Spring Archives - The Litertarian

Book Review:: People We Meet on Vacation | Emily Henry

How is everyone sleeping on People We Meet on Vacation?! This is the last book on Emily Henry’s backlist for me to read and you know what? I’m just going to say it. It’s my favorite.

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry Book Cover

Poppy is living her dream life as a travel writer in New York City but for some reason, she’s not happy. She hasn’t been, actually, since she and her best friend Alex had a falling out a few years back. They used to go on vacation every year, scraping together their pennies in college to go anywhere-but-here. That’s when she fell in love with travel. So she bites the bullet and sends that first awkward hey-haven’t-talked-to-you-in-years-but-what’s-up text and to her delight and surprise, things pick up as if no time at all has passed. Texting soon leads to planning a new trip, and this one will fix everything for good. Hopefully.

My god there is something about a years spanning will they won’t they best friends with a little something more MFEO romance novel. Seriously, send me every rec you can think of that follows this same trajectory because MY HEART IN THESE NOVELS JUST CANNOT. If you’re chasing that same feeling, read this one, but also In the Likely Event by Rebecca Yarros. That one is darker than this, but it’s the same can’t-put-it-down-gah-get-your-shit-together energy this one has. Both of these…they just have their own electricity.

Poppy and Alex are opposites. She’s talkative and friendly and wants to get the most out of life. Alex is quiet and reserved and is happy with the life he has at home with his brothers. They had a little when-harry-met-sally style meet-cute and a life-changing friendship was born. Poppy and Alex are more fun than Harry and Sally, if it’s not blasphemous to say (H&S is one of my favorite movies too – clearly I have a type), but their problems also run deeper and had my heart in my throat so many times.

I’m telling you, this book had me in a chokehold. The timing of the flashbacks building up all those ‘almost’ moments and the ones that were so close and personal and foundational to their friendship that also make the possibility of ruining what they have too much to risk…I mean, it was just *chef’s kiss*

It is turning into a movie (screenplay by Yulin Kuang who’s debut novel came out last year, How to End A Love Story), but I’m not sure if I can bear to watch it. This book has buried itself into my heart and has become a part of me. That’s what a good book feels like. And I’m going to sit with that awhile before I risk tainting it (ha!).

Seriously though, if you’ve been putting off reading People We Meet on Vacation because you haven’t seen it hyped at all compared to the great Emily Henry’s other works, stop it. Pick it up right now. It’s phenomenal. Get the audiobook, too. Julia Whelan makes everything better.

Details

Title:: People We Meet on Vacation
Author:: Emily Henry
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 400 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 46m
Audiobook Narrator:: Julia Whelan
Published:: May 11th, 2021
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Book Review:: It’s A Love Story | Annabel Monaghan

If you haven’t read a book by Annabel Monaghan, seriously, what are you waiting for? She is a queen of the romance genre, and It’s A Love Story stands in perfect evidence.

It's A Love Story by Annabel Monaghan Book Cover

Jane has been trying to get her first movie made for years, but something always gets in the way. This time, she’s determined to make it happen, even if it means fudging the truth about her past relationship with Jack Quinlan, one of the biggest music stars of the era. She might have promised she could get him to write an original song for the movie despite not having spoken to him in a decade or two, and now she has to make it happen. Confronting her past with Jack is about the last thing on planet Earth she wants to do, and her partner for the movie, Dan, is the last person she wants to work with (seeing as he was the one to sabotage her last project), but Jane will make this project work come hell or high water. That is how she finds herself bunked up with Dan and his family on Long Island for a week, at the end of which she will have to confront her painful past if she wants the future she’s worked so hard for.

I die for this book. It took me to places I wish I could bathe in indefinitely. That good book feeling I wish I could weave into an oversized sweater and wear everyday for the rest of my life. It is everything – everything – I want in a romance novel.

Jane doesn’t believe in love. It was practically indoctrinated into her by a single mother with bad luck in love. And it was only reinforced by the few times Jane had a ‘moment’ with someone she thought was something special that ended up going down in flames before the week was out. Both times. And now she has to confront both of them.

Oh, the drama.

Let’s talk about Dan. And his family. Oh my gosh. He’s lovely. And his family is beyond lovely. The kind of big boisterous family everyone wishes they had that gives you constant shit, pushes each other out of their comfort zones, but is also there for you when you crash and burn. Their week in Long Island was frigging paradise despite the difficulties and I live for it.

Jane and Dan are both complex characters. They have deep emotional wounds that they’re working on and they compliment one another in the best ways. I’ve read a lot of great books already this year, but I have to say these two are one of my top three romance couples I’ve read in a long time.

Annabel Monaghan, you’re a genius, and I can’t wait to read literally every single word you ever write. If It’s A Love Story is not already on your summer TBR, girl RUN and grab this exquisite work of fiction. Thank me later!

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:: It’s A Love Story
Author:: Annabel Monaghan
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Length:: 368 pages
Audio Length:: 10h
Audiobook Narrator:: Hillary Huber
Published:: May 27th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Rom-Commers | Katherine Center
Funny Story | Emily Henry
Business Casual | BK Borison
The Slowest Burn | Sarah Chamberlain

Book Review:: The Gravedigger’s Almanac | Oliver Potzsch

If you have any interest in exploring some of the earliest practices of modern criminology, this is the mystery for you! Oliver Potzsch’s newest release, The Gravedigger’s Almanac, is a twisted historical mystery that will remind you of the late great Sherlock Holmes.

The Gravedigger's Almanac by Oliver Potzsch Book Cover

Leo is a new resident of Vienna, having fled his hometown in shame. He’s got some money and an interest in an emerging realm of study that is criminalistics. Photography, deductive reasoning, logical fallacies…he’s putting all of the strategies to use on a new case of brutal murders in the cultured city.

I love a good mashup of historical fiction and mystery. This will teach you something while keeping you hooked into a quite sinister string of killings. It is quite a complex case that will have Leo and his associates chasing down lead after lead to solve the heinous crimes. The Gravedigger’s Almanac has the perfect balance between interesting historical facts and compelling narrative. I was enthralled!

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 Gravedigger’s Almanac
Author:: Oliver Potzsch (Translated by Lisa Reinhardt)
Genre:: Historical Mystery
Publisher:: HarperVia
Length:: 404 pages
Audio Length:: 13h 49m
Audiobook Narrator:: Rupert Bush
Published:: May 27th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Bone Garden | Tess Garrison
The Cheesemaker’s Daughter | Kristin Vukovic
The Daughter of Ruins | Yvette Manessis Corporon

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:: The Guest Cottage | Lori Foster

For fans of the Hallmark Channel, I give you, The Guest Cottage, by Lori Foster – the first book in her new Firefly Summer series.

The Guest Cottage by Lori Foster Book Cover

A woman named Marlow is in need of a fresh start after her recent ex-husband unexpectedly dies. He used to be her whole life, until her job with his highly successful family became her focus, and they lost sight of their relationship. This series of events brings with it a complex set of emotions, and she finds she just needs to get away. After some research, Marlow finds a place that is perfect, a little lake town called Bramble Kentucky. The landlord turns out to be an emotionally intelligent ex-marine named Cort who helps her work through her feelings and next steps. Just when Marlow feels like she’s starting to settle into the slower lifestyle of Bramble, her ex’s mistress shows up in need of help in more ways than one. And though Marlow feels like she’s found her forever home, the town itself is not accepting of outsiders.

Told in a very calm and measured tone of voice, The Guest Cottage is full of drama and conflict that never tips over the scale into stressful territory. If I had to describe it in a word, I’d give it: cozy.

Everyone deserves second chances, including just about every character in this book. More than anything, I feel this story is about community, compassion, and found family. After reading it, I felt on some level that something inside me somewhere was healed a little bit. It wasn’t quite as engaging and high-stakes as I generally prefer my fiction to be, but it was certainly worth the time spent reading it.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: The Guest Cottage (Firefly Summer #1)
Author:: Lori Foster
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Kensington
Length:: 304 pages
Audio Length:: 13h 20m
Audiobook Narrator:: Piper Goodeve
Published:: May 27th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

It’s All Relative | Rachel Magee
The Christmas Inn | Pamela Kelley
Counting Miracles | Nicholas Sparks

Book Review:: Racing Heart | Darci St. John

I read every racing romance I can get my hands on, so I was pleased to be selected as an arc reviewer for Darci St. John’s newest release, Racing Heart.

Racing Heart by Darci St. John Book Cover

Jordan, an elite racer recovering from injury, is in the UK for his sister’s wedding. Pearl is there too, but not for the reasons she was led to believe. Her family dropped some bombshell news and to cope, she gets drunk and naked with the handsome man she finds on the beach. He invites her to his sister’s wedding and to get away from her own drama, she agrees.

Pearl and Jordan are so well matched in this book. They meet at the exact right moment and are able to use each other as life vests in a way, something to hold onto while everything else is kind of chaos. Their connection seemed genuine, but there was not a whole lot of longing or swoony moments. I didn’t seem to miss it though, that’s not the kind of story this is. Thinking about that, I don’t think this is the kind of story of MFEO these-two-would-end-up-together-no-matter-what story. If they didn’t have their chance meeting there on that beach, it’s unlikely they’d have connected the same way. It’s not trauma bonding exactly, but not a fated sort of situation either, at least in my opinion.

I think I would have rated the book higher except for the soap opera level of drama on the periphery of the story. I think I just didn’t buy Pearl’s mother’s origin story well. It cast a strange pallor over everything.

What I really loved is the extended and thorough ending. It’s not the usual pacing of a ‘standard’ romance where things get wrapped up in a matter of pages…this one gives you time to breathe and live with the characters as they resolve all the little threads that need tied up before we leave them to their happily ever after. It just felt refreshing.

I also loved that Jordan got to go dirt track racing – that’s where you can find my family on summer weekends with my husband racing his open wheel cars. When they took out their sunglasses to dodge flying dirt I laughed out loud!

I have to say I’m curious about this series. I see the first book is the sister’s story, and though I know a few things about what happen in the previous book naturally from the narrative of this sequel, I think I may still pick it up.

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:: Racing Heart (Apex Racing #2)
Author:: Darci St. John
Genre:: Sports Romance
Publisher:: BooksGoSocial
Published:: May 20th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

Slipstream | Madge Maril
A 5-Letter Word for Love | Amy James
The Graham Effect | Elle Kennedy

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:: 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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author website

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