2026 Release Archives - The Litertarian

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

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Lucy is snatched from her bed in the middle of the night, with nothing but an outdated flip phone in her place.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

If you liked this book, check out…

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

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

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

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:: 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

Book Review:: My Husband’s Wife | Alice Feeney

This is my second Alice Feeney novel, and it is just as twisty and confusing and unreliable as the last one! If you’re a fan of high stakes puzzles and layers of mystery and suspense, you’re going to love her new release, My Husband’s Wife.

My Husband's Wife by Alice Feeney Book Cover

Eden Fox comes home from a run to find a stranger in her house. Her key doesn’t work, and there’s a lookalike there, dressed in her clothes, kissing her husband. It’s impossible, but it’s happening. Even the police don’t believe her, and everything she might have had for proof was left inside the house before her run.

This is the start of one of the most complex webs of confusion, mystery, and deception I’ve ever read. There is twist after twist and no shortage of suspicions, and just when you think you know what happened, everything turns on its head all over again.

This is the kind of book the term ‘page-turner’ was invented for. Though at times it was so shrouded in so many layers that it took awhile for the clarity to sink in, it is very good at what it does, which is satisfy your craving for a compelling story.

I was able to experience the audiobook version of this novel. It is produced to a slightly higher level than a typical book, and overall I really enjoyed all those additions. However, as someone who listens at a faster speed than 1x, the running sound effect was really frantic. For that reason I would recommend reading it on 1x speed.

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:: My Huband’s Wife
Author:: Alice Feeney
Genre:: Mystery Thriller
Publisher:: Flatiron Books
Length:: 320 pages
Audio Length:: 8h 58m
Audiobook Narrator:: Bel Powley, Henry Rowley, and Richard Armitage
Published:: January 20th, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars