Tag: Winter

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

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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:: The Heart of Everything | Marc Levy

The Heart of Everything is a magical tale of fathers and sons and the intricacies of families.

The Heart of Everything by Marc Levy Book Cover

Thomas’s father passed away five years ago, but he still thinks of him at every concert he plays in as a professional pianist. But when he sees his ghost, literally, in the crowd one day, he cannot believe his eyes. And when he sees him again in the dressing room afterward, he cannot believe his request.

This novel is a testament of the complexity of the human animal, but not in a deep, philosophical, brooding, way — it is packaged in a deeply moving, farewell adventure between a boy and the ghost of his dead father. There is a clear goal, and plenty to thwart the achievement of it, and the heart lives in the spaces in between.

I cannot overstate the importance of reading this as an audiobook. Simon Mattacks is incredible. The accents, the tone, the pace of it all was just — impeccable. I will remember this and it will certainly sway me toward any title with his name on it!

Everyone should read this book. I can’t think of a single fault. It’s concise, heartful, expressive, thoughtful, hopeful, and somehow melodic, in its own way. It’s lovely.

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 Heart of Everything
Author:: Marc Levy (translated from French by Maren Baudet-Lackner)
Genre:: General Fiction
Publisher:: Brilliance Audio / Amazon Crossing
Length:: 208 pages
Published::January 1st, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife | Anna Johnston
The Last Love Note | Emma Grey

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

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If you liked this book, check out…

First-Time Caller | B.K. Borison
Business Casual | B.K. Borison
The Ex-Vows | Jessica Joyce
Writing Mr. Wrong | Kelley Armstrong
People We Meet on Vacation | Emily Henry

Book Review:: Drive Me Crazy | Lizzy Dent

Buckle in, chappies, we’re going racing!

Drive Me Crazy by Lizzy Dent Book Review

We all know I’m a sucker for romance, and racing, so a romance with a backdrop of racing should be my holy grail of commercial romance — but it just isn’t.

I’ve read a fair few of F1 romances now, and while this ranks near the top of them, I have to say the trope as a whole hasn’t been very reliable. Apparently there is only so much trauma one can manufacture for an F1 driver. The wound is almost always the same.

That being said…this one is more successful than most, and I think the difference was Chloe. She is a badass, and constantly underestimated, and in a position that draws real scrutiny. The forced proximity in this one is real, and the conflict Matt is struggling with is very real as well.

Now I feel bad that I trashed the entire genre at the beginning of this review, but it’s a very real problem I’ve noticed, and I’ve read more than a handful at this point, so I feel pretty confident saying it. If you’re going to pick one up though, let this one be it. And if you know of another good racing romance (not just F1), send your recs my way!!

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:: Drive Me Crazy
Author:: Lizzy Dent
Genre:: Sports Romance
Publisher:: G. P. Putnam’s Sons
Length:: 368 pages
Published:: January 6th, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

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Once Upon A Boy Band | Jenny Proctor
The Perfect Putt | Annah Conwell
The Paradise Problem | Christina Lauren
The Tourist Attraction | Sarah Morgenthaler

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

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If you liked this book, check out…

Exes & O’s | Amy Lea
The Slowest Burn | Sarah Chamberlain
The Graham Effect | Elle Kennedy
Overruled | Lana Ferguson
The Lodge | Kayla Olson

Book Review:: Rules of the Heart | Janice Hadlow

Have you ever been swept up in an engrossing historical timepiece that runs on romance? If not, you need to pick up Rules of the Heart by Janice Hadlow. If you have, you’ll understand exactly why I’m telling you to pick up Rules of the Heart by Janice Hadlow. Lady Harriet Bessborough is a triumph and Hadlow structures her story in a way that keeps your heart in your throat the entire time.

Rules of the Heart by Janice Hadlow Book Cover

What can I say about this book? I certainly didn’t expect to be under its spell so quickly and entirely. I tend to enjoy an odd historical novel here and there, but rarely am I gripped by them the way this one gripped me.

There is passion, risk to reputation, promises and broken promises, jealousy, heartbreak, motherhood, friendship, protection, longing, betrayal, guilt, and love, so much genuine love it cannot be stopped, despite the risks and unconventionalities.

To be honest, I read this book months ago, and I still think about it. It is one of those haunting stories based on real-world characters and their lives that might seem flat if encountering them in a textbook format, but writers like Hadlow bring those often-flat biographies and paint them with vivid, exquisite detail in novels like this one.

Please don’t miss this. Even if you think you don’t like historical novels. This one is a straight banger.

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::Rules of the Heart
Author::Janice Hadlow
Genre::Historical Fiction
Publisher::Henry Holt & Company
Length:: 480 pages
Published::January 20th, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

Daughter of Ruins | Yvette Manessis Corporon
The Cheesemaker’s Daughter | Kristin Vukovic
Babylonia | Costanza Casati
Buckeye | Patrick Ryan

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.

The Storm by Rachel Hawkins Book Cover

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

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If you liked this book, check out…

The Wife Upstairs | Rachel Hawkins
The Villa | Rachel Hawkins
The Heiress | Rachel Hawkins
Listen for the Lie | Amy Tintera
The House in the Pines | Ana Reyes

Book Review:: Undimmed | Cecily Mak

The best thing about this book is the framing that it is for everyone. You don’t have to declare your problems or label them as a disease or anything else. You can just look at your life, and try to objectively find the places that are dimming you, then deal with them.

Undimmed by Cecily Mak Book Cover, single golden feather floating down

A Dimmer is something we use as a crutch, to self-soothe, to hide from pain. It can be anything, social media, food, alcohol, maybe a certain friend that lets you exercise a part of yourself that doesn’t, ultimately, feel good.

Once they are identified, you can dig deeper and find the roots of why you behave this way, and work on that forgiveness…and release yourself from that vice.

Now back to that thing I like most about this. It’s a SELF-HELP book, as in, you can help yourself through this process. It’s a perpetual self-audit. A scan of your habits to see what is serving you and what really isn’t, and gives you new perspectives to make changes.

This is a book for people who don’t like labels. If you don’t want to be called an ‘addict’ for the rest of your life (and maybe you’re not), and that is your hesitancy toward a formal program, that’s okay, and this book is for you.

Work on ourselves is so important, and this book really gave me a lot to think about.

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::Undimmed: The Eight Awarenesses for Freedom from Unwanted Habits
Author::Cecily Mak
Genre::Personal Development
Publisher::Flatiron Books
Length:: 256 pages
Published::January 6th, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

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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.

Seeing Other People Book Cover

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

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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:: The Relic of the Wildwood | E.J. Venter

A perilous quest. A fierce protector. And a young woman who doesn’t believe she’s enough. These are the ones tasked with saving the world from an evil force none understand. Will they survive long enough to succeed?

The Relic of the Wildwood by EJ Venter Book Cover

The first thing I want to say about this book is how completely engrossed I was from the very beginning. Though there are common fantasy elements in this story, it had a unique feel I can’t quite describe. That’s not to say it’s cookie cutter at all, but I felt like I was reading about something real.

Alarie has no self-confidence because it has all been sapped out of her by her mother, whom I suspect is up to something greater. She is sent to accomplish an impossible task, and one of the greatest warriors in the realm is sworn to protect her, reluctantly, but dutifully. This first book does so much to set the stage for what could truly be an epic tale.

This is a story that has lingered in my mind long after I read, and I’m happy to see book two is already available to read. That’s where you can find me next!

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 Relic of the Wildwood (Relics of the Gods Book 1)
Author::E. J. Venter
Genre::Fantasy
Publisher::Indie
Length:: 306 pages
Published::December 15th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

Thief of Night | Holly Black
The Summer War | Naomi Novik
Awake in the Floating City | Susanna Kwan
Anji Kills A King | Evan Leikam