One Day In December by Shari Low

Set in December around Christmas and new year, many lives are set to change in many, many ways...

Lila is seeing surgeon husband to Bernadette on the quiet whilst unbeknownst to her, her proposal to him is about to go awry despite Bernadette leaving him...

Lila's boyfriend Cammy however is planning to propose to her not knowing she's cheating on him!

Caro however has had a massive shock as online she discovers her dad has a double identity. However, that's not all as she finds out she may also have a sister, Lila!

A story with where we learn just how much complicated relationships can really change and become broken or better for good or bad. We see the efforts of a man wanting to keep a family together despite his actions and another man wanting to settle down. The male characters show the two sides of men in fiction and real life and it was good to have both included and not just a cheat for once. Another good book by Shari once again!

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

All We Could Have Been by T. E. Carter

Lexi is always the new girl, always starting over thanks to her family's situation and her dead brother. Only this time she's with her aunt and not her parents.

In her latest town she needs to finally make it through a whole school year to get to stay there and make friends and her grades.

As she makes friends with Ryan and gets a feel for her new school, she even wants to join the drama group and perform in their production or Romeo and Juliet.

However a slip of the tongue and her real name and past could just be a Google away...

So when she falls for the guy she gets warned about, Marcus the guy from across the road, she finds herself in danger of revealing her identity and her brother's horrific secret...

A story about discovering love, friendship and how to deal with grief when it hits full force. In the book we see how one person's actions can destroy multiple lives and the impact of devastating actions on the family in this novel are severely moving and sadly understandable. It was a gripping read and was a great book about rebuilding a life and becoming you again.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Giant Days by Non Pratt

Starting out at university, three girls make friends, Daisy, Susan and Esther they may be very different people but they look out for each other.

Susan and Rather become rightly concerned when Daisy hangs around a lot with cult like group at the university called The Yogic Brethren after signing up to their group during the welcome activity fair for new students and they appear to spread throughout the whole campus. But students go missing and Daisy acts strange attending these meetings which include wearing creepy masks to get into meetings.

They do also do normal university students things like going to student union's and getting drunk as well as flirting with guys, even seeing guys they know from before uni at uni. Discovering their tastes in things changing and who true friends are.

I didn't really get into the book but it was well written and I finished it eventually. The concept was intriguing and links to drugs and money being mistreated makes sense as it fits into the university setting as people try new things and experiences but shows how it can go to the extremes in this book! The characters were all their own people and I liked the differences they had from one being a bit gullible to other gutsy and invested in their lifestyle like true students they were believable.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Indecent by Corinne Sullivan

Imogene is new to her job at a privileged boys school where she meets Adam, a pupil who intrigued her as she firstly finds out more about him then in turn after briefly talking, he pursues her and starts a relationship with her.

Then he tells the school head and he is believed over her. She pursued him, though really they were in it together and he went cold on replying to her. He bragged about dating their last apprentice to join the school to her and now she's just another one to add to that list.

Throughout the novel we read flashbacks to when Imogene was the boys age and deciding what to do for college, career and her first love and sexual encounters too.

This book is all about forbidden love and lust as we see both of the characters involved go hot and cold for each other at times though Imogene seemed mostly for the relationship despite her being his teacher. Overall it is believable but I would've preferred a split perspective and not just her perspective split between her age now and when she was Adam's age.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Proud by Various and Juno Dawson

One of the most hyped up teen books is finally here and I'm so excited and not just because it's put together alongside Juno Dawson!

Written by various authors the stories gathered in the book focus of different aspects of LGBTQ+ issues that they may face.

Simon James Green focuses on a gay penguin couple and two guys realising their feelings at prom.

Kay Staples features a Travelodge near Leicester, my hometown of all places! Where two guys find themselves hiding out at to discover their romance after a big lottery win as one of them tries to figure out if they're really a girl or just a boy who's into dresses and make up etc

David Levithan focuses on a choir singing Katy Perry as two boys feelings are growing for each other and look for acceptance from their families.

While Tanya Byrne focuses on Orla a teen coming to understand her sexual preference and how she falls for a girl, Reeba and also touches on death and grief.

Michael Lee Richardson focuses on a football team and their inclusivity of LGBTQ community members. As the main character is transgender and gay too. With a crush on a fellow team mate. The issue of using a binder is also talked about briefly which is refreshing to read as it's hardly ever mentioned.

Karen Lawlor focuses on a group of frenemies after Darcy is overheard being mean about our main character, Lizzie's best friend. However the two girls face conflict and discovery about their true feelings towards each other...

Jess Vallance focuses on the life of seventeen year old learner driver Lucy as she comes to realise her true feelings towards her friend, Fizzy.

The anthology does include also poems and fantasy themes based stories too of which just weren't my natural preference from this collective book.

Over all this is a powerful collaboration and celebration for the talented LGBTQ+ community involved in or set to read this beauty of a book purely based on the inclusivity and understanding of issues faced by the members of their community. It was heart warming, emotion tugging, fun, realistic and eye opening and everyone can take something away from this book of not just to be proud of ourselves.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Second Best Friend by Non Pratt

In this book we meet Jade and her best friend Becky. When Jade gets dumped and compared to her best friend we start to see just how insecure she feels as the book develops into a image based plot mixed into school politics.

The books main message is that we shouldn't compare ourselves and there are people out there who will see us for all we are and our amazing selves, we're all different and it's to be celebrated not hated!

Happy Girl Lucky: The Valentine's Book 1 by Holly Smale

Hope is the youngest of the famous Valentine's, at nearly sixteen she isn't allowed in the spotlight yet but can't wait to be allowed as she dreams constantly of film style monologues and meeting the one, Hope is desperate for her future to begin.

A firm believer in star signs she hope's that they will guide her through life and to the one, enter Jamie making Hope the happy go lucky girl she is enter a new level of extreme happiness!

Jamie is a Californian she meets by accident only to discover he's going back to LA.

LA is also where her father now lives, hatching a plan Hope comes to realise a lot not just while she's there but realizing how much her family notice her, expect her to go along with anything and everything but also how her mum has been in rehab for so long because her father might have left and moved on for good from them all, not just to go make Hollywood films.

Ultimately, the book concludes to lead Hope to her possible future and leave the book open to interpret that the next in series will be about Faith/Effie and their life. It was a drama filled read and I devoured it, Hope is a positive ray of sunshine who does what her heart wants not letting anything get in her way an instantly likable character Holly has done a great job on her debut book from her new series.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Lucy & Linh by Alice Pung

Laurinda is a posh school where every student is a high achiever and a hard worker. Only popularity isn't based on looks or grades in this school but who you're in with.

There on a scholarship is Lucy, whom witnesses a prank done by Amber, Brodie and Chelsea which sees her drawn into their group The Cabinet, purely by timing and chance. She starts to hang out with Amber especially a lot more and even goes to a party she's holding. The girls also meet up with the boys from their school too.

Lucy writes about her three terms to Linh and I found this confusing in the book as it's never made completely clear until right towards the end of the book who she is to her like a friend or relative etc. While there is some drama I found this book not exciting and a bit flat, the characters didn't seem to have distinct personalities and a lot of focus was on ethnicity which is great but only told us so much. The main focus is that Lucy changes from who she was before and becomes nothing like the person she once was or wants to be, I just feel it could've been more dramatic or easier to follow.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Pumpkin Spice Secrets by Hillary Homzie

Maddie along with Elvie her sister, go to buy drinks out and discuss her beginning seventh grade, only after she spills her drink all down a really cute guy's back, she finds herself gaining a crush on him, Jacob who later winds up in her new school class.

Then when one of her best friends Jana announces she has a crush on Jacob, Maddie feels unsure of what to do about her feelings, after all there's girl code to think of!

Yet, when Maddie ends up texting Jacob and arranging to meet up with him on his birthday behind Jana's back we can expect Jana to find out eventually somehow as they fight for their friendship over a guy the two are put to the test.

Overall it's a great book for early teen readers to pick up with cute moments and first crushes as well as dealing with friendship and school troubles with grades it's a relatable read for us all!

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

And Then We Ran by Katy Cannon

Have you ever wanted to go against your parents wishes?

Lizzie, Megan's high achieving sister has died in a horrific accident. Off the back of that, Megan finds her parents pushing her to become like Lizzie and not study her photography she is so passionate about!

Megan knows Elliott, her old best friend could however help her.
She needs to be married before a certain date to inherit her grandma's old London house enabling her to study in London and set up her photography business on the side.

Elliott, goes along with the plan but realises along the way, feelings lie in wait and every hold up to get them to Gretna Green on time only makes him realize, maybe they're more than friends given time and a chance.

This book shows how spirit and determination can get you a long way. Highly fun and seriously amazing to imagine happening in real life! I loved this book from cover to cover and you will too!