ARC Review: Hawk & Sparrow by Ayana Gray

 

Sparks fly in this Gilded Age novel of mystery, magic, and romance by the author of the New York Times–bestselling Beasts of Prey. This program is read by actor Renika Williams-Blutcher.

Nineteen-year-old Vesper Evans has always resented Basalton’s high society, and the sorcery that provides them with a luxurious life unimaginable to most. Orphaned as a child and rescued by the editor of The Basalton Globe, Vesper is now an ambitious reporter determined to keep her newspaper afloat.

While covering a lavish society gala, Vesper happens upon a shocking the murdered body of an inventor whose new machine promised to bring the benefits of sorcery to everyone. Several of the powerful magical elite may want the man dead, but the prime suspect is wealthy industrialist Maximilian Kite.

Max soon makes Vesper a tempting Find the culprit and restore his reputation in exchange for a substantial fee. Despite her distaste for Max’s world, Vesper agrees—the money would save the Globe, and the story would be the scoop of a lifetime. There’s only one In order for her to infiltrate society, the two must pose as a courting couple.

Their investigation takes them from the highest echelons of privilege to the seediest backstreets of Basalton. As they unearth the city’s secrets and scandals, Vesper finds herself in grave danger—while falling for one of the most infuriating, arrogant, handsome men she has ever met.

Title: Hawk & Sparrow

Author: Ayana Gray

Publisher: Blazer & Bray/Macmillan Audio

Expected Publication Date: September 1, 2026

Review:

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Blazer and Bray, 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 book was not what I was expecting at all. I had the feeling it would be more of a fantasy/romantasy. But it turned out to be a mystery with fantasy elements. The setting was almost steampunk in nature set in what seemed to be the 1800s, given how the characters dressed and the societal norms expressed throughout the story.

I enjoyed the narrator. I do believe I've listened to books narrated by her in the past. She has an easy cadence to her voice and kept the story exciting and focused. She did a good job voicing the different characters.

Told from the POV of Vesper, a female journalist navigating a news story about a magical invention, we follow along as the story she covers suddenly becomes a murder mystery. Paired up with a young sorcerer, Max, Vesper investigates the mysterious death of an inventor who claimed he didn't need magical incantations to perform magic; he could do it with his special machine.

I was a bit lost on the magical system. I think it's sometimes harder to listen to fantasy than read it in print. I did find myself rewinding a few times to make sure I understood things and that would take me out of the story.

This story definitely has a Sherlock Holmes vibe to it with how the mystery is investigated. I enjoyed getting to know Vesper and Max and watch them work together to get to the bottom of what happened.

There's some romance thrown in, though I didn't really think it was necessary. And it's very clean, just some kissing. If you're expecting romance, this book is not the one for you. It's very minimal.

I appreciated this was a stand alone. At first I thought it might actually be a series. So many books now are series and sometimes I just want a story to wrap up and be concluded.

My only other complaint about this story was the pacing. I did find it slow at times. I felt like some of the scenes were not necessary to move the story forward. It was a very slow build and I kept asking myself when the pace would pick up.

Overall, the story was fun. This story is firmly planted in the YA category, despite the characters being just a bit older (19 and 20). I'd definitely give this author another try in the future.

3.5 stars rounded to 4

Author:

Ayana Gray is a New York Times-bestselling author of speculative fiction. Her works have been translated in eleven languages across five continents. She currently lives in Arkansas.

Audio ARC Review: Make Me Hate You by Kandi Steiner

 

From USA Today, BookTok, and #1 Amazon bestselling author Kandi Steiner comes an angsty and emotional stand-alone romance about first love, buried pain, and the one person you can never quite let go of, featuring bonus content exclusive to this print edition.

How can you hate someone who still owns your heart?

Jasmine Olsen hasn’t been home in seven years for a very good reason. Some memories cut too deep, and sometimes running is the only way to survive. But when her best friend’s wedding brings her back to the small town she desperately tried to escape, she finally comes face to face with… him.

Tyler Wagner. The boy who broke her heart. The man she never quite forgot. And, unfortunately, her best friend’s brother. Charismatic, confident, and unyielding, Tyler is everything Jasmine can’t afford to want. And now, as the wedding fast approaches, he’s everywhere—testing boundaries they never defined, stirring feelings they both pretended were long buried.

With every stolen glance, his golden eyes lure her into their depths. Unable to escape his pull, the memory of them tightens like a rip current, dragging her under. And when he flashes her that smile, she loses her breath along with the last of her restraint.

She wants to hate him. She needs to hate him.
But if he kisses her again, she’ll drown.
And this time, she’ll take him down with her.

Title: Make Me Hate You

Author: Kandi Steiner

Publisher:

Expected Publication Date: October 6, 2026

Previously Publisher: August 6, 2020

Review:

Thank you to Keeperton 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 will admit, I picked this up strictly for the fact that it's Steiner and I really enjoyed Love Overboard so much. I didn't read the blurb, though when I went back to read it I see that it is just an excerpt from part of the book. I didn't know the tropes going into this, except that it was romance. Had I known, I would not have picked it up because I despise cheating. For me, there is never a right reason to do it. Whether it be physical or emotional, nope, I just don't agree with it. I also didn't realize this book was previously released in 2020 and is on NetGalley because it's getting a new cover and publisher picking it up for October 2026. My bad for not paying attention to that tide bit. But since I didn't know, into the story I dove.

NetGalley also doesn't list the narrator for the book. I'm not extremely picky about narrators as long as they pull me into the story and make me want to push forward to find out what happens. Since the narrator's name wasn't listed, I hunted around to find who it was and saw it was Holly Warren. I have listened to a few books narrated by her and figured I would enjoy her voice. I liked her voice for the FMC well enough, but when she voiced the other characters I was unimpressed. The accents really threw me off and just didn't seem realistic, though I know the Boston accent so I understand where the narrator was going with what she was doing. I really didn't think the accents gave anything to the story at all. Overall the narration just wasn't for me and kind of ruined even the hint of me potentially liking this book.

I know many authors who get publishing deals will have their previous books reworked and republished under that publisher. I am assuming that is what is happening with this book. But, I expect those books to be combed through and fixed up so they are better than what was previously published. I can honestly say this one didn't strike me that way at all. And if it was re-edited, then shame on the publisher because it really just wasn't good. There was so much telling in this story. The back story was super short and did not solidify the past relationship between the FMC and MMC. Flashbacks definitely would have worked well in this story but it was not done that way leaving us to only imagine why the FMC and MMC could possibly have any history at all.

I hated the MMC the entire time. He was just mean. I get the angst that was trying to be portrayed but it just did not work for me at all. And the FMC allows it to happen. Both characters are quite selfish and immature for their ages. I wasn't invested in them getting together mostly because I had no real background to understand the angst that was trying to be portrayed.

I ended up switching to the print version in the hopes it was the audio that was keeping me from enjoying this book, but that wasn't it at all. I just didn't care about the story, I disliked all the characters, and I just wanted it to end so I skimmed from the middle on. It's really a shame more wasn't done to spruce this book up because I can see the bones of a good story despite the fact that I don't like the cheating trope. A trope like this requires a huge redemption arc for me, and maybe some villainy on the parts of the people being cheated on, and it just didn't happen. I had a hard time believing the main characters had such a connection as teens that they would fight for what they might have as adults.

Overall this one just wasn't for me, though I see it has some great reviews so I do hope others like it more than me.

Author:

Kandi Steiner is a USA Today and #1 Amazon Bestselling Author living in Tennessee. Best known for writing “emotional rollercoaster” stories, she loves bringing flawed characters to life and writing about real, raw romance — in all its forms. No two Kandi Steiner books are the same, and if you’re a lover of angsty, emotional, and inspirational reads, she’s your gal.

An alumna of the University of Central Florida, Kandi graduated with a double major in Creative Writing and Advertising/PR with a minor in Women’s Studies. Her love for writing started at the ripe age of 10, and in 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her “freedom of press.”

She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a hopeless romantic and found herself bursting at the seams with love stories she was eager to tell.

When Kandi isn’t writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, planning her next adventure, or pole dancing (yes, you read that right). She enjoys live music, traveling, hiking, yoga, spending quality time with her family (fur babies included) and soaking up the sweetness of life.

CONNECT WITH KANDI:
➜ NEWSLETTER: kandisteiner.com/newsletter
➜ FACEBOOK: facebook.com/kandisteiner
➜ FACEBOOK READER GROUP (Kandiland): facebook.com/groups/kandilandks
➜ INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/kandisteiner
➜ TIKTOK: tiktok.com/@authorkandisteiner
➜ PINTEREST: pinterest.com/authorkandisteiner
➜ WEBSITE: www.kandisteiner.com
Kandi Steiner may be coming to a city near you! Check out her “events” tab to see all the signings she’s attending in the near future:
➜ www.kandisteiner.com/events

ARC Review: Yes, Chef by Grace Reilly

 

The Bear meets It Happened One Summer in this delicious new romance from USA Today bestselling author Grace Reilly, in which a down-on-his-luck chef and a determined social media maven strike a reluctant deal to bring a beloved restaurant back to life.

If you can’t take the heat…get out of the kitchen.

After a public meltdown in the dining room of one of Manhattan’s most elite restaurants, Chef Jack Hartman is back in his South Florida hometown. Angry, grieving, and saddled with the unwanted storefront his late mentor left him, his life is spinning out of control. And that’s before Poppy Winfield, the blond, bubbly, utterly infuriating daughter of his former boss, shows up at his dock.

Poppy needs to escape. From her disapproving family, her horrible ex-boyfriend, and her reputation as someone who has never taken anything seriously. But more than that, she wants to prove herself—and she has just the plan to do it. Unfortunately, that plan involves Jack Hartman, the most arrogant, prickly, intimidating man she’s ever had the pleasure of throwing a shrimp at.

She knows Jack is desperate to come back from his unceremonious firing, so she proposes a working together to open a revamped version of his mentor’s restaurant. He’ll handle the menu, and she’ll use her skill as a social media influencer to sell the hell out of its grand opening. If she and Jack can make the restaurant a success, it’ll be an accomplishment no one can deny—and a ticket for them both to return to New York.

Jack is intrigued, but only on his if Poppy’s going to work for him, she must learn the ropes of the entire business. Including how to cook. From him.

As sparks fly both in and out of the kitchen and tensions reach a boiling point, Poppy and Jack are left wondering--could they be a perfect pairing? Or is this whole experiment a recipe for disaster?


TROPES

Grumpy-sunshine

Forced proximity

Friends with benefits

Opposites attract

Found family

Title: Yes, Chef

Author: Grace Reilly

Publisher: Harper Audio Adult/Avon/Avon Harper Voyager

Publication Date: July 21, 2026

Review:

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

I will be honest and what drew me to this title was the cover. It is just stunning. And once you get into the story a bit, you start to understand the symbolism of it. This is my first Reilly title and I was excited to give her a try. 

I'll start by talking a bit about the narration portion of this title. I didn't love it. While I liked the narrators enough, it was super hard to hear the male narrator much of the time as his voice was super low. I kept having to turn the volume way up and then rewind over and over again to catch what he said. I got about 10% into the audio before I gave up and decided to switch to print. I will say the print read much better than the audio for me so if I were to suggest this book to anyone, it would not be to read it in the audio format.

I loved the concept of this book. I don't know much about being a chef, but I've seen some shows that have caught my interest and I wanted to see how something like that would play out on paper. I enjoyed the food part, the preparation, etc. It was interesting and I learned a thing or two I had no idea about. But once the story got going, I had a really hard time staying focused enough to care about what was happening. 

Poppy is a social media influencer whose family is in the restaurant business. When she has a blow out with her boyfriend for all to see, she steps back to try and figure out her life. Enter Jack Hartman, a chef at her father's well known restaurant, who also has a blow out at the same restaurant, at the same time, and loses his job over it. With nothing to lose, and a restaurant inherited from his father figure, Jack goes to Florida to try and revive the restaurant and Poppy ends up tagging along with him. As the two spend time together, they grow closer and eventually give in to their mutual attraction. 

