10.7.2026 - Home for the Homicides

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press | Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this first in a series novel by the wonderful duo of Elle Cosimano and Hannah Morrissey, with the audiobook perfectly narrated by the cast of Angela Dawe, Colin Donnell, and Patti Murin.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Welcome to Christmas, a town so cozy and charming it could be the backdrop of a Hallmark movie, where crime is never in season and it’s the holidays all year round. So when a tourist is found stabbed to death by an icicle in the middle of the town nativity scene, the local police are out of their depth—after all, how do you find a criminal in a town where crime doesn't exist?  Holly and Mark must solve the crime before the annual Jingle Bell Jubilee festival plus, whichever of them cracks the case will receive a promotion to Major Crimes—and there's only one spot.

This was just plain fun and I loved it - just the Christmas-themed names are worth the price of admission!  I found myself laughing out loud throughout the book, and the audiobook narration just made it all the better.  It's definitely a mystery, but on the lighter side due to all the Christmas shenanigans.  It's a bit bawdy and I can only imagine how much fun these two authors had writing this one.  It's the first in a series, so I'm waiting for the next for sure!

10.7.2026 - Counting Down to You

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine | Dell for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by Emily Stone, always a must read for me.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Christmas was always the favorite time for Ali and her best friend, Robyn.  They would exchange Advent calendars filled with challenges the other had to complete.  But this Christmas, Robyn is gone.  She left Ali one last calendar with a promise to open in December.  The first challenge sends her to the Alps, taking a sabbatical from her job, and agreeing to work as a guest relations manager for a hotel for one month.  An inadvertent selfie with a stranger at the airport leads her coworkers to think she's dating her boss.  It gets complicated from there.

It's never too early for Christmas books, right?  Not when they are written by Emily Stone.  I loved the challenges that Robyn left for Ali, knowing her well enough to get her out of her comfort zone and moving towards a life without her best friend.  There's also some family drama here, as Ali hasn't spoken to her brother in a long while.  The romance angle was perfect, and was a good contrast to the themes of loss and grief.  I loved that the author included some challenges at the end for the reader to possibly undertake this holiday season.

10.7.2026 - Bad Words

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for gifting me a digital ARC of the debut novel by Rioghnach Robinson, this month's Good Morning America book club pick.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Parker Navarro’s debut novel sold at auction for $1.2M and was set to cement his career as an actor.  Then City Magazine book critic Selina Chan’s scathing review made it the flop of the decade.  Four years later, his new book is his shot at redemption;;for Selina, reviewing him again is a professional risk she can’t refuse. When her second takedown ignites a viral feud, both their fortunes shift overnight. But as the literary world feeds on their public sparring, a quieter dialogue begins - one that challenges everything they thought they knew about success, sincerity, and each other.

This is a novel that hits on a lot of points.  As a book lover and reviewer, you can see how easy it could be to get caught up in book blurbs, celebrity book picks, bestseller lists, and let them guide your opinion of a book.  This book explores both sides of that part of the literary world - author and critic - as well as the unfortunate issues of social media weighing in without the full story.  In addition, this is a wonderful romance as well, feeling real and nuanced, and I was rooting for both these characters.  There's also a discussion of family expectations and discourse, mental health, race, and culture.  This would be a perfect book club pick as there is so much to talk about!

10.6.2026 - The Memory of Borrowed Books

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for gifting me a digital ARC of the debut novel by Meg Anderson.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Claire is the librarian in the coastal town of Foxhollow Bay.  When the town announces the plan to shut it down, her life begins to crumble.  One night, while wandering the stacks after hours, she discovers a door that shouldn't exist, and a secret room lies beyond filled with books no one else can see.  Each book pulls her into memories of those who have passed through the doors of the library, and she knows she must do all she can to save the library.

This is a love story to the power of books and libraries in particular.  It's a reminder that every book can be special to someone at a moment in their life, and the library holds the power of more than just books alone.  It's also a story of the power of community and friends to help us when we need them the most.  A wonderful debut and I'm anxious for more from this author!

10.6.2026 - Newbourne Park

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by Jennifer Thorne.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.25 stars!

Martha is ready for a break after years of caring for her dying mother.  When her brother invites her to spend the weekend at the fabulous country estate where his friend works, Martha agrees to go.  She's been assured that security cameras will be off and staff gone.  Martha finally begins to relax.  Until nightfall, when the owner returns and she's not alone.  

This is hard to review without giving anything away, and trust me, it's way more fun to go in with no spoilers.  So don't read the reviews and just read the book!  It's quietly tense and foreboding until it goes way beyond that and veers into horrific!  It's written so well, and I loved Martha's character growth.  This is the perfect October read!

10.6.2026 - Do You See What I See?

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for gifting me a digital ARC of this novella by Peter Swanson.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.25 stars!

Nicholas Child's first book had modest success but he was just dumped by his publisher.  Then, his agent approaches him with an offer - spend Christmas with Marco Tavares, a best-selling author, and his family.  Marco has writer's block and his agent wants Nicholas to get him moving on the right path again.  But a feeling of dread hangs over the seaside house, and each guest has a reason to want their host dead.

A perfect novella that you can finish in one sitting to get you in a bit of Christmas spirit while it's not even Halloween!  I liked the creative way the story was told, with Nicholas narrating, complete with different versions, as he writes his version of events to a police detective.  Plus, there's a wonderful literary theme.  Add this to your Christmas list!

10.6.2026 - Birds of Prey

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers | The Mysterious Press for gifting me a digital ARC of this short story collaboration, edited by CJ Box.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Harlan Coben put out a challenge to a group of highly-successful thriller articles - to pick a bird of prey and write a short story about it.  Trust me - they all stepped up and I loved them all.  Of course, in any short story collection you will like some more than others, but they are all unique and compelling.  Some even have ties to the authors' other books or series, which is fun.  There's an intro by each of the authors before their story, which was also interesting.  Pick this one up for sure!