Pleasant Nights

Title: Give Up the Night

Author: PC Cast & Kristin Cast

Genre: YA fantasy

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I was lucky enough to get both this book and its prequel (Draw Down the Moon) from NetGalley, and even though I’m not a huge YA fan, these were both really great.

The sequel picks up right where DDtM ends, with Wren and Lee at odds with Celeste. However, they spend a lot of time apart as Lee follows Celeste, believing Wren stabbed her, while Wren flees the campus with her Elemental, Viento, and friends Ruby and Lily.

Wren & Co. have to battle the island’s four Elementals to restore the magic to the rightful owners. Meanwhile, Lee and Luke are with Celeste trying to figure out who was right- Celeste or Wren. I really enjoyed this sequel. The plot was fast-paced and characters were worth revisiting. Definitely recommend this duology.

Title: Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies

Author: Catherine Mack

Genre: mystery

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

Really fun book about a writer who takes a 10th anniversary trip of her first book’s release with a group of friends and fellow writers, when one member of the party claims someone is trying to murder him. Eleanor has written a series of books, set in Europe, where a private investigator, Connor, solves murders. The real-life Conner and Eleanor solved an actual murder years ago, and Eleanor decided to fictionalize it for her book. Then came nine more in the series.

And as much as Eleanor dislikes Connor these days, she can’t help but notice he might be right that someone is out to get him. However, Eleanor seems to be a target, also. Are they both destined for death? When one member of their traveling party actually does die, Eleanor has to figure out what is happening and who is the real target.

Great, snappy dialogue with beautiful descriptions of Italian food and scenery. Eleanor and her sister, Harper, are a lot of fun to follow along on the adventure. And the ending left me guessing as to who (if anyone) was the real target.

Title: The Quince Project

Author: Jessica Parra

Genre: YA

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

After reading Rubi Ramos’s Recipe for Success, I was pleased to see another book by this author in my NetGalley queue. As delightful as Rubi was, I was really looking forward to another in the same vein. And I enjoyed this one just as much.

Cas’s mother died two years ago and she and her sister, Po, have been struggling since. Both are strong, resilient young women, but dealing with the loss has been hard. Cas dreams of being a “fairy godmother,” meaning the best party planner ever.

Cas and Po stumble upon a perfect opportunity for Cas to hone her skills as a party planner by fudging the truth about Cas’s experience to a well-known YouTube vlogger. The plot was a bit predictable, but when the phrase Happily Ever After is on the cover, you should really get an idea of what the book is about.

Another delightful entry from Jessica Parra. I’ll keep an eye out for future books of hers.