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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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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?

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Thanks so much to @hambright_pr, @read_bloom, and Thanks so much to @hambright_pr, @read_bloom, and @scorelucy for the gifted copy!

🎅🏻 REVIEW - THE HEIST BEFORE CHRISTMAS 🎅🏻

Author - Lucy Score

Pub Date - 11/10/26

If you enjoy holiday romances with a dash of crime, you’re definitely going to want to check out The Heist Before Christmas, the fifth book in the Riley Thorn romantic cozy mystery series. 

Riley and her fiancé Nick go undercover at the local mall to try to bring down a theft ring, and if you’ve ever been to the mall at Christmas time, you know that chaos reigns. Nobody brings the laughs quite like Lucy Score, and she delivers delightful chaos, hilarious shenanigans, and witty banter all wrapped up with some holiday cheer! I pretty much laughed my way through this book and loved every page of it. 

I’ve always enjoyed the grumpy-sunshine dynamic of Riley and Nick and it was especially entertaining here because Riley is going through some things that have her behaving a little Scrooge-like in sharp contrast to our golden retriever, Nick, who loves everything about Christmas, owns a giant inflatable Santa, and who might also happen to have a secret Mrs. Claus kink!  I actually think Lucy Score struck the perfect balance here between the humor and the more emotional moments as Riley is struggling with her psychic gift and trying to find her path forward.

While this book will definitely work great as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the other books in the series as well. Riley, Nick, and all of their eccentric elderly roommates and neighbors have endeared themselves to me so much throughout the series, and I think that connection makes this holiday read all the more special.

I did this as an immersive read and highly recommend going this route. Natalie Duke does a phenomenal job bringing Riley, Nick and all of their hilarious neighbors to life with distinctive voices. She perfectly captures the humor and the emotion of Score’s writing, as well as chemistry between Riley and Nick. It’s a delightful read and listen!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

❓QOTD - What’s your favorite holiday movie?

AOTD - Christmas Vacation and Home Alone are my favorites.
Thanks for the free book @acebookspub @berkleyroma Thanks for the free book @acebookspub @berkleyromance #BerkleyPartner #Berkley 

✨ Review - WITCHES OF QUESTIONABLE INTENT ✨

Author - Jenn McKinlay

Pub Date - 11/10/26

I’m obsessed with the Books of Dubious Origin series and if you like witches, books, magic, and libraries, I think you’re going to be as well!

It was so fun being back in this whimsical world where a team of witchy librarians at the Books of Dubious Origin (BODO) department at the Museum of Literature are tasked with keeping magical books safe. 

In book 1, Zoe Ziakis was new to the BODO and unsure of how to use her magic, but now Zoe is coming into her own and learning more about her powers. 

Zoe and the BODO team are really put to the test in this book when someone manages to sneak in and steal the Book of Shadows, a book that could be particularly dangerous in the wrong hands. It’s up to them to get the book back!

I fell in love with this quirky team of characters in the first book and was thrilled to see them in action again. If you enjoy found family vibes, you’re going to love them too. One of my absolute favorite characters this time around was Diego, a new addition to their little family, and you just have to meet him for yourself. 

The world building in this series is fantastic too! I love the magic that is present in the BODO itself, where hidden rooms reveal themselves to those who need them and where magical bookcats are also present. The magical system is easy to understand and vividly described, and I was especially intrigued by Zoe’s grimoire and how it worked. 

As much as I loved all of the magic and whimsy, I also loved how action-packed this story is. There are lots of twists and turns and just the right amount of tension and suspense as the team frantically works to figure out who stole the book and who else might be involved. 

Oh and there’s even hint of a delicious, slow burn romance brewing between Zoe and Jasper, one of her fellow teammates. This pair is well suited & I eagerly cheered them on and look forward to seeing their relationship grow in future installments.

