By: Elsie Silver
Published Year: 2026
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 448

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Professional bull rider Emmett Bush is not looking for love. He’s looking for a paycheck to save his family’s farm from bankruptcy. So, when he agrees to be the leading man on a hot new reality dating show, Romance Ranch, he’s already decided it’s all one big performance.

Until Julia Silva walks onto his property. Smart, snarky, beautiful, and off-limits in more ways than one. As the location consultant on set and the little sister of his most bitter professional rival, she’s the last woman who should pique his interest.

Julia has been warned about Emmett. She knows better than to fall for his cocky swagger, broad shoulders, and smoldering good looks. Plus, she’s sworn off relationships.

But as Julia and Emmett work together, mutual distaste grows into an unexpected connection and then… something more.

Soon, they find themselves searching for excuses to spend time together and out of reach of the cameras. Knowing glances. Stolen kisses. Secret rendezvous.

Still, Emmett signed up to play the role of an eligible bachelor searching for the one. His family’s land and legacy depend on him completing the show.

The problem is, he’s already fallen in love.

Just not with a contestant.

First Impressions

I am obsessed with this cover. The colors are my absolute favorite and there is nothing I would change. I’m not normally a cowboy romance person but between this being written by Silver and the cover? Not even a hesitation.

What I thought

While this wasn’t my favorite of Silver’s books, it was still a fun read.

Emmett is a top tier bull rider. However, bull riding doesn’t make enough to support his grandparent’s farm. When he is offered the opportunity to be the next bachelor on a reality show called Romance Ranch, he immediately declines until he finds out how much they’re willing to pay. Julia is the younger sister of Emmett’s bull riding rival Theo. She is also the location manager for Romance Ranch. When they start working together on the reality show, Emmett starts to find romance in places he didn’t expect.

I really liked Emmett and Julia. I liked their history and their chemistry. I also liked that Julia didn’t take any shit from Emmett and called him on his bull (no pun intended). What I didn’t love, even though I thought I was going to, was the reality show storyline. Here’s the thing, I didn’t mind Emmett having to take part in a reality show and date other women. What I did mind was the sleezy producer. I have read a few books that center around dating reality shows (One to Watch being amazing) and I’ve watched TV shows about fake reality dating shows. I feel like I’ve seen this type of story done well and I don’t think it’s done well here. It felt like it was all stereotypical and the reality show and the contestants weren’t fleshed out at all.

I also felt so uncomfortable as Julia and Emmett started dating. They kept talking about how they had to be careful and not get caught because Richard, the producer, would stop Emmett from getting his pay day and then they would go and do things like make out in a former contestants room! I just keep freaking out internally because I was like, there are cameras and microphones everywhere. It made me nervous and uncomfortable which made the back half of the book difficult for me to read.

I do think it works really well as the first book in a new series. It set up the world of Emerald Lake really well, as well as the Brandt family. I am looking forward to reading more books in the future.

By: Anna McCallie
Published Year: 2026
Publisher: Dell
Pages: 368

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this novel.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Seeking a fresh start after leaving her cheating fiancé, Abby McIntyre makes a series of spontaneous decisions: She quits her job. She books a one-way flight to the UK. She even gets bangs!

Newly arrived in Liverpool, she lands a job with the Mersey Football Club and meets Lachlan Ramsay, the recently recruited Scottish star midfielder. Both lonely in a new city, the pair bond quickly, and Abby finds it nearly impossible to deny their chemistry—despite the nagging guilt she feels about Lachlan’s mysterious wife who didn’t relocate with her husband.

When Abby’s housing falls through, Lachlan insists she move into his massive penthouse. As they spend almost every waking moment together, Abby wonders if it’s possible that the world-famous footballer could be falling for her, too. But with her job and his marriage dependent on them staying firmly in the friend zone, can Abby risk being caught offside?

First Impressions

I’m pretty sure I saw this cover on Instagram and immediately went “I need to read this book” so I’d say that’s a solid first impression. I am a huge soccer fan so reading about an American who moves to England and works for a soccer team? My dream!

What I thought

I wish I could live inside this book.

After finding out her fiancé was cheating on her, Abby quits her job working for the Red Sox and moves to Liverpool for a job at the local football club, Mersey. One her first day, she meets Lachlan Ramsay- star footballer who is coming back to Mersey after years in Spain. They hit it off right off the bat, but Abby knows he still has a wife back in Spain.

The banter in this book is elite. Lachlan and Abby right from the start have great chemistry. I was rooting for them from day one. Abby has a lot of stuff going on in her life and this story is just as much a story of self-discovery as it is romance. I read a review that described this book as having Ted Lasso vibes and I feel like that is spot on.

It is interesting because this book could fall into very icky territory with Lachlan still being married and Abby being single. I did appreciate that Abby’s friends were honest with her. She had one friend who was not for the relationship building between them and another friend who was kind of feeding into the fantasy.

I enjoyed every character in this book. Even Lachlan’s wife Claire. I also fell in love with the Mersey club a little bit and find myself wanting to be a fan and go to a match. I feel like I’m at a loss for words as to what it is I loved about this book so much. The characters were spot on, the banter was popping, there was no 3rd act breakup over some stupid miscommunication. There was a lot of depth to both Abby and Lachlan and seeing them grow and now just do stupid things was so refreshing. Honestly, one of my favorite sports romances of the year.

By: V.E. Schwab
Published Year: 2025
Publisher: Tor
Pages: 535

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads) This is a story about hunger.
1532. Santo Domingo de la Calzada.
A young girl grows up wild and wily—her beauty is only outmatched by her dreams of escape. But María knows she can only ever be a prize, or a pawn, in the games played by men. When an alluring stranger offers an alternate path, María makes a desperate choice. She vows to have no regrets.

This is a story about love.
1827. London.
A young woman lives an idyllic but cloistered life on her family’s estate, until a moment of forbidden intimacy sees her shipped off to London. Charlotte’s tender heart and seemingly impossible wishes are swept away by an invitation from a beautiful widow—but the price of freedom is higher than she could have imagined.

This is a story about rage.
2019. Boston.
College was supposed to be her chance to be someone new. That’s why Alice moved halfway across the world, leaving her old life behind. But after an out-of-character one-night stand leaves her questioning her past, her present, and her future, Alice throws herself into the hunt for answers . . . and revenge.

This is a story about life—
how it ends, and how it starts.

What I thought

I was a little hesitant when Meghan picked this book. First, it’s long. Second, it has a decent amount of hype. Third, lesbian vampires. I enjoyed Invisible Life of Addie Larue, but not as much as the general public did which made me hesitant about this one.

Bury Our Bones follows 3 women, Mary, Lottie, and Alice. Each woman’s story takes place in a different era. Mary starts in the 1500s followed by Lottie in the 1800s and finally Alice in 2019. Each of these women is a lesbian and each of these women becomes a vampire.

