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 →
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 →
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 →
I loved Steven Rowley's The Guncle a few years ago, and I've been wanting to read more from. His newest release is a short story, The Dogs of Venice. Though first published as an audiobook five years ago, this new print edition reworks the story and gives it a Christmastime setting. Paul and his husband... Continue Reading →
Earlier this month, Adib Khorram released his second adult romance, It Had to Be Him. After getting dumped for being "boring," Ramin makes the exciting choice to take a vacation in Milan. There he coincidentally runs into Noah, once a friend back in high school, and they quickly resume their friendship. It's not long before... Continue Reading →
Alison Cochrun is an author I've been wanting to read for a few years, but I'm glad I started with her newest book, Every Step She Takes. Sadie is turning 35 and just realizing that she might be a lesbian, and in a panic, she goes on the Camino de Santiago trip her travel influencer... 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 →
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 →
Last year, Christy Schillig released her debut novel, Wish You Weren't Here. I love travel romance, and this one brings readers to Urbino, Italy. Ava has been dating her boyfriend for a few years and is expecting a marriage proposal. Instead, when she's about to leave for a month-long trip to Italy, he proposes that... 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 →
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 →
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 →
One of my most anticipated books this summer was One Year Ago in Spain by Evelyn Skye. If you've read my reviews before, you may know that I've lived in Spain, so it's no wonder this novel caught my attention! It's a bit paranormal romance, beautifully written, and definitely worth your read! Special thanks to... Continue Reading →
There are so many books by Alyssa Palombo that I'm excited to read, but I was happy to start with her newest work of historical fiction: The Assassin of Venice, set in Renaissance Italy. With courtesans, assassins, and cruel schemes in the name of political power, this is an engrossing and memorable novel. Special thanks... Continue Reading →
Two years ago, I greatly enjoyed Natalie Jenner's novel, Bloomsbury Girls. My favorite character was Vivien Lowry, so I was excited that she would be the star of the newest book in the series, Every Time We Say Goodbye. Leaving behind London for a job in Rome, Vivien is hoping to move forward with her... Continue Reading →
Yesterday, Betty Cayouette released her debut novel, One Last Shot. The stunning cover and the fact that it's set in Italy are the first things that made me want to read this. It's a second-chance romance between two former best friends, with a marriage pact bringing them back together for a one-week photo shoot in... Continue Reading →
Last summer, I adored Delphine Ross's The Poetics of Passion, the first in her Muses of Scandal series. Now the series continues with The Dance of Desire, following the middle Bartham sister, Angela, and a friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance with Sunny. It's a Beauty and the Beast retelling and a marriage of convenience, all rolled into one... Continue Reading →
In the past couple of years, I've been loving getting into Mimi Matthews's books. While she normally writes historical romances, her one work of Gothic fiction also appealed to me: John Eyre, a gender-flipped retelling of Jane Eyre and another creepy classic. Summary In 1843, schoolmaster John Eyre is hired to tutor two strange boys... Continue Reading →
A few years ago, I absolutely loved Constance Sayers’s debut novel, A Witch in Time. Now she’s back with her third release, The Star and the Strange Moon. Like her previous work, this one combines fantasy and horror seamlessly. It’s about a 1960s actress who goes missing, the cult horror film left behind and the... Continue Reading →
Though I don’t read much YA anymore, one author I’ve enjoyed is Isabel Ibañez. Her third novel, Together We Burn, came out last year, and I’ve been eager to get to it. Set in a Spain-inspired world, it follows a flamenco dancer who must learn to fight dragons in order to save her family home. ... Continue Reading →
Several years ago, I absolutely loved The Time in Between by Spanish author María Dueñas. Her debut novel, it was engrossing and exciting, about a naive young woman, Sira Quiroga, becoming an undercover spy for the English during World War II. So I was excited to learn that, at long last, this stellar novel would... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books this fall has been The Pomegranate Gate by Ariel Kaplan, the first in her Mirror Realm Cycle trilogy. Set during the Spanish Inquisition, it exists in a realistic world not unlike the one we know… plus a fantasy world that mirrors it. It’s inspired by Jewish folklore and combines... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 