Tomorrow Raquel Vasquez Gilliland releases her second Wild Magic book, of which I have an ARC... but I hadn't yet read the first installment! Witch of Wild Things had been on my TBR since it came out last year, and I'm glad I read it first. In Witch of Wild Things, Sage is back home... 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 →
I didn't know what to expect going into A Song to Drown Rivers, the adult debut from Ann Liang. It's a retelling of the legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China, though I was not familiar with that legend. This book has also been labeled as fantasy, though I would... Continue Reading →
Matchmaking, fake dating, a grumpy/sunshine dynamic, and Desi culture: All that and more is in Sunshine and Spice, the debut novel by Aurora Palit. I was first drawn to this book for its cute cover and the title, but the joy only grew as I began reading it. Set in Kelowna, British Columbia, it's about... Continue Reading →
As a lifelong cat lover and cat owner, I'm always drawn to books about felines. As soon as I saw We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida, I had to read it. Already a bestseller in Japan and now available in English for the first time, this book takes the idea of cats as... Continue Reading →
Since 2019, Silvia Moreno-Garcia has become one of my favorite authors, and I've read nearly all of her books by now. However, I still hadn't read her first two novels. Now available in audiobook form, I've finally read her debut novel, Signal to Noise. It starts in Mexico City in 1988, when teenagers Meche, Sebastián,... Continue Reading →
I have been loving Nisha Sharma's If Shakespeare Was an Auntie series and was so excited to read the final installment, Marriage & Masti. This Twelfth Night retelling is about Deepak and Veera, two career-focused friends who fell out of touch when he got engaged to another woman... then accidentally got married after that engagement... Continue Reading →
Paranormal romances have been on the rise lately, and I've really been getting into them. One that just came out this month is A Werewolf's Guide to Seducing a Vampire by Sarah Hawley. It's the third in her Glimmer Falls series, but it works as a standalone (I still need to read the first two... Continue Reading →
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is one of my favorite authors, and despite how diversely she writes, she never misses. Her latest novel, The Seventh Veil of Salome, is one of her few works that isn't speculative fiction. Instead, this a historical fiction novel set in 1950s Hollywood, about two women vying for the same leading role in... Continue Reading →
A couple years ago I enjoyed Claire Kann's adult debut, The Romantic Agenda, and I was excited to read more from her. Instead of another contemporary romance, her second book is paranormal romance: Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places is about a woman named Lucky who is looking to jump-start her career in... Continue Reading →
Prior to their newest release, I had read two of Casey McQuiston's books and loved both. I was excited to read their third adult novel, The Pairing, out this week. This one is a second chance romance between two childhood best friends, Kit and Theo, who had dated before a bad breakup four years ago.... Continue Reading →
In the past several years, I've been reading a ton of romances, but something I've never gotten to read yet? A romance starring Native American characters. Mysteries, thrillers, and literary fiction, sure, but no romances. So I was excited to learn of not one, but two new romances out this year by Indigenous authors and... Continue Reading →
A book I've been looking forward to this summer is Masquerade, the debut novel by O.O. Sangoyomi. Set in 15th-century West Africa, it takes the myth of Persephone and breathes new life into it, with its politics, Nigerian mythology, and morally gray characters. Special thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of... Continue Reading →
In the last few years, there have been a number of books by Sajni Patel that I've wanted to read. Her new novel, The Design of Us, is out today, and it seemed like a great place to start. Set in Hawaii, it follows two bickering co-workers who start fake dating for the sake of... Continue Reading →
Last year I adored Tehlor Kay Mejia's adult debut, Sammy Espinoza's Last Review, and I knew I wanted to read more from them. So I was excited to read their new romance, Cash Delgado Is Living the Dream. Set in the same world as the previous book, this one introduces us Cash, a single mom,... Continue Reading →
For many months, I've been looking forward to Barely Even Friends, the debut novel by Mae Bennett. A contemporary romance that reimagines Beauty and the Beast and combines it with restoring an old mansion, I thought this would be a book I'd immediately love. Special thanks to Alcove Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC... Continue Reading →
Last year, I adored Liana De La Rosa's historical romance, Ana María and The Fox, the first in her Luna Sisters trilogy. Today, the series continues with the shy middle sister in Isabel and The Rogue. Combining Mexican culture, international politics, and a steamy romance between two spies, this novel is just as stunning as... Continue Reading →
Two years ago, I really enjoyed Vaishnavi Patel's debut novel, Kaikeyi, so I was excited to read her newest release, Goddess of the River. Also inspired by Hindu mythology, this one reimagines the story of the goddess Ganga, specifically her role in the Mahabharata. Special thanks to Redhook and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of... Continue Reading →
Taleen Voskuni is an author I've been wanting to read since she released her debut novel, Sorry, Bro, early last year. While that one still awaits me, I was happy to get a chance to read her latest book, Lavash at First Sight. A romance between two Armenian Lebanese women whose families hate each other,... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books this year has been Daughters of Shandong by Eve J. Chung. Set primarily during the Chinese Civil War, it follows a mother and her three daughters as they escape persecution by the Communists in northern China and their long migration to Taiwan. From the (lack of) value placed on... Continue Reading →
Nisha Sharma is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I've read two of her books—Dating Dr. Dil and Tastes Like Shakkar, the first two in her If Shakespeare Was an Auntie trilogy—and have many more on my TBR. Her latest release is her first New Adult romance: The Letters We Keep, about two rival... Continue Reading →
Last year, I enjoyed V. Castro's novel The Haunting of Alejandra, partially inspired by La Llorona. When I saw that she had a new novel coming out, I was intrigued. Immortal Pleasures offers a new side to the story of the woman known as La Malinche, who interpreted for conquistador Hernán Cortés and has a... Continue Reading →
Yesterday, A. H. Cunningham released her latest contemporary romance, Out of Office. Set between Panamá and Florida, it follows an ambitious, work-oriented woman during a months-long business trip to Central America, where she forms an intimate bond with a local man. But what starts off as a brief vacation fling develops into something deeper... if... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 