Book Review: Magic Uncorked

📚 ARC Book Review: Magic Uncorked

Annabel Chase

🗓️ Publication Date: January 21, 2026

📚 My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

📚 My Review: I adored this! It felt like a little ray of sunshine with humor, heart, and just the right touch of magic. The pacing was great, the writing was easy and enjoyable, and I flew through it!

I don’t tend to read a lot of paranormal books, but this was the perfect balance — light, charming, and seamlessly woven into the story. The characters were fun and easy to root for, and the overall vibe was positive and uplifting, even as it explores midlife chaos, fresh starts, and unexpected second chances. A cozy, feel-good read with a magical twist!

Thank you to Storm Publishing via netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

📚Goodreads Synopsis: Witches are created, not born.

The only magic word Libbie Stark seems to know these days is ‘ibuprofen’ thanks to a headache-inducing job, two teenagers, one ex-husband, and a deadbeat boyfriend—until the death of a friend brings unexpected consequences. Libbie and the other members of her weekly cocktail club are shocked to discover that their eccentric friend was a witch and that they are the recipients of her magical assets.

Libbie would’ve preferred to inherit an island beach house, especially when her life starts to unravel. With the help of the other Dread Pirate Witches and a handsome lawyer with a head of hair that Fabio would envy, Libbie strives to understand her gift and dig herself out of the hole she’s created, one cocktail at a time. The more her life changes, however, the more Libbie realizes that maybe the end of midlife as she knows it is exactly what she needs.

Book Review: The Good Mothers

📚 Book Review: The Good Mothers

Caitlin Weaver

🗓️ Publication Date: January 15, 2026

➡️ For Goodreads Synopsis 

📚 My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚 My Review: A page turner that kept me invested from start to finish! I really love the author’s writing style. It's engaging, a little edgy, and the twists weave in without feeling over the top. I’ll admit that I struggled a bit with how easily Lacey trusted Regina (especially with a child to look out for), but maybe that’s the point: that desperation can blur lines you never thought you’d cross.

The found-family dynamic pulled me in and the morally gray areas made everything so much messier! This was a thought-provoking, tense, and ultimately very human read that fans of domestic thrillers will enjoy!

Thank you to Storm Publishing & Netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

📚Goodreads Synopsis: With an eight-year-old son struggling with ADHD and nowhere else to turn, soon-to-be-divorced mom Lacey answers a life-saving “Seeking responsible single mom to join our household. Motherhood can be lonely and we support each other!”

When she arrives at Wildwood Lane she finds a ramshackle house with a welcoming bright yellow door and a wraparound porch with its cozy couch and scattered toys. And inside, three mothers who have forged their own rules for survival.

As Lacey battles her conspiracy-theorist ex-husband for custody while juggling a new, make-or-break job, she discovers these women offer more than shared childcare, communal dinners and late nights bonding over wine after the kids’ bedtime. They're building something a chosen family where women don’t just survive—they thrive.

But when her enigmatic housemate comes up with a risky plan which could secure her financially and protect her son’s future, she faces an impossible choice: How far will she go to protect the family she’s found?

Book Review: The Storm

📚 Book Review: The Storm

Rachel Hawkins

🗓️ Publication Date: January 6, 2025

📚 My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

📚 My Review: This was my first read from this author and it definitely won’t be my last. I loved the writing style and how the story was told through multiple POVs and timelines. Lo, Geneva, Edie and August were such compelling characters with perspectives that kept me questioning everyone’s motives. The tension between past and present was so well done, and the final 10% became unputdownable! So many secrets and so many motives, this was a slow-burn build with a payoff that absolutely delivered!

Thank you to St. Martins Press via Netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

📚Goodreads Synopsis: St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama is famous for three things: the deadly hurricanes that regularly sweep into town, the Rosalie Inn, a century-old hotel that’s survived every one of those storms, and Lo Bailey, the local girl infamously accused of the murder of her lover, political scion Landon Fitzroy, during Hurricane Marie in 1984.

When Geneva Corliss, the current owner of the Rosalie Inn, hears a writer is coming to town to research the crime that put St. Medard’s Bay on the map, she’s less interested in solving a whodunnit than in how a successful true crime book might help the struggling inn’s bottom line. But to her surprise, August Fletcher doesn’t come to St. Medard’s Bay alone. With him is none other than Lo Bailey herself. Lo says she’s returned to her hometown to clear her name once and for all, but the closer Geneva gets to both Lo and August, the more she wonders if Lo is actually back to settle old scores.

As the summer heats up and another monster storm begins twisting its way towards St. Medard’s Bay, Geneva learns that some people can be just as destructive—and as deadly—as any hurricane, and that the truth of what happened to Landon Fitzroy may not be the only secret Lo is keeping…

Book Review: The Last Witness

📚 ⭐ ARC Book Review: The Last Witness

Natasha Boydell

🗓️ Publication Date: January 6, 2026

📚 My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚 My Review: I really enjoyed this one! Ellie felt very relatable. She was anxious, second-guessing herself, trying to keep it together while everything felt just a little off. If you’ve ever replayed a moment in your head wondering if you remembered it right, her fear will hit close to home. I loved the emotional depth, with the complicated friendships between Ellie, Samantha and Amelia adding an extra layer of tension to the story.

The writing relied more on quiet, unsettling moments than constant twists, and it worked! There was a small dip for me in the middle, but the moody atmosphere and creeping unease kept pulling me back in. A solid, engaging thriller that will definitely leave you unsettled.

Thank you to Boldwood Books via netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

📚Goodreads Synopsis: Ellie can’t stop having nightmares. It’s been the same ever since she saw the car accident, where a man lost his life.

Awaiting the trial of the dangerous driver, where she’s the primary witness, she finds herself befriending Samantha, the widow of the man who died. And – as their children also become friends – their lives become intrinsically entangled.

But then Ellie starts thinking she’s being followed. She wants to believe it’s paranoia. But then she receives a note – written in red ink, like blood – it says just one word ‘LIAR’…

Book Review: The Forget-Me-Not Library

📚 Book Review: The Forget-Me-Not Library

Heather Webber

🗓️ Publication Date: November 4, 2025 - Out Now!

📚 My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚 My Review: This book felt like a little burst of hope. Juliet and Tallulah meet at exactly the right time, and I loved how their unexpected connection helped each of them find what they’d been missing. The Forget-Me-Not Library is cozy and charming, and the small-town vibe made the whole story feel extra comforting. 

If you enjoy stories about second chances, new beginnings, and fate stepping in at just the right time, this one will leave you smiling!

Thank you to St. Martins Press via Netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

📚Goodreads Synopsis: A detour. A chance encounter. Two women who alter the pages of each other’s story.

Juliet Nightingale is lucky to be alive. Months after a freak accident involving lightning, she’s fully recovered but is left feeling that something is missing from her life. Something big. Impulsively, she decides to take a solo summer road trip, hoping that the journey will lead her down a path that will help her discover exactly what it is that she’s searching for.

Newly single mom Tallulah Byrd Mayfield is hanging by a thread after her neat, tidy world was completely undone when her husband decided that their marriage was over. In the aftermath of the breakup, she and her two daughters move in with her eighty-year-old grandfather. Tallulah starts a new job at the Forget-Me-Not Library, where old, treasured memories can be found within the books—and where Lu must learn to adapt to the many changes thrown her way.

When a road detour leads Juliet to Forget-Me-Not, Alabama, and straight into Tallulah’s life, the two women soon discover there’s magic in between the pages of where you’ve been and where you still need to go. And that happiness, even when lost, can always be found again.

Book Review: The Wasp Trap

📚 Book Review: The Wasp Trap

Mark Edwards

🗓️ Publication Date: September 16, 2025 - Out Now!

📚My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚 My Review: Wow! This book hooked me right from the start! The mix of past-and-present chapters kept me curious about how all their shared history tied into the craziness that was unfolding. I enjoyed the dynamics between the friends, especially how every secret added another layer to the bigger mystery. A couple of the reveals landed better than others, but the overall ride was fun, twisty, and fast-paced.

If you enjoy locked-room vibes, messy friendships, and a plot that goes a little wild.. Add this one to your list!!

Thank you to Atria via netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

📚Goodreads Synopsis: Six friends reunite in London to celebrate the life of their recently deceased ex-employer, a professor that brought them together in 1999 to help build a dating website based on psychological testing.

But what is meant to be a night of bittersweet nostalgia soon becomes a twisted and deadly game when the old friends find themselves held at gunpoint. They are given an ultimatum: reveal their darkest secrets to the group or pick each other off one-by-one.

It soon becomes clear that their current predicament is related to their shared past. The love questionnaire they helped develop in 1999 for the dating site was also turned into a tool for weeding out The Wasp Trap. This and the other tragic events of that summer long ago may help reveal the truth behind a killer hiding in plain sight.

Book Review: The Opportunist

📚⭐ ARC Book Review: The Opportunist

Tarryn Fisher

🗓️ Publication Date (re-release): December 16, 2025

📚 My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

📚 My Review: This book pulled me in from the very first page. Olivia’s messy, complicated choices kept me turning pages just to see how far she’d go. She’s a perfectly flawed main character... frustrating, fascinating, and impossible to ignore. The way everything unraveled at the end was intense, but in the best way!

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA via netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

📚Goodreads Synopsis: Olivia Kaspen has just discovered that her ex-boyfriend, Caleb Drake, has lost his memory. With an already lousy reputation for taking advantage of situations, Olivia must decide how far she is willing to go to get Caleb back. Wrestling to keep her true identity and their sordid past under wraps, Olivia’s greatest obstacle is Caleb’s wicked, new girlfriend; Leah Smith. It is a race to the finish as these two vipers engage in a vicious tug of war to possess a man who no longer remembers them. But, soon enough Olivia must face the consequences of her lies, and in the process discover that sometimes love falls short of redemption.

Book Review: It Should have Been You

📚 Book Review: It Should have Been You 

Andrea Mara

🗓️ Publication Date: December 16, 2025

📚 My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

📚 My Review: This book pulled me in from the very first mistake (have we all not sent something to the wrong person/group before? 🫣) The twists were clever, the tension was constant, and the cliffhangers at the end of so many chapters kept me wanting more. I was fully wrapped up in the neighbourhood drama and the growing sense that things were spiraling WAY beyond control... It was twisty, fast-paced, and addictive!

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada (Adult) | @Doubleday Canada via @netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

📚Goodreads Synopsis: Your neighbors have secrets. How far would they go to keep them?

You press send and your message disappears. Full of secrets about your neighbors, it’s meant for your sister. But it doesn’t reach her – it goes to the entire local community WhatsApp group instead.

As rumor spreads like wildfire through the picture-perfect neighborhood, you convince yourself that people will move on, that this will quickly be forgotten. But then you receive the first death threat.

The next day, a woman has been murdered. And what’s even more chilling is that she had the same address as you – 26 Oakpark – but in a different part of town. Did the killer get the wrong house? It won’t be long before you find out…

Book Review: The Weekend Crashers

📚 Book Review: The Weekend Crashers 

Jamie Brenner

🗓️ Publication Date: November 4, 2025

📚 My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

📚 My Review: This book was such a cozy, heartfelt surprise! I loved how it blended humor, family drama, and second chances. While I haven't picked up knitting needles for a bit, I adore the craft and this setting was chef's kiss! Maggie and Piper’s relationship felt so authentic, full of love, frustration, and forgiveness. And the unexpected bachelor party twist? Super cute! It’s a perfect read for anyone who enjoys a mix of warmth and wit, with some added emotional depth.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing | Park Row via netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

📚Goodreads Synopsis: A knitting retreat gets knotty in this humorous and poignant novel about love, second chances, and the unyielding bonds between mothers and daughters.

Maggie Hodges and her daughter Piper are looking forward to a restful knitting retreat in the picturesque village of New Hope, Pennsylvania. But instead, they are surprised to find themselves sharing their charming riverside inn with a rowdy bushcraft bachelor party. Undaunted by the clash of interests and personalities, Maggie suggests a lighthearted competition—a battle of crafts—that sparks a rivalry between the two groups, and perhaps something more. But as the weekend unfolds, old mistakes and buried resentments begin to surface, threatening to destroy Maggie and Piper’s cherished connection.

In knitting, one can easily fix mistakes by picking apart each stitch and starting anew. But life’s tangles aren’t so easily mended. With tensions rising and the retreat coming to a close, Maggie must act quickly before she loses everything she holds dear. Can she repair what’s been broken before everything unravels?

Book Review: The Perfect Hosts

📚 ARC Book Review: The Perfect Hosts

Heather Gudenkauf

🗓️ Publication Date: November 4, 2025

📚 My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚 My Review: This slow-burn, twisty read was packed with secrets and drama! The author’s gift for building tension shines once again.. I really enjoy her writing! The explosive gender reveal premise hooked me from the start (so over the top!) and the ending delivered some great surprises. Another solid read from a favourite author!

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing |  Park Row via netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

📚Goodreads Synopsis: Is it a boy or a girl? They would die to know…

Madeline and Wes Drake have invited two hundred of their closest friends and family to their sprawling horse ranch for the most anticipated event of the year: a “pistols and pearls” gender reveal party so sensational it is sure to make headlines. But the party descends into chaos when the celebratory explosive misfires, leaving one woman dead and a trail of secrets.

As the aftershocks of the bloody party ripple across the small town, Agent Jamie Saldano is brought on the scene to investigate. Battling his own demons from the past, Saldano unearths a web of deceit spun around the Drakes. The appearance of some unexpected houseguests only deepens the mystery. And as tensions mount, it becomes clear that the explosion wasn’t just an unlucky accident. But who was the target, and why? As the shadow of a killer looms, the happy parents-to-be must unravel the truth before it’s too late.

Book Review: Big Nick Energy

📚 Book Review: Big Nick Energy

Kristen Bailey

🗓️ Publication Date: October 21, 2025

📚 My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚 My Review: Kristen Bailey’s holiday novels never miss! She’s truly a queen of cozy chaos and Christmassy charm! I loved the triangle of Kay juggling two Nicks with each having their moments and Kay working through her own journey of self discovery. I ADORED the IT gang cameo, and all in all, the story was just as cozy as it was hilarious. Her writing style is full of warmth and wit, and her Christmas books always put me right in the holiday spirit. A fun, feel-good read (even if we've got a couple months before the tree goes up!)

Thank you to Storm Publishing via netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

📚Goodreads Synopsis: One woman, two Nicks, and a Christmas season that’s about to get very complicated.

When librarian Kay bumps into her ex-boyfriend Nick at a Christmas market, she thinks fate is finally giving her a second chance with her first big love. But then she gets spectacularly tangled in a Christmas tree-netting machine and meets another Nick entirely. One who cuts her free, dresses her wounds, and makes her pulse race in ways that thoroughly confuse her.

Finance Nick is successful, settled, and ready to talk five-year plans. Farmer Nick makes handcrafted furniture, supports local charities, and sees the creative spirit Kay has kept hidden behind her library desk. But how is a girl to choose?

Soon she’s spending her days delivering books to children’s hospitals and care homes with farmer Nick, before dashing home to whip off her reindeer onesie and glam up for romantic dates at the ballet with finance Nick.

But the countdown to Christmas is on, and Kay can’t keep this up forever. Somehow she must navigate London’s most complicated love triangle, avoid getting any more pine needles stuck in her hair – and work out once and for all which Nick has her heart.

All the Things we Never Knew

📚 Book Review: All the Things we Never Knew

Sophie Ranald

🗓️ Publication Date: October 3, 2025

📚 My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚 My Review: A heartfelt story of grief, betrayal, and unexpected connections. The story wove the pain of loss, while revealing difficult truths within the family with honesty and care. I enjoyed the writing style and while the pace was often full of heavy emotions, it mixed heartbreak and hope in a way that stays with you. A moving and thoughtful read! If you love family drama, this one's for you!

Thank you to Storm Publishing via Netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

📚Goodreads Synopsis: A marriage built on secrets. A family torn apart. A love that could heal them all.

When Anna Graham finds diamond earrings in her husband’s drawer the day before Valentine’s Day, she knows they’re not for her – her ears aren’t even pierced. Gray is having an affair – but before she can confront him about his betrayal, he receives a terminal cancer diagnosis that shatters their family.

As Gray lies dying in their Damask Square home, Anna meets Laurel – the nurse who stole her husband’s heart. Despite her rage, Anna finds herself sharing Gray’s final days with this other woman, both desperate to ease his suffering while drowning in their own grief.

But hidden in their loft, Anna discovers traces of a stranger – a boy who was a gifted pianist, who had a different life before he became her husband. As she struggles to hold herself together for her teenage children, Anna realises everything she believed about Gray was built on carefully constructed lies.

Can two women who loved the same man find a way to heal – and help each other discover who Gray really was?

Book Review: Love Walked In

📚 Book Review: Love Walked In

Sarah Chamberlain

🗓️ Publication Date: Sept 2, 2025

📚 My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚 My Review: This was a cozy, bookish romance with all the makings of a well done opposites-attract story. I enjoyed the grumpy/sunshine dynamic, especially with the witty banter and the slow-burn shift from tension to affection. I loved the behind-the-scenes look at bringing the old bookshop back to life and felt that the added family elements gave the story extra heart and depth. A charming, feel-good read perfect for anyone who loves books, romance, and second chances!

Thank you to St Martin's Press | Griffin via netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

📚Goodreads Synopsis: He has a struggling bookshop. She has a knack for bringing bookstores back to life. As soon as she walks into his store, all bets are off… 

Mari Cole’s whole life is her dream rescuing and revitalizing indie bookstores. Friendship? Love? No thanks. After a hard childhood, she doesn’t want to get too close to anyone. Besides, books have never let Mari down the way people have.Then she gets the offer of a rescuing Ross & Co. Once the most prestigious independent booksellers in London, the store is a shadow of its former self and needs an expert outsider to turn things around. But the offer turns out to be a double-edged Leo Ross, the store's new owner, is as cold and hostile as the British winter.

For as long as he can remember, Leo Ross has known his future is becoming the next generation to run Ross and Co. He’s sacrificed almost everything he cares about, but the bookshop is still failing on his watch, and now there's an obnoxiously cheerful American woman convinced that she's going to magically make everything better. Leo’s life is difficult and messy enough as it is, and he doesn’t want her help.

When Mari and Leo are forced to work closely together to bring the store back to life, Leo's icy surface thaws to reveal the passionate man underneath. As the cold winter gives way to the possibility of new beginnings, Mari begins to see that true love could be even better in real life than in the pages of a book. Can they put their pasts aside and learn to let love in?

Book Review: Snowflakes over Starr's Fall

📚 Book Review: Snowflakes over Starr's Fall 

Kate Hewitt

🗓️ Publication Date: August17, 2025

📚 My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚 My Review: I adore Starr's Fall! This is a cozy small-town romance with just the right touch of holiday magic. I really enjoy the author’s warm, engaging writing style—it made the snowy Starr’s Fall setting sparkle on the page! Jenna and Jack’s opposites-attract banter was fun to watch unfold, and though it's still summer here, the cozy winter wonderland brought such a festive charm to the story. A sweet, heartwarming read that feels like a cup of cocoa by the fire!

Thank you to Boldwood Books via netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

📚Goodreads Synopsis: Jenna has lived in Starr’s Fall for most of her life, and has run the general store for over ten years. Secretly she might dream of love and romance, but she’s happy as she is. Really.

That is, until Starr’s Fall’s newest resident—ex-New Yorker, millionaire investment banker—Jack Wexler breezes into Jenna’s store, seemingly furious they don’t stock smoked salmon. Jenna is as amused as she is annoyed. Who is this ridiculous guy, and doesn’t he realize he’s not in Manhattan anymore?

Jack meanwhile can’t believe he lost it in public. But ever since being forced to leave his high-flying career to focus on his health, he’s not been himself. What’s more, the last person he’d expected to be attracted to is the shrew of a storekeeper he’s just encountered… which he might have called Jenna, in a moment of temper…

Neither of Jenna or Jack’s ideal of romance includes these sorts of furious sparks flying. But when they’re both roped in to organizing the town’s Winter Wonderland parade, they’re forced to work together. And as Christmas approaches – will two opposites merely attract? Or, in magical Starr’s Fall, could they fall in love for keeps?

Book Review: what She Left Behind

📚 Book Review: What She Left Behind

Brianne Sommerville

🗓️ Publication Date: August 12, 2025 - Out Now!

📚 My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚 My Review: This was the first book I’ve read by this author, and I really enjoyed their writing style. The pacing kept me engaged, and I especially liked the unique diary entry format which gave the story a fresh, layered feel. I also had fun recognizing some of the city references that were woven into the narrative, which made the setting feel more real. I enjoyed the mystery itself, and the character dynamics kept me turning the pages. A solid, compelling read that makes me curious to check out her first book! Add this one to your list if you like slow burn mysteries!

Thank you to Rising Action Publishing via netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

📚Goodreads Synopsis: In a home where the past lives on, can the truth ever really be buried?

Recently fired and adrift, Charlotte Boyd agrees to oversee renovations on her parents’ small-town summer home that holds a tragic past. After discovering an enthralling diary hidden amidst junk the previous owners left behind, Charlotte connects with the author—a troubled teen named Lark Peters who died by suicide at the house sixteen years ago. 

When an unsettling incident forces Charlotte to seek refuge at the local pub, regulars, including the police, warn her of Lark’s older brother, Darryl, who has become a recluse since Lark’s death, and may know more than he’s letting on. But Charlotte sees a side of Darryl others don’t, being an outsider herself. 

In a search to uncover the truth, Charlotte must question those closest to Lark and reconcile her own past trauma. Because if Lark was actually murdered, then whoever is responsible might be lurking in Charlotte’s own backyard.

Book Review: Who We Used to Be

📚 Book Review: Who we Used to Be

Caitlin Weaver

🗓️ Publication Date: July 29, 2025

📚 My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

📚 My Review: This is a novel exploring grief, friendship, and learning to take back control of your life. Dana’s journey, from letting others lead to finding her own strength, is honest and compelling. Her friendship with Padma is the heart of the story: deep, messy, and deeply human. Watching it crack under pressure was heartbreaking but so believable and real.

Ian and Meave’s paths to self-discovery added another interesting layer to the story. The pacing is just right, and the writing style drew me in from the very first page. A thoughtful, emotional read that stays with you.

Thank you to Storm Publishing via netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

📚Goodreads Synopsis: Dana Blair has spent her life letting others take the wheel, from her relationship with her husband to her business. Now, with her marriage unraveling, her son in crisis and her career on the verge of collapse, Dana is left wondering whether she ever really had control of anything at all.

Padma Paulsen is the a brilliant, fiercely driven ER doctor who’s given her all to her career. Her friendship with Dana has been the one constant in her high-pressure life.

But then a tragedy on Padma’s watch leaves Dana’s daughter in critical condition and their bond in tatters.

As Dana fights for justice for her daughter, grief turns to blame. Soon she’s forced to make a decision that could either save her family or destroy the most important friendship of her life.

Book Review: Greenwich

📚 Book Review: Greenwich

Kate Broad

🗓️ Publication Date: July 22, 2025 - OUT NOW!

📚 My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚 My Review: This book pulled me in with its moody summer setting and plot full of tension, emotion, and quiet drama. I found the writing to be really vivid, and I liked how the author captured the confusion of growing up and the thrill (and danger) of first love. The characters felt real, with secrets simmering just beneath the surface, and the stakes slowly building until everything came to a head! It was a gripping, emotional read about loyalty, truth, and the moment everything changes.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press via netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

📚 Goodreads Synopsis: Summer, 1999. Rachel Fiske is almost eighteen when she arrives at her aunt and uncle’s mansion in Greenwich, Connecticut. Her glamorous aunt is struggling to heal from an injury, and Rachel wants to help—and escape her own troubles back home. But her aunt is oddly spacey and her uncle is consumed with business, and Rachel feels lonely and adrift, excluded from the world of adults and their secrets. The only bright spot is Claudia, a recent college graduate, aspiring artist, and the live-in babysitter for Rachel’s cousin. As summer deepens, Rachel eagerly hopes their friendship might grow into more.

But when a tragic accident occurs, the family turns on Claudia in a desperate bid to salvage their reputation. Caught between her upbringing and her feelings for Claudia, her desire to do the right thing and to protect her future, Rachel must make a pivotal choice. She’s the only one who knows what really happened—and her decision has consequences far beyond what she could have predicted.

Book Review: Hot to Go

📚 Book Review: Hot to Go

Kristen Bailey

🗓️ Publication Date: July 18, 2025

📚 My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

📚 My Review: This was such a fun read with the perfect mix of sunshine, and slow-burn romance. I loved the witty banter, the awkward (but hilarious) school moments, and the undeniable chemistry between Suzie and "not-Carlos". The writing had an easy, breezy flow that made it impossible to put down. If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if your vacation fling followed you home and then sat next to you in a staff meeting... this book is for you! A perfect escape with just the right amount of spice and swoon.

Thank you to Storm Publishing via netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

📚 Goodreads Synopsis: The vacation ended. The heat didn’t…

Meet Suzie French teacher, newly single, newly heartbroken. After an awful break-up, she heads to Mallorca for a much-needed holiday with her cousins, expecting sun, sangria, and siestas.

She isn’t expecting to fall in love – especially not with the handsome Spaniard who rescues her when she gets separated from her group during an ill-judged midnight skinny dip.

But what starts as a steamy holiday romance built on white lies and mistaken identities turns into something more complicated when “Carlos” shows up at the school she works at.

Except his name isn’t Carlos. It’s Charlie Carter, and he’s the new Spanish teacher.

Now they’re stuck in department meetings pretending they haven’t seen each other naked, both feeling thoroughly duped, both wondering if that hot holiday fling can exist in real life? But when they’re thrown together again on a school trip to Seville, the heat between them proves impossible to resist

Book Review: Haley Hope is Gone

📚 Book Review: Haley Hope is Gone

Michele Dominguez Greene

🗓️ Publication Date: July 10, 2025 - OUT NOW!

📚 My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚 My Review: This was a solid mystery with an eerie small-town setting and a dark, slow-burning plot. Emily Ray’s return to Lake Arrowhead brings emotional depth, and the tension builds nicely as she digs into a case no one wants reopened. The stakes felt real, especially with her father’s declining health adding urgency. That said, some of the twists were a bit easy to see coming, and the pacing seemed slow to me in spots. Still, the underlying mystery and themes of long-buried secrets kept me interested to the end and I'm invested enough to go back to read the first book!

Thank you to Storm Publishing via netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

📚 Goodreads Synopsis: Every small town has its secrets. Lake Arrowhead’s run bone-deep.

After closing the case that nearly destroyed her career, Special Agent Emily Ray is placed on mandatory leave and retreats to Lake Arrowhead with her father—a mountain town where she spent childhood summers. A peaceful vacation is just what she needs—until she learns about Hayley Hope, a fifteen-year-old girl found drowned in Papoose Lake. When Emily meets Hayley’s best friend Lillian Knox, the teen is convinced it was murder.

The local sheriff’s department dismissed it as a tragic drowning, case closed. But when threatening messages appear, she begins to unravel the small community’s web of silence and complicity. As Emily investigates—despite explicit orders not to—she uncovers a web of corruption. Young girls have been disappearing for years—vulnerable teens whose voices were silenced.

With only Lillian’s testimony and scattered clues to guide her, Emily races against escalating threats. Evidence vanishes, witnesses disappear, and her father’s deteriorating health puts him at risk as shadowy figures close in. Emily must uncover the dark truth behind Hayley’s death before another girl disappears.

Book Review: Party of Liars

📚 Book Review: Party of Liars

Kelsey Cox

🗓️ Publication Date: July 1, 2025 

📚 My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚 My Review: A glitzy fast-paced spin on the classic locked-room mystery. A Sweet Sixteen in a possibly haunted Texas mansion? YES, please! I loved how secrets unraveled and the motives surfaced. I also really enjoyed the multiple POV twisty writing style and oh! So much drama! This is perfect for fans of juicy whodunnits with a dark, glamorous edge.

Thank you to Minotaur Books via netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

📚 Goodreads Synopsis: A lavish, Texas-sized Sweet Sixteen turns deadly in this twisty, pulse-pounding new novel — serving up a fresh take on a classic locked-room whodunnit. Let the festivities begin…

Today is Sophie Matthews’s sixteenth birthday party, an exclusive black-tie bash in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, where secrets are as deep-rooted as the sprawling live oaks. Sophie’s dad has spared no expense, and his renovated cliffside mansion—once thought haunted—is now hosting the event of the season. Then, just before the candles on the three-tiered red velvet cake are blown out, a body falls from the balcony onto the starlit dance floor below.

It’s a killer guest list . . .

DANI: Sophie’s new stepmother who’s been plagued by self-doubt ever since the birth of her own baby girl

ÓRLAITH: the superstitious Irish nanny who senses a looming danger in this cavernous house

MIKAYLA: the birthday girl’s best friend who is not nearly as meek as the popular kids assume

KIM: the cunning ex-wife who has a grudge she can’t let go of . . .

Everyone is invited in. Not everyone will get out alive.