Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe

Two ambitious heroines driven by personal and familial goals must contend with high-stakes conflicts surrounding prophecy, conspiracy, and potential catastrophe in this realms-hopping romantasy by Lee (Clash of Steel). Overachieving high school senior Brenda Nguyen, who is Vietnamese American, has an elaborate multistep plan to save contemporary society through science—a plan that hinges on obtaining a college scholarship. While uploading her latest scholarship application, she wanders into an unfamiliar L.A. coffee shop, where she meets Chinese American Kat Woo. The two hit it off and plan to go on a real date, then discover that they live in different dimensions—Brenda in a world of science and Kat in a world of magic—which they can only visit by traveling through fleeting, unstable portals. On top of complicated meet- cute stress, Kat dreads participating in a societal ritual meant to prevent magic from destroying her city. Now, the girls must work together to decide the fate of their respective dimensions, in the process attempting to find time to fall in love. Epic world-saving plotting mixes with intimate star-crossed love and touches of magic and mischief, making for a satisfying and cozy read. Ages 12–up. Agent: Thao Le, Sandra Dijkstra Literary. (June)