Review | Where I Should’ve Been by Max Monroe

July 29, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

Everyone in the smalltown of Red Bridge, Vermont, knows Tad Hanson, the hot sheep farmer who can’t control his flock. He doesn’t believe in forever, but he’ll be the best time you’ve ever had―right now. What they don’t know is why.

He’s too charming, too good with that addicting smile of his, too committed to keeping his dark past buried, and too stubborn to imagine his life could be any other way.

Until a snowstorm―and one beautiful woman―send his carefully controlled world spinning.

Successful art director Beatrice “Breezy” Bishop thought she had life figured out―until her father gave her the middle finger from the grave and left the family galleries she built to her entitled younger brother. With nothing left in New York but resentment and regret, she temporarily heads to Red Bridge, looking for space to breathe.

Instead, she finds a sexy, flirty, secret fling with Tad, and a rivalry with the editor of Red Bridge’s newspaper. It’s chaotic, but it’s the happiest she’s ever been.

But secrets never stay secrets for long, and when hearts get involved―and the universe clearly has other plans―walking away isn’t as easy as they thought.

Amazon | Goodreads | Shop the Series

This was my first time reading something from Max Monroe and I didn’t realize this was the 3rd in the series (though I had no issues reading this one out of order) but I will definitely be picking up more.

Breezy – who has been breaking her back to run her family’s art galleries and then has the business yanked out from under her when her father dies and leaves the business to her younger brother (who knows nothing about the galleries) and Tad – a fireman turned sheep farmer who has a ton of past trauma and baggage that keeps him from getting close to people are complex characters who both carry a lot of baggage they need to work through. Breezy has come to Red Bridge to stay with her older brother and try to figure out what she wants to do with her life now that she no longer has the galleries.

Neither one of them are looking for a relationship but their attraction is undeniable so things move rather quickly to what they consider a no strings, casual relationship. Their banter is top notch and it’s great to watch them grow closer without realizing that feelings are developing. Though this was my first foray into Red Bridge, the other characters still had their own fully fledged identities and histories that gave the environment a three dimensional feel (and I can’t wait to check out the first two books in the series).

The only (slight) detractor for me was the lack of communication/miscommunication felt like it went on just a little too long – but that’s probably a me thing as I have a lower tolerance for excessive miscommunication. I understood the motivations behind not wanting to talk about baggage or old scars that kept trying to open, but at some point you just want to lock them in a room and make them talk. (haha)

The climax of the story though was a whirlwind and perfect turning points for both characters in a lot of ways. It definitely kept me on my toes there for a bit until the end and made me even more certain I want to catch up and read the first two.

Happy reading!

*Disclaimer: Amazon links included may be affiliate links that I receive a commission on if purchased through.

Review | Still Smitten by Catana Chetwynd

July 21, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

#1 New York Times Bestselling comics creator Catana returns with an all-new collection, filled to the brim with the heartwarming, cozy commentary on love, relationships, and growing up that fans know and love.

In Still Smitten, Catana welcomes readers into the next chapter of her love story as she shares the ups, downs, and laugh-filled in-betweens of being in a long-term relationship that both celebrates and challenges as you grow alongside each other. With an emphasis on keeping the spark alive, staying in love, and continuing to find your way back to your person after years of individual growth, Still Smitten is the perfect gift for anyone who has found their forever person.

Amazon | Goodreads

I’ve loved Catana Comics for many years now, starting with her instagram posts and then picking up the printed collections when they came out – so imagine my surprise when I saw a new collection came out that I hade missed.

This collection feels more settled than some of the earlier collections and by that I mean it’s more focused on a relationship that is stable, no longer new, but still immensely happy. A lot of the comics are relatable for relationships, earlier collections might be more geared towards newer relationships, but this one is definitely for those who have been in a relationship for a while and know their partner like the back of their hand.

As always the art style is charming and quick to consume, all of the comics are short form, but perfect in their bite size nature, highlighting snapshots of Catana and John’s relationship (though my husband and I often joke we feel like their watching us since so many of the comics are relatable for us).

Happy reading!

*Disclaimer: Amazon links included may be affiliate links that I receive a commission on if purchased through.

Review | Rising Waters by Aleatha Romig

July 18, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

A dark atmospheric psychological thriller packed with small-town secrets, buried trauma, and shocking twists.

She escaped her past—and the man she never forgot.
Now with two girls missing, she’s pulled back into a deadly game she may not survive.

Jillian Thorne built her career making the unreal feel real.
On Hollywood soundstages, she stages murder, kidnapping, and violent crime with chilling authenticity—turning fiction into gripping entertainment.

