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#BookReview The Unwritten Rules of Magic by Harper Ross @StMartinsPress #TheUnwrittenRulesOfMagicNovel #HarperRoss #SMPInfluencers #StMartinsPress

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#BookReview The Unwritten Rules of Magic by Harper Ross @StMartinsPress #TheUnwrittenRulesOfMagicNovel #HarperRoss #SMPInfluencers #StMartinsPress Title: The Unwritten Rules of Magic

Author: Harper Ross

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Jan. 27, 2026

Genres: Fantasy, Women's Fiction

Pages: 320

Format: Hardcover

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8/10

For fans of The Midnight Library and In Five Years, The Unwritten Rules of Magic is a spellbinding novel that blends magic and memory in an unforgettable journey through love, grief, and the hidden cost of perfection across three generations of women.

Emerson Clarke can’t remember a time when she felt in control. Her father—a celebrated author—was a chaotic force until he got Alzheimer’s. Her mother turned to gin. And recently, her teen daughter has shut her out without explanation. If only she could arrange reality the same way she controls the stories she ghostwrites, life could be perfect.

Or so she thinks.

After her father’s funeral, Emerson steals his vintage typewriter—the one he’d forbidden anyone to touch—and tests its keys by typing out a frivolous wish. When it comes true the very next day, she tries another. Then, those words also spring to life. Suddenly, she becomes obsessed with using the typewriter to rewrite happiness for herself and her daughter.

But the more she shapes her real-life, the more she uncovers disturbing truths about her family’s history and the unexpected cost of every story-come-true. She should destroy the typewriter, yet when her daughter’s secret finally emerges, Emerson is torn between paying the price for bending fate and embracing the uncertainty of an unscripted life.

Review:

Compelling, nuanced, and thought-provoking!

The Unwritten Rules of Magic is a heartfelt, alluring story that immerses you into the lives of three generations of women in the Clarke family, along with all the secrets, smiles, tears, wounds, compassion, misery, and strength that have surrounded them over the years.

The prose is fluid and expressive. The characters are troubled, wounded, and secretive. And the plot unfolds as a tender exploration of life, loss, love, grief, forgiveness, familial drama, friendship, hope, heartbreak, expectations, disappointment, and the unbreakable bonds that tie us as family.

Overall, The Unwritten Rules of Magic is an immersive, compelling multigenerational family saga by Ross that reminds us life is made up of complicated, messy, challenging, and heartbreaking moments, and that the true magic of life lies in simply living it.

This book 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 Harper Ross

Harper Ross has enjoyed a lifelong love affair with the dramatic story worlds in books and movies. After leaving her legal practice to raise her kids, she discovered her own creative side and began writing novels that explore friendship, family, and forgiveness. Because she also appreciates the magic in everyday life—from the spark of attraction to those serendipitous moments we all experience—you’ll find a dash of that in her work too. When she’s not at the keyboard, she’s likely to be singing badly in her car, dancing in her kitchen, or walking her adorable dog, Mo. She’s also a lucky wife and mother to a very patient and supportive family.

Photo Credit: Kate Kahut.

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#BookReview Saoirse by Charleen Hurtubise @CeladonBooks #SaoirseNovel #CharleenHurtubise #CealdonReads

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#BookReview Saoirse by Charleen Hurtubise @CeladonBooks #SaoirseNovel #CharleenHurtubise #CealdonReads Title: Saoirse

Author: Charleen Hurtubise

Published by: Celadon Books on Feb. 24, 2026

Genres: Literary Fiction

Pages: 256

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Celadon Books

Book Rating: 9/10

For readers of Colm Tóibín and Claire Keegan, Saoirse is a powerful novel set between the United States and Ireland about a woman who runs from her traumatic past and the secrets she carries to survive.

In Michigan, Sarah’s childhood was defined by fear and silence. As a teenager, she saw a chance to escape and took it. Now, in 1999, she is an artist living on the rugged coast of Donegal, Ireland, where she is known as Saoirse (pronounced Sear-sha)—a name that sounds like the sea and means freedom in the language of her adopted country. And free is precisely how she is finally beginning to feel. Her partner and two beloved daughters are regular subjects of her paintings, and together they have made the safe home she always longed for. But Saoirse’s secrets haunt her. No one must learn of the identity she has stolen in order to survive; they cannot know of the dangers that she crossed an ocean to escape.

