The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Romance

Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee

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Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee
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Dylan’s life revolves around his family — helping his aunt in their Chinese-Singaporian takeout restaurant, spending time with his cousins, remembering his mom. Then Theo comes into his life, with his private school and Ferrari and uber-wealthy family. The two are nothing alike, made even more obvious when Theo convinces Dylan to be his fake date at a family wedding and Dylan gets a look at the drama in Theo’s family. But there’s something real between them, and Dylan finds it harder and harder to ignore it. A super-cute romance with big YA Crazy Rich Asian vibes. And you’ll want to be sure to have snacks handy because the food sounds amazing, and you’ll definitely get hungry!

Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee, (List Price: 10.99, Underlined, 9780593569955, May 2023)

Reviewed by Melissa Oates, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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Wolf Girl and Black Prince, Vol. 1 by Ayuko Hatta

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Wolf Girl and Black Prince, Vol. 1 by Ayuko Hatta
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I watched this anime several years ago, and I have to say they did an excellent job adapting the manga. I don’t know why I enjoy it so much — the love interest is incredibly toxic, and the main character is a total mess, yet I find myself rooting for them anyway.

Wolf Girl and Black Prince, Vol. 1 by Ayuko Hatta, (List Price: $9.99, VIZ Media LLC, 9781974737529, May 2023)

Reviewed by Amber Brown, Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, North Carolina

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The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren

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The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren
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You’ve heard of book boyfriends, but have you heard of book best friends? Let me introduce you to Fizzy Chen – wickedly smart, unabashedly sex positive, and a bit lost in life. I absolutely adored Fizzy. She is wit and feminism and courage – all with an extra sparkle. She may not have had the best luck in relationships lately, but all that’s about to change…I think I made more noises reading this book than any other – laughing out loud, snorting from laughing so hard, squealing at the cuteness, yelling "WHAT!", and telling my husband approximately 1500 times how amazing this book is! I laughed, I cried, and I laughed while crying.

The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren is the spicy, hopeful, romance that will leave you bursting with joy. Beyond being super cute, funny, and swoon worthy, The True Love Experiment had it’s serious moments that I really appreciated as well. The deep and honest conversations between characters, not just about romantic relationships, but about co-parenting, friendship, and careers added another layer of richness to the story. And the commentary on how the romance genre is so often pigeonholed, misunderstood, and minimized was much needed!

The True Love Experiment is a 5-star read! It’s everything the romance genre should be and more – vulnerable, heartfelt, funny, and full of joy. The romantic and sexual chemistry will have you holding your breath and frantically reading, wanting more. Nobody writes love quite like Christina Lauren. Do yourself a favor and go pre-order The True Love Experiment – you won’t be sorry.

The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren, (List Price: $27.99, Gallery Books, 9781982173432, May 2023)

Reviewed by Emily Lessig, The Violet Fox Bookshop in Virginia Beach, Virginia

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Sunbeams in the Sky, Vol. 1 by Monika Kaname

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Sunbeams in the Sky, Vol. 1 by Monika Kaname
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A cute romance with a slight twist! I like that there’s some light suspense mixed in. The main character’s trauma feels very natural and I wonder how they’ll sort out the incident in later volumes.

Sunbeams in the Sky, Vol. 1 by Monika Kaname, (List Price: 13, Yen Press, 9781975352318, April 2023)

Reviewed by Lana Repic, E. Shaver, bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

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Wings Once Cursed & Bound by Piper J. Drake

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Wings Once Cursed & Bound by Piper J. Drake
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This book is A TON of fun! There’s a Thai bird princess (with animal companions!), vampires, werewolves, witches, fae, and a host of other supernatural creatures! Not to mention the adorable (and age-appropriate!) romance between said Thai bird princess and one of the vampires!!! The dialogue is quick and witty, the characters are quirky and delightful, and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in the series!

Wings Once Cursed & Bound by Piper J. Drake, (List Price: 16.99, Sourcebooks Casablanca, 9781492683865, April 2023)

Reviewed by Lucy Perkins-Wagel, Copperfish Books in Punta Gorda, Florida

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Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

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Yours Truly by Abby Jimenezf
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Is there such a thing as a meet-ugly? Out of an utterly disastrous first "meeting" (they didn’t actually even meet, just started jumping to wrong conclusions) grew a ten-tissue romance for the ages. I also was delighted that the town of Wakan, the actual seemingly "inanimate" objects in the vaguely magical town, such a huge silent character in Part of Your World, got a bit role in Yours Truly. No one does foreshadowing like Abby Jimenez.

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez, (List Price: 16.99, Forever, 9781538704394, April 2023)

Reviewed by Lisa Yee Swope, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles

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The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles
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Gareth Inglis, unwanted child turned dismissed law clerk, unexpectedly inherits his absent father’s title and country estate. Tench House is situated in Romney Marsh, a remote wetland not-so-secretly controlled by smuggling gangs. Much to Gareth’s surprise, his local area is under the control of the Doomsday clan, led by none other than his one-time lover.Joss Doomsday is confident, charming, and eminently reasonable – and on the Marsh, his word is as good as law. But he is eager to avoid Gareth, who once spurned him in a fit of melancholy. At least until Gareth unwittingly puts his sister’s freedom at stake. As the dust of this treacherous first encounter settles and the two form an unlikely partnership, peril encroaches on them from all sides. The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen is an adventurous Regency romance populated by swashbuckling smugglers as well as prickly high society. It is also somewhat of a naturalist’s book; Gareth’s explorations out on the Marsh taught me a surprising amount about the great diving beetle. There are stolen fortunes, dangerous missions under cover of night, a lady scandalously wearing trousers, and murders to boot. But the real heart of the book lies in healing trauma and finding love (in partners as well as family). Gareth and Joss are shaped by their experiences, by their relationship to one another, and the end of the book finds them better situated for happiness than they’ve ever been before.

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles, (List Price: 16.99, Sourcebooks Casablanca, 9781728255859, March 2023)

Reviewed by Kaley Lowman, Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, North Carolina

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Always the Almost by Edward Underhill

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Always the Almost by Edward Underhill
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I wish I could put this book in a time machine and send it back to my high school youth orchestra friends in the 2000s! I’m so glad that books like this exist for teens to read now. Edward Underhill’s passion for the piano and classical music shines on every page of this book and his trans protagonist Miles who is figuring out who he is and what he stands for as he prepares to enter a big competition will capture your heart. I also loved that this book is set in Wisconsin, a state I don’t know very much about!

Always the Almost by Edward Underhill, (List Price: $18.99, Wednesday Books, 9781250835208, February 2023)

Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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6 Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did) by Tess Sharpe

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6 Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did) by Tess Sharpe
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Tate and Penny are not quite enemies. Under other circumstances, maybe they’d be friends, but it’s hard to be friends with someone who is always there, who witnesses the worst moments of your life — and then there is that inconvenient attraction, far too strong and pervasive to ignore. I loved all the tropes, all the stubborn resistance, and I loved these two girls. Angry and resourceful, hopeful and determined. When they kissed, I cheered.

6 Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did) by Tess Sharpe, (List Price: $18.99, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 9780316302791, January 2023)

Reviewed by Robin Wood, Books & Books @ the Studios Key West in Key West, Florida

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Things We Hide from the Light by Lucy Score

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Things We Hide from the Light by Lucy Score
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After loving the first book in the series (and being quite charmed by Nash), I was eagerly awaiting the second installment in Score’s knock-out Knockemout series. Luckily for all of us, this book definitely lived up to the first. (I think I liked it more!) This is a delicious slow burn with all the suspense elements you come to expect with a Lucy Score novel. Lina & Nash made for great characters, and overall, these ~600 pages flew by.

Things We Hide from the Light by Lucy Score, (List Price: $18.99, Bloom Books, 9781728276113, February 2023)

Reviewed by Hannah Kerbs, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee

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When You Wish Upon a Lantern by Gloria Chao

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When You Wish Upon a Lantern by Gloria Chao
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I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It is a story about grief, community, family and love. Chao’s writing invites you into a community that is rich in Chinese culture and traditions that you can see, smell, taste and hear. Throughout the story you get to see Kai and Liya grow as individuals and find their way back to each other in the most heartwarming way. This beautiful story is sure to tug on your heartstrings!

When You Wish Upon a Lantern by Gloria Chao, (List Price: $18.99, Viking Books for Young Readers, 9780593464359, February 2023)

Reviewed by Keeshia Jacklitch, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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If I Can Give You That by Michael Gray Bulla

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If I Can Give You That by Michael Gray Bulla
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If I Can Give You That is a heartbreaking debut from Michael Gray Bulla covering a variety of issues that will tear at your heartstrings. Gael is a high school senior that’s used to keeping to himself. But when his best friend finally convinced him to go to a local group for LGBTQIA teens, he finds himself finally making some more friends. But that doesn’t come without difficulties, especially with his father back in his life and his mother’s problems.

