Tis the Season to Cuddle Up and Read! Our Hot YA Winter Roundup Reads
Tis the Season to Cuddle Up and Read! Our Hot YA Winter Roundup Reads
Is there anything better than cozying up with a warm blanket and a good book, especially around the holiday season? If you’re like me, you’ll want to stack up your TBR pile as much as you can, so what better way to do that than with some excellent books that will leave you reeling with every page? Our hot winter reads roundup is full of epic titles that are full of love, adventure, coupled with thrills and chills. Do yourself a favor this season and sprint to the bookstores to pick up these titles before they’re sold out!
1. Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber (408 pages) (Published September 28th, 2021)
Image via Goodreads
When Evangeline Fox learns that the love of her life is getting married, she strikes a deal with the infamous wicked Prince of Hearts. Evangeline would do anything for love and a happy ending, so when the wicked prince’s bargain is to exchange his help for three kisses of his own choosing, she takes that deal. However, soon, Evangline finds out that striking a deal with an Immortal is a dangerous game and the Prince of Hearts has much more for her in-store than she could ever imagine.
Why You Should Read It:
If you are a fan of Stephanie Garber’s Caraval books, read Once Upon a Broken Heart. I repeat–you need to read Once Upon a Broken Heart! Garber absolutely delivers with her outstanding and gorgeous world-building just like she did in her previous books. And who isn’t a sucker for the morally gray prince? Garber’s writing is beautiful and immersive and will have you feeling everything Evangline is describing on every page. In fact, it feels like you’re living in a fairy tale with the whimsical characters and the magic.
Cozy Rating
5/5 Brookie Stars
2. As Good as Dead (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder #3) by Holly Jackson (464 pages) (Published September 28th, 2021)
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In the final installment of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson, Pip is off to college, but the haunting memories of her last investigation linger like a dark cloud. With online death threats still prominent as ever in Pip’s life, she can’t help but notice the repeating anonymous question, “Who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears?” As the threats begin to ramp up, Pip soon realizes that someone is following her, and things take a chilling turn when she finds connections between the creepy stalker and the local serial killer she caught six years ago. Since the police won’t help, Pip has no choice but to find the suspect herself before she’s the one who ends up dead.
Why You Should Read It:
If you’ve been enthralled by A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, you are going to be left satisfied with this final book. Pip continues to be one badass main character., going from resident good girl to the crime-hunting detective. Throughout As Good as Dead, Pip’s unwavering determination and strength does not falter, even as we see her struggling with PTSD from her past. Believe me when I say, this book is packed with mind-blowing twists and turns that will leave your jaw on the floor. Also, seeing Pip’s character develop throughout this trilogy, and her mindset shift into a more morally gray atmosphere was super interesting to follow. Pip is the type of main character that has us reeling with turn.
Cozy Rating
5/5 Brookie Stars
3. The Falling Girls by Hayley Krischer (320 pages) (Published October 5th, 2021)
Image via Goodreads
High school can be tough. Having an inseparable best friend can make things so much easier. Shade and Jadis share absolutely everything. They are each other’s person, but when Shade unexpectedly joins the cheerleading team, Jadis hardly recognizes her best friend. Shade is drawn to becoming a part of a girl group, and is seemingly fascinated with The Three Chloes– the trio that rules the squad. The leader of the trio, who is also the cheer squad captain, has a dark side that is equally compelling and alarming, and Shade is drawn to it. So when one cheerleader dies under mysterious circumstances, Shade is determined to solve the mystery. all alone.
Why You Should Read It:
As I said before, high school is tough, and for Shade and Jadis, things are about to get a whole lot tougher. The Falling Girls really highlights the highs and lows of high school friendships but also paints a picture of what can happen when lines are crossed. Krischer does a fantastic job of weaving the dark parts of the toxic relationships that exist in high school and the consequences that come from them. This story is full of chilling realizations and hidden secrets as the mystery of the murdered cheerleader forges on in this drama-fulled high school.
Cozy Rating
5/5 Brookie Stars
4. The Dead and The Dark by Courtney Gould (368 pages) (Published August 3rd, 2021)
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When a series of strange occurrences begins to happen in Snakebite, Oregon, Logan Ortiz-Woodley and her TV ParaSpector (ghost hunter) father arrive to get to the bottom of it. With teenagers disappearing, and some ending up dead, along with the strange weather, no one can make sense of what is happening. Ashley Barton’s boyfriend was the first teen to go missing and she has felt his presence ever since, and now that the ghost hunters are in town, his ghost is following her and the only person who is able to help Ashley is Logan herself. Logan and Ashley decide to team up to get to the bottom of what is haunting this eerie town , but when their investigation leads them to hidden truths about the town, their families, and themselves, the danger grows and grows, leaving the girls in a state of disaster. As the girls grow closer, they soon start to realize their feelings for each other could mean so much more.
Why You Should Read It:
There’s nothing wrong with reading a spooky book around the holidays. It keeps things interesting! Courtney Gould absolutely delivers with this delightfully creepy story about a haunted town. As you’re reading this story, you will feel like you are living in the creepy town of Snakebite, Oregon as you help Logan and Ashley try and solve the creepy mystery of the teenager’s disappearances. The Dead and The Dark also contains fantastic LGBTQ representation that will have readers feeling a little safe in the scary town of Snakebite.
Cozy Rating
5/5 Brookie Stars
5. Briar Girls by Rebecca Kim Wells (256 pages) (Published November 6th, 2021)
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One touch of Lena’s skin can kill. Cursed by a witch before she was born, Lena has always lived in fear and isolation due to her deadly secret. But after a horrible mistake, Lena and her father must flee to a village near the Silence, a mysterious forest that supposedly lures people into the trees, never to be seen again. So when Miranda stumbles out of the silence, she shakes up Lena’s world. It turns out, Miranda is from the Gather, a city in the forest that contains a lot of magic. She is on a journey to find the sleeping princess who is believed to hold the key to freeing the Gather from a tyrannical ruler. Together, they make a bargain–that Lena will join Miranda on her journey and Miranda will help her break the curse. With hopes that the curse will finally break, Lena jumps at the chance, but as they venture further and further into the Silence, Lena learns that she might have made a horrible mistake, and now she doesn’t know who to trust.
Why You Should Read It:
A good Sleeping Beauty retelling is something we all need this winter. The mystery of the Silence and the Gather was extremely captivating and I love a good creepy forest! Briar Girls is filled with fun adventure through a dark setting and the fiery characters bring something amazing to every page. The whole mystery of the forest would have any reader captivated and the use of blood magic will send chills up your spine as you read. The dynamic between Lena and Miranda was also a contributing factor as to why this book was such a page-turner. With LGBTQ representation, Rebecca Kim Wells doesn’t shy away from the important messages and strong dynamics of these characters.
Cozy Rating
5/5 Brookie Stars
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Brittany Amalfi is a 20- something- year- old developmental specialist living in Massachusetts where she loves all things New England. Brittany is currently pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing, and working on her young adult fantasy novel. When she isn’t writing, you can find her reading, working with awesome kiddos, and spending time with friends and family.
