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12

Top Ten Tuesday – 10 Books to Try If You Enjoyed Emily Henry’s Book Lovers

March 28, 2023/19 Comments/by Suzanne

 

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.  Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!

This week’s TTT topic is Books for People Who Liked Author X.  I decided to go with Emily Henry and to share some books I think fans of her most recent novel Book Lovers would also enjoy.  Book Lovers was a enemies/rivals to lovers romance that featured a small town setting, wonderfully complex and bookish characters, family relationships, and loads of witty banter.  The books I’m sharing today each have one or more of those wonderful elements.

10 Books to Try If You Enjoyed Emily Henry’s Book Lovers

 

 

1. THE BODYGUARD by Katherine Center  –  “Hannah Brooks looks more like a kindergarten teacher than somebody who could kill you with a wine bottle opener. Or a ballpoint pen. Or a dinner napkin. But the truth is, she’s an Executive Protection Agent (aka “bodyguard”), and she just got hired to protect superstar actor Jack Stapleton from his middle-aged, corgi-breeding stalker.” This book is such a delight. It’s got the wonderfully complex characters, an idyllic farm setting, and hilarious banter that will have you laughing your way through the pages.

2. THINGS WE NEVER GOT OVER by Lucy Score  – “There’s a reason Knox doesn’t do complications or high-maintenance women, especially not the romantic ones. But since Naomi’s life imploded right in front of him, the least he can do is help this runaway bride out of her jam. And just as soon as she stops getting into new trouble he can leave her alone and get back to his peaceful, solitary life.  At least, that’s the plan until the trouble turns to real danger.”  This book has a fabulous small town setting and is an opposites attract, grumpy-sunshine romance, that also has a fair share of family drama and relationships.

3. EVERY SUMMER AFTER by Carly Fortune – “For six summers, through hazy afternoons on the water and warm summer nights working in his family’s restaurant and curling up together with books—medical textbooks for him and work-in-progress horror short stories for her—Percy and Sam had been inseparable. Eventually that friendship turned into something breathtakingly more, before it fell spectacularly apart. When Percy returns to the lake for Sam’s mother’s funeral, their connection is as undeniable as it had always been. But until Percy can confront the decisions she made and the years she’s spent punishing herself for them, they’ll never know whether their love might be bigger than the biggest mistakes of their past. Told over the course of six years and one weekend, Every Summer After is a big, sweeping nostalgic look at love and the people and choices that mark us forever.” This book is a bit more of an emotional story than some of my other selections, but it also features a small town setting, complex and flawed characters, and a second chance romance.

4. THE SIMPLE WILD by K.A. Tucker  – “City girl Calla Fletcher attempts to reconnect with her estranged father, and unwittingly finds herself torn between her desire to return to the bustle of Toronto and a budding relationship with a rugged Alaskan pilot.”  This one features a remote Alaskan setting, family drama galore, and an enemies to lovers romance.

5. MUCH ADO ABOUT YOU by Samantha Young – “The cozy comforts of an English village bookstore open up a world of new possibilities for Evie Starling in this charming new romantic comedy.” This one features a small town setting, a bookish protagonist, as well as some town rivalries and fractured relationships.

6. THE EX TALK by Rachel Lynn Solomon – “Shay Goldstein has been a producer at her Seattle public radio station for nearly a decade, and she can’t imagine working anywhere else. But lately it’s been a constant clash between her and her newest colleague, Dominic Yun, who’s fresh off a journalism master’s program and convinced he knows everything about public radio. When the struggling station needs a new concept, Shay proposes a show that her boss green-lights with excitement. On The Ex Talk, two exes will deliver relationship advice live, on air. Their boss decides Shay and Dominic are the perfect co-hosts, given how much they already despise each other. Neither loves the idea of lying to listeners, but it’s this or unemployment. Their audience gets invested fast, and it’s not long before The Ex Talk becomes a must-listen in Seattle and climbs podcast charts. As the show gets bigger, so does their deception, especially when Shay and Dominic start to fall for each other. In an industry that values truth, getting caught could mean the end of more than just their careers.”  This is an enemies to lovers that is packed with hilarious banter.

7. ONE NIGHT ON THE ISLAND by Josie Silver  –  “Spending her thirtieth birthday alone is the last thing that dating columnist Cleo wanted, but she is going on a self-coupling quasi-sabbatical–at the insistence of her boss–in the name of re-energizing herself and adding a new perspective to her column. The remote Irish island she’s booked is a far cry from London, but at least it’s a chance to hunker down in a luxury cabin and indulge in some quiet, solitary self-care while she figures out her next steps in her love life and her career.  Mac is also looking forward to some time to himself. With his life in Boston deteriorating in ways he can’t bring himself to acknowledge, his soul searching has brought him to the same Irish island in search of his roots and some clarity. Unfortunately, a mix-up with the bookings means both solitude seekers have reserved the same one-bedroom hideaway on exactly the same dates.  Instantly at odds with each other, Cleo and Mac don’t know how they’re going to manage until the next weekly ferry arrives. But as the days go by, they no longer seem to mind each other’s company quite as much as they thought they would…”  Like Every Summer After, this one is a bit more emotional at times than some of the other stories I’ve chosen.  But still it features a remote setting, a wonderful community, an enemies to lovers romance, and an intimate personal journey for its characters.