When her artwork wins unexpected acclaim at a Dublin exhibition, the spotlight of fame threatens to unravel the careful lies that hold her world together. Journalists and admirers begin to ask questions about the mysterious artist from Donegal, and she fears the unwanted publicity will expose all that she has done.

Saoirse is an evocative, suspenseful exploration of the intimate relationship between art and life and the lies we tell ourselves in the name of reinvention.

Review:

Simmering, layered, and dramatic!
⁣
Saoirse is an immersive, compelling tale that draws readers into the life of Sarah Roy, a young woman from Michigan who, after a traumatic childhood, reinvents herself in Ireland using a stolen identity until the secrets of her past begin to surface, threatening the new life and the love she has built.

The prose is nuanced and rich. The characters are strong, conflicted, and secretive. And the plot unfolds into a captivating story of life, loss, love, trauma, abuse, betrayal, family, friendship, heartbreak, resilience, art, mystique, and courage.
⁣
Overall, Saoirse is an intricate, absorbing, intriguing novel by Hurtubise that’s perfect for readers like me who enjoy multi-timeline stories with a touch of mystery and a dab of romance.

 

This book is available now.

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

         

 

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

 

About Charleen Hurtubise

Charleen Hurtubise is author of The Polite Act of Drowning. Saoirse is her US debut novel. She has a graduate degree from Trinity College in Dublin and an MFA in creative writing from University College Dublin, where she has facilitated creative writing seminars. Born in Florida to a French-Canadian father and an Irish mother, she spent much of her childhood in Michigan, her early adult years in Boston, and has now lived half of her life in Ireland, which is home. She lives in Dublin but the pull of Donegal and its mesmerizing landscapes influence both her writing and her visual arts practice.

Photo Credit: Donnchadh Ó Dúill & Sarah Jane Hurtubise

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#BookReview The Afterparty by Ruth Kelly @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #TheAfterparty #RuthKelly #PGCBooks

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#BookReview The Afterparty by Ruth Kelly @PGCBooks @panmacmillan #TheAfterparty #RuthKelly #PGCBooks Title: The Afterparty

Author: Ruth Kelly

Published by: Pan Macmillan on Feb. 3, 2026

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback

Source: Publishers Group Canada

Book Rating: 7.5/10

She was your best friend. Now she’s missing. And everyone suspects you.

People drift apart. You and Georgie were inseparable once; she knew you better than anyone. But that was then.

Now, out of the blue, Georgie’s back. She’s inviting you to a glamorous New Year’s Eve afterparty in Amsterdam – a chance to relive the good old days and the fun you used to have.

You go. You laugh. You remember.

But then Georgie vanishes.

And just like that, you’re the prime suspect.

She knows all your secrets – the ones you’ve managed to bury. But as the clock ticks and the accusations mount, you’re left with one terrifying how well do you really know her?

Review:

Menacing, dark, and suspenseful!

The Afterparty is a tight, sinister tale that draws us into the life of Becca, a young woman who, after reconnecting with an old friend on New Year’s Eve, suddenly finds herself the prime suspect in a possible murder when her friend disappears without a trace during the night’s festivities.

The prose is intense and ominous. The characters are troubled, vulnerable, and secretive. And the plot, told from multiple perspectives, unravels briskly into an unpredictable story of deception, lies, drama, manipulation, abuse, desperation, and the obsessive nature of social media.
 

Overall, The Afterparty is a complex, twisty, gritty thriller by Kelly that serves as a chilling reminder of just how low some people will go for a little taste of fame and fortune.

 

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 Ruth Kelly

Ruth Kelly is an award-winning journalist who has ghosted a string of Sunday Times top ten bestsellers - most recently The Prison Doctor, which sold over 250,000 copies, and The Governor, which went straight in at number one on the Amazon charts and number five in the Sunday Times bestseller list. The Villa is Ruth's debut thriller. She's drawn inspiration from her years working as a reporter for national newspapers as well as her experience writing for TV shows, most notably with Endemol, the creators of the original reality show Big Brother.

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#BookReview This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page @BerkleyRomance @PenguinCanada #ThisBookMadeMeThinkOfYou #Libby Page #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

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#BookReview This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page @BerkleyRomance @PenguinCanada #ThisBookMadeMeThinkOfYou #Libby Page #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: This Book Made Me Think of You

Author: Libby Page

Published by: Berkley on Feb. 3, 2026

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction

Pages: 416

Format: Hardcover

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 10/10

Twelve stories. Twelve months. Once chance to heal her heart…

When Tilly Nightingale receives a call telling her there’s a birthday gift from her fiancé waiting for her at her local bookshop, it couldn’t come as more of a shock. Partly because she can’t remember the last time she read a book for pleasure. Mainly because Joe died five months ago…

The gift is simple – twelve carefully-chosen books from Joe, one for each month, to help her turn the page on her first year without him.

Tilly sets out on a series of reading-inspired adventures that take her around the world. But as she begins to vlog her journey, her story becomes more than her own. With help from Alfie, the bookshop owner, her budding new following and her friends and family, can Tilly’s year of books show her how to love again?

Review:

Quaint, absorbing, and sweet!

This Book Made Me Think of You is a heartfelt, uplifting tale set in Primrose Hill, London, that draws readers into the lives of Tilly Nightingale, a young widow still grappling with the loss of her husband and the all-consuming grief thats preventing her from moving on, and Alfie Lane, a bookshop owner struggling to keep his family business afloat while also trying to fulfil a dying man’s final wishes.

The prose is genuine and fluid. The characters are heartbroken, hesitant, and kind. And the plot is an addictive, alluring blend of friendship, family, life, loss, introspection, support, forgiveness, community, new beginnings, love, and the healing power of books.

Overall, This Book Made Me Think of You is a charming, hopeful, beautifully written novel by Page that showcases her exceptional ability to create endearing, multilayered characters and engaging, heart-tugging storylines that captivate from start to finish.

 

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 Libby Page

Libby Page is a Sunday Times bestselling author whose work has been published in over 20 territories around the world. Before becoming an author, she worked in journalism and marketing. She lives in Somerset, England, with her husband and young son.

Photo by Katherine Barnes Photography.

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#BookReview Pendergast: The Beginning by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child @GrandCentralPub #PendergastTheBeginning #PendergastSeries #DouglasPreston #LincolnChild #GCPInsider

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#BookReview Pendergast: The Beginning by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child @GrandCentralPub #PendergastTheBeginning #PendergastSeries #DouglasPreston #LincolnChild #GCPInsider Title: Pendergast: The Beginning

Series: Pendergast #23

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Jan. 27, 2026

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 384

Format: Hardcover

Source: Grand Central Publishing

Book Rating: 9/10

From the #1 New York Times bestselling duo Preston and Child comes the Agent Pendergast origin story—a golden opportunity for longtime fans and new readers to learn about Agent Pendergast’s strange and shocking first case.

It only took six months for the life of Special Agent Dwight Chambers to crumble around him. First, he lost his partner, and then, tragically, his wife. Returning to work at the New Orleans Field Office, Chambers is dismayed to find himself saddled with mentoring a brand new FBI agent—a certain A. X. L. Pendergast. As Chambers tries to pull himself together, his enigmatic and exasperating junior partner pulls an outrageous stunt that gets both of them suspended.

Pendergast welcomes the banishment, because it gives him the opportunity to investigate a peculiar murder in Mississippi that has captured his fancy. Chambers grudgingly goes along. What starts off as a whimsical quest swiftly turns into a terrifying pursuit, as Chambers and Pendergast uncover a string of grisly, ritualistic killings that defy any known serial killer profile.
 
Thanks in large part to Pendergast’s brilliance and unorthodox methods, they solve the case and find the killer… and that is when the true horror begins.

Review:

Suspenseful, addictive, and twisty!

In this twenty-third instalment in the Pendergast series, Pendergast: The Beginning, we head back in time to 1990s New Orleans, when Agent Pendergast’s career in the FBI first began with a complex case involving a serial killer with a chilling fixation on right arms.

The writing is taut and intense. The characters are meticulous, tormented, and persistent. And the plot is a suspenseful, engrossing whodunit full of twists, turns, lies, deception, revelations, obsession, depravity, violence, and murder, all interwoven with a dab of the supernatural.

Overall, Pendergast: The Beginning is an eerie, tortuous, fast-paced tale by Preston & Child that far exceeded my expectations and does an exceptional job of highlighting just how easily evil can live among us hidden behind masks of normality.

 

This book is available now.

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

             

 

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

 

#BookReview The Winter Witch by Jennifer Chevalier @SimonSchusterCA #TheWinterWitch #JenniferChevalier #SimonSchusterCA

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#BookReview The Winter Witch by Jennifer Chevalier @SimonSchusterCA #TheWinterWitch #JenniferChevalier #SimonSchusterCA Title: The Winter Witch

Author: Jennifer Chevalier

Published by: Simon & Schuster on Jan. 27, 2026

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Book Rating: 8/10

Two sisters set sail on a bride ship from Normandy hoping to leave a curse behind them and find better lives in the wilds of 17th-century Quebec, only to meet a mysterious witch who forces them to confront the truth about magic—and their past. For fans of Emilia Hart, Sarah Penner, Alix E. Harrow, Ami McKay, and Roberta Rich.

