2025 Release Archives - Page 10 of 12

Book Review:: The Matchmaker | Aisha Saeed

Nura Khan is the best matchmaker in town, and everyone knows it. She’s taken the family business and made it bloom. She doesn’t just help her clients find love, she helps them become the type of people who can sustain love, then matches them with their perfect partners. It’s not a service for everyone, and she turns down a lot of clients. Sometimes, they’re not so happy about it.

The Matchmaker by Aisha Saeed Book Cover

When strange and dangerous things begin to happen surrounding her and her business, and disgruntled potential clients begin coming out of the woodwork, Nura and her closest friends must work to piece together who could be behind the attacks.

Did I mention she’s also in love with her fake fiancé slash best friend in the world?

The Matchmaker is a fast-paced thriller surrounded by and fueled by the darker side of romance, the part where things don’t always work out the way you plan. Sometimes the pursuit of love brings out the worst in people instead of the best.

The stakes rise quickly in this book. It is one incident after another and is immediately clear that someone is out to get Nura and her company. It gets quite intense and follows a thriller arc closely. I was personally hoping for a little more romance because that’s what I’m the biggest sucker for, but it is a pretty solid storyline. True feelings are always revealed when one, or both parties are in mortal peril.

Overall I enjoyed the book, but it didn’t draw me in as much as I like to be. While I was interested in the story, I wasn’t held in a grip with emotion for these characters. For me it was a solid three stars.

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 Matchmaker
Author:: Aisha Saeed
Genre:: Romantic Suspense Thriller
Publisher:: Bantam
Length:: 320 pages
Audio Length:: 8h
Audiobook Narrator:: TBA
Published:: April 8th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Double Exposure | Elissa R. Sloan
Sunshine and Spice | Aurora Palit
The Midnight Feast | Lucy Foley

Book Review:: Spring Fling | Annie England Noblin

Ben was always the-one-that-got-away, but now that he’s back in town, Mylie isn’t sure how to approach him. All signs point to him leaving again, but who says it has to be something serious? Maybe they can just have a spring fling…

Spring Fling by Annie England Noblin Book Review

The tone of this novel was very lighthearted and easy, even when some of the subject matter probably warranted a little more depth. Personally, I was craving a little bit more from these characters, but every time I felt that way it seemed to launch into another tropey situation that kept things light and playful.

The characters felt well developed for the purposes of the story. Mylie, in particular, had a lot of ties to the town that drove the subplots well enough. The setting of Clay Creek is small town America with the requisite old-lady bingo group, and rascally wildlife.

For me there wasn’t a lot that really stood out as being particularly original or interesting. That’s the danger of reading so much romance! If you’re looking for something sweet and light, this book fits the bill, but if you’re looking for the next great romance novel, in my opinion this one isn’t essential reading.

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:: Spring Fling
Author:: Annie England Noblin
Genre:: Romantic Comedy
Publisher:: Avon
Length:: 304 pages
Audio Length:: 8h
Audiobook Narrator:: Amanda Stribling
Audiobook Publisher:: Harper Audio
Published:: March 18th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars
Spice Rating:: 3 (open door explicit scenes, but brief)

If you liked this book, check out…

Business Casual | BK Borison
How to Hide in Plain Sight | Emma Noyes
Catch and Keep | Erin Hahn

Book Review:: It All Comes Back To You | Melissa Wiesner

It All Comes Back to You by Melissa Wiesner is going on my top list of all time favorite books. It reminded me of my favorite book of last year, In the Likely Event, by Rebecca Yarros. Gabe and Anna are not just two love interests, their lives are completely intertwined in all the best and most complex ways. This story had me in a vice from the first pages, and it consumed me entirely until I turned the last ones. Even now I can feel this story overtake me when I think of it, which is often.

Gabe and Anna meet when they are assigned as project partners for a college level economics class. Gabe needs it for his major, and sixteen-year-old Anna talked her way into it with her enormous brain. They become unlikely friends during that semester, and their relationship frames the rest of their lives in ways neither of them expected.

Anna would tell you her life is fine, but as the two of them grow closer, Gabe begins to suspect things aren’t as straight-forward as Anna would have him think. Though he knows it will damage her trust in him, Gabe takes steps to give her the helps she needs but does not want.

He saves her.

Anna’s relationship with the Weatherall’s (Gabe’s family) is the balm for our souls. They’re not perfect, but they are close and loving and the exact opposite of Anna’s early life. They welcome her in like one of their own, and give her a soft place to land whenever she needs it.

This story takes place over many years as Anna and Gabe flash in and out of each other’s lives. Their friendship is a pillar in both of their lives, and though their bond is undeniable, they both know it would be a mistake to take it further with Anna’s past continually haunting her.

I am in love with this book. I want to carry it around, nestled close to my chest so I can have it close to me. I’m not ready to let it go. It’s the kind of story that slithers under your skin and sinks deep into your bones. It’s not a book to read for a little escape, or a weekend of entertainment…it is an experience, and one I hope you’ll undertake as well.

Blown. Away.

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:: It All Comes Back To You
Author:: Melissa Wiesner
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Forever
Length:: 336 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 40m
Audiobook Narrator:: Kate Handford
Published:: March 18th, 2025 (August 17th, 2023)
The Litertarian Rating:: 5 (million)-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

In the Likely Event | Rebecca Yarros
Wish You Were Here | Melissa Wiesner

Book Review:: Swept Away | Beth O’Leary

This book is so much more than I expected.

It is easy to assume from the premise that it might be a romantic comedy full of worst-case scenarios that conveniently have little or no consequences while two hot co-eds fall inexorably in love. Or by the cover that it might be a sweeping women’s fiction romance in which the protagonist goes on a journey of healing and gaining (or regaining) her power and self-confidence with a side of man candy thrown in. But what this book really does is turn a high-concept premise into an incredibly realistic portrayal of human survival and an exploration of the bonds we forge, whether or not we mean to, with those we trust.

Technically, yes, this is a love story. Zeke and Lexi, neither one a boatsman, get stranded at sea on a craft that has not been prepared for any type of voyage, let alone a multiple day excursion. Nothing is charged or refilled, there are no phone signals, and the only food they have are the few emotional provisions Lexi bought thinking she’d stay on the houseboat a few days until she found a new place to live. They don’t know where they are, and they cannot move their damn boat.

For days.

Then longer.

When they met, Zeke and Lexi were supposed to share one night together – a one-night stand with clearly set boundaries. But now each other is all they have out on the open water, and physical safety is only part of the battle. Both of their emotional and psychological states are not in the best of places when they began, and adding a boatload of stress to that isn’t exactly helpful.

This book is emotional, and tense, and beautiful. It’s tangled, and scary, and hopeful. It’s about compassion and resilience and doing what needs to be done, even when you’re not sure you have the capacity to do it. Swept Away is a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat, and then staring into the abyss for awhile once you finish. It’s a story that sticks with you long after you’re done reading. I loved it, and I can’t wait to read it again.

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:: Swept Away
Author:: Beth O’Leary
Genre:: Romance Thriller
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 384 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 53m
Audiobook Narrator:: Connor Swindells & Rebekah Hinds
Audiobook Publisher:: Penguin Audio
Published:: April 1st, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

All the Missing Pieces | Catherine Cowles
Before We Were Us | Denise Hunter
Hello Stranger | Katherine Center
Butcher & Blackbird | Brynne Weaver

Book Review:: What Happens in Amsterdam | Rachel Lynn Solomon

Sometimes you have to go to the other side of the world to figure yourself out.

What Happens in Amsterdam by Rachel Lynn Solomon Book Cover

Dani’s life is in a bit of a shambles – she’s left with no boyfriend and no job and decides to apply to something exciting across the world in Amsterdam, a place she’s dreamed of ever since her family hosted an exchange student from there when she was in high school. She gets it, and she stumbles into him almost immediately after arriving. Did I mention they were more than friends back in the day? And that he broke her heart? This is the story of their second chance.

This book is awesome. From the cover to the characters to the interesting steamy scenes the type of which I’ve never encountered…I won’t be forgetting this one anytime soon.

Turns out running away from your problems doesn’t actually solve anything, and her first few weeks in Amsterdam are not as idyllic as she’d hoped. She needs a new place to live and a new job if she wants to stay, and lucky for her, Wouter has a whole building he’s caring for and helps her out with the first of those things.

If you don’t love Amsterdam already before reading this book, you’ll probably fall in love with it just as much as the characters. Dani’s journey navigating her new life full of new friends and experiences is the kind of escapism we need in this timeline!

I bought in full stop with the connection between Wouter and Dani. There is big chemistry there, and though their past leads to some uncomfortable awkwardness at the start, when they loosen up, there is a great basis for friendship there that develops right alongside everything else.

