It was a passion neither could forget—until he did.
Tia Hightower isn’t sure how she went from being a powerful witch to fake dating her ex at a winter house party.
For eight years, she has refused to speak Henry Pearlmatter’s name unless it has been to curse it. Now, with their family businesses merged, she and her insufferable ex must pretend to be together to secure a wealthy warlock’s investment. Sharing a room—and a bed—with Henry is bad enough. Even worse is that Tia might have had a small potion mishap…and accidentally erased Henry’s memories of her.
Henry might not remember his ex, but it’s clear there’s still something between them. Whatever went wrong in the past, he intends to figure it out. Faking feelings for Tia isn’t exactly difficult, but one thing’s for certain: starlight carnivals and mulled-wine kisses can’t change history.
With the threat of Henry’s memories hovering over every stolen moment, their time together is running out. But a little bit of Christmas magic and the snow-melting heat between them have Tia wondering if it’s time to risk her heart once more, even if it’s with the warlock who once broke it…
Review
For eight years, Tia has refused to speak Henry Pearlmatter’s name unless it has been to curse it. Now, with their family businesses merged, she and her insufferable ex must pretend to be together to secure a wealthy warlock’s investment. Even worse is that Tia might have had a small potion mishap…and accidentally erased Henry’s memories of her.
This did fall a bit short for me. It is my first fall read of 2025 and this sort of hurt my feelings 😜🧙. I wanted a bit more. This story just seems a bit spastic, especially Tia. One minute she is insecure. The next she is a bada$$, take no prisoner kind of witch. And I just did not like the way she treated most of the people around her, most notably Henry.
That being said, I did like the little bit of Christmas sprinkled in through out this read. Christmas books are just around the corner so this just added a bit to the story.
This is narrated by Natalie Duke. I enjoyed her voices for everyone.
Need a cute, witchy tale…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Book 1 in the brand-new Twin Lights series from the beloved author of The Sisterhood!
In a fresh, new series for fans of Nora Roberts, Danielle Steel, and Melida Leigh, #1 New York Times bestselling author Fern Michaels introduces siblings Madison and Lincoln Taylor, whose unexpected Jersey Shore inheritance changes their lives in ways they never could have imagined…
Growing up, Madison Taylor and her younger brother Lincoln lived in privilege, but their sheltered existence abruptly ended when their father was arrested for fraud and the family assets were seized. Since then, Madison has carved out a new path, studying fashion and working her way up to editor in chief of La Femme magazine, while Lincoln teaches wealth management at a small college outside the city. Both have separated themselves from their family and their past—until an unexpected bequest arrives from their late uncle.
Madison and Lincoln are now the new co-owners of a marina at Smugglers Cove on the Navesink river. Instead of a fabulous, Hamptons-style property, Smugglers Cove offers little beyond a dilapidated dock, a few gas pumps, and a handful of clam boats. Madison’s plan to sell the property goes awry when a dead body is found floating under their dock and transforms their new inheritance into a crime scene.
Suddenly, Madison is swapping her city-girl wardrobe for cargo pants and flannel shirts, while she and Lincoln receive a crash course in small-town Jersey shore life, complete with quirky characters, pirate legends, and a mysterious treasure map. They’re discovering more about themselves and each other every day, but with a mystery to solve, and big decisions to make, these are lessons they’ll need to learn fast . . .
Review
Madison is swapping her city-girl wardrobe for cargo pants and flannel shirts, while she and her son, Lincoln, receive a crash course in small-town Jersey shore life, complete with quirky characters, pirate legends, and a mysterious treasure map. With a mystery to solve, and big decisions to make, there are a lot of lessons they’ll need to learn fast .
This book is a bit too sweet for me. It has been a while since I have read Fern Michaels. Her writing is overly dramatic and I sometimes want to slap her characters into growing a backbone. And I definitely wanted to do that with Madison. She is way too mousy for me.
I did enjoy the history surrounding this location of Smuggler’s Cove. This made the book for me and kept me reading. I love a book with a setting surrounded by history.
Not a big fan of this narrator. She is a bit overly dramatic…but it could have been the writing.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Lose yourself in the stunning coastal town of Big Dune Island with this incredibly heartwarming read, perfect for fans of Denise Hunter, Debbie Macomber, and RaeAnne Thayne. This book is part of a series but can be read as a standalone.
Gigi Franklin is planning her best friend’s wedding, and long-time friend Austin Beckett is trying to help her keep the private event top secret. As Gigi and Austin work together, sparks begin to fly, but Gigi’s too busy building her law practice to make time for dating.
If the wedding wasn’t enough to manage, she’s also tasked with finding the rightful heir to the local Salty Breeze B&B. Then, newcomer Simon Ridley arrives in town, throwing a wrench in the process.
As Gigi races against time to uncover the truth about the B&B’s ownership and pull off the perfect wedding, an old journal surfaces that might change everything she thought she knew about love.
A moving beach read that will have you yearning to take walks along the coast and craving the beachy splendor of island living. Look no further if you’re searching for a feel-good, small-town coastal romance!
Review
Being a baseball fan, I absolutely loved all the baseball talk. But, that is not all that is in this tale…it is full of family drama and y’all know I love a book with family drama.
Gigi Franklin is planning her best friend’s wedding, and long-time friend Austin Beckett is trying to help her keep the private event top secret. As Gigi and Austin work together, sparks begin to fly, but Gigi’s too busy building her law practice to make time for dating.
I loved Gigi and Austin. Both are so sweet and good for each other. Don’t you just love it when the characters work! These two have their own issues to deal with…both have interesting parents. This leads them to have more in common than they thought.
I also loved the hunt for the heir of the B&B. This created a good bit of mystery and this just added so much to this tale. I mean…a hidden journal!
Not only is this a good story, the narrator, Melie Williams, is wonderful!
Need a heartwarming story with a little bit of everything…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this from the publisher for a honest review.
A captivating new historical novel from Madeline Martin, set in Victorian London about a forbidden book club, dangerous secrets, and the women who dare to break free.
You are cordially invited to the Secret Book Society…
London, 1895: Trapped by oppressive marriages and societal expectations, three women receive a mysterious invitation to an afternoon tea at the home of the reclusive Lady Duxbury. Beneath the genteel facade of the gathering lies a secret book club—a sanctuary where they can discover freedom, sisterhood, and the courage to rewrite their stories.
Eleanor Clarke, a devoted mother suffocating under the tyranny of her husband. Rose Wharton, a transplanted American dollar princess struggling to fit the mold of an aristocratic wife. Lavinia Cavendish, an artistic young woman haunted by a dangerous family secret. All are drawn to the enigmatic Lady Duxbury, a thrice-widowed countess whose husbands’ untimely deaths have sparked whispers of murder.
As the women form deep, heartwarming friendships, they uncover secrets about their marriages, their pasts, and the risks they face. Their courage is their only weapon in the oppressive world that has kept them silent, but when secrets are deadly, one misstep could cost them everything.
Review
Well, if this book won’t make you mad…nothing will! Don’t you just love a book which elicits emotion!
London, 1895: Trapped by oppressive marriages and societal expectations, three women receive a mysterious invitation to an afternoon tea at the home of the reclusive Lady Duxbury. Beneath the genteel facade of the gathering lies a secret book club—a sanctuary where they can discover freedom, sisterhood, and the courage to rewrite their stories.
I did feel this book was a little long but let me tell you, it will make you furious at these men! But you will revel in the women. They are truly outstanding. Talk about brave. In an era where there are very few women’s rights and they are thwarted at every turn…these ladies do not give up.
For a reader, this secret book society had me cheering for all involved!
This is narrated by Saskia Maarleveld. I enjoyed her pacing. She did a good job!
Need a story that makes you thankful for your freedom to read…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
A pulse-pounding new Southern thriller from the author of the runaway bestseller A Flicker in the Dark.
Twenty-two years ago, Claire Campbell’s older sister, Natalie, disappeared shortly after her eighteenth birthday. Days later, her blood was found in a car, a man was arrested, and the case was swiftly closed. In the decades since, Claire has attempted to forget her traumatic past by moving to the city and climbing the ranks as an investigative journalist… until an unexpected call from her father forces her to come back home and face it all anew.
With the entire summer now looming ahead—a summer spent with nothing to do in her childhood home, with her estranged mother—Claire decides on a whim to accept a seasonal job at Galloway Farm, a muscadine vineyard in coastal South Carolina less than an hour away from where she grew up. At first glance, Galloway is an idyllic escape for Claire. A scenic retreat full of slow-paced nostalgia, as well as a place where her sister seemed truly happy in that last summer before she vanished, it feels like the perfect plan to pass the time. However, as soon as Claire starts to settle in, she stumbles across an old diary written by one of the vineyard’s owners, and what at first seems like a story of young rebellion and love turns into something much more sinister as it begins to describe details of various unsolved crimes. As the days stretch on, Claire finds herself becoming more and more secluded as she starts to obsess over the diary’s contents… as well as the lingering feeling that her own sister’s disappearance may be somehow tied to it all.
Galloway was supposed to be a place to help her move forward, but instead, Claire quickly finds herself immersed in her own dark and dangerous past.
A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books
Review
Claire has returned to her childhood home. She decides to take a job at a local muscadine farm. This is the farm where her sister worked…before she disappeared. It doesn’t take Claire long to discover things are not as they should be.
Claire is really not my favorite character. She tends to make bad decisions. Or rather decisions on a whim and she has not thought things through. That being said, I did admire her gumption in places. She is like a dog with a bone!
I love a book with lots of twists and turns. And let me tell you, this book wove a tale which had me guessing till the end. It just keeps building with intensity and questions as the story unfolds.
These narrators, Helen Laser and Karissa Vacker are FANTASTIC! Talk about an amazing tag team! Karissa Vacker is one of my top 5 narrators of all time. So, this audiobook production is superb.
Need a tense thriller which will have you questioning everything…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
When Allie Foster becomes the prime suspect in a murder, the small-town loner reaches out to the one person she can trust. Convinced Allie’s innocent, Colby Agency investigating attorney Steve Durham uncovers a shocking connection to a decades-old cold case in her past. The twisting path to the truth unleashes an attraction that plunges the high school friends into deeper danger. Now Steve and Allie must outmaneuver an elusive killer in a case where nothing and no one is what they seem.
Review
When Allie Foster becomes the prime suspect in a murder, the small-town loner reaches out to the one person she can trust. Convinced Allie’s innocent, Colby Agency investigating attorney Steve Durham uncovers a shocking connection to a decades-old cold case in her past.
I enjoy Debra Webb’s books. They are quick reads and full of mystery. And this one is no different. I enjoyed the intensity and everything surrounding Allie and her dilemma. And trust me, she has some major issues she is dealing with.
However, one part of this story had me rolling my eyes…Allie had a “dumb character” moment. I actually posted a TikTok about it. Just know, if your house is on fire, you break the window. You do not try to find a pocket knife, figure out how to open it, while the smoke is swirling around you, and cut the paint on the window to open the window. Yes, I know this adds to the drama, but I swear I stopped my car at the end of my driveway and just put my head down.
But really, this story is full of intensity and it has great characters. There is also a lot of chemistry between the characters and this just keeps you reading.
The narrator, Megan Tusing, really kept the energy high. Plus her voices for the characters were distinct. This always makes the characters real!
Need a quick mystery…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
You always check under your bed for monsters before you go to sleep. You never think to look right across the dinner table.
Detective Margot Phalen has spent over a year hunting San Francisco’s most elusive predator—the Redwood Killer, who leaves his victims alongside the scenic trails of Muir Woods. Each murdered woman connects to the city’s most powerful families—and the corruption leads straight to Margot’s own police department.
With evidence that could bring down her Chief of Police, Margot finds herself caught between justice and survival. Only her partner Wes knows everything and truly sees her, stirring feelings she can’t continue to ignore. With the FBI offering her a fresh start, Margot finally glimpses a future beyond the shadows of her past.
But her past refuses to let go. Ed Finch—her serial killer father; the monster who shaped her entire life—reels her in for one last showdown. When he offers to lead her to the grave of his final victim, she can’t say no.
Can she face a final, deadly reckoning with the legacy she’s spent her life trying to outrun?
This explosive conclusion to the Margot Phalen series will have you reading deep into the night. Fans of Robert Dugoni, Karin Slaughter and Gregg Olsen won’t want to miss this gripping crime thriller.
Review
Let me start by saying, I have not read any books in this series. This is book 5. After reading this book…I want to go read the rest of the series!! Margot has an interesting back ground and I want to know more of it!
Detective Margot Phalen has spent over a year hunting San Francisco’s most elusive predator—the Redwood Killer, who leaves his victims alongside the scenic trails of Muir Woods. Each murdered woman connects to the city’s most powerful families—and the corruption leads straight to Margot’s own police department.
I enjoyed the intensity and the dynamics of the characters. Margot is definitely a fascinating woman and her interactions just made her so much more intriguing.
And the hunt for this killer!! It leaves the reader with questions at every turn.
The narrator, Lauryn Allman, is very good! She added to the intensity of the story and that is always a plus in my book.
Need a good hunt for a killer…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
From the author of the beloved novel Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder comes another quirky and irresistible crime novel
“[Narrator Annie] Maynard injects humor and pathos as she brings this quirky, troubled character to life.” —AudioFile on Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder
Strange things are happening behind the bright pink facade of Bayside’s premier laundromat, Joyful Suds, home to Joy Moody and her twin daughters.
For much of their lives, Joy has been lying to Cassie and Andie. What started as a colorful tale to explain how the twins came to live with her grew over the years and was always something she meant to set straight. Joy really did think she had more time. Worse still, Joy is struggling to define the truth from the lies.
The girls have long believed they are vital to the future and must stay hidden to stay safe. Joy has told them that their impending twenty-first birthday is significant; they will step into their roles as leaders of a revolution and life as they know it will change. Joy was right—everything will change, just not in the way they expected. On Andie and Cassie’s birthday, Joy Moody is found dead and her girls face a world they are not prepared for without their mother. Joy Moody is out of time … in more ways than one.
Review
For much of their lives, Joy has been lying to Cassie and Andie. What started as a colorful tale to explain how the twins came to live with her grew over the years and was always something she meant to set straight. Joy really did think she had more time. Worse still, Joy is struggling to define the truth from the lies.
And when these lies start to unfold….look out!
I enjoyed Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder, another book by this author. However, this one fell a bit short for me. It is good. It just seems a bit disjointed in places. The pacing is a bit off and it is a bit predictable.
That being said, I did enjoy these characters, especially Joy. She is stubborn and determined but she has such a big heart…well sort of!
I did enjoy the narrator, Annie Maynard. Her voice for Joy was so very enjoyable.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
For fans of Frederik Backman and Phaedra Patrick, a heartfelt and moving multiple POV tale that follows Sophia, who’s trying to save her favorite uncle’s flower shop; Blade, a devoted son looking for his mother’s long lost love; and Edith, who’s trying to hold on to her memories for as long as she can, from Ally Zetterberg, author of The Happiness Blueprint.
Edith has Alzheimer’s. The idea that she might someday forget her son, her life, even herself plagues her constantly. So there is something important she must do before the disease robs her of her memories: she has to find Sven, the love of her life whom she was supposed to meet on a bus stop bench twenty-seven years ago and run off with, but he never showed.
Her son, Blade, is struggling to keep an eye on her, to keep her safe. His mother’s full-time caregiver, he resents the fact, if he’s being honest, that he gave up his career and most of his life to look after her. But what wouldn’t he do for his mother? Track down her decades old flame so that she has a chance to finally understand why he never showed all those years ago, before her mind fails her? Sure, he can do that.
Sophia is desperately trying to keep her business afloat. Her uncle — her favorite person in the world — left his flower shop to her and her brothers after he died, but she seems to be the only one interested in keeping it; they would rather sell. But she can’t let that happen, can’t let the memory of him and the times they shared fade away. All she has to do is land a big job, big enough to show her family not only is the business worth saving but she’s the one to do it. So when an opportunity comes along that takes her all over Sweden, she can’t say no.
They say life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. While Edith is desperately trying to hold on to her memories, she discovers friendship in a young woman who sits with her daily at the bus stop. While Blade is looking high and low all across Sweden for Sven, he learns to embrace his relationship with his mother more fully and see her for everything she is and is not. While Sophia is fighting to keep her uncle’s dream alive, she comes to terms with the way her parents treated her as a child, and the therapies forced upon her in response to her autism diagnosis. Life is happening all around them, and it’s a delight to watch these different stories unfold, to watch how their lives change, all while they were busy with something else. And much like with life, there’s so much good to be found in these pages.
Review
Edith has Alzheimer’s. The idea that she might someday forget her son, her life, even herself plagues her constantly. So there is something important she must do before the disease robs her of her memories: she has to find Sven, the love of her life whom she was supposed to meet on a bus stop bench twenty-seven years ago and run off with, but he never showed.
Oh! These characters are so great. I just loved Sophia and her quirkiness. Sophia is on the spectrum and no one in her family quite knows how to deal with her. But Blade…he is so kind and deferential towards her. It really brings you joy to experience their relationship.
And then there is Edith. I love how the author works this story around her memories…or lack there of!
This story will give you all the feels. It is truly a wonderful, heartwarming tale. And add in the mystery of Sven…and you have a pretty dang good read!
The narrators are; Heather Long; Joe Jameson; Pearl Hewitt. Talk about fantastic! I have said this before…I love a good tag team.
Need a heartwarming tale you will be thinking about for days to come…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ally Zetterberg is a British-Swedish writer. She spent ten years working internationally as a fashion model before becoming a full-time mum. Being neurodivergent herself and the mother of a child with Type 1 Diabetes, she is passionate about writing relatable characters and representing those living with medical conditions in commercial fiction. She speaks four languages and spends her days doing her best not to muddle them up.
From bestselling author Erika Robuck comes the perilous and awe-inspiring true story of award-winning photojournalist Dickey Chapelle as she risks everything to show the American people the price of war through the lens of her camera.
Manhattan, 1954.
Since her arrest for disobeying orders and going ashore at Iwo Jima almost a decade earlier, combat correspondent Georgette “Dickey” Chapelle has been unmoored. Her military accreditation revoked, her marriage failing, and her savings dwindling, Dickey jumps at the next opportunity. In the aftermath of a an assignment gone wrong, a flame is lit deep inside Dickey—to survive in order to be the world’s witness to war from the front lines.
Never content to report on battles unless her own boots are on the ground, Dickey and her camera journey with American and international soldiers from frozen wastelands to raging seas to luscious jungles, revealing one woman’s extraordinary courage and tenacity in the face of discrimination and danger. And it’s along the way, in Dickey’s desire to save the world, she realizes she might also be saving herself.
At a time when a woman’s heroic spirit often gave way to homeland reality, Dickey blazed a trail for the revolutionary hearts inside us all.
Review
Since her arrest for disobeying orders and going ashore at Iwo Jima almost a decade earlier, combat correspondent Georgette “Dickey” Chapelle has been unmoored. Her military accreditation revoked, her marriage failing, and her savings dwindling, Dickey jumps at the next opportunity. In the aftermath of a an assignment gone wrong, a flame is lit deep inside Dickey—to survive in order to be the world’s witness to war from the front lines.
There is a lot of information in this novel and it is captivating. The intensity, especially when Dickey is in a communist prison in Hungary, will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Dickey did not take no for an answer nor did she follow the rules. And this got her into a lot of trouble in almost every country she was ever in. Now, the section about Cuba is interesting but it just didn’t captivate me quite like the other parts of the book. Probably because I have read several books about this and knew a good bit about what was happening.
Y’all know I love a book which has me researching. Georgette “Dickey” Chapelle was a fascinating woman. I could not help but look her up. I wanted to see some of her work. She truly was an amazing photographer!
This book is well researched, compelling and intense. This is full of drama about a strong woman every one needs to know about.
Need an interesting tale about a unique lady based on a true story…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
reecaspieces 