8. WHEN IN ROME by Sarah Adams – “Opposites certainly attract for the stranded pop star and small-town baker in this charming slice of romance.”  This one is a heartwarming small-town, opposites attract romance that is filled with lovable quirky characters and also features close-knit family vibes which I adored.

9. THE BOOKISH LIFE OF NINA HILL by Abbi Waxman  –  “The only child of a single mother, Nina has her life just as she wants it: a job in a bookstore, a kick-butt trivia team, a world-class planner and a cat named Phil. If she sometimes suspects there might be more to life than reading, she just shrugs and picks up a new book.  When the father Nina never knew existed suddenly dies, leaving behind innumerable sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews, Nina is horrified. They all live close by! They’re all—or mostly all—excited to meet her! She’ll have to Speak. To. Strangers. It’s a disaster! And as if that wasn’t enough, Tom, her trivia nemesis, has turned out to be cute, funny, and deeply interested in getting to know her. Doesn’t he realize what a terrible idea that is? It’s time for Nina to come out of her comfortable shell, but she isn’t convinced real life could ever live up to fiction. It’s going to take a brand-new family, a persistent suitor, and the combined effects of ice cream and trivia to make her turn her own fresh page.”  Obviously this one features a bookish protagonist, and it’s just full of heart and humor.

10. BY ANY OTHER NAME by Lauren Kate  –  “An enemies-to-lovers romance about an editor, her bestselling author, and one life-changing secret.” Bookish characters, enemies to lovers romance, and lots of personal growth for the main characters as well.

 

* * * * * *

Question:  Have you read any of these or are you planning to read any of them?

https://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/TTT-Big2.png 203 500 Suzanne http://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/trimmed-Copy-of-Bookish-Logo-copy.png Suzanne2023-03-28 05:35:522023-03-27 22:33:04Top Ten Tuesday – 10 Books to Try If You Enjoyed Emily Henry’s Book Lovers

Thriller Thursday Reviews: Lying Beside You & The Angel Maker

March 23, 2023/9 Comments/by Sharon

 

It’s Thursday so you know what that means. Another Sharon edition of Thriller Thursday!   This week I am reviewing the latest books by two must read authors for me.  Michael Robotham’s, Lying Beside You and  Alex North’s, The Angel Maker. Both of these books were in my top anticipated reads for  2023, so I was very excited to read them and happy that they lived up to the hype I had set for them.

 

Thriller Thursday Reviews: Lying Beside You & The Angel MakerLying Beside You Goodreads

Author: Michael Robotham

Publication Date: February 14, 2023

Publisher: Scribner

Lying Beside You is the third book in Michael Robotham’s Cyrus Haven series.  I fell in love with Cyrus Haven and Evie Cormac in the first book Good Girl, Bad Girl and my love for them grew in the second book When She was Good, so I could not wait to reunite with them. In this third installment, a man is murdered, and his daughter, Maya Kirk, is missing.  Cyrus is called in to help profile the killer and piece together Maya’s last hours. Not long after Maya’s body is found, another woman goes missing and Evie is the only person to get a glimpse of the man that has taken her. Can Cyrus find this man before it is too late for this other woman, as well as Evie?

There is so much I loved about this book. I will start with the mystery of who killed Maya. Robotham did an excellent job of creating suspense as we follow the police and Cyrus as they try and solve this mystery. He gives us just enough breadcrumbs to follow without giving anything away until the very end. I loved watching as the police and Cyrus tried to piece together the evidence they had. There were a lot of layers to unravel to find the killer and what his motive was. It was not until the end that I started to piece things together, and I never figured out who the killer. I was on the edge of my seat when everything came to a head.

While I love the mystery Michael Robotham created, my favorite part of the book was seeing Cyrus and Evie again. I love these characters so much. They are both still flawed and broken characters, and I loved watching them try to navigate their lives. Evie is still trying to find her way in the world and interact with people. At Cyrus’ insistence she gets a job and she had me smiling as she stumbles along. I love the relationship between Cyrus and Evie, they have a father-daughter/brother-sister relationship, and I loved watching them try and navigate this.

Cyrus is also dealing with the fact that his brother, who killed their parents and twin sisters nineteen years ago, is about to be released from the psychiatric hospital and will be coming to stay with him and Evie. Cyrus loves his brother and has forgiven him, but he is still dealing with all the pain his brother caused him. He wants to help his brother reenter society. Evie on the other hand cannot understand how Cyrus could be so forgiving and does not trust his brother at all and lets him know it.  This just created another layer to a well written story.

Robotham does a great job of giving the backstory on both Cyrus and Evie, so this book could be read as a standalone, but I would really recommend reading the first two books in the series first as I think that would give more depth and feelings to this book.