I don’t really want to give too much away in my summary because not a lot happens in this story and I don’t want to give away anything enjoyable. I did enjoy this book more than I thought I would. It wasn’t necessarily unputdownable, but I was invested in each of their stories and wanted to see how they tied together and played out.

Schwab writes beautifully. Everything in this story is very well written. Admittedly, I think if she wasn’t as good of a writer as she is, this book would’ve felt drawn out and boring. Like I said, not much happens. I did enjoy the different perspective of vampires and how they lived. It was also interesting to see how they changed over time, from the 1500s to present day.

In that way it’s not your typical fantasy/horror novel. There isn’t really a lot of world building and a lot of the lore is based in vampire history we already know. It is more so a story that focuses on women, how they have suffered at the hands of men throughout history, and love. If that isn’t what you’re looking for or what you’re expecting when you pick this one up, I do think you’ll be disappointed.

What Book Club Thought

This was a really fun one to discuss. The more we talked about it the more we realized there was to discuss. We all agreed this isn’t a book we would’ve necessarily picked up on our own but that we ended up liking it more than we expected. I do think it was interesting because we kind of spanned from  one member feeling bored by the book but still enjoying the reading process, to people not being able to put it down. Another interesting thing that we learned is that Schwab describes this as being her most autobiographical work, so that lead to an entire rabbit hole of discussion. I think this book was a pleasant surprise. I would not have expected it to lead to the type of discussion that it did. I would highly recommend this book as a book club read as opposed to a solo read.

By: Caro Claire Burke
Published Year: 2026
Publisher: Knopf
Pages: 400

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): A traditional American woman, a “tradwife” influencer, suddenly awakens in the brutal reality of 1855—where she must unravel whether this living nightmare is an elaborate hoax, a twisted reality show, or something far more sinister in this sensational debut novel.

My name was Natalie Heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive.

Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle. Her charming farmhouse is rustic, her husband a handsome cowboy, her six children each more delightful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers behind the scenes, her kitchen hiding industrial-grade fridges and ovens, her husband the heir to a political dynasty? What Natalie’s followers—all 8 million of them—don’t know won’t hurt them. And The Angry Women? The privileged, Ivy League, coastal elite haters who call her an antifeminist iconoclast? They’re sick with jealousy. Because Natalie isn’t simply living the good life, she’s living the ideal—and just so happens to be building an empire from it.

Until one morning she wakes up in a life that isn’t hers. Her home, her husband, her children—they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Her kitchen is warmed by a sputtering fire rather than electricity, her children are dirty and strange, and her soft-handed husband is suddenly a competent farmer. Just yesterday Natalie was curating photos of homemade jam for her Instagram, and now she’s expected to haul firewood and handwash clothes until her fingers bleed. Has she become the unwitting star of a ruthless reality show? Could it really be time travel? Is she being tested by God? By Satan? When Natalie suffers a brutal injury in the woods, she realizes two things: This is not her beautiful life, and she must escape by any means possible.

First Impressions

One of my friends posted about this book before I saw it start to pop up everywhere. The cover and title intrigued me immediately and the summary sounded interesting. I also trusted this friend who posted about it because she and I have similar tastest. Once I saw everyone talking about this book I knew I needed to read it.

What I thought

I haven’t read a book that’s made me think like this in a long time.

Natalie is an influencer. She built her account around being a “Good Christian Wife” who makes bread from scratch and homeschools her kids. Her husband is the youngest son of a political family, but when her world starts falling apart all of a sudden she wakes up in the 1800s. Her hosue is not her house. It has no appliances and an outhouse. Her husband is not her husband and her kids are not her kids. Yet they all act like they are.

This book was so fascinating to me. I have never gotten sucked into the Trad Wife influencer world but I know that they push traditional values and God and obeying your husband. Yet then you find out they come from very rich families and this “simple” life is actually a very costly one.

I honestly had no idea where this book was going from one chapter to the next. I listened to it on audiobook and really enjoyed the narrator. I think it let me feel a lot more of the satire. Natalie is not a likable character by any means. I think if you go into this book expecting to like her or wanting to root for her you will be sorely disappointed. I think Caro Burke does a great job of capturing the seedy underbelly of the influencer world.

I could see a lot of people who might dislike this book and claim it’s “cheap” or disrespectful. I think those people are ones who see themselves negatively reflected in the characters of this book. I was hooked pretty much from page one and found the entire thing to wrap up in a very satisfying way.

By: Alexa Martin
Published Year: 2026
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 400

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this novel.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Fueled by a love of romance novels, Luna Starr was destined for a life with her head in the clouds. Her delusional tendencies serve her well…or at least they used to. When life throws her a curveball, she decides it’s time to turn her cowboy fantasies into reality and purchases a tiny farm in Celestial, Texas. After all, don’t all heroines try to outrun grief?

Tate Jacobs hates cowboys, which is a small problem, considering his family happens to own the largest ranch in Celestial. Life might not have gone the way he wanted, but as head coach at his old high school and the town’s best (and only) handyman, he’s figured out how to stay busy and keep his head down—until the new girl in town shows up. Luna’s new property is a bad accident waiting to happen unless someone helps her with her DIY home renovations.

As Tate and Luna spend more time together fixing up her house, unexpected feelings and undeniable chemistry bubble to the surface. Luna might’ve moved to Celestial to make her cowboy dreams come true, but somewhere beneath the vast Texas skies, she discovers that love in the real world can be far better than she imagined.

First Impressions

I love Alexa Martin but haven’t read any cowboy romances so I was intrigued. I have to admit, I really don’t like the cover and would not have picked it up if I didn’t already like Martin.

What I thought

The majority of this book was really cute.

After her mother passes away, Luna decides to move from Denver to Celestial, Texas. She uses her mom’s life insurance to purchase a home on some acres of land ad fix it up to make it her dream home. When she moves down, she meets not one but two hot cowboys who are seemingly into her. She settles in and finds herself and a new lease on life.

We’ll start with what worked with me. The town of Celestial is adorable. I could live in this town for a few books and be very happy. All of the side characters were so sweet. I also liked Luna and Tate and Silas. I didn’t necessarily get Luna’s instant attraction to Tate over Silas, but I liked them when they were together. Tate seems like a really good guy and I enjoyed his football coach scenes specifically.

What didn’t work for me was the third act break. I found the reason for Luna breaking down to come out of nowhere. The issues that come up were not built up to at all. She has some difficulties with her mom and how she passed as well as her mom’s brother. I think we could’ve easily focused on those and not added in another breakdown that was unjustified. This kind of left a little bit of a bad taste in my mouth right at the end of the book.

I wish that Martin had focused more on the exploration of the trauma Luna was dealing with regarding her mom’s death and a little less on her home renovations. I also read this following Abby Jimenez’s newest novel and there were some similar storylines that Jimenez executed better.

By: Emma Mills
Published Year: 2026
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 336

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Tis in no way shape or form influence my opinion of this novel.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Celebrity gossip can cut to the quick, but when it turns deadly it’s up to an aspiring reporter and her quirky neighbors to close the case in the first of a witty and nostalgic new mystery series.

Baby doll top, gladiator sandals, and fully loaded iPod at the ready—it’s 2008 in Los Angeles, and Rachel West is a little less starry-eyed than your average ingenue. There’s never been a better time to be an entertainment journalist, but the road to writing glossy profiles starts with copyediting a celeb gossip rag. Hey, it pays her bills. Most of them, at least.

Everything changes when Rachel befriends Molly Byrne—former child star and current tabloid fave due to her drunken escapades and rotating cast of boyfriends—in a nightclub bathroom.

When Molly is found dead, all of Hollywood accepts her death as an overdose. But Rachel knows for a fact her friend was clean, so when Molly’s favorite paparazzo, Casper, tells her he thinks Molly was murdered, she believes him.

With the help of a ragtag group of residents from her apartment building, a handsome detective, and her trusty flip phone, Rachel must solve the mystery of Molly’s death before she’s written off for good.

First Impressions

This cover is so fun. I was immediately intrigued between that and the cover. Very solid first impressions. The summary also caught my eye as I’m always down for a light mystery. I also didn’t initially realize this was an author I had read and enjoyed about 10 years ago so that made me extra excited.

What I thought

This book was so fun.

Rachel has recently become friends with Molly Byrne, a former child star and current paparazzi darling. When she winds up dead of an apparent overdose, Rachel is beside herself. But then Casper, Molly’s favorite paparazzo, finds Rachel and convinces her that Molly didn’t overdose- she was murdered.

This book is the perfect mix of all the things I like. Drama, a fun group of ragtag side characters, banter, and a little mystery. Rachel did get on my nerves a tiny bit, but everyone else more than made up for it. This book is set in 2008 which I think is perfect for the story. 2008 was such a time of crazy paparazzi following all of the young starlets from club to club. It caused so much drama and the celebrity media was so hard on all of the actresses. This book captured that time period perfectly.

I was a little iffy on the Casper/Rachel dynamic. Casper confused me until the end and Rachel was a little unstable which sometimes made her unlikable. I loved the people in her apartment building, her friend/co-worker Anton, and the detective. I could see them coming together again for another book, but I worry that it would get a little too silly for the sake of getting them back together to solve another mystery.

What I found most intriguing about this book was it’s commentary on stardom, mental health, and how people view you. While this is mostly a light mystery, it has a strong underlying message which I think takes it one step above other novels within this genre.

I can’t remember at what point in the novel I solved the mystery, but I wasn’t completely taken by surprise. I found the resolution to be a little disappointing, but everything was wrapped up which I greatly appreciated. It also never felt like Mills was writing twists just to write twists and confuse readers.

By: Kate Quinn
Published Year: 2026
Publisher: William Morrow
Pages: 304

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Alexandria “Alix” Watson has learned one lesson from her barren childhood in the foster-care system: unlike people, books will never let you down. Working three dead-end jobs to make ends meet and knowing college is a pipe dream, Alix takes nightly refuge in the high-vaulted reading room at the Boston Public Library, escaping into her favorite fantasy novels and dreaming of far-off lands. Until the day she stumbles through a hidden door and meets the Librarian: the ageless, acerbic guardian of a hidden library where the desperate and the lost escape to new lives...inside their favorite books.

The Librarian takes a dazzled Alix under her wing, but before she can escape into the pages of her new life, a shadowy enemy emerges to threaten everyone the Astral Library has ever helped protect. Aided by a dashing costume-shop owner, Alix and the Librarian flee through the Regency drawing rooms of Jane Austen to the back alleys of Sherlock Holmes and the champagne-soaked parties of The Great Gatsby as danger draws inexorably closer. But who does their enemy really wish to destroy—Alix, the Librarian, or the Library itself?

What I thought

If you have been following this blog for some time, you know that if Quinn has a new novel, my book club is going to read it. I was extra excited for this one since normally she writes historical fiction and this one is a dip into magical realism.

Alix is 26 and her world is falling apart. Having grown up in the foster system, the library was always her safe space. Now in her moment of need, it is there for her again. When she opens up a door at the Boston Public Library, it opens into another world. A world of books in which you can live. However, once she finally chooses which book to try, the library and its Librarian seem to be under attack. Alix jumps at the opportunity to help the Librarian save the Astral Library and begins her adventure across multiple novels.

I loved this book. It took me a little while to get into but then I was hooked. At the beginning, Alix is a bit of a sad sack. She has a ton of things that are going wrong for her and she isn’t the nicest person (understandably so). As a result, I found myself a little uncomfortable reading until she finally makes it into the Astral Library. I just felt so bad for her that it was hard for me to read about everything going wrong.

Once we got into the world of the Astral Library I was hooked. I loved the Librarian and how she was so grumpy with Alix about the rules and Alix’s understanding of what a fantasy figurehead should be. There were so many parts of this book that made me laugh which I didn’t expect.

Honestly, as a book lover, this is the kind of book I relate to. Quinn referenced so many worlds that I loved and then also had similar feelings about classics that I did. For example, irritation at the over analyzation of The Great Gatsby and questioning why people thing Wuthering Heights is a romance. I think because of that, I was able to relate to Alix once she started jumping into the fantasy world.

I also was pleasantly surprised when the Big Bad was revealed. It wasn’t what I expected but it made so much sense. I can’t see many book lovers not enjoying this one. It also was a lot of fun to see Quinn branch out into a different genre! I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

What Book Club Thought

We all loved this book. We enjoyed discussing which books we would want to live in if we were in the Astral Library. It was a fun book club choice. We had a lot to discuss which can be a little harder when everyone enjoys a book. If you’re looking for a quick read with good payoff I highly recommend this book.

By: Katherine Center
Published Year: 2026
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 336

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this novel.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): After a whole lifetime of being bad at love, JoJo Burton decides to solve her intimacy issues once and for all at her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship. With the help of a little pop psychology, she diagnoses herself with a fixation on the neighborhood guy who was her her first crush and first kiss (and who just happens to be a newly-divorced wedding guest ), and she decides to woo him during the cruise for some long-delayed closure. Only problem is, her sister’s a little busy being a bride at the moment—so JoJo ropes in her childhood bestie, Cooper Watts, to be her wing man. Cooper: who RSVPed no, but then showed up, anyway. Cooper: who left town without a word four years earlier and moved to London. Cooper: who was, if she’s honest, the worst heartbreak of JoJo’s life. It’s bliss for her to see him again, and it’s agony, too—and the more they team up for Project Conquest, the more she obsesses over questions she can’t bring herself to ask.

