SHAPES OF LOVE.....A BELOVED STAR'S FAN DON'T REALIZE SHE SEES LOVE DIFFERENTLY......(****)

 Shapes of Love by L.V. Penalba (2026)

      This book's quite the amazing, ambitiously entertaining achievement. It combines its full-of-heart story of a beloved music artist struggling with her public persona with the additional challenges she faces as an aroace individual........though asexual and aromantic herself, she can still need and desire all the warmth and wonders of platonic love and friendship.

     Gifted young singer-songwriter Sasha has enthralled her massive fan base as 'Sassy', the girl whom they think bases her songs, aching with hurt, on her real, star-crossed romance. They've no idea that asexual Sasha, uncomfortable with her 'Sassy' alter-ego, took her inspirations not from life, but from her favorite books, mangas, and characters.

     After crossing paths with long estranged boyfriend Kai, Sasha's high-pressured by her manager to embark on a contractual fake-dating arrangement with him. On the eve of the upcoming Grammy awards, the plan is to satisfy Sassy's fans by creating a manufactured romance with the boy who supposedly inspired her most cherished song.

     But then life gets in the way in the form of glib, devil-may-care, major TV star Asher who like Sasha, hides an entirely different personality behind his dashing bravado. The surprisingly warmhearted Sasha-Kai-Asher combination takes each of them on their own self-revelation journey........and their adoring public may be in for some shocks.

     I stand in awe of the way author L.V. Penalba brought this three people to life and at the same time, provided a expansive, perceptive insight into the world of those who identify themselves as aroace. Because when you get right down to it, Sasha's personal quest to discover what form of love and companionship best fits her feels universal to all of us.

     For a book that one might categorize as not-quite-a-romance, there's no lack of honest, genuine emotions (and yes, love) to keep you reading to see what happens next.

     4 stars (****),

RANI DESHPANDE TAKES THE WHEEL.......AND TAKES A SLOW BUT STEADY RIGHT TURN INTO ROMANCE.....(****)

 Rani Deshpande Takes the Wheel by Arushi Avachat (2026)

     Charming and fun every step of the way......or should I say every stop sign along the way.....

     19 year old Rani felt like a lonely outcast during her college freshman year away from home. So as summer unfolds, she's transferred to a University close to home, bringing her back into the loving, but constantly overbearing embrace of her large, extended Desi family,....(aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, in-laws,, her tween twin brothers.......and Kush Khanna, that annoying, cooler-than-cool long-ago childhood crush)

     Rani's loaded up a full plate this summer before her sophomore year - an internship with a famously demanding professor, re-connecting with her best friend, helping to raise those rambunctious twins (a thankless task expected by her mother) and finally getting around to driving lessons. and at long last a license. But guess whom the family has entrusted Rani's driver's education to?

     Naturally, some sparks fly and some fenders crumple as the taciturn Kush and the say-the-first-thing-on-her-mind Rani clash during those literally bumpy driving lessons......but sooner or later , you know those sparks will start to change from angry to not-too-angry to way-less-than-angry and then to.......do I really need to explain further?

     As Rani and Kush slowly but surely move from antagonists to....uh , something else, there's plenty of family meddling and gatherings that guarantee humor, strife, heart..... and always luscious food. It turns into a summer of revelations for Rani and she travels into adulthood not expecting to find love along for the ride.

     And just in time in time for the warmer days,, author Arushi Avachat serves up this perfect beach read, or for any other time as well.

     4 stars (****).

GRAVE WAVES....TWO ODDBALL TWEENS TAKE ON A NEST OF EURO-THUGS ....DURING CHRISTMAS IN SUNNY FLORIDA.....(*****).....

Grave Waves by Dorian Box (Publishes Friday 5/15/26) 

   

     SQ highly recommends you do NOT leave your favorite bookstore this weekend without treating yourself to this book....of which an advanced copy was graciously provided me by NetGalley and Friction books. Allow me to explain........

     I can't remember if I've ever used the word 'Delightful' to describe a book in all my reviews.....any book.

     But author Dorian Box knows the incredible recipe to conjure up a mystery/comedy/heart-tugging concoction that can only be described as a pure delight.......the reading equivalent of a triple scoop of your favorite ice cream.

     In this third entry in the 'Danny Teakwell' series, we're back in that almost always humid beach town of Hollywood Florida, home to a host of host of unforgettable quirky characters surrounding our guy Danny. He's well known as a surfer, expert surfboard maker and appointed guardian to the most impossibly odd and adorable tween orphan imaginable. Jessica Jewell...... a girl gifted, witty and knowledgeable in the mortuary arts, having been raised in a funeral home.

