Can't Wait Wednesday!

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I am combining CWW with Books From the Backlog hosted by Carole at Carole's Random Life in Books. This will allow me to feature some newly "rediscovered" books, which I plan on reading, alongside a new release.

This week I can't wait for:

Between the Bliss and Me
Lizzy Mason
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Soho Teen
Release Date: April 6, 2021
Goodreads

Acclaimed author Lizzy Mason delivers a moving contemporary YA novel about mental illness, young romance, and the impact of family history on one teen’s future, perfect for fans of Jandy Nelson, Robin Benway, and Kathleen Glasgow.

When eighteen-year-old Sydney Holman announces that she has decided to attend NYU, her overprotective mom is devastated. Her decision means she will be living in the Big City instead of commuting to nearby Rutgers like her mom had hoped. It also means she'll be close to off-limits but dreamy Grayson—a guitar prodigy who is going to Juilliard in the fall and very much isn't single.

But while she dreams of her new life, Sydney discovers a world-changing truth about her father, who left when she was little due to a drug addiction—that he has schizophrenia and is currently living on the streets of New York City. She seizes the opportunity to get to know him, to understand who he is and learn what may lie in store for her if she, too, is diagnosed.

Even as she continues to fall for Grayson, Sydney is faced with a difficult decision: Should she stay close to home so her mom can watch over her, or follow the desire to take risks and discover her true self?

Why I want to read this book

Mason's last book, The Art of Losing, was so wonderful and moving, and I expect this book will be as well. So, basically, I wanted to read this book for the author and the feels, but there's other reasons too. It's set in my area. I have two degrees from Rutgers and live a hop, skip, and a jump from the city. I also like seeing mental health issues being addressed in books. I have struggle my whole life with mental health issues and also have family members who deal/dealt with mental illness and addiction as well. I am pretty sure Mason will do an incredible job with this premise. 

The Romantic Pact
Meghan Quinn
Series: The Kings of Football, #2
Age/Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Hot-Lanta Publishing LLC
Release Date: December 10, 2020
Goodreads

I haven't seen her in three years.

I haven't talked to her since the kiss.

So why am I on a plane, flying across the world to spend a week with her in Germany?

One word: Pops.

My life’s a mess.
My possible football career is hanging on by a thread.
I'm driving the roads of Germany in honor of Pops with the one girl I can never have.
And I’m sharing a bed with her, the girl I've measured everyone else up to, while desperately trying to not to touch her.

We made a pact growing up, never to get romantic with each other - never fall in love.

And I'm about to break that pact. For good.

Why I want to read this book

So, this book isn't really old, but since it was published in 2020, and we are currently in 2021, I am calling it a backlog book. I am on a Meghan Quinn kick right now, and the last book in this series, The Relationship Pact, was such a hit for me. I want to read all the "King's" stories, and this book has double appeal with the friends-to-lovers angle too. 

What are you waiting on?
Any backlog books you want to read soon? 
Let us know in the comments!