A cautiously suspenseful novel about a woman coming back to her hometown, but who goes missing after wandering into the woods searching for mushrooms.
Hazel is a bit broken, coming back to Idless after a divorce. She reconnects with her sister Cathy and friend Susie. The woods have supernatural elements, the horror is understated, very eerie and atmospheric. I found the pacing to be great that the beginning but it got slow (for me) near the end. I did enjoy the plot and felt satisfied at the conclusion.
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur books for the ARC. Book to be published April 27, 2025.
A interesting character study and drama about millennial malaise- this time specific to 1st and 2nd generation Asian immigrants.
A group of 4 friends from a private school are the subject of a documentary called “Bad Asians” that goes viral on YouTube. Their frenemy Grace takes advantage of them and films them and interviews them. The way they are portrayed is not flattering, but it is well done. The book is about the aftermath of this and how it occurred. Themes are around relationships and groups of friends, found family and how those closest to us know us and then become complete strangers.
Here are 4 people who did everything right and the economy and world just passed them by. This is them coming to terms with their parents’ legacy and expectations and how they chose to integrate into adult life. All 4 main characters ad internal demons and all had really interesting and compelling character ARC. I can definitely relate to the struggles and the nostalgia over the course of the novel. I can’t quite call it historical fiction, but it is a time span that shows how much we change from our early 20’s to the late 30’s.
I particularly enjoyed the audiobook performance, only one narrator, but she had great pacing and different voices that I felt were authentic to the author’s intentions for the characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ALC. Book to be published February 17, 2026.
A rock-n-roll romance with a lot of ambition and a lot of heart. Cubby is the leader of a band in Iceland, they are about the make it big when their lead guitarist and her recent ex goes out on his own, steals her lyrics, and hits it big with a song about her. She is understandably furious at him. Thank God she has her best friend Darcy, the bassist, and her other friends in the band. Soon a post by Harry, Connor’s best friend, suggests that she and Harry are an item. So they, naturally, start fake dating, the Trope of 2026.
This is a bit of a twist on fake dating, because Cubby is in love with Darcy, not Harry. She has a twin brother, Oliver. Oliver and his girlfriend Tilly are my favorite part of this book, I only wish they were on page more often. Oliver is autistic and he and Cubby have two moms. Despite this, Cubby is still ingrained in heteronormativity and is confused by her sexuality. There is a dee sadness and depression to her, and Connor treated her as if she were hard to love. This is hardest and most awful thing to hear as someone with depression.
Stories about straight passing women dealing with wondering if they are queer are not for everyone. But that is this book, and while it is done very respectfully this is hard for some to read.
This one grew on me over time with some of the storylines and other storylines I felt were unnecessary.
3.5/5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC. Book to be published June 9, 2026.
This audiobook was a lovely surprise for me to listen to this week. A big thanks to McMillan audio for bringing it across my radar, because this is not an author that I had been familiar with previously. It’s a raucous adventure, with a hot mess, female main character named Dahlia. She’s just been left by her boyfriend Joey of three years, who split with the rent money. She performs regularly at a dive bar on Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago, where she grew up. She hasn’t seen her mother since she was six years old.
She finds the tavern endearing, along with the barflies she all lovingly refers to as Jim. It’s owned by her pseudo father Alex McPhee. Soon there is a dead body, and her mother shows up out of the blue. Not only that but a woman who claims to be her mother‘s daughter, and hence, Dahlia’s half sister comes looking for her the next day.
I’m a big fan of mysteries, and I found this one to be a real breath of fresh air. I loved the setting of downtown Chicago, and the fact that the main character was not a suburban, middle-aged lady. Far from a police procedural, this book is way more country and rock ‘n’ roll. I was genuinely surprised at most of the twists which came at really great intervals. I went into this book with really low expectations, but figured I’d give it a chance because I liked the cover. This may just end up being one of my favorite mysteries this year.
I also thought the audio performance was excellent, I found the narrator to be very engaging and well acted. It was easy to follow on audio.
Thank you again to McMillan audio and NetGalley for the ALC. Book to be published January 5, 2026.
A swoony romance for lovers of Carley Fortune and Christina Lauren. Celebrity-author romance, fake dating and a fun romp through la la land.
Sage was once a business data analyst and has become an author. Is she a one hit wonder or does she have a second book in her? Theo is the next it-guy in Hollywood. They meet on a flight and people think they are dating because the paparazzi picked up on the chemistry. He’s Scottish. They meet in the way to comicon then they meet again when Sage travels to Scotland for writing.
This was the perfect book on audio. It was easy to follow and the performance was excellent. I really enjoyed the Scottish accent and all of the banter. Even the internal dialogue was really engaging. I found it to be very romantic. Although parts of it were definitely a little unbelievable, overall I was able to suspend disbelief in the pursuit of a lovely story.
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the ALC. book to be published January 6, 2026.
I didn’t say everyone’s gonna love this book, I said everyone’s gonna read it. Because it’s explosive, it’s surprising, it might even be triggering for some of you. And EVERYONE is going to be talking about it.
What about me? I loved it. I was absolutely INVESTED in this highly original story. If you like an unlikable, unreliable narrator you will want to add this to your TBR immediately.
It’s about a tradwife influencer, her husband Caleb is from an influential, rich, political republican family. Natalie comes from a humble single mother and grows up evangelical, but still ends up at Harvard. Her ambition and fierce controlling personality is a recipe for becoming a success. She is manipulative and driven and it’s so easy to be drawn into her mind.
The story is set up when we are aware of her success and farm life, although she employs a producer and two nannies. The farm is designed to look like an authentic old farm but if you peel back the curtain you will see “made in China” stickers and top of the line appliances. Natalie is selling a lifestyle.
One day she wakes up and her house is like her house but different- her husband and kids are similar to her kids but just a bit different. And the year is 1805. Now she has to try to live the lifestyle without the modern conveniences and the performance.
The ending was creative and hit me between the eyes like a two by four. Let’s just say it was not what I was expecting and I think a lot of people are gonna be mad about the ending. And other people are going to love it as much as I did.
Every year I call a title “the book everyone is going to read”- last year I called it Broken Country and the year before The Measure. In 2026 that book is Yesteryear.
Can’t wait for the movie. Oooh I loved to hate Natalie!
Thanks to NetGalley and AA Knopf for the ARC. Book to be published April 6, 2026.
A fake dating/marriage college kids spicy romcom. Over grew up with Bennett, a few years younger. She and her mom were “the help” and because he owes her (no spoilers, but it’s kinda a sad story) they get married so she can qualify for married student housing.
The premise is ridiculous (I mean, if he’s so rich and he owes you, just have him chip in 5 grand for your dorm) and the back story is touching. I liked this but I didn’t love it, the chemistry felt a bit forced to me. Julie Murphy is a favorite author – I was hoping this would be less spicy since it is a YA/Childrens imprint. But definitely good for fans of Hannah Grace such as the Icebreaker series.
If you want something more on the sweet side, I do enjoy Dumplin and If the Shoe Fits.
Thanks to NetGalley and Balzer and Bray/McMillan Children’s for the ARC. Book to be published May 4, 2026.
n absolute page-turner- you’re solving a murder in a LITERAL locked room, a reality show about ESCAPE room nerdom- if you love the locked room mystery trope, the shadiness of production of reality shows and a YA intensity- this book needs To go on your TBR.
I’m a huge fan of the lunar chronicles series by Marissa Meyer, and this is a return to her best work – intriguing characters with a load of secrets, a fun setting and plenty of twists and turns. I am not a big escape room person, because I lack the intelligence or patience and critical thinking- but it was so much fun to read about characters that are smarter than me and see how they uncovered puzzles.
I stayed up late into the night and I was completely shocked at the ending!
Thanks to NetGalley and GP Putnam books for young readers.
A childhood friends-to-lovers lighthearted rom com with well developed minor characters. I loved this ending, there’s just something about a head over heels unabashed love declaration, that I will let you read for yourself.
Our story begins as JoJo is about to marry the wrong man, and becomes a runaway bride. It’s bang-you-over-the-head obvious that this is the wrong guy, and the wrong mother-in-law. JoJo’s sister is having a cruise ship wedding just 6 weeks later. Her childhood neighbor and best friend Connor will come along. She’s decided to connect with and kiss her first crush Finn, who is recently divorced, and has enlisted him as her wingman.
I really enjoyed this story, the setting was fun. What I didn’t love was how weirdly JoJo seemed to be so focused on the wrong guys. It was obvious to the reader who the right guy was from page 2 and it was irritating that it took her as long as it did to figure that out. Also that miscommunication trope killed me, but it was kind of done in a different and more creative way.
However, I loved Connor’s back story and how much detail the author puts into the interpersonal relationships of the minor characters, JoJo’s whole family was really developed and gave the reader a lot of people to follow and root for.
I ended up jumping up my star rating at the end just because I loved the final scene and epilogue so much.
Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC. Book to be published May 18, 2026.
This book is chaotic- with bizarre structure and pacing, it seems to break all the rules of contemporary fiction writing, and yet I loved it. The main character Adora refuses to be categorized, much like the genre. Plenty of twists, time jumps and character building at random.
Adora is an “in house philosopher” for a generational wealthy Manhattan elite family. She is a divorced woman who has lived through different “lifetimes” and is forever changed by the American landscape and the traumas she has overcome. I related to her on a visceral level- and my highlighter got a workout as I kept underlining and writing “THIS” in the margin.
My guess is it will be a Book of the Month selection.
This book won’t be universally loved, but please read it, especially if you meet the following;
-a lady over 40 -feminist -interested is philosophy -would like to be in a coven -like reading about modern Manhattan
Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC. Book to be published April 13, 2026.
