Goodreads

Release date: April 19, 2022

Publisher: Forever

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

After a wild bet, gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich, and cuddle with a baby goat, Alexis Montgomery has had her world turned upside down. The cause: Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s ten years younger than her and as casual as they come—the complete opposite of sophisticated city-girl Alexis. And yet their chemistry is undeniable.

While her ultra-wealthy parents want her to carry on the family legacy of world-renowned surgeons, Alexis doesn’t need glory or fame. She’s fine with being a “mere” ER doctor. And every minute she spends with Daniel and the tight-knit town where he lives, she’s discovering just what’s really important. Yet letting their relationship become anything more than a short-term fling would mean turning her back on her family and giving up the opportunity to help thousands of people.

Bringing Daniel into her world is impossible, and yet she can’t just give up the joy she’s found with him either. With so many differences between them, how can Alexis possibly choose between her world and his?

Review:

You ever finish a book and absolutely love it but you can’t find the words to explain why? That’s me with this one. I’ve read and adored all of Abby’s books but this is my favorite for sure, it was such a balanced mix between super heavy and sad and funny and charming and I couldn’t get enough. There is the authors trademark humor and wit, of course Daniel is the sweetest and he’ll make you fall in love with him and Alexis is definitely the kind of character you want to befriend in real life. But what made this one special for me was the darkness and depth, it added so many layers to a fantastic story and it truly got under my skin. If you’ve her other books you know that she takes her characters on quite a journey and this was no exception, these people have to work for their HEA. But it’s so worth it in the end, it really is. I do want to mention this deals with abuse in a few forms so if that’s a trigger take care before starting this one but I thought it was handled with grace and was really well done.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: May 3, 2022

Publisher: Berkley Romance

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis: One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn’t see coming…

Nora Stephens’ life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.

Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.

If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.

Review:

Ok I think I found my new favorite Emily Henry book! I mean, all of her books have been five star reads for me so you can’t go wrong but this one was extra special for me. Maybe it was the grief element, maybe it was the sister bond between Libby and Nora or maybe it was just Charlie. Actually now that I think about it I’m sure the fact that there were so many different elements that I loved is what made this one such a winner. Here’s a few more things I adored! You get the classic NYC vibes but also the cozy small town vibes when the sisters stay in Sunshine Falls making the setting amazon. Then you get two leads who work in Publishing making then just as much of a book nerd as I am, which SIGH. There’s also Charlie and Nora’s incredible chemistry and fantastic banter, both of them are so dry and witty I couldn’t get enough of their exchanges. I really can’t say enough good things about this one, it was just such a delight from start to finish and a must for romance fans.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: April 5, 2022

Publisher: MIRA

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Synopsis:

Life’s biggest dilemmas can provide its sweetest rewards

Anna McNichol knows how to take charge. Raised by a single mother, she’s worked to ensure her three children have every advantage she didn’t. And while her marriage has its problems, she values commitment and believes in “till death do us part.” Now an empty nester, she’s at the peak of her career and ready to seize the opportunity to focus on her future.

But life can change in an instant, and when her husband dies suddenly, Anna’s carefully constructed world falls apart. The mysterious young woman at the memorial service confirms her husband had been keeping secrets, and Anna is determined to get to the truth.

For once, she doesn’t have the answers. Her kids are struggling with their grief, her mother’s health is in decline and Anna needs closure. Faced with one challenge after another, she finds support from an unexpected source. And as she puts her life back together, Anna realizes the McNichols may not be perfect but they’ll always be family, and family is forever.

Review:

Well this one opens with a bang, Anna’s husband died suddenly leaving her not only a widow, but he died keeping some pretty major secrets. The drama doesn’t stop in this one, poor Anna deals with one thing after another, from the small to the major, this woman is put through the ringer. I loved every messy second and can’t get enough of the way RC writes complicated family drama. Despite the craziness that ensues she manages to write in a believable and authentic way to the point that her characters feel larger than life. I always get the sense that I truly know the world and characters she’s created by the time I finish and this was no exception. She’s my go to for a comfort read that will not only entertain me, it will make me laugh and cry alongside the characters and always, without fail leave me with a smile on my face and a feeling of contentment.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: April 5, 2022

Publisher: MIRA

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Synopsis:

Life’s biggest dilemmas can provide its sweetest rewards

Anna McNichol knows how to take charge. Raised by a single mother, she’s worked to ensure her three children have every advantage she didn’t. And while her marriage has its problems, she values commitment and believes in “till death do us part.” Now an empty nester, she’s at the peak of her career and ready to seize the opportunity to focus on her future.

But life can change in an instant, and when her husband dies suddenly, Anna’s carefully constructed world falls apart. The mysterious young woman at the memorial service confirms her husband had been keeping secrets, and Anna is determined to get to the truth.

For once, she doesn’t have the answers. Her kids are struggling with their grief, her mother’s health is in decline and Anna needs closure. Faced with one challenge after another, she finds support from an unexpected source. And as she puts her life back together, Anna realizes the McNichols may not be perfect but they’ll always be family, and family is forever.

Review:

Well this one opens with a bang, Anna’s husband died suddenly leaving her not only a widow, but he died keeping some pretty major secrets. The drama doesn’t stop in this one, poor Anna deals with one thing after another, from the small to the major, this woman is put through the ringer. I loved every messy second and can’t get enough of the way RC writes complicated family drama. Despite the craziness that ensues she manages to write in a believable and authentic way to the point that her characters feel larger than life. I always get the sense that I truly know the world and characters she’s created by the time I finish and this was no exception. She’s my go to for a comfort read that will not only entertain me, it will make me laugh and cry alongside the characters and always, without fail leave me with a smile on my face and a feeling of contentment.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: April 5, 2022

Publisher: MIRA

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

After the death of her US senator father, Marlow Madsen travels to the small island off the coast of Florida where she spent summers growing up to help her mother settle the family estate. For Marlow, the trip is a chance to reconnect after too long apart. It’s also the perfect escape to help her feel grounded again — one she’s happy to share with friends Aida and Claire, who are hoping to hit reset on their lives, too.

A leisurely beachfront summer promises the trio of women the opportunity to take deep healing breaths and explore new paths. But when her father’s will reveals an earth-shattering secret that tarnishes his impeccable reputation and everything she thought she knew about her family, Marlow finds herself questioning her entire childhood — and aspects of her future. Fortunately, her friends, and the most unlikely love interest she could imagine, prove that happiness can be found no matter what — as long as the right people are by your side.

Review:

Ok y’all add this to your beach bags because it is an ideal summer read! For me a perfect beach read is a book that is multifaceted with some depth and a lot going on and that’s this one to a tee. You have family drama, female friendships, sexy romances and an idyllic setting which is basically all I want and more. There was a great balance between light and dark with moments of humor and also heavier and more emotional drama. There is also plenty of secrets and betrayals which just really added to my overall engagement and enjoyment making this such a well rounded read for me. Per usual I think this could appeal to a variety of readers since there is a little something for everyone, so grab this if you like mysteries, romance, women’s fiction or beach reads, it was really good!

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: April 12, 2022

Publisher: Berkley Romance

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

Three women who seemingly have nothing in common find that they’re involved with the same man in this smart new rom-com by Beth O’Leary, bestselling author of The Flatshare.

Siobhan is a quick-tempered life coach with way too much on her plate. Miranda is a tree surgeon used to being treated as just one of the guys on the job. Jane is a soft-spoken volunteer for the local charity shop with zero sense of self-worth.

These three women are strangers who have only one thing in common: They’ve all been stood up on the same day, the very worst day to be stood up–Valentine’s Day. And, unbeknownst to them, they’ve all been stood up by the same man.

Once they’ve each forgiven him for standing them up, they let him back into their lives and are in serious danger of falling in love with a man who seems to have not just one or two but three women on the go….

Is there more to him than meets the eye? And will they each untangle the truth before they all get their hearts broken?

Review:

I love when a book completely surprises me and it’s even better when a romance catches me off guard and that’s exactly what happened here. I think this is best if you go into this one knowing the bare minimum, all you really need to know is that three women who don’t know each other are all stood up on Valentine’s Day by the same man. You hear from each woman as they all have their own point of view and I really enjoyed all of their personal stories, they were all interesting in their own right and I was invested in them fully. For a rom com this is full of emotional depth and the characterization is where this really shines, although the plot itself is also really great. I think this is the authors best book yet and can highly recommend it for sure!

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: May 3, 2022

Publisher: Underlined

Genre: YA Thriller

Synopsis:

Izzy is reaching peak boredom on a cruise with her parents until she meets daring new friend Jade, with whom Izzy can barely keep up. But a shock wave runs through the cruise ship when Jade goes missing in the middle of the night, leaving behind a cryptic note.

Izzy digs deeper into Jade’s disappearance, but someone doesn’t want to find the truth. And if she’s not careful, Izzy might not get off this ship alive . . .

Review:

Ohhh my younger self would’ve loved this book but my current self was slightly underwhelmed. I realize I’m not the target audience for this one, but I’m still glad I gave it a chance because there was a lot to like here and I can easily recommend it to younger readers. I think it would especially appeal to teenagers who want something a little darker and edgier but as a parent I would be ok with letting my own kids read it as it doesn’t go too dark or inappropriate. The setting was cool, I’ve never been on a cruise myself but the vacation vibes were great, at least until things took a dangerous turn. I thought Izzy was a great character too and can see her being relatable for the younger crowd, she was definitely a character I could root for. But for me, things were just too predictable and I knew how it would play out early on. Anyone newer to the genre may like this though, it was still a fun thriller that mostly entertained me I just wish it would’ve been a little more surprising.

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: May 3, 2022

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

She has almost everything. The rest she’ll take.

Marisa may have only known Jake a few months, but she has never felt this certain about anyone. When he asks her to move in with him and they start trying for a baby, she knows she has finally found the steadfast love and support she has been looking for all her life.

But their relationship is tested when they take in a lodger, Kate, who has little regard for personal boundaries and seems to take an uncomfortable interest in Jake – as well as the baby they are hoping to have.

Why is Kate so obsessed with the couple? And, more worryingly, why doesn’t Jake share Marisa’s concern?

In her determination to find the answers, Marisa risks losing everything she holds dear…

Magpie is a tense, twisting, brilliantly written novel about mothers and children, envy and possession, and the dangers of getting everything you’ve ever dreamed of.

Review:

Well this was a tricky one, pretty clever and definitely twisty. This is a true psychological thriller, the very definition of one actually and it definitely messed with my head. I think because I was expecting it to be twisty I was able to guess the main twist, but I didn’t even care because there was something so compelling here. There were also several other smaller twists too that I didn’t totally see coming so it still kept me on my toes. You do need to be able to suspend some disbelief here, a couple of moments, especially towards the end left me scratching my head but overall this one was enjoyable and if you like messy and addictive reads then try this one!

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.