Louise Hall's Blog

Photo Credit: Lisa Fotios @ Pexels.

The Weekly Book Date is where I talk all things books from the past 7 days (24-30 November 2025).

It’s a three-peat for TWBD and I had a few later-than-normal nights (I’m a lightweight and in bed with my Kindle by 8pm most nights) last week thanks to watching United on TV on Monday (I want my time back!), working late on Wednesday and a two and a half hour meeting-that-should’ve-been-an-email on Thursday. I still managed to finish 2 x books and I’ve only got 7 x books to read to hit my unofficial target by 31 December.

I’m feeling lovely and Christmassy after putting my Christmas tree up on Friday. I can’t wait to get wrapped up under my duvet with my Kindle, my new obsession: peppermint bark cookies from M&S (again #notanad) and the tree all lit up in the background.

Again no 5 x Star Reads (boo!) but I’ve still got 4 x books to talk about this week including 1 x Current Read, 2 x Books Read and 1 x Added to Wish List.

ICYMI: Next Month in Books – December 2025 was uploaded on Wednesday.

Happy reading, Louise x

Currently Reading (1):

(1) Renaissance Man (Girl #2.5) (2018) (KU)

The last place ex-Special forces soldier, Kyle Musgrave, expected to find himself was in a joust at a renaissance fair. There’s a prize for winning, however—her name is Cameron and she’s just as horrified by her medieval circumstances as Kyle. She needs his help badly to escape her would-be suitors. For Kyle, that means donning uncomfortable armour, galloping to victory on a stubborn steed and claiming a reward he never expected. If she’ll have him.

My Thoughts: I’m excited about Renaissance Man because (a) Tessa Bailey is one of my favourite authors; (b) #1 in the Girl series: Getaway Girl was a Five Star Read for November 2025 and (c) it’s only 60 x pages, which means it gets me that much closer to my unofficial target.

What I Read This Week (2):

[image error] (Hated It)

[image error] [image error] (Didn’t Like It)

[image error] [image error] [image error] (It Was OK)

[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] (Liked It)

[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] (Loved It)

(1) A Royal Mile (Return to Dublin Street #2) (2025) (KU) [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]

Going into my senior year of university at war with a member of the British royal family wasn’t in my carefully laid plans. Sebastian Thorne might be the grandson of a princess, but it’ll take more than a royal pardon to get me to forgive him for pretending to be someone he’s not.

But Sebastian is determined to be my friend. Even if it means signing up to a psych experiment just to get me to talk to him. Who knew a sincere apology and him saying my name in that posh English accent would make me weak in the knees?

This year was supposed to be about my dissertation and graduate school. Only, Sebastian has thrown my ordered world off kilter. He makes me bolder, more confident. A braver version of me.

Yet every lingering glance and stolen touch has me realizing one thing…

I’m falling for my best friend.

There’s just one problem. Sebastian has demons, ones that make him determined to keep me in the friend zone no matter the cost.

And even when temptation sends his walls tumbling down, the beauty we’ve found might not survive against the powerful will of outside forces…

Tags: Favourite Author / Friends-to-Lovers / Royal

(2) Hot Shot (Roseville Ramblers #2) by Staci Hart (2025) (KU) [image error] [image error] [image error]

Never thought I’d agree to a marriage of convenience to my hot, firefighter ex-boyfriend. Especially after he casually informs me we’ve been married for ten years.

Ten years ago, Wilder and I were so in love that we got married in Vegas for one night only before leaving for college on different sides of the world. He was supposed to mail the annulment papers. Problem is, he didn’t. Worse? He didn’t tell me. Not even when I came back to town to marry another man.

But now he needs my help, and I can’t say no. All I have to do is have to pretend in front of the whole town like we’re married. Hold hands. Kiss. Not throw myself at him when he looks at me like I’m the only woman in the world.

My body might remember him, but the rest of me isn’t ready. Because I’m just learning how to find myself, and if I get wrapped up in Wilder’s world, I’ll lose more than my heart—I’ll lose everything.

Again.

Tags: Favourite Author / Marriages of Convenience / Second Chance / Vegas Weddings

Added to Wish List (2):

For a full list of the future books on my Wish List, check out  Upcoming Releases .

(1) The Deal Maker by Louise Bay (17 March 2026)

Lucy Jones is tired of being the “other sister.” Elizabeth is the golden child—beautiful, serene, and engaged to the perfect man. Lucy? She’s thirty, single, and still dodging her mother’s digs about how she never quite measures up. But when Elizabeth names Lucy as her maid of honour, she vows her sister’s wedding will be her grand rebrand. She’ll prove she’s polished, sophisticated, and totally in control.

Enter Hunter Bain. Best man. Business bro. Walking scowl emoji. Also the rudest, most aggravating man Lucy has ever met—and her new partner in planning the joint bachelor/bachelorette weekend. Fantastic. Because nothing says “reinvent yourself” like clashing with a man who thinks party planning is beneath him.

From drunken disasters to shenanigans on Martha’s Vineyard, Lucy and Hunter can’t stop butting heads. Until one impulsive lie forces them to pretend they’re dating. It’s supposed to be temporary. It’s supposed to be fake. But every lingering glance, every stolen kiss, every unexpected laugh makes it harder to remember what’s real and what’s not.

Tags: Fake Dating / Favourite Author

As usual, if you’ve got any suggestions for December 2025 releases I might have missed out on, please let me know in the comments.

For a full list of the future books on my Wish List, check out Upcoming Releases.

Until next time, happy reading!

Note: I don’t get paid for including any of the links below, they’re just the books I’m most looking forward to being published each month.

2ND DECEMBER 2025

The Mating Game by Lana Ferguson

Contractor Tess Covington has spent her entire life as a regular non-shifter human, so after she lands in the Denver ER with flu-like symptoms, it comes as a complete shock to be told that, no, she’s not sick – she’s actually a late-presenting omega wolf shifter. With her family in dire financial straits and a contract for her own television show on the line, she can’t afford not to complete the renovation job she came for. And given that her newly emerged wolf is in danger of going into heat, she’ll just have to do her best to follow the doctor’s advice to keep away from alpha shifters.

Alpha wolf Hunter Barrett has spent most of his adult life living by a routine, and a big part of that involves staying clear of omegas after having one stomp on his heart. So when the tiny contractor shows up at his place smelling like the one thing he’s determined to avoid, he thinks it must be some sort of cosmic joke. But with his lodge on the verge of failing and this sweet-smelling omega his only hope to turn things around . . . he’s left with few other options than to grin and bear it.

Set on avoiding each other as much as possible, they find things unexpectedly starting to heat up between them enough to thaw even the frostiest of hearts. Though even with the pair going head over paws for each other, there’s no changing that their fling has an expiration date. The more time they spend together, the more they realize they’re playing a dangerous game – one where the only thing on the line is their hearts.

Tags: Love Under Construction

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

30TH DECEMBER 2025

In Your Dreams by Sarah Adams

Madison Walker was determined to make it in the culinary world of New York. But with her dreams shattered, she returns home to Rome, Kentucky, where an unexpected chance to rebuild her life awaits her – a head chef position at a new farm-to-table restaurant.

The only catch? The job offer comes from the owner of Huxley Farm, her brother’s best friend . . . and the last person she wants to work for.

James Huxley has always done what’s expected of him in the family business -until now, when Madison’s happiness is on the line. He’s loved her quietly for hears; she’s never seen him as more than an annoyance. Now that she’s back, he’s determined to change that.

The one problem? His charming, wildly successful younger brother, Tommy, seems determined to win her over first.

When an unexpected disaster strikes on the opening night of their dreamy farm-to-table restaurant, and a long-simmering sibling feud reaching breaking point, Madison and James must face their biggest insecurities-and decide if love is worth the risk or if some dreams are safer left untouched.

Tags: Brother’s Best Friend / Chefs (Female) / Favourite Author / Favourite Series

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

Photo Credit: Lisa Fotios @ Pexels.

The Weekly Book Date is where I talk all things books from the past 7 days (17-23 November 2025).

Woo hoo, two weeks in a row! And I didn’t have any annual leave this week so I’m doubly impressed.

No 5 x Star Reads but I’ve still got 5 x books to talk about this week including 1 x Current Read, 2 x Books Read and 2 x Added to Wish List.

I’ve read 141 x books so far in 2025, which means I’m just 9 x books away from my (unofficial) target of 150. This isn’t an ad and I’m definitely not getting paid to mention it (apart from the fact that my own books are available on KU) but I snagged Kindle Unlimited for 3 months for just 99p as part of Amazon’s Black Friday Week. I love a bargain, which is why I get so excited on the last day of the month waiting for the new Amazon First Reads and Kindle Monthly Deals to be announced.

I’ve just realised I sound like such an Amazon hype girl but I promise you, I’m not getting anything out of it, it’s just where I buy most of my books from.

Full confession: when Amazon first launched here in the UK in the late 1990s, they did send me an Amazon-branded travel mug for being such a loyal customer. I still use it to stash my bookmarks.

After going through my Wish List, I realised there are lots of books on there that are available on KU (including A Royal Mile) and it’s a great way to try books by new authors.

Happy reading, Louise x

Currently Reading (1):

(1) A Royal Mile (Return to Dublin Street #2) (2025) (KU)

Going into my senior year of university at war with a member of the British royal family wasn’t in my carefully laid plans. Sebastian Thorne might be the grandson of a princess, but it’ll take more than a royal pardon to get me to forgive him for pretending to be someone he’s not.

But Sebastian is determined to be my friend. Even if it means signing up to a psych experiment just to get me to talk to him. Who knew a sincere apology and him saying my name in that posh English accent would make me weak in the knees?

This year was supposed to be about my dissertation and graduate school. Only, Sebastian has thrown my ordered world off kilter. He makes me bolder, more confident. A braver version of me.

Yet every lingering glance and stolen touch has me realizing one thing…

I’m falling for my best friend.

There’s just one problem. Sebastian has demons, ones that make him determined to keep me in the friend zone no matter the cost.

And even when temptation sends his walls tumbling down, the beauty we’ve found might not survive against the powerful will of outside forces…

Tags: Favourite Author / Friends-to-Lovers / Royal

What I Read This Week (2):

[image error] (Hated It)

[image error] [image error] (Didn’t Like It)

[image error] [image error] [image error] (It Was OK)

[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] (Liked It)

[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] (Loved It)

(1) Where You’re Planted by Melanie Sweeney (2025) (Kindle) [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]

A single mum. A grumpy gardener. Can they let love bloom?

Busy librarian and single mum Tansy Perkins doesn’t have time for love – she’s either lost in a book or in a pile of homework.

Grumpy gardener Jack Reid has sworn off relationships since his divorce. Right now, he’s only interested in growing flowers, not feelings.

So when a hurricane forces Tansy to move her library into Jack’s pristine botanic gardens, it’s safe to say that neither of them are thrilled by this new distraction. But soon the chemistry between them grows impossible to ignore …

Will they dig in their heels, or let love take root?

Tags: Florists & Gardeners / Librarians / Single Parents

(2) Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson (2024) (Kindle) [image error] [image error] [image error]

Keyanna ‘Key’ MacKay is used to secrets. Raised by a single father who never divulged his past, it’s only after his death that she finds herself thrust into the world he’d always refused to speak of. With just a childhood bedtime story about a monster that saved her father’s life and the name of her estranged grandmother to go off of, Key has no idea what she’ll find in Scotland. But repeating her father’s mistakes and being rescued by a gorgeous, angry Scotsman – who thinks she’s an idiot – is definitely the last thing she expects.

Lachlan Greer has his own secrets to keep, especially from the bonnie lass he pulls to safety from the slippery shore – a lass with captivating eyes and the last name he’s been taught not to trust. He’s looking for answers as well, and Key’s presence on the grounds they both now occupy presents a real problem. It’s even more troublesome when he gets a front row seat to the lukewarm welcome Key receives from her family; the strange powers she begins to develop; and the fierce determination she brings to every obstacle in her path. Things he shouldn’t care about, and someone he definitely doesn’t find wildly attractive.

When their secrets collide, it becomes clear that Lachlan could hold the answers Keyanna is after – and that she might also be the key to uncovering his. Up against time, mystery, and a centuries old curse, they’ll quickly discover that magic might not only be in fairy tales, and that love can be a real loch-mess.

Added to Wish List (2):

For a full list of the future books on my Wish List, check out  Upcoming Releases .

(1) Big Stick Energy (New York Legends #2) by Sarina Bowen (30 June 2026)

Darcy Kendrick is used to putting out fires. As an overworked admin to a hockey team, she’s seen it all. But nothing prepares her for accidentally DMing her very private, very NSFW fantasy to the subject of this fantasy: team captain Eric Tremaine. Nobody actually dies of embarrassment. Right?

But when a wedding invite puts them on a collision course with her chaotic family and his emotionally fraught past, Eric suggests a plan: they fake-date their way through the “Wedding Experience.” It’s mutually beneficial. Totally strategic. And definitely not real. Except between mini tacos, slow dances and lingering glances, Eric starts to wonder if the sharp-tongued assistant with a bottomless to-do list might be the one person who truly sees him. And for Darcy? The fire in her heart might be the only one she can’t put out.

It’s supposed to be fake. It’s supposed to be temporary. So why is it so hard to walk away?

Tags: Fake Dating / Favourite Author / Sports Romance (Ice Hockey)

(2) Yes, Chef by Grace Reilly (21 July 2026)

After a public meltdown in one of Manhattan’s most elite restaurants, Chef Jack Hartman must return to his small Florida hometown. The only upside? He’ll be far away from Poppy Winfield – his former boss’s blonde, beautiful, utterly infuriating daughter – and the shrimp she threw at his head.

Poppy is also desperate for an escape – from her disapproving family and from her infamy as an influencer without a serious bone in her body. With their reputations in ruins, Jack’s only ticket back to New York is turning the unloved restaurant of his childhood into the newest dining hotspot on the East Coast. And unfortunately for him, Poppy’s is using her well-honed social media skills to sell out his grand opening.

As sparks fly and tensions reach boiling point, will Poppy and Jack be a recipe for disaster? Or could they be a perfect pairing …?

Tags: Chefs (Male) / New-to-Me Author / Neurodiversity Rep (ADHD)

Photo Credit: Lisa Fotios @ Pexels.

The Weekly Book Date is where I talk all things books from the past 7 days (17-23 November 2025).

Woo hoo, two weeks in a row! And I didn’t have any annual leave this week so I’m doubly impressed.

No 5 x Star Reads but I’ve still got 5 x books to talk about this week including 1 x Current Read, 2 x Books Read and 2 x Added to Wish List.

I’ve read 141 x books so far in 2025, which means I’m just 9 x books away from my (unofficial) target of 150. This isn’t an ad and I’m definitely not getting paid to mention it (apart from the fact that my own books are available on KU) but I snagged Kindle Unlimited for 3 months for just 99p as part of Amazon’s Black Friday Week. I love a bargain, which is why I get so excited on the last day of the month waiting for the new Amazon First Reads and Kindle Monthly Deals to be announced.

I’ve just realised I sound like such an Amazon hype girl but I promise you, I’m not getting anything out of it, it’s just where I buy most of my books from.

Full confession: when Amazon first launched here in the UK in the late 1990s, they did send me an Amazon-branded travel mug for being such a loyal customer. I still use it to stash my bookmarks.

After going through my Wish List, I realised there are lots of books on there that are available on KU (including A Royal Mile) and it’s a great way to try books by new authors.

Happy reading, Louise x

Currently Reading (1):

(1) A Royal Mile (Return to Dublin Street #2) (2025) (KU)

Going into my senior year of university at war with a member of the British royal family wasn’t in my carefully laid plans. Sebastian Thorne might be the grandson of a princess, but it’ll take more than a royal pardon to get me to forgive him for pretending to be someone he’s not.

But Sebastian is determined to be my friend. Even if it means signing up to a psych experiment just to get me to talk to him. Who knew a sincere apology and him saying my name in that posh English accent would make me weak in the knees?

This year was supposed to be about my dissertation and graduate school. Only, Sebastian has thrown my ordered world off kilter. He makes me bolder, more confident. A braver version of me.

Yet every lingering glance and stolen touch has me realizing one thing…

I’m falling for my best friend.

There’s just one problem. Sebastian has demons, ones that make him determined to keep me in the friend zone no matter the cost.

And even when temptation sends his walls tumbling down, the beauty we’ve found might not survive against the powerful will of outside forces…

Tags: Favourite Author / Friends-to-Lovers / Royal

What I Read This Week (2):

[image error] (Hated It)

[image error] [image error] (Didn’t Like It)

[image error] [image error] [image error] (It Was OK)

[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] (Liked It)

[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] (Loved It)

(1) Where You’re Planted by Melanie Sweeney (2025) (Kindle) [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]

A single mum. A grumpy gardener. Can they let love bloom?

Busy librarian and single mum Tansy Perkins doesn’t have time for love – she’s either lost in a book or in a pile of homework.

Grumpy gardener Jack Reid has sworn off relationships since his divorce. Right now, he’s only interested in growing flowers, not feelings.

So when a hurricane forces Tansy to move her library into Jack’s pristine botanic gardens, it’s safe to say that neither of them are thrilled by this new distraction. But soon the chemistry between them grows impossible to ignore …

Will they dig in their heels, or let love take root?

Tags: Florists & Gardeners / Librarians / Single Parents

(2) Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson (2024) (Kindle) [image error] [image error] [image error]

Keyanna ‘Key’ MacKay is used to secrets. Raised by a single father who never divulged his past, it’s only after his death that she finds herself thrust into the world he’d always refused to speak of. With just a childhood bedtime story about a monster that saved her father’s life and the name of her estranged grandmother to go off of, Key has no idea what she’ll find in Scotland. But repeating her father’s mistakes and being rescued by a gorgeous, angry Scotsman – who thinks she’s an idiot – is definitely the last thing she expects.

Lachlan Greer has his own secrets to keep, especially from the bonnie lass he pulls to safety from the slippery shore – a lass with captivating eyes and the last name he’s been taught not to trust. He’s looking for answers as well, and Key’s presence on the grounds they both now occupy presents a real problem. It’s even more troublesome when he gets a front row seat to the lukewarm welcome Key receives from her family; the strange powers she begins to develop; and the fierce determination she brings to every obstacle in her path. Things he shouldn’t care about, and someone he definitely doesn’t find wildly attractive.

When their secrets collide, it becomes clear that Lachlan could hold the answers Keyanna is after – and that she might also be the key to uncovering his. Up against time, mystery, and a centuries old curse, they’ll quickly discover that magic might not only be in fairy tales, and that love can be a real loch-mess.

Added to Wish List (2):

For a full list of the future books on my Wish List, check out  Upcoming Releases .

(1) Big Stick Energy (New York Legends #2) by Sarina Bowen (30 June 2026)

Darcy Kendrick is used to putting out fires. As an overworked admin to a hockey team, she’s seen it all. But nothing prepares her for accidentally DMing her very private, very NSFW fantasy to the subject of this fantasy: team captain Eric Tremaine. Nobody actually dies of embarrassment. Right?

But when a wedding invite puts them on a collision course with her chaotic family and his emotionally fraught past, Eric suggests a plan: they fake-date their way through the “Wedding Experience.” It’s mutually beneficial. Totally strategic. And definitely not real. Except between mini tacos, slow dances and lingering glances, Eric starts to wonder if the sharp-tongued assistant with a bottomless to-do list might be the one person who truly sees him. And for Darcy? The fire in her heart might be the only one she can’t put out.

It’s supposed to be fake. It’s supposed to be temporary. So why is it so hard to walk away?

Tags: Fake Dating / Favourite Author / Sports Romance (Ice Hockey)

(2) Yes, Chef by Grace Reilly (21 July 2026)

After a public meltdown in one of Manhattan’s most elite restaurants, Chef Jack Hartman must return to his small Florida hometown. The only upside? He’ll be far away from Poppy Winfield – his former boss’s blonde, beautiful, utterly infuriating daughter – and the shrimp she threw at his head.

Poppy is also desperate for an escape – from her disapproving family and from her infamy as an influencer without a serious bone in her body. With their reputations in ruins, Jack’s only ticket back to New York is turning the unloved restaurant of his childhood into the newest dining hotspot on the East Coast. And unfortunately for him, Poppy’s is using her well-honed social media skills to sell out his grand opening.

As sparks fly and tensions reach boiling point, will Poppy and Jack be a recipe for disaster? Or could they be a perfect pairing …?

Tags: Chefs (Male) / New-to-Me Author / Neurodiversity Rep (ADHD)

Photo Credit: Lisa Fotios @ Pexels.

The Weekly Book Date is where I talk all things books from the past 7 days (10-16 November 2025).

Am I really doing this again? I’ve stopped and then started back up again with The Weekly Book Date so many times, the best I can commit to is I hope so *shrugs*

I’ve just had a week’s annual leave (there were 2 x heartbreaking anniversaries) and I guess it’s no surprise given that books have always been my favourite distraction that I got back into reading again. I didn’t just finish 4 x books but there were also 2 x Five Star Reads and I’ve got the patience of a toddler on Christmas Eve so I wanted to talk about them before the end of the month.

I’ve seen a lot of posts on Instagram recently talking about their 10 Before the End but I want to be a teensy bit more ambitious and try and read 11 before the fireworks go off on New Year’s Eve. I was very much a pessimist (who, moi?) when I set my Goodreads Challenge to read 75 x books in 2025. I’ve read 139 so far so I want to see if I can double my target and get to 150. At the moment, I think it’s doable but who knows, I might end up speed-reading picture books in the library (By My Side, Little Panda anyone?) if I’m struggling.

Anyway, I’ve got lots of talk about this week with 6 x books: 1 x Current Read, 4 x Books Read and 1 x Added to Wish List.

Happy reading, Louise x

Currently Reading (1):

(1) Where You’re Planted by Melanie Sweeney (2025) (Kindle Book Deal)

A single mum. A grumpy gardener. Can they let love bloom?

