Waves of Fiction

Monday, March 2, 2026

Review: This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page

This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page

Publication Date: February 3rd 2026 by Berkley

Pages: 411

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★½

My Thoughts:

Matilda “Tilly” Nightingale receives a gift from her husband, Joe, something that seems impossible, because he died six months earlier. Waiting for her at the local bookshop is a year-long surprise: twelve books, one to be given to her each month, exactly as Joe arranged before he passed.

Tilly hasn’t read for pleasure since Joe first got sick. Opening that first book feels like reopening a wound, especially when Alfie, the bookshop owner, insists on honoring Joe’s instructions and releasing each title only at the start of a new month.

As Tilly revisits the story of how she met and fell in love with Joe, my heart ached for her. Losing someone so young, someone you expected to build a lifetime with, is especially devastating. But Joe’s carefully chosen books slowly begin to lift her from the weight of her grief. Each one nudges her back into the world, encouraging her to try new things, reconnect with herself, and rediscover joy. Alfie becomes an unexpected anchor in this journey, offering quiet support and a gentle push forward.

Alfie carries his own burdens: a struggling bookstore, unresolved grief, and a growing affection for a woman still mourning her husband. The romance here isn’t the center of the story, but it was a gift for these characters I grew to love!

This Book Made Me Think of You blends sorrow, hope, and humor in a way that feels both honest and uplifting. It tugged at my heartstrings, made me tear up, and filled me with joy!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

Twelve stories. Twelve months. Once chance to heal her heart...

When Tilly Nightingale receives a call telling her there’s a birthday gift from her fiancé waiting for her at her local bookshop, it couldn’t come as more of a shock. Partly because she can’t remember the last time she read a book for pleasure. Mainly because Joe died five months ago…
The gift is simple – twelve carefully-chosen books from Joe, one for each month, to help her turn the page on her first year without him.

Tilly sets out on a series of reading-inspired adventures that take her around the world. But as she begins to vlog her journey, her story becomes more than her own. With help from Alfie, the bookshop owner, her budding new following and her friends and family, can Tilly’s year of books show her how to love again?

Sunday, March 1, 2026

Sunday Post #328

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 been a busy week. I worked a bunch. My husband and I did a six mile hike yesterday and it was gorgeous and tough! After we went to a late lunch in downtown Nevada City, went grocery shopping and then came home. By then we were bushed! I took a nap, something I hardly ever do. I then worked a puzzle and finished up the audio book that catches me up for our read-along (finally!).

South Yuba River Hike. Me standing on the bridge

One of the many waterfalls on the hike

The hike was along the river

Great Hound's Tongue growing along the Yuba River

Milkmaids growing along Yuba River. They smelled wonderful!

Of course I worked puzzles:

1000 Piece Puzzle Completed: Love Stamps by White Mountain

A lot of fun to work! Puzzle 8/2026

500 Piece Puzzle Completed: Tuscan Afternoon by Galison

This was a quick one. Got it done in one afternoon during the snow storm last week. Puzzle 9/2026

1000 Piece Puzzle Completed: Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Werkshoppe. Their puzzles fit nicely together and the box comes with a resealable bag to store the pieces. I did this one during the snow storm, as well. Puzzle 10/2026

Read:

Taming Lady Temperance by Karen Witemeyer

Two Witches and a Whiskey by Annette Marie

Demon Magic and a Martini by Annette Marie

Taming Lady Temperance by Karen Witemeyer-4.5 Stars

This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page-4 Stars

Two Witches and a Whiskey by Annette Marie-4 Stars

Demon Magic and a Martini by Annette Marie-4.5 Stars

I had a good reading week. All were audios.

Received:

Everyone in This Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson

Paradox by Douglas Preston and Aletheia Preston

The Last Mandrin by Louise Penny and Mellissa Fung

Magic and Mischief at the Wayside Hotel by Elizabeth Everett

Everyone in This Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson

Paradox by Douglas Preston and Aletheia Preston

The Last Mandrin by Louise Penny and Mellissa Fung

Magic and Mischief at the Wayside Hotel by Elizabeth Everett

Thank you to Mariner Books, Libro.fm, Macmillan Audio and Berkley!

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How was your week?

Friday, February 27, 2026

Review: The Girls Before by Kate Alice Marshall

The Girls Before by Kate Alice Marshall

Publication Date: February 24th 2026 by Macmillan Audio

Pages: 320

Audio Book Length: 10hrs 8min

Narrator: Karissa Vacker & Ina Barrón

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

My Thoughts:

Audrey is a school counselor and a search and rescue member in her free time. She’s racked up several successes finding lost people but has always been haunted by the disappearance of her ex-best friend, Janie. When searching for a missing toddler, Audrey stumbles upon evidence of another teen missing three months. However, she found the evidence while accidentally searching on the land of a prominent family, the Hills, and they are intent on keeping people off their property.

There’s another POV of “Stranger”, a woman held captive in a basement running low on food and water. I was so worried about this woman!

The Girls Before was a mystery that alternated between meandering and intense. Some of the reflections of the past, where Audrey recounts her toxic relationship with Janie were slow but engrossing. The investigations in the present were intense! I couldn’t believe that someone wouldn’t allow people on their land when a toddler was missing! That was extremely suspicious to me, and I would’ve thought it would be to the authorities, too. I was happy Audrey was determined to find these girls no matter the surprising roadblocks in her path! I really enjoyed this atmospheric, suspenseful mystery!

It was easy to get swept up in the audio version! I thought Karissa Vacker, a favorite, and new-to-me Ina Barrón did an excellent job narrating with emotion and urgency, bringing the story and characters to life!

4 Stars

Book Description:

From the bestselling author of What Lies in the Woods, No One Can Know, and A Killing Cold, a new novel about a search & rescue expert, a kidnapped woman, and the lost girls who haunt them both.

There is a girl in a basement.
The door has stopped opening.
The light is gone.

Stranger is trapped in the dark, with only her imagination and the scribbles on the wall left by long-dead girls to keep her company. Nearly out of food and water, she makes one last attempt to escape. But if the door opens at last, will it mean salvation, or only the beginning of her fight to survive?

Audrey is a search and rescue expert who never stopped looking for her ex-best friend, Janie, who disappeared when they were teenagers. Janie used to love the local legend of a forest witch who saves girls from bad men, but Audrey knows now that for every one saved, there’s always another one lost. When she stumbles upon evidence in the forest that a teenage runaway might have actually been kidnapped from land belonging to the town’s most prominent family, she will have to dig through decades of secrets to reveal the biggest one of all: what happened to the girls before.

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

Review: Taming Lady Temperance by Karen Witemeyer

Taming Lady Temperance (The Secret Society of Spinsters #1) by Karen Witemeyer

Publication Date: February 17th 2026 by Bethany House Publishers & Recorded Books

Pages: 336

Audio Book Length: 12hrs 51min

Narrator: Kate Forbes

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★½

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

My Thoughts:

Noreen O’Sullivan is determined to shut down the local tavern, warning anyone who’ll listen that strong drink destroys families, something she knows all too well. So, when she’s invited to join the Secret Society of Spinsters, she’s thrilled. With their support, she finally has the numbers and the confidence to push her cause forward.

Sheriff James Paxton admires Noreen’s conviction, even if her crusade tends to stir up trouble with the tavern’s owner and patrons. The complaints keep landing on his desk, and he worries her boldness will eventually put her in danger. When Noreen asks for his help, he knows he must remain neutral as the county’s peacekeeper, but that doesn’t stop James from quietly offering guidance and keeping a watchful eye on her.

At first, Noreen seemed a bit fanatical, but once her heartbreaking past came to light, her determination made perfect sense. Her stepfather was truly awful, and I was relieved to see she never let him break her spirit. I admired her grit, her compassion, and her willingness to listen and grow.

Taming Lady Temperance was a touching romance rooted in redemption and forgiveness. Faith and scripture play a meaningful role, but the story never felt preachy, more uplifting and hopeful. There’s a thread of mystery and danger woven throughout, and I genuinely worried for Noreen, though she always had her Spinster Sisters, and James at her back. I’m excited for the next romance in the series. Maybe Jane or Martha will get their turn!

I alternated between an audio version and e-copy and can recommend either version. I thought Kate Forbes did a wonderful job narrating all the voices; male, female and a range of ages seamlessly and with appropriate emotions!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

When passion for justice conflicts with the heart, which will prevail?

Noreen O'Sullivan is an enthusiastic member of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and believes herself called to defend the cause of prohibition. When she's invited to join the Secret Society of Spinsters, Noreen jumps at the chance to rally others to her movement and shut down the local saloon for good. However, her passionate campaigning often puts her at odds with the men around her--including the local deputy.

Deputy James Paxton believes in preserving the peace, but Miss O'Sullivan has been disturbing his peace for months. If James wants to be elected sheriff, he can't afford to be seen as her ally. But when Noreen ropes him into helping her plan a temperance march, their growing closeness sparks unexpected feelings. Then tensions escalate at the saloon and accusations fly. James must choose between upholding his badge and protecting the woman who's captured his heart--knowing either choice could cost him everything.

Karen Witemeyer presents a swoony Western romance with a determined heroine, cowboys, prohibition, and the rivals-to-lovers and duty vs. desire tropes. Fans of Mary Connealy and frontier romances set in the Old West will savor this clean, historical read.

Monday, February 23, 2026

Review: The Magic of Untamed Hearts by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

The Magic of Untamed Hearts (Wild Magic #3) by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

Publication Date: January 13th 2026 by Berkley

Pages: 368

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★½

My Thoughts:

Sky, the youngest of the Flores sisters, spent eight years presumed dead, living like a ghost, when in reality she’d been sheltered and kept alive by the forest. Two years after her return, she’s still trying to find her footing, and my heart ached for her. The town treats her like an oddity, whispering behind her back, and the cruelty she faced ticked me off. One of her only friends is her elderly neighbor. She makes a homecooked meal for him to share weekly and this is where she runs into Adam, his grandson, and her former crush.

Despite a rocky first encounter, Adam turns out to be an absolute sweetheart. I loved how fiercely he defended Sky and how gently he helped her see that she never needed to apologize for who she was. Their chemistry is undeniable, though once they officially get together, the romance leans heavily into the spicy scenes. They’re steamy, no doubt, but Sky discussing every detail with her sisters gave me a bit of the ick. Still, I adored Adam and Sky together.

I did wish Sky’s sisters had shown her more support. I understand they were overwhelmed by their own struggles, but it still stung on Sky’s behalf.

Having enjoyed Sage’s and Teal’s romances, I was excited to finally get Sky’s story, and it didn’t disappoint. Her magical ability to communicate with animals is one of my favorite gifts in the series, and watching her journey unfold was both enchanting and emotionally satisfying. It was an entertaining, engrossing journey to their HEA. I’m happy with how it all turned out.

3.5 Stars

Book Description:

After several years stuck as a ghost, Sky Flores learns to reconnect with the living again with the help of her handsome neighbor in this lush romance from the USA Today bestselling author of Witch of Wild Things.

Like her sisters, Sage and Teal, Sky Flores has a touch of magic, and it’s caused nothing but heartache. Not only did she disappear into the woods years ago and reappear with no rational explanation, she’s also more comfortable talking to animals than to people. Different and misunderstood, Sky is shunned in the small town of Cranberry.

Sky’s neighbor, Adam Noemi, has his own problems. After being laid off from a prestigious newspaper, Adam, ever the ambitious reporter, needs a big headline to redeem his career. Enter Sky, a girl with a story that news outlets have been chasing for years. Sky agrees to grant Adam an exclusive interview on one that he befriend Sky, in a very public way, to prove to everyone in Cranberry that she’s not an outcast.

As Sky shares her experiences with Adam, something much bigger than a simple agreement begins to grow between them. But for love to take root, Adam will have to take a leap towards a life that defies expectations, and Sky must open her heart – full of flora and fauna and mystical energies – to his curious mind.

Sunday, February 22, 2026

Sunday Post #327

Happy Sunday!

I didn't post last week because I was sick. Got the flu (as in Influenza A) and I don't recommend it! I was in bed for two days solid and there wasn't one part of my body that didn't hurt. I finally got anti-virals and started feeling somewhat human on Monday.

Anyhow, besides that we got snow! At first it was snow then rain and then it became full on snow. About a foot altogether. It's still here but it's sunny, cold and melting slowly.

Snow out front

Starla, Smokey and Peanut were a bit stir crazy. They kept going out on the covered front porch but then would quickly come in. The birds were crazy outside! Lots of Juncos, Stellar Jay and Oak Titmouse, and so they made do making bird calls as they looked out the windows.