Author Archives: msiwak

9 New Book Fall/Winter 2025 Releases That Are Worth Staying Inside For

Posted in Just for Fun, Miranda's Book Nook by

‘Tis another season where the autumn chill lingers in the air and the leaves change color, which also means that a slate of new books is hitting shelves. Keep scrolling for the latest installment of Quite Simply Miranda’s Book Nook, and there might be a handful of Austenian stories, because it is me compiling the list. And, as always, happy reading!

Holiday Ever After by Hannah Grace

In Holiday Ever After, Clara is the heir to her family’s toy company and eager to work her way up the corporate ladder. After the firm is accused of stealing a popular doll design, Clara is tasked with smoothing things over, which takes her to the small town of Fraser Falls. Jack, who initially designed the doll in question, has a distaste for Clara’s company and, by extension, Clara herself, despite a sizzling attraction. Clara, meanwhile, realizes that Jack is the key to winning over the town, so she sets out to prove that she’s not an evil corporate robot.

Hannah Grace brings her writing chops and open-door spice scenes to her first adult romance, set in a quirky small town over the holidays, Like, think a Stars Hollow-esque town. It’s a slow burn for the first 100 pages or so, but it’s cute and I’m intrigued. Things ramp up (literally and physically) when FMC Clara and MMC Jack (this is a dual-point-of-view book) start liking each other. All in all, I think Grace has had better books, but this one is still a fun holiday read.

Rating: Three and a Half Stars

Available: Now

Told You So by Mayci Neeley

This is a very raw, vulnerable memoir about Mayci Neeley’s adolescence, pregnancy journey, marriage, and career as an influencer/MomTokker leading up to her role on Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. This book reads quite quickly and was engaging to keep turning each page. It pulls back the curtain on Mayci’s life, which she hasn’t frequently shared via social media or on SLOMW.

Sharing this type of heavy story certainly takes guts, and I have to applaud Mayci for sharing her truth so honestly and in a way that helps her move on. My only thing is I wish SLOMW included more of her story because I felt like I knew nothing about her history going into this memoir.

This book feels very conversational, and like Mayci is just speaking her truth. There’s also a lot of bombshells about her past and struggles that you wouldn’t know from social media or SLOMW. It covers everything from growing up Mormon in California, being a teen athlete playing a D1 sport, grief, parenthood, marriage, and more. It’s an honest portrait of her life from age 16 to 30. Told You So concludes with her third pregnancy. I read this ARC in July 2025, before her daughter Charlie was born.

Content Warning: Assault, Suicidal Ideation, Grief

Rating: Three and a Half Stars

Available: Now

Anne of Avenue A by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding

I really liked these authors’ past Jane Austen adaptations, and was automatically intrigued by their modernized Persuasion story. They write with such compelling language that made me desperate to keep reading. Told in dual points of view, Anne of Avenue A feels like an adaptation, yes, but also something fresh and new, exciting, and enthralling all rolled into one. This ended up being totally unputdownable.

In Anne of Avenue A, Anne broke up with Freddie in college after she refused to give up her five-year plan for the sake of adventure. By 30, she’s living in her family’s East Village apartment with no plan in sight and working at her dad’s reality TV production company. After her dad’s spending habits nosedive out of control, he sells their apartment … to Freddie, now an entrepreneur back in the city after years overseas. While they both want to leave their past behind, both Anne and Freddie keep getting thrown together, especially after she sublets another apartment in the building and starts bonding with his sister.

As a romance, Anne and Freddie’s second-chance story is slow burn until they get to that first kiss. But, regardless, boy, is their story swoonworthy and sweeping, paced at the exact right time so each step feels earned. Then, the sex scenes don’t feel raunchy or smutty, even though open-door action does happen. It, instead, feels romantic and like an act of real love. And then that HEA, let’s talk about it. As much as I wanted more details at the end, I’ll take what we were given with its nod to their first moments together way back when. Yeah, Freddie is a damn good book boyfriend. I’ll stand by that.

If Anne of Avenue A makes one thing clear, it’s that authors Bellezza and Harding are masters at adapting Austen’s beloved works for modern times in New York City. That’s a well-deserved niche in itself. And yes, there are sweet post-HEA cameos to the other couples in the “For the Love of Austen” series. Putting Anne, Emma Woodhouse, and Elizabeth Bennet (aka three of Austen’s greatest heroines) together is something completely unexpected, yet Bellezza and Harding made it fully necessary and exactly what the Austenian fangirl in me wants to see. Insert my squeals here.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

A Queen’s Match by Katharine McGee

I’ve been eagerly looking forward to this since I first picked up A Queen’s Game. This is the conclusion to the duology, once again following the three noblewomen as they navigate courtships and life in high society England.

A Queen’s Match starts with Helene dealing with the fallout from her broken engagement to Eddy over blackmail, trying to figure out how to win her match back. At the same time, Alix promises to wait for forbidden love Nicholas, even though the queen is looking for matches elsewhere. And then there’s May, who might have finally figured out how to get a crown now that Eddy is on the market again.

This book picks up almost immediately where the last left off, and is still told with compelling language that’s fun and witty. It reads quite quickly, as readers continue following the lives of these engaging FMCs as they each try to balance what they want with family obligations and expectations. Both novels are, obviously, based on real people, yet the stories do feel original. It’s a perfect balance between fiction and reality. It’s so dramatic that it feels made-up, yet it’s not. I was so enthralled, like, I couldn’t put it down.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: November 4, 2025

Ladies in Waiting by Adriana Trigiani, Sarah MacLean, Eloisa James, Elinor Lipman, Audrey Bellezza, Karen Dukess, Emily Harding, Nikki Payne, Diana Quincy

This is a short story anthology collection for all the fellow Jane Austen girlies, like myself. Here, a group of authors each picked a female minor character from one of Austen’s novels, reimagining how to make her the star in either the original or a modern story.

The short stories each read quickly, and I found it so interesting to look at each underutilized character and see how the authors create new epilogues, story lines, and vignettes at different time periods. It’s fun to see potential insights into where these minor characters would be if they were the heroine. For me, I was truly mesmerized by the stories devoted to Eliza Brandon (with a nod to Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding’s preexisting modern adaptation series), Caroline Bingley (Nikki Payne brought such depth to the Pride & Prejudice side character), and Hetty Bates (okay, this was just plain adorable), though the rest were equally fun to devour. It’s incredibly cute and engaging for all the other Austen fans out there.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: November 4, 2025

The Cuffing Project by Lyla Lee

If there’s one thing about my reading preferences, it’s that I’m a total sucker for an adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice. While The Cuffing Game is a sweet YA version of Austen’s romance, it also very much feels like it’s original and can stand on its own. It’s not a faithful adaptation, and it melds in other content too. So, it’s more than just a P&P adaptation.

In The Cuffing Game, Mia is a freshman at film school and has a secret crush on class enemy Noah, a senior and social media star. To bury her crush, Mia comes up with a Love Island-style campus dating show where all the contestants (including Noah) hole up in a ski cabin over winter break with the purpose of finding love with their secret crush. As Mia, the host and showrunner, watches Noah on camera, she slowly starts falling for him off-camera. But what happens when our Mr. Darcy wannabe starts pining back?

Told in dual points of view, author Lyla Lee writes with compelling and captivating language that makes me desperate to keep reading to find out what’s next. It reads quite quickly, and Lee delivers a fun concept and a play on Austen’s classic work.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: November 18, 2025

Pitcher Perfect by Tessa Bailey

If you’ve read all the other books in Bailey’s sports romance series, then you’ve already been introduced to Robbie Corrigan and Skylar Paige. This is an enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating romance between the Boston Bearcats hockey rookie and a collegiate softball player.

In Pitcher Perfect, Skylar wants nothing to do with Robbie “Orgasm Donor #1” Corrigan because he’s an obnoxious player. At the same time, he sees her pining for her older brother’s best friend, Madden, and offers to fake date during her family’s annual competition weekend as a way to finally impress her longtime crush. He also agrees to tutor 22-year-old Skylar in different dating lessons, but of course, it doesn’t take long before everything that’s fake doesn’t feel so fictional after all.

Told in dual points of view, this is chock full of witty language, banter in spades, and Bailey’s now-signature levels of spice. It’s a fun summer beach read (even though it comes out in fall, but summer beach read is more of a state of mind if you ask me), and the ending was so damn cute. I truly love how Robbie was such a soppy melt for Skylar, and she’s the badass who finally lets her guard down. Obsessed. I didn’t want to put this book down. It’s fun, sweeping, steamy, vulnerable, and romantic; and hell, might I say one of Bailey’s best in her athlete series?

Rating: Four Stars

Available: November 18, 2025

100 Rules for Living to 100 by Dick Van Dyke

I think it’s impossible not to root for the legend Dick Van Dyke, weeks away from his milestone 100th birthday, and this memoir further proves this. It’s like part memoir and part life lessons, told in the style of brief essays highlighting his experience in life, career, grief, marriage, parenthood, friendship, and more. It’s primarily very wholesome until Van Dyke details his past struggles with alcoholism and navigating the death of his loved ones. Those passages were completely raw and vulnerable, offering another glimpse of his storied life.

Rating: Three and a Half Stars

Available: November 18, 2025

Something Wicked by Falon Ballard

True to form, Falon Ballard once again delivered an unputdownable romance novel. Though this time, she tried something new and created a mystical historical/fantasy world, as well. And well, honestly, the Netgalley summary had me at “blend of Macbeth and Moulin Rouge.”

In Something Wicked, the country of Avon is in turmoil after the Uprising overthrows the monarchy and orders anyone who kills the last monarch to be eligible to run for president. Callum Reid is the son of one of the kings, hoping to follow in his father’s footsteps and run the new nation. In order to be comfortable with the idea of, you know, taking the life of his dear old dad, Callum turns to Lady Caterine “Cate” (a courtesan working at the country’s underground pleasure club) for so-called bedroom lessons. After all, she has a magical Gift that allows her to manipulate the emotions of those in her presence mid-tryst. While Callum is distrustful of the mystical Gifted individuals, he can’t deny an undeniable chemistry with Cate. Plus, there’s a sinister force lurking around the corner of the club, and it might come down to Callum and Cate to save the country and the business.

Told in dual points of view, Ballard continues to write with such compelling language that totally drew me in as a reader. So much so, that I (someone who doesn’t usually gravitate toward historical or fantasy novels at all) was intrigued and wanted to keep reading. I’m completely drawn into this world and the characters’ circumstances, desperate to find out what will happen next. It’s intriguing and compelling with its plot, like toss the spice to the side for a moment (because, yes, it does get spicy as one could infer by the nature of the FMC being a courtesan) because my goodness, there’s so much drama, twists, and turns. Something Wicked is Ballard’s spiciest book yet, sure, but it’s also her first set in a new world, and she smashes it. Like, wow, it’s so good, fun, unputdownable, and all the other things.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: December 2, 2025

Advance reader copies of the books listed were provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Summering in My Personal Library With More 2025 Book Releases

Posted in Just for Fun, Miranda's Book Nook by

This summer has been, to put it simply, a whirlwind. Amid the highs and lows, I tried to keep up with my TBR goals and managed to polish off a few new favorite summer reads in between it all. Scroll down for another installment of Miranda’s Book Nook and some of my top-rated books of the year:

The Love Haters by Katherine Center

I’ve read a few of Katherine Center’s novels before, and I think this one tops them all for me. It’s intriguing and full of compelling language. The setup isn’t too slow and the plot points are completely unique and unexpected.

In The Love Haters, Katie has been burned by love after a brutal breakup with her famous ex-fiancé and her career as a video producer is on the line when layoffs are imminent. To keep her job, Katie agrees to film a PSA following Coast Guard rescue swimmer Hutch, even though she can’t swim herself. She is ready to fake it till she makes it if it means her job is secure. Katie is put up for the job by her boss Cole, whose older and estranged brother is Hutch. As Katie spends more time with Hutch (plus his eccentric aunt Rue and his Great Dane pet), they start to form a deeper connection.

It’s completely captivating with an adorable, swoon-worthy HEA in the end. Speaking of the HEA, it feels justified and earned after the two main characters conquer their individual inner demons. I definitely really dug this one, and its impactful message of body acceptance. It’s so important to see that in the mainstream media.

CW: body dysmorphia, eating disorders

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Courtroom Drama by Neely Tubati Alexander

Honestly? This author’s Love Buzz was 100 percent not my vibe, so I was wary about picking up this galley. But once I saw the comps were Legally Blonde meets Amazon’s Jury Duty, I was, like, SOLD. Instantly. And I’m glad I did.
In Courtroom Drama, 26-year-old Sydney is chosen for jury duty on the murder trial of a popular reality TV star (think Real Housewives OGs) after her husband was found dead. Sydney, of course, is a massive fan of defendant Margot and will do anything to help issue a not guilty verdict. Yet, at the same time, her childhood BFF Damon (who’s turned into a mega-babe in adulthood, FWIW) also turns up on the jury, and they just can’t stay away even with a non-fraternization rule in place.
It was a fun read that I could polish off quickly because that’s how much I wanted to know what would happen next. It’s an interesting concept, written with compelling and witty language. It’s more than just a romance during juror sequestration, but also it’s a mystery as readers get to follow the trial, too. It’s like the perfect juxtaposition of the two genres, which made this novel stand out to me even more.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Ride With Me by Simone Soltani

This dual POV F1 romance features quippy language and reads quite quickly. It’s intriguing and made me very interested to keep reading. It’s cute, fun, and indulgent — with some spice content, but not too much that it overpowers the plot. Plus, there’s a teeny, teeny little glimpse of Willow and Dev’s HEA if you’ve already read this author’s Cross the Line.
In Ride With Me, Stella and Thomas meet during mutual friends’ joint bachelor-bachelorette party in Las Vegas when they accidentally get married in the middle of the night after a drunken night out. Instead of getting a quickie divorce or annulment, Stella and Thomas agree to stay married, in name only, to help their respective careers (she’s the owner of a bakery franchise, and he’s an F1 driver). I’ll leave this here: the “he falls first” trope is out in full force with this one. Just saying.
If you haven’t read Cross the Line (like myself), don’t worry, you aren’t missing a crucial piece to the puzzle of Stella and Thomas’ marriage of convenience story. It’s a perfect summer beach read, or perfect to read during the actual F1 season — whichever is more applicable to your preferences.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Along Came Amor by Alexis Daria

This is a book for fans of Alexis Daria’s Primas of Power series because it’s the third (and final) one in the trilogy.
In Along Came Amor, it is Jasmine and Michelle’s cousin Ava’s turn to find everlasting love. Ava is a middle school teacher and recent divorcée. When she goes to a work conference, she ends up flirting with Ramon, the handsome hotelier covering at the bar. They embark on the perfect one-night fling — but he very quickly wants more. Cut to Ava and Ramon learning that they are the respective maid of honor and best man in Jasmine and Ashton’s wedding (IYKYK), but still, Ava doesn’t want anyone to know about their repeated hookups. This book is told in back-and-forth POVs throughout Jasmine and Ashton’s wedding planning journey, which is nearly an entire year.
This novel reads quite quickly and is chock full of banter and compelling language that draws me in. It’s very spicy, much like the other books in the series, like definitely more than the plot. All in all, it’s cute and, for sure, it helps to read the other Primas of Power books first because the characters are major presences. Plus, it’ll help you understand Ava’s backstory more than if you were going in blind.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto

I’ve been a fan of the “Meant to Be” series from the beginning, and Jesse Q. Sutanto’s adaptation of Mulan fits in perfectly with the theme and her own writing style.

In Worth Fighting For, Mulan is a finance executive at her father’s private equity firm. When he suddenly falls ill, it falls to Mulan to save his acquisition deal with an old-school, traditional whiskey brand. To do so, she assumes her father’s identity (matching his email correspondence to the company’s CEO, Shang), which leads her to the firm’s ranch headquarters. While pretending to be a farm expert, Mulan-as-her-father (minus the gender-swapping) must convince Shang and his old-world Chinese family to take her deal. At the same time, Mulan develops a sizzling connection with Shang himself. And one that neither of them wants to ignore.

Sutanto brings her signature compelling language and character banter to the Disneyfied series. The exemplary writing style was incredibly apparent, like, I couldn’t put this book down. It was the absolute perfect modern version of Mulan. It reads quite quickly and was just so fun and cute. I’ll avoid spoilers but will categorize it as a literal smile-worthy romance, which is incredibly rare for me.

I read this book on a plane, and I’m just so glad I finished it before we landed because I couldn’t bear to deplane without figuring out how it would end and whether everything would resolve. And thank god I did. Also, I love how completely realistic the ending/epilogue was. With Worth Fighting For, Sutanto 100 percent did Mulan justice and brought it into the modern world seamlessly with new twists so that it feels like an original novel and not just an adaptation.

Worth Fighting For is the perfect addition to the “Meant to Be” series — and I cannot wait to see what’s next. Also, Sutanto has, once again, proved that she doesn’t miss whether it’s YA or adult romance. So, I’ll be keeping an eye out for what’s coming next.

Rating: Four and a Half Stars

Available: Now

Never Been Shipped by Alicia Thompson

While Never Been Shipped is technically an interconnected standalone with With Love, from Cold World, it also works completely independently if you, like myself, did not read it. In which case, I found it to be a fun, indulgent, and cute second-chance, celebrity, and forced proximity romance between two former bandmates forced together on a reunion cruise.
In Never Been Shipped, former ElectricOh! lead singer Micah, now in her early 30s, agrees to reunite with her bandmates for one last concert. The group includes her egotistical ex and John, her childhood best friend, who fully embodies the one who got away trope. While onboard the ship, Micah and John finally see each other with fresh eyes and notice a boatload of chemistry and banter between them.
Told from dual points of view, Never Been Shipped is written with compelling language (like The Art of Catch Feelings, which I did read by this author) and a fun premise. I was completely drawn into the story and eager to find out what would happen next. Also, there are some spicy spicy scenes, but none overpower the actual plotline, which I was grateful for.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Slow Burn Summer by Josie Silver

This dual-perspective romance novel reads very quickly (I read it in its entirety during a two-and-a-half-hour flight), but I didn’t want to put it down, thanks to Josie Silver’s now-signature compelling language.
In Slow Burn Summer, failed screenwriter Charlie returns to London when he inherits his late father’s talent agency. He finds a manuscript for what’s sure to be a hit romance novel, if only the author were comfortable promoting it. Then, he also received a letter postmarked to his dad from a former acting client named Kate, who’s itching for another gig after her divorce. Turns out, Charlie can hire Kate to play the author on the book tour.
Yes, this is a romance novel between Kate and Charlie — but it’s so so slow burn (hence the title) and closed-door in terms of spice that makes this more of a women’s fiction book about FMC Kate getting back out there post-divorce and finding herself on a personal level. Slow Burn Summer is gripping, witty, engaging, and indulgent, and I did not want to put it down for even one chapter. Looks like Silver does it again with Slow Burn Summer.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Writing Mr. Wrong by Kelley Armstrong

In Writing Mr. Wrong, Gemma has just published her debut historical romance novel and the internet thinks that she *may* have drawn inspiration from hockey star Mason. Which she did — but the guy who broke her heart in high school and not the gruff NHL star and noted lothario. After he surprises Gemma live during a TV interview, fans definitely think they are dating. So what’s the harm in pretending to date? Especially if it helps her sell books and him with his PR problems? Harmless, right? Well, unless you have a secret piner like Mason.
This is a second chance, forced proximity, fake dating, sports romance between a hockey enforcer (apparently a position? lol I don’t know sporty things) and a romance novelist. Author Kelley Armstrong, as previously demonstrated in her past works, writes with compelling language that pulls me in. I didn’t want to put this one down. It’s mostly closed-door, but with a little bit of spice toward the end, but definitely a slow-burn. It’s a fun, indulgent romance novel that feels cute and is easy to read through.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

How Freaking Romantic by Emily Harding

In author Emily Harding’s solo debut, she delivers a sweet, banter-laden enemies-to-lovers and slow-burn that’s full of compelling language that is easy to get sucked into.
In How Freaking Romantic, a title that doesn’t completely make sense beside one line that the FMC said at the tail end of the book, is told solely from the perspective of law student Beatrice. The book starts with Bea storming the law office of divorce attorney Nathan, who is representing Bea’s BFF’s ex-husband in their proceedings. Turns out, Nathan is set to become an adjunct professor for the same NYU law school class that Bea’s a TA for. So, they’re going to have to work together after all that perceived drama. Oh, and it seems that she quickly realizes that Nathan doesn’t hate her at all.
It reads quickly and was just an enjoyable romance read. It feels quite short, but it does still tell a full story that was engaging, indulgent, and just plain fun.
CW: Addiction

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Relationship Goals by Brittany Kelley

In Relationship Girls, Abigail Hunt is a Hollywood actress sent to learn the rules of soccer with pro club LA Aces before her next movie role. There, she meets bad boy athlete (and notorious grump) Luke Wolfe and is surprised when he asks her out on a date. Even more that she likes it! It turns out that Luke was blackmailed by the team managers into asking Abigail out in exchange for boosted ticket sales. If he’s successful, the club will approve a trade to a team close to his cancer-striken mother. So, Luke is willing to fake-date Abigail to appease the bosses. But, what happens when either he catches feelings or she catches on?
This dual-perspective sports romance novel is full of quippy, compelling language from the start, also demonstrating the two MCs’ banter-heavy dynamic. It reads quite quickly, and its Ted Lasso meets How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days premise is unique, fun, and engaging. I ended up craving to learn what’d happen next. While this book does feature some spicy spicy scenes, it ends up being more plot-laden than pure smut. So, as a plot girlie, I was pleased. Overall, it’s a fun and indulgent read to polish off in a few days when you need a mood booster.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Love Unmasked by Becky Dean

I’ve read Becky Dean’s other travel-centric YA novels, and Love Unmasked fits right into the squad!
In Love Unmasked, Evie is on a post-high school graduation trip to Venice, Italy, which happens to be the backdrop of her favorite book series called The Elven Realms. Exploring the city with her classmates by day, Evie sneaks off at night in search of an elusive and secretive Elven Realms fan club in the city. To help her solve a slew of clues, Evie teams up with a mysterious boy her age who’s also a major book fan.
Love Unmasked features compelling language as usual, reads quickly and was plenty smart and cute. Plus, that ending and HEA was positively cute and completely and totally smile-worthy. Facts.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

How to Sell a Romance by Alexa Martin

In How to Sell a Romance, Emerson is a kindergarten teacher in Denver who gets roped into selling skincare products for an MLM called Petunia Lemon. While attending an event conference, she meets a reporter named Lucas/Luke. After a steamy one-night stand, Emerson discovers that Luke is trying to write an exposé on Petunia Lemon after his ex-wife joined and drained all their savings in the process. Oh, and weeks later, after Emerson has sworn to loathe Luke, she re-meets him as the dad to one of her students. Surprise!
While Emerson and Luke vow to push aside their chemistry for the sake of professionalism, she soon finds herself helping Luke write his article to topple the Petunia Lemon pyramid scheme once and for all. Think double-agent vibes.
This book featured incredibly compelling language from the start that had me completely intrigued to keep reading. The romance part is such a slow burn that it does feel like more of a women’s fiction novel than a straight-up romance. But, digging this one nonetheless.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Give Me a Reason by Jayci Lee

This is a book for all the other Austenian girlies like me! Give Me a Reason is a modern version of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, starring Anne, a K-drama actress, and firefighter Frederick. The pair were first loves who reconnected 10 years later in time for their mutual friends’ wedding.
In Give Me a Reason, Anne returns home to Los Angeles and reconnects with Frederick, who’s no longer pining for his two-year-older college sweetheart. As he tries to put distance between himself and Anne, she quickly realizes that she’s not quite as over him as she thought. Plus, Frederick, sort of, can’t quit taking care of Anne and making sure she’s alright.
Give Me a Reason, just like author Jayci Lee’s other novels, brings a slew of compelling language, witty dialogue, and authentic characters. This book, told in dual points of view, read quite quickly and did have, like, one-or-two steamy scenes, which definitely didn’t overpower the plot. All in all, I just wanted to keep reading this sweeping, modern Austenian adaptation. It’s fun and cute — especially for all the other Austen fangirl freaks like me. (Which, yes, I wear that with a badge of honor. Loud and proud.)

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

The Blonde Who Came In from the Cold by Ally Carter

Fellow Gallagher Girlies, this is our moment! Ally Carter is finally back with a follow-up to her hit The Blonde Identity, but this time, it’s Alex’s spy story — and this has easily been my most anticipated read of the *entire* year.

In The Blonde Who Came In From the Cold, two CIA spies (Zoe’s twin sister, Alex Sterling, and her colleague Michael “King” Kingsley) wake up, bloodied and handcuffed, with no memory of what happened after they last saw each other a year ago, after leaving the field. Throughout the book, they piece together their memories and try to thwart any nefarious villains in their way. And yes, expect post-HEA cameos from Zoe and Sawyer, and prepare to squeal.

The Blonde Who Came In From the Cold was, hands down, my No. 1 most anticipated read of 2025 — and I stand by that. As a reader who devoured author Ally Carter’s YA books back in the day (all I’ll say to avoid aging both of us), I was instantly hyped by her adult debut in The Blonde Identity. Given its five-star rating from me, I couldn’t wait for Zoe’s story by the epilogue. And here it is! Once again, Carter delivers compelling language that kept me so hooked from the very beginning that had me desperate to keep reading this unputdownable prose. The Blonde Who Came In From the Cold is a dual-perspective, enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity, second-chance spy and romance novel. To put it simply, if there’s one thing about Carter, she’s gonna write a compelling, female-centric spy novel that pulls you in, and you won’t want to stop until you reach the very last page. Together, our MCs have so much banter in spades (spades!) — so much so that I needed to repeat myself. That’s how much it is true.

The Blonde Who Came In From the Cold is so well-written and so intriguing plot-wise, like, I was seriously wondering what would happen next. I was into both timelines, whether it was present-day (months after The Blonde Identity epilogue) or flashback scenes of Zoe and King’s training or early years in the field. All in all, this novel is gripping and thrilling and intriguing. I was so completely into this one. And while it is a follow-up to The Blonde Identity, it can totally stand on its own, more than just a sequel. Then, in the end, readers get such a well-deserved HEA with a dash of mystery. What can I say, other than it’s fun and unpredictable. Loved it — almost as much as The Blonde Identity, which was a tall order to begin with.

And for all my fellow Gallagher Girls, The Blonde Who Came In From the Cold is like the adult version of our childhood favorite series because it’s so action-packed. I felt like Zoe and King’s experience at The Firm was akin to a grown-up version of Gallagher Academy/Blackthorne. Like, King is 100 percent the adult male version of Cammie, and I stand by that. After savoring every last page of The Blonde Who Came In From the Cold, I can confidently say that I will still read anything that Carter writes, and I stand by that.

Rating: Four and a Half Stars

Available: August 5, 2025

For the Record by Emma Lord

Once again, Emma Lord brings her compelling writing style and banter-laden stories to the page with For the Record, which tells the second-chance romance story of pop star Mackenzie and punk rock musician Sam years after both bands fall apart.

After their respective groups disbanded, Mackenzie and now-single-father Sam team up for a comeback album. As they start writing new songs, they discover that their sizzling chemistry is as palpable as it was two years earlier.

I was so intrigued by the summary alone, and the rest of the book didn’t disappoint. Told in dual points of view, Lord’s quippy language draws me in. I would describe For the Record as Lord’s spiciest romance yet. Because yes, it goes there — if that offends your delicate sensibilities. Not mine, but everyone’s preferences are different. It’s not overwhelming and overpowering to the plot, though. It’s a pretty even and authentic mix. The end, while completely earned and deserved, does feel a tad abrupt pre-epilogue. It felt like, “Boom, all works out, here’s the HEA.” I just needed a tad more transition to get there.

Rating: Three and a Half Stars

Available: August 12, 2025

The Incredible Kindness of Paper by Evelyn Skye

I had no preconceived notions of this one, and I found that I actually really liked this one.

In The Incredible Kindness of Paper, Chloe and Oliver were childhood pen pals turned best friends/first loves growing up in Kansas, who lost touch when his family disappeared from town without a word. Twenty years later, they are both working in New York City. Chloe is a recently unemployed school guidance counselor facing rising rents and a situationship. To feel better, Chloe starts writing pep talks into the folds of origami roses. Many of the paper flowers magically make their way to neighbors also in need of the message, including Oliver’s. He’s now working as a financial analyst with a haunting and traumatic past. This book is told from multiple points of view; most are Chloe and Oliver, but there are a few for the other rose recipients.

It has a dash of magic, a sprinkle of fate, and a whole lot of an authentic, sweeping love story. I didn’t want to put this book down, thanks to its compelling language that drew me in. All in all, it felt like more than just a romance. I’d say it’s more of a women’s fiction novel with a romantic subplot. It’s fun and cute, and the HEA feels completely earned and paced well.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: August 12, 2025

Love at First Sight by Laura Jane Williams

I was intrigued by this from the summary, premise, and cover of an iconic London monument (if you know me, then you know it’s my bookish weakness!), and I was pleased that I was not let down.
In Love at First Sight, Jessie is a nanny who meets a man named Cal at a Whole Foods in London, and they spend the whole day together. Sparks fly, but they never exchange numbers. Weeks go by, and Cal suddenly shows up (using a different nickname) and carrying a bouquet of roses for Jessie’s boss. This book totally delivers The Nanny Diaries vibes.
There’s a ton of compelling language that draws me in. I liked how the ending wasn’t a traditional, cookie-cutter, expected HEA because this was anything but. It was completely unexpected, with twists and turns that I actually enjoyed more than if everything worked out as I imagined it would. I particularly loved how Jessie got closure after [spoiler has been redacted] by simply moving on and being happy.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: August 19, 2025

Advance reader copies of the books listed were provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Let’s Hear It for the 2025 Books! Reviewing My Top 9 Early-Year Picks

Posted in Just for Fun, Miranda's Book Nook by

As we all try to kickstart our New Year’s resolutions, which may or may not include reading more, I’ve already gotten a headstart. Starting late last year and into January, I’ve stayed busy with a stream of upcoming 2025 releases. So, without further ado, welcome back to Miranda’s Book Nook for more of the latest picks I can’t get enough of and which ones should be on your radar this winter and spring. As always, happy reading!

The Lodge by Kayla Olson

For fans of celebrity romance, journalist protagonists, and cozy winter-set romances with a dash of mystery, then The Lodge is a great book choice for you.
In The Lodge, Alix is a ghostwriter tasked with helping compile the memoir for former True North boybander Sebastian Green. Sebastian even offers Alix the use of a penthouse apartment at a luxury ski resort in Vermont. In between writing chapters, Alix (who, coincidentally was the last person to interview Sebastian’s bandmate Jett before he mysteriously disappeared) starts ski lessons with the athlete yet handsome Tyler. So, naturally, they get together, right? Well, despite their sizzling chemistry (it’s a closed-door romance), there’s more to the story … but that’s redacted for now.
This had compelling language from the start, which made The Lodge easy and quick to get into as a reader. It reads quickly, too. As a romance, it’s cute and intriguing with a bit of mysterious twists and turns as a subplot. While, yes, I clocked the twist way before the reveal, I still just HAD to figure out what would happen next.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams

This is one-hundred percent a book for readers who have already devoured the rest of author Sarah Adams’ When In Rome series. I mean, technically it can stand on its own, and does, but it makes more sense for context and continuity if you already know the backstory and the lore of the Walker siblings.  They also all make plenty of cameos.
Beg, Borrow, or Steal is older sister Emily’s love story with rival second-grade teacher Jack Bennett. The twist? Both Emily and Jack are also secretly novelists to varying levels of success. The story picks up right as Jack returns to Rome, Kentucky after being left at the altar. Oh, and he buys the fixer-upper right next to Emily’s house. Despite mounting animosity, it turns out that Emily needs Jack’s help when she accidentally jeopardizes her teaching gig. Hero love interest to the rescue!
Beg, Borrow, or Steal was so easy to get into and this dual-perspective rivals-to-lovers romance has such delicious banter. Like, um, yes please!

Rating: Four Stars

Available: January 7, 2025

The Favorites by Layne Fargo

I’m a big ice skating fan, so this book hooked me by just the summary alone! Once I started reading, I found myself equally hooked by the storyline and the absolute twists and turns that I did not see coming — like at all.
In The Favorites, Katarina “Kat” Shaw and Heath Rocha rose from troubling childhoods to Olympic medal hopefuls in the world of competitive ice dancing. While the childhood sweethearts captured the hearts of a nation, everything came crashing down thanks to a major scandal. A decade later, an unauthorized documentary (told via chapters mimicking a script) charts the highs and lows. At the same time, Kat recalls the same experience in first-person prose.
I was completely drawn in by the compelling language and the mysterious hook on the page. It’s thrilling and intriguing, and yes, as I already mentioned, hooked me the whole way through. I did not know what would happen until the very end, and woah, I’m literally shook at every single twist. This one kept me on my toes until the very last page.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: January 14, 2025

The Rival by Emma Lord

Unfortunately, in my personal opinion, not all of this author’s books are created equally which meant that The Rival, as much as I wanted to love it, just fell sort of flat.
In The Rival, Sadie and Sebastian “Seb” are high school rivals, childhood neighbors, and the respective children of longtime BFFs. They also both get into a coveted university and are both going out for the lone new spot on the school’s famed zine. Oh, and Seb doesn’t actually hate Sadie like she thinks he does, like at all.
This book felt short in length and was hard to get into, in my opinion. However, I can’t deny that this author still brought her trademark compelling language to tell this rivals-to-lovers New Adult romance. It’s fine, let’s leave it at that, but are there other books in the writer’s catalog I’d go back to first? Definitely.

Rating: Three and a Half Stars

Available: January 21, 2025

Spiral by Bal Khabra

This book is technically a sequel, but as someone who did not read the first in advance, I felt it wasn’t needed and could stand on its own. This is a fun, spicy, and vulnerable fake-dating, sports romance between a hockey star and a ballet dancer.
In Spiral, Elias “Eli” is a new rookie on the Toronto Thunder pro hockey team, who is in the tabloids way more than he’s scoring goals. At the same time, he meets Sage, an aspiring ballet dancer and the niece of the Thunder’s general manager. After tabloids get wind of a one-off appearance together, they decide to fake-date. After all, it will get the mags off his back and boost her social media following to increase her odds of getting hired by a professional ballet company. Yeah, but the fake-dating rules are no match for the sizzling, real AF chemistry.
It’s told from dual points of view and written with a compelling tone of voice and language. Thanks to an intriguing story and relatable characters, I just wanted to know what would happen next. In short, it was very easy to get sucked into this one.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: January 28, 2025

Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey

For anyone who read The Au Pair Affair, you’ll be smitten by Sig and Chloe’s love story — no joke. It’s a dual point-of-view, opposites-attract romance that was just so damn cute from the start to the very end.
In Dream Girl Drama, Sig (Burgess’ hockey teammate, IYKYK) and his soon-to-be stepsister (Chloe, a sheltered socialite and harp prodigy) have a codependent relationship and some not-so-secret pining feelings. It turns out they actually met (and shared a swoon-worthy kiss) hours before learning that their parents planned to get married. The book primarily takes place after the events in Au Pair Affair.
I found myself completely drawn in by all the compelling language that I didn’t want to put the book down. And now, I just want [Spoiler] and [Spoiler]’s novel after their story was teased ever so briefly in this one!

Rating: Four Stars

Available: February 4, 2025

Change of Heart by Falon Ballard

Change of Heart was a really cute, slow-burn, and second-chance-ish romance with a dash of a magical element.
In Change of Heart, Cam is a 34-year-old workaholic attorney in NYC with no interest in dating or finding love. After a botched blind date with pediatric surgeon Ben (as set up by her grandmother), Cam wakes up the next morning to discover that they’ve both been magically transported to Heart Springs, a small town that’s straight out of a Hallmark film. In order to go home, they each have to accomplish three tasks. For Cam, one means experiencing true love. And what do you know? Her journey keeps intersecting with Ben along the way.
A comp would be Apple TV’s Schmigadoon and so, it’s very fun, sweet, and a mostly wholesome (but not totally) romance that I found equally enjoyable and indulgent. It is primarily a closed-door romance, but there are still some SPICY steamy scenes, so fair warning. Author Falon Ballard, once again, brings her compelling language and authentic writing style to the page. However, I don’t think that Change of Heart is my favorite out of all her books, and don’t get me wrong, I’ve loved them all. That revelation, however, shouldn’t diminish Change of Heart in the slightest. Just noting in comparison to the rest of Ballard’s catalog.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: February 11, 2025

Fan Service by Rosie Danan

Fan Service is Danan’s latest supernaturally charged romance between a TV show fanfiction moderator and the former series lead who mysteriously transforms into a werewolf. Alex reluctantly accepts Devin’s pleas for help, teaming up to understand his transformation and how to best control it. In the end, it’s about acceptance.
From the first few chapters, it is evident that Fan Service is chock full of compelling language as it reads quickly. Also, even though there is a supernatural element (hello, werewolf MMC) this book still reads as realistic and authentic. Like, even literal werewolves have feelings, thoughts, fears, and more! This was a fun, dual-perspective, rivals-to-lovers, age-gap romance.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: March 11, 2025

Fun for the Whole Family by Jennifer E. Smith

I spent many of my formative years reading and devouring Jennifer E. Smith’s YA novels, so I was instantly intrigued by her transition into writing for adults with The Unsinkable Greta James and, now, Fun for the Whole Family. And well, let me tell you: this book delivers everything you’d want in a literary fiction novel. It takes place in multiple points of view and multiple timelines, so readers really get to see what the Endicott siblings were like over the years and even different perspectives on the same tragedies and traumas. In Fun for the Whole Family, the four Endicott siblings (Gemma, Connor and twins Roddy and Jude) have been estranged for decades after a mysterious fight. Out of the blue, famed actress Jude summons her siblings, their partners, and even their respective kids to North Dakota for a long weekend. They all oblige, quickly learning that Jude’s been holding onto three closely guarded secrets – and it’s time to clear the air once and for all.

Smith writes with as compelling, gripping language as ever that completely pulls me into the story. I literally couldn’t put this book down, and luckily I was reading on a plane, where I had an uninterrupted window to do so. Each character (specifically the main siblings) was equally authentic and gripping to follow. I was intrigued by each of their individual journeys, too. Like, I equally cared about each of the siblings versus just one.

 Fun for the Whole Family was easily one of the best books I’ve read in 2024, hands down. It was just so intriguing, unique and compelling. There’s not much in the market like this one. Fun for the Whole Family is truly nothing like any of Smith’s YA novels (two of which inspired Netflix rom-coms) because it’s completely tragic, heartbreaking, and real AF. Then, the epilogue literally made me cry, like, for real. Overall, just wow. take all five of my stars, please. It was just so poignant, vulnerable, and real times a thousand. 

Rating: Five Stars

Available: April 15, 2025

Advance reader copies of the books listed were provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It’s Time to FALL in Love With New 2024 Books

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It’s fall, y’all (sorry, had to), and the changing of the leaves and the overall autumnal vibes make it a lot easier to hunker down inside with a book. So, I wanted to share a few of the books that I’ve been reading thus far this season. Enjoy this installment of Miranda’s Book Nook and, as always, happy reading!

The Deaf Girl by Abigail Heringer

While I’ve been a loyal Bachelor viewer since the beginning, that wasn’t what drew me to Abigail Heringer’s memoir. It was actually her experience as a hearing-impaired person in a very hearing world, a life of which I’m very intimately familiar. The book, written with the help of a ghostwriter, charts Heringer’s journey from a deaf child getting a cochlear implant to a woman meeting her now-husband, Noah Erb, on the beaches of Bachelor in Paradise and watching him accept her disability without question or judgment.

This book is told in first-person narration and it’s, physically, very short. While it is mostly about her self-discovery and empowerment journey, there are some nuggets for Bachelor Nation faithfuls — it’s just not the main point of this read. You can expect teases about her Bachelor packing list, what she almost did as her limo exit, how she felt getting eliminated, why she finally accepted a stint on BiP, and her engagement to Erb. But mostly, how she learned to accept her deafness.

Rating: Three and a Half Stars

Available: Now

The Most Famous Girl in the World by Iman Hariri-Kia

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.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

All I Want Is You by Falon Ballard

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.

Rating: Four and a Half Stars

Available: Now

Rachel Weiss’s Group Chat by Lauren Appelbaum

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.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

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

Rating: Five Stars

Available: Now

Make My Wish Come True by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick

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.

Rating: Three and a Half Stars

Available: Now

Fang Fiction by Kate Stayman-London

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.

In Fang Fiction, Tess is a night manager at a Brooklyn hotel, a job she took after dropping out of grad school following a sexual assault attack. In her free time, she loves devouring Blood Feud books (a vampire series) and participating in fan conspiracy theories that the vampires are actually real. Suddenly, one of the vampires waltzes through the hotel’s front door and proclaims that Tess is the only one who can save her vampire twin brother. Tess travels into this magical land to meet the lifted-from-page villain, only he’s nothing like she expected.

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

Rating: Four and a Half Stars

Available: Now

Catch and Keep by Erin Hahn

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

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Dinner for Vampires by Bethany Joy Lenz

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.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Mr. Nice Spy by Tiana Smith

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.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: November 4, 2024

Like Cats & Dogs by Lizzie Shane

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.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: November 12, 2024

A Queen’s Game by Katharine McGee

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.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: November 12, 2024

Under the Mistletoe collection by Ali Hazelwood, Tessa Bailey, Olivia Dade, Alexandria Bellefleur, and Alexis Daria

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.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: November 12, 2024

Invisible Strings by Kristie Frederick Daugherty

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.

Rating: Three and a Half Stars

Available: December 4, 2024

The Rules of Royalty by Cale Dietrich

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?

Rating: Four Stars

Available: December 10, 2024

Ex Marks the Spot by Gloria Chao

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.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: December 31, 2024

Advance reader copies of the books listed were provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Summer Loving, It’s The Perfect Time for More Reading

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It’s another summer full of books for me. But, again, when isn’t it? So, time to settle in for another installment of Miranda’s Book Nook. Keep reading for more summer 2024 books that I can’t get enough of and which ones should be on your radar. As always, happy reading!

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

If you’re a fan of any Christina Lauren book, but especially The Unhoneymooners, then this book is most definitely for you. Trust me. The Paradise Problem has two POVs, compelling language, a quippy and witty writing style and so many indulgent tropes that had me desperate to keep reading and find out what would happen next. Tropes include fake dating, marriage of convenience, opposites attract, second chance romance, forced proximity, and the classic only-one-bed.

In The Paradise Problem, Anna marries Liam “West” Weston to secure family housing at UCLA. Liam agrees to the marriage on-paper-only for similar reasons. Two years later, Liam moves out and has her sign “divorce” papers. Turns out, they’re not divorce papers, and by three years later, they are still technically married because Liam’s grandfather’s will stipulates that he can only get his inheritance after five years of a happy marriage. Liam, now a professor at Stanford, calls up onetime wife Anna, who is now a struggling artist, to accompany him to his sister’s wedding in Singapore … and he’ll pay her handsomely for her time. As Anna pretends to fit in with Liam’s obscenely rich family, he’s concerned that their wealth will corrupt her innocence. Consider The Paradise Problem like The Unhoneymooners meets Crazy Rich Asians.

It’s so fun and frothy that I could just savor page by page. And that epilogue, woo, I swear I felt my heart grew, like, two sizes from that HEA. And that ending felt earned and not rushed through, which I think is partly the reason for said swoony feelings.

CW: Parental estrangement

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Tangled Up in You by Christina Lauren

I’ve been obsessed with the “Meant to Be” series since the very beginning and Christina Lauren’s attachment just grew that exponentially. Yes, Tangled Up in You is based on Rapunzel (and a fairly accurate adaptation albeit a modern-day setting) but it is also such a delightful, fun and original romance with tropes including opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine and forced proximity.
Here, Ren (aka the Rapunzel character) has been raised on a homestead in Idaho without access to the internet or anything. By 22, she enrolls at Corona College in California and experiences a whole new world. Fitz, meanwhile, is a senior who has his life all planned: Graduate from Corona, Get his criminal record wiped and Be the rich playboy everyone already thinks he is. Fitz only has a few months left when he crashes into Ren. After being paired on a class assignment, Ren asks Fitz to tag along on his cross-country spring break road trip. They might be an unlikely pair, but there is something that just clicks.
It’s told from dual points of view and has such witty banter. Like, OMG, I couldn’t help but literally laugh out loud in parts. Super cute and fits right in with the rest of “Meant to Be.”
CW: Child Abduction

Rating: Three and a Half Stars

Available: Now

Hot Summer by Elle Everhart

I absolutely, unexpectedly, loved Elle Everhart’s Wanderlust and was honestly just waiting for her sophomore novel. And when I found out this one was like Love Island but more diverse/inclusive, boy, I was sold.
Cas, a big fan of Love Island-esque Hot Summer, is tasked by her dating app employers to join the show to help their new professional partnership. Cas is promised her long-dreamt promotion if she makes it to the finale. Cas heads to Cyprus to film the show for eight weeks, not thinking of love by just being logical and strategic. All that goes out the door when Ada, another bi contestant, walks through the villa doors. What starts as a friendship turns into an undeniable chemistry and connection. And yes, if you look close enough there is a teeny Wanderlust nod to Dylan, IYKYK.
I dug this book so darn much and just wanted to keep reading and reading and reading. Like, I was just dying to figure out what would happen next. Everhart brings her now-signature witty language and banter-filled style to Hot Summer. And, my gosh, it was so cute yet realistic. It is mostly a slow-burn, friends-to -overs novel, but there are a few spicy AF scenes. Plus, that HEA! Yes, it was cute and all but I liked it more than other books because it was a realistic time frame that’s not, like, skipping 12 steps ahead just to be at the endgame. It was just right and the right time given the book’s space in time.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood

I went into The Love of My Afterlife with zero expectations, and so, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I was into this one. It gave, like, The Good Place (which I loved) vibes meets a second-chance romance with a dash of a love triangle.
Here, Delphie meets The One, a mysterious heartthrob named Jonah T., in the afterlife waiting room after she dies. However, he’s only there by mistake and thus sent back to Earth with a poof. After noticing the instant sparks, Delphie gets one more chance in the land of the living: Find Jonah amidst the bustling London scene and get him to kiss her within 10 days or it’s back to the afterlife for good. Twenty-seven-year-old Delphie enlists her broody neighbor Cooper to help track down Jonah, and it also seems that Cooper might not be as broody as imagined?
Author Kirsty Greenwood writes with such compelling language from the beginning to the end, which makes The Love of My Afterlife pretty darn unputdownable. Greenwood’s language was just, like, beyond witty that I devoured like candy, I swear. It was very cute, very fun and very unique for a romance — even though I totally called the love triangle results wayyyy in advance, but I’m just saying. Still a good read regardless.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Not You Again by Ingrid Pierce

I had no preconceived notions about this book, which is probably why I was drawn to this book and liked it as much as I did.
Not You Again follows wedding dress designer Andie, who follows her BFF’s advice to sign up for a reality TV matchmaking experiment … not for love, but for the financial compensation they give you if it doesn’t work out. She gets matched with architect Kit, who signs up to appease his dying mother’s wish to see him settle down, and they meet on their wedding day. Yes, this book is like a twist on Lifetime’s Married at First Sight. Once Andie and Kit meet, *gasp* it’s not for the first time because they dated in college, and, oh yeah, Kit brutally left Andie without any explanation. As Andie and Kit go on this reality TV journey or marriage, they slowly let their walls back down and start to fall for each other again. But, is love worth letting go of the monetary result of a divorce?
Author Ingrid Pierce writes with such fun, witty language that had me hooked from the very first page. I was quite literally desperate to keep reading and learn what would happen next, and as I discovered, Not You Again was anything by predictable. Told from dual points of view, this book seamlessly blends enemies-to-lovers and second-chance romance with a Married at First Sight-inspired fanfic. And it, surprisingly, worked. Completely. Totally. Wholeheartedly. Not You Again was so fun and cute, and it was so easy to get sucked into the story. I really dug this one.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Heir, Apparently by Kara McDowell

This book is apparently a sequel, which I didn’t realize until the epilogue, oh well, but I enjoyed it as a standalone, too. It’s, like, an apocalyptic contemporary YA/New Adult royalty romance, which seems like an odd pairing but just works.
In Heir, Apparently, Wren Wheeler is a college freshman at Northwestern, who accidentally married the newly crowned king of England, Theo, the previous summer after they got stranded on an island together. Theo left Wren alone in Greece, even taking her dog, Comet. Before school starts, she schemes to rescue her pup, which forces a reunion with Theo. Soon enough, their wedding news causes scandal and they need to hightail to London pronto. However, their plane (also carrying their respective siblings, Wren’s best friend, Theo’s security guard, and the pilot) crashes on a remote island. As they try to survive the elements and a literal volcano (not a spoiler, it’s on the book cover, lovelies), Theo’s coronation inches closer.
The concept is just so unique, fun, and unlike anything I’ve read before. It’s a cute read, full of witty language. My only thing is that I just would have loved for these characters to be 20- or 30-somethings because I think it would still be a fun concept in an adult romance, but that’s just me. Anyways, it fully works here and I really did enjoy this one.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

It’s Elementary by Elise Bryant

I’ve read all of Elise Bryant’s YA novels, and this book is nothing like any of them because it’s adult fiction and a mystery. But, it’s written with such masterful and compelling language just the same. It’s Elementary is full of dramatic twists and turns until the very end, like, Oh my God, where did all that come from?

It’s Elementary follows single mom Mavis, who is balancing raising 7-year-old daughter Pearl, her job at a nonprofit, and being enlisted to helm the school PTA’s diversity committee. Her new role goes off the role when she sees PTA president Trisha looking suspicious one night and new Principal Smith suddenly goes missing. They must be related, right? Mavis turns to school psychologist Jack to be the Mulder to her Scully (the X Files reference is intentional, yes, without giving a further spoiler) to figure out what really happened.

Wowza, I was hooked, to say the least. Plus, it’s always interesting to have a mystery novel MC not be a pro at solving crimes, you know? It’s, like, their amateur status makes it feel so much more authentic and earned when they crack the case. Plus, the language was so completely intriguing that made me so interested to find out what was next. Anyway, yes, I recommend this book. Obviously.

CW: Domestic Abuse

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey

First off, if you are averse to spicy romances, why are you here at a Tessa Bailey book? And second, you really won’t like this one. Just saying. But that being said, The Au Pair Affair brings together Bailey’s usual compelling language, intriguing love story, indulgent tropes (this time it’s age gap, sports romance, celebrity romance, and forced proximity) and toe-curling spice.
In The Au Pair Affair, Tallulah is pursuing her master’s degree in marine biology and takes a second job as the live-in nanny to Burgess, a pro hockey defenseman and single dad to 12-year-old Lissa. Despite an 11-year age gap and trying to remain professional, Burgess and Tallulah have an undeniable chemistry that makes it difficult to keep their hands off of one another. At the same time, Tallulah breathes new life into the father-daughter family’s post-divorce life by teaching Burgess to live again and introverted Lissa to socialize more.
The Au Pair Affair is told from dual points of view, and yes, brings back the lovable couple of Wells and Josephine from Bailey’s Fangirl Down for a sweet post-HEA check-in. This book, true to Bailey’s style, is well-written and so intriguing that has me curious to keep reading, even though I’ve never really vibed with an age-gap romance. But The Au Pair Affair is a Tessa Bailey romance, so where she leads, I will follow as a reader.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

That Prince Is Mine by Jayci Lee

After devouring Jayci Lee’s past (and interconnected) romances, I was automatically intrigued by this one, especially with its royal romance trope. While, yes, the MC’s love interest is a secret prince, it doesn’t feel like countless other versions of the trope I’ve already read. Like, this one sort of put a unique spin on the subject. (And no, this one is not connected to Lee’s past characters, but it doesn’t need to be.)

In That Prince Is Mine, Emma aspires to open her own cooking school to teach individuals how to make Korean royal court cuisine and, at 28, is nowhere ready to settle down. That doesn’t stop her godmother, a renowned matchmaker in the community, from setting her up on arranged dates. Emma agrees to meet the suitors to help save her beloved Auntie Soo’s reputation. She meets the gorgeous and accented Michel Chevalier in the middle of one disastrous date and, bam, instant chemistry. Turns out, Michel isn’t the full-time USC professor Emma thought but the crown prince of a small European nation. For Michel, he left his country to try and find The One before ascending the throne and being forced into an arranged marriage.

Told in dual points of view, Lee continues to use her now-signature compelling writing style that pulled me in and wanted to keep reading to discover what would happen next. This story, which was not a closed-door romance IYKYK, was very cute and a perfect summer beach read. For sure. But, do I need to read again? Eh, probably not if I’m being honest.

Ok, gotta move on now because this book has me craving Madeleine cookies.

Rating: Three and a Half Stars

Available: Now

The Fiance Dilemma by Elena Armas

The Fiance Dilemma is a companion novel to Elena Armas’ The Long Game, and it feels like it. While some companion novels can stand on their own with teeny comparisons/shout-outs to the originals, The Fiance Dilemma is not that. The Long Game protagonists, Adalyn and Cameron, have a very well-known presence in The Fiance Dilemma. I mean, after all, Adalyn is the half-sister of The Fiance Dilemma main character Josie Moore and the best friend of Josie’s love interest, Matthew Flanagan. That being said, The Fiance Dilemma is still very much Josie and Matthew’s story of fake dating with just brief hints of Adalyn and Cam’s HEA in the background.

In The Fiance Dilemma, Josie is dealing with the arrival of her long-absent father in her life (and Green Oak, North Carolina) after he gets caught in a media whirlpool about their estrangement. His PR guru makes a surprise visit to see Josie, especially when the media finds out that she’s called off four weddings at the aisle. Publicist Bobbi Shark mistakenly thinks Matthew, who randomly shows up on Josie’s doorstep when his car breaks down, is fiancé No. 5. Soon enough, Bobbi is planning the perfect wedding for Josie and Matthew on newly reappeared Dad’s dime. Josie and Matthew soon decide that the fake engagement won’t end up with any vows, but what happens when their carefully crafted boundary lines start to blur?

I personally found that I enjoyed The Fiance Dilemma more than I did The Long Game, but that is probably because I just vibed with the content more — not that there is anything wrong with either. Both books showed off Armas’ exemplary writing style. Her prose is so compelling that drew me in completely.

Rating: Three and a Half Stars

Available: Now

Elizabeth of East Hampton by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding

Honestly, this one had me at Pride & Prejudice adaptation. What can I say: It’s my weakness — and Elizabeth of East Hampton delivered. This one is a modern version of P&P, set in modern-day Long Island. It’s told in dual points of view of both Lizzy and Darcy, which is a welcome change from the original.
In Elizabeth of East Hampton, Lizzy is a grad school-bound aspiring journalist and amateur surfer primarily spending time running her family’s struggling bakery in the Hamptons. Lizzy’s big sister, Jane, suddenly strikes up a summer fling with summertime resident Charlie Pierce (yes, he’s Bingley) and the pair try to set up Lizzy with Charlie’s business partner, Will Darcy. Obviously, the meeting left little to be desired, as expected.
As an adaptation, it is pretty accurate while still modernizing the story A LOT. Plus, there are a few plot differences that changed, like, in regards to Mary and Wickham’s respective storylines. Overall, it was very cute and sweet, and a wholesome adaptation of Jane Austen’s prose. And if you read Bellezza and Harding’s Emma of 83rd Street, then you will see a little post-HEA cameo.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: August 6, 2024

The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord

I’ve been a fan of Emma Lord’s books since debut Tweet Cute (though You Have a Match is my No. 1 and remains there), but unfortunately, this one couldn’t surpass it.

In The Break-Up Pact, June and Levi were former childhood BFFs and are now both going viral for their respective breakups. Levi, an aspiring novelist, returns to their hometown to lay low given the social media virality. On day one, he reunites with June in her family-run tea shop. When a picture of them sparks rumors that they (plot twist) found love after their high-profile breakups, they decide to go with it, especially when it starts to help June’s struggling business turn a profit and Levi’s ex-girlfriend realize that she wants him back. So, fake-dating pact?

To me, The Break-Up Pact failed to provide new or unique characters and instead offered a pair that seemed dime-a-dozen, who did not develop throughout the novel. The premise, too, had such promise but then its execution just fell flat to me and like a replication of different books with similar tropes. I don’t know, but it kind of felt as if this author phoned it in a bit or didn’t really understand her main characters. Lord, for years, has been a master at writing YA. The Break-Up Pact, however, is one of her first real adult romances, and this one, however, felt like a YA novel but with adults. I guess, I just wanted more maturity from the characters.

I do have to say that Lord’s writing is still as compelling as ever and I am not dissing her craft. I just couldn’t fully vibe with the story and characters. Something just left  little to be desired.

CW: Sibling Grief

Rating: Three and a Half Stars

Available: August 13, 2024

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston

Casey McQuiston is easily one of my auto-buy authors ever since Red, White & Royal Blue, and well, this book completely continues that trend. McQuiston’s name and The Pairing‘s plot got me hooked before I even began, and then once I started reading I was completely captivated and enthralled.

Theo and Kit have been best friends since childhood, eventually breaking up before Kit moved across the Atlantic. They never saw each other again, until the pair (both bisexual) separately decided to finally take their dream European foodie tour four years later after learning that their vouchers from initially canceling are about to expire. They both show up, older and more experienced, and reconnect. As they are trapped together for three weeks, Kit (a pastry chef based in Paris) and Theo (a nonbinary aspiring sommelier) make a bet to see who can hook up with more strangers during the trip. But, not all their bet rules are meant to be followed…

It’s a travel romance meets the-one-that-got-away and second chance tropes with several spicy spice scenes (like that yacht one, ahem). Told in dual points of view, McQuiston writes with their signature compelling language that is fun, indulgent, and romantic but also authentic, honest, and vulnerable. I found myself absolutely drawn into the story and so, so, so curious to keep reading.

This book is so fun and so cute with the travel romance and the hookup competition around the world, yes, but The Pairing also has emotional depths and vulnerability. It is such a meaningful, relatable, and authentic story of identity as well — outside of a sweeping love story. It just has lots of heart.

All in all, I would highly recommend this read, for sure. McQuiston, once again, delivers a compelling story, an indulgent romance, some steamy spice, and plenty of heart. I loved this one. It is so cute to follow Kit and Theo traipse around Europe, falling back in love but also seriously discovering themselves and what they want.

Rating: Four and a Half Stars

Available: August 20, 2024

Love Requires Chocolate by Ravynn K. Stringfield

This one is like a YA version of Emily in Paris for theatre kids, and you know what? Here for it.
In Love Requires Chocolate, theatre nerd Whitney Curry arrives in Paris for her semester abroad at an arts high school. While navigating a fish-out-of-water syndrome, homesickness, and trying to master the French language, Whitney struggles all around. Not to mention that she’s trying to mount a one-woman play about Josephine Baker. Enter her grumpy tutor Thierry, who is determined to get Whitney to deviate from her carefully crafted schedule to see the real Paris.
It’s a fun and cute YA, OwnVoices, and travel romance. I found myself completely drawn into the story thanks to the author’s compelling language and word choice. It’s not too slow, which thank goodness, that’s a major plus. It’s very cute, sweet and innocent.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: August 20, 2024

‘Til Heist Do Us Part by Sara Desai

I went into this book not knowing that it was a sequel, whoops that’s on me, but I still enjoyed it. I think it can still stand alone because the story feels new and there were plenty of character introductions. Meaning, I didn’t feel lost or as I was missing something when I jumped into the story.
In ‘Til Heist Do Us Part, Simi Chopra and her ragtag crew are summoned to pull off another jewelry heist thanks to her now-ex, the rogueish Jack Danger. While trying to work together, Simi is still bitter at the way Jack ended things, while he is desperate for a second chance. It’s a heist team-up book comprised of a quirky amateur crew with a romance subplot.
Told in somewhat dual points of view, this book was written with very compelling language that kept me intrigued to keep reading. It was very cute, and ended with a HEA, but the epilogue hints at potentially another sequel. If that’s the case, I’ll definitely be back.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: August 20, 2024

Heavy Hitter by Katie Cotugno

This book is for literally anyone who’s said or thought anything about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s love story being straight out of a rom-com … just with baseball instead football. Like, it’s giving Baseball Tayvis. This book was a rare novel that I started and finished in one day, OK fine a few hours, because I literally could not put it down. I had to discover what would happen next.
In Heavy Hitter, Lacey Logan is *the* music industry and curates everything in her life from songs, dating status and social media Easter eggs. Sound familiar? In between her record-breaking U.S. tour, she is dumped by her SNL comedian boyfriend Toby amid his drug addiction and the news that his mistress is pregnant. She goes to lick her wounds at NYC’s Via Carota (another Swiftie ref IYKYK) when she runs into Baltimore Orioles catcher Jimmy Hodges. After a one-night stand, they start a secret, long-distance situationship that gets serious fast. (Also, yes there is spice, but it’s not too too steamy, in my honest opinion.)
The language is fun, quippy, and snappy, which had me so intrigued to keep reading. The book, told in dual first-person points of view, has banter for, like DAYS. And I mean that. I even chucked a few times, like, honestly. Overall, this book reads super quickly but in the best way. It is absolutely adorable and can definitely, without a doubt cure a reading slump. My only criticism? It ends kind of abruptly where I just wanted more. Like what happens at the World Series? Does she go? Does the team win? Does he follow her on her Europen tour during his off-season and what would that be like? Come on, Katie Cotugno, can you please give the people a sequel or an epilogue? It’s, like, a need-to-know basis right now, just saying.
Literally, this book is the rom-com that Tayvis fans have been clamoring for ever since September 2023 when Swift showed up at that first Chiefs game. Trust me on that one.

Rating: Four and a Half Stars

Available: August 20, 2024

Daydream by Hannah Grace

While Hannah Grace’s latest couldn’t beat Wildfire for me (hey, I’m a camp girlie through and through!), I did enjoy it and find it particularly cute for a slow burn, fake dating, bookish and sports romance. Also, I truly love the diversity and watching a plus-size main character fall in love with a person of color. Love when romances aren’t so white-washed, it’s just, like, “been-there-done-that.”

Daydream is the third book in Grace’s Maple Hills series following new captain Henry during the following semester after Icebreaker and Wildfire. After struggling through a particularly difficult class, it is clear that Henry needs a tutor. So, he enlists romance reader and aspiring novelist Halle. He also agrees to help Halle get romance experience for her book by taking her on “practice dates.”

Daydream reads quite quickly thanks to intriguing language and plenty (and I mean, plenty) of banter. However, some of the included text messages can be difficult to know who is speaking without proper headers or font changes. It was a little bit confusing at each turn. Overall, Daydream is very cute, I give it that but it’s just not my all-time favorite. Can still swoon over Halle and Henry’s romance, no question.

P.S. The book dedication as a tribute to eldest daughters is, literally, EVERYTHING.

Rating: Three and a Half Stars

Available: August 27, 2024

Advance reader copies of the books listed were provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Spring is Finally Here, And So Is an Updated TBR List

Posted in Miranda's Book Nook by

Hello to all my faithful book lovelies! As April has fast come and gone (where has the time gone?!), so has another month of reading. So without a lengthy introduction, welcome back to Miranda’s Book Nook! Keep on scrolling for more book recommendations that I’ve been, literally, obsessed with thus far. Happy reading!

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio

I was pleasantly surprised by The Husbands from the moment I started reading, from its plot, points of conflict and compelling language. Reading this book made me so curious to discover what would happen next, like, it was very easy to get sucked into the story.

The Husbands follows Lauren, who comes home one night to find her husband, Michael, waiting for her. The catch? She wasn’t married when she left home and has no memory of this man. Going with the story, she is surprised when Michael goes up to change a lightbulb in the attic. He never comes back down and a new husband appears in his place … along with a whole new life. It turns out that Lauren’s attic has a whole supply of husbands that she can *poof* exchange just by sending them up to the top floor. Which one is the right one?

It doesn’t feel like a straight romance novel or a women’s fiction fluffy beach read as the title might suggest, but I’d describe it as a piece of literary fiction. Also, it very much feels like a satire about the modern dating world with apps and whatnot, spoofing the endless stream of people you’d find swiping left and right. Plus, the open-ended conclusion was fascinating as it made yet another parallel to the real world with its lack of a known Happily Ever After. All in all, this was a good one. Surprised me, but, yeah, a good one.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Here We Go Again by Alison Cochran

I can honestly say that I’ve vibed with every one of Alison Cochrun’s romance novels. And while Here We Go Again fits right in, it also stands out. In a good way. In the best way that gets me to keep reading — page after page until the very end.

In Here We Go Again, Logan and Rosemary are high school frenemies still stuck in their conservative Pacific Northwest small town some 10-15 years later, working as teachers at the same school. They are also both coping with the near-death of their mentor, Joe, who is dying of cancer (trigger warning). With only a few months left to live, Joe entrusts the two of them to take him on a road trip across the country to his cabin in Maine. Told in dual points of view, Here We Go Again charts the journey east as Logan and Rosemary let their guards down while driving in what is described as the “gayest van west of the Mississippi.” (Logan, Rosemary and 60something-year-old Joe are all openly queer.)

This read was so heartfelt and vulnerable that literally had me in tears, I swear. And you know why? Because it was real and authentic and mirrored real life in all its imperfections. Emotional depth aside, as a romance, Here We Go Again was a fun forced proximity, opposites attract, second chance-ish romance. Plus, MCs of Logan and Rosemary had such banter together. Like, it was so fun and cute in those parts.

CW: Alcoholism, Anxiety, Grief/Death of a Parent

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Funny Story by Emily Henry

This was not a NetGalley ARC but a physical galley borrowed from my colleagues, however, I was excited to dive into just the same!

Funny Story, a title that makes complete sense by the end of the book, follows children’s librarian Daphne Vincent after she moves to a small Michigan town with her fiancé, Peter. Months before their wedding, Peter brutally dumps Daphne for his childhood best friend, Petra (yes, those are their names). Needing a place to stay when Peter kicks her out, Daphne moves in with Petra’s now-ex Miles Nowak. Funny Story, told solely from Daphne’s point of view, begins post-move. Emily Henry’s latest features opposites attract, forced proximity and fake dating tropes to deliver an absolutely indulgent and sweeping slow-burn romance.

From the very beginning, I was swept up in this book because the characters were so richly developed, had authentic vulnerabilities that were grounded in reality and so much freaking banter. My reading notes from the first few chapters literally said, “Fun already, they cute.” Overall, Funny Story reads quite quickly as I finished all 400-something pages in, like, three days. Plus, true to form, Henry writes with such rich language that had me (literally) laughing out loud in parts … multiple times. That and her characters are so dynamic and vulnerable, who deal with real s–t. The emotions eventually just spiral and spiral until they come pouring out and you know what? That is as real as it can be.

Funny Story is way more than just a romance, and it’s a chance for Daphne to learn to stand on her own two feet and stand up for herself, which is even more of a treasure than just finding some guy. But, yeah, let’s also chat romance plot points. Miles, Miles, Miles: Ahhh what are we going to do with this full-blown cinnamon roll? Like, I swear I’ve audibly went “aww” multiple times while reading when he finally expressed his feelings about Daphne. He can see the real her, which makes him act like his most authentic self. I don’t know, guys, it feels so honest, raw and real and gimme gimme gimme. Haha I want that, damn. (Oh, back to reality that’s more like The Husbands above, sigh.) OK and then that HEA: whew, it feels so so so justified and earned by the time we get there. It feels like a happily ever after, yes, but one that is rooted in reality.

As someone who has read every previous book by Henry, I cannot say that Funny Story is No. 1 for me but it is up there. Like, I don’t think it can top Beach Read (the OG!) and Happy Place personally, but Funny Story is a close third nipping at their heels.

Rating: Four and a Half Stars

Available: April 23, 2024

Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie by Jackie Lau

Loosely inspired by Pride and Prejudice, Love, Lies and Cherry Pie is an all-consuming, compelling romance novel with such a delicious fake dating storyline.
Love, Lies and Cherry Pie follows author-who-moonlights-as-a-barista Emily as she is completely tired of her meddlesome mother’s matchmaking attempts. (Hello, Mrs. Bennet, anyone?) After her mom continually tries to set Emily up with Mark, the picture-perfect son of a family friend, she’s over it. Emily decides to go with it, asking Mark to fake-date, in exchange for getting their parents out of their hairs. He reluctantly agrees (in all his Darcy-esque glory), but soon their other family friends keep crashing their “dates.” One thing left to do? Sell it. But of course, fake dating can lead to real feelings.
Primarily told from a single point of view, a second is added for the second part to help provide greater insight into the already intriguing and relatable characters. As a romance, Love, Lies and Cherry Pie is super cute and fun that, despite a slow start, had me curious to find out the endgame and HEA. And the fact that it feels like a sweet-as-cherry-pie (lol had to) adaptation of Pride and Prejudice? You should know me by now, I couldn’t say no.

Rating: Three and a Half Stars

Available: May 7, 2024

Swiped by L.M. Chilton

I’m not typically a big fan of mysteries or thrillers, but I was intrigued by this one from the plot and the title. And now that I’ve finished it, I’m glad I tried it because I really enjoyed it and was completely captivated by the twists (oh, the twists!) and turns.
In Swiped, Gwen is the last single girl in her friend group which seems like a typical romance novel set-up, right? Wrong. She decides to join a dating app and starts swiping right on every eligible (or lack thereof) bachelor in her small coastal English city. Suddenly, each of her blind dates turns up dead. Murdered. And the No. 1 suspect? Gwen. She must race to track down the remaining dates she blocked before it’s too late and to clear her name once and for all. It’s described as Bridget Jones meets Scream, which should be enough to get you to pick up this one. I mean, it’s true, right?
It’s told with such well-written, compelling language that had me completely hooked to keep reading and discover the mystery for myself. And the endgame was in no way predictable, as a good mystery should be.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: May 21, 2024

I Wish You Would by Eva Des Lauriers

Honestly, I picked up this book solely because the premise sounded cute and the title was the same as a Taylor Swift lyric, but I ended up finding a novel that was so much more.

I Wish You Would follows high school seniors (and childhood besties) Natalia and Ethan during their school-sanctioned Senior Sunrise campout, in which everyone secretly writes an “if I was braver, I would” letter. Natalia and Ethan both use theirs to confess their long-held crushes and how they would have handled their near-hookup at junior prom the year before. No one is supposed to read the letters, but the wind has other plans. After Natalia sees the wind scatter seven of the classes’ letters, she and Ethan race to find them before anyone’s secrets (including theirs) get out.

Sure, I Wish You Would does have romance elements but it is such a vulnerable coming-of-age YA novel that shines through way more than just some cutesy romantic scenes. That is precisely why I dug it so much; it wasn’t just, trope-after-trope, a way to get Natalia and Ethan to their HEA. It was the journey they took as individuals to be braver, be their authentic selves and follow their own hearts. That authenticity and vulnerability of the two main characters (and the author’s compelling writing and language) is what won me over wholeheartedly. And I’m serious when I say Eva Des Lauriers has a compelling writing style because, dang, was I HOOKED on this book — every single page along the way. Like, honestly I was so beyond curious to discover what would happen next. And for someone in a bit of a reading slump, this book BROKE it. Period.

CW: Panic Attacks/Anxiety, Children of Divorce

Rating: Four and a Half Stars

Available: May 21, 2024

Attached at the Hip by Christine Riccio

I truly had no idea what to expect from Attached at the Hip other than it was like a set in Survivor meets The Bachelor reality show, which, wasn’t that everything I didn’t know I needed to read about!
In Attached at the Hip, MC Orie Lennox is postgrad and hopelessly waiting for her dream love story, job and family relationships. One day, she spontaneously applies for the next season of Survivor since she is a superfan. To her surprise, she gets cast — but not on Survivor. Attached at the Hip is a spinoff of Survivor, where 10ish twentysomething competitors with a certain level of chemistry are tethered together while they attempt to survive. Like, imagine the strategy of Survivor mixed with the forced proximity trope of, like, Love Island. Orie gets another shock when her partner is Remy aka her high school crush and he might be eeling the crushies too? In this book, you really get to know the entire Attached at the Hip cast and can see Orie’s potential chemistry with several others, not just Remy. So, definite love triangle vibes.
Author Christine Riccio writes with such witty and intriguing language that pulled me in from the jump — and made it impossible to put this book down. (I finished it in two days because I couldn’t not read this one, you know?) It’s a fun concept, complete with a love triangle trope, and was, like, so freaking funny. The banter literally got me, so good and relatable — and not just because I’ve literally had one of the awkward bad-at-flirting conversations myself nearly verbatim. But anyway, this entire book was so beyond cute and fun. And then that HEA? Dang, it did have me involuntary smiling for the characters. Sooo, how soon is too soon for a re-read?
CW: Gambling Addiction, Child of Addict, Love bombing/Ghosting

Rating: Four and a Half Stars

Available: May 21, 2024

Advance reader copies of the books listed were provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

11 Books to Kick Off the Year: Quite Simply Miranda’s 2024 Novel Reviews

Posted in Just for Fun, Miranda's Book Nook by

Hey, y’all … she’s back (finally) after a hefty book slump took over the month of March, which naturally seriously delayed the publication of this blog post. Whoopsie! Anyways, true to form Miranda’s Book Nook is back to review a whooping 11 new 2024 books that came into my life … way before the aforementioned slump. Without further ado, check out my recommendations below. And, as always, happy reading.

The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale by Virginia Kantra

I absolutely adored Virginia Kantra’s two Little Women adaptations, and so I was very curious about her next novel based on The Wizard of Oz.
Dorothy “Dee” Gale is a graduate school student, frantically searching for a place to belong after her mother’s death when she and her sister, Toni, are sent to live with their Aunt Em and Uncle Henry in Kansas. (Oz adaptation, haha I told you so.) Her seemingly normal life gets thrown into a tailspin when her relationship with an accomplished novelist/adjunct professor ends before he pens a bestselling novel about her, and no, the story isn’t too pleasing. To escape her life, Dee transfers to Trinity College Dublin to recommit to her degree and her writing passions. Throughout her year in Ireland, Dee meets a new crew (including a “brainless” college dropout, a “heartless” boy-next-door and a loyal AF bestie) as she navigates change, opportunity, love and loss. It’s a story of confidence and found family to put it simply.
Told from multiple points of view, Kantra writes with such compelling language that truly allows the reader to dive into the story from the very first chapter. It’s so fun yet mystical, and I ended up surprising myself with exactly how much I liked this one. Like, I truly did not want to put this book down, which I particularly attribute to the vulnerable characters and snappy word choice. Oh, and just like Kantra wanted, The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale does make you feel head-over-heels in love with Ireland. Or, even more head-over-heels if you’ve already fallen for the Emerald Isle.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

The Getaway List by Emma Lord

I’ve read every book of Emma Lord’s, but unfortunately, not all of them are made equally. Don’t get me wrong, they all have merit and show off her skills, but I just can’t vibe with each and every one of them. To my dismay, The Getaway List falls into this category.
Here, Riley has just graduated from high school sans college plans, so she runs away to NYC for the summer where her long-distance BFF Tom happens to live. While there, they decide to finally complete their bucket list of random activities. Soon enough, they corral a group of new friends to join their quests all while attempting to work through their will-they-won’t-they vibe.
True to Lord’s style, The Getaway List is a fun, indulgent and sweet New Adult novel complete with slow-burn friends to lovers and found family tropes. While, personally, I found this book didn’t live up to the author’s other novels, I cannot discount what a treat this is to read. The writing, well-written of course, is comprised of compelling language that just completely draws me into the story.

Rating: Three and a Half Stars

Available: Now

The Royal Game by Linda Keir

I love a good royal romance, and The Royal Game takes that and flips the trope on its head into more of a women’s fiction/mystery novel.

The Royal Game follows American singer-songwriter Jennie Jensen, who expectedly meets (and falls in love with, naturally) the Prince of Wales, Prince Hugh, while on her European concert tour. After a whirlwind courtship, Hugh proposes and Jennie trades her musician lifestyle (with relative anonymity) for the royal family and all its unexpected protocol (lol, not the pantyhose police!). As Jennie learns what it takes to be a princess, she’s met with an onslaught of negative reactions … and threats that definitely seem reminiscent of ones that Hugh’s mother, Princess Penelope, received before she was killed in a tragic plane crash. Jennie races to figure out what really happened, and how to stop it from coming after her … all before her royal wedding day.

Comps include The Royal We (and its sequel) as well as the real-life romances of King Charles and the late Princess Diana, Prince William and Princess Kate and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. That being said, I did feel like The Royal Game can stand on its own. The writing is so well-written and compelling that I found myself plunged deep into the story, yearning to discover what will happen next. The dialogue has such witty banter from the jump, and, like, it is so much fun that I’m desperate to keep reading and could hardly put the book down.

As a romance, it is a mostly “closed-door” one, but there is a HEA (which, thank god) that feels completely earned and justified. It comes in right at the nick of time to save the day (and the characters’ dreams).

Rating: Four and a Half Stars

Available: Now

Even If It Breaks Your Heart by Erin Hahn

Erin Hahn’s YA vs. adult romances, obviously, vary quite a bit but are equally full of compelling language, stories with a heart and downright adorable love stories. And Even if It Breaks Your Heart fits right into that so perfectly.
Even if It Breaks Your Heart follows Case, a 19-year-old bull rider who is barely holding it together after the death of his best friend Walker, and fellow 19-year-old Winnie. Winnie, who works for Case’s family ranch, is tirelessly working to support her dad and two young siblings, so obviously she has no patience for lackadaisical Case. Case, meanwhile, is trying to follow Walker’s list of things to do in his absence, where he’s stunned to see that “befriend Winnie” made the list.
This opposites-attract romance, told from dual points of view, just drew me in and ended up reading quite quickly. However, something about this was just sort of, kind of, hard to get into for me. I don’t know why but it did. Plus, Case and Winnie are like sickeningly sweet in love, I will admit. Succinctly put, this book is for the horse girlies IYKYK.

Rating: Three and a Half Stars

Available: Now

Right on Cue by Falon Ballard

With now three books under her belt, I’m here to tell you that Falon Ballard does not miss — PERIOD.

Right on Cue is told from the perspective of Hollywood nepo baby Emmy Harper, who’s become an Oscar-winning screenwriter in her own right. After her latest rom-com script has a casting snafu, she steps in to act as the leading lady despite having not been on camera in a decade. Then, all hell breaks loose when her leading man suddenly bows out and the only choice left is Grayson West, the action star who was the reason that Emmy gave up on acting. The pair has a lot of friction on set … or is it just *tension*? Whatever it is, they do need to seriously get their act together if there’s any hope of saving the movie (and their own acting careers.)

Right on Cue, just like Ballard’s other books is chock full of compelling language, so much banter, the *chef’s kiss* right amount of spice (Right on Cue is probably her spiciest book to date, IMHO) and so many truly delicious tropes (enemies to lovers, secret pine, secret romance, celebrity romance, fake dating) all at once. When I say that I was so curious about the story’s twists and turns, I mean I did not want to (nor could I, in all honesty) put this book down. Like, I just had to keep on reading and find out what would happen next. I HAD to. Oh, and fair warning about the third-act breakup? Yeah, it was really third-act breakupping.

All in all, Right on Cue was completely and irrevocably adorable and every bit fun, frothy and indulgent. It literally delivered every single thing I’d want in a rom-com.

CW: Estranged Parents, Death of a Parent

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Women of Good Fortune by Sophie Wan

While this book took a minute to get into, it actually turned out to be a surprise favorite for me. It’s a women’s fiction novel, told in multiple perspectives, about a trio of Shanghai-based friends as they hatch a plan to steal the wedding gifts that one of them would receive on her wedding day. The book charts their heist journey while fending off the men who may stand in their way.
Women of Good Fortune follows Lulu on the lead-up to her wedding day to one of Shanghai’s most eligible bachelors, except she wants her freedom and not to be tied down in marriage. Lulu confides in her two BFFs: Rina (a career-driven singleton who yearns to get a promotion over the less qualified men in her office) and Jane (a stay-at-home wife, who’s unhappily married and either wants a divorce or plastic surgery). The three of them devise a plan to steal Lulu’s cash wedding gifts to trade in for brand-new lives. The book follows them over the course of the 8 months before the big day.
It’s an intriguing glance at the lack of opportunity for women to be more than a man’s trophy spouse. It’s compelling and thrilling, with such rich language that has me so curious to discover if they’ll complete the heist, stay friends, find love and so much more.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle

With no preconceived notions of Expiration Dates save for a brief summary, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. And I loved it. Completely.

In Expiration Dates, we follow Daphne Bell throughout her single years in L.A. Whenever she meets a potential love interest, she somehow gets slipped a piece of paper with his name and a number to denote how long their relationship will last. It’s never failed her, despite readers never knowing why it’s occurred. Then, before her blind date with Jake, when she’s in her early 30s, she gets a paper with his name and nothing else. So, does this mean there’s no expiration date limit on their love story? As Daphne and Jake’s relationship unfolds, she starts to wonder if the no-end note man is really her endgame. Expiration Dates also takes us back to her previous notes to give a peek into Daphne’s past romances and their eventual end dates.

From the beginning, I found myself intrigued by the plot premise, and as I flipped through the first pages, I became more and more eager to grow in curiosity. It has just the right amount of mystery that pulled me in. Author Rebecca Serle writes with such compelling, well-written language that further propels me into Daphne’s story, like, I needed to know what was going to happen. Plus, there are twists and turns that are completely unpredictable. The only thing is that this book felt a tad short, but only because I wanted more content and didn’t want to hit that last page.

CW: Chronic illness, Death of a spouse

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto

The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties wraps up Jesse Q. Sutanto’s mystery/romance “Four Aunts” series with its signature familial hijinks, a thrilling heist and a swoon-worthy HEA.

Meddy and Nathan are back in book 3 of the “Four Aunts” series after their wedding, and this time they are honeymooners! However, things quickly go awry (naturally) when they arrive at her ancestral home in Indonesia for Chinese New Year. When Second Aunt’s childhood sweetheart arrives to court her once more, he brings presents for everyone … including a misplaced gift for a business rival. It’s up to Meddy to get the gift back in exchange for husband Nathan, who becomes a hostage in the matter. Oh, and then a third-party mafia-type person gets involved for more kidnapping and heist hijinks. So, it’s up to Meddy and the Aunts to save the day so that she and Nathan can have their hard-earned HEA.

The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties is told with Sutanto’s signature compelling writing style that completely draws me into the story and had me SO CURIOUS to figure out if Meddy and her crew can solve the problem at hand. The heist in itself is fun and quirky and the characters are still so fun and endearing. The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties is a book for fans of the “Four Aunts” series already, and it is definitely recommended to read those books before tucking into this one.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Old Flames and New Fortunes by Sarah Hogle

By now, I see the name Sarah Hogle on a romance book cover and I instantly want to read it — all stemming from You Deserve Each Other, which become one of my (surprise) instant top, top, top bookish favorites of all-time. Old Flames and New Fortunes, let me tell you, gives that book (her debut novel) a run for its money.

Old Flames and New Fortunes follows Romina, who runs a magical floral shop in the mystical town of Moonville, Ohio. She is known for using flowers to help people manifest their love lives. The shop, once owned by her grandmother, has been bought by investor Trevor. The two coworkers need an additional loan to expand their business, so they turn to Trevor’s dad. His father is in town for his second wedding, so they concoct a scheme to fake date in order to easily get him to make a deal. The catch? Trevor’s soon-to-be stepbrother is Alex King, Romina’s high school sweetheart who broke her heart a decade ago. What starts as an innocent misunderstanding, a fake date, and a chance for revenge on her ex, turns into a whole new ballgame when Alex doesn’t buy what they’re selling. OH, and she still has chemistry with Alex.

This one reads very quickly, thanks to such compelling language that pulls me in. I could hardly put it down to take breaks, like, I just DEVOURED this book. I was hooked from the jump let me tell you. Our MCs of Romina and Alex, a true second-chance pairing, have such, like, an enemies-to-lovers banter and I LOVED IT. Their connection literally made me want to blush, giggle and kick my heels up in the air — like it’s so cute with the secret pining, Alex being a grade-A simpy simp for Romina. (For what it’s worth, I read a chunk of this book on a plane. Fully straight-faced during the spicy scenes, but the cute little romance part had me grinning like a damn fool.) It was adorable. Like, Old Flames and New Fortunes had me feeling something (and not the spice), which was surprising. Books typically don’t affect me like this, but Hogle’s words completely captured my heart and made me believe in Romina and Alex’s love story. Plus, the characters are so vulnerable, it makes Old Flames and New Fortunes more than just a contemporary (and a little witchy, but barely) romance.

When I tell you that Old Flames and New Fortunes is the second-chance romance to end all second-chance romances, I MEAN THAT. Like, the big [spoiler] reveal? My breath literally hitched, I swear. I just want more content, an epilogue, a sequel, bonus chapters, a spinoff; literally anything to bring me back into Romina and Alex’s world for the first time. You Deserve Each Other cemented Hogle’s status as a great romance writer, and Old Flames and New Fortunes 1000 percent solidified that tenfold. Like, seriously, this book bewitched and captivated my soul. I went through literally every emotion (laughing, crying, swooning, everything) while reading, I kid you not.

CW: Loss of a child (not pregnancy loss or death)

Rating: Four and a Half Stars

Available: April 2, 2024

Wedding Issues by Elle Evans

I didn’t know what to expect with this one, and I ended up pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one and was captivated by the story.
Wedding Issues follows Liv, who in the middle of her final year of law school and has ambitions to work for a big law firm in NYC, is set as maid of honor in both her best friend Leighton and cousin Kali’s respective May weddings. Part of the gig? Convincing Southern Charm magazine to cover each wedding in the singular June bridal issue. Obviously, Liv wants her BFF to win … but her aunt is lording over a prestigious legal job offer on the condition that Kali gets a victory. Plus, there’s the teeniest romance subplot (a best friend’s brother trope to boot) thrown in there.
It’s an intriguing premise, told with such compelling language from, literally, page one. It reads quite quickly and made me so curious to find out what would happen next. It’s a fun, cute women’s fiction novel, showcasing a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the lead-up to a wedding (or two) and the lengths that main character Liv will go to in order to get a “dream” life. The only complaint about this book: Something is missing at the end — because I need an epilogue/sequel to know what happens after the ending!

Rating: Four Stars

Available: April 2, 2024

The Rule Book by Sarah Adams

To put it simply, Sarah Adams’ The Rule Book is The Cheat Sheet companion novel that I didn’t know I needed, but NEEDED, you know? The Rule Book follows L.A. Sharks tight end Derek Pender (the famed winker from The Cheat Sheet in all his glory) in a second chance, enemies to lovers and marriage of convenience romance.

Before I even began reading The Rule Book, I was honestly so hyped because I truly loved The Cheat Sheet and think that one reinvented the football romance genre for me. And yes, all of these lovable buffoon of football players are back with HEA updates in spades. That’s not to say that Derek and Nora Mackenzie, his college sweetheart, don’t shine in their main story because they do. Absolutely. For sure.

Nora is a budding sports agent, who lands Derek as her first client after he nurses a killer injury at the end of last season. While it seems like a great catch for her career, Nora hasn’t seen Derek since she, um,  sort of brutally dumped him during their senior year of college. And when Derek sees Nora for the first time in decades, he’s less than pleased and definitely holding a grudge. Derek decides that he wants revenge, so he plans to give her absurd tasks that get her to quit. The problem? In the middle of a work trip to Las Vegas, they may have, accidentally, drunkenly eloped. Could their “marriage” help or hurt their careers? Or even bring them back together?

The Rule Book is told from dual points of view with such compelling language that had me so intrigued to keep reading chapter by chapter. Derek and Nora have banter galore, which is what I love in a romance novel typically, and this story was just so fun and indulgent, primarily set in the NFL offseason. It’s the perfect companion to The Cheat Sheet, yes, but Derek and Nora can fully hold their own as MCs and I stand by that.

Rating: Four and a Half Stars

Available: April 2, 2024

Advance reader copies of the books listed were provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The 23 Best Romance Books I’ve Read in 2023: Year in Review

Posted in Miranda's Book Nook by

And another year has nearly come to an end! So, my loyal blog readers, you know what that means: I’ve completed another hefty TBR list and surpassed my annual reading goal. With a whopping 115 books read, I’m here to recap the 23 best ones (specifically focusing on romance reads this year) that I polished off in 2023.

1. The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter

Considering Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girls series was my favorite franchise growing up (and my signed copy is still one of my prized possessions), her adult romance debut was always going to top this list.

The Blonde Identity starts with an unnamed heroine after she wakes up in Paris with amnesia to find a strange yet very attractive man standing over her and instructing her to run from dangerous villains after her identical twin sister, a rogue spy. The twosome team up on a road trip of sorts to stay safe and clear her sister’s name. Mr. Hot Spy (whose name is eventually revealed, as is hers) reluctantly agrees to help her find safety. They even need to pretend to be newlyweds on a European honeymoon to stay undetected.

The Blonde Identity is so witty and funny yet authentic, making it a compelling read. That language makes this read totally unputdownable and an absolute must-read for any fellow Gallagher Girls fangirls. And that HEA! Oh my, it is EVERYTHING, like, I literally got butterflies, which means it must be a swoon-worthy romance.

Review: Five Stars

2. Didn’t See That Coming by Jesse Q. Sutanto 

Didn’t See That Coming was without a doubt the most adorable teen rom-com that I’ve read in the longest time. Set in the same universe as author Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Well, That Was Unexpected, we get to follow Sharlot’s BFF Kiki and her love story.

Kiki is a gamer girl with oodles of self-confidence … except online, where she assumes a fake identity as a boy to avoid harassment from the majority of male players. Her online BFF, Sourdawg, doesn’t even know the truth. After Kiki transfers to an elite high school in Indonesia for her senior year, her carefully crafted e-persona is at risk when she realizes that Sourdawg is there.

Didn’t See That Coming is a fun, quirky, and indulgent YA rom-com that reads so quickly that reminds me of  She Loves Me/ You’ve Got Mail.  This book was so flipping adorable and satisfying yet plenty unique and original that I couldn’t help but completely get lost in this world.

Review: Five Stars

3. Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld 

Curtis Sittenfeld’s novels can do no wrong in my eyes and Romantic Comedy further proves that tenfold. It is set in a Saturday Night Live environment when longtime writer Sally gets fed up with her male coworkers constantly dating A-List show guests. However, things take a turn when Sally sparks her own connection with musician Noah.

Here, sketch writer Sally is fed up that her Night Owls cowriters keep dating megastars, but it’s never been the reverse with women on the show. After penning an original script about the practice, Sally notices that episode host Noah seems flirty towards her during his hosting debut. But there’s no way the spark can be real, right??

This contemporary novel, told like a day-in-the-life vignette, follows Sally’s week ahead of Noah’s late-night debut before a three-year time jump. Sittenfeld’s Romantic Comedy reads very quickly thanks to quippy language and an authentic main character. All in all, it is fun, cute and exactly how you’d expect a Sittenfeld novel to be.

Review: 4.5 Stars

4. Wanderlust by Elle Everhart 

Without any preconceived notion of this book’s story or author’s style, I found this to be one of my surprise favorites of the year. And one, I’ve re-read multiple times already.

Here, Dylan Coughlan is a magazine writer based in London who, on a whim, dials into a radio contest and wins a trip around the world. The catch? Her travel companion is a contact in her phone selected at random. Dylan is stunned that the contact roulette game selects “Jack the Posho,” aka the cute guy she met on a night out months ago and never texted back. Jack throws caution to the wind and agrees to travel with her, potentially setting off a sweet second-chance romance if only he wasn’t so short and gruff every time they interacted.

Wanderlust features so much compelling language and banter in spades, plus Elle Everhart’s characters are so dynamic and authentic. I truly did not want to put this one down. Wanderlust, all in all, was very, very, very cute and fun, and like, Jack is such a melt but in the best way that was just super sweet and endearing. I just wish I could start from scratch and read for the first time all over again.

Review: 4.5 Stars

5. Old Flames and New Fortunes by Sarah Hogle

The official review for this book is coming later, but for now, all you need to know is that Sarah Hogle is an auto-buy author for me and Old Flames and New Fortunes can actually give her debut book, You Deserve Each Other a run for its money.

Old Flames and New Fortunes follows Romina, who runs a magical floral shop in the mystical town of Moonville, Ohio. She is known for using flowers to help people manifest their love lives. The shop, once owned by her grandmother, has been bought by investor Trevor and they need an additional loan to expand their business. Turning to Trevor’s dad for help, Romina and Trevor concoct a scheme to fake-date during the dad’s upcoming wedding to close a deal. The catch? Trevor’s soon-to-be stepbrother is Alex King, Romina’s high school sweetheart, who broke her heart a decade ago. What starts as an innocent misunderstanding, fake date and a chance for revenge on her ex, turns into a whole new ballgame when Alex doesn’t buy what they’re selling.  OH, and she still has chemistry with Alex.

When I tell you that Old Flames and New Fortunes is the second-chance romance to end all second-chance romances, I MEAN THAT.  Sure, You Deserve Each Other cemented Hogle’s status as a great romance writer, and Old Flames and New Fortunes 1000 percent solidified that tenfold. Like, seriously, this book captivated my soul. I went through literally every emotion (laughing, crying, swooning, everything) while reading, I kid you not.

Review: 4.5 Stars

6. Enchanted to Meet You by Meg Cabot 

No one writes quite like Meg Cabot and Enchanted to Meet You further proves that.
In Enchanted to Meet You, Jessica once cast a lovestruck spell on her crush and, after it went awry, she was banned from the World Council of Witches. So, Jessica packed up her spellbooks and decided to focus on the real world, which included opening her own fashion boutique in town. Imagine her surprise 15 years later when witch Derrick shows up and proclaims that she is the Chosen One to save West Harbor. Jessica soon finds that Derrick is watching her very closely, so they start to bond — but he’s hiding a very crucial piece of the puzzle.
The writing is so compelling, which is everything, and keeps me very interested in the story. All of the characters (side ones, too) have such a quippy banter with each other that has me literally screaming. The story combines a supernatural mystery with a truly delicious fake dating trope.

Review: 4.5 Stars

7. Reign: American Royals IV by Katharine McGee 

The American Royals series has been EVERYTHING to me for years, and so, to say I was thrilled to learn how it all ends is an understatement. Reign features as compelling of language as ever, and it’s truly perfect for fans of the existing series yearning for more of the same ladies’ (Beatrice, Sam, Nina and Daphne, respectively) alternating perspectives.

Beatrice, for her part, remains in a coma after her Rivals car accident, which means that Jeff will be acting monarch since Sam ran off to Hawaii with boyfriend Marshall. For Daphne, it’s a dream come true since she is one step closer to being a princess since she just got Jeff to take her back. Will Beatrice recover and will she remember everything? Will Samantha return and will duty threaten her HEA? Is Jefferson still in love with Nina despite his rekindled romance with Daphne? Is Daphne really getting everything she wants? Can love save the throne or will everyone’s secrets destroy the monarchy for good?

Reign is so much fun and literally the perfect way to wrap up the series as we get even more insight into the protagonists’ inner psyches as they grow up. It’s such a sweeping conclusion to a beloved series and I truly loved watching the foursome’s growth as individuals. For Beatrice, I loved *finally* getting Connor closure and getting to a point of understanding her relationship with Teddy. For Samantha, I really enjoyed watching her find her place outside of the monarchy. Daphne was the toughest for me to like but here, I could understand her more and yassss that epilogue, I loved where she ended up. And then Nina, oh, I seriously loved her princely love triangle, like seriously, GET IT GIRL, but yet her own desires were still the No. 1 priority. Quite simply, I loved this one.

Review: 4.5 Stars

8. The Royal Game by Linda Keir 

The official review for this book is coming later, but The Royal Game flips the royal romance genre on its head in more of a women’s fiction/mystery novel.

The Royal Game follows American singer-songwriter Jennie Jensen, who expectedly meets (and falls in love with, naturally) the Prince of Wales, Prince Hugh, while on her European tour. After a whirlwind courtship, Hugh proposes and Jennie trades her musician lifestyle (with relative anonymity) for the royal family and all its unexpected protocol. As Jennie learns what it takes to be a princess, she’s met with an onslaught of negative reactions … and threats that definitely seem reminiscent to ones that Hugh’s mother, Princess Penelope, received before she was killed in a tragic plane crash. Jennie races to figure out what really happened to Penelope, and how to stop it from coming after her … all before her royal wedding day.

Comps include The Royal We (and its sequel) as well as the real-life romances of King Charles and the late Princess Diana, Prince William and Princess Kate and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. That being said, I did feel like The Royal Game can stand on its own. The writing is so well-written and compelling that I find myself plunged deep into the story, yearning to discover what will happen next. The dialogue has such witty banter from the jump, and it is so much fun that I’m desperate to keep reading and can hardly put the book down.

Review: 4.5 Stars

9. Kiss the Girl (Meant to Be) by Zoraida Córdova 

This book was not an ARC read, but a series that I’ve loved since the start. Inspired by Disney princesses, Cordova was tasked with modernizing The Little Mermaid.

In Kiss The Girl, Ariel del Mar is a singer in the girl group Siren Seven, which is comprised of her and her older sisters. After the group wraps up their latest sold-out tour, Ariel craves to step out of the spotlight instead of starting a solo career. She crosses paths with Eric Reyes (hiiii Prince Eric 2.0!), who is the lead singer of an up-and-coming indie band. He invites her to work as the merch girl on their domestic tour. Without telling her father, the head of her record label, Ariel agrees.

Review: 4.5 Stars

10. Real Love by Rachel Lindsay

Former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay can write and deliver a well-written, compelling women’s fiction/romance novel. Like, it was so well-written for a Bachelor alum and further proves that Lindsay is way more than a typical reality TV personality.

Here, Maya lives life according to The Plan: became the youngest director at her finance firm, marry her college sweetheart, and live a fabulous Miami life. Her life is going sooo great that she decides to turn down the opportunity to lead the new season of Real Love, a fictional reality TV dating show. Instead, she tells producers that her work bestie Delilah would make a superb lead, while she stays home. As Maya watches her friend’s TV journey begin, her perfectly planned life doesn’t stick to her goals and the arrival of her younger sister, free-spirited Ella, and platonic friend Kai forces Maya to reexamine everything that she thought she wanted.

I did enjoy Real Love over Lindsay’s memoir, Miss Me With That, with a particular fondness for this one’s ability to inspire readers to follow their own hearts like Maya. The character’s journey is beautiful, vulnerable, inspirational and authentic. And, like, I get the point of the open-ended conclusion, but, like I need answers in the form of a sequel STAT.

Review: 4.5 Stars

11. Happy Place by Emily Henry 

Am I really a millennial if I didn’t read Emily Henry’s Happy Place and include it in this list? I’m no fool, and so, here it is.

In Happy Place, Harriet and Wyn were the perfect college couple — until they secretly broke up without telling a soul. They end up reuniting at the Maine cottage that has been their mutual friend group’s haven while pretending that they didn’t give up on their love story.

I polished off Happy Place so fast because, like, I couldn’t not find out what happened, you know? It was so much more than just a romance or just a women’s fiction novel. It was so all-encompassing and heartwarming but serious at the same time.

Review: 4 Stars

12. The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale by Virginia Kantra

The official review for this book is coming later, but for now, let me tell you a bit about Virginia Kantra’s novel based on The Wizard of Oz.
Dorothy “Dee” Gale is a graduate school student, frantically searching for a place to belong after her mother’s death when she and her sister, Toni, are sent to live with their Aunt Em and Uncle Henry in Kansas. Her seemingly normal life gets thrown into a tailspin when her relationship with an accomplished novelist/adjunct professor ends before he pens a bestselling novel about her, and it’s not too pleasing. To escape her life, Dee transfers to Trinity College Dublin to recommit to her degree and her own writing passions. Throughout her year in Ireland, Dee meets a new crew (including a “brainless” college dropout, a “heartless” boy-next-door and a loyal bestie) as she navigates change, opportunity, love and loss. It’s a story of confidence and found family to put it simply.
Kantra writes with such compelling language that truly allows the reader to dive into the story from the very first chapter. It’s so fun yet mystical, and I ended up surprising myself with exactly how much I liked this one. I did not want to put this book down, which I attribute to the vulnerable characters and snappy word choice. Oh, and just like Kantra wanted, The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale does make you fall head-over-heels in love with Ireland.

Review: 4 Stars

13. Friends Don’t Fall in Love by Erin Hahn 

I love an interconnected standalone romance and Friends Don’t Fall in Love brings back characters from Hahn’s Built to Last and You’d Be Mine to help guide Lorelai and Craig (aka Huck) to fall in love.
Lorelai is a country music star whose career (and engagement to fellow country crooner Drake) hangs in the balance after she plays a protest song live on stage. After Drake unexpectedly breaks up with her via social media, Lorelai seeks comfort in her longtime pal (and Drake’s songwriting partner) Craig, resulting in a one-night stand. Five years later, Lorelai is ready to step back into the spotlight and asks Craig (now an indie record producer, who has long pined for Lorelai) to work with her on a new album.
Friends Don’t Fall in Love literally had me laughing out loud by chapter one. While it does take a little bit to understand the timeline, eventually the pacing settles and readers can appreciate Hahn’s compelling writing and storytelling.

Review: 4 Stars

14. Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle

The official review for this book is coming later, but I can honestly say that I was pleasantly surprised by Expiration Dates. And I loved it. Completely.

In Expiration Dates, we follow Daphne Bell throughout her single years in Los Angeles. Whenever she meets a potential love interest, she somehow gets slipped a piece of paper with his name and a number to denote how long their relationship will last. It’s never failed her. Then years later when she’s in her early 30’s, Daphne gets a paper with the name “Jake” and nothing else before her blind date. So, does this mean there’s no expiration date limit on their love story? As Daphne and Jake’s love story unfolds, she starts to wonder if the no-end date boy is really her endgame.

Expiration Dates has just the right amount of mystery that pulled me in. Author Rebecca Serle writes with such compelling, well-written language that further propels me into the story and I felt myself completely needing to know what was going to happen next. Plus, there are twists and turns that are completely unpredictable.

Review: 4 Stars

15. Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune 

Much like Happy Place, if you are a millennial romance reader, then you’ve likely already read Carley Fortune’s Every Summer After and her newest, Meet Me at the Lake. And honestly, I liked this one better.

Here, Fern Brookbanks only spent 24 hours with artist Will Baxter in the city. One day that’s it — they never got another because he never showed up as planned. Nine years later, Will suddenly shows up at Fern’s mother’s lakeside resort with his own baggage.

Review: 4 Stars

16. Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood 

Ali Hazelwood has pioneered STEMinist romance and she’s still winning the game with Love, Theoretically, which I think is my favorite of her books.

Hazelwood’s romances are just like getting a warm hug. They are so indulgent, comforting, and fun to get lost in for a day or two — or however long you need to read them. That describes Love, Theoretically so perfectly.

Review: 4 Stars

17. The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead 

Ashley Winstead’s Fool Me Once was such an unexpected, positive reading experience for me and The Boyfriend Candidate stars Lee’s little sister, Alexis, lived up to that same hype.
Here, Alexis Stone is a shy, introverted children’s librarian who prefers life out of the spotlight. After her ex cheats on her, she decides to change her ways by embarking on her first-ever one-night stand. Enter Logan Arthur, the British-American democratic upstart running for governor of Texas. While things seemingly go well, a freak emergency causes Logan to literally flee the scene in a spectacular manner. Once their pictures wind up plastered on social media. This scandal could end his career and gubernatorial campaign, so his team is intent on tracking Alexis down so they can embark on a fake romance to save face and win back votes.
It’s so fun and indulgent, full of compelling language that pulls me in and makes it nearly impossible to put down. It reads pretty quickly, and I could not stop turning the page with this one. It’s very fun and sweet with banter galore.

Review: 4 Stars

18. Begin Again by Emma Lord 

Emma Lord has fast become one of my favorite Young Adult/New Adult authors, and Begin Again has further solidified that standing.

Here, Andie has transferred from her local community college to the hypercompetitive university where her parents met, and it doesn’t hurt that her boyfriend Connor is already enrolled there. Of course, things don’t go according to plan, because the day she moves in, he reveals that he transferred to her old school to be together. As they navigate long distance, Andie is also dealing with a brand-new environment, helping roommate Shay figure out a major, dealing with grumpy RA Milo, and figuring out what organizations her late mother belonged to during her tenure.

Begin Again is full of rich, compelling language in a fun, quirky coming-of-age novel. True to Lord’s style, the characters are vulnerable and authentic and the story is overall very, very cute.

Review: 4 Stars

19. Right on Cue by Falon Ballard 

The official review for this book is coming later, but I’m here to tell you that, with three books under her belt, author Falon Ballard does not miss.

Right on Cue is told from the perspective of Hollywood nepo baby Emmy Harper, who’s become an Oscar-winning screenwriter in her own right. After her latest rom-com script has a casting snafu, she steps in to star in the project despite having not acted in a decade. Then, all hell breaks loose when her leading man suddenly bows out — and the only choice left is Grayson West, the action star and the reason that Emmy gave up on acting in the first place.

Right on Cue, just like Ballard’s other books is chock full of compelling language, so much banter, the *chef’s kiss* right amount of spice and so many truly delicious tropes all at once.  Right on Cue was completely and irrevocably adorable and every bit fun, frothy and indulgent. It literally delivered every single thing I’d want in a rom-com.

Review: 4 Stars

20. Women of Good Fortune by Sophie Wan

The official review for this book is coming later, but Women of Good Fortune ended up as a surprise favorite for me. It’s a women’s fiction novel, told in multiple perspectives, about a trio of Shanghai-based friends as they hatch a plan to steal wedding gifts, all while fending off the men who may stand in their way.
Women of Good Fortune follows Lulu on the lead-up to her wedding day to one of Shanghai’s most eligible bachelors, except she doesn’t want to be tied down in marriage. Lulu confides in her two BFFs: Rina (a career-driven singleton who yearns to get a promotion over the less qualified men) and Jane (a stay-at-home wife, who’s unhappily married, and either wants a divorce or plastic surgery). The three of them devise a plan to steal Lulu’s cash wedding gifts to trade in for brand-new lives.
Women of Good Fortune is an intriguing glance at the lack of opportunity for women to be more than a man’s trophy spouse. It’s compelling and thrilling, with such rich language that has me so curious to discover if they’ll complete the heist, stay friends, find love, and so much more.