Lying Beside You was everything I hoped it would be and more. I really hope we get more books in this series as I am not ready to let Cyrus and Evie go.  4 ½ stars

 

Thriller Thursday Reviews: Lying Beside You & The Angel MakerThe Angel Maker Goodreads

Author: Alex North

Publication Date: February 28, 2023

Publisher: Celadon Books

Alex North’s latest novel The Angel Maker is a dark thriller that follows Katie Shaw as she searches for her estranged brother, Chris, who has gone missing and Detective Laurence Page as he searches for the killer of a distinguished professor who was brutally murdered. As evidence is uncovered, it leads to two old cases, an attack that happened to Chris when he was fifteen and a serial killer that could see the future.

Katie Shaw was always expected to watch out for her brother Chris, and she always did, except for one day when she was seventeen years old, and that will be a day she regrets for the rest of her life. Instead of walking her brother home from school, Katie went off with her boyfriend, and Chris was brutally attacked. Years later Katie is happily married with a child of her own. Chris had a hard life after the attack and turned to drugs and living on the street. Katie has not seen Chris in two years, but when she gets a call from their mother saying that Chris had turned his life around but is now missing, Katie knows that she has to be his big sister once again and this time she is determined to keep Chris safe.

I really liked the parts with Katie as she searches for Chris. She is carrying a heavy burden when it comes to Chris. The last time she saw him he stole money from her, and she called the police on him. But even still, when her mother calls and tells her that Chris is missing, that sister/brother love is there, and she will do anything to protect him this time. I loved her determination and mother bear persona that came out.

Alan Hobbes is a wealthy and distinguished philosophy professor who has been brutally murdered, but before he was murdered he let his staff go and got all of his affairs in order. Almost like he knew he was going to die. As detective Laurence Page investigates the death of Alan, he discovers that this case is somehow connected to the attack on Chris as well as a serial killer named Jack Lock, who is long since dead but was known as “The Angel Maker”.  These chapters were very dark, especially as we learn more about who Jack Lock was and what he did.

This book had a lot going on in it, with multiple characters and timelines and it did get a bit confusing at times, but I loved the mystery of how everything was connected. This was definitely a book that needs to be read slow to take in all the information and keep things straight.  While I did like North’s other two books, The Whisper Man and The Shadows better, I still enjoyed The Angel Maker.  3 ½ stars

https://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Thriller-Thursday.jpg 800 800 Sharon http://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/trimmed-Copy-of-Bookish-Logo-copy.png Sharon2023-03-23 05:45:062023-03-22 11:07:10Thriller Thursday Reviews: Lying Beside You & The Angel Maker

Top Ten Tuesday – Books By My Favorite Authors That I Still Need to Read

March 21, 2023/45 Comments/by Suzanne

 

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.  Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!

This week’s TTT topic is TTT Rewind (Pick a previous topic that you missed or would like to re-do/update.).  I decided to take this opportunity to share Books By My Favorite Authors That I Still Need to Read. Even though I’ve been making a major effort to read more of the books I own and specifically to tackle the backlists of my favorite authors, somehow I still have books by my favorites that I haven’t gotten to yet.  The ten I’m sharing today are ones I really hope to get to this year.

Books By My Favorite Authors That I Still Need to Read

 

 

1. NIGHT ROAD by Kristin Hannah  –  “Vivid, universal, and emotionally complex, Night Road raises profound questions about motherhood, identity, love, and forgiveness. It is a luminous, heartbreaking novel that captures both the exquisite pain of loss and the stunning power of hope. This is Kristin Hannah at her very best, telling an unforgettable story about the longing for family, the resilience of the human heart, and the courage it takes to forgive the people we love.”

2. GET LUCKY by Katherine Center  – “How do you change your luck? Katherine Center’s marvelously entertaining and poignant novel is about choosing to look for happiness—and maybe getting lucky enough to find it.”

3. THE DARK VAULT by V.E. Schwab – “Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.  Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive. Mackenzie Bishop’s grandfather first brought her here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now her grandfather is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was: a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.  Follow Mackenzie as she explores the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking, through these two timeless novels, now bound together in this thrilling collection. With stunning prose and a captivating mixture of action, romance, and horror, The Dark Vault delves into a richly imagined world where no choice is easy and love and loss feel like two sides of the same coin..”

4. CONFESS by Colleen Hoover  – “Auburn Reed is determined to rebuild her shattered life and she has no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to become deeply attracted to the studio’s enigmatic artist, Owen Gentry. For once, Auburn takes a chance and puts her heart in control, only to discover that Owen is hiding a huge secret. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything Auburn loves most, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it—but can she do it?.”

5. WAITING FOR TOM HANKS by Kerry Winfrey – “Can a romcom-obsessed romantic finally experience the meet-cute she always dreamed of or will reality never compare to fiction, in this charming debut adult novel from Kerry Winfrey. Annie Cassidy dreams of being the next Nora Ephron. She spends her days writing screenplays, rewatching Sleepless in Seattle, and waiting for her movie-perfect meet-cute. If she could just find her own Tom Hanks—a man who’s sweet, sensitive, and possibly owns a houseboat—her problems would disappear and her life would be perfect. But Tom Hanks is nowhere in sight. When a movie starts filming in her neighborhood and Annie gets a job on set, it seems like a sign. Then Annie meets the lead actor, Drew Danforth, a cocky prankster who couldn’t be less like Tom Hanks if he tried. Their meet-cute is more of a meet-fail, but soon Annie finds herself sharing some classic rom-com moments with Drew. Her Tom Hanks can’t be an actor who’s leaving town in a matter of days…can he?”

6. WOLFSONG by T.J. Klune – “Ox was twelve when his daddy taught him a very valuable lesson. He said that Ox wasn’t worth anything and people would never understand him. Then he left.  Ox was sixteen when he met the boy on the road. The little boy who talked and talked and talked. Ox found out later the little boy hadn’t spoken in almost two years before that day, and that the little boy belonged to a family who had moved into the house at the end of the lane. Ox was seventeen when he found out the little boy’s secret and it painted the world around him in colors of red and orange and violet, of Alpha and Beta and Omega. Ox was twenty-three when murder came to town and tore a hole in his head and heart. The boy chased after the monster with revenge in his bloodred eyes, leaving Ox behind to pick up the pieces. It’s been three years since that fateful day—and the boy is back. Except now he’s a man, and Ox can no longer ignore the song that howls between them.”

7. DEAR CAROLINA by Kristy Woodson Harvey  –  “One baby girl. Two strong Southern women. And the most difficult decision they’ll ever make. Frances “Khaki” Mason has it all: a thriving interior design career, a loving husband and son, homes in North Carolina and Manhattan—everything except the second child she has always wanted. Jodi, her husband’s nineteen-year-old cousin, is fresh out of rehab, pregnant, and alone. Although the two women couldn’t seem more different, they forge a lifelong connection as Khaki reaches out to Jodi, encouraging her to have her baby. But as Jodi struggles to be the mother she knows her daughter deserves, she will ask Khaki the ultimate favor…Written to baby Carolina, by both her birth mother and her adoptive one, this is a story that proves that life circumstances shape us but don’t define us—and that families aren’t born, they’re made….“

8. DAUGHTERS OF ROME by Kate Quinn – “A.D. 69. Nero is dead. The Roman Empire is up for the taking. With bloodshed spilling out of the palace and into the streets of Rome, chaos has become the status quo. The Year of Four Emperors will change everything—especially the lives of two sisters with a very personal stake in the outcome….Elegant and ambitious, Cornelia embodies the essence of the perfect Roman wife. She lives to one day see her loyal husband as Emperor. Her sister, Marcella, is more withdrawn, content to witness history rather than make it. Even so, Marcella has her share of distinguished suitors, from a cutthroat contender for the throne to a politician’s son who swears that someday he will be Emperor.  But when a bloody coup turns their world upside down, Cornelia and Marcella—along with their cousins, one a collector of husbands and lovers, the other a horse-mad beauty with no interest in romance—must maneuver carefully just to stay alive. As Cornelia tries to pick up the pieces of her shattered dreams, Marcella discovers a hidden talent for influencing the most powerful men in Rome. In the end, though, there can only be one Emperor … and one Empress.”

9. I FOUND YOU by Lisa Jewell  –  “‘How long have you been sitting out here?’ ‘I got here yesterday.’ ‘Where did you come from?’ ‘I have no idea.’  In East Yorkshire, single mum Alice Lake finds a man on the beach outside her house. He has no name, no jacket, no idea what he is doing there. Against her better judgement she invites him in to her home.  In Surrey, twenty-one-year-old Lily Monrose has only been married for three weeks. When her new husband fails to come home from work one night she is left stranded in a new country where she knows no one. Then the police tell her that her husband never existed. Two women, twenty years of secrets and a man who can’t remember lie at the heart of Lisa Jewell’s brilliant new novel.”

10. OTHER PEOPLE’S HOUSES by Abbi Waxman  –  “A hilarious and poignant new novel about four families, their neighborhood carpool, and the affair that changes everything. At any given moment in other people’s houses, you can find…repressed hopes and dreams…moments of unexpected joy…someone making love on the floor to a man who is most definitely not her husband.”

 

* * * * * *

Question:  Have you read any of these or are you planning to read any of them?

https://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/TTT-Big2.png 203 500 Suzanne http://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/trimmed-Copy-of-Bookish-Logo-copy.png Suzanne2023-03-21 05:35:092023-03-21 06:01:17Top Ten Tuesday – Books By My Favorite Authors That I Still Need to Read
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About Me

me

Hi, I'm Suzanne. Proofreader by day, book blogger by night, devourer of books 24/7. My reading tastes: Basically you name it, I probably like it. I read a lot of contemporary and historical, both adult and YA, and I've also been enjoying more and more fantasy lately. Hobbies include: buying and hoarding of books, rambling about books to anyone who will listen, and trying to recommend books to my family and friends whether they are readers or not - because seriously, how can you not love to read books?

BOOKSTAGRAM

💫 Friday Feature - First and Favorite 💫 Happy Fri 💫 Friday Feature - First and Favorite 💫

Happy Friday, book friends!  Today I thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorite romance authors and the first book I read from them as well as my current favorite from them. 

Featured:

B.K. Borison:

First - Lovelight Farms
Favorite - And Now, Back to You

Ashley Poston:

First - The Dead Romantics
Favorite - The Seven Year Slip

Kennedy Ryan:

First - Long Shot
Favorite - Before I Let Go

Lucy Score:

First - Things We Never Got Over
Favorite - Story of My Life

Emily Henry:

First - Beach Read
Favorite - Book Lovers

Tessa Bailey:

First - It Happened One Summer
Favorite - Fangirl Down

❓QOTD - Tell me one of your favorite authors and your first and favorite read from them.  Or do you have any fun weekend plans?

AOTD - My hubby got discharged from the hospital today, so we’ll hopefully be having a relaxing weekend at home.
“Introverted but always willing to chat about book “Introverted but always willing to chat about books.”

I’m usually the worst when it comes to small talk, but ask me about my favorite books, especially romance books, and I could chat forever. 

What are some of your favorite topics to chat about?
🩷 PINK WEDNESDAY 🩷 On Wednesdays we read pink. 🩷 PINK WEDNESDAY 🩷

On Wednesdays we read pink. 

Hey book friends! How’s your week going? 

I’m still at the hospital with my hubby, but surgery went well so it looks like we will be headed home in a couple of days. I’ve been reading a lot while here so I’ll have a bunch of book reviews to share soon. 

For now, just sharing some pretty pink book covers that I love. 

Books Featured:

✨The Bridge Back to You by Riss M. Neilson
✨The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton
✨Mutual Discord by Liana de La Rosa
✨Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood 
✨What Happens in Amsterdam by Rachel Lynn Solomon
✨Just Our Luck by Denise Williams 
✨The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon 
✨The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston
✨Once Smitten, Twice Shy By Chloe Liese

❓QOTD - Have you read any of these? Or tell me your last, now, next? 

AOTD - My last was By the Bootstraps, now is Father Material, next will be The Summer Girlfriend.
Thanks so much to @putnambooks for the #gifted rev Thanks so much to @putnambooks for the #gifted review copy!

✨ Review - TAKE ME WITH YOU ✨

Author - Steven Rowley

Pub Date - 5/19/26

Jesse and Norman have been married for three decades and have chosen to settle in the desert in Joshua Tree, California. Their marriage has had its ups and downs as all relationships do, but when Jesse awakens one night to find Norman outside following a strange beam of light, he is beyond shocked when Norman just apologizes and vanishes, leaving Jesse behind. 

While on the surface, this may seem like some kind of sci fi/alien abduction story, it’s not that at all. In fact, there’s not even really a clear explanation for Norman’s disappearance.  Instead, the bulk of the story is more about how Jesse navigates his life after he is abandoned by Norman, how he tries to explain Norman’s disappearance to others, including Norman’s sister Lally, who shows up looking for her brother, and how Jesse eventually must define his own identity now that he is on his own. 

There’s so much to enjoy about this one. I loved the focus on older protagonists, and I also loved how the author wrote each character as realistically flawed.  They are all trying to figure out their own messy lives, even while they’re trying hard to find answers as to what really happened to Norman. 

I always enjoy a good magical realism story, and I think Steven Rowley uses it in such an interesting way in this story, and I also loved the range of emotions that I experience as I followed these characters. It’s a poignant story with a great deal of sadness, but at the same time, there’s also quite a bit of humor. 

The Guncle books are still my favorite from Rowley, but this is a lovely read and a very thought provoking one. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

❓QOTD - What book are you reading to start out the week?
Thanks to @saturdaybooks and @macmillan.audio #mac Thanks to @saturdaybooks and @macmillan.audio #macaudio2026 #partner for the gifted review copy, fun PR package, and audiobook!

🌊 REVIEW - BURNOUT SUMMER 🌊

Author - Jenna Ramirez

Pub Date - 5/12/2026

If you enjoy books by authors like Tessa Bailey, Elle Kennedy, and Emily Henry and you’re looking for an addictive read to add to your summer TBR, look no further than Burnout Summer by Jenna Ramirez. 

It features the perfect beachy setting in Elswich, Rhode Island as well as a slow burn, friends to lovers romance. In addition to the romance, it also focuses on one character’s search to find her passion after life in corporate America has left her feeling completely burned out.

Camille is an easy character to root for. When we meet her, she has just been fired from her job and landed herself in jail.  Danny, one of her best friends from college, comes and bails her out, and offers her a soft place to land and regroup.  Danny gives her a place to stay, as well as a job at his restaurant, a seaside hotspot. Danny was always the slacker of their friend group so Camille is very impressed by how far he has come, but also that he has achieved success without losing his spark. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the friends to lovers romance, especially since the relationship evolves so naturally as Danny and Camille grow closer throughout the summer.  The author also realistically handles the “will we ruin our friendship if we try to become more than friends?” issue.