But nothing she’s created compares to the truth waiting in Blue Gil.
Nearly six years after escaping her small hometown, Jillian is drawn back by the suspicious death of the town’s beloved high school football coach. What first appears to be a tragic loss quickly unravels into something far more sinister—a dark mystery no one is willing to confront.

Because in Blue Gil, secrets aren’t just buried… they’re protected.
As disturbing clues surface and a brutal tragedy strikes dangerously close to home, Jillian finds herself trapped inside a real-life psychological thriller. The instincts that made her successful in Hollywood may be the key to solving the crime—or the very thing clouding her judgment.

Everyone in this small town is hiding something.
Including Jillian.

To uncover the truth, she must break through an unspoken code of silence, deception, and loyalty—and face the past she thought she left behind. Because some secrets refuse to stay buried.

And in this twisted game of suspense, trusting the wrong person could be deadly.

Amazon | Goodreads

Jillian is returning home the first time in six years, back to the hometown she has avoided, because the local football coach has died and she wants to find out the truth. From the get go it appears to be a simple mystery of finding out who killed the coach, but it’s so much more than that. Jillian soon realizes that while she’s from Blue Gil, she’s still being treated as an outsider and coming up against a lot of dead ends in her search for the truth.

I’m not going to give details but things swiftly take a turn and suddenly there are many more secrets to uncover other than just those related to the coach’s death…and why Jillian felt the need to return.

This book is full of twists and turns, a few well placed red herrings and tons of secrets to uncover – not just the town’s secrets, but Jillian’s as well. I will say I figured out pretty early on what happened to the coach, but the reveals (yes, there are multiple) still packed a punch and contained some surprises. Jillian as a character is complex, as she’s coming to terms with her past and motivations while also reconciling who she is now to people she’s known her entire life. Her family dynamics are pretty messy, but the reasons for that do also get revealed.

Romig’s writing was really easy to get into and once I got about 30-40% into the book I could not put it down. I’ll definitely be checking out more of her writing in the future as this was a really enjoyable read.

Happy reading!

*Disclaimer: Amazon links included may be affiliate links that I receive a commission on if purchased through.

Review | The Ghost of What Remains by Maeve Garner

July 15, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

Sometimes the dead fight just as hard as the living to keep the past buried…especially at Jasper Lake…

Rhys McClaine doesn’t believe in ghosts. Or in wasting his time. So, overseeing a supernatural investigation at his family’s lakeside mansion wasn’t something he looked forward to. Until he met the beautiful paranormal psychologist his great-aunt hired and everything changed…

Phoebe Davenport has dedicated her life to giving the dead a voice. But the living? They’re far more mysterious. Especially him. Rhys is infuriating. Brilliant. Confident. Insufferably handsome. Working with him should be impossible. So why does it feel so…right?

Every secret they uncover draws them closer to the truth and to each other. But when love collides with ghosts that won’t rest, will survival cost Rhys and Phoebe their happily ever after?

Amazon | Goodreads

I love reading books that have some aspect of ghosts or haunted houses, so I was excited to get to this one. I will say, I do wish I had read the first two books first so I had more of that foundation to the story, but it was still really enjoyable.

Maeve Garner’s writing is very atmospheric and lyrical, sometimes this can drag down the pace but I felt it was really well done in this case. It also adds to the overall feel of the book and lent well to the paranormal/supernatural elements.

This book was a wonderful combination of romance, ghost story and lots of emotional moments. The romance was really well balanced, great instant attraction without being insta-love and a slow burn that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I’m hoping I’ll have time to go back and read the trilogy as a whole so I can see how all the stories connect and work together.

Happy reading!

*Disclaimer: Amazon links included may be affiliate links that I receive a commission on if purchased through.

Series Review | The Queens of Éire by Christy Healy

June 22, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

For fans of Hannah Whitten and Rebecca Ross, Unbound is a gender-bent reimagining of the classic tale of a monstrous beast and the beauty determined to tame it, set against the lush backdrop of Irish mythology and folklore.

Rozlyn Ó Conchúir is used to waiting—waiting for the king, her father, to relent and allow her to leave the solitude of her tower; waiting for the dreaded and mysterious Beast of Connacht to at last be defeated; waiting for the arrival of the man destined to win her heart and break the terrible curse placed on her and her land. So when she meets Jamie—a charming and compelling suitor—she allows herself to hope that her days of solitude and patience are over at long last.

But as she finds her trust betrayed—and newer, more sinister threats arising—Rozlyn learns that some curses are better left unbroken …

Amazon | Goodreads

Fairytale retellings and mythology are definitely two of my buzzwords/phrases, so I was eager to get the chance to review the Queens of Éire series, starting with Unbound – which is very Beauty and the Beast-esque. I really enjoyed the dual POV and different perspectives. It’s very fairytale coded, but I really enjoyed the inclusion of Celtic mythology and the underlying messages. There were some parts of the book where pacing felt a little off, perhaps a little slow, but not to the point where I didn’t want to continue. Overall Healy’s writing was nice to read, definitely good atmosphere here and there. The story is primarily focused on Rozlyn and Jamie, so there isn’t a lot of sidetracking with other characters – but there’s still plenty of twisty turns.

Riona Ó Conchúir has known death her whole life. The mysterious lord of death has tormented her for years, stealing away the souls of all those she has loved since childhood, demanding that she come and serve him in his shadowy realm, but she has always resisted – until now.

When her daughter falls ill with an incurable disease, Riona at last answers the lord of death’s call and ventures into the hidden realm of the sídhe to offer herself as a servant to him in exchange for her daughter’s life. But when he demands that she use the divine magic of her blood to find three legendary objects of power that were once wielded by the gone gods themselves, Riona soon realizes that she will be forced to make an impossible choice:

Her daughter’s life, or the realm of Éire itself.

Amazon | Goodreads

In this sequel (it can be read as a standalone but benefits from having read the first installment first) we follow Riona, who is Rozlyn’s granddaughter. She was definitely more of an unlikeable character while her counterpart – Conor – was easy to adore. The mythology/folklore in this story were really well done and I found myself really getting sucked into all of those elements. Even though Riona is a little harsh, there are certainly reasons for it that are explained and it’s nice to see how she and Conor interact throughout the story. Loved that there was some medical/chronic illness rep in this one especially – it’s always nice to see in any genre. I definitely feel like any of the pacing issues that I may have felt with the first book were more ironed out in this one, definitely more flowing prose that just kept me glued to the book.

Rory Ó Conchúir has always known that she was destined for war. Her deadly gifts, the unwanted inheritance of her ancestor, the Mórrígan, can only be wielded as a weapon of destruction and doom. For years, she would not allow herself to be used as such, instead choosing to live far across the sea, refusing to regret what she has left behind in order to do so…until the fateful day that she learns of the price she has paid for her peace.

Niall Ó Flannagáin, the young king of Connacht, was never meant for war — that has always been his half-sister, Rory’s, role. But now he finds himself threatened with a foreign invasion and the ruination of the realm, without her aid. In desperation, he turns to a powerful enemy as an ally, his only hope to unite the provinces against the foreign armies gathering even now to destroy the land he has sworn to protect.

Locke MacMurchada, the son of the most hated traitor in all of Éire, owes a debt that he knows he can never pay. But when the opportunity to propose a political marriage with the murderous Rory Ó Conchúir arises, he seizes the chance to protect what is left of both his people, as well as the legacy which his father ripped to shreds…so long as she doesn’t kill him first.

When the day of doom at last arrives, the fates of all three royals – the cursed princess, the young king, and the traitor prince – become inextricably woven together, forcing them to face new threats and old enemies, hoping to forge a stronger Éire from the ashes of the old.

Amazon | Goodreads

Oof this one was an emotional roller coaster and such as fantastic third installment! I feel like the first two (even they can all be read as standalones) really set up a good foundation, but this book still had a ton of great world building and set up built in. There was so much morally grey behavior and characters in this one, so if that’s your thing you will probably eat this one up. Also, this is very much a slow burn and it does burn. Really this one was beautifully built up to and a great third book in the series.

Happy reading!

*Disclaimer: Amazon links included may be affiliate links that I receive a commission on if purchased through.

Review | The Twilight Walker by Nic Minnella

June 19, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

Finn thought campfire stories were just stories. He couldn’t have been more wrong.

Eleven-year-old Finn can’t stand camping and is fed up with being picked on by his seemingly perfect older brother, Matt. Everything changes when their mother starts acting like a different person, and Finn-—along with his cat, Pepper—is the only one who realizes the truth: she’s been replaced by an impostor. Will Matt believe him?

With the fake mom hot on their trail and time running out, the brothers must put aside years of misunderstandings and resentment to save their family from a haunted forest where sinister legends come to life.