This book got really close to five stars for me, but I couldn’t go all the way there. In this case it feels like mentioning some of the tropes is introducing spoilers, so I will just say that there’s one here that is usually really hard to pull off, but in this book, it mostly works. For me there is some level of cheesy about it though that is just never gonna wash off. The only other thing that sticks out as a strike is Wouter’s reasoning for breaking things off the way he did when they were younger. It didn’t cut it for me, but he’s an honest guy, so it doesn’t feel like he’s lying either…it just felt like a weak point in the backstory.

Would I recommend this book to other romance aficionados? Absolutely. This is one of the 2025 spring/summer romance releases I think you won’t want to miss!

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:: What Happens in Amsterdam
Author:: Rachel Lynn Solomon
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 384 pages
Audio Length:: 11h
Audiobook Narrator:: TBA
Published:: May 6th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4.5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

This Summer Will Be Different | Carley Fortune
The Paradise Problem | Christina Lauren
The Tourist Attraction | Sarah Morgenthaler
The Slowest Burn | Sarah Chamberlain

Book Review:: Promise Me Sunshine | Cara Bastone

One does not simply move on when their best friend dies. The friend who has been by their side through every important milestone in their life. The friend who is the other half of who they are. When the one left behind doesn’t even know who they are without the other. So when Lou dies, Lenny is not okay.

Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone Book Cover

She can’t go home. She can’t answer the phone. She can’t feed herself properly or take any kind of care of herself. She’s in full denial. But she does take a short-term nannying job one weekend to help out a single mother, and caring for someone else? That’s what she’s used to. That, she can handle.

It’s where she meets Miles, the uncle of the kid she was hired to care for. Though they get off on the wrong foot (who can blame the guy, when she looks like a hollowed-out shell of a healthy woman and he didn’t know her from Eve), Miles sees right through Lenny. He recognizes her pain, because he’s felt it too – a grief so profound it fundamentally rearranges you. They strike up a deal that she’ll call him when she’s in the thickest throes of her pain, if she’ll help him connect better with his niece, who Lenny is so good with. This is the beginning of a stunning and glorious friendship.

This is not your typical romance novel. This book is dripping with sadness and loss and the kind of hopeless feeling you can’t just shrug off or accept. It’s the kind of feeling that leaves you falling asleep on perpetually running ferries at night or showing up to nightclubs with all-night dance parties – anything to stay out of the apartment you can’t stand to exist in alone. It’s the kind of sadness that leaves you gasping for air through tears and sobs and the most minute of memories. But death happens every day, and when you find someone who understands, when you find someone who sees you and isn’t afraid of the grip grief has on you…that person is worth everything.

I can’t seem to get into the details of this one, can I? I keep harping on the vibes, but man, this book is excellent. Lenny is hurting, but she’s a free-spirit fun-loving bubbly girl by default, which plays in beautiful contrast with Miles’ buttoned-up and reserved sort of stiff-man quiet-guy thing he’s got going. They’re an unlikely pair, maybe, but sometimes all you need is someone who understands to just be with you. Sit with you. Sleep next to you…so you’re not alone.

I don’t really have any notes for this one. It’s a little long, and I can think of a few scenes I would personally have shortened, but really, it all works, and if it was shorter I’d have wanted more, surely. I’ve listened to a few of Cara Bastone’s Audible Originals stories, and I have to say she has a knack for creating characters with real depth, even in the shorter format. Of course a full-length novel was going to crush it in character work.

This is the type of story that lingers. Lenny and Miles have been in my thoughts many times in the days since I experienced their story. If you’re looking for a novel to emotionally wreck you that is ultimately uplifting and hopeful, this is your official recommendation for Promise Me Sunshine.

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:: Promise Me Sunshine
Author:: Cara Bastone
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: The Dial Press
Length:: 416 pages
Audio Length:: 11h 11m
Audiobook Narrator:: Alex Finke
Audiobook Publisher:: Random House Audio
Published:: March 4th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
Spice Rating:: 3 (open door but…classy? not vulgar)

If you liked this book, check out these other books about grief…

PS I Hate You | Lauren Connolly
The Last Love Note | Emma Grey
The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife | Anna Johnston

Book Review:: Ambush | Colleen Coble

Paradise Alden is ready to confront the demons of her past. She takes a job as the vet at a big animal rescue in the hometown her parents were murdered in, hoping to find out more about what exactly happened that horrible night.

The animal refuge is run by the family she was closest to after her parents died, but they’re also the reason she was bounced back into the foster system, when she was in a bad situation. Trouble is, sometimes bad can turn worse, and unfortunately that’s what happened to Paradise.

In this first book of a new series by Colleen Coble, Paradise is searching for answers, but does she want justice? Or will she be able to find forgiveness in her heart for past transgressions?

The action gets started as soon as Paradise steps into her new role, and it doesn’t let up. With large animals (especially the large predators) in their sanctuary, careful execution of strict procedures are paramount to safety, and when locks are left open, animals not where they’re meant to be, and traps set for the unwitting, accidents are inevitable.

For me, the pacing was a little unhinged. It is one hurdle after another after another with barely room to adjust before the next big event happens. More incidents doesn’t necessarily mean more danger, and I think this book could have done with some trimming of the excessive dangerous episodes.

I found the relationship between Paradise and the son of the Sanctuary owner, Blake, very well done. They were once teenaged sweethearts, but after fifteen years of hard lifetime apart, will they be able to forgive one another and develop a friendship anywhere near the level of trust they once did? There are a lot of complicated emotions there, and the dynamics of Paradise and his family is a beautiful thing.

One of the main themes of the book is forgiveness and finding faith. When Paradise confronts one of her greatest fears, she has a moment of transcendence, but for me her realizations felt too in-your-face and repetitive through the rest of the book. If they had been a little more inter-woven into the story and subtle in the language, I think it would have been more immersive.

Overall it was quite a unique setting for a story which was very interesting to read. The characters are good, and I’m curious to know where the series is headed 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:: Ambush (Sanctuary #1)
Author:: Colleen Coble
Genre:: Thriller
Publisher:: Thomas Nelson
Length:: 352 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 55m
Audiobook Narrator:: Karen Peakes
Published:: March 5th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

I Think I Was Murdered | Colleen Coble & Rick Acker
Before We Were Us | Denise Hunter
Every Moment Since | Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

Book Review:: Our Infinite Fates | Laura Steven

What is the meaning of life when you know it is so fleeting? Is it worth it to love when you know it will always end? What would you do, to save yourself? To live?

They’ve loved each other in a thousand lifetimes. They’ve killed each other in every one.

Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven Book Review

Evelyn (Eve-lynn) has never lived past the age of eighteen, though she’s lived hundreds of lifetimes. Always on or before her birthday, her ethereal rival, Arden, finds her and kills her, ending both of their current lifetimes. Moments later, they reincarnate in other bodies, in another part of the world. It happens again and again and it hurts every time. With only fuzzy memories of her many pasts, Evelyn wants, finally, to understand why Arden is so determined to kill her in every lifetime so she can finally put an end to it and just once, grow up.

Arden has gotten very good at disguising themselves, so Evelyn studies every face, every glance, every person near her age she can in hopes to find them before it’s too late. And this time? She’s determined to beg at least a few more days. Her beloved sister is dying – she needs a bone marrow transplant from Evelyn, who is her only match. She may have lived a thousand lifetimes, but she’s loved her family in every one, and she won’t let her die. She’s the only one who can save her.

This story is layered in complexity and meaning and has such a compelling premise. A tagline this good makes you want to find out more, and its design keeps you turning pages. We get to experience the few memories Evelyn has of her past lives, the pieces she’s sorting through to find clues as to Arden’s motivations to kill her, no matter what. Even in lifetimes they’ve been desperately in love, Arden will not let her live past their birthday. The contrast between the intrinsic love and the violence of murder is fascinating. As far as they know, Evelyn and Arden are the only ones in such a situation, reincarnating and remembering their past lives. It is just the two of them, in all their infinite fates.

Our Infinite Fates has been compared to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab, one of my favorites, and I would agree. Both novels have the mercurial factor of an outside, unknown force just beyond their understanding pulling invisible strings. They’re both written by very skilled authors. I can only imagine how difficult it must be to weave a tale this intricate and vast. And both have endings that are just *chef’s kiss*

Absolutely five stars from me. Though I was gifted the audiobook (the narrator was amazing), I’ve preordered the hardcover as well because I’ll be reading this again, no question!

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:: Our Infinite Fates
Author:: Laura Steven
Genre:: Fantasy
Publisher:: Wednesday Books
Length:: 352 pages
Audio Length:: 11h 12m
Audiobook Narrator:: Sofia Oxenham
Audiobook Publisher:: Macmillan Audio
Published:: March 4th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The City in Glass | Nghi Vo
The Familiar | Leigh Bardugo
Divine Rivals | Rebecca Ross
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue | VE Schwab

Book Review:: Famous Last Words | Gillian McAllister

Cam’s first day back at work as a literary agent after maternity leave doesn’t exactly go the way she planned. But no one plans for the police to come looking for them because their husband is holding three hostages on the other side of town, do they? Luke is the last person she’d have expected to be in that situation, and her world is shaken to its foundations. The hostage negotiator insists on getting her to that warehouse, and what happens there has consequences that ripple outward for years.

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister Book Cover

This book had me in a grip! I was captured immediately by the POV characters who both have such rich depth and interesting vantages on what takes place. The author gives just enough away at a time to leave you right at the edge of the seat, mind buzzing with ideas of why, how, and what happened, and what might happen next.

Cam is a now-single mother having to make decisions for herself and her daughter she never expected to have to make. What does she tell her about her father? How do they move on from this?

Niall is the hostage negotiator navigating an impossible work/life balance. Something about this particular case bothers him, and he can’t let it go until he finds out the truth of what happened in that warehouse.

I am so grateful I had the opportunity to read this book early as an arc reader through netgalley and the publisher. Gillian McAllister wrote my favorite thriller read of 2024 (Wrong Place Wrong Time), and this one has left just as impressive an impression as that one did. I couldn’t put it down!

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:: Famous Last Words
Author:: Gillian McAllister
Genre:: Mystery Thriller
Publisher:: William Morrow
Length:: 336 pages
Audio Length:: 13h 5m
Audiobook Narrator:: Emilia Fox
Audiobook Publisher:: Harper Audio
Published:: February 25th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Wrong Place Wrong Time | Gillian McAllister
I Think I Was Murdered | Colleen Coble & Rick Acker
The Truth About the Devlins | Lisa Scottoline

Book Review:: Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave | Elle Cosimano

Finlay Donovan’s relentless adventure continues in her fifth book, Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave. Not only is it my favorite title of the series, it might be my favorite installment of the series, period.

If you’re new to the Finlay Donovan world, welcome! You’re in for a wild and exciting ride, but you’re going to want to start it at the beginning. To avoid any spoilers for you, start with my review of Finlay Donovan is Killing It and I’ll see you back here in a few books! If you’re wondering if this series is worth the investment of time – my answer is emphatically yes.

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano Book Cover

Just when we thought she might be out of the woods, the dead body in Mrs. Haggerty’s backyard turns out to have a connection to Steven, and as we learned in book two, Finlay may have her qualms with the man, but she isn’t about to let him go down…especially when she believes he’s being framed. Steven’s ill-renowned womanizing ways are catching up with him (again), and Finlay is the only one who seems to think the woman claiming an affair with him is lying. When two crime podcasters catch wind of the connection, Finlay and Vero have to step back into action with their own investigation to find out what really happened before Steven gets pinned with the murder.

I feel like Cosimano has gotten back to the roots of Finlay’s story in this book. It’s not quite the same ‘caught in a web of consequences I could have never anticipated’ magic as Killing It has, but it felt far more simplified and organic than the last few, which were becoming so tangled and convoluted it was hard to keep track of all the moving pieces. They were still good (my reviews are linked at the end of this post if you need a refresher), but they were almost break-neck in their pacing. This one still has a lot going on, but it felt much more manageable.

More than any other in this series so far, this book is about girl power: female friendship, companionship, and trust. One might say it’s the main theme in the series, and the embodiment in this book was exactly what you might expect from a Finlay story while still being mysterious and surprising as hell. Sometimes we are all each other has, and we shan’t be underestimated 😉

It’s almost stupid how easy it is to pull me in with a little bit of romance…after Finlay’s confessions to Nick in the last book, I couldn’t wait to see the state of their affair afterwards. It’s no secret I’m a fan of that man, and I giggled in delight at the developments between these pages. Speaking of love, Vero and Javi are working some kinks out of their whirlwind relationship behind the scenes, and I can’t wait to see where that leads. That woman deserves a little bit of romance – soak it in, girl!

And did I forget to mention the Hollywood exec thirsting for movie rights to Finlay’s books? Some of his conditions are problematic, and sure to stir up more trouble down the road…

This series is pure, hilarious gold, and I’m so happy to see there are at least two more books lined up in this series. I’m happy to proclaim my love from the rooftops, because more readers mean more books, and that is always welcome news to me. If there’s an author I trust to pull off a long series based on accidental crime and complicated hijinks, at this point, I think Cosimano has proven she’s it.

Details

Title:: Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave (Finlay Donovan #5)
Author:: Elle Cosimano
Genre:: Contemporary Mystery
Publisher:: Minotaur Books
Length:: 320 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 18m
Audiobook Narrator:: Angela Dawe
Audiobook Publisher:: Macmillan Audio
Published:: March 4th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars