Goodreads

Release date: November 4, 2025

Publisher: Park Row

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

Is it a boy or a girl? They would die to know…

Madeline and Wes Drake have invited two hundred of their closest friends and family to their sprawling horse ranch for the most anticipated event of the year: a “pistols and pearls” gender reveal party so sensational it is sure to make headlines. But the party descends into chaos when the celebratory explosive misfires, leaving one woman dead and a trail of secrets.

As the aftershocks of the bloody party ripple across the small town, Agent Jamie Saldano is brought on the scene to investigate. Battling his own demons from the past, Saldano unearths a web of deceit spun around the Drakes. The appearance of some unexpected houseguests only deepens the mystery. And as tensions mount, it becomes clear that the explosion wasn’t just an unlucky accident. But who was the target, and why? As the shadow of a killer looms, the happy parents-to-be must unravel the truth before it’s too late.

Review:

The Perfect Hosts by Heather Gudenkauf is a tense, fast paced thriller that opens with a gender reveal party gone horribly wrong and it only gets more shocking from there. Set among the elite horse ranchers of Nightjar, Gudenkauf peels back the layers of small town wealth and privilege to reveal the festering secrets beneath. Told through multiple points of view—including Madeleine, the glamorous expectant mother; Mellie, a pregnant waitress caught up in the chaos; Lucy, Madeleine’s resentful sister; and Jamie, an ATF agent with his own ties to the town, the story unfolds in brisk, addictive chapters that make it nearly impossible to put down.

Every character in this book is deeply flawed, self interested, or hiding something, which only heightens the tension as their paths collide. Gudenkauf excels at crafting morally gray characters you can’t look away from, no matter how messy their choices get. The twists come fast, and just when you think you’ve figured out where it’s headed, the story takes another dark turn.

With its mix of family drama, high stakes secrets, and explosive revelations, The Perfect Hosts is the definition of a bingeable thriller. It’s sharp, dramatic, and dripping with deceit, perfect for readers who love domestic suspense with a bite and aren’t afraid to dive into a world where everyone has something to lose.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: November 4, 2025

Publisher: Grand Central

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

Late at night…

Abi and Ben are driving home down foggy country roads, arguing about having had to cut short their weekend away when they take a wrong turn. Abi’s driving, but her eyes leave the road for a moment as she says something to Ben – just as he gasps. A man is in front of the car, waving a torch. Abi swerves to avoid him.

You see a family stranded…

Ben tells her they should stop and go back, but Abi refuses. It’s dark, the roads are isolated and they don’t know this stranger. But, as Abi continues on, they see a broken-down car. Every instinct is still telling Abi to drive by, but then she notices the woman holding a car seat with a baby in it.

Would you stop?

For a moment, Abi hesitates, but they can’t leave a mother and baby on the side of the road. Agreeing to give the family a lift, they set off again. But now these strangers are inside their car and it might be the worst mistake they have ever made…

Review:

Strangers in the Car follows Abi and Ben as they set off on what should be a straightforward road trip — until a thick fog, a wrong turn, and a stranded family on the side of the road turn everything upside down. When they decide to pick up the family, noticing they have a baby with them, things take a dark and unexpected turn that’s best left unspoiled. From there, C.M. Ewan delivers the kind of tense, high stakes thriller that has you reading with your shoulders hunched and your heart racing.

This is absolutely a popcorn style thriller, it’s fast paced, cinematic, and packed with short, punchy chapters that make it nearly impossible to stop. You do have to suspend disbelief at times, but if you’re along for the ride, it’s pure fun: twisty, surprising, and anxietyinducing in the best way. Ewan is so good at placing ordinary people in extraordinary, terrifying situations, and Strangers in the Car is another strong example of why his books work so well. It’s wild, consuming, and totally unique, the kind of book you finish in one sitting just to see how far things can possibly go.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: November 25, 2025

Publisher: Celadon

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

Eighteen months and eleven lost bidding wars into house-hunting in the Washington, D.C. suburbs, 37-year-old publicist Margo Miyake gets a tip about the perfect house, in the perfect neighborhood, slated to come up for sale in one month. Desperate to escape the cramped apartment she shares with her husband Ian—and in turn, get their marriage, plan to have a baby, and whole life back on track—Margo becomes obsessed with buying the house before it’s publicly listed and the masses descend (with unbeatable, all-cash offers in hand).