Amazon | Goodreads

From the start of the book we can tell that this is a family in a bit of a crisis, though they are trying to enjoy time as a family on a camping trip. Finn pretty clearly struggles with aspects of anxiety and his older brother Matt is more interested in girls than spending time with him – plus dealing with his own baggage after a tough period the family went through. Their parents are fighting pretty constantly, so there is a lot of tension from the get go.

A round of ghost stories leads to some odd events and their mom going missing for a while, when they find her something is off and that’s really the beginning of the mystery. Finn and Matt, with the help of Pepper their cat struggle through the perils of the forest, mostly supernatural, to unravel the mystery of what happens to their parents.

As they progress they slowly start to understand each other more and some truths are spoken. By the end of the book, not only have they solved the mystery of the Twilight Walker, but they’ve managed to come back together as a family. It’s a great read and I’m interested to pick up the previous installments in the series.

Happy reading!

*Disclaimer: Amazon links included may be affiliate links that I receive a commission on if purchased through.

Review | This Beautiful Lie by Taylor Sullivan

June 13, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

Some secrets don’t stay buried.
They wait—quiet and patient—for the exact moment they can ruin you.
I learned a long time ago that surviving means keeping my heart locked down. No expectations. No hope. No love that asks me to trust like it won’t disappear. Because love doesn’t just leave scars—it takes pieces of you that never heal quite right.
Dean Weston intrigues me.
He’s successful. Steady. The kind of man who shows up without being asked.
Which is why, when he asks me to pretend to be his fiancée, I know right away it’s a terrible idea.
One week at a business retreat.
One carefully crafted love story.
One lie meant to protect us both.
The rules are simple.
Play the perfect couple.
Convince everyone we’re in love.
Walk away without getting hurt.
Only Dean doesn’t fake affection—he offers it easily. Gentle touches that linger longer than they should. Soft smiles meant just for me, like we share something no one else can see. Late-night conversations that stretch past midnight, where he listens in a way that makes me forget I ever learned how to be guarded. He makes me feel safe without promising anything at all, and somewhere along the way, the pretending turns into this beautiful lie I’m terrified to lose. I stop bracing for the fall I know is coming.
Because the truth always surfaces.
Lies unravel, no matter how carefully they’re told.
And some secrets don’t just hurt you.
They break you.

Amazon | Goodreads

In this one we follow Dean and Emily, both of which have a lot of scars relating to love and relationships. Against her better judgement she agrees to play as Dean’s fake fiancé for a business trip and realizes it is a slippery slope from there because somewhere in the act of making others believe they’re in love, things start to feel real.

This is definitely not a light romance, there’s a lot of emotional upheaval and depth. The way the two both learn how to trust each other and their feelings is heavier to read, but so worth it. The characters are three dimensional and it definitely feels like they are truly experiencing the ups and downs of their romance.

Though this is the third book in the series, it seems like they read perfectly fine as standalones – though after checking out Taylor Sullivan’s writing I will definitely be picking up more.

Happy reading!

*Disclaimer: Amazon links included may be affiliate links that I receive a commission on if purchased through.

Review | If We Cannot Go at the Speed of Light by Kim Cho-yeop

June 6, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

Meet the alien species that put the humanity into human beings
Discover the fate of Slefonia III once warp travel became obsolete
Visit the Mind Library to commune with the dead

Kim Choyeop became an instant literary sensation in Korea with her debut short story collection. Each of these bitesize speculative masterpieces represents a journey into the unknown, guided by a writer blessed with a boundless imagination.

From alternative futures to distant alien planets, in the company of scientists, space explorers and ordinary citizens in extraordinary situations, Kim Choyeop revels in making the impossible seem not only possible but somehow inevitable.

Each story focuses on an specific issue of discrimination against women or other marginalised groups, adding a mind-bending twist to hold a mirror to modern society and its everyday iniquities.

Translated from the Korean by Anton Hur

Amazon | Goodreads

Sci-fi is a genre I’m still very much dipping my toes in and figuring out what works for me – so when I saw a sci-fi anthology that was translated from Korean I definitely wanted to pick it up. The stories in this collection I felt take a look at the human condition, and how the human condition may evolve depending on how technology and the world advances. What if instead of burying and cremating people when their dead, they instead have their minds scanned and catalogued, to be kept in a library where family and friends could visit and essentially have a conversation with them. Would they be conversing with their actual soul/consciousness or just a simulation built from their memories? What would happen to humanity if someone figured out how to manipulate genetic code from conception to ensure they were for lack of a better word – perfect?

Each story is a different lens looking at different components of society and humanity and what some of the individuals in these futures might experience. It’s definitely a collection to sit with and absorb, not something to fly through. There is a depth in the writing that takes time to really take in and it was a wonderful experience. I’d love to see more of Kim Cho-yeop’s writing in the future.

