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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.

Summer Is Here With These 10 New 2022 Book Releases

Posted in Miranda's Book Nook by

Better late than never, but, hey summer’s not over yet! I’ve had this sitting in my drafts for a little bit (back when most of these ARCs had not been released), but summer procrastination is real, y’all. So, without further ado, welcome back to Miranda’s Book Nook as I share some new summer 2022 book titles that I can’t get enough of and that should be on your radar this year. Happy reading!

Fireworks by Alice Lin

This book is described as a K-Pop teen rom-com, which already has my heart. It gives me girl-next-door meets Shine by Jessica Jung vibes to create an all-around adorable, sweet and wholesome YA romance read.

Here, Lulu is 17 and getting ready to head off to college after one final summer at home. However, she doesn’t expect her neighbor slash childhood best friend Kai (Kite) to return home after several years away, where he’s been working in South Korea as a K-Pop superstar. Lulu’s equally starstruck about seeing her former friend, post-stardom, and rekindling their all-encompassing friendship. What she doesn’t expect is that there may be some unexpected types of feelings brewing underneath the surface.

It’s super, super cute and sweet, innocent too. The main character is so authentic, real and raw, and together Lulu and Kite make a super-cute and sugary-sweet pair.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Meant to Be Mine by Hannah Orenstein

I’ve savored Hannah Orenstein’s previous novels and even by the plot summary alone, I knew this one was primed to fit right in.

Here, Edie is a native New Yorker, millennial and fashion stylist who grew up believing in the concept of true love and soulmates. In fact, it’s an old wives’ tale that her beloved grandmother Gloria had predicted the date she would meet her future husband — and then the dates for every single family member. Edie has long known her date fell on June 24, 2022, at the age of 29. On that day, she was flying to attend her twin sister’s surprise engagement. So, when she sees that a handsome indie musician, Theo, is sitting beside her, she’s ecstatic thinking this is fate. However, fate comes at a price when deep down her gut thinks something is off.

While it’s a romantic love story on the surface, it ended up primarily being a women’s fiction story that highlights other types of love too, and for that, this read had my heart. It was about more than just finding romantic love but also about family and traditions. As someone who lost a beloved grandparent, parts involving Edie and her grandmother hit very close to home, so potential trigger warning there.

I was truly intrigued by the premise, captivated by the writing and just instantly — and I do mean instantly — hooked. It’s fun, cute and so darn enjoyable that I just needed to keep reading and could barely put it down. Loved this one!

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

The Heart of the Deal by Lindsay MacMillan

This was a cute, fun and emotional women’s fiction read that I could barely put down. Any twentysomething or millennial who’s navigating a work-life balance in New York City can relate to Rae’s story because it’s so timely and authentic.

Here, Raelynn “Rae” is a Wall Street banker, who’s feeling adrift in both her career and potential dating prospects by the age of 25. Realizing her biological clock is ticking faster, she vows to get married by the age of 30 so she has time to have multiple children. However, life is what happens when you’re not making plans? I think I read that somewhere. Anyway, so with her encouraging group of friends, she starts swiping on dating app after dating app not really meeting any real contenders until Dustin comes along. While she thinks he’s another poetic soul trapped in a finance suit, she can hear wedding bells chiming in the distance, though his story is a complicated one — and his future is uncertain.

It’s more a women’s fiction novel than a straight-up, true-blue romance just since it’s not all hunky-dory about love, but hey, life’s not always like that either. It’s the tale of a hopeless romantic who learns to stop chasing expectations and live in the moment. Even more so, I really liked its honest and vulnerable account about a woman chasing her dreams even if there are no set plans to get you there.

Content Warning: Mentions of depression, mental illness, and self-harm

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

The Sizzle Paradox by Lily Menon

After devouring the author’s previous YA and adult romances, I was instantly intrigued by her next novel’s premise, especially with a woman in STEM protagonist, fresh off of the success of The Love Hypothesis. Told in dual perspectives, there are so many good friends-to-lovers slash forced proximity tropes at play.

Here, Lyric is a Ph.D. candidate studying sexual chemistry in romantic partners though hasn’t had any worthy options in her own love life. To complete her thesis, she needs a personal connection to connect to her “sizzle paradox” and so, she enlists her BFF and roommate Kian’s help. Kian, for his part, is an engineering doctoral student with a lengthy dating record as he offers to tutor Lyric in all things love to better apply it to real suitors. However, as one can expect, their fake-dating scenario opens up their eyes to something that they didn’t see before after years of platonic friendship.

True to Menon’s style, it is full of well-written and compelling language, yet something was just off for me. Maybe that it was very, very, very sweet, like, saccharine almost. That being said, it is a cute and fun romance that’s you’ll particularly enjoy if you liked The Love Hypothesis or The Roommate.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder

Told from dual first points of view, this romance novel weaves compelling accounts with a fake dating story at its finest.

Here, former teen starlet Grey Brooks is desperate to keep her career afloat after her long-running series ends. In order to secure a life-changing audition for a big-time role, she agrees with her publicist to enter into a fake relationship with another star: Oscar winner Ethan Adkins. Ethan, for his part, has been disgraced and reclusive after his public divorce and sobriety struggles. If he wants to get his next film financed, he needs a PR makeover, STAT. Enter: the perfect fake relationship agreement, signed contract and all. Though, it’s apparent that these two have some sizzling chemistry that becomes too hard to just fake their way through.

It’s a cute, fun romance with some spicy content, however, it is not one I’d read again and again. One and done is perfectly satisfactory for me. It’s fine. The epilogue feels cute, HEA-worthy that makes me smile, and more importantly, earned after all these two flawed characters went through to get it.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Love & Other Great Expectations by Becky Dean

I didn’t have any preconceived notions of this book before I started reading other than it looked like a sweet YA novel, it was set in the UK (my Kryptonite) and it potentially had a bookish theme per the “Great Expectations” part of the title.

Here, Britt is a California-based high school senior who is solely focused on her budding soccer career and future collegiate scholarship. However, an unexpected ankle changes everything and forces her suddenly change course. Luckily, she gets the chance to head to England for 10 days this summer and compete for a life-changing prize that could cover the tuition she needs for school. The catch? It’s a literary-inspired scavenger hunt and she’s not the best in English class. Ever-competitive and in need of the cash, Britt signs up and is on her way. Then, she bumps into bookish and British Luke who takes a liking to her, even offering to join her time along the way.

Well, I was immediately drawn into this story, so richly told with such an authentic, vulnerable and relatable MC in Britt. It is completely, totally, wholeheartedly cute, fun and bookish, which just stole my heart. It’s a travel book with a bookish quest, like yes please, I want one too! (Seriously, I want to be in her shoes so bad, I’m literally living vicariously through this book.) I’m so into this read from its unique and fun premise to its compelling language that makes it unputdownable. It’s just so so so cute, fun, enjoyable and sweet. I just feel so warm and happy right now.

Rating: Five Stars

Available: Now

Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic by Lauren Ho

By the summary and the cover alone, I was curious about this women’s fiction novel. I was intrigued by this pragmatic yet authentic main character, so much so that I didn’t want to put the book down and just wanted to find out what would happen next!

Here, Lucie is a business consultant based in New York City, who is tired for waiting for the perfect partner, but she wants a baby. So, she looks into a coparenting website to find a stranger partner. (Think Tinder but for finding a platonic coparent.) Collin ticks all of her boxes and then some, but she’s unsure if her conservative family back in Singapore will approve. Once the pair learn they are expecting, they decided to move back to Singapore to be closer to family. And as expected, the family’s not on board. And then, there’s Mark: Lucie’s ex-fiancé who reappears in her life as unresolved feelings bubble up.

This read has a compelling hook, full of rich language that pulled me in and intrigued me. I dug it, I think that’s fair to say. It does read quite quickly that I hardly noticed the novel’s sheer length. It was definitely difficult to put down, I was completely sucked in. It’s compelling yet authentic and fun — with a dash of romance.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

How Maya Got Fierce by Sona Charaipotra

After devouring Sona Charaipotra’s novels with Dhonielle Clayton (Tiny Pretty Things, Shiny Broken Pieces, and The Rumor Game), I was instantly excited about her next YA novel — especially considering it was described as Younger meets The Bold Type. As a fan of both those shows and a magazine alum myself, that storyline already won me over.

Here, Maya is a 17-year-old farm girl, set to attend “Cow Camp” outside NYC for the summer. The camp, an agricultural training program for aspiring farm managers, is not what Maya would prefer to be doing. She would much prefer traipsing around the city and working as a magazine staffer for her beloved Fierce magazine. While staying with her older cousin Roop, Maya discovers her cousin’s girlfriend actually works at the mag! It seems like fate when Maya is offered a chance to visit the fashion closet and apply for a coveted internship — which she miraculously got. The twist? It turns out she wasn’t hired as an intern but a full-fledged assistant editor because no one knows she’s still in high school. Considering this is her dream, Maya starts to live a double life to balance an adult job and her teenage reality.

The book, much like a diverse adaptation of the short-lived Jane By Design, was so enjoyable and fun. It had so much compelling language that drew me in, desperate to learn how this average teenager could make it as a legit magazine editor. Alongside a precious summer camp-esque romance, it’s an authentic coming-of-age tale of empowering young women. So captivating.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: July 12, 2022

Accomplished by Amanda Quain

First things first, I love a good Pride & Prejudice retelling or contemporary adaptation, and this one hit that sweet spot. Imagine Pride & Prejudice but in a contemporary, YA setting and told from Georgiana Darcy’s perspective, and she was a marching band-playing, fanfiction-writing misfit and I’m into all of it!

Here, Georgiana “Georgie” returns to her boarding school junior year after an incident with Wickham nearly threatened expulsion and all she wants to prove is that she can live up to the Darcy name and her big brother Fitzwilliam’s legacy. To get Fitz off her back while she tried to do just that, she comes up with the ingenious idea to distract him with love and decides to secretly play matchmaker between Fitz and Lizzie Bennet. This book has such funny, witty language that just pulled me in from the start. Very, very cute.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: July 26, 2022

Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan

The moment I picked up Julia Whelan’s My Oxford Year, there was just something that just spoke to me (maybe it was my Anglophile side or just the book’s captivating nature, not quite sure). So, when I learned that Whelan had penned another novel *and* it had a bookish setting, I was instantly excited.
Here, Sewanee “Swan” Chester is an audiobook narrator who’s strayed a long way from her acting aspirations. However, her successful narration means it’s more possible for her to care for her ailing grandmother. When the book starts, Sewanee arrives for a last-minute appearance at a book convention where she spends the night with a mysterious stranger who’s gone by the next morning. After returning to her L.A. home days later, she gets the offer of a lifetime to return to romance narration and perform the final work of a late romance novelist — alongside Brock McNight, the hottest and most elusive male narrator. While Sewanee is nearly ready to let go of romance and audiobooks for good, forging a connection with Brock — whoever he really is — brings an unexpected connection she cannot shake.
As I started reading, I found it so easy to get drawn into this pen pal-like romance that was very fun, very cute and very adorable. While the chapters were pretty long and drawn out, it still read quite quickly.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: August 2, 2022

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

7 Early 2022 Books I’ve Been Loving

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

Another year has come and gone, and I’ve already been hyper-focused on 2022’s book releases because there are just, like, SO many good ones coming (and SOON)! While these reads drop throughout this winter and early spring, consider this book blog a must-need teaser when it comes to building out your January/February TBR lists and starting off your annual reading goals on just the right foot.

So, without further ado, I’d like to welcome y’all back to the first Miranda’s Book Nook of the new year and take a peek at some of the early 2022 book titles that I truly can’t get enough of and should totally be on your radar this upcoming year. Happy reading!

When You Get The Chance by Emma Lord

After devouring Emma Lord’s first two novels, I was instantly excited about her next one, and to learn it was centered around a theater kid? Needless to say, I was pumped to start reading.

Here, Millie Price is an NYC teen who dreams of being a Broadway star, and no one can get in her way — not her lovable but dorky single dad, drama club rival Oliver or the overbearing flood of emotions she refers to as “Millie Moods.” She’s on her way and headstrong to make it. After finding her dad’s old LiveJournal (I know, I know, feel old yet??), she decides to track down her birth mother from three possible choices.

From the first chapter, I was immersed into MC Millie’s head in this fun, upbeat read. It’s like an IRL Mamma Mia, which I’m into, and the concept itself is totally original to me. It’s so compelling, and I’m hooked by the storytelling premise and just needed to keep reading. In the end, it’s just so cute, well-written, indulgent, and fun! Like, it made me want to smile the whole darn time; it’s that cute and precious.

While I don’t think this was as good as You Have a Match, in my own opinion, I did enjoy it all the same and think it was compelling, fresh, contemporary, and so absolutely precious. I loved the cute romance storylines too, but even more that they were just side stories to the main journey of coming of age and finding yourself.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: January 4, 2022

One True Loves by Elise Bryant

After devouring Elise Bryant’s Happily Ever Afters, I was instantly so stoked to learn that she was writing a follow-up to Tessa’s story about her bestie Lenore. Oh, and it takes place while traveling the world. Um, yes, please!

Lenore’s family is set for a high-seas adventure on a Mediterranean cruise to celebrate her high school graduation which gave me all the wanderlust feels, and as they do, they met their dining companions: Fellow high school graduate Alex and his parents. While Tessa (eep, she’s back!), ever the romantic optimist, is sure her bestie’s trip will include love in her future, Lenore’s not so sure. And then, she meets Alex. He’s a golden boy with the ten-year plan and she’s, well, the exact opposite. But, as their parents start to bond, they are stuck together for the duration of the cruise. So, what else? They get to know one another.

Alex and Lenore couldn’t be more different and yet, they find themselves drawn to one another in this absolutely adorable YA rom-com. The language is so witty and relatable that I was drawn into the story from the get-go and couldn’t put this quick read down. Absolutely precious and that HEA/conclusion left me grinning from ear to ear.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: January 4, 2022

How to Win the Bachelor by Chad Kultgen, Lizzy Pace

This nonfiction read is a funny, witty look at The Bachelor that ends up like a parody account of how to win this reality TV juggernaut. I call it a parody because the writers lay out instructions and numerical odds of winning the show as if this search for love is nothing more than a game, which, I guess, isn’t technically wrong.

It’s described as a nonfiction deep dive into this popular franchise and what it takes to find love, or more accurately fame, as written by a pair of fans and journalists.

The writing is casual, fun and witty and there’s a couple fun graphics throughout, too. Plus, the final chapter does rightfully address the show’s racial injustice problem and its lack of action. If only the ABC show could actually as well…

Rating: Four Stars

Available: January 18, 2022

Good Girl Complex by Elle Kennedy

After reading Elle Kennedy’s full Off-Campus series (well, thank you #booktok), I was intrigued to see NetGalley that had an ARC of her newest read available for review. And you know what? Color me interested…

Here, we follow Mac, who’s a chronic people pleaser and reluctantly starts college at a prestigious school in the South. Alongside Mac, we meet Cooper, the bad boy townie that she finds herself drawn to. While Mac seemingly has it all — the prep school friends, the well-off life, parents who give her everything, and a devoted longtime boyfriend — something seems off. All she wants to do is grow her internet business but her folks have insisted she get a degree first. So, she enrolls at Garnet College in the beachfront town of Avalon Bay. While she’s used to repressing her wild impulses, something about local Cooper inspires her to let go and be free. Cooper, then, for his part makes a She’s All That-inspired bet with his friends to make Mac, the girlfriend of the boy who humiliated him, fall for him and subsequently break up with that jerk as revenge. What he didn’t expect was to actually fall for her, realizing she’s not like the rest of the snobby Garnet students.

Told in dual perspectives, it’s chock full of juicy, compelling, and fun language that completely drew me in because, let me tell you, I was hooked. And sure, while there is some *spice* here (much like the Off-Campus books), this New Adult read seems more grounded and story-driven with vulnerable characters who have heart, dreams, and goals. Then, gah, that ending! While I appreciate a good HEA in my romance reads, I just wanted more to the story because it seemed to abruptly wrap up and I desperately wanted to see where Mac and Cooper were headed next!

Rating: Four Stars

Available: February 1, 2022

Lockdown on London Lane by Beth Reekles

Beth Reekles, who’s known for her Kissing Booth books, has seamlessly stepped into the adult/women’s fiction game with this novel. Here, various residents in the London Lane apartment building get a note from building management that they are expected to quarantine for a week amidst the beginning of the pandemic. With nowhere else to go, these various characters end up confronting their current lives and situations. We get a variety of leading players, from longtime couples confronting the future of their relationship, newly dating couples diving into that next stage very quickly, a bridal party who cannot stop fighting while prepping for upcoming nuptials, and a one-night stand that unexpectedly lasts a whole week.

So, there’s longtime couple Ethan/Charlotte who are quarantining apart but FaceTiming daily, Zach/Serena who embark on a no-holds-barred fight about their future after a seemingly mundane debate, Liv who’s hosting her fellow bridesmaids after an off-the-rails bachelorette party, Isla/Danny who’ve been dating for one month and put their relationship to the test, and Imogen/Nate who only met the night before after matching on a dating app. Told in multiple perspectives, we see how their different friendships and romances are tested in a series of quick novellas.

While reading, I absolutely couldn’t put this book down thanks to its catchy language that’s just so much fun and draws me in. Not only that, but this quick read features an array of equally lovable yet authentic characters that I’m invested in each of their journeys. It did read like mini-vignettes or something since each story was quite separate until one cute scene towards the end that really brings everyone together as a community. Plus, that ending (minus one heartsick twist) had me grinning so wide at this adorable and fun read.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: February 2, 2022

Lease on Love by Falon Ballard

I was enthralled and captivated by this romance novel from the very first page until the very last. It wasn’t just a sweeping romance that totally had my heart from the get-go but it also shared insight into a pair of flawed, vulnerable individuals who find their own identity and dreams along the way.

This book picks up when Sadie gets passed over for a long-overdue promotion in the finance sector of Manhattan, so she does what any millennial in the midst of a quarter-life crisis does: She gets drunk and tries to seek a date. However, when she accidentally mixes up a dating app and a roommate-finding app, she stumbles upon Jack, the owner of the most beautiful Brooklyn brownstone she’s ever seen. Knowing she’s not interested in Jack romantically in any way but rather lusting over his gorgeous apartment, she rents a room in his place for a tiny sum. After losing her job, she decides to start a new career as a BK-based florist.

Then, there’s the mysterious Jack, who’s been grieving the death of his parents and unexpectedly finds himself drawn to the vivacious gardening enthusiast who brings him out of his shell. These two are complete polar opposites stuck in the same orbit, which gives me The Roommate by Rose Danan vibes, with opposites attract and forced proximity tropes at work. And side note, dang, Jack is one great Book Boyfriend, like, um, good work there because I’m melting. Oh, hot damn, oh boy, oh boy.

It’s such a quick read that I could not put down, nor did I want to. I was that desperate to know what would happen next in this story of a relatable millennial trying to find her way. These characters are so vulnerable, authentic and just have so much heart that I truly feel for them and want them to grow as individuals and in love. Also, yes, there’s some *spice* content in here, but the passion is almost described with an air of love to it rather than being a completely smutty/raunchy type of scene.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: February 2, 2022

One Night on the Island by Josie Silver

After One Day in December came out, I loved it. End of story. So, the moment I learned the author had written a new book that was set in Ireland, a tale of forced proximity and finding oneself, I was all-in.

Here, we follow Cleo, who’s a London-based dating columnist who heads to the remote island “Salvation” for her 30th birthday at the insistence of her magazine editor. When she arrives at the luxury cabin for her solo retreat, a mixup sends Boston-bred Mack into her orbit, who came to the town to explore his roots while staying in the exact same cabin. Thanks to the booking mishap and the lack of a boat to the mainland, the pair are stuck sharing the one-room space together for a while. Instantly at odds, the pair try to ignore one another, however that plan soon goes out the window. As expected.

Told in dual perspectives, this women’s fiction novel combines forced proximity and enemies to lovers/opposites attract tropes with a tale of finding oneself. This book reads quite quickly, full of compelling language that just draws me in. For nearly the first half of this read, it was more of a women’s fiction slash slow burn type of story and then we get into the frothy, indulgent holiday romance cuteness that had me smiling wide. It’s a cute, compelling novel, end of story.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: February 15, 2022

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

The 21 Best Books I’ve Read in 2021: Year in Review

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

And another year has come to an end! So, you know what that means, my loyal blog readers: Another TBR log and reading goal has been met (and then some, let’s be real) and so, I’m back to recount the 21 best books I’ve polished off this year. Ones that earned an impressive (and coveted) five whole stars upon a first read, a sweet re-read that I couldn’t get out of my head all year long, and so much more. So, keep reading for my favorite books that I’ve completed this year, and hopefully, at least one of them gives you TBR inspiration when you need it.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

You may remember how I gushed over this read back in January, and truly, I don’t think out of the 150+ books I managed this year that any topped this one. Sorry not sorry.

This book is like a  mix of genres between historical fiction, contemporary, fantasy, romance, and literary fiction. There’s so much vulnerability about life, love, and being remembered. Here, we start in a small town in France in 1714, and we meet a young girl named Adeline. She dreams of a life and real love. She soon meets a mysterious stranger who offers her a Faustian deal for immortality. In doing so, she’s cursed where no one can remember her after they first meet. We travel with her from century to century and continent to continent, through various historical and artistic moments. Then, some three hundred years later, everything changed. When, in New York City, Addie meets Henry in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name. We follow her relationship with Henry and with Luc, the devil she made a deal with, all as she struggles to make her mark on the world when she’s destined to be invisible. This book is just so so so so special, a five f**king star read in all its glory, no doubt about that.

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You Have a Match by Emma Lord

Well, I technically read this last year (and included it in that’s wrap-up post), I had to order a finished copy after its pub date and have since re-read it a few times.

Here, we follow 16-year-old Abby, who in a bet with best friend Connie, takes a DNA test to find out her ancestries along with their other best pal, Leo. This book brings an engaging point of view that feels both authentic and current for a teen girl with really fun and relatable language. So, the DNA test revealed that Abby has a secret full sister, Savannah, an 18-year-old Instagram star. The two are polar opposites to their cores but want to get to know each other. To figure things out and get to know each other, Savvy invites her new sister to attend the camp where she’ll be a junior counselor. It’s seriously like a modern-day version of The Parent Trap, and I’m here for it. Then, there’s also a precious slow-burn romance between Abby and her best friend and neighbor, Leo.

This book is so much more than a teen romance, more than a summer camp adventure, more than a familial drama, more than a story of friendship and sisterhood, more than a comedy, and more than a deep, emotional novel. It’s a book in a class all its own and had me captivated until I read that very last word on the final page. Seriously, it’s totally worth those five stars because now I have to buy and I just can’t imagine a world where I haven’t read this, and it also made me feel closer to my grandfather who’s passed away, my own Poppy, which I needed now more than ever.

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The End of Men by Christina Sweeney-Baird

After literally devouring this ARC, I knew I wouldn’t be forgetting about this fan-freaking-tastic novel any time soon.

In this work of fiction, a virus circulating around the UK sweeps the world and takes out most of the male population, leaving women to pick up the pieces of society as Sweeney-Baird posits what would happen to the world without men. The book starts in 2025 when a mysterious virus shows up at a hospital in Scotland. Only men are carriers and are affected, and as the virus grows into a global pandemic, it’s up to women to save the future of humanity while also dealing with their own loss and grief. This book is the immersive first-person account of the women rebuilding the world, including Amanda the doctor who treated Patient Zero, Catherine a social historian documenting everything, scientist Elizabeth working on a vaccine, and others around the world. It aims to chart how the absence of men changed society both personally and politically in this prolific and prescient novel.

I just poured over the text, the language, the story, the vulnerability, and the heart. This gripping modern thriller slash literary fiction read is so poignant and timely about the world’s new normal. It’s so relevant, raw, and vulnerable, and just like, wow. The language just enthralled me, captivated me, and drew me in. I loved the ending about how these women found the strength and power in this new world, while also dealing with what they lost. In the end, this had to be a five-star read for me, it’s just so poignant, well-written, and prolific.

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Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon

Nicola Yoon’s a master at creating contemporary YA novels and this latest read fits in perfectly with what she does best.

It starts with the main character Evie, who doesn’t believe in love anymore after her parents’ divorce. The girl who once devoured romance novels now can only see how couples’ love stories end instead of the actual loved-up parts. After some fated encounters, she ends up at La Brea Dance Studio and finds herself learning to dance with the spontaneous, adventurous X. Xavier (who goes by the nickname X) is the total opposite of Evie, but the two of them are thrown together as a pair for a local ballroom dance competition. As they practice together and get to know each other, Evie has to confront if love is worth the risk.

It’s a beautifully written book and so authentic because, hey, not everything lasts forever except that feeling and association of love sometimes can. This book is romantic, fantastical, authentic, vulnerable, bittersweet, and heartfelt. I loved it so darn much. Yoon effortlessly blends the contemporary with the fantasy in this sweet YA read about the power of first love. This book is just so flipping good, she’s done it again.

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This Close to Okay by Leesa Cross-Smith

This book took me completely by surprise but in the absolute best way as its told in alternating perspectives over the course of one weekend.

Here, we follow Tallie and Bridge/Emmett who meet when she finds him about to jump off of a bridge when she drives past. As a therapist, she can’t just let him do this and so, she gets out of her car and starts talking to him. This book has such compelling language that pulls you in from the very first page. It reads quite quickly and features impactful writing, touching on important subjects like grief, suicide, race, and mental health. It’s so captivating and the plot twists were truly unexpected, which I loved that I didn’t see it coming. This book, wow, just so mesmerizing.

 

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If The Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy

Julie Murphy, who’s killed the YA game with her Dumplin, Puddin, and Pumpkin novels, kicked off a new “Meant to Be” series, which reimagines a bunch of Disney fairytales with modern romances featuring body-positive leads.

This book was so juicy, engaging, unputdownable just by the first couple of chapters! Here, Cindy’s just graduated with a degree in shoe design and trying to get her career off the ground. So, she takes a job working for her stepmother, the executive producer on the popular reality show “Before Midnight.” When a spot on the show opens at the last minute, Cindy volunteers hoping it could help jumpstart her fashion career or give her something to do while her classmates land high-fashion jobs. But being the only plus-size competitor on a dating competition show makes a big splash and her a body positivity icon. The only thing she didn’t expect was to find inspiration and love in this crazy process. 

Next up, romance legend Jasmine Guillory is set to tackle a freaking Beauty and the Beast adaptation and you know it’s already on my 2022 TBR list.

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The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman

For a dash of something different, I wanted to include some other genres on here, like poetry. I read a copy of this young poet’s Inauguration Day poem and it was just so, like, poignant and electric to talk about her dreams for the country moving forward and what the country is now.

This was a printed version of the monumental poem that she read at the POTUS’ inauguration ceremony back in January and it was so hopeful and captivating whenever you need a dash of motivation, which, let’s face it: We all could use at some point in our daily lives.

 

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It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

So after seeing my fellow #bookstagram and #booktok people rave over Colleen Hoover books pretty much all year, I had to check them out for myself, including November 9 and Ugly Love, though nothing could compare to this read, my first foray into CoHo books. I literally devoured and sobbed my way through this emotionally charged contemporary romance novel.

After a challenging upbringing and past heartbreaks, Lily has moved from her Maine hometown to Boston and even started her own business. Soon, she meets gorgeous neurosurgeon Ryle and it seems like her life is almost too good to be true. But, then she somehow can’t get her ex Atlas and their troubled past out of her head when he comes spinning back into her orbit. This book was so poignant, vulnerable and heartbreaking. Plus, it’s literally like the book personification of Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version).” It tracks.

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Live Your Life by Amanda Kloots

After following Amanda Kloots’ and Nick Cordero’s heartwrenching coronavirus story and her inspiring positivity last year, I was so interested in reading her memoir about the ordeal. She reflects on love, loss, and life with her husband, Broadway star Nick Cordero.

It’s the story of their life together and his fight against COVID-19. It’s a beautiful, heartfelt, and emotional story of her entire journey with Nick, from the first time they met, their wedding, the birth of their son Elvis, through COVID and her unimaginable loss. It’s such a poignant and honest first-person account that makes your heart break even more than it did while reading the news stories. You can feel all her raw, vulnerable emotions from this period come through while reading. With Kloots’ positive spirit, her memoir shares an unplugged look at this awful period along with her strength, support from loved ones, and it provides a tribute/lasting memory for Cordero to assist with her grief.

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Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton; Tiffany D. Jackson; Nic Stone; Angie Thomas; Ashley Woodfolk; Nicola Yoon

These authors individually are some of my favorites and together they created a masterpiece. By the first few chapters, I already loved every page and each character’s story! It’s so full of heart, authenticity, representation, and adorable teen love stories.

Here, these authors came together to write an interlinked novel about Black teen love through heartwarming and charming coming-of-age stories. Each author writes a short story, focusing on one of six different love stories that all take place in New York City during a heatwave and blackout, on the same day. Each tale reads like a short story that’s compelling and adorable on its own (plus is well-written, obviously) with interconnected settings and characters to tie it all together. These are seriously adorable and cute teen love stories, plus I love to see all the representation done so accurately and relatably. Each chapter introduces a side character or background that effortlessly leads into the next story and chapter. It’s a YA novel and a romance read, unlike anything I’ve read before, which is what made it so great. Plus, the Obamas are set to adapt it for Netflix and I cannot wait.

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No Words by Meg Cabot

Meg Cabot has continued to prove her status as the queen of romance with her third “Little Bridge Island” book and it is equally adorable and engaging watching a new pair of characters fall in love.

Our main characters are Jo Wright, who is an acclaimed children’s book author with serious writer’s block, and Will Price, an arrogant novelist of literary fiction who lives in LBI. The duo are both set to attend and speak out the island’s first-ever book festival, yet they have an intense history and rivalry between them and so Jo doesn’t want to associate with the British-accented, good-looking author whatsoever. Yet, he desperately wants to prove to her that he’s changed and hopes to make amends during the course of the weekend festival. From the summary alone, I can tell we’re going to get a delicious enemies-to-lovers trope and a fun vacation romance from Cabot, which instantly excited me about this book — and it totally delivered on all fronts. Loved loved loved it!

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The Party Crasher by Sophie Kinsella

I requested and started this ARC on a complete whim because of the author, a clear instant-read for me. Once I started, I just couldn’t stop because it was so captivating and fun as a novel and as a women’s fiction novel specifically.

Here, it’s been two years since Effie’s parents divorced which has completely destroyed her idea of a happy, perfect family and relationship. Since then, she’s been estranged from her dad, in a feud with his much-younger girlfriend Krista, and learned her childhood estate has been sold. When Krista hosts a “house-cooling” party before they hand over the keys, Effie is left off the guest list, leaving her fuming. At first, she isn’t bothered about skipping the festivities until she remembers a childhood treasure is left at the house that she wants, and so she plans to sneak in during the party, grab her trinkets, and get out sight-unseen. But, as she does, she catches her siblings and dads in their hidden secrets and figures out all aren’t as she suspected. Then, there’s her ex and first love, Joe. While he broke her heart years ago, he’s finagled an invitation to the gathering, and when she sees him, it’s honestly as if nothing has changed.

This book, honestly, feels different from her other straight-up romance books, as this is more about familial drama and individual growth. Despite its differences, Kinsella stays true to her style and delivers compelling language that has me hooked and curious from the jump. So much so that I really didn’t want to put this book down and ended up devouring it in a single sitting. This book reads quickly and the hijinks of hiding/not getting caught juxtaposed with the vulnerable, heartfelt family dynamics and adorable first love/second chance trope makes a completely unputdownable novel. Plus, that epilogue was so darn adorable and precious that I’m still smiling just thinking about it.

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The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

This Christina Lauren novel is another delightful romcom read from these two authors.

Here, single mom Jess is barely holding it all together to make ends meet. She lives with her grandparents, who helped raise her, and who helps raise her seven-year-old daughter Juno. She’s a statistician who loves data and crunching numbers but hesitates to get back in the dating game. As a statistician, when she and her best friend discover GeneticAlly, a DNA-based matchmaking service, she’s skeptical but intrigued. On a whim, she signs up and spits into a tube. Soon, she’s discovered that her results have matched her with Dr. River Pena at a freaking 98 percent compatibility, a nearly unheard of score. Oh, but she already knows River and doesn’t really like him after some initial, unfriendly meetings. The company has a proposition for her. To pretend to date, or actually just get to know, River and they’ll pay her a handsome sum that could really help her day-to-day. Since she needs the cash, she reluctantly agrees. They’re trotted out at all sorts of public events as the rare, elusive Diamond Match in order to help his company succeed, but eventually, they realize there might be something to each other than they initially thought.

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Meg & Jo by Virginia Kantra

I’ve always been a huge Little Women fan ever since childhood, and when I heard Virginia Kantra wrote a modern retelling of it, I knew I’d like it just as much, which I did. Now, I’m even more besotted with the lives of the March sisters than ever before.

Here, we follow modern and grown-up versions of the March girls, here focused on Meg and Jp. While Jo has moved to NYC to become a journalist, things haven’t gone as planned, and Meg, for her part, has lived her so-called dream life as a wife and mother. However, “getting everything you’ve ever wanted isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.” After a family emergency forces the girls to return to North Carolina for the holidays, they rediscover what really matters.

 

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Beth & Amy by Virginia Kantra

After writing Meg & Jo, author Virginia Kantra put a fresh spin on the modern versions of sisters Beth and Amy as they get their chance in the spotlight.

This book is all about Beth’s and Amy’s coming-of-age stories: Amy’s an ambitious up-and-coming handbag designer in New York, whereas good girl Beth is a singer-songwriter working to overcome her anxiety and stage fright on tour with country superstar Colt. When they both return home for Jo’s wedding, they must confront their lives and what they actually want it to be.

As a reader who’s enthralled with the March sisters, while we all adore Meg and Jo, who doesn’t secretly love Beth and Amy, so, it’s exciting to see their perspectives and get inside their heads as they grow up, especially since in the original novel, they were children. This story alternates between the point of view of the two sisters, much like Meg & Jo, but also includes chapters focus on Marmee/Momma/Abby’s sides too, which is another intriguing perspective to understand. True to form, Kantra’s novel features rich storytelling and language to draw you in. Set three years after Meg & Jo, I loved seeing Beth and Amy shine, expressing vulnerability and complexity in both past and present timelines. As expected, I really dug this book and just didn’t (and couldn’t) want to put it down.

All in all, I think I did like this more than Meg & Jo because it’s partially a new story with previously hidden depths and vulnerabilities of these former minor characters that I loved so fiercely.

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The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

As the faithful #bookstagram and #booktok member I am, I had to give this read a spin after seeing y’all rave about it. And rave is right on the money.

Here, Greece in the age of Heroes as young prince Patroclus has been exiled to the kingdom of Phthia. As a nobody, he’s living in the shadow of King Peleus and his memorable son, Achilles. After he takes Patroclus under his wing, the boys develop a strong connection and bond into something quite strong and beautiful, however heartbreaking that means for me as a reader of this Greek mythology adaptation.

 

 

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Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

As you’ve probably guess, I spent my far time this year obsessing over this entire franchise and its Netflix adaptation, even figuring out how to adapt the character’s look into modern-day outfit ideas. While all the books have been great, I included this one because Book One is where it all begins.

We follow the orphaned Alina Starkov, an ordinary soldier in the Ravkan Army who takes her first-ever harrowing trek across the Shadow Fold. After her regiment is attacked, it turns out some dormant magic may be the key to saving them all. As a newly discovered magical entity, Alina is thrust into the luxe world of the Grisha as she starts her training with General Kirigan AKA The Darkling. And once you finish Alina’s three books, check out the Six of Crows and King of Scars duologies. You won’t be disappointed, trust me.

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The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

This book is pitched as a Red, White, & Royal Blue meets One to Watch rom-com, and as a fan of both of those books, I was excited about that juxtaposition come to life in this totally original romance novel.

The story follows awkward tech wunderkind, Charlie, as he’s set to become the next lead on a reality TV dating show, called “Ever After.” Then, there’s his handler, producer Dev, who wholeheartedly believes in fairy tales though hasn’t had luck with his own. Charlie, who only agreed to go on the show to rehab his image to get a new job after the show airs, isn’t the typical show lead and is very awkward and anxious. It’s up to his producer Dev to jumpstart a massive “charm offensive” to get Charlie to open up, be a likable lead, and fall in love on the TV show. Along the way, Charlie starts opening up to Dev and vice versa, and the two realize they have the most chemistry with one another. But, reality TV shows have scripts to follow and unfortunately, a queer love story with a show producer isn’t what the executive producer had in mind for the season (though, I’d watch it!).

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In Every Mirror She’s Black by Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström

This novel shares insight into what it means to be a black woman today, following three distinct POCs who are in some way linked to the same influential Swedish white man in Stockholm.

Kemi is a workaholic marketing executive who moves to Sweden to head up diversity for CEO Jonny’s company after a tone-deaf incident and partially looking to reclaim her social life in the process. Meanwhile, Brittany-Rae is a flight attendant who meets Jonny on a flight and is suddenly thrust into his luxury world. Then, there’s Mena, a refuge struggling to establish residency in a new country while working as a janitor for his company.

The book aims to tackle racism, classism, sexism, tokenism, and fetishization as these three women come to terms with what it means to be a black woman in a white-dominated society. Told in three point-of-views, this book reads quite quickly and is well-written, engaging, and difficult to put down with many complex characters sharing their stories and journeys.

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If This Gets Out by Cale Dietrich & Sophie Gonzales

Everything about this story intrigued me so much. Besides, as a massive boy band fan, I was super excited about this concept and a behind-the-scenes look at what that recording and touring lifestyle is really like.

Here, 18-year-olds Ruben Montez and Zach Knight are two of the four members of the hit boy band, Saturday, which is one of the biggest acts in America. Onstage, the four boys are teen heartbreakers, and offstage they are just four normal best friends. However, cracks are starting to form under the pressures of fame. Ruben even confides in Zach that he’s feeling smothered by their management’s pressure to stay in the closet. During a whirlwind European trip, while dealing with a busy schedule and minimal supervision, Ruben and Zach rely on each other more and more as their close friendship soon evolves into romance. Though the guys decide they are ready to tell their fans and live freely, they realize that their management will never support the plan. They question how to hold on tight to what they have when the entire world seemingly wants to come between them.

I would describe this book as Red, White & Royal Blue meets One Direction, which means it’s pretty darn close to perfect for my interests. Co-authors Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich, who are masters of their craft, have created such a compelling narrative that’s chock full of engaging language that draws me in from the very first page. Told in dual points-of-view, readers have the chance to get inside the mindsets of both leading men, who are equally vulnerable and authentic. Plus, they as a couple are 1000% precious and adorable, and I ship them. Facts are facts.

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Lease on Love by Falon Ballard

I was enthralled and captivated by this romance novel from the very first page until the very last. It wasn’t just a sweeping romance that totally had my heart from the get-go but it also shared insight into a pair of flawed, vulnerable individuals who find their own identity and dreams along the way.

This book picks up when Sadie gets passed over for a long-overdue promotion in the finance sector of Manhattan, so she does what any millennial in the midst of a quarter-life crisis does: She gets drunk and tries to seek a date. However, when she accidentally mixes up a dating app and a roommate-finding app, she stumbles upon Jack, the owner of the most beautiful Brooklyn brownstone she’s ever seen. Knowing she’s not interested in Jack romantically in any way but rather lusting over his gorgeous apartment, she rents a room in his place for a tiny sum. After losing her job, she decides to start a new career as a BK-based florist. Then, there’s the mysterious Jack, who’s been grieving the death of his parents and unexpectedly finds himself drawn to the vivacious gardening enthusiast who brings him out of his shell.

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7 Late 2021 Books I’ve Been Obsessing Over

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With my new work normal finally settling in, I’ve also been able to get a new reading schedule in place so I continue to read for fun daily or weekly, because the last year, it bummed me out that I had zero time to actually read my overflowing TBR. Now, that the latter half of 2021 is fast approaching, I’ve been able to make a sizable dent in my ARC reading list on NetGalley — many of which have become Instant Must-Reads to share with you all.

So, without further ado, welcome back to another installment of Miranda’s Book Nook because I have even more 2021 book recommendations for you! These reads I just couldn’t get enough of and, subsequently, be on your bookish radar later this year. Happy reading!

The Sweetest Remedy by Jane Igharo

I thoroughly enjoyed this women’s fiction slash romance novel, so much so that I barely wanted to put it down between reading sessions! Here, Hannah travels to Lagos, Nigeria for the funeral of the father she only met once briefly. In this fish-out-of-water tale, she meets her long-lost and extravagant family for the first time, a new love interest, and even unearthed new parts about herself and her culture/identity she didn’t know was missing. The book follows the chaotic days leading up to the funeral as she is accepted by some members of her new family and scorned by others, learns about this other side of herself and her father’s culture, and unexpectedly falls for a local man during the few days she’s in town.

This Berkley book intrigued me from the summary and author Jane Igharo’s previous bestselling novel, so I was so excited to try this out. As I read, I discovered the story is told through multiple points of view, including Hannah and her various siblings. The chapters are quick and engaging that pulled me in from Chapter One. The language’s compelling, the perspectives’ intriguing, and the characters are authentic yet complex.

It was super difficult to stop reading this read, which ended up being a sweet romance mixed with an endearing coming-of-age type of story. And while, yes, there’s a romance here, this story was more than just a romance which is why I gravitated towards it so much. It’s also a family tale, a story of identity and finding yourself, too. It was a very good, engaging, and compelling read. Would definitely recommend.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: October 12

The Party Crasher by Sophie Kinsella

Honestly, I requested this ARC on a whim the moment I saw the author was Sophie Kinsella without even reading the synopsis because that was, like, an instant-read for me. Then, once I started, I just couldn’t stop because it was so captivating and fun as a novel and as a women’s fiction novel specifically.

Here, it’s been two years since Effie’s parents divorced which has completely destroyed her idea of a happy, perfect family and relationship. Since then, she’s been estranged from her dad, in a feud with his much-younger girlfriend Krista, and learned her childhood estate has been sold. When Krista hosts a “house-cooling” party before they hand over the keys, Effie is left off the guest list, leaving her fuming. At first, she isn’t bothered about skipping the festivities until she remembers a childhood treasure is left at the house that she wants, and so she plans to sneak in during the party, grab her trinkets, and get out sight-unseen. But, as she does, she catches her siblings and dads in their hidden secrets and figures out all aren’t as she suspected. Then, there’s her ex and first love, Joe. While he broke her heart years ago, he’s finagled an invitation to the gathering, and when she sees him, it’s honestly as if nothing has changed.

This book, honestly, feels different from her other straight-up romance books, as this is more about familial drama and individual growth. Despite its differences, Kinsella stays true to her style and delivers compelling language that has me hooked and curious from the jump. So much so that I really didn’t want to put this book down and ended up devouring it in a single sitting. This book reads quickly and the hijinks of hiding/not getting caught juxtaposed with the vulnerable, heartfelt family dynamics and adorable first love/second chance trope makes a completely unputdownable novel. Plus, that epilogue was so darn adorable and precious that I’m still smiling just thinking about it.

I don’t often give out 5/5 stars, but this book earned it because it’s so well-written and captivating, and I just loved it. Truly devoured it. Like, wow, there aren’t a ton of books like this one, and, yeah, I just wanted to root for the whole family so much. Each character is so authentic, realistic, and vulnerable like real-life people. Bravo, Bravo.

Rating: Five Stars

Available: October 12

All the Feels by Olivia Dade

For anyone who is a fan of Spoiler Alert or spicy romance novels in general, you are sure to enjoy this novel. Written as a follow-up to Marcus and April’s story, now it’s Alex’s turn. Alex, Marcus’ friend from God of the Gates who also enjoys writing fanfiction, knows his star is failing after a recent arrest and public altercation becomes tabloid fodder. While he’s needed to finish filming the show, the showrunners hire a minder to watch out for him. So, they enlist one of their cousins: Lauren. Lauren is a former ER therapist between jobs, trying to figure out her next step. And she does need the cash, so she agrees to help out her cousin and watch over this incredibly good-looking superstar. But, the more she gets to know him and spend time with him, the more she realizes there’s more to him than meets the eye.

After devouring Spoiler Alert, I was instantly excited about this one, and boy, did it deliver! Told in dual perspectives, the language just drew me in and captivated me until the very last page of the epilogue. Yes, there is some ~spice~ here, and it does get, um, ahem, hot, so fair warning if that’s not your thing or is, no judgment either way. Plus, that ending was beyond adorable yet still felt completely justified.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: October 26

A Certain Appeal by Vanessa King

I’m a sucker for a good Pride & Prejudice retelling, and that’s what drew me to this read. Imagine: Austen’s classic story in a contemporary setting at a burlesque club in New York City because that’s what we get here/

After a stinging betrayal at work, Liz Bennet found a fresh start in NYC as an assistant slash burlesque club “stage kitten” at night. The prospect of love isn’t on her radar right now until Mr. William Darcy struts into her club one night. They look eyes before he refers to her as merely “tolerable.” Oh, how I’ve heard this tale before… She plans to write him off until her bestie Jane ends up falling for his, Charles Bingley, and they are continuously thrown together into the same orbit more often than she’d like. And, true to fashion, with time, she soon discovers her prejudices slipping as she gets to know the real Darcy.

So, it can best be described as Pride & Prejudice mixed with found family and the world of burlesque, which takes a classic and spins it on its head. For a retelling, it does feel original and fresh. There have been plenty of Austenian adaptations, but none have been exactly like this one. It’s a fairly quick read, chock full of engaging language and more representative/diverse characters, oh, and spice. Yes, plenty of spice.

Rating: Three Stars

Available: November 2

The Wedding Ringer by Kerry Rea

Knowing how much I’ve enjoyed other Berkley romances and the premise of this one, I was instantly excited about this one from the start. And my thoughts continued to live up to that hype after I finished it, too.

Here, we follow Willa, who was a successful Ohio-based blogger with a loving fiance until she caught him cheating on her with her very best friend. Now, she works as a dress-up princess for children’s birthday parties but dreams of starting over somewhere new and escaping her life. But to do so, she needs money. Randomly, she meets Maisie who needs to hire a last-minute replacement bridesmaid is willing to shell out big bucks for that to open, and since Willa needs the money, it seems like a simple enough gig. Willa is thrust into Maisie’s high-energy world of wedding planning into the path of the best man: the handsome and successful doctor Liam, who has sort of has a not-so-nice history with when she meets up at Maisie’s engagement party.

OK, so, this book! Author Kerry Rea writes such engaging storytelling that puts you right into the moment and in her head with first-person narration in this fun, indulgent rom-com. TBH, it’s such a quick type of read that I don’t want to put down at all thanks to its witty language and fun premise. Towards the end, there is a big surprise twist that showcases the vulnerability and authenticity of the characters, which I liked to see. And, of course, that HEA was beyond precious and had me grinning so darn wide. Also, just want to put it out there: Liam is the perfect book boyfriend candidate, calling it now.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: November 9

If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich

This book has been on my “To Read Upon Its Release” TBR list after reading a summary and seeing a cover photo via Instagram, and so the moment I saw this ARC available on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to request an early copy because everything about this story intrigued me so much. Besides, as a massive boy band fan, I was super excited about this concept and a behind-the-scenes look at what that recording and touring lifestyle is really like.

Here, 18-year-olds Ruben Montez and Zach Knight are two of the four members of the hit boy band, Saturday, which is one of the biggest acts in America. Onstage, the four boys are teen heartbreakers, and offstage they are just four normal best friends. However, cracks are starting to form under the pressures of fame. Ruben even confides in Zach that he’s feeling smothered by their management’s pressure to stay in the closet. During a whirlwind European trip, while dealing with a busy schedule and minimal supervision, Ruben and Zach rely on each other more and more as their close friendship soon evolves into romance. Though the guys decide they are ready to tell their fans and live freely, they realize that their management will never support the plan. They question how to hold on tight to what they have when the entire world seemingly wants to come between them.

I would describe this book as Red, White & Royal Blue meets One Direction, which means it’s pretty darn close to perfect for my interests. Co-authors Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich, who are masters of their craft, have created such a compelling narrative that’s chock full of engaging language that draws me in from the very first page. Told in dual points-of-view, readers have the chance to get inside the mindsets of both leading men, who are equally vulnerable and authentic. Plus, they as a couple are 1000% precious and adorable, and I ship them. Facts are facts. It’s a fun read that takes place BTS of their European tour. I’d categorize this book more as New Adult than a true-form Young Adult because there’s a tad bit of *spicy* content here, which I was totally on board with. It’s a quick read, and both the characters together and the book are just so darn cute. In terms of tropes, we’ve got friends-to-lovers and secret love, so what could go wrong?

By the end of this book, I wanted to make one thing clear: I officially stan Saturday and Zach+Ruben as a couple. This novel is completely and wholeheartedly precious and squeal-worthy. It was so difficult to put down this book because I just needed to know what would happen next.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: December 7

Smile and Look Pretty by Amanda Pellegrino

I was instantly intrigued by this book, because like many other employees in the workforce, I have survived life as an underpaid assistant and intern, and I was so curious to see how this book would tackle such a complicated and seldomly spoken about topic. And this author did so seamlessly and authentically in a way that still told a compelling story. This book was described as a 9 to 5 for the Instagram generation, which instantly intrigued me because I understand where they’re coming from all too well.

Here, we follow four best friends (Cate, Lauren, Max, and Olivia) who all have had enough of their grueling assistant gigs in the entertainment industry and dealing with their powerful bosses taking advantage of their labor and desire to get ahead in their careers. These four overworked and underpaid assistants realize that, like the assistants who came before them, know they have to pay their dues to get to the top yet they are continually passed over for promotions and fed up with the work environment’s toxicity and reach their collective breaking points. So, they start a secret and anonymous blog where they can share their assistant woes and experience. The blog’s a hit, and soon more and more assistants start sharing their stories too, which launches them into viral fame.

Told via multiple perspectives, you get an in-depth look at how each girl got to this decision to chronicle their Me Too-era work experiences via the blog in a poignant and authentic way. After a slow start, the book ramps up into a compelling, relatable, and unputdownable read, chock-full of captivating language.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: December 28

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

7 New September Book Releases That Belong on Your Fall TBR

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The latter half of July hasn’t been the most productive for me as a reader either. I believe my final monthly total was just 11 books, which is significantly down from what I was managing at the top half of the year. But, that being said, I did manage to complete some extraordinary novels (one even got a five-star review from little ole me!)

So, settle back in for another installment of Miranda’s Book Nook as I reveal seven September book releases that I couldn’t get enough of this summer! As always: Happy reading, my lovely followers!

In Every Mirror She’s Black by Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström

This novel shares insight into what it means to be a black woman today, following three distinct POCs who are in some way linked to the same influential Swedish white man in Stockholm.

Kemi is a workaholic marketing executive who moves to Sweden to head up diversity for CEO Jonny’s company after a tone-deaf incident and partially looking to reclaim her social life in the process. Meanwhile, Brittany-Rae is a flight attendant who meets Jonny on a flight and is suddenly thrust into his luxury world. Then, there’s Mena, a refuge struggling to establish residency in a new country while working as a janitor for his company.

The book aims to tackle racism, classism, sexism, tokenism, and fetishization as these three women come to terms with what it means to be a black woman in a white-dominated society. Told in three point-of-views, this book reads quite quickly and is well-written, engaging, and difficult to put down with many complex characters sharing their stories and journeys.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: September 7

The Charm Offensive by Allison Cochrun

This book is pitched as Red, White, & Royal Blue meets One to Watch rom-com, and as a fan of both of those books, I was excited to see that juxtaposition come to life in this totally original romance novel.

The story follows awkward tech wunderkind, Charlie, as he’s set to become the next lead on a reality TV dating show, called “Ever After.” Then, there’s his handler, producer Dev, who wholeheartedly believes in fairy tales though hasn’t had luck with his own. Charlie, who only agreed to go on the show to rehab his image to get a new job after the show airs, isn’t the typical show lead and is very awkward and anxious. It’s up to his producer Dev to jumpstart a massive “charm offensive” to get Charlie to open up, be a likable lead, and fall in love on the TV show. Along the way, Charlie starts opening up to Dev and vice versa, and the two realize they have the most chemistry with one another. But, reality TV shows have scripts to follow and unfortunately, a queer love story with a show producer isn’t what the executive producer had in mind for the season (though, I’d watch it!).

Told in dual perspectives of both Charlie and Dev, this book is broken down in a logical way by the weekly production and episode. Okay, as I read I really did love this book. It brought a similar narrative as Red, White, & Royal Blue if it were set in the world of The Bachelor, and its language was so well-done. It was engaging, funny, and enjoyable from the start, which made it difficult for me to put this book down at all. It’s so darn precious and cute, plus was a quick, unputdownable read. This book and these characters were so authentic and relatable as the author touched on mental health, therapy, and LGBT+ representation in poignant, realistic ways.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: September 7

The Pick-Up by Miranda Kenneally

After reading several of her YA novels, Miranda Kenneally is fast becoming an auto-purchase YA author for my bookshelf, and so I was so excited to learn about her latest book. Told in dual perspectives, it’s a fun and light romance read about two teens, Mari and TJ, that meet in a ride-share en route to Lollapalooza.
Here, Mari doesn’t believe in dating and only plans to be at her Dad’s house in Chicago for the weekend only for the festival. Meanwhile, TJ wants to study art in college but struggles how to tell his family, especially as he visits his overachieving brother in Chi-town for the summer. After they meet and fate brings them together more than once, they both realize the spark between them is burning way too bright to ignore. The pair starts out at the festival, but quickly get separated. It’s up to fate and a viral Twitter hashtag to bring them back together. Once they reunite, they contemplate if this thing is a weekend fling or something more.
Reading this book, I found it to be a quick, fun, and light New Adult read. The language is fun, relatable, and witty that just pulls me in and I don’t want to put it down. Plus, it’s a beyond cute story. Then, I loved the post-HEA tie-in to her characters from Four Days of You and Me since that was one of my top YA books of last year.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: September 7

A Lot Like Adios by Alexis Daria

I was so excited to learn about Alexis Daria’s most recent novel after I devoured her You Had Me at Hola romance book. A Lot Like Adiós is an equally fun, spicy, and engaging beach read with heart! Set in the same universe as Hola, we follow Jasmine’s cousin Michelle (the second Prima of Power, FYI) on her own love journey, and it’s a second-chance romance with her childhood best friend Gabriel (Gabe).

Michelle is described as a commitment-phobic Latina who’s built a successful freelance graphic design business after corporate burnout. Meanwhile, Gabe owns the hottest celebrity gym in LA and his investor urges him to open an NYC branch. New York aka the place he fled after high school graduation, disappearing from his best friend and longtime hidden crush Michelle’s life. The story starts as Gabe is about to go to New York to open this branch and work with the already-hired Michelle to tackle the brand’s marketing. She’s itching for closure so she agrees to have him stay with her for the days he’s in town. But soon enough, they pick up exactly where they left off 13 years ago. As the duo works together, they find their old feelings resurface and SERIOUS SPICE ALERT.

Told in dual perspectives, it’s chock full of engaging storytelling that just pulls you in, and as expected, yes you’ll get *some* spice. Also, I really like the insight of the pair’s high school IM chats; it makes a fun flashback scene peppered throughout for insight into where they once were. It has such engaging, quick language that drew me in. Also, while it did have LGBT+ representation, which is great and I love to see more diversity in romance novels, it was only just a piece of their backstory and something that’s flitted over quickly. But all in all, A Lot Like Adiós will be an ideal beach read to toss in your bag during a vacation!

Rating: Four Stars

Available: September 14

First Love, Take Two by Sajni Patel

I absolutely adored the author’s previous novel, The Trouble With Hating You, and so the moment I learned of her upcoming sequel, I knew I had to read it. And it was a good one. After wanting to be a part of Liya’s badass girl gang from the get-go in TTWHY, I’m so glad we get to see her best friend Preeti find (or re-find) love. This read picks up pretty soon after the last ended, but from Preeti’s side. She’s been finishing up her residency, overly stressed with work and job hunting, and managing her traditional family and community. She’s desperate to find a new place to live, and the only option she has is with her ex. Her ex-boyfriend is none other than her first love Daniel, who’s good-looking, confident, supportive, a good cook, and basically perfect. Or he would be if their families approved of the couple.

We’ve got a second chance romance and a forced proximity trope and ooh boy, was I so excited for that. Much like her last book, this read has such quick and witty language that pulls me in from the first chapter, Preeti is such a vulnerable and authentic main character, and this book is a quick read yet plenty swoon-worthy. Their relationship in this slow-burn story is basically the premise of Olivia Rodrigo’s “1 step forward, 3 steps back,” which is all I will say for now. And that ending is completely, absolutely, and squeal-worthy precious.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: September 21

No Words by Meg Cabot

Meg Cabot has done it again! Cabot is back with her third installment in the “Little Bridge Island” series, and it is equally adorable and engaging watching a new pair of [bookish, which, yes please] characters fall in love. Our main characters are Jo Wright, who is an acclaimed children’s book author with serious writer’s block, and Will Price, an arrogant novelist of literary fiction who lives in LBI. The duo are both set to attend and speak out the island’s first-ever book festival, yet they have an intense history and rivalry between them and so Jo doesn’t want to associate with the British-accented, good-looking author whatsoever. Yet, he desperately wants to prove to her that he’s changed and hopes to make amends during the course of the weekend festival. From the summary alone, I can tell we’re going to get a delicious enemies-to-lovers trope and a fun vacation romance from Cabot, which instantly excited me about this book — and it totally delivered on all fronts. Loved loved loved it!

Once I started reading, I was pulled in from the get-go and chapters told via IMs, emails, and interstitials of Will’s latest novel further, which help put you into the character’s heads. Plus, by chapter one, we see that Molly (from No Offense) is back and readers are clued into what’s going on with her post-HEA. Like the rest of the LBI books, No Words is a good and engaging standalone yet the side characters and setting weave in the beloved, established community that Cabot previously and masterfully created. Enthralling language pulls me in and I just have to know more thanks to its endearing and authentic characters. Like seriously, I’m devouring this book just like Jo devoured The Moment in it! As a romantic couple, Will and Jo are so adorable and have banter up the wazoo: totally precious and cute. The epilogue is equally adorable yet I would have liked more to their HEA and journey as a fan, just saying, but as is, it is quite satisfying as a romance read.

Rating: Five Stars

Available: September 28

The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer

I love a good holiday rom-com and to see a rare one about Hanukkah and Judaism immediately piqued my interest. Here, Rachel is a Nice Jewish Girl (and daughter of an acclaimed rabbi) who secretly loves Christmas, who even authors several popular Christmas romance books. After her publisher insists she writes a Hanukkah romance next, she faces a bout of writer’s block until she comes up with the brilliant plan to attend the glamorous Matzah Ball in the city. Except it’s sold out. And run by her former summer camp nemesis, Jacob, who she hasn’t seen since he broke her heart that one summer.

Told in dual perspectives, it’s a quick read and a cute-enough romance that gives off wholesome yet pretty religious vibes. Like think of a Hallmark holiday movie and it is a clean, precious romance: It’s like that. It’s easy to follow along as a reader and was enjoyable and fun.

Rating: Three Stars

Available: September 28

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