Day’s YA: CHECKING YOU OUT

CHECKING YOU OUT by Jennifer Chen
9781250396136
6/23/2026
Wednesday Books
Ages 13-18

E-galley available on Edelweiss and NetGalley

Imagine checking out your favorite book from the library only to find a slip from the previous borrower listing every single one of your top fantasy series sitting inside it. Book soulmates, right? This is where the book soulmate mystery begins in Jennifer Chen’s CHECKING YOU OUT.

Lizzie, with the support of her friends, decides to leave a note for this mystery reader, sparking a back-and-forth exchange and scavenger hunt tucked inside library pages where they slowly begin to open up to one another. Meanwhile, in “real life,” Lizzie meets the cute, tennis-playing Dylan while volunteering at a kitten rescue. Though he’s the team captain and a total jock who “doesn’t read” (the horror!), Lizzie finds herself warming to him. It’s hard not to with kittens around!

But Dylan is hiding a secret. He actually loves reading. After a bullying incident at his old school, he traded his fantasy novels for a “jock persona.” When he tells Lizzie he isn’t a reader, he never expected the look of utter disappointment on her face to hurt quite so much. As they navigate their final summer before college, Dylan has to decide if he’s ready to stop running and show Lizzie (and his mystery pen pal) who he really is.

Filled with book conventions, passionate friend groups, kittens, and the magic of falling in love, this story is a celebration of being true to yourself. It’s a contemporary romance packed with witty dialogue and messy, lovable characters told in a duel POV. More than just a romance, it’s a tribute to the bookish community, booksellers, and librarians alike (shout-out to Mx. Villet, who helps make sure Lizzie and Dylan’s letters find their way).

CHECKING YOU OUT is DASH & LILY meets XO, Kitty. This is a must-read rom-com about falling in love through letters and a love of reading, even when they think they have nothing in common in the real world. I had so much fun with this one, and if you are looking for a cozy, fun story that will pull on your bookish heartstrings, this is for you!

Happy reading!
<3 Hallie

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