#BookReview Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey @kristywharvey @BookSparks #BeachHouseRules #KristyWoodsonHarvey #BookSparks #SRC2025

#BookReview Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey @kristywharvey @BookSparks #BeachHouseRules #KristyWoodsonHarvey #BookSparks #SRC2025 Title: Beach House Rules

Author: Kristy Woodson Harvey

Published by: Gallery Books on May 27, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 368

Format: Hardcover

Source: BookSparks

Book Rating: 9/10

When Charlotte Sitterly’s husband is arrested for a white-collar crime, she and her daughter Iris are locked out of their house by the FBI and—what’s potentially even worse—thrust into the spotlight of @JuniperShoresSocialite, the town’s snarky anonymous Instagram account. Cut off from her bank accounts and feeling desperate, Charlotte takes up an acquaintance’s offer to stay at a beachfront former bed-and-breakfast that’s home to a community of single mothers and draws plenty of gossip in the small coastal North Carolina town.

Charlotte and Iris find solace and are surprised by how much fun they’re having with the other families despite their circumstances. But when the women discover a secret link between them, it changes everything they thought they knew about the unconventional family they’ve created and leaves them wondering whether their coming together was a coincidence at all. Will the skeletons in the mommune closets help Charlotte and Iris reclaim their place in the Juniper Shores community—or shatter the sisterhood forever?

“Perfect for fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Jennifer Weiner” (Country Living), Beach House Rules is a charming exploration of the joy of friendship, the true meaning of family, and reclaiming the power to reshape our own destiny.


Review:

Heartwarming, evocative, and compelling!

Beach House Rules is a sweet, touching tale that takes you into the life of Charlotte Sitterly, a mother of one daughter who must learn how to survive, take risks, be true to herself, follow her heart, and try not to lose sight of her own wants, needs, and dreams while standing by her husband after he is arrested for a white-collar crime.

The writing is genuine and sincere. The characters are troubled, supportive, and endearing. And the plot is an absorbing tale about life, loss, heartbreak, forgiveness, selflessness, family, courage, loyalty, kindness, happiness, self-love, female friendships and new beginnings.

Overall, Beach House Rules is an uplifting, tender, alluring tale by Harvey that I absolutely adored, and which, as always, after I finish any of her novels, has left me already looking forward to whatever she publishes next.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

 

Thank you to BookSparks for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Kristy Woodson Harvey

Kristy Woodson Harvey is the USA TODAY bestselling author of six novels, including Feels Like Falling, The Peachtree Bluff series, and Under the Southern Sky. A Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s school of journalism, her writing has appeared in numerous online and print publications including Southern Living, Traditional Home, USA TODAY, Domino, and O. Henry. Kristy is the winner of the Lucy Bramlette Patterson Award for Excellence in Creative Writing and a finalist for the Southern Book Prize. Her work has been optioned for film and television, and her books have received numerous accolades including Southern Living’s Most Anticipated Beach Reads, Parade’s Big Fiction Reads, and Entertainment Weekly’s Spring Reading Picks. Kristy is the co-creator and co-host of the weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction. She blogs with her mom Beth Woodson on Design Chic, and loves connecting with fans on KristyWoodsonHarvey.com. She lives on the North Carolina coast with her husband and son where she is (always!) working on her next novel.

Photo by Jay Ackerman.

#BookReview For Whom the Belle Tolls by Jaysea Lynn @SimonSchusterCA #ForWhomTheBelleTolls #HellsBelles #JayseaLynn #SimonSchusterCA

#BookReview For Whom the Belle Tolls by Jaysea Lynn @SimonSchusterCA #ForWhomTheBelleTolls #HellsBelles #JayseaLynn #SimonSchusterCA Title: For Whom the Belle Tolls

Author: Jaysea Lynn

Series: Hell's Belles #1

Published by: Simon & Schuster Canada on May 6, 2025

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

Pages: 640

Format: Paperback

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Book Rating: 9/10

They told her to go to Hell.
She’ll go on her own terms.

Lily is less than thrilled about her arrival to the Afterlife, but what awaits her is more fantastical than she ever could have imagined. Deities wait in line at the coffee shop. Fae flit between realms. Souls find ways to make death a beginning.