     And the feisty, old-soul, wise-beyond-her-years Jessica has at last found a best friend and kindred spirit. That could only be lanky goth-girl Gigi, who can spout Shakespearian verse and encyclopedic horror movie knowledge in between her never ending craving for snacks. Together, these girls can either make you laugh out loud, fear anxiously for their safety or make you want to reach out and hug them both......... sometimes all of those things all at once.

     It's almost Christmas as Jessica and Gigi come across a, lethal little collection of European malefactors scamming and murdering some of the town's most beloved elderly widows. These vile thugs aren't kidding around. To further their master plan, they've even turned Danny's comically stupid lawyer Fink into their very own patsy and Useful Idiot And when the tweens' Nancy Drew-ish investigations drag in Danny and his new budding love interest, everybody's in serious danger.......which still doesn't slow down Jessica and Gigi's priceless, hilarious observations, quips, horror movie references and quests for food and snacks.

     As you can already figure out from this review, I loved this book, and these characters to pieces and I could go on raving about it for another hour or more.......probably because it's a joy to read a book that serves up such heaping portions of dark humor, suspense, mystery and most of all, genuine heart. I for one will count the days until Danny, Jessica and Gigi stumble into their next precarious and uproarious adventure. . 

     5 stars (*****). You couldn't ask for a more fun refreshing addition to your 'Must Reads' of the year.

THE ANNIVERSARY.......TW0 DAMAGED SOULS, A YEARLY SERIAL KILLERS.....AND MULTIPLE TWISTS AND TURNS.....(*****)

The Anniversary by Alex Finlay (2026) 

     Now here's the kind of book that all mystery/suspense thriller readers hope and pray for. A book that grips you from page one, keeps you turning the pages furiously and makes you resent any mundane everyday tasks (like sleeping and eating) that force you to temporarily put the book down.

     From the start, we're invested in and intrigued by two high school opposites - most popular, most beautiful Jules and loner outcast wrong-side-of-the tracks Quinn. The night of May 1st changes the course of their lives for years to come. Jules becomes one of the rare survivors of the 'May Day Killer' now among the few young girls the serial killer decided, for whatever reasons, to let live. Quinn, jailed for assault in a fight he didn't start, is inducted into the Army. There he encounters nothing but combat violence and tragedy as well as having to return home to attend the funeral of his mother, a murder victim. Jules, now forever haunted by that horrific May 1st memory, leads a lucrative but not very fulfilling life as a well paid fashion model.

     Jules and Quinn's parallel lives finally begin to intersect when they've returned home, each bearing their own troubled memories. Jules' younger sister has gone missing, maybe the latest May 1st abductee. And Jules and some of her fellow 'May Day' killer survivors stay safely (they can only hope) under the FBI's surveillance and protection in case the 'Mayday' maniac returns to finish what he started.

    Quinn, now a dogged Private Investigator, pursues the abandoned cold case of a missing child as well the mysteries surrounding the death of his mother....for which a possibly innocent man currently stands convicted and jailed for the crime.  

     Author Alex Finlay surely knows his way around telling a story like this, and as a result, he'll put you in a "just-one-more-chapter' reading addiction until you reach those infinitely satisfying final pages. The startling twists more than accomplish their job of leaving you gaping in surprise while you're worrying like crazy over Jules 'and Quinn's ultimate fates.....and possible future.

     Easily one of this year's best thriller reads, and along with the 5 stars,(*****) I can't think of any higher recommendations .

THE LAST MANDARIN.....AN ESTRANGED MOTHER AND DAUGHTER VS. A GLOBAL CABAL STARTING WORLD WAR 3....(****)

 The Last Mandarin by Louise Penny and Melissa Fung (2026)

     A global thriller that pits superpowers against each other as a third unknown entity threatens to end the world? Oh yes, please.....sign me up.

     And on top of all that.....a global thriller that takes an utterly bonkers, thrill-a-minute detour into Indiana Jones territory? Complete with a wondrous archeological cave-scape overloaded with deadly booby traps? Light that torch and count me in......

     Granted, all of the above elements thrown into the pot by authors Louise Penny and Melissa Fung don't blend together easily. But the pace never lags, the mother-daughter lead characters are fascinating in their generational and culture clashes, and that 'Art-of-War' backstabbing between the Chinese and American power brokers has that breathless Tom Clancy feel to it

     Either a rogue terrorist group or an actual superpower nation have come up with with technology to inflict sudden, worldwide catastrophes capable of killing millions within minutes. Blaming China, the U.S. President turns to internationally celebrated Chinese dissident Vivian Li, a Tiananmen survivor with deep roots in her original homeland. And Li's estranged, raised-in-America daughter Alice has come along for the ride, since the mysterious death of Alice's dear friend relates to the calamitous events now befalling the world.

     While the powers-that-be in Beijing and Washington (some of whom may not be what they appear) struggle to avert World War 3, Vivian and Alice are off and running to pierce the very heart of this unknown cabal of conspirators. Though these terrorists wield unlimited high tech, they didn't count on Alice, of all people, becoming a cross between Nancy Drew and Indy you-know-who.

     I found very little of this even remotely plausible, but that didn't stop me from happily wallowing in all the high stakes diplomacy and thrill ride moments packed into the book. And even amid the constant life-threatening derring-do, authors Penny and Fung take the time to expertly insert ancient and recent Chinese history into their story and into the fierce passions of their characters.

     For anyone (like me) who simply cannot resist a countdown-to-world's-end, day-the-hotline-got-hot nailbiter, here's your steeping cup of tea waiting for you..

       4 stars (****).

THE COVE.....TROUBLED TEENS FACE HORRORS IN MAINE....(****)

 The Cove by Claire Rose (2026)

     I did have myself a great good time with 'The Cove'. a YA thriller that takes a wild rollercoaster ride through a variety of horror genres.......everything from 'Misdommer' to 'The Wicker Man' to, I kid you not, the Jewish Diaspora from Europe and a loony finale cribbed from Greek mythology.

     Our lead rebellious sarcastic loner, Lindsay Wineberg, has once again accomplished what she excels at - getting bounced out of another prestigious private academy. Right at the school's front door she finds her parents arranged a car ride straight up to her uncle's farm in Marbury Maine. Her uncle's supposedly out of town, but her aunt, a cruel evangelical harpy has assumed running the uncle's work farm for delinquent, troubled teens. And under auntie's iron=handed command, it's no phones and work, work, work for Lindsay and four other teen inmates.

     But something wicked is afoot in scenic Marbury, especially on a nearby tiny island populated by seemingly benevolent cultists.

     Yeah, sure they are. Then why did Lindsay and her farm friends wake up already in their farmhouse beds after partying hardy with the cult kids? And, with no memory of how they got there? And what happened to one of the farm kids who didn't make it back with them? Uh oh.....

     Lindsay and her surviving outcast Scooby gang find themselves up against a formidable horrific threat, but even in harm's way, Lindsay's never at a loss for a snarky teen riposte in the face overpowering evil Atta girl.....you tell 'em, even as they're planning to......well, I dare not say. .

    Fast moving and tense, what with all the worthy 'elevated' horror films the book samples like a buffet, then takes a sudden dive into seriousness when dealing with the dire backstory of Lindsay's Jewish relatives and ancestors.

     As silly as it all sounds (and some of it is), I couldn't stop reading and that bonkers climax feels ready made for a movie adaptation. But if that does happen, I'd wait till the film hits a streaming site I'm already paying for.......

    4 stars (****).

I, SPY......SPY LOVERS, HERE'S A NEW MISSION TO TAKE ASAP.....(****)

I, Spy by L.M. Kemp (2026)

     Calling all armchair secret agents - strap on your gun, practice your spotting of tails, work on your karate chops, cause here's your next mission to stop nefarious villains from causing global chaos and destruction.

     Top agent Kendal, however, has walked away from the Spy Game, preferring to raise her 4 year old daughter Rosie as a normal everyday mom giving her little girl a normal everyday life. Not much chance of that, given she discovers armed thugs, for one reason or another, are still on the hunt for her.
     
     Seeking some measure of peace, Kenda accepts what sounds like an easy-peasy assignment from Rico, her old spymaster boss. She's to stay in a plush London safe house with Rosie. There she just has to supervise a young agent placed in a high tech firm to find out what's going on with their new monumental app. Rosie gets enrolled in an exclusive private school and Kendal joins the Mom brigade in the constant swirl of playdates, school pageants, and parent-teacher conferences. It's a whole new world for Kendal, considering her loveless upbringing by her own mom, a legendary lethal agent who began training Kendal in spy craft since early childhood.

     As in all thrilling spy stories, nothing and nobody are what they seem, nobody's to be trusted and Kendal's soon up to her neck in danger, double agents surprising twists......and someone she never saw coming likely to point a gun at her at any given moment.

     As a spy/espionage fan since forever, I didn't want this book to end and can only hope that author L.M. Kemp isn't done with taking us and Kendal on more perilous missions. While I appreciate the book taking a descriptive deep dive into Kandal's problematic history with her mother, "I, Spy" really shines in its dialogue, filled with sharp, martini-dry wit.....shaken, not stirred, of course. And Kendal even comes equipped with her very own "Q" in Fini Meridian, who runs a clandestine tech supply store always worth stopping in for a visit.

     Pure fun every stop of the way. If you're crazy for this stuff like me, this should go right to the top of your 'must reads' for the year.

     4 stars (****).