I haven't read nearly enough romantic mysteries, and the ones I have read are usually historical. But there have been some exciting contemporary romantic mysteries lately, including He's to Die For by Erin Dunn. It just came out earlier this week and I loved it! What I Liked: Music-industry mystery. If you've read many of... Continue Reading →
Next week, V. E. Schwab will release her highly anticipated new novel, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil. Divided between three timelines—1520s and 1530s in Spain; 1827 in London; 2019 in Boston—it follows three young women craving something more in life. But there's a price to pay when seeking freedom and answers. Though I've... Continue Reading →
Tomorrow is the release day for one of my most anticipated books this year, Behooved by M. Stevenson. This debut romantasy novel is for the horse lovers out there. When Bianca is sent to marry the neighboring kingdom's heir apparent, Aric, she doesn't expect to turn her new husband into a horse on their wedding... Continue Reading →
The past few years I have been loving Kennedy Ryan's Skyland series. Now the trilogy ends with Can't Get Enough, Hendrix's story. Career-focused and confident, Hendrix isn't willing to sacrifice her goals for a man. But when she meets Maverick, a tech mogul, she needs to consider whether being with him is worth risking a... Continue Reading →
Asexual representation, Mexican American women falling in love, a viral TikTok scavenger hunt—all of this can be found in Gabriella Gamez's new novel, Kiss Me, Maybe. This is the second in her Librarians in Love series, and even if you haven't read the first book yet (I haven't), it works well as a standalone romance.... Continue Reading →
This week saw the release of Meryl Wilsner's fourth novel, My Best Friend's Honeymoon. When Elsie ends her engagement to Derrick, he encourages her to go on the the non-refundable honeymoon to Santa Lupita that he'd booked. Elsie takes her best friend, Ginny, who makes her promise to speak up for what she wants the... Continue Reading →
Yesterday the U.S. finally got to see the release of C. J. Cooke's novel, The Ghost Woods. It originally came out in 2022, the final in a trio of books she wrote surrounding themes of motherhood (the other two being The Nesting and The Lighthouse Witches). This Gothic novel follows two timelines, Mabel in 1959... Continue Reading →
One of the best books out this month is When the Harvest Comes by Denne Michele Norris. Unfolding like a tapestry, this novel starts with two men on their wedding day, a day that also ends with the death of one of their fathers. Weaving in themes of grief, gender identity, family, and the importance... Continue Reading →
Emma Donoghue has a brand new book out today: The Paris Express, set in 1895 and inspired by a shocking train crash at the Montparnasse station. With a wide cast of characters drawn from real historical figures, this book is at once a snapshot of people on one seemingly normal day of life, and a... Continue Reading →
Alix E. Harrow just released a new short story this week: The Knight and the Butcherbird. Set in a post-apocalyptic Appalachian community hundreds of years in the future, it reads like a fairy tale with demons and knights. Why I Chose This Book: Though I've only read two of her books so far, I'm always... Continue Reading →
Happy book birthday to TJ Alexander's A Gentleman's Gentleman! This has been one of my most anticipated books this year, and it absolutely lived up to my expectations. Set in Regency England, Lord Christopher Eden has been living a quiet, solitary life on his estate, but before his upcoming birthday, he's required to marry in... Continue Reading →
Last week, Thien-Kim Lam released her latest novel, Something Cheeky. I've been wanting to read her books, and when I saw the description for this one, I knew it was time to dive in. Zoe and Derek were best friends in college, but lost touch after she was pushed out of the program. Now Derek... Continue Reading →
One week ago, Virginia Feito released her horror novella, Victorian Psycho. The title actually works as a succinct but sufficient summary: In Victorian-era England, a psychotic governess, Winifred, is bent on revenge and murder, and she narrates her evils over the course of three months leading up to Christmas. A word of warning: She does... Continue Reading →
Two years ago, Adriana Herrera putout her second Las Leonas novel, An Island Princess Starts a Scandal. Manuela is going to be married in a few months to a man she can't love, but before the wedding, she wants to spend her time in Paris with women of a similar inclination. She enlists Cora, a... Continue Reading →
This week, Julian Winters makes his adult debut with I Think They Love You. A second chance romance, fake dating, career ambitions, complex family connections—this book offers a lot and is so richly drawn. This is my first time reading this author and I already look forward to more. Why I Chose This Book: I... Continue Reading →
Sonora Reyes has been known for their YA novels, but The Broposal marks their first adult novel. Alejandro and Kenny have been best friends since they were in elementary school and roommates for several years. But Alejandro (Han) is undocumented and limited in what he can do in the United States. Kenny decides to marry... Continue Reading →
Every winter I find myself drawn to snowy thrillers and Gothic fiction. Perhaps this is why Melissa Larsen's new book, The Lost House, was so appealing to me. Set in Iceland, it delves into 40-year-old cold case, here a family drama that 27-year-old Agnes has grown up with, spurred on by a new missing person... Continue Reading →
Though I haven't read Costanza Casati's debut novel, Clytemnestra, I was instantly curious about her newest release, Babylonia. That stunning cover drew me in, as did its title, evoking ancient times in Mesopotamia. The book is out today and absolutely worth picking up. Why I Chose This Book: There is so much historical fiction set... Continue Reading →
Happy book birthday to For One Night Only, the debut novel by Jessica James! 2025 looks like it will be the year of music-related romances, and kicking things off is this wonderful book about a pop punk band getting back together for a one-off concert... and two of those bandmates reigniting that old spark between... Continue Reading →
I loved One Night in Hartswood, the first in Emma Denny's Barden Series, and was excited to read its sequel, All the Painted Stars. This time, the sisters get a chance at love. Jo de Foucart is due to marry, and a tournament to celebrate her young brother's rise to earldom is also a chance... Continue Reading →
For the past two years I've been excited to read One Night in Hartswood by Emma Denny. Though it came out in the US a full year ago, now that its sequel is out, I figured it was time to finally dive in. Set in 1360, it follows Penn (William) de Foucart and his impending... Continue Reading →
Last year I absolutely loved The Pomegranate Gate, the first in Ariel Kaplan's Mirror Realm Cycle trilogy. Set during the Spanish Inquisition but in a differently named world and a whole Mazik realm, it was a book that was a little bonkers and a ton of fun. Now, the second installment is here: The Republic... Continue Reading →
I always love a book that weaves in music somehow, and that's what first drew me to Showmance by Chad Beguelin. Noah Adams has just had his Broadway debut... but his musical, Stage of Fools, is an immediate flop. He goes back to his small hometown in Illinois to be with his parents after his... Continue Reading →
Last year I loved Dominic Lim's debut novel, All the Right Notes, so I was excited to get an early copy of his new book, Karaoke Queen. As before, the romance here is between Filipino men and involves a ton of music. This time, though, instead of Broadway musicals and high school choirs, these characters... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 