I had the pleasure of appearing on The Morning Show once again, this time promoting the perfectly festive reads for stocking stuffers this holiday season! All three books I discuss in the segment are from the publishing house KCP Loft, and all three books will leave you wanting more. Also, as a bonus, one of my close girlfriends Vicky Sparks interviewed me, which was super exciting!

Click here to have a look at the segment, and please see below for my review of each novel! Happy Holiday Reading!

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Kiss Me in Paris By Catherine Rider

KISS ME IN PARIS by Catherine Rider

Kiss Me in Paris is a companion to last year’s Kiss Me In New York, which Bustle just named a perfect holiday YA read! (Click here to see the list). Kiss Me in Paris is a whirlwind romance for young YA readers that will have even the most critical of cynics dreaming of 24 hours in Paris with an attractive stranger.

Serena Fuentes won’t waste one moment of her quick trip to Paris to visit her sister. She has her itinerary planned down to the wire, and has a list of every single photograph she wants to take for her mom’s scrapbook. But Serena’s schedule is suddenly ruined, leaving her with Jean-Luc, a French friend of her sister’s boyfriend, to tour her around. Neither Serena or Jean-Luc are happy with the prospect.

As a photography student, Jean-Luc has to take pictures of his own, but his meandering and French attitude is slowing Serena down. The two can flip from bickering to bonding in the matter of a minute as they race through the unexplored streets of Paris together. Slowly, Serena begins to see the city for what it really is, instead of simply a map on her agenda.

I enjoyed this quick read, and it is a recommended pick for younger YA readers who are interested in travel, self growth and romance. Perfect for fans of Summer Constellations, Anna and the French Kiss and Royally Lost, Kiss Me in Paris truly made me want to go back to Paris for a third time, and explore the streets with my husband Ian once again. It will sweep you off your feet!

THE LEADING EDGE OF NOW by Marci Lyn Curtis

A fiercely powerful, poignant story about a girl who takes on the world, starting with one act of forgiveness at a time.

Grace has had a challenging past couple of years: her father passed away, leaving her an orphan and in the care of various foster families. When her Uncle Rusty, her only living relative, finally files the paperwork to bring her to his home, it seems like a step in the right direction to ‘normalcy’. Grace is looking forward, whilst uneasy, to revisiting a town and home she once loved spending summers in. Only Rusty’s house is filled with painful memories, and being there forces Grace to face these memories, one by one.

The Leading Edge of Now offers a twist of mystery, with an overarching tale of abuse, shame, family and the power of hope and love. Author Marci Lyn Curtis offers a raw, candid perspective on the feelings of fear, shame and regret that come along with sexual abuse and I admire her for writing this important story.

A gripping novel about facing your truth in the #MeToo era, navigating self discovery and charting your own course, The Leading Edge of Now is also the perfect read for fans of Colleen Hoover’s Without Merit and The Weight of Zero by Karen Fortunati. Readers will admire Grace’s brave journey, and feel every emotion while reading this touching tale.

The Last Wish of Sasha Cade by Cheyanne Young

THE LAST WISH OF SASHA CADE by Cheyanne Young

The Last Wish of Sasha Cade by Cheyenne Young is such an interesting concept for a novel, and I was instantly hooked. I mean, imagine your best friend had a terminal illness and left you alone in the world, but she left something incredible to remember her by?

That’s exactly the premise of this novel. Sasha Cade tragically passes away at too young an age, but she left her best friend Raquel a scavenger hunt that begins after her passing.

The first clue leads Raquel to Sasha’s tombstone, where she meets a cute guy named Elijah. This guy is more than a stranger though… it turns out the Sasha has sent him there too, and Elijah reveals he is Sasha’s long-lost brother that Raquel never knew existed. What other secrets does Sasha have up her sleeve to unveil during the unfolding scavenger hunt?

This heart-warming and heart-wrenching novel is ultimately about a young woman who can’t bear to imagine life without her best friend. Sasha leaves behind mystery, hope and a hunt of fun-filled activities that keeps her best friend and brother busy… so busy that it prevents both of them from being overcome with grief. But now Raquel must make a decision that might not be what Sasha envisioned for her best friend.

For fans of contemporary young adult fiction, The Last Wish of Sasha Cade is a page turner that will inspire you and leave you filled with hope, happiness and wet eyes.