As Lily explores everything the Afterlife has to offer, she finds herself drawn to a place most people would rather avoid at all Hell.

What she discovers there subverts everything she’s ever learned, and Lily realizes the demons working at the gate to guide souls need help—badly. Armed with years of customer service experience and pent-up sarcasm, Lily carves out a place for herself among the demons, confronting, sassing, and aiding the spectrum of humanity to redefine justice and redemption.

A chance meeting with Bel, a demon general with a distractingly sexy voice, sparks an immediate and deeply healing friendship. However, the undeniable heat between them simmers, and it’s only a matter of time before it combusts.

Meanwhile, something stirs beyond the boundaries of their world, threatening to destroy everything they’ve ever known and everything that could be… unless they fight like Hell to stop it.


Review:

Humorous, sexy, and exceptionally creative!

For Whom the Belle Tolls is a unique, passionate tale that sweeps you away to the afterlife and into the life of Lily as she tackles with gusto an early death, a new role as a customer service agent for souls in hell, an ever-increasing attraction to an irresistible demon, and her affection for a little girl who is in desperate need of stability and love.

The prose is descriptive and light. The characters are kind, loyal, and fierce. And the plot is a captivating tale full of life, death, loyalty, duty, heartbreak, danger, family, friendship, love, sizzling tension, war, and supernatural phenomena.

Overall, For Whom the Belle Tolls is an engrossing, steamy, highly entertaining tale by Lynn that is the perfect choice for anyone who loves a dab of romance, a little spice, and a whole slew of paranormal, unconventional fun.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Jaysea Lynn

Jaysea Lynn was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. After graduating from college, she purchased and lived aboard a thirty-five-foot sailboat for eight years, during which she found success with Hell’s Belles, her comedy/drama skit series on TikTok (@Sea.Ya.Later), and gained the confidence to share her lifelong passion of writing. She can often be found with her nose in a book, going for walks, embarking on random adventures, or trying to make the perfect cup of coffee (with mixed success).

Photography by Happy Hour

#BookReview Plays Well with Others by Lauren Myracle @BlackstoneAudio #LaurenMyracle #PlaysWellWithOthers #BlackstonePublishing #BlackstoneInsiders

#BookReview Plays Well with Others by Lauren Myracle @BlackstoneAudio #LaurenMyracle #PlaysWellWithOthers #BlackstonePublishing #BlackstoneInsiders Title: Plays Well with Others

Author: Lauren Myracle

Published by: Blackstone Publishing on Jun. 10, 2025

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 288

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Blackstone Publishing

Book Rating: 8/10

Perfect for fans of Laura Dave and Ashley Audrain, Plays Well with Others is a delicious domestic thriller that explores neighborhood secrets, dangerous friendships, and truths too dark to be acknowledged … even to ourselves.

One year after her ex–best friend posted their private correspondence on social media, good girl Jake Nolan is still reeling. Thanks to Shelby’s betrayal, Jake lost her job, her house, and her husband, not to mention a cherished friendship that turned out to be built on deceit. Circle Shelby; cross out Jake.

But enough is enough, and after moving into a bungalow on idyllic Sweetwater Lane, Jake decides to retaliate by doing some crossing out of her own. When her brand-new friend and neighbor Mabel admits to also having an enemy, they decide to join forces. Why not, since they’re both itching for revenge?

Only they’re not the only ones. It seems that everyone on Sweetwater Lane is nursing a grudge or two, and although most of the grievances are trivial, a few sprout fangs. While Jake and Mabel’s revenge game begins as a series of giddy pranks, the stakes become deadly when uninvited participants join the fun.


Review:

Suspenseful, disturbing, and tight!

Plays Well with Others is a tempestuous, edgy thriller that takes us to the coveted Sweetwater Lane, where abuse is hidden, drama is high, gossip is rampant, marriages have ended, lives are messily intertwined, and very soon some of the residents may be injured or even dead.

The prose is brisk and sharp. The characters are tormented, troubled, and conflicted. And the plot is an unsettling tale filled with family, friendship, lies, deception, scandal, tragedy, infidelity, suspicions, revelations, mayhem, neglect, inappropriate behaviours, jealousy, and violence.

Overall, Plays Well with Others is a dark, twisty, compelling adult fiction debut by Myracle that delves into the emotional, psychological, and physical effects long-term manipulation, control, and abuse can have on children.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

        

 

 

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Lauren Myracle

Lauren Myracle was born in Brevard, North Carolina. She grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and earned a BA in English and Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She later earned an MA in English from Colorado State University, where she taught for two years, and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College. Since then, she has written many books for children and young adults, including the best-selling Internet Girls books: ttyl, ttfn and l8r, g8r, and the Winnie Years series.

#BookReview One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune @CarleyFortune @PenguinCanada #OneGoldenSummer #CarleyFortune #PenguinReads #PenguinCanada

#BookReview One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune @CarleyFortune @PenguinCanada #OneGoldenSummer #CarleyFortune #PenguinReads #PenguinCanada Title: One Golden Summer

Author: Carley Fortune

Published by: Viking on May 6, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 400

Format: Paperback

Source: Penguin Random House

Book Rating: 10/10

I never anticipated Charlie Florek.

Good things happen at the lake. That’s what Alice’s grandmother says, and it’s true. Alice spent just one summer at a cottage with Nan when she was seventeen—it’s where she took that photo, the one of three grinning teenagers in a yellow speedboat, the image that changed her life.

Now Alice lives behind a lens. As a photographer, she’s most comfortable on the sidelines, letting other people shine. Lately though, she’s been itching for something more, and when Nan falls and breaks her hip, Alice comes up with a plan for them both: another summer in that magical place, Barry’s Bay. But as soon as they settle in, their peace is disrupted by the roar of a familiar yellow boat, and the man driving it.

Charlie Florek was nineteen when Alice took his photo from afar. Now he’s all grown up—a shameless flirt, who manages to make Nan laugh and Alice long to be seventeen again, when life was simpler, when taking pictures was just for fun. Sun-slanted days and warm nights out on the lake with Charlie are a balm for Alice’s soul, but when she looks up and sees his piercing green gaze directly on her, she begins to worry for her heart.

Because Alice sees people—that’s why she is so good at what she does—but she’s never met someone who looks and sees her right back.


Review:

Enchanting, tender, and sentimental!

One Golden Summer is a beautiful, heartwarming, affecting story that sweeps you away to Barry’s Bay and into an immersive tale where friendships are developed, memories are cherished, secrets are unearthed, lives are remembered, and love is forged and savoured.

The prose is rich and vivid. The characters are helpful, dependable, and loyal. And the plot is a heartfelt, delightful mix of friendship, family, introspection, love, support, secrets, heartbreak, community, new beginnings, and special summer moments.

Overall, One Golden Summer is a fresh, sophisticated, addictive novel with irresistible characters that I devoured from start to finish. I’m a huge fan of Carley Fortune, and this novel didn’t disappoint. It enthralled, captivated, and amused me, and I highly recommend it be on top of everyone’s summer 2025 TBR pile.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to Penguin Canada for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Carley Fortune

CARLEY FORTUNE is the New York Times and #1 Globe and Mail bestselling au­thor of Every Summer After and Meet Me at the Lake. She’s also an award-winning Canadian journalist who has worked as an editor for Refinery29, The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine, and Toronto Life. She lives in Toronto with her husband and two sons.

Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani

#BookReview Realm of Thieves by Karina Halle @acebookspub @PenguinRandomCA #RealmOfThieves #KarinaHalle #ThievesOfDragemore #AcePub #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

#BookReview Realm of Thieves by Karina Halle @acebookspub @PenguinRandomCA #RealmOfThieves #KarinaHalle #ThievesOfDragemore #AcePub #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: Realm of Thieves

Author: Karina Halle

Series: Thieves of Dragemore #1

Published by: Ace on Jun. 10, 2025

Genres: Fantasy

Pages: 432

Format: Paperback

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Two thieves vie for dominance in the illegal dragon egg trade, putting both their lives and their hearts on the line in this scorching romantasy from New York Timesbestselling author Karina Halle.

For Brynla Aihr, crime and survival have always gone hand in hand. Ever since she escaped the fanatical dragon-worshipping cult that controls her homeland, she’s had to carve out a life doing the unthinkable: stealing dragon eggs. Egg theft is illegal and, in most cases, fatal. To breach a dragon’s nest means a harrowing journey through the ancient wards spelled to keep the monstrous beasts confined. Dragons can’t get out and only those with a death wish can get in.

Despite the risks, dragon eggs are highly coveted for their magic. An illegal trade flourishes under competing criminal empires, and Brynla’s loyalty has always been to the highest bidder. Until she finds herself kidnapped and blackmailed by Lord Andor, a formidable lieutenant of House Kolbeck, and thrust into the dangerous political games of rivaling dynasties.
 
Brynla and Andor clash at every turn, sparking heat in ways Brynla’s never felt before. But in a world that’s prophesized to return to the dragons, and rife with betrayal and secrets at every turn…how close to the flames is she willing to stand?


Review:

Riveting, spicy, and action-packed!

Realm of Thieves is a suspenseful, passionate tale that takes us to a world where dragons are trapped, dangerous, and their eggs are in high demand, and where the orphan, Brynla, with her ability to steal the eggs has lived quite an independent life until her her world gets turned upside down when she is kidnapped by Lord Andor, and the the attraction between them is hot enough to burn them both.

The prose is intense and seductive. The characters are complex, gifted, and unique. And the plot is a fierce tale full of twists, turns, passion, angst, fury, loyalty, heartbreak, duty, sizzling tension, violence, secrets, tormented pasts, and supernatural abilities.

Overall, Realm of Thieves is a gripping, imaginative, highly entertaining tale by Halle that is bursting with determination, grit, battles, heat, adventure, sexual chemistry, politics, rivals, and other magical elements. It kept me invested and engaged from the very first page and has left me counting down the days until I have the opportunity to read the next novel in the Thieves of Dragemor series to discover whether the dragons will once again rule the world. 

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to Ace for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Karina Halle

Karina Halle is a screenwriter, former music & travel journalist, and the New York Times bestselling author of Realm of Thieves, River of Shadows & The Royals Next Door, as well as 80 other romances across all sub-genres, ranging from spicy rom coms to gothic horror and dark fantasy. Needless to say, whatever you're into, she's probably written an HEA for it. When she's not traveling, she, her husband, and their pup Perry, split their time between a possibly haunted 120 year-old house in Victoria, BC, and their not-haunted condo in Los Angeles.

#BookReview Just Beachy by Wendy Wax @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #JustBeachy #WendyWax #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

#BookReview Just Beachy by Wendy Wax @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #JustBeachy #WendyWax #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: Just Beachy

Author: Wendy Wax

Published by: Berkley on Jun. 3, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 304

Format: Paperback

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 7.5/10

After losing her long-time acting gig on the hit show Murder 101, Sydney Ryan decides she needs a break from Hollywood politics. She heads to Treasure Island, Florida where her grandmother has been visiting and now refuses to leave. Sydney’s plan to lay low for a bit quickly goes awry though, as she is swept up in her grandmother’s now flourishing social life—Grand not only bought a new house in Casas de Flores, she’s also helping her neighbor Myra open a bookstore in Pass-a-Grille. But when someone breaks into Grand’s house repeatedly Sydney realizes her grandmother is keeping something from her.
 
Determined to ferret out the truth and protect her grandmother, Sydney enlists the help of the Ten Beach Road ladies and Luke, a local police officer who was once her high school crush. While Sydney puts her television crime solving skills to the test, she decides to act on the sizzling chemistry between her and Luke. And as Sydney spends more sunsets toasting to true friends and new romance, she begins to wonder if the sun is setting on her time in Hollywood and if this town could be the dawn of a new chapter.


Review:

Spirited, enticing, and witty!

Just Beachy is an amusing, engaging tale featuring the unmoored actress Sydney Ryan who, after being dumped from her long-running series, heads to Florida to hang out with her grandmother, only to discover that something sinister is going on and she may need some help from her old high school flame to figure out exactly what it is.

The prose is light and sweet. The characters are intelligent, relentless, and impulsive. And the plot is a flirty, entertaining blend of friendship, family, chemistry, attraction, tricky situations, self-discovery, family, intrigue, happiness, and romance.

Overall, Just Beachy is a charming, humorous, breezy tale by Wax that did a wonderful job of mixing a sliver of mystery with some lighthearted, romantic fun.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to Berkley Romance for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Wendy Wax

Wendy Wax, a former broadcaster, is the author of sixteen novels and two novellas, including The Break-Up Book Club, My Ex–Best Friend’s Wedding, Best Beach Ever, One Good Thing, Sunshine Beach, A Week at the Lake, While We Were Watching Downton Abbey, The House on Mermaid Point, Ocean Beach, and Ten Beach Road. The mother of two grown sons, she has left the suburbs of Atlanta for an in-town high-rise, that is eerily similar to the fictional high-rise she created in her 2013 release, While We Were Watching Downton Abbey.

Photo by Joanna Souza

#BookReview Chasing Shadows by Robert Bryndza @RobertBryndza #ChasingShadows #RobertBryndza #DetectiveErikaFoster

#BookReview Chasing Shadows by Robert Bryndza @RobertBryndza #ChasingShadows #RobertBryndza #DetectiveErikaFoster Title: Chasing Shadows

Author: Robert Bryndza

Series: Detective Erika Foster #9

Published by: Raven Street Publishing on Jun. 5, 2025

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Police Procedural

Pages: 370

Format: Hardcover

Source: Robert Bryndza

Book Rating: 10/10

In a deadly game of cat and mouse, Detective Erika Foster confronts her greatest nemesis—where the lines of justice blur and secrets unravel.

A collapsed ceiling. A dead body. What starts as a routine 999 call takes an unexpected twist when Detective Chief Inspector Erika Foster arrives on the scene and discovers the body of a woman in an empty flat, with all DNA evidence scrubbed away. When forensics find cocaine residue coating every surface of the ceiling, Erika calls in the drug dogs, who lead her to a mysterious parcel locker on the outside wall of the property. Chasing down the locker’s owner leads Erika back where she never expected to be – staring into the eyes of Jerome Goodman, the drug dealer who murdered her husband, Mark, ten years ago.

She arrests him on the spot, but there’s just one problem. His passport and his solicitor say his name is Kieron Bagshaw, and his record is squeaky clean.

With top brass demanding she take leave to deal with her PTSD and even her closest colleagues questioning her sanity, Erika decides to use the time off to do some digging of her own. Trawling for clues through old newspapers, encrypted messages, and secret underground passageways, Erika makes a series of shocking discoveries that move Mark’s murder from cold case to active investigation, all while flying under the Met’s radar.

The revelations will push Erika to the brink, forcing her to confront the trauma of her past and the truth about what happened the day Mark died – and who among her friends was involved from the shadows.


Review:

Dark, gritty, and fast-paced!

Chasing Shadows is a thrilling, ominous tale that takes you back into the life of DCI Erika Foster as the past suddenly collides with the present when an investigation into the death of an unidentified woman shockingly brings her face-to-face with the man who destroyed her life and murdered her fellow officers, including her husband ten years ago.

The writing is tight and intense. The characters are layered, secretive, and persistent. And the plot is an engrossing tale full of twists, turns, secrets, surprises, suspects, deduction, corruption, manipulation, trauma, deception, violence, murder, and closure.

For the past several years, Robert Bryndza’s books have topped my must-read favourites list, and even though I didn’t think it was possible to love his books any more than I already did, he proved me wrong once again. Chasing Shadows is thriller writing at its best and is hands down my new favourite novel in this brilliant series I can’t get enough of.

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

     

 

 

Thank you to Robert Bryndza for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Robert Bryndza

Robert Bryndza is an international bestselling author, best known for his page-turning crime and thriller novels, which have sold over four million copies in the English language.

His crime debut, The Girl in the Ice was released in February 2016, introducing Detective Chief Inspector Erika Foster. Within five months it sold one million copies, reaching number one in the Amazon UK, USA and Australian charts. To date, The Girl in the Ice has sold over 1.5 million copies in the English language and has been sold into translation in 29 countries. It was nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Mystery & Thriller (2016), the Grand prix des lectrices de Elle in France (2018), and it won two reader voted awards, The Thrillzone Awards best debut thriller in The Netherlands (2018) and The Dead Good Papercut Award for best page turner at the Harrogate Crime Festival (2016).

Robert has released a further five novels in the Erika Foster series, The Night Stalker, Dark Water, Last Breath, Cold Blood and Deadly Secrets, all of which have been global bestsellers, and in 2017 Last Breath was a Goodreads Choice Award nominee for Mystery and Thriller.

Most recently, Robert created a new crime thriller series based around the central character Kate Marshall, a police officer turned private detective. The first book, Nine Elms, was an Amazon USA #1 bestseller and an Amazon UK top five bestseller, and the series has been sold into translation in 18 countries. The second book in the series is the global bestselling, Shadow Sands and the third book, Darkness Falls, has just been published.

Robert was born in Lowestoft, on the east coast of England. He studied at Aberystwyth University, and the Guildford School of Acting, and was an actor for several years, but didn’t find success until he took a play he’d written to the Edinburgh Festival. This led to the decision to change career and start writing. He self-published a bestselling series of romantic comedy novels, before switching to writing crime. Robert lives with his husband in Slovakia, and is lucky enough to write full-time.

#BookReview The Manual for Good Wives by Lola Jaye @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #TheManualForGoodWives #LolaJaye #PGCBooks

#BookReview The Manual for Good Wives by Lola Jaye @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #TheManualForGoodWives #LolaJaye #PGCBooks Title: The Manual for Good Wives

Author: Lola Jaye

Published by: Pan Macmillan on May 6, 2025

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 400

Format: Hardcover

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Everything about Adeline Copplefield is a lie . . .

To the world Mrs Copplefield is the epitome of Victorian propriety: an exemplary society lady who writes a weekly column advising young ladies on how to be better wives.

Only Adeline has never been a good wife or mother; she has no claim to the Copplefield name, nor is she an English lady . . .

Now a black woman, born in Africa, who dared to pretend to be something she was not, is on trial in the English courts with all of London society baying for her blood. And she is ready to tell her story . . .

From the author of The Attic Child, Lola Jaye, comes The Manual for Good Wives, a dual narrative historical novel about love, generational trauma, second chances and hope.


Review:

Rich, compelling, and alluring!

The Manual for Good Wives is predominately set in England during the 1800s, as well as present day, and is told from two different perspectives. Temi, an African woman born of noble blood who, after being forced to marry a man she does not love, flees to the UK to start a new life, leaving her husband and daughter behind, and Landri, a young woman who, after having doubts about her new fiancé, heads to her ancestral home where she discovers more about herself and her family history than she ever could have imagined.

The prose is eloquent and expressive. The characters are intelligent, determined, and independent. And the plot is a moving tale about life, loss, love, trauma, emotion, betrayal, family, friendship, heartbreak, resiliency, and courage.

Overall, The Manual for Good Wives is a heart-tugging, absorbing, empowering tale by Jaye that is a wonderful choice for anyone who enjoys a dual timeline historical story that also includes a sliver of mystery and a touch of romance.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to PGC Books for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Lola Jaye

Lola Jaye is an author and psychotherapist who has penned seven novels and a self-help book. She was born and raised in London, England and has lived in Nigeria and the United States.

The Attic Child, released in 2022, was her first epic historical novel and has since been nominated for the Jhalak Prize and shortlisted for The Diverse Book Awards.

#BookReview The Passengers on the Hankyu Line by Hiro Arikawa (translated by Allison Markin Powell) @BerkleyPub @PenguinRandomCA #ThePassengersOnTheHankyuLine #HiroArikawa #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

#BookReview The Passengers on the Hankyu Line by Hiro Arikawa (translated by Allison Markin Powell) @BerkleyPub @PenguinRandomCA #ThePassengersOnTheHankyuLine #HiroArikawa #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: The Passengers on the Hankyu Line

Author: Hiro Arikawa

Published by: Berkley on Jun. 3, 2025

Genres: General Fiction

Pages: 256

Format: Hardcover

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 8/10

Welcome aboard the Hankyu Line train!

Come along on a heartwarming, funny, and perfectly cozy voyage with the charming and relatable passengers—including one dashing dachshund—whose lives intersect and affect each other on one of Japan’s most romantic railway lines from international bestselling author Hiro Arikawa.

Between the two beautiful towns of Takarazuka and Nishinomiya, in a stunning mountainous area of Japan, rattles the Hankyu Line train. Passengers step on and off, lost in thought, contemplating the tiny knots of their existence. On the outward journey, we are introduced to the emotional dilemmas of five characters, and on the return journey six months later, we watch them find resolutions.

A young man meets the young woman who always happens to borrow a library book just before he can check it out himself, a woman in a white bridal dress boards looking inexplicably sad, a university student heads home after class, a girl prepares to leave her abusive boyfriend, and an old lady discusses adopting a dog with her granddaughter.

With stories that crisscross like the railway lines, the Hankyu train trundles on, propelling the lives and loves of its passengers ever forward.


Review:

Sincere, poignant, and compelling!

The Passengers on the Hankyu Line is a pensive, heart-tugging novel that takes you into the lives of a handful of people, each with their own struggles, troubles, and heartbreaks as their worlds become momentarily intertwined while travelling on a train heading from Takarazuka to Nishinomiya.

The prose is eloquent and insightful. The characters are unique, sympathetic, and endearing. And the plot is an absorbing tale of life, love, friendship, support, generosity, honesty, guidance, acceptance, forgiveness, romance, humour, introspection, and loss.

Overall, The Passengers on the Hankyu Line is a reflective, touching, heartwarming tale by Arikawa that reminds us of what’s truly important in life and highlights the sheer power of kindness and compassion.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to Berkley for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Hiro Arikawa

Hiro Arikawa is a renowned author from Tokyo. Her novel The Travelling Cat Chronicles is a bestseller in Japan and has been published around the world.

#BookReview Things Left Unsaid by Sara Jafari @StMartinsPress #ThingsLeftUnsaid #SaraJafari #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers

#BookReview Things Left Unsaid by Sara Jafari @StMartinsPress #ThingsLeftUnsaid #SaraJafari #StMartinsPress #SMPInfluencers Title: Things Left Unsaid

Author: Sara Jafari

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Apr. 15, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 320

Format: Hardcover

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8/10

When twenty-six year old Shirin Bayat bumps into Kian at a house party in London, she is taken aback by the immediate feelings that resurface. It’s been a decade since they were close friends at school, before painful events pulled them apart, suddenly and seemingly forever. Ever since, Shirin has lived with the aching weight of things left unsaid between them.

Now they’re back in each other’s lives, at a time when Shirin needs someone she can trust the most. Feeling stuck in a sea of slippery friendships and deeply burned out by her publishing job, Kian is a bright light amongst a sea of gray. There’s nothing worse than losing the person you trust most with your deepest secrets and desires, and Shirin and Kian are determined to hold tightly to each other.

But of course, life often has other plans. Will it be different this time around, or are Shirin and Kian destined to fall apart once more?


Review:

Evocative, angsty, and heartfelt!

Things Left Unsaid is a heartwarming, touching story that immerses you in a tale about confronting the past, taking risks, being true to one’s self, following your heart, and the importance of never losing sight of your own wants, needs, and dreams.

The writing is raw and impassioned. The characters are flawed, troubled, and endearing, And the plot is an engaging tale about life, heartbreak, forgiveness, friendship, family, courage, past hurts, secrets, happiness, and unconditional love.

Overall, Things Left Unsaid is an uplifting, emotive, alluring story by Jafari that reminds us that everyone who enters our lives, no matter the length of time, shapes and defines us.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Sara Jafari

Sara Jafari is a London-based British Iranian author of the novels The Mismatch and Things Left Unsaid. She is a contributor to I Will Not Be Erased and the romance anthology Who’s Loving You. Jafari also works as an editor and runs TOKEN magazine, which showcases writing and artwork by underrepresented writers and artists.

Photo Credit: Melissa Legarda