I also really enjoyed seeing Camille with the rest of her friend group when they all come to town for a wedding and reunite. There are some awkward moments as Camille’s ex is also part of the group and is the one who is getting married, but seeing her friends and working through that awkwardness was something Camille really needed to do for herself. 

I thought the audiobook paired perfectly with my reading of the physical book. Michael Gallagher and Victoria Villareal were new to me narrators and I enjoyed their portrayal of Danny and Camille. They perfectly captured their personalities and brought all of the characters to life. 

❓QOTD - Any fun plans this weekend?
That perfect moment at the end of the day when eve That perfect moment at the end of the day when everyone else has gone to bed and it’s just you and your book. 

Pure bliss.

What’s your favorite time of the day?
Thanks for the free book @acebookspub @berkleyroma Thanks for the free book @acebookspub @berkleyromance #BerkleyPartner #Berkley 

🐈‍⬛🪄 Review - STRANGE FAMILIARS 🪄🐈‍⬛

Author - Keshe Chow

Pub Date - 5/19/26

Strange Familiars is a slow burn, rivals to lovers romance that follows two veterinary students who attend the Seamere College of Magical Veterinary Sciences. 

I loved the premise of this story and I especially enjoyed how we learn about the intricate details of the magic system right alongside the students as they are learning about and honing their magical skills. 

The rivals to lovers element of the story is so well written too. Harrisford and Gwen recognize each other’s immense talent so the tension between them is palpable as they both vie for the top spot in their graduating class and all that it means for whoever secures it once they graduate. 

I love a good underdog story so I was rooting hard for Gwen and admired her resourcefulness, since everything at the school, including the use of magic, costs money that she doesn’t have.  I wanted to hate Harrisford, but when it became clear he was fully in love with Gwen and wanted to help her once he realized she was struggling, he just had my whole heart!

There’s also a  fascinating mystery element that had me up late turning pages following the many twists and turns.  When Gwen and Harrisford decide to investigate, it was thrilling to follow them as they try to figure out the source of the dangerous magical surges that are affecting alll of the familiars on campus and around the city and then to determine who or what was responsible for them.  Their investigation was riveting, and I also enjoyed watching their relationship evolve as they work so closely together. 

If all that wasn’t enough, there’s also Gwen’s familiar, a sassy cat named Percy who steals every scene he is in, and there’s also found family and a wonderfully diverse cast of characters that you will fall in love with.

And don’t even get me started on the cliffhanger ending. I need the next book STAT! 

❓QOTD - What animal would you choose for a familiar? 

AOTD - Golden Retriever - fun, loyal, protective
🔎 THE ANNIVERSARY by Alex Finlay 🔎 Happy Pub Day 🔎 THE ANNIVERSARY by Alex Finlay 🔎

Happy Pub Day to Alex Finlay and thanks so much to @stmartinspress @minotaur_books #partner for this fun PR package. 

I originally reviewed the audiobook format of this book and absolutely loved it. Brittany Pressley narrates and she is amazing. Highly recommend! 

Reposting my original review to share the love again. 

The Anniversary is one of the most addictive thrillers I’ve read recently! The May Day Killer storyline where the killer returns to a small town and takes a new victim every May 1 was so creepy and suspenseful and had me on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading. The chapters are also short and fast paced, which made this such an adrenaline rush. 

In addition to it being an adrenaline rush, there was also a powerful theme of survivor’s guilt and how to deal with it that ran through the book. This made it an especially compelling read for me as my heart just hurt for Quinn and Jules, whose lives have both been touched by the May Day Killer. 

The Anniversary is my new favorite read from Alex Finlay and I’m thrilled to have a physical copy of the book for my collection! 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

❓QOTD - Are any of this week’s new releases on your radar? Or since Alex Finlay is all that and a bag of chips, what’s your favorite kind of chips?

AOTD - The Rulebreaker by Piper Rayne is one I have my eye on.  Favorite chips are Doritos.
POV: Me calculating how long it will take me to re POV: Me calculating how long it will take me to read all of the books on my TBR. 

How many books are on your TBR? Is reading them all Mission Impossible for you too? 😅

Take the poll and tell me how many unread books you have.
Thanks for the free ARC @youheadmeathea #youhadmea Thanks for the free ARC @youheadmeathea #youhadmeathea #stmartinspress.

✨ Review - SOON BY YOU ✨

Author - Dahlia Adler

Pub Date - 5/19/2026

I was intrigued by this book as soon as I read the blurb and saw it compared to 27 Dresses meets The Intimacy Experiment and as soon as I realized it’s an opposites attract romance set in a modern Orthodox Jewish community in New York City. 

The story pulled me in immediately and had me invested in both main characters and their journeys.  Arielle has been asked to be a bridesmaid in more than her fair share of weddings lately and has become a bit jaded when it comes to love and relationships.  Her fear of commitment and preference for casual hookups has landed her a less than ideal reputation within the Orthodox Jewish Community.  Judah Klein is not the hottest wedding singer in the community, but he also happens to be one of the most eligible bachelors.  Judah is also deeply committed to his faith and saving himself for marriage. 

