Review: The Name Game by Beth O'Leary

 

The Name Game by Beth O'Leary

Publication Date: April 7th 2026 by Berkley

Pages: 384

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Charlie Jones arrives on the remote island of Ormer ready for a fresh start as the new farm store manager. The island is exactly what she needs: quiet, beautiful, and far removed from the life she’s trying to leave behind. But her reset is immediately derailed when another Charlie Jones shows up, insisting he is the one who was offered the job. A simple mix‑up… or something more suspicious?

 

Rosie Nicole, the farm’s owner, decides the only fair solution is a two‑month trial. Whichever Charlie proves to be the better fit will stay on permanently, unless they can boost profits enough to justify hiring both.

 

Both Charlies are desperate for a restart, and the story slowly unravels their pasts through emails, diary entries, and flashbacks. Their relationship begins with prickly tension, but working and living in such close quarters forces them into an uneasy truce that gradually shifts into trust, respect, and eventually a simmering attraction. It’s a slow burn, but I was hooked on every moment of it.

 

I also adored the island regulars, an odd, prickly, and unexpectedly warm group who make Ormer feel like a place you’d want to escape to yourself.

 

As for the name‑swap mystery, I had no idea where it was heading, but I could feel a twist brewing. When the truth finally dropped, I had to pause and process because it genuinely blindsided me in the best way. O’Leary ties it together so cleverly that once everything clicks, it feels both surprising and completely earned. It added a whole new emotional layer to the story, and I loved it!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

A man and a woman with the same name are looking for a fresh start only to discover they have landed the same job in this charming new romance by bestselling author Beth O’Leary.

Charlie couldn’t be happier to take the job of farm-shop manager on the remote, wild Isle of Ormer. She’s grieving, a little lost, and in desperate need of a fresh start.

Jones has come out of a difficult breakup and is looking forward to some peace away from the noise of his city life. Moving to Ormer couldn’t have come at a better time.

But when Charlie Jones and, ahem, Charlie Jones both turn up at Ormer’s one and only farm shop, claiming to have been offered the role of manager, everyone is baffled. How could this have happened? And just who is the real Charlie Jones?

Sunday Post #335

 

The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer book blog, and is a post to recap my bookish and non-bookish things from the last week. I'm also linking up to The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb Nance @Readerbuzz.

Happy Sunday!

It's raining again. It's been a busy week with review books being due! I overbooked April, so I've been scrambling to get them read. Fortunately, I've love everything I read so that helped. 

I got out for some walks with sprints of jogging. Did some strength training, too. Went to dinner with my sister and BIL last night in a little town about twenty minutes from us. We almost bought a house there when we moved. I love the area and driving through yesterday evening it was so green and pretty with lots of flowers blooming. I love where we ended up, though. 

I'm prepping for a getaway to the coast. Cleaning the house for the house sitter and packing. I'm looking forward to it! 

First roses of the season

Clematis blooming in the back yard

Spanish Broom on my walks

500 Piece Puzzle Completed: San Francisco by Puzzlefolk

Puzzle 21 of 2026

1000 Piece Puzzle Completed: Tall Sea Tale by Charles Wysocki 2006

Puzzle 22 of 2026

Read:

The Paris Match by Kate Clayborn-4.5 Stars

The Name Game by Beth O'Leary-4.5 Stars

Two Kinds of Stranger by Steve Cavanagh-4.5 Stars

Last One Out by Jane Harper-5 Stars

Once in a Blue Moon by Kristan Higgins-4 Stars

Four of my five reads above were review books. Once in a Blue Moon was not a review book, but my library lend was about to expire and it wasn't very long so I was able to fit it in. 

Received:

A Curse of Beasts and Magic by Jeaniene Frost

Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Five-Star Summer by Sarah Morgan

An Ordinary Sort of Evil by Kelley Armstrong

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Berkley, MIRA and Harlequin Audio!

How was your week?

Review: The Paris Match by Kate Clayborn

 

The Paris Match by Kate Clayborn

Publication Date: April 7th 2026 by Berkley

Pages: 464

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Layla is heading to Paris for the wedding of her ex‑husband’s younger sister, Emily, the little sister she promised to stay close to after the divorce, even if keeping that promise has been harder than she expected. Learning that her ex is bringing his new girlfriend only adds another layer of awkwardness to an already difficult trip.

 

Griffin, the groom’s best friend, just wants to see him happy after everything they’ve been through. So, when he discovers Emily has cold feet, thanks to something Layla said, he insists Layla help fix the situation.

 

The Paris Match begins with Layla and Griffin firmly at odds, but I loved how quickly they become each other’s quiet defenders. Whenever Emily or Michael’s family made things uncomfortable or painful, they stepped in for one another without hesitation. Layla’s “amicable” divorce clearly left deeper wounds than she lets on, and being around her ex and the family she lost stings. Griffin had his own issues dealing with chronic pain from injuries sustained in a tragic accident and the emotions tied up with that event. I felt for both of them.

 

Watching these two slowly come together, supporting each other, challenging each other, and softening toward each other, was genuinely moving. Even from their first prickly interaction, the chemistry was unmistakable, and I was completely swept up in their romance. Despite the messy circumstances, they still paused to soak in the magic of Paris with its beauty and history. I loved “revisiting” the city right alongside them.

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

A woman tests the limits of her so-called amicable divorce when she flies to Paris for the destination wedding of her former sister-in-law, only to butt heads with the deliciously gruff best man, in a poignant and romantic novel from Kate Clayborn.

Physician Layla Bailey has spent over a year telling herself she's moved on from a painful but amicable divorce from her college sweetheart. Staying friends with her ex seemed like the mature thing to do, but when Layla is invited to her former sister-in-law’s destination wedding in Paris—where Layla once spent her own romantic honeymoon—she knows her commitment to maturity might be her worst enemy…especially since her ex isn’t attending alone.

The only thing that could make the week more difficult is getting through it without the distraction of the wedding.... But when what Layla thought was a harmless conversation about the choices of her younger self leads to the bride getting cold feet, Layla finds herself facing down the groom’s mysterious, taciturn best man, Griffin, who will do anything to make sure this wedding happens.

Since she broke it, Griff demands she help him fix it. Going along with his plan to alleviate the engaged couple's doubts seems like Layla’s best chance at maintaining a good relationship with a family she once called her own. But as she learns more about the past heartbreak that’s driving Griff to help his friend, she gets closer and closer to confronting the true depth of her own pain…while finding herself more and more willing to risk it all again for Griff.

Audiobook Review: Last One Out by Jane Harper

 

Last One Out by Jane Harper

Publication Date: April 14th 2026 by Macmillan Audio

Pages: 326

Audio Book Length: 11hrs 38min

Narrators: Angeline Armstrong

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Carralon Ridge used to be a charming small town, where you’d come to make a life and raise a family.  Until a mining company systematically bought up the houses and land and started operations. Ro and Griffin raised their kids, Sam and Della, there and never thought they’d leave, until their son Sam disappeared.

 

Five years ago, Sam was back from college and working on making an oral history of Carralon Ridge, interviewing all the old residents. While on his way back to his parent’s home to celebrate his birthday, Sam pulled over his rental car, got out and vanished. Grief put a wedge between Ro and Griff and when Ro couldn’t take it anymore, she moved.

 

Ro is back in Carralon Ridge, five years later, for the anniversary of Sam’s disappearance, when new information surfaces. At first, Ro, Griff, and Della aren’t sure if it has any bearing on Sam’s disappearance, but they’re determined to find out. I was very invested in the outcome, both finding out what happened to Sam and in how Ro, Griff and Della's futures would play out.

 

Last One Out was reflective, with Ro able to see the mistakes she and Griff made in handling the grief. The atmosphere of the dying town with the residents divided over selling out or staying was palpable. The puzzle of what happened slowly emerged and while I didn’t find the reveals surprising, I found the whole story captivating!

 

I listened to the audio version and loved Angeline Armstrong’s performance! She gave a distinct voice to each of the characters, male and female. Her Australian accent sounded authentic and her tone, soft and calm, felt perfect for this slow burn mystery.

5 Stars

Book Description:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Exiles and The Dry comes a captivating new novel set in a modern ghost town.

Carralon Ridge, a once vibrant village in rural New South Wales, has become a shell of itself, its houses and buildings bought up and left to rot by the mining company operating at its borders. A decade into its slow death, surrounded by industrial noise and swathed in thick layers of dust, the skeletal town is all but abandoned, with just a handful of residents clinging onto what remains.

After years of scorning those who left the Ridge behind as it fell into ruin, Ro never imagined she'd become one of them. But everything changed when she lost her son. Five years ago, Sam vanished while visiting during a break from college, leaving behind a rental car with his belongings inside. Sam had loved Carralon Ridge, and had been working on an oral history of the town to preserve its legacy before it vanished altogether. It wasn't long after his disappearance that the rest of the family began to crumble away too.

But when Ro returns to Carralon Ridge to be with her husband and daughter on the anniversary of Sam's disappearance, she begins to suspect that something important was overlooked in his case. Because while nothing can stop Carralon Ridge from dying, someone seems to want to make sure that its secrets die with it.

Review: Two Kinds of Stranger by Steve Cavanagh

 

Two Kinds of Stranger (Eddie Flynn #9) by Steve Cavanagh

Publication Date: November 18th 2025 by Simon & Schuster Audio

Pages: 400

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Elly Parker, a popular influencer whose platform centers around random acts of kindness, has her life upended with one viral post. Elly doesn’t think things could get worse until she helps a random stranger in the subway and then becomes the target of a smart, twisted individual.

 

Elly reaches out to Eddy Flynn and his team to help her. This stranger is one step ahead at every turn!

 

Eddy has his own troubles when his ex-wife and daughter become the focus of a sociopathic criminal bent on revenge.

 

Two Kinds of Stranger was oh-so-good! Action packed, exciting and full of clever maneuvering! I was hooked from the very first page! I love it when well-deserved justice is served out and it was very satisfying here! Oh, that last chapter!!

 

As a side note, I had only read the prequel novella, The Cross, from this series before picking this up. It works well as a standalone. That being said, I will be reading the previous books because the writing and mysteries I’ve read so far have been excellent!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

SHE HELPED A PERFECT A STRANGER. SHE DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS THE PERFECT KILLER...

Elly Parker had everything.
Perfect husband. Perfect apartment. Perfect friends and the perfect job.
As an internet celebrity - famed for her random acts of kindness - everyone knew it.
So when a betrayal causes her to lose it all, millions of people are watching.

But even at her lowest, Elly will always help someone in need.
Which makes her the perfect target for a sadistic game.
Because as she soon learns, you can never trust a stranger - and a seemingly random encounter plunges her into a nightmare worse than she ever imagined.

The only person she can turn to is conman turned trial lawyer Eddie Flynn, who must take on a case where nothing is what it seems. With the most cruelly ingenious mind manipulating events from the shadows, everyone is in danger - including Eddie and his family.

Review: Meet Me in Italy by Brenda Novak

 

Meet Me in Italy Brenda Novak

Publication Date: April 7th 2026 by MIRA & Harlequin Audio

Pages: 400

Audio Length: 12hrs 11min

Narrator: Stina Nielsen

Source: Publisher 
Rating: ★★★★
Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

As Charlotte stares down the looming deadline for her second novel, with not a single word written when her life implodes. Her marriage to Cliff Jackson, a famous basketball star, ends abruptly when he demands she move out with no explanation. She has no idea what went wrong. Then comes another shock: Charlotte learns she has a twelve‑year‑old half‑sister, Lilly, stranded in Italy after their mother is killed in a tragic accident. As Lilly’s closest relative, Charlotte is suddenly the only person who can step in.

 

Determined to meet her sister, escape the chaos of her divorce, and hopefully find inspiration for her book, Charlotte heads to Italy. Her estranged best friend Sloane and Sloane’s brother Julian join her, offering support she didn’t realize she needed, and sparking an unexpected connection with Julian.

 

Charlotte is carrying so much heartbreak and uncertainty, but Sloane and Julian have their own wounds and reasons for needing a getaway, and I found myself caring deeply for all three of them.

 

Meet Me in Italy was an engrossing, heartwarming story, that swept me away! For Charlotte, Sloane, Julian, and young Lilly, this trip becomes a journey of healing, rediscovery, and quiet transformation with a touch of romance woven in set in against the gorgeous Italian Coast.

 

I alternated between reading and listening to the audiobook, and Stina Nielsen’s narration was wonderful. She gave each character a distinct voice and emotional depth, bringing them vividly to life and enhancing my experience.

4 Stars

Book Description:

A sun-soaked trip to the Amalfi Coast promises a fresh start—and reveals secrets never imagined in New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak’s tender new novel.

In the wake of her debut novel’s breakout success—and a very painful public divorce—Charlotte Williams-Jackson has something to prove. With her second novel overdue, she’s scrambling to hold it together. But her focus is rocked when she discovers that her childhood wasn't as it seemed—and she has a tween half-sister who's been orphaned in Italy.

Alongside her best friend, Sloane, and Sloane’s charming brother, Julian, Charlotte ventures to the Amalfi Coast to meet her sister. She would never turn her back on family, especially since this girl doesn’t have anyone else, but between her looming deadline and her entire identity being flipped upside down, it’s a lot. Determined to rebuild her life, Charlotte must confront the relationships she’s held dear—and the loss of those she thought she had but didn't—forcing her to question everything she understood about herself and the bonds that shape a family.

Review: Invasive Species by Ellery Adams

 

Invasive Species by Ellery Adams

Publication Date: April 14th 2026 by Hanover Square Press & Harlequin Audio

Pages: 327

Audio Book Length: 9hrs 31min

Narrator: Courtney Patterson

Source: Publishers

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Natalie is trying to break out of her role as suburban housewife and mother, selling real estate, but this isn’t easy in the male-dominated 80s. Her chauvinistic boss is giving her 90 days to prove herself. The listing Natalie’s given is in her own affluent neighborhood, but it unfortunately butts up to Mrs. Smith’s decaying, vine‑choked estate.

 

Beth and Elaine, Natalie’s friends, have their own issues with Mrs. Smith.

 

Mrs. Smith has been a mystery for years, never seen out of her crumbling estate with its overgrown garden, but things are about to change. Mrs. Smith is a hungry creature masquerading as a human and she needs nine human sacrifices to stay alive. Now that she’s on the hunt, no one is safe!

 

Jill, Natalie’s twelve-year-old daughter, feels the evil coming from Mrs. Smith’s lair.  Her housekeeper/babysitter, Una has suspicions about Mrs. Smith, as well, and together they try to discover her origin and motives.

 

The story unfolds through the perspectives of Natalie, Jill, Una, and Mrs. Smith herself. I was hooked by all four voices, but Jill and Una’s POVs were my favorite. I felt bad for Jill and the way her mother treated her.

 

Invasive Species was a fun, sinister tale set in the 80s which stirred up all kinds of memories for me, as I was Jill’s age during that era, and the setting felt spot-on. I rooted for all these women as they went up against the evil Mrs. Smith!

I alternately read and listened to an audio and can recommend either version. Courtney Patterson did a fantastic job performing all the characters, accents and emotions, enhancing my enjoyment of the story!

4 Stars

Book Description:

“Dark and delectable. I gobbled this book up and enjoyed every last bite.“
—Kirsten Miller, author of The Change and The Women of Wild Hill

The women in Cold Harbor all have something to prove, and they'll have to do it in a world full of monsters.
 
Something’s not right in Cold Harbor—more so than usual. While this sleepy small town has seen its fair share of monsters in cheating husbands and leering bosses, none are as hungry as Mrs. Smith. The mysterious resident has finally emerged from her crumbling mansion on the hill, mesmerizing the townspeople with her beauty. Her secret? Nine human sacrifices to feed her immortality.
 
Natalie Scott is more worried about Mrs. Smith blocking her first real estate sale—the one that will take her from stay-at-home mom to working woman extraordinaire. She's eager to prove herself in a world where the social mores of 1980s suburbia reign, where she's expected to keep a magazine-perfect home and raise beautiful children, all while sticking to her husband's budget. Natalie's two best friends are facing their own demons, and Mrs. Smith and her deep, dark woods are an easy scapegoat for everyone's problems.
 
But Natalie's twelve-year-old daughter, Jill, and her Icelandic housekeeper, Una, can sense something deeper at play. Armed with library books and a whole lot of grit, Jill and Una team up to save the town once and for all. But as the rest of Cold Harbor sinks into anger, fear, and jealousy, they’ll have to confront the What does it really mean to be a monster?