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Book Review:: This Story Might Save Your Life | Tiffany Crum

If you have the chance to read This Story Might Save Your Life, do.not.waste.it. It is frigging phenomenal. I was hooked immediately and giddy the entire way through.

This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum Book Cover

When Benny’s best friend and podcast co-host disappears, he stops at absolutely nothing to find her. She may have been the one that got away, romantically, but she’s still the most important part of his life, despite her overbearing husband, who happens to manage the podcast empire they’ve been building for years.

The tension is fabulous. Not just the present timeline urgency to find Joy, who has severe narcolepsy, but also as we learn the backstory of their friendship and how they ended up in the situation they’re in. The format is absolutely perfect, and I ate up every single word.

It’s really hard to talk about a story that is about the unfolding of it, but I love these characters. I mean, I’d have them over on a weekly basis, best-friend, talking-late-into-the-night, kind of love. I could not stop turning pages to figure out what happened to them. If things resolved, and resolved in a way I could accept, spiritually, you understand.

Though I received a free digital copy through netgalley to review, I pre-ordered my own hardcover copy for my shelves before I was halfway through. Tiffany Crum, you may be my next favorite author to watch!! With a debut like this…I seriously can’t wait to see what you come up with next. Whatever it is…cowboy western, travel diary, space opera…I’m going 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::This Story Might Save Your Life
Author::Tiffany Crum
Genre::Mystery Thriller (Romance)
Publisher:: Flatiron Books
Length:: 357 pages
Published:: March 10th, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Book Review:: Once and Again | Rebecca Serle

We’ve all had those moments, those crossroads moments, when we can see two paths stretching out before us, and we have to pick between them. Or something happens that is the furthest thing from our plans we wish we could erase them.

Well—what if you could?

Once and Again by Rebecca Serle Book Cover

This is a family saga that will tug at your heart. There is just a touch of magical realism here, but it’s load bearing. I’m not always the biggest fan of it, and in this case my rational mind wanted to protest in a few places, but I went along for the ride, the emotional experiment of it all, and I came away appreciating it.

Lauren is at one of those crossroads we talked about before. But she has a chance to make one change, thanks to a legacy in the women of her family. But only one, and she’s been saving it to save her father from his health condition. But she realizes she might need it for something else, after all.

This book has plenty to rachet up the tension: choices going forward, choices made in the past, and the kind of soul-searching that makes you think about your life differently.

You know you’re in good hands with Rebecca Serle. This one is no exception. Also, the audiobook is narrated by Julia Whelan—the queen—so that’s always an excellent option!

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:: Once and Again
Author:: Rebecca Serle
Genre:: Women’s Fiction
Publisher:: Atria Books
Length:: 256 pages
Published:: March 10th, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Book Review:: Won’t Back Down | Harper Jackson

Some books you read for the escape of it all. Something you can sink into, be transported, and find a satisfying plot with just enough tension (sexual, and otherwise), to keep you captivated and turning pages because you care about what happens next. If that’s you, I have to say, Won’t Back Down by Harper Jackson might be one of the best options out there. It’s romantic without being cheesy, suspenseful without being scary, and wholesome enough to keep it endearing. And man…it’s just a good daggum story!

Won't Back Down by Harper Jackson Book Cover

After losing her grandparents in quick succession, the only family she’s able to rely on anymore besides her brother, currently deployed in the Navy, Willa’s steady, reliable world is changing. Maybe once upon a time that wouldn’t have been a big deal, but now, she has enough psychological damage to deal with.

When she was a teenager, she drowned. Actually, fully drowned. But she was saved by her brother’s best friend, Sawyer. She has a lot of lost memories from around that time, and intense trauma from the years afterwards. She avoids thinking about any of that stuff at all. But now Sawyer is back on island, come home from his own stint in the Navy, and he’s there to help her cope, in any way he can. Emotionally, physically…legally.

Gosh darn it, this book got me. It is jam packed with all the good stuff, as I mentioned before. The sexual tension is present and done so well. The mystery elements are executed to perfection. There are lots of side characters I’m sure have and will pop up in other books in the same series (which I need to get my hands on immediately). It’s everything you want in this kind of book, which I like to call ‘candy’. The kind that just hits the spot. Refreshing, in many ways. Delicious!

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:: Won’t Back Down (Wayward Sons #2)
Author:: Harper Jackson (Kait Nolan)
Genre:: Romantic Suspense
Publisher:: Take the Leap Publishing
Length:: 331 pages
Published:: September 6th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

All the Missing Pieces | Catherine Cowles
Obsession Falls | Claire Kingsley
These Summer Storms | Sarah MacLean
Leave Before I Love You | Max Monroe

Book Review:: Stranger Things Have Happened | Kasie West

Kasie West’s books almost have that 90s rom-com feel. The situational, emotionally stunted but slowly falling anyway, long-story kind of feel. The kind that so many others have been struggling to tap into for decades since. I’m not saying she’s the next Nora Ephron, but there is something about her books…that x-factor sort of feeling.

Stranger Things Have Happened by Kasie West Book Cover

The concept: Sutton agrees to fake couple’s therapy with her best friend’s fiancée’s brother, because said fiancée is against it himself. They have this bet, see, that the therapist is a quack and won’t even be able to tell they don’t know each other. He wants to prove a point.

Why does she agree? Well, she needs therapy — and apparently doesn’t have anything better to do.

I adored this book. The set-up is weird, it’s fake dating without actual fake dating (the best kind, in my opinion, lol), but the characters are beautiful. I just believed it, you know? Elijah felt whole and convincing, and I was seriously rooting for them the whole time.

Beyond the romance, though, Sutton has some issues to sort out with her mother, who is a piece of work. She’s still nursing wounds from when her husband left, about a million years ago, and new wounds from being in an accident, which is why Sutton is back in her hometown.

At this point I will read anything Kasie West puts out. She knows her way around a romance, and I’m happy to recommend her books to anyone looking to step into a compelling romance that feels fresh and perfectly sophisticated.

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:: Stranger Things Have Happened
Author:: Kasie West
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Saturday Books
Length:: 352 pages
Published:: April 14th, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

We Met Like This | Kasie West
Where You’re Planted | Melanie Sweeney
As A Last Resort | Kristin Wollett
The Slowest Burn | Sarah Chamberlain

Book Review:: And Now, Back to You | B.K. Borison

I remember when B.K. Borison announced her deal for the Heartstrings series on social media: a series based on the 90s rom coms hard-coded into the DNA of all Americans of a certain age. What an incredible body of genius to work with! Though if you’re looking for retellings or something closely aligned to the classics, you may be let down.

And Now, Back to You by B.K. Borison Book Cover

And Now, Back to You is supposed to be inspired by When Harry Met Sally, one of the greatest movies of all time. But how it relates is a head scratcher.

All that aside, though, I did like this book.

The thing that sets apart a B.K. Borison book from a run-of-the-mill romance novel is something about the clean structure, lightly complex characters, and elevated prose. If you’re looking for something hot and swoony, you really can’t go wrong.

The characters in her books always have bigger problems than to typical will-they-won’t-they. This story has some meat on its bones. Jackson juggling enormous responsibility both in and out of work, and Delilah navigates a difficult situation in pursuit of her dream. Through the novel the rivals see each other in a new light and become genuine friends (and maybe a little extra).

This is the kind of book that makes people fall in love with romance. If you read a ton of it, you’ll see the scaffolding clear as day, but that doesn’t mean it’s not still a joy to 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::And Now, Back to You (Heartstrings #2)
Author:: B. K. Borison
Genre:: Romantic Comedy
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 464 pages
Published::February 24th, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Book Review:: How the Story Goes | Andrew Forrester

What happens when an author dies before finishing a beloved series? *ahem, Martin* In the case of an uproariously popular children’s fantasy series by Helen Longacre, she left that monumental task to her mystery-writer husband, Whit, who, for the record, has no idea where to even start.

How the Story Goes by Andrew Forrester Book Cover

This is a story about the kind of displacement that happens when you lose something you love. Something you thought you’d have for a lot longer than you did. The publisher is on a major deadline (which, wtf fictional publisher), but they have to concede to the last wishes of Helen, who wanted her precious story to be left in the hands of the man who didn’t even really read the books. Not because he was a bad husband. Because marriage doesn’t have to be everything for every person. They shared a love for writing, not a passion for writing the same thing.

I liked the straight-forwardness of the prose and Whit’s attitude. He is who he is, and though he tells a few fibs to get the agents and editors off his back, he’s a very honest person, and that gets him far. The woman he ends up asking for help has her own story, and a past that won’t stop haunting her.

In some ways, this story felt refreshing. While it has common elements of things I’ve loved before, it felt like something entirely new. The voice was direct, with lots of personality. The characters were well formed, intelligent, and trying their best, and the premise itself lends itself to the kind of deep grief that if we haven’t felt ourselves, can at least vividly imagine and empathize with.

Through the grief is healing and the remembering of good memories and trying to live up to being the person someone once thought you could be. Through the healing, comes a different kind of new beginning. A continuation of a story after a mid-point plot twist.

I adored this book. And I will keep my eye out for more from this phenomenal debut author. Congratulations, Andrew. This book is perfectly special.

Also, the narrators were top-notch and brought this story to life in a beautiful way. James Fouhey, especially, I felt brought the exactly right voice for Whit’s character.

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::How the Story Goes
Author::Andrew Forrester
Genre::Contemporary Romance
Publisher::Avon
Length:: 368 pages
Published::May 5th, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Where You’re Planted | Melanie Sweeney
Thank You for Listening | Julia Whelan
The Last Love Note | Emma Grey
Promise Me Sunshine | Cara Bastone

Book Review:: The Bodyguard Affair | Amy Lea

Ah, good ol’ rom-com territory for the first time in awhile! The Bodyguard Affair by Amy Lea is an engaging, spicy, and always moving forward.

The Bodyguard Affair by Amy Lea Book Cover

The premise is a gimmick as this entire genre has loudly become in the past ten years. Tropes, tropes, everywhere, which is fine when there’s also some heart.

The tone is genuine rom-com territory: mostly bubble-gum level antics framed in a serious but straight-forward situation.

It’s not all surface level laughs though, there is a little bit of meat on these character’s bones. Complicated families, pursuing dreams, forgiveness, and genuine emotion play a role here too.

Overall, this is an entertaining commercial romance I think a wide-audience will appreciate. If you’re looking for something to sink your teeth into though, this may not be the right thing to pick up at the minute. Read it at the end of a long week, I think it’ll help lighten the load.

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 Bodyguard Affiar
Author:: Amy Lea
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 432 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 51m
Audiobook Narrator:: Brittany Pressley & Teddy Hamilton
Published:: December 2nd, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Book Review:: The Storm | Rachel Hawkins

You can rely on Rachel Hawkins to deliver a compelling story replete with tension you can feel in your chest. This one is about murder in a tiny coastal town.

In 1984 there was a famous murder in St. Menard’s Bay. Well, probably. When a body turns up after a hurricane, probably someone murdered him and let the storm take care of the evidence. But no one can prove it. The accusation, though, follows around the girl everyone suspects. We get flashes of the timeline of events leading up to that supposed crime of the past, while the contemporary story takes place on top of it: a crime podcaster coming around to poke his nose into the case.

You can feel the tension in this book like you are there, waiting in the dense, still humidity, waiting on the hurricane to hit. The dual timeline structure isn’t new for Hawkins (The Villa felt fairly similar for structure), but boy, it’s effective. For me there was enough intrigue to pull me through both timelines without losing momentum, and the finale was surprising and also completely inevitable, the way the best ones always are.

I will read anything Rachel Hawkins publishes. She’s a wonder, and this story was no exception. Do with that what you will!

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 Storm
Author::Rachel Hawkins
Genre::Mystery Suspense Thriller
Publisher::St. Martin’s Press
Length:: 258 pages
Published::January 6th, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Book Review:: Seeing Other People | Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka

Even though the premise of this book is clear from the title, the cover, and whatever the blurb says (which you all know by now I almost never read) — it still surprised me.

There are ghosts, and ghosts make for excellent adventure, and, turns out, make pretty good matchmakers.

Morgan is haunted by a guy she barely knows and she has no idea why. What is it that is anchoring him to her? He was nice and all, but how does she get rid of him?

Then she meets Sawyer, who has been haunted for years by the love of his life. Together, they decide to help one another. After all, how often do you meet someone who is actively being haunted?

Though the premise is a little silly, and translated to a story that is sometimes silly and fun, it’s also a story of deep grief and loss, and learning to live again. I really appreciated the careful balance of the depth, and I thought the romance was handled really organically, too.

Besides the cover, which makes no sense (why are both of the ghosts there girls?!), I thought it was a really great book, and I recommend 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:: Seeing Other People
Author:: Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemung-Broka
Genre:: Paranormal Romance
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 352 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 45m
Audiobook Narrator:: Brittany Pressley & Dan Bittner
Published:: December 9th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

32 Days in May | Betty Corrello
Promise Me Sunshine | Cara Bastone
The Last Love Note | Emma Grey

Book Review:: Handle With Care | Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

This book is like, if locked-room mystery was a thriller, and the psychology of everyone in the room is the story. In other words: excellent.

Handle With Care by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen Book Cover

This is my second title by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen, and I already knew after Every Moment Since that I’d read everything she put out. This one is a very different vibe, but still under the same sort of suspense umbrella. (Also, LOOK at that cover! *drools*)

This is a story about an impromptu hostage situation at the united states postal service. It’s told by an omniscient, present-tense narrator that give the entire thing a very unique vibe, and it is organized into the parts of a letter.

If you read the ‘header’ you won’t be able to stop. It’s too good. It’s stunningly good. I’d even say an intro like that is a masterwork. It got me, hook, line, and sinker.

In a thriller, it’s especially important to avoid any spoilers. Discovering the story is the joy of it. So I won’t. Maybe I’ll just stop here, actually. The shortest review ever written! But if you do read it, and I really think you should, just don’t forget…

This is a story of hope.

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:: Handle With Care
Author:: Marybeth Mayhew Whalen
Genre:: Suspense Thriller
Publisher:: Thomas Nelson
Length:: 288 pages
Published::April 14th, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars