There are two things that initially drew me to Plot Twist by Breea Keenan: Its setting in Ireland and Scotland, and that it's about two writers working on their books. This is the author's debut novel, and while there was sometimes too much going on, there's also a lot I enjoyed about this book. Special... 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 →
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 →
Happy publication day to Alexandra Kiley's debut novel, Kilt Trip! This is a book I've been eagerly anticipating for months, and I was so happy to be able to join the ARC team for it. Kilt Trip is a contemporary romance between two workplace rivals, set against a backdrop of scenic Scotland and the tourism... 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 →
In late 2022, I enjoyed Rachel Kapelke-Dale’s sophomore novel, The Ingenue. This week, she published her third book, The Fortune Seller, about the clash of classes at Yale and in New York City finance. With dark academia vibes, horses, tarot cards, and complicated friendships, this book is part drama, part thriller. Special thanks to St.... 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 →
Like so many romance readers out there, I've become a fan of Ali Hazelwood ever since her debut novel, The Love Hypothesis. Up until recently, she'd focused on adult STEMinist romances, but now she's branching out a bit more. Following her first young adult novel last November, she is now offering up her first taste... Continue Reading →
Twelve years ago, in my last months before graduating with my English degree, I finally read Jane Austen for the first time. Somehow I had never read any of her books in high school nor in my earlier English major classes, but in my penultimate quarter, my introduction to her work was with Persuasion. I... Continue Reading →
Next week, K. Lyn Smith releases her fourth Hearts of Cornwall novel, Kissing Kate. Though I haven’t yet read the earlier books in the series, this Regency romance works perfectly as a standalone. It highlights a decade-long friendship between Kate and Ben, and when the two are thrown together in putting on a Shakespeare stage... Continue Reading →
These past two years, Mimi Matthews has become one of my favorite authors. I’ve loved her Belles of London series, which is now back with its third installment, The Lily of Ludgate Hill. Lady Anne Deveril and her nemesis Felix Hartford get their happily ever after, but it’s hard-earned and will take them some time... 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 →
My introduction to Suzanne Allain’s work was with her novel, Mr. Malcolm’s List. I read the book in 2022 and watched the movie adaptation immediately after—I thoroughly enjoyed both! Today she is back with her latest historical romance, The Ladies Rewrite the Rules. When a young widow finds out about an offensive directory meant to... Continue Reading →
C. J. Cooke is an author I've been wanting to read for a few years now, so I've started with The Lighthouse Witches. Scotland, dual timelines, a theme of witches... it has all the makings of a great work of Gothic fiction. Summary In the 1990s, Liv has few options as a single mother of... Continue Reading →
The last (physical) book that I finished in 2023 was The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse. I've had this on my shelf for a couple of years, and as winter began a few weeks ago, I was in the mood for some snowy thrillers and horrors. Set in the Swiss Alps, this one was a gripping... Continue Reading →
Over the past several years, I've collected a few books by Jennifer McMahon, and there are so many more on my 'wanted' list! Now felt like the right time to finally dive into some of her books, and I decided to start with the novel I've had the longest: The Winter People. It's also perfect... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 