Beastly by Alex Flinn

Kyle Kingsbury is good looking, athletic, wealthy, and the big man on campus at his elite private school. Kyle's dream life, however, is shattered by a curse placed upon him by a witch after Kyle plays a cruel prank on her at a school dance. The witch transforms Kyle into his truer self, a hideous beast. If within two years Kyle is able to kiss a girl that he loves who loves him despite his appearance, his curse will be broken. Unable to handle his son's new appearance, Kyle's father purchases a house for him to live in and employs a private tutor and maid and leaves him there. Kyle gives up on reversing his curse and finds comfort in growing roses and creating a greenhouse for them. When a thief caught breaking into the greenhouse offers his daughter in exchange for his freedom, Kyle discovers that unexpected things can happen. Flinn's completely modernized version is a worthy addition to the repertoire of Beauty and the Beast retellings. Narrated entirely by Kyle, readers will enjoy his transformation from cruel and brutal Kyle to the kind-hearted and sweet Adrian. Flinn accents the modernized version by including an online chat room support group for those transformed (a group in which the Little Mermaid and the Frog Prince make appearances). An author's note includes a short history of Beauty and the Beast tales and how she found her inspiration for her story, what she calls "two abandoned teens who find one another".

Ruler of the Realm by Herbie Brennan (Faerie War Chronicles #3)

Queen Blue has received an offer of peace from the Faeries of the Night. The ever suspicious Blue decides to visit her Uncle, Lord Hairstreak, to find out if the offer is genuine. Her sudden disappearance from Lord Hairstreak's home throws the whole empire, Light and Dark, into chaos and brings it to the brink of war. The third installment in the Faerie War Chronicles starts slowly, but builds the action and quickly hooks readers. The changing narration throughout the novel can be confusing and slows the story down, however, it creates strong characters and adds depth to the story. An interesting mix of science fiction and fantasy genres with hints of romance and plenty of adventure will attract a variety fo readers.

Prom Crashers by Erin Downing

Emily meets Ethan while workign at the Leaf Lounge, a tea shop in the mall. Sparks fly and Ethan leaves his number on a napkin. Unfortunately, Emily's co-worker, and cousin, Charlie uses the napking leaving Emily numberless. Emily constructs an elaborate plan to find him, but she'll need the help of her best friends to crash all the area proms. The friends must work together to find Ethan all while sneaking around security and crashing multiple proms in one night. Prom Crashers is a wild, crazy experience. While it is not as strong as other Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies, fans of the genre won't want to miss this. The pacing is slightly slow, but the characters are fun and fresh.