Review: The One Who Walked Away by Karen Rose

 

The One Who Walked Away (Mendocino #1) by Karen Rose

Publication Date: August 11th 2026 by Berkley

Pages: 528

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

Elle Randolph traded her career as a family law attorney in Florida for life as a bounty hunter after a terrible accident ended in tragedy. She left Florida and went to work as a bounty hunter with one of her close friends. Looking for a fugitive leads her to the small, picturesque town of Mendocino, California. When the innkeeper of the hotel they’re staying at is murdered it seems there’s more to the job than they first thought.

 

Detective Ronan Clarke isn’t thrilled to have two bounty hunters muddling his murder investigation, but he gradually forms a reluctant friendship with Elle, and an attraction begins to grow between them. Unlike her partner, Elle seems to have a strong moral compass and is more willing to share important information. Still, as the body count rises, it becomes clear that Elle may know more than she’s letting on.

 

The case grew increasingly intense as the killer became more desperate. At first, I wasn’t sure what their motives were, which kept me guessing throughout the story. I found myself worried not only for Elle but for anyone who crossed paths with her, especially as several clues seemed to point toward her being the murderer.

 

I loved the setting of Mendocino, a town I’ve visited many times. It was easy to picture the charming community and its breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean along the Northern California coast.

 

I was also happy with how the romance was handled. It fit naturally into the story without overshadowing the mystery, and given the dangerous circumstances, anything more prominent wouldn’t have felt believable.

 

I really enjoyed The One Who Walked Away, the first book in Karen Rose’s new series. I’m a big fan of her romantic suspense novels and always look forward to her latest releases. I was very satisfied with how everything came together and am hoping there are many more mysteries to come in this series!

4 Stars

Book Description:

A bounty hunter must outrun her past before it catches up to her in this pulse-pounding new standalone thriller

Bounty hunter Elle Randolph takes on every case she can, in an effort to outrun herself. Three years ago, she was the only one who walked away from a car crash that killed her husband and two others. Although she was cleared of any wrongdoing, she is fueled by guilt and dedicated to solving other people’s problems. But her running is over when she’s identified as a person of interest in a murder investigation.

Detective Ronan Clarke, a single dad for fifteen years, has been laser-focused on raising his daughter and serving the people of Mendocino County, California. He’s got everything under control—until a bounty hunter enters his jurisdiction, keeping secrets and bringing murder to his quiet town. The hunter is definitely involved in his current case, but exactly how is his question. Could she be his killer? As he unravels her secrets, he becomes increasingly troubled by what he finds. While Elle is forced to reexamine every painful memory of the life she left behind, Ronan grows more and more sure of her innocence. But can he trust himself to uncover the truth amid their growing attraction?

Review: A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett

 

A Trade of Blood (Ana and Din #3) by Robert Jackson Bennett

Publication Date: August 4th 2026 by Del Rey

Pages: 400

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

Ana and Din are called into a murder investigation in hope of preventing a war between two gentry families. The daughter of one gentryclan, the Buravs has been brutally murdered and the suspect is from the other prominent clan, the Armentas. The evidence against Castus Armenta is strong and the custodi want to hang him, however there’s a lot suspect with the case.

 

As usual, Ana mostly sends Din out to gather information and then he reports back to her. His alterations making it so he can recall and report all details exactly. Ana gets out more with this case, though. There’s a lot of action and murders as they investigate, complicating things further. 

 

I enjoyed getting to know more of Din and Ana’s histories. Din has a surprise from his past show up and I hope this person will be part of the series in the future. 

I want to be a vegetarian after reading this story!

 

A Trade of Blood is the third book in the Ana and Din mysteries, and I recommend reading the series in order for background character information and relationships.

 

The series is original and imaginative! The mystery is set in a rich, fantastical world, with Ana and Din in a Sherlock Holmes/Watson or Hercule/Hastings sort of relationship. Ana is brilliant, with eccentricities that are hilarious and sometimes repulsive and she connects things by the thinnest of threads. Din is also a sharp thinker, (more so that Watson or Hastings) and the two of them are a formidable pair! Villains beware!

 

This installment was excellent; one I didn’t want to put down! And now I’m eager for the next one! 

5 Stars

Book Description:

Brilliant detective Ana Dolabra must prove a man's innocence to stop a civil war in the third book of the series that began with The Tainted Cup, named an Edgar, Hugo, and World Fantasy Award Finalist and one of the best books of the year (New York Times Book Review, NPR, Elle)—from the bestselling author of The Founders Trilogy.

In the canton of Sapirdad, two of the Empire’s most powerful families are moments away from going to war with each other, their hundreds of retainers gathered with swords drawn. If blood is spilt, the whole of the empire may be plunged into starvation and chaos.

To de-escalate matters, someone must do the impossible: prove that one family’s eldest son is innocent of a gruesome and unforgivable murder, despite the incontrovertible evidence against him.

It is with this undertaking that the great detective Ana Dolabra is tasked, her assistant Din at her side—and the two find themselves racing with great speed and little dignity to the scene.

As ever, the impossible proves little obstacle for the deadly combination of Ana’s intellect and Din’s keen eye, and mere hours after riding into the dusty town, Ana glimpses the greater pattern behind the crime. A deeper, subtler web of death is being woven in plain sight, by a mastermind with an ancient magical technology at his disposal.

But even Ana's uncanny insight is of little use when each new suspect she uncovers ends up dead--with each new killing calculated to bring tensions between the two rival clans past the boiling point. And as Din pursues their adversary through the canton's wild ranges, sprawling ranches, and reeking slaughterhouses, he finds his loyalties divided in unexpected ways.

Review: The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley

 

The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy (Dearly Beloathed #2) by Brigitte Knightley

Publication Date: July 7th 2026 by Ace

Pages: 416

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

This is book two in the duology series, Dearly Beloathed, which should be read in order. The series is utterly delightful! I appreciated the catch-up chapter at the beginning.

 

Aurienne is a member of the Haelen Order committed to healing and saving lives and Oric is part of the Fyren Order, a guild of mercenary killers. Opposing orders and fierce enemies.

In the last book, Oric bribes Aurienne to cure his seith rot, a disease that weakens his powers and will eventually kill him. His bride enables the Haelen Order formulate a cure for the pox killing children all over the Tiendoms.

Meeting several times for the cure that may or may not work, Oric and Aurienne are forced to work together and with every encounter the hate dims a little more. The reluctant attraction between them ignites into a full blown, steamy affair! This is how you do spice!

Meanwhile, more details emerge about the pox outbreak and the sinister forces behind it. As their plans begin to unravel, the bad guys grow desperate. Aurienne, her order and the children are in grave danger. Despite Oric’s villainous persona, he can’t resist giving aid to Aurienne and her Haelens.

The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy was so much fun! The fast-paced, witty dialogue and gorgeous prose kept me hooked from beginning to end! A romance and mystery set in a rich fantasy world that didn’t weigh down the plot. I absolutely loved this journey and how it all turned out!

5 Stars

Book Description:

The stakes are high, the love is forbidden, and the slow burn turns steamy in this swoony, witty, and heart-stoppingly romantic sequel to instant New York Times bestseller The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy.

Osric is a member of the Fyren Order, a guild of assassins who gleefully murder for money. Aurienne is a Haelan, a scholar-healer whose Order’s motto is Harm to none. Clear-cut absolutes separate them: good and bad, right and wrong, light and dark . . .

Until they don’t.

When Osric first bribed Aurienne to heal him, he never imagined those lines would begin to blur. But every healing session draws them closer together. He finds himself developing unwanted feelings for Aurienne as her capable hands heal his body—and his heart.

Aurienne’s perfect life has been flung into chaos in the form of a devastatingly handsome assassin. She should be in her research lab, not illicitly healing a Fyren every full moon—nor wrestling an attraction to him that threatens to slip into something else.

Things go superbly sideways when Osric and Aurienne discover more about the deadly Pox deliberately unleashed through the Tīendoms. The plague may be the work of another Order—an Order far nastier than either of them can handle.

As the lines between Osric and Aurienne continue to blur, the balance between peace and war, and love and hate, trembles, shifts, and hinges on a heartbeat.

Review: Keep Them Close by David Ellis

 

Keep Them Close by David Ellis

Publication Date: June 30th 2026 by G.P. Putnam's Sons

Pages: 368

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

Keep Them Close started off with a bang and had me hooked from the first page!

 

Allison, a smart defense attorney, is successful, but her marriage is another story. I wanted to strangle her husband!

 

Luke, Allison’s brother, has a run in with the law and Allison’s ready to step in and help, but things are not as they seem.

 

Complicated relationships with betrayals sprinkled in, but at the heart of this was family.

 

Events from the past are woven into the present and I was riveted! Just when I thought I knew what was going on, a new angle came to light. I loved Allison’s quick, smart thinking!

 

Keep Them Close was a twisty and oh-so-good! Five stars from me, and easily one of my favorite reads of 2026!

5 Stars

Book Description:

From the bestselling author of Look Closer comes a new domestic thriller about betrayal and murder inside one twisted family

Siblings Allison and Luke have been through a lot together. They’ve always stood by each other. They’d do anything for each other.

When Allison’s husband, Finley, is murdered, Luke is right there by her side.

Until the murder investigation exposes secrets that could tear their family apart.

An illicit affair. A decades-old accident. A shocking betrayal. How do they explain Finley’s death? And why are the siblings suddenly avoiding each other?

As past tensions resurface, the truth might lie a little too close to home…

Review: The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh

 

The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh

Publication Date: May 19th 2026 by Pamela Dorman Books

Pages: 368

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

Oh, this was so good, I was completely swept away.

 

Carrie and Johan meet, and the connection between them is instant, magnetic, impossible to resist. What follows is a whirlwind romance with that rare feeling of being truly seen by another person. They run off to Thailand together, marry on the beach, and then, in a single devastating moment, Johan is taken by militia.

 

Carrie does her best to move forward. She builds a life, marries again, has twins… but that brief, brilliant chapter of her past never stops haunting her. It’s a wound full of unanswered questions, and the ache of what might have been.

 

The One Day You Were My Husband is a heartbreaking blend of romance, mystery, betrayal, and gasp‑worthy twists. I was on the edge of my seat as Carrie’s story unfolded through Rosie Walsh’s gorgeous, lyrical prose. The ending is messy and wonderful! Exactly what I hoped for, and wholly earned by the characters.

 

A stunning, emotional read that lingers long after the final page.

5 Stars

Book Description:

From the New York Times -bestselling author of Ghosted and The Love of My Life comes another love story wrapped in a an up-all-night thriller with a dark secret at its core

2010. Carrie and Johan, madly in love, marry on the beach in Thailand, five months into their whirlwind romance. Carrie, a British surgical intern, knows she’s being uncharacteristically impulsive but is too happy to care. But as the wedding festivities stretch into the night, armed men swarm the beach and arrest Johan for crimes unknown. In police custody, Johan refuses to see or speak to Carrie. She never sees him again.

2022. Carrie is settled in the English countryside with her husband, Robin, and their six-year-old twins. After a difficult entry into motherhood, Carrie has given up her career as a physician and has convinced herself that life as a mother and wife is enough. Until she stumbles across an online post that makes her realize Johan is out of prison—has been out for years. As the memories of their intense, passionate relationship return to her, she becomes obsessed with discovering the truth about what happened on that beach all those years ago—even if that means putting her marriage and family in jeopardy.

And just when Carrie thinks she knows what she must do, a shocking twist confirms the truth found in every Rosie Walsh Everyone has something to hide. The One Day You Were My Husband asks listeners what—and whom—they would give up to return to a first love, and to the people they once were.

About the author:

Rosie Walsh has lived and traveled all over the world, working as a documentary producer and writer. Her two previous novels, Ghosted and The Love of My Life, were New York Times bestsellers and have sold nearly two million copies worldwide. The One Day You Were My Husband is her third novel. She lives in Devon, UK, with her partner and two children. Website

Review: Archangel's Eternity by Nalini Singh

 

Archangel's Eternity (Guild Hunter #18) by Nalini Singh

Publication Date: May 5th 2026 by Berkley

Pages: 448

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★½

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

My Thoughts:

Archangel’s Eternity was a beautiful, heartfelt finale to a series I’ve loved for years. From the moment Elena the Guild Hunter met Archangel Raphael, their sparks, clashes, and undeniable chemistry set the tone for an epic romance, and this last book honors every step of their journey.

 

Across the series they’ve battled monsters, faced devastating losses, and navigated the treacherous politics of the Cadre. Here, though, they step into the most meaningful chapter of their lives. The external drama is lighter, a few archangel conflicts and the fragile mental state of another, but the emotional depth is rich. Much of the story centers on Elena and Raphael embracing change, surrounded by the people who’ve become their family.

 

I especially loved how Elena’s memories of those she’s lost remain fresh. Her grief and love coexist, and she finds a way to let those memories shine in this new beginning.

 

I was genuinely sad to see this series end, but Nalini Singh closes it with such grace and warmth that I finished the final page with a full heart and a huge smile.

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

Elena and Raphael return for the hauntingly poignant conclusion to New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s genre-defining Guild Hunter series.

A thousand years.

It’s been a millennium since Elena’s fateful first meeting with Archangel Raphael. She has survived war and loss, experienced beauty and cruelty. But no matter what, she has always held on to her mortal heart, as she and Raphael have held on to each other. Passionate and vibrant, they’ve built a life that has stood the test of time, growing ever stronger with each turn of the sun.

But change is coming—of a magnitude they could have never imagined—and it will forever alter the trajectory of their existence.

Even as they grapple with the cataclysmic shift in their personal lives, the Cadre of Ten, which has maintained a hard-won peace for centuries, begins to simmer with dangerous fault lines. The specter of madness looms in one archangel, the promise of war burns between two others, and in darkness far from mortal and immortal eyes stirs an ancient, slumbering power.

Suddenly, the future is terrifyingly uncertain . . . at the very moment that Elena and her archangel need to protect a treasure infinitely more precious than eternity.

 

Review: Half City by Kate Golden

 

Half City (Harker Academy #1) by Kate Golden

Publication Date: February 17th 2026 by Ace

Pages: 496

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

Twenty-one-year-old Viv Abbott has been fighting demons alone ever since she watched her father murdered right before her eyes. She’s spent years carrying that burden alone, so when an invitation arrives from Harker Academy for Deviant Defense, a school for demon hunters, she’s stunned to learn she’s not the only one out there. The offer becomes even more suspicious when it comes from Reid, a Brood demon she has every reason not to trust.

 

Viv has always felt like an outsider among her family and friends, forced to hide the truth about her life and constantly missing out when hunting called. At Harker, for the first time, she finds people who understand her. The camaraderie is immediate, the friendships fast and genuine. But the safety she feels is short-lived. When one of her new friends disappears and the academy is attacked, Viv and her tight-knit group are thrust into a dangerous mystery. I loved this crew, quirky, loyal, and determined to uncover what happened. The romance was a slow-burn, chemistry-heavy enemies-to-lovers that I’m on board for.

 

Half City starts with a slower setup as the world and characters are introduced, but the moment Viv steps onto Harker grounds, the story hits its stride. The mystery surrounding the missing student and the escalating attacks unfolds with several surprising twists, leading to a thrilling, high-stakes conclusion. The book ends on a to-be-continued note. I’m eager to see where Viv’s journey goes next!

4 Stars

Book Description:

Welcome to Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. Keep your daggers sharp, and your wits even sharper.

Viv Abbot is an average twenty-one-year-old girl. She lives in an expensive city where the rent is too high, works long hours at a thankless job, and is dating a guy she doesn’t even like in the hopes of winning her prickly mother’s approval.

She just also happens to be a demon hunter.

Ever since her father's murder, she's been forced to hunt deviants alone, meaning everyone, including her family, sees her as an outsider. . . . Until the day she crosses paths with a dangerously alluring demon, Reid Graveheart. The reformed deviant tells her of a school for people just like her: Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. If she enrolls, she'll learn to hone her craft, work with other hunters, and never be alone again.

But Viv has a deadly secret. One that not even her new friends at Harker can know about. Not when the school might hold the answers to untangling the mystery surrounding Viv's father’s death. When strange occurrences begin to plague the students, Viv will have to figure out who she can trust, and fast. All while trying to ace her classes, not fall for a demon, and make it through her first year at Harker in one piece. How hard could that be?