Shipboard antics ensue in this witty, heart-tugging, childhood-friends-to-lovers romance—as JoJo and Cooper fake flirt, slow dance, share a cabin, sing duets, treat sunburns, get jealous, rescue each other over and over, and finally, at last, figure it all out in the most blissful, swoony, romantic way.

First Impressions

I love Katherine Center’s books. She is an autoread author for me. I was so excited to get a copy of this book early to review it I’m not completely sure how I feel about the cover. I do think the colors would catch my eye but I don’t know how I feel about the cartoon people.

What I thought

I loved this book.

Jojo recently walked out of her own wedding after her best friend, Cooper, showed up after RSVPing “no” and not talking to her for four years. Now she is stuck on a cruise ship for her sister’s wedding, and Cooper has shown up last minute again. Jojo and her family have decided the reason she is so unlucky in love is that she imprinted on her first kiss from years ago, so they decide that this trip is the perfect time to get her childhood crush (who is not Cooper) to fall in love with her.

At the very beginning of this book, Center has an author’s note talking about romance novels and how they can be predictable but that that is something to take comfort in. I think reading that before I started this book helped me to get in the right frame of mind. I love romance novels and I love that the Happily Ever After is predictable, but sometimes get a little irritated at the way it gets there being predictable. While doesn’t make much sense if you really break it down. Like, in this story, knowing that Cooper is in love with Jojo but that she doesn’t know it, might’ve irritated me if I hadn’t been in the right mindset.

I loved their banter and their shenanigans. I did want to smack Jojo over the head a few times, but I can also see how she ended up the way that she did. I also adored Cooper. He is a great male main character. I also thought it was a unique setting with everyone being stuck on the ship.

I wish I could put my finger on why, but I found myself unable to put this down from the very beginning. Center does a great job of writing realistic love stories with characters you can connect with and this book does not miss. A lot of her books have been being picked up for movie deals and I think this one would also be so fun to watch.

By: Harper Ross
Published Year: 2026
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 320

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Emerson Clarke can’t remember a time when she felt in control of her life. Her father—a celebrated author—blew in and out of her childhood like a hurricane until he got Alzheimer’s. Her mother numbed loneliness with gin. And recently, her teen daughter has shut her out without explanation. The only place Emerson has ever been in charge is in front of the keyboard where, as a ghostwriter, she dictates everything that happens on the page. If only she could arrange reality the same way, life could be perfect. An impossible fantasy—or so she believes until she makes a startling discovery.

After her father’s wake, Emerson steals her father’s vintage typewriter—the very one he’d forbidden anyone to touch—and tests its keys by typing out a frivolous wish. After it comes true the very next day, she tries another. When those words also spring to life, she becomes obsessed with using the typewriter to engineer happiness for herself and her daughter. Easier said than done.

As Emerson shapes her real-life circumstances, she uncovers disturbing truths about her family’s history and the unexpected cost for each story-come-true. She should destroy the typewriter, but when her daughter's secret finally emerges, Emerson is torn between paying the price for bending fate and embracing the uncertainty of an unscripted life.

First Impressions

LOVE this cover. It caught my eye on social media and then when I read the description as being for fans of The Midnight Library I was in. Solid first impression as that is basically what got me to add this to my TBR immediately.

What I thought

This book was fascinating and very thought provoking.

When Emmerson’s famous author father passes away, she decides to claim the typewriter that he touted as his “good luck charm.” When she goes home and types a wish on it, the wish comes true the next day. Unable to believe it, she tries again with similar results. Emmerson has to decide whether it’s ethical to use this magic typewriter to control the lives of herself, her mother, and her daughter. Then she starts to lose parts of her memory and some of the wishes he make come with dire consequences.

I really enjoyed the ethical discussion of this book and would have loved to discuss it with other readers. I do wish there had been more magic and more wishes with the typewriter. I would actually love to read the book about Emmerson’s dad and him using the typewriter for years on end, regardless of the consequences. I do appreciate that Emmerson didn’t need a lot of errors to learn her lesson, but I think I just wanted a bit more on that end.

Early on in the story, Emmerson says that she’s not a very likable person and reader’s wouldn’t like her much as the main character of a novel and I wouldn’t say that she is wrong. I was kind of annoyed with her at times and very frustrated. She could be controlling and dense and even mean towards the beginning of the story.

While this book is advertised as a magical realism story and seems like it’s going to focus more on the typewriter, her father, and the magic. But it is more of a family drama with a touch of magic sprinkled in. The story focuses more on the relationship of mother and daughter, both with Emmerson and her mom and Emmerson and her daughter. It was interesting to see her compare her relationship with her daughter to her relationship with her mother and learning to forgive her mother now that she was older.

I also think that Ross targets some difficult topics in a relatable and readable way. I know that I deal with the anxiety and difficulty of letting go of control so it was interesting to me to read a story with a main character struggling with the same thing. I don’t know how I would react if I was given a magic typewriter.

By: J. Penner
Published Year: 2023
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Pages: 288

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): A human, a dwarf and an elf walk into a bake-off…

In the heart of Adenashire, where elvish enchantments and dwarven delights rule, human baker Arleta Starstone works twice as hard at perfecting her unique blend of baking with apothecary herbs. So, when her orc neighbor (and biggest fan) secretly enters her creations into the prestigious Langheim Baking Battle, Arleta faces a dilemma. Being magicless, her participation in the competition could draw more scowls than smiles. And if Arleta wants to prove her talent and establish her culinary reputation, she'll need more than just her pastry craft to sweeten the odds.

Though Arleta may not yet believe in herself, she makes her way to Langheim―with the help of a very attractive woodland elf―and competes. While on a journey of mouthwatering pastries, self-discovery, heartwarming friendships, and potential romance, Arleta will have to decide whether winning the Baking Battle is the true prize after all. But win or lose, her adventure is only beginning…

What I thought

I had seen this book on social media for a while so was intrigued when it was picked for book club. This book was advertised as Great British Bake Off meets the fantasy world.

Arleta is a human living in a magical world. When her neighbors enter her into a magical baking competition in the land of elves, she is hesitant to go. But baking is the biggest joy in her life, so she decides to see whether her magicless recipes are enough to win her the competition and enough money to open her own bakery.

I enjoyed the concept of this book and thought that it was fun, but I didn’t love the writing as much. I found the world building to be lacking and the problems in the book repetitive. Arleta is frequently dealing with prejudice for not having magic and being human, but it’s never explained why people seem to dislike humans so much. For example, she is charged significantly more than magic creatures to rent a booth at a market but we’re only told that it’s because the head of the market dislikes humans because of the past. And then we’re told that Arleta is hiding the fact that she is human from the competition because humans are always eliminated for no reason. Yet again, we don’t really know why.

Additionally, there are a bunch of creatures we’re introduced to and just assumed that we know what they are. The author talks about halflings and I still don’t know what those are. I don’t fully understand the world that we were living in, nor why the elves live separately from the others. Additionally, something about being “Fated” gets thrown in for the romance, yet we get little to no backstory on this.

I did enjoy the baking competition itself and I enjoyed the two friends that Arleta makes while she is there. I also enjoyed her two neighbor orcs. I wasn’t crazy about the romance aspect either. Overall, this book was fine. It was short and easy to get through, but not something that I think will stick with me.

What Book Club Thought

I think everyone enjoyed this book a little more than I do. One member had a similar feeling as me where she felt like we were just dropped into the word without any world building. I was seemingly the only one annoyed by the “fated” storyline. One of the other members said that it almost felt like the author had a story that was 400 pages long and then was told she had to cut it down to under 300. I definitely agreed and thought that was exactly what it felt like. The ultimate consensus was that it’s a cute easy read, a decent intro into a light fantasy if you’re not a fantasy reader, and that it had a lot of potential.

By: Beth O’Leary
Published Year: 2026
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 384

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this novel.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): A man and a woman with the same name are looking for a fresh start only to discover they have landed the same job in this charming new romance by bestselling author Beth O’Leary.

Charlie couldn’t be happier to take the job of farm-shop manager on the remote, wild Isle of Ormer. She’s grieving, a little lost, and in desperate need of a fresh start.

Jones has come out of a difficult breakup and is looking forward to some peace away from the noise of his city life. Moving to Ormer couldn’t have come at a better time.

But when Charlie Jones and, ahem, Charlie Jones both turn up at Ormer’s one and only farm shop, claiming to have been offered the role of manager, everyone is baffled. How could this have happened? And just who is the real Charlie Jones?

First Impressions

O’Leary is one of my go-to authors. I have really enjoyed every book of hers that she has written. I didn’t know she was coming out with another new one, so when I received the opportunity to review this one I was very excited! The premise felt a little silly and I honestly don’t know if between that and the summary I would’ve picked this one up if I wasn’t already a fan.

What I thought

This book was a little confusing but ultimately a fun ride.

Charlie Jones shows up on the tiny island of Ormer for a job on a farm as a fresh start to her life only to find, Charlie Jones is in the shop for the job that he received. Rosie, the owner of the shop doesn’t know how this happened. Charlie and Jones (as he decides to go by to lessen confusion) decide to each work the job until October in hopes they can increase profit enough that Rosie could justify keeping both of them on.

This novel is written in journal entries by Charlie, emails by Jones, and then flashback to each of their past lives before moving to Ormer. Ormer sort of reminds me of Mackinac island. It’s a small island of about 500 residents, lots of tourists, and no cars allowed. Charlie is struggling to start over and wants to move to the island and eventually become a single mom. Jones is starting his journey of sobriety and wants to start over on the island to assist with that. Because the job was only intended for one person, Jones and Charlie have to share the living space above the farmhouse.  

Honestly, if I hadn’t been a fan of O’Leary, I don’t know if I would’ve given this book the chance it deserved. I found the early premise to be confusing and a little silly. How in the world do two people with the same name end up at the same small job on an island with no one claiming responsibility? However, the payoff is worth it. It took me a little while to get into this book, but it crawled up on me slowly and I ended up really enjoying the characters and the island.

The first maybe 25% of the book I was kind of meh. Then all o fa sudden I found myself wondering about the characters and not wanting to put the book down. I always love how O’Leary tackles hard hitting issues and this book is no different. She deals with alcoholism, anxiety, depression, and grief. She always does a wonderful job balancing romance with real life issues.

By: Melissa F. Olson
Published Year: 2018
Publisher: 47North
Pages: 318

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): For years now, Scarlett Bernard has counted on two things: her ability to nullify magic, and Shadow, the bargest who guards Scarlett with her life. But after a sudden revelation turns Scarlett’s world upside down, she panics and leaves town without warning, leaving Shadow with her partner, Jesse. In the chaos that follows, the bargest is stolen—and Jesse nearly dies from a brutal psychic assault.

It seems that an old enemy has returned for revenge…and the attack on Shadow was only the beginning. As Scarlett races home to find the bargest and rescue her friends, she is dragged deeper into a terrifying legend that has somehow found its way to present-day Los Angeles.

Now she will have to recruit every possible ally for a battle that will test her null ability to the limit. Scarlett has been in over her head before, but now she risks losing everything—and she’s never had more to lose.

First Impressions

I might’ve picked this book up based off of its cover when I was in college, but definitely not now. My mom found it for free and asked if I’d want to read it. I read the plot and thought it sounded interesting. Since she offered to pick it up, I decided to give it a shot, but based off of the cover alone I was a little hesitant.

What I thought

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I didn’t realize that it was the third in the series when my mom gave it to me, but I never truly felt lost. However, if you are interested in reading this series and want to start from the beginning, I will be spoiling things.

Scarlett is a Null living in LA. A Null is someone who can nullify all magic. She works for the cardinal vampire of LA and is also friendly with the witches and vampires. When she goes off to Boulder to investigate a personal matter, her dog/bargest (a magical werewolf hunting dog who is basically impossible to kill but loves Scarlett) is kidnapped and her friend Jesse is put into a magical slumber. When she gets back to LA, they discover that this is the work of the Luparii, a group of witches whose goal is destroy all werewolves and now they are there to kill Scarlett.

Ok, so from what I can gleam from Goodreads, there are multiple series within this Old World universe. I believe there is a series about Scarlett prior to this one as well as a series that occurs simultaneously with other characters. While this trilogy seems to wrap up Scarlett’s story in the universe, she does seem to appear occasionally in other series by Olson. I did find this book relatively easy to follow, with only certan parts that probably would’ve helped if I had background. For example, Shadow (the bargest), what a Null is, and a lot of relationships with previous characters.

I really enjoyed Scarlett and her powers. I haven’t read a supernatural book about someone who can cancel out all powers so that was an interesting take. I also liked the relationship with Scarlett and Jesse and Scarlett and her friend Molly. Additionally, when they go to Boulder they meet with some other witches and a very old vampire. I was intrigued by the characters and am curious which series would follow them and their connections.

It also seems like the Luparii are the big bad from a previous novel and in this book they’re coming back to seek revenge. I don’t want to give away exactly what their plan is, but it is based in old Grimm lore and I found it fascinating. The only parts I didn’t love were some of the romance scenes. I liked the romance between Jesse and Scarlett, but I didn’t need anything more as I found the supernatural parts of the story to be more interesting.

By: Julia Seales
Published Year: 2025
Publisher: Random House
Pages: 300

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): After achieving her lifelong dream of solving a murder, bringing a killer to justice, and proving she is not, in fact, a morbid creep, Beatrice Steele feels like everything is finally falling into place. She's traded her etiquette-obsessed community of Swampshire for the big city of London, accompanied by her ever-trusty chaperone, Miss Bolton. They've settled in a lovely neighborhood, Sweetbriar, known for its proximity to the Sweet Majestic theater, picturesque pleasure gardens, and an unfortunate infestation of flying squirrels. But Beatrice's favorite part is that Sweetbriar is also home to D.S. Investigations, the new office she opened with the prickly, annoyingly logical Inspector Drake to solve the city's brutally thrilling crimes.

However, nothing is turning out how Beatrice imagined it would. Sir Huxley, famed gentleman inspector and Beatrice's former crush, is still considered the real investigator in London, so the only cases left for Beatrice and Drake are lost pets and spectacles. Not that Beatrice has much time for crime-solving, anyways, as her mother still expects her to find an eligible (rich) husband to protect their family from destitution. Beatrice is struggling to balance all the demands on her and begins to wonder if she can become a true detective in a city that feels full of false promises.

That is until a string of murders thrusts Beatrice and Drake into the center of a scandal that pits the neighborhood's wealthiest against the arts community, spreading fear and chaos throughout the city. As they follow the trail through bewildering ballrooms, secretive shops, and odd operas, Beatrice must survive threats to her partnership, her business, and her place in society to break the case - before it's too late.

First Impressions

I read the first book in this series for book club and it really made me laugh. I was excited to see that there was a sequel and I do love these covers. I think between the cover and the title I would’ve picked this up on first impression alone.

What I thought

This book was just as cute as the first.

Beatrice is back but this time she has left Swampshire for London. Miss Bolton is her chaperone as she lives in the city and works an investigative business with Detective Drake. But one of the caveats to her being in London is that she participates in the social season o find a rich husband to help support her family back in Swampshire. When a man is found murdered, an accused actor comes to Beatrice and Drake to help clear his name and find the real murderer. Beatrice, Drake, and Miss Bolton have to navigate an investigation and finding a husband all at the same time.

I love how these stories have a strong female lead in a time where women were not meant to be independent. All of the women in this book are bucking the stereotypes of society. Beatrice is observant and I love her skillset. I also appreciated that she started to make friends in this book. The world is being built more and more and I can see this as a long standing series.

The mystery itself is semi-predictable, but not in an annoying way. There is so much going on in the story outside of the mystery that I don’t find myself focused on trying to figure out who the murder is intensely. The will they or won’t they with Drake and Beatrice is still occurring which I enjoyed. I like how he seems to be a little baffled by Beatrice yet accepts her completely.

Seales does a fabulous job making characters and settings that pop off the page. Who else could make a city infested with flying squirrels seem plausible?

By: Hazel Beck
Published Year: 2025
Publisher: Graydon House
Pages: 368

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Newly-minted Historian of the soon-to-be-ascended Riverwood Coven Georgie Pendell has always played her part—so why does she feel like an outsider in her own life? Duped and dumped by her boyfriend, Georgie finds herself dismissing love as a fairytale. But when the words she reads aloud from an enchanted storybook free a dragon shifter, everything changes.
 
Georgie finds herself drawn to the dragon in ways she didn’t think were even possible for her, and her dragon, with his fiery golden gaze, all but claims Georgie as his own. But beneath his scorching intensity lies a secret, one that stretches back into the ancient past.
 
With the Joywood Coven still finding ways to upend the new order of the witching world, Georgie and her coven will need to prove themselves up to the task of being in charge, and right the wrongs their predecessors committed—if they can uncover the truth. Because something is missing. Something that will stop the Joywood once and for all. Something that only a Historian and an ancient dragon can find.

First Impressions

This is the 4th and final book in the Witchlore series. I was so excited to read this one and see how everything played out. I am partial to the purple so this might be my 2nd favorite cover in the series.

What I thought

Perfection. This book wrapped up everything within the series and I felt so satisfied.

The fourth book follows Georgina Pendell who is the Historian of the Ravenwood coven. In the previous books she was portrayed as ditzy and probably one of the women I was least interested in. Not that I disliked her, but she came off a little boring. However, this book take some turns and sucked me in immediately.

Georgie finds out that she is connected to Azrael, a dragon, as her soulmate. While everyone thought that witches only live the one life, the coven ends up finding out otherwise when it comes to Georgie, as well as magical creatures they thought didn’t exist.

I love the way this series deals with the world of magic. The Joywood coven is truly evil and seeing them plot and scheme n each book never gets old. I also love how at its core, the series is about love and togetherness and equality. While it may be categorized as a romance novel, there is so much more to it than that.

I also enjoyed how magical creatures were introduced in this installment. While every part of it was new, it didn’t come out of nowhere. It built throughout each book and made me want to re-read all of the other books to pick up on all of the details. The romance/relationship part of the story was interesting. It is sort of instalove but also not because of the whole past life thing. I do wish we had gotten a little bit more because at the end I didn’t quite feel their meant to be connection, but I loved Georgie’s growth and storyline overall.

By: Sara Raasch
Published Year: 2025
Publisher: Bramble
Pages: 320

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Someone has been stealing Christmas’s joy, and there’s only one clue to the culprit—a single shamrock.

With Coal busy restructuring Christmas—and their dad now having a full midlife crisis in the Caribbean—Kris volunteers to investigate St. Patrick’s Day. His cover: an ambassador from Christmas to foster goodwill. What could go wrong?

Everything, it seems. Because Prince Lochlann Patrick, Crown Prince of St. Patrick’s Day, happens to be the mysterious student that Kris has been in a small war with at Cambridge. They attempt to play nice for the tabloids, but Kris can’t get through one conversation without wanting to smash Loch’s face in—he’s infuriating, stubborn, loud, obstinate, hot—

Wait—hot?

Kris might be in some trouble. Especially when it turns out that the mystery behind Christmas’s stolen magic isn’t as simple as an outright theft. But why would a Holiday that Christmas has never had contact with, one that’s always been the very basis of carefree, want to steal joy? Can a spare prince even hope to unravel all this, or will Kris lose something way more valuable than his Holiday’s resources—like his heart?

First Impressions

This is the sequel to Nightmare Before Kissmiss and I love this cover and title just as much. Add in the sprayed edges to match the holiday feel and I would happily put this book on my shelf. I would absolutely pick it up based just on the cover and title alone.

What I thought

I said it before and I’ll say it again, I need a never ending series in this world of holiday royals.

Kristopher, the second son of Christmas, is struggling to find his place after his brother Coal steps up with his royal duties as the heir to the Christmas throne. While at school, he pulls a prank on the boy who keeps stealing his study room, only to find out later that he is the Prince of St. Patrick’s Day. On top of that, they discover that St. Patrick’s Day has been siphoning off magic from the Christmas Day joy collector. Kris volunteers to go to St. Patrick’s Day to help the Christmas Court figure out who planted the device under the guise of apologizing to his arch nemesis.

Raasch balances political intrigue and romance unlike anyone I have ever read. She makes me just as interested in everything going on with the royals as I was in Lochlann (Loch) and Kris’ romance. I love a good enemies to lovers story and Loch and Kris have some great banter.

I didn’t quite love this one as much as the first, but I think that was because I got a little frustrated with Kris. He is dealing with a lot of self-image issues and anxiety and I frequently wanted to smack him across the face and tell him to get over it. Now, I think it’s realistic and I wasn’t annoyed with him because of that. Just that here were a few moments where I felt he got a tiny bit too whiny and I didn’t love it.

I did like how Raasch had so much of Coal and Iris in this book still. Kris played a big part in Coal’s book, so I was glad to see Coal still around so much. Plus it let me stay up to date on how he was handling the Christmas scandal from the last book. I am still so curious how this world will continue to function.

By: Elle Kennedy
Published Year: 2015
Publisher: Bloom Books
Pages: 400

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): She's about to make a deal with the college bad boy...

Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. But while she might be confident in every other area of her life, she's carting around a full set of baggage when it comes to sex and seduction. If she wants to get her crush's attention, she'll have to step out of her comfort zone and make him take notice...even if it means tutoring the annoying, childish, cocky captain of the hockey team in exchange for a pretend date.

...and it's going to be oh so good.

All Garrett Graham has ever wanted is to play professional hockey after graduation, but his plummeting GPA is threatening everything he's worked so hard for. If helping a sarcastic brunette make another guy jealous will help him secure his position on the team, he's all for it. But when one unexpected kiss leads to the wildest sex of both their lives, it doesn't take long for Garrett to realize that pretend isn't going to cut it. Now he just has to convince Hannah that the man she wants looks a lot like him.

First Impressions

I saw the special edition on the shelf at the library and it immediately caught my eye. I have had this book on my radar but continually forgotten about it. The first cover isn’t my favorite, but the style of the special edition is amazing.

What I thought

I LOVED this book. Flew through it in 2 days.

Hannah is a music major. Garret is the star of the hockey team. Hannah is one of a handful of students who passed the Ethics midterm. Garret is not. When Garret sees that Hannah passed, he tries to charm her into tutoring him so that he can continue to play hockey. She is having none of it, until he comes up with an offer too sweet to turn down. She tutors him, he uses his social status to get her crush to notice her and make him jealous.

This book is sort of enemies to lovers and has the banter that I love. Hannah and Garret’s chemistry was amazing. They both have their issues and it was beautiful watching them open up to one another. I appreciated that their relationship wasn’t surface level and it had me rooting for them the whole time.

The book does warn that rape is a central plot point. I think that Kennedy does a nice job handling it. It never felt overly graphic or cheapened to a plot twist. I also loved the other hockey boys. They were perfectly ridiculous in the fun way that college boys can be. It makes me look forward to reading their stories in the rest of the series.

One other thing I really liked about this book was how Hannah and Garret had their own stories in addition to their romance and relationship. Everything about this book felt fleshed out and not just fluff. While there were some minor things that annoyed me, like the constant referrals to how tiny Hannah was but how amazing her boobs were, overall this book might become a new favorite.

By: Emilia Hart
Published Year: 2025
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 337

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): 2019: Lucy awakens in her ex-lover’s room in the middle of the night with her hands around his throat. Horrified, she flees to her sister’s house on the coast of New South Wales hoping Jess can help explain the vivid dreams that preceded the attack—but her sister is missing. As Lucy waits for her return, she starts to unearth strange rumours about Jess’s town—tales of numerous missing men, spread over decades. A baby abandoned in a sea-swept cave. Whispers of women’s voices on the waves. All the while, her dreams start to feel closer than ever.

1800: Mary and Eliza are torn from their loving home in Ireland and forced onto a convict ship heading for Australia. As the boat takes them farther and farther away from all they know, they begin to notice unexplainable changes in their bodies.

A breathtaking tale of female resilience, The Sirens is an extraordinary novel that captures the sheer power of sisterhood and the indefinable magic of the sea.

What I thought

While the cover is pretty, I wasn’t very excited by this book when I read the summary and I feel like it met my low expectations.

This book has 3 different POVs across 3 different timelines. Mostly, we follow Lucy in February 2019. She leaves school to go spend time with her sister after a bad sleepwalking event. We also have the perspective of Mary from the 1800s. Lucy is seeing Mary in her dreams, so all of the stories we get of Mary are supposedly what Lucy is dreaming. Finally, we have Julie’s POV in 1999. Julie is Lucy’s older sister and Lucy finds Julie’s diary, which is what we get. When Lucy does show up to Julie’s house unannounced, Julie is missing. So there is a mix of mystery of why is Lucy dreaming about these women and where did Julie go?

I found this book to be so boring. There is so much going on, yet none of it sucked me in. Comber Bay has had multiple men disappear, which, based off of the title of the book is obviously due to supernatural forces of Sirens. Yet for some reason Hart writes the story as if we’re supposed to not know how/why these men go missing. Then there is the mystery of why Lucy is dreaming about Mary and why she is sleepwalking. Again, I found the reason to be very obvious and predicable. I think the only thing that semi-surprised me was finding out where Julie has been. And it wasn’t even that I was surprised by where, but more so why she was gone for so long.

If this had not been a book I was reading for book club, I could’ve stopped reading it at 50% and not felt any regret. It’s not that it’s necessarily a bad book, I just found the story to be so slow and predictable that I was never drawn to pick the book up. I also feel like Hart tried to create too much mystery and suspense and could’ve made it more exciting by pulling things back a little bit.

What Book Club Thought

This was interesting. My friend who picked the book felt very similar to me. She struggled with reading it and also felt like she would’ve stopped reading it had it not been for book club. One of our members liked the book except for the chapters about Mary, whereas another member really liked the chapters about Mary and less so about present day. We had a lot of discussion about plot holes with the whole siren/mermaid storyline as well as the fact that it kind of felt like this could’ve been two different books because of the disconnect with the past and the present. We did have a lot to discuss because of the issues we had with the book which did lead to good discussion about the plot and the conflicts within it. While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this book because of how I felt, if you or your friends are into this type of story, it could lead to some interesting discussion.

By: Sara Raasch
Published Year: 2024
Publisher: Bramble
Pages: 357

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Nicholas “Coal” Claus used to love Christmas. Until his father, the reigning Santa, turned the holiday into a PR façade. Coal will do anything to escape the spectacle, including getting tangled in a drunken, supremely hot make- out session with a beautiful man behind a seedy bar one night.

But the heir to Christmas is soon commanded to do his duty: he will marry his best friend, Iris, the Easter Princess and his brother’s not-so-secret crush. A situation that has disaster written all over it.

Things go from bad to worse when a rival arrives to challenge Coal for the princess’s hand…and Coal comes face-to-face with his mysterious behind-the-bar hottie: Hex, the Prince of Halloween.

It’s a fake competition between two holiday princes who can’t keep their hands off each other over a marriage of convenience that no one wants. And it all leads to one of the sweetest, sexiest, messiest, most delightfully unforgettable love stories of the year.

First Impressions

When I first heard about this book it sounded like so much fun. Royals? Halloween? Christmas? Then I saw the cover drop and felt a little less enthused. Something about it just looked so cheesy. But then my friend bought it and I knew I needed to read it.

What I thought

This book was so much more than I expected!

Nicolas, “Coal”, is the heir to the Christmas throne. Hex is the heir to the Halloween throne. In this world, each holiday is its own kingdom with its own royals. King Christmas/Santa comes to an agreement with the King of Easter that Coal should marry Iris by Christmas Eve. Neither Iris nor Coal are into each other in that way. In fact, Coal’s brother Kris is the one who has a crush on Iris. When Halloween comes to object to the union of Christmas and Easter, Santa offers them to opportunity to bring Hex to the castle to try to win Iris over. Little does he know, that Coal is more of Hex’s type.

So I definitely expected there to be a fun romance between Christmas and Halloween. What I didn’t expect was the political intrigue and palace deception! I enjoyed the depth to the story and am fascinated by all of the holidays and how their politics play into their existence.

Coal is, of course, the slightly uninterested/reckless heir to the throne. A few years ago he made a big mistake with the best of intentions, and ever since then he has stepped back from his role as heir. However, now that he is being forced to marry his friend, he finds himself learning more about what is really going on behind closed doors.

The romance with Hex was so good. Their chemistry was immediate and leapt off the page. I do wish we got more of Hex’s backstory and maybe even an opportunity to see him in his element, but I loved him with the whole gang. In fact, I enjoyed every character in this book and can’t wait to read each of their stories. I know the next book focuses on Kris and I’m a little sad it wasn’t Iris first, but I’m looking forward to jumping back into this world.

While the cover may be cheesy, this book is anything but. If you’re looking for a Christmas story with a little bit of meat on its bones, I highly recommend picking this one up.

By: Libby Page
Published Year: 2026
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 416

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this novel/

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): When Tilly Nightingale receives a call telling her there’s a birthday gift from her fiancé waiting for her at her local bookshop, it couldn’t come as more of a shock. Partly because she can’t remember the last time she read a book for pleasure. Mainly because Joe died five months ago…
The gift is simple – twelve carefully-chosen books from Joe, one for each month, to help her turn the page on her first year without him.
Tilly sets out on a series of reading-inspired adventures that take her around the world. But as she begins to vlog her journey, her story becomes more than her own. With help from Alfie, the bookshop owner, her budding new following and her friends and family, can Tilly’s year of books show her how to love again?

First Impressions

I love the cover of this book. Give me a book about books and I will immediately pick it up. When I read the summary it reminded me of PS I Love You by Cecelia Ahern which I loved (both the book and the movie). The concept immediately spoke to me and I knew I needed to read this book.

What I thought

This book was exactly what I expected it to be and was wonderfully executed.

Tilly lost her husband 6 months ago. In January, she received a call from the local bookstore letting her know that her husband’s birthday gift to her was a year of books after he was gone. Tilly has to come to the book shop each month to pick up the book. While doing so, she slowly starts to crawl her way out of grief as well as rediscover herself.

I loved the concept of this. Having lived through grief, I can be a little critical of books here that is s central plot point. I felt like the way Page wrote about grief and Tilly at the beginning of the book was more relatable and realistic. As the book went on it felt a little too picture perfect. I wish there had been more conflict of Tilly dealing with her grief and less about her dealing with love. Even though I know in this story they’re intertwined. There were moments I loved, like when she went to visit her in-laws. But then that fell by the wayside and was never mentioned again.

I also loved the book recommendation throughout the book as well as the books that Joe leaves for Tilly. Each one is thoughtful and I liked seeing how they influenced Tilly to move forward in different ways. Alfie was one of my favorite characters. I enjoyed how his story connected with Tilly’s but that he had his own things he was dealing with. There was a minor miscommunication trope towards the end of the book I feel we could have easily done without, but I did appreciated how things worked themselves out.

Is this my favorite book I’ve read that has dealt with grief? No. But did I enjoy the story regardless? Absolutely. It doesn’t mock grief or deal with it poorly. I just feel like it occasionally faded to the background.

By: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Published Year: 2026
Publisher: Avon
Pages: 352

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this novel.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): After a mortifying—and very public—humiliation, Dancy Flynn is desperate to find sanctuary far from the crowd. But where can a washed-up sex symbol hide? How about making an unannounced appearance at the secluded lake house of the sweet, sensitive high school boyfriend she hasn’t seen in almost twenty years?

But Chicago Stars quarterback Clint Garrett is no longer the kid Dancy remembers. Now he’s a gridiron superhero, still holding a massive grudge against her for breaking his teenage heart. With no room in his life for either complexity or distractions, he banishes Dancy to a refurbished old railroad caboose tucked away in the woods…and out of his sight.

Except Dancy’s not good at staying invisible. Her efforts to rebuild her career clash with Clint’s desperation to regain his focus, all made more challenging by a rescue dog, a local woman in trouble, a meddling mother, an ex with an agenda…and the sizzle of rekindled emotions.

As Dancy attempts to get her life on track and Clint tries to get his groove back, can these two one-time lovers navigate their rocky pasts and complicated present to find themselves…and each other?

First Impressions

Susan Elizabeth Phillips was one of the first romance novelists that I read. I remember picking up her books in high school or college and really enjoying them. She really opened the romance world to me. I was excited when I saw that she was coming out with a new novel as I haven’t read anything by her in a while. I do love the cover as it’s not the very common cartoon cover that has taken over the romance world, but I don’t know if it would’ve caught my eye off the shelves.

What I thought

This book is the latest installment in her Chicago Stars series. This is a football romance series that I’ve read at least a handful of in the past. They aren’t connected in a way that you need to read one to understand the other, but more that there are characters that pop up from other books.

Dancy is an actress who is on the brink of a breakdown. Clint is the quarterback for the Chicago Stars. Dancy and Clint dated in high school until she broke his heart. Now 20+ years later, she shows up at his door as a safe place to hide after her ex humiliates her at an event.

I don’t know if my tastes have changed, but I found this book to be a little boring and predictable. There was also a little bit too much going on in terms of dramatic events. Like there’s a storyline about a character who is with an abusive man and Dancy saves her from him, and even though that’s essentially one scene, he then has a chapter or two from his point of view. It just seemed very unnecessary to the rest of the book.

I did like the chemistry between Dancy and Clint but I didn’t quite understand it. They haven’t spoken since high school and now she just randomly shows up at his house for refuge? And then they are immediately attracted to each other again? It threw me off. But I did like how their relationship developed and how they addressed the issues that they had.