Last month, Marina Scott released her historical horror novel, The Night Guests. (It was also an Amazon First Reads selection in October.) Set in Omaha, Nebraska in 1903, it follows Nina Wilson in the wake of losing her father. Her twin brother is absent and her mother lives in a delusion that she can communicate... Continue Reading →
Rachel Runya Katz recently released her third romance, Isn't It Obvious? And as before, this is a delightful blend of smart characters, emotional circumstances, and an unlikely love story. This book is a lot lighter than her previous novel, Whenever You're Ready, and more in line with her debut, Thank You for Sharing. Isn't It... Continue Reading →
Farah Heron is an author I've been wanting to read for a few years, and I've finally found my entry point with her recent Christmas romance, A Little Holiday Fling. Ruby has spent years moving around Canada working in different retail jobs, but now she's about to make her and her mom's lifelong dream come... Continue Reading →
When I saw the cover for Falon Ballard's Something Wicked—first in her Idle Reputations series—I was instantly intrigued. And that it's inspired by Macbeth and Moulin Rouge? An interesting combination; sold! Something Wicked is set in a country called Avon, divided into four territories, plus a capital city. There's been political unrest for years, and... Continue Reading →
I've been wanting to read Romina Garber for a few years now, and I was excited for her 2024 novel, Castle of the Cursed. After Estela survives an attack that leaves her orphaned and alone, an aunt she never knew about gives her a home at her castle in Spain, la Sombra. It's in a... Continue Reading →
Happy release day to Sparks Fly by Zakiya N. Jamal! Her adult debut, this contemporary romance has been on my radar for months. It starts with Stella, a 27-year-old who's never had sex and never had a real romantic relationship. She wants to just get the whole thing over with, so she goes to a... Continue Reading →
Gothic tales always catch my eye, and I've been especially interested in ones set in different countries. This drew me to The Villa, Once Beloved by Victor Manibo, set in the Philippines. Filipina-American Sophie travels to the Philippines for the first time with her boyfriend, Adrian Sepulveda, when his grandfather passes away. The Sepulveda villa... Continue Reading →
Mimi Matthews is one of my favorite authors, and I'll always read anything she publishes. After enjoying Rules for Ruin, the first in her Crinoline Academy series, I was excited for the second installment: The Marriage Method is out now, and equally as enjoyable! Nell Trewlove was an orphan at the secluded Benevolent Academy for... Continue Reading →
I loved Rachel Runya Katz's 2023 debut, Thank You for Sharing, and have been wanting to read her more recent books. Before I get to her newest release, I decided to catch up on last year's Whenever You're Ready. For years, Nia, Jade, and Michal were best friends. Later, Jade's twin brother Jonah was part... Continue Reading →
Ever since I had a brief layover in Reykjavík nearly six years ago, I've been very interested in Iceland. It's a bucket-list destination, but until I can go there, I've loved reading books set there. So far it's mostly been thrillers... but then I learned about a new romance set in Iceland! I've been so... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated horror novels this year has been I'll Make a Spectacle of You, the debut from Beatrice Winifred Iker. Set at a Tennessee HBCU, it follows Zora, a grad student in Appalachian Studies who's researching religions, folklore, and hoodoo... and a beast that supposedly lurks the university woods at night. A... Continue Reading →
I enjoyed Claire Kann's first two adult novels, so I was excited for her newest release, The Marriage Narrative. Zinnia wants to get married, but instead of waiting to find The One, she decides something more like a business arrangement would work better for her desires. So she finds a man with the same goals... Continue Reading →
Despite reading almost no YA books in the past few years, I was unable to resist My Roommate from Hell by Cale Dietrich. This paranormal romance follows Owen during his first semester of college. His dorm roommate turns out to be a literal demon, Prince Zarmenus, come straight from hell. Zar seems friendly, but he's... Continue Reading →
Erin La Rosa is an author I've been wanting to read for a couple of years, and I've finally started with her newest release, Not You Again. Carly and Adam are two strangers, but both are having a terrible day. Carly is in town for her dad's funeral; Adam just found out his wife cheated... Continue Reading →
C. J. Cooke is rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors, and her latest book is my favorite one yet. The Last Witch takes readers back to 1485, where Helena Scheuberin is a young wife trying to finally conceive a child. But just when she discovers she's pregnant, she's arrested on charges of witchcraft. She... Continue Reading →
Last week, Once We Are Safe by Alessandra Carati become available in English. Translated from Italian, it follows a Bosnian family fleeing the Bosnian War in 1992. They end up in Milan, Italy, where they must rebuild a life. Still tethered to Bosnia, still hoping to at some point return, they spend decades in their... Continue Reading →
Ever since I met my husband, I've been drawn to reading books set in his home country, Peru. Now that our family is in Lima, I'm increasingly interested in Peruvian literature. This led me to The Year of the Wind by Karina Pacheco Medrano, just released in English. It was first published in 2021; this... Continue Reading →
Happy release day to Deeper Than the Ocean by Mirta Ojito! Set between the Canary Islands and Cuba, this novel follows multiple generations of women affected by love, loss, and a fractured sense of belonging. What I Liked: Getting to know the Canary Islands. I love books set throughout Spain, but this is the first... Continue Reading →
Alix E. Harrow is a master of building multilayered worlds, and that skill is on full display in her latest novel, The Everlasting. It's a tale of time-travel, love, ambition, and memory, one where the ending is never really the end. Owen Mallory has spent his whole life obsessed with the legend of Una Everlasting,... Continue Reading →
I've been enjoying Jenn McKinlay's romance novels for the past few years, but I was excited to see that she's trying out another genre now: fantasy. Her new book, Witches of Dubious Origin, is the first in a cozy series about books, magic, and a found family united against dark forces. Zoe has spent the... Continue Reading →
Happy book birthday to Sasha Laurens's adult debut, When I Picture You! I've been eagerly reading every music-related romance that has come out this year, so when I heard about this one, I couldn't wait to read it, too. Lola Gray is a wildly successful pop star known for her songwriting. But after a breakup,... Continue Reading →
Ever since I lived in Spain for a year, I'm eternally drawn to books set there. This is why Suzanne Redfearn's new novel, Call of the Camino, first caught my eye. Set between two timelines, it follows two different women who walk the Camino de Santiago through northern Spain. In 1997, Isabel is on the... Continue Reading →
Happy release week to Alexandria Bellefleur's first paranormal romance, The Devil She Knows. I've been wanting to read this author for a few years, and I was excited to finally dive in with this sapphic demon love story. Samantha Cooper has just proposed to her girlfriend Hannah... but after being dumped instead, Sam is in... Continue Reading →
Kelley Armstrong is an author I've been wanting to read for some time, and my starting point is her newest release, The Haunting of Paynes Hollow. This horror novel takes inspiration from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, giving it a new twist in a different setting. When she was younger, Samantha Payne witnessed her dad... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 