4-Star Archives - Page 4 of 9

Book Review:: The Accidental Favorite | Fran Littlewood

A tree falls in the woods, and all three of your adult children are standing beneath it. You dive forward to remove one from danger, but the tree never falls, and the child you went to save was decidedly not the one nearest you. There is no hiding what happened. Nothing at all, and yet something. Something none of them can unsee, unknow, and Patrick cannot undo.

The Accidental Favorite by Fran Littlewood Book Cover

Meet the Fisher’s. It’s not often the whole family gets back together in the same place at the same time now that they’re all grown, but it is Vivienne’s seventieth birthday, and her three daughters and their family’s have come to stay for a few days at a unique glass house for the celebration. Once everyone arrives, they gather for pictures, which is how the sisters ended up in the path of the falling tree. After, from their father’s reaction and because of their sudden forced proximity, old resentments start to boil back to the surface, and secrets being held close.

I absolutely loved Fran’s first novel Amazing Grace Adams. I loved everything about that story, and I can see after reading this second release that she is very interested in family dynamics and the human response to trauma (some big, some small). The thing I admired most about The Accidental Favorite is the exploration of how the most subtle moments in a family, or any relationship really, can have ripple effects that resound through personalities and time.

The novel itself is quite subtle. The metaphor of the glass house is so interesting, and big things do happen throughout the novel, but the meaning largely hides between the lines.

I am such a fan of Littlewood’s writing and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with 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 Accidental Favorite
Author:: Fran Littlewood
Genre:: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher:: Henry Holt & Co.
Length:: 320 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 45m
Audiobook Narrator:: Fiona Button
Published:: June 24th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Amazing Grace Adams | Fran Littlewood
The Most Fun We Ever Had | Claire Lombardo
Apples Never Fall | Liane Moriarty (Or Three Wishes!)

Book Review:: The Love Fix | Jill Shalvis

You can’t escape your past by running away from it. At least, not in fiction!

After the death of her mother, Lexi has to return to a place with less than fond memories to execute the will with her stepsister Ashley. The two of them had very different experiences with their mother, and Lexi isn’t ready to forgive the dark childhood she had. Assisting them on the unusual task assigned to them in the will is Heath, another piece of her past Lexi isn’t eager to face, who is now the lawyer handling the execution of the will. Over a six-week period Lexi is stuck in Sunrise Cove, for better or for worse.

This is my second Jill Shalvis book, and I’m starting to get a good feel for her style. Her characters are deep and complex with pasts full of hurt that have shaped their current motivations. I thought Lexi, Heath, and even Ashley were very well developed and believable. Their problems and understanding of each other make sense and unfold in sensible ways.

The chemistry between Heath and Lexi was sizzling, but rooted deeper than just attraction. They knew each other once upon a time and I really enjoyed every bit of information Heath discovers that he was oblivious to when he knew her before, giving him a fuller picture of her past and gives them an excellent base for an eventual relationship.

This is the eighth installment of the Sunrise Cove series. EIGHTH! You know what that means? I get to go back and read a bunch more books knowing that I’m in good hands with an author like Jill Shalvis. She knows how to build a compelling story!

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 Love Fix (Sunrise Cove #8)
Author:: Jill Shalvis
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Avon
Length:: 320 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 15m
Audiobook Narrator:: Andi Arndt
Published:: June 24th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Better Than Friends | Jill Shalvis (Sunrise Cove #7)
Spring Fling | Annie England Noblin
What Happens In Amsterdam | Rachel Lynn Solomon

Book Review:: Gloves Off | Stephanie Archer

Fan of sports romance? Stephanie Archer should be on your list! Gloves Off is the fourth book in her Vancouver Storm series. The Fake Out, the second book in this series, is still one of my all-time favorites of the genre. This is the story of Alexei, the enforcer of the Vancouver Storm, and Georgia, one of the team’s doctors.