Happy reading!

If We Cannot Go at the Speed of Light review

*Disclaimer: Amazon links included may be affiliate links that I receive a commission on if purchased through.

Review | The Backup Plan by K. Bromberg

May 28, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

Sometimes love isn’t part of the plan. Sometimes it’s the backup plan.

Lucas Hale built his entire life around football.
The franchise quarterback.
The GOAT.
The man everyone on his team counts on.

Recovering from a devastating shoulder injury, the veteran quarterback signs with the Lone Star Rebels for one last chance to prove he still belongs in the league.

There’s just one problem—Dr. Emery Porter.

The Rebels’ new injury specialist isn’t impressed by Lucas’s charm—or his determination to push through pain.

She’s seen the scans.
She knows the damage.
And if she clears him to play, it might mean destroying his career for good.

But the more time they spend together, the more dangerous everything becomes.
For Emery’s career.
For Lucas’s future.
And the harder it becomes to remember where professional boundaries end—and where love begins.

Because if Lucas keeps playing, he could lose everything.
And if Emery stops him . . . she might lose the man she’s fallen for.

Sometimes the biggest risk isn’t losing the game.
It’s losing what you never thought you wanted.

Amazon | Goodreads

Emery is starting over in a new city, trying to reclaim her life after her marriage ended. Lucas is also starting over, trying to salvage his career in a new city, with a new team and a shoulder that has probably been injured too many times.

From their first meeting, who they are as people becomes pretty clear. They have a chance meeting, not knowing who the other is, and then find out later that they are going to be part of each other’s daily life in a work capacity. The attraction is for the most part pretty immediate, so the yearning as they come to terms with their feelings as well as war with if they can risk a relationship considering they both work for the Lone Star Rebels is pretty intense.

Watching their developing friendship and then romantic relationship while both working through their own problems is great, and further enhanced by the fact that we get POVs from both of them. Lucas doesn’t know who he is if he can no longer play football and Emery is fighting her own battles to cement herself with the team and keep her dream job. Their desires clash when questions arise regarding Lucas’ shoulder and Emery has to decide what to reveal to the coaches and trainers.

I appreciated that while there was definitely conflict and some difficulties faced by them, they worked their way through them and became stronger. Their chemistry and banter were top notch and had me laughing.

I’d love to check out the upcoming books in the series as well as I felt there were definitely some side characters I could see getting their own stories.

Happy reading!

*Disclaimer: Amazon links included may be affiliate links that I receive a commission on if purchased through.

Review | Shards of Silence by Brian Lee Young

May 27, 2026 DeAnneLeave a comment

In his first YA novel, award-winning author Brian Lee Young (Diné) bridges the generational divide between a Navajo teen at an elite prep school and his great-grandmother’s experience at a federal boarding school for Indigenous students. The book is an eye-opening call for community healing and a profound coming-of-age story.

Even if it hurts to leave behind his friends and family in Navajo, New Mexico—especially his great-grandmother, Mildred—Derrick knows his scholarship to an elite East Coast boarding school is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Sagefield Academy is totally different from life on the rez: His new classmates vacation in Europe and take study drugs. Derrick wants to stick to caffeine, but handling sports, school, and a twenty-page term paper, all while dodging comments about his hair and heritage, feels straight-up impossible.

Back home, Másání Mildred’s health is fading quickly. On the phone, she begs Derrick to leave Sagefield. When he realizes her fear comes from her time in federal Native boarding schools, he knows he’s finally found the term paper theme he believes carrying her voice into the future.

Derrick will need to shatter a steadfast generational silence to untangle his great-grandmother’s memories—though her story might change him, and his family, forever.

Amazon | Goodreads

I am always happy to see books with representation of other cultures or books that tackle subject that in a lot of ways today’s society is trying to ignore or bury. So much of history is being intentionally buried or erased, so stories like this need to be told – especially in the young adult and middle grade spaces.

We follow Derrick, who has had to relocate because he got the opportunity to attend an East Coast boarding school – a far cry from Navajo, New Mexico. Add onto that the pressure of keeping up in school, worries regarding his family members and the shadows of the past regarding Native boarding schools.

I do feel like this read a little young for the way it was marketed and there were some areas where the story could have gone more in depth to give Derrick and his story more dimension. It felt like it was almost there in some areas.

Happy reading!

*Disclaimer: Amazon links included may be affiliate links that I receive a commission on if purchased through.