Fiction Archives - The Litertarian

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:: The Love Haters | Katherine Center

The Love Haters is one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 and I was lucky enough to snag an early copy of it for review. In case you’re wondering why you might want to be an arc reader…that’s it. That’s the whole reason. (Except now I have a longer wait until her next release unless I, by some miracle, get the next one as an arc as well).

Now – before I get into the nitty gritty – this is not my favorite Katherine Center book I’ve read. In fact, I was a little annoyed with the main character for awhile. But when I tell you that by the end I was inside her body, living her experience, completely immersed…I mean I was in the water with her.

Five. Whole. Stars. All. Day. Long.

The Love Haters by Katherine Center Book Cover

Katie is a videographer on the brink of getting fired. The company is in crisis, and she needs a miracle to survive the layoffs. Then her colleague hands her one: filming a promo doc for his brother, who is in the coast guard. The only problem is…she can’t swim. Also, he only agreed because he thought his brother was coming to shoot it. Let’s just say the foot they get off on has wobbly sea legs.

Katie and I got off on a bad start.

She begins the book by lying her ass off in order to get a job. Sure, it’s standard practice in her industry, but she’s going to be filming with the US Coast Guard, rescuing people who have no other escape. And she can’t swim. She also has a paralyzing case of body insecurity that has her terrified of bathing suits and the fact that she’ll have to announce her weight to the helicopter pilots before she can get on one.

Whyyy.

Let’s just say it was a lot to overcome for Katie and I to get back to a proper understanding. Lol.

However.

The themes in this book are incredibly impactful, and all of this plays into the plot, too. So does the great Katherine Center get away with starting her book with a character we love to hate (okay, it’s not that serious but it was too good a play on words with the title here)? Ugh. Yes. Yes, she does.

Actually, if you are someone who struggles with body insecurity, I really think you should read this. The conclusions Katie comes to by the end about her body are very powerful and might just help your own perspective and your own journey to self-love.

This book is also about honesty, and family, and found family, and trust. It’s also about frigging heroic rescue divers who risk their lives every day to save others. It’s kind of epic.

Katie and Hutch weren’t supposed to fall in love. In fact, his brother said he was a love hater. Katie was, too, after a bad break-up that continues to haunt her even now. But even when you’re set against it, you never know when you’ll find someone that fits you. Their road is not a straight-shot highway. It’s a winding road with unexpected road closures and mudslides and wildlife throwing kinks into the journey, but it’s a ride you won’t want to miss anyway.

As always, Katherine Center has achieved a book that is relatable, sweet, swoony, and will even make you chuckle. It will also make you clench your fists and threaten to throw your book across the room at some points, but that’s what five-star books do. They make you feel real feelings. You get invested.

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 Haters
Author:: Katherine Center
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: St. Martin’s Press
Length:: 320 pages
Audio Length:: 10h
Audiobook Narrator:: Patti Murin
Published:: May 20th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Rom-Commers | Katherine Center
Adam and Evie’s Matchmaking Tour | Nora Nguyen
The Paradise Problem | Christina Lauren

Book Review:: Everything’s Coming Up Rosie | Courtney Walsh

With a title like Everything’s Coming Up Rosie and such a cute cover, who could resist this new release from Courtney Walsh and Thomas Nelson Publishing?! Luckily, it’s not all flash, but substance too. Don’t miss this adorably sweet five-star read about chasing dreams and accepting who you are.

Everything's Coming Up Rosie by Courtney Walsh Book Cover

Rosie’s dream has always been to make it big as an actor. For years she’s had half a foot in the door, getting just enough jobs to keep her going, but her big breakout moment remains elusive. She’s on the verge of a full out existential crisis when she applies to every possible job she can think of willy-nilly style, and takes the first (and only) job she’s offered. When she shows up in Wisconsin, she realizes she should have actually read the job description, because putting on an entire production as a director is a bigger bite than she’s qualified to chew, even if it is ‘only’ for a retirement community’s theater program.

Oh, this book. I want every young girl to read this. Rosie has a dream she’s chasing, but she’s never stopped to think about why she’s chasing it, and if it’s really even what she wants. As she slogs through the problems she’s facing with the play, she gains confidence, experience, and friendships along the way. In the end, the situation she thought was just going to pay the bills until she moved on to bigger and better things turned out to be just the thing she needed to become her happier, healthier self. New and improved Rosie!

There is also a very sweet romance subplot with a man called Booker. He won he over quickly when he shrugged and said “I’m a hard person to know”. With a line like that, you just know someone else put that into his head. The friendship he and Rosie have is so sweet and romantic and a little bit risky, because opening up your heart is always a risk.

I was blown away by this book. Every aspect was just done so well, and I was fully engaged. There were a few ways that seemed plausible for the plot to go, but it still kind of surprised me, and I was proud of Rosie and her ultimate decisions.

This is a book I would put into the ‘feel-good’ category, which, to me, is hard to achieve. If you need a lift in spirits this summer (or ever), Rosie’s got your back!

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:: Everything’s Coming Up Rosie
Author:: Courtney Walsh
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Thomas Nelson
Length:: 352 pages
Audio Length:: 11h 10m
Audiobook Narrator:: Jorjeana Marie
Published:: June 10th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

My (Not So) Perfect Life | Sophie Kinsella
When Alec Met Evie | Jenny Proctor
The Last Love Note | Emma Grey
The Tourist Attraction | Sarah Morgenthaler

Book Review:: All the Perfect Days | Michael Thompson

Every choice we make effects innumerable other choices in our lives. Some of them can change our trajectories entirely. It might not even feel like a big decision at the time – looking back it is sometimes the smallest things that trigger the biggest changes. For Charlie, a small-town doctor, it’s a lesson learned the hard way in All the Perfect Days, a new novel by Michael Thompson.

All the Perfect Days by Michael Thompson Book Cover

See, one day Charlie has an episode when he’s helping a patient. There’s nothing medically wrong with him, but it keeps happening. When one of his patients dies unexpectedly, he realizes what is happening to him. Though he isn’t sure yet if it is a blessing or a curse, he sees how many days a person has left to live.

It is one of the age-old questions, isn’t it? If you could find out when you were to die, would you want to know? The same idea is explored in another book I read this year by another Australian author, Here One Moment, by Liane Moriarty. As you can imagine, it’s not a straightforward answer. As Charlie struggles with this new ability, he’s forced to confront questions of morality, chance, trust, and honesty. When you know when it ends, will it change the decisions you make along the way?

I absolutely loved this novel. It is thoughtful and well-executed, showing all the sides of the cube. There are many implications and permutations of this phenomenon, each of them interesting and meaningful not just to the characters, but the way we think about our lives, all in a highly readable 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:: All the Perfect Days
Author:: Michael Thompson
Genre:: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher:: SOURCEBOOKS Landmark
Length:: 352 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 48m
Audiobook Narrator:: Ryan Ennis
Published:: May 21st, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Last Love Note | Emma Grey
Wished | Sarah Ready
If I Were You | Cesca Major

Book Review:: Not A Strong Enough Word | Allie Samberts

Okay folks, get ready to swoon over Allie Sambert’s new novel Not A Strong Enough Word. This book about second chances completely won me over.

Not A Strong Enough Word by Allie Samberts Book Cover

Scarlett once had it all: the dreamy boyfriend, the massive book deal and critical acclaim that promised to launch her career as a literary writer into the stratosphere. But it was too much, and she had to walk away.

Five years later, she’s written another book, and she thinks she might be ready to dip a toe back into publishing, but she’s determined not to get swept away by the pomp and circumstance this time. No. matter. what.

Her agent negotiates a deal with an imprint of her old publishing house, one more focused on the wellness of their authors, and her new editor turns out to be the ex-boyfriend she walked away from without saying goodbye.

Working with Ryan again reminds her of how things once were. Not the worst of it, but the most of it. The good things that had been overshadowed by the doom. He never forgot her, and, still in love with her way with words (if not the writer of them), he’s committed to getting her new book out into the world, even if he never gets answers to the questions that have been haunting him since she disappeared on him.

Oh, these characters. Their connection. So much swoon, so much heart-tugging romance vibes. Absolutely mastered in this book.

I went ahead and gave this one five big fat stars, but if I’m being honest, I think the flashbacks didn’t do a lot to help this book. I can see why they were added when the characters have so much history, but I almost think it could have just been explained well enough in the narrative from the two perspectives.

If you’re looking for a book that’ll have you in all the feels, you can’t go wrong with this one!

