Last weekend, Syrie James released her new Gothic novel, The Mysteries of Pendowar Hall. This is the first in her series, The Audacious Sisterhood of Smoke & Fire. Blending suspense with a love story, this novel follows Diana Taylor as she begins working as governess for fifteen-year-old Emma... and investigates the circumstances around Emma's father's... Continue Reading →
For the past couple of years, I have been loving Liana de La Rosa's Luna Sisters series. Following Ana María and The Fox in 2023 and Isabel and The Rogue in 2024, the trilogy now comes to an end with the fiery youngest sister in Gabriela and His Grace. I have been impatiently waiting to... Continue Reading →
To celebrate Valentine's Day this year, I indulged in reading the forthcoming novel by one of my favorite authors, Harper St. George. Following last year's The Stranger I Wed, this June the Doves of New York series continues with the youngest Dove sister in Eliza and the Duke. Contrary to the title, the "duke" here... Continue Reading →
Yesterday, Victoria Purman's novel The Radio Hour got its US release (less than a year after its original publication in Australia). Set in Sydney in 1956, it follows fifty-year-old Martha Berry and her unexpected and ultimately impactful role in radio broadcasting. This novel highlights women's rights and how "it's never too late to be what... Continue Reading →
This week, Jo Segura released her second novel, Temple of Swoon. Following in the footsteps of her first book's characters, this one stars an up-and-coming archaeologist on a make-it-or-break-it assignment in Brazil. Too bad the photojournalist joining this dig is super cute... and secretly trying to sabotage the whole expedition. Why I Chose This Book:... Continue Reading →
Happy book birthday to For One Night Only, the debut novel by Jessica James! 2025 looks like it will be the year of music-related romances, and kicking things off is this wonderful book about a pop punk band getting back together for a one-off concert... and two of those bandmates reigniting that old spark between... Continue Reading →
After joining forces on their 2023 novel, The Castle Keepers, authors Aimie K. Runyan, J'nell Ciesielski, Rachel McMillan are back with another collaborative book, The Liberty Scarf. Mainly set during the final year of World War I, we follow three different women working within the war, finding love along the way, and united by a... Continue Reading →
I've adored the Belles of London series from Mimi Matthews, so it's bittersweet to have read the fourth and final book. In The Muse of Maiden Lane, Stella Hobhouse gets her happily ever after with Teddy Hayes, a character who previously appeared in the Parish Orphans of Devon series. Stella Hobhouse has completed two seasons... Continue Reading →
Fans of Jane Austen and historical mysteries won’t want to miss Murder in Highbury, the first in Vanessa Kelly's new Emma Knightley Mystery series. Now married to George Knightley, Emma is off of matchmaking and on to... solving crimes! When she and Harriet Martin stumble across the body of Mrs. Elton, it's immediately clear to Emma... Continue Reading →
Last year I absolutely loved My Roommate Is a Vampire, and I couldn't wait to continue the My Vampires series. Now Jenna Levine is back with My Vampire Plus-One, this time starring Reginald Cleaves (introduced in the first book) and a new character, Amelia Collins (Cassie's best friend Sam's sister). Amelia is tired of her... Continue Reading →
Karina Halle is an author I enjoyed several years ago (she wrote some of the first adult romances I'd ever read, including Love, in English, its sequel Love, in Spanish, and The Pact). I've been wanting to read more from her for a while, and at long last, I'm back with her newest release, The... Continue Reading →
Matchmaking, fake dating, a grumpy/sunshine dynamic, and Desi culture: All that and more is in Sunshine and Spice, the debut novel by Aurora Palit. I was first drawn to this book for its cute cover and the title, but the joy only grew as I began reading it. Set in Kelowna, British Columbia, it's about... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated novels this summer was The Naturalist's Daughter by Tea Cooper. Though it was first published in Australia in 2017, this is its first release in the United States. What initially drew me to this book is its focus on the platypus. In New South Wales, Australia in the early 1800s,... Continue Reading →
This year is all about haunted house romances for me! As a fan of love stories and of supernatural horror, this combination is the perfect marriage for me. Jen DeLuca's latest book, Haunted Ever After, is the start of a new series set in the haunted Florida town of Boneyard Key. Cassie has just bought... Continue Reading →
In the past several years, I've been reading a ton of romances, but something I've never gotten to read yet? A romance starring Native American characters. Mysteries, thrillers, and literary fiction, sure, but no romances. So I was excited to learn of not one, but two new romances out this year by Indigenous authors and... Continue Reading →
In the last few years, there have been a number of books by Sajni Patel that I've wanted to read. Her new novel, The Design of Us, is out today, and it seemed like a great place to start. Set in Hawaii, it follows two bickering co-workers who start fake dating for the sake of... Continue Reading →
In the past few years, Elise Bryant has released a trio of YA romances that look really cute. Now, she's making her adult debut with It's Elementary, a cozy mystery about a mom, Mavis, who has recently become in charge of the DEI committee at her seven-year-old daughter's school. But things go wrong at the... Continue Reading →
Historical mysteries can be a ton of fun, especially when they whisk you away to Victorian-era Paris! Dianne Freeman recently released An Art Lover's Guide to Paris and Murder, the seventh installment in her Countess of Harleigh Mystery series. Frances Wynn, the American-born Countess of Harleigh, and her husband, George, go to France for the... Continue Reading →
Paranormal romances are becoming more popular lately, and I'm feeling increasingly excited to start diving into more of them! Besides the romances about vampires and werewolves, I'm also interested in the ones that play with space and time. That's why The Love of My Afterlife, the debut novel by Kirsty Greenwood, looks especially appealing to... Continue Reading →
In the past couple of years, I've been loving the Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney Mystery series by Claudia Gray. The third installment, The Perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, just came out, and it is as engrossing as the first two. This time, instead of solving a murder, Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney are... Continue Reading →
Laura Hankin is one of those authors who consistently releases books that I'm excited about, and indeed keep buying, but haven't yet read. I think it's time for that to change, because her newest novel looks like the perfect summer read: One-Star Romance is a love story between a struggling author and the man who... 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 →
Romance readers, listen up! Etta Easton is a new author to get into, starting with her debut novel, The Kiss Countdown. This fake dating romance puts a risk-averse event planner with a thrill-seeking astronaut, and the result is a love story that will leave you starry eyed. Special thanks to the publicists at Penguin Random... Continue Reading →
Yesterday, Kristy Cambron released her latest historical novel, The British Booksellers. Inspired by the Forgotten Blitz bombings of WWII, this novel moves back and forth between the 1910s and 1940 as it depicts forbidden love and how war irrevocably impacted a young family in Coventry. Special thanks to Kristy Cambron, Thomas Nelson, Austenprose PR, and NetGalley for... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 