#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 Problematic Summer Romance @PenguinRandomCA @BerkleyRomance #NotInLoveSeries #ProblematicSummerRomance #AliHazelwood #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

#BookReview Problematic Summer Romance @PenguinRandomCA @BerkleyRomance #NotInLoveSeries #ProblematicSummerRomance #AliHazelwood #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: Problematic Summer Romance

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Series: Not in Love #2

Published by: Berkley on May 27, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 416

Format: Paperback

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 10/10

What is wrong meets what feels right in this romance set in Italy by the New York Timesbestselling author of Deep End.

Maya Killgore is twenty-three and still in the process of figuring out her life.

Conor Harkness is thirty-eight, and Maya cannot stop thinking about him.

It’s such a cliché, it almost makes her heart implode: older man and younger woman; successful biotech guy and struggling grad student; brother’s best friend and the girl he never even knew existed. As Conor loves to remind her, the power dynamic is too imbalanced. Any relationship between them would be problematic in too many ways to count, and Maya should just get over him. After all, he has made it clear that he wants her gone from his life.

But not everything is as it seems—and clichés sometimes become plot twists.

When Maya’s brother decides to get married in Taormina, she and Conor end up stuck together in a romantic Sicilian villa for over a week. There, on the beautiful Ionian coast, between ancient ruins, delicious foods, and natural caves, Maya realizes that Conor might be hiding something from her. And as the destination wedding begins to erupt out of control, she decides that a summer fling might be just what she needs—even if it’s a problematic one.


Review:

Sultry, entertaining, and sweet!

Problematic Summer Romance is a passionate, charming tale that mixes the feisty, intelligent Maya, who’s determined once and for all to show her brother’s best friend she’s the perfect one for him, and the delectable, successful Conor, who still won’t allow himself to act on his feelings for his best friend’s little sister because of the fifteen-year age gap.

The writing is titillating and crisp. The characters, including all the supporting characters, are fun-loving and engaging. And the plot sweeps you away into a sassy, push-pull storyline filled with life, loss, witty banter, shameless flirting, sizzling chemistry, friendship, family, romance, light drama, and responsibilities.

Overall, Problematic Summer Romance is a fabulous read to kick off summer 2025. I loved the characters, I loved the storyline, and I loved the swoon-worthy happy-ever-after ending!

 

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 Ali Hazelwood

Ali Hazelwood is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love, Theoretically and The Love Hypothesis, as well as a writer of peer-reviewed articles about brain science, in which no one makes out and the ever after is not always happy. Originally from Italy, she lived in Germany and Japan before moving to the US to pursue a PhD in neuroscience. When Ali is not at work, she can be found running, eating cake pops, or watching sci-fi movies with her three feline overlords (and her slightly-less-feline husband).

Photo by Justin Murphy / Out of the Attic Photography.

#BookReview The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin by Alison Goodman @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #TheLadiesRoadGuideToUtterRuin #AnIllManneredLadiesNovel #AlisonGoodman #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

#BookReview The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin by Alison Goodman @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #TheLadiesRoadGuideToUtterRuin #AnIllManneredLadiesNovel #AlisonGoodman #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin

Author: Alison Goodman

Series: The Ill-Mannered Ladies #2

Published by: Berkley on May 6, 2025

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance

Pages: 460

Format: Paperback

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 8.5/10

To most of Regency high society, forty-two-year-old Lady Augusta Colebrook, or Gus, and her twin sister, Julia, are just unmarried ladies of a certain age. But the Colebrook twins are far from useless old maids. They are secretly protecting women and children ignored by society and the law.

When Lord Evan—a charming escaped convict who has won Gus’s heart—needs to hide his sister, Hester, from their vindictive brother, Gus and Julia take Hester and her lover into their home. But Lord Evan’s complicated past puts them all in danger. Gus knows they must clear his name of murder if he is to survive the thieftakers who hunt him. No easy task—the fatal duel was twenty years ago and a key witness is nowhere to be found.

In a deadly cat-and-mouse game, Gus, Julia, and Lord Evan must dodge their pursuers and investigate Lord Evan’s past. They will be thrust into the ugly underworld of Georgian gentlemen’s clubs, spies, and ruthless bounty hunters, not to mention the everyday threat of narrow-minded brothers. Will the truth be found in time, or will dangerous secrets from the past destroy family bonds and rip new love and lives apart?


Review:

Mysterious, romantic, and entertaining!

The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin sweeps you away to the British countryside during the early 1800s and into the life of the independent, reliable Lady Augusta Colebrook who, after falling for the escaped convict, Lord Evan, will do whatever it takes to help hide his sister from there spiteful brother, finally discover what despicable behaviours are really going on behind the closed doors of the Rack and Ruin club, and once and for all prove her beloved is actually innocent of all the crimes he was accused of.

The prose is witty and sharp. The characters are resourceful, vulnerable, and passionate. And the plot is a fulfilling blend of family, friendship, danger, desire, societal expectations, scheming behaviour, tricky situations, awkward moments, secrets, attraction, and true love.

Overall, The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin is another charming, adventurous, action-packed addition to the Ill-Mannered Ladies series by Goodman, complete with characters I couldn’t help but root for and a swoon-worthy ending that left me smitten and satisfied!

 

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 Alison Goodman

Alison Goodman is a Melbourne-based author of historical and fantasy fiction. Her other novels include the The Dark Days Club trilogy, an award-winning mix of Regency adventure and dark fantasy, and EON and EONA, a New York Times bestselling fantasy duology published in 20 countries. Alison has recently completed her PhD focusing on historical research and the Regency era and can dance a mean English contra dance. She is fuelled by coffee and roast potatoes and will travel a long way for a good scone.

Photo by Tania Jovanovic

#BookReview Daughters of Shandong by Eve J. Chung @BerkleyPub @PenguinRandomCA #DaughtersOfShandong #EveJChung #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

#BookReview Daughters of Shandong by Eve J. Chung @BerkleyPub @PenguinRandomCA #DaughtersOfShandong #EveJChung #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: Daughters of Shandong

Author: Eve J. Chung

Published by: Berkley on May 6, 2025

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 400

Format: Paperback

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 9/10

Daughters are the Ang family’s curse.

In 1948, civil war ravages the Chinese countryside, but in rural Shandong, the wealthy, landowning Angs are more concerned with their lack of an heir. Hai is the eldest of four girls and spends her days looking after her sisters. Headstrong Di, who is just a year younger, learns to hide in plain sight, and their mother—abused by the family for failing to birth a boy—finds her own small acts of rebellion in the kitchen. As the Communist army closes in on their town, the rest of the prosperous household flees, leaving behind the girls and their mother because they view them as useless mouths to feed.

Without an Ang male to punish, the land-seizing cadres choose Hai, as the eldest child, to stand trial for her family’s crimes. She barely survives their brutality. Realizing the worst is yet to come, the women plan their escape. Starving and penniless but resourceful, they forge travel permits and embark on a thousand-mile journey to confront the family that abandoned them.

From the countryside to the bustling city of Qingdao, and onward to British Hong Kong and eventually Taiwan, they witness the changing tide of a nation and the plight of multitudes caught in the wake of revolution. But with the loss of their home and the life they’ve known also comes new freedom—to take hold of their fate, to shake free of the bonds of their gender, and to claim their own story.

Told in assured, evocative prose, with impeccably drawn characters, Daughters of Shandong is a hopeful, powerful story about the resilience of women in war; the enduring love between mothers, daughters, and sisters; and the sacrifices made to lift up future generations.


Review:

Absorbing, poignant, and impactful!

Daughters of Shandong is a riveting tale that sweeps you into a country ravaged by internal conflict, oppression, economic instability, violence, and political upheaval, and a populace that’s confused, disappointed, angry, physically threatened, and struggling with self-identity, patriotism, and a lack of freedom and rights.

The prose is eloquent and expressive. The characters are brave, tormented, and determined. And the plot is an exceptionally touching tale about life, loss, family, secrets, separation, desperation, abandonment, tragedy, and perseverance.

Overall, Daughters of Shandong is an inspiring, emotional, beautifully written tale by Chung inspired by real-life familial events that reminds us that survival of any kind often involves heartbreaking choices, moral dilemmas, action, spirit, loss, and beyond all else, unimaginable sacrifice, strength, and courage.

 

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 Eve J. Chung

Eve J. Chung is a Taiwanese American human rights lawyer focusing on gender equality and women’s rights. She lives in New York with her husband, two children, and two dogs.

#BookReview What Happens in Amsterdam by Rachel Lynn Solomon @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #WhatHappensInAmsterdam #RachelLynnSolomon #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

#BookReview What Happens in Amsterdam by Rachel Lynn Solomon @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #WhatHappensInAmsterdam #RachelLynnSolomon #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: What Happens in Amsterdam

Author: Rachel Lynn Solomon

Published by: Berkley on May 6, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Falling in love with your husband is anything but convenient in this steamy romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Business or Pleasure.

Dani Dorfman has somehow made it to her thirties without knowing what she wants to do with her life. So when an office romance ends poorly and gets her fired, she applies for a job in Amsterdam, idly dreaming of escaping the mess she’s created, but never imagining she’ll actually get it.

Except she does. By the end of her first week in Amsterdam, she’s never felt more adrift or alone. Then she crashes her bike into her high school ex-boyfriend—and suddenly life is blooming with new opportunities.

Wouter van Leeuwen was a Dutch exchange student Dani’s family hosted, a forbidden love that ended in a painful breakup. Years later, there’s still sizzling chemistry between them, and okay, maybe a little animosity. More importantly, Wouter needs to be married to inherit a gorgeous family home on a canal—and when Dani’s job falls apart, she needs a visa. As the marriage of convenience pushes them together in unexpected ways, Dani must decide whether her new life is yet another mistake—or if it’s worth taking a risk on a second chance.


Review:

Romantic, humorous, and sentimental!

What Happens in Amsterdam is a sweet, amusing tale featuring the kind, unmoored Dani and the handsome, considerate Wouter as they discover that there may be more to their relationship than just history, pretence, convenience, and fake feelings.

The writing is honest and light. The characters are endearing, fun-loving, and supportive. And the plot is a delightful mix of life, love, family, friendship, patience, understanding, palpable attraction, scorching chemistry, tender moments, nostalgia, and second chances.

Overall, What Happens in Amsterdam is a heartwarming, engaging, satisfying tale by Solomon that I thoroughly enjoyed and which, in my opinion, is a great choice for anyone who loves a good romcom set in an idyllic locale that has a whole lot of hope, humour, and heart.

 

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 Rachel Lynn Solomon

Rachel Lynn Solomon is the New York Times bestselling author of The Ex Talk, Weather Girl, and other romantic comedies for teens and adults. Originally from Seattle, she's currently navigating expat life in Amsterdam, where she can often be found exploring the city, collecting stationery, and working up the courage to knit her first sweater.

Photo by Dennis Heeringa

#BookReview Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #GreatBigBeautifulLife #EmilyHenry #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

#BookReview Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #GreatBigBeautifulLife #EmilyHenry #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: Great Big Beautiful Life

Author: Emily Henry

Published by: Berkley on Apr. 22, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 384

Format: ARC, eBook

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 9/10

Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: To write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years–or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the 20th Century.

When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story, there are three things keeping Alice’s head in the game.

One: Alice genuinely likes people, which means people usually like Alice—and she has a whole month to win the legendary woman over.

Two: She’s ready for this job and the chance to impress her perennially unimpressed family with a Serious Publication

Three: Hayden Anderson, who should have no reason to be concerned about losing this book, is glowering at her in a shaken-to-the core way that suggests he sees her as competition.

But the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.

And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad…depending on who’s telling it.


Review:

Addictive, charming, and fun!

Great Big Beautiful Life is an amusing, feel-good romance that takes you into the lives of both Alice Scott, a young aspiring novelist who is determined to finally get her big break writing the biography of the infamous Margaret Ives, and the broody, handsome Hayden Anderson who has the career of his dreams and is looking to write one more successful book until he’s required to compete for the job against a woman who may finally challenge his long-standing views on life and love.

The writing is light and tender. The characters are supportive, intelligent, and kind. And the plot is an entertaining, alluring mix of life, love, family, friendship, guilt, trust, regrets, happiness, self-reflection, tricky moments, undeniable attraction, surprising revelations, and romance.

Overall, Great Big Beautiful Life is another enchanting, optimistic, delightful tale by Henry that is the perfect blend of heart, hope, humour, and heat and is undoubtedly one of the must-read novels for summer 2025.

 

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 Emily Henry

Emily Henry is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of People We Meet on Vacation and Beach Read. She studied creative writing at Hope College, and now spends most of her time in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the part of Kentucky just beneath it.

Photo by Devyn Glista/St. Blanc Studios.

#BookReview One Death at a Time by Abbi Waxman @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #OneDeathAtATime #AbbiWaxman #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

#BookReview One Death at a Time by Abbi Waxman @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #OneDeathAtATime #AbbiWaxman #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: One Death at a Time

Author: Abbi Waxman

Published by: Berkley on Apr. 15, 2025

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 400

Format: Paperback

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 8/10

A cranky former actress teams up with her Gen Z sobriety sponsor to solve the murder that threatens to send her back to prison in this dazzling new mystery novel from the USA Todaybestselling author of The Bookish Life of Nina Hill.

When Julia Mann, a bad-tempered ex-actress and professional thorn in the side of authority, runs into Natasha Mason at an AA meeting, it’s anything but a meet-cute. Julia just found a dead body in her swimming pool, and the cops say she did it (she already went to jail for murder once, so now they think she’s making a habit of it). Mason is eager to clear Julia’s name and help keep her sober, but all Julia wants is for Mason to leave her alone.

As their investigation ranges from the Hollywood Hills to the world of burlesque to the country clubs of Palm Springs, this unconventional team realizes their shared love of sarcasm and poor life choices are proving to be a powerful combination. Will secrets from their past trip them up, or will their team of showgirls, cat burglars, and Hollywood agents help them stay one step ahead? Are dead piranhas, false noses, and a giant martini glass important clues or simply your typical day in Los Angeles? And will they manage to solve the crime before they kill each other, or worse, fall off the wagon? Trying to keep it simple and take it easy is one thing—trying to find a murderer before they kill again is a whole other program.


Review:

Atmospheric, witty, and entertaining!

One Death at a Time is a charming, captivating tale that transports you to the Hollywood Hills and into the life of Julia Mann, a formerly successful actress turned lawyer who, after the body of one of her previous co-workers, now enemy winds up dead in her pool, finds herself, with the help of a handful of people, doing whatever she can to prove her innocence so she doesn’t wind up an inmate once again for a crime she didn’t commit.

The writing style is humorous and light. The characters are sharp, quirky, and impulsive. And the plot is a pacey whodunit full of friendship, danger, oddball situations, red herrings, amateur sleuthing, lies, secrets, deception, deduction, attraction, revelations, the cutthroat work of movie making, and new beginnings.

Overall, One Death at a Time is a mysterious, amusing, satisfying treat by Waxman that had just the right amount of suspicious personalities, zany antics, and an abundance of drama to keep me engaged 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 Abbi Waxman

Abbi Waxman is the USA Today bestselling author of Christa Comes Out of Her Shell, Adult Assembly Required, I Was Told It Would Get Easier, The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, Other People’s Houses, and The Garden of Small Beginnings. She lives in Los Angeles, California, with her three children.

Photo by Photo by Dina Waxman

#BookReview Who Will Remember by C. S. Harris @BerkleyPub @PenguinRandomCA #WhoWillRemember #SebastianStCyrSeries #CSHarris #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

#BookReview Who Will Remember by C. S. Harris @BerkleyPub @PenguinRandomCA #WhoWillRemember #SebastianStCyrSeries #CSHarris #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: Who Will Remember

Author: C. S. Harris

Series: Sebastian St. Cyr #20

Published by: Berkley on Apr. 15, 2025

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 384

Format: Hardcover

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 8.5/10

The gruesome murder of a prominent nobleman throws an already unsettled London into chaos in this electrifying new historical mystery by the USA Today bestselling author of What Cannot Be Said.

August 1816. England is in the grip of what will become known as the Year Without a Summer. Facing the twin crises of a harvest-destroying volcanic winter and the economic disruption caused by the end of the Napoleonic Wars, the British monarchy finds itself haunted by the looming threat of bloody riots not seen since the earliest days of the French Revolution. Amidst the turmoil, a dead man is found hanging upside down by one leg in an abandoned chapel, his hands tied behind his back. The pose eerily echoes the image depicted on a tarot card known as Le Pendu, the Hanged Man. The victim—Lord Preston Farnsworth, the younger brother of one of the Regent’s boon companions—was a passionate crusader against what he called the forces of darkness, namely criminality, immorality, and sloth. His brutal murder shocks the Palace and panics the already troubled populace.

Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, learns of the murder from a ragged orphan who leads him to the corpse and then disappears. At first, everyone in the dead man’s orbit paints Lord Preston as a selfless saint. But as Sebastian delves deeper into his life, he quickly realizes that the man had accumulated more than his fair share of enemies, including Major Hugh Chandler, a close friend who once saved Sebastian’s life. Sebastian also discovers that the pious Lord Preston may have been much more dangerous than those he sought to redeem.

As dark clouds press down on the city and the rains fall unceasingly, two more victims are found, one strangled and one shot, with ominous tarot cards placed on their bodies. The killer is sending a gruesome message and Sebastian is running out of time to decipher it before more lives are lost and a fraught post-war London explodes.


Review:

Ominous, rich, and gritty!

Who Will Remember is an eerie, sinister, absorbing tale set in London during 1816 when the city is ravished with economic instability and political upheaval, and Sebastian St. Cyr and his wife Hero now find themselves investigating a strange case involving a set of murders in which the victims are found posed in the same positions as the depictions on the tarot cards left with the bodies.

The prose is meticulous and tight. The characters are sharp, reliable, and resourceful. And the plot is a menacing tale about life, loss, secrets, deception, danger, control, power, politics, lawless behaviour, violence, and murder.

Overall, Who Will Remember is another dark, intense, intriguing addition to the Sebastian St. Cyr series by Harris that does a wonderful job of interweaving historical times and compelling fiction into a suspenseful mystery that is deliciously atmospheric and disturbingly entertaining.

 

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 C. S. Harris

C. S. Harris is the USA Today bestselling author of more than two dozen novels, including the Sebastian St. Cyr Mysteries; as C. S. Graham, a thriller series coauthored with former intelligence officer Steven Harris; and seven award-winning historical romances written under the name Candice Proctor. A respected scholar with a PhD in nineteenth-century Europe, she is also the author of a nonfiction historical study of the French Revolution. She lives with her husband in New Orleans and has two grown daughters.

#BookReview A Proposal to Die For by Molly Harper @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #AProposalToDieFor #MollyHarper #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

#BookReview A Proposal to Die For by Molly Harper @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #AProposalToDieFor #MollyHarper #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: A Proposal to Die For

Author: Molly Harper

Published by: Berkley on Apr. 8, 2025

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 8/10

A fast-paced, witty, and delightful new mystery about a marriage proposal planner whose biggest job yet is threatened by a dead body (or two).

Jessamine Bricker loves a plan. Contingency plans and pros-and-cons lists are her love language, and because of that, her proposal planning business is thriving. But with rent costs rising at her office building, Jess jumps at the chance to plan a proposal between her snobby high school classmate, Diana, and her very wealthy boyfriend, Trenton Tillard…the Fourth.

Roped into joining Diana’s ”pre-bridal” retreat at the exclusive Golden Ash resort, Jess hopes to fade into the background, get some work done, and maybe find some time to unwind. Their first day is anything but relaxing: Diana is furious about the mountain spa’s lack of cell phone reception, the couple next door argues constantly, and Jess swears she just saw a drug deal go down. To top it all off, she’s warned to stay out of the woods by the gruff and sexy chef, Dean Osbourne. Is this a retreat or a horror movie?

As Jess tries to do her job while placating the bride-to-be and her increasingly over-the-top demands, she spends more and more time with the resort owners, finding herself much more in tune with the laid-back Osbourne family than her social climbing “boss.” Between a meditation garden-related drowning and Jess’s discovery of a body in a sauna, it’s clear that deadly secrets abound at the Golden Ash. Now it’s up to Jess to unravel the mysteries here in the mountains—before all her plans are cancelled…permanently.


Review:

Whimsical, engaging, and satisfying!

A Proposal to Die For is a well-paced, amusing murder mystery that takes you into the life of Jessamine Bricker, a young woman who, after a high school classmate she never really liked hires her to plan her engagement proposal, finds her life turned upside down when while at a pre-wedding retreat, more than one person winds up dead.

The writing is playful and light. The characters are inquisitive, clever, and determined. And the plot is a delightful mix of misdirection, deduction, clues, suspects, mishaps, drama, amateur sleuthing, and murder.

Overall, A Proposal to Die For is a humorous, charming, quirky whodunit by Harper that is the perfect choice for anyone looking for a fun, lighthearted read.

 

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 Molly Harper

Molly Harper is the author of more than forty paranormal romance, contemporary romance, women’s fiction, and young adult titles. A lifelong romance reader, she graduated with a Masters of Fine Arts from Seton Hill University, focusing on writing popular fiction. She lived in Kentucky for most of her life before recently moving to Michigan with her family…and she’s still figuring out how to choose outerwear and play complicated winter card games.

#BookReview Swept Away by Beth O’Leary @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #SweptAway #BethOLeary #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

#BookReview Swept Away by Beth O’Leary @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #SweptAway #BethOLeary #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: Swept Away

Author: Beth O'Leary

Published by: Berkley on Apr. 1, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback

Source: Berkley Publishing

Book Rating: 8/10

Two strangers find themselves stranded at sea together in this epic new love story by bestselling author Beth O’Leary.

What if you were lost at sea…with your one-night stand?

Zeke and Lexi thought it would just be a night of fun. They had no intentions of seeing each other again. Zeke is only in town for the weekend to buy back his late father’s houseboat. Lexi has no time for dating when she needs to help take care of her best friend’s daughter.

Going back home with a stranger seems like a perfect escape from their problems. But a miscommunication in the dark, foggy night means no one tied the houseboat to the dock. The next morning, Zeke and Lexi realize all they can see is miles and miles of water.

With just a few provisions on the idle boat, Zeke and Lexi must figure out how to get back home. But aside from their survival, they’re facing another challenge. Because when you’re stuck together for days on end, it gives you a lot of time to get to know someone—and to fall in love with them.


Review:

Romantic, tender, and sentimental!

Swept Away is a sweet, amusing tale featuring the loyal, dependable Lexi and the patient, contemplative Zeke as they discover over twelve days stranded at sea that there may be a lot more depth to their relationship than just instant attraction, miscommunication, forced proximity, and an unforgettable one-night stand.

The writing is passionate and light. The characters are endearing, awkward, and troubled. And the plot is a delightful mix of life, love, friendship, family, secrets, revelations, light drama, self-discovery, and romance.

Overall, Swept Away is another charming, addictive, compelling tale by O’Leary that was a real treat to read.

 

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 Beth O'Leary

Beth O'Leary is an internationally bestselling author whose novels have been translated into more than thirty languages. Her debut, The Flatshare, sold over a million copies and is now a major TV series. Her subsequent novels The Switch and The Road Trip were instant Sunday Times bestsellers. Beth writes her books in the English countryside with a very badly behaved golden retriever for company. If she's not at her desk, you'll usually find her curled up somewhere with a book, a cup of tea, and several woolly jumpers (whatever the weather).

Photo by Ellen O'Leary.