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 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.
What do you do when your one-night-stand turns up at your family’s Christmas celebrations at a picturesque Christmas tree farm? Turns out, he’s the proprietor’s brother, so they’re stuck together for a week. The thing is, things didn’t end well after their night of bliss, months ago, and now they’re forced to confront it.
Nick is a hockey star, but she didn’t know that when they slept together. He’s had an off season, benched with an injury that isn’t healing as fast as they used to. He’s in a bit of a personal crisis, and that one-night-stand was atypical behavior for him. But she never got out of his head. Maisie Smart. His dream girl.
Being bundled up close to your family is a stress test that Maisie hates. She’s always felt like a failure to her parents who respect academic and financial success. Maisie is successful in her own way as a photographer, and she’s come to accept that that’ll never be good enough in their eyes, even with the recognition and opportunities she’s gotten.
It doesn’t take long for Maisie and Nick to realize that the spark they had that night are still there, and it doesn’t take long for him to apologize for his behavior afterward (we love a guy who can admit his mistakes).
This is a holiday romance that will keep you reading for the steamy sexual tension, and the sweet and genuine care these characters have for one another. It has that dash of sports romance that seems to come with guys with soft, devoted hearts.
It’s a book with heart, and healing, and the best kind of heart-warming romance.
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:: You Make It Feel Like Christmas Author:: Sophie Sullivan Genre:: Holiday Sports Romance Publisher:: St. Martin’s Griffin Length::320 pages Audio Length::10h 25m Audiobook Narrator:: Patti Murin Published:: September 23rd, 2025 The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars
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?
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
What happens when you’re trying to save your new boss, who is your best friend’s big brother, from being sabotaged at work? Turns out, you accidentally fall in love.
This new internship is mostly a vanity job for Juniper, who is already loaded, but still, she wants to prove herself (unlike her best friend who blows it off almost completely). But this is Beau’s business. He is a rockstar there, and when a competitive bid contest comes in and Juniper catches wind that someone else is keeping too close an eye on Beau and his work on the project, she decides to let him know…anonymously…through the dating app their company is launching.
The secrecy of it is a catalyst. As he tries to guess who it is he’s regularly communicating with, it gets flirty. The tension building is *exquisite*.
What I didn’t like was the backdrop. This is a billionaire romance (or at least, close enough), and these kids are spoiled absolutely rotten. The best friend was a caricature of a flighty bougie nepo baby who literally trots off to her nails done instead of work. A little too gross to just gloss over and really enjoy the book. But others may not mind that as much.
Overall, the romance of this book snaps, crackles, and pops. If you’re in the mood to not get real deep into every aspect of the story and just enjoy THAT? Then absolutely, add this one to your 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:: Meet Me at Midnight (Midnight #1) Author:: Max Monroe Genre:: Workplace Romance Publisher:: Mox Monroe (Indie) Length::354 pages Published:: November 8th, 2025 The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars
I get it now, the intense hype for Jessica Joyce. The Ex Vows is an angsty, emotional story about childhood friends who once took a shot at love and missed, coming back together for their best friend’s wedding and finding the embers still burning deep.
Georgia and Eli had a connection ever since they met as kids, which manifested in a tight-knit friend group that never wavered. That is, until they finally recognized deeper feelings one summer at the vineyard, and that changed everything. But they were young, and stupid, and were too good at ignoring their problems until they were too big to handle. Fast forward a few years, and their third wheel best friend Adam has found his person and they’re getting married. It’s not the first time Georgia and Eli will see each other since the breakup, but nine days? It might as well be an eternity. With a wedding that is cursed with the worst possible luck, and Georgia and Eli as the fixers, the two of them are seeing far too much of each other to maintain the careful avoidance they’ve practiced for years. It’s time to finally face the truth.
I should probably only give this book five stars, but this is a case of the prose making it impossible to rate it lower. Jessica Joyce can write, y’all. The way she builds an emotionally wrought scene in the present while pulling backstory and flashbacks in those same moments without losing focus is immaculate. It’s the kind of writing I want to do. So yeah, five stars.
My problem with the story itself I think stems from Georgia’s personality? It’s consistent, at least, but she gives herself so many problems by being a people-pleaser at any cost, especially to herself. She feels like she has to earn her relationships, that if she doesn’t invest in them consistently, smooth out any discomforts that might arise, her friends might realize they don’t need her and she’ll lose them. It’s a deep hurt that stems from her family life, and it’s still a very real part of her daily life.
This book explores a prioritizing friends culture I’ve never experienced. For these folks, friendship is everything. It covers a lot of versions of friendships being tried and tested. It’s something very important to Georgia. Maybe too important? But that’s probably being conflated in my mind with her aptitude as a major pushover.
Aside from that, this story has heaps of swoon-worthy romance. As I mentioned before, she uses just enough of the history between Georgia and Eli to make us burn and yearn for them in the present. I really appreciated that these flawed characters in the end earned their happy ever after.
Read it for the prose, read it for the redemption, read it for learning from clumsy mistakes. Read it for the immersive summer vineyard vibes. Read it because this is the kind of love story that demands a place in your thoughts for a long time after you’re done turning the pages.
Details
Title:: The Ex Vows Author:: Jessica Joyce Genre:: Contemporary Romance Publisher:: Berkley Length::390 pages Audio Length::11h 10m Audiobook Narrator:: Kyla Garcia Published:: July 16th, 2024 The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
Welcome to the best sports romance series I’ve read. In the Windy City series, Liz Tomforde has created an irresistable cast of characters you can’t help but love. They’re eclectic, they’re flawed, they’re possessive, quite spicy, and you want to be friends with every last one of them. The first in the series is probably the sassiest and perhaps the most transformational of them all. In my opinion, every book only gets better than the last, and you can’t ask for better than that!
Zanders is the ladiest of ladies men. As in, he’s got numbers for ladies in every city his professional hockey team visits. Multiple ladies. In every town. He’s a player, and he’s not ashamed of it. But when their new flight attendant, Stevie, refuses to take any of his shit, he’s curious, and then obsessed with cracking through her tough shell. Too bad she’s completely unimpressed with professional athletes since her twin brother is one of the biggest NBA stars in the country.
“You following me?”
What do I love about this book? Both of these characters are challenged and go through a lot of big growth. I appreciate that Stevie can be insecure about her body, and I absolutely love that Zanders only has heart eyes for every inch of her. There are bumps and bruises along the way, but they both really get a quick sense of each other and are able to care for one another intuitively from pretty early on. Not only do they grow together, they go through their own personal transformations, too, that pave the way for a healthy relationship.
I love that these books are so long and detailed. Everything feels very connected and weaved together, and not splotchy and clumsily tied together. You really get to spend a lot of time with the characters and their world, so you get a really great payoff in the end when things finally click into place.
Any fan of romance should give this series the good try. I haven’t seen a single person who disliked them yet. There are FIVE books to enjoy (I can’t wait to enjoy the last one after my reread of the rest!), and I cannot wait to see what Liz Tomforde comes up with next! Let’s get it girl!
Details
Title:: Mile High (Windy City #1) Author:: Liz Tomforde Genre:: Sports Romance Publisher:: Indie Length::603 pages Audio Length::16h 48m Audiobook Narrator:: Winston James and Mari Published:: June 4th, 2022 The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars
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.
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
I think we can all agree that BK Borison is great at what she does: swoony contemporary romances with heart and spice and all the feels. And it started all the way back with her debut, Lovelight Farms. If you’re a romance reader and haven’t read BK Borison yet, literally what are you doing. STOP, pick this up, and begin your education on what an excellent contemporary romance can be.
To be honest, I did not fall for this book the first time I read it. There is a bit of a mystery storyline that distracts from the angsty longing that cracks and sparkles between Luca and Stella which is the real star of the show.
These two ran into each other years ago and became fast friends. He lives in New York though, which is close enough to visit often, but a little unrealistic for a serious intimate relationship. Besides, Stella has abandonment issues that keep her from being outright with her feelings. Now though, she’s in a pinch. She’s told a social media influencer she owns her Christmas tree farm with her true love to pump up their story and win the contest she desperately needs to win to stay afloat. Trouble is, she and Luca have only ever been friends, and now she has to tell him what she did so that he can play along. What could go wrong? It’s just acting, right?
This is the perfect time of year to pick up this book. It’s about a Christmas tree farm. They’re always buying each other coffees. It’s a small town. It’s cozy as hell. But that’s just the ambiance. To me, the romance is everything and the friends to more trajectory is just so achingly sweet. Stella and Luca absolutely won me over, and look at that stinkin’ cute cover!
If you find yourself here in holiday season 2025 and still haven’t read this book, seriously, add it to your reading list. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
Details
Title:: Lovelight Farms (Lovelight #1) Author:: BK Borison Genre:: Holiday Romance Publisher:: Berkley Length::336 pages Audio Length::10h 15m Audiobook Narrator:: Pippa Jayne Published:: June 6th, 2023 The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars
Another Kendall Ryan delight today in The Book Club Boyfriend!
Scarlett is a jaded author stuck in a rut, and when she goes on live TV to chat with Chase Remington, a pro hockey player, fans go wild and demand more. Chase leads a book club for the team for good PR, and now Scarlett is roped into participating.
This author is so good at creating tension between characters, and compared to the other title I read of hers this month (Checking It Twice), this one was far less spicy and far more slow burn, which is also really satisfying, just different.
One thing I found a little odd about this one is how far into their relationship we got. I’m wondering if Ms. Ryan was extra attached to these two characters, because they got about a million epilogues 🙂
You can’t really go wrong with Kendall Ryan. If you’re a fan of hockey romance or you like reading characters in the book industry, this one is a no brainer.
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 Club Boyfriend (Must Love Hockey #2) Author:: Kendall Ryan Genre:: Sports Romance Publisher:: Dream Press Length::352 pages Audio Length::7h 30m Audiobook Narrator:: Ryan West & CJ Bloom Published:: November 11th, 2025 The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars
I have heard The Hating Game referred to out in the bookish ether for years, but never really thought ‘hey, that’s a book I really need to read’. What I haven’t seen is anyone specifically gushing about how phenomenally good this book is. I heard of it, but I didn’t see hype, if you get my meaning. Well, I saw it in an Audible sale at some point and grabbed it just to see, and finally got around to listening. Can I just say…
Let me be the hype.
Lucy is in the fight of her life every single day against Joshua. After a merger between their two publishing houses years ago, they work at the same level, in the same office, in perfect view of one another. He is the grumbling stick-in-the-mud manager, and she is a pathological yes-man. They’ve gotten under one another’s skin since the beginning and the only way they can be somewhat civil to one another is to turn everything into a game. Games based on their mutual hatred. Mean games. Games that have HR complaints flying back and forth. But…mostly civil. When a change in the company structure means only one of them can be promoted, a new kind of game begins, and this one will end in one of them resigning to end the nemesis olympics once and for all.
Holy crap. This book. This book! I was not prepared.
Lucy truly believes Josh loathes her, and she can’t understand why. She’s the ultimate people pleaser and I think that’s the root of her fixation on his behavior. But we all know why kids tease each other on the playground…
I absolutely got that warm tingly feeling that comes in all great romance novels. The feeling that keeps you flying through the pages wincing a little bit because you don’t really want to finish it. It’s a wild dichotomy. It has everything you could possibly want in a romance and does them so friggin well.
There is so much I could say about all the little moments, but I’m so conflicted! I don’t want to spoil anything for a new reader. Half of the magic is in the discovery! Just trust me when I say this book is required reading for any romance lover out there. I’m convinced this book could cure diseases. Probably.
If you’ve been sleeping on this book like I was, this is your sign to wake up and finally…metaphorically…smell(?) The Hating Game. You won’t regret it.
Details
Title:: The Hating Game Author:: Sally Thorne Genre:: Contemporary Romance/Romantic Comedy Publisher:: William Morrow Length::365 pages Audio Length::12h 18m Audiobook Narrator:: Katie Schorr Published:: August 9th, 2016 The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
