Author: - Emily

Book Review:: Over and Over | Becky Hunter

So it turns out I’m a sucker for love stories through time (who knew there were so many of them?!), but this one has a twist on whatever standard there may be. It’s fully contemporary romance, there is no time travel — there are but the smallest hints of past lives, and they seem to be pointing Lissa toward a guy she recently met. A guy she really shouldn’t have any feelings for, but can’t seem to stop herself.

Lissa meets Ash through the guy she’s casually sleeping with at work. That is, after Ash saves her life on the street. She’s in a pretty dark place, being the anniversary of her sister’s death, and despite not getting off on the right foot, every time they run into one another, there’s this undeniable…something.

This book is mostly about grief, or more specifically, unprocessed grief. Lissa has a lot of healing to do with her family surrounding her sister’s death, and out of nowhere she starts getting these weird flashes of almost…memories. It gets bad enough that she searches out help for someone who specializes in past lives, even though she feels foolish for doing so.

I would call this a high concept novel, and the author stays true to her vision. I’m just not sure it entirely worked on me. It felt like a tall order, tying in the past life passages and trying to relate them to the current timeline. I would get more specific, but that feels like stepping into spoiler territory.

Don’t choose this book if you’re looking for a sweeping romance that covers generations. Don’t choose this book if you’re heavy into the metaphysics of it all. Do choose this book if you enjoy complex stories about grief and unlearning negative stories about yourself. There is a worthwhile journey in the pages of this book, it’s just not really the one that was promised.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Over and Over
Author:: Becky Hunter
Genre:: Speculative Romance
Publisher:: Forever
Length:: 400 pages
Published:: February 24th, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

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The Book of Lost Hours | Hayley Gelfuso
PS I Hate You | Lauren Connolly
Work in Progress | Kat Mackenzie

Book Review:: Rules of the Heart | Janice Hadlow

Have you ever been swept up in an engrossing historical timepiece that runs on romance? If not, you need to pick up Rules of the Heart by Janice Hadlow. If you have, you’ll understand exactly why I’m telling you to pick up Rules of the Heart by Janice Hadlow. Lady Harriet Bessborough is a triumph and Hadlow structures her story in a way that keeps your heart in your throat the entire time.

Rules of the Heart by Janice Hadlow Book Cover

What can I say about this book? I certainly didn’t expect to be under its spell so quickly and entirely. I tend to enjoy an odd historical novel here and there, but rarely am I gripped by them the way this one gripped me.

There is passion, risk to reputation, promises and broken promises, jealousy, heartbreak, motherhood, friendship, protection, longing, betrayal, guilt, and love, so much genuine love it cannot be stopped, despite the risks and unconventionalities.

To be honest, I read this book months ago, and I still think about it. It is one of those haunting stories based on real-world characters and their lives that might seem flat if encountering them in a textbook format, but writers like Hadlow bring those often-flat biographies and paint them with vivid, exquisite detail in novels like this one.

Please don’t miss this. Even if you think you don’t like historical novels. This one is a straight banger.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title::Rules of the Heart
Author::Janice Hadlow
Genre::Historical Fiction
Publisher::Henry Holt & Company
Length:: 480 pages
Published::January 20th, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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Daughter of Ruins | Yvette Manessis Corporon
The Cheesemaker’s Daughter | Kristin Vukovic
Babylonia | Costanza Casati
Buckeye | Patrick Ryan

Book Review:: The Storm | Rachel Hawkins

You can rely on Rachel Hawkins to deliver a compelling story replete with tension you can feel in your chest. This one is about murder in a tiny coastal town.

The Storm by Rachel Hawkins Book Cover

In 1984 there was a famous murder in St. Menard’s Bay. Well, probably. When a body turns up after a hurricane, probably someone murdered him and let the storm take care of the evidence. But no one can prove it. The accusation, though, follows around the girl everyone suspects. We get flashes of the timeline of events leading up to that supposed crime of the past, while the contemporary story takes place on top of it: a crime podcaster coming around to poke his nose into the case.

You can feel the tension in this book like you are there, waiting in the dense, still humidity, waiting on the hurricane to hit. The dual timeline structure isn’t new for Hawkins (The Villa felt fairly similar for structure), but boy, it’s effective. For me there was enough intrigue to pull me through both timelines without losing momentum, and the finale was surprising and also completely inevitable, the way the best ones always are.

I will read anything Rachel Hawkins publishes. She’s a wonder, and this story was no exception. Do with that what you will!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title::The Storm
Author::Rachel Hawkins
Genre::Mystery Suspense Thriller
Publisher::St. Martin’s Press
Length:: 258 pages
Published::January 6th, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

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The Wife Upstairs | Rachel Hawkins
The Villa | Rachel Hawkins
The Heiress | Rachel Hawkins
Listen for the Lie | Amy Tintera
The House in the Pines | Ana Reyes

Book Review:: Ship of Dreams | Donna Jones Alward

Sometimes I wonder how the next generations will remember the disaster that was The Titanic. Books like this one carry the story forward, to guard against letting it slip into the sands of time.

Ship of Dreams by Donna Jones Alward Book Cover

Hannah is traveling aboard the Titanic with her husband, who must go to America for business. Their marriage is at a breaking point, and she has a secret to tell him if they are ever to repair. For bravery, she invites her best friend Louisa to join her, who will do almost anything to get out from underneath the control of her parents, who want her to marry someone she does not love. Louisa, recklessly, writes to a triste of hers that she will be aboard, and he surprises her once she boards.

Between the marital drama, and Louisa’s reckless but passionate behavior, the early pages of this book are propelled with the need to know what happens next. But we all know what happens eventually in a story like this one.

While tragic, this is a story about survivorship, about confronting things even when they’re hard. About acceptance, and being accepted. About the friendships that sustain us through the most difficult times of our lives. And about love, how it moves through us, and the scars it leaves behind.

I personally feel like the feminist angle was forced maybe a little too hard, though of course this was a major issue being examined at the time. At times it just felt forced, if you know what I mean.

Overall, though, this was an emotional book, and I really enjoyed reading it.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Ship of Dreams
Author:: Donna Jones Alward
Genre:: Historical Fiction
Publisher:: One More Chapter
Length:: 384 pages
Published:: March 31st, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

Rules of the Heart | Janice Hadlow
Buckeye | Patrick Ryan
The Cheesemaker’s Daughter | Kristin Vukovic

Book Review:: Undimmed | Cecily Mak

The best thing about this book is the framing that it is for everyone. You don’t have to declare your problems or label them as a disease or anything else. You can just look at your life, and try to objectively find the places that are dimming you, then deal with them.

Undimmed by Cecily Mak Book Cover, single golden feather floating down

A Dimmer is something we use as a crutch, to self-soothe, to hide from pain. It can be anything, social media, food, alcohol, maybe a certain friend that lets you exercise a part of yourself that doesn’t, ultimately, feel good.

Once they are identified, you can dig deeper and find the roots of why you behave this way, and work on that forgiveness…and release yourself from that vice.

Now back to that thing I like most about this. It’s a SELF-HELP book, as in, you can help yourself through this process. It’s a perpetual self-audit. A scan of your habits to see what is serving you and what really isn’t, and gives you new perspectives to make changes.

This is a book for people who don’t like labels. If you don’t want to be called an ‘addict’ for the rest of your life (and maybe you’re not), and that is your hesitancy toward a formal program, that’s okay, and this book is for you.

Work on ourselves is so important, and this book really gave me a lot to think about.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title::Undimmed: The Eight Awarenesses for Freedom from Unwanted Habits
Author::Cecily Mak
Genre::Personal Development
Publisher::Flatiron Books
Length:: 256 pages
Published::January 6th, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

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

Even though the premise of this book is clear from the title, the cover, and whatever the blurb says (which you all know by now I almost never read) — it still surprised me.

Seeing Other People Book Cover

There are ghosts, and ghosts make for excellent adventure, and, turns out, make pretty good matchmakers.

Morgan is haunted by a guy she barely knows and she has no idea why. What is it that is anchoring him to her? He was nice and all, but how does she get rid of him?

Then she meets Sawyer, who has been haunted for years by the love of his life. Together, they decide to help one another. After all, how often do you meet someone who is actively being haunted?

Though the premise is a little silly, and translated to a story that is sometimes silly and fun, it’s also a story of deep grief and loss, and learning to live again. I really appreciated the careful balance of the depth, and I thought the romance was handled really organically, too.

Besides the cover, which makes no sense (why are both of the ghosts there girls?!), I thought it was a really great book, and I recommend it.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Seeing Other People
Author:: Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemung-Broka
Genre:: Paranormal Romance
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 352 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 45m
Audiobook Narrator:: Brittany Pressley & Dan Bittner
Published:: December 9th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

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32 Days in May | Betty Corrello
Promise Me Sunshine | Cara Bastone
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Book Review:: Handle With Care | Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

This book is like, if locked-room mystery was a thriller, and the psychology of everyone in the room is the story. In other words: excellent.

Handle With Care by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen Book Cover

This is my second title by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen, and I already knew after Every Moment Since that I’d read everything she put out. This one is a very different vibe, but still under the same sort of suspense umbrella. (Also, LOOK at that cover! *drools*)

This is a story about an impromptu hostage situation at the united states postal service. It’s told by an omniscient, present-tense narrator that give the entire thing a very unique vibe, and it is organized into the parts of a letter.

If you read the ‘header’ you won’t be able to stop. It’s too good. It’s stunningly good. I’d even say an intro like that is a masterwork. It got me, hook, line, and sinker.

In a thriller, it’s especially important to avoid any spoilers. Discovering the story is the joy of it. So I won’t. Maybe I’ll just stop here, actually. The shortest review ever written! But if you do read it, and I really think you should, just don’t forget…

This is a story of hope.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Handle With Care
Author:: Marybeth Mayhew Whalen
Genre:: Suspense Thriller
Publisher:: Thomas Nelson
Length:: 288 pages
Published::April 14th, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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Every Moment Since | Marybeth Mayhew Whalen
The Unraveling of Julia | Lisa Scottoline
The Night We Lost Him | Laura Dave

Book Review:: Fallen City | Adrienne Young

A city is falling – it’s inevitable – but the man who started it is also the one who cannot leave. Not without her.

Fallen City by Adrienne Young Book Cover

Maris and Luca, oh my my. This book has political tension, mystical mysteries, warfront tactics, rivalries, brotherhood, courting, and a love so deep and true it’ll have you aching for more and afraid to find out what happens next.

The pacing and reveals in this book are its crowning achievement. Young pulls you through the novel with sparse inner-chapter hints and last-line gut-punches that keep that sense of discovery feeling constant through just about the whole book. It’s propulsive. It’s a valuable lesson for writers (like me).

I honestly feel like the plot is secondary here, though there is plenty of it to sink your teeth into. But it’s the characters that make it unforgettable.

Will I read the next installment? You don’t even have to ask.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Fallen City (Fallen City Duology #1)
Author:: Adrienne Young
Genre:: Romantasy
Publisher:: Saturday Books
Length:: 416 pages
Audio Length:: 11h 19m
Audiobook Narrator:: Dylan Reilly Fitzpatrick & Leela Bassuk
Published:: November 4th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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Divine Rivals, Rebecca Ross
Heartless Hunter, Kristen Ciccarelli
Our Infinite Fates, Laura Steven
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Book Review:: Caller Unknown | Gillian McAllister

Love makes fools of us all, and we all know nothing is stronger than a mother’s love. Simone and Lucy just wanted to have a nice mother-daughter holiday camping in the west Texas desert.

Note to self: never book a holiday in west Texas.

Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister Book Cover

Lucy is snatched from her bed in the middle of the night, with nothing but an outdated flip phone in her place. When it rings, it’s an unknown caller, and they’ve ransomed her daughter. Simone and Lucy are in a time of transition. Lucy is preparing to go off to college, and Simone is feeling the absence of her more than ever, making the ache of intense love only a mother can understand more tender than ever. Perhaps it is this specific texture of feeling that leads to what happens next.

What would you do, when pressed into a corner, to recover one you love?

Gillian McAllister is so good at what she does. Her thrillers have an atmosphere and a desperation and a logic that propels you through the pages relentlessly. It’s a story about familial love, it’s a story of desperation, it’s a story about having to move without knowing if it’s safe, where it’s safe, or who is safe.

Don’t miss it.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title::Caller Unknown
Author::Gillian McAllister
Genre:: Thriller
Publisher:: Willam Morrow
Length:: 336 pages
Published::May 5th, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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Wrong Place Wrong Time | Gillian McAllister
Every Moment Since | Marybeth Mayhew Whelan
Beautiful Ugly | Alice Feeney
The House in the Pines | Ana Reyes
Nobody’s Fool | Harlan Coben

Book Review:: The Relic of the Wildwood | E.J. Venter

A perilous quest. A fierce protector. And a young woman who doesn’t believe she’s enough. These are the ones tasked with saving the world from an evil force none understand. Will they survive long enough to succeed?

The Relic of the Wildwood by EJ Venter Book Cover

The first thing I want to say about this book is how completely engrossed I was from the very beginning. Though there are common fantasy elements in this story, it had a unique feel I can’t quite describe. That’s not to say it’s cookie cutter at all, but I felt like I was reading about something real.

Alarie has no self-confidence because it has all been sapped out of her by her mother, whom I suspect is up to something greater. She is sent to accomplish an impossible task, and one of the greatest warriors in the realm is sworn to protect her, reluctantly, but dutifully. This first book does so much to set the stage for what could truly be an epic tale.

This is a story that has lingered in my mind long after I read, and I’m happy to see book two is already available to read. That’s where you can find me next!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title::The Relic of the Wildwood (Relics of the Gods Book 1)
Author::E. J. Venter
Genre::Fantasy
Publisher::Indie
Length:: 306 pages
Published::December 15th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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Thief of Night | Holly Black
The Summer War | Naomi Novik
Awake in the Floating City | Susanna Kwan
Anji Kills A King | Evan Leikam