Author: - Emily

Book Review:: If Only You Knew | Ellie K. Wilde

Man, sometimes you gotta go back to a genuine sports romance novel, and If Only You Knew by Ellie K. Wilde really fits the bill (also it’s part of a standalone series so if you like it, there’s more).

If Only You Knew by Ellie K Wilde Book Cover

Parker and Summer are the ultimate friends to lovers indulgence. They’ve been friends forever, but for their own reasons, have never really considered that they may just be exactly who they’re looking for.

Physical therapist and competitive surfer Summer is sick of dating, starting to think there was nothing but duds out there. Parker has a reputation and has never been one for a serious relationship.

Their story finding their way to one another is full of twists and turns and a little bit of heartbreak, and starts when the agree to help matchmake one another. Who knows them better than their best friend, after all?

Like the rest of the books in this series (and indeed the sports romance genre in general), this book is very spicy. Like, four cayenne peppers spicy. Very explicit! There, you’ve been warned.

Wilde is really good at matching up her heroes and heroines, and their backstories always play into unlocking them to love. It’s such a satisfying feeling for the reader.

So, do I recommend? Absolutely! Grab yourself a copy to bring some sunshine into your winter blues.

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:: If Only You Knew (Oakwood Bay #3)
Author:: Ellie K. Wilde
Genre:: Sports Romance
Publisher:: Atria Books
Length:: 400 pages
Published:: February 17th, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

Checking it Twice | Kendall Ryan
Revolve | Bal Khabra
Pitcher Perfect | Tessa Bailey

Book Review:: The Nantucket Inn | Pamela Kelley

Last year I read a book called The Christmas Inn by Pamela Kelley and I LOVED it. It was such a nice, engaging, wholesome novel about family and friendship and community. Naturally, I was quite excited to dive into another story by this same author.

The Nantucket Inn by Pamela Kelley Book Cover

The Nantucket Inn centers around another family unit, a mother, three daughters, and a fleeting son, who helps his mother turn their generous Nantucket home into an inn after the death of the family patriarch.

Everyone is going through something a little bit different. There are relationships ending, relationships beginning, relationships on pause…but at the center of everything is the core connection of the family.

I find books like these so cozy and pleasant. There’s plenty of drama, but because of the solid support systems underneath, nothing ever feels desperate, you know? You can read the whole thing without your heart in your throat. A good one to dip in and out of, even.

While I did enjoy The Nantucket Inn, it wasn’t quite as touching to me as The Christmas Inn. If your heart is feeling a little tender, I think Pamela Kelley is a good bet to sink into for a safe escape.

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 Nantucket Inn (Nantucket Beach Plum Cove)
Author::Pamela Kelley
Genre::Women’s Fiction
Publisher::Piping Plover Press
Length:: 324 pages
Published::February 3rd, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 3.5-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

The Christmas Inn | Pamela Kelley
Overdue | Stephanie Perkins
The Heartbreak Hotel | Ellen O’Clover

Book Review:: Silver & Blood | Jessie Mihalik

Romantasy fans, this one’s for you. Part fairy tale, part romance, this book is bound to satisfy many romantasy lovers.

Silver & Blood by Jessie Mihalik Book Cover

Riela is taken to an enchanted house in the woods, where she is essentially trapped with a partly terrifying, partly misunderstood brooding powerful man, his wolf companion, and enough magic to protect them from the evils outside. But strange as that is, it becomes ever stranger when she accidentally does the one thing she was told never to do, and opens an entirely new can of worms.

In some ways, this book was refreshing in the face of other romantasy novels, but in others, it’s still the same note. Romantasy heroines are essentially all inter-changable, and I found that to be the case here as well. They’re always doing things they ought naught, having an attitude about it, being stuck in magical situations that barely make any sense at all…

But…

Somehow it is still interesting enough to keep you turning pages. Did I want to know what happened next? Mmhmm. Did I fall in love with Garrick alongside her? Um, duh. Are the politics nothing but window dressing? Of course. But that’s what romantasy readers want, and here, they get it. A fulfilled promise. An entertaining handful of hours. A new series to track.

