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Release date: October 14, 2025

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Publisher: Harlequin Audio

Synopsis:

Love in the Time of Serial Killers meets The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window in this delightful romp about a recently broke divorcée who moves in with her housebound mother only to spend their days spying on her grumpy, mysterious and sexy new neighbor.

Zona never thought her life was headed this way, but here she is, newly divorced and moving back in with her mom, Louise. After her ex-husband lost all of their savings gambling, including the money in their daughter’s college fund, she doesn’t really have a choice. She’s cutting every coupon she can and she’s going to help put her daughter through nursing school, even if it kills her. 

This wasn’t Louise’s plan, either, laid up at home with a broken leg after one unfortunate tumble on the senior singles cruise she’d been looking forward to for months. But if she’s going to spend all her time at home, at least she’s got her daughter there with her. And there’s some hot new eye candy across the street to distract them both from their troubles. He appears to be single and just around Zona’s age. Could his arrival be the universe making amends for everything it’s put her through? 

Alec is just about as grumpy as he is goregeous, so maybe the universe isn’t feeling as generous as Zona hoped. And who’s the woman they can hear him in an all-out shouting match with one night? When the woman seems to disappear without a trace, and Louise sees Alec loading something big into his truck one night, imaginations run wild. Or at least Zona hopes it’s just her mother’s imagination… 

Review:

Sheila Roberts is usually one of my go to authors for charming romances with warmth and heart, so I was curious when The Man Next Door took a slightly different direction. This story follows Zona, who’s recently divorced after her husband gambled away their life savings. Forced to start fresh, she moves back in with her mother, Louise, and you also hear from Zona’s daughter, Bree. What could have been a sweet second chance romance leans more into quirky women’s fiction, with Zona, Louise, and Bree spying on their mysterious new neighbor, Alec—a grump who gets into loud, dramatic fights with a hysterical woman the entire neighborhood can hear.

The premise had potential, but the pacing dragged more than I expected. With three generations of characters, there should have been more energy and momentum, but instead the story stalled in places and never fully delivered on either suspense or romance. It felt like Roberts was experimenting with a dash of mystery or thriller elements, but it didn’t create the tension needed to pull me in, nor did it lean into the cozy mystery vibe I thought it might embrace. That said, there were still some entertaining moments, and I enjoyed the family dynamics between Zona, Louise, and Bree.

On audio, Courtney Patterson’s narration was the highlight, she brought life to the characters and was an absolute delight to listen to, making the slower pacing easier to get through. In the end, while The Man Next Door wasn’t a favorite and felt a little “in between genres,” it still offered a quirky neighborhood drama with a multigenerational cast. Overall, I’d call this one just okay for me, but Patterson’s narration definitely elevated the experience.

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: September 30, 2025

Publisher: Dell

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

In this sweeping, second-chance romance, a twist of fate forces two former roommates to move back into their beloved New York City brownstone and face the events that led to their estrangement—and confront their unresolved feelings for each other.

Subject 74 Perry Street

So begins the email that turns June Wood’s entire world on its head. Five years ago, she lived on Perry Street with her former best friend Adam Harper. But why is the management company reaching out to her about it now? 

Still smarting from the news of her hit TV show being canceled, June has nothing else to lose. She boards a plane from Los Angeles to New York City to find out more about the mysterious email and the promised opportunity it alludes to. It turns out that, thanks to an unbelievable legal loophole, if she and Adam can live together in the stunning West Village brownstone for a month, it’s theirs. Any true New Yorker knows you don’t pass up prime city real estate, and that fall in the city is magical—so what’s there to think about?

And yet, though most things have changed in the time since they last spoke, one thing hasn’ June and Adam have unfinished business. They didn’t exactly end on good terms when they each went off to chase their dreams. Now, confronted with the consequences of their choices, they must navigate the minefield of their past the best way they know together.

Every day they move closer to owning Perry Street reveals misunderstandings, long-term resentments, and long-buried feelings . . . which are suddenly feeling very, very not so buried. But they’ve already lost their friendship once before, devastating them both. Can they risk losing it again for something a little different this time?

Review:

Joss Richard’s It’s Different This Time is an impressive and heartfelt debut that swept me away. At its core, this is a second chance, friends to lovers romance layered with emotional depth, heart, and a touch of melancholy. The premise is irresistible: June and Adam, once roommates in a beloved New York brownstone, are reunited years later after the building’s owner leaves it to them and they end up living there together for a month while the details are sorted out. Richard masterfully weaves the present with flashbacks of their past, unraveling what went wrong between them while setting the stage for a tender and hopeful reunion.

The fall NYC backdrop gives this story an irresistible charm. The brownstone itself becomes a character—warm, vibrant, and infused with nostalgia—while the autumn atmosphere wraps the entire book in cozy yet bittersweet vibes. Richard also explores deeper themes of grief, complicated family relationships, and the sacrifices that come with chasing big dreams. Adam, an aspiring chef, is not only swoony but a supportive, grounding presence for June, an actress striving to carve out her own path. Their dynamic felt real, layered, and deeply satisfying to watch unfold.

Beyond the romance, the supporting cast shines, adding richness and warmth that elevate the narrative. It’s rare for a debut to strike the perfect balance of heart, chemistry, and atmosphere, but Richard does exactly that. It’s Different This Time is equal parts tender, nostalgic, and romantic, a love story you’ll want to savor like your favorite fall comfort read.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: October 17, 2025

Publisher: Bookouture

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

“What have you done, Juliet?”

The neighbours look on in shock as two stretchers are wheeled past gated homes on a quiet suburban street. Handcuffs are clipped on a young woman with fear in her face.

The Cordells were the perfect family. But now, in a beautiful home where happy photos line the walls and flowers adorn the dinner table, it looks like a daughter has killed her loving parents.

Everyone tuts and shakes their heads, saying there was always something strange about Juliet.

And one person watching from the sidelines has triumph in their eyes. Someone who knew this would happen all along.

As what really went on in the Cordell’s once-peaceful home starts to unravel, one thing becomes 

This perfect family had a big secret. And not everything is as it seems…

An absolutely unputdownable psychological thriller that will have you shocked at the twists and turns! Anyone who loves Lisa Jewell, Claire Douglas or Freida McFadden will be addicted.

Review:

Nicole Trope opens What Have You Done with a chilling prologue that immediately hooked me. It set the tone for a story steeped in secrets, and from there the narrative cleverly flashes back in time, slowly building up the tension until the threads begin to knot together. The pacing had that sweet spot of a psychological thriller—deliberate enough to let the dread simmer, but quick enough that I never felt bogged down. I found myself flipping pages with a growing sense of unease, always wondering what revelation might lurk around the next corner.

At the center of it all is Juliet, a character who kept me second guessing from start to finish. Was she a victim trapped in circumstances beyond her control, or was she pulling the strings all along? That ambiguity is where the book shines, it forced me to constantly reevaluate what I thought I knew, making for an addictive, unsettling read. Themes of trust, manipulation, and dysfunctional family dynamics ripple throughout the story, reminding me how thin the line between loyalty and betrayal can really be.

Were some of the twists easy to spot? Absolutely. But Trope balances the predictable with the unexpected, and even the ones I guessed didn’t dampen the impact because the ride there was just so compelling. This is domestic suspense at its darkest: disturbing in places, filled with tangled lies, and guaranteed to keep you on edge. What Have You Done doesn’t just tell a story, it plays with your perception, leaving you uneasy, intrigued, and fully invested until the very last page.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: September 23, 2025

Publisher: Atria

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

From the bestselling author of BookTok sensation Chasing Love comes a cozy and steamy enemies-to-lovers romance following a café owner and her best friend’s billionaire brother as they’re forced to work together to plan the best wedding imaginable.

Eva Woods is perfectly content with her quiet life in the picturesque town of Cinnamon Springs, where she owns a café infamous for its mouthwatering donuts. There’s even a cute new doctor in town that has caught the eyes of everyone, Eva included. But when her best friend, Maddy, asks Eva to join forces with her brother for the sake of her upcoming wedding, Eva’s quaint life is upended. Cold and rigid, Aston is the man who broke Eva’s heart back in high school. He’s also one of the country’s hottest billionaires.

With both Aston and Eva trying to outdo each other and stake claim as Maddy’s right hand man, the competition heats up. As their annoyance grows, so does their attraction, eventually culminating in a steamy night together in Aston’s New York penthouse. When Eva realizes her feelings may be a little harder to ignore than she had originally thought, she slips back to Cinnamon Springs and leaves Aston wondering what happened.

When the wedding day finally arrives and brings more than just flowers and cake, Eva and Aston are forced to finally reckon with their undeniable chemistry—and attempt to save a marriage.

Review:

How to Break My Heart by Kat T. Masen is pitched as an enemies to lovers second chance romance, but unfortunately, the story didn’t quite deliver on that promise for me. The book centers around Eva and Aston, whose supposed animosity stems from a single high school kiss and Aston’s role in “breaking her heart.” The problem is, that moment never felt substantial enough to justify the tension that’s meant to fuel the entire romance. Without a strong emotional or dramatic conflict between them, the enemies to lovers trope fell flat. At best, there was mild dislike, but even that didn’t hold much weight.

Because of that missing spark, I struggled to feel invested in either Eva or Aston’s journey. Their chemistry leaned heavily on the physical—this book definitely has plenty of steam—but emotional connection was lacking. The spice sometimes felt over the top, especially when other elements of the plot felt thin. I found myself wanting more depth, more push and pull, and more reason to root for these two to find their way back to one another.

On the positive side, the small town backdrop of Cinnamon Springs was charming and cozy, a setting I genuinely enjoyed spending time in. It had that warm, inviting feel of a close knit community, which softened some of my frustrations with the romance. Still, while the atmosphere was lovely, the central relationship never quite hooked me. Overall, How to Break My Heart had potential, but for me, it missed the mark in execution.

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: October 7, 2025

Publisher: Saturday Books

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

Is it time to renew love or start a new chapter?

Ingrid Dahl, a cheerful twenty-nine-year-old librarian in the cozy mountain town of Ridgetop, North Carolina, has been happily dating her college boyfriend, Cory, for eleven years without ever discussing marriage. But when Ingrid’s sister announces her engagement to a woman she’s only been dating for two years, Ingrid and Cory feel pressured to consider their future. Neither has ever been with anybody else, so they make an unconventional decision. They’ll take a one-month break to date other people, then they’ll reunite and move toward marriage. Ingrid even has someone in mind: her charmingly grumpy coworker, Macon Nowakowski, on whom she’s secretly crushed for years. But plans go awry, and when the month ends, Ingrid and Cory realize they’re not ready to resume their relationship― and Ingrid’s harmless crush on Macon has turned into something much more complicated.

Overdue is a beautiful, slow-burn romance full of lust and longing about new beginnings and finding your way.

Review:

Overdue by Stephanie Perkins is a tender, reflective slow burn romance that feels tailor made for book lovers. Set against the charming backdrop of a library, it follows coworkers Ingrid and Mason as they quietly build a foundation of friendship that eventually blossoms into something deeper. If you enjoy grump/sunshine dynamics, age gap, lots of pining or the delicious tension of friends to lovers, this one will hit the mark.

What really stood out to me is how much the story leans into Ingrid’s personal growth. After she and her longtime boyfriend decide to take a month apart to date others, Ingrid embarks on a journey of self discovery that spans a full year. Along the way, she faces relatable challenges like navigating career uncertainty, helping Macon care for aging parents, and questioning traditional life milestones like marriage and children. These struggles make her feel incredibly authentic, and they add a layer of depth that makes this more than “just” a romance.

In many ways, the heart of Overdue is about learning that life doesn’t have to follow a cookie cutter plan. Watching Ingrid find her footing, heal, and come into her own makes the eventual romance with Mason that much more rewarding. It almost reads as general fiction with a romantic thread woven through, but it’s a story I thoroughly enjoyed and one that will resonate with readers who love thoughtful, character driven journeys.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.