Blog Tour: ARC Review In Every Possible Way by Alicia Thompson

 

One woman’s luck changes in an instant when she hits her head and wakes up in Ireland, in this whimsical, whirlwind romance from USA Today bestselling author Alicia Thompson.

After yet another disastrous date where Jess is too awkward, too earnest, too whatever, she’s ready to put her romantic daydreams aside. Other than an enchanting Irish accent, her latest date is no prince charming. Then the night goes from bad to worse when she’s mugged in the parking lot and hits her head. Hard.

Hard enough that when Jess wakes up, she’s in Ireland.

The first person she meets is Eamonn, a quiet, gruff mechanic. Since Jess is stranded with no passport, cell phone, or way to get home, Eamonn becomes her reluctant knight in shining armor.

Over the next forty-eight hours, they meander through the cobblestone streets of Dublin and explore the Irish countryside, sharing their deepest fears, quiet hopes, and softest aches. It’s a connection that is as electrifying as it is terrifying, because what if Jess falls asleep and Eamonn vanishes like a dream? But a love like this—touched by magic and a little bit of luck—is never quite as it seems.

Title: In Every Possible Way

Author: Alicia Thompson

Publisher: Berkely

Expected Publication Date: June 23, 2026

Review:

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I requested this book because and auto-read author of mine was reading it and I needed to see what it was all about. I have not read this author before and was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this. 

I wasn't expecting the speculative/magical realism part of this book. I love these types of books. I loved the unique premise of this one, as well.

There's quite a bit of build up with this book. I loved how it started out, with Jess (the main character) on a date with a guy who absolutely did not deserve an iota of her time. She handled the date with grace but also was a bit of a push over, which pissed me off.

Fast forward to about 25% in and now the story has totally shifted. Jess meets Eamon (through a little dream magic) and we watch their story unfold and shift. Their connection was fairly palpable on the page. I enjoyed watching their chemistry burn, though I did feel like I really could have gotten to know Eamon just a bit more. The entire story is told through Jess's POV and I almost feel like had I had Eamon's  side, I would have understand everything just a little bit more.

I did enjoy their adventures as they made their way through the touristy site seeing spots. But they also had their own experiences which help them get to know one another.

What dropped the rating for this one for me was all the internal monologue from the FMC. At first, it was enjoyable but then as the book went on it got a bit repetitive and annoying for me. I could have done with less of it.

There's a lot of emotion in this book. There are discussions dealing with grief and loss as well and imprisonment. 

There's also an age gap so if that's not your thing, just keep it in mind.

I enjoyed this one a lot and I am looking forward to reading other works from this author.

3.5/5 stars

Author:

Alicia Thompson is a writer, reader, and Paramore superfan. As a teen, she appeared in an episode of 48 Hours in the audience of a local murder trial, where she broke the fourth wall by looking directly into the camera. She currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children.

Annotations:

Also currently under consideration for other superfan distinctions, including but not limited to: Juliet, Naked (the movie), Phoebe Bridgers, Crash Bandicoot, Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael, Tegan and Sara, the audiobook for Sophie Kinsella’s I’ve Got Your Number, and taking really long naps

Does this sound creepy? You should’ve seen my face. It was really creepy.

Yes, I’ve seen an alligator in a neighborhood retention pond.
https://www.aliciathompsonbooks.com/ 

ARC Review: Too Fast to Fall (Fast Track #2) by Karen Booth

 

So what if she’s crushing on a race car driver? That doesn’t mean it’s love at first lap.
But maybe it’s love at first lap dog? 
 
Yesterday, Piper Murphy was just another dog sitter helping her sister with wedding prep while pretending she’s over her own broken engagement.
 
Today, she’s the fill-in dog sitter for Formula One driver Emilio Baquero. Brooding, gorgeous driver + naughty, cute Lab? Woof, down boy.   
 
When Emilio offers her a five-week gig as his live-in dog nanny in London, Piper can’t help but say yes. It’s out of her comfort zone, sure, but it’s also a ticket to travel, racing, and caring for a dog she already adores. All while escaping the wedding planning that’s put her failures front and center.
 
Only being under the same roof means there’s no escaping Emilio’s intensity, or grumpiness. Piper tries to be a sunny presence, but their clashes just fuel the slow-burn tension to something near combustible.
 
Because falling for your boss is risky when you have a broken heart. Falling for your famous boss and his adorable dog? That’s a crash waiting to happen.

Too Fast to Fall is part of the Fast Track series from Karen Booth. Don't miss the first book, Not So Fast. 

Title: To. Fast to Fall 

Author: Karen Booth

Publisher: Harlequin/Harlequin Audio

Expected Publication date: May 16, 2026

Review:

Thank you to Harlequin Audio, Afterglow By Harlequin, NetGalley, and Edelweiss for providing me with an e-copy and audio copy of this title to read and review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I read Booth's first book in this series last year and really enjoyed it. I was excited to be able to read this next installment. There are some cross over characters in this book but it can definitely be read as a stand alone if you're ok with having some relationships spoiled.

I loved that Booth chose to add the POV of Gus, the dog, to this book. His chapters were so fun. He stole my heart from the get go. Overall I'm a big fan of dual POV for a romance. I love to see how each character thinks and perceives what is going on.

Piper and Emilio were perfect grumpy sunshine. Piper has great energy and you can see she loves animals and what she does as a job. Emilio and his cranky personality was jarring at first. But you quickly learn that emotionally he is going through a lot. His life was turned upside down by an event out of his hands. Something that forced him from his prime spot in F1 to dropping way down in the driver ranks. Piper was his perfect match. She slowly rubs off on him and makes him open up and realize his life was what he made it. That he had everything he needed to succeed and just had to believe in himself.

Booth did a great job with the romance in this one. The chemistry builds. Yes, Piper already kind of had a crush on Emilio to begin with; who doesn't love F1 drivers. But then she gets to know him and sees so much more than what he reveals pubicly.

Booth also does a nice job with the F1 content. It's just enough to win over my F1 loving heart but not so much that it interferes with the character building and growth, the way the characters connect, or the romance. 

It was nice to see characters from the first book, as well.

Overall, this story is sweet and cozy with low spice. There were some areas where I had to suspend my disbelief but it was ok because I know it's fiction and it was so much fun. I'm hoping Booth gives us the story of other characters I fell in love with!

Author:

Karen Booth is a Midwestern girl transplanted in the South, raised on 80s music and repeated readings of Forever by Judy Blume. She writes steamy contemporary romance and women's fiction. When she isn't creating fictional hunky men and the women who test them, she's listening to music with her kids, honing her Southern cooking skills or sweet-talking her astoundingly supportive husband into whipping up a batch of cocktails.

ARC Review: Into the Blue by Emma Brodie

 

From the award-winning author of Songs in Ursa Major comes an epic, decade-spanning love story that blazes through the worlds of acting and comedy, and charts a connection so powerful it might just break space and time itself.

In the summer of 2000, AJ Graves dreams of writing for SNL; instead, she’s stuck working in a video rental store, with slim odds of escaping her Massachusetts small town and large family. Then in walks Noah Drew, the enigmatic and intense scion of the Drew acting dynasty, and her life changes forever. Despite wildly different upbringings, the two forge a deep, cosmic bond first as friends, then as acting partners—until one day, Noah disappears without a word.

Seven years later in New York City, AJ is shocked to find herself cast in the same intergalactic TV production as Noah, by then a well-known Hollywood heartthrob. As their on-screen characters grow closer every day, the lines between reality and acting begin to blur. Unable to stay away from each other, AJ and Noah are forced to confront the truth of what happened years ago—and the devastating secret that will send their lives careening apart, even as fate continues to draw them together.

Blending unforgettable characters, explosive chemistry, and devastating emotion, Into the Blue is a journey unlike any other—one that asks: What does it mean to diverge from the script to forge your own story?

Title: Into the Blue

Author: Emma Brodie
Publisher: Ballentine

Publication Date: April 7, 2026

Review:

Thank you to Ballentine and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I came across this title and the blurb just drew me in. I actually received this review copy after publication date so I'd also seen the booked talked about in a few of my online book groups, I often avoid really hyped books as I'm often time disappointed but I love a slow burn long love story and just could not resist this one. I actually had an audio copy from the library so I was able to both listen to this story and read along. The narrator, Julia Whalen, was incredible and perfect for the part. And she does different characters so well.

The main characters, AJ and Noah, were well fleshed out well enough. I felt their emotional connection. They were easy to relate to, as well. I was very frustrated with both of them throughout the book. I do think they could have had a bit more depth to them. There was so much miscommunication that happened that just seemed fairly unnecessary. But it also made the characters that much more real. Emotional things are sometimes so hard to voice and there's always a fear you'll lose the other person if you are too honest with them. I do wish there was a bit more individual growth for them. I honestly couldn't tell you what either of these characters liked outside of each other. I would have loved to see a bit more depth to the side characters, as well. While you get a good sense of Eudora, the other side characters were fairly indistinguishable from one another. That being said, these characters will linger with me for a long time and I am sure I will want to return to them again in the future to see what more I can get from their relationship.

I liked that Brodie chose to give us the characters when they are young and then watch then grow and mature throughout the story. The plot was really just their love story. There weren't really any side plots. All the things that happened throughout the book supported the long time relationship these two characters formed.

The writing was very solid, I have not read Brodie's other book so this is my first time being immersed in her stories and I absolutely enjoyed the way she penned her story, Her descriptions were real and immersed you in the story. I enjoyed her characters who all had distinct personalities.

I will say I'm not much of a theater person so I don't really relate to that part of the story. The acting and improv parts were interesting but I'm not sure I 100% connected with them as I've never immersed myself in that world. But it was interesting to read about and I definitely learned quite a bit about that world.

I do think there were times when the pacing dragged a bit and the story could have been shorter,  The chapters were very long. There was a lot of repetition with the interactions of the characters. The scenes could have been tightened up and the book could have honestly been a bit shorter than it's 400+ pages. But it was still a quick read despite it's length. I rarely wanted to put it down because I just needed to know if these two got their HEA. I will say the ending was not really what I thought it would be. It was nothing epic, nothing mind blowing. And I feel like there could have been a well done epilogue that could have really touched the reader had the author thought to do it, but that's my own opinion. The final chapter wraps things up too well in my opinion given what I think the author intended to be such an emotionally intense story.

On that note, there are some trigger warning that I really think should have been put at the beginning of the book including talk of doctor assisted suicide and terminal illness. 

The one thing that truly bothered me and dropped my rating was the emotional abuse/manipulation that was happening.  It was completely toxic. While I'm sure the intention of the author was to provide a story that was deeply complex there was nothing to indicate the story being told was to show us this type of abuse and it's ramifications. And, while others may not agree, Noah absolutely put AJ in that position (despite how much they loved each other). He used her often then pushed her away and she went back over and over again. The physical intimacy between the two felt off given their anger at each other. And, while hate sex is definitely a thing, their sexual interactions in the last 20% of the book did not feel that way at all. I felt like AJ let Noah step all over her many times and she just took it. Had the author used this to have them invest themselves in therapy during the story, I would have been ok with it. Perhaps their growth as a couple would have made more sense. But that wasn't the case at all.

This one started as a 5 star read for me but ended as a 3.5 in the end given the few things that truly bothered me (length, lack of trigger warnings, pacing issues, and emotional abuse disguised as love). This one is a romance, yes, but there are many sci-fi elements (not in the story plot itself, but as a side plot for TV/movies since they are actors/screen writers. All that to say I would definitely read more from Brodie. I have already put her other book on hold at the library. Fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid will more than likely connect with this book as it has a similar feel to her stories/writing.

3.5/5 stars

Author:

Emma Brodie is an executive editor at Clarkson Potter. She graduated from Johns Hopkins University’s Writing Seminars program, and her debut novel, Songs in Ursa Major, received the American Book Award. She lives on Martha’s Vineyard with her husband and their very good dog, Freddie Mercury.

Blog Tour: Our Ex's Wedding by Taleen Voskuni

 

Two people who can’t stand each other must come together to plan their mutual ex’s wedding in this new romantic comedy by Taleen Voskuni, author of Lavash at First Sight.

Ani Avakian was supposed to be the Bay Area’s premier Armenian wedding planner by now. But after a huge blow to her business, she’s determined to redeem herself by taking on the biggest job of her career: a wedding for an indie movie star. The wedding is set at a stunning Armenian-owned winery, and Ani is eager to connect with the owner, who she’ll be working closely with. But then she actually meets him. Sure, Raffi is ridiculously hot and charming, but he’s also insufferably smug. Though the real gut punch comes when Ani meets the happy couple—because the actress’s fiancée is none other than the woman who shattered her heart two years ago: her ex-girlfriend, Kami.

All Raffi Garabedian has ever wanted is to make his father proud. Taking over the family winery should be his dream come true—but its first major event is off to a rocky start, thanks to one irritating(-ly beautiful) wedding planner who challenges him at every turn. He’s shocked to find that they have one thing in common, however: their mutual ex, Kami. Despite the record level of awkwardness, they’ll have to work together to make sure this wedding goes perfectly. But first, they’ll have to deal with the tension sizzling between them—before it turns their ex’s nuptials into a full-blown disaster…or something much more scandalous.

Title: Our Ex's Wedding

Author: Taleen Voskuni

Publisher: Berkley

Expected Publication Date: January 20. 2026

Review:

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for supplying me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

When I read the blurb for this book, I was hooked. I love titles that include diversity and this one had a whole big bunch of it. Cultural, yes, but also gender related. It checked a lot of boxes for me. And I was pleasantly surprised with the story.

Ani Avakian's wedding planning business is in debt after she was scammed. When she's contacted by an Indie movie star, she has no clue it's her ex-girlfriend's fiancé. To make matters even worse, the wedding is taking place at a new Arminian winery run by Raffi Garabedian, known to her as a playboy. She just needs to make it through the wedding and get paid so she can get her business back on track. 

I really enjoyed how this story was set up. Lots of angst from the main characters. Some miscommunication which I don't always love but which fit well with the story. And a slew of fun side characters. The plot kept me engaged and kept the pacing fast. There were moments when I couldn't help but laugh but also emotional moments that had my heart hurting for the main characters.

I love a good slow burn and this story had that in spades. There was a lot of push and pull between Ani and Raffi and it built the chemistry between them at a great pace. 

Voskuni infused a nice amount of culture into this story. I didn't know much about the Arminian culture so it was nice to have this introduction and learn a few things. I noticed some similarities to other cultures. The author also infused a queer component into the story. 

If you're looking for a charming romance with unique characters and plot that will have you smiling and rooting for the main characters to finally find each other, give Voskun'is story a try!

Author:

Taleen Voskuni is an Armenian-American writer who grew up in the Bay Area diaspora surrounded by a rich Armenian community and her ebullient family. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in English and currently lives in San Francisco, working in tech. Her work has appeared in Cleaver Magazine, The Bold Italic, and Cal Literature & Arts Magazine. Other than a newfound obsession with writing romcoms, she spends her free time cultivating her kids, her garden, and her dark chocolate addiction. Sorry, Bro is her first published novel.

ARC Review: The Epicenter of Forever by Mara Williams

 

A moving story about family, forgiveness, and unexpected love—where the fault lines of a fractured past become the foundation for building something new.

Eden Hawthorne spent idyllic childhood summers in Grand Trees, a mountain town perched along a restless earthquake fault in the heart of California’s fire country. But her family and future were shattered there, and she vowed never to return—until news of her estranged mother’s illness forces her back twenty years later.

Still reeling from her recent divorce, Eden has to confront her mom’s found family, including single father Caleb Connell, who blames Eden for the seismic rift that drove her away. But as they move beyond a battle of wills, Eden and Caleb discover shared wounds and intertwined histories—and succumb to an attraction that feels fated.

When her mother’s condition worsens, Eden faces an impossible choice between the man she’s falling for and the mother she’s just beginning to forgive. And with time running out, Eden fears her decision will doom her to relive the aftershocks of past heartbreak.

Title: The Epicenter of Forever 

Author: Mara Williams

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Expected Publication Date: February 1, 2026

Review:

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Who doesn't love a bit of enemies to lovers action? I know I do. And this one fit that bill really well. This is my first book by Mara Williams and I was pleasantly surprised by the story and it's progression.

Eden Haworth returns to Grand Trees, the site of her idyllic childhood summers, to care for her mother and confront old wounds. Caleb Connell is already there, caring for her mother and being the hero for the entire town. They clash and bump heads more often than not. But there's also a spark that ignites between them. Things take a turn when Eden's mother finally agrees to move back to San Francisco to seek better medical attention. Eden must leave Caleb behind but will their relationship be able to weather the storm?

I think my favorite part of this story was the setting. The descriptions of the mountains and the surrounding areas were great. I could easily picture the camp, the cabin, and the town in my mind. I love a small town romance and this pretty much set that theme. All the people in the small town knowing everyone and a new comer entering the scene. Everyone being super invested in figuring it all out.

The author did a great job presenting the emotions of the characters, as well. There was so much for all of them to work through. She tackles a ton of heavy subjects throughout the story. So much so, I felt like maybe there needed to be more pages to really. There were definitely areas that felt a bit more rushed to me. While the chemistry between the two main characters was great, I really felt like it could have used more time. And the ending definitely felt a bit rushed for me.

I have a love/hate relationship with Eden. On the one hand she has a ton of trauma she needs to work through which I can totally appreciate. From a bad childhood accident to her fraught relationship with her parents, she has things she needs to work through. And for sure those things have followed her and her relationships in to adulthood. What drove me nuts about Eden was her penchant for miscommunication. She kept so much bottled up inside her it easily caused rifts between her and those she chose to surround herself with.

Caleb was the perfect grump. Definitely a man who holds his emotions close to his chest. I liked his development but really needed more from him. I blame this on the fact that the book is told from Eden's perspective. I feel like I wasn't fully able to get to know him because I was never in his head. I prefer dual POV for a romance most of the time.

This book encompasses the idea of found family. While some of the characters are related, the characters really all do act like one big family worried about each other and what happens.

Overall, I enjoyed this even though I thought it could have been a bit longer to explore some of the intense topics. The characters were more or less relatable and definitely felt real. This book explores how mistakes can be made but also how forgiveness can truly open one's soul.

3.5/5 stars

Author:

Mara Williams drafted her first novel in third grade on a spiral notebook—a love story about a golden retriever and the stray dog who admired her from beyond the picket fence. Now she writes about strong, messy women finding their way in the world. Mara is the author of The Truth Is in the Detours and The Epicenter of Forever. When not writing or reading, Mara can be found enjoying California’s beaches, redwoods, and trails with her husband, three kids, and disobedient dog.

ARC Review: Catch Her If You Can (Big Shots #5) by Tessa Bailey

This special paperback features gorgeous sprayed edges with stenciled artwork.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey is back with an all-new marriage of convenience, friends-to-lovers sports romance about a baseball catcher and the burlesque club owner he can’t get out of his head.

Madden Donahue, the newest catcher for the Yankees, has been in love with Eve Mitchell since high school, but for some mysterious reason, the burlesque club owner always turns him down. That never stopped him from being her self-appointed protector. Case in point, now that Eve’s sister has left Eve with her two children indefinitely, Madden steps in with a proposition—marry him for the much needed health benefits.

Eve has secretly harbored feelings for Madden all along, but there’s one problem—her best friend Skylar called dibs on him when they were fourteen. Eve has always put their friendship above all else, and she’s not willing to risk losing Skylar over a man. Raised by the local strip club owner, Eve is woefully short on friends and treasures the ones she has. But with Skylar happily paired off, Eve finds herself accepting Madden’s proposal—on the condition that their marriage remains strictly private. She’s not about to let her unique profession and maligned reputation destroy Madden’s shiny new career.

Madden won’t let Eve get away that easily, though. What starts as a marriage of convenience soon ignites into something much hotter, and now it’s up to Madden to convince Eve that their connection is far more than 

Title: Catch Her If You Can (Big Shots #5)

Author: Tessa Bailey

Publisher: Avon Harper Voyager

Expected Publication Date: Janaury 20, 2026

Review:

Thank you to Avon Harper Voyager and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I really enjoy the stories Tessa Bailey puts out. Every time I read her, I'm immersed and don't want to put the book down. I was very excited to get Madden's story. He was a bit of a mystery in Pitcher Perfect. I loved the glimpses we got of him. How he was shy and reserved and grumpy. I needed to know more about him and Bailey made that happen.

Eve and Madden have known each other since they were teens and Madden moved from Ireland to America. They have both harbored feelings for all that time but have not been able to act on it (she because of her best friend Skylar's crush and him because of his preoccupation with their age gap). When Madden finds out Eve needs help, he jumps in with a proposal, literally. Marry him for the benefits, just for six months, so she can get back on her feet. A marriage of convenience, though his plan is anything but. Of course they cannot help their feelings getting in the way of their arrangement.

I will say the vibe of this book was unlike the first four. There are much more serious topics in this book. Much more trauma the character have endured from physical to emotional and mental abuse. Madden escaped by moving far away from his abuser. But Even is still stuck in the same town where her father's legacy has followed her and the bullying towns people all her life. 

Madden, oh Madden. Gah, I just love him. He's grumpy and totally possessive. But his heart is so very big. Considering his background, and the trauma he seems to have endured during his childhood, it's surprising he is so well adjusted. One thing I really need more of from him was his background. We get it from him, he tells a bit of his story, but not as much as I would have liked. I really would have liked to see more of what he endured so I can understand how he was able to come out on the other side with such a positive attitude. Then again, we endure trauma and it often makes us stronger and we figure out ways for that trauma not to enter into our lives again.

I liked Eve but not as much as bailey's other FMCs. She nice enough. I love her connection with her niece and nephew. I love the fact that she is selfless enough to take on their care when it's needed and her act of selflessness towards Madden (I will not get into it since it's kind of a spoiler though I figured it out right away).  I just wish she would have been stronger in her conviction of who she is and what she stands for. We do get this a bit at the end of the book. But mostly she keeps her head down and kind of lets others abuse her with their snark and gross comments. Most of the time she just walks away. Ok, we are taught to walk away from the bullies, I get it. But I needed her to really start to stand up for herself and who she was deep down. To show everyone how selfless and loving she could be.

The spice is absolutely spicing in this one. I love the exploration of the voyeur kink. It wasn't unexpected given the background of the character, to be honest. I actually thought it was a little too on point and kind of wished it was a different kink that was explored.

This one was a fast read. I started and finished in less than 24 hours. The flashbacks at the beginning were a nice addition, giving us a good background for Eve and Madden's romance. Their chemistry was definitely off the charts. Bailey made that attraction very palpable throughout the book. Bailey throws in the virgin card for one of the characters, which could have been such a better plot line if explored a bit. It just kind of comes up and then it's like it wasn't that big of a deal when I feel like it kind of should have been. Especially given the reasoning for it. And while it was fast paced and for the most part I enjoyed the story, there were some plot holes that I had a hard time getting over which lowered my rating.

I will forever pick up Bailey's books as I really do love the stories she tells. She always keeps me entertained, even if I've read the tropes a million times in other stories. I love the journey she takes and how she brings her characters together with such great connections. Fingers crossed she continues because I need Elton's story! I was totally shipping him and Veda in this book!

Autor:

New York Times Bestselling author Tessa Bailey can solve all problems except for her own, so she focuses those efforts on stubborn, fictional blue collar men and loyal, lovable heroines. She lives on Long Island avoiding the sun and social interactions, then wonders why no one has called. Dubbed the “Michelangelo of dirty talk,” by Entertainment Weekly, Tessa writes with spice, spirit, swoon and a guaranteed happily ever after. Catch her on TikTok at @authortessabailey or check out tessabailey.com for a complete list of books.

 

ARC Review: Room To Breathe by Kasie West

 

From the critically acclaimed author of Sunkissed comes a new swoony YA romance. Indy and Beau’s friendship is shattered, but getting accidentally locked in a bathroom together just might be what's needed to reconnect.

When the walls close in, the truth comes out.

When Indy’s life came crashing down, she made a no one could know. To the world, she’s still the same Indy—cool, calm, unshaken. But behind the scenes? It’s chaos.

Her tight-knit crew—Beau, Caroline, and Ava—were once her everything. Now they’re strangers she can’t seem to reach—especially Beau. And the only person she talks to these days is Cody, a skater-boy she used to think was so not her type. Funny how everything changes when your world flips upside down.

And then, as if things couldn’t get weirder, Indy finds herself literally stuck in a school bathroom with Beau. After months of silence, and there’s no escape. If they want out, they’ll have to face the messy truth about what happened between them and find a way back to what they once had. Or maybe even more . . .

Title: Room To Breathe

Author: Kasie West

Publisher: Random House Children's

Expected Publication Date: January 6 2026

Review:

Thank you to Random House Children's Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Kasie West is really the queen of YA contemporary romance for me. I've been reading her books for a long time and each one truly hits one some great topics for teens and what they go through in their lives.

Indy's world has crashed around her. She has gone from top of her class to failing out and losing her friends in a matter of moments. Suddenly her perfect world comes crashing down around her when family drama threatens to upend her entire life. Because of the sensitive nature of the drama, she's unable to involve her friends and quickly loses them. When an unfortunate broken door has her and her best friend, Beau, trapped in a bathroom with no release in sight, she is forced to confront her demons and her attraction to her best friend.

West chose to tell this story in then and now altering chapters. It was a great way to give the background to all the characters, their friendships, and how the sudden change in Indy's family life affected those relationships. I will say I didn't truly believe that a teen would hold a secret as Indy did. While I understand she believed there were implications in others knowing her family's secret, I truly don't believe she would have kept it from her closest friends. Or at least not from Beau. But without that there would not have been the teen drama West is so practiced in inserting into her stories, so I did understand the need for it.

I love a good forced proximity story and West does it well. The idea of being stuck in a teacher's lounge bathroom with no escape is fun. It forces the characters to work through things they would not have otherwise addressed. 

I will say I wasn't a huge fan of Indy. She was super selfish for me. But maybe that was what West was going for seeing as she had to keep this big secret from her closest people.

The romantic chemistry seemed just a bit forced in this story. I wanted to believe in it but it just didn't seem as well done as I have noted West doing in her prior stories. Beau and Indy definitely had the potential background for their relationship to grow into something, but them reconciling and having that change all in one night seems a bit far fetched.

There's something about YA stories that my brain just loves. Maybe it's the ease of how West writes them and truly makes you feel like you're in the lives of the characters. Or maybe it's not having to concentrate so hard to wrap my head around something that has me always going back to reading them. Whatever it is, it's enjoyable and fun and just a bit nostalgic as I think back to my teen years and the friendships and romances that happened then.  If you're looking for a teen story with a bit of angst and lots of drama but ultimately a toss to how teen relationships grow and change, give this one a try! 

Author:

I write YA and adult romance novels. I eat chocolate cinnamon bears. Sometimes I go crazy and do both at the same time. A few of my works are: SUNKISSED, PS I LIKE YOU, MOMENT OF TRUTH, WE MET LIKE THIS, and more. My agent is the talented and funny Michelle Wolfson.

ARC Review: Seeing Other People by Emily Wibberly & Austin Siegemund-Broka

 

Two people haunted by their exes find that love isn’t dead in this heartfelt romance from the beloved authors of The Roughest Draft.

Morgan is being ghosted by her ex. No, really. It’s sad Zach died and became a ghost. But Morgan and Zach only ever went on the one date, and now she’s being haunted by him. Zach has no desire to spend eternity with Morgan, but he can’t recall his past and doesn’t know how to move on.

At a support group for humans and their haunters, Morgan and Zach run into Sawyer, whose fiancée-turned-ghost has started to fade. Unlike Morgan, Sawyer isn’t ready to part ways with his ghost. Although they face opposite issues, Morgan and Sawyer decide to work together to solve their problems.

As Morgan and Sawyer try to solve their paranormal conundrums together, they find something even more surprising—a tender, growing affection between them that threatens any unfinished business they’re seeking to close. The ghosts of their past might be there in spirit, but the connection between Morgan and Sawyer is as alive as anything they’ve ever felt.

Title: Seeing Other People

Author: Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka

Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group

Expected Publication Date: December 9, 2025

Review:

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I've enjoyed the books I've read by this duo so far. I was excited to see they branched out into a bit of the paranormal/speculative fiction with this one. I love a good ghost story.

Morgan and Sawyer are both being haunted. She by a guy she dated once and him by his fiancee who tragically died. When they meet in a support group for humans and their haunters, they decide they could help each of their respective ghosts move on if they work together. Being forced into close proximity only brings them closer until they realize they might just be falling for each other.

Morgan is not only haunted, but she carries the baggage of being left behind. She doesn't like to open herself up to people and often cuts relationships short and runs when things may get too heavy. As the story progresses she slowly learns it's ok to settle down and plant roots. To grow and change and let others in. Sawyer is burdened by the love of his dead fiancee. He can't seem to move past what they had to live his life again. He focuses on making his ghost happy, or what he thinks will make her happy. I was annoyed with Sawyer throughout most of this book. He was so weighed down weigh grief and wasn't allowing himself to heal. It was driving me bonkers. It's been 5 years since his fiancee passed and he's still wallowing in his own self pity. It's never easy to get over the loss of a loved one but I truly don't think a loved one would want you to put your life on hold indefinitely.  It's obvious he doesn't listen to what his ghost is trying to tell him. What each of their haunters truly wants is to move on. But they, too, have baggage that needs to be settled before they can cross over.

I liked how the story involved just a bit of mystery to it. Morgan and Sawyer need to figure out why their ghosts are so attached to their world and what it is that needs to be solved before the haunters can pass over. 

I did have a few issues with the growth of the characters in this book and the romance that bloomed. The chemistry just seemed off to me with the romance. I didn't truly believe they were falling for each other. There were some scenes that definitely showed the potential for this but they were cut short or didn't delve deep enough into the relationship to truly demonstrate why these two were thrown together. It just didn't capture me as I would have liked it to.

I did enjoy the supernatural elements the authors infused into the book. They helped keep the pacing and moved the plot along to where it needed to go.

All together this was a fun and fast read for me. It pulled on my heart strings in many places and dealt with some heaviness I wasn't expecting. But it also dealt with the joy that comes after growth through grief, which is never linear and always different for different people, was a nice touch. I will continue to read stories from this author duo in the future as they dole out some pretty good life lessons for their readers!

Authors:

Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka met and fell in love in high school. Austin went on to graduate from Harvard, while Emily graduated from Princeton. Together, they are the authors of multiple novels including The Roughest Draft and Reese's YA Bookclub Pick Heiress Takes All. They are also two-thirds of USA Today bestselling author E.B. Asher. Now married, they live in Los Angeles, where they continue to take daily inspiration from their own love story.