I can honestly say I didn't love either of these characters. Poppy is interesting enough but she just doesn't grow enough in the book for me to care about her development. She's definitely a spoiled brat who is learning a hard lesson but I didn't connect with her at all. Jack was just a jerk overall. and honestly quite mean. I understand he has trauma and he wasn't really dealing well with it, but there's a point where it just gets old and you want the character to start to learn some lessons. He needed to earn my trust and show me he could be better than he originally comes off and that just never happened for me. I didn't care for him at all. I thought I would warm up to him eventually, as he and Poppy got closer, but he just rubbed me the wrong way. I love a grumpy x sunshine book but it just wasn't fun to watch their interactions.

I also had issue with the romantic chemistry in this book. I see the author was trying to make it a slow burn but it really just came off as slow in general. There was no real foundation for their romantic interest in one another. The characters just kept telling us about how sexy the other character was or how pretty or muscular. While they actual romance didn't take place until half way through the book, I never really felt the build up before that. I wanted banter and push and pull but all I got was descriptions of how their close proximity while in the kitchen made them want each other. 

I also had issue with the ADHD representation. This book could have been such a great opportunity to address this neurodivergence but it just felt like it was used to try and make the book interesting rather than showing the research I wanted to see the author put into it. For someone who has a neurodivergent child, it was totally unrealistic and misrepresented.

I do see a lot of great reviews for this book so even though it wasn't my cup of tea, I'm sure it will resonate with others. There were times it was good, and I thought I'd get into it and it would take off for me. But then that momentum would come to a grinding halt and I just didn't care what was going on.

2.5 rounded to 3 stars

Author:

Hi! I’m Grace.

I’m so glad you’re here! Originally from Long Island, I now live in Florida, where I pretend the lizards in my backyard are miniature dragons and soak up the sunshine. I can usually be found with a notebook in one hand and a paperback (or my Kindle!) in another. A storyteller at heart with a deep romantic streak, I write what I love to read: stories filled with swoon and steam, laughter and love, family and friendships, and authentic, earnest emotions and growth. I love drawing on my personal passions for my books, which is how my sports fanaticism resulted in the Beyond the Play series.

More about me: I collect earrings, the quirkier the better. I never turn down a good mint chocolate chip ice cream. I listen to way too much sports talk radio. And I adore writing about couples who are stronger together.

Audio ARC Review: Breakout by Various Authors

 

For Thurgood Marshall Academy's best and brightest--five friends who've been thick as thieves since kindergarten--this spring break is all about forgetting: they want nothing more than to wash away last year's tragedy, and the human-shaped hole it left in their friend group.

It's a hole the new kid, Anthony Brooks, seems to fit right into. So when he invites the Five to join him on a private island for a week at his dad's luxury resort, they agree with zero hesitation. No one's counting on a freak tropical storm swooping in and killing the vibe. And speaking of killing, they're also ill-prepared for the mounting collection of dead bodies... including (another) one of their own.

As their dream trip unravels, everything they tried to leave behind--secrets, lies, betrayals, dead best friends--seems to be washing up on the shore of their lives for everyone to see. Will any of them make it out alive?

Title: Breakout

Authors: Dhonelle Clayton, Tiffany B. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Nicola Yoon

Publisher: Harper Audio Children/Quill Tree Press

Publication Date: June 2, 2026

Review:

Thank you to Harper Audio Children's, Quill Tree Press, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to listen to and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. 

I will admit, I had to rush through this one due to when I was approved and the publication date. But it wasn't a hardship to do so. I enjoyed this YA title but it wasn't my favorite. I read the short story collection from these authors when it was available so I was interested to see how they would incorporate all their voices into one story.

The audio is well done. All the narrators did their characters so well and really kept me wanting to listen. I was worried there would be too many voices for me to really enjoy the story but there were not. I appreciated having the different narrators as it made it easy to differentiate the POVs.

I love a book with multiple POVs. And for a book written by 6 different authors, this one was done really well. I never felt overwhelmed with the switches to the different characters and I appreciated how the voices were all very different and unique. It helped me connect more to the characters. I also enjoyed the diversity of the characters.

