thoughts on books

Author: Angie Miale

  • undergrads: student union by julie murphy

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    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.

  • escape game by marissa meyer and tamara moss

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    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.

    Book to be published April 6, 2026.

  • the shippers by katherine center

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    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.

  • go gentle by maria semple

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    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.

  • dollface by lindy ryan

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    A wacky tale of suburban PTO moms and murder. The new mom on the block is our main character, Jill. For a short book, this one is kind of chaotic. I really enjoyed Darla and the other mom characters, even though Jill was pretty insufferable. It reads a bit like YA, it goes deep on storylines that go nowhere and rushes through the development I was eager for. A few scenes genuinely cracked me up. Still, I enjoyed a lot of the dialogue and would try other books by this author. The pacing in this one seemed off for me, but I think others may really enjoy it.

    Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this buzzy ARC! Book to be published 2/24/26.

  • take me with you by steven rowley

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    A quietly humorous, self-deprecating contemporary story of a long term relationship, being abandoned, and finding your spirit. Part “Same As It Ever Was” [Claire Lombardo] and part “Then She Was Gone” [Lisa Jewell] and part “Emperor of Gladness” [Ocean Vuong]

    Jesse and Norman have been together for decades; they’ve settled into their privileged life, and suffer from the general malaise of late capitalism. Jesse is a semi-celebrated writer, teaching at university, whose most celebrated work may be behind him. His husband Norman goes to the backyard to investigate a soft but encompassing light in the backyard one night, then disappears.

    Jesse needs to grieve the loss, learn who he is without Norman by his side, and come to terms with feeling abandoned by his father before he was born and his emotionally distant mother. He is joined by his sister-in-law Lally, who is also grieving the disappearance of her brother, figuring out what middle age is going to look like for her, and figuring out how to get close to people who might leave.

    This is beautiful writing, surprising in its simplicity, and with deep themes. The writing is clever, not laugh-out-loud funny, but specific to really develop the characters into being endearing. It all builds up to a heartwarming scene. With Steven Rowley, you always know he’ll make you think, laugh, and cry. This one fits the bill.

    4.25/5 stars “I loved it”

    Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC. Book to be published May 18, 2026.

  • first and forever by lynn painter

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    A fake dating, mid 20’s couple, sports romance. He’s a famous football player and she’s the team’s biggest fan. This book is everything I love about Lynn Painter- an upper midwest setting, extremely funny banter and all the chemistry. This is my favorite adult romcom from Lynn Painter yet! I love the meet cute, the misophonia representation, and a fantastic dad character. I loved the roller coaster of Connor and Duffy’s relationship. Duffy was very likable but funny. I just love the way she writes dialogue.

    a best romance of 2026 you heard it here first!

    Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC. Book to be published 5/12/2026.

  • after the fall by edward ashton

    After The Fall is a Sci Fi standalone with a lot of strong world building and beloved characters. It is the perfect listen for a longer road trip with the kids- it is not YA, but is family friendly with little to no violence or adult content. The protagonist, John, is a human “employee” i.e. “pet” of Martok the gray. This takes place on earth many years from now, after an alien invasion that domesticated humans. There are feral humans that operate like wolves in a pack, and a government that has propaganda causing John to feel as though Martok is his friend. It is a unique theme about the ruling class and the working class, or about slavery and the way that history has been altered to make modern people think that slavery was something it was not.

    Martok is optimistic to the point of nearly being delusional, and while he considers John to be his friend, he has offered John as bond on a loan for new land he wants to turn into a luxury resort for wealthier grays.

    I was really impressed with the performance of John Pirhalla. His performance of Martok was absolutely perfect and captured the spirit of this lovable fool. His performance of John and Six were also excellent, I found it to be incredibly engaging and melodious. The story works really well on audio and is a lighthearted yet still deep Science Fiction story that will stay with me for some time.

    Thanks to Macmillan audio for the ALC. Book to be published February 24, 2026.

    #macaudio2025

  • cross your heart and hope he dies by jenny elder moke

    A fun cozy mystery for 2026- Juliette is a heroine for the modern woman, she is confident and capable. She is missing that insecurity that so many of our FMCs share. Later in the book we learn her origin story, which explained a lot for me about her character. She works in publishing and is lucky to have landed the memoir rights to magnate Warren Ellingham. At a party he drops dead of an apparent heart attack although his doctor praised his heart healthiness just a day earlier. The memoir is stolen and Juliet finds herself a suspect, although her gaze turns towards Warren’s son who is heir to his fortune and has a bit of a gambling habit. Now Juliet must solve the mystery herself while trying to find out what happened to the memoir, which is key to her career trajectory.

    This is the kind of story that is made for audio- it was an excellent performance by Sarah Mollo-Christensen, who used voices for the characters and had a melodious voice for inner dialogue that captured Juliette’s character perfectly. A true cozy mystery, there is a bit of spice and some twists. I found it to be a really fun, campy story- with mustache twirling villains and characters that, while one-dimensional, were vibrant enough to tell apart and to follow on audio. This doesn’t take a ton of brain cells to follow and although I might forget the storyline soon, I definitely was in the mood for something light and fun, this definitely fit the bill.

    3.5/5 stars
    Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the ALC. Book to be published January 20, 2026.

    #macaudio2025

  • dolly all the time by annabelle monaghan

    A warm-hearted fake dating rom-com that finds us with a “knight in shining armor” type workaholic handsome man that buys a roof and helps a struggling single mom kindergarten teacher. Absolutely classic Annabelle Monaghan- there are few romance authors that can blend fade-to-black romance with deeply developed characters and wildly funny dialogue. I loved the family dynamics with Dolly and her family, her son and father, and the way she changes over the course of the story. It is a beautiful character arc for Dolly, from being fiercely and stubbornly independent to learning to be a part of a community and allow herself to be helped. Stewart is so driven by working, not being seen as weak, and controlling how his family views his place in the company and in the family.

    Dolly is a real spit fire. She is flawed but very likable. I also appreciated the incorporation of the gig economy since she is a single mom and teacher she needs to supplement her income in all kinds of ways. Dolly and Stewart are in different economic brackets- but both of them don’t have a lot of room in their life for a partner because they work so much.

    I was pretty angry with Stewart in the third act, Dolly is a bit more forgiving than myself. I enjoyed her son being a young teenager (13), his voice was authentic and loving towards his mom. I can certainly relate to Dolly’s independence and desire to do anything to make her kid happy.

    One of the top romances of 2026!

    Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC. Book to be published May 26, 2026.