ARC Review: The E.M.M.A. Effect by Lia Riley

 

Jane Austen meets Ali Hazelwood in this steamy, friends-to-lovers, STEM rom-com! He’s her best friend’s little brother and NHL forward. She’s a computer scientist used to being in control. The E.M.M.A., her elite AI training program, claims optimizing his performance requires one thing: the perfect match. According to its calculations, that’s her… Will Harriet discover that The E.M.M.A. knows best?

Harriet Smythe’s AI was supposed to create sports legends—not encourage her crush on her best friend’s totally off-limits, hot younger brother. But when funding runs dry, she has no choice but to enlist Gale Knight as her test subject. The same Gale she’s been secretly crushing on for years. The player who follows her every instruction with a knowing smirk that threatens to short-circuit her carefully maintained system.

Everything changes when The E.M.M.A. determines that finding Gale’s perfect match is essential to his peak performance. Even worse? According to its data, that match is Harriet.

Determined to keep things professional, she makes it search for new candidates. But as Gale dutifully endures awkward outings with pop stars and athletes, the chemistry between them only intensifies. And his willing cooperation during their sessions definitely isn’t helping her stay focused.

With her deadline approaching and The E.M.M.A. still playing cupid, Harriet must choose: trust in pure logic, or admit that sometimes taking control means letting go.

Maybe The E.M.M.A. knows something they don’t—even if they’re not ready to compute it yet.

Title: The E.M.M.A. Effect

Author: Lia Riley

Publisher:

Expected Publication Date: December 2, 2025

Review:

Thank you Avon Harper Voyager and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I will admit, the concept of this book drew me in immediately. I love STEM and especially women in STEM. And with the AI in our world becoming some prominent in so much of our lives, I was excited to see how it was used in this book. Plus it's a Jane Austen inspired story and likened to Ali Hazelwood. So I had to give it a try. I actually did not realize this book was connected to Puck and Prejudice. While you see some characters from that book, this one could definitely be read as a stand alone. Riley has been hit or miss with me in the books I've read from her. Since I enjoyed the first book in this series, I figured I'd give this one a try.

Harriet Smythe has created E.M.M.A., an AI program to help athletes the best they can be. When Harriet employs her best friend's baby brother, Gale Knight, to be one of her test subjects, she's expecting it to boost his waning career. She's not expecting the AI to evolve into a program that evolves to include more personal things in its assessment, like how it decides the best way to get Gale's game back in line is to pair him with Harriet.

From the start I enjoyed Harriet's character. She was fun and  just a bit on the quirky side with how intelligent she was. Of course she's been attracted to Gale for as long as she can remember. But she never thought it was a good idea to act on it since he's her best friend's brother. She never imagined he'd be her perfect match. Of course Gale has always been in love with Harriet but he never thought she'd have those same feelings for him. So it was fun to watch them realize they wanted to be with each other. 

I was really into this story until about half way through the book. Then it just started to have some plot holes I could not get over. LIke the fact that E.M.M.A. needed Gale to wear a device so she could track him but she easily sussed out Harriet's moods without her having any device. It didn't make sense.  And the chemistry between the characters started to feel off. I understood there was some miscommunication between them but it didn't seem to make sense to me. I hated that Harriet was keeping secrets from Gale. And I wasn't a huge fan of how the plot centered around a relationship being able to fix everyone's problems.

Finally, the submissive/dominant relationship between the characters didn't seem real. It seemed forced into the story to try and make it more interesting to the reader. Another plot line that didn't seem as organic as it could have. And I am in no way against reading this type of spice, but it just didn't work with the characters in this story. Had there been a bit more background, maybe some flashbacks to show these characters traits, I would have found them more believable.

While I enjoyed this one enough, I felt like it was too forced towards the end. I needed the characters to grow organically and it just didn't happen.

Overall it was fun and if you enjoy women in STEM, best friend's brother, friends to lovers, and a little kink exploration, give this one a try!

Author:

Lia Riley is a contemporary romance author. USA Today describes her as "refreshing" and RT Book Reviews calls her books "sizzling and heartfelt." She loves the beach, fresh flowers, foggy redwood forests and a perfect pour over coffee. She is 25% sarcastic, 54% optimistic, and 122% bad at math (good thing she writes happy endings for a living). She and her family live mostly in Northern California.

Visit her at www.liariley.com to learn more.