); Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

Lady Rosalin desperately wants the same kind of chance at an education that her cousin, Lord Ansel, is happy to throw away for a year of travel on the continent. Since the two of them are so similar in features, Rosalin convinces Ansel it is in both their best interests to trade places of a sort. Ansel can roam Europe, while Rosalin spends her weeks at Cambridge learning from the best and brightest, and her weekends please her mama at the balls and parties of her fourth London season. What she doesn’t bank on is a college tutor who is also devilishly handsome and has progressive views of a woman’s place in society - someone she is quite willing to fall in love with despite the obstacles.

Howard finishes off the Diamond series with a classic plot device with some fun twists thrown in. You also see the characters from the first two books. While post-Regency in time period, all of the glitter still exists, too.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

Rolls and Rivalry by Kristy Boyce - ADVISABLE

Rolls and Rivalry by Kristy Boyce, 358 pages. Delacorte (Random), 2026. $14

Language: G (0 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G (some kissing); Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

As the color guard captain, Hazel is looking forward to a great school year. She’s even toying with finally starting her own D&D campaign like the weekly one her parents have run for years. Who shows up at the first day of band? Max! Her former best friend and now a hottie member of the drumline - the same drumline which causes the color guard so much grief every band season. Hazel has a lot of disparate pieces to fit together if she is going to salvage her senior year.

Boyce’s D&D related romance series is a solid choice. This one is heavy on the band drama and less so the the D&D, but still a good romance.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS 

13 Little Love Stories by Elise Bryant and co - OPTIONAL

13 Little Love Stories by Elise Bryant and co, 336 pages. SHORT STORIES. G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books (Penguin Random House), 2026. $13.

Language: R (114 swears, 16 “f”); Mature Content: R (alcohol use (including underage drinking), kissing, innuendo, illegal activity, sexual harassment, nudity, and mentions of drugs, STDs, and sex); Violence: PG (assault and mentions of murder)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

In this anthology, thirteen authors each offer readers one short love story based on different Taylor Swift songs. Most of them are realistic fiction, though there is a little magic thrown in for good variety, and all of them center around matters of the heart.

Each chapter starts by naming the song the author took inspiration from, and I enjoyed listening to the song and reading the lyrics before diving into each story. The possibilities of interpretation are endless, and it was fun to see which words and feelings from each song got incorporated into the stories. They range from cute and funny to heartbreak and betrayal, from platonic to romantic, from one great night to years of longing.

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson

Love Makes Mochi by Stefany Valentine - SEVERAL

Love Makes Mochi (Love in Translation #3) by Stefany Valentine, 320 pages. Penguin Random House, 2026. $13 Language: R (21 swears, 1 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (passionate kissing); Violence: PG (body shaming)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL

17yo Lilyn Jeong has the opportunity to study abroad in Tokyo with a famed tailor, which will be just what her future college applications need. However, she almost loses her mentorship before it starts, is experiencing a creative slump, and must design a collection in 10 days. She needs to focus, and her mentor’s daughter Yua offers to help. But once she starts spending time with Yua, Lilyn finds herself falling for her even though Lilyn has sworn off summer flings.

Initially, I found Lilyn’s often critical character hard to like, but I warmed up to her as the story progressed and her character developed. The inclusion of Lilyn’s gothic and Japanese inspired fashion designs and Yua's tattoos are fun. The novel also tackles topics like self-doubt, taking chances, first-romances, and being yourself. While it is part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone novel. A fun fashion-forward travel romance for upper middle school and high school students.

Lilyn and Yua are LGBTQ+. Lilyn is Japanese, Taiwanese, and Korean American. Yua is Japanese. 

Ms. Megan, HS Librarian 

Every Beat After by Sara B. Larson - OPTIONAL

Every Beat After by Sara B. Larson, 384 pages. Shadow Mountain Publishing, 2026. $19.

Language: PG (1 swear, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG-13 (mentions of drugs and alcohol, kissing, partial nudity, and innuendo); Violence: PG (medical emergencies and discussions of death)

BUYING ADVISORY: ADULTS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

Olivia spent half of her senior year of high school hospitalized, waiting for someone else to die so that she could have a heart transplant. Seven years later, Olivia (25yo) enjoys her job with the family business and spends quality time with her friends, but Olivia is scared that she won’t find her person before her shortened lifespan ends. Then Hunter (28yo) moves in next door, and Olivia admits a new fear—what if she does?

A misunderstanding between the main characters is blown way out of proportion, giving the book an eye-rolling beginning, though it is tolerable due to the characters’ backstories. I enjoyed watching Olivia and Hunter break down their walls and help each other to grow despite the pain caused by their heartbreaking experiences with life and death. And then my least favorite “heart transplant trope” came into play, which I didn’t think was going to be an issue from the initial description of the book. It was written as a big reveal, so I won’t say which one it is, but I wasn’t thrilled about it. However, while it includes tropes I don’t love, Larson wrote the story well, and I enjoyed the characters and their book overall—eyerolls and loud complaints to empty rooms notwithstanding. Olivia has Swedish heritage, and Hunter is described as “tan.”

Reviewer: Carolina Johnson