Tag Archives: contemporary romance

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

Posted in Miranda's Book Nook by

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

The Deaf Girl by Abigail Heringer

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

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

Rating: Three and a Half Stars

Available: Now

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

This women’s fiction novel is basically like a satire of Anna Delvey/Gypsy Rose Blanchard but as if the author wrote herself into the story as an investigator. I was not here for the author’s hero tale because it felt a bit too, not like preachy, but almost. But, by the end, I give because there was an interesting twist and turn of events. The twists had me hooked, especially the epilogue. Honestly, this book got so much better as it went on and proved the author’s writing chops.
In The Most Famous Girl in the World, Rose is an online journalist who went semi-viral after breaking the news about a Manhattan scam artist named Poppy. When Poppy is released from prison following her fraud conviction, Rose is convinced there are worse skeletons in Poppy’s closet. To do so, Rose teams up with rogue FBI agent Simon. Note, there is a romantic connection between Rose and Simon (and some spice scenes) but it definitely is not a romance novel with a happy-go-lucky HEA. Nope, not at all. So, don’t expect one.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

All I Want Is You by Falon Ballard

At this point, I’d read anything that Falon Ballard puts out and All I Want Is You perfectly fits into that. It’s a rivals-to-lovers, second chance, forced proximity (with an only-one-bed trope to boot), dual-perspective holiday romance novel.
Jessica and Nick are two rival romance authors signed to the same publishing house. They also used to date five years before the book starts, and they are both in major writing slumps just before the Christmas holiday deadlines. They both go to the company holiday conference held at a remote inn, where they happen to get stranded during a major snowstorm. As they wait out the storm, Jess and Nick (yes, the New Girl reference was intentional to the author) agree to help each other out and co-write a new story. This book also features flashbacks to the early days of their romance, specifically at Christmastime.
The two protagonists, Jessica and Nick, have so much banter together that makes this read so fun and cute. It reads quite quickly and fast becomes another Ballard book that had me completely captivated to keep reading. All I Want Is You has as compelling language as ever, like, clearly it’s well-written. Even though this book is short and sweet in terms of page length, the character journeys are still rich, full, and engaging. Overall, this book was equally endearing, sweet, wholesome, and spicy. It’s full of tropes and tropes within tropes (because of a meta sub-plot) that help make All I Want Is You feel like a quick holiday read that you can polish off when the snow makes it physically difficult to leave your house. I literally finished this book in a day and, yes, I would actually read this one again. And side note, that [spoiler: redacted] scene in the Strand bookstore? I want it. Like, gimme gimme gimme, please.

Rating: Four and a Half Stars

Available: Now

Rachel Weiss’s Group Chat by Lauren Appelbaum

First things first, this book is a modern-day version of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice but it’s not billed as such. Honestly, I would have picked it up sooner had I known it was. For anyone who knows P&P, this book’s character descriptions, the realization of the storyline, and a ton of Austen-themed Easter eggs, it is so clear that it’s indeed an Austenian adaptation. Like, 100 percent obvious.
In Rachel Weiss’s Group Chat, our MC is stuck in a bad job she hates, only dates men who disappoint her in the long run, and contends with her mom trying to play matchmaker with billionaire new neighbor Christopher. As Rachel deals with her impending 30th birthday, she confides in her best friends via group chat. (Honestly, the book is much more based on P&P than the nomenclature of the group chat.) While dealing with all of that mess, Rachel also realizes that she might have misjudged Christopher, who always seems to be waiting in her DMs with dating and career advice.
It was a great one, don’t get me wrong, but the P&P  reference should have been blurb-worthy to me. Author Lauren Appelbaum writes with such compelling language and a relatable main character in Rachel Weiss (a modern, Jewish version of Lizzy Bennet). If Austen books aren’t your thing (gasp, I know), then you probably won’t be able to tell the difference because Rachel Weiss’s Group Chat still feels fresh and new as a women’s fiction/romance novel.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

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

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

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

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

CW: Death of Parents, Claustrophobia

Rating: Five Stars

Available: Now

Make My Wish Come True by Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick

This was a sweet, wholesome holiday sapphic YA romance novel told from dual points of view with a fake dating trope.
Make My Wish Come True stars teen starlet Arden and childhood best friend, Caroline. After Arden’s bad reputation in the press affects her latest audition, she pretends she has the perfect, long-term girlfriend back home on the East Coast. She names Caroline, who unbeknownst to Arden used to have a crush on her when they were kids, as her partner in a major interview. Her publicist arranges for Arden and Caroline to go on a series of holiday dates for Cosmopolitan. Arden just has to convince aspiring journalist Caroline to agree to the terms.
The co-writers, as always, brought their signature writing skills to Make My Wish Come True and, yeah, it was very cute and adorable and sweet. It reads very quickly and was a relatively short book. It has compelling main characters and an interesting holiday premise. Seriously, it’s perfect to read during the snowy months.

Rating: Three and a Half Stars

Available: Now

Fang Fiction by Kate Stayman-London

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

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

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

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

CW: Sexual assault, PTSD, panic attacks

Rating: Four and a Half Stars

Available: Now

Catch and Keep by Erin Hahn

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

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

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

CW: Stalkers, PTSD, Panic Attacks

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Dinner for Vampires by Bethany Joy Lenz

Dinner for Vampires, a metaphor for author Bethany Joy Lenz’s time in an alleged religious cult, tells the actress’ personal tale of navigating the group while balancing her years on the beloved series One Tree Hill. As the author’s note mentions, Lenz drew from her comprehensive journals from 1999-2015, as well as interviews with other former group members. All names and specific details (aside from the references to the OTH cast and other show details) were altered.
Lenz tells her story through very compelling language, starting at the very beginning of her childhood to how she met this so-called religious organization. As established, she was already a member of “The Big House Family” when she booked the role of Haley James Scott on OTH. As a reader, I found this memoir to be super compelling and I was very intrigued to keep reading. Dinner for Vampires reads quite quickly and is a compelling, chilling first-person account of Lenz’s life in an alleged cult and what made her finally get the courage to walk away. It couldn’t have been easy to relive such trauma for a memoir, yet Lenz handled the subject matter honestly in a way that was also well-written.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: Now

Mr. Nice Spy by Tiana Smith

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

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

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

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

Rating: Four Stars

Available: November 4, 2024

Like Cats & Dogs by Lizzie Shane

I honestly didn’t know what to expect with this one because, despite having read previous Pine Hollow novels by author Lizzie Shane, I have the bookish memory of a goldfish and cannot remember a thing besides the fact that I enjoyed them. In reading this book (ok, fine, devouring, within five uninterrupted hours– thank you theater rush line), I really enjoyed this one.
In Like Cats and Dogs, Magda (the other bestie of the Pine Hollow MCs!) and Mac are baking shop rivals in town. Their dislike spans nearly 15 years following an unrequited crush, an allegedly stolen signature cake recipe and the perfect Pine Hollow storefront on Main Street. Next thing you know, Magda and Mac (now 32 and 38, if my math checks out) are cast on the first-ever “archrivals” edition of a Great British Bake Off– esque competition. Turns out, their rivalry has spurned a certain, um, level of attraction. (This book, for what it’s worth, is a mostly closed-door romance.)
It was compelling, adorable, and sweet-as-apple-pie (pun intended) second-chance, enemies-to-lovers romance. It’s told from dual points of view with intriguing language and quippy banter (which had my heart right away) that made for an easy, quick read. Plus, the characters were so richly developed, completely vulnerable, and authentic that you as a reader can really root for and fall in love with them as they fall in love on the page. It’s very, very cute, and especially all of the Broadway soundtracks that love interest Mac was singing in his head aligned absolutely perfectly with the vibe. It was so adorable and precious and made him become such a golden retriever book boyfriend. Shane’s latest definitely fits in with the other Pine Hollow books but with a baking competition twist between rivals. In short, Like Cats and Dogs is legitimately the perfect definition of enemies to love and delivers a sweet-as-croquembouche (IYKYK) happily ever after.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: November 12, 2024

A Queen’s Game by Katharine McGee

As someone who would, literally, drop everything to read the American Royals series upon release days, I guess you could say I was interested in this one. It’s very similar stylistically, naturally, except the plot is set in the 19th century with European royalty. So, different, can’t you tell?
In A Queen’s Game, readers follow three European royal women (Alix, a British princess and the favorite granddaughter of the queen; Helene, daughter of the exiled French king who was granted asylum in the U.K.; and May, another granddaughter of the queen who’s less favored and less wealthy) as they try to secure love matches during the societal season. Alix, Helene and May all have their eyes on Prince Eddy, the heir to the British throne, which leads to a truly delicious love triangle. Alix, Helene and May also each have another suitor that leads to hijinks, complications, and drama of the best level.
A Queen’s Game had as compelling of language as ever. Despite the obvious regency setting, the story really did feel quite modern, which made it exponentially easier to read as a modern human. I ended up really digging A Queen’s Game;  I mean not as much as American Royals, but definitely a close second. Like, A Queen’s Game is really the regency precursor to the American Royals series. And then that ending, oh boy, I fear I need more content/answers STAT.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: November 12, 2024

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

There’s no real summary for this novella collection, other than several bestselling romance novelists each contributed one spicy, trope-laden, holiday-set story.
This collection of spicy holiday romances is short and sweet, yet completely satisfying by some of the genre’s best and brightest. Each story delivers banter, compelling language, and varying levels of steamy moments. Each focuses on a different romance trope with the only similarity being it’s set in December in the lead-up to the holiday season.
All of these stories are cis romances, and the lack of diversity is not lost on me. That being said, it’s easy to polish this off in a few hours while curled up in front of the fireplace this winter. It’s fun and definitely spicy.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: November 12, 2024

Invisible Strings by Kristie Frederick Daugherty

This is a book for fans of poetry, specifically contemporary poetry but also fans of Taylor Swift. That’s not to say, if you are not a Swiftie but like poetry then you might still like this one — just not understand the Easter eggs. That’s right, just like Swift’s proclivities of dropping clues and breadcrumbs for fans, all of the included Tortured Poets do the same. Some of the references are more obvious than others (that “New Year’s Day” reference was crystal-clear to me, for one) while others are more subtle based on a lyric or a message of a song. None of these interpretations are on-the-nose, but more nuanced and subtle allusions. It’s, to put it simply, an ode to Taylor Swift and her superb songwriting skills. It was also interesting to read a conclusion paragraph about how each song (though never mentioned) inspired certain poetic themes.
Oh, and if you read this review and gripe, “All Taylor Swift does is write about breakups, so these poems are going to as well.” No. 1, kindly grow up, and No. 2, no she doesn’t. Just like Swift’s lyrics can span love, heartache, friendship and a dozen of other real and authentic emotions, so do these poems. It’s not just about relationship highs and lows. Thank you for coming to my TedTalk, onto the next.

Rating: Three and a Half Stars

Available: December 4, 2024

The Rules of Royalty by Cale Dietrich

This book is, like, a gender-swapped Princess Diaries meets Red, White & Royal Blue and A Tale of Two Princes.
In The Rules of Royalty, American teen Jamie learns at 17 that his long-estranged birth father is actually the king of a small European country, meaning that he’s actually a prince. Once his father reaches out with the offer to spend the summer at the palace, he asks Erik, a prince from another European country who is also openly queer, to tutor Jamie in the art of royal rules. The two quickly develop an inevitable spark that’s hard to ignore despite familiar disapproval.
 It’s completely adorable, full of compelling language, that left me so intrigued to continue reading from chapter to chapter. This book, told from dual points of view, reads quite quickly, and my God, these two boys are just like the ultimate sweeties. Like, it was just too damn cute all-around. I couldn’t put this book down, making it one of those polish-off-in-a-day-book types. Plus, the characters were just so authentic and relatable, if you excuse the whole prince of a foreign country bit. It’s so precious and adorable, and just, like, a wholesome queer, YA royal romance. What more could you want?

Rating: Four Stars

Available: December 10, 2024

Ex Marks the Spot by Gloria Chao

This was a cute, yet heartwarming YA novel about coming of age and discovering your roots, along with an enemies-to-lovers slash second-chance travel romance. I know that’s a mouthful, but this book is all of that and it works.
Ex Marks the Spot follows Gemma, a recent high school graduate and Taiwanese-American daughter of a single mother. She receives a clue from a mysterious man, leading her to a treasure hunt set up by her now-late, estranged grandfather. Thinking an inheritance is at the receiving end, Gemma is ready to put her ultimate puzzling skills to the test. Following the clues reveals that Gemma needs to travel to Taiwan, and to do that, she needs Xander’s help. Xander, you see, is Gemma’s high school nemesis, the son of a family “enemy,” and also her middle school ex-boyfriend. Complicated, right?
It’s full of compelling language, all told from MC Gemma’s point of view, and ends up reading quite quickly. It’s fun and cute, but Ex Marks the Spot also has a ton of heart. Plus, there’s a family twist that was completely unexpected yet absolutely adorable. Like, I was desperate to figure out how this book would end.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: December 31, 2024

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

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

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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 10 New Books That Should Be on Your Radar This Summer

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Summer is just starting to arrive and my TBR’s only gotten longer. Whoopsies. But, I have managed to read 86 books this year so far (as of early May when I wrote this blog post). But, I feel like I’m just getting started for the year. After all, I still have the likes of People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry, Circe by Madeline Miller, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, If This Gets Out by Cale Dietrich & Sophie Gonzales, and wayyy more left on my TBR book cart (yes, I indeed own a book cart for my TBR and it’s packed).

Out of all the upcoming releases I’ve been reading this spring/early summer in ARC form, there are some good ones that I’ve been obsessing over ever since I read those final pages. We even have three five-star reads on this list! So, without further ado, welcome back to Miranda’s Book Nook; apologies for the delay. But what can I say, I had books to finish first… Keep reading for even more 2021 book releases that I haven’t been able to get enough of that should definitely be on your radar this summer. Beach reads, anyone??

Gutter Girl by Kelly Anne Blount, Lynn Rush

I really enjoyed these authors’ collaboration on the teen hockey romance, In The Penalty Box and so, I was excited to check this new YA novel out.

Told in dual perspectives, we follow star football player Jace who writes fantasy romance stories, and outsider McKenna. Jace loves writing these fantastical romances with action, adventure, swordplay, and kissing yet no one knows he’s written one of the most popular stories on Scribbles (a fictional version of Wattpad). Certainly not his overbearing parents, the other kids at school, or his thousands of fans who read it online each week. When his teammate grabs his notebook and starts to read out a kissing scene, McKenna (who typically hates the spotlight) jumps in to save him and claims the notebook is hers. He convinces her to keep up this ruse and keep his secret for a price, and he’d do anything to keep this under wraps. As the duo starts to fall for one another, he knows he has to keep the biggest, darkest secret to himself: The main villain that his fans love to hate is based on goth girl McKenna before they got to know one another.

The action kicks off right away, and I’m immediately drawn into this story, and it’s fun and I like it. The characters are deep and complex, yet still tell a light, fun, enjoyable, and emotionally vulnerable YA story. It’s so cute and so precious, and I just want more to their story like right now.

Rating: Four Stars

Available:

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

I was beyond, beyond excited to receive an advanced galley of this book after I devoured her first book, Red, White & Royal Blue. My galley came in audio-form from MacMillian Audio, and I swear, I would have taken this ARC in literally any format if it meant I could read this one as soon as possible. So, yes, I’m so pumped to start listening to this one. And now that I’ve read it (well, listened), guys, my fellow RWRB obsessives: y’all are going to go nuts because it’s that good.

Here, we follow 23-year-old August who just moved to New York City as a way to prove to herself that magic and true love doesn’t exist, because after all, she’s a skeptic and a closet detective. One day she spots a gorgeous girl on the subway, on the Q train to be exact. This girl, Jane, is dazzling and mysterious who shows up to save August’s day when she needs it most. So, obviously August develops a little subway crush on the girl that makes every single day better, but soon she realizes that Jane is actually displaced in time from the ’70s, and August sets out to help her remember who she is and beat this curse/problem. It’s billed as a magical, sexy, and bighearted romance, which is definitely an accurate depiction. The language has humor in spades, like laugh-out-loud lines. August is described in a way that makes her an authentic and realistic main character, which makes me super into her story.

It feels unlike anything I’ve read before, including RWRB, but it’s still a fun sapphic New Adult romance with a sweeping romance sprinkled in. It’s fun, and I was so curious to keep reading to find out what would happen next. Plus, Jane+August are so flipping cute, like I couldn’t stop smiling for a minute while listening. This slow-burn romance is also a love letter to NYC and good friends, too. Plus, it has this fun mysterious element to take it out of the realm of *just* being a romance novel; it’s way more than that. If I had to categorize this book, I’d say it’s Veronica Mars meets time-travel meets sapphic romance, which seems like an odd combination yet it completely works, and I’m sold. The language is witty and funny, too, and I love, love, love it and yes, it totally lives up to all the hype it’s already been racking up.

As an audiobook, I found the story so immersive and compelling. The narrator puts you in August’s head and what she sees. She uses different voices to effortlessly capture all the different characters and their various personalities. It feels realistic, yet engaging and bubbly. Between the story and the narration, I just want to keep listening to this story to find out what would happen next. It’s impossible not to get wrapped up in this story thanks to such compelling language and vibrant narration. Plus, there’s so much diverse representation that feels authentic and real, which is another win in this book’s column. Everything is brilliantly planned out, interconnected, and woven together in terms of the story organization. All in all, it feels so original and unlike anything I’ve read prior, which is a very good thing.

Also, I just have to say: 🚞 🌶 🚞, which, like, I know, right?!?!

Rating: Five Stars

Available:

Better Together by Christine Riccio

This book is pitched as Freaky Friday meets The Parent Trap, which immediately intrigued me. Then, I started this book and just couldn’t put it down. Told in alternating viewpoints between two sisters, there’s aspiring comic Jamie and ballerina Siri who live on opposite coasts and just meet for the first time thanks to meddling accomplices and a bit of magic. The two estranged sisters meet at a wellness retreat in Colorado, where they each discover that the sister they haven’t seen in 14 years is there, too. After a rocky time and grudges aplenty, they decide to switch places with a dash of glittery magic to meet the parent they barely knew.

This was such a fun read from the get-go, giving me similar vibes to You Have a Match by Emma Lord, yet it’s still very much its own thing. The author uses fun and authentic language that pulls me into both girls’ worlds. It’s just so light and fun, which makes it easy and quick to get sucked in and just keep reading.

Rating: Four Stars

Available:

Of Princes and Promises by Sandhya Menon

I’ve been a fan of this author’s previous works for just about a year now, and so, when I heard of this novel and the fairytale adaptation it was, I was intrigued.

In this contemporary retelling and twist on The Frog Prince, Caterina is the queen of St. Rosetta’s Academy who is determined to continue her reign after being dumped when her boyfriend Alaric cheated on her. Then, there’s the adorkable Rahul who’s harbored a crush on Caterina ever since they shared a dance at the school winter formal months ago when she was the most heartbroken. When Caterina finds out Alaric is taking some supermodel to a big gala, she needs a ringer on her harm. She enlists the clueless Rahul to be her fake date, and she’ll even dress him up to go with her. She uses a mysterious and magical hair gel that alters the wearer into whatever his heart desires, which for Rahul was RC who’s a charming and debonair guy. However, transformation comes with a price and the line between his two personas blur together as RC gains popularity in town.

Told in dual perspectives. it’s such a cute and fun YA romance novel. It’s definitely a quick read that’s so enjoyable and hard to put down.

Rating: Four Stars

Available:

Live Your Life by Amanda Kloots, Anna Kloots

After following Amanda Kloots’ and Nick Cordero’s heartwrenching coronavirus story and her inspiring positivity last year, I was very much 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. It’s a well-written and honest memoir to read that, yes, makes me tear up. 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.

Rating: Five Stars

Available: June 15

Blush by Jamie Brenner

This was a compelling women’s fiction/general fiction read that I could hardly put down. This book is set at the Hollander Estates vineyard in Long Island. After years as a tourist destination and wedding venue, the Hollanders family fortune has dwindled and the threat of sale brings secrets and old wounds to life. This book, full of captivating language and complex characters, focuses on the women in the family throughout one summer: matriarch Vivian, daughter Leah, and granddaughter Sadie.

Each lady is searching for an escape from her current life, so they decide to start a book club together and re-read the old romance novels that Vivian’s own former book club had read so many years ago. It turns out reading these so-called trashy romances illuminate the life, love, and career (with the future of the vineyard) they wanted all along. In this story of love, family, and second chances, we get to see each of these three perspectives in a novel that is easy and quick to read, plus it’s engaging and intriguing that you don’t want to put it down.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: June 22

When Stars Collide by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

This novel is like part women’s fiction, part romance, and part mystery/thriller, and odd combination in theory, yet it works here. Here, Thad Owens is the backup quarterback for the Chicago Stars team who has a low tolerance for divas, and especially Divas with a capital letter D. Olivia is an international opera star and a hugely driven Diva.

The two are paired for a national tour to promote a luxury watch brand, but obviously, they aren’t fans of one another. Along the journey, the trash talk, soul search, and deal with all sorts of dramatic, behind-the-scenes drama and threatening fans. Told in dual perspectives, it’s set up to be a fun, light forced-proximity and enemies-to-lovers romance with a twist. There’s a major mystery element that takes this book out of just a romance novel category and into something else. However, there are actually like three mysteries going on, which seems like a lot. Then, of course, you get that sweeping, grandiose, romantic ending to make this a read I could hardly put down.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: June 29

The Turnout by Megan Abbott

This book is described as a “revelatory and mesmerizing new novel set against the hothouse of a family-run ballet studio,” and now that I’ve finished, I concur that it’s a thrilling, intriguing piece of literary fiction. Sisters Dara and Marie grew up as ballerinas, under the tutelage of their professional dancer mother who owned a dance studio. After their parents tragically died, the two sisters took over the studio along with Dara’s husband Charlie. After a suspicious accident right before Nutcracker season, an interloper arrives to disrupt their delicate three-person balance.

This book is full of engaging language that draws me in right from page one. It’s so intriguing and thrilling. Then, once the interloper (contractor Derek) arrives in town, it adds a whole mysterious and cunning element. So, once you get into it, it’s hard to put down with its many, many bombshell twists and turns. Oh woah, it’s just so good yet so surprising.

Rating: Four Stars

Available:

The Betrayed by Kiera Cass

After I read The Betrothed earlier this lockdown, I admit I was unsure about the story and the ending because something just didn’t vibe with me as I read it. Yet, I was intrigued to learn about this sequel and figure out how things ended. I’m so glad I gave this series another chance because I did quite enjoy this action-packed novel.

Here, it picks up quite literally where Book 1 ended up with Hollis fleeing Coroa after her husband Silas’ death, where she’s been living with his mom, sister, surly cousin Etan who’s distrustful of her and all Coroans, aunt, and uncle in Isolte. While attempting to move forward with her life, a growing distrust in the Isoltean kingdom threatens the future of her new country and her old one. As tensions rise, she learns that the Eastoffe family could unseat the tyrannical Isoltean king and take over, but only with her help to stage a revolution among the people.

From the minute it started, exactly where we last left off, it is full of exciting language that pulls me back into this fantastical world. It’s a quick YA read and way more action-packed than the first book (to me, at least), which helped to keep my interest.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: July 6

Meant to Be: If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy

I’ve been waiting for this book for over a year, and so, I’d like to offer a massive, massive, massive thank you to Disney Hyperion and NetGalley for this advanced galley. Even though, my Amazon preorder is already confirmed, oops.

Julie Murphy, who’s killed the YA game with her Dumplin, Puddin, and Pumpkin novels, is kicking off a new series, titled Meant to Be that’s a bunch of modern fairytale adaptations and romances with body-positive leads. One, I love seeing more diversity of any kind in romance. Two, Murphy is a master at authentically writing plus-size characters. Three, it’s a Disney fairytale retelling. All in all, this book has everything I want, and this is before I’ve started it! This book wasn’t meant for my March TBR considering its August release date, but within a day of my galley approval, I was rearranging the rest of the TBR to start this as soon as possible.

Then, I started it. And oh boy, it’s 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. What, who would have thought that huh?

I’m immediately drawn into this world, just as I was in Murphy’s previous books, and it’s just so fun and makes me want to keep reading and find out what would happen next. As time goes on, it gets cheesy cute that gives me butterflies, and I swear I feel my heart turning all swoony as the feelings between Cindy and the suitor Henry grow and develop. This read was so hard for me to put down because I just didn’t want it to end! Initially, I wasn’t sure if this was a 4 or 5-star situation, but after finishing it, I think it’s definitely a five-star romance read and I’ll definitely be reading this one again when I have the chance. Murphy has delivered her next series post-Dumplin, and I’m pleased to report that whenever the rest of this series drops, I’ll be first in line to order a copy. And if Cindy+Henry pop up and still has their HEA, all the better.

Rating: Five Stars

Available:

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

Get Ready for Summer With These 7 New 2021 Romance Reads

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Readers of this blog should know well by now that I love a good romance book. In terms of pure escapism, no genre does it better. In a world where sh*t unfortunately does hit the fan and fairytale happily-ever-afters are unlikely, these books are my go-to when I want to feel the warm-fuzzies and just all-around better about life in that moment. So, I pick up a romance novel (or many of them, over and over again) and get so engrossed and enthralled with the magical, happy stories. And like, well, magic, I always feel better by the time I reach those final pages. So, in this installment of Miranda’s Book Nook, I’ll be sharing new summer 2021 romance book titles that I can’t get enough of that should be on your radar this summer. Hello, beach reads, anyone??

Happy Endings by Thien-Kim Lam

I was very excited about this book premise because I think the romance genre in total is still strongly lacking in terms of sex positivity, representation, and diversity books, and this read delivers on those fronts. It’s a sexy second-chance romance about two exes with unfinished business together. Trixie just moved to DC and is determined to make her sex toy business a hit to prove to her traditional Vietnamese parents that she can succeed. Her first pop-up shop goes well, until, while at the restaurant where it’s being hosted, the owner strolls in. It’s none other than her ex, Andre, who broke up with her via a note, all Sex and the City-style.

Andre needs to save his family’s soul restaurant, and so the two of them agree to a merger of sorts, hosting her pop-up series at his business which will save his and help launch hers. But, their chemistry is still smoldering and they soon get engaged in a FWB situation. Yes, old flames are reignited and deep feelings re-emerge. Told in dual perspectives, this book is very spicy and has lots of backstory. Yet, the writing is very captivating to keep my attention. It should be noted that there is a massive content warning for grief if that’s triggering. Also, I don’t know why but these characters just felt a little cringe to me. But all in all, this was still a fun romance romp (albeit a bit of a smutty one) when you need to indulge.

Rating: Three Stars

Available: May 15

The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary

The acclaimed author of The Flatshare and The Switch is back once again with a delightful and impactful romance read! Here, we follow two exes who are road-tripping together to their mutual friend’s wedding, so you know things are bound to get awkward. The main characters of Dylan and Addie are total opposites, but fell in love years ago on holiday.

Now, two years since their breakup, they are forced to reunite at their friend Cherry’s wedding. But first, they have to get there, along with his best friend, her sister, and another random guest, all in one car. It’s forced proximity at its finest. The book is told in back-and-forth perspectives of both Addie and Dylan, in present and past timelines. There is a content warning for sexual assault that I think definitely should be addressed here, too, so heads up if that’s triggering for you.

Both Addie and Dylan have interesting and engaging sides that compel me to keep reading because I’m just so invested in this journey. These characters are well-written, authentic, and vulnerable. However, this read does feel quite long, but is way better than The Switch in my eyes. All in all, I just wish it didn’t have to end because I just wanted more to their story!

Rating: Four Stars

Available: June 1

Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon

I initially had a different plan for my TBR order this past February, but as soon as I got approval for a galley of this brand-new Nicola Yoon book, all that went out the window! Yoon is a master at what she does, creating compelling contemporary YA (and I loved both of her previous books), so I knew this would deliver and totally be worth deviating from my monthly, scheduled TBR plan. And guess what, that paid off because it’s totally five-star worthy.

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. An emotional Nicola Yoon novel that’s also a dance romance, um, yes, please!

Reading this one, I found it’s full of engaging language where I can truly get inside bookish Evie’s head. There is a magical, fantastical element of sorts that explain how some things occur and connect. The subplot with her powers reminds me of Instant Karma by Marissa Meyer in that way. Overall, this doesn’t feel quite like her other books, but rather something completely new, and I dig it! I do equally love this one as much as her previous ones, even with its differences. The characters are relatable and authentic, too. Also, Evie+X has such a squeal-worthy, precious connection and romance. Then, there’s a big bombshell reveal in the second act that took me by complete surprise and hit me right in the feels. And I do mean, all of the feels. This book’s so vulnerable and surprisingly profound. And that ending: I just want more! Additionally, this one made me cry so, so hard by the end. Seriously. Bring me all the tissues right now because I need them.

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. Brava!

Rating: Five Stars

Available: June 2

To Sir, With Love by Lauren Layne

Immediately based on the summary, I was drawn to this romance read. Being hailed as Love is Blind meets You’ve Got Mail, two thirty-somethings meet and connect via a blind dating app with no names or pictures, only to discover their online chemistry is just as strong as their IRL workplace rivalry.

We follow aspiring artist Grace, who runs her late father’s boutique champagne shop in Manhattan. She’s cheerful and oft dreaming of her prince, who she believes is this guy from the app even though he has a girlfriend and they are just virtual pen pals. Then, her store is in trouble but she’s hesitant to give up her dad’s dream, and the man from the company who owns her building wants to buy her out. It turns out that owner is none other than the attractive and arrogant Sebastian. Overwhelmed with what path to take next, Gracie seeks solace and comfort in Sir, her faceless pen pal who she initially matched with based on common interests. While she’s falling deeper and deeper for Sir online, she doesn’t realize that he’s actually the man she cannot stand ala You’ve Got Mail.

These two have such banter from the jump that’s just so delicious and fun as a reader, where I just want to keep reading more of this fun enemies to lovers tale. It’s told partially in the present day, but then each chapter begins with a snippet of their anonymous texts, giving us more of the juicy details. In the end, it’s definitely cute, I’ll give it that, but it’s also quite expected and, all in all, just fine. But, you know, sometimes that predicably sweet rom-com is just what you need at a time. Except for that epilogue, I need more like right now.

Rating: Three Stars

Available: June 29

Incense and Sensibility by Sonali Dev

After reading Sonali Dev’s Recipe for Persuasion, I was excited to check out her next book in this series, which was an Indian-American twist on Sense and Sensibility, as evidenced by this clever and punny title. Here, eldest Raje sibling Yash is the first Indian gubernatorial candidate in California, who always knows what he wants and how to use his privileged background to get it by controlling his feelings.

After a hate-fueled incident at one of his rallies critically injures his friend/bodyguard, Yash’s life starts to spiral. To keep his anxiety attacks from leaking to the press, his family sends him to his sisters’ best friend India Dashwood, a popular stress management coach and yoga instructor. Oh, and these two once shared a mystical, magical night over ten years ago that didn’t lead anywhere, but that neither of them ever forgot. From the get-go, it’s also always fun to see previous characters pop up and still have their HEAs from earlier novels.

This read starts with plenty of action, so you get in Yash’s head and just want to keep reading. This book, told in dual perspectives, features compelling and relatable storytelling that just drew me in. While obviously this is an adaptation, it still feels current, new, and fresh. And, yes, it’s plenty cute too with a few squeal-worthy occurrences and monologues.

Rating: Three Stars

Available: July 6

It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey

Just by the title and summary, I was already so pumped to check out this new Tessa Bailey read because she does her niche so well that’ll always have me hooked. Here, Piper is a socialite and Hollywood “It” Girl who’s been cut off from her family after she gets arrested. Not only that, but her millionaire stepfather cuts her off and exiles her to a small fishing-centric beach town in the Pacific Northwest.

In this Schitt’s Creek-inspired rom-com, the wild child twentysomething bumps into the surly yet sexy local fisherman Brendan. They butt heads at first, but after they keep running into each other all over town, it’s clear there’s something between them that is too palpable to ignore. It sounds like so much fun, and this book totally delivers. In her exile, Piper is sent to run her late biological father’s dive bar in town with her younger sister Hannah. Soon after her arrival, she meets sea captain and widower Brendan who doesn’t think this spoiled princess can survive here for even a week. She’s determined to prove she can, and a delicious enemies-to-lovers plot is born. She keeps running into Brendan all over town, only to discover that, while they are polar opposites, he’s also just a nice and friendly guy. They have such an undeniable pull to one another in this indulgent E2L story. It’s chock full of witty, compelling language that completely draws me in.

This book, with its dual perspectives, also explores the hidden depths of each character. Piper is also digging into her dead dad’s (whom she barely remembers) past while Brendan is attempting to finally move on with his life. Once these two figure out who they each are and how that impacts their own futures, it’s such an all-consuming type of love story, and I’m pretty sure I’m obsessed. Holy crap, so this book is so frothy, vulnerable, sexy, intense, and fun! It’s so much and I’m loving it. Like, it’s making my heart burst, I swear, and I’m just so into this read that I cannot put it down and ended up DEVOURING it in a single sitting until freaking four o’clock in the morning. I totally feel all of the zings, and then by the end, it’s just so flipping cute! Gah, I just cannot wait for the sequel to read all about Hannah+Fox’s story, too! I just need to read this one like four more times right now because I just can’t stop thinking about it.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: July 13

Heartbreak for Hire by Sonia Hartl

If you thoroughly enjoyed Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game, like me, then you’ll absolutely love this new romance read. With a similar spiteful enemies to lovers premise and quick, witty banter to boot, this novel delivers for those THG fans.

This book is hailed as a fun romance read for fans of Christina Lauren and Sally Thorne, and so immediately, I knew I’d be interested in this one, especially after I read the summary. Here, twentysomething Brinkley works at “Heartbreak for Hire,” a Chicago-based company that helps women take back their power and get revenge on the men that jilted them. This undercover gig helps her earn enough money to eventually open her own gallery, while still getting her frustrations out on her ex and helping to empower other women. When her boss reveals her plans to hire male employees, she questions whether or not she’s in the right field. Then, we find out one of her former targets Mark, who made quite the impression, is hired to work with her. Mark’s an adjunct professor struggling on the academic ladder, and quite the attentive and attractive nerd. Soon, Brinkley learns people aren’t always what they appear as they start working together and she trains him closely.

They have such delicious snappy banter that pulls me in and yearns to see what will happen next. This book is full of witty and captivating language that had me turning the page and polishing off this read in a single setting in only a few hours. The premise does give me such The Hating Game vibes, and its tone and language are whipsmart, witty, and banter-laden that backs that idea up. With that similar tone, rich and authentic characters, a heck of a plot twist, and more, it’s such a delicious, juicy enemies-to-lovers romance read.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: July 27

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

18 Things I Want to See in ‘The Hating Game’ Movie From the Book

Posted in Miranda's Book Nook, Pop Culture by

If you’ve followed along with Miranda’s Book Nook for some time now, you already know that I have a weakness for a banter-heavy, slow-burn, and enemies-to-lovers novel. And no book delivers that better than Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game.

I may have been a little late to the THG obsession party, but thanks to lockdown and TikTok, I made it at last. After devouring the book, I was so pleased to learn that an adaptation was already in the works starring Lucy Hale as our Shortcake. Eeep, I don’t know when we’ll get more information (other than any teasers revealed on Instagram), but in the meantime, I’ll settle for re-reading this book and imagining what a perfect film would include.

Join me as I recap the best buzzworthy moments from Thorne’s debut romance novel, in chronological order, that I just *need* see on the big screen.

**Note, this post does have spoilers from The Hating Game.**

1. Their Office Games

From the beginning, we see how Lucy and Joshua torment each other while working at their respective desks. We see how she hates him, how they mimic each other, and how they threaten to call HR on one another. It’s the banter that truly pulls you into this relationship. 

2. Password-Protected

OK, her computer password is literally some version of “IHATEJOSHUA4EVA,” and I sincerely hope we’ll get to see Lucy Hale typing that into her desktop in the B&G office set. Tee hee.

3. Rotating Shirt Colors

One thing about Joshua is that he’s very practical and efficient in all aspects of his life. That includes his wardrobe. He has a rotating staple of the same nine dress shirts in various colors. It infuriates librarian-chic Lucy that he wears the shirts in the same order week after week. Oh, I just want to see the robin’s egg blue one especially (more on that below). Several times over the duration of the movie, please.

4. All the Shortcake

Gah, I swear every mother-fudging time that Joshua calls her “Shortcake” or insinuates “you’d know when I’m flirting with you,” lord I swear I melt. Gah, it’s just a taste of the spiciness that a good romance should feature. Ugh, why is he such a perfect book boyfriend? Oh yea, he’s flipping fictional, girl. 

5. Those Planner Notes

One of the biggest “mysteries” of the book is deciphering what Joshua’s planner scribbles actually represent. As Lucy secretly discovers early on in the story, he has written all sorts of tick marks, tallies, D and S letters, et cetera, over and over again in his weekly planner. While she seemingly writes this off as some mundane task or part of their rivalry, the actual reason just proves how flipping besotted he is.

6. Whoops, She’s Got a Fake Date to Make Real

After having one of the steamiest dreams of her life about her nemesis and colleague, she wants to mess with him a little at work the next day. So, she wears a super-short, revealing dress to distract him. However, he assumes that means she’s got a date. In uncharted territory, she quickly lies that it’s true and tells him she’ll be at a local bar with him. Well, things don’t go as planned when Josh tries to poke holes in her story. So, she needs a decoy because lying about a date is pathetic, right?

7. A Post-It Kiss

Okay, one of the flirtiest moments is definitely when, to mess with the Type A Josh, she slathers on her red Flamethrower lipstick and kissed one of his Post-Its. She then sticks it directly in the middle of his computer monitor. His poor face, which will surely be as red as her lips, will be everything to see. Plus, finding out how this pops up later on in the story is even cuter.

8. That Elevator Kiss

It’s the kiss that ruins her! Before her fake-turned-real date with coworker Danny, Josh kisses her in the elevator. And I mean, like, he kisses her. This long smooch just oozes chemistry and it’s clear that sparks are plentiful, y’all.

9. Red Roses for a Beauty

After she runs out crying on her date with Danny, Josh feels so bad that he sends her red roses (like her lipstick) with the note “you’re always beautiful.” While she doesn’t realize who sent the flowers, it’s truly the sweet gesture that does it for me. Swoon. 

10. It’s Paintball Time

Obviously, they have to include this iconic game scene. It’s just fun. But, the best part is when she covers his back so he won’t get eliminated or hurt. It’s that moment when she starts to realize that perhaps she doesn’t hate him after all that’s the sweetest part.

11. Sleepysaurus and a Sick Shortcake

While we don’t know exactly how or why Lucy gets sick in the book, it’s overwhelming precious and kind to see Joshua take care of her all day and night long. It gave me such Ben from Meet You in the Middle vibes that way. Based on IG teasers, we know this old tee *will* make an appearance on screen. I chose this moment because to see this man who we thought hated her just want to take care of her, it’s so sweet and cute. He even called his estranged brother, a doctor, just to make sure she’ll be okay. If that’s not love, then I don’t know what is.

12. The ‘Or Something’ Game

After he takes care of her and she kisses him later on, they start a new game. But, it can only officially start once, and if, she kisses Danny and realizes that no one kisses her like Josh can. And lord help her, he’s right. This is where the book’s spice warnings all start after she races to his apartment to let him know.

13. All the Robin’s Egg Blue Colors

This blue hue is mega-important to the set and the story (and the book cover too, FYI), and I can’t wait to see the set decorator’s little easter eggs and homage to what this represents on screen.

14. A New Collection

Sure, we know that Lucy collects Smurfs as inspired by her Dad, but after the ‘Or Something’ game has commenced, she starts a whole new collection of Matchbox cars. While at his curiously decorated apartment, she fiddles with an old car toy that he then gifts her before heading home. Then, he searches for a new one to get her on his day off. That’s only the beginning till… epilogue spoilers at the end of 99 Percent Mine. Later, when she realizes he was the one who sent her the roses, she reciprocates it by sending him roses back with the swoony note, “I want you for more than your body. I want you for your Matchbox cars” and signed it “Shortcake.” The love is definitely real by now, y’all.

15. Plenty of Self-Growth

Throughout all this, Joshua really helps and inspires her to stand up for herself in the office. This is a beautiful scene to see of this innocent moment where she’s growing and evolving into a stronger, fiercer woman.

16. The Road-Trip to the Wedding

Along the way to his brother’s wedding, we see the pair open up and divulge why they like each other. He mentions her eyes and lips, and it’s so subtle yet absolutely pure and precious. I cannot help but just melt every single time I read those words.

17. The Wedding Reveals All

This wedding is chock full of drama. From discovering a family bombshell, Lucy standing up to Joshua’s family about what a magnificent man he is, his jealousy during her innocent work call with Danny, their “our hotel room only has one bed” antics, and realizing this is full-on capital-L love. Woo, oh boy, I’m not ready yet.

18. A Sweeping HEA & Epilogue

Seeing how everything works out to give this duo their HEA is absolutely swoony and smile-worthy, to say the least. It’ll be the perfect way to cap off their journey in the movie, too. Then, I sincerely hope we flashforward to get the extra epilogue from 99 Percent Mine, where we see how their relationship has evolved at least one year later. Her Matchbox collection. Their new jobs. Their continued and heightened passion. Their new accessories that glimmer in the light. I want it all.

Bring on a New Year With These 8 New 2021 Book Releases

Posted in Miranda's Book Nook by

Now that we’re weeks into the New Year, that’s certainly plenty of time to start your 2021 TBR challenge with a bang! For me personally, I’ve already polished off 14 books this month, currently in the middle of another one, and about to head out to the library this weekend to pick up another hold that’s ready. So, suffice it to say, once I finish my daily work duties, I pretty much spend all my time reading. I mean, it’s still a pandemic and a lockdown, so like, what else is there to do instead? From my first five-star read of the year, sweeping romances, impactful guidebooks, and powerful literary masterpieces, my Recently Read list has been absolutely packed with winners. And so, welcome back once again to Miranda’s Book Nook! Keep on reading for eight more 2021 book titles that I can’t get enough of this month that should be on your radar this year. Happy reading!

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

I know, I know, I’m late to the party on this read. And, I’m kicking myself for not picking this book up earlier, however, you can’t change the past and we’re here now. So, a bit of backstory: After seeing TikTok after TikTok where readers proclaim it one of the best, I immediately looked up a book summary and was floored by what I read. It sounded so good, so I immediately went to find a copy. While, unfortunately, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the library didn’t have a copy readily available as soon as I wanted to read it, Target did. And so, within three days of ordering, my book mail was shipped and arrived at my house.

Okay, so, GAH, I didn’t even realize that I polished off this four hundred-plus page novel in a single day. I just couldn’t put it down, as I read it early Tuesday morning at midnight, then slept until my alarm, read some fifty pages as I ate breakfast, worked my normal hours at my new job, and then picked up this book again as I cooked and ate dinner, and then kept on reading until 11 at night when I finished this read. That’s how good and enthralling this was because I just couldn’t put it down.

This book is like a cross and 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. It will one hundred percent be my new go-to book recommendation for anyone who’ll ask me for one this year.

Rating: Five Stars (I’m adding a new section for all my 2021 book reviews and recommendations from here on out, where I’ll be including my rating out of five stars here.)

Available: Now

Ballet Orphans: A Prequel by Terez Mertes Rose*

I have a soft spot for books about the behind the scenes world of dance and ballet, and this read was a lovely addition to that genre. Here, it is 1990 and April is a ballet soloist in New York when her mom dies just two years after her dad’s death.

She’s trying to rebalance her life when she gets a principal offer at a struggling San Francisco ballet company. A new life in a new city seems like an exciting prospect to her, but the other dancers are wary of both a new dancer and a new artistic director. Then, there’s a troubling former dancer with an explosive past. While technically this is a prequel novel, I found it easy to get into as a newbie to the series. Here, she realizes the sacrifices that are necessary to make her professional dreams come true and her desire to be loved and protect her chosen family.

This reads quite quickly with engaging language and tone. It’s a fun read about the behind-the-scenes world of ballet. It’s vulnerable, authentic, fun, and engaging that I very much enjoyed.

Rating: Three Stars

Available: Now

Enjoy the View by Sarah Morgenthaler*

Sarah Morgenthaler continues her popular Moose Springs romance series with this adventurous new addition. Here, Hollywood starlet River Lane is in need of a career facelift, so she heads up to Moose Springs, Alaska with her film crew to make a tourism-boosting documentary about the area and this charming town. However, the locals are less than accommodating.

She’s determined to prove herself with this movie both for her career and to everyone that gets in her way, oh, and none of the quirky locals want anything to do with her. Except one. Easton Lockett, a side character in the author’s previous books, is a survival expert and mountain guide, who’s a big pile of mush underneath his rugged, outdoorsy facade. He’s tasked with getting River and her crew up and down the mountain safely as they film the journey along the way. However, falling for her was not part of his plan and makes his job a lot tougher, but ultimately he can’t shake their inevitable connection.

I picked this book up right after finishing the all-consuming drama of Addie LaRue (see above) because I wanted something light, easy, frothy, cute, and fun. And, this book gave me just that. For those of you who loved the author’s previous books in the series, you’ll enjoy returning to Moose Springs and getting a deep-dive into the beloved side character, plus seeing both Graham+Zoey and Rick+Lana still have their HEAs is fun. Or if you, like me, are just jumping into the series, it totally stands on its own as a cute, wilderness-y romance book. River and Easton start off at odds, which of course, but that allows for such fun banter. It gives me similar vibes to Not If I Save You First because they both need to survive physically but also learn to be open when love is right in front of you. It has dual perspectives and is full of easy, relatable, and indulgent language that draws you into the story. Trust me, once you get sucked into the action, you’re all in on this read. These two have the sparks and banter, and it’s beyond cute. Then, the ending is absolutely precious, sweeping, and cheesy romantic as all heck.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: January 19

The Divines by Ellie Eaton*

I was excited to begin this highly anticipated literary fiction novel, which just completely enthralled me and I couldn’t put it down. It’s set in present-day LA with flashbacks to a British boarding school in the ’90s and this coming-of-age novel explores the destructive relationships between teenage girls.

In the flashback, the girls of the elite St. John boarding school are notorious for pushing boundaries, their sharp tongues, and chasing boys. Now in her thirties, Josephine hasn’t spoken to any of her former peers in fifteen years ever since the school closed in the wake of a mysterious scandal. During her honeymoon, she takes a detour to the old school grounds, which brings up all sorts of memories of that time and the horrid things they got away with. This visit provokes all sorts of recollections about the school’s final weeks, leading up to the big scandal, and her violet secret at its center. As she remembers more and more, her life, her sense of self, and her marriage all crumble around her. Eaton looks at adolescent sexuality, female identity, social class divide in this suspenseful novel. This book is full of rich, exciting language that draws you in. Josephine has such an intriguing first-person point of view and voice. It has such a compelling tone, and it gets so engaging that makes this read hard to put down.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: January 19

David and Ameena by Ami Rao*

This read was such an unexpectedly poignant and moving romance story starring American-Jewish aspiring jazz pianist David and British-Pakistani painter Ameena. This story is set in New York City, and their journey begins when they meet in a crowded subway car, which, like, don’t I wish that was realistic hahaha.

While hailing from vastly different upbringings, beliefs, and experiences, they are both torn between their dreams versus their families’ expectations, which connects them. after their fated initial meeting. The book shows how they navigate their relationship amidst ambitions, careers, and the city they live in and love while they must deal with and confront the challenges and struggles of today’s world. This book, told in dual perspectives, features very descriptive language that feels very romantic for me as a reader. Everything is timed just right to draw me in, except for a few sections that out of nowhere tell the story of Ameena’s dad or brother. These tales almost feel out of place in this story, leaving me confused at its purpose because it doesn’t seem to make sense or intersect with this romantic story until the very end, which was almost too late for me.

There is one other thing that struck me as inauthentic. So, I get the author, Ameena, and the publisher are based in the UK and use British English, however, David is American and the primary setting is in the US. So, the use of British English for his sections, or her boss’ scenes, for example, doesn’t exactly make sense because American English is quite different. I liked this read and its authentic, vulnerable portrayal of the characters, the hard moments, and the story, but it does take quite a bit of time to get into it.

Rating: Three Stars

Available: February 4

Yes & I Love You by Roni Loren*

While this book initially took me a little bit to really get into, by the end, it was an all-consuming, sweet romance read that I could barely put down. Here, Miz Poppy is a popular and vibrant reviewer who covers the most exciting nightlife options in New Orleans, but little do crowds know, is that Hollyn Tate is the girl behind the online persona.

After her boss tells her to start adding videos to her reviews, Hollyn is fearful of people finding out her true self and finds help to conquer those fears where she least expects. That’s where aspiring actor Jasper Deares comes in. After he realizes that the girl who orders coffee from him is Miz Poppy, he thinks a review from her about his improv troupe will be his chance at fame and media attention to jumpstart his acting career. All he needs to do is help her overcome her stage fright so she’ll write a review of his troupe. But, things soon get complication as their connection deepens, she overcomes her fears, and he realizes what he actually wants to do in life and how to get there. Told in dual perspectives, this book is full of realistic and authentic character. Oh, and the representation is so nice to see in this friends with benefits trope read. And that ending is just way too cute to put into words!

Rating: Three Stars

Available: March 2

The Rejection That Changed My Life by Jessica Bacal*

After everything many of us have gone through during this tough and unprecedented time, this timely book provides just what we need to look forward and move on.

This self-help book deals with rejection, failure, and searching for work. It features all sorts of interviews with more than 25 women in a variety of fields all about their experiences, providing you with new ways to think and cope with career changes, challenges, and triumphs. All these empowering, diverse stories serve as confidence-building inspiration to help facilitate your own growth and coping mechanisms. So, obviously, this is far from my usual type of read, but after everything that’s happened post-COVID, I want to grow more, and this book is a huge help full of advice to pick yourself up and keep going.

It makes you realize that your feelings of rejection are far from unique, and it is OK, but that doesn’t mean you should give up because of it. The format per interview includes an intro about their background, a first-person account of their rejection story, and then their key tips. This book, now more than ever, is so important to show women that nothing is worth giving up on our dreams and to stay strong. The end also features a workbook of seven exercises the reader can complete to help deal with and process their feelings. before moving on. To me, this book promotes strength and confidence.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: April 6

Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle*

I absolutely adored this author’s first book, the five-star You Deserve Each Other, and so, I was instantly excited about picking up her second novel. Here, Maybell is a big-time dreamer and a hopeless romantic, who often thinks of a romanticized AU to cope with her disappointing and struggling reality.

After she learns she has inherited an estate and surrounding land in the Smokies from her late great-aunt, Maybell sets out to make a new start in this house aka the only happy memory from her childhood. However, when she arrives, she learns the house and grounds are falling apart and that she’s actually the co-inheritor alongside the grouchy yet gorgeous groundskeeper Wesley. It’s hard for her to get Wesley to stop avoiding her and compromise on how to fix up the house, all while trying to attend to Great-Aunt Violet’s dying wishes. These two slowly let their guards down, open up to each other, and get out of their comfort zones to find something totally new together. It sounds very cute, and now that I finished it, that holds up.

This cute, precious novel is full of very descriptive language and details that pull me in. Also, Hogle portrays a genuine, vulnerable portrayal of anxiety which is so authentic and real, yet still so rare in many books out there, and this level of care added such a depth and a raw, authentic layer to Wesley, However, it’s quite a really, really slow slow-burn story that at times, I wished the pacing was accelerated a tad. Then, there’s a couple of sudden jumps between reality and Maybell’s AU scenes, which can be confusing at times. That being said, this one-sitting read is very romantic, indulging, and sweet. It kept me alert and intrigued to just find out what happens next immediately after I started. While in my eyes this can’t top my love for Hogle’s first book, I still very much enjoyed this cute romance.

Rating: Four Stars

Available: April 6

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

9 New Books I Can’t Stop Thinking About

Posted in Miranda's Book Nook by

We already got a peek at some of my latest 2021 reads already on here, and guess what? That’s not even half of it! Welcome back to Miranda’s Book Nook as I share some of the 2021 book titles I can’t get enough of and which ones should be on your radar through the end of this year and into the next. Happy reading, y’all!

The Fangirl’s Guide to the Universe by Sam Maggs

OMG, this handbook for geek girls is so much fun!! It’s a fun, uplifting guidebook is for all the unapologetic fangirls out there, no matter what you stan. This book is for the fangirls and guys that are living their best stan lives passionately and free.

Author Sam Maggs writes from her own fangirl experience, which makes the book all the more realistic. With her first-person essays and lists, the book is chock full of empowering and informative language, plus fun, cute illustrations and graphics. Lololol, like, I love this book already. It’s all about finding your geek tribe and then embracing this weird, wonderful geek life. Then, Maggs also interviews some of the top geek girls who use fandom in their careers, which is so cool to see their takes on the fandom world. All in all, it’s all about embracing your inner fangirl loud and proud, which I love to see it. This cute and fun nonfiction book focuses on being a geek girl feminist and how to bring change to the geek world, which I loved to see too. Fangirls unite, it’s time to suit up and change the universe!

Available: Now

A Royal Disaster by Jennifer Bonds

I was looking for a happy regal romance to transition my TBR and this book was exactly that. The book follows Elena (aka Lena), a nickname that’s used interchangeably, who’s sworn off dating following a bad breakup and undercover prince Liam in dual back and forth perspectives.

After a disastrous meet-cute, it’s clear these two have so much heat and banter between them. When paparazzi pictures of the two of them go viral, he proposes a fake dating scheme to get the press off their backs and get his parents off of the idea of an arranged marriage right now. Ok, so like Lena repeatedly says “Ay Dios Mio” throughout the book, and that’s the only applicable reaction to reading this steamy romance novel. It’s a fun and quick one-sitting read, and boy, does it bring the heat because there’s so much tension between them, like things had to explode, and damn, did they! It’s smutty and good fun for a romance. I did get so wrapped up in the story that I just couldn’t put it down and ended up devouring it in one sitting. Sure, it’s predictably cheesy but it’s just so darn cute as is. And then, that HEA gave me so many damn butterflies in the pit of my stomach. Like, in general, I do love a good royal romance, it’s truly my favorite trope, and this was the perfect addition to that squad of books. It was so cute, and I just need a full freaking series with the continuation of their love story. Right now.

Available: Now

Survival of the Thickest by Michelle Buteau

This book of essays from comedian and actress Michelle Buteau is all about her life and journey, peppered with a conversational tone and language as almost like if she’s in element doing a standup routine.

I’ve found her comedy bits from The Circle or 2 Dope Queens to be amusing, so I was intrigued by the prospect of her own book. It’s an authentic memoir of essays, where everything she writes and experienced is quite funny because it’s relatable as heck. A fun, lighthearted celebrity memoir read.

Available: Now

 

Mr Right Across The Street by Kathryn Freeman

I was looking for a fun, contemporary British romance, and I got that. Here, Mia has recently moved to Manchester for a fresh start from her disastrous dating life. Then, she notices her hunky neighbor across the street has begun to leave her notes in his window since both their spare rooms face another. He’s Luke, a bar owner with his own issues but by helping to show Mia the town sights, he sees what real romance can be. Because he’s just besotted.

The book is told through back-and-forth dual perspectives, and the two of them have such banter down pat. Soon, they start exchanging messages through the windows, and a friendship develops. It’s a cute slow-burn romance full of fun language and fun, delicious banter that I can’t get enough of. Sure, this book is a bit slow to start and really get into, but it does get a lot better and cuter. I love a good “nerd and cool kid” romance story, and this one is just positively cute and fun. The ending is very sweet too, like giving me butterflies type of good.

Available: January 22

You Were Made For Me by Jenna Guillaume

This YA romance was delightful, fun, and just plain cute. Here, less than popular Katie and her best friend Libby sort of, accidentally, sculpted and baked a perfect teen boy replica who then magically came to life. And it turned out that, once real, he was a super devoted boyfriend to the never been kissed Katie.

It’s described as a modern, feminist retelling of the eighties cult movie Weird Science, and just by the description, I could tell this would be super cute and fun. Which it was. The book’s written like a post-experiment diary from Kate, with interjections by Libby, as they recount this story in the first-person perspective. Sure, it’s a bit slow to start before the boy they make, Guy, comes to life. But once he does, it ramps up and I just find myself so compelled by the language that I have to know what happens next. Sure, this premise is completely off-the-wall bonkers, but I’m actually into it. It’s just a fun and cute YA. A great one-sitting read. Then, there’s Theo, the boy next door who definitely, positively has a crush on her but she doesn’t see it, and also the most popular boy in school who she’s always liked. So, there’s a whole bunch of things happening here. But in the end, it was such a cheesy, cute teen romance, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Available: April 1

Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron

Before I started this read, I was in the mood for an adorable, fluffy contemporary romance with a little steam as a transition read for my TBR, and this book delivers on that front.

Here, the main character Reena sets up a fake engagement with her new neighbor Nadim in order to enter a couples’ only baking competition. So, we’ll get that ole reliable fake date trope to keep us occupied. Nadim is instantly described as a “brown Captain America” which, like, what a solid description lololol with a British accent. He moves to Canada to work for her father and they’re set to have an arranged marriage, which she’s not interested in. Each chapter reads quite quickly with tone and language that pulls you in. It’s captivating and relatable, a book I could hardly put down. It’s a fun, indulgent romance read with a number of laughable scenes. Also, OMG the Buffy jokes were on point at the end. LOL, unexpected but, like, well done.

Overall, this book was juicy and dramatic that I got so invested in the storyline and these characters. Then that HEA actually gave me butterflies in my stomach, so yes, it is darn cute. It’s just so precious and so much fun.

Available: March 2

The Girls Are All So Nice Here by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn

This psychological thriller and women’s fiction novel follows former best friends Ambrosia and Sloane (aka Amb and Sully) as some mysterious letter forces the two girls to reunite to find someone who wants to get revenge for some dark deed they did ten years ago at their college reunion. It starts with an intriguing, mysterious hook that has me so curious from the get-go that had me so interested to keep reading. This book flashes between the reunion in the present day and Amb’s freshman year when the incident went down and what led to its occurrence. Once Amb and Sully get letters summoning their attendance at the reunion, they find out they’ve been stuck in the same room but who did that and is stalking them, or what do they want? This book has so many juicy bombshells and insane reveals that had me on the edge of my seat. It’s so mysterious and I was just so desperate to find out more with all of its unexpected and unpredictable twists that gave me such can’t-put-it-down vibes at nearly 3 in the morning. Whoopsie daisy.

Then, that epilogue. Like, what the heck, it seriously had the biggest twist of them all and I just wanted to scream at ****** for their lack of trust and not believing the truth, and what actually had happened was just so freaking messed up and ***** was so freaking bonkers and bizarre to do this whole thing, like geez, hun, why didn’t you just move on rather than basically try to Single White Female anyone, eesh. But wow, that’s a pretty damn good mystery novel then. I mean, as a non-mystery fan, like holy freaking hell, I can’t believe all that went down and that was so surprising, and also the language was just so captivating that I got so into it.

Available: March 9

The Flipside of Perfect by Liz Reinhardt

I had no earthly idea what to expect when I first was approved for this book on NetGalley, and now that I’m on the other side of this read, I was quite surprised with how cute and realistic it was, and how much I enjoyed it! Here, the main character Adelaide has divorced parents, and when she splits her time between their homes across the country, she takes on opposite personas.

With her mom, stepdad, little sisters, and school friends in Michigan, she’s the proper, perfect, good girl AJ. Then, with her dad and older siblings down in Florida over summer breaks, she’s the more free-spirited and fun Della. These separate worlds, while both her, do not have any overlap whatsoever, until the summer after junior year. While she’s at her dad’s, her younger sister Marnie unexpectedly comes to stay with them, and she must realize who she actually is and how to merge her separate lives. It’s almost as if she lives parallel lives and doesn’t know who she really is or how to merge her complete self into one.

This book has such an engaging, compelling, and relatable point of view, and it’s a quick, fun YA read that I couldn’t put down. I just had to know what would happen next! Then, there’s Della’s former childhood nemesis Jude, who works for her dad in Florida. And the two of them are so dang precious with their little crushes and feelings. Like, awww!! Also, he was the only one to know about her two halves and separate personalities, so clearly she trusts him on a whole other level. Seriously, this book was just so flipping cute.

Available: April 6

To Love and to Loathe by Martha Waters

I’m not usually one for historical books, but this was giving me, like, Pride & Prejudice slash Elizabeth-Darcy and Bridgerton vibes, so like, it’s clearly worth a shot. If you are a fan of the Bridgerton series at all, you’ll definitely fall head over heels for this new Regency-set romance.

Here, Diana and Jeremy are enemies of sorts in their upper echelon of English society. They banter and poke each other quite a bit. So much so, that they agree to a wager that the eligible playboy bachelor must marry within the year or she’ll forfeit one hundred pounds. However, he has a counterproposal for her. Embark on a no-strings-attached, secret affair during his fortnight-long party so she can prove he’s not bad in the bedroom after a former paramour yelled at him that he was. Hahaha, oh I love this book already.

The widowed Diana and Jeremy have so much banter that’s so delicious as a reader. This whole book is so freaking juicy, like, by the prologue alone, I was so into this story! Told through back and forth perspectives, this very enjoyable book is full of witty, captivating language and all the tropey romance goodness. These two characters have a certain level of tension between them, told through all their banter, that’s so delicious to watch play out on the page. It’s a compelling read, and one I just couldn’t put down. Sure, it all ends quite predictably but it’s still fun and cute nonetheless.

Available: April 6

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

Get Ready for 2021 With These 8 Hot New Winter Book Releases

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With the dumpster fire that is 2020 almost in our rearview mirror, it brings all the hope and promise of a new year. One reason I love a new year is thinking of all the new books that will be released that I can read! Ahh, sounds heavenly, doesn’t it?

I’ve started on my 2021 TBR list a bit early (thanks a million, NetGalley!), and I can already tell my little personal library is going to be overflowing with new titles this upcoming winter. Settle in for another installment of Miranda’s Book Nook as I share some of the 2021 book titles coming out this winter and just I can’t get enough. Happy reading, y’all!

You Have a Match by Emma Lord

It’s time to start off with a five-star read, y’all! After the adorable cheesy teen romance that was Tweet Cute, I’m already looking forward to Lord’s follow-up novel. Oh, and this one is set at a SLEEPAWAY CAMP. Instant interest from me. (#CampGirl 4 Life!) Like, I loved all the camp activities and friendships (Savvy, Mickey, Finn, and Leo know there’s nothing like camp besties, and now I just wanna call my BW sisters!) because it reminded me of my best days as a BW girl and how those days at camp with my fellow camp sisters were some of my all-time favorite memories.

Okay, to be quite honest, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read this book at first because I thought the author’s first book, Tweet Cute, was just alright and not *totally* my type of read. But, now I can’t imagine not having read You Have a Match, and in a way, it’s made me feel closer to my grandfather, who’s my own version of the character Poppy. And after every single page, it’s clear this book rightfully deserves this five-star rating and a coveted place on my must-buy TBR list once it’s published. 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. At the opening of the book, she’s still mortified about her almost-kiss with him months ago because it turned out, he didn’t feel the same and she was crushed. Then, it turns out, he’s working in the kitchen at the same camp and seems very excited they’ll be spending the time together, like in a certain eyes-twinkling, heart-fluttering way?? But because boys are stupid, Leo makes my head spin as it’s evident he does like her but is either pretending or hiding it really well, and gah, I don’t know what’s going on here. Then, also at camp, we meet Finn, the bad-boy camper Abby’s age who has a Hot Boy Name, so love triangle, here we go.

This book is just so much fun and I actually cannot put it down, staying up way too late in two nights just to finish it. Then, we get so much juicy drama and a big family secret that overshadows romance for a bit, and things escalate that make me actually want to ship Abby and Leo at screaming and squealing levels, because that definitely happened. Things get super heartwrenching, and gut-punching emotional that I’m legitimately in tears when it’s revealed all their grandfather did for the girls. It actually makes tear up because Poppy really resonates with me to my core about my late grandfather. I just want to say that books typically do not make me cry, but this 100 percent did because of Poppy and my own life. But enough about me, back to this read. That ending was absolutely precious and so darn cute that my cheeks still hurt from smiling so much. Like, Leo’s big monologue at the end had me literally squealing at 2 in the morning over its sheer adorableness! I wasn’t sure about Leo as a love interest and a book boyfriend to start, but by the end, we got to see inside his heart and he won me over and proved to be good enough for Abby. So, I approve. And gah, that epilogue was so damn cute.

Overall, I’m not quite sure how to put this book into words. It’s 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. Like, with all that, this has to be five stars and I have to buy it once it’s released this January, I have to.

Available: January 5

Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant

Here was another YA romance that I was looking forward to prior to reading, and boy, did this read deliver! I mean, I still can’t stop smiling now that I reached the ending. The book follows Tessa, a diverse romance writer whose family just moved to Long Beach with her parents, and her older brother who has disabilities. One day, just after the move, her brother Miles intends to prank their neighbor, but when she has to clean up the mess, she meets the dorky, not fashion-savvy Sam wearing a Hawaiian shirt, and it turns out they’ll both be starting at the same art school, and he cooks! (Which, side note, I want those lavender donuts he made for her SO SO SO bad. My stomach is growling right now.) So, it’s clear he’s the dream guy right, because he cooks, huh? Hm, or am I projecting a bit? Oh, well.

It’s such a fun and engaging YA novel that I enjoyed and really got sucked into. I also loved all the YA callouts to classic works from the genre, such as TATBILB, The Hate U Give, and mentioning Sarah Dessen as a queen, like yes, I love my bookish references! Then, there’s the ridiculously handsome Nico in her writing class that is exactly how she pictured her latest manuscript’s love interest. So, love triangle trope time, please! She starts school and with all the anxiety of being the new kid, not knowing anyone, and not feeling like she’s a good enough writer, as the deadlines for her novel writing class pile up, it’s a terrible time for writer’s block, but of course that happens and leaves her feeling like a fraud. Her best friend Caroline, back in Sacramento, helps Tessa devise a plan to get her groove back by having her experience her first love and get a boyfriend, so she can get back to writing her romances.

This book is shaping up to one super cute slow-burn romance, and I’m digging it. We definitely get a fun love triangle, and as she gets closer to the previously unavailable Nico, Sam gets a little makeover moment where Tessa sees him in a whole new light. She and Sam just have such an effortless connection, while Nico is more of a suave, smooth operator who flirts with her, so obviously I’m team Sam, bad Hawaiian shirts, zip-off cargo shorts, and all. After a few introductory chapters, the plot finally picks up and moves faster. Like once I’m into this book, I’m so obsessed and just can’t stop reading until I finish it thanks to its captivating, authentic language. The real romance at the end is just so cute and dear, sweet Sam is just so pure and precious. I mean that homemade ice cream, I swooned. Then, yes there’s a HEA, because of course, but what I loved was that it was more than a romantic love HEA, but also her own self-love and growth, her becoming the best writer she can be, and ahhhh, then she makes her own grand gesture which was just so adorable. But that ending, gah I just wanted more!! The cover’s cute and dreamy, and I love how the ending was more about her self-love and confidence, finding her own voice.

Available: January 5

Love Songs for Skeptics by Christina Pishiris

When I first requested this NetGalley ARC, I suppose I hadn’t thought too much of it, and thought it’d be just a fun, indulgent, and a bit basic for a romance read. But, it definitely wasn’t and I surprised myself with how into this book I was, to like can’t-put-it-down until the wee hours of the morning, it was that surprising, fun, humorous, engaging, cute, and enjoyable.

Here, Zoë is a music journalist and editor for a struggling music magazine in London, which, my surprise over its British setting and UK slang already nudged this read up one star. Hence the title and her bad luck in the dating department, she doesn’t quite believe in love, especially after she fell in her love with her bestie and neighbor Simon in her teen years, but didn’t get a chance to share her feelings before he left the country.

Ever since that moment, she’s definitely bitter towards the whole concept of love, however, one day in the present storyline, some twenty years later, Simon has officially moved back to London, newly divorced, handsome and charming and ever, and it seems he may have some feelings for our girl Zoë? Between this new relationship on the horizon, Simon’s once-famous ex-girlfriend popping up in their lives, a cocky music publicist blackmailing and flirting with Zoë, and her brother’s upcoming big Greek wedding; man, there’s a lot happening at once. (I would just like to point out that Zoë first describes Nick as “sexy AF,” so obviously there’s gotta be something there to that potential romance story.) Despite all this happening in the story, I still enjoyed this read. It was fun, relatable, engaging, made me laugh and cringe, and also want to scream out ‘what the heck is happening??,’ much like dating IRL. And seriously, boys like Simon are why I have trust issues and they just do my f***ing head in, geez! There are so many funny, relatable quips that keep me wanting to read more. I just got so wrapped up and invested in this story, so captivated by all the characters and the drama.

This book had a compelling and relatable point of view. We also get plenty of tropes between two love triangles, enemies to lovers, and falling in love at a wedding. It was just so hard for me to put it down because I just wanted to continue it until I finished this fun romp of a romance book. It’s all good fun, until about a hundred pages from the end where things unexpectedly get super heavy and dramatic, adding turns that were anything but predictable, but I was captivated by everything. It’s also clever how the chapter names are all applicable song titles, which make sense in a full-circle moment at the end. It’s not just a romantic love story, but a self-love story as Zoë figures who she is and what she really wants. Like, she may be a skeptic when it comes to love, but within an hourlong scene, she’ll have two men dropping L-bombs at her. Then, by the end, things it super soapy and messy, but it was plain, good fun. In her HEA, once she figures out her own desires, we do get that grandiose, sweeping romantic moment that was so darn cute, I couldn’t stop smiling. It’s more than a romance book and that’s what I was drawn to about this read. Also, she and Nick definitely have so much freaking chemistry and banter that I love to see in a romance and it is so dang amusing as a reader. In the end, it was just so entertaining and fun to read.

Available: January 19

Make Up Break Up by Lily Menon

In this steamy romance novel set in LA, Annika and Hudson (which, hello Hot Boy Name alert) are work rivals after they both develop dating-centric apps, and just by that core detail, it’s evident we’re about to get a delicious enemies to lovers romance here. Menon’s novel features witty language and smart female protagonists, which like yes, please! So, Annika is the CEO of her app “Make Up,” which specializes in helping couples stay together, while Hudson is the CEO of his already-more-successful app “Break Up,” which hires terminators to break up with your partner on your behalf. With her business on the verge of failing, Annika’s last hope is to win a pitch competition for a major influx of capital. Which, surprise, he needs that money to continue growing his firm. Also, it turns out these rivals already met, when they spent the week at a conference the year prior, hanging out and hooking up. The plot thickens as she believes Hudson stole and tweaked her app idea after the Vegas conference, and then rented the office down the hall from hers on purpose to drive her out of business.

In the workplace, the pair starts to play silly pranks on one another, but you can’t ignore how freaking flirty this dude is to Annika, like come on, this boy’s got a massive crush and then, on the flip side, she can’t stop thinking about that night in Vegas. It turns out Hudson’s just a good guy that likes the girl and less of an enemy, which like, it’s so predictably cute. He’s basically a lost puppy dog following her around, just blindly in love. And this book is Annika attempting to catch up to him.

The book’s slow-burn and banter are paced exactly right that’s teasing, but still intriguing that you want to keep reading. Speaking of their love story, man, Annika and Hudson have so much fiery chemistry and that massive spark, even when she goes on another date, it’s clear what these two have together. That spark’s on fire and it’s electric. It might be predictable in terms of plot and tropes, but I loved it all the same, in part to these dynamic characters. It’s a quick, all-consuming, can’t-put-it-down romance read that I finished in one sitting.

Towards the end, this book does get super emotional and vulnerable, and full of heart. But in the end, I don’t know why, but I was literally laughing out loud at the real reasons they both made their apps. But yeah, that was such an engaging, witty romance that I definitely, very much enjoyed. The HEA was just adorable, but I just wanted more. A flash-forward, an epilogue, something more.

Available: February 2

Love in English by Maria E. Andreu

First off, Balzer + Bray is fast becoming one of my favorite new publishing imprints for telling witty, compelling, and diverse YA stories about complex teen protagonists with adorable first love tales, so I’m already excited about this read from the get-go.

Here, Ana and her mom just moved to the US from Argentina to join her dad who had already gotten settles. The book picks up on the 16-year-old’s first day of school, and she’s nervous and homesick. Ana is a poet who just hasn’t found the right words in English since immigrating. Immediately, we meet Harrison, a cute boy from her math class who’s like “Netflix series cute,” she’s smitten because of his dashing looks, and of course, he’s in a band. Also, he needs a math tutor and she excels in math, so it’s a perfect fit. Then, she meets Neo from Cyprus in her ESL class. who also knows very little English, even less than she does, and he’s mysterious but slowly they bond over first-time viewings of classic American teen movies and New York City. So, it’s clear there’s a love triangle brewing.