If I Can Give You That by Michael Gray Bulla, (List Price: 19.99, Quill Tree Books, 9780063091702, February 2023)

Reviewed by Jennifer Jones, Bookmiser in Marietta, Georgia

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The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest

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The Neighbor Favorby Kristina Forest
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A February 2023 Read This Next! Title

Lily is stuck in a dead-end job as an editor’s assistant, the one Greene sister who hasn’t managed to make a success of her life. On a whim, one day she emails the author of her favorite fantasy book — and he unexpectedly writes back! They correspond regularly, opening up to each other in ways neither of them has before and becoming close, until Strick breaks things off suddenly. Lily is heartbroken…until she meets her hot new neighbor, who figures out pretty quickly that Lily is the Lily from the emails. But he has reasons for keeping his identity secret, so he agrees to help Lily find a date for her sister’s wedding, even though he can’t get her out of his own head. A fun, flirty, bookish romance that will appeal to anyone who’s had fantasies of hitting it off with their favorite author.

The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest (List Price: $17, Berkley, 9780593546437, February 2023)

Reviewed by Melissa Oates, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

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Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

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Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
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This book is such an unexpected delight! It’s told in an epistolary style- journal entries, with you, the reader, being an outside observer to events that have already happened. However, Heather Fawcett’s style of writing is such that it seamlessly blends with the narrative and you forget entirely that you’re reading a journal! It’s cozy, heart-warming, absolutely page-turning, and will leave you both satisfied and wanting more. It’s unique, enchanting, and one of my favorite reads of this year, perfect for anyone who loves fantasy and especially the fae!

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett, (List Price: $28, Del Rey, 9780593500132, January 2023)

Reviewed by Preet Singh, Eagle Eye Book Shop in Decatur, Georgia

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Spotlight on: Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn

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Kate Clayborn, photo credit Kate Clayborn

“I have to be honest—I had a friend fic! It was a notebook I shared with two close friends during my first year of high school. We would write these stories to each other and pass the book back and forth. In Georgie, All Along, she and her best friend do the same, although their version of it is a little more focused than mine was—young Georgie and her best friend are very focused on imagining the perfect versions of their lives once they get to the new high school they’ll be attending. My friends and I, I’m embarrassed to say, were far more focused on our celebrity crushes! But I was really inspired by that hopeful, imaginative experience of my teenaged self—I wanted to think about what that notebook represented about the experience of growing up.” ―Kate Clayborn, Interview, Above the Treeline

 

Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn

What booksellers are saying about Georgie, All Along

  • Clayborn, All Along! She never disappoints. With supportive, but odd-duck parents, Georgie has always had a “soft” place to land and as a result is “expansive”, so much so that she has a hard time focusing in on what she wants in her life and her future. Levi had no such parents, with no support network from his family when he needed them most, and as a result has made himself tight and small in his life and his wants/needs. When they meet, they learn to let go of their past and with her as his “soft place to land” and he allows himself to expand into himself and she learns to trust her own self and what she truly wants.
      ―Angela Trigg from The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, AL | Buy from The Haunted Book Shop

  • Kate Clayborn’s books come with high expectations of an excellent story. She always delivers, and Georgie, All Along is no different. The writing is engrossing and diverting and it’s impossible not to relate to or love Georgie as she finds herself and her way. January is rich with romance, and this is an excellent winter read to curl up with.
      ―Preet Singh from Eagle Eye Book Shop in Decatur, GA | Buy from Eagle Eye Book Shop

  • Kate Clayborn hits a home run with Georgie, All Along. I loved this relatable story about a woman coming home to find herself and reconnect with the dreams she had in high school. She’s a quirky mess who puts everyone’s needs before her own and she meets Levi, the brooding older brother of her high school crush, who also has a past he’s working through. I enjoyed the small town setting, the cast of characters and the nostalgia of revisiting high school escapades.
      ―Jessica Nock from Main Street Books in Davidson, NC | Buy from Main Street Books

  • A charming and witty story about how our pasts can shape us. Unexpectedly, Georgie, a personal assistant that has just lost her job and Levi, onetime town troublemaker, find themselves as roommates. They are both trying to reinvent themselves and use Georgie’s high school diary as a blueprint for their transformation. Georgie did not write in her diary about what was happening then, but her dreams and wishes for the future. Georgie and Levi have great chemistry and of course there is a great dog, Hank.
      ―Pam Crawford from Bookmiser, Inc. in Marietta, GA | Buy from Bookmiser

About Kate Clayborn

Kate Clayborn is the critically acclaimed author of contemporary romance novels. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Oprah Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Bookpage, and more. By day she works in education, and by night (and sometimes, by very early morning) she writes contemporary romances about smart, strong, modern heroines who face the world alongside true friends and complicated families. She resides in Virginia with her husband and their dog.

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