3-Star Archives - The Litertarian

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

If you liked this book, check out…

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

Book Review:: Yours for the Season | Emily Stone

What do you do when your ex-boyfriend invites you to spend the week of Christmas with his family in Scotland? Turns out he told his family you got back together, and you love his family, and he agrees that you can break up with him very loudly and clearly at the end of it, to set things straight once and for all. So Melanie agrees.

Yours for the Season by Emily Stone Book Cover

All the ingredients for a cute holiday romance are there! Fake dating someone you already have a history with makes everything that much more complicated. There are long standing relationships Melanie has with his large family who are there, too, and many of them are going through big life events and are really bonding with her on this trip. The breakup earlier in the year was brutal, but could there still be hope for the two of them?

Maybe my favorite part of this book was how Melanie was accepted by Finn’s family. When a relationship disintegrates, it often has a lot of collateral damage, and in their case, Melanie lost her relationship with his mother and sisters who she always really cared about, being an only child herself.

I have a soft spot for holiday romances. Is this one extra special? Not really. It’s a typical tropey contemporary romance novel with a holiday twist. The romance is satisfying, and the drama is certainly there. The characters each have lessons to learn before they can truly love and trust the other person. And if you’re itching for the holidays, you should definitely add this one to your list!

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:: Yours For the Season
Author:: Emily Stone
Genre:: Holiday Romance
Publisher:: Dell
Length:: 336 pages
Audio Length:: 8h 54m
Audiobook Narrator:: Rebecca Norfolk
Published:: October 7th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Christmas is All Around | Martha Waters
Emergency Contact | Lauren Layne & Anthony Ledonne
Work in Progress | Kat Mackenzie

Book Review:: The Summer War | Naomi Novik

In this brief novella by Naomi Novik, the full story of a curse is told. There are kingdoms with long feuds and high emotions, and ultimately it is up to a young girl, and few others, to break the two kingdoms out of inevitable war.

The Summer War by Naomi Novik Book Cover

If you are a big fan of political fantasy, this is your jam. There is a lot of politics and explanation of history between the two nations in this novella. For me, there wasn’t enough of the internal conflict explored on the page. We understand Celia’s motivations, but I never felt them, you know?

Overall, it’s a successful story. We walk from the very beginnings of the conflict to the technically perfect resolution. It just felt a little empty of emotion for me. I’m not sure how else to say 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:: The Summer War
Author:: Naomi Novik
Genre:: Fantasy
Publisher:: Del Rey
Length:: 144 pages
Audio Length:: 3h 47m
Audiobook Narrator:: Ella Lynch
Published:: September 16, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Book Review:: Ghost Business | Jen DeLuca

Welcome back to Boneyard Key, where the kitchy beach town theme is actually rooted in truth. Boneyard Key is haunted by a wide array of ghosts, and Sophie has dedicated her business to digging up the truth about each of their stories.

Out of nowhere comes a cute newcomer who turns out to be a businessman in the ghost tours business. Sophie’s business. And he’s coming for her market. Trouble is, he doesn’t care if the stories are real or not as long as the customers keep coming. His mentality causes natural clashing between himself and Sophie – a rivalry with an undertone of admiration on his side, and heat on hers. And what happens when Tristan finds out the ghosts in this town are real?

There wasn’t much new or surprising or endearing really about the little town of Boneyard Key that wasn’t already there in Haunted Ever After. I think it certainly fits in the same world, but I was hoping for a stronger story for book two. The romance wasn’t particularly swoony, there wasn’t much new about the ghosts or hauntings of the island that wasn’t in book one…it was okay.

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:: Ghost Business (Boneyard Key #2)
Author:: Jen DeLuca
Genre:: Paranormal Romance
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 368 pages
Audio Length:: 11h
Audiobook Narrator:: Jeannie Sheneman
Published:: September 9th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Haunted Ever After | Jen DeLuca
The Battle of the Bookshops | Poppy Alexander
Battle of the Bookstores | Ali Brady

Book Review:: Storms and Secrets | Claire Kingsley

Sometimes when you’re stuck in a bad pattern of thinking you have to be jolted out of it. That’s what happened to Zachary. Literally. During an electrical repair at the shop of a girl he’s been secretly harboring feelings for for years, he gets the shock of his life, but physically and emotionally when he realizes that if he keeps waiting to share his heart, he may never get the chance.

Storms and Secrets by Claire Kingsley Book Cover

Unfortunately, he’s been so standoffish and ugly toward Marigold Martin for too long and she doesn’t believe him when he says he’s a changed man. His timing is way off, because a handsome rich bachelor comes in for a trim at her hair salon and sweeps her a little bit off her feet with flattery and flowers.

There’s something off about this new guy in town, building a behemoth establishment in town the likes of which none of them have ever seen. He’s a little too forward with Marigold, a little too fishy in his business dealings, and a little too possessive of a girl who doesn’t even know if she likes him yet. And when things get really uncomfortable, Zachary is there to step in and protect the girl of his literal dreams.

So romantic suspense is absolutely my jam, and Claire Kingsley is one of the bestsellers of the genre. This one gets quite dark with a missing girl, a true evil psycho, and some seriously dark scheming. I think maybe it was a little too dark for me ultimately, but the bond and connection between Zachary and Marigold was done so well and was very swoony. Personally I think I preferred the first book in this Haven Brothers series because it was a little bit more behind the curtain so the love story was more of the center stage and the cloud wasn’t so damn dark over the whole thing.

I’ll certainly be reading more of this series, and everything I can get my hands on from this author!

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:: Storms and Secrets (The Haven Brothers #2)
Author:: Claire Kingsley
Genre:: Romantic Suspense
Publisher:: SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca
Length:: 384 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 41m
Audiobook Narrator:: Samantha Brentmoor, Teddy Hamilton, and Desiree Ketchum
Published:: August 26th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Obsession Falls | Claire Kingsley
All the Missing Pieces | Catherine Cowles

Book Review:: Just Another Dead Author | Katarina Bivald

Katarina Bivald’s new book Just Another Dead Author is a cozy mystery set at a French writer’s retreat. When one of the most notable attendees winds up dead, the investigation begins.

Just Another Dead Author by Katarina Bivald Book Cover

Because this is a hungry set of mostly crime fiction/mystery/thriller writers, no one is scared off by a real life crime. Everyone wants to know whodunnit and how, and learn as much as they can about the investigation process as the retreat plows ahead. There are a lot of suspects, and motives aplenty – did one of them take their crime research a little too far?

Like all cozy mysteries I’ve read, this novel is prescriptive. You pick it up and know exactly what you’re getting. If you’re a mood reader, there is so much value in that.

The tone is somewhat detached and the investigation itself is quite clinical. This one had a few snippet chapters in the point of view of the killer which kept things interesting, but I never felt myself in edge-of-my-seat territory.

I believe this is the second book in this series by Katarina Bivald, so if you like this, you should check out The Murders in Great Diddling as well.

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:: Just Another Dead Author
Author:: Katarina Bivald
Genre:: Cozy Mystery
Publisher:: Poisoned Pen Press
Length:: 384 pages
Audio Length:: 11h
Audiobook Narrator:: Megan Tusing
Published:: August 12th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Gravedigger’s Almanac | Oliver Potzsch
10 Marchfield Square | Nicola Whyte
Murder at Gull’s Nest | Jess Kidd

Book Review:: A Killer Getaway | Sienna Sharpe

A Killer Getaway is a twisted new romance by Sienna Sharpe that shines a light on the delicacy of human psychology. There’s a little bit of mystery, a little bit of suspense, set in a idyllic summer resort.

A Killer Getaway by Sienna Sharpe Book Cover

Lily’s first visit to Riovan Wellness Resort was with the love of her life, and she’s found her way back every year since, despite the deadly accidents that tend to happen every year. This year she meets an attractive man who calls himself Daniel Black. A journalist, sniffing around for a story. He’s exactly the kind of kink in her plan she doesn’t need…

This is a bit of an odd story. I think maybe the closest actual comparison I might have is Butcher & Blackbird, though this is nothing like the same level of grotesque, graphic, or explicit.

Lily is hurt people. And everyone knows hurt people hurt people. She once saw a perfect future stretching out before her, and she was thisclose to having it. She blames Riovan and the ‘coaches’ who work there on the disintegration of that future, and she cannot let that stand.

It is an interesting enough story, and I feel like it was probably quite complicated to pull off considering the twist.

I think maybe my reluctance for a high rating stems from Lily being an unsympathetic character and overall muddy messaging. For me, Lily is not really redeemable. It’s not okay that she plays judge and jury and to be honest she plays her game pretty cavalierly. There’s not really any coming back from that for me. In her eyes people make one mistake, or hurt someone’s feelings in the wrong way and…they deserve to die? I mean, she’s a full blown psycho. At least in Butcher & Blackbird the victims are atrocious vicious a**holes who deserve whatever they have coming. For me, that makes all the difference.

Does that mean this book isn’t worth reading? I wouldn’t say that. It’s a quick summery mystery suspense that’ll surely perk up your weekend!

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:: A Killer Getaway
Author:: Sienna Sharpe
Genre:: Romantic Suspense
Publisher:: SOURCEBOOKS Landmark
Length:: 320 pages
Published:: August 12th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Butcher & Blackbird | Brynne Weaver
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It | Elle Cosimano

Book Review:: Game Point | Meg Jones

My first tennis romance, and it’s a steamy one…

Dylan is her own worst enemy when it comes to top level tennis competitions. She always, always chokes. All she wants is a trophy on her shelf, and she’s not getting any older. With the Australian open coming up, her own home turf, and her new friend Oliver, a tennis pro himself, supporting her along the way, will she be able to stay out of her own head enough to actually pull it off?

I have mixed feelings about this book. Some of the tennis scenes were a little tedious to get through. Obviously necessary, they just weren’t very exciting to read when I think they were meant to be.

I liked Oliver a whole lot. Why do we always make the guys so darn adorable and the ladies the ones with the big personality issues? lol. He’s a sweetheart trying to do his best, and he cares a lot about Dylan herself. He doesn’t necessarily want her to win the Australian Open, he wants her to accomplish whatever she wants to accomplish, which just happens to be winning the Australian Open. We all deserve an Oliver.

The life of a pro athlete is no joke. It’s a lot of training, a lot of pressure, and when setbacks, like injuries, happen, it can throw everything off. Your mind game is as important (or moreso) than your physical game. This is illustrated very well in this story.

Overall as a romance novel I wasn’t blown away. There wasn’t anything that really set it apart in my mind or took it to the next level, though there certainly isn’t anything wrong with it. Just my personal opinions!

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:: Game Point (Game, Set, and Match #2)
Author:: Meg Jones
Genre:: Sports Romance
Publisher:: Avon
Length:: 416 pages
Audio Length:: 12h
Audiobook Narrator:: Will Watt & Mary Jane Wells
Published:: September 9th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Play Along | Liz Tomforde
The Perfect Putt | Annah Conwell
Let’s Call A Truce | Amy Buchanan

Book Review:: The Goldens | Lauren Wilson

Lauren Wilson’s new book The Goldens will have you sucked into the orbit of a young influencer and experience first-hand the dogma that can lead impressionable young people down a path they may not even realize they’re being led down. It’s an excellent commentary on the tides of social media and social manipulation packed into a suspenseful novel that will have you raising, then clenching your eyebrows.

Clara is a golden girl. She seems to have everything a young woman might ever hope for: wealth, beauty, a social media following, all the new ‘it’ items, and even setting trends herself. She’s also far more approachable than one might think. A fortuitous coincidence of matching initials leads Chloe to meet her, and they hit it off. Chloe is a bit infatuated with the whole aura Clara has going on, and she becomes her right hand, indispensable, and she revels in the feeling of being loved and needed by someone so cool. But as more of Clara’s layers are revealed, and her actions start taking things too far, Chloe wonders if everything is as it seems, or if she needs to start removing herself from what others are beginning to call a cult.

While this book was fascinating, it wasn’t quite as compelling as I’d have liked. It approached a real suspense novel a few times, and I think it would have been amazing if that had been leaned into a little bit more. The description calls it a thriller, but I wouldn’t agree at all, and I think that’s where my inclination to rate to three stars comes from. The messages it explores are incredibly important, especially for young ladies who are always trying to fit in and find their place among their contemporaries.

One of the strengths I think is that the characters are portrayed very well to support the story. Everyone has the right kind of background and history to fuel the circumstances they find themselves in now, and the ending was absolutely haunting. I’m looking forward to reading more from this debut author!

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 Goldens
Author:: Lauren Wilson
Genre:: Contemporary Suspense
Publisher:: Flatiron Books: Pine & Cedar
Length:: 304 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 25m
Audiobook Narrator:: Cassandra Harwood
Published:: July 15th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Splendid Little Schemes | Robin Strong
These Summer Storms | Sarah MacLean
Hate Follow | Erin Quinn-Kong

Book Review:: If You Love It, Let It Kill You | Hannah Pittard

I was this today years old when I learned what auto-fiction is. A fictional story using elements from the author’s real life. To be honest, I didn’t even catch that’s what this was until I saw every other review mentioning it. Apparently the ending was an actual break in the fourth wall! Now that I am aware of the format I am….confused?

If You Love It, Let It Kill You by Hannah Pittard Book Cover

I liked the concept of this novel: a bit of a mid-life crisis brought on by an ex-husband writing her into his most recent book painted in a bad light. I enjoyed a lot of the storytelling, even forgave some of the more…egregious aspects. Perhaps it is the intention of a novel like this to leave the reader in the uncomfortable space of questioning what exactly about the pages they just read is real and what is devised for literary intrigue. I hope to god the cat is in the later category.

Hmm. I’m flummoxed.

I think you might enjoy this book is you are an enthusiast of strange and unique writing. If you like the complicated, thought provoking, uncomfortable sort of book. But also, maybe, like me, you will rather think of it as a metaphor for some of life’s more devastating emotional blows and the way they affect us.

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 You Love It, Let It Kill You
Author:: Hannah Pittard
Genre:: Auto-Fiction
Publisher:: Henry Holt & Co.
Length:: 304 pages
Audio Length:: 7h 36m
Audiobook Narrator:: Allyson Ryan
Published:: July 15th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3.5-Stars