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.

Book Review: Sunny Side Up

📚 Book Review: Sunny Side Up

Kate Sturino

🗓️ Publication Date: June 24, 2025

📚 My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚 My Review: Sunny Greene is bold and funny and I loved how she figured it all out one awkward date and body-positive pep talk at a time. I loved the writing style and how it made me laugh, cringe (in a good way), and root for her through it all. Between the ex reappearances, mailman flirtations, and business pitch drama, it was full of heart and sass. I'd say this is for anyone who is looking for a heartwarming self-love ride that shows that reinvention can be messy, but also empowering!

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

📚 Goodreads Synopsis: Sunny Greene is thirty-five, recently divorced, facing the looming prospect of going solo to her little brother’s wedding, and currently trying to find anything plus-sized in the Bergdorf Goodman swimsuit department that doesn’t make her want to cry. It’s not going well. But isn’t rock bottom the perfect place to start a climb? 

She decides it’s now or never. Sunny has her PR empire, her gorgeous Chelsea apartment, her two dogs, and her loyal best friends. Maybe it's time to just love her body and accept herself for who she is. With a new commitment to confidence, her journey begins. Who says a plus-sized divorcee can’t put herself first, feel beautiful, and date up a storm?

Of course things are never straightforward in the dating world. Is fate knocking at her door with Dennis, the charming and down-to-earth mailman, or should she be with Ted, the business tycoon who seems ready to make her size-inclusive swimsuit brand a reality? And what should she do about her ex, who shows up unexpectedly, eager to reconnect?

With the same candor and confidence her followers love, Sturino brings us Sunny Greene, a Carrie Bradshaw for the next generation, and her journey through the trials and triumphs of dating, friendship, and finding yourself.

Book Review: The Widow's Husband

📚 Book Review: The Widow's Husband 

Natasha Boydell

🗓️ Publication Date: June 18, 2025

📚 My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📚 My Review: Creepy, twisty, and completely addictive! I was suspicious of everyone

 At some point! Friends, neighbors, strangers, even Maggie’s husband being alive and I still didn’t see the ending coming. The romance plot with Gary added an interesting layer to all the tension and the slow unraveling of her world had me holding my breath. A chilling, gripping read that’ll leave you questioning everything!

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

📚 Goodreads Synopsis: Maggie has started venturing out of her house at last. Years of being held as a virtual prisoner by her controlling husband, Frank, she’s now free. She’s just taking little walks in the village, braving smiling at strangers, feeling delighted when they smile back.

Then, on one of her walks, she finds herself drawn to a poster in the window of the local pub, advertising an evening with a psychic. Maggie doesn’t believe in the supernatural, but decides it is the perfect place to finally meet some friends.

But the psychic has news for Maggie. She tells her that Frank is back. And that he’s got a message for her… And when strange things begin happening, Maggie can’t help but wonder – does someone have it in for her? Or could Frank have found a way to come back for her?

Book Review: Everything's Coming up Rosie

📚 Book Review: Everything's Coming up Rosie

Courtney Walsh

🗓️ Publication Date: June 10, 2025

📚 My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

📚 My Review: A heartwarming and cozy read! Exactly what I love about Courtney Walsh's writing. Rosie’s journey was full of charm, humor, and unexpected lessons and I have to say that the quirky cast of seniors added so much fun! I enjoyed watching Dylan's story unfold and the sweet romance with Booker. The story reminds us that dreams can change—and that’s okay! This was a sweet, feel-good read with plenty of heart! Add it to your summer list!

Thank you to @Thomas Nelson Fiction via @netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

📚 Goodreads Synopsis: Sometimes what you think you want and what you actually want turn out to be different things . . .

Rosie Waterman has one to become a working actor. But lately, that hasn't been working out. When she loses her apartment and her job on the same day, she does what she always does--puts herself out there, ready to find the next big thing. But a trip home makes her realize that while she's been struggling to make this dream come true, all her friends have become real adults with careers and weddings and babies on the way. Rosie's been at this for years, and she has nothing to show for it. But how does she simply let go of her dream?

When she's offered a job as the director of a regional theatre's production of Cinderella, she jumps at the chance--even though she's only directed in college and the job is in Door County, Wisconsin, and not in New York. She has no other offers, and at least she'll be getting paid to do something theatrical. But when she arrives, she quickly realizes that the "regional theatre" is actually in a retirement community, and the "actors" are actually senior citizens with no acting experience whatsoever.

Working on the show presents new challenges, forcing Rosie to learn how to step up and be the leader this fledgling theatre troupe needs. The more time she spends with her new cast, the more she begins to rethink what it means to dream big, especially when that big dream hasn't turned out to be at all what she thought it would be. It's not at all what she expected, but could it be exactly what she needs?

Book Review: Meant For Now

📚 Book Review: Meant For Now

Allison Speka

🗓️ Publication Date: May 29, 2025

📚 My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

📚 My Review: This was pure delight from beginning to end. The writing is effortlessly engaging, and the characters felt wonderfully relatable and real!

While it's definitely a sweet romance.. it’s also a story about growth, about letting go, and about finding joy in the unexpected. I loved the chemistry and the banter between Frankie and Oliver and it was a great reminder that sometimes life’s best moments arrive when you least expect them. An absolute must-read!

Thank you to Allison Speka for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

📚 Goodreads Synopsis: For the first time, Frankie has found her carefully crafted life veering way off course. Career-driven, ambitious, motivated—these were the pillars she had built her entire identity around. Now, fresh off a layoff, she’s struggling to figure out what’s next for her.

Then, on a chance encounter one evening, she meets Oliver. He’s charming and attractive, but as soon as he opens his mouth, Frankie realizes the two could not be more different. He’s an impulsive daredevil, a true free spirit—not her type in the slightest.

But as fate would have it, the two have found themselves in the same small town for the time being. With her desperate to find her next plan, and Oliver completely planless, the two strike up a deal. Oliver is determined to show Frankie a good time, while she’s hoping she can fracture this carefree front he puts on.

As the two try to find cracks in each other’s beliefs, unexpected feelings begin to surface. Pretty soon, neither can deny the pull between them.

Even though everything about them isn’t meant to be, maybe they’re meant for now…

Book Review: All Our Missing Pieces

📚 Book Review: All Our Missing Pieces

Sophie Ranald

🗓️ Publication Date: May 29, 2025 

📚 My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

📚 My Review: I enjoyed parts of this book, but overall, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. With multiple points of view, I often found it difficult to keep track of who was speaking—I think having character names at the beginning of each chapter would have helped. I also felt like we didn’t get the full story for each character, which left things feeling a bit unfinished. It’s not a bad book by any means, maybe just not the right fit for me.

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

📚 Goodreads Synopsis: When Orla Clifford inherits her grandmother’s crumbling Georgian house on Damask Square, she sees a chance to rebuild her life while restoring its faded grandeur. But beneath its peeling wallpaper and weathered floors, the house holds more than just memories.

To make ends meet, she takes in Luke, a handyman with artistic dreams; compassionate Livvie; and Beatrice – young, privileged and haunted by the question of her own past.

As Orla pours her heart into her morning journal, Beatrice searches through the house’s hidden corners, coming dangerously close to uncovering what Orla has spent decades concealing. What will happen when the secret Orla has carried for twenty years finally comes to light? Will it destroy the fragile bonds forming beneath this roof – or become the missing piece they’ve all been searching for?