Sophie Reads YA: Casey McQuiston

ARC Review: The Pairing by Casey McQuiston

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2022 New Release challenge

ARC Review: I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston

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I Kissed Shara Wheeler
Series: None
Author: Casey McQuiston
Published May 12th 2022 by Pan Macmillan

Goodreads Synopsis
From the bestselling New York Times bestselling author of Red, White and Royal Blue and One Last Stop comes a debut YA romantic comedy about chasing down what you want, only to find what you need . . .

Chloe Green has spent the past four years dodging gossipy, classmates and a puritanical administration at Willowgrove Christian Academy. The thing that's kept her going: winning valedictorian. Her only rival: prom queen Shara Wheeler, the principal's perfect daughter.

But a month before graduation, Shara kisses Chloe and vanishes.

On a furious hunt for answers, Chloe discovers she's not the only one Shara kissed. There's also Smith, Shara's longtime quarterback sweetheart, and Rory, Shara's bad boy neighbour with a crush. The three have nothing in common except Shara and the annoyingly cryptic notes she left behind, but together they must untangle Shara's trail of clues and find her. It'll be worth it, if Chloe can drag Shara back before graduation to beat her fair-and-square.

Thrown into an unlikely alliance, chasing a ghost through parties, break-ins, puzzles, and secrets revealed on monogrammed stationery, Chloe starts to suspect there might be more to this small town than she thought. And maybe - probably not, but maybe - more to Shara, too.

Fierce, funny and frank, Casey McQuiston's I Kissed Shara Wheeler is about breaking the rules, getting messy and finding love in unexpected places.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Chloe Green may just be the only person at Willowgrove Christian Academy, both student and staff, who doesn't worship the ground that Shara Wheeler walks on. Vying for the valedictorian post, Shara is the only one who has ever caught up with her, and when she kisses her before prom, and then disappears, just weeks before graduation, Chloe needs to know more. Soon Chloe discovers that she is not the only person Shara has recently kissed, and Shara has left a series of post it notes and puzzles for them all to solve. Is there something special between the two, or is Shara messing with Chloe in order to win valedictorian?

I really enjoyed Red, White & Royal Blue when I read it a few years ago, so when I learnt that Casey had a YA book coming out soon, I leapt at the chance to read it. I Kissed Shara Wheeler is less of a rom-com, and more a mystery in my opinion. I expected something similar to RWRB, but instead found the mystery, and camaraderie between Chloe, Rory, and Smith, a ragtag bunch who no one would ever expect to become friends without a catalyst starting it all. The representation in this book is amazing, and I wish this book had been around when I was a teenager. I loved Chloe, and her family, and the entire cast of characters. The only person I didn't like was the Principal, who you're not supposed to like anyway. A fantastic YA debut from an already beloved author, and a book I can't wait to tell my students about!

Dates Read:
September 3-8, 2022

Rating
4 Stars

2019 Contemporary Romance Challenge

Review: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

10:00

Red, White & Royal Blue
Series: None
Author: Casey McQuiston
Published May 14th 2019 by St. Martin's Griffin

Goodreads Synopsis
What happens when America's First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales?

When his mother became President of the United States, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as the American equivalent of a young royal. Handsome, charismatic, genius—his image is pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House. There's only one problem: Alex has a beef with an actual prince, Henry, across the pond. And when the tabloids get hold of a photo involving an Alex/Henry altercation, U.S./British relations take a turn for the worse.

Heads of the family and state and other handlers devise a plan for damage control: Stage a truce between the two rivals. What at first begins as a fake, Instagrammable friendship grows deeper, and more dangerous, than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret romance with a surprisingly unstuffy Henry that could derail the presidential campaign and upend two nations. It raises the question: Can love save the world after all? Where do we find the courage, and the power, to be the people we are meant to ben? And how can we learn to let our true colors shine through? , how will history remember you?
Goodreads

Review
Red, White, & Royal Blue is an enemies to lovers story, in which the Prince of Wales falls for the First Son of the American President, and their romance must overcome opposition from all sides. When they first met Alex and Henry thought the other was uptight, and after they get into a bit of bother at an event, in which the paparazzi capture and tabloids spread all over the front pages, it's time for damage control. Both their families and the PR advisers decide on a sort of tour to show there's no animosity between them. They need to do joint appearances and interviews, be friends on social media, and just show that they aren't at odds with each other. This leads them to spending more and more time talking, and when they can be themselves, the chemistry flows and it's inevitable that they fall for each other. But for Alex, as a bi-racial son, of the first Female President of America, there are people out there who want to do anything they can to derail the re-election campaign, and this secret romance could be the right fodder.

I read this book on one of my at sea days on my cruise in 2019, and just could not put the book down. Yes, I had sort of put it off for a while because of all of the hype surrounding it, but for the most part, it was deserving of that love. The banter and chemistry between the main character just made this book what it was - especially through their messages and emails which were swoony to say the least. Everything about this book was diverse, and all of the characters, from Alex and Henry, to the varying cast of side characters, had their own personalities and stories, and helped to flesh out the plot. The angst in the book was a bit obvious, and did set my eyes rolling a little, but I can see why it was done, and the way everything was resolved was perfect. My main negative with the book is one I have with many books by American authors, where they are talking about British culture and get it so wrong. I mean, you know that This Morning is an actual show, but make up the names of the hosts? Why not just call them Holly and Phil?

Dates Read:
August 12, 2019

Rating
4 Stars