Élisabeth Jossard boards a bride ship to New France with her sister Marthe, forced to start a new life after a scandal in her village in Normandy. She’s harbouring a dark secret and hopes that by coming to Montreal—the holiest place in the world, she’s been told—the saints will hear her pleas and lift the curse that plagues her.

When Élisabeth’s prayers go unanswered and she is unable to banish the spirit she believes is tormenting her, Marthe encourages her to turn to a powerful witch for help, the enigmatic stowaway Jeanne Roy. But Jeanne has secrets of her own, and when she refuses to help, Élisabeth’s resentment kindles a dangerous fire.

Inspired by the tales of Canada’s Filles du Roi, The Winter Witch examines how lies, arrogance, and ignorance can lead to witch hunts in any society.

Review:

Atmospheric, mysterious, and immersive!⁣
⁣
The Winter Witch is a rich, fascinating tale set in seventeenth-century Quebec that draws readers into the lives of Élisabeth and Marthe Jossard, two young sisters from Normandy who journey to New France in the hope of leaving behind their losses, secrets, and curses.

The writing is eloquent and descriptive. The characters are resilient, layered, and compelling. And the story is an engaging blend of life, loss, hope, family, female friendship, betrayal, misfortune, witchcraft, and love.
⁣
Overall, The Winter Witch is a vivid, compelling, absorbing tale by Chevalier inspired by real-life events that sheds light on an often overlooked chapter of Canadian history and the struggles, resilience, and hardships of that time.

 

This book is available now.

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

         

 

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

 

About Jennifer Chevalier

Jennifer Chevalier worked for several years at the BBC in London before moving home to Ottawa where she is currently the showrunner for CBC Radio’s long-running weekly political affairs program, The House. The journalism and documentaries she’s led have won a Gracie, several RTDNAs, and a CAJ Award for investigative journalism. She lives in Ottawa with her husband and two children.

Photograph © Angela Gordon.

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#BookReview Sunk in Love by Heather McBreen @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #SunkInLove #HeatherMcBreen #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

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#BookReview Sunk in Love by Heather McBreen @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #SunkInLove #HeatherMcBreen #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: Sunk in Love

Author: Heather McBreen

Published by: Berkley on Jan. 27, 2026

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 432

Format: Paperback

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 9/10

A second chance at love sets sail when a couple on the verge of divorce pretends they’re still together for one last family trip, from the author of Wedding Dashers.

Roslyn and Liam met nine years ago and have been the perfect couple ever since. Through every up and down, every milestone—from Liam’s residency to the publication of Roslyn’s debut romance—they’ve been each other’s rock. Until now.

Pulled apart by the untimely death of Roslyn’s mom and the undertow of grief, they’re now navigating the final wave in their marriage: divorce.

Heartbroken and unsure how to tell her family she’s called it quits with everyone’s favorite son-in-law, Roslyn keeps the impending split to herself. But when Roslyn’s grandparents ask if Liam can officiate their vow renewal ceremony aboard a Hawaiian cruise during their annual vacation, Roslyn needs to tell the truth or figure out a way to keep her secret. A week trapped at sea with her ex isn’t ideal, but neither Roslyn nor Liam want to rock the boat, so they concoct a plan—they’ll fake it.

After five years of marriage, they can figure out how to pretend for jungle hikes and mai tais, right? But when reality and make believe starts to blur, and old feelings begin to resurface, Roslyn and Liam have to decide whether it’s sink or swim for their marriage.

Review:

Romantic, hopeful, and sweet!

Sunk in Love is a charming second-chance romance that draws you into the life of Roslyn, a floundering, grief-stricken woman reeling from the tragic loss of her mother and the decision to step away from her marriage until a trip to Hawaii with her extended family forces her to share a cabin with her husband and pretend to still be happily married.

The writing is warm and fluid. The characters are kind, caring, and endearing. And the plot unfolds as a touching tale of family, friendship, self-discovery, healing, communication, new beginnings, tender moments, gentle drama, and heartfelt revelations.

Overall, Sunk in Love is a tender, uplifting, emotionally satisfying read by McBreen that beautifully balances poignant dilemmas with plenty of lighthearted fun, and I absolutely loved it.

 

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 Heather McBreen

Heather McBreen currently lives in Seattle, WA, but spent the best year of her life living in London where she completed an MA degree in arts and cultural management. When she's not writing or reading books about kissing, she can be found surfing the web for travel deals and plotting her next adventure. Wedding Dashers was her debut novel.

Photo by Almodine Thompson.

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#BlogTour #BookReview The Dragon’s Daughter by Jade Everhart #TheDragonsDaughter #JadeEverhart #TheVillainsOfWolfHollowSeries #KindleUnlimited #DarkRomance

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#BlogTour #BookReview The Dragon’s Daughter by Jade Everhart #TheDragonsDaughter #JadeEverhart #TheVillainsOfWolfHollowSeries #KindleUnlimited #DarkRomance Title: The Dragon's Daughter

Author: Jade Everhart

Series: The Villains of Wolf Hollow #2

Published by: Independently Published on Jan. 19, 2026

Genres: Dark Romance

Pages: 531

Format: Paperback

Source: Jade Everhart

Book Rating: 10/10

I knew the score when I came to Wolf Hollow.
Get in, get out with as much cash and treasure as possible. Easy, simple and nothing that I haven’t accomplished before.
Except somewhere along the way I made a wrong turn.
Now I’m trapped in a deadly game of cat and mouse with the most vicious and captivating woman I have ever met. It’s a race to the finish line and I’m not so sure I will make it out of this one alive.
I thought being the wolf meant I’m the bad guy. Now I know I was never at the top of the food chain.
That spot has always belonged to the hunter.
And Calista Drache just so happens to be looking for a new fur coat.

Review:

Enthralling, sensual, and gritty!

The Dragon’s Daughter is a spicy, seductive tale that plunges you into the dangerous world of ruggedly handsome Christopher Deville who, after heading to the notoriously perilous Wolf Hollow to pull off the biggest heist of his life, encounters a slight wrinkle in his plan when he collides with the merciless, viciously bad girl Calista Drache.

The writing is titillating and intense. The characters are multilayered, obsessive, impulsive, and combustible. And the fast-paced, unapologetically salacious plot brims with danger, desire, drama, temptation, tenderness, mystique, scorching chemistry, deception, secrets, and a sizzling, high-stakes romance.
 

I honestly don’t know how to fully convey how much I loved The Dragon’s Daughter. It completely blew me away. Exceptionally detailed, darkly intense, and wildly creative, this is a standout tale by Everhart featuring a vivid cast of quirky characters I absolutely devoured. It’s a highly recommended read and one which will undoubtedly remain one of my favourite books of 2026.

This novel is available now in paperback & KINDLE UNLIMITED.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from the following link.

 

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

 

About Jade Everhart

Jade Everhart writes heart-warming romances with flawed characters and laugh-out-loud banter. When she's not using her own terrible meet-cutes as inspiration for her next novel, Jade spends her time listening to loud music and tearing up dance floors from the prairies of Southern Alberta to the glistening beaches of Miami.

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#BookReview When We Were Brilliant by Lynn Cullen @BerkleyPub @PenguinRandomCA #WhenWeWereBrilliant #LynnCullen #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

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#BookReview When We Were Brilliant by Lynn Cullen @BerkleyPub @PenguinRandomCA #WhenWeWereBrilliant #LynnCullen #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: When We Were Brilliant

Author: Lynn Cullen

Published by: Berkley on Jan. 20, 2026

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 400

Format: Hardcover

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 9/10

They were an unlikely pair—a blond bombshell and a photographer determined to be taken seriously—but Marilyn Monroe and Eve Arnold would make a deal that would change their lives in this dazzling new novel from the national bestselling author of Mrs. Poe and The Woman with the Cure.

In 1952, Norma Jeane Baker follows documentary photographer Eve Arnold into a powder room on the night they first meet. She has a proposition for her. Norma Jeane created Marilyn Monroe to be photographed, and she wants Eve to do it. Eve is better than anyone she’s seen at capturing a person’s inner truth. Together they can help each other. Together, she says, they can make something brilliant.

Skeptical of this cipher of a young woman, Eve demurs. She’s looking for more serious subjects than this ambitious starlet. But she keeps getting drawn back into Marilyn’s orbit, and the women come to recognize something in each other—something fundamental. Nothing will get in the way of what they want, and when Marilyn’s star takes off to teetering heights, neither will ever be the same.

A lavish and transporting novel, When We Were Brilliant captures the halcyon days of an icon and the grit of women determining their own futures as it explores the exceptional and complicated friendship between Marilyn Monroe and Eve Arnold.

Review:

Fascinating, captivating, and rich!

When We Were Brilliant is an insightful, immersive novel set in the 1950s that draws readers into the lives of photographer Eve Arnold and her most famous subject and close friend Marilyn Monroe, through their unusual, evolving bond, the highs and lows of fame and fortune, the pressures of marriage, the ache of loss, and the toll of living under constant public scrutiny.

The prose is eloquent and expressive. The characters are hardworking, devoted, and passionate. And the plot is a compelling tale of life, love, friendship, family, glitz, glamour, jealousy, scandal, uncertainty, infidelity, ambition, and the many complexities of stardom.
 

Overall, When We Were Brilliant is a vivid, absorbing novel by Cullen that showcases her impressive research and deep understanding of both a pioneering photographer and a brilliant, misunderstood actress whose life was tragically short and painfully complicated, yet who is unfortunately too often remembered only for her beauty and sex appeal.

 

This book is available now.

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

             

 

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

 

About Lynn Cullen

Lynn Cullen’s bestselling novels, including The Woman with the Cure, The Sisters of Summit Avenue, Mrs. Poe, Twain’s End, The Creation of Eve, and Reign of Madness, have been translated into seventeen languages and are the recipients of various honors, including NPR Great Read, Oprah.com Book of the Week, People magazine Book of the Week, Indie Next List selection, and Atlanta magazine Best Books of the Year. She lives in Atlanta.

Photo by Megan Cullen Cayes.

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#BookReview Very Slowly All at Once by Lauren Schott @harperbooks #VerySlowlyAllAtOnce #LaurenSchott #HarperBooks

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#BookReview Very Slowly All at Once by Lauren Schott @harperbooks #VerySlowlyAllAtOnce #LaurenSchott #HarperBooks Title: Very Slowly All at Once

Author: Lauren Schott

Published by: Harper on Jan. 20, 2026

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 320

Format: Hardcover

Source: Harper Books

Book Rating: 8/10

A propulsive and wickedly entertaining debut thriller for fans of Laura Dave and Ashley Elston that explores the dark underside of the American dream, about a couple whose financial problems are seemingly answered when they begin receiving growing sums of money from an unknown source . . . a windfall that will carry an unthinkable price.

Mack and Hailey Evans have worked hard to achieve their upper-middle-class life: promising careers, two beautiful children, and a brand-new house in the exclusive lakefront village of Bratenahl, Ohio. Not that everything’s perfect—aging parents, problems at work, and even the upkeep on that gorgeous house have been causing these two increasing amounts of worry.

When a small check appears in the mailbox from a mysterious company named Sunshine Enterprises, Mack assumes it’s from his wealthy, estranged father, trying to buy his way back into their lives. Though he’d rather rip it up, Mack deposits the needed funds. To his surprise the checks keep coming—each for a larger amount larger than the last. When Hailey finds out what’s going on, she has her own suspicions about the provenance of the payments. Despite growing uncertainty over the identity of their benefactor Mack and Hailey keep taking the money. After all, there are bills to pay.

It is a choice with dark repercussions, as the couple soon learn the hard way that nothing in life is free. Suddenly, the Evans find themselves in a harrowing arrangement with someone who will stop at nothing to get a return on their investment.

Review:

Crafty, intricate, and suspenseful!

Very Slowly All at Once is a gritty, absorbing tale that draws you into the lives of the Evans family, who on the surface appear to have it all, until everything quickly begins to unravel, money grows tight, mysterious cheques arrive in the mail and are cashed, careers are recklessly jeopardized, their brand-new home starts to crumble around them, and it becomes chillingly clear that someone is targeting them.

The prose is tight and intense. The characters are secretive, ruthless, and impulsive. And the plot is an intriguing web of twists, turns, lies, deception, power, corruption, revelations, ambition, and manipulation.
 

Overall, Very Slowly All at Once is a cunning, entertaining, sinister debut adult novel by Schott that is a highly satisfying read and an eerie reminder of just how far some people are willing to go to get what they want.

 

This novel is available now.

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

         

 

Thank you to Harper for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Lauren Schott

Lauren Schott was born in Akron, Ohio, and is a graduate of Duke University. She has spent twenty-five years working in publishing. Very Slowly All at Once is her first novel for adults.

Photo by Claire Walsh.

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