Witchy bookish perfection!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

❓QOTD - Any new releases on your radar this week? Or CR?
✨LOVELIGHT FARMS Series Collector’s Editions ✨ Lo ✨LOVELIGHT FARMS Series Collector’s Editions ✨

Lovelight Farms by @authorbkborison is one of my favorite romance series and now all four books are being reimagined into stunning collector’s editions, thanks to @theinkfluenceagency.

These new editions will include:

✨Illustrated foil-stamped covers
✨Illustrated sprayed edges with hidden Easter eggs
✨Character artwork endpapers for every couple
✨Custom pop-up slipcase that brings Lovelight Farms to life

✨Every edition is hand-signed by the author, and every illustration was created by human artists (no AI). 

Swipe to see some close-ups of each cover as well as the endpapers and slipcase. 

If you’re interested in getting these beautiful editions, you can get them through the @inkfluenceragency and their Kickstarter campaign, which runs through November 13, 2026. 

Link to the Kickstarter is in my bio if you want to check it out and secure your copies of these beauties! 

Thanks so much to  @inkfluenceragency and @berkleyromance for inviting me to be a part of this campaign! 

#Lovelight #BKBorison #Inglewild #SpecialEditions #Kickstarter

❓QOTD - What’s your favorite season and why?
📚 NOVEMBER HOPEFULS 📚 Hey book friends! I’m late 📚 NOVEMBER HOPEFULS 📚

Hey book friends! I’m late but today I’m finally sharing the books I’m hoping to read in November.  It’s somewhat of an ambitious list but I’ve already finished a few so we’ll see how it goes and if my inner mood reader cooperates.  Several of these were gifted, so I’ve tagged those publishers and PR companies. Thank you! 🩷

Physical Books:

The Secrets of Clarence Manor by Devney Perry 
Duke by Jessica Peterson
The Monster Hunter Librarian by Lauren Connolly
Two Can Play That Game by Zakiya N. Jamal
Prudence Marsh is Not a Nobody Anymore by Emily Krempholtz (Currently reading)
Witches of Questionable Intent by Jenn McKinlay (Finished, review coming this week)
The Christmas Competition by Zoe Allison
You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria (26 in 2026 book)
You Feel Like Christmas by Christine Drummond (Currently reading)
Now That We Don’t Talk Anymore by Rachel Pologe
The Heist Before Christmas by Lucy Score (Finished, review coming this week)
Christmas Staycation by Meghan Quinn

E-ARCS/ALCs:

Hate and Other Acts of Fiction by Megan Oliver (Finished, review coming this week)
Beneath a Midnight Moon by Catherine Cowles
Crash into You by Simone Soltani
Alma Vampires by Elena Armas
The Soulmate by Lana Ferguson
The Christmas Yes List by Melissa Ferguson

❓QOTD: Have you read any of these or are you planning to?
Thanks to @dellromance @ballantinebooks #partner f Thanks to @dellromance @ballantinebooks #partner for the gifted review e-copy. 

✨REVIEW - COUNTING DOWN TO YOU ✨

Author - Emily Stone

Pub Date - 10/6/2026

Emily Stone is my go-to when I want a holiday read that’s going to make me feel ALL the feels and Counting Down to You did exactly that!

Ali works for a recruiting firm and while she usually enjoys her work, she is feeling out of sorts because she is grieving the death of her best friend, Robyn. 

Ali’s boss forces her to take a sabbatical through the holiday season and Ali decides to spend it in the French Alps, taking a temporary job at a ski resort there. While she’s there, Ali will also be completing an advent calendar full of challenges designed by Robyn. This was a yearly tradition between the two friends, and this is the last one Robyn designed before she passed away.

I thought this was such a beautiful story, especially as soon as it became clear that Robyn had designed these challenges in a way to help Ali process grief and loss.  What a wonderful act of friendship.  I also loved that some of the challenges were fun ones so it added some levity to the story, especially when one challenge leads her new coworkers to think she is dating Leo, the handsome resort manager, and he decides to play along. 

I was so invested in Ali’s healing journey and loved watching her complete each challenge prompt as they led her to build new friendships, learn so much about herself, and take chances both in terms of her career and in her personal life as she and Leo develop real feelings for one another.

I thought the romance was handled really well in this story but have to admit that the beautiful friendship between Ali and Robyn was what really stole my heart and had me feeling all of those feels.

Highly recommend this one if you enjoy holiday romances with heavier, emotional themes. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

❓QOTD - If someone were to curate an advent calendar for you, what would be your ideal theme?

AOTD - If it’s not bookish, I think I’d love one that allowed me to try different kinds of coffee each day.
Thanks to @librofm #partner for the gifted audiobo Thanks to @librofm #partner for the gifted audiobook!

🎄Review - IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE MURDER 🎄

Author - Ally Carter

Pub Date - 10/13/2026

 It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder is the second book in Ally Carter’s Kiss, Merry, Kill series, a Christmas-themed cozy mystery that is the perfect transition from spooky season over to holiday reads. 

Ella has spent most of her life cleaning for a billionaire’s family.  When the family patriarch dies unexpectedly, he leaves his entire fortune to his grandson, Liam, the boy Ella says ruined her life 10 years ago. 

Liam learns pretty quickly that not everyone is happy about him inheriting billions, and when someone tries to kill him, he suspects someone may also have killed his grandfather, and so he decides to lay low.  Meanwhile, he is presumed dead and Ella is accused of killing him. 

Even though Ella is furious with Liam, she agrees to team up with him to try to find the truth about his grandfather’s death and to figure out who wants Liam dead.

This book is such a good time! The banter between Ella and Liam is hilarious, and the chemistry between them is undeniable.  I thought the mystery element was very well done, so that both it and the romance held my attention equally, and I thought there was just the right amount of holiday cheer to keep things cozy. 

The audiobook is a quick, entertaining listen, narrated by Brittany Pressley and Will Damron.  I loved how they brought these characters to life, and I especially enjoyed the snippets from Ella’s police interview that are sprinkled throughout. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

❓QOTD - What’s your favorite holiday treat or drink? 

AOTD - I love gingerbread lattes and frosted sugar cookies.
Thanks for the free e-arc @berkleyromance #Berkley Thanks for the free e-arc @berkleyromance #BerkleyPartner #Berkley 

🌻Review - SUNFLOWER SEASON 🌻

Author - Danica Nava

Pub Date - 11/3/2026

(physical copy purchased by me)

June has a successful career in tech but has lost her passion for the industry. When she learns that her family’s old abandoned farmland is up for auction, June decides it’s a sign that it’s time for a change.  She buys the farm back and returns home to rural Oklahoma, where she immediately runs into Noah, her former childhood sweetheart, who is now a firefighter in town. 

June and Noah’s reunion is awkward because years ago, June and her brother abruptly moved away after their last living relative passed away and June hasn’t spoken to Noah since they left.  The old feelings are definitely still there though, so I really enjoyed watching the two of them reconnect and eventually rekindle their romance.  Noah is sweet, funny, and so overwhelmingly supportive of what June is trying to do on her farm. Green flags everywhere with that man!

As much as I adored the romance, what I loved even more was June’s journey.  She really comes into her own as a farmer throughout the story, and I was just so impressed by her strength, determination, and her resilience whenever there were setbacks. 

June was such an easy character to root for, and I also loved how pretty much the whole town welcomed her back with open arms. The found family vibes in that little town were everything!

Sunflower Season is perfect for fans of:

Small town romance
Farmer FMC (former tech girl)
Firefighter MMC
Found Family
Childhood Sweethearts
Indigenous Representation that is really well done

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

❓QOTD - Since June grows sunflowers on her farm, what’s your favorite kind of flower?

AOTD - Peonies and lilacs
🎧 AUDIOBOOK REVIEW 🎧 Thanks to @simon.audio #part 🎧 AUDIOBOOK REVIEW 🎧

Thanks to @simon.audio #partner for the gifted ALC!

Review - THE WITCHES OF CAMBRIDGE

Author - Alice Hoffman

Pub Date -  9/8/2026

I’m a huge fan of Alice Hoffman’s books and especially of her lyrical prose.  The Practical Magic series is a favorite of mine, so I’m excited that Hoffman is starting another witchy series, The Witches of Cambridge. 

The first book in the series, also titled The Witches of Cambridge, is equal parts dark academia and historical fiction with some magical realism and witchy vibes sprinkled throughout.  It follows two young women, Ava and Lauren, who have both just gotten into the elite Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, an area known for witch trials in its earliest history.  Ava and Lauren are opposites in pretty much every way still become friends and both are recruited to join the Lilith Society, a secret society of witches. 

I enjoyed this story both because of the themes of friendship, sisterhood, and empowerment that are present, but also because of the magic, mystery, and historical elements.  I was especially intrigued by the mystery element when members of the Lilith Society start to go missing and with the story being set in the 1950s under the shadow of McCarthysim, it starts to fill like a literal witchhunt. 

Mena Suvari narrates and does a wonderful job bringing both Ava and Lauren to life and capturing their distinct personalities. She also perfectly captures the atmospheric vibes of the story. Highly recommend this one on audio!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

❓QOTD - Mid week check in?  How’s your week going so far?

AOTD - I’m doing great overall, with the exception of getting my flu shot, which has knocked me on my butt all day today. 

#witchyreads #darkacademia #audiobook
Thanks to @youhadmeathea #partner and @macmillian. Thanks to @youhadmeathea #partner and @macmillian.audio #macaudio2026 for the gifted ARC and ALC.

🔮 REVIEW - TO VEX & TO HEX 🔮

Author - Neena Noon

Pub Date - 11/3/2026

Witches, books, romance, and banter. What more could you ask for in a cozy, spicy paranormal romcom?

Lucy is a witch and a bookseller who loves using her magic to help readers find the perfect book. The bookshop feels like home to Lucy, and its owner, fellow witch Charles, feels more like family to Lucy than her own actual family.  When Charles is injured and put on bedrest, his estranged and nonmagical grandson, Grayson, shows up to help.

Lucy finds Grayson useless and annoying, and she starts hexing him in hopes that he’ll get annoyed and leave.  Unfortunately for Lucy, Grayson is determined to repair his relationship with his grandfather so he’s not going anywhere no matter how many hexes Lucy puts on him. He soon starts to retaliate with shenanigans of his own. Nothing like a little forced proximity to create some incredible chemistry and turn enemies into lovers! 

I enjoyed all of the cozy, magical vibes this story had to offer, and I enjoyed the enemies to lovers romance and the found family element.  I read this as an immersive read and thought the audiobook was the perfect compliment to the print version. It was narrated by Maya Dhawan and John Hartley and they both did a tremendous job bringing these characters, their banter, and their hilarious shenanigans to life.

❓QOTD - What book are you starting the week reading?
📚 EVERYTHING I READ IN OCTOBER 📚 OCTOBER WRAP-UP 📚 EVERYTHING I READ IN OCTOBER 📚

OCTOBER WRAP-UP 

Hey book friends! I hope your November is off to a great start. 

I had an excellent reading month and finished 26 books. Two of those were books I started in September but didn’t finish by month’s end, but I was also able to get all of my October ARCs read and managed to finish a few on my physical TBR, including another of my final 26 in 2026 reads.  My photo features all of the physical copies I read, but I also read a few e-arcs and listened to several audiobooks as well. 

As always, I’m behind on reviews so expect to see a few of these books reviewed this week.

❓QOTD:  How was your reading month? What were some of your favorite October reads? What book will be your first read of November? 

AOTD - I started November with Witches of Questionable Intent and so far I’m loving it!

❤️ 5 STARS ❤️

Entities to Lovers by Mallory Marlowe

🧡 4.5 STARS 🧡

Never Been Tamed by Corinne Michaels
Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson
Bonfire & Bliss Bookstore by Brittanee Nicole
Sunflower Season by Danica Nava (review coming soon)
Eight Ways to Say I Love You by Amanda Elliot (review coming soon)
With All My Haunted Heart by Isabel Sterling
Undone by Peyton Corinne
Counting Down to You by Emily Stone 
Love You to Death by Jenna Levine
Love Beyond the Diamond by Laura Langa
Make Me Hate You by Kandi Steiner

💛 4 STARS 💛

Bound & Unbound by Ali Hazelwood
Meet Cute Magic by Morgan Elizabeth 
Kill for Me, Kill for You by Steve Cavanagh
A Witch in Nottingham Hill by Alexandra Paige
Trigger Happy by Meredith Trapp
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder by Ally Carter (review coming soon)
The Irish Goodbye by Heather Aimee O’Neill (10 Before the End)
The Favorites by Layne Fargo (10 Before the End)
The Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman (review coming soon)
Cowboy Casual by Holly Renee (Review coming soon)
Things We Swore We’d Never Do by Jillian Dodd (Review coming soon)
Phantasma by Kaylie Smith (26 in 2026)
Home for the Homicides by Elle Cosimano & Hannah Morrissey

💚 3.5 STARS 💚

To Vex and to Hex by Neena Noon
Look What the Cat Dragged In by Jason Rekulak

💙 3 STARS 💙

NONE

1 or 2 STARS 

NONE

DNF 

NONE
👻 Me on October 31st vs Me on November 1st 🎅🏻 Hap 👻 Me on October 31st vs Me on November 1st 🎅🏻

Happy Halloween to all of my bookish friends! 

Today I’ll reading my last spooky season book of the year and then it will be on to all of the holiday romances! 

Who else is ready for all of the holiday reads? 

#happyhalloween #merrychristmas #readerlife #seasonalreader #bookstagram

Bookish meme holiday reads Happy Halloween Merry Christmas reader life
🎃👻 CANDY CORN BOOKSTACK 👻🎃 Happy Halloween Eve, b 🎃👻 CANDY CORN BOOKSTACK 👻🎃

Happy Halloween Eve, book friends! I couldn’t let the holiday pass without making a fun candy corn stack, and this year I decided to feature a few of my favorite @berkleyromance books! 

Books Featured: 

👻Addicted to You by Krista and Becca Ritchie
🎃Ricochet by Krista and Becca Ritchie 
👻Happily Never After by Lynn Painter
🎃If Only You by Chloe Liese
👻No Ordinary Love by Myah Ariel
🎃Book Lovers by Emily Henry
👻Embrace by Bal Khabra
🎃Wedding Dashers by Heather McBreen
👻The Love Wager by Lynn Painter
🎃Happy Place by Emily Henry 

❓QOTD - Have you read any of these? Are you Team Candy Corn Yay or Candy Corn No Way? 😂
🎧 AUDIOBOOK MINI REVIEWS 🎧 Thanks to @macmillan.a 🎧 AUDIOBOOK MINI REVIEWS 🎧

Thanks to @macmillan.audio #macaudio2026 for the gifted ALCs.

BAD WORDS by Rioghnach Robinson (Pub Date - 10/6/26) - Loved this one! I was drawn to it because I love enemies to lovers, but this book is so much more than that. I really enjoyed the meaningul exploration about publishing and especially literary criticism.  I loved how the romance sparked from an author verbally sparring online with a literary critic who panned both of his books.  It’s a delicious slow burn as online passionate banter eventually gives way to real feelings as Selina and Parker really get to know one another.  Beautifully narrated by Katherine Chin & Major Curda. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

UNAPOLOGETIC LOVE STORY by Elle McNicoll (Pub Date - 10/13/26) - Delightful! Raina is an autistic podcasater whose popular podcast highlights autistic women. She is somewhat famous and catches the attention of Tom, an investigative reporter who loves to expose frauds and get them “cancelled.” Tom finds Raina refreshing but Raina doesn’t trust him (neither did I), so it was a nice surprise to realize that he is actually top notch book boyfriend material and perfect for Raina. My favorite part, aside from the opposites attract romance, was watching Raina stand up for her autistic community and make them feel seen and understood.  Fantastic on audio, courtesty of Jessie Mei Li’s incredible narration. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

BIRTH OF THE WITCH by Nora Roberts (Pub Date - 11/17/26 (A Coven of Three, Book 1) - An atmospheric witchy read filled with magic, found family, mystery, darkness, and a hint of romance.  I enjoyed how the story spans several centuries, starting with the Salem Witch Trials where three women are hanged as witches. The youngest, a 13 year old girl, was not a witch, but to save her, is transformed into one by the other women, with the help of Caden, a young man with magic of his own. The story follows these witches reincarnated  over and over until present day as they seek to defeat dark magic. The pacing is a little slow at times but builds to an intense cliffhanger that has me eager to get book 2.  Narrated by Stephanie Nemeth-Parker. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

❓QOTD - Any plans for Halloween?
🍁THREE FOR TUESDAY - FALL ROMANCE MINI REVIEWS 🍁 🍁THREE FOR TUESDAY - FALL ROMANCE MINI REVIEWS 🍁

WITH ALL MY HAUNTED HEART by Isabel Sterling (Pub Date 9/8/26) - Pippa is a strong, independent witch who is struggling to keep her magical business going. She accepts a job where she is to use her magic to find friendly spirits who would be willing to haunt her best friend’s bed and breakfast. Along the way, she ends up falling for her bestie’s non-magical business partner. In addition to the romance, which I was totally into, this story is also filled with themes of grief, healing, and found family. The perfect cozy, magic, sapphic romance for spooky season! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

BONFIRE & BLISS BOOKSTORE by Brittanee Nicole (Pub Date 8/11/26) - Penny and Monty were high school besties. Now, Penny owns a bookshop and Monty is a thriller author.  Penny is off romance at the moment, but would love to get the meddling matchmakers in their town to leave her alone for a while. Monty is struggling to write because he needs to write romantic suspense and he’s no good at it. Penny and Monty strike up a deal - Monty will pretend to be Penny’s boyfriend through the town’s Maple Festival, and Penny will help Monty add the perfect romantic subplot to his book.  Fake dating, bookish elements, small town romance, and all of the cozy fall vibes make this a delightful read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A WITCH IN NOTTING HILL by Alexandra Paige (Pub Date 8/11/26) - Willow is an actress who also happens to be a witch, a witch who loses control of her magic everytime there’s romance involved.  When she accidentally turns her manager into a cat, Willow heads to a London occult bookshop in search of a cure. There she finds a sexy, grumpy bookshop owner who agrees to help her.  A chaotic magical adventure ensues, as does a slow burn romance. This was such a fun read, filled with hilarious banter, so much chemistry, and found family vibes. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

❓QOTD - What’s a book you’re hoping to read before the end of the month?
🥳 MESSY MONDAY - BIRTHDAY BOOK HAUL 🥳 Happy Monda 🥳 MESSY MONDAY - BIRTHDAY BOOK HAUL 🥳

Happy Monday, book friends! I hope you all had a great weekend and that this week is off to a good start.  I had a really nice weekend, celebrating my birthday with a second book haul after receiving some giftcards.  I ended up with a few new additions, with a lot of my focus on starting to build my holiday romance TBR. 

BOOKS FEATURED:

Christmas Staycation by Meghan Quinn 
Now That We Don’t Talk by Rachel Pologe
The Christmas Competition by Zoe Allison
Goode Tidings by Jennifer Millikin
Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult
The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff
The Mash Up by Laura Marie Meyers
An Infinite Love Story By Chanel Cleeton

❓QOTD - How was your weekend? Have you read any of these? Which one should I read first?
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