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:

Better Than the Movies
Lynn Painter
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Simon & Schuster BFYR
Release Date: May 4, 2021
Goodreads

In this rom-com about rom-coms, in the spirit of Kasie West and Jenn Bennett, a hopeless romantic teen attempts to secure a happily-ever-after moment with her forever crush, but finds herself reluctantly drawn to the boy next door.

Perpetual daydreamer Liz Buxbaum gave her heart to Michael a long time ago. But her cool, aloof forever crush never really saw her before he moved away. Now that he’s back in town, Liz will do whatever it takes to get on his radar—and maybe snag him as a prom date—even befriend Wes Bennet.

The annoyingly attractive next-door neighbor might seem like a prime candidate for romantic comedy fantasies, but Wes has only been a pain in Liz’s butt since they were kids. Pranks involving frogs and decapitated lawn gnomes do not a potential boyfriend make. Yet, somehow, Wes and Michael are hitting it off, which means Wes is Liz’s in.

But as Liz and Wes scheme to get Liz noticed by Michael so she can have her magical prom moment, she’s shocked to discover that she likes being around Wes. And as they continue to grow closer, she must reexamine everything she thought she knew about love—and rethink her own ideas of what Happily Ever After should look like.

Why I want to read this book

I won't even beat around the bush, that cover called to me. Seeing such iconic rom-com moments recreated filled me with some excitement. I also love that she joins forces with her annoying next door neighbor to win the heart of her crush just to find out he's maybe not as annoying as she thought. I sense lots of fun and feel-good moments from this one, and if my feelings are right, this will be solid gold for me. 

 

What Happens Next
Colleen Clayton
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Poppy
Release Date: October 9, 2021
Goodreads

How can you talk about something you can’t remember?

Before the ski trip, sixteen-year-old Cassidy “Sid” Murphy was a cheerleader (at the bottom of the pyramid, but still...), a straight-A student, and a member of a solid trio of best friends. When she ends up on a ski lift next to handsome local college boy, Dax Windsor, she’s thrilled; but Dax takes everything from Sid—including a lock of her perfect red curls—and she can’t remember any of it.

Back home and unable to relate to her old friends, Sid drops her college prep classes and takes up residence in the A/V room with only Corey “The Living Stoner” Livingston for company. But as she gets to know Corey (slacker, baker, total dreamboat), Sid finds someone who truly makes her happy. Now, if she can just shake the nightmares and those few extra pounds, everything will be perfect... or so she thinks.

Witty and poignant, Colleen Clayton’s stunning debut is a story about moving on after the unthinkable happens.

Why I want to read this book

I do appreciate when books take on tough topics. Sexual assault is an unfortunate reality for too many people. I think reading books about it helps those, who are lucky enough to not experience it, understand or get some perspective from the assaulted person's point of view. I also like that this sounds like a survivor story. It sounds like the focus is on working through the trauma, and I like when the focus is more on that than the actual event. 

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