contemporary

Such Sheltered Lives by Alyssa Sheinmel

This is a twisty mystery/thriller set at an exclusive recovery retreat for the rich and famous. It’s tucked away in the Hamptons and this time Lord Edward, fighting an addiction to pain medication after a terrible accident, Amelia Blue, the daughter of a 90s rock legend struggling with an eating disorder; and Florence Bloom, a pop star trying to lay low after her latest tabloid scandal are the guests. But of course, not everything is as it seems. The patients are treated one-on-one with their own chef, housekeeper, and therapist that all live with them in their private cottage.

Continue reading →

February 8, 2026 0

Embers of You (Amity #1) by Madi Danielle

This is a very sweet, heartwarming contemporary small town romance between dog groomer Sutton and firefighter Jameson. Sutton fled L.A. because of some messed-up family drama and landed in small town Amity, WA. She is hired by a small grooming business which overlooks the town fire department and the hot men that work there, including Jameson. Sutton has no desire to get involved with anyone, but Jameson is intent on wearing her down.

Continue reading →

February 8, 2026 0

Peaches and Pucks by M.A. Wardell

This is a sweet and spicy novella romance between Harry and Darius, two teachers at the same school. Harry agrees to chaperone the boy’s hockey team on a road trip even though he knows nothing about hockey and the gym teacher, Darius, has teased him relentlessly for the last 4 years. But, road trips have a way of lessening inhibitions and when the only room left at the hotel for Darius and Harry has one bed, Harry discovers that not only is Darius not straight (much to Harry’s dismay), but he’s attracted to Harry. The couple connect, but of course, real life gets in the way once they get home.

Continue reading →

February 2, 2026 0

Run for Your Life, Callie Kingman by Alli Frank and Asha Youmans

Callie gave up her career on the east coast to follow her husband’s job to Sacramento, CA for just a “couple years”. Twenty years later her husband dumps her for a new woman with a baby on the way. She’s an empty nester with no job prospects, a mother showing signs of dementia, and is facing a health scare. After taking to her bed and binging on junk food and booze, she realizes she needs to get back to the strong, smart, ambitious woman she started out being at the beginning of her marriage.

Continue reading →

January 18, 2026 0

On Borrowed Time (Blossom Peak #2) by Harlow James

This is book 2 of the Blossom Peak series but can be read as a stand-alone. Henley is surprised by a one-night stand when she drops off a baby in his lap and walks away. It’s currently available on Kindle Unlimited.

This book has great tropes:

🤱surprise baby
👨‍🍼single dad & nanny
✨boss/employee
❤️mutual pining
✨grumpy/sunshine
❤️close proximity
✨small town

Continue reading →

January 18, 2026 0

Inside Man, sequel to Head Cases, by John McMahon

This is the sequel to the book Head Cases, which follows FBI Agent Gardner Camden and his group of FBI misfits in the Patterns and Recognition (PAR) unit. They are nicknamed Head Cases, but the quirky group of agents are brilliant in what they do and tend to solve cases no one else can.

Continue reading →

January 17, 2026 0

Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies by Jenny Elder Moke

Release date Jan. 20, 2026

This is a cute, cozy mystery with a sprinkle of romance. It has most of the same characters in the author’s previous book She Doesn’t Have a Clue but is it’s own standalone mystery. This book centers on ambitious Juliette Winters who is determined to save her struggling publishing company single-handedly by publishing a tell-all memoir from ruthless business magnate Warren Ellingham. Trouble is, he keeps putting off her request for pages from his book, and she’s losing patience.

Continue reading →

January 8, 2026 0

Season of Death (A Barker & Llewelyn #16) by Will Thomas

I really enjoyed this Victorian era historical fiction mystery series and love how the author continues to keep stories fresh and interesting even after 15 books. The book features two private enquiry agents, Barker and Llewelyn, and is set mostly in the East End of London. It comprises mainly working class and immigrants and has a lot of poverty and crime.

Continue reading →

January 8, 2026 0

Most Eligible by Isabelle Engel

3. 5 stars rounded up. Release date 1-13-2026

This is a cute, contemporary romance that takes place on set of a Bachelor-type dating show. Georgia Rose applied and was accepted to be on the reality dating show to write an exposé on the producers, who she suspects of doing horrible things for ratings. What she didn’t expect was to run into her unforgettable one-night stand from the year before, country singer Rhett Auburn, who was the Bachelor in the show the previous year. He’s the season’s new host, and if the producers find out she knows him, all her plans are out the window.

Continue reading →

January 8, 2026 0