We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds is a romantic mystery novel where Avery moves from D.C. to a small southern town and unravels her family secrets, and what it means to fall in love again. This story tackles both racism and homophobia in the United States, weaving a deep mystery. Avery has to reconnect with her tough, hardened Mama Letty. There is a lot of characterization of both Avery and Letty. The other characters help support the novel but feel a little stereotypical without a lot of growth. The novel is written in a page-turning way where each chapter develops on the characters and its mystery but sometimes reads more like a high school drama book than a romance novel. However, the format makes it very approachable for teenagers and has an incredible mystery and secrets surrounding the story. Readers who enjoy love and romance anywhere will appreciate We Deserve Monuments, and it’s writing is very relatable to a teenage audience.