A little stalking? Harmless. A bit of trespassing? Necessary. As Margo infiltrates the homeowners’ lives, her tactics grow increasingly unhinged—but just when she thinks she’s won them over, she hits a snag in her plan. Undeterred, she’ll prove again and again that there’s no boundary she won’t cross to seize the dream life she’s been chasing.

Review:

Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino is a wildly entertaining debut that turns the ruthless world of real estate into a battleground of obsession, deceit, and dark humor. Margo, our protagonist, is unhinged in the best way — snarky, desperate, and oddly relatable as she becomes consumed by her quest to secure the perfect home. While she’s not exactly a character you’re supposed to root for, I couldn’t help but cheer her on through every questionable decision and chaotic scheme.

This is a thriller that moves fast, packed with sharp dialogue, biting wit, and plenty of unexpected turns. Kashino balances the absurdity of Margo’s desperation with genuinely smart plotting and darkly funny observations about status, envy, and the lengths people will go to for what they think they deserve. The final act takes things in a darker, twistier direction than I expected and I loved every second of it.

For a debut, Best Offer Wins feels impressively confident and refreshingly original. It’s clever, fast, and full of personality, the kind of book that’ll have everyone talking once they pick it up. If you love thrillers with a biting sense of humor and a delightfully unhinged heroine, this one’s a must read. 🏡💀✨

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: October 21, 2025

Publisher: Harlequin Audio

Narrator: Dara Rosenberg

Synopsis:

Can these exes rekindle their love this Hanukkah?

Evelyn Schwartz has the perfect Hanukkah planned: eight jam-packed days producing the live-action televised musical of A Christmas Carol. Who needs family when you’ve got long hours, impossible deadlines, and your dream job? That is, until an accident on set lands her in the medical bay with one of her chronic migraines, and she’s shocked to find her ex-husband, David Adler, filling in for the usual studio doctor.

It’s been two years since David walked away from Evelyn and their life in Manhattan, and his ex-wife is still the same workaholic who puts her career before everything else—especially her health. But when Evelyn begins hallucinating “ghosts” tied to her past heartbreaks, and every single one leads to David, he finds himself spending much more time with her than he anticipated. And denying the still-smoldering chemistry between them becomes impossible.

As Evelyn revisits her ghosts of Hanukkah past, she and David both begin to wonder if they can have a Hanukkah future. But with a high-stakes production ramping up the pressure on Evelyn, and troublesome spirits forcing them both to confront their most difficult shared memories, it might just take a Hanukkah miracle for these two exes to light the flame on their second-chance at love.

Review:

Jean Meltzer has such a gift for blending humor, heart, and meaningful Jewish representation, and The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah might just be her most emotional story yet. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Dara Rosenberg, who once again delivers a pitch-perfect performance—her narration brings Evelyn and the entire cast vividly to life. Evelyn is a driven executive TV producer working on the biggest show of her career when she’s forced to face the past she’s been avoiding—thanks to a visit from eight ghosts (or heartbreaks) who help her confront the choices and losses that shaped her life.

This story surprised me with its emotional depth and tenderness. It’s more than just a festive romance—it’s a thoughtful exploration of grief, ambition, faith, and the ways love evolves over time. Evelyn’s complicated relationship with her ex-husband David (the show’s on-set doctor) adds a beautiful second-chance, slow-burn layer that felt authentic and earned. Meltzer handles sensitive topics with care and grace, and her author’s note at the end offers powerful context that makes the story resonate even more.

If you love holiday romances but want one that goes beyond meet-cutes and mistletoe, The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah delivers a heartfelt, hopeful, and deeply human story wrapped in the glow of Jewish tradition. Don’t skip the trigger warnings or author’s note—they add valuable insight to an already rich and rewarding listen.

Goodreads

Release date: November 3, 2025

Publisher: Boldwood

Genre: Thriller

Synopsis:

Fiona Carlton has never needed a man to make her life complete. Until she meets charming, handsome and sophisticated Richard. She is consumed, first by lust, then by a love for him that overwhelms her. The only problem? Richard already has a wife. But a little detail like that isn’t going to stand in Fiona’s way…

Richard’s wife, Lydia, however, is not a woman to be trifled with. She’s sacrificed everything for her husband, been the perfect stay-at-home wife and mother, raised two beautiful children, built a happy home full of memories. She refuses to stand by and watch a woman like Fiona take what’s hers.

But when both women discover the truth about the man they love, everything changes…

And Richard is about to learn that if a woman scorned is dangerous, two wronged women are deadly.

Don’t miss this brand new thriller from the million copy bestseller Valerie Keogh!

Review:

Valerie Keogh’s His Other Woman is a twisty and fast paced domestic suspense that dives deep into the messy entanglements of love, lies, and betrayal. At its center is Fiona, a confident, independent woman who falls for Richard, a man who has been married to Lydia for forty years. Fiona doesn’t relish being the other woman but she’s head over heels for Richard. When the truth about him surfaces and both women find themselves connected by something far darker than infidelity, the story takes a startling and unpredictable turn.

What really made this one stand out for me was the strength of its female leads. Both Lydia and Fiona have distinct, sharply drawn voices that pull you into their emotional worlds—the bitterness, the denial, the righteous anger. The plot is tense and pacey, and while it occasionally veers into the unhinged or even borderline ridiculous, I was fully entertained from start to finish. It’s the kind of book that thrives on drama and deception, and Keogh delivers both in spades. Perfect for readers who love their thrillers tangled, fast, and deliciously over the top.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: October 28, 2025

Publisher: RB Media/St. Martins Press

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Narrator: Carly Robins

Synopsis:

A swoony second-chance romance where facing the one who broke your heart could be the thing that makes your dream come true.

Twenty-five-year-old Paige Lancaster is one contract away from earning a living doing her favorite thing in the world: writing songs. But when a music industry professional suggests she might be holding back with her lyrics to lessen the heartbreak of an old flame, Paige doubts if her music is ready to be heard.

In a rare, impulsive move, Paige contacts Liam Bishop after four years of no contact to ask him for a small favor: date her, and then re-break her heart, all so she can remember what those big, songworthy emotions felt like. And since Liam is the one who first set Paige on this career path, he hesitantly agrees.

Across three months of Liam’s summer work travel, the exes are forced to share hotel beds, rehash the past, and date in the present, all while navigating the building attraction between them they both swore was the one line of their agreement they wouldn’t cross.

But when it becomes near impossible not to act on their rippling chemistry, and as ever intensifying feelings blur the lines of what’s actually real and what’s driven by the music, Paige and Liam will both have to decide what’s more important: art for the sake of it, or love over everything.

Review:

There’s something so quietly magical about Never Over — the kind of slow, tender second chance romance that feels like a summer song you never want to end. The story follows Paige, an aspiring songwriter, and Liam, a former baseball player whose career ended after an injury. They haven’t had contact for four years but Paige needs him to break her heart again so she can find her musical use and now they’re thrust into close quarters on a music tour that forces them to confront the heartbreak, grief, and unspoken words left behind. The dual timeline — alternating between when they first meet and their present day reunion — adds so much emotional depth, and Claire Gilmore balances both arcs beautifully (something not every author pulls off!).

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Carly Robins, and she was delightful. I haven’t heard her voice in a long time, but her warm, slightly Southern accent perfectly suited the tone of the story. She captured Paige’s heart and hope so well, and her performance really brought out the emotion in the lyrics, the longing, and the quieter moments of healing. The chemistry between Paige and Liam builds slowly and believably, a true slow burn filled with affection, tension, and that familiar ache of “what if.” I especially loved the family dynamics, particularly Paige’s four sisters and her “baby of the family” role that added humor and depth.

If you love stories that explore the power of music, the ache of lost love, and the beauty of finding yourself again, Never Over is a gem. It’s soft, romantic, and bittersweet in all the right ways — with an epilogue that wraps it up so perfectly you’ll probably replay it just to sit in the feeling a little longer. 🎶💔✨

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.