Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 07/01/2025 *Starred Review* The last person Penny Dexter wanted to see on her first day at the town donut shop was Mateo della Penna, who is, unfortunately, her new coworker. Penny and Mateo have a history, and she’s convinced that they are engaged in mutual hate. Then she discovers that Delicious Donuts’ owner is thinking of selling the local shop to a regional conglomerate, and the ice breaks. Penny begs Mateo to help her save the donut shop, which they agree to do as long as Penny will teach them to drive a stick shift. As the teens spend time together in Mateo’s dad’s truck, sneaking around food truck lots and sometimes going on spontaneous, anxiety-fueled hikes, Penny realizes that maybe the feud was never all that mutual. But even after they admit to having feelings for each other, Penny still has to grapple with her anxiety disorder, money woes, and self-esteem in order to find her happily ever after. Adult romance author Kelly’s YA debut unfurls as a delicious slow burn, with similar pacing as Penny takes her time stepping into her leading-lady confidence. Never shying away from the hard conversations about queerness, gender, and acceptance (but with great respect for Mateo’s identity and pronouns), Kelly spins a delectable love story with a powerful message. - Copyright 2025 Booklist.