Judah and Arielle are opposites in every way, but when they literally crash into one another at a wedding and then continue to cross paths and butt heads throughout the wedding season, it becomes clear there is major attraction there, no matter how hard they both try to deny it.  Talk about sparks flying!

I thoroughly enjoyed this one! The opposites attract romance was so well written and I loved the chemistry between Judah and Arielle. I also just really enjoyed the way they managed to explore their attraction to one another while, at the same time, fully respecting each other’s commitment to the Jewish faith.  It was sexy, swoony, and also very moving. 

I thought the Jewish representation was excellent as well and especially appreciated the Jewish Wedding Explainer that was included at the end of the book. It gives a great deal more information about various aspects of traditional Jewish weddings to expand on what we experience throughout the story. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

❓QOTD - Have you ever been a bridesmaid or been part of a wedding party?

AOTD - Outside of my own wedding, I have been a bridesmaid twice.
Thanks for the free ARC @youheadmeathea #youhadmea Thanks for the free ARC @youheadmeathea #youhadmeathea #stmartinspress & gifted ALC @macmillan.audio  #macaudio2026 

🛟 Review - THE SHIPPERS 🛟

Author - Katherine Center

Pub Date - 5/19/2026

JoJo Burton is awful at love and decides this is because she never got over a neighborhood guy who was her first crush. When she learns he will be a guest at her sister’s destination wedding aboard a cruise ship, JoJo decides she’s going to woo him in order to get closure and a reset on her love life. 

To make this happen, she recruits her childhood best friend, Cooper Watts to be her wingman.  Cooper also happens to be the guy who broke JoJo’s heart when he moved away four years ago without a word. 

Oh my gosh, this was such a delightful romcom! It’s filled with Katherine Center’s signature witty banter and romcom antics and I just loved watching the fake flirting between JoJo and Cooper eventually give way to real feelings between them as they reconnect after being apart for so long. 

I was especially into Cooper, who is just the most adorable golden retriever hero.  He’s fun, sweet, and just oh so loyal, especially when it comes to JoJo.  JoJo was a little frustrating to me at first, especially because she’s gifted when it comes to mathematics and is clearly intelligent, but a little immature when it comes to love and relationships. It didn’t hamper my overall enjoyment but it did take me a few extra chapters to warm up to her as compared to Cooper. 

I highly recommend the audiobook, which is narrated by Patti Murin, who is perfection as always. Even with my initial frustration with JoJo, Murin’s narration made this book impossible to put down.

Check The Shippers out if you like:

Childhood Friends to Lovers
Forced Proximity
Shipboard Romcom Antics
Witty Banter
Secrets

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

❓QOTD - Have you ever been on a cruise?  Dream cruise destination?

AOTD - I haven’t yet but would love to do an Alaskan cruise someday.
Thanks for the free book @berkleyromance #BerkleyP Thanks for the free book @berkleyromance #BerkleyPartner #Berkley 

🏈 Review - FIRST AND FOREVER 🏈

Author - Lynn Painter

Pub Date - 5/12/2026

If Lynn Painter writes it, I’m going to read it, especially if it’s a sports romance like her latest, First and Forever, which comes out on Tuesday.

First and Forever is packed to the brim with hilarious romcom antics and flirty banter, and it’s just such a good time from cover to cover! It follows Duffy, a huge Coyotes football fan who gets blacklisted  when she “accidentally” takes out the handsy Coyotes mascot. Duffy agrees to go on a local talkshow to explain her side of things and is shocked when Coyotes star player, Connor Cunningham ends up being a surprise guest on the show.  Duffy and Connor have instant chemistry that leads to the football organization asking them to take part in a fake dating PR stunt to help bring the team some good press. 

I love a good fake dating story and I thought this one really delivered. The flirty and sassy banter between Duffy and Connor is laugh out loud hilarious.  While she may not like life in the spotlight, Duffy is not at all intimidated by Connor’s status as a pro athlete and roasts him for dropped passes at any opportunity. There’s an easiness between these two that makes all of their dating scenes together so much fun. Dating scenes which include ZOMBIE PAINTBALL, by the way!

In addition to being hilarious and romantic, I also thought this book had such a heartwarming quality because of Duffy’s family, especially her adorable dad, who is also a diehard Coyotes fan. I just loved the whole dynamic between Duffy and her family and how they all fit seamlessly into this story.  There’s also a bit of emotional depth as Duffy’s dad is in poor health and she is very worried about him, especially since her mom is no longer with them. 

Hilarious and heartwarming, if you’re a sports romcom fan, you’re definitely going to want to add First and Forever to your TBR!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

❓QOTD - Since sports venues are featured, what’s your go to snack when you’re at a sporting event? Or what’s your current read? 

AOTD - I love a warm salty pretzel with mustard & a beer to go with it.
📚 MAY HOPEFULS 📚 Happy Wednesday, book friends! I 📚 MAY HOPEFULS 📚

Happy Wednesday, book friends! I hope your week is going well and that you’ve already had some great reads this month.  I’m a few days late sharing the books I’m hoping to read this month, but here we are at last.  There are several in my hopefuls list that were gifted, so I’ve tagged those publishers. Thanks so much to all of them for their generosity! ♥

I’m keeping my hopefuls list a little smaller than usual, mainly just because I know my husband will be in the hospital for surgery for at least 5 days and I’m not sure how my reading will go.

📚 Physical Copies: 📚

Soon By You by Dahlia Adler (finished, review coming soon)
The Summer Girlfriend by Kristina Forest
Father Material by Alexis Hall
The Summer Share by Jenn McKinlay
The Open Era by Edward Schmit
The Fine Art of Faking It by Lucy Score

🎧📱E-ARCs/ALCs: 📱🎧

Road Trip by Mary Kay Andrews
Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan (Currently Reading)
By the Bootstraps by Alexa Martin
It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell
The Great Outdoors by Kayla Olson
Chase Me If You Can by Heather Frances

❓QOTD - What are some books you’re hoping to read in May? Do we have any in common?
Thanks to @meghanquinnbooks & Team MQ for the gift Thanks to @meghanquinnbooks & Team MQ for the gifted audiobook!

🎧 Review - RULES FOR THE SUMMER 🎧

Author - Meghan Quinn

Pub Date - 5/5/26

(Deluxe edition purchased by me)

When I’m looking for a hilarious, spicy rom-com, Meghan Quinn is one of my go-to authors, and she has another winner with her latest, Rules for the Summer.

I love a good underdog story so I was all in for Renley and her seemingly impossible task of reopening the town’s candy store with no money, especially after learning some in the town were rooting against her. 

I also love chaos in my romcom reads so the story’s premise — Renley drunkenly ordering herself a fiancé instead of a financier — was right up my alley. 

Chaos is definitely the order of the day when Theo comes knocking on Renley’s door, all the way from England with his best friend Rupert. He has rented the house next door and even once he realizes Renley isn’t actually looking for a fiancé, Theo still wants to stay in town for the summer because he needs to find a wife before his father finds one for him and maybe Renley is the one after all. 

I had so much fun listening to this story! The ground rules Renley and Theo come up with, but then keep changing as their relationship evolves, were so amusing. I also just loved their chemistry too, especially once Theo starts helping Renley get the candy store up and running.  Whether Renley realizes it or not, Theo is exactly the kind of person she needs in her corner. 

It wouldn’t be a Meghan Quinn novel without plenty of romcom antics, and this story definitely delivers in that area and when it comes to endearing side characters like Rupert and Renley’s Aunt Kitty, a hobby horse enthusiast and chaos agent. Loved them both!

The full cast narration was perfection! Stella Hunter, Shane East, Cassandra Medcalf, and Gary Furlong bring Quinn’s characters and her hilarious dialogue to life in such an entertaining way.  I found myself cackling with laughter all the way through the book!

If you’re looking for laughs this summer, definitely add this one to your TBR!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

❓QOTD - Since this story features a candy shop, what’s your favorite kind of candy?

AOTD - Snickers bar
Thanks for the free book @berkleyromance #BerkleyP Thanks for the free book @berkleyromance #BerkleyPartner #Berkley & thanks @librofm for the gifted audiobook.

🐋 Review - OUR PERFECT STORM 🐋

Author - Carley Fortune

Pub Date - 5/5/2026

Carley Fortune has truly outdone herself with her beautiful, heartfelt romance, Our Perfect Storm. 

I was hooked from the opening scene when Frankie is so worried that her best friend George isn’t going to show up for her wedding.  It was immediately clear that George was one of the most important people in Frankie’s life so I just had to know why him skipping her wedding would even be a possibility.

George arrives, but then Frankie’s fiancé proceeds to dump her on her wedding day, leaving her with a partially paid for honeymoon trip to Tofino. Frankie is heartbroken and confused, but ultimately George, with a little help from a mutual friend, convinces Frankie to take the honeymoon trip with him instead. Their friendship has been on shaky ground for a while now, so this would be a great opportunity to get their relationship on track. 

Nobody writes friends-to-lovers romances quite like Carley Fortune and this one just had my whole heart. I was especially captivated by the flashback scenes.  Frankie and George are so young when they first meet and Fortune perfectly captures the pure innocence of childhood and first friendships.  The more I saw how special their bond of friendship was and then got to watch them grow up together, the more I was just dying for them to not only reconcile as friends, but to actually see how perfect they could be as more than friends since it was so obvious how much they loved each other.

The Tofino setting was incredible and so vividly described that I felt like I was right there with Frankie and George, learning to surf and watching the majestic whales. 

I adored this book so much that when Libro.fm offered it for review this month, I had to snag the audiobook and experience Frankie and George’s story all over again and it was even better the second time around, thanks to the beautiful narration of AJ Bridel and Jack Copeland.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

❓QOTD - If you could take a trip with your bestie right now, where would you go?

AOTD - Greece!
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