ARC Review: You, Me, & The Conspiracy by Emma Barry

 

“Thrilling and romantic in equal measure—these hot nerds solving history crimes are an absolute delight.” —Jodi McAlister, author of An Academic Affair

Perfect for fans of Jo Segura and Rachel Grant, You, Me, & the Conspiracy is an academic adventure romance that finds two history professors trying to unmask a deadly secret society.

After a bruising book rejection, tenure-track history professor Jessica Wilson is scrambling for something new to publish to secure her spot at the top of the academic food chain. While researching in the archives, she discovers a coded message written by one of the founding fathers with the power to change her—and the world’s—understanding of American history forever. But first, she’s got to prove it’s real.

Desperate for answers, Jess searches out Calloway Morgan, a Harvard PhD student turned adjunct professor. Cal was forced to leave graduate school after presenting theories about a shadowy revolutionary organization. Jess heard his conference presentation and thought his findings were absurd, but now, she believes he was onto something.

With their fates intertwined by their discoveries, the two begin to work together, but danger lurks around every corner. The clandestine fraternity that they’ve uncovered still exists and is ready to kill. With it hot on their heels, the embers of Jess and Cal’s attraction grow. But unless they can make their findings public in this “perfect blend of chemistry, spice, and a historical mystery” (Adriana Anders, author of Whiteout), they’ll soon become the conspiracy’s latest victims...

Title: You, Me, & The Conspiracy

Author: Emma Barry

Publisher: Atria Books

Expected Publication Date: November 10, 2026

Review:

Author:

Emma Barry is a teacher, novelist, recovering academic, and former political staffer. She lives with her high school sweetheart and a menagerie of pets and children in Virginia, and she occasionally finds time to read and write.

ARC Review: Mistletoe All The Way by Lauren Blakely

 

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blakely, a small-town spicy, holiday romance about a guarded cowboy veterinarian and a Christmas-loving optimist who team up for a town holiday pageant.

Dr. Noah Lennox has three Christmas rules—avoid his hometown, avoid being mistaken for his internet-famous twin, and definitely avoid his smug cousin, Stephen. But when his beloved grandfather announces he’s retiring and leaving the family’s beloved sleigh-ride horse farm to either Noah or Stephen, Noah finds himself snowed in back home in Evergreen Falls and determined to fight for the place that means everything to him. The problem is, the town doesn’t exactly welcome its resident Scrooge with open arms.

Eloise Langston, a sunny Tourism Bureau hopeful, needs a win to land her dream job—and health insurance. Her Hail Mary plan? Turn Noah into Mr. Christmas to help the town’s Mr. Holiday Pageant draw record crowds. Transforming a camera-shy cowboy vet into a small-town sweetheart isn’t exactly in her job description—but neither is falling for him.

As sleigh bells ring and sparks fly, Noah and Eloise find themselves tangled in twinkle lights, fake pageants, and one very real attraction. But with the farm’s future at stake, Stephen's scheming, and Eloise’s own career on the line, there’s a blizzard of reasons to put their growing feelings on ice. Then again, if you can’t fight for love at the most wonderful time of the year, you don’t deserve the kiss waiting under the mistletoe.

Title: Mistletoe All The Way

Author: Lauren Blakely

Publisher: Atria Books

Expected Publication Date: October 6, 2026

Review:

Thank you to Atria 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.

This is my first full length book by this author. I have seen her books around but haven't had a chance to read any of them so I was excited to see what she was all about. This book was fun. It wasn't anything different or special for me. I would definitely classify it as more fluff than anything else. The story has a good theme, the characters were well done and the pacing was even. 

I liked both the FMC and MMC points of view for this book. I like a romance that is dual POV so I can really get into the characters heads. Their development was good. I did get a little annoyed here and there when they kept repeating the same things about why each of them thought it would be too hard to be together.

I loved the grumpy/sunshine trop here, though. It was fun watching Eloise help turn Noah into someone who lets Christmas into their heart. A little play on The Grinch but he doesn't steal anything!

The side characters were a nice addition. I loved Noah's Grandpa so much. And I liked the secondary theme of Eloise and Noah trying to figure out the mystery of Noah's cousin Stephen and what he had going on up his sleeve. I hated Eloise's parents, which I'm pretty sure was what the author wanted. They just weren't nice people and gave Eloise zero support. I wish she would have stood up for herself more throughout the book, but she was able to do it in the end.

I wondered quite a bit during this story if it is connected to any of the author's other stories. Some of the characters seemed like we should have possibly known them better. I tried to find out if they were linked but I was unable to secure that information. This can definitely be read as a stand alone if it is connected but I can see how you might enjoy it more if you knew some of the characters who are introduced.

Overall, this was a fun read. If you like a nice romance with a bit of spice for Christmas, pick up this small town story and see where it goes!

Author

You can find Lauren on TikTok at @laurenblakelybooks! A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s sexy, feel-good and witty. Lauren likes dogs, cake and show tunes and she is the vegetarian at your dinner party.

ARC Review: A Study in Sparkling (Love Notes #2) by Jodi McAlister

 

The author of the “brilliant” (Library Journal) An Academic Affair returns with a steamy romance about a recently separated single mom who’s absolutely not looking for another relationship...only to fall for the younger owner of her favorite wine bar.

Fiona Fisher thought she had it a loving husband, three kids, and a life far away from the suffocating expectations of her family. But when her husband reveals that he’s leaving her for his secret second family, Fiona is left devastated and humiliated.

Satoshi Tsukamoto wants it all. He’s the owner of a popular wine bar, and he’s studying for the hardest test in the the Master Sommelier exam. There aren’t enough hours in the day for anything else—except maybe for Fiona, his favorite customer, and the woman he’s absolutely, head-over-heels in love with.

On paper, Fiona and Satoshi make no sense. He’s eight years younger than her and has no time for romance. She’s a single mother and doesn’t know if she’ll ever be able to trust anyone again. But how can Fiona resist when Satoshi suggests they give into their mutual attraction and let off some steam? And how can Satoshi resist when the woman he adores is finally within his grasp—even if they’ve agreed to keep things casual?

The perfect read for fans of Jasmine Guillory and Abby Jimenez, A Study in Sparkling proves that Jodi McAlister truly is “a writer to watch” (Booklist).

Title: A Study in Sparkling (Love Notes #2)

Author: Jodi McAlister

Publisher: Atria Books

Expected Publication Date: September 15, 2026

Review:

Than you to Atria 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.

I have to say after reading the first book by this author, I jumped at the chance to read the second. I remember it took me a bit to get into An Academic Affair, but eventually I ended up really enjoying it. This one, not so much. I truly felt like this was a different author. I was honestly bored and just pushed through with the hopes things would change. But they didn't.

I'll start by saying as much as the author tried, she just could not make me fall in love with either Fiona or Satoshi. Every chapter one or the other character jumped back to their differences and why things would not work between them (her, he's too young; him, she wants to keep it a secret). I found them both insufferable most of the time. The communication between them sucked. Yes, they talked, but honestly not about the important things. Satoshi was a door mat letting her lead the entire time. Rather than finding his love for her admirable he just came across as pathetic. He let her walk all over him because he wanted her any way he could get her. For me, that's zero self esteem. And Fiona would not let herself have him because of her traumatic past. Which, granted, I get. And she tells us over and over again that she's in therapy. What is she even talking about in therapy? It seemed like nothing to be honest. She was such a drag of a character. And both characters lacked growth and development throughout the book. I didn't see them change in any way that would lead them to understanding one another or finally winding up in a stable and happy relationship.

When the book got to about 85% the drama ramped up, and not in a good. way. Every chapter was filled with so much conflict. And then suddenly it's just resolved at the end, like the curtains opened and shined a light and they suddenly understood totally what the other needed and how to make it work? No, just no.

The spice scenes were ick for me, as well. I just did not feel they matched the characters at all. 

Throw in these long chapters with tons of text messages and emails as the only prose, and that pulled me right out of the story. Every time.

As a bare bones story, this had potential for sure. Unrequited love, age gap, single mom. But the drama took over the story and the miscommunication trop was poorly used. Not to mention all the wine stuff. Yes, it's interesting but it's SO much. I really struggled to keep up with it all and understand what it meant. It left me wanting to just skim parts because I didn't care enough to try and figure out why it was all so important to the love part of the story.

I enjoyed some of the side characters. Especially those I know from book 1. My favorite parts ended up being when the characters from book one were in the scenes/chapters. I didn't like Satoshi's brother at all. Which, I think was maybe the point? I can see the author has set this up to have stories about other characters. And I will absolutely give those installments a try. I absolutely adored Fiona's child, Lex. They were the most intelligent part of this book. Shout out for the LBGTQ+ inclusion. I did feel on the part of Satoshi it could have been explored a bit better, but the author did a great job with Lex.

Overall the plot and pacing became stale after about the first 25% of the book. The topics were repeated ad nauseum: he's too young for me; his ex was so beautiful; he doesn't want a old lady like me (for goodness sakes, she's 36!); I love her and will do whatever I need to do to keep her even if it's a little bit; yes it's ok for you to walk all over me because you are the light of my life; wine, wine, wine, and more wine. 

By day, Jodi McAlister writes romance novels. By other time of day, Dr Jodi McAlister studies them. She's written romantic comedies for adults, romantasy and contemporary romance for young adults, and several academic books.

