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I Knew You Were Trouble
She's trying to solve a murder. Not fall for the girl in the way.
From the author of Run Away With Me comes a brand-new YA high-stakes scavenger hunt thriller combined with a grumpy x sunshine romance, set against the backdrop of New York City. Perfect for fans of Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ twisty, puzzle-filled mysteries and Casey McQuiston’s queer love stories.
Kendra Walker is no stranger to the criminal underworld. Trained from young to take over the family antique business, she’s well aware they specialize in trading stolen goods. So when Kendra’s mom is ‘accidentally’ killed on the streets of New York, she suspects foul play.
Months later, Alice De Lacy visits Walker Antiques, searching for jewelry burgled from her family home. Frustrated by the police’s inaction, she’s committed to scouring every antique and pawn shop in the city.
Kendra remembers the jewelry but finds it missing from the safe. With no record of sale and only a mysterious ticket for a Grand Central Station tour left behind, Kendra soon realizes her mom created a scavenger hunt across New York that she needs to follow and solve. Could there be a connection between the jewelry and her mom’s murder?
Joining forces with Alice, the girls work to solve the mystery. But it soon becomes apparent an infamous crime mob are interested in locating the jewelry too. Forced to use their wits and skills to stay one step ahead, the girls grow closer. But with Kendra at risk of meeting the same fate as her mom, how long will their romance last?
From the author of Run Away With Me comes a brand-new YA high-stakes scavenger hunt thriller combined with a grumpy x sunshine romance, set against the backdrop of New York City. Perfect for fans of Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ twisty, puzzle-filled mysteries and Casey McQuiston’s queer love stories.
Kendra Walker is no stranger to the criminal underworld. Trained from young to take over the family antique business, she’s well aware they specialize in trading stolen goods. So when Kendra’s mom is ‘accidentally’ killed on the streets of New York, she suspects foul play.
Months later, Alice De Lacy visits Walker Antiques, searching for jewelry burgled from her family home. Frustrated by the police’s inaction, she’s committed to scouring every antique and pawn shop in the city.
Kendra remembers the jewelry but finds it missing from the safe. With no record of sale and only a mysterious ticket for a Grand Central Station tour left behind, Kendra soon realizes her mom created a scavenger hunt across New York that she needs to follow and solve. Could there be a connection between the jewelry and her mom’s murder?
Joining forces with Alice, the girls work to solve the mystery. But it soon becomes apparent an infamous crime mob are interested in locating the jewelry too. Forced to use their wits and skills to stay one step ahead, the girls grow closer. But with Kendra at risk of meeting the same fate as her mom, how long will their romance last?
348 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 11, 2026
About the author
J.L. Simmonds
2 books11 followersJ. L. Simmonds grew up by the seaside but now lives in Bristol. She studied English Literature and worked in marketing and communications for ten years before returning to Bath Spa for her MA in Writing for Young People. She writes joyful LGBTQ+ YA, bad poetry and text messages with too many emojis. Run Away with Me is her debut novel.
source: Amazon
source: Amazon
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 14, 2026
I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was fun but also a bit silly while broaching heavy subjects. It didn't feel very believable but I still had a really good time and flew through it. It was a good thriller. I honestly had no idea what was gonna happen next. The resolution felt a bit fast and simple after all that but I didn't even mind that much. The romance was also cute and I liked how different the love interest was from the main character. She was really naive but it worked. She did annoy me at times, I can't lie but that makes sense for who she was and where she came from. The main character was a bit two dimensional at first but I grew to like her and I saw her grow throughout the books. I enjoyed seeing her peel out her layers. So yes, this was a bit silly but fun and interesting and it kept me on my toes the entire time. I can't wait for the next book from this author!
This was fun but also a bit silly while broaching heavy subjects. It didn't feel very believable but I still had a really good time and flew through it. It was a good thriller. I honestly had no idea what was gonna happen next. The resolution felt a bit fast and simple after all that but I didn't even mind that much. The romance was also cute and I liked how different the love interest was from the main character. She was really naive but it worked. She did annoy me at times, I can't lie but that makes sense for who she was and where she came from. The main character was a bit two dimensional at first but I grew to like her and I saw her grow throughout the books. I enjoyed seeing her peel out her layers. So yes, this was a bit silly but fun and interesting and it kept me on my toes the entire time. I can't wait for the next book from this author!
June 16, 2026
YA sapphic romantic thriller.
Nineteen year old New Yorker Kendra is struggling coming to terms with her mum’s murder, when Alice comes knocking on her antique store’s door. Kendra and Alice are almost immediately caught up in a search for missing jewels, and the chance of friendship, or more, too.
There are a few fortuitous finds as they follow the clues, and try to avoid the clutches of one very nasty man.
The slow build, cosy romance between the girls is nice, and along with the historical back story of the jewels makes a very enjoyable read.
Thank you to Penguin Random House UK Children’s and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.
Nineteen year old New Yorker Kendra is struggling coming to terms with her mum’s murder, when Alice comes knocking on her antique store’s door. Kendra and Alice are almost immediately caught up in a search for missing jewels, and the chance of friendship, or more, too.
There are a few fortuitous finds as they follow the clues, and try to avoid the clutches of one very nasty man.
The slow build, cosy romance between the girls is nice, and along with the historical back story of the jewels makes a very enjoyable read.
Thank you to Penguin Random House UK Children’s and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.
August 3, 2026
thought i was maybe too old for YA novels, and picked this up only for fun in the library, but at the end really enjoyed it!! LOL It was really tense at some moments and it's a wholesome kind of book where there's a good ending to the story :) I love puzzles and it feels really fun to solve them with the characters while they explore NYC.
September 16, 2026
I really liked this book! I picked it up randomly not looking too much into it, but I actually loved it! I liked the differences between Kendra and Alice it made their dynamic really fun to follow!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews