Review: The Summer Share by Jenn McKinlay

 

The Summer Share by Jenn McKinlay

Publication Date: May 26th 2026 by Berkley

Pages: 368

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

Hannah, a van-life travel blogger, and Simon are shocked to learn they’ve each inherited half of the same beach cottage courtesy of their grandfathers,. Hannah wants to keep the cottage, since it’s been a while since she’s put down roots and Simon wants to sell for financial reasons.

 

They butt heads over that, but part of the will stipulates they live there for two months before making any decisions. Cohabitating gives them a chance to see the other’s side and a chance to get to know each other. Of course, (this is a romance!) sparks of attraction fly between them.

 

The Summer Share is the perfect summer read! The small town of Cape Split in the Outer Banks of North Carolina sounded so charming and beautiful!  Exactly the kind of place I’d want to spend a summer! The quirky, friendly community welcome Hannah and Simon right away and give them glimpses into their grandfather’s lives. I loved the gentle slow‑burn romance and the way both characters find peace, acceptance, and love.

4 Stars

Book Description:

When two misfits discover they’ve inherited the same beach house, sparks fly in the most unexpected ways, in this hilarious and heartfelt rom-com from the New York Times bestselling author of Summer Reading.

Free-spirited travel influencer Hannah Spencer has spent five years touring the country in her vintage van. An unexpected inheritance from her Pops brings Hannah to Cape Split, North Carolina, where she learns she’s the new owner of a worse-for-wear seaside beach house. Or, rather, fifty percent of one. Turns out Simon O’Malley inherited the other half from his Gramps.

As Simon and Hannah spend the summer tag-teaming repairs on the crumbling cottage, they discover the house was once home to a timeless love story. Soon, they begin to wonder if the house’s romantic past may be a good omen for their future together. But there’s one problem—Simon is set on selling the property at the end of the summer.

Hannah thought one summer at the Split would be enough, except it isn’t like any place she’s ever been, and Simon isn’t like any man she’s ever known—and she’s thinking about putting down some roots. She just needs Simon to see their budding relationship and this newfound community the same way or their first summer share might also be their last.

Review: The Storm by Rachel Hawkins

 

The Storm by Rachel Hawkins

Publication Date: January 6th 2026 by St. Martin's Press & Macmillan Audio

Pages: 288

Audio Book Length: 7hrs 48min

Narrator: Alex Knox, Cathi Colas, Dan Bittner, Jane Oppenheimer, Patti Murin, Petrea Buchard, Stephanie Németh-Parker

Source: Publishers

Rating: ★★★½

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

My Thoughts:

Geneva has inherited her parents’ beloved but financially struggling inn, the Rosalie, perched on the hurricane‑battered coast of St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama. The historic property has weathered many storms, yet keeping its doors open has been a fight. So, when August Fletcher, a true‑crime author, books a long stay to research the infamous Lo Bailey case, Geneva sees a rare opportunity to help keep the Rosalie afloat.

 

Lo Bailey, a local girl accused of killing her married lover during the catastrophic Hurricane Marie in 1984, has always been a name Geneva recognized but never truly understood. As a new hurricane builds and threatens, secrets are revealed that tie past and present together.

 

The tension builds chapter by chapter, each reveal raising the stakes as the incoming hurricane barrels closer. The story unfolds through multiple POVs, primarily Lo and Geneva, with glimpses of August through his manuscript and other characters. Lo, in particular, was a standout: flawed, magnetic, and impossible not to root for.

 

While I correctly guessed some of the twists and found a few details a bit far‑fetched, I was completely absorbed from start to finish. It’s an engaging, atmospheric read that kept me turning pages.

 

I alternately read and listened to the audio copy and can recommend either version. The audio was wonderfully narrated by a full cast, Dan Bittner, Patti Murrin and Stephanie Németh-Parker, just to name a few, and it definitely enhanced my entertainment!

3.5 Stars

Book Description:

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…

Review: Seeing Other People by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka

 

Seeing Other People by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka

Publication Date: December 9th 2025 by Berkley

Pages: 352

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

Morgan went on one date with Zach and soon after his ghost started haunting her.  Zach has no memories of his past, so he’s not sure how he ended up stuck with Morgan, but the haunting isn’t a good situation for either one of them.

 

Sawyer’s fiancée, Kennedy, died five years ago but her ghost has lingered on. Lately she’s been fading and Sawyer isn’t ready to say goodbye.

 

When Morgan and Sawyer meet in a ghost support group they get to talking and decide to help each other figure out their ghostly situation. They work together trying to figure out more about Zach’s past and why he can’t move on while working on Sawyer’s yard, the project Kennedy meant to tackle, forming a friendship in the process. I really felt for Sawyer with his grief and for both ghosts stuck in limbo. I really liked Morgan as well who dealt with feelings of inadequacy.

 

Seeing Other People was a touching story dealing with grief, moving on, but the sad parts were balanced with humor. The relationship between Morgan and Sawyer progressed from acquaintances to friends and then more. The romance was a sweet, slow progression and felt just right for the story.

4 Stars

Book Description:

Two people haunted by their exes find that love isn’t dead in this heartfelt romance from the beloved authors of The Roughest Draft.

Morgan is being ghosted by her ex. No, really. It’s sad Zach died and became a ghost. But Morgan and Zach only ever went on the one date, and now she’s being haunted by him. Zach has no desire to spend eternity with Morgan, but he can’t recall his past and doesn’t know how to move on.

At a support group for humans and their haunters, Morgan and Zach run into Sawyer, whose fiancée-turned-ghost has started to fade. Unlike Morgan, Sawyer isn’t ready to part ways with his ghost. Although they face opposite issues, Morgan and Sawyer decide to work together to solve their problems.

As Morgan and Sawyer try to solve their paranormal conundrums together, they find something even more surprising—a tender, growing affection between them that threatens any unfinished business they’re seeking to close. The ghosts of their past might be there in spirit, but the connection between Morgan and Sawyer is as alive as anything they’ve ever felt.

Audiobook Review: This is a Safe Space by Lucinda Berry

 

This is a Safe Space by Lucinda Berry

Publication Date: October 21st 2025 by Simon & Schuster Audio

Audio Book Length: 3 hrs 40 mins

Narrators: Danielle Savre, Alicia Crowder, Dan Bittner, Matt Godfrey & Janina Edwards

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

After secretly checking her husband’s phone, therapist Jenna makes a chilling discovery: her patient Kaitlyn, a college student paying her bills as an adult dancer, may be the same woman threatening her husband’s cousin, Bodie, following his wild bachelor party. It’s clear Kaitlyn has endured something traumatic, but she’s abruptly cut off therapy, leaving Jenna desperate for answers. Driven by concern and curiosity, Jenna begins to listen to their recorded sessions. What she uncovers is far more disturbing than she ever imagined.

 

Though trained to help others, Jenna is far from having her own life in order. Her messy past makes her actions understandable, but I couldn’t help but hope she wouldn’t unravel her life in her pursuit of the truth.

 

This is a Safe Space is a fast-paced, addictive listen that had me hooked from the first chapter! The full cast narration enhanced my enjoyment of this tense, twisty novella!

4 Stars

A therapist discovers an unnerving connection between one of her patients and her own family in this gripping audio thriller by the bestselling author of The Perfect Child and One of Our Own .

Jenna, who runs a successful private therapy practice, still struggles with trust issues of her own. She’s made a promise to stop snooping in her husband Colten’s phone, but sometimes she can’t help herself. One night, she discovers a troubling exchange between him and his cousin Bodie, who’s one of his closest friends. A dancer from a bachelor party they both recently attended is threatening Bodie, claiming they crossed a line sexually and that she’ll expose the truth to his family if she doesn’t get what she wants. They don’t know much about this woman, or how far she’s willing to go. But Jenna might.

Lexus Chardonnay, the stage name of the dancer from the party, is one you don’t forget. And Jenna’s heard it before—from one of her clients.

Kaitlyn is a medical school student who dances on weekends to put herself through school. Jenna’s been her therapist for years, except she hasn’t seen her for three months. Not since Kaitlyn stopped showing up for treatment, without explanation. As Jenna begins to listen back to their past sessions, desperate for answers, a more complicated picture emerges, and she must decide who to trust as her career and her family hang in the balance.

Specially produced for a dynamic listening experience, This is a Safe Space is a shocking, emotional thriller from “a leading voice in the genre and a force to be reckoned with” (Jeneva Rose, New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Marriage).

 

Review: The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

 

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

Publication Date: January 9th 2023 by St. Martins Press & Macmillan Audio

Pages: 294

Audio Book Length: 8hrs 20min

Narrator: Eliza Foss, Dan Bittner, John Pirhalla, Patti Murin

Source: Publisher & Library Audio

Rating: ★★★★½

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

My Thoughts:

The Heiress is my favorite Rachel Hawkins to date! Old money, a historic estate, dark secrets, a kidnapping, and four dead husbands! The story was riveting!

This twisty mystery unfolds through three POVs: Ruby “The Heiress”, Camden, Ruby’s heir to Ruby’s large fortune, and Jules, Camden’s wife. I think Ruby’s POV had to be my favorite. What happened to three-year-old Ruby when she was kidnapped? Was she that unlucky in love? Why did Camden leave, and will he now stay home and take up his position as heir to the great Ashby House? Everyone had at least one secret!

A fast-paced, glued-to-the-pages kind of read! I was eager to see how it all turned out! Of course, I was rallying for a happy ending for Cam and Jules.

I alternately read and listened to The Heiress. Dan Bitner, Eliza Foss, John Pirhalla, and Patti Murin’s performances were excellent! I listened at my usual 1.5x normal speed. I recommend either format!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s estate high in the Blue Ridge mountains. In the aftermath of her death, that estate—along with a nine-figure fortune and the complicated legacy of being a McTavish—pass to her adopted son, Camden.

But to everyone’s surprise, Cam wants little to do with the house or the money—and even less to do with the surviving McTavishes. Instead, he rejects his inheritance, settling into a normal life as an English teacher in Colorado and marrying Jules, a woman just as eager to escape her own messy past.

Ten years later, Camden is a McTavish in name only, but a summons in the wake of his uncle’s death brings him and Jules back into the family fold at Ashby House. Its views are just as stunning as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but coming home reminds Cam why he was so quick to leave in the first place.

Jules, however, has other ideas, and the more she learns about Cam’s estranged family—and the twisted secrets they keep—the more determined she is for her husband to claim everything Ruby once intended for him to have.

But Ruby’s plans were always more complicated than they appeared. As Ashby House tightens its grip on Jules and Camden, questions about the infamous heiress come to light. Was there any truth to the persistent rumors following her disappearance as a girl? What really happened to those four husbands, who all died under mysterious circumstances? And why did she adopt Cam in the first place? Soon, Jules and Cam realize that an inheritance can entail far more than what’s written in a will—and that the bonds of family stretch far beyond the grave.

Audio Review: The Anatomy of Desire by L.R. Dorn

Anatomy of Desire by L.R. Dorn

Publication Date: May 11th 2021 by Harper Audio

Pages: 320

Audio Book Length: 8 hrs 14 min

Narrators: Santino Fontana, Shelby Young, Marin Ireland, JD Jackson, Dan Bittner, Vikas Adam,

Gabra Zackman, Fred Berman, Darrell Dennis, Oliver Wyman, Jonathan Davis, Hillary Huber, Lisa Flanagan, Sharahn LaRue

Source: Libro.fm

Rating: ★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

When I started listening, I knew The Anatomy of Desire was based on the classic novel, An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser which was based on a real-life murder that happened in 1906. It was later made into the movie, A Place in the Sun.  I had never read it or seen the movie, so I had no idea what to expect. 

Since listening, I went back and looked up the An American Tragedy and it’s surprising how faithful this reimagining is to the original tale, albeit modernized.  It’s funny how little things change in terms of human desire and emotions through the years. The story is timeless, tragic, and made for a riveting read! It had me thinking on it long after I finished.

Cleo Ray grew up dirt poor in a strict religious household, eager to leave that behind.  Now she’s a rising social media influencer coaching followers on body image, fitness, and life, and she’s hungry for success and fame. Unfortunately, her life choices make her the prime suspect in the murder of her friend, Beck Alden. The two go out on a canoe and only Cleo comes back. What exactly happened? The trial quickly turns into a media circus.  

Cleo was very much a narcissist, and I was astounded by her actions, but at the same time I couldn’t help but feel for her. She’s finally on the cusp of everything she’s dreamed about and then it all comes crashing down around her. The trial being held in the small, conservative town of Independence didn’t bode well for her either. With its limited pool of jurors, I wondered if an impartial decision would be possible.

Fun fact for me: Independence is an actual California town that a friend of mine used to live in, which we would travel to and visit. It’s also on the way to Mammoth Mountain, a popular snow skiing spot we used to vacation at. The authors nailed it spot on with their descriptions!

The story is told in episodes, as a fictional docu-drama with recorded court testimony and interviews of the key players, performed by a whole cast of characters. It felt like one of those old radio-dramas my dad would listen to late at night, and I loved it! Several of the narrators I’ve listened to before and thoroughly enjoyed their performances here: Santino Fontana, Hillary Huber, Marin Ireland, Vikas Adam, and Dan Bittner. I couldn’t recommend the audio version more!

4 Stars

Book Description:

Performed docuseries style by a star-studded full cast including Santino Fontana, Shelby Young , Marin Ireland, JD Jackson, Dan Bittner, Vikas Adam, Gabra Zackman, Fred Berman, Darrell Dennis, Oliver Wyman, Jonathan Davis, Hilary Huber, and Lisa Flanagan

For fans of riveting true crime docuseries a la Serial and Making a Murderer, The Anatomy of Desire is a modern tale of crime and punishment exploring unbridled ambition, blinding passion, and the dark side of desire

Claire Griffith has it all, a thriving career, a gorgeous boyfriend, glamorous friends. She always knew she was destined for more than the life her conservative parents preached to her. Arriving in Los Angeles flat broke, she has risen to become a popular fitness coach and social media influencer. Having rebranded herself as Cleo Ray, she stands at the threshold of realizing her biggest dreams.

One summer day, Cleo and a woman named Beck Alden set off in a canoe on a serene mountain lake. An hour later, Beck is found dead in the water and Cleo is missing. Authorities suspect foul play, and news of Cleo’s involvement goes viral. Who was Beck? An infatuated follower? Were she and Cleo friends or lovers? Was Beck’s death an accident . . . or murder?

Told in the form of an immersive investigative docuseries, L. R. Dorn’s brilliant reimagining of Theodore Dreiser’s classic crime drama, An American Tragedy, captures the urgency and poignance of the original and rekindles it as a very contemporary and utterly mesmerizing page-turner.