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:: Not A Strong Enough Word
Author:: Allie Samberts
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Indie
Length:: 316 pages
Published:: May 14th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

What Happens in Amsterdam | Rachel Lynn Solomon
Hate Mail | Donna Marchetti
This Summer Will Be Different | Carley Fortune
Divine Rivals | Rebecca Ross

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

If you liked this book, check out…

The City in Glass | Nghi Vo
The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife | Anna Johnston
All the Water in the World | Eiren Caffal

Book Review:: My Friends | Fredrik Backman

I don’t think there are adequate words to describe the feeling I had when I saw that I was approved for an advanced copy of Fredrik Backman’s new book. Though I’ve only read about half of his bibliography, he is one of my all-time favorite writers. The way he balances humor and heartbreak, light and darkness, the good faces of humanity and its more sinister counterparts is frankly remarkable. My Friends is no exception. While Beartown (which is, quite frankly, a masterpiece) uses beautifully dynamic characters to tell the story of an entire town and their reaction to an event, My Friends relies almost exclusively on its characters to dig deep into the themes of art and friendship.

My Friends by Fredrik Backman Book Cover

The simple premise of the story is a young delinquent artist with nothing in the world except what she can carry on her own back is bequeathed a priceless painting after a chance-encounter with the world-famous artist who painted it. On the long journey to sell it to an art dealer, she learns the story of the three figures in the distance of the piece. But the beauty of a Backman book is not in the premise, is it? It’s in the flawless execution of character and the interwoven interactions between them.

This is a story about friendship. Specifically, the steadfast kind of friendship you form in your young years that makes an impression on the rest of your life. They don’t always last forever, but the memories do, so much so you can close your eyes and almost smell them. It’s a story about hardship, and adversity, and our reaction toward it. It’s the story of being different and realizing that sometimes that’s okay. It’s the story of recognizing a secret piece of yourself in someone else, and the everlasting bond that can forge. It’s about brotherhood, and sticking together, and a little bit of violence.

It’s also about art. Something many can and frequently do call frivolous and unnecessary, but speaks to each of us in our secret souls. No one can deny the effect of ‘good’ art (this is absolutely a different thing for different people, but that’s a discussion for another time and place). Good art is impossible to ignore. It stops us in our tracks. Overwhelms us to the point of tears, sometimes, and goosebumps dimpling our skin. It lingers with us, preoccupies us, moves us, and sometimes catalyzes us to change.

I am always bowled over by Fredrik Backman’s writing, and though this novel is a bit grittier than some of his other work, it is about a raw and meaningful side of humanity it is sometimes too easy to look away from. It’s important to see and understand the hardships of young people, in particular. It’s important to listen.

I hope this is not the last book he decides to write, as I’ve seen him consider. With a gift like his, the world is a little bit brighter with every sentence he writes. (Even his social media captions enthrall me, if we want to get to the truth). Thank you, Atria, for the opportunity to read this novel before it is released to the rest of the world. It is a privilege, and I hope this review finds at least one person it might inspire to read 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:: My Friends
Author:: Fredrik Backman
Genre:: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher:: Atria Books
Length:: 448 pages
Audio Length:: 13h 7m
Audiobook Narrator:: Marin Ireland
Published:: May 6th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Most Fun We Ever Had | Claire Lombardo
Malibu Rising | Taylor Jenkins Reid
Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McCaughey
Intermezzo | Sally Rooney

Book Review:: Not Safe For Work | Nisha J. Tuli

I judged this book by the title. That was enough to spark my interest. Alright, I also judged it by the cover, which is also hot. Basically I couldn’t wait to read Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli (a new author to me)!

Not Safe for Work by Nisha J. Tuli Book Cover

Tris is a brilliant engineer in a male-dominated field. She’s experienced some effed-up-shiz over the years (including a total douche of an ex who violated her trust and privacy bad enough to scar), and she is thisclose to being completely fed up and leaving. She’s been passed over for promotions she was clearly the best candidate for and glossed over time and time again. So when her name was called to go to a professional development retreat in Hawai’i, she almost couldn’t believe it. When it became clear she was just a diversity pick, she decided to make a few extra demands of the company’s money. What she couldn’t wiggle out of is who else is going on the three-week retreat: Rafe Gallagher, the boss’ son and her personal nemesis.

Let’s start with the good stuff. I found Tris to be such a refreshing character. She is smart and spunky in a sassier way than what I typically find. I was proud of her multiple times in this story for speaking up for herself and not taking less when she deserves more. Rafe is such a sweetheart. He always had his heart in the right place and was so easy to root for. Such a cinnamon roll! Also all the tropey stuff you expect in a book like this was done well and I was locked into the story all the way through. Plenty of swoony moments!

Then there were a few things that got under my skin: I put Tris’ sass under the good category, but she really took it too far on multiple occasions. Even as she was saying something she’d be thinking ‘why did I say that, why am I ruining this moment?’. Maybe if it only happened once that would be okay, but it was multiple times, which brings me to the next flaw in this story…there is way too much repetition! Work retreats can obviously be a lot of the same stuff, but man I couldn’t have picked out one night among the others with all the same people there, the same arc of chemistry then sass then a ruined moment capped by having to go back to the same suite (*raises eyebrows suggestively*). It was too repetitive to ignore how repetitive it was, if you get what I mean. Aaand, if I’m going to list those things, I might as well throw in the fact that I didn’t feel Rafe’s feelings for Tris were quite justified enough for the depth of them once they’re discovered. Professional admiration only takes you so far, as does general hotness. I was left wanting more on that front.

Obviously with a rating from me of 4 stars the bad was nowhere near outweighing the good, and I absolutely recommend this book for romance lovers. This would be an awesome read poolside or on a beach somewhere. It just didn’t quite reach my stratospheric 5 star criteria.

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:: Not Safe for Work
Author:: Nisha J. Tuli
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Forever
Length:: 352 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 30m
Audiobook Narrator:: Soneela Nankani
Published:: May 20th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Paradise Problem | Christina Lauren
Not in My Book | Katie Holt
Sunshine and Spice | Aurora Palit

Book Review:: Anji Kills A King | Evan Leikam

I have followed Evan’s IG profile @BookReviewsKill for a long time, appreciating his considered thoughts on not just modern popular books, but the full breadth of sci-fi and fantasy literature. His massive collection of tattered paperbacks and well-worn trade editions from the background of his older videos evoked an instant feeling of comradery with a fellow book lover. I was thrilled when he announced he had a book deal with Tor and would be coming out with his very own fantasy series, and so pleased when I saw a copy of the audiobook in my inbox for early review.

Long story short, I’m impressed.

Anji Kills A King by Evan Leikam Book Cover

The premise is self-described in the title. Anji, a servant in the king’s castle, kills him in the prologue. It becomes clear shortly after that she was not quite anticipating the wider implications of his death either for herself, or the greater realm. What follows is a reluctant journey she can’t escape.

I really loved Moira Quirk’s narration of this novel. Anji has a strong voice and it felt all the more powerful with the right narrator to do her justice.

The novel is relatively fast paced. I found it got a little meandering around the two thirds mark where I was craving something new, but I can’t disparage it much on pacing, as it gets going right away and the integrity of the writing itself maintains itself all the way through. The world building is far from overwhelming, giving only bits and spurts in a way that kept it interesting and intriguing.

Overall, this is a very strong debut, and after that ending, I am so interested to find out what happens next for Anji. Way to go Evan, this really lived up to the hype I was expecting.

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:: Anji Kills A King
Author:: Evan Leikam
Genre:: Fantasy
Publisher:: Tor
Length:: 368 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 36m
Audiobook Narrator:: Moira Quirk
Published:: May 13th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The City in Glass | Nghi Vo
Divine Rivals | Rebecca Ross
Our Infinite Fates | Laura Steven

Book Review:: An Italian Wedding Adventure | Leonie Mack

Things don’t always go as we expect them to. Sometimes the wrong question at the wrong time can lead to heartbreak and humiliation. And sometimes, you get to face the past that has haunted you for years, even if you don’t want to.

An Italian Wedding Adventure by Leonie Mack Book Cover

That is the case when Sophie’s new client wants to have a destination wedding at the top of a mountain. She knows who to ask for the expertise she needs, but hopes that the man who broke her heart no longer works there. After he rejected her impromptu marriage proposal years ago, she never fully recovered, and though she’s a professional and will do whatever it takes to serve her clients, she’s not sure she’ll have the strength to face Andreas again.

I really enjoyed this European vacation romance. The characters were fun and unique and I learned quite a bit about mountain climbing actually, which is always refreshing. I thought the conflict between the characters was authentic to their personalities and the romance and plot felt very natural. It’s quite an escape, traveling with the characters to the tops of mountains, relearning one another and making the most of the time they know they’ll have to spend together, even if it’s the last thing they want to do.

If you’re looking for a fun and flirty adventurous romance to pack on a summer trip this year, I think An Italian Wedding Adventure is a great option. It’s got heart, humor, and grand gestures that will melt your heart like a popsicle in the sun.

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:: An Italian Wedding Adventure
Author:: Leonie Mack
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Boldwood Books
Audio Length:: 9h
Audiobook Narrator:: Karen Cass
Published:: May 9th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars