This women’s fiction novel is basically like a satire of Anna Delvey/Gypsy Rose Blanchard but as if the author wrote herself into the story as an investigator. I was not here for the author’s hero tale because it felt a bit too, not like preachy, but almost. But, by the end, I give because there was an interesting twist and turn of events. The twists had me hooked, especially the epilogue. Honestly, this book got so much better as it went on and proved the author’s writing chops.

In The Most Famous Girl in the World, Rose is an online journalist who went semi-viral after breaking the news about a Manhattan scam artist named Poppy. When Poppy is released from prison following her fraud conviction, Rose is convinced there are worse skeletons in Poppy’s closet. To do so, Rose teams up with rogue FBI agent Simon. Note, there is a romantic connection between Rose and Simon (and some spice scenes) but it definitely is not a romance novel with a happy-go-lucky HEA. Nope, not at all. So, don’t expect one.

At this point, I’d read anything that Falon Ballard puts out and All I Want Is You perfectly fits into that. It’s a rivals-to-lovers, second chance, forced proximity (with an only-one-bed trope to boot), dual-perspective holiday romance novel.

Jessica and Nick are two rival romance authors signed to the same publishing house. They also used to date five years before the book starts, and they are both in major writing slumps just before the Christmas holiday deadlines. They both go to the company holiday conference held at a remote inn, where they happen to get stranded during a major snowstorm. As they wait out the storm, Jess and Nick (yes, the New Girl reference was intentional to the author) agree to help each other out and co-write a new story. This book also features flashbacks to the early days of their romance, specifically at Christmastime.

The two protagonists, Jessica and Nick, have so much banter together that makes this read so fun and cute. It reads quite quickly and fast becomes another Ballard book that had me completely captivated to keep reading. All I Want Is You has as compelling language as ever, like, clearly it’s well-written. Even though this book is short and sweet in terms of page length, the character journeys are still rich, full, and engaging. Overall, this book was equally endearing, sweet, wholesome, and spicy. It’s full of tropes and tropes within tropes (because of a meta sub-plot) that help make All I Want Is You feel like a quick holiday read that you can polish off when the snow makes it physically difficult to leave your house. I literally finished this book in a day and, yes, I would actually read this one again. And side note, that [spoiler: redacted] scene in the Strand bookstore? I want it. Like, gimme gimme gimme, please.

First things first, this book is a modern-day version of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice but it’s not billed as such. Honestly, I would have picked it up sooner had I known it was. For anyone who knows P&P, this book’s character descriptions, the realization of the storyline, and a ton of Austen-themed Easter eggs, it is so clear that it’s indeed an Austenian adaptation. Like, 100 percent obvious.

In Rachel Weiss’s Group Chat, our MC is stuck in a bad job she hates, only dates men who disappoint her in the long run, and contends with her mom trying to play matchmaker with billionaire new neighbor Christopher. As Rachel deals with her impending 30th birthday, she confides in her best friends via group chat. (Honestly, the book is much more based on P&P than the nomenclature of the group chat.) While dealing with all of that mess, Rachel also realizes that she might have misjudged Christopher, who always seems to be waiting in her DMs with dating and career advice.

It was a great one, don’t get me wrong, but the P&P  reference should have been blurb-worthy to me. Author Lauren Appelbaum writes with such compelling language and a relatable main character in Rachel Weiss (a modern, Jewish version of Lizzy Bennet). If Austen books aren’t your thing (gasp, I know), then you probably won’t be able to tell the difference because Rachel Weiss’s Group Chat still feels fresh and new as a women’s fiction/romance novel.

Once again, I am here to report that Ally Carter does not miss. And that’s with an emphatic period at the end. First off, allow me to explain my history in making that statement: I first started reading her preteen Gallagher Girls series in elementary school. Devoured those books, and then I moved on to Heist Society and Not If I’d Save You First, so I’m very familiar with her YA catalog. Then she made her adult debut with The Blonde Identity last year, and it was a complete 5-star read. Hundred percent. Now, I’m pleased to say that The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year is another 5-star favorite. For sure. I will be re-reading and purchasing a hardback copy in the very near future, I’m certain of that.

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year is told from back-and-forth points of view between Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt, rival mystery rivals at the same publishing house. They get invited to the massive English estate of a big-time fan (really acclaimed mystery writer Eleanor Ashley, akin to Agatha Christie in the real world) for Christmas. However, Eleanor suddenly vanishes into thin air amid various murder attempts, naturally. It’s up to Maggie and Ethan, a former secret service agent who can barely remember Maggie’s name, to piece together all the clues to save the day and find Eleanor before it’s too late. It’s rivals to allies to lovers in all its trope-y goodness.

By the dedication alone, I felt seen and I was intrigued. Then, I started reading. There was banter-after-banter between the two rivals to lovers, compelling language (naturally, I wouldn’t expect any less) and I was just HOOKED and completely desperate to keep reading. It reads super quickly, and yet, I still didn’t want it to end. I truly loved every single page and was even annotating my favorite lines (a rarity for me). There were twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. It was more than just a romance (mostly closed-door, for awareness, but didn’t feel too too wholesome, if that makes sense — this is a book for the plot girlies like me) but also an intriguing and indulging mystery. I loved and devoured every single page and was just enthralled to learn what the heck actually happened. Then, in addition to the MCs, there is a quirky cast of side characters in this London-set holiday novel. And the decision to make Maggie’s love interest Ethan one of those secret piners despite a broody exterior? Oh boy, it’s my favorite archetype. And I love this little golden retriever, cinnamon roll for our girl Maggie Chase. And, oh wow, that was a DAMN FINE declaration of love. Oooo love it! Plus, the epilogue? I was gagged and screaming at the tattoo, reveal, and everything. Like, OBSESSED. (So, basically, Ethan is like a besotted golden retriever disguised as a black cat, which means he wins all the best book boyfriend awards, trust.)

I was laughing out loud in parts, squealing in others and clutching the pearls at certain times. I couldn’t put The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year down, meaning that this novel can cure the biggest reading slump of reading slumps. I am proof of that. Like, I didn’t want this book to end, yet I needed to solve the mystery, you know? A need! All in all, The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year is one of the rare, elusive great ones — and Ally Carter’s books have always been that. Trust me, I realized that at age 12.

CW: Death of Parents, Claustrophobia

This was a sweet, wholesome holiday sapphic YA romance novel told from dual points of view with a fake dating trope.

Make My Wish Come True stars teen starlet Arden and childhood best friend, Caroline. After Arden’s bad reputation in the press affects her latest audition, she pretends she has the perfect, long-term girlfriend back home on the East Coast. She names Caroline, who unbeknownst to Arden used to have a crush on her when they were kids, as her partner in a major interview. Her publicist arranges for Arden and Caroline to go on a series of holiday dates for Cosmopolitan. Arden just has to convince aspiring journalist Caroline to agree to the terms.

The co-writers, as always, brought their signature writing skills to Make My Wish Come True and, yeah, it was very cute and adorable and sweet. It reads very quickly and was a relatively short book. It has compelling main characters and an interesting holiday premise. Seriously, it’s perfect to read during the snowy months.

I loved Kate Stayman-London’s debut novel, One to Watch, so much that I was desperate to read a copy of her next book … even if it was about vampires. I’ve never been a supernatural or vampire girlie, however, I surprised myself with how much I was captivated and intrigued by this one.

Obviously, Stayman-Lndon’s exemplary writing skills remain from her first novel, which made me so curious to keep reading Fang Fiction. Like, I was hooked from the jump and didn’t want to put it down. Like One to Watch, Fang Fiction reads quite quickly, as well.

It was just such an interesting concept because it’s a vampire book but it’s also not a vampire book and it’s all so meta. And, like, everything from the book-within-a-book is the opposite of the main book, which is so fascinating and kept me on my toes the whole time I read. All in all, Stayman-London’s sophomore novel hit. W00, this novel was so good, quirky ,and different, plus it’s fun and authentic. Seriously, I’m so not a vampire girlie but I was soooo into this book, which I attribute to Stayman-London’s writing, the characters who were developed authentically, and the world-building base.

CW: Sexual assault, PTSD, panic attacks

Catch and Keep is author Erin Hahn’s latest interconnected standalone, this time following Shelby and Lorelai’s best friend, Maren, and her brother’s best friend, Josiah “Joe.”

In Catch and Keep, Maren returns home to northern Wisconsin when she inherits a decrepit bait shop in a resort town. It’s the perfect thing to take her mind off saying no to her now ex-boyfriend’s marriage proposal and losing the dream park ranger job she’d been eyeing. Back home, Maren reunites with Joe, the childhood BFF of her older brother and a single dad of two, to find he’s a retired Marine-turned-resort-owner. Maren and Joe slowly get to know one another as she also forms a sweet bond with his young kids.

Told from dual points of view, this book was chock full of compelling language that had me completely drawn in from the start. To put it simply, I was hooked from the very first sentence. While it was fun to see post-HEA glimpses into Shelby/Cameron and Lorelai/Craig from Hahn’s past books, Catch and Keep really can stand on its own and feels like it too. Yes, there is a little spice peppered in, but not overwhelmingly so or overpowering to the actual storyline.

CW: Stalkers, PTSD, Panic Attacks

Dinner for Vampires, a metaphor for author Bethany Joy Lenz’s time in an alleged religious cult, tells the actress’ personal tale of navigating the group while balancing her years on the beloved series One Tree Hill. As the author’s note mentions, Lenz drew from her comprehensive journals from 1999-2015, as well as interviews with other former group members. All names and specific details (aside from the references to the OTH cast and other show details) were altered.

Lenz tells her story through very compelling language, starting at the very beginning of her childhood to how she met this so-called religious organization. As established, she was already a member of “The Big House Family” when she booked the role of Haley James Scott on OTH. As a reader, I found this memoir to be super compelling and I was very intrigued to keep reading. Dinner for Vampires reads quite quickly and is a compelling, chilling first-person account of Lenz’s life in an alleged cult and what made her finally get the courage to walk away. It couldn’t have been easy to relive such trauma for a memoir, yet Lenz handled the subject matter honestly in a way that was also well-written.

While Mr. Nice Spy took a hot minute to get into due to the exposition, it eventually picked up to deliver an interesting and intriguing romance-slash-action story.

Mr. Nice Spy follows pyrotechnic designer/engineer Andee after she discovers that her bio-father is Holt, an international arms dealer who recently escaped from prison. The CIA, meanwhile, wants to use Andee as bait to lure Holt out of hiding and back to jail. However, the plan is thwarted when Andee and “super hot agent” Adam Chan (solely referred to by his last name) get kidnapped by Holt’s nefarious team. Oh, and they only brought Chan along because they think he’s Andee’s boyfriend. So, fake dating, anyone?

Mr. Nice Spy reads quite quickly, and I found that I barely wanted to put it down. It was short enough that I could polish this one off in a single day and still feel completely satisfied. While it’s heavy on the romance (mostly closed-door), there’s an equally prevalent action-slash-spy subplot that was intriguing. And since I’m a plot girlie, that satisfied my reading appetite.

Also, Adam Chan (MC Andee’s love interest) is hard of hearing and wears hearing aids (and depicted on the book cover, too), which I love to see the representation! Author Tiana Smith also handled his storyline with care and showcased an authentic, real HOH character, who didn’t let his hearing impairment define him, his badass career as a CIA agent, and a hot AF, swoony love story with Andee.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect with this one because, despite having read previous Pine Hollow novels by author Lizzie Shane, I have the bookish memory of a goldfish and cannot remember a thing besides the fact that I enjoyed them. In reading this book (ok, fine, devouring, within five uninterrupted hours– thank you theater rush line), I really enjoyed this one.

In Like Cats and Dogs, Magda (the other bestie of the Pine Hollow MCs!) and Mac are baking shop rivals in town. Their dislike spans nearly 15 years following an unrequited crush, an allegedly stolen signature cake recipe and the perfect Pine Hollow storefront on Main Street. Next thing you know, Magda and Mac (now 32 and 38, if my math checks out) are cast on the first-ever “archrivals” edition of a Great British Bake Off– esque competition. Turns out, their rivalry has spurned a certain, um, level of attraction. (This book, for what it’s worth, is a mostly closed-door romance.)

It was compelling, adorable, and sweet-as-apple-pie (pun intended) second-chance, enemies-to-lovers romance. It’s told from dual points of view with intriguing language and quippy banter (which had my heart right away) that made for an easy, quick read. Plus, the characters were so richly developed, completely vulnerable, and authentic that you as a reader can really root for and fall in love with them as they fall in love on the page. It’s very, very cute, and especially all of the Broadway soundtracks that love interest Mac was singing in his head aligned absolutely perfectly with the vibe. It was so adorable and precious and made him become such a golden retriever book boyfriend. Shane’s latest definitely fits in with the other Pine Hollow books but with a baking competition twist between rivals. In short, Like Cats and Dogs is legitimately the perfect definition of enemies to love and delivers a sweet-as-croquembouche (IYKYK) happily ever after.

As someone who would, literally, drop everything to read the American Royals series upon release days, I guess you could say I was interested in this one. It’s very similar stylistically, naturally, except the plot is set in the 19th century with European royalty. So, different, can’t you tell?

In A Queen’s Game, readers follow three European royal women (Alix, a British princess and the favorite granddaughter of the queen; Helene, daughter of the exiled French king who was granted asylum in the U.K.; and May, another granddaughter of the queen who’s less favored and less wealthy) as they try to secure love matches during the societal season. Alix, Helene and May all have their eyes on Prince Eddy, the heir to the British throne, which leads to a truly delicious love triangle. Alix, Helene and May also each have another suitor that leads to hijinks, complications, and drama of the best level.

A Queen’s Game had as compelling of language as ever. Despite the obvious regency setting, the story really did feel quite modern, which made it exponentially easier to read as a modern human. I ended up really digging A Queen’s Game;  I mean not as much as American Royals, but definitely a close second. Like, A Queen’s Game is really the regency precursor to the American Royals series. And then that ending, oh boy, I fear I need more content/answers STAT.

There’s no real summary for this novella collection, other than several bestselling romance novelists each contributed one spicy, trope-laden, holiday-set story.

This collection of spicy holiday romances is short and sweet, yet completely satisfying by some of the genre’s best and brightest. Each story delivers banter, compelling language, and varying levels of steamy moments. Each focuses on a different romance trope with the only similarity being it’s set in December in the lead-up to the holiday season.

All of these stories are cis romances, and the lack of diversity is not lost on me. That being said, it’s easy to polish this off in a few hours while curled up in front of the fireplace this winter. It’s fun and definitely spicy.

This is a book for fans of poetry, specifically contemporary poetry but also fans of Taylor Swift. That’s not to say, if you are not a Swiftie but like poetry then you might still like this one — just not understand the Easter eggs. That’s right, just like Swift’s proclivities of dropping clues and breadcrumbs for fans, all of the included Tortured Poets do the same. Some of the references are more obvious than others (that “New Year’s Day” reference was crystal-clear to me, for one) while others are more subtle based on a lyric or a message of a song. None of these interpretations are on-the-nose, but more nuanced and subtle allusions. It’s, to put it simply, an ode to Taylor Swift and her superb songwriting skills. It was also interesting to read a conclusion paragraph about how each song (though never mentioned) inspired certain poetic themes.

Oh, and if you read this review and gripe, “All Taylor Swift does is write about breakups, so these poems are going to as well.” No. 1, kindly grow up, and No. 2, no she doesn’t. Just like Swift’s lyrics can span love, heartache, friendship and a dozen of other real and authentic emotions, so do these poems. It’s not just about relationship highs and lows. Thank you for coming to my TedTalk, onto the next.

This book is, like, a gender-swapped Princess Diaries meets Red, White & Royal Blue and A Tale of Two Princes.

In The Rules of Royalty, American teen Jamie learns at 17 that his long-estranged birth father is actually the king of a small European country, meaning that he’s actually a prince. Once his father reaches out with the offer to spend the summer at the palace, he asks Erik, a prince from another European country who is also openly queer, to tutor Jamie in the art of royal rules. The two quickly develop an inevitable spark that’s hard to ignore despite familiar disapproval.

 It’s completely adorable, full of compelling language, that left me so intrigued to continue reading from chapter to chapter. This book, told from dual points of view, reads quite quickly, and my God, these two boys are just like the ultimate sweeties. Like, it was just too damn cute all-around. I couldn’t put this book down, making it one of those polish-off-in-a-day-book types. Plus, the characters were just so authentic and relatable, if you excuse the whole prince of a foreign country bit. It’s so precious and adorable, and just, like, a wholesome queer, YA royal romance. What more could you want?

This was a cute, yet heartwarming YA novel about coming of age and discovering your roots, along with an enemies-to-lovers slash second-chance travel romance. I know that’s a mouthful, but this book is all of that and it works.

Ex Marks the Spot follows Gemma, a recent high school graduate and Taiwanese-American daughter of a single mother. She receives a clue from a mysterious man, leading her to a treasure hunt set up by her now-late, estranged grandfather. Thinking an inheritance is at the receiving end, Gemma is ready to put her ultimate puzzling skills to the test. Following the clues reveals that Gemma needs to travel to Taiwan, and to do that, she needs Xander’s help. Xander, you see, is Gemma’s high school nemesis, the son of a family “enemy,” and also her middle school ex-boyfriend. Complicated, right?

It’s full of compelling language, all told from MC Gemma’s point of view, and ends up reading quite quickly. It’s fun and cute, but Ex Marks the Spot also has a ton of heart. Plus, there’s a family twist that was completely unexpected yet absolutely adorable. Like, I was desperate to figure out how this book would end.