Alexei’s days left with the team are numbered: he’s aging out and his body is starting to feel it. That means his Canadian citizenship, and his parents’, is at risk. The funding for Georgia’s charity program to rehabilitate young sports players and keep them doing what they love is drying up. She’s got a heavy inheritance coming her way, but to access it, she has to get married. Despite their mutual loathing, Alexei & Georgia agree to help one another the only way possible…get hitched!

There is no question that Stephanie Archer can tell a great story. I loved so much of Alexei & Georgia’s romance, but I really struggle with the marriage of convenience trope, and that’s where my biggest hangup was in this book.

We start off with a couple of quick opening chapters that is a play by play of exactly why each character needs to get married and why their past relationships have sucked, and nothing else. It didn’t feel very authentic – I could see the scaffolding of story structure too opaquely and I found myself rolling my eyes a little bit. I guess there’s nothing wrong with it, and many people would probably tell you that’s better than the alternative, but I found myself craving a little bit more.

Despite the clumsy start, once the plot takes off, Gloves Off was easier to enjoy. Alexei & Georgia did not get off on the wrong foot, and they’d insulted each other just enough to not make either of them want to change that. But when the layers start peeling back, it’s impossible for them not to fall together.

I really love the little oddball things that make you fall deeper in love with the characters. In this case, the friendship bracelets, the bunnies, the obsession with a teenaged tv show…these are the things that I meant when I said I wanted more at the start instead of feeling a little too much wham-bam-thank-you-ma’amed. It is in there, you just have to work for it a little bit!

There’s a little bit of suspension of disbelief necessary here, but if you can get past all that, the love story underneath is really sweet and swoony. Alexei is a big tough grump, and seeing the softer side of a man like him always melts you right into a puddle, amiright?

If you just finished up Liz Tomforde’s Windy City series and are looking for something new to quench your thirst for hot athletes falling in love, give Vancouver Storm a try!

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:: Gloves Off (Vancouver Storm #4)
Author:: Stephanie Archer
Genre:: Sports Romance
Publisher:: Dell
Length:: 464 pages
Published:: June 17th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Play Along | Liz Tomforde
Unloved | Peyton Corinne
Only in Your Dreams | Ellie K. Wilde
The Graham Effect | Elle Kennedy

Book Review:: Never Been Shipped | Alicia Thompson

Music is a powerful phenomenon. It can transport us to a place or time, if only in our minds. For Micah and John, it brings them back together after years apart to play music from when they made it big once upon a time on a nostalgic cruise.

Never Been Shipped by Alicia Thompson Book Cover

Micah and John grew up together, bonded over music, started a band, and eventually made it big. They were as close as close gets until she started dating another one of the band mates, which eventually led to the downfall of the band entirely. Now they’re face to face for the first time in years, and John is tired of living without her, but will learning what happened back then change the way he feels?

Overall, this is a cute story with a side of spice. I think most who read romance will enjoy it, but it wasn’t ultimately one of my favorites.

I’m not sure how realistic it is for one band member to be able to dissolve a band’s record deal, and for literally none of them to communicate about any of it at the time? It eventually gets explained, and it makes sense from a character perspective, but does it make real world sense? For me, that’s iffy.

However, we’re not reading romance for the logic of it all, are we? We’re reading for the longing, the angst, the…well, romance of it all. And Never Been Shipped covers those bases well. This book does the friends-to-lovers trope justice. I believed the past connection between these two characters and I was rooting for them to sort through their issues and commit the whole time. There could have probably been some more talking and mending things than there was, but we get the gist. I just feel like for this to have reached 5-star territory there would have had to been much more opening up and honesty and just…deeper emotion. It wasn’t absent entirely, but with backstories like theirs I was kind of left wanting more.

This was my first Alicia Thompson novel. I have another lined up on my Audible TBR already. I’m always on the lookout for great romance writers, and I’ll certainly be following Ms. Thompson’s bibliography!

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:: Never Been Shipped
Author:: Alicia Thompson
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 400 pages
Audio Length:: 12h
Audiobook Narrator:: Ellie Gossage
Published:: June 10th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

In the Likely Event | Rebecca Yarros
How to Hide in Plain Sight | Emma Noyes
Perfect Fit | Clare Gilmore
Catch and Keep | Erin Hahn

Book Review:: Sunny Side Up | Katie Sturino

Sunny Side Up is a new novel by Katie Sturino for all the second-act ladies out there. Sunny is trying to find her mojo after a divorce from a marriage that only lasted a handful of months. She’s put on weight and lost a lot of confidence, but she’s determined not to let that d*ck of a husband have the last laugh. I thought this book was funny, reflective, and actually quite stressful to read, though it wraps up nicely in the end.

Sunny Side Up by Katie Sturino Book Cover

There is a lot of body positivity here. Sunny is a plus sized gal who works in PR and the fashion industry. For too long she’s seen brand after brand compromise in the wrong direction on size distribution and availability. Encouraged by her friends, Sunny is inspired to start a new swimsuit line of her own with the goal of getting size-inclusive suits in brick-and-mortar stores for women like her to finally feel good about flaunting swimwear. At the same time, she’s getting back out there, hoping to wash the grime of her ex-husband out of her intimate memories. She gets a little narrow focused on herself in that pursuit and as the plot thickens, it is more than just her own heart on the line.

Though I could feel the tension brewing early in this book, and saw the big conflict in the end coming from a mile away, I really enjoyed the story. It has many important messages including but not limited to:

There is life after divorce
Plus sized women also need clothes, brands…listen up
You don’t have to compromise your values to be successful
It’s okay to explore to figure out what it is you really want, but…
Be clear about where you’re at with other people! They have feelings too!

This book felt more realistic than a lot of the ‘typical’ romances I’ve been reading lately. Though Sunny is making good headway on her dreams, she also finds herself getting increasingly tangled in other situations she didn’t mean to find herself in at all. From her own perspective, the whole thing makes so much sense, and who hasn’t found themselves in some situation in life that went too far (romantic or otherwise).

This is the kind of book that really helps build empathy in the reader. I understood Sunny. I saw her. I wanted to have a girl’s night with her and point out some of the things she wasn’t seeing so clearly in the thick of it all. She’s a lovely girl doing her best, and she’ll be a great companion for anyone looking for a great summer read.

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:: Sunny Side Up
Author:: Katie Sturino
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Celadon Books
Length:: 304 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 8m
Audiobook Narrator:: Yael Rizowy
Published:: June 24th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Is She Really Going Out With Him? | Sophie Cousens
Songs of Summer | Jane L. Rosen
The Last Love Note | Emma Grey

Book Review:: The Ghostwriter | Julie Clark

Once upon a time, two children were murdered in their home. Siblings. Leaving one brother, not home at the time, alive. No one was ever convicted. This tragedy is the foundation Olivia’s life is built upon.

The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark Book Cover

The surviving sibling is Olivia’s father, Vincent. He’s become a global sensation for his horror novels, but before that, he was sensational for being the lead suspect in his siblings’ murders. Olivia and her father had a falling out years ago, and she separated herself from him as much as she could. She even married a man she didn’t love in order to change her last name. Blood runs thick though, and she ended up in the same industry as her father, ghostwriting books for other famous authors. Now, on the edge of financial ruin after a big scandal, the only job available is from Vincent Taylor, and he said she’s the only one he’ll work with. It’s the first time returning home for Olivia, and she wants to get back out as soon as possible, but when she gets there, she realizes she might be able to finally learn the truth. Is her father a killer? Or was he always telling the truth about that night?

What a compelling psychological thriller! The backstory of this novel is so rich and murky at the same time. Enough details to create that dark misty tone for the past, but not enough to give away the store.

I always love the devices authors use to add doubt to the information the reader receives, so we don’t know what’s real and what may be a lie. In this case, Olivia’s father has a disease that affects his mind, and we all know human memory is fallible anyway. I love that feeling when reading a book like this that you never really know what the reality is, and what is fabricated. It leaves a lot of room in your mind to sort through evidence and form new theories up until the very end.

In this story there are quite a few scenarios that seem likely as Olivia learns more about her family history. It’s the story of one family’s darkest hour, and it has been shrouded in mystery and doubt all these years.

The characters are believable and well formed, the writing is clear and atmospheric, the plot is complex and interesting, and just look at that stunning cover!

I’m very happy to have received this book for early review via the publisher through netgalley, and I’m excited to have another author’s backlist to add to my 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:: The Ghostwriter
Author:: Julie Clark
Genre:: Mystery Suspense
Publisher:: SOURCEBOOKS Landmark
Length:: 368 pages
Audio Length:: TBA
Audiobook Narrator:: TBA
Published:: June 3rd, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Famous Last Words | Gillian McAllister
The Truth About the Devlins | Lisa Scottoline
The Heiress | Rachel Hawkins

Book Review:: The High Dive | Chelsea Fagan

For the girlies looking for a sophisticated summer romance that will scratch the travel itch, you’ve landed in the right place. The High Dive by second time fiction author & CEO of The Financial Diet Chelsea Fagan might be exactly what you’re looking for.

The High Dive by Chelsea Fagan Book Cover

Alex is on her way to the expensive Italian wedding of one of her best friends, where she knows she will cross paths with Danial, the boy she once humiliated herself over in college and has avoided ever since. Unfortunately, she runs into him a lot sooner than she intended, sans the revenge outfit she carefully planned – which turns out to be indicative of all of their interactions for the duration of the luxury cruise – unexpected and largely uncomfortable.

The themes in this book are so on brand for Chelsea. I’ve watched The Financial Diet videos off and on throughout their tenure, and topics of liberal politics, social issues, class warfare, and even the love of travel that shines through the pages are all very expected coming from her. I will say it is all done quite tastefully. The politics are very intwined in the plot, but only because they are Alex’s entire job, and is relevant to the plot. The High Dive is successful on this point where many other ultra-progressive novels I’ve read recently have not been (I’m looking at you When We Grow Up). It is not shove-it-down-your-throat style writing, it is natural to the characters and their story, which is the only way I personally believe politics should be discussed outright in fiction.

Though Alex and Danial’s story is interesting and romantically mysterious, I didn’t get the distinct impression that the two of them were MFEO soul mates that fate was inevitably bringing back together. Instead it is about two people who might have gotten together once upon a time if they’d made different choices, getting to know each other again as who they are now. For me, this wasn’t the strongest tether of the story. I feel like the characters maybe spent a little too long assuming they were more like the selves they previously knew than the people standing in front of them.

One thing I know the author does well is travel, and I feel like that truly shines in this book. Details I’d never think of (as someone who has never traveled internationally) really bring the story to life in a very organic way. Prepare yourself to live vicariously on an indulgent European getaway!

Despite my few qualms with the romance of it all, this is still an excellent choice for your summer TBR. Not every love story has to be I’d-die-for-you-romance. Sometimes it can be the I-choose-you-despite-everything kind. Also, look at that cover! I will absolutely continue to follow Chelsea’s publishing career and am so grateful to have received this title for early review.

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 High Dive
Author:: Chelsea Fagan
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Orsay Press
Length:: 368 pages
Published:: May 27th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Summertime Punchline | Betty Corrello
Adam and Evie’s Matchmaking Tour | Nora Nguyen
How to Hide in Plain Sight | Emma Noyes

Book Review:: Overruled | Lana Ferguson

Steamy romance readers will love Lana Ferguson’s newest release, Overruled, coming out July 1st, 2025.

Danica and Ezra are rival divorce lawyers who have been across the mediation table many times over the years. At the start of the novel they are already entangled in a hate-sex causal tangle with no strings attached. Dani is trying to pull away, not ready to commit to anyone or anything after having her heart stomped by her college beau, and lucky for her, Ezra enjoys the chase of it a little too much. When they find themselves on either side of the biggest case in their careers, the stakes are higher than ever, and the tension between them is at a breaking point.

Who doesn’t love a good rivals-to-lovers story? Danica and Ezra are both great at what they do and I love the true rivalry they have in the courtroom and the can’t-stay-away thing they have going behind closed doors. It’s very sexy. But what’s better than sexy? Swoon-worthy romance. And folks, we get that too. Lots of it.

Both characters have good backstory to support their inner-conflicts, which makes the story seem justified and believable. The part that fell down for me was the logic of Dani’s overreaction in the third act. I mean, I guess it makes sense, but it’s reaching a little too far for me. I wanted it to be stronger, and for that I just can’t bump it to five stars. Really though, it’s just a blip in the larger picture, and this is a romance I can recommend with absolute confidence!

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:: Overruled
Author:: Lana Ferguson
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 432 pages
Audio Length:: 13h
Audiobook Narrator:: Samantha Summers & Connor Crais
Published:: July 1st, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Under Loch and Key | Lana Ferguson
Hate Mail | Donna Marchetti
DNA Duology | Christina Lauren

Book Review:: Songs of Summer | Jane L. Rosen

Maggie Mae Wheeler inherited a vintage record shop from her adoptive parents and has started a fling with her lifelong best friend that feels natural but not earth shattering. When he proposes off-the-cuff, she can’t think of any reason to say no, except that she wants to find her birth mother first.

Songs of Summer by Jane L. Rosen Book Cover

Her search leads her to a little place called Fire Island and a quirky bunch of people she learns are her blood-related family. There’s a wedding on-island, and a chance meeting with one of the insiders gives her a way to observe them without divulging her relation to them. The festivities are full of the kind of drama only close-knit passionate families can produce, and despite the chaos and sheer volume of crisis that occur while she’s there, Maggie finds herself drawn in by this family she’s never had the opportunity to know.

This book was like a breath of fresh air. It’s not so much about Maggie’s romantic relationships, but about all of the relationships she cultivates, both old and new. It’s about friendship and family and chosen family and the messy webs of relationships we find ourselves caught up in. Humans are messy and complicated and passionate, and that leads us to do sometimes strange things and make mistakes. But with love in our hearts, things eventually turn out right again. Usually.

Songs of Summer is filled with a quirky cast of characters you won’t soon forget and a playlist of songs you’ll find yourself bopping to without meaning to. I really connected to Maggie’s story, and I can’t wait to see what else is to come in this trilogy by Jane L. Rosen!

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:: Songs of Summer (The Fire Island Trilogy #1)
Author:: Jane L. Rosen
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 336 pages
Audio Length:: 11h
Audiobook Narrator:: TBA
Published:: May 20th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

How to Hide in Plain Sight | Emma Noyes
Summertime Punchline | Betty Corrello

Book Review:: Awake in A Floating City | Susanna Kwan

Awake in the Floating City is a story of a woman torn between two choices: to stay in the city slowly being engulfed by water, where her mother disappeared during a storm, or move abroad with what remains of her family to try to find a more successful life.

Awake in a Floating City by Susanna Kwan Book Cover

The story is based in a reality not far off from our own but stretched by science fiction. The biggest difference is the human longevity. It seems to be quite normal for a person to live well into the mid-hundred ages in the world of the floating city. 130, 160, not unheard of.

This novel is quite brilliant. There are many almost abstract ideas layered into a very straightforward story.

Bo is a caregiver for the very young or very old. She finds a new client just as she’s about to leave the city for good, looking for any excuse to stay in case her mother miraculously returns. She is also an artist, but stopped her art long ago. Through this client, Mia, she is confronted with humanity in a way she’s almost forgotten. In a way, her broken spirit begins a renewal process. She finds a level of acceptance for herself, and the world around her.

Through Bo’s experiences in this story, you will find yourself pondering the deeper ideas of family bonds, tradition, culture, aging, immigration, relationships with others, adapting to climate changes, art, and the meaning of life itself. It’s not that the story has its own ideas on these topics, it somehow skillfully evokes the hard thinking from the reader, seemingly without effort.

I’m quite impressed with Susanna Kwan, and will be looking forward to her next novel.

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:: Awake in the Floating City
Author:: Susanna Kwan
Genre:: Speculative Fiction
Publisher:: Pantheon
Length:: 320 pages
Audio Length:: 9h
Audiobook Narrator:: Catherine Ho
Published:: May 13th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars