Book Reviews

Nothing brings a family together quite like a billionaire patriarch being murdered at his own gala. 👀🔪

I had SUCH a good time with The Heirs by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé. This is one of those YA mysteries that completely pulled me in and kept me guessing the entire time. ⭐️ 4.25/5 stars

The premise alone is wildly compelling: billionaire Leontes Button adopts five infants from orphanages around the world because he believes nurture matters more than nature. At a bizarre “Choosing Ceremony” when they are babies, each child crawls toward an object that supposedly predicts the prodigy they are destined to become. They are then raised and groomed to excel in those fields for the rest of their lives. 😳

By the time they are teenagers, four of the five siblings have become exactly what Button wanted them to be. Romeo, however, is considered the failure of the family. Then during the family’s lavish annual prodigy gala, Button is murdered… and every one of his heirs becomes a suspect. 🖤

This book gave me major Umbrella Academy vibes in the BEST way — dysfunctional gifted siblings, complicated family dynamics, buried resentments, questions about identity, and the lingering damage of being treated more like an experiment than a child. I also appreciated that the siblings all come from very different racial and cultural backgrounds, and the story actually engages thoughtfully with how those identities shape their experiences within this strange family structure.

Perdita was probably the sibling I connected with most, but honestly all five perspectives felt distinct and memorable. That is especially impressive because I listened to this on audiobook, and sometimes a single narrator handling multiple teen perspectives can get confusing. Not here. The narrator did an excellent job differentiating the voices without making them feel cartoonish or overacted. 🎧

The plot constantly shifted in directions I did not expect, but it never became difficult to follow. Even with a fairly large cast, the audiobook stayed really accessible and would honestly make a fantastic tandem read/listen.

This ended up being one of my favorite YA mysteries of 2026 already, and yes… I have already ordered myself a trophy copy. 🏆📚

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing me with an advanced listening copy. The Heirs publishes June 2, 2026.

Respectful neurodivergent representation AND a romance spicy enough to make me blush? Oh, this book absolutely knew what it was doing. 🔥💛🎙️

I’ll tell you what: this book really does have the perfect title. It is, unapologetically, a love story. But it’s also a story about identity, advocacy, feminism, ambition, and learning how to fully take up space in the world.

Reina, our FMC, is autistic, and that is central to both the story and her character arc. She hosts a hugely popular podcast called The Disability Track, where she interviews experts and advocates about disability and neurodivergence. When journalist Tom Branimin — known as the “king of cancel culture” — comes to write an exposé on her, their relationship starts off tense and contentious. Naturally, feelings complicate everything. 👀

I’ve read many wonderful books featuring neurodivergent characters — books like Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, When We Were Vikings, and the beautifully awkward characters in Emily Austin’s novels — but this one felt different to me because Reina is so deeply aware of herself and her diagnosis. She was diagnosed at 15, and watching her navigate the world with both vulnerability and confidence was honestly beautiful.

As someone who has a child on the autism spectrum, I found the representation incredibly respectful and emotionally moving. There were moments that genuinely brought me to tears. 💛

Tom also has a strong character arc as he begins to reevaluate his work, his motivations, and the kind of person he wants to be. Both characters feel layered and human, and the emotional development between them is written exquisitely.

And yes… this romance is SPICY. 🌶️😂 A little spicier than my personal taste, if I’m being honest, but that’s entirely a preference issue and not a criticism of the book itself. If you like emotional chemistry with a lot of heat, this absolutely delivers.

Bonus points for the London setting and all the British terminology and atmosphere. 🇬🇧 The characters are truly the heart of this story, though — messy, passionate, intelligent people trying to figure themselves out and love each other well.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

📚 Unapologetic Love Story publishes October 13, 2026

⭐️ 4.5 stars

I’m not sure why these 2 rich British Gen Z’s have hillbilly names from the 90’s, but let me tell you about Alyssa and Crystal. Alyssa has rich parents and a past. She is a fan of At Home With the Shaws, and is determined to make Crystal Shaw her bestie. Crystal is using university to get away from her influencer family. She was a part of a successful family blog for years. Her older sister died of a mysterious disease which is what made them go viral. She is tired of being in the spotlight and is angry that her childhood was on display. Soon Their paths intersect in more ways than one.

I enjoyed this suspense thriller, the main characters are 18-19 years old so it feels a little like YA. Although I enjoyed the audiobook narrator, I had a hard time distinguishing between Alyssa and Crystal as they sounded identical to me. I would have like reading with eyeballs on this one. The theme of children of influencers being used is a timely and useful narrative to explore.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ALC. book to be published June 2, 2026

Hope was the oldest cure. It was also the oldest addiction. Truth was, he was hooked on the ache of it all.

Summary
A sequel to Artificial Wisdom, this book picks up 5 years after Solomon’s election campaign to be earth’s “protector,” he has abolished nations and will implant a chip in all 9 million people on earth. His creator, Martha Chandra, is still dead but her consciousness exists to talk to her sister Livia, who chats with her and bounces ideas off of her as they drink artificial coffee. We also get the main POV of Marcus Tully, journalist, and October, who continues to work on a way to get into Solomon’s program and blow the whole thing up. Privacy is a right that is long behind us.

Could you love without grief?

My Thoughts
This tech sci fi thriller is best devoured late into the night. The author is working with big themes and, while ambitious, is extremely readable. The characters are unique and varied, some, like Lottie, representing a distrust and a skepticism that the reader holds. Like any good sequel, the stakes are higher and so is the deathcount. If the possibility of losing your national identity and personal identity doesn’t scare you, not having “real” coffee anymore might. No bees, no coffee. Whereas in the first book we were forced to look at a choice between a power hungry establishment human president and logical AI, this book is much deeper in its transparency, its heart and purpose. Readers will definitely identify with October, Tully and Livia. I was also really impressed with the pacing, the first/second/third acts taking me on a journey that any well structured thriller will. While I think the book gives enough background to work as a standalone, I would recommend reading the first book before diving into this one.

Logic only works when there is a right and wrong answer.

Themes/Warnings
-Artificial Intelligence
-Climate Change
-Oligarchy
-Loss of Independence
-Triumph and trust of humanity
-Power over autonomy

Thank you to NetGalley and DelRay for the e-ARC. Book to be published November 20, 2026

Villa Coco is exactly what Andrew Sean Greer set out to write according to his author’s note: a charming novel. And honestly, I think he succeeds.

Set in Italy sometime after World War II, the story follows a young queer man fresh out of college with a background in archives and preservation. He arrives at Villa Coco believing he’s been hired to organize and archive the estate of a 92-year-old baroness, but quickly discovers that his role is much less academic and much more “girl Friday.” Soon he’s managing household chaos, tending to the eccentricities of the villa, and slowly figuring himself out along the way.

The strongest part of this novel is absolutely the setting. If you love books that completely immerse you in Italy—the countryside, the food, the language, the atmosphere, the old villas, the glamorous decay—you will probably have a wonderful time here. Greer writes Italy so vividly that the location becomes the real main character. The cover is gorgeous, and somehow the book itself matches that exact vibe.

This is definitely more of a quiet character study than a plot-heavy novel. There are emotional arcs and moments of growth, but the story is more interested in mood, identity, loneliness, and that drifting “what am I doing with my life?” feeling that comes with your twenties. It’s very much a coming-of-age/quarter-life-crisis novel wrapped in Italian sunlight.

Will this become an all-time favorite for me? Probably not. I don’t necessarily see myself rereading it, and I’m not sure how much of the plot will stick with me long term. But I do think I’ll remember it as a sweet, easy-to-read, emotionally gentle novel that transported me somewhere beautiful for a few hours.

And did I mention Italy? Because really, that’s the selling point here.

I’d recommend it, especially for readers who enjoy atmospheric literary fiction and travel vibes more than fast-moving plots. Personally, though, this feels more like a “borrow from the library” book than a “must own” book for me. It’s charming, pleasant, and immersive—but it’s not trying to devastate you or completely rearrange your worldview.

Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for the ARC. Book to be published June 8, 2026

The Haunting of Lavender House is a lyrical, atmospheric historical horror book. Petra’s mother died in a car crash and she decides to visit her ancestral homeland of Croatia. She meets her grandmother on the fictional island of Tolba, her mother always said she was dead. Petra visits the home with lavender fields surrounding it. She soon learns that a lot of folklore surrounds the family home as well.

The other POV is from 1895, where Magdalena agrees to help an old lady and hopes to repair her reputation.

In these intersecting timelines, both Petra and Magdalena find love and confuse it with belonging.

I enjoyed a lot of things about this book. Both of the main characters are compelling, flawed but likable. The setting and incorporating the Slavic language and folklore legends. For me, the pacing was a bit off, the dialogue seemed stilted at times and the climax was rushed, although it was very thrilling.

I would recommend this book for lovers of gothic horror, atmospheric, creepy reads.

Thanks to NetGalley and park Row for the ARC. Book to be published 10/20/26.

Wayfarers is like eavesdropping on a couple of Gen Z kids that are so engaged with each other that they don’t notice you’re there. Knox and Silvia are broken but hopeful, and they find their hope with each other. It’s a road trip romance, two people brought together and each develops a strong character arc. They each find their healing in how they tell each other their story. And they each help each other reframe their past within the context of who they are. It’s beautiful.

The format intersperses poetic verse with standard narrative. And it’s some of the most sparkling dialogue I’ve read—
YA or no. There is a sincerity in the characters that is a breath of fresh air. These characters will stay with me a long time.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quill Tree Books for the ARC. Book to be published August 17, 2026.

Make Me Better is an intriguing title…. It’s a call to action and a desire we have to fit in, to belong and to be changed into something we are meant to be. Celia is visiting the island for the salt festival, the salt flats there are the only product for an island cult that doesn’t wear shoes or have personal autonomy. Celia has always been seeking and eager to be a part of something successful. She is a senior brand ambassador for overpriced yoga pants, i e , she is in deep with yet another MLM.

This is a pretty creepy slow burn. I loved the plot and the setting, it was so interesting to see how the cult was formed and how the members all viewed their internal world versus the outside. It would be a great book club selection as different things are revealed and you can’t help but wonder what you would do in the same situation. I found the book very descriptive and the characters to be very deeply drawn.

Audiobook review/ I appreciate the narrator’s subtle performance and pacing. Because the narrative has time jumps and many characters, some may find it harder to follow on audio. I did rewind and relisten a few times to get my bearings. But the plot and themes are strong enough to really capture your interest.

Thank you to Macmillan audio and NetGalley for the ALC. book to be published May 12.

3.5/5 stars

What a good, creepy horror mystery! It all takes place in a short time frame, deep character development on everyone inside of the gas station, there is a monster outside going after those with guilty hearts and mimicing those they have devoured. Everyone has a secret– you aren’t going to guess most of them– and this is a big time PAGE TURNER. It feels like an old Twilight Zone episode in that this is not just a monster novel, there is also an underlying theme and great characters, even though they are one dimensional at times they are amazing cariactures. Jump scares! Gore! It felt like a horror movie. Loved the setting, the pacing, and the overall creepiness. Horror fans, don’t miss this one!

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC. Book to be published October 20, 2026

When I saw that Jordy’s Book club said this was his favorite book of 2026, I added it to my TBR immediately and requested on NetGalley. I read The Immortalists when it was published and was interested to read more- I didn’t even read the blurb— but it definitely did not disappoint.

If you enjoy speculative fiction and/or Sci Fi, absolutely do not skip this- it is one of the most intriguing concepts of a book that I have read this year and I can see why it was so highly recommended.

Laurel’s life is a mess, she is dealing with a divorce and works as a biologist in academia at Wisconsin. She needs a change so take the opportunity to go to Antarctica to be a dishwasher. There she meets a ragtag group of really fascinating found family folks. She is surprised that her ex husband has also joined.

I really can’t tell you more than that, but trust me when I tell you it is FASCINATING.

This book is really ambitious- it is trying to capture a lot of themes- there is climate change, the concept of fate, time and relationships, and a big fantasy world. Nothing is completely explained so be okay with some scientific explanations but be okay with ambiguity as well. There also is a bit of a love story. I think it’s best to go in blind.

My only criticism which was noted by other reviewers is that this is a beast at more than 500 pages, it is just a bit too long. But I could not wait to hear how it ended.

4.5 stars- high recommend
Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for the ARC. Book to be published September 1, 2026.