One of the hottest debuts this season is Stone Cold Fox by Rachel Koller Croft. This thriller follows Bea, a woman who's spent her life as part of a con artist duo with her mother. She's ready to exchange that high-stakes lifestyle for one of luxury by marrying into one of the wealthiest families in... Continue Reading →
One of the debut novels I've been looking forward to this year has been Ruby Spencer's Whisky Year by Rochelle Bilow. Set in the Scottish Highlands, it was giving me Outlander vibes... minus the time travel and historical setting, of course! Instead, it follows an American woman who's ready for a career change. She quits... Continue Reading →
In the past few years, I have loved several books by Alexis Daria. After reading her Primas of Power novels—You Had Me at Hola and A Lot Like Adiós—as well as shorter works like What the Hex and Solstice Miracle, it's safe to say she's one of my favorites. Now, she is rereleasing her very first... Continue Reading →
This February, I'm planning to mostly read romances. The first audiobook I picked out is A Walk in the Park by Rebekah Weatherspoon, a novella about two people being brought together by a rescue dog. It's a short and sweet love story that weaves in deeper issues and, of course, an adoration of dogs. Summary... Continue Reading →
Last summer, I picked up Big Chicas Don't Cry by Annette Chavez Macias. It's her first book published under this name (she also writes romances as Sabrina Sol), and her first within the Women's Fiction genre. Naturally, the title makes me think of Fergie's 2006 song, "Big Girls Don't Cry," and I'm always happy for... Continue Reading →
In under two years, Lyn Liao Butler has published two books that captured my interest. Though I haven't gotten to read either one yet, I was excited to dive into her newest release, Someone Else's Life. Her first thriller, this novel takes place during a Hawaiian storm when two strangers are locked inside together. But... Continue Reading →
Following her first book, The Taste of Ginger, Mansi Shah is back with her second novel, The Direction of the Wind. I admit that I went into this book blind (something I've been doing more frequently lately), but I was instantly absorbed into this beautiful and impactful story. Following a mother and daughter traveling from... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books of 2023 has been Maame, the debut novel by Jessica George. It follows Maddie, a self-described "late bloomer," who, at 25, is moving out for the first time. She'll experience some exciting and rocky firsts, but she'll also face tragedy, and these will lead her to uncovering her path... Continue Reading →
For me, it's always fun to read a book related to the current season or an upcoming holiday. As the Lunar New Year approached, I decided to dive into Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen. Her debut novel, it just came out this month, and I got my copy from Book of the Month. It's... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated novels of 2023 has been The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone by Audrey Burges. This debut novel is so imaginative and magical, and it defies easy categorization. I didn't know what to expect going into it, but it absolutely captivated me. Special thanks to the publicists at Penguin Random House... Continue Reading →
This month has been all about Jane Eyre and retellings of it! Following my reread of the classic and a retelling called Mr. Rochester, my last stop of the "Janeuary" readathon is The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins. This southern gothic gives Charlotte Brontë's story a modern makeover and moves it into thriller territory. If... Continue Reading →
For nearly six years, I've been holding onto Mr. Rochester by Sarah Shoemaker. This novel is a retelling of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre—my favorite classic novel, and one I just reread earlier this month. This January I'm doing a fun little Jane Eyre reading challenge (I'm calling it "Janeuary"), and the first retelling I selected... Continue Reading →
While Alex North's third novel, The Angel Maker, is due out on February 28th, the chapter sampler available on NetGalley offers an engrossing preview of the paths this book will take. In a prologue and seven quick chapters, we get a feel for the array of characters, different crimes that have taken places years apart,... Continue Reading →
In the last couple of years, the Secret Scientists of London series by Elizabeth Everett has emerged as a standout among historical romances. These are smart books highlighting women who fit within the STEM label (and STEMinist label), except it's the 1840s and they're facing even more career pushback than women today. I've been meaning... Continue Reading →
The first classic novel I profoundly connected with when I was young was Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. I was a high school junior then, still 16 years old, and I absolutely loved it. So much so, in fact, that I watched and rewatched the 2006 BBC series adaptation and forced my younger sister to... Continue Reading →
Last summer, I was excited to learn that Armando Lucas Correa had a new novel on the horizon, The Night Travelers. A few years ago I had picked up his debut novel, The German Girl, and his latest release returns to the same themes of escaping 1930s Germany on the St. Louis, a ship bound... Continue Reading →
2023 has only just begun, and already there are some incredible new books out that deserve to be read! One novel I'm particularly looking forward to is The Rose and the Thistle by Laura Frantz. It takes place in Scotland in 1715, and it follows a fugitive heiress as she hides out in a Scottish... Continue Reading →
In the past year, I've loved both of Virginia Heath's Merriwell Sisters novels. So when I saw that she has a festive short story, Say Yule Be Mine, I figured now was the perfect time to read it. It's included in the holiday anthology, Merry Christmas, Belles and Rakehalls (which I plan to read in... Continue Reading →
I adore Harper St. George's Gilded Age Heiresses series, which has one final book coming out this spring. Before that arrives, and with the holiday spirit alive, I wanted to read her Christmas-y short story, Once Upon an Heiress. I actually read this a year ago, and this is a reread, but I love it just as... Continue Reading →
One of my recent favorite authors has been Alexis Daria. While I eagerly await her third Primas of Power book, as well as the upcoming republishing of her Dance Off novel Take the Lead, I decided to celebrate today's winter solstice with a reading of her short story, Solstice Miracle. Summary Rina, who recently inherited... Continue Reading →
Last year, I fell in love with Zoraida Córdova's writing, reading three of her novels back-to-back in an August whirlwind. I was excited when she released a new anthology of short stories, Reclaim the Stars: 17 Tales Across Realms & Space. Zoraida Córdova edited the anthology, which also features stories from other young adult latine... Continue Reading →
Earlier this year, I enjoyed Sharon C. Cooper's novel Business Not As Usual. Now the male protagonists's sister gets her own love story with In It to Win It, a second chances romance with a little friendly competition over a real estate deal. Special thanks to the publicists at Penguin Random House and to NetGalley for providing me... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books for the end of this year was A Dash of Salt and Pepper by Kosoko Jackson. I admit, I've been planning to read his first adult romance, I'm So (Not) Over You, all year, but it somehow hasn't happened yet. However, I'm happy I got to read A Dash... Continue Reading →
I always love a book that I can escape into and be transported to another country. Paris is near the top of my destination wish list, so I was looking forward to Samantha Vérant's new novel, The Spice Master at Bistro Exotique. Set against the opening of a new Parisian bistro, this is an enemies-to-lovers... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 