Our cursed love

Abe (The Charmed List) spins a gentle love story set against the backdrop of wintry Japan in this cozy fantasy romance. When Japanese American high school seniors and best friends Cam Yasuda and Remy Kobata arrive in Japan, their plan is to tour Tokyo Magical University, visit their older siblings, and enjoy everything that the "magically-aware" side of Japan has to offer. Remy and Cam are also grappling with how to navigate their secret amorous feelings for each other. When they're offered the opportunity to try a rare, illegal soulmate-finding potion, they impulsively imbibe the enchanted concoction. But rather than discovering who they're each destined to love, Cam instead suddenly loses all his memories of Remy, and Remy learns that she doesn't have a soulmate, leaving them with less than a week to undo Cam's affliction before it becomes permanent. The pair resolve to recreate shared memories in a race against time, an endeavor that leads them to various beautiful, delicious, and fantastical corners of Tokyo. Despite the high stakes, this love story remains as light and sweet as the desserts detailed on Remy and Cam's adventures; introspective flashbacks during their friendship round out their relationship and the surrounding magical world. Ages 12--up. Agent: Sarah Landis, Sterling Lord Literistic. (Dec.)

A Palo Alto high school senior must find a way to spark her best friend's memory before she forever loses him--and a chance at love. Remy Kobata is in love with her childhood best friend, Cameron Yasuda, but she's afraid of telling him and losing his friendship. But with the Japanese American teens heading to different colleges, she decides their winter break trip to Tokyo is the perfect time to confess. All Remy's dreams of love come crashing down, however, when an ominous tea leaf reading reveals she doesn't have a soulmate. When the two stumble across a secret magical apothecary, Remy is determined to get help with changing her fate. The bartender offers them a long-banned love potion, which Remy drinks out of desperation and Cam takes out of scientific curiosity--but instead of falling for Remy, Cam forgets who she is. Even worse, they learn that on January 1st, the effects will become permanent: Remy has just six days to find a cure. Told from Remy's and Cam's alternating third-person viewpoints, this sweet story is full of magic, adding fun twists to the friends-to-lovers storyline. It also explores common teen issues, like parental expectations and worries over college admissions and future plans, alongside the message that "every moment is one chance in a lifetime." Although the setting is infused with fantastical elements, the descriptive writing captures Tokyo's real-life vibrancy and culture. A charming fantasy for lovers of cozy romance. (Romance. 12-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.