This book is slow to start, but I just want to know more because it does have such an intriguing point of view that we seldom think about as native-born Americans. Ana’s inner thoughts about the English language are amusing and relatable because English is a weird, funny, and complicated language. It’s neat how the author used repeating pound signs in the middle of sentences to show what Ana’s perspective is like and how she knows some words but not all the words we often say in a conversation. As Ana gets to know both boys, she and Neo are just so pure and beyond precious, like it’s adorable. Now, things may get lost in translation with him, but they have a lot in common. This book is not just her love story with a boy or two, but her love story with America, trying new things, and embracing a new culture. It’s absolutely precious and adorable.

Available: February 2

Hot British Boyfriend by Kristy Boyce

NetGalley didn’t have a summary for this book listed when I first requested this ARC, and I didn’t need one to know I had to read this. The title is Hot British Boyfriend, which, like, that’s easily one of my all-time favorite types of love interests, so, um, yes, please. Being such a massive Anglophile and a fan of British love interests, this book immediately had my attention.

And boy, was this quick YA read just as adorable as I could have imagined. Here, Ellie is new to DC after she and her mom just moved to town. The high schooler has an extremely embarrassing, viral moment at a party and her only way to escape that memory for the duration of her senior year is to take the last-minute, open slot on the school’s study abroad trip to England.

As a reader, it is super easy to get insider Ellie’s head and feel deeply for what she’s going through. Now that she’s England-bound, Ellie is dreaming of finding her own British prince charming, which like join the club, girl. Once she arrives at the Manor where the class is studying, she has a meet-cute moment with Dev from her school and he helps her unload her massive suitcases and carry them up the four flights of stairs, and lets her into his inner group of best mates. Then, she meets Will at a flea market in town, and he’s sophisticated, charming, British, and they hit it off and he gets pretty flirty with her. Like, Will is so charming that IDK how, but I really want a British boyfriend now, lol sorry not sorry. So, her friendship with Dev is complicated as she enlists him to tutor her to impress Will, but he doesn’t approve of this snotty boy. It turns out Ellie’s pretending to be a lot of different things to impress Will rather than embrace all her quirks and dorky interests that make her happy. One day, she stumbles upon Dev playing Quidditch and she realizes there’s more to him than just studying, so we get a slow-burn romance with the two of them and a love triangle between the three of them. With the love triangle, both boys like her, however, Dev is the only guy who sees and understands all of her, which makes him too pure for this world.

This read is very captivating and downright adorable, it’s absolutely precious, and I cannot stop smiling. In addition to love, she’s made some very good friends here and had excellent travel adventures, and now I feel all the wanderlust and miss London so freaking much. By the end, once Ellie stops thinking about what she thinks she wants, she realizes what she actually wants and needs, in terms of love, friendships, and her plans. It’s so cute! Also, where do I sign up to get a Hot British Boyfriend now, because I really want one?

Available: February 9

The Night We Met by Zoë Folbigg

This was a sweet, vulnerable, and emotional women’s fiction novel. Set in England, we start in the present when 43-year-old Olivia is in the hospital, on hospice, where she has cancer. While she knows she’s dying, her husband Daniel refuses to give up hope and isn’t ready to lose his wife. Time’s running out for his fashion designer wife and he has been frantically working to find a solution that’ll save her. Knowing she doesn’t have much time left, she asks her journalist hubby to write down their love story so he can tell their two daughters when she’s gone. So, based on that alone, this book starts off super heavy but definitely captivating.

Most of this read is told in flashbacks as we see the story of how they met. In the past, over the course of several years, Daniel kept seeing her around while traveling post-graduation in Australia and New Zealand, when she was in college in London, when he visited her in Milan when she went back home. Over and over again, he was mesmerized every time he saw her in a bunch of near-meetings. We also see Daniel starting off his career after Australia and NZ, plus years earlier when Olivia first got sick and started her treatment. This book features such rich language that plays out like a movie in my head and I can totally see their story unfold. However, all the back-and-forth between 2017, 1996, and 1998 is really abrupt, and it should have been in chronological order rather than just jumping around.

In the book, Daniel was always captivated by this elusive, wild creature that she was and in the present has a deep fear of losing her and will do anything to make sure he doesn’t. The book is written in the third person, but it’s primarily Daniel’s point of view, however, occasionally it switches to Olivia’s or her friend Mimi’s, which comes almost out of nowhere and a bit choppy. Even though it’s a really slow-burn love story, you can tell Daniel always just had eyes for Olivia. Even though, predictably, it ends tragically, the epilogue aims to put a meaningful, optimistic spin on this unexplainably sad moment and show how they’ll always love Olivia as they move forward because she accomplished so much she loved in her short life.

Available: February 11

All Girls by Emily Layden

This is an honest coming-of-age story, full of captivating and descriptive language. This novel is set in the middle-of-nowhere Connecticut at an elite, all-girls boarding school called Atwater. The book starts on the opening day and continues throughout the year, all the way up until graduation and covering all of the school’s important traditions.

Starting on the first day at the school, a former student’s rape allegation starts to get media traction, and it seems like the school is covering things up to save the reputation of a beloved, accomplished teacher by discrediting this alum. The book follows a group of girls starting the school year, from freshman to seniors, and each of their different perspectives and backgrounds as they try to find out the truth that their school’s been hiding for years. We follow various girls from different classes, cliques, who all have different coming-of-age journeys. There, we start with the student newspaper as they try to figure out what happened and how the administration is handling everything. Then, one student hacks into the school newspaper and Instagram pages to post these anti-assault messages that the school tried to censor. Which, like, boo to that school. It’s a captivating mystery trying to deduce what happened and how each girl can relate the alum’s story to their own life and how big of an issue assault and rape is as young women.

Available: February 16

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

9 End-of-the-Year Book Releases That’ll Have You Obsessed All Fall/Winter Long

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As fall has swept in already, I’ve been trying to keep busy by updating my personal library with all sorts of new books, organizing my bookshelves in a color-coordinated rainbow order, ordering a personal library stamp and affixing it on each novel on my shelf, and of course, reading every day and night. Some of these books have made me weep, scream, smile, and, well, feel all of the feels, both good and bad.

So, welcome back to Miranda’s Book Nook with even more of my latest book recommendations that’ll keep you company as 2020 winds down. I hope you find these books as engaging and comforting as I have. Happy reading!

Majesty by Katharine McGee

As you may recall from a previous post or my endless social posts, I was absolutely obsessed with American Royals. So much so, in fact, that I finished the chunker of a royalty YA novel in a single day. A couple hours, even. (Which, I’d like to report has occurred yet again with this follow-up.) After the first novel ended on such a freaking cliffhanger, I knew I needed to read the eventual sequel, like, immediately just to find out what happened and to make sure that my beloved ship of Connor and Bea were still motherf***ing endgame, or I was prepared to literally throw something. Sure, they may be from different stations in life, but that doesn’t matter because it’s love. They needed to be together, and I demand that courtesy as such a fan. We’ll get to that later.

The YA sequel picks up pretty much where we left off and takes us to the king’s (their dad’s) somber funeral. Then, we jump ahead a mere six months later as the royal family attempts to grieve slash move forward, and Bea attempts to figure out her next steps as the reigning queen. Since no one in the book even knew about my beloved ship (which, like, boo!), they kept trying to push Bea’s wedding to Teddy sooner, because god forbid we have an unmarried queen! Also, please god no, I need her not to do the “proper” thing and not shut the door on Connor and their love story, as he’s done nothing but support, love, and be there for his longterm love. Also, I was super ready to have some flipping words with Connor as the reader, because, dude, you need to get your girl, however, you need to. Not the queen, but his Bee. He needs to snap her out of this pretend world she’s attempting to go through the motions and woo her all over again, for them and their true love. And boy, he flipping better. Or, I swear. (Seriously, he’s just so precious and perfect, all this sh*t between the two of them is killing me! Bea, ugh, if you don’t marry him then I will!)

The book still features the same multiple stories, but I’m still primarily drawn to Bea’s perspective because that’s the one love story and journey that rang the most heartfelt, genuine, and long-lasting to me from the first book. However, ugh, Beatrice is acting so dumb. She’s the queen, like she shouldn’t have to get married and spoiler alert, she could change the rules of the game, because she’s in charge. I just want her to do something and follow her heart. Like, how can she govern a nation if she can’t follow her own desires? I’m pissed at both her and Connor by now. Thank gosh for our other perspectives and leading ladies to fill in on the true love department.

I literally couldn’t stop reading, as I was onto chapter six within about twenty minutes of starting this novel on pub day. I just couldn’t put it down until I found out what would happen next. I’m just so captivated, even if Bea doesn’t rightfully realize she wants and needs Connor in her life. So, the book continues and we see the other ladies too: Sam is embracing her role as The Spare since her love Teddy is still marrying her sister and so she starts partying more, her bestie Nina wants to move on from her breakup with Jeff, and Daphne still will do whatever it takes to marry Jeff and secure her family’s status. Sam gets her own love story this time around with her unexpected pairing with new character Marshall, but hey, that old fake dating trope always works! It’s beyond cute, and the same with Nina and Jeff’s pal Ethan. However, Bea and Teddy are a thing here. I just cannot deal because I’m such a hardcore Bea+Connor shipper and like, all their history and passion can’t just disappear overnight to me, at least. I just feel that their story just isn’t over and I just can’t move on.

So, the ending (beware of spoilers, but the book’s already been out for a hot minute, so likely you could’ve already read it for yourself). I am glad that Bea called off the wedding because she didn’t need to be married at 22 anyway just so she can be queen, but like, I’d be very happy if sometime in the future, she and Connor could somehow find their way back to each other because I can feel that their story isn’t concluded just yet. The whole book just felt like the author was trying to force Teddy on us by making Bea fall for him, but that wasn’t the book I wanted and yearned for, because Connor was everything to her. Also, she didn’t even like Teddy, and until she was like “well, better get to know my fiance because me leaving him killed my dad and we need a royal wedding,” and like no, that’s not a good enough reason for me. But, I guess American Royals was Bea’s big, shippable love story and Majesty is the place for Nina and Sam to be the stars and find love, which I enjoyed as well, but, like it was harder to enjoy because at the same time I saw my beloved Connor+Bea ship sinking hard and deep, which you can’t get over that so quickly. However, the writing was plenty captivating and there was tons of drama and intrigue that kept me reading.

Available: Now

My Therapist Says: Advice You Should Probably (Not) Follow by @MyTherapistSays*

This Instagram account is one of my favorite meme IG accounts out there because it’s so dang relatable. So, upon hearing the brains behind the account were writing a book, instantly, I knew it belonged on my TBR list. Initially, I was excited to read it as a follower of the @MyTherapistSays Instagram page, often liking memes about reality and anxious moments of life that we all go through.

From the get-go, the brand’s signature sense of humor and tone is on point with the book’s fun, humorous tone that you can immediately deduce from the title alone. The book is designed to provide advice about this crazy journey of life from the Insta-famous ladies and interjections from their real-life therapist. Seriously, I couldn’t stop laughing for the first half of this read, because everything is one hundred percent accurate. Underneath all the humor and jokes, there really are some lovely, deep messages and advice about how to live your best life. Each essay reads quite quick, and who knows, maybe this isn’t the type of read I shouldn’t have started at 11pm at night, because here we are midnight and eighty pages in. Well, we are how we are.

While I enjoyed this ARC, will I read this again? Meh, probably not. Not to say it wasn’t captivating for a self-help, advice book because it was. It had some good tips, and if you follow the girls on Instagram, then you’ll likely get their humor and tone too. For those of you who do follow them, you’ll also likely want to read this, whether you need their advice to help you cope or more often just for a laugh, because hey, life’s quite the dumpster fire now, we need any chance to laugh and feel joy. It’s definitely a book geared towards their followers and millennials like them (and me too). I would have loved an introduction upfront that introduced who’s writing this and their qualifications, but it dives straight into everything and assumes the reader already knows them. So, their existing followers is definitely the sole target audience. On that note, the IG page is notoriously run by a group of friends, but here, it’s written in the “I” tone, which is addressed at the end but not the beginning, which is a bit confusing. For me, as a reader, I was confused who’s viewpoint the essays were about throughout the book.

I thought this book would be like a collection of their IG, but it’s not. It’s the same commiserating tone, sure, but there’s no real way to improve yourself or no research to back up any of their claims. Which, it all comes out a bit preachy to me. However, I did think the language was funny and the designs/graphics/journal pages were cute, but that’s it. That being said, the goal-setting part was actually decent for self-growth and the anxiety checklist is helpful, but that’s about it. And I do appreciate the section on addressing insecurities, but nothing actually motivates me to attempt to better myself just from reading. The self-care lessons of this only really work if you’ve already done the work on yourself, but by no means should this be a starting point for self-improvement. Overall, it’s pretty negative and, like, just pointing out all you’re doing wrong without offering any real self-improvement messages.

Available: October 6

The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss*

Even though it’s late summertime as of reading this galley or fall at the time of publishing this post, this romance book has me yearning for winter, hot chocolate, and cozy sweaters! By page one, I knew this was a book that was right up my alley. I mean: British setting, romance, and the holidays? Check check and check! Here, Kate and Matt have been old friends since childhood, and like, it’s clear they have to fall in love, right? But, the timing’s not quite right. Tired of her horrible dating luck, she (at the urging of her best friend) signs up for a matchmaking dating service, and hence the book’s title, she’ll go different blind dates before the holiday. The primary focus of the book is all about her bad dates and horrible dating luck, which, like, Kate, you are preaching to the choir on that one!

As I kept reading, it was already shaping up to be a fun, indulgent, and very cute holiday romance read. The concept is quite a good idea, however, the execution fell a bit, I don’t know, meh. It’s cute and all, but that’s pretty much it. And then, it is a super, super slow burn for the HEA in a romance. Like, I just wish the pace was quicker because it felt like some parts kept dragging on. It’s a predictably cute holiday romance and that’s the whole book basically. Nearly approaching the end of the story, after all her bad dating luck over and over again, it’s clear that best pal Matt is her only decent option even if they don’t know it yet. It all becomes painfully clear for the reader that they are meant to be, but the slow pace means we’re not there yet, and you are just hoping for some type of HEA to make all her troubles and heartache worth it, even if it is just self-worth and friendship. Besides, Matt is really the only decent option that could potentially give her love (Soz, Richard. You gave me such offputting and smarmy vibes any time you were on the page. Blech!), and that’s painfully clear. TBH, I was quite cynical going into this read and reading about these trash dating options and how predictable everything was, but I can’t deny that the ending made me smile because it was just so damn adorable.

Available: October 13

Fangirl, Vol. 1 by Rainbow Rowell, Sam Maggs*

For anyone that used to obsess over Rowell’s Fangirl back in the day, which, um, guilty, this manga adaptation is the perfect way to reinvent the novel. The graphic novel features all sorts of detailed pictures that really bring the story to life and tells the vivid story we all know well by now, and this way you can actually see these characters face to face and not just in your head!

In case this concept is all new to you, here’s a brief summary. The main character Cath is a huge Simon Snow fan, like the world, but she just can’t let go of the fandom and even is a popular fanfic writer. Now that she and her twin sister Wren are in college, she must decide if she’s ready to start living her own life, and if she does, will she leave the world of Simon Snow behind? She’s far outside her comfort zone now, as she meets all sorts of new people, including a moody roommate with an overly charming boyfriend, a writing professor who doesn’t like fanfiction, and a cutie-pie new writing partner.

This read is definitely for fans of the original novel and not newbies to the book. But that being said, it’s definitely fun to see Cath’s story and her fanfics with my own eyes and not just in my mind. It reads very quickly, and you can definitely finish this edition in a single setting slash day. It just fun and enjoyable! This Vol. 1 does end on such a cliffhanger, and I just want the next editions like now!

Available: October 13

Together, Apart by Erin A. Craig; Auriane Desombre; Erin Hahn; Bill Konigsberg; Rachael Lippincott; Brittney Morris; Sajni Patel; Natasha Preston; Jennifer Yen*

This was everything I’ve needed to stay sane and happy during lockdown. Nine acclaimed, witty, and popular YA authors did what they do best and wrote short stories starring diverse and complex teens facing the pandemic, lockdown, and adorable first love stories.

In short, each story was equally compelling and told a complete story with an interesting protagonist who learns that love always finds its way. The characters and storylines are all relatable, endearing, and engaging which make the story so much fun, authentic, and beyond precious that I just want more content and updates to each one!

There’s one about a cute pizza delivery boy who gives the new girl in town a free book and cake which like winning already; one where a girl is desperate to impress her crush on TikTok; two dog walkers getting closer; a new boy in town who can’t stop thinking about the girl next door; an enemies-to-lovers sitch from across apartment balconies; an unexpected romance that stems from a fortune reading and a take-out order; a flirty exchange begins over two balcony herb gardens, a roommate enemies-to-lovers journey; and a mask-making entrepreneur and her famous crush. There’s something for every romance fan, and it’s just absolutely adorable and heart-melting. They are all so freaking cute in their own way between the love stories and the HEAs, and I’m obsessed and just want more of each story. Like, for example, Erin Hahn’s story had me literally jumping up and down on my bed at the big, sweeping, and romantic as hell reveal and HEA, like, OMG, that’s so freaking cute!

After reading all nine, it’s like, ugh why couldn’t that have been my quarantine? Lol, I’m so single over here. But, hey, I’ll settle for getting sucked in and reading about these quarantine love stories rather than wishing for one of my own. Probably a lot easier to manage my expectations if I’m reading about someone else’s experiences than dreaming of that in mine. Also, a lot of these characters’ parents are essential workers, so this short story collection is a nice shoutout to the true heroes of the pandemic. Woohoo, three cheers!!

Available: October 20

Instant Karma by Marissa Meyer*

Okay y’all, this was one of the absolute cutest YA romance reads that I’ve picked up in a while, and wow, now that I finished it, I just can’t stop smiling because that was beyond adorable! Here, Quint and Prudence are biology lab partners sophomore year, and she’s been so annoyed with him over his lateness and unwillingness to contribute to their final project (or any assignment all year, really). So, initially, I’m thinking we’re about to get a delish enemies-to-lovers teen novel right here. And boy, did this book deliver on that front!

Quint is cocky, relaxed, and very attractive, so it’s evident he’ll be her love interest, and bingo! But, it’s a slow-burn love story that makes you savor every single early flirtatious moment. Plus, after a nasty bump on her head at karaoke night, Prudence now has some magical, mystical power to enact karma on random people, both good and bad. She can magically give off “instant karma” when people do something as an immediate reaction, like if someone litters, talks rudely about her twin brother, or helps take care of wounded sea animals. All in all, everything about this makes for an absolutely precious YA book that’s so easy to get sucked in and just keep reading. The book takes place during summer break as she’s determined to get Quint to help redo their science project for a better grade, and he only agrees if she’ll volunteer at his mom’s marine life rescue center for a few weeks and actually split the project work with him, since she hadn’t all year long. Then, all this karmic justice gives her such a power trip, juxtaposed with spending more time with Quint at the center to teach her about his world and other perspectives in this book.

It’s a quick, easy, and fun YA romance read about the power of fate. The romance part is quite the slow burn, where you wonder if either of them will actually make a move, but in a cutesy teen love story way that’s sweet and endearing. Then, that ending was like beyond f***ing cute, and like awww, my heart is most definitely melting from that HEA. So sweet.

Available: November 3

The Cul-de-Sac War by Melissa Ferguson*

Unfortunately, this book missed the mark for me as an absolute favorite, which is a shame because based on the summary, it felt like one that was right up my romance-loving alley. In this novel, Bree moves to a small town in Virginia to pursue a career as an actress with a local theater company in her grandma’s hometown. There, she meets Chip during a show while she was having a wardrobe malfunction. She ran off the stage to fix it, where she stumbled into his arms and he heroically duck-taped her costume in place for the remainder of the show. He’s already saved her within a few minutes, so obviously she becomes infatuated with him.

Her BFF is Cassie from The Dating Charade, the author’s previous work, which is always fun to see old characters return after their HEAs and see they’ve still got them. After the show, she gets pissed that a truck is tailgating her, and follows her home. Naturally, she gets road rage only to discover that the driver is her new neighbor, and it’s construction worker Chip, as in the dude she just met at the show that saved the day. The book is told in back and forth perspectives between and Bree and Chip, who’s just come back to town and is desperate to build his new business and finish his home renovation quickly. The two spend most of the book at odds as his renovation interferes with her house and life, and so they play juvenile pranks on each other. Then, these two definitely warm to each other after expressing similar types of grief they are both dealing with. This book is super slow to start and hard to get into, and as much as I wanted to like it, I just couldn’t find my interest in it, and it didn’t seem as if our two protagonists had any real interest, spark, or chemistry. So, it just fell flat in my eyes. This book was okay, nothing more and nothing less. It’s a sweet, wholesome slow-burn romance, so if that’s your thing, this book is perfect for you.

Available: November 10

Truth, Lies, and Second Dates by MaryJanice Davidson*

No summary, book cover, or book title could have prepared me for this read because I didn’t see any of this story coming. And I loved that. It wasn’t too predictable that made me yawn, but kept me on my toes to desperately find out what happens next. This book is a mystery slash romance that follows commercial pilot Ava Capp, who reveals that her best friend Danielle was brutally murdered a decade ago, and became one the of biggest cold cases back in her hometown in Minnesota.

In the present, Danielle’s twin brother and Ava’s former crush, Dennis, is on her flight back to MN with his (distant) cousin-slash-girlfriend. He asks her if she’s going to Danielle’s memorial service, which she doesn’t want to but goes anyway. After a crazy day, she and Dennis go out on the town where she meets Tom. Dennis disappears for the night, and later, she and Tom get cozy and share an intimate makeout sesh, naturally. Turns out, the next day there was an incident at the funeral home, so she and Dennis are called in to check out the scene. And who’s there but TOM, our new leading man, who’s a whip-smart medical examiner and has taken an interest in Danielle’s cold case and solving her murder. (Only thing that gave me pause from this book was that Tom has a niece who repeatedly calls him “Uncle Tom” which like IDK if that was the best way to go with naming characters, but that just struck me as odd.) This book is told in back-and-forth perspectives, which were a little jumpy because we didn’t see Tom’s point of view until after 13 chapters of Ava’s, so it felt a bit jumpy, and I wish it was less abrupt and made more sense chronologically.

I really liked this read because it wasn’t too tropey or predictable for a romance. But, that romance was quite cute as they try to, albeit terribly, hide their feelings. Once there’s a relationship, it’s pretty lukewarm on the hot-and-steamy scale, well, until the buzzer and the final chapters. There’s a few deep makeout moments, but nothing too smutty until the very end. It’s a very intriguing mystery novel and a cute romance that was fun to dive into as well. By the end, obviously, the murder was resolved in a way I didn’t see coming but maybe that’s because I just didn’t remember the person who did it from the earlier chapters. By the end, I just couldn’t put this read down and was desperately waiting to find out what actually happened.

Available: December 15

A Spy in the Struggle by Aya de León*

This was a compelling read that I couldn’t put down and just had to find out what happened next. Here, Yolanda Vance is a junior attorney in Manhattan for a big, fancy corporate law firm, which was under investigation for security fraud, according to the FBI. Instead of shredding papers as her boss asks, she keeps them and becomes a whistleblower for justice. We definitely stan a woman who’s unwilling to throw away her hard-earned career because some man told her to go down with a sinking ship!

She then joins the FBI as a backup plan because she needs a job after she’s blackballed from corporate law for not shredding the papers. This book’s tone is very clear and engaging which gives me all the information about the protagonist yet still makes me need to keep reading. I love Yolanda as a protagonist because she’s strong as hell, like YASSS! Yolanda is just so strong and fierce, which I love to see. It’s so endearing and I just want to keep reading and find out all the action and drama. Back to the story, she’s sent on an undercover mission with a black extremist activist group in California. The book also has a few other perspectives, including a mystery agent who was taken off this case and thinks Yolanda’s not the right fit to take over, plus cop Rodriguez who finds a black woman dead after an OD. These two other viewpoints are a bit much and didn’t add much to the overall story, you honestly could have just had Yolanda’s side and the book would be just fine. But this SA sends redacted emails, which I just want to know all the juicy details.

Outside of all that, Yolanda meets college professor Olujimi aka Jimmy, and the two start flirting, and soon enough, love blinds her to her real job and purpose here. As she spends more time with the organization and Jimmy during the height of the BLM movement, she soon begins to question her values and career, her legality here and ethics, when she realizes she’s on the wrong side of what she wants to be. Also, Jimmy. Let’s talk about him for a bit. He’s so sweeping and romantic, but I can’t tell if it’s a ‘too good to be true’ thing or if he’s completely innocent in all this, I would have loved more backstory and insight into him. Overall, this read was so compelling and full of emotions, that wow, I thoroughly enjoyed that.

Available: December 29

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