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 →
Last summer, I loved reading Marry Me by Midnight, the first in Felicia Grossman's Once Upon the East End series. Now she's back with the second installment, Wake Me Most Wickedly. This book is a gender-flipped retelling of Snow White, but set in 1830s London and starring an all-Jewish cast of characters. If you enjoyed... Continue Reading →
Romance readers, listen up! Etta Easton is a new author to get into, starting with her debut novel, The Kiss Countdown. This fake dating romance puts a risk-averse event planner with a thrill-seeking astronaut, and the result is a love story that will leave you starry eyed. Special thanks to the publicists at Penguin Random... Continue Reading →
Today, Rose Sutherland releases her debut novel, A Sweet Sting of Salt. Though I knew little going into this book, I was excited to get an early copy of this book about selkies, sapphic love, and overcoming the dangers of a small fishing community in 1830s Nova Scotia. Special thanks to Random House Publishing Group... Continue Reading →
Jen Comfort is an author I've been wanting to read for the past year, ever since I got her novel, Midnight Duet. While that is still on my TBR, I was excited to get an advance copy of her newest book, What Is Love?, set in the world of game show trivia. I love learning... Continue Reading →
Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is one of the most beloved books of all time, and it's no wonder it continues to inspire so many retellings. Just last week, a particularly special retelling came out: Pride and Preston Lin by Christina Hwang Dudley. A contemporary romance set in the San Francisco Bay Area, this adaptation... Continue Reading →
Like Happiness is the debut novel by Ursula Villarreal-Moura, and what an impactful debut it is. Told in dual timelines between the early 2000s in the United States in 2015 in Chile, it examines a Chicana woman's young adulthood with a famous author friend and the complicated relationship they had until it all fell apart.... Continue Reading →
Several months ago, before the cover had even been unveiled, I was intrigued about The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang. Spanning three disparate timelines, spotlighting gay Chinese men, and infusing it all with a theme of rebirth and fate, this is a fantasy debut I knew could not be missed. Special thanks... Continue Reading →
I was perusing NetGalley a few months ago when I came across Manila Takes Manhattan by Carla de Guzman. It combines so many elements that excite me as a reader: a strong theme of music, a romantic plot, and diverse characters, in this case, Filipino celebrities. I was excited to read about two people torn... Continue Reading →
Last week, Cristina Henríquez released her new novel, The Great Divide. Set in 1907 in Panama, it highlights the various working class people who were part of the building of the Panama Canal and those who were affected by it. Special thanks to Harper Audio, Ecco, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!... Continue Reading →
Last year, Natasha Siegel released her debut novel, Solomon's Crown. While I haven't yet gotten to read that, I was excited to dive into her newest book, The Phoenix Bride. Set in the seventeenth century amidst plague and fires, it follows two grieving people and their impossible fight for love. Special thanks to the publicists... Continue Reading →
Early last year, I absolutely loved Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan. The first in her Skyland trilogy, I was left eager to continue the series (and to read more from this author in general!). This week, the Skyland series continues with This Could Be Us, offering a hard-earned happily ever after for Soledad.... Continue Reading →
For many months, I've been excited for the release of Lindsay Hameroff's debut novel, Till There Was You. I'll admit, that delicious cover is what first caught my attention (who doesn't love blueberry pancakes?), but I was also intrigued by the music industry aspect of it, too. This is a charming and heartwarming contemporary romance... Continue Reading →
Between her first two novels, I’ve become a big fan of Yangsze Choo. Now she’s back with her third novel, The Fox Wife, and I was thrilled to get an early read of it. Like her previous two books, this one combines historical fiction, fantasy, and mystery together, along with Asian settings and mythologies. This... Continue Reading →
Three years ago, I adored The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes by Xio Axelrod. The first in her Lillys series, it introduced an all-girl rock band starting to gain traction before releasing their first album. It was an incredible work of music fiction as well as contemporary romance, and I was eager to continue... Continue Reading →
For the past few years, I've been loving the Regency Vows series by Martha Waters. Today, the series has reached its fifth and final installment with To Woo and to Wed, giving readers the long-awaited HEA between West and Sophie. It's bittersweet to end the series, but this final love story was worth the wait.... Continue Reading →
The Djinn Waits a Hundred Years is Shubnum Khan's first novel available in the United States. This is one of those cases where the cover completely captured my attention; it is gorgeous and evocative. I also have a growing interest in djinn, so I was excited to read a new book in which they feature.... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated romances this year is Don't Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma R. Alban. The first in her Mischief & Matchmaking series, it follows two young women during the London season of 1857. While searching for husbands, the two become friends... then something more. But how can they have a... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books this year was The Writing Retreat, the debut novel by Julia Bartz. A psychological thriller combining an isolated setting with a theme about books, and I'm sold. Though I got this book back when it came out, I didn't get a chance to read it. But I couldn't let... Continue Reading →
Though I don't read many holiday romances, I had to read Amor Actually, a short-story collection centering Latina characters. So many of my favorite authors contributed to this anthology, with all their stories interconnecting by the end. Leading up to one Nochebuena party among friends, nine different partnerships (couples and throuples alike!) will get their... Continue Reading →
Since first reading Bringing Down the Duke in late 2019, Evie Dunmore has been one of my favorite authors. I've been loving her League of Extraordinary Women series, and now the fourth and final book has arrived: The Gentleman's Gambit, starring Catriona Campbell and a new character, Elias Khoury. I got my copy from Book... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 