Last week Rosália Rodrigo released her exciting historical fantasy, Beasts of Carnaval. Rooted in Caribbean (especially Puerto Rican) history and culture, this novel follows Sofía as she searches for her missing twin brother Sol in el Carnaval de Bestias. But there's something very disorienting about her travels, and soon she's not entirely sure what she's... Continue Reading →
I have been absolutely loving all the music-themed romances coming out this year, and one of my most anticipated was Kate Golden's If Not for My Baby. It starts with the kind of unexpected opportunity we all dream of: Small-town waitress Clementine's best friend drops out of backup singing duties in a big star's tour... Continue Reading →
William Shakespeare is among the most important authors in history, and his works endure to this day. There has been some speculation about his authorship—a fringe theory, but one that inspires a fascinating new novel, The Shakespeare Secret by D.J. Nix. Here, it is late 1591 when three women of different social class happen to... Continue Reading →
Big, old buildings are always the best places to set a scary story, so when I heard about Juliet Blackwell's new mystery, Asylum Hotel, I was intrigued. Aubrey Spencer likes to photograph abandoned buildings, and that leads her to the little-known Seabrink Hotel, closed for over 50 years and mired in murmurings of past murders... Continue Reading →
Maggie North released her debut novel, Rules for Second Chances, just over a year ago, and I'm glad I've finally read it. Liz is a socially anxious introvert who is just so tired of blending into the background. She wants to be seen, not stay in her husband Tobin's shadow. She asks for a divorce,... Continue Reading →
Today Danica Nava releases her second novel, Love Is a War Song, and I loved it! This romance follows Avery Fox, a new pop singer (and former child actress) after she's been canceled for maybe lying about being Native American and misrepresenting her culture. For damage control, she goes to stay with the Grandmother she's... Continue Reading →
Though I've always been a cat person, I loving seeing any pets take a central role in books, and that includes dogs! This led me to Pardon My Frenchie by Farrah Rochon. It stars a French Bulldog and—my personal dream dog—a Standard Poodle. Ashanti runs a successful doggie daycare, Barkingham Palace, as well as her... Continue Reading →
Today Silvia Moreno-Garcia releases her eleventh novel, The Bewitching. By now I've read nearly everything she's released, and I know that, no matter the genre or setting, I'll be in for a mesmerizing tale. Here readers get three timelines: On a rural farm in Mexico in 1908, Alba faces a series of losses and increasing... Continue Reading →
I've been wanting to read Paulette Kennedy since her first book came out a few years ago, and have finally started with her latest novel, The Artist of Blackberry Grange. Set in 1925, it follows Sadie Halloran just after her relationship with a married man ended badly. She ends up going to her great aunt... Continue Reading →
It's been years since I worked out in a gym, but Up Close & Personal by Ana Holguin made me want to join a spin class asap. What an inspiring and heartfelt debut! Jo De La Cruz has spent the last decade as a semi-famous spin instructor, both in always-full classes at the gym and... Continue Reading →
My first time reading Emily Sullivan was last fall with Duchess Material. I loved that series opener, so I was excited to read another book—also the first in a new series!—A Death on Corfu. Set on the Greek island of Corfu in 1898, it opens with Minnie Harper, the widowed mother of two. Despite her... Continue Reading →
Ruth Ware has been my favorite thriller author since I read The Woman in Cabin 10 nearly eight years ago. That book is still among my top three favorites by her, so I was excited to learn it would have a sequel: The Woman in Suite 11. It's ten years after the horrors that happened... Continue Reading →
For me, the best summer reads tend to be ones that transport me to other countries around the world. One of my favorite destinations is Italy. That led me to Jill Francis's debut, The Summer You Were Mine. Fourteen years after childhood friends almost became something more, they're back in Italy together for their respective... Continue Reading →
I said earlier this year that I'm in my mermaid era, so it's no surprise that Venessa Vida Kelley's debut novel, When the Tides Held the Moon, was high on my list of new releases. Set in 1911 on Coney Island, it showcases a cast of characters who perform in Morgan's Menagerie of Human Oddities.... Continue Reading →
Virginia Heath's books are always a ton of fun, and that's certainly true of her latest: Look Before You Leap, the second in her Miss Prentice's Protégées series. This one follows Lottie after she's been fired (again) and gets a new job for the famously cranky Lady Frinton. Together they go to Kent for Lady... Continue Reading →
Mia Sosa is an author I've been wanting to read for a while now, especially since I enjoyed a short story she wrote for a holiday anthology a few years ago. Her newest novel is When Javi Dumped Mari, a friends-to-lovers romance that takes 12 years and a rapidly approaching wedding (to the wrong man!)... Continue Reading →
Happiest release week to the latest novel by one of my favorite authors, Harper St. George. Following last year’s The Stranger I Wed, the Doves of New York series continues with the youngest Dove sister in Eliza and the Duke. Contrary to the title, the “duke” here is actually Simon, a bare-knuckles fighter who’s been trying to fight... Continue Reading →
I've been loving Claudia Gray's Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney Mystery series, so I could hardly wait for the fourth installment, The Rushworth Family Plot. Now that Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney have a reputation for solving murders, it's no wonder the London police immediately give them free rein to investigate the latest crime: Mr.... Continue Reading →
Pride and Prejudice is a popular book to reimagine, but The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet by Lindz McLeod is the first I've seen that draws a romance between Charlotte Lucas and Mary Bennet. To be honest, this actually seems like the perfect pairing! Here, Charlotte has become a widow after only four years of... Continue Reading →
When the Music Hits by Amber Oliver is the book I've needed for years! A young woman trying to work her way up in the music industry, in that sweet spot between musical creativity and the business side. That's exactly what I wanted to do with my career. This sense of harmony made it easy... Continue Reading →
For months I've been anticipating Clarence A. Haynes's adult debut, The Ghosts of Gwendolyn Montgomery. This is one of those books that plays like a movie, with high action and plenty of other-worldly intrigue to hold your interest from start to finish. Set in present-day New York City, it follows Gwendolyn, an overworked but effective... Continue Reading →
Two years ago, I enjoyed Jodie Slaughter's romance, Play to Win, so I was excited to read more from her. Her newest book is Ready to Score, a rivals-to-lovers romance between two women aiming for the same head coach position at the high school where they work. Though both books (and Bet on It) are... Continue Reading →
Who doesn't love a pop punk cruise? This is what caught my attention with Alicia Thompson's Never Been Shipped. I've already been wanting to read her books since With Love, from Cold World came out; the Paramore reference was like a siren call. That one is still on my TBR, but today, one of its... Continue Reading →
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 →
Amanda's Book Corner 