Review: 4 Stars

21. Wedding Issues by Elle Evans 

The official review for this book is coming later, but I will say that I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Wedding Issues and was captivated by the story.
Wedding Issues follows Liv, who is in the middle of her final year of law school, as she acts as the maid of honor in both her best friend Leighton and cousin Kali’s respective May weddings. Part of the gig? Convincing Southern Charm magazine to cover each wedding in the singular June bridal issue. Obviously, Liv wants her BFF to win … but her aunt is lording over a prestigious legal job offer on the condition that Kali gets the victory. Plus, there’s the teeniest romance subplot (a best friend’s brother trope to boot) thrown in there.
It’s an intriguing premise, told with compelling language. It reads quite quickly and made me so curious to find out what would happen next. It’s a fun, cute women’s fiction novel, showcasing a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the planning of a wedding (or two) and the lengths that main character Liv will go to in order to get her “dream” life.

Review: 4 Stars

22. Something From Tiffany’s by Melissa Hill 

Yes, I succumbed to peer pressure in January after discovering the movie version on Prime Video. So, what else was there to do but pick up the copy of the novel that inspired the movie? And I actually liked it better! Could it be the writing, the extra detail or the British/Irish main characters? (I’m an Anglophile, remember?)

In Something From Tiffany’s, widower Ethan Greene plans to propose to his girlfriend, Vanessa, while on a Christmas trip to New York City. Ethan picks up the perfect engagement ring from Tiffany’s … but in a twist, the rock lands in the hands of Gary Knowles. Gary, traveling with girlfriend Rachel to the Big Apple, intended to surprise her with a charm bracelet from Tiffany’s. Imagine his surprise when Rachel opens the box to find an engagement ring instead of a bracelet!

Other than the characters’ changing nationalities and accents, the movie really does mirror Something From Tiffany’s. I would say read the book before watching because it’s the better version with more 3D characters on all sides.

Review: 4 Stars

23. Wildfire by Hannah Grace

After reading Icebreaker, I was a tad hesitant to pick up Wildfire based on the title, author, and cover. No hate or shade to Icebreaker, but I just didn’t vibe with it. But, as a former camp girlie, I knew I had to give Wildfire a second chance — and I was so glad I did.

Just like Icebreaker, we are back in the land of Maple Hills’ collegiate hockey team. This time it is goalie Russ’ turn in the spotlight. His love interest is Aurora, the girl Russ happened to have a one-night stand on the last day of the spring semester. While Aurora leaves early the next morning, they soon meet again hours later … during camp counselor orientation. Camp, which is Aurora’s true happy place, does have one big rule for staff: No co-mingling between counselors.

Wildfire, told in dual perspectives, is written with such compelling language that just drew me in from chapter one and I could hardly put the book down. Wildfire has such fun, witty banter and actually good writing and is more plot-heavy over spice-heavy. It’s cute, well-written, frothy and indulgent. Wildfire will surely have any camp girlie thinking it’s not too late for one more year on-site.

Review: 4 Stars

Fall Is Here and These 15 New Books Are Worth Obsessing Over

Posted in Just for Fun, Miranda's Book Nook by

It’s officially fall and what would the season change be without a new addition of Miranda’s Book Nook? True to fashion, I’ve compiled a (TBH, lengthy) list of the latest books that I haven’t been able to get out of my head. Oh, and yes, there are some very highly-rated reads (hello, five-star alert!) on here. So, settle in and keep reading for a selection of new fall 2023 book releases that I can’t get enough of and should be on your radar this upcoming year. As always, happy reading!

Reign (American Royals IV) by Katharine McGee

I was so beyond excited and grateful for this ARC because this American Royals series has been EVERYTHING to me, and so, to say I was thrilled to learn how it all ends is an understatement. Reign features as compelling of language as ever, and it’s truly perfect for fans of the existing series yearning for more of the same ladies’ (Beatrice, Sam, Nina and Daphne, respectively) alternating perspectives.

Beatrice, for her part, remains in a coma after her Rivals car accident, which means that Jeff will be acting monarch since Sam ran off to Hawaii with boyfriend Marshall. For Daphne, it’s a dream come true since she is one step closer to being a princess since she just got Jeff to take her back. Will Beatrice recover and will she remember everything? Will Samantha return and will duty threaten her HEA? Is Jefferson still in love with Nina despite his rekindled romance with Daphne? Is Daphne really getting everything she wants? Can love save the throne or will everyone’s secrets destroy the monarchy for good?

Reign is so much fun and literally the perfect way to wrap up the series as we get even more insight into the protagonists’ inner psyches as they grow up. It’s such a sweeping conclusion to a beloved series and I truly loved watching the foursome’s growth as individuals. For Beatrice, I loved *finally* getting Connor closure (because he + Bea were my OTP for the past three books) and getting to a point of understanding her relationship with Teddy. For Samantha, I really enjoyed watching her find her place outside of the monarchy. Daphne was the toughest for me to like but here, I could understand her more and yassss that epilogue, I loved where she ended up. And then Nina, oh, I seriously loved her princely love triangle, like seriously, GET IT GIRL, but yet her own desires were still the No. 1 priority. Quite simply, I loved this one and am already counting down the days before I can re-read it.

Rating: Four and a Half Stars

Available: Now

The Love Plot by Samantha Young

I swear, every Samantha Young novel just keeps getting better and better to me. No joke. The Love Plot brings together so many good tropes from fake dating, will-they-won’t-they, opposites attract and grumpy/sunshine. What more could a romance reader want?
The Love Plot follows Star Shine (yes, that’s her real name), who was raised to prioritize her freedom and happiness over all else thanks to her hippie parents, oh and to disengage from commitment and monogamy. Star is working as a costumed character for a precocious UWS 8-year-old’s birthday party when she crosses paths with grumpy veterinarian Rafferty “Rafe.” Rafe, for his part, is trying to get through his niece’s birthday party without his overbearing family attempting to set him up, plus something really irks him about the Merida-dressed woman with a terrible faux Scottish accent. After Rafe runs into Star multiple times at the party, he has an idea: hire her — with an offer she can’t refuse — to be his fake girlfriend at all family functions. It’s just business and they are so different, so  ertainly there won’t be any complications?
True to Young’s style, The Love Plot is chock full of compelling language that draws me in and makes this read unputdownable. It’s fun and quirky, and I just loved everything about the character progression/journey and story so much.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Enchanted to Meet You by Meg Cabot

No one writes quite like Meg Cabot and Enchanted to Meet You further proves that tenfold. Like, all I needed to know was a new Meg Cabot adult rom-com, a witchy romance and a plus-size main character, and like, I was SOLD. Told in back-and-forth points-of-views, Enchanted to Meet You gives first-person accounts of witches Jessica and Derrick as they team up to save her Connecticut town from supernatural demons.
In Enchanted to Meet You, Jessica once cast a lovestruck spell on her crush and, after it went awry, she was banned from the World Council of Witches. So, Jessica packed up her spellbooks and decided to focus on the real world, which included opening her own fashion boutique in town. Imagine her surprise 15 years later when witch Derrick shows up and proclaims that she is the Chosen One to save West Harbor. Jessica soon finds that Derrick is watching her very closely, so they start to bond — but he’s hiding a very crucial piece of the puzzle.
The writing is so compelling, which is just *chef’s kiss* and keeps me very interested in the story. The characters (not just Derrick and Jess, although, they do) have such a quippy banter with each other, that has me screaming. The story combines the supernatural mystery (that I was dying to uncover, TBH) with a truly delicious fake dating trope. Honestly, I’m not a big spooky book gal but I really enjoyed this one because there’s, like, an element of realism too.

Rating: Four and a Half Stars

Available: Now

The Name Drop by Susan Lee

Told in dual points of view, The Name Drop was a delightful coming-of-age YA read that I could hardly put down.
In Lee’s debut novel, we follow two interns at NYC’s Hanuel Corporation who couldn’t be more opposite. Elijah is the golden boy heir, poised to one day become the CEO like his dad and grandfather, who is expected to work as an “executive trainee” for the summer and stay in a luxurious Upper East Side brownstone. However, he doesn’t want any of it. Then, there’s Jessica who is eager to make the most of her internship. On day one, everyone mistakenly assumes Jessica is the VIP intern and Elijah is an ordinary intern … because they both have the same Korean name and she arrived first. After discovering the truth, Jessica and Elijah agree to keep up with the charade so her resume is in top form and he gets a chill summer away from parental pressure. They must work together to keep their stories straight, but the *sparks* prove difficult to ignore.
It’s like a mix of Freaky Friday and the Olsen twins’ It Takes Two set in the world of modern-day summer internships, and I really dug this one. It’s fun with such a unique story that made it so freaking easy to get sucked into Elijah and Jessica’s tale and eventual romance.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey

No one quite does romance novels like Tessa Bailey, plus what could be better than two children of former rockstars scheming to reunite their feuding, diva mothers in time for the holidays? It truly is like a holiday version of The Parent Trap, which makes it so gosh darn fun!

Melody and Beat (yes, their given names) grew up on opposite coasts with opposite personalities, but had one thing in common: Their moms would never ever speak about, let alone reunite with, their former Steel Birds duo. Literally, 15 years later, fate brings Mel and Beat back to together with an offer they can’t refuse: Star in a reality TV show about reuniting the band and actually getting the band back together for an obscenely large payday. Sure, they might have had teeny secret crushes on each other back then, but now the spark is brighter than ever while they set off to parent-trap moms Trina and Octavia. But, could secrets and scandals threaten literally everything?

Told in dual points of view, Wreck the Halls is fun and cute with such snappy language. I mean, I’d expect nothing less from Tessa Bailey but I truly did not want to put this book down.

One thing: Maybe don’t read this book in public if you don’t have a good poker face. It does get spicy, but again, would expect nothing less from Bailey.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

A Winter in New York by Josie Silver

Obviously, if you pick up a Josie Silver romance then you know you are in for a well-written, heartwarming and compelling love story. And A Winter in New York did not disappoint.

A Winter in New York starts with a chef, Iris, relocating to New York City from London in search of a new life after escaping a traumatic relationship. Iris decided on NYC to follow in her mom Vivian’s footsteps after hearing her gush about the city and the NYC-set romantic comedies long before her death. Early on, Iris stumbles upon a local gelateria — which matches one that her mom had a photo of.  She returns to the shop and meets owner Gio, who admits that their business is on the brink of closure since his uncle Santo suffered a health scare and no longer remembers the secret recipe. Iris has one of her own, a secret one that was passed down from her mom, and so she offers to help Gio try to replicate Santo’s recipe.

There’s a baking together trope, an intriguing secret (with interconnecting parts across generations) and a found family realization. While the novel is mostly told from Iris’ perspective, we do get a brief peek into her late mom Vivian’s side — and that gave me, like, serious Daisy Jones & the Six (IYKYK) vibes. It’s such a cute and compelling read that I was oh so eager to find out what was happening next.

CW: Abusive relationship (Not the main love interest), Death of a parent

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Wildfire by Hannah Grace

Honestly, after reading Icebreaker, I was a tad hesitant to pick up this one solely based on the title and cover. No hate or shade to Icebreaker, but I just didn’t vibe with it. But, as a former camp girlie, I knew I had to give Wildfire a second chance — and I was so glad I did!

Just like Icebreaker, we are back in the land of Maple Hills’ collegiate hockey team. This time it is goalie Russ’ turn in the spotlight. His love interest is Aurora, the estranged daughter of a Formula One team owner, with whom he has a one-night stand on the last day of the spring semester. While Aurora dips out early the next morning, they soon meet each other hours later … during camp counselor orientation. Camp, which is Aurora’s true happy place, does have one big rule for staff: No co-mingling between counselors. Of course, who wants to follow that rule after the best hookup you’ve ever had?

Wildfire, told in dual perspectives, is written with such compelling language that just drew me in from chapter one and I could hardly put the book down. That in itself was a bit different for me from how I read Icebreaker, sooooo, sorry. But Wildfire has such fun, witty banter and actually good writing. Also, unlike Icebreaker, Wildfire is more plot-heavy than spice-heavy to me. I mean, don’t get me wrong, there’s still spice, but hello: it is a slow burn. It’s cute, well-written, frothy and indulgent. Wildfire will surely have any camp girlie thinking it’s not too late for one more year on-site — even if it’s been years.

CW: Gambling Addiction, Children of Divorce, Children of Addicts, Estranged Family

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

The Holiday Mix-Up by Ginny Baird

It is truly like While You Were Sleeping meets The Wedding Date meets The Family Stone –– with more diversity.
Here, Katie is a diner waitress who agrees to pose as the fake girlfriend of her unrequited crush (and frequent patron), Juan, for the holidays at his family’s vineyard. Days before Katie’s debut as Juan’s fake girlfriend, an accident lands him in the hospital and comatose. Suddenly, his parents speculate how she knows him and immediately assume their relationship is way more serious than it actually is. So, Katie sticks to her words and keeps pretending that they are seriously together. Then, there’s Juan’s younger brother, Mateo. Mateo, who doesn’t agree with Juan’s secretive plans to modernize the winery, can’t help but get butterflies when he’s around Katie despite wanting to stay loyal to his brother and respect his relationship. Oh, and that crush? Kinda mutual.
Yes, the diversity is a great way to modernize the story, it is still basically, verbatimm the same plotline as the movie comps. That being said, on its own, it is still full of compelling language. I found the book, told in dual perspectives, could totally draw me in thanks to the writing style, language and storylines.

Rating: Three and a Half Stars

Available: October 10, 2023

The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella

The Burnout felt like a bit of a departure for Sophie Kinsella — but I liked it that way. This novel feels like less of a romance and more like a women’s fiction read.
MC Sasha Worth is overworked and stressed out, so much so that every aspect of her life feels overbearing. After an ill-timed menty b, she decides to get away with a holiday (hey, she’s British, y’all!) to the seaside resort of Rilston Bay and prioritize her wellness. Rilston, the same town she used to vacation as a kid, is run-down and in its off-season. The only other patron is Finn Birchall, who also is dealing with career burnout and also chose to escape to his childhood haven. While these two grumps (sooo, enemies-to-lovers vibes?) want nothing to do with one another, they soon realize that mysterious “signs” keep appearing — directed at both of them together. Sasha and Finn start talking about these weird vibes, and turns out, they can’t stop.
It’s told with such rich, compelling language that is true to Kinsella’s style and I couldn’t help but get caught up in the story. There’s also a bit of a mystery that adds intrigue, turning it into a total page-turner.

Rating: Three and a Half Stars

Available: October 10, 2023

A Holly Jolly Ever After by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone

After reading all of Julie Murphy’s past books plus her joint Merry Little Meet Cute with Sierra Simone, I instantly knew I wanted to check out A Holly Jolly Ever After.
A Holly Jolly Ever After is ready to help the next INK boy bander find love, and this time it’s none other than Slice, Slice Baby pizza entrepreneur Kallum Lieberman’s turn to find love. In this book, Kallum is finally ready to step back into the spotlight after an unfortunate viral sex tape situation, and signs on for a steamy romance movie about Santa Claus. His leading lady is his former teen crush, Winnie Baker, the wholesome actress who is newly divorced from her childhood sweetheart. Once they get on set, Winnie — who has a tawdry history with Kallum from way back when —  realizes she’s out of her element when it comes to filming the sexy scenes. So, she asks Kallum to get into character and figure out exactly how to experience pleasure for the first time.
Once again, this book is a compelling, sex-positive, witty and sweeping romance. Told in dual points of view, you really get a whole picture of their love story from making the newest holiday romance and beyond. While this book does have one of my personal least favorite tropes (blech), I’ll allow it because it takes the story to an unexpected, deeper place that makes A Holly Jolly Ever After way more than just a spicy romance novel. And yes, there are spicy scenes in spades. I personally liked A Holly Jolly Ever After more than Merry Little Meet Cute, but that’s just my taste and in no way diminishes the latter.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: October 10, 2023

Friends Don’t Fall in Love by Erin Hahn

I love an interconnected standalone romance and Friends Don’t Fall in Love brings back characters from Hahn’s Built to Last and You’d Be Mine to help guide Lorelai and Craig (aka Huck) to fall in love.
Here, Lorelai is a country music star whose career (and engagement to fellow country crooner Drake) hangs in the balance after she plays a protest song as a way to denounce gun violence. After Drake unexpectedly breaks up with her via social media, Lorelai seeks comfort in her longtime pal (and Drake’s songwriting partner) Craig, resulting in a one-night stand that inspired one of Drake’s biggest hits. Five years later, Lorelai is ready to step back into the spotlight and asks Craig (now an indie record producer, who has long pined for Lorelai) to work with her on a new album.
Told in dual perspectives, Friends Don’t Fall in Love literally had me laughing out loud by, literally I’m not kidding, freaking chapter one. While it does take a little bit to get into and understand the timeline after the introductory flashback, eventually the pacing settles and readers can appreciate Hahn’s compelling writing and storytelling. Honestly, I was so into this read and could barely put it down.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: October 17, 2023

Sleepless in Dubai by Sajni Patel

This hate-to-love teen romcom was beyond adorable, even though its tropes were beyond predictable. It’s told in such a witty, fun first-person point of view that makes this YA novel so freaking cute.
I love a good travel romance, and this book charts two former friends’ family trip from Texas to Dubai in time for Diwali. Here, Nikki is an aspiring photographer who is beyond excited for her family trip — until she learns neighbor Yash (and his parents) will be joining the group. Nikki and Yash were longtime BFFs until a rough patch a few years earlier. Turns out, A LOT can happen on a 15-hour flight to mend fences, but unexpected betrayals and respective ambitions could threaten any progress they made.
It’s a bit of a slow burn too, but plenty adorable. It’s a fluffy, innocent romance with a dash of You’ve Got Mail goodness.

Rating: Three and a Half Stars

Available: October 24, 2023

Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan

If you’re a fan of Rosie Danan’s previous romances, you will certainly enjoy this one — especially if you are a fan of U.K.-set books, British book boyfriends and supernatural entities. OK, well more supernatural-adjacent because this novel is about two mortals trying to break a fae’s curse, though the fae is somewhat of an urban myth to them.

In this romance novel, Riley is a curse-breaker hoping to turn her family’s talent for dealing with the supernatural into a legitimate business. She’s hired to break a lengthy curse at a Scottish castle but doesn’t know that there’s a disgraced archaeologist, Clark, on site hoping to turn around his own career. The pair instantly butt heads and want nothing to do which one another. However, with a forced proximity trope at play, they might discover that the only way to defeat the curse is together.

Do You Worst, told in dual points of view, is full of Danan’s signature witty and compelling language that had me very intrigued to keep reading AND find out if they’d break the curse And yes, true to style, the spicy scenes do get extra steamy and NSFW.

Rating: Three And a Half Stars

Available: November 14, 2023

Didn’t See That Coming by Jesse Q. Sutanto

I swear Didn’t See That Coming was without a doubt, 100 percent, the most adorable teen rom-com that I’ve read in the longest time! Set in the same universe as author Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Well, That Was Unexpected, we get to follow Sharlot’s BFF Kiki and her love story. While I have yet to read Well, That Was Unexpected, I don’t feel like I’ve missed out on too much of the story, Didn’t See That Coming does very much feel like an independent novel.

Kiki is a gamer girl with oodles of self-confidence … except online, where she assumes a fake identity as a boy (Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, anyone?) to avoid harassment from the majority male players. Her online BFF, Sourdawg, doesn’t even know the truth! Although, after Kiki transfers to an elite high school in Indonesia for senior year IRL, her carefully crafted e-persona is at risk when she realizes that Sourdawg is there.

Didn’t See That Coming is a fun, quirky, and indulgent YA rom-com that reads so quickly. Like, it seriously had me dying to figure out what would happen next in this modern-day version of She Loves Me/ You’ve Got Mail. This book has secret identity, friends-to-lovers, and love triangle tropes. Although, one of the dudes is a blackmailing, bullying slimeball while the other is a sweetie cinnamon roll who exhibits, like, DREAM BOOK BOYFRIEND BEHAVIOR. So, who’d you rather pic?

Like truly, this book was so flipping adorable and satisfying yet plenty unique and original) that I couldn’t help but completely get lost in this world. I quickly found that my book rating just kept going up and up. So, guilty on that one.

Rating: Five Stars

Available: November 28, 2023

The Stage Kiss by Amelia Jones

If you know me, then you know that I have a weakness for a modern adaptation of Pride & Prejudice — and this book is double that. While it is a modern take on Austen’s classic novel, it is also set behind the scenes of a musical inspired by P&P. The Stage Kiss is a delightful slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romance set in the world of theatre. Oh, plus spice. Lots of spice. Lots. Oodles.

Eden is the standby for Lizzie Bennet on the Liz & Darcy musical tour, finally called up to take over for the D.C. run. As she steps into the spotlight, Tony winner Brennon is also joining the show as her love interest. After their initial meeting where he made a less-than-desirable first impression, Eden dreads having to fall in love with Brennon on stage night after night. But, of course, be careful what you wish for because showmances are a real thing.

The Stage Kiss, told in dual points-of-view, is fun and cute — with a super sweet romance/HEA once the slow burn reaches its boiling point. Author Amelia Jones writes with compelling language that was intriguing to follow along and had me so curious to discover what would happen next in this version.

Rating: Three and a Half Stars

Available: December 12, 2023

Advance reader copies of the books listed were provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Here Are 11 New Books I’m Obsessing Over This Summer

Posted in Just for Fun, Miranda's Book Nook by

Miranda’s Book Nook is back, once again, with a slate of some of the new books that I’ve been completely obsessing over these summer months. So, keep scrolling for my fave book picks from June, July and August, and as always, happy reading!

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli

Becky Albertalli is one of my go-to YA authors, and so I was instantly intrigued by Imogen, Obviously.
Here, high school senior Imogen Scott is the ultimate queer ally despite calling herself straight. Like, she watches queer media, attends her school’s alliance club, and is accepting of her two queer BFFs (Gretchen and Lili). During a college visit to Lili’s university, Imogen learns that her childhood bestie told a white lie to her peers: That she’s not newly out and that Imogen is actually her ex-girlfriend. Imogen, ever the good friend, agrees to keep up with her pal’s charade and pretends to not be straight for the weekend. However, once she starts getting closer to Lili’s hallmate Tessa, who is also queer, Imogen starts reexamining how straight she actually is because, hey, sexuality is a fluid spectrum.
Told in a compelling first-person narrative, the language is so relatable, authentic and vulnerable. While Imogen, Obviously does read quite quickly (aka I could hardly put it down), the storyline is so intriguing, interesting, and honest. While Imogen, Obviously does feature a serious story about coming out, it does so in a fun, sweet, and adorable package. Another well-done read for Albertalli, that’s for sure.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams

When in Rome girlies, this one is for you! Sarah Adams is back with her second book in her Rome, Kentucky, “series” and it is BEYOND. Practice Makes Perfect follows Noah’s baby sister, Annie Walker, as she is tutored on all things romance by Amelia’s bad boy bodyguard, Will.

Annie, an innocent virgin who runs her own flower shop in Rome, has been embarrassingly pining for future sister-in-law Amelia’s capital H-O-T bodyguard while searching for her own HEA love story like her long-deceased parents. To help her get past her long-held anxieties about dating and put herself out there, Amelia enlists Will to serve as Annie’s relationship tutor. Will, a commitment-phobic military veteran, grapples with his own feelings for Annie while using his womanizing experience on a series of practice dates and practice kisses together.

Told in dual perspectives, Practice Makes Perfect is a sweet fake dating, opposites-attract, mutual pining contemporary romance full of cute language that immediately drew me in. The small town setting gives off strong Gilmore Girls‘ Stars Hollow vibes and I’m here for it. This novel, chock full of banter galore, offers even more insight into the Walkers and Rome than When in Rome. A perfect companion to When in Rome, and I already can’t wait for Adams’ next book in the franchise.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

The Last Word by Katy Birchall

Katy Birchall’s The Last Word is definitely comparable to Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game and Falon Ballard’s Just My Type.
The Last Word follows celebrity editor Harper, a go-with-the-flow magazine journalist that is renowned for putting her interview subjects at ease. While Harper loves her dream job, things hit a snag when her misogynistic boss (who made me literally boo, ew) announces that new hire Ryan is joining the team as features editor. Oh, and Ryan and Harper already have a history together as former interns 11 years earlier. After a summer of banter-fueled competition, they enter a whirlwind romance until Ryan unexpectedly betrays Harper in a massive way.
This second-chance and opposites-attract romance set in a glossy magazine newsroom in London (the Anglophile in me is very happy already) is completely adorable and fun that I did not want to put down. The language was funny and quippy. All in all, it’s fun, frothy and indulgent. If you’re a fan of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, I think you’ll find this one right up your alley. Trust me.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Available: Now

The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead

Ashley Winstead’s Fool Me Once was such an unexpected, positive reading experience for me, that I was so eager to check out her next book. The Boyfriend Candidate, which stars Lee’s little sister Alexis, is a political romance with tropes of opposites attract, second chance (ish) and fake dating.
Here, Alexis Stone is a shy, introverted children’s librarian who enjoys living life out of the spotlight. After her ex cheats on her (and ends their multi-year romance to boot), she decides to change up her ways by embarking on her first-ever one-night stand. Enter Logan Arthur, the British-American democratic upstart running for governor of Texas, and he’s Alexis’ complete opposite in every conceivable way. While things seemingly go well, a freak emergency causes Logan to literally flee once their pictures wind up plastered on social media. This scandal could end his career and gubernatorial campaign, so his team is intent on tracking Alexis down so they can embark on a fake romance to save face and win back votes.
It’s so fun and indulgent, full of compelling language that pulls me in that makes it nearly impossible to put down. It reads pretty quickly, and literally, I could not stop turning the page with this one. I just wanted more; even after the epilogue! Very fun and sweet with banter galore.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Picture-Perfect Boyfriend by Becky Dean

Becky Dean’s debut novel, Love & Other Great Expectations, was such an unexpected gem of a YA novel and so, I was beyond excited to read her next book. Picture-Perfect Boyfriend is a standalone YA, fake-dating romance with a dash of mystery (re: our love interest’s true identity and motives).

In Picture-Perfect Boyfriend, Kenzie is an aspiring nature photographer who grapples with her family’s disappointment in her less-than-traditional future plans. To change their perception of her, she decides to become the picture-perfect daughter and even concocts a fake relationship with an equally perfect (albeit fake) long-distance boyfriend. So, imagine when her BF “Jacob” shows up on their family vacation to Hawaii! Rather than come clean about her lies, Kenzie goes along with Jacob’s assertion that he’s really her boyfriend to hide his equally deceitful agenda.

It’s very fun, cute and, dare I say, a little quirky, which made me fall even more in love with this one. Dean uses such compelling, first-person language that pulls me in and makes me not want to put down this read. While I’ve found several authors have, like, a “sophomore slump” with their second books, Dean disproves that tenfold because I enjoyed Picture-Perfect Boyfriend basically the same as Love & Other Great Expectations and that’s a win! Love it.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey

While Unfortunately Yours is a companion novel to author Tessa Bailey‘s Secretly Yours (and starring Julian’s sister Natalie), I personally preferred this tenfold. Unfortunately Yours combines marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers and forced proximity tropes, which is told in such compelling and intriguing language.

Here, Natalie Vos is a down-on-her-luck Napa Valley heiress after she returns home to lick her wounds after her Manhattan fiancé dumps her and she loses her high-profile Wall Street job. She’s desperate to get access to her trust fund to start her own investment firm and prove herself. The catch? It is only accessible if she’s employed and married. She soon enlists August Cates (which, hello Hot Boy Name alert) to be her quickie groom despite being irritated by him and his gross wine. August, for his part, opened a winery in honor of his late BFF but he can’t get his vintage to, you know, taste good. August’s vineyard is on the verge of closing and Natalie’s name could help him secure a loan that could keep things afloat. It’s not just a business arrangement for August though, he’s been secretly fantasizing about Natalie for months before she springs her sham marriage idea on him.

I absolutely loved their spiteful banter, which made me unwilling to put this book down. Fair warning, things do get spicyyyyy, like, A LOT. Plus, that ending and HEA was so flipping cute and made me so happy.

Content Warning: Grief, PTSD

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Wanderlust by Elle Everhart

I had no preconceived notions of this book other than it’s a vacation romance, it’s opposites attract, forced proximity and it’s second chance, and boy did I enjoy this one. Like, dang, it’s so much fun and was so cute that I literally devoured this ARC while (fittingly) sitting on a plane.

Here, Dylan Coughlan is a magazine writer based in London who, on a whim, dials into a radio contest and wins a trip around the world. The catch? Her travel companion is a contact in her phone selected at random. Dylan is stunned that the contact roulette game selects “Jack the Posho,” who was a hottie she met on a night out months and never texted after exchanging numbers. Jack throws caution to the wind and agrees to travel with her, potentially setting off a sweet second-chance romance, if only he wasn’t so short and gruff every time they interacted. Dylan is also tasked with writing about the journey for work, which could lead to her own column if it does well. While her boss is keen on a loved-up, steamy story, Jack doesn’t want anything to do with the article. Is Dylan willing to embellish the truth of their definitely not romantic trip for the sake of her career, which had stalled after being doxxed over her now-viral opinion piece about abortions?

Wanderlust features so much compelling language and banter in spades, plus Elle Everhart’s characters are so dynamic and authentic. I truly did not want to put this one down, I dug it.

As a journalist who’s been bashed for writing the literal truth (insert eye roll here), protagonist Dylan’s perspective really resonated with me especially with that isolating feeling that comes with it and not wanting to burden anyone with your problems. Like, these people who hide behind their anonymous profiles truly suck. And like, yes, we can block them and act strong but it’s tough as hell to process. It hurts so bad and no one should have to deal with that. I admire Everhart for including this as a poignant message of what to/not to do.

Wanderlust, all in all, was very, very, very cute and fun, and like, Jack is such a melt but in the best way and I’d totally get the ick IRL but on the page, it’s just super sweet and endearing. I just wish I could start from scratch and read for the first time all over again.

Rating: Four and a Half Stars  Five Stars (Hey, I literally re-read this ARC twice and it’s still just as good!)

Available: Now

The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata

Obviously, I’ve heard of The Wall of Winnipeg and Me through the Internet because I don’t live under a rock but for some reason, I never picked it up before now. Well, that was a big mistake on my part. This novel has got a marriage of convenience, a slow-burn love story, forced proximity, banter, a sports romance and even an only-one-bed moment. Like, what isn’t there to love?

The Wall of Winnipeg and Me, named after the love interest’s pro football nickname, follows Vanessa when she quits her years-long job as the personal assistant to famed defensive end Aiden. While she is ready to move on professionally, she’s shocked when Aiden knocks on her door with a proposition: Marriage in exchange for a green card. Vanessa agrees once he proclaims that he will pay off her student loans (hard to argue with that logic, no judgment!). Plus, now Aiden is *actually* showing emotions and like swoony ones??

Told from MC Vanessa’s POV, author Mariana Zapata writes with such compelling language that pulls me in. It reads quite quickly because I was so curious to find out what would happen next. This new version does include some post-HEA content that makes an absolutely adorable epilogue.

Rating: Three Stars

Available: Now

The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter

I am so beyond hyped about this book, you don’t know the half of it. Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girls series was my favorite franchise growing up (and my signed copy is still one of my prized possessions), so I couldn’t believe that she was making her adult romance debut with another female-lead spy novel. I literally started tearing up when I downloaded my ARC and again when I read the GG-centered dedication.

The Blonde Identity starts with our unnamed heroine, who has woken up in Paris with amnesia to find a strange (yet very attractive, of course) man standing over her and instructing her to run from dangerous villains after her identical twin sister, who actually is a rogue spy. They then embark on a road trip of sorts to stay safe and clear her sister’s name. Mr. Hot Spy (whose name is eventually revealed, as is hers) reluctantly agrees to help her find safety. They even need to pretend to be newlyweds on a European honeymoon to stay undetected. Love a good fake dating and travel romance!

The Blonde Identity, told in dual point-of-views of “Him” and “Her” because amnesiac, is such a compelling mystery that had drawn me into the story that was written with such intriguing language. It’s really fun, like you are trying to piece together the main character’s pre-amnesia memories along with her. It’s so witty, clever and funny, like, I really love it. This novel is just so much fun to follow along with her and Mr. Hot Spy (a grump, naturally) as they trek around Europe on a secret mission to find her twin sister and stay alive. As a romance, The Blonde Identity had EVERYTHING from banter (in spades!), enemies to lovers (well, more annoyance to lovers), forced proximity, only-one-bed trope, fake dating (and pretend marriage/honeymoon) and such an endearing love story.

All in all, this one is totally unputdownable and an absolute must-read for any fellow Gallagher Girls fangirls. Plus, there’s a subtle joke about “spy school” which had me reminiscing about the Gallagher Academy and Blackthorne (IYKYK).

The Blonde Identity is so witty and funny yet authentic, making it a compelling read. Also, holy f*kkkkkk, there are two major plot twists that even I (who has become a pro at predicting tropes) didn’t see coming. That unpredictability makes this book an instant winner. And that HEA! Oh my, it is EVERYTHING, like I literally got butterflies which means it’s a literal swoon-worthy romance, and I sincerely hope a spinoff/sequel is in the work after that cliffhanger because I just need more to read. F**k it, I’ll give this one five stars, it’s just SO flipping good.

Rating: Five Stars

Available: August 8, 2023

Silicon Hearts by Robin Miyashita

Silicon Hearts is like The Bold Type but for the tech world/Silicon Valley, and I’m here for it. Sure, there’s a dash of romance in this New Adult novel but it’s more about discovering your found family and pursuing your dreams than anything.

The novel follows Camila, a 21-year-old inspiring tech whiz, as she gets hired as one of five pages at Beeker Industries’ postgrad program. Beeker is one of the biggest tech firms in the world, and it’s Camila’s dream to work there (At the end of the page program, she’s eligible to receive a full-time job at the company). Camila, a small-town girl, is instantly overwhelmed by life in the big city and her four roommates: Avery, Sofia, James and Marcus.

This fish-out-of-water tale is fun, cute and so dang engaging. I just wanted to savor this one — until the very last page.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: August 8, 2023

Rent to Be by Sonia Hartl

Heartbreak to Hire was such an unexpected enjoyable read, that I was instantly intrigued to see what Rent to Be would be like. And let me just say, it delivers 100 percent. It’s got banter, it’s got brother’s best friend, it’s got forced proximity, it’s got a slow AF burn (just saying!) and it’s got fake dating tropes all in spades.
Rent to Be stars Isla, an MBA grad who is drowning in debt and stuck in a dead-end entry-level job with no relief insight. After being kicked out of her apartment, Isla’s brother is unofficially her saving grace. While he’s out of town, she figures that she can secretly stay at his condo and no one will have to know the truth. The catch? Her brother’s best friend, Cade, is also staying there while his apartment is being renovated. To avoid staying together in the sole guest room, Isla secretly starts a house-sitting business. When Cade catches her, she pleads with him not to tell anyone, which he does for a price. Cade tasks Isla with being his fake girlfriend at work events so his bosses will stop matchmaking, but of course, things only seem fake for so long.
Hartl writes with such compelling language that pulls me in and has me desperate to keep reading. It’s fun and indulgent, plus the house-sitting exploits had a quirky side plot just for fun. Like seriously, it is well-written and captivating and full of so much tropey goodness that I love to indulge in. I did really enjoy Rent to Be, maybe not more than other higher-rated books but this one does very much deserve all four of its stars. Facts are facts.
Rating: Four Stars

Available: August 15, 2023

Advance reader copies of the books listed were provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.