This week, Jodie Slaughter releases her newest romance, Play to Win. Set in the same world as her 2022 book, Bet on It, this novel is a second chance at love between two estranged spouses, all thanks to a winning lottery ticket. But will that ticket bring them back together... or at long last finalize... Continue Reading →
A debut romance I could hardly wait for this year was Wanderlust by Elle Everhart. When two virtual strangers win a trip around the world, they're stuck in close quarters and butt heads a lot... before slowly developing deeper feelings. But one of them is keeping secrets that could prevent a romance from fully blooming... Continue Reading →
Last year, I loved reading Ramón and Julieta, a Romeo and Juliet romance retelling by Alana Quintana Albertson. Her Love and Tacos series continues with Kiss Me, Mi Amor, out today. This one is a romantic take on The Taming of the Shrew. It stars the middle Montez brother, Enrique, and a new character named... Continue Reading →
Last year, Zoe Sivak released her debut novel, Mademoiselle Revolution. I've been excited to read it, and now felt like the perfect time: June is both Pride Month and Read Caribbean Month, and this books fits both quite well! Set in the 1790s, it starts in Haiti and the dawn of the Haitian Revolution, then... Continue Reading →
By now I have several books by Amalie Howard on my TBR, but this summer I decided to start with Always Be My Duchess, the first in her Taming of the Dukes series. Set in 1865, it features a feisty, out-of-work ballet dancer, a neurodiverse duke, and a fake fiancée scheme that both can benefit... Continue Reading →
Today, one of my favorite recent reads hits shelves: The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue. Set in Cork, Ireland between 2009 and 2010, it follows a young woman named Rachel as she finishes college, moves out for the first time, and finds herself in the middle of a messy romantic entanglement. It is a quick... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated debut novels this year has been Where Ivy Dares to Grow by Marielle Thompson. With comparisons to Mexican Gothic and Outlander, it follows a woman struggling with her mental health and her cruel soon-to-be in-laws, the eerie presence she feels in their mansion, and an unexpected timeslip to the past.... Continue Reading →
Four years ago, I loved Craig Russell's novel, The Devil Aspect. As a big horror fan, it was exactly what I was looking for, and I've been eager to read more from the author ever since. He now has a new book out, The Devil's Playground, and it brings all the mystery, horror, and intrigue... Continue Reading →
I adored Libby Hubscher's first two books, Meet Me in Paradise and If You Ask Me. She has a way with writing about difficult, emotional topics and infusing them with love and sweetness. Her newest book is Play for Me, set in a New Hampshire boarding school where a new athletic trainer, Sophie, has to... Continue Reading →
Ruth Ware is my favorite thriller author, and I've read every novel she's published so far. She's the kind of author where I'll finish her latest book, feel elated by the whole reading journey it took me on, and then immediately feel sad that I now have to wait another year for her next novel.... Continue Reading →
Earlier this week, Victoria Costello released her debut novel, Orchid Child. It's a fascinating story of intergenerational trauma, epigenetics, and schizophrenia, as well as Irish history and family relationships. I was honored to have the chance to interview Victoria about the central themes within Orchid Child, how the novel relates to her own family history, and... Continue Reading →
In the past few months, I kept hearing about a new book called Orchid Child by Victoria Costello. The setting in Ireland caught my interest, but so did its unique premise of intergenerational trauma, epigenetics, and schizophrenia. I was intrigued to see where these interconnecting themes would go! Special thanks to NetGalley and Between the... Continue Reading →
A new book I was greatly looking forward to this month was Maddalena and the Dark by Julia Fine. Set in Venice in 1717, it follows two teenage girls attending the Ospedale della Pietà, learning to play their instruments and even get training from Antonio Vivaldi. But there's also a dark magic lurking in the... Continue Reading →
Though I've only read two of Hazel Gaynor's books so far, I loved both and am always looking out for more from her. Today, she releases her latest solo novel, The Last Lifeboat, set in England in 1940. As Germans threaten to invade, a teacher bravely evacuates her children. This novel, inspired by a true... Continue Reading →
Avid bookworm that I am, I’m always extra excited about a novel that speaks to one of my particular interests. In the case of Helena Hunting’s A Love Catastrophe, the big draw for me was its focus on cats. What happens when a cat-sitter is hired to watch a dog-lover’s mom’s cat? Pet-related hijinks and... Continue Reading →
I don't often read nonfiction, but when I do, it's usually about something that's closely connected to my life. Such is the case with Love Across Borders: Passports, Papers, and Romance in a Divided World by Anna Lekas Miller, which just came out this week. How do couples stay together when borders want to break... Continue Reading →
Ciao for Now by Kate Bromley first caught my attention due to its setting in Rome. Italy is one of my favorite countries that I’ve visited, and reading a romance set there sounded like the perfect escape until my next vacation to Europe. Special thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me with... Continue Reading →
I love music, so I’m always on the lookout for books about musicians or music lovers. A debut novel that particularly caught my interest was All the Right Notes by Dominic Lim. This dual timeline romance stars two Asian American men, from their time in high school in the 1990s to the present day when... Continue Reading →
Last year, I loved Bridget Morrissey's romance, A Thousand Miles. Now she has another romance out that is high on my to-read list: That Summer Feeling. Newly divorced, Garland Moore accepts some new friends' invitation to stay at their sleepaway camp. While there, she runs into the man that got away... but when she rooms... Continue Reading →
A new book that's sure to get a lot of much-deserved attention this season is The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman. Set in Regency London, it follows adult twin sisters, an unlikely comrade-in-arms, and a mission to not only protect women from abuse, but also prove a wrongfully convicted man's innocence. This... Continue Reading →
I’ve had a book by Kris Waldherr on my shelf for a couple of years, and though I haven’t read that, I was excited when she released her second novel last summer. Unnatural Creatures: A Novel of the Frankenstein Women reimagines the world of Victor Frankenstein and his monster, shifting the focus from him and... Continue Reading →
For the past two years, I've been itching to read She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan. Finally, I decided to listen to the audiobook version a few weeks ago, partially in honor of AAPI Month. Set in 1345, it fictionalizes the rise of Emperor Zhu Chongba and the start of the Ming Dynasty.... Continue Reading →
Ever since I read the first chapter preview for The Duchess Takes a Husband a whole year ago, I've been desperate to read it. This is the fourth and final book in Harper St. George's Gilded Age Heiresses series, following The Heiress Gets a Duke, The Devil and the Heiress, and The Lady Tempts an Heir. It... Continue Reading →
I'm a sucker for a good cover, and The Chateau by Jaclyn Goldis certainly has it. France is also a country I'm eternally drawn to, so it's no wonder this thriller, set in Provence, captured my interest. It follows Darcy and her three friends as they return to her grandmother's titular chateau. But when her... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 