Love, Comment, Subscribe

Popularity is the name of the game in the fresh, enthusiastic romance that launches the Ponto Beach series from Yardley (Level Up). After Lily Wang is snubbed by the cool kids of her Southern California high school, she’s all the more determined to become popular and break free of her old friend group, the “nerd herd,” among them jokester Tobin Bui. Ten years later, Lily’s a beauty influencer through her streaming channel, Everlily. She’ll do anything to maintain her success—even joining forces with goofball Tobin, who’s hit it big as gaming streamer GoofyBui. Working together could expand both their audiences and up their subscriber numbers, but spontaneous Tobin and hyper-organized Lily worry their work-style differences—and the past angst between them—will impede their collaboration. Despite the bickering these concerns give rise to, their first video goes viral—and viewers are soon rooting for the combative pair to get together. Yardley brings humor and humanity into the cutthroat world of online influencers, showing the realm’s pleasures and pressures. Both protagonists are delightfully flawed, and Yardley seamlessly weaves their backstories and details of their Asian American heritage into the fast-paced narrative. This smart, sexy tale of fame and friendship is a charmer. Agent: Tricia Skinner, Fuse Literary. (Oct.)