Busy librarian and single mum Tansy Perkins doesn’t have time for love – she’s either lost in a book or in a pile of homework.

Grumpy gardener Jack Reid has sworn off relationships since his divorce. Right now, he’s only interested in growing flowers, not feelings.

So when a hurricane forces Tansy to move her library into Jack’s pristine botanic gardens, it’s safe to say that neither of them are thrilled by this new distraction. But soon the chemistry between them grows impossible to ignore …

Will they dig in their heels, or let love take root?

Tags: Florists & Gardeners / Librarians / Single Parents

What I Read This Week (4):

[image error] (Hated It)

[image error] [image error] (Didn’t Like It)

[image error] [image error] [image error] (It Was OK)

[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] (Liked It)

[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] (Loved It)

(1) Christmas on Fifth Avenue (Christmas Escapes #1) by Julie Caplin (2025) (Kindle) [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]

Evie Green’s Christmas dream turns into a nightmare when a viral video makes her the laughing stock of the internet. But then a 5 star hotel sees a PR opportunity and invites her to New York for a Christmas she’ll remember forever.

Enter Noah Sanderson, a disgraced soccer star seeking anonymity. Forced to fake a festive romance for the cameras, sparks fly – but not the twinkling Christmas kind!

As Fifth Avenue sparkles in all its holiday glory, can The City that Never Sleeps show these two frosted hearts that, maybe, the best love stories are the ones you never see coming.

Tags: Christmas / Fake Dating / Favourite Author / Football / Grief / Sports Romance / Travel

(2) Still Into You by Erin Connor (12 February 2026) (NetGalley) [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]

When elusive metal frontman Dax Nakamura agrees to give his first interview in years, he has one condition: his ex, Sloane Donavan, has to write it.

Punk rock’s most notorious and elusive frontman, Dax Nakamura, is ready to set the record straight – about his band, his life, and what happened that summer. But the only person he trusts to tell his story is the ex he hasn’t spoken to in years, Sloane Donavan.

Sloane has been writing about music since she posted her first MySpace blog. A journalism degree, a failed internship, and countless backstage passes later, Sloane still hasn’t secured the dream job she left her dream man behind for. So when he reappears with a career-making opportunity, Sloane agrees with one stipulation: their past must stay in the past.

As Dax opens up, old feelings resurface, and Sloane’s journalistic integrity hangs in the balance. The article Dax wants and the salacious tell-all Sloane’s editor expects are two completely different stories. This is the big break she’s been waiting for, but it comes with a price – the chance to rewrite the ending with her first and only love.

Tags: ARC / Five Star Reads / Musicians / Muse / Second Chance

My Thoughts: ARC received via NetGalley.

I couldn’t be further from a metal fan but Final Revelations have been added to my list of Fictional Bands I Wish Were Real. Sloane’s passion for their music is infectious. I can totally understand why she’d be so focused on making her own dreams of being a staff writer at Rolling Stone come true given what happened with her parents even at the expense of her first summer romance with Dax. But wow, there are so many sparks coming off Sloane and Dax when they meet for the second first time at Battle of the Bands I’m only surprised it didn’t short circuit the electrics.

I liked how the history of Final Revelations was written in the individual band members’ voices which reminded me of Daisy Jones & the Six. Dax is a beautiful, messy love interest. My heart ached when I read about his demons growing up biracial and joining the band at such a young age, the estrangement from his family and imposter syndrome. After an unscrupulous writer capitalises on his struggles to make themselves famous, I get why the band would refuse to do any more interviews and it’s a sign of how much he trusts Sloane even though they haven’t seen each other since their break-up three years ago that Dax trusts her with their Final interview.

It’s obvious that Sloane sees the real Dax and in turn, she can be 100 percent herself with him. I think the fact that Sloane’s demisexual showcased this perfectly because Dax took his his time to win her trust before their physical relationship progressed. It made it that much hotter when they did get intimate.

I enjoyed getting to know the members of Post Humorous, Sloane’s besties and her in to the music industry and it would be amazing if we could get a follow-up with Brooklyn.

(3) Anne of Avenue A (For the Love of Austen #3) by Audrey Bellezza & Emily Harding (2025) (Kindle) [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]

Eight years ago, Anne Elliot broke Freddie Wentworth’s heart when she refused to give up her five-year plan for the sake of adventure. But despite big dreams, Anne, now thirty, is still living at home with hardly a plan in sight. Anne tries to be optimistic—she knows better than anyone that regret will get you nowhere—but that goes out the window when, thanks to her father’s bad spending habits, her childhood apartment is rented out to the very man still living in her head rent-free.

Freddie Wentworth never thought he would see Anne Elliot again after she dumped him for accepting a job overseas. He spent years trying to forget her, and he’s been mostly successful. So when a job opportunity takes him back to New York, he’s shocked to find out that Anne is not only his new neighbour, but also the former resident of his new Greenwich Village penthouse.

Nearly a decade after Anne and Freddie’s fateful romance, the only thing they still have in common is a desire to leave their relationship firmly in the past. But between a disastrous off-Broadway show and a drunken Thanksgiving dinner, nosey neighbours, and flirtatious friends, Anne and Freddie suddenly find their lives more intertwined than ever before. When old feelings start rising to the surface, they must decide whether to put their hearts on the line or walk away all over again.

Tags: Christmas / Modern Retelling (Persuasion by Jane Austen) / Second Chance

(4) Getaway Girl (Girl #1) by Tessa Bailey (2018) (Kindle) [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]

After a six-year absence, Addison Potts is back in Charleston to stir things up. And what better place to make her villainous return than her estranged cousin’s wedding? Only, the nuptials hit a snag when the bride doesn’t show, leaving Addison to play getaway driver for Elijah, the jilted groom. A groom whose heartbreaking smile and deep, southern drawl she should not be noticing…

Elijah Montgomery Du Pont is the future mayor of Charleston. From his military career to city hall, every detail of his life has been meticulously planned. Until now. His only respite from life’s sudden upheaval is Addison, his new, improbable best friend. She makes him happy. Grounds him. And public disapproval be damned, he’s not willing to give her up. But with an election on the line and public pressure rising, Addison—and the cruel hand of fate—might not give him a choice.

Tags: Favourite Author / Five Star Reads / Political Romances

My Thoughts: Despite Tessa Bailey being one of my favourite authors, I hadn’t read any of the Girl series until I saw Getaway Girl was on sale for 99p and I’m so glad I bought it because it has everything I love about romance novels.

I had a girl crush on Addison from the get-go when she sneaks into the back of the church for her estranged cousin, Naomi’s wedding to future mayor, Elijah. Addison and her grandmother were cut off from the rest of the family after Addison’s mom had an affair with Naomi’s dad, which may or may not have ended up with Addison’s conception. I love the idea of Jingle Balls, her grandmother’s market stall selling risque Christmas ornaments all year around.

Addison has put up a lot of barriers to protect herself but when Elijah is jilted at the altar, she offers him a ride and a place to stay while he figures out what he’s going to do next away from concerned well-wishers and the glare of the media. It’s cute how Elijah’s got a fancy three-storey mansion waiting for him to move in to but he feels more at home with Addison in her two-bedroom apartment.

I really enjoyed the banter as Addison and Elijah become friends first despite the chemistry between them immediately being Off. The Charts. As you’d expect from a Tessa Bailey novel, the sex scenes are extra-spicy but what I loved most is there are so many scenes which made my heart squeeze from the two of them sat on Addison’s bed making Christmas ornaments and her saving the big buttons for him to glue on to the snowmen to him destroying the bed he’d ordered with Naomi with an axe so Addison would feel comfortable sleeping there with him. Plus I’m always a sucker for a scene where the FMC gets the flu and the MMC takes care of her *swoon*

It’s funny how concerned Elijah is about the size of his butt (it’s even got it’s own Twitter account) and it’s a running joke through the book.

I don’t want to spoil anything but I was conflicted at the end (in the best way) because I wanted to savour every moment but at the same time, turn the pages as quickly as I could to make sure there was going to be a HEA. The feels kept on coming with the epilogue, which was perfect.

Added to Wish List (1):

For a full list of the future books on my Wish List, check out  Upcoming Releases .

(1) The Kosher Conundrum (Last Girls Standing #4) by Stacey Agdern (14 January 2026)

When disaster strikes, it’s time to make a fake dating scheme with her best friend.

Wedding and event planner Naomi Nachman’s carefully planned life just went up in smoke. When her impossible boss suddenly retires, cancelling a multitude of contracts, Naomi’s career and her cousin’s wedding are tanked in one fell swoop. Now Naomi must rebuild her reputation and save the wedding by turning to the one man she can trust.

Jason Greenblatt is facing his own career crisis. Thanks to one tabloid-style photo, his traditional family thinks he’s more playboy than professional chef. He needs to prove himself or his hopes to work in his family’s celebrated knish business will slip out of reach, which is the only reason he entertains Naomi’s audacious proposal.

But as they work together to fix the broken pieces of their lives, sparks fly and the fake partnership begins to feel real, Naomi and Jason discover that the toughest challenge isn’t salvaging reputations or even staging the perfect kosher celebration. It’s risking their hearts.

Tags: Chefs (Male) / Fake Dating / Favourite Author / Friends-to-Lovers / Jewish / Wedding Planners

TBH, I’ve been taking a step back from blogging recently because I’m still adjusting to working full-time again. I didn’t have any Five Star Reads in September so I didn’t post last month but in October 2025 I was lucky enough to get an ARC from NetGalley by an author, who’s quickly become one of my favourites (Cara Bastone). I’ve read three of her books so far and all of them have been Five Star Reads so even though No Matter What is not published until March next year, I’m excited to talk about it.

(1) No Matter What by Cara Bastone (17 March 2026) (NetGalley)

Roz and Vin can’t look each other in the eyes anymore, let alone share a bed. It’s been a year since they survived a traumatic car accident and their marriage hasn’t been the same.

But Roz has held out hope that they can fix things . . . until she discovers that Vin has signed a new lease.

So she does what any soon-to-be-divorced Manhattanite would do: she signs up for figure drawing class.

Ignoring Vin’s impending move-out date would be a lot easier if he wasn’t her best-friends brother – and if he hadn’t just offered to let her draw him. After all, that’s known to make a separation easier, right? Focus on every detail of your estranged spouse’s body while drawing them in the nude?

But after the year they’ve spent avoiding each other, it feels good to see and be seen by one another again. As Roz works to capture the wholeness of the person she fell in love with, will they both be able to draw upon the feelings they buried deep inside to finally heal together?

Tags: ARC / Best Friend’s Brother / Foodies / Marriages on the Rocks / Mental Health Rep (PTSD)

My Thoughts: ARC received via NetGalley. No Matter What is the 3rd book I’ve read by Cara Bastone and it’s my 3rd Five Star Read. I loved Promise Me Sunshine because it perfectly encapsulated how I feel on my own grief journey. It was a book that could only have been written by somebody who’d experienced that type of tragic loss. No Matter What is exactly the same. After a traumatic bereavement at the end of last year, I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and again, it makes me emotional how authentically the author has captured what it’s like to try and live with PTSD. I’m in awe of how the author can take all these messy, contradictory emotions and capture them on paper. My heart ached for Roz, Vin and Raff.

I’ve always had a soft spot for a strong, silent hero and Vin is just *chef’s kiss.* He’s been protecting his family since his father passed away when he was just a child and it’s so sweet how when he falls in love with Roz, his brother, Raff’s friend, they become a trio and Vin feels like he can relax because if anything happens to him, he knows Roz will take care of Raff like he would. He might not be able to put into words how much he loves Roz but it’s blatantly obvious that she’s everything for him. Who wouldn’t want to be loved with such quiet ferocity like that?

After an accident which left both Roz and Vin with scars and a difficult recovery for Raff, which meant he moved in with them for almost a year. The struggles of caring for Raff, having no privacy and their experiences with PTSD have pulled Roz and Vin apart but you can feel the love they still have for each other radiating off the page. It’s interesting how Roz stumbles into a figure drawing class and it ends up bringing her and Vin closer together. I’ve never really thought about drawing like that, rather than just replicating what’s in front of you, it’s about understanding yourself.

The side characters are really interesting and I’d love to read more about Raff, St. Michel, Lauro and Em. The cameo from characters from Ready or Not was an unexpected bonus.

I cannot wait to read what this author writes next.

My Month in Books (September 2025)

[image error] 0 (Hated It)

[image error] [image error] 0 (Didn’t Like It)

[image error] [image error] [image error] 3 (It Was OK)

[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] 5 (Liked It)

[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] 0 (Loved It)

ARCs: 3

New-to-Me Authors (Excluding Non-Fiction): Hayley Krischer.

My Month in Books (October 2025)

[image error] 0 (Hated It)

[image error] [image error] 0 (Didn’t Like It)

[image error] [image error] [image error] 1 (It Was OK)

[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] 3 (Liked It)

[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] 1 (Loved It)

ARCs: 1

New-to-Me Authors (Excluding Non-Fiction): Erin Connor.

If you want to check out the full list on Goodreads, click here.

Until next month, Louise x

As usual, if you’ve got any suggestions for November 2025 releases I might have missed out on, please let me know in the comments.

For a full list of the future books on my Wish List, check out Upcoming Releases.

Until next time, happy reading!

Note: I don’t get paid for including any of the links below, they’re just the books I’m most looking forward to being published each month.

4TH NOVEMBER 2025

Thrown for a Loop (New York Legends #1) by Sarina Bowen

Zoe Carson, former figure skating queen, needs a fresh start as a hockey skating coach. An NHL gig with the New York Legends is her big chance. Unfortunately, that means facing off against the star player who broke her heart ten years ago.

Chase Merritt knows his game is off, and he’s on the verge of losing sponsors. But he doesn’t need the ice princess from that intense college summer showing up and telling him what he’s doing wrong—even when she’s right.

On the ice, they’re magic. Off the ice, they’re nothing but heat and stubbornness, and everyone on the team is enjoying the show. But when an old video of Zoe and Chase’s figure skating routine goes viral, they’re forced to work together more intimately than ever before. Can the two get it right this time or will the whole world watch them crash and burn?

Tags: Favourite Author / Second Chance / Sports Romance (Ice Hockey)

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

11TH NOVEMBER 2025

So My Ex-Boyfriend is a Serial Killer by Kylie Scott

Nothing prepared Sidney Walsh for the awkwardness of having unknowingly dated an infamous killer. She’s doing her best to move on after her ex got dragged off to jail. If only online amateur investigators, his creepy fans and a particularly belligerent cop would leave her alone. Her social life might be quiet, what with having few friends and the neighbours wanting nothing to do with her. But at least it’s safe. That is until tattooed chef and all-round thirst trap, Noah, moves in next door.

Now Sidney is being asked on dates for the first time in forever, and feeling a dangerous mix of soul-deep connection and red-hot desire. But the darkest moments of her life come crashing back when her ex decides he has unfinished business…her. Will she and Noah make it out alive, and can their love withstand the nightmare of her past?

Tags: Chefs (Male) / Favourite Author

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

20TH NOVEMBER 2025

Daddy Issues by Kate Goldbeck [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] (Review)

Sam doesn’t take much interest in Nick, a surprisingly cute single dad, when he first moves in next door. After all, she’s 26, working a dead-end waitressing job, navigating a situationship that’s both toxic and intoxicating, and living in her mom’s condo. She’s too preoccupied with figuring out her life to seriously commit to anyone, let alone an ultra-dependable guy pushing forty.

With just one thin wall separating their bedrooms, Sam finds that she can’t stay away from Nick. Maybe it’s how endearingly nerdy he is, his love of Star Trek the perfect complement to Sam’s comic book obsession. Or maybe it’s how practical he is, fixing shelves and leaking faucets with those distractingly large hands…

But as Sam starts falling for Nick, she can’t ignore how different their lives are. His world is stable, settled, and his daughter is right at the centre of it, while Sam still feels like everything is up in the air.

She’s so busy dealing with her quarter-life crisis – is she really ready to throw daddy issues into the mix, too?

Tags: ARC / Artists / Single Parents

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

As usual, if you’ve got any suggestions for October 2025 releases I might have missed out on, please let me know in the comments.

For a full list of the future books on my Wish List, check out Upcoming Releases.

Until next time, happy reading!

Note: I don’t get paid for including any of the links below, they’re just the books I’m most looking forward to being published each month.

9TH OCTOBER 2025

Love Deep by Louise Bay

My life is basically a three-item to-do list:

1) Keep my eight-year-old daughter happy.

2) Keep my job at the elementary school.

3) Keep my big, scary dream of being a full-time artist locked up where it can’t break my heart.

Easy. Manageable. Drama-free.

And then Fisher Wright strolls into Star Falls. Tall. Charming. British. The kind of dangerously attractive that should come with a warning label—or maybe a hazmat suit in my size. He’s here for eight weeks, helping a famous music superstar record her next album.

We have one harmless, flirty conversation at the local bar. Then it’s wine on my porch. Then stolen kisses by the falls. Then… oh no, actual feelings. The big, messy, life-complicating kind I swore I didn’t have time for.

But his life is in New York. Mine is here. And long-distance fairytales? Please. They don’t come true — especially when there’s a kid involved.

So why is he making secret plans to get my art in front of Manhattan’s elite? Why am I suddenly imagining him at my daughter’s soccer games? And why does it feel like the only temporary thing here… is the eight-week expiration date we agreed on?

Tags: Favourite Author / Single Parents

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

14TH OCTOBER 2025

Date Night December by Jaqueline Snowe

He has one month to make a Christmas miracle happen.

Laney Reynolds knows there’s only one place that can help her heal a broken heart: Cherrywood Creek. The small town where she grew up, with its holiday festivals and snow-covered streets, is exactly where she needs to be this December. It feels good to leave the bustling city, where her husband was too busy climbing the corporate ladder to notice the growing distance between them. But she’s got his attention now . . .

Connor received his wake-up call loud and clear when Laney left, and there’s no way he’s giving up on his marriage. If that means dropping everything and trading high-rises for gingerbread houses to sweep his wife off her feet in her hometown, then so be it. This time, he’s listening; but it’ll take more than hot chocolate dates and even hotter nights to win Laney back. Can he prove that being a CEO is nowhere near as important as being her husband?

Tags: Christmas / Marriages on the Rocks / New-to-Me Author

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

21ST OCTOBER 2025

The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah by Jean Meltzer

Evelyn Schwartz has the perfect Hanukkah planned: eight jam-packed days producing the live-action televised musical of A Christmas Carol. Who needs family when you’ve got long hours, impossible deadlines, and your dream job? That is, until an accident on set lands her in the medical bay with one of her chronic migraines, and she’s shocked to find her ex-husband, David Adler, filling in for the usual studio doctor.

It’s been two years since David walked away from Evelyn and their life in Manhattan, and his ex-wife is still the same workaholic who puts her career before everything else—especially her health. But when Evelyn begins hallucinating “ghosts” tied to her past heartbreaks, and every single one leads to David, he finds himself spending much more time with her than he anticipated. And denying the still-smouldering chemistry between them becomes impossible.

As Evelyn revisits her ghosts of Hanukkah past, she and David both begin to wonder if they can have a Hanukkah future. But with a high-stakes production ramping up the pressure on Evelyn, and troublesome spirits forcing them both to confront their most difficult shared memories, it might just take a Hanukkah miracle for these two exes to light the flame on their second-chance at love.

Tags: Favourite Author / Hanukkah / Jewish / Second Chance

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

23RD OCTOBER 2025

All Together for Christmas by Sarah Morgan (Review)

Becky is stranded at the airport, so when she bumps into her brother’s best friend, Will, and he suggests they drive home together, Becky reluctantly agrees. For the first time, Becky is dreading Christmas, and only Will knows why. Can she trust him to keep her secret?

Her twin sister Rosie married Declan after a whirlwind romance, and now the cracks are starting to appear. Rosie and Declan have agreed to hide their problems from her family, but Rosie’s insecurities are growing. Will this Christmas bring them closer or drive them apart?

Hayley can’t wait for her first Balfour family Christmas with Jamie. The Balfour Christmas traditions sound wonderful, but she’s worried about her place in this close-knit family. Will there be room for her too? And how will they react to the secret she and Jamie have been keeping?

Despite everyone’s best intentions, all the chaos and confusion could derail their normally happy holidays. Can they tell each other the truth in time to enjoy a perfect family Christmas?

Tags: ARC / Brother’s Best Friend / Christmas / Fake Dating / Favourite Author / Five Star Reads / Friends-to-Lovers / Marriages on the Rocks / One Bed / Road Trip

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

23RD OCTOBER 2025

Christmas on Fifth Avenue (Christmas Escapes #1) by Julie Caplin

Welcome to New York, where the Christmas lights dazzle, the snow is falling and love is just around the corner…

Evie Green’s Christmas dream turns into a nightmare when a viral video makes her the laughing stock of the internet. But then a 5 star hotel sees a PR opportunity and invites her to New York for a Christmas she’ll remember forever.

Enter Noah Sanderson, a disgraced soccer star seeking anonymity. Forced to fake a festive romance for the cameras, sparks fly – but not the twinkling Christmas kind!

As Fifth Avenue sparkles in all its holiday glory, can The City that Never Sleeps show these two frosted hearts that, maybe, the best love stories are the ones you never see coming.

Tags: 6 in 6 / Christmas / Fake Dating / Favourite Author

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

28TH OCTOBER 2025

Anne of Avenue A (For the Love of Austen #3) by Audrey Bellezza & Emily Harding

Eight years ago, Anne Elliot broke Freddie Wentworth’s heart when she refused to give up her five-year plan for the sake of adventure. But despite big dreams, Anne, now thirty, is still living at home with hardly a plan in sight. Anne tries to be optimistic—she knows better than anyone that regret will get you nowhere—but that goes out the window when, thanks to her father’s bad spending habits, her childhood apartment is rented out to the very man still living in her head rent-free.

Freddie Wentworth never thought he would see Anne Elliot again after she dumped him for accepting a job overseas. He spent years trying to forget her, and he’s been mostly successful. So when a job opportunity takes him back to New York, he’s shocked to find out that Anne is not only his new neighbour, but also the former resident of his new Greenwich Village penthouse.

Nearly a decade after Anne and Freddie’s fateful romance, the only thing they still have in common is a desire to leave their relationship firmly in the past. But between a disastrous off-Broadway show and a drunken Thanksgiving dinner, nosey neighbours, and flirtatious friends, Anne and Freddie suddenly find their lives more intertwined than ever before. When old feelings start rising to the surface, they must decide whether to put their hearts on the line or walk away all over again.

Tags: Contemporary Retelling (Persuasion by Jane Austen) / Second Chance

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

28TH OCTOBER 2025

Some Kind of Famous by Ava Wilder

It’s been a decade since Merritt Valentine’s peak as a celebrated singer-songwriter… and her subsequent career-ending mental breakdown. Since then, she’s abandoned the glitz of Los Angeles to move in with her sister, Olivia, in the sleepy Colorado ski town of Crested Peak, hoping to heal her lingering emotional wounds of the spotlight.

Life in Crested Peak would be uncomplicated if not for Merritt’s inconvenient crush on the local contractor and handyman, Nikolaos Petrakis. Niko is disarmingly handsome and too kind-hearted to ever be right for the complex and prickly Merritt. Though tempting, a fling with Niko would only bring the kind of drama Merritt has vowed to leave behind.

After his last heartbreak, Niko is done dating his fellow townies. Still, he can’t shake his fascination with the brilliant Merritt, even as he heeds their mutual friends’ warnings to steer clear of her chaos. But when Merritt needs help fixing up a house of her own, Niko is glad to be the only man for the job.

As the two spend more time together, their mutual attraction sparking a deeper connection than either one expects, they’re forced to confront the idea that they may have underestimated each other– and themselves.

Tags: 6 in 6 / Love Under Construction / Musicians

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

30TH OCTOBER 2025

Match Me If You Can by Heidi Shertok

For five years Ashira Wernick has thrown herself into the company her mother built, continuing her work as a matchmaker in the Orthodox Jewish community. But when a small (read: huge) faux pas lands her in hot water with one of the most powerful families in Brooklyn, Ashira’s future starts to look a little shaky.

Now, her only hope of saving her mother’s legacy is to make the match of the century and she has just the person in mind: New York City’s most eligible (and eternally single) bachelor, Caleb Kahn. Her older brother’s best friend, and the man she is determined to keep her distance from.

As each match goes from bad to worse, with Caleb seemingly intent on sabotaging every date she sets up, Ashira will need to take a more hands-on approach if she is going to repair her damaged reputation. She just never figured that her heart would be on the line too…

Tags: Brother’s Best Friend / Favourite Author / Jewish / Jewish Matchmaking

Links: Amazon UK / Goodreads

Photo Credit: Lisa Fotios @ Pexels.

The Weekly Book Date is where I talk all things books from the past 7 days (1-7 September 2025).

Lots to talk about this week with 7 x books: 1 x Current Read, 2 x Books Read, 3 x Books Bought and 1 x Added to Wish List.

The week ahead is going to be really stressful at my new job and books have always been my favourite distraction so it’ll be interesting to see how much reading I do. I’m low-key obsessed with all things Freddie Mercury and Queen so I’m really excited to get back to my current read, Love, Freddie: Freddie Mercury’s Secret Life and Love by Lesley-Ann Jones.

Happy reading, Louise x

Currently Reading (1):

(1) Love, Freddie: Freddie Mercury’s Secret Life and Love by Lesley-Ann Jones (2025) (Kindle)

Few people knew that Freddie Mercury kept a diary. When he died in 1991, he left behind seventeen handwritten notebooks chronicling his life and times, which he had begun to write in 1976 when Queen were at the height of their global fame. His final entry was made just weeks before his death.

Only four of his nearest and dearest ever knew what became of those diaries. To one of them, Freddie secretly entrusted the collection just before he died. A mind-blowing read, they constitute the closest thing to a Freddie Mercury autobiography that the world will ever know.

In 2021, this trusted individual approached the author, offering something unprecedented: complete and unrestricted access to the artist’s most intimate confessions. For three and a half years, Lesley-Ann Jones has immersed herself in Freddie’s personal revelations, crafting a narrative that will overturn everything we thought we knew about him and his legacy.

Love, Freddie shares shocking secrets from Freddie’s childhood, lifts the lid on his deepest fears and most passionate desires, explores the inspiration behind his songwriting, revisits his closest relationships and reveals the love of his life. Here, once and for all, is Freddie Mercury’s true story.

My Thoughts: I’ve always been a huge fan of Freddie Mercury and Queen so I splurged on this book as soon as it was released on Friday (5 September).

What I Read This Week (2):

[image error] (Hated It)

[image error] [image error] (Didn’t Like It)

[image error] [image error] [image error] (It Was OK)

[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] (Liked It)

[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] (Loved It)

(1) Overdue by Stephanie Perkins (9 October 2025) (NetGalley) [image error] [image error] [image error]

Ingrid Dahl is a cheerful, twenty-nine-year-old librarian living in the cosy mountain town of Ridgetop. She and her boyfriend since college, Cory, have never discussed marriage; they’re perfectly happy with the way things are. But when Ingrid’s sister announces her engagement to a woman she’s only been dating for two years, Ingrid and Cory suddenly feel pressured to start thinking about the inevitable: marriage and kids.

The thing is, neither of them has ever been with anyone else. Shouldn’t they sow their oats before settling down?

They make the unorthodox decision to separate for a month to date other people, assuming that at the end of it, they’ll reunite and start planning their nuptials. And Ingrid has the perfect man in mind for this relationship sabbatical–Macon Nowakowski, her cantankerous and completely adorable co-worker for whom she’s had a crush for years.

But of course the best laid plans often go awry, and when Ingrid and Cory meet at the end of the month to resume next steps in their relationship, it’s clear neither of them is ready to get back together…

Tags: ARC / Favourite Author / Librarians / Workplace Romance

My Thoughts: ARC received via NetGalley.

I had such high hopes for Overdue because I really enjoyed the author’s previous books, particularly Anna and the French Kiss. Unfortunately it was just OK because although I liked Ingrid and Macon as characters, their slow burn dragged on unnecessarily.

At the beginning, Ingrid is on a month-long break from her long-term boyfriend, Corey. They’ve both been having second thoughts about the future of their relationship after Ingrid’s sister announced she’s engaged. For a month, they won’t have any communication and they’re free to hook up with other people.

Ingrid tries to kiss her co-worker, Macon but he turns her down so she hooks up with a guy she meets on the apps and then one of the patrons from the library where she and Macon work.

I prefer books where even if it’s a slow burn, I still know who I’m supposed to be hoping the FMC ends up with. I struggled at the beginning of Overdue because I couldn’t figure out if Ingrid was supposed to be with Corey, Macon or somebody else?

There was so much detail given about the library, the decorating of Macon’s house and Ingrid’s new bookshop, which were interesting but felt like they made the book so much longer than it needed to be.

(2) Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings (2025) (Kindle) [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]

Eva Kitt dreamed of pursuing a journalism career all her life. Instead, she’s the host of Sausage Talk, interviewing B-list celebrities over lukewarm hotdogs. When Eva’s impromptu public call out of her college ex goes viral, she’s thrust into the spotlight. It doesn’t help that said ex is Rylie Cooper, a beloved social media personality, who built a platform on deconstructing toxic masculinity and teaching men how to be good partners.

Forced to confront Rylie on a live episode of Sausage Talk, he offers Eva a deal: allow him to take her on a series of dates to make up for his toxic behaviour, then debrief them on his channel to show he’s changed. Eva refuses to play nice, but this could advance her own career… and she wouldn’t mind defaming Rylie’s good name in the process. When their manufactured dates start to feel real, Eva has to wonder if the boy that broke her heart has become the man that might heal it.

Tags: Favourite Author / Second Chance

My Thoughts: The premise for Eva’s interviews reminds me of Chicken Shop Date, which I’m a fan of.

I like Eva and it was refreshing to have a female main character who’s tough and sarcastic. She could’ve come across as being unlikable but I can totally understand why she’s developed such a hard shell and she’s afraid of being mediocre.

Rylie’s a great love interest because there are genuine reasons why he behaved like such a jerk to Eva when they dated in college. He’s grown so much in the intervening years and I appreciate that he’s so open about being in therapy. He’s still continuing to work on himself and using what he’s learned to help others.

Eva and Riley have great chemistry and I love the flip on the usual grumpy/sunshine trope. It’s funny how she calls him “baby girl.”

As a fan of this author, it was an added bonus to get cameos from two of my favourite couples from her previous books too.

What I Bought This Week (5):

I’m always more tempted to buy books at the start of the month because that’s when the new Kindle Deals for the month come out and 4 of the 5 x books I bought last week were 99p each.

In addition to (1) Love, Freddie: Freddie Mercury’s Secret Life and Love by Lesley-Ann Jones and (2) Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings, I also bought:

(3) If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia (2025) (Kindle)

I’ve never read anything by this author but after seeing If It Makes You Happy talked about on Instagram, it sounds like the perfect way to celebrate the beginning of the cosy, ‘ber months plus I love the idea that it’s set in the 1990s. I can be fussy about character names so I don’t know how I’m going to feel about a love interest called Cliff because it reminds me of Cliff from Cheers (1982-93) but we’ll see…

My new next-door neighbour seems to have everything figured out. Small town golden boy? Check. Single dad extraordinaire? Check. Hot baker forearms? I didn’t notice them, I swear.

I, on the other hand, don’t–at all–have anything figured out. Trust me, I didn’t think taking over my mom’s dream bed and breakfast in Copper Run, Vermont was going to be easy. It should be a good place to heal after my divorce. But apparently my scones belong in the garbage with my small talk skills. As pointed out by none other than Cliff.

Cliff is inescapable. He knows exactly what people need–always. His charm, the way he wears flannel, and even his pastries, make not wanting to be friends with Cliff and his daughters pretty hard.

Friends? I can make friends. That’s safe. Except I’m leaving in three months to pass the inn off to my little sister and get the promotion in Seattle I’ve been working towards. So ask me why I’m thinking about kissing my hot neighbour.

Tags: Bakers / New-to-Me Author / Pupsters / Single Parents

(4) The Baby Dragon Bakery (Baby Dragon #2) by A.T. Qureshi (2025) (Kindle Book Deal)

Will it be a recipe for romance? Or a friendship up in flames?

Lavinia has it all. A loving family (complete with adorable pet baby dragon). A place at university training to be a magical animal vet. And a part-time job at the enchanting Baby Dragon Cafe. The only thing she doesn’t have is her one true love: Theo.

Theo is the local baker and her best friend. On paper, they’re perfect: he’s funny, she’s witty. He’s sweet, and she’s a little salty. That’s why they’ve been friends for as long as they can remember. They’ve never been without one another – and it’s clear to everyone that they’re meant to be.

Everyone except Theo. Because when Lavinia finally makes her move, he pulls away.

Lavinia is devastated. Has this friendship gone up in smoke? Or will Theo finally realise that he wants them to be more than friends?

Tags: Bakers / Friends-to-Lovers

(5) Where You’re Planted by Melanie Sweeney (2025) (Kindle Book Deal)

A single mum. A grumpy gardener. Can they let love bloom?

Busy librarian and single mum Tansy Perkins doesn’t have time for love – she’s either lost in a book or in a pile of homework.

Grumpy gardener Jack Reid has sworn off relationships since his divorce. Right now, he’s only interested in growing flowers, not feelings.

So when a hurricane forces Tansy to move her library into Jack’s pristine botanic gardens, it’s safe to say that neither of them are thrilled by this new distraction. But soon the chemistry between them grows impossible to ignore …

Will they dig in their heels, or let love take root?

Tags: Florists & Gardeners / Librarians / Single Parents

Added to Wish List (1):

For a full list of the future books on my Wish List, check out  Upcoming Releases .

(1) Match Me If You Can by Heidi Shertok (16 October 2025)

I’ve been waiting not-so-patiently for Match Me If You Can, the next novel by Heidi Shertok after falling hard for Unorthodox Love, which was a Five Star Read.

For five years Ashira Wernick has thrown herself into the company her mother built, continuing her work as a matchmaker in the Orthodox Jewish community. But when a small (read: huge) faux pas lands her in hot water with one of the most powerful families in Brooklyn, Ashira’s future starts to look a little shaky.

Now, her only hope of saving her mother’s legacy is to make the match of the century and she has just the person in mind: New York City’s most eligible (and eternally single) bachelor, Caleb Kahn. Her older brother’s best friend, and the man she is determined to keep her distance from.

As each match goes from bad to worse, with Caleb seemingly intent on sabotaging every date she sets up, Ashira will need to take a more hands-on approach if she is going to repair her damaged reputation. She just never figured that her heart would be on the line too…

Tags: Brother’s Best Friend / Favourite Author / Jewish / Jewish Matchmaking

Photo Credit: Cottonbro Studio @ Pexels.

There are 4 x amazing books available in September 2025 for the bargainous price of 99p each. I’ve read 2 (both of which were Five Star Reads) and there are 2 x New Purchases.

Disclaimer: I’m not being paid to promote any of the books featured in this blog post. I’ve either already read them or I’ve got them on my TBR and they’re my own personal recommendations.

Until next time, happy reading x

(1) Just My Type by Falon Ballard (2023) (READ) [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]

Lana Parker has never been single for long. After a disastrous break-up with her high school boyfriend, Seth Carson, Lana’s bounced from long-term relationship to long-term relationship. She’s an expert girlfriend, even acting as the resident dating and relationship columnist for one of Los Angeles’s trendiest websites. But now, at the age of thirty, Lana suddenly finds herself single again, and she’s determined to stay that way, no matter how challenging.

That is, until her high school ex, Seth, now a journalist in his own right, takes an assignment at Lana’s site. Ready to put down roots after years of traveling and freelancing, Seth becomes not only Lana’s colleague but also her competitor. With their combative relationship history–and undeniable chemistry–they quickly find themselves pitted against each other in a battle of wits: writing an article series that goes against dating type. For Lana, that means writing about staying single and embracing it. For Seth, it’s learning to settle down and become boyfriend material. Whoever’s is most popular wins a highly coveted columnist spot that either could only dream of. But when the two square off against one another, it’s not only their careers on the line–it’s also their hearts.

Tags: Enemies-to-Lovers / Five Star Reads / Office Romance / Second Chance

(2) Cozy Girl Fall by Willow Hurst (2025) (READ) [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]

Can she rekindle the love she left behind?

When Penny Larkin returns to her hometown of Magnolia Springs after 10 years in San Francisco, she’s determined not to get roped back into small town life. She’s there to help on her parents’ apple orchard during the busy harvest season and promