Review: The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren

 

The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren

Publication Date: July 14th 2026 by Gallery Books

Pages: 352

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★½

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

My Thoughts:

Emery and Luca, opposites in so many ways, met and fell head-over-heels in love. Now Emery’s life is consumed by work, focused on a top-secret project Luca doesn’t know about.

 

Emery’s project becomes vital when Luca is victim to a hit-and-run. It works, but Luca wakes up with no memory of Emery. Their marriage-in-crisis gets a second chance as Emery and Luca get to know each other all over again.

 

Reviving Luca has the potential to land Emery and her best friend/co-worker, Annie, into big time hot water and they work to keep it secret. Unfortunately, someone’s been paying attention.

 

I liked that Emery, even before the accident, realized things needed to change on her end, but had a hard time believing they communicated so little with how the relationship was described. I had a hard time thinking that Luca would’ve gone through with his plans before trying to talk to Emery first, given the chemistry between them.

 

The Romance Revival was a addictive second-chance romance/marriage-in-crisis type of story. I actually loved all the sci-fi intrigue with Emery’s revival project, and I was more engrossed with that than the romance. The ending was exciting with more danger and thrills than I expected and I enjoyed how it all wrapped up.

3.5 Stars

Book Description:

An unforgettable novel in which one fateful accident erases a troubled marriage from memory—and love gets one extraordinary do-over.

Three years ago, Emery Finch did something completely out of character: She got married. To Luca—the impossibly charming landscaper she met on one blistering night in Vegas who made her laugh, made her dance, made her feel.

But now, Emery is consumed by her top-secret job, missing dinners, forgetting anniversaries, and promising herself Luca will understand once her cutting-edge research comes to light. Until the unthinkable happens: A tragic accident takes Luca from her.

Desperate not to lose him, Emery breaks every rule to bring him back. And Luca would probably thank her for it, if only he could remember her. Their first kiss, their Sunny Sundays at the beach, the life they built together...all of it is gone.

It may be a miracle of science, but for Emery it’s her one shot at a second chance. And this time, she won’t waste it—because true love is always worth reviving.

Review: The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer & Tamara Moss

 

The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer & Tamara Moss

Publication Date: April 7th 2026 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Pages: 403

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

Season four of The Escape Game, a reality escape room game show, didn’t end well. Sisters, Alicia and Sierra were pitted against each other on rival teams, each working to solve escape rooms for a cash prize. The finale was like a scene from a horror movie when Alicia is found murdered. It’s rumored Sierra killed her.

 

Surprisingly the show is going on with season five. There are new contestants: Adi, a cryptographer, not excited to be on the show but if he wins, it will help him escape the clutches of his mother, a horrid, attention seeking woman. Carter is brilliant at math and solving puzzles, famous on social media under her avatar, but she’s painfully shy in person. Beck designs his own escape rooms and has a history with the show’s backer. To everyone’s surprise, Sierra returns and is the most controversial contestant. A lot of people think she killed her sister in a fit of sibling rivalry, but she doesn’t let that derail her mission. Together they form Team Helsing.

 

Sierra’s motives are unclear at the beginning, especially when she leans into her goth-girl-with-a-grudge persona, but it didn’t take me long to root for her. I enjoyed seeing these misfits merge and slowly build trust. Together they confront danger from unknown fronts as they try to keep ahead in the game.

 

The Escape Game was an edgy and fun YA mystery that hooked me from the start!  I had my suspicions which were confirmed in one way, but there was a big surprise I didn’t see coming. Things got a little crazy in the end! This mystery wraps up, but there’s another book coming. I look forward to joining Team Helsing in their next adventure!

4 Stars

Book Description:

It’s all fun and games until someone ends up dead.

Six months ago, season four of The Escape Game ended in horror when contestant Alicia Angelos was found murdered on set.

Now season five is underway, and new contestants are ready to put their skills to the test solving the show's trickiest escape rooms. There's Adi, the cryptographer; Carter, the math whiz; Beck, the wannabe game master, and . . . Sierra Angelos, the girl who got away with her sister’s murder. Or so everyone believes.

But Sierra’s not just here to win. She’s here for justice.

When the contestants begin uncovering clues that hint at the identity of Alicia’s true killer, it becomes clear that the stakes aren’t high in this competition, they’re deadly. If these teens want to win—and survive—the game, they must solve the biggest mystery of who killed Alicia Angelos?

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer and rising star Tamara Moss comes a twisty thrill-ride, filled with sabotage, betrayal, and puzzles to die for.

Review: If Books Could Kill by Kate Eberle

 

If Books Could Kill by Kate Eberle

Publication Date: July 21st 2026 by Penguin Books

Pages: 368

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

Anna Matthews is Roxie’s favorite romance author, so when she offhandedly makes a wish to be the heroine in Anna’s next book and her wish is granted it’s like a dream come true. Unfortunately, for Roxie, Anna’s decided to break from her usual romance genre and venture into crime thrillers. Roxie thinks she’s on a date with a dreamy book boyfriend when suddenly book BF tries to kill her.

 

Roxie doesn’t know the first thing about crime novels but as she’s making a run for safety she’s thrown into the path of Grant, an English professor and crime novel junkie. Together they navigate the crazy imaginings of Anna all the while trying to figure a way out of the plot and danger.

 

If Books Could Kill was a unique premise and so much fun! I’d say it was a whacky mash-up of romance, thriller and comedy, action-packed from page one! Roxie and Grant made a great team, albeit a reluctant one at first. Their romance was a slow-burn one nudged by fake dating and marriage situations that were both hilarious and heartwarming. I wasn’t sure how it’d all work out but loved their journey to HEA!

4 Stars

Book Description:

A NOVEL LOVE STORY meets LOVE IN THE TIME OF SERIAL KILLERS in this rom-com following Roxie Mitchell, an adventure-loving romance reader who finds herself trapped in a meet-cute turned murderous

When Roxie makes a tongue-in-cheek wish to live out the plot of her favorite author’s next novel, she has romance in mind—namely, the sweet, safe, swoon-worthy storylines Anna Matthews is known for. It should be a dream come true when her wish is granted and she finds herself swept into a first date with a handsome stranger who seems designed to take her breath away.

Except for one little hiccup: That handsome stranger tries to take her breath away. Literally. With a knife. The thing is, Roxie may be the new Anna Matthews protagonist—but this time, Anna is writing a crime thriller.

Thrown into a perilous genre she’s never read, Roxie is desperate for help. So when her escape takes her straight into the path of Grant Hoffman, an anxious English professor with a convenient love of crime novels, she decides that kidnapping a grown man is a small price to pay for her own survival. Together, Roxie and Grant navigate a madcap story where the lines between fiction and reality blur. They’ll find out if they have what it takes to make it to The End—or maybe even Happily Ever After.

Review: Chase Me If You Can by Heather Frances

 

Chase Me If You Can by Heather Frances

Publication Date: June 23rd 2026 by Berkley

Pages: 367

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

Sloane takes six weeks away from her wedding photography business to pursue what she truly loves: chasing tornadoes and storms, capturing their beauty with her camera. Winning the Nature Shots cover contest could help launch her as a landscape photographer, but the magazine hasn’t chosen a female winner in years, and her male competition is “Wild Wes” Talbot, a popular and talented photographer who’s made his mark by taking risks and his big, playful persona. He’s a shameless flirt with her, but she’s not impressed.  With a self-absorbed mother, Sloane has always been the responsible one so Wes’s brash personality doesn’t sit well with her.

 

Unfortunately, when Wes has an accident, Sloane finds herself stuck with him for the rest of storm-chasing season. As they spend more time together, though, she begins to see a different side of him. While searching for the perfect winning shot, the thrill of chasing storms brings them closer together.

 

I wouldn’t call this an enemies-to-lovers romance, because the adversarial part was coming from Sloane not from Wes, but that quickly melted away when she was forced into spending so much time with him and got to see his actual character.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed Chase Me If You Can! The idea of spending six weeks traveling from state to state chasing storms sounds like an exciting adventure. Sloane and Wes were both well-developed, likeable characters, and I was fully invested in their journey and rooting for their HEA.

4 Stars

Book Description:

Two storm chasers find a love that could blow them away in this electric debut romance.

Wedding photographer Sloane Michaels might spend most of her year running after brides, but she lives for the six weeks each spring she chases tornadoes instead. When the prestigious magazine Nature Shots announces a cover contest, Sloane knows that winning could be the chance she needs to break up with taffeta for good and establish herself in landscape photography.

The last thing she needs is a distraction in the form of reckless “Wild Wes” Talbot. A legend among storm chasers, he’s been Sloane’s close, personal frenemy for the last decade and is the man to beat for the cover contest.

Sloane isn’t surprised when Wes gets in an accident that jeopardizes his season. But with an active weather pattern emerging, she doubles down on her need to beat Wes fair and square, and begrudgingly invites him to join her for the remainder of the season.

As they race through hail, high winds, and stormy skies, Sloane realizes that Wes might be more than the rich, flirty, Texas wildcard she thought she knew — and that the feelings blooming between them are more charged and dangerous than the storms they’re chasing.

Review: Unpredictable Magic by Faith Hunter

 

Unpredictable Magic (Everhart Investigations #1) by Faith Hunter

Publication Date: July 14th 2026 by Ace

Pages: 556

Source: Publisher  

Rating: ★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

Angie and her brother, Evan, are witches with ties to Queen Jane Yellowrock, but they’re striking out on their own by launching Everhart Investigations, a detective agency specializing in paranormal crimes. When a woman hires them to look for her friend, a woman who went missing at a party hosted by the Queen, it’s immediately obvious that she’s leaving out important details. They discover the missing woman has ties to Angie’s ex-husband, a vampire and nasty piece of work, with his own diabolical agenda.

 

Unpredictable Magic was an engrossing, but complex first installment in a new urban fantasy series. As the opening book in a spin-off series, and my first experience with the connected Jane Yellowrock novels, it did take me a bit to navigate this magical world and its many players. Alongside witches Angie and Evan, who are still learning the full extent of their powers, the story features vampires, demons, and plenty of political maneuvering.

 

Despite the learning curve, I thoroughly enjoyed this introduction to the Everhart Investigations series. The world-building is unique, and the mystery kept me invested. With nonstop action and lots of danger along the way, I was hooked from start to finish.

4 Stars

Book Description:

Witches Angelina and Evan Everhart-Trueblood take a case that spirals out of control until the whole city is at risk in this exciting new novel from New York Times bestselling author Faith Hunter.

Angelina Everhart-Trueblood and her brother Evan run Everhart Investigations Inc., a PI firm in Chattanooga that solves paranormal crimes committed by supernatural beings. When their new client wants help finding her friend who supposedly disappeared during a reception at Angie’s aunt Jane’s winter residence, things get . . . complicated.

The client is not who she appears to be, and demons strike the city for the first time since the Demon War. On top of that, evidence is pointing toward the involvement of an overly ambitious vampire—who just happens to be Angie’s ex-husband.

As Angie and Evan team up with the CPD, they will have to dig deep into their magical reserves—and rely on some friends in high places—to rid Chattanooga of the danger creeping into their city.

Author Bio: Faith Hunter is the New York Times bestselling author of the Jane Yellowrock series, the Soulwood series, the Rogue Mage series, and the Junkyard series.

 

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: In Case I Go Missing by R.N. Swann

In Case I Go Missing by R.N. Swann

Publication Date: May 26th 2026 by Viking Books for Young Readers

Pages: 400

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Librofm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Seventeen-year-old Sarah and her two best friends, Fenny and Sam, have been amateur sleuths since grade school, the kind of kids who exposed bullies, uncovered secrets, and stirred up scandals that didn’t make them too popular. But lately, Sarah, the unofficial leader of their trio, has been pulling away. Their once‑tight friendship is strained and then Sarah disappears.

 

No one knows what she was investigating, but Fenny stumbles across a binder labeled “In Case I Go Missing” with clues Sarah left behind. Determined to find her friend, Fenny throws herself into the mystery, convinced that uncovering whatever Sarah was digging into is the key to bringing her home. It doesn’t take long for Fenny and Sam to realize this case is far more dangerous than anything they’ve tackled before, and the deeper they dig, the more dangerous things become.

 

Fenny’s at the center of things, and I felt for her. She was a well‑fleshed out character juggling her own family drama while desperately trying to piece together what happened. For the most part, she kept her head about her, methodically working the clues. Things got really crazy at the end, and I was seriously worried for both Fenny and Sam!

 

In Case I Go Missing was a fast-paced, addictive YA mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed!

4 Stars

Book Description:

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder meets Fargo in this fast-paced YA mystery about a teen detective gone missing and her best friend who must finish her investigation.

Seventeen-year-old Fenny Allen has been Sarah Vincenty's sidekick for as long as she can remember, ever since the two of them solved the mystery of the stolen library books back in elementary school. Over the years, Sarah has ruffled a few feathers in their small town, building a reputation as both an amateur detective and a vigilante who has dispensed her own form of justice.

Now Sarah is missing. The police have written her off as yet another teen runaway, but Fenny is convinced that something more sinister has happened. When she discovers a binder Sarah left behind entitled In Case I Go Missing, Fenny learns that at the time of her disappearance, Sarah was investigating her biggest case yet.

Fenny knows that it's up to her to finish what Sarah had begun. As she and her friend Sam piece together the clues that Sarah left for them, they find themselves up against a decades-old mystery—one that links to the town's dark history. But is this binder a guide to finding Sarah—or are Fenny and Sam already too late?

The more the pair uncover, the clearer it becomes that those involved will go to great lengths to keep their secrets—even as far as murder.

 

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

 

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

Publication Date: April 28th 2026 by Berkley

Pages: 304

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

Mebel’s a sixty-three-year-old who excels at being a “trophy wife”. She maintains her body and looks and has built her life around what her husband, Henk, wants. However, her life is turned upside down when he asks for a divorce. He’s taken up with their twenty-four-year-old chef, Wendy. Mebel isn’t going to take this lying down, though, and decides to go to school to become a chef to win her husband back.

 

Right away, things don’t go as expected and instead of attending a glitzy school in Paris, she’s mistakenly enrolled herself at the campus England, in the very unglamorous town of Cowley. The classes are more work than she thought, and all the students are younger than her son. But soon Mebel is enjoying the feeling of accomplishment she has mastering the skills. She’s even making friends and even though they’re much younger, she feels truly seen for who she is as an individual apart from her husband.

 

Ms. Mebel was a lot of fun with Ms. Sutanto’s signature humor!  Mebel was a character with her brutal honesty and Chinese grandmother ways, but this was also a touching journey. It was satisfying to see Mebel start over and find joy!

4 Stars

Book Description:

A nearly divorced housewife enrolls in culinary school to win back her husband, only to start questioning the strange antics of her classmates in this new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.

Retirement should mean long-awaited trips to the sapphire waters of Santorini or careening down a sand dune in Dubai. For sixty-three-year-old Mebel, retirement means her husband of more than forty years announcing that he's leaving her for their private chef. Mebel isn’t sure who's the bigger loss.

Not to worry, Mebel has the perfect plan: she’s going to win back her husband. No one knows what he needs better than her—after all, she's been anticipating his needs their whole marriage. And if he wants a wife who can cook (why else would he leave her for a chef?), she will simply go to cooking school. Luckily, class at the renowned Saint Honoré School of Culinary Arts in France starts in just four days!

However, Mebel quickly realizes that her culinary school is not in illustrious Paris but rather in England—and some small village outside of Oxford no less. Despite the less-than-warm welcome from her much younger classmates, Mebel manages to befriend Gemma, the breakout star of the program, who offers to help Mebel on their first day. When Gemma stops showing up to class, Mebel knows she must figure out what—or who—caused her friend’s sudden disappearance. After all, Mebel may not know the first thing about how to cut a potato, but she certainly knows how to identify a fraud, and there’s definitely something fishy going on.

Review: The Antiquarian's Object of Desire by India Holton

 

The Antiquarian's Object of Desire (Love's Academic #3) by India Holton

Publication Date: April 21st 2026 by Berkley

Pages: 368

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★½

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

My Thoughts:

Amelia Tarrant and Caleb Sterling, experts on magical antiques, have been close friends since they were children, but when an innocent embrace is misinterpreted, their reputations, and their positions suddenly hang in the balance. To avoid scandal, they decide to fake a feud, a plan that spirals wildly out of control. After one too many magical mishaps (including some literal explosions), Professor Otterstock ships them off to Cumbria to catalog Sir Nigel Harroway’s sprawling collection of enchanted antiques, many of which may be more dangerous than advertised.

 

I really felt for Amelia. Watching her navigate a world where her intelligence is dismissed simply because she’s a woman was infuriating. Throckmorton, Dummersby, and Professor Otterstock were absolute bullies, and their constant digs at her had me seething on her behalf. I kept hoping she’d finally let loose on them, and while she mostly held her tongue, her subtle acts of retaliation were satisfying. The romance, a sweet friends‑to‑lovers arc, was a swoony one.

 

The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire leans more toward romantic comedy than tightly plotted fantasy, and the story does wander a bit before pulling everything together at the end. Still, it’s an entertaining romp, slapsticky, clever, and full of quick humor. Even when the plot zigzags, the charm never really lets up.

3.5 Stars

Book Description:

When two history professors and best friends are forced to fake hate to protect their reputations, chaos ensues, in the next rollicking historical-fantasy rom-com from beloved author India Holton.

Magical-antique experts Amelia Tarrant and Caleb Sterling have been best friends forever, although lately each has begun secretly wishing for more than friendship. But when rumors about their relationship spread, they're forced to fake being enemies to protect their reputations and keep their jobs.

The resulting arguments spark havoc across Oxford University, and when they cause an explosion while fighting over a magical antique, it’s the final straw for their exasperated faculty head. He dispatches them to a job in Cumbria where even they can’t get into trouble.…

Which proves just how wrong one man can be. In a stormbound old manor house, Amelia and Caleb face magical mayhem and rampaging ghosts that make the previous havoc look mild in comparison. Most troublesome of all, though, is the secret of how they feel about each other. When it comes to tackling deadly antiques, hiding the truth in their hearts could destroy them for real.

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?

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.

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: Magic and Mischief at the Wayside Hotel by Elizabeth Everett

 

Magic and Mischief at the Wayside Hotel by Elizabeth Everett

Publication Date: March 10th 2026 by Ace

Pages: 352

Source: Publisher  

Rating: ★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

Single mother Josie has been barely scraping by since losing her partner, and now her rent has jumped yet again. Just when she’s convinced she’s out of options, a listing pops up for a nearby rental that, while definitely a bit shabby, has good bones, a welcoming feel, and most importantly, a price she can manage.

 

Meanwhile, Pax is doing everything he can to keep Number 5 Wayside Hotel running. The hotel is a sentient refuge for magical beings, but it has mysteriously run out of fuel, leaving it stranded on Earth. With its glamour flickering and its systems failing, Pax is desperate to find a solution before the guests become trapped far from home. Taking on human residents might be the answer, especially when the hotel reacts so strongly to Josie and her four‑year‑old son, Amos. But hiding the hotel’s magic from Josie is harder than he expected, and Pax doesn’t want to frighten away the sweet, worn‑down woman he’s unexpectedly drawn to.

 

Some of the Inn’s residents were quite unlikable, and I thought the cause of the hotel’s problems would be obvious. There were also some genuinely sweet, welcoming characters who immediately take to Josie and Amos, which added a lot of charm.

 

Both Josie and Pax carry deep emotional wounds. Josie struggles with feeling like she’s failing as a parent, a fear made worse by her overbearing mother‑in‑law. Pax, orphaned young, has never truly felt loved or chosen. Watching these two bruised souls slowly learn to trust, lean on each other, and believe they deserve happiness was touching.

 

I really enjoyed Magic and Mischief at the Wayside Hotel! It was cozy and magical, but it also had some emotional depth. Seeing Josie and Pax, two tired, bruised people, find comfort and love in each other was heartwarming. The romance wraps up nicely, but there’s definitely room for more stories at the Wayside, and I’d happily come back for another visit.

4 Stars

Book Description:

When a magical hotel appears smack-dab in the middle of the most unmagical of worlds, the last thing the residents expect is to fall in love.

Manager of the Number Five Wayside Inn and World Travel Hub, Pax Nomen has one of the easiest jobs in all the known universes, unless you count the occasional plumbing disaster. When Number Five Wayside gets stranded on a non-magical world, even Pax's trusty Wayside Handbook can’t help him. How is he going to “reboot” the hotel and keep it on its magical journey?

Josie LaChusia is a single mom experiencing debt, having parenting doubts, and tipping dangerously toward depression when an ad pops up on her phone that an apartment is available in a building she’s never seen before.

Pax needs a new guest to restart his hotel, and Josie needs a nudge to restart her life. In a building occupied by faeries, gargoyles, and a gnome with a bad attitude, two souls from very different places come together to create a home like no other.