Autumn's Kiss, by Bella Thorne (and Elise Allen)

Once again, I am staggered to find myself endorsing a novel “written” by teen actress Bella Thorne (along with co-author Elise Allen, whose name only appears in teeny-tiny font on the title page). This is totally damning with faint praise, but Autumn's Kiss, the sequel to Autumn Falls, is considerably better than it needs to be.

Autumn Falls has finally settled into her new life in Florida, although her late father's magical wish-granting notebook has mysteriously stopped granting wishes. Fortunately, Autumn has discovered a new treasure: a map that allows her to instantly transport herself anywhere she wants to be. Autumn is determined to use her map to solve both her and her friends' troubles, but (once again) she's forced to recognize that maybe she would have been better off minding her own business.

Look, this is a book targeted exclusively at Bella Thorne's preexisting fans: kids who genuinely enjoy magical and/or dramatic hijinks as depicted by Disney shows. You can see every plot twist in Autumn's Kiss from a mile away, but the characters are cute, the dialogue flows, and I even found myself mildly invested in the heroine's semi-romantic relationship with her best friend. It's not going to win any awards, but if you're the kind of person who is going to buy this Bella Thorne novel, you're probably also the kind of person who is going to enjoy this Bella Thorne novel.

Review based on publisher-provided copy.