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?