Book Review Archives - Page 3 of 26

Book Review:: Love Walked In | Sarah Chamberlain

Sarah Chamberlain’s sophomore romance is another deep dive into grief and healing, all wrapped up in a rocky-start inevitable romance that’s just what the doctor ordered.

Love Walked In by Sarah Chamberlain Book Cover

Mari’s come to the UK as a consultant to help save a bookstore flailing after the death of the founder and patriarch of the family-run business. Leo, who stands to inherit the shop, immediately dislikes the always-sunny newcomer due to the stark difference in his ever-stoic British sensibilities. Not to mention his entire life has been overturned more than once in the past few years and smiles seem to be something long forgotten.

I really enjoyed this book. Everything was set up very well, if not a little too conveniently. It’s no argument that Sarah is a great writer who pours a lot of real world complexity into her books. Life and love are never simple. They’re messy, and contradictory, and sometimes painful, and that’s what you’ll find in this book. But things are always all the sweeter when they don’t come easy.

In some ways, it did feel a little over the top. Sometimes it felt like the drama was ratcheted up a little bit too high for the type of book this is trying to be. Both characters, but especially Mari has a very difficult past that is deeply explored through the narrative. It also almost felt like the author was trying to fit in as many little ‘representations’ as possible, and it started to feel a little tired. Maybe it’s part of the reading slump-y mood I’ve been in lately, because that was actually something I really enjoyed about her first novel, but it felt a little distracting this time if I’m being honest.

However, this book is a really great option for a quite modern contemporary romance, and if you love reading about book lovers, you’ll love Mari!

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:: Love Walked In
Author:: Sarah Chamberlain
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: St. Martin’s Griffin
Length:: 352 pages
Published:: September 2nd, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Slowest Burn | Sarah Chamberlain
It’s A Love Story | Annabel Monaghan
Work in Progress | Kat Mackenzie

Book Review:: Pitcher Perfect | Tessa Bailey

Girl meets boy. Girl hates boy for being a sleezy womanizer. Boy is completely lost for her. Girl ‘hires’ him to fake date in order to catch the boy of her dreams and impress her family at their uncivilized annual event. Feelings catch and blaze along the way.

Pitcher Perfect by Tessa Bailey Book Review

It’s a tale as old as time. Or at least, it must be because the amazon marketplace is flooded with them. Another fake dating sexy sports romance novel is here, and folks, you’re actually not going to want to miss it!

Okay so every time it just feels so cheesy for anyone anywhere at anytime agreeing to ‘FAKE DATE’. Like, I really don’t understand this trope at all. That being said, there are good ways to do it, and Tessa Bailey nailed it in Pitcher Perfect. Both characters are highly motivated, and everything clicks together like a snug little puzzle piece that is so satisfying to find.

The process of falling in love in this novel isn’t rushed, but at the same time, we don’t have to wait for it either. There is insecurity there for each of the characters, but their falling together is so inevitable and wonderful it’ll make you giddy. Also, the protectiveness thing is what gets me going, and this book had me feral with it.

Tessa Bailey is clearly a master at her craft, and if you like sexy little books, girl, get over here. The best part? I have SUCH a backlist to devour. *chefs kiss*

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:: Pitcher Perfect (Big Shots #4)
Author:: Tessa Bailey
Genre:: Sports Romance
Publisher:: Avon
Length:: 336 pages
Audio Length:: 12h
Audiobook Narrator:: Callie Dalton & Teddy Hamilton
Published:: September 9th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Only Between Us | Ellie K. Wilde
Gloves Off | Stephanie Archer
Slipstream | Madge Maril
A Beginner’s Guide to Forever | Kendall Ryan

Book Review:: Forget Me Not | Stacy Willingham

Nothing pulls me out of a reading burnout better than a really compelling mystery thriller. Sometimes you just want a book where you can’t stop turning the pages, and for me, Forget Me Not, Stacy Willingham’s newest release, was exactly that.

Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham Book Cover

After her sister disappeared as a teenager, Claire left home and never went back, eager to escape the weight of the memories. Now as an adult she’s an investigative reporter and she gets a call from her father that her mom needs some help. She feels like she has to go home, despite their difficult relationship. She only lasts a day or two under the same roof before she’s desperate to find an alternative temporary residence. When she visits a local muscadine vineyard and they have an opening, she agrees immediately. Her sister worked there before her disappearance, and they have a live in cabin for her to stay in – a perfect setup for her to do some digging into her sister’s case. But something is a little bit strange at Galloway, she just can’t quite put her finger on it.

I thought this book played perfectly between is Claire just on edge and looking for things to be suspicious when it’s really just a quirky little farm, or is there actually something else going on here? There’s a secret journal, homemade teas, complete seclusion, and lots of room for tension between these pages, and the author uses all of them.

This is a perfect book for an escape. A creepy escape, perhaps, but certainly transportive. I recommend the audiobook. It definitely pulled me in and made the experience quite atmospheric.

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:: Forget Me Not
Author:: Stacy Willingham
Genre:: Mystery Thriller
Publisher:: Minotaur Books
Length:: 336 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 30m
Audiobook Narrator:: Helen Laser & Karissa Vacker
Published:: August 26th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Sunburned | Katherine Wood
The Ghostwriter | Julie Clark
Saltwater | Katy Hays

Book Review:: Save You | Mona Kasten

Save You is the second book in the popular teenage drama saga Maxton Hall. If you’ve not yet read book one, please start there. My review for Save Me can be found here. (Book one spoilers are present in this review)

Well well well, James has a lot to answer for if he ever wants to get back into broken-hearted Ruby’s good graces. She’s never felt betrayal this deeply, and she still doesn’t know why he was so far gone that night he kissed someone else. That’s not the only secret flying around. His sister Lydia is hiding something life changing from everyone, except ironically, Ruby. And Ruby’s sister Ember is acting more evasive than ever.

Okay, okay, I’m warming ever up to this incredibly dramatic hormone-fueled saga. The characters have worked themselves into some very juicy tangles and everyone has a different motivation informing their erratically impulsive decisions.

I would say this book suffers a little bit in terms of development, but it does a lot to set up for the rest of the character’s stories launching into the third book. There are a lot of very grown up themes being handled in this series, but it feels like they’re being handled well. There are a lot of big emotions that need to be worked through until we get any resolution for the events that transpired in book one, and that takes time.

The two sisters were actually the highlight of this book for me. I liked that Ember is beginning to play a role here. She seems like she’s got a great head on her shoulders and her body-inclusive fashion blog sounds really great. I’ll be interested how her new story line plays out. Lydia’s story is also very compelling, and she’s got so much at stake.

In terms of if I’ll be continuing this series? Absolutely I will. Enthusiastically!

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:: Save You (Maxton Hall #2)
Author:: Mona Kasten
Genre:: Teen Drama/Romance
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 352 pages
Published:: September 2nd, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Save Me | Mona K a sten
It’s All Relative | Rachel Magee
Before We Were Us | Denise Hunter

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:: Obsession Falls | Claire Kingsley

Y’ALL. If you have never read a romantic suspense novel, it is an oversight that must be remedied. It is the perfect blend of swoon level romance and page turning thriller. It is mystery and the majesty of love with an emphasis on the love and I am here for it.

Obsession Falls by Claire Kingsley Book Cover

In this particular novel, a girl comes back to the town she left long ago, looking to settle into a new life. Needing a little distance from her mother, she rents a little place from a drop-dead gorgeous contractor who mistakes her at first for a squatter (his sister hooked her up with the place, it was a whole thing). Anyway, they have a sexy meet-cute, and run into each other often since he’s working on remodeling the rental unit next door. Strange things keep happening around Audrey, dead squirrels on her property, and incidents that only escalate from there, and Josiah is the one making sure she’s safe. It doesn’t take the two of them long to form a strong connection, and even though he’s been burned in love before, he can’t deny the hold this girl has on him.

Josiah is a strong silent type with big feelings he plays close to the chest. Audrey is kind of a sunshine character who is struggling in a new career that seems doomed from the start. She doesn’t have any enemies, which makes what’s happening to her all the more mysterious.

Give me all the books like this. All the typical romance stuff is in there, but there are high physical stakes that jack it all up on steroids until it makes you completely obsessed with the story. Apt title! These are the kinds of books you absolutely devour, and that feeling is unmatched!

Details

Title:: Obsession Falls (Haven Brothers #1)
Author:: Claire Kingsley
Genre:: Romantic Suspense
Publisher:: SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca
Length:: 384 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 38m
Audiobook Narrator:: Connor Crais, Ava Erickson, & Scott Rose
Published:: February 4th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

All the Missing Pieces | Catherine Cowles
Storms and Secrets | Claire Kingsley (Book Two)
A Killer Getaway | Sienna Sharpe

Book Review:: The Battle of the Bookshops | Poppy Alexander

It’s the Romeo + Juliet of the 21st century, but make it cozy and super intricate! Of the two bookstore battle books that have come out this year, this is the one I prefer. The plot is detailed and well thought out, both the characters and setting are charming, there are hearts on the line, age old rivalries, AND there is a mystery to solve!

The Battle of the Bookshops by Poppy Alexander Book Cover

The Battle of the Bookshops certainly has a lot going on. In some ways I wonder if it could have gone without an entire storyline, or even two and still been an interesting story, but also, the more the merrier! The Capelthorne’s and Montbeau’s have been in a competitve rivalry for generations. Currently the Montbeau’s are on the upswing, and the Capelthorne’s are on the verge of losing their beloved bookshop. Roman (Montbeau) and Julia (Capelthorne) are the young generation, and guess what? Yep, they’re falling in love.

With such a robust plot, every time you open the pages it feels like you’re stepping right into the quaint little seaside town. There’s got to be something for everyone to enjoy in this book, and it’s such a fun book for a 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:: The Battle of the Bookshops
Author:: Poppy Alexander
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Avon and Harper Voyager
Length:: 336 pages
Published:: August 19th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Battle of the Bookstores | Ali Brady
Finders Keepers | Sarah Adler
The Summer You Were Mine | Jill Francis

Book Review:: Once Upon A Crime | Brynn Kelly

Did you know an audible subscription comes with access to tons audiobooks you don’t have to use credits to listen to (as long as you’re still a member)? I find them to be kind of hit and miss, but I loved Once Upon A Crime by Brynn Kelly so much I had to review it.

Once Upon A Crime by Brynn Kelly Book Cover

Lana and her sister are usually close, but recently, she’s been distant. That is, until she entirely disappears. Determined to find out what happened to her, Lana wiggles her way onto the same tv set her sister worked on as an extra to see what she might find out. But when she sneaks onto the set which is abandoned for the long weekend, she finds she’s not alone. There’s not just anyone stranded there with her. It’s Griffin frigging Hart, the top tier of A-list stars. Not that Lana can fully appreciate that fact, seeing as she only learned who he was last week (she doesn’t get out much). When she explains her goal, instead of calling security or the police, Griffin decides to help.

This is such a fun story! There’s lots of action, twists and turns, and flirting. But there’s also some deep conversations and deeper themes packed in behind a lot of the racket. It’s structured so well and the characters contrast to perfectly complement one another.

Though at the beginning of the story Lana is the only one convinced something is wrong, there is a real story that begins to come together about her sister, and several mysteries to unravel. Though this was quite long for an Audible Original story, I was engaged and interested the entire time. The balance between romance and suspense was done so well and the tone is light enough to be a casual listen.

If you’re an audible member, you can listen to this for free. There is a link to the audible page below, all you have to do is click ‘add to library’ and you’re ready to go. I wouldn’t recommend every title in the audible originals collection, but I certainly recommend this one – don’t miss it!

Details

Title:: Once Upon A Crime
Author:: Brynn Kelly
Genre:: Romantic Suspense
Publisher:: Audible Original
Audio Length:: 10h 50m
Audiobook Narrator:: Chase Brown & Rebekkah Ross
Published:: March 6th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

aUDIBLE

Goodreads

author website

If you liked this book, check out…

All the Missing Pieces | Catherine Cowles
PS I Hate You | Lauren Connolly
The Wife Upstairs | Rachel Hawkins

Book Review:: The Book of Lost Hours | Hayley Gelfuso

A big idea can change the world, for what is the world as we know it, but ideas? It starts small, inside the mind of one person, who grapples with it, tries to fully understand it, articulate it into words to share with another mind, who will poke and it, test it, expand it. Some of them wither and die under scrutiny, and others balloon with importance and have the power to change the world as we know it. Democracy. Germ theory. And in the case of The Book of Lost Hours, the manipulation of time.

The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley Gelfuso Book Cover

This book is a wonder. Any book about time is going to bend our ideas of a timeline, and this one plays with the strings of time beautifully, skillfully, coherently, it will have you enthralled. This is a page turning thriller with so much heart and intellectual stimulation it will grip you and not let go until the final dang sentence.

It’s also the kind of book with twists and turns and the simple joys of small discoveries. With that, I don’t want to spoil one detail of the plot for those of you who go on to read this, which I very much recommend you do. It is marketed as a mashup of The Ministry of Time and The Midnight Library and I could not come up with a better description of this impressive novel.

Hayley Gelfuso, you are a genius and I think I will pick up anything you put down. Also, what do you mean this is a debut novel. Masterful work. Thank you, sincerely, for writing this fascinating book.

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 Book of Lost Hours
Author:: Hayley Gelfuso
Genre:: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Romance
Publisher:: Atria Books
Length:: 400 pages
Audio Length:: 13h 41m
Audiobook Narrator:: Carlotta Brentan
Published:: August 26th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Ministry of Time | Kaliane Bradley (review coming soon)
The City in Glass | Nghi Vo
The Gravedigger’s Almanac | Oliver Potzsch

Book Review:: Love at First Sighting | Mallory Marlowe

Love at First Sighting is no ordinary romance. You might say…ahem…it’s out of this world.

Just kidding. It takes place on Earth. But it is tightly wrapped up in a mystery that has more at stake than broken hearts. It’s fun, it’s a little bit silly, it’s tender-hearted, and absolutely worth a read.

Love at First Sighting by Mallory Marlowe Book Cover

Mallory Marlowe is also the author of Love and Other Conspiracy Theories, so I think she’s nicheing down into a pretty distinctive brand here, and I love that for her.

A close encounter of the romantic kind?

Come on. Pure gold.

El is an influencer who encounters something she cannot explain. An Unidentified Flying Object. Naturally, she livestreams it following her. Carter is the agent assigned to her case, but this time it’s different…because it’s the very same thing Carter saw the night his father died. Together they uncover the truth of what it really was up there.

So it’s a little cheesy, but this book will leave you with a full heart by the time you’re done turning pages. Carter’s story is tragic, and completely entwined in the plotline. It’s El’s background and profession that is honestly kind of hilarious. There is certainly some mild commentary about the career of an influencer, but when it comes up in the climax crisis, it just had me rolling.

The best part of this novel, as all romances should be, is the budding romance between El and Carter. Their connection is genuine and so sweet, and is what will bring me to pick up this book again in the future for a reread. It’s exciting, it’s action-packed, and it has a big, mushy, heart at it’s center. Can’t go wrong!

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:: Love at First Sighting
Author:: Mallory Marlowe
Genre:: Romantic Comedy Mystery
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 352 pages
Published:: August 12th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars