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I am a sucker for a cutesy YA romance. So that’s why I picked up Rachel Cohn & David Levithan’s Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares.  After reading the back cover, I was sold. It’s about two teens, Dash and Lily, who trade a book full of dares back and forth in New York City. But I wouldn’t really call them dares, more like instructions in a scavenger hunt because it sends them to different places to do different things.

I think the plot is super-fun and unrealistic in the best way possible. Both of Dash and Lily’s parents have conveniently left them for the holidays. Lily’s parents went on vacation for their anniversary. Although it seems weird for them to celebrate without everyone because they are portrayed as such a tight-knit family. Dash told his divorced parents that he was spending the holidays with the other one. Apparently they haven’t spoken to each other in several years. I think that’s odd they wouldn’t at least call the other parent to see how their child is doing. But I digress.

The story is told in alternating perspectives between Dash and Lily, which I really like. Dash is your typical moody teenage boy character. So moody to the point, some other characters describe as “Snarly” to Lily. Lily thinks of herself as a good girl. She plays soccer, gets good grades, and normally stays out trouble. Of course, that is until we get deeper in the story and she starts to break the rules a little bit.

I actually enjoyed both Dash and Lily as characters. I think their personalities complemented each other really well. I think this book had some interesting side characters too. Dash’s best friend, Boomer, is the epitome of quirky. Lily is also very close with her extended family and most of them live in New York. So as the story unfolds, many of them play key roles in the dares in the book passed between her and Dash.

One of the best and most important parts of this book is the setting. New York during Christmas time is supposed to be magical. At least that’s what all of the Christmas movies tell me. I definitely felt Christmas movie vibes when reading this book. Netflix must have felt them too, because the book has been developed into a series, which I started watching but haven’t finished yet.

If you want to get yourself in the Christmas spirit, give this book a chance. We all need some a little holiday joy after the year we’ve had.

Every now and then I like to immerse myself in a good thriller. Sometimes I’m just in the mood a book that’s a little bit scary. I especially like domestic thrillers. You know the ones that can give off Lifetime movie vibes. Sometimes they’re about married couples or family life. Think The Girl on The Train or Gone Girl. That’s the type of story I was expecting with Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris. But it was quite different from what I expected it to be. I didn’t hate it, but it didn’t live up to how much hype I gave it in my mind.

Behind Closed Doors is about seemingly perfect newlyweds, Jack and Grace.  Jack is a high-powered attorney and Grace is a homemaker.  From the outside they seem to be in love and really close to each other. But the big secret is that Grace is literally trapped in her marriage. While they were dating, Jack was the perfect gentleman. However, after they said their I-do’s, he turned on her and showed his true colors. He revealed himself as a sadistic, twisted man looking for someone to keep hostage and torture.

I know Jack is supposed to be the villain in this story. But there was something about him that felt cartoonish to me. I know there are evil people in this world, but I was struggling to believe that there would be a person that would be so open about seeing others in pain and that he was so open about his plans with Grace.

I also thought it was weird that no one noticed anything was wrong with them as a couple. I mean Grace never left her house without Jack and she didn’t even have a cellphone. I find this aspect particularly strange considering this book takes place in modern times. And most people (who don’t have something against technology) have cell phones.  Only one of their friends is suspicious.

But there is one part of the book that I think picked up the pace and raised the stakes. That is Grace’s teenage sister, Millie. Millie has Down’s syndrome and is away at boarding school for most of the book. She is supposed to come live with Grace and Jack later on, but obviously Grace doesn’t want that. So it becomes even more important for her to escape.

(*Hold your horses! I get super spoilery in this next paragraph!*)

Grace has tried to escape Jack several times, and I was curious about how she would actually pull it off.  It feels deceptively simple and I’m still surprised that it worked. For the most part, this book kept my attention. I wouldn’t say it kept me up all night reading, but there was enough happening that I wanted to know what happens next. This story is perfect for readers who enjoy thrillers about married couples and don’t mind a slow burn.