Drama and destiny

Magical cousins Cora and Rose Seville hone their skills and face new challenges at a two-week camp for Matchmakers-in-training. Emotional Type A Rose is excited to be a counselor at the Matchmaking camp taking place at Hotel Coeur, "the most dazzling and romantic hotel in the history of hotels." Along with studious Cora and 98 other hopefuls, Rose will be making friends, learning new skills, and (if she masters the required elements) testing for promotion and vying for Wunderkind status. The buddy locator spell pairs Year 12 Cora with Hunter Cosmos from Year 14. Meanwhile, much to her dismay, Y12 Rose is paired with Julien Swift, "her former-nemesis-because-she-was-supposed-to-be-a-better-person-now." As they work through lessons and challenges, Rose eventually comes to respect her recalcitrant guidebook, changing its name from the Beast to Sunrise. Cora's guidebook, Scyther, is a steadying force, advising her through the successful completion of a Whirlwind Match. The chapters alternately focus on Rose's and Cora's third-person perspectives. The plotlines thoughtfully explore the importance of embracing teamwork while also valuing individual strengths and acknowledging the reality that some people work best on their own. Readers jumping straight into this second series entry may be temporarily baffled by some of the worldbuilding and vocabulary, but the characters' relationships shine through. Rose and Cora are Black; Rose's mother is white, and there's diversity among the secondary cast. A sequel with heart for aspiring cupids. (Fantasy. 9-13) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.