For adults
If you're a reality TV lover, the Marry Me, Juliet series are the books for you. Even if you're not a reality TV lover, they might be the books for you - several reality TV haters have enjoyed them.

The trilogy all take place at the same time on the same season of a reality dating show called Marry Me, Juliet (which bears a very strong resemblance to The Bachelor). While they all stand alone and can be read in any order, they work best when read in order.

Start with Here For The Right Reasons (he's the series lead, she's the contestant he eliminates on the first night), move on to Can I Steal You For A Second? (she's a contestant, she's... also a contestant), and finish with the book the New York Times called a "full-on villain romance", Not Here To Make Friends (she's the villain, he's the producer who's pining for her).

For young adults
If you're a romantasy reader, you'll like the Valentine series, a young adult paranormal romance/urban fantasy series about smart girls, small towns, and scary fairies. There are three books: Valentine, Ironheart, and Misrule. If Picnic at Hanging Rock meets Holly Black sounds like something you’d be into, these are the books for you.

And if you're a theatre kid, Libby Lawrence Is Good At Pretending is the book for you. It's my love letter to theatre kids as someone who used to be one.

Academic books
No one really cares much about these on Goodreads, do they? More info on my website if you're interested.

About Jodi
Jodi is originally from Kiama, a seaside holiday town on the south coast of New South Wales, and has lived in a bunch of different cities: Canberra (where she did her undergrad degrees), Wollongong (where she lived while she did her PhD in Sydney), and Hobart (where she held her first academic job) among them. Currently, she lives in Melbourne, where she works as a Senior Lecturer in Writing, Literature and Culture at Deakin University.

When she’s not writing about romance, Jodi is an academic studying romance. Her research focuses on representations of love in popular culture and fiction. It means that reading romance novels and watching (and let’s be real, writing huge amounts about) The Bachelor/ette is technically work for her.

**Want to dip your toes into the Valentine universe? Try the free short story Galentine, set a year and a bit before the events of Valentine. http://jodimcalister.com.au/galentine/ **

**Want to read a bonus epilogue to Libby Lawrence Is Good At Pretending? Check it out here: https://jodimcalister.com.au/libby-la... ** 

ARC Review: Save The Date by Mallory Kass

 

A romantic comedy of manners about a lavish wedding weekend gone very, very wrong with the slow-burn romance of Emily Henry and the fizzy humor of Sophie Kinsella.


The Bride: Beautiful, seemingly carefree Marigold, is tired of being treated like a shallow it-girl. That’s one of the many reasons she’s excited to marry Jonathan—the handsome, kind, respectable doctor of her dreams. So, when a shocking secret from her past threatens to ruin her wedding, she’ll do anything to make it disappear...even if it means tracking down a man she vowed to avoid forever.


The Maid of Honor: As the bride’s best friend, all Natalie wants is for this wedding to go off without a hitch. There’s only one problem: Natalie has secretly been in love with the groom since college. When Marigold disappears, Natalie is forced to ask whether she can keep burying her feelings for the sake of friendship...or if she’s ready to risk everything to pursue her own happy ending.

The Sister: Olivia has spent her life cleaning up Marigold’s messes. So, she’s determined to keep the wedding on track for the sake of their mother, who’s battling cancer and longs for one last perfect weekend. But when Jonathan’s best man—a prickly academic with a heart of gold—ropes her into a fake dating scheme, sparks unexpectedly fly. Will Olivia sacrifice her own happiness again, or could this fake relationship turn into the truest choice she’s ever made?

Heartwarming, hilarious, and sparklingly romantic, Save the Date will have you cheering for love in all its messy, unexpected glory.

Title: Save The Date

Author: Mallory Kass

Publisher: Atria

Publication Date: April 14, 2026

Review:

Thank you to Atria 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.

Mallory Kass (Kass Morgan) has treated us to a delightful romantic story about three women whose paths veer off into areas they didn't see coming. Marigold, on her way to being married but has a secret she has never gotten over and wanting to show everyone how mature she has become. Olivia, staunchly single with a head stuck in her lawyer career and academia, never expects to find love in the most obvious of places. Natalie, who has harbored feelings for her best friend but has never been able to own up to them while being loyal to a fault. Kass takes us on their journey over a wedding weekend where things turn out much differently than the three women thought possible.

I really enjoyed this story told from three points of view. Each POV had a life of its own while being important to the overall plot. I will admit some of the things that happened seemed a little far fetched for me (the bride running off to Canada the day before her wedding, for example). But I know those experiences for that particular character were to show her personality and to infuse lots of drama into the story. Kass did a fabulous job with the growth and development of each character. The three women facing their own flaws and figuring out how to own up to them and still be happy with the life they were leading. It became a story of finding out who you were and then being ok with that, no matter what others might think. Add to that good bits of humor and some fun romance, and it was a quick read that had me wanting to turn the pages just to see how it could all possibly end.

Kass's writing was easy to follow and her pacing was spot on. While it did take me a few days to read this one, that was just because life was getting in the way. I could have sat down and read this all in one sitting if I had had the time. And even during the chaotic moments of the story, where it was almost overwhelming to see what was happening to the characters, she was able to find a way to balance their actions.

Kass found a way to show us that balance in life is key and to never gloss over the things that seem important to you. I did wish there was more to the epilogue. While it's assumed all the HEAs happened, I often like to see it in real time.

There were moments in the book that were more unbelievable than not. And following three stories at once took away from each romance being fully realized and developing in a way I would have wanted to see it happen causing my rating to drop. This book would have been great as a series following each FMC with her own story and development.

I will definitely be reading more from this author in the future.

Author:

Mallory Kass, also known by the pen name Kass Morgan, is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous young adult novels, including the series The 100, which has been translated into over twenty languages and was adapted into a critically acclaimed hit television series. Save the Date is her adult fiction debut. Follow her on X @KassMorganBooks. 

ARC Review: Once And Again by Rebecca Serle

New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Serle, the author behind “heartbreaking, redemptive, and authentic” (Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author) modern classic In Five Years, returns with an unforgettable tale of a family of women with an astonishing gift: the ability to redo one moment in their lives.

The women of the Novak family were each born with a gift: they can, just once, turn back time.

Lauren has known since she was fifteen that her mother Marcella saved Lauren’s father from a deadly car accident. Dave is alive and happy, and out on the Malibu waves. But ever since, Marcella, her power spent, has lived in fear of what she won’t be able to reverse. Her own mother, Sylvia, is her polar opposite: a free-spirited iconoclast with a glamorous past she only hints at. Lauren has spent her life between these two role models—and waiting for her own catastrophe to strike.

Then one summer, Lauren’s husband takes a job in New York and she moves back to Broad Beach Road, back into her childhood home on the shores of Malibu. Lauren looks forward to surfing with her dad again and perhaps repairing an unspoken fracture in her relationship with her mother. What she doesn’t expect is for the boy next to door to return home as well: Stone, Lauren’s first love, who broke her heart nearly a decade before.

As Lauren falls into familiar patterns, with her family and, more dangerously, Stone, she finds herself thinking about all the choices, large and small, that have brought her to this moment. And wondering, finally, if one of them should be undone.

Title: Once and Again

Author: Rebecca Serle

Publisher: Atria Books

Expected Publication Date:

Review:

Thank you to Atria 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.

I've been a big fan of Serle's books since I read her first speculative fiction: In Five Years. I just love how she takes you through a story that is compelling enough for you to throw away all you know about what is real and accept what could be real. She makes it super easy to suspend my disbelief and just accept the story at face value.

The idea of having a do over is tempting. But what would you even use it for? And once you used it, would you be upset if something else came along that would have made more sense to use it on? These are the questions raised in this title. Lauren Novak has a do over at the tips of her fingers, but she hasn't used it yet. Her mom has used hers. And her grandmother is tight lipped about her own. Lauren has spent her teen and adult years remembering what her mother did for her father: she saved him from a deadly car accident. Can Lauren find something worthy of using her do over?

I really loved the plot of this book. I liked the idea of the struggle with knowing what be worthy of doing over. Serle infuses such heart into her character as Lauren struggles to make sense of her world and it's changes. She's struggled with infertility (this is a huge part of the story so if it's a trigger, stay away). And the constant stress is putting a bit of a rift in her marriage. When she makes a big mistake that might cost her her husband, she uses her do over and it works. Until a big secret is revealed and she finds herself wishing she had saved it. I cannot imagine this struggle and I'm happy this is not real life. I don't think I could really choose what would be best done over. All my life I've lived by the principle that things happen for a reason. But Serle absolutely had me struggling with the concept of having a chance to do something over that might change your entire trajectory.

I really enjoyed watching the relationship between Lauren, her mother, Marcella, and her grandmother, Sylvia All such very different women with thoughts on how life should proceed. Sylvia with her 91 years of living behind her, is definitely a take the bulls by the horn type of gal while Marcella is much more tentative in her life choices.

I was 100% emotionally invested in every character in this book. I loved that Serle gave us more than one POV, as well. It was interesting to learn about Marcella and Sylvia in this way. I was never confused as to whose POV I was reading, either. Serle gives each woman a distinct voice. Lauren's husband was a little harder to read, since we only see him through her eyes. But you could see his struggle with their infertility. Plus it was easy to see how much he and Lauren loved each other. Dave, Lauren's father, was another character that we didn't get much on but his personality was one of my favorite's. I enjoyed the introduction of Lauren's teenage boyfriend and totally thought the story would take a different turn than it did with him.  I will say I was surprised by what happened with him and then how it was woven into the story later. I will be honest and this part of the story is what dropped my rating to a 4.5 instead of a straight 5 but I won't address that part here as it's a spoiler!

I'm fairly certain there is no book Serle could write that I would not pick up. She has a penchant for building real and believable characters and placing them in stories where their life choices are always called into question. She is the queen of the what ifs for me and I love every minute of it. This is my favorite book by her by far. If you're a fan of Ashley Poston and Meg Shaffer, you will love the stories Serle weaves and the characters who help you through them!

4.5/5 stars

Author:

Rebecca Serle is the New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years, The Dinner List, and the young adult novels The Edge of Falling and When You Were Mine. Serle also developed the hit TV adaptation Famous in Love, based on her YA series of the same name. She is a graduate of USC and The New School and lives in Los Angeles. Find out more at RebeccaSerle.com.

 

ARC Review: If Only You Knew (Oakwood Bay #3) by Ellie K. Wilde

 

In the highly anticipated final installment of the Oakwood Bay series—“packed with sizzling tension, heat, and sweet, swoon-worthy moments” (Peyton Corinne, USA TODAY bestselling author)—childhood best friends Parker and Summer agree to matchmake each other, to disastrous results, all while fighting the fact that they’ve been each other’s soulmate all along.

Summer Prescott and Parker Woods have been best friends since they were three years old. Now thirty, neither of them feels like they have a good handle on adulthood. While their friends are coupled up and thriving, they’re struggling through career crises and disastrous dates, and frequenting the same old bars and surf spots they’ve been going to for years—until, on a whim, Summer decides to hand over her love life to Parker. After all, who better to help find her soulmate than the person who knows her best?

But when the date Parker introduces her to goes from husband material to dead end in one publicly humiliating swoop, Summer is so devastated that she breaks up with both men. And she decides to embrace a fresh start away from home by entering a surf competition that’ll have her chasing waves around the world.

Parker soon realizes the troubling truth—he’s spent nearly thirty years by Summer’s side and has only just realized that he’s in love with her. Now he’s on a mission to win back not just her trust but her heart, before she slips away for good.

Title: If Only You Knew (Oakwood Bay #3)

Author: Ellie K. Wilde

Publisher: Atria Books

Expected Publication Date: February 17, 2026

Review:

Thank you to Atria 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.

I've enjoyed the previous titles in this series and I was especially excited for this one as I love these two characters. My advice if you have not read the first two is to go back and do so before reading this. While this technically can be read as a stand alone, the previous books actually set up the relationship between the two main characters for this book as well as the relationships for two other couples. There will be spoilers for those other couples if you do not read the first two. If that is not important to you, then you could read this one by itself for sure.

Summer and Parker are best friends since they were three years old. Always there for each other when the other needed them. But what if they could be more? What if they know each other so well that could spill over into them being that person for each other? This story explores that theme.

Summer was probably my least favorite character in this book and what brought down my rating. While I understand her emotional issues of abandonment and not feeling loved, it was all she focused on. So much so she could not see the for the trees. Was she dealt the short end of the stick when it comes to family, she sure was. Did she have an experience at the beginning of the book which made her close herself off? She sure did. And I understand the blow to her confidence and how she may have thought herself unloveable but I also would have liked to see her gain more and more confidence throughout the book rather than having it all slam into her at the end.  She was so stuck in her head for most of the book. And this also made her totally oblivious to what was going on between her and Parker. Parker, on the other hand, could not have been more open about his feelings when he finally chose to show them. I will say this was a little unrealistic for me. It took him 27 years to realize his feelings were that he loves her? It just didn't seem like that would happen and came off as kind of odd. His statements, his actions, his overall being made it obvious he was in love with Summer. It was impossible to miss it; yet she did. I really wanted to shake her for most of the book so she would open her eyes and see things for what they were. I don't mind a miscommunication trope for the most part but this one was so one sided it was almost painful to watch. I definitely enjoyed Parker's growth much more than Summer's throughout the book. But overall the characters were not developed and fleshed out as they should have been for the emotional weight the story was supposed to carry.

It was fun to see the couples and friends from the previous books, as well. I love when you have that kind of cross over. Plus, they were super supportive. 

The overall pacing and plot of this one was just ok for me. I felt like the book dragged in a lot of places. Almost as if the author wasn't sure what else to put into the story to make it interesting so she kept harping on the same things. I was expecting so much more. I really wanted to see the chemistry between these two life long friends develop and grow but instead we had it blasted from Parker's side and totally cloaked from Summer's side. It was frustrating for me. And there were some plot lines that were alluded to but never fully realized (ie the "rumors" about Parker, which I'm still a bit confused about).

Finally, their friendship break just seemed to odd to me. Like, this is your person for all of your life and you have one thing happen and suddenly you toss them aside like they mean nothing? I just didn't find that relatable given the circumstances.

I wanted to love this one as much as the two previous books, especially since this was the relationship I was most looking forward to see bloom and grow, but it just didn't hit the way I needed it to. It was definitely not as strong as the first two books. Will I continue to read this author? I sure will. I like her her writing and the way she tells stories. 

Author:

Ellie K. Wilde is a Canadian writer of contemporary romance and romantic comedies that make you laugh, swoon... and maybe require a cold shower or two to recover. She enjoys writing stories with dirty-mouthed cinnamon roll heroes and the fiery women who bring them to their knees.

When she's not daydreaming about her next book, you'll find her devouring other romance novels, bingeing reality TV and snuggling with fur babies.

Follow Ellie on Instagram and TikTok @EllieKWildeAuthor 

ARC Review: Love and Other Brain Experiments by Hannah Brohm

 

Perfect for fans of Ali Hazelwood and Christina Lauren, a STEM academic-rivals-to-lovers rom-com set at a New York conference about two neuroscientists who are forced to pretend they’re dating, leading to unexpected chemistry and a heartfelt journey of self-discovery.

Neuroscientist Dr. Frances Silberstein has success on the brain. As a grad student, she was offered a job by her brilliant boyfriend, but determined to make it on her own, she turned it—and him—down. Now, stuck in postdoc purgatory with no job security and no personal life to speak of, Frances is desperate to make a breakthrough. Her best shot is a summer conference packed with her field’s leading scientists. The only problem? It’s organized by her ex, who has found the success that’s eluded her. But backing out is not an option, because Frances desperately needs to network to save her career.

Enter Dr. Lewis North: her perceptive, meticulous, and inconveniently attractive rival. When their academic sniping gets mistaken for flirtatious chemistry, Frances doesn’t deny it—putting her integrity and career on the line. As soon as her prefrontal cortex is operational again, Frances realizes she needs to keep up the charade, or risk everything she’s worked for. Faking data is out of the question, but fake dating? That might just be the solution she needs.

But as Lewis starts to make her reward centers spark and a major setback has Frances questioning everything, she must confront what she’s willing to chase—for love, for science, and for the future she thought she wanted.

Title: Love and Other Brain Experiments

author: Hannah Brohm

Publisher: Atria

Expected Publication Date: February 3, 2026

Review:

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

If you throw a book at me that in any way reminds me of Ali Hazelwood or is compared to her AND Christina Lauren, I'm gonna grab it and hope to gobble it all up. That was this book. The blurb was so promising and definitely gave me vibes of two of my favorite authors. Plus, I really love any books that are grounded in STEM. STEM characters are always quirky and fun.

Frances is definitely a quirky character. While she's super smart, you can see she really has a hard time in social situations. This is often the case with characters who are grounded in academics/science. Like most characters I've read in this type of situations, she finds herself unable to know what to say much of the time. Or she doesn't say the "right" thing because it's just not how her brain functions. I did see it, I really did. But I wish I could have seen it more. I wish I could have been shown how this truly affected her. There was a lot of telling about her anxiety or how she wasn't sure how to act here or there. But I don't want the characters to tell me about it. I want to see it. It made it hard to connect with her or truly like her and be invested in her story.

I liked Lewis a bit more. Though I think I would have liked him better had I gotten his POV. It was a bit hard to understand him or feel for him when it was only Frances telling us about him. For me, a rom-com really needs to have both points of view to hit the mark. I have read a few that were not that I enjoyed but for the most part it's so much easier to understand the story when both characters are showing you their side. Also, he flipped a bit too much between being grumpy and then suddenly turning nice.

The tension between Lewis and Frances is understandable given the story line Brohm presents. But it remains a bit of a mystery throughout the story and made it hard to understand how deep their rivalry actually went. Or to even make it totally believable. Is there miscommunication (often times my most hated trope)? Yes, there is. But at the same time there's barely an attempt to resolve it.

My favorite part sof this book were the meet cute, fake dating, and the tackling of sexism in academia. The meet-cute solidified for me the character's overall personalities and I was hoping to see more of this throughout the book. But then it was not carried through and I didn't get the same vibe between them once the story started to unfold. The story definitely reminded me of The Love Hypothesis by Hazelwood. It has an extremely similar vibe. I can see how Brohm's story was influenced by that title. A little too much, if you ask me. I wanted it to be a bit more unique, but it wasn't. However, the fake dating part of the story was done fairly well. Practice kissing, calling each other pet names and acting the part around others, and then the muddled feelings which ultimately leads to real feelings and confusion. Brohm absolutely tackled academia being geared toward the male genre. She did a good job of showing how it is hard to be a woman in this profession.

Like Hazelwood's books, you can see this book was written by someone in STEM. The overall tone just jumps off the page as such. And I do love this idea. But unlike Hazelwood's stories, I just felt like this one was missing all the right elements to make it funny and entertaining. It felt like the author was trying to hard to have it be a Hazelwood story. It was fun and nerdy but needed more character development to make me feel invested in Frances's story. I struggled to truly connect with or care about the characters, Overall it was worth the read and I do think people will find it entertaining. And, seeing as this is the author's first book, I would give her writing another try in the future to see if she figures out how to flesh out her characters and make her storyline a little less clunky. Her writing has a lot of promise for me.

Author:

Hannah Brohm penned her first novel when she was a teen, and yes, it was about vampires. After studying psychology in university and graduating with a PhD in neuroscience, she rediscovered her passion for storytelling and swapped writing articles about brain science for swoony romance novels. Born and raised in Germany, Hannah lived in Portugal, the Netherlands and New York City before moving to London, where she now lives together with her husband and an ever-growing collection of books and handknit sweaters.

ARC Review: Ralph's Party by Lisa Jewell

 

Meet the residents of the London brownstone on 31 Almanac Road who together weave a tangled web of romance. Ralph, a ne'er-do-well artist, suddenly realizes he's head over heels in love with his new flatmate Jem, the most fun and sensible girl he's ever encountered. Unfortunately, Ralph's best friend, Smith, has already won Jem's affections, although Smith has not entirely given up his passion for the femme fatale, Cheri, who lives upstairs. Across the hall, Karl and Siobhan have been happily unmarried for years, until Karl gets a smashing job as a London rush-hour DJ and momentarily gets tempted into Cheri's cozy lair.
These six star-crossed tenants become more enamored, and more confused, as the story progresses-until their true destinies are revealed on one crucial night-the evening of the extravaganza that is . . . Ralph's party. This wonderfully hip new novel was an instant popular success when it was first published in England, and American readers are sure to be captivated by the debut of a talented new writer.

Title: Ralph's Party

Author: Lisa Jewell

Publisher:

Expected (Prior) Publication Date: January 6, 2026 (May 6, 1999)

Review:

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

I do love me some Lisa Jewell. And I have a certain standard I hold her titles to. She is known to me as a psychological thriller author. But it doesn't seem she started that way. This book is not that at all. This book follows 6 people and their interactions with each other. This book follows their lives and how they become intertwined and convoluted and all around crazy!

I know this title was originally published in in 1999 and I'm not sure if it's been edited and updated since then as this was my first time reading it. I really enjoyed the pacing of the book. I will say, the plot was unusual, just following these people along and watching their daily lives. It was a bit strange but totally intriguing all at the same time.

This a lot of humor in the book. It took a bit for me to see it. It's almost satyr the way the relationships unfold and proceed. Everything that happens just seems to go above and beyond. It doesn't seem feasible it would all even come together as it does but it does and then you're just left wondering how you didn't see it playing out the way it did. You should definitely expect the unexpected from what occurs.

I really enjoyed the varying points of view. It got me into the minds of all the characters. And it really helped them develop all their own personalities and quirks. The different points of view also moved the plot along at a good pace.

If you're going into this book thinking you know Jewell and her writing, prepare to meet something totally different. It definitely was not my favorite book by her but I enjoyed it being different than the other things I've read from her. There were a few times it was slower than I would have liked. And I found myself waiting for things to happen in many instances, but overall it was fun. I see a lot of low ratings on this one and I can see where people who have read her more recent stories may not love this one. Go into it pretending you know nothing of what she has written in the mystery genre and you'll be good.

Author:

LISA JEWELL was born in London in 1968.

Her first novel, Ralph's Party, was the best- selling debut novel of 1999. Since then she has written another twenty novels, most recently a number of dark psychological thrillers, including The Girls, Then She Was Gone, The Family Upstairs and The Night She Disappeared.

Lisa is a New York Times and Sunday Times number one bestselling author who has been published worldwide in over twenty-five languages. She lives in north London with her husband, two teenage daughters and the best dog in the world.

Lisa's Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/LisaJewelloff...

ARC Review: An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister

 

From the “masterly” (The New York Times) Jodi McAlister, a charming new romance about two English professors who embark on a fake relationship…only to discover that it may be harder to pretend than they realized.

Sadie Shaw and Jonah Fisher have been academic rivals since they first crossed paths as undergraduates in the literature department thirteen years ago. Now that a highly coveted teaching opportunity has come up, their rivalry hits epic proportions. Jonah needs the job to move closer to his recently divorced sister and her children, while Sadie needs the financial security and freedom of a full-time teaching position.

When Sadie notices that the job offers partner hire, however, she hatches a plot to get them both the job. All they must do is get legally married. It’s a simple win-win solution but when sparks begin to fly, it becomes clear that despite their education, these two may not have thought this whole thing through.

Perfect for fans of Ali Hazelwood, Abby Jimenez, and Kayla Olson, An Academic Affair brings Jodi McAlister’s “smart, scorching, and emotionally resonant” (Freya Marske, author of A Restless Truth) writing to the forefront and demonstrates her talent as one of today’s best rom-com authors.

Title: An Academic Affair

Author: Jodi McAlister

Publisher: Atria

Expected Publication Date: November 11, 2025

Review:

Thank you to Atria 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.

I love a books that compiles a bunch of my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, fake marriage.  When I read the blurb after the widget was sent to me, I knew for sure I was going to love the story. And I did! It was fun and intriguing and a joy to watch things bloom between these two rivals.

I'm not very familiar with the British university system. I don't really know how things work there as I'm American. I can see a lot of similarities to the American system in how things operate academically. The author did a nice job setting up how things are structured for the most part. I did find myself a bit lost at times, but it didn't really take away from the story for me. I enjoyed how the author worked in the misogyny of the system and how unfair it can be as a woman in academia. Yes, the story was about position and what that means but it's also about the rapport between the two characters and how they've grown their friendship over the last 15 years. 

Jonah and Sadie truly lean into the rivals thing. I love their banter and how they bounce ideas off one another. I also loved the pining on Jonah's part, which gets more intense as the story progresses. I will say, I needed a bit more of the chemistry on Sadie's end. While I understand how she can realize she has feelings for Jonah, it wasn't as believable as I would have liked it to be. I need a bit more introspection from her character. A deeper dive into parsing out how the friendship she has held in a certain light throughout the years has actually been more than she thought it was. But overall, it was a slow, cozy burn to the end and their HEA.

Sadie's sister, Chess, made me super angry. Even once they reconciled, I was mad at her. She tried so hard to make things about Sadie but they weren't and this just made me so mad. I was glad to see Johan stand up for Sadie and for Sadie to ultimately stand up for herself. But I still saw Sadie giving in to some things I don't think she should have.

The ending was a bit abrupt for me. I needed more out of that last chapter. Or an epilogue? I felt like it wasn't wrapped up as well as it could have been. Overall I enjoyed the writing, my first time reading this author. I'm definitely going to look into her other books.

Author:

By day, Jodi McAlister writes romance novels. By other time of day, Dr Jodi McAlister studies them. She's written romantic comedies for adults, romantasy and contemporary romance for young adults, and several academic books.

For adults
If you're a reality TV lover, the Marry Me, Juliet series are the books for you. Even if you're not a reality TV lover, they might be the books for you - several reality TV haters have enjoyed them.

The trilogy all take place at the same time on the same season of a reality dating show called Marry Me, Juliet (which bears a very strong resemblance to The Bachelor). While they all stand alone and can be read in any order, they work best when read in order.

Start with Here For The Right Reasons (he's the series lead, she's the contestant he eliminates on the first night), move on to Can I Steal You For A Second? (she's a contestant, she's... also a contestant), and finish with the book the New York Times called a "full-on villain romance", Not Here To Make Friends (she's the villain, he's the producer who's pining for her).

For young adults
If you're a romantasy reader, you'll like the Valentine series, a young adult paranormal romance/urban fantasy series about smart girls, small towns, and scary fairies. There are three books: Valentine, Ironheart, and Misrule. If Picnic at Hanging Rock meets Holly Black sounds like something you’d be into, these are the books for you.

And if you're a theatre kid, Libby Lawrence Is Good At Pretending is the book for you. It's my love letter to theatre kids as someone who used to be one.

Academic books
No one really cares much about these on Goodreads, do they? More info on my website if you're interested.

About Jodi
Jodi is originally from Kiama, a seaside holiday town on the south coast of New South Wales, and has lived in a bunch of different cities: Canberra (where she did her undergrad degrees), Wollongong (where she lived while she did her PhD in Sydney), and Hobart (where she held her first academic job) among them. Currently, she lives in Melbourne, where she works as a Senior Lecturer in Writing, Literature and Culture at Deakin University.

When she’s not writing about romance, Jodi is an academic studying romance. Her research focuses on representations of love in popular culture and fiction. It means that reading romance novels and watching (and let’s be real, writing huge amounts about) The Bachelor/ette is technically work for her.

**Want to dip your toes into the Valentine universe? Try the free short story Galentine, set a year and a bit before the events of Valentine. http://jodimcalister.com.au/galentine/ **

**Want to read a bonus epilogue to Libby Lawrence Is Good At Pretending? Check it out here: https://jodimcalister.com.au/libby-la... **