October 2, 2023
After an underwhelming first semester at CalArts, Latinx-cued Devin Báez plans to spend his winter break working on his application for a prestigious animator’s mentorship. He’s eager to commune with his family at their Lake Andreas cabin in Florida, but his father and stepmother’s fixing up the place to sell it makes Devin’s much-needed vacation feel bittersweet. When Dev runs into Julian Seo-Cookes, the son of the Báez’s Korean and Cuban American rivals, the years-old grudge between the two families heats up, culminating in a wager: whoever wins the upcoming annual Lake Andreas Winter Games determines the cabin’s future. Things get complicated, however, when Julian asks Dev to be his pretend boyfriend to ward off his ex, and Dev, seeing an opportunity to spy on his enemy, agrees. But fake feelings gradually become real in Rose’s fast-paced rom-com debut. While predictable in its adherence to genre expectations and quintessential story lines surrounding fake dating and family rivalries, this energetic and hilarious tale boasts fun-in-the-sun shenanigans and a Shakespearean aura in the protagonist’s clear chemistry, prank exchanges, and stolen kisses. Ages 12–up. Agent: Uwe Stender, Triada US.
October 1, 2023
Back home in Florida for winter break, a Latino college freshman faces emotional upheaval. Struggling after his first semester at CalArts, an art school in Los Angeles, Devin B�ez feels like a fraud. He's also feeling distant from his family--twin sister Maya, dad, stepmom, and stepbrother. Returning to their old cabin near a lake for the first time since Mami died is bittersweet, especially with the small town's decline and the neglected cabin's deterioration. Adding to the stress, Dev is trying to finish his application for a prestigious animation mentorship, money is tight, and they might have to sell the cabin. When Dev bumps into Julian Seo-Cooke, the Korean and Cuban son of neighbors who are "loaded, obnoxious, and annoying as hell," everything becomes even more complicated. Julian has become distractingly handsome, and he asks Dev to pretend to be his boyfriend in order to get a persistent ex to leave him alone. Everything culminates at the town's annual Winter Games, historically the scene of a bitter rivalry between the B�ezes and the (likely cheating) Seo-Cookes--and this year, the stakes are higher than ever. The sweet enemies-to-lovers romance develops slowly and believably. This debut also explores changing familial relationships, particularly between Dev and Maya, whose life paths diverge amid their financial troubles. The treatment of grief is layered, reflected throughout the family's shared memories as they figure out how to move forward. A satisfyingly complex story encompassing both romance and family healing. (Fiction. 14-18)
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November 1, 2023
Grades 9-12 Eighteen-year-old Devin B�ez is spending Christmas break at his family's old cabin on Lake Andreas. The only fly in the ointment is the Seo-Cooke family, whose McMansion is just up the hill: the families have been enemies since Mr. Cooke stole an invention idea from Devin's dad that made him rich. Worse, the Seo-Cooke family cheats at the lake's annual Winter Games! So Devin is astounded when his enemy, Julian Seo-Cooke, asks him to pretend to be his boyfriend to stave off the romantic advances of his ex. When Julian offers his house as a place where Devin can work on his art-project entry for a coveted Cal Arts mentorship, he reluctantly agrees, hoping to at least gain an opportunity to spy on his family's rivals. Not surprisingly, the two boys' initial antagonism gradually seems to turn into something else. But the Winter Games are off to a rocky start as the B�ezes place dangerously risky bets. Rose's debut is a well-written, charming rom-com with empathic characters and widespread appeal. Let the games begin!
COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Starred review from December 1, 2023
Gr 7 Up-Rose's debut novel is a wonderful and witty rom-com. It's smartly written with funny, memorable scenes and the swooniest romantic lines. Devin Baez and Julian Seo-Cooke have been enemies forever. Every winter break their families meet up at Lake Andreas, but there have never been any happy campfire moments between them. These families have been rivals ever since Julian's dad stole an idea from Dev's father that made them rich and the Baez family was left struggling. And to add insult to injury, the Seo-Cookes cheat to win the town's Winter Games every year. Now it's finally time for the Baez family to have some revenge. They bet their cabin ownership that they will win the games this year. It's a big gamble, but the perfect opportunity to spy on the Seo-Cooke family occurs when Julian asks Dev to be his fake boyfriend to deflect an unwanted suitor's attention. Of course, chaos and love ensue. Dev wants to learn the Seo-Cooke family's secrets to use against them during the games; but Julian is so different from the person Dev thought he was all these years. As barriers and misunderstandings start to crumble between them, Dev begins to learn a lot about the dysfunction behind the Seo-Cookes's perfect family image and also learns about forgiveness, empathy, and love. VERDICT Innocent camp high jinks, siblings who care deeply for each other, family loss, Latinx and Asian representation, and a sweet hopeful LGBTQIA+ love story-this is a must-have for teen libraries everywhere.-Maria Ramusevic
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