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Dawn Cook, The Decoy Princess

Tess has grown up believing she’s the crown princess of Constenopolie. But on the eve of her betrothal to a neighboring prince, she learns that she’s actually a decoy, installed at the palace to ensure that the true princess (who has grown up in hiding) won’t be assassinated. No sooner has she learned this shocking news than there’s a palace coup, in which the king and queen are killed and Tess must flee to avoid the same fate. Pursuing her is Jeck, a captain of the guard in the new regime, who has plans for her back at the palace. And then there’s Duncan, an attractive card sharp who wants her to team up with him and leave Constenopolie to its fate. I really liked the premise of this book and found it a fun, action-packed read. But while the main plot of this book is resolved, there are an awful lot of loose ends, from Tess’s surprising magical abilities to her romantic destiny. There is a sequel, Princess at Sea, and I’m eager to read it so that I can find out what happens! But on its own, this book isn’t totally satisfying, so I wouldn’t recommend it as a stand-alone.

Tashie Bhuiyan, Counting Down with You

High school junior Karina Ahmed is under a lot of pressure. Her Bangladeshi parents are strict and focused on her academic achievements, expecting that she’ll become a doctor one day. Karina is more interested in English than STEM, but she’s afraid to admit this to her parents. She’s also a bit of a nonentity at school, but that all changes when her English teacher asks her to tutor the most notorious and good-looking boy in her grade, Ace Clyde. Ace turns out to be different from what Karina expected: he’s thoughtful and sensitive and dealing with his own family issues. As their relationship deepens, will Karina find the courage to go after what she really wants? This book was a cute, fast read, but I must admit I didn’t love it. I think Ace is just too good to be true; I can’t imagine an actual teenage boy being that sweet and emotionally fluent. Also, I couldn’t figure out what made him interested in Karina initially; she’s smart and funny and kind, but how would he know any of those things based on her mousy public persona? It seemed unrealistic and more like a wish-fulfillment trope. But fans of teen romance may like this one more than I did; maybe I’m just getting crotchety in my old age!

Ann Granger, The Companion

Left penniless when her father dies, Elizabeth Martin takes a job in London as companion to her late godfather’s wife, Mrs. Parry. Lizzie soon learns that Mrs. Parry’s previous companion, Madeleine Hexham, recently left without warning and hasn’t been seen since. Mrs. Parry and her friends think Madeleine ran off with a man, but Lizzie worries that something more sinister has happened. Meanwhile, Scotland Yard Inspector Ben Ross is investigating the murder of an unknown young woman who turns out to be Madeleine. When he and Lizzie meet in the course of the investigation, they team up to discover the killer. I quite enjoyed this Victorian mystery. There are times when the author’s research shows a little too much, but the wealth of detail also contributes to a believable setting. Lizzie is an outspoken, independent woman, but not implausibly so for her time. The book strikes a good balance between the mystery plot and social commentary, and there’s a hint of romance as well. I’ll look out for subsequent books in this series.