The plot was fun and interesting. I love a good mystery that incorporates other elements, in this case romance. The atmosphere was also good. I really felt like I was there with the characters. Lots of drama, a cool island and boat, a storm rolling in, and secrets galore. I was a bit disappointed in the ending. So much build up and little reward. It just didn't come together for me as I felt like it should.

Overall, this was fun. I think the age group it's intended for will enjoy it enough but it just didn't pack the punch I was expecting.

Authors:

Dhonielle Clayton is a New York Times bestselling author of The Marvellers series, The Belles series, Shattered Midnight, co-author of Blackout, Whiteout, The Rumor Game, and of the Tiny Pretty Things duology, a Netflix original series. She hails from the Washington, D.C. suburbs on the Maryland side. She taught secondary school for several years, and is a former elementary and middle school librarian. She is COO of the non-profit We Need Diverse Books. She is the President and founder of Cake Creative and Electric Postcard Entertainment, IP story companies creating diverse books for all ages. She’s an avid traveller, and always on the hunt for magic and mischief. Find her on Instagram: @brownbookworm.

Tiffany D. Jackson is the highly acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author of YA and MG novels such as Blood in the Water, Monday's Not Coming, Allegedly, The Scammer, and more. She is also the coauthor of Blackout and Whiteout, and author of the picture books Santa in the City and Trick-or-Treating in the City.  

Nic Stone was born and raised in a suburb of Atlanta, GA, and the only thing she loves more than an adventure is a good story about one. After graduating from Spelman College, she worked extensively in teen mentoring and lived in Israel for a few years before returning to the US to write full-time. Growing up with a wide range of cultures, religions, and backgrounds, Stone strives to bring these diverse voices and stories to her work.

Stone lives in Atlanta with her husband and two sons. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram at @getnicced or on her website nicstone.info.

Angie Thomas was born, raised, and still resides in Jackson, Mississippi as indicated by her accent. She is a former teen rapper whose greatest accomplishment was an article about her in Right-On Magazine with a picture included. She holds a BFA in Creative Writing from Belhaven University and an unofficial degree in Hip Hop. She can also still rap if needed. She is an inaugural winner of the Walter Dean Meyers Grant 2015, awarded by We Need Diverse Books. Her debut novel, The Hate U Give, was acquired by Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins in a 13-house auction and will be published in spring 2017. Film rights have been optioned by Fox 2000 with George Tillman attached to direct and Hunger Games actress Amandla Stenberg set to star.

Ashley Woodfolk has loved reading and writing for as long as she can remember. She graduated from Rutgers University and worked in children's book publishing for over a decade. Now a full-time mom and writer, Ashley lives in a sunny Brooklyn apartment with her cute husband, her cuter dog, and the cutest kid in the world. Her books include The Beauty That Remains, When You Were Everything, and the Flyy Girls Series.

Nicola Yoon is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything and The Sun Is Also a Star. She is a National Book Award finalist, a Michael L. Printz Honor Book recipient and a Coretta Scott King New Talent Award winner. Both her novels have been made into major motion pictures. Nicola grew up in Jamaica and Brooklyn, and lives in Los Angeles with her husband, novelist David Yoon, and their family.

Audio ARC Review: The Fake Divination Offense (Magic and Romance #2) by Sara Raasch

 

Sports romance gets a Dungeons & Dragons makeover with the next book in the Magic and Romance series that follows half-giant Orok, forced into a PR relationship with a feisty, fan-favorite cheerleader.

Orok star defensive tank on the Philadelphia Hellhounds rawball team. Half-giant. Patron Urzoth, god of strength . . . only Orok’s tired of being tied to a god known for aggression. So (don’t tell his mother) he’s planning on renouncing Urzoth.

Until the cult of Galaxrien, Urzoth’s sworn enemy, ends up causing a lot of damage through their ill-advised attempts to summon him, and the followers of both deities find themselves blamed for the long-standing feud and its ramifications.

Alexo cheerleading intern with the Hellhounds. Smells like apples, which Orok only knows because he picked Alexo up. Accidentally—Orok publicly saves Alexo from a bar fight, and fans go feral for the muscly pro athlete being protective of the pint size dude-in-distress.

That’s enough to have the Hellhounds and Urzoth’s church both coming to them with a Orok and Alexo will start a PR relationship to put a positive spin on Urzoth. Orok is all set to refuse—and finally separate from Urzoth—when the team offers Alexo a starting spot on the cheerleading squad to play up the star athlete and cheerleader optics. It’s such an obvious dream come true for Alexo that Orok finds himself agreeing to the arrangement like the sap he is.

He can keep living a lie for a bit longer. But Orok starts to wonder if they can drop the fake part of this fake-relationship…

Title: The Fake Divination Offense (Magic and Romance #2)

Author: Sara Raasch

Publisher: Bramble/Macmillan Audio

Expected Publication Date: May 19, 2026

Review:

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this audio to listen to and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I was really looking forward to this book. I have been loving the queer books Raasch has been writing, especially the audio. The narrators have all been really great. I have listened to one other book by Vikas Adam before and enjoyed his narration enough so I was pretty confident he would do Orok justice. And I could not wait to hear Orok's story since there seemed to be so much more to him than what was presented in the last book.

Unfortunately I was disappointed with this book in so many ways. I hate that I have to write this review at all, to be honest. I went in with such high expectations and came away completely and utterly disappointed.

The narrator had such potential to bring Orok's character to life. And for parts of the book I did like how he voiced him. But for most of the book his voice was so rough and angry it made me disconnect with the character. I know the character has anger from his past, I get that. But it dripped into all his interactions. Vikas Adam truly overplayed the role for me, really trying to act out the character rather than just give him a voice to show us who he is.  He was growly much of the time, I kept having to rewind scenes and turn the volume up because I couldn't understand what he was saying. He took a character I enjoyed from the previous book and made me dislike him. This was super frustrating for me. I also hated how he voiced most of the other characters, especially Seb and Alexo. It's like he didn't know Seb at all. If he had listened to the previous book, he would not have voiced the character the way he did for sure. And don't get me started on the long drawn out sex scenes that were totally over the top with Adam's narration. I love some good smut but his narration just made it uncomfortable more than anything else. The first scene truly made me feel like Orok was in charge, despite saying he wasn't, and Alexo just taking it no matter the consequences. Overall, I just didn't enjoy this as an audio book at all.

Now, given Orok's background and size, I get that he might be kind of a brute. But he didn't come off that way in the first book at all. And I understand he has some possessive tendencies, but it was so overdone. He didn't make me feel his connection with Alexo at all. Where was the chemistry I thought might be brewing. The book tried to make it a slow burn but it really wasn't.

And where is the banter I know Raasch infuses into her books? I maybe laughed once while listening to this, if that. The characters came off as super flat and that just slowed the pacing down for me.

I had to force myself to listen to the story. I just didn't care about the characters, the plot, or anything else, to be honest.

The best part of the narration was the newscasters at the beginning of the chapters where they were given voice. Those times were fun. 

I understand the book was dealing with heavier topics with the abuse from the camp Orok and Seb attended, to the potential for harm to Alexo, but I just didn't even care. 

And there were so many plot holes leaving things to feel very surface level at best,.This book takes place a few years after the last book and you're given barely any backstory to what happened during that time. Orok left to go play ball in Vegas and then leaves him team to come back to Philly. There were obvious reasons why, but they are never addressed or explored. Also, what is Rawball? How does it work? We see games in this book but I know nothing of what those games entail or how they are won/lost, This is a sports romance but we barely know or see antyhing about the sport. And the religion thing is honestly just confusing to me. I didn't truly understand Orok and his religion in book 1, but I got the gist. I thought it would be explored more in book 2, since that is such an important part of who he is, but it isn't. It's glossed over for the most part. All we know is he's not happy with it.

I'm sad to give this one two stars after loving the first book (and also Raasch's other series, Royals and Romance). I just didn't care about the characters or the story, Perhaps my expectations for this were too high. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it better in print. I will still read the upcoming books in both these series and I will hope they are done better than this one.

Author:

Sara Raasch has known she was destined for bookish things since the age of five, when her friends had a lemonade stand and she tagged along to sell her hand-drawn picture books too. Not much has changed since then — her friends still cock concerned eyebrows when she attempts to draw things and her enthusiasm for the written word still drives her to extreme measures. Her debut YA fantasy, SNOW LIKE ASHES, the first in a trilogy, came out October 14, 2014 from Balzer + Bray. It does not feature her hand-drawn pictures.

ARC Review: No Place Like You (Oaks Sisters #2) by Jillian Meadows

 

Childhood friends turned high school rivals fall into a small-town fake dating scheme in this sweet, spicy, and utterly irresistible romance from the author of Give Me Butterflies.

Fable Oaks never planned to return to Fern River. But after a string of failures, here she is, living in her parents’ backyard, watching her beloved late grandfather’s A-frame crumble around her. She can't seem to find her direction, and to make matters worse, Theo Nikolaou, her ex-best friend, has also resurfaced, distracting dimples and charming grin in tow.

Theo knew it was only a matter of time before he came back. The demons of his past once drove him to leave, but Fern River always seemed meant to be. So, when Theo’s boss, Arthur, announces he is selling his veterinary practice, it feels like the perfect opportunity. He just needs to show Arthur he’s sticking around for good. And when Fable—Fable, with her smart mouth and sexy curls—quite literally falls into Theo's lap, an idea forms.

If they can convince the town that they're madly in love, it could solve all their problems. Theo can prove to Arthur he's settling down, and Fable can get some much-needed help fixing up the A-frame, a task she is determined to see through.

The only problem is, the more time they spend together, the blurrier the line gets between fake dating and falling hard.

She’s lost her way. He’s finding his path. Together, they might discover there's no place like home.

Title: No Place Like You (Oaks Sisters #2)

Author: Jillian Meadows

Publisher: Avon/Harper Audio Adult

Expected Publication Date: March 10, 2026

Review:

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

I really enjoyed the first title in this series by Meadows. I was excited for the next sister to get her story and this book did not disappoint! I love that we were introduced to these characters in the previous book so I had some idea of who they were and their connection.

I had a eARC of this book but also had a chance to listen to the audio. I will way I enjoyed the print version a bit more. I have listened to both Victoria Connolly and Tim Paige on other books. For me, they were just ok for this audio. They delivered well enough for the characters but I just couldn't get into their voices for them so I ended up reading this mostly in print. 

Fable and Theo were great characters. I liked the flashes of their past together and what happened to tear their friendship apart. Both characters carry quite a bit of baggage with them. But Theo's baggage was the most heartbreaking. The abuse he had to witness growing up really affected his ability to see what a great human he really is. I liked that Meadows chose to use this abuse in her book but did not give voice to the abuser by naming him or give details of the abuse other than to say it affected Theo's sister, Mia (there is a disclaimer prior to the story beginning that addresses this). Fable's character feels directionless. Although she's always been supported by family and friends, she feels like her inability to settle into life is a huge flaw. It's what causes her to keep walls up and run when the going gets tough. It was also great to see characters from the previous book make their appearance and join in Fable's story.

This book is full of emotion. There were many times I teared up for the characters and the heart ache they were feeling. The author easily pushed the plot forward as she developed characters who changed and grew throughout the story. The pacing was fast and the plot kept me completely engaged. And Meadows used such gentle hands when addressing the Theo's background. 

I enjoyed the chemistry between the two main characters. It was a slower burn at first but sped up quite a bit once the characters decided to give themselves over to one another.

This one is a fast and enjoyable easy read. It touches on some very serious topics that the author treats with gentle hands.

4.25/5 Stars

Author:

Jillian Meadows writes cozy love stories that make you swoon, smile, and squeal. She lives thirty miles past The Middle of Nowhere with her husband, four wild daughters, two unruly dogs, and her sparkling water addiction. When she’s not writing, you can find her devouring a romance novel, playing board games, or enjoying the outdoors with her family.