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Book Review:: Never Over | Clare Gilmore

I’ve been a massive fan of Clare Gilmore since I read Perfect Fit last year. That book is *chef’s kiss*. I don’t know what it is about books about music that kind of turn me off, but I didn’t let that stop me from enjoying her newest release, Never Over.

Here we have another wonderful second chance romance. Paige is a songwriter living in Tennessee who is struggling to break into the industry. Her big break comes with a music exec finally comes by to listen to her tunes. He realizes she’s a phenomenal talent for melody, but her lyrics don’t quite hit the way they could. That’s not a surprise to her, considering her heart has been walled off ever since her catastrophic breakup with Liam.

She’s not too proud to go to him and ask if they can strike up a new fling so she might be inspired again, the way he once inspired her.

I’m not the greatest fan of the setup here, however, I can appreciate that this is the fake dating trope without actually being fake dating. I love Liam for laying out in their rules that this is real. He can’t fake it with her. But they will leave the end date a nebulous thing. Whatever happens, happens. So, basically, like any relationship. It’s a risk. Things might light up, they might burn to the ground.

We’re taken back and forth between the present timeline, with Paige trying to write new music and lyrics, and the past, when writing music was only a hobby and her best friend was Liam the baseball pitcher extraordinaire, not Liam the roadie.

The connection between the two of them is inevitable. They’re electric, which is my favorite thing to find in a romance novel. Especially their physical connection, wink wink. Yes, there is some spice here. But they both have some issues to work through, both in past and present timelines, in order to lock in for the long haul.

In conclusion! I very much enjoyed this book (though it hasn’t quite knocked Perfect Fit from the number one spot). If you’re looking for a tension laden romantic story to hold you over – this one is a great choice!

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:: Never Over
Author:: Clare Gilmore
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: St. Martin’s Griffin
Length:: 352 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 52m
Audiobook Narrator:: Carly Robins
Published:: October 28th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Sounds Like Love | Ashley Poston
The Heartbreak Hotel | Ellen O’Clover
Say It Out Loud | Ashley Schumacher

Book Review:: Some Kind of Famous | Ava Wilder

Sometimes a fluffy kind of silly rom-com is exactly what you need. Sometimes you want to bite into a story with a little bit more angst and real, complicated emotional baggage. That’s what you’re getting with Some Kind of Famous by Ava Wilder, and it is wonderful.

Some Kind of Famous by Ava Wilder Book Cover

Some would say Merritt Valentine is washed up. She used to be famous, once upon a time. Then she had a very public breakdown and hasn’t made any music since. She recently moved to the same small town as her sister. That’s where she meets Niko – a Greek god of a handman who is actually from Greece. But with her history and tendency to leave hearts broken and bleeding in her wake, she doesn’t want to get involved. She promises her sister, even, that she won’t make things complicated for them in this oasis of a town. But there’s an undeniable connection there, and every time they get into the same room, chemistry fizzes and sparks.

I love this book. Both lead characters are smart and well-rounded and are trying to do the right thing, whatever that is. Their journey to one another is jumbled and clumsy and start-and-stop. It felt real. It felt honest.

The one part of the story that kind of irked me was Merritt’s sister. I can see where she’s coming from, but she really goes pretty hard at Merritt, not really trying to see both sides of the issue. She could have taken that down several notches and still gotten her point across, but that’s not always how family’s work, is it? It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility in the real world, so I’ll forgive the intensity of that big scene between sisters.

If you’re looking for a great romance novel with characters who will stick with you for awhile after you turn the last page, this one fits that bill! Thank you, Dell, for the opportunity to read this one early!

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:: Some Kind of Famous
Author:: Ava Wilder
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Dell
Length:: 432 pages
Audio Length:: 12h 2m
Audiobook Narrator:: January LaVoy
Published:: October 28th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Overdue | Stephanie Perkins
Never Over | Clare Gilmore
Leave Before I Love You | Max Monroe
We Met Like This | Kasie West

Book Review:: The Second Story Bookshop | Denise Hunter

A new release from Denise Hunter is here! The Second Story Bookshop is the story of a young woman taking over her late grandmother’s beloved bookshop, which ends up being far more than she bargained for.

The Second Story Bookshop by Denise Hunter Book Cover

What I appreciate about Denise Hunter’s stories are that they aren’t afraid to include dark, uncomfortable things, and always ends up being such a positive and uplifting message.

This is a story about coming into your own, sticking to your morals, quiet fortitude, and forgiveness. It is a second chance romance that had me swooning and yearning the entire time. These characters and their community has a lot of backstory, and it all adds up to one heck of a satisfying story.

Pick this book up if you are in need of an uplifting story that teaches us we are always more than our worst mistakes, and that repentant people are always worth forgiving. It’s a lovely, lovely 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:: The Second Story Bookshop
Author:: Denise Hunter
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Thomas Nelson
Length:: 368 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 44m
Audiobook Narrator:: Kim Churchill
Published:: October 7th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Before We Were Us | Denise Hunter
The Summer of You and Me | Denise Hunter
The Battle of the Bookshops | Poppy Alexander

Book Review:: Listen for the Lie | Amy Tintera

Wow – I was blown away by this book. From the title, which has to be one of my favorites of all time, to the intricate and relentless mystery, I was inexorably hooked from the get.

Ben Owens investigative crime podcast, Listen for the Lie, has a new season and a new case to unravel – the brutal murder of a woman named Savannah, colloquially called Savvy, in the small Texas town of Plumpton. The prime suspect, Lucy Chase, has a new life in LA, but the popularity of the up-and-coming podcast has her new life crumbling around her. Who wants to hire a murder suspect of an unsolved crime? Who wants to live with one? The answer, clearly, is no one.

Returning to Plumpton for the first time for her grandmother’s birthday celebration, Lucy is confronted with the dark past and the community that was all too ready to shun her. She genuinely has no memories of that night, and with everyone so certain she was the killer, she’s not completely convinced of her own innocence. She loved Savannah, and she sustained serious injuries of her own that night. Isn’t it finally time to find out the truth, if it’s even possible?

The web of suspects is small at first, until lies about alibis come to the surface, and suddenly there is real doubt about whodunnit. It seems there isn’t much to do in Plumpton than drink and knock boots, two things sure to muddle the facts and motives. Thrown in the unreliability of Lucy’s memories and this mystery will keep you up way past your bedtime.

What a treat of a thriller. Absolutely recommend!

Details

Title:: Listen for the Lie
Author:: Amy Tintera
Genre:: Mystery Thriller
Publisher:: Celadon Books
Length:: 352 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 18m
Audiobook Narrator:: January LaVoy & Will Damron
Published:: March 5th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Book Review:: Clementine Crane Prefers Not To | Kristin Bair

Menopause mamas, unite! This new tragi-comedy novel from Kristin Bair is a feminist anthem for women who have sacrificed and organized and put up with TOO MUCH in their lives, only to be saddled at a certain age with the sometimes debilitating symptoms of menopause.

Clementine Crane Prefers Not To by Kristin Bair Book Cover

When library media director Clementine Crane starts having hot flashes, she is mortified, outraged, flabbergasted that no one told her she had those to look forward to one day. She makes sure her co-workers, friends, family, and doctor knows it too. It should be talked about more! There should be research! Something should be done!

She has a little bit of a breakdown/awakening, and starts a social media outlet to share the steam literally rising from her head, and the sweat dripping from uncomfortable places when they hit. And when her child has a homework assignment for a story that includes the words I prefer not to, she finds her new anthem. Suddenly Clementine prefers not to several times a day. She stops women in the grocery store, in the clinic, in the library, and tells them they can prefer not to too. It’s that easy. Women are asked far too much sometimes, and it never occurs to any of us to just…pass. No thanks, I PREFER NOT TO.

Honestly, this novel is a riot. It’s wonderful. Quirky, heartfelt, sympathetic, and hilarious. I think many people will relate to and love Clementine, who prefers her job title to read Connector of People to Magical Things instead of Director of Media at the library. She’s smart, funky, and maybe a little too daring.

Grab your copy today and get it girl!

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:: Clementine Crane Prefers Not To
Author:: Kristin Bair
Genre:: Contemporary | Women’s Fiction | Humor
Publisher:: Alcove Press
Length:: 320 pages
Audio Length:: #h #m
Audiobook Narrator:: Name(s)
Published:: October 14th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Amazing Grace Adams | Fran Littlewood

Book Review:: All That We See or Seem | Ken Liu

Fan of tech thrillers? Ken Liu’s newest novel, All That We See or Seem is a must read! In the world of developing AI and the surveillance we already have, this break-neck paced ultra-tech world really isn’t that far out of reach.

All That We See or Seem by Ken Liu Book Cover

Julia knows things because she knows how to find them, but she doesn’t do that anymore. Hacking was a way of life once, and the skills (and her personal AI) are incredibly useful in her day job, but she’s reformed. Her past comes back to bite her when a lawyer in trouble comes to visit her, drawing unwanted attention to her door. When it becomes clear she’ll have to bug out, she decides instead of leaving him high and dry, she’ll help him figure out what it is these thugs want to get them both out of this mess.

This book was a wild ride, and I loved it! Ken Liu’s Dandelion Dynasty series has been on my TBR forever, so when I saw an opportunity to read his new work, I jumped on it. It’s suddenly quite clear why he’s an award-winning writer. He’s got incredibly skill at weaving this kind of horrific world where you can tell how many people are in a room by the thermostat and where you are in the world without tracking a call, but by triangulating the background noise using data from tons of other sources. This is the world on AI, and it’s a cautionary tale.

If you enjoy something fast paced and twisty with interesting sci-fi worldbuilding and a mystery at its core, this is one you won’t want to miss.

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 That We See or Seem (Julia Z #1)
Author:: Ken Liu
Genre:: Sci-fi Thriller
Publisher:: S&S/Saga Press
Length:: 416 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 58m
Audiobook Narrator:: Kat Cleave
Published:: October 14th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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All the Water in the World | Eiren Caffall
The Vanishing Year | Kate Moretti

Book Review:: Overdue | Stephanie Perkins

Look at this gorgeous book. I could not wait to sink into this one, and that’s really what it felt like, an immersive almost coming-of-age story about an almost thirty-year-old woman coming into her own across all aspects of her life. I was expecting it to be heavier on the romance, more about that to come, but as a whole it is a genuine story about a strong woman who is still figuring herself out.

Ingrid works in a library. She loves it there, but when she’s offered opportunity to further invest in that career path, something holds her back. I commiserate with this.

She works there with a guy named Macon. They’re friends.

Ingrid has been with the same guy since the very first day of college. It’s a safe relationship, but passionless. When Ingrid’s sister announces her engagement, Ingrid and Corey have a bit of a revelation – they’ve been together eleven years and never even thought about getting married.

So they make the wacky decision to take a ‘break’ and see other people.

This part of the novel was…weird. And pretty uncomfortable. But it was part of Ingrid’s journey.

Did I mention Macon? Things are weird between he and Ingrid after she tries to kiss him after work one night. And as she’s dating through men at an alarming rate. And he’s ten years older than her. But she misses their friendship, and through the humps and bumps, they bandage up what they had the best they can.

This is the slowest of slow burns, and maybe that’s why the author thought it was important to pepper in the other suitors through act one? Perhaps that was part of the lesson Ingrid had to learn in order to find a firm foundation in her new relationship? I think there might have been other ways to accomplish this. But maybe others won’t mind it so much.

Overall it is a very endearing novel and is well worth the time-investment to read. I enjoyed the audio version, Eva Kaminsky did an excellent job bringing voice to Ingrid and her friends. It’s a story about friendship, finding your own path, and authenticity. There are many moments that will make you swoon, and once Ingrid figures out what she wants, there is no stopping her!

Congratulations on your newest release, Stephanie. I really enjoyed 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:: Overdue
Author:: Stephanie Perkins
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Saturday Books
Length:: 416 pages
Audio Length:: 13h 26m
Audiobook Narrator:: Eva Kaminsky
Published:: October 7th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4.5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

We Met Like This | Kasie West
People Watching | Hannah Bonam-Young
Love Walked In | Sarah Chamberlain

Book Review:: Thief of Night | Holly Black

I just learned that this is the second book in a duology, and suddenly that makes a lot of sense. I saw Holly Black’s name on netgalley and clicked so fast. I haven’t read everything she’s written (obviously) but I know she’s a talented writer and couldn’t wait to get started.

Thief of Night by Holly Black Book Cover

This novel is so unique. I loved the politics of it, the built in mystery, the fascinating magic structure. It’s an intense urban fantasy setting. The characters are interesting and complex and this story was compelling all the way through.

I am so intrigued now to go back and read book 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:: Thief of Night (The Charlatan Duology #2)
Author:: Holly Black
Genre:: Urban Fantasy
Publisher:: Penguin
Length:: 288 pages
Audio Length:: 11h 4m
Audiobook Narrator:: Jonathan Davis, Sara Amini, Vikas Adam
Published:: September 23rd, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Burn for Me | Ilona Andrews
Our Infinite Fates | Laura Steven
The Summer War | Naomi Novik

Book Review:: The Irish Goodbye | Heather Aimee O’Neill

I love me a good family drama, and The Irish Goodbye by debut author Heather Aimee O’Neill was no exception.

The Irish Goodbye by Heather Aimee O'Neill Book Cover

When families come together for holidays, it can be…uncomfortable. Awkward. Complicated. The Ryan’s Thanksgiving exemplifies this phenomenon.

Everyone is at a bit of a crux in their own lives, at decision points, or the point of having to face the music. One by one we learn about these rich and complex characters, without ever losing the drive to read forward. Sometimes getting lost in backstories can bog down a narrative, but I was locked in the whole time.

This is the kind of novel that kind of encapsulates the whole of humanity. This is just one family, but it could be anyone’s family. We all have complex webs of relationships and curveball occurrences that throw us completely for a loop. We all have to make difficult decisions and deal with grief and love and longing and hurt.

The writing is excellent. The characters are excellent. Their stories are excellent. I listened to the audio and the narrator is excellent. Five very hearty stars.

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 Irish Goodbye
Author:: Heather Aimee O’Neill
Genre:: Fiction / Family Drama
Publisher:: Henry Holt and Co.
Length:: 288 pages
Audio Length:: 8h 35m
Audiobook Narrator:: Kristen Sieh
Published:: September 30th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Homemade God | Rachel Joyce
These Summer Storms | Sarah MacLean
The Greatest Possible Good | Ben Brooks
The Accidental Favorite | Fran Littlewood

Book Review:: Firelight Days | Savannah Pryce

If you are a fan of small-town vibes and yearning romances, you’re going to love Savannah Pryce’s new release, Firelight Days.

Firelight Days by Savannah Pryce Book Cover

Penny is a baker in town who works herself to the bone for a boss who takes her for granted. When a dangerous fire starts ripping through the forest nearby, one of her regular customers and friends, Jack, offers to put her up at his family’s property to wait out the evacuation orders. Things have been changing between them lately, but Penny isn’t sure she wants to cross any lines with him and ruin the good thing they have going.

Firelight Days is well written and captures that small-town vibe so well. It’s cute and full of tension and the characters have to reckon with themselves before they can open themselves up to another. I was very impressed with this one! It’s got everything you want when picking up a new romance novel – this one isn’t risky…you’ll love 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:: Firelight Days
Author:: Savannah Pryce
Genre:: Contemporary Romance
Publisher:: Rosmarin Books
Length:: 327 pages
Published:: August 3rd, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars