REVIEW: She's Bad News by Elle Spellman

Title: She’s Bad News
Author: Elle Spellman
Publisher: Elle Spellman
Publication Date: November 2017
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon

Description: What would you do if you woke up with super powers?

For Bella Brown, life hasn't gone according to plan. She's almost thirty, still living in her uneventful hometown, and her dreams of becoming an investigative reporter have fallen by the wayside.

That is, until she wakes up one morning to find she's been gifted with some amazing new abilities. What’s a girl to do with heightened senses, super speed and the ability to lift a truck one-handed? Bella quickly discovers that her new powers can easily help her land front-page leads at local newspaper, The Hartleybourne Gazette.

Soon Bella's out every night chasing down local criminals for stories, while keeping her powers a secret from everyone besides flatmate Chloe. But when a burglary-gone-wrong accidentally turns her into the mysterious Hartleybourne Heroine, Bella finds herself on the front page for the wrong reasons. Her secret becomes harder to keep as she tries to track down the source of her powers, and especially when crime reporter Matt Gilmore is intent on unmasking the town's new vigilante...

Suddenly, having an extraordinary life is far more dangerous than she ever imagined.

My Thoughts: She’s Bad News by Elle Spellman is campy and over the top, but a lot of fun.

Bella Brown is a features writer at a local newspaper who dreams of becoming a major investigative journalist in London. Instead, her awful boss assigns her dull, menial stories that drain her creativity. Assigned to cover an up-and-coming diet pill, Bella is disgusted by the body-shaming trend behind it. After defiantly taking one, she wakes up with heightened speed, vision, strength, and hearing—like Supergirl without the cape or flying.

Bella becomes an anonymous vigilante, but her actions draw attention from the people behind the pill, who want to keep its effects hidden.

I enjoyed Bella and her escapades. The plot moves well, and the characters are easy to know. The ending feels implausible, especially Bella’s confrontation with the villains, but it fits the story’s over-the-top tone.

Overall, She’s Bad News is an entertaining, fast-paced story with a playful superhero twist and an easy-to-root-for main character. While the ending stretches believability, the book’s humor, energy, and campy charm make it an enjoyable read.

REVIEW: The Bestseller by Jenny Knightsby

Title: The Bestseller
Author: Jenny Knightsby
Publisher: Headline
Publication Date: September 2026
Genre: Thriller
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: YOU TOLD HER YOUR DARKEST SECRETS. NOW MILLIONS WILL READ THEM . . .

Therapist Helena Salve knows that client confidentiality is the number one unbreakable rule of her job. But the constant stories of coercive control and threat she hears from her client Belle about her dangerous husband have been wearing her down. One night over too many glasses of wine, she tells her best friend Tala everything that Belle has told her.

The problem is, Tala is a down-on-her-luck novelist who is looking for an idea for her new thriller.

Months later, Tala is excitedly telling Helena that her publisher is saying this is going to be her biggest book ever. The story is Belle's story. Not only is Helena's job on the line, but if Belle's husband is as dangerous as she says, her life is too...

Why would Tala do this to Helena? She knows what's at stake.

Your friends are meant to protect you... aren't they?

My Thoughts: Jenny Knightsby does an excellent job of drawing the reader into the story with intensity, tension, and genuine shock. I was surprised more than once, especially because the direction and heart of the story were nothing like I expected. Although The Bestseller is Knightsby’s debut novel, it reads with the confidence and polish of an author with many published books behind her.

From the beginning, Knightsby pulled me in without revealing the full impact the story would eventually deliver. Like many readers, I quickly made assumptions about the characters and where the plot was headed, only to discover that I was completely off the mark.

I struggled to understand how Tala could betray Helena by writing the book, and I felt a great deal of anger toward her for doing so. At the same time, I was shocked that Helena had broken client confidentiality in the first place. That moral tension made the story even more compelling, because there was blame, fear, and uncertainty on more than one side.

I also found myself trying to understand the complicated dynamic between Tala, Helena, and Helena’s husband, Dylan. The shifting timeline—moving between the present and their university years—helped fill in important gaps while making the story even more intriguing.

I had suspicions about Helena’s client, Belle, and Belle’s husband, Julius. My mind kept returning to the possibility that the entire situation was a setup designed to discredit Helena, but I could not figure out who would do such a thing—or why. As the story unfolded, every character began to feel unreliable. Not knowing who I could trust, or even who I should empathize with, made the reading experience far more thrilling.

The character development is excellent, and I enjoyed getting to know Tala, Helena, and Dylan both in the present and through the events of the past. The story delivers several jaw-dropping twists, and what I initially thought might be just an okay read ended up completely blowing me away.

My Final Verdict: The Bestseller is a gripping, twist-filled thriller that kept me questioning everyone’s motives until the very end. With strong character development, layered tension, and surprises that genuinely caught me off guard, Jenny Knightsby delivers an impressive debut that I would highly recommend to readers who enjoy psychological thrillers built on secrets, betrayal, and unreliable loyalties.

Thank you to the publisher, Headline, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: The Honeymooner by Melanie Summers

Title: The Honeymooner (Paradise Bay #1)
Author: Melanie Summers
Narrator: Matthew Lloyd Davies, Esther Wane
Publisher: Indigo Group
Publication Date: August 2018
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: He’s tall, dark, and built. The kind of man whose abs have abs. And I only want one thing from him—to forget the last twenty-four hours. Forever.

It was supposed to be the best day of my life. The sun was shining. The church was packed. I was dressed in white and ready to marry my steady-as-a-rock fiancé.

There was just one big, fat problem—he didn’t show up.

So I did the only thing a girl can do under the circumstances—escape to the Caribbean for our honeymoon.

Alone.

Enter Harrison Banks.

Somehow he brings out a side of me I didn’t know existed—a carefree adrenaline junkie. After a few days together, Harrison’s got me wondering if the life I always wanted was meant for some other girl.

I should go back to my safe, comfortable life, right?

That would be the sensible thing to do.

I can’t risk everything to live out some tropical fantasy with a guy I’ve just met, even if he is the only man who’s ever made me feel truly alive…

The Honeymooner is a laugh-out-loud, opposites attract romance about a heroine who’s used to staying inside her comfort zone and a hero who knows exactly how hard to push. It’ll have you laughing, swooning, and sipping fruity blender drinks.

My Thoughts: The Honeymooner, my first book by Melanie Summers, caught my attention because it is the first installment in a series—and since I already have the third book waiting on my to-be-read mountain, I knew I needed to start at the beginning. Yes, I am absolutely one of those readers who has to read a series in order. Thankfully, this book did not disappoint.

This interconnected series is centered around a Caribbean resort, which immediately intrigued me. I love the warm, fuzzy atmosphere that often comes with vacation romances, and Paradise Bay provides the perfect backdrop. The secondary characters also added plenty of fun, and I hope many of them continue to appear throughout the series.

Being jilted practically at the altar is never easy, but I appreciated how the author used that moment as a catalyst for Libby to reclaim her confidence. Instead of sinking into despair, Libby takes the honeymoon trip anyway. The trip also doubles as a working vacation, since her employer is interested in buying Paradise Bay and has tasked her with evaluating the resort’s viability.

Harrison, the resort’s owner, is struggling to keep Paradise Bay afloat. He does not want to sell, but he is running out of time and options. I liked both Libby and Harrison, and their connection felt immediate. Their chemistry gave the story energy, and their dynamic made the romance easy to root for.

My Final Verdict: The Honeymooner is a fun, lighthearted contemporary romance with a dreamy Caribbean setting, likable characters, and plenty of chemistry. Libby and Harrison’s story is sweet, humorous, and easy to root for, making this a great choice for readers who enjoy vacation romances, opposites-attract dynamics, and series with an inviting cast of side characters. I’m looking forward to returning to Paradise Bay and continuing the series.

REVIEW: The Dead Girls Club by Damien Angelica Walters

Title: The Dead Girls Club
Author: Damien Angelica Walters
Narrator: Devon Sorvari
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: December 2019
Genre: Thriller
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Red Lady, Red Lady, show us your face... 

In 1991, Heather Cole and her friends were members of the Dead Girls Club. Obsessed with the macabre, the girls exchanged stories about serial killers and imaginary monsters, like the Red Lady, the spirit of a vengeful witch killed centuries before. Heather knew the stories were just that, until her best friend Becca began insisting the Red Lady was real—and she could prove it. 

That belief got Becca killed. 

It's been nearly thirty years, but Heather has never told anyone what really happened that night—that Becca was right and the Red Lady was real. She's done her best to put that fateful summer, Becca, and the Red Lady, behind her. Until a familiar necklace arrives in the mail, a necklace Heather hasn't seen since the night Becca died. 

The night Heather killed her. 

Now, someone else knows what she did . . . and they're determined to make Heather pay.

My Thoughts: From the opening chapters, this book reminded me of the eerie slumber-party games many of us played at that age—Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board, Bloody Mary, and other rituals meant to scare us just enough to be fun. In this story, however, that childhood fascination with fear takes a much darker turn. Becca becomes consumed by the legend of the Red Lady and convinced that the rituals will prove the spirit is real, setting the stage for a tragedy that leaves one friend dead and the other carrying the weight of what happened. 

That part is revealed early, so the real question is not simply what happened, but how two best friends reached such a devastating point. I was especially interested in the emotional fallout: Becca’s death, Heather’s silence, and the scars and trauma Heather continues to carry nearly thirty years later. 

The story becomes even more compelling when someone reveals they know Heather’s secret and begins stalking her. As Heather scrambles to discover who is behind it and why, the author effectively portrays her as a woman on the edge of a breakdown, desperate to appear in control while steadily unraveling. Her panic leads to rash choices that are not only reckless but also deeply unethical. 

The shifting timeline also works well. By moving between the past and present, the narrative gives readers a close look at Heather and Becca’s friendship and the events leading up to Becca’s death. Walters adds several effective red herrings, keeping the mystery of Heather’s stalker uncertain for much of the book. 

Overall, I enjoyed the story, though the slow burn felt a little too slow in places. I also did not feel the finale fully fit with the rest of the book’s buildup.

 

My Final Verdict: The Dead Girls Club is an atmospheric, unsettling thriller with a strong sense of childhood fear, guilt, and long-buried secrets. While the pacing occasionally drags and the ending did not land as strongly as I hoped, the dual timeline, creepy premise, and Heather’s unraveling kept me invested. Readers who enjoy slow-burn psychological thrillers with a supernatural edge may find this one worth picking up. 

Thank you to the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: If I Don't Kill Them...Who Will? by Beck Lewis

Title: If I Don’t Kill Them…Who Will?
Author: Beck Lewis
Publisher: Goody and Grant Narrative Works, Ltd.
Publication Date: May 2026
Genre: Thriller
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN

Description: I thought a corporate weekend away in Wales was going to involve too much wine, awkward nostalgia and listening to Daniel Bartlesham talk about himself.

I didn’t expect to discover that most of my friends are apparently fine with revenge porn, suicide and corporate cover-ups – just as long as nobody’s bonus is affected.

My friend Eve is dead because Daniel uploaded that video of her.

And everyone at Bartlesham wants to call the whole thing an unfortunate misunderstanding and move on with their lives.

I’m not having that.

Which is probably why I’m currently locked in the boot of a car. Daniel’s mate in the driving seat is going to murder me when we stop.

But now that I’ve realized how many terrible men are protected by money, power and people willing to look the other way… I’m starting to think killing them all might be the only reasonable response.

I mean, if I don’t kill them… who will?

My Thoughts: If I Don’t Kill Them…Who Will by Beck Lewis is over-the-top, intense, surprising, a little scary, and a lot of fun. The story comes with plenty of trigger warnings as the bodies begin to pile up, but I was completely invested in Nicole’s pursuit of justice—not only for Eve, but for anyone harmed by the rich, the powerful, and the bullies who expect to get away with it.

The book opens with Nicole trapped in the trunk of her coworker’s car, convinced she will be murdered as soon as the car stops. That explosive opening immediately pulled me in, and Lewis does a strong job weaving in the backstory that explains how Nicole ended up there while keeping the suspense moving forward. The tension was riveting from the start.

Nicole faces several jaw-dropping twists, and I found myself reacting right along with her. She is an easy character to root for, but her grandmother was an absolute standout. Every young woman deserves a grandmother like hers.

I highly recommend If I Don’t Kill Them…Who Will to readers who enjoy dark, twisty thrillers with sharp edges, fierce characters, and a revenge plot that does not hold back. It is intense, chaotic, and unexpectedly entertaining, with enough suspense and surprises to keep the pages turning.

Thank you to the author, Beck Lewis, for the opportunity to read and review this book.

REVIEW: The Missing Wife by Sam Carrington

Title: The Missing Wife
Author: Sam Carrington
Narrator: Kristin Atherton
Publisher: Avon Books UK
Publication Date: June 2019
Genre: Thriller

Description: You think you know those closest to you. You are wrong…

A sleep-deprived new mother approaching her fortieth birthday, the very last thing Louisa wants to do is celebrate.

But when her friend Tiff organizes a surprise party, inviting the entire list of Louisa’s Facebook friends, Louisa is faced with a room full of people she hasn’t spoken to in years – including someone she never expected to see again: her ex-boyfriend, Oliver Dunmore.

When Oliver’s wife Melissa goes missing after the party, everyone remembers the night differently. Someone knows what happened to Melissa, and Louisa is determined to find them. But the truth could be closer, and the deception more devastating, than she’d ever imagined…

My Thoughts: As a fan of twisty psychological thrillers, I found The Missing Wife by Sam Carrington to be an okay read. I was interested enough to see how the story would unfold, but it never delivered the edge-of-your-seat suspense or satisfying payoff I usually look for in this genre.

None of the main characters were especially likable, which can sometimes make a thriller more compelling. Here, however, the story felt unfocused. Despite the title, the missing wife did not always feel like the central focus, and the number of secondary plot points made the direction of the story confusing at times.

I also never fully understood the connection between the events in Louisa’s past and her present-day time lapses. I wish that thread had been explored more deeply, as it could have added stronger emotional weight and clarity to the overall mystery.

My Final Verdict: The Missing Wife had an intriguing premise and enough mystery to keep me curious, but the uneven focus and underdeveloped plot threads kept it from becoming the gripping psychological thriller I hoped for. While it may appeal to readers who enjoy slow-burn domestic suspense, it ultimately fell short of delivering the tension and payoff I expected.

Thank you to Avon Books UK for providing an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Deception by Jack Jordan

Title: Deception
Author: Jack Jordan
Publisher: Simon and Schuster UK
Publication Date: June 2026
Genre: Thriller
Buy the Book: Amazon

Description: Emma and Miles are out of options. Their son needs life-saving transplant surgery, but in a world of privatized healthcare and impossible costs, they can’t afford it.

Then comes the offer: a shadowy syndicate known only as The Levels promises them the exact amount of money they need. All they must do is complete a series of tasks.

The catch? Each task is a crime. With every level the stakes rise, the payout grows and the line between right and wrong blurs.

But Emma and Miles aren’t the only ones playing this deadly game. As the competition intensifies and they struggle under the weight of their choices, they’re faced with the ultimate question:

How far would you go to save the one you love?

My Thoughts: Deception is the second book I have read by Jack Jordan, and once again, I was blown away by his ability to craft a story that pulls me completely into the lives of its characters. His writing evokes empathy, compassion, shock, and dismay in equal measure.

Emma and Miles are facing a parent’s worst nightmare: their young son needs a heart and lung transplant, and without it, he will die. When their insurance company drops them, they are left with no realistic way to raise the millions required for the surgery. That alone is heartbreaking, and the tragic unfairness of their situation had me near tears.

When Emma and Miles are offered the chance to earn not only the money for the transplant, but also enough to get out of debt and bring their overdue bills current, it seems like a miracle. The offer is simple on the surface: complete a series of tasks within a set amount of time, win money for each level, and advance to the next.

The problem is clear from the beginning: every task is illegal and failing even one level means being disqualified entirely. This forces Emma and Miles to confront the central question of the novel: how far are they willing to go to save their son?

With each task, the risks grow higher and the danger becomes more immediate. The suspense was intense as I followed along, wondering how far the game would go, what it would cost Emma and Miles, and whether they would lose sight of their goal before they lost too much of themselves.

My Final Verdict: Deception is a gripping, emotionally charged thriller that kept me fully invested from beginning to end. Jack Jordan takes an impossible moral dilemma and turns it into a tense, fast-moving story filled with danger, desperation, and heartbreaking choices.

What makes this book so powerful is not only the suspense, but the way it forces the reader to question what they might do when love, survival, and morality collide. It is disturbing, thought-provoking, and impossible to look away from.

I highly recommend Deception to readers who enjoy dark, high-stakes thrillers with strong emotional depth and moral complexity. It is the kind of story that lingers long after the final page.

REVIEW: Dear Wife by Kimberly Belle

Title: Dear Wife
Author: Kimberly Belle
Narrator: Vivienne Leheny, Chris Andrew Ciulla, Pete Simonelli
Publisher: Harlequin – Trade Publishing
Publication Date: June 2019
Genre: Thriller
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: From the bestselling author of The Marriage Lie comes a riveting new novel of suspense about a woman who must decide just how far she’ll go to escape the person she once loved.

Beth Murphy is on the run…

For nearly a year, Beth has been planning for her escape. She's thought through everything -- a new look, new name and new city -- because one small slip and her husband will find her.

Sabine Hardison is missing…

A couple hundred miles away, Jeffrey returns home from a work trip to find his wife, Sabine, is missing. Wherever she is, she’s taken almost nothing with her. Her abandoned car is the only evidence the police have, and all signs point to foul play.

As the police search for leads, the case becomes more and more convoluted. Sabine’s carefully laid plans for her future indicate trouble at home, and a husband who would be better off with her gone. But are things really as clear cut as they seem? Where is Sabine? And who is Beth? The only thing that’s certain is that someone is lying and the truth won’t stay buried for long.

My Thoughts: I absolutely adored this twisty thriller, which unfolds through multiple points of view and carefully layered plotlines. One storyline follows Beth, a woman on the run from her abusive husband. The other centers on Sabine, a woman who has vanished under suspicious circumstances. At first, the connection between the two is unclear, leaving the reader to wonder whether Beth and Sabine might somehow be the same woman.

The story is told through the perspectives of Beth, Sabine’s husband Jeffrey, and Marcus, the police detective assigned to Sabine’s case. This shifting structure keeps the tension high while gradually revealing how each character fits into the larger mystery.

Beth’s chapters offer a compelling look at the planning and caution required to escape an abusive relationship. Every detail of her flight feels deliberate, from preparing a new identity to taking steps to stay hidden once she is on the run. I had a strong sense of her fear: the feeling that her husband might be close behind, and that one wrong move could put her in danger again.

Sabine’s storyline brings a different kind of suspense. She is presented as a woman trapped in an unhappy marriage, having an affair, and possibly pregnant. Jeffrey, her husband, quickly becomes a suspect in her disappearance, and his behavior makes him seem increasingly suspicious as the investigation unfolds.

When the two plotlines finally converge, the reveal left me shocked and breathless. The story exposes just how far Beth’s husband is willing to go to protect his image and punish his wife. Although the book moves at a very fast pace, I was able to keep up with every twist, and the final 20% was especially gripping as Beth is forced into the confrontation the story has been building toward.

My Final Verdict: Dear Wife is a fast-paced, suspenseful thriller filled with tension, misdirection, and shocking reveals. I loved the way the multiple perspectives kept me guessing, and the final stretch delivered the kind of gripping payoff I hope for in a twisty domestic thriller. Readers who enjoy stories about secrets, survival, and carefully constructed deception will want to add this one to their list.

Thank you to the publisher, Harlequin – Trade Publishing, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: The House Guest by Mark Edwards

Title: The House Guest
Author: Mark Edwards
Narrator: Will M. Watt, Stina Nielsen
Publisher: Amazon Publishing UK | Thomas and Mercer
Publication Date: June 2020
Genre: Thriller
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: A perfect summer. A perfect stranger. A perfect nightmare.

When British twenty-somethings Ruth and Adam are offered the chance to spend the summer housesitting in New York, they can’t say no. Young, in love and on the cusp of professional success, they feel as if luck is finally on their side.

So the moment that Eden turns up on the doorstep, drenched from a summer storm, it seems only right to share a bit of that good fortune. Beautiful and charismatic, Eden claims to be a friend of the homeowners, who told her she could stay whenever she was in New York.

They know you’re not supposed to talk to strangers—let alone invite them into your home—but after all, Eden’s only a stranger until they get to know her.

As suspicions creep in that Eden may not be who she claims to be, they begin to wonder if they’ve made a terrible mistake…

My Thoughts: The Hitchcock-style creepy vibes are strong here, and readers should check trigger warnings for cults and trafficking. While the story ultimately becomes intense, it took me a while to get invested because the early narrative felt flat and distant.

The setup asks for a lot of suspension of disbelief: Adam and Ruth are housesitting for Jack and Mona, a couple they barely know, and then they quickly welcome Eden into the home without being able to verify who she is. At first, that made Adam and Ruth seem naïve and kept me from connecting with the characters. Once Ruth disappears, Eden vanishes, and Jack and Mona return with no idea who Eden is, the mystery finally becomes compelling.

From there, the slow burn shifts into high gear as Adam realizes he does not know whom he can trust, even among the people closest to him.

After the intensity of Adam’s discoveries and the danger surrounding him, the ending fizzled for me. The lack of closure left a lingering sense of dread, but not in a satisfying way. Readers who enjoy terrifying thrill rides and do not mind cliffhangers may appreciate this more than I did.

Thank you to the publisher, Amazon Publishing UK | Thomas and Mercer, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Dirty Secrets by Karen Rose

Title: Dirty Secrets (Romantic Suspense #4.5)
Author: Karen Rose
Publisher: Headline
Publication Date: January 2014
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Buy the Book: Amazon

Description: Secrets
For months Emma Townsend has avoided her old house, haunted by its memories of her dead husband. Finding the courage to sort through their possessions, she's astonished to find an old love letter from friend Chris Walker and determines to make amends for the past.

That we all must
Chris, now a college professor, is trying to deal with the tragic death of a graduate student. Seeing Emma again brings back a flood of memories, re-kindling a long-lost passion. But with police investigating the student's death, Chris cannot act on his desires.

Fear
But is it too late? Because now someone's watching Emma and Chris. Someone who's nursing revenge. And they are about to be plunged into a nightmare where no one can be trusted and every dirty little secret is sealed with a kiss.

My Thoughts: Dirty Secrets fills in some of Emma Townsend’s backstory, which makes it an interesting stop for readers who like seeing how even minor characters fit into Karen Rose’s larger world. That said, this novella felt more like a bonus story than a truly essential installment.

Where It Fits in the Series:
If you’re the kind of reader who likes to go through a series in order, this one is probably worth picking up. But if you’re mainly here for the books that really move the bigger story forward, this is an easy one to treat as optional. As book #4.5 in a 37-book series, it definitely reads more like a side story than a major chapter in the overall saga.

What Worked and What Didn’t:
For me, this one landed somewhere in the middle. I didn’t dislike it, but I also kept waiting for it to feel more meaningful to the larger series. Since I haven’t made it all the way through the Baltimore books yet, I also felt a little disconnected from the characters and their place in the bigger picture.

What I did like was the setup: Emma and Christopher reconnect because of a long-lost love letter tucked inside her yearbook, which is such a great hook. Unfortunately, the romance itself didn’t completely work for me. After seventeen years of no contact, their chemistry flared up so fast that it felt a little hard to buy.

Still, Christopher’s preteen daughter—and her obvious unhappiness about Emma stepping into their lives—added some tension that made those scenes more interesting.

Bottom Line:
• Pick this up if you want every bit of Emma Townsend’s backstory.
• Feel free to skip it if you’re only reading the most essential books in the series.
• Overall, it’s a decent bonus read, but not one of the stronger standouts.

REVIEW: Maybe This Time by Jill Mansell

Title: Maybe This Time
Author: Jill Mansell
Narrator: Esther Wane
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: June 2019
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Is there ever a perfect time for love?

When Mimi Huish first visits her dad's new home in the Cotswolds, she falls in love with Goosebrook and the people who live there. There's Paddy, with his electric-blue eyes and seductive charm. Friendly and funny Lois makes Mimi laugh. And seriously gorgeous Cal Mathieson is welcoming and charismatic. Though Mimi loves her city life and her career, she'd be very happy to return to Goosebrook if it means seeing more of him.

Life is about to take some unexpected and shocking twists and turns. And Mimi's path and Cal's are set to cross again and again--but will it ever be the right time for both of them?

My Thoughts: One of the most important elements of any novel is the connection a reader feels to its characters. That connection does not always require immediate affection or deep empathy, but it does need to be present. Whenever I pick up a Jill Mansell novel, I expect to find characters who feel vivid, engaging, and easy to invest in—and Maybe This Time delivers exactly that.

What makes Mansell’s writing stand out is her ability to create not only compelling main characters, but also memorable secondary ones. The supporting cast never feels ornamental or pushed to the background. Instead, these characters add warmth, depth, and texture to the story, becoming an essential part of the overall reading experience.

The characters in this novel are the kind of people readers want to spend time with. They feel familiar, approachable, and real—like the sort of people you would gladly sit down with over coffee and get to know better. Even the few characters I felt less attached to at first still managed to surprise me by the end, which made the story even more rewarding.

I also loved the setting Mansell creates in the quaint village of Goosebrook. The sense of peace and comfort Mimi experiences there comes through clearly, making it easy to understand why the place feels so meaningful to her. Goosebrook feels like home, and its residents feel like the kind of friends and family readers are happy to return to.

At its core, this is a relationship-driven story that explores both the joys and the challenges of human connection. It captures emotional highs and lows with warmth and sincerity, and it left me feeling fully immersed in the characters’ lives. This is the kind of book that makes you feel deeply, and that emotional impact is one of its greatest strengths. I highly recommend this story to readers who are seeking that connection.

Thank you to the publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Beside Herself by Elizabeth LaBan

Title: Beside Herself
Author: Elizabeth LaBan
Narrator: Erin Bennett
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: October 2019
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: When she finds out her husband cheated, Hannah Bent thinks her marriage is over. Isn’t that what happens after an affair? But she’s seen friends divorce, and it’s not pretty. Plus, she and Joel have kids and an otherwise happy life, and she still loves him, although begrudgingly.

Furious and feeling stuck, she suggests having her own affair to even the score. Joel, desperate for forgiveness, agrees. But does she really want to go through with it? And how exactly does a married mother of two get back in the dating pool? Many awkward dates follow until she finds a deep and unexpected connection where she was least looking for it.

Just as she thinks she’s made a decision, her journey to happiness is waylaid by storms of doubt. But the important thing is that she’s finally figuring out what she truly wants for herself, and she understands that whatever choice she makes must be hers and hers alone.

My Thoughts: Beside Herself by new‑to‑me author Elizabeth LaBan is a thought‑provoking exploration of the impossible choices a woman faces after discovering her husband’s infidelity. I usually hate the adultery trope, but what sets this story apart is the direction LaBan chooses. Instead of the predictable breakup‑to‑divorce trajectory, the author presents a marriage where the husband is immediately remorseful and desperate to repair the damage he’s caused.

One of the most compelling elements is the therapist’s blunt honesty: the marriage Hannah and Joel once had is gone. It’s over. If they want to stay together, they must build an entirely new marriage, acknowledging that they are now different people. That framing alone gives the story a fresh emotional angle.

As expected, Hannah is furious, hurt, and unsure whether she wants to salvage the relationship or walk away. Her internal struggle feels raw and believable. But when she tells Joel that before she can even consider starting over she wants to have her own affair to “even the score,” I found myself pulling back. For me, that suggestion felt like it would only compound the pain rather than heal it.

The pacing of the story was solid, and I appreciated that it didn’t get bogged down in excessive emotional drama that would have slowed the narrative. It moved steadily, giving the characters space to work through their situation without dragging the reader through unnecessary turmoil. I also paired the book with the audiobook and found Erin Bennett’s narration engaging and well matched to the tone of the story. Her performance added clarity and nuance, making the experience enjoyable.

My Final Verdict: In the end, Beside Herself offers an unusual and compelling look at what it means to rebuild trust after betrayal. While not all of Hannah’s choices resonated with me, LaBan’s willingness to explore the messy, uncomfortable parts of forgiveness makes the story stand out. It’s a thoughtful read for anyone interested in the complexities of marriage, healing, and starting over.

Thank you to the publisher, Lake Union Publishing, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Dating Cary Grant by Emelle Gamble

Title: Dating Cary Grant
Author: Emelle Gamble
Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing
Publication Date: April 2014
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon

Description: A modern Manhattan fairy tale starring . . .

Tracy Connor, a New York City career woman who loves her job and classic movies.

Mike Connor, her estranged husband, a small-town Mayor who loves his wife but doesn’t seem to have enough time to see her.

The handsome stranger, Philip Adams, who lives downstairs from the small sublet Tracy has temporarily moved into. He’s charming, funny, and looks a lot like her very favorite screen icon, Cary Grant.

Dating Cary Grant is a romance all about New York city career woman Tracy Connor struggling with real issues with her real guy, her husband of six years, Mayor Mike Connor of Cukor, Connecticut. Tracy is a smart woman, but some of her problems with relationships are partially caused by her unrealistic expectations that real guys should—and can— behave like matinee idols. Mike’s problems are also caused by the fact that he’s such a great guy and overextends his heart, and his appointment calendar, to every constituent, friend, or stray animal who crosses his path.

Tracy is also being stressed by a TV reality show intent on showcasing Tracy and Mike’s personal life, as well as the imminent takeover of her employer, a small, private television station, by a billionaire with unlimited funds and no taste.

Dating Cary Grant considers just how selfless a man needs to be to meet his wife’s expectations, and just how honest a woman must be with herself about what she’s willing to give, and give-up. And Cary Grant is along to help prove that any woman’s search for ‘Mr. Perfect ‘ might take her to a surprising place to find him.

My Thoughts: This story was an interesting tale of a woman who is struggling with the issues she is facing in her marriage. She wants to live and work in New York City but her husband, Mike, is a mayor of a small town in Connecticut. They are both good people, committed and dedicated to their careers but neither one seems to be willing to make a compromise to keep the marriage intact. Though I understood and empathized with Tracy’s position, this really frustrated me. How can anyone expect to find a resolution to the problems in their marriage if they are living in separate states? Tracy says she needs time and space to think so she signs a six month lease without telling Mike. I understood Tracy is fed up with feeling like she comes second in Mike’s life with the demands being a mayor requires and though I understood, I didn’t feel like she was being flexible either.

Adding to the chaos in Tracy’s life is the news that the television station she works at is likely to be bought out and she will be out of a job before her lease runs out so I was quite perplexed at the logic behind her decision.

Tracy meets the downstairs neighbor, Phillip Adams, who is quite a charming individual and who is the spitting image of Cary Grant at the height of his fame. The interesting thing about this man is nobody else seems to actually see him besides Tracy. It got me thinking that he must be a figment of her imagination so I kept reading this book just so I could find out what is going on.

My Final Verdict: Dating Cary Grant was an intriguing read with an unusual premise, and the mystery surrounding Phillip Adams definitely kept me turning the pages. While I struggled with some of Tracy’s choices and found it frustrating that neither she nor Mike seemed willing to truly compromise, I still appreciated the story’s exploration of marriage, ambition, and expectations.

Overall, this was a thought-provoking contemporary romance with a touch of whimsy that will likely appeal to readers who enjoy relationship-driven stories with a slightly magical twist.

Thank you to the publisher, Soul Mate Publishing, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: The Orphan Witch by Paige Crutcher

Title: The Orphan Witch
Author: Paige Crutcher
Narrator: Saskia Maarleveld
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: September 2021
Genre: Fantasy / Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: A deeper magic. A stronger curse. A family lost...and found.

Persephone May has been alone her entire life. Abandoned as an infant and dragged through the foster care system, she wants nothing more than to belong somewhere. To someone. However, Persephone is as strange as she is lonely. Unexplainable things happen when she’s around―changes in weather, inanimate objects taking flight―and those who seek to bring her into their family quickly cast her out. To cope, she never gets attached, never makes friends. And she certainly never dates. Working odd jobs and always keeping her suitcases half-packed, Persephone is used to moving around, leaving one town for another when curiosity over her eccentric behavior inevitably draws unwanted attention.

After an accidental and very public display of power, Persephone knows it’s time to move on once again. It’s lucky, then, when she receives an email from the one friend she’s managed to keep, inviting her to the elusive Wile Isle. The timing couldn’t be more perfect. However, upon arrival, Persephone quickly discovers that Wile is no ordinary island. In fact, it just might hold the very things she’s been searching for her entire life.

Answers. Family. Home.

And some things she did not want. Like 100-year-old curses and an even older family feud. With the clock running out, love might be the magic that saves them all.

My Thoughts: I very much enjoyed this debut novel by Paige Crutcher that introduces the reader to a young woman who just wants to belong and fit in somewhere, to find her people. Persephone is a witch and has had to learn the hard way to keep most parts of herself isolated from others as unusual and sometimes scary things happen when Persephone allows anyone to get close to her. While working at a coffee shop where a nearly disastrous and deadly event occurs, Persephone realizes her time there is at an end and it is time, once again, to move on. Persephone is used to moving on as she has bounced from foster family to foster family her entire life. Persephone accepts an invitation from a friend to come visit her at Wile Isle off the coast of North Carolina. When Persephone arrives, she realizes that she isn’t the only one with unusual gifts and learns that she is the key to breaking a curse that has torn her family apart. I did find it a little odd how quickly Persephone adapts to this news with a sense of full acceptance.

This story was really interesting and I was intrigued at the role Persephone plays in the island’s history. Meeting her cousins Hyacinth and Moira should have been just what Persephone was searching for, but it brought more questions and the revelation of more secrets. Additional characters Ariel and her sister Ellison were interesting as it gave me the feeling that there was much more to the island’s history that Persephone was told and I had a sense of not knowing who could be trusted.

I loved the magical world building that Crutcher creates in this story, not only the island but otherworldly locations, like the Library of the Lost that Persephone finds herself able to cross through worlds to enter. There, she meets the intriguing librarian, Dorian, who has plenty of his own secrets but is integral to Persephone’s success with breaking the curse.

My Final Verdict: The story moves at an exceptional pace and the audiobook narration performed by Saskia Maarleveld was captivating. I am looking forward to reading more of this author’s work. I highly recommend this book to readers who gravitate to paranormal themes. Readers who also relish the fantasy genre will find this story enjoyable.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, who provided an advance reader copy of this audiobook via NetGalley.

REVIEW: The Second Chance Boutique by Louisa Leaman

Title: The Second Chance Boutique
Author: Louisa Leaman
Narrator: Teri Schnaubelt
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: May 2020
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: A heartwarming story about the power of the perfect dress—and the perfect love—to change your life.

Francesca Delaney has a knack for matching a bride-to-be with the wedding dress of her dreams. Her shop, The Whispering Dress, is no ordinary bridal boutique. Every gown is vintage, and the wedding dresses seem to share their stories with Francesca, pointing to which woman needs them next.

Fran credits her success to two rules: never covet a dress and never sell a dress that led to a doomed marriage. But then she finds a beautiful 1950s couture floor-length gown, and her obsession threatens win out. The owner, however, would quite like the dark past of the dress to remain hidden forever...

My Thoughts: I quite enjoyed the premise of this story about a woman who has the unusual talent of matching vintage wedding gowns with the perfect bride. Francesca appears to have the ability to communicate with the garment, learn its story, its history and from that point her customers to the gown that seem to be made specifically for them.

When Francesca finds a dress at a house clearance, she is shocked that the patriarch of the family wants nothing to do with the dress, has no interest in passing the dress on to a family member who will marry next and appears hostile about learning of the dress’s story even though his deceased mother was the last bride to wear it. I found it intriguing that where Rafael appears repulsed by the dress, Francesa appears to be obsessed by it.

I liked Francesca immediately and was eager to get to know her and learn her background and the reasons behind her love of vintage wedding gowns. I was taken aback by Rafael’s abrupt manner, bordering on rude and socially unacceptable. I also enjoyed getting to know him and learning the reasons behind his icy shell.

The pacing of the story was fantastic. Observing the process Francesca employs to match a gown with the bride and some of the reactions the brides had about the gown chosen for them was fun to see as well as the change that comes over them once they try the gown on.

I highly recommend this heartwarming story to fans of contemporary romance and women’s fiction. Readers who are in the market for a wedding gown may find this book useful to point them to the perfect dress, be it vintage or contemporary.

Thank you to the publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: California Girls by Susan Mallery

Title: California Girls
Author: Susan Mallery
Narrator: Tanya Eby
Publisher: Harlequin - Mira
Publication Date: February 2019
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: The California sunshine’s not quite so bright for three sisters who get dumped in the same week…

Finola, a popular LA morning show host, is famously upbeat until she’s blindsided on live TV by news that her husband is sleeping with a young pop sensation who has set their affair to music. While avoiding the tabloids and pretending she’s just fine, she’s crumbling inside, desperate for him to come to his senses and for life to go back to normal.

Zennie’s breakup is no big loss. Although the world insists she pair up, she’d rather be surfing. So agreeing to be the surrogate for her best friend is a no-brainer—after all, she has an available womb and no other attachments to worry about. Except…when everyone else, including her big sister, thinks she’s making a huge mistake, being pregnant is a lot lonelier—and more complicated—than she imagined.

Never the tallest, thinnest or prettiest sister, Ali is used to being overlooked, but when her fiancé sends his disapproving brother to call off the wedding, it’s a new low. And yet Daniel continues to turn up “for support,” making Ali wonder if maybe—for once—someone sees her in a way no one ever has.

But side by side by side, these sisters will start over and rebuild their lives with all the affection, charm and laugh-out-loud humor that is classic Susan Mallery.

My Thoughts: After reading this book, I am perplexed how this book escaped my notice for so long and am wishing I had picked it up sooner. It was a thoroughly enjoyable story that captivated me immediately. I loved the premise of three sisters who all get dumped the same week in very different ways and how these women rebuild their lives in unexpected ways.

The sisters were all different but very likable. Finola is the oldest and is a typical go-getter personality. She’s very career driven and enjoys the fruits of her success with her equally successful plastic surgeon husband living the dream in Beverly Hills. Finding out her husband has been unfaithful is bad enough but having your private pain and embarrassment become local fodder for the tabloids is a nightmare.

Zennie is a surgical nurse who loves her career and doesn’t think being in a relationship is a big deal. She’s happy being single and independent and the guy she is dating is a really nice guy but realizes she isn’t into him so they have an amicable breakup. When Zennie’s best friend and cancer survivor approaches Zennie to ask her to be a surrogate, Zennie doesn’t hesitate. She isn’t planning on getting pregnant for herself anytime soon and if she can help her best friend become a mother, Zennie is more than happy to do it. She doesn’t count on the changes her body goes through, physically and hormonally and is shocked at the lack of support people around her are displaying.

Ali has lived in the shadow of her sisters all of her life but she doesn’t let it stop her even if she feels invisible most of the time. She’s engaged to be married and is neck deep in planning a wedding to occur in a few weeks. That is, until her future brother-in-law, Daniel, shows up on her doorstep to tell her that her fiancé is dumping her but doesn’t have the cajónes to do it himself.

I enjoyed the multiple perspectives from each sister and seeing how their individual situations played out. This book moved at a wonderful pace, keeping me engaged and invested in the story and the characters. This book made me laugh and I also got a little misty eyed at parts. I paired the reading of this book with the audiobook format and very much enjoyed the narration performed by Tanya Eby.

My Final Verdict: I highly recommend this story and look forward to reading more from this author. Readers who love women’s fiction or stories that are highly character driven will enjoy this.

Thank you to the publisher, Harlequin - Mira, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Postscript by Cecelia Ahern

Title: Postscript
Author: Cecelia Ahern
Narrator: Amy Huberman
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: February 2020
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Sixteen years after Cecelia Ahern's bestselling phenomenon PS, I Love You captured the hearts of millions, the long-awaited sequel follows Holly as she helps strangers leave their own messages behind for loved ones.

Seven years after her husband's death -- six since she read his final letter -- Holly Kennedy has moved on with her life. When Holly's sister asks her to tell the story of the "PS, I Love You" letters on her podcast -- to revisit the messages Gerry wrote before his death to read after his passing -- she does so reluctantly, not wanting to reopen old wounds.

But after the episode airs, people start reaching out to Holly, and they all have one thing in common: they're terminally ill and want to leave their own missives behind for loved ones. Suddenly, Holly finds herself drawn back into a world she's worked tirelessly to leave behind -- but one that leads her on another incredible, life-affirming journey.

With her trademark blend of romance, humor, and bittersweet life lessons, Postscript is the perfect follow-up to Ahern's beloved first novel.

My Thoughts: When I first learned this book had been published, I immediately knew it would break my heart as its predecessor, PS, I Love You, did. Even still knowing what lay ahead for me in this story, I was not deterred. I absolutely had to read this. I had to know how Holly has been faring in her life without Gerry. This book picks up the story seven years after Gerry’s passing and I was happy to see that Holly was doing well, working with her sister and in a relationship that was ready to take the next step of moving in together.

After Holly is invited to come on to her sister’s podcast and share her story, she is inundated by people seeking help. One group of terminally ill people have gone so far as forming a PS, I Love You club and they want Holly’s assistance drafting their own letters and creating memories for their loved ones to hold after they have gone. I was slightly surprised at Holly’s initial reluctance to participate in this endeavor as she feared it would mire her back into the bottomless grief and despair she lived through. I totally understood and empathized with Holly but this book is more about the lives her story touched and the hope they felt and the peace they sought. As Holly gets to know each member of the PS, I Love You club, the story begins to shift away from Holly and onto each of these individuals. As I got to know them, along with Holly, I was once again blind sighted by their bravery and determination as I was with Gerry.

I adore this author and continue to be amazed at the talent she possesses to create stories and characters that can so fully capture the heart of the reader. I find it impossible to be a passive reader when I read one of her books. I am completely entrenched in the story and the characters to varying degrees. It is so easy to get emotionally invested in these characters as they feel like close friends and family. I paired the reading of this book with the audiobook format and the narration by Amy Huberman was a delight. The Irish lilt made my ears happy. Though this book could be read as a standalone, you would be depriving yourself of a beautiful story with PS, I Love You so I highly encourage the reading of that one first.

I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with Holly and even getting a few more glimpses of Gerry’s presence through Holly’s recollections as well as a few surprises that Holly hasn’t counted on. I highly recommend this book to fans of contemporary romance and women’s fiction and readers who enjoy stories about strength, perseverance, bravery and embracing life.

Thank you to the publisher, Grand Central Publishing, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: The Lucky Dress by Aimee Brown

Title: The Lucky Dress
Author: Aimee Brown
Publisher: Aria
Publication Date: August 2018
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon | Audible

Description: Emi Harrison hasn't been feeling particularly lucky lately. Ever since her ex-fiancée, Jack Cabot, successfully shattered her heart into a million pieces. She's managed to avoid him for a whole year, but all that's about to change at her brother Evan's wedding...

She will have to face Jack, Jack's sister, Jack's parents, and Jack's new girlfriend: a mean girl that just won't quit. What could possibly go wrong?

But with her lucky dress on, she might just find new love, life, and maybe even happiness at last!

My Thoughts: Though I am not a fan of the big misunderstanding trope, it was written very well in this story and played out beautifully. So many issues could have been resolved so quickly between Emi and Jack if they had just communicated and not let a whole year pass but hindsight is always 20/20 and carries a lot of could’ve, should’ve, would’ve.

I really enjoyed seeing it evolve and had a lot of anticipation of who Emi would end up with. I honestly expected them to end up with other people at this point but my old sappy heart was happy to see they still carried strong feelings for each other in spite of their painful breakup.

I loved the direction the author took with this story to make it feel unique and stand out, especially with the dual timeline between the past and the present. It gave me a better understanding of who Emi and Jack were and the lives they lived before. I felt all the feels and the empathy meter was running high for both Emi and Jack.

I loved this book and definitely want to read more from this author. Fans of contemporary romance, romantic comedies and women’s fiction will likely find this story appealing as well.

Thank you to the publisher, Aria, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

Title: A Flicker in the Dark
Author: Stacy Willingham
Narrator: Karissa Vacker
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: January 2022
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: From debut author Stacy Willingham comes a masterfully done, lyrical thriller, certain to be the launch of an amazing career. A Flicker in the Dark is eerily compelling to the very last chapter.

When Chloe Davis was twelve, six teenage girls went missing in her small Louisiana town. By the end of the summer, her own father had confessed to the crimes and was put away for life, leaving Chloe and the rest of her family to grapple with the truth and try to move forward while dealing with the aftermath.

Now twenty years later, Chloe is a psychologist in Baton Rouge and getting ready for her wedding. While she finally has a fragile grasp on the happiness she’s worked so hard to achieve, she sometimes feels as out of control of her own life as the troubled teens who are her patients. So when a local teenage girl goes missing, and then another, that terrifying summer comes crashing back. Is she paranoid, seeing parallels from her past that aren't actually there, or for the second time in her life, is Chloe about to unmask a killer?

My Thoughts: As a child, Chloe Davis not only learns her father is a serial killer but she was instrumental in his capture by turning him in. An event like this would leave anyone deeply traumatized and carrying massive loads of emotional and mental baggage. I felt an immense amount of empathy for this character and also felt high amounts of anxiety with her wondering who she could trust when similar disappearances and murders begin occurring twenty years after her father is sent to prison. Did Chloe turn in the wrong person? Is it a copy-cat killer? Is Chloe an intended target?

This author is new to me but I am looking forward to reading more of her work. I loved the tightly woven story, heavily laden with tension and twists that heightened my anxiety while ripping the rug out from under me. I also loved that the author leads the reader into a possible outcome, only to jerk the steering wheel in the opposite direction giving me the sense I’m in a runaway vehicle and the brakes have failed. The audiobook narration performed by Karissa Vacker was excellent as well. She deployed the perfect level of apprehension which made the characters believable and relatable.

My Final Verdict: I highly recommend this book to fans of mysteries, thrillers and stories that make you question yourself and suspect everyone around you.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, who provided an advance reader copy of this audiobook via NetGalley.