And will I read the sequel? …probably 🙂

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:: Silver & Blood (Silber & Blood #1)
Author:: Jessie Mihalik
Genre:: Romantasy
Publisher:: Avon
Length:: 448 pages
Published::January 27th, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

Quicksilver | Callie Hart
Rose in Chains | Julie Soto
Heartless Hunter | Kristen Ciccarelli
Divine Rivals | Rebecca Ross

Book Review:: The Highlander’s Lady of Loch & Sea | Heather McCollum

Looking for your historical Scottish hunk fix? Fan of true-blue bodice rippers? You’re going to love The Highlander’s Lady of Loch & Sea by Heather McCollum.

The Highlander's Lady of the Loch and Sea by Heather McCollum Book Cover

Laria is a fierce heroine who knows her own mind. In her first scene she’s seducing a powerful man she’s promised to kill. She would do anything for her family and her people. These are strange times, which call for strange measures.

Cyrus, her intended victim, is in a pinch of his own. With an imminent and complicated inheritance on the horizon, the last thing he needs is a complication as beautiful as Laria, but…she’s bewitched him.

For me, I wasn’t as interested in the perhaps overly-complicated political side of things peppering the novel with drama. It felt like a lot of telling, and though the characters cared about these conditions, I didn’t, really. It gave the book some scaffolding to stand upon, but it didn’t add a lot to the reading experience.

There is something about them Scots though – this book is a great escape for when you need something straightforward and sexy.

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 Highlander’s Lady of the Loch & Sea (Brotherhood of Solway Moss #3)
Author:: Heather McCollum
Genre:: Historical Romance
Publisher:: Entangled: Amara
Length:: 346 pages
Published:: January 26th, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

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Book Review:: Everyday Spiritual Habits | Hanna Seymour

Everyday Spiritual Habits by Hanna Seymour was written for women like me: moms of small children, or other busy folks who want to find time to grow their spiritual practices. Inviting Jesus into the tiny moments of our lives, to cultivate the spirit, learn scripture, and feel closer to God, even in the mundane of every day.

Everyday Spiritual Habits by Hanna Seymour Book Cover

I found Hanna and her writing style to be very relatable, authentic, and inviting. She has been a Christian for what sounds like her entire life, but I’m a little baby Christian trying to find a way in to a spiritual practice for the first time as a grown up. This book is exactly what I needed.

It builds upon the framework of James Clear’s Atomic Habits and the scripture itself, teaching how to choose good habits, how to break them down, where to fit them in, and how to make them actually stick. I do a lot of self-improvement, and I got several new insights from this book on general habit forming, too. These techniques can work on any goal you have.

I love that she gives real world practical advice on how to fit in the most foundational, integral pieces of a Christian spiritual practice, specifically studying scripture, and prayer. She also emphasizes the importance of friendship and community and really gives an excellent pep talk on that subject that has really inspired me.

One of the biggest takeaways I got from this book wasn’t even a major point of emphasis in the book. It can apply to any fill in the blank:

Was that time spent with God, or just time spent?

Oof, the impact of that statement.

It’s a lesson on presence I will carry with me in everything I do.

Excellent book you have here, Hanna. I believe this has the potential to impact a lot of people, women, specifically, to live more intentional lives, and nurture their relationship to God. Thank you for sharing it with me.

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:: Everyday Spiritual Habits: Small, Simple Ways to Transform Your Faith, Starting Now
Author:: Hanna Seymour
Genre:: Non-Fiction
Publisher:: Worthy Books
Length:: 240 pages
Published:: February 3rd, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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Book Review:: Christmas People | Iva-Marie Palmer

Jill Jacobs is a scrooge who hasn’t been back to her hometown for years, avoiding a certain someone she was once hopelessly in love with. Things between them ended badly, weirdly, uncomfortably. But when she gets there it’s not only her ex around town – her high school crush is also there, and single. Is this her chance for real happiness?

Christmas People by Iva-Marie Palmer Book Cover

This book is magical realism. Magic Santa gives her a ghost-of-Christmas-past experience where she gets to explore her hypothesis without any actual real-world consequences.

Jill is in denial about history and the future. She’s in a pretty unhealthy mental space, and she really needed this come-to-Jesus moment of self-realization. We all need that sometimes to get over our own BS.

If you’re a fan of hallmark movies, and corny holiday romances, you’re going to love this.

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:: Christmas People
Author:: Iva-Marie Palmer
Genre:: Holiday Romance
Publisher:: St. Martin’s Griffin
Length:: 304 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 56m
Audiobook Narrator:: Patti Murin
Published:: September 30th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

Change of Heart | Falon Ballard
If I Were You | Cesca Major

Book Review:: Meet Me At Midnight | Max Monroe

What happens when you’re trying to save your new boss, who is your best friend’s big brother, from being sabotaged at work? Turns out, you accidentally fall in love.

Meet Me at Midnight by Max Monroe Book Cover

This new internship is mostly a vanity job for Juniper, who is already loaded, but still, she wants to prove herself (unlike her best friend who blows it off almost completely). But this is Beau’s business. He is a rockstar there, and when a competitive bid contest comes in and Juniper catches wind that someone else is keeping too close an eye on Beau and his work on the project, she decides to let him know…anonymously…through the dating app their company is launching.

The secrecy of it is a catalyst. As he tries to guess who it is he’s regularly communicating with, it gets flirty. The tension building is *exquisite*.

What I didn’t like was the backdrop. This is a billionaire romance (or at least, close enough), and these kids are spoiled absolutely rotten. The best friend was a caricature of a flighty bougie nepo baby who literally trots off to her nails done instead of work. A little too gross to just gloss over and really enjoy the book. But others may not mind that as much.

Overall, the romance of this book snaps, crackles, and pops. If you’re in the mood to not get real deep into every aspect of the story and just enjoy THAT? Then absolutely, add this one to your TBR!

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:: Meet Me at Midnight (Midnight #1)
Author:: Max Monroe
Genre:: Workplace Romance
Publisher:: Mox Monroe (Indie)
Length:: 354 pages
Published:: November 8th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

A Winter Wedding Adventure | Leonie Mack
Leave Before I Love You | Max Monroe
A Lot to Unpack | Portia Macintosh

Book Review:: Quicksilver | Callie Hart

I feel like I’m in my romantasy era, and I don’t hate it! Look at the cover of this book. What an absolute killer. For me, Quicksilver lives up to the hype, but it’s not perfect.

Quicksilver by Callie Hart Book Cover

This book, and pretty much all romantasy I’ve read, is an absolute whirlwind. I would say I loved it up to the 85% mark or so, when things got a little squirrely and felt almost like another type of book entirely, and I didn’t love that so much. I can’t mention exactly what bugged me without throwing major spoilers, so I won’t. But a new trope essentially was thrown in an already tropey book and…it just wasn’t expected at all by the rest of the story setup. At least by me.

Honestly, I’m super under-read in this genre, and even I could spot the heavy use of popular tropes in this book. I get it, and really I loved most of it despite being a little taken out of the story by those hey, I recognize this moments. But it did feel a little like spaghetti being thrown at a wall. I really don’t want to say the specific complaints I had because they would be major spoilers, but at the 80-85% mark it felt like this book made a major turn I personally did not see coming, and it felt…I don’t know. Half corny, half unnecessary, and a little bit dumb? It took me out of the story so fast. However, I will absolutely still read the rest of this series, so it wasn’t completely…ruinous *smirk*

Speaking of romance: Saeris Fane & Kingfisher. Build me a ship and send me to sea, because hot damn, I loved the enemies to lovers thing going on there, and their…whole deal. If you’re going to write romantasy, you better get the romance right, and Callie Hart nailed it.

I even liked the side characters in this book. Like most romantasy, there’s a lot to keep track of, but it stayed interesting and engaging throughout, and you never feel too lost or confused by mountains of new information. It boils down to Kingfisher being the guardian of his homelands, and the entire world conspiring against his goal, while Saeris Fane might just be the one thing that could help him actually succeed.

Overall, bravo! You have to leave your belief suspended reading a book like this, but it feels like Ms. Hart has her entire basis covered with this one. Everything feels well developed, if not entirely to my taste, but I can’t deny she’s great at her craft! I’ve got my copy of Brimstone pre-ordered!

Details

Title:: Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy #1)
Author:: Callie Hart
Genre:: Romantasy
Publisher:: Forever
Length:: 624 pages
Audio Length:: 20h 41m
Audiobook Narrator:: Stella Bloom & Anthony Palmini
Published:: December 3rd, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

The Death King | Penelope Barsetti
Burn for Me | Ilona Andrews
Divine Rivals | Rebecca Ross
Heartless Hunter | Kristen Ciccarelli
Rose in Chains | Julie Soto

Book Review:: The Ex Vows | Jessica Joyce

I get it now, the intense hype for Jessica Joyce. The Ex Vows is an angsty, emotional story about childhood friends who once took a shot at love and missed, coming back together for their best friend’s wedding and finding the embers still burning deep.

The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce Book Cover

Georgia and Eli had a connection ever since they met as kids, which manifested in a tight-knit friend group that never wavered. That is, until they finally recognized deeper feelings one summer at the vineyard, and that changed everything. But they were young, and stupid, and were too good at ignoring their problems until they were too big to handle. Fast forward a few years, and their third wheel best friend Adam has found his person and they’re getting married. It’s not the first time Georgia and Eli will see each other since the breakup, but nine days? It might as well be an eternity. With a wedding that is cursed with the worst possible luck, and Georgia and Eli as the fixers, the two of them are seeing far too much of each other to maintain the careful avoidance they’ve practiced for years. It’s time to finally face the truth.

I should probably only give this book five stars, but this is a case of the prose making it impossible to rate it lower. Jessica Joyce can write, y’all. The way she builds an emotionally wrought scene in the present while pulling backstory and flashbacks in those same moments without losing focus is immaculate. It’s the kind of writing I want to do. So yeah, five stars.

My problem with the story itself I think stems from Georgia’s personality? It’s consistent, at least, but she gives herself so many problems by being a people-pleaser at any cost, especially to herself. She feels like she has to earn her relationships, that if she doesn’t invest in them consistently, smooth out any discomforts that might arise, her friends might realize they don’t need her and she’ll lose them. It’s a deep hurt that stems from her family life, and it’s still a very real part of her daily life.

This book explores a prioritizing friends culture I’ve never experienced. For these folks, friendship is everything. It covers a lot of versions of friendships being tried and tested. It’s something very important to Georgia. Maybe too important? But that’s probably being conflated in my mind with her aptitude as a major pushover.

Aside from that, this story has heaps of swoon-worthy romance. As I mentioned before, she uses just enough of the history between Georgia and Eli to make us burn and yearn for them in the present. I really appreciated that these flawed characters in the end earned their happy ever after.

Read it for the prose, read it for the redemption, read it for learning from clumsy mistakes. Read it for the immersive summer vineyard vibes. Read it because this is the kind of love story that demands a place in your thoughts for a long time after you’re done turning the pages.

Details

Title:: The Ex Vows
Author:: Jessica Joyce
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 390 pages
Audio Length:: 11h 10m
Audiobook Narrator:: Kyla Garcia
Published:: July 16th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

Summertime Punchline | Betty Corrello
It’s A Love Story | Annabel Monaghan
Left of Forever | Tarah DeWitt
What Happens in Amsterdam | Rachel Lynn Solomon
This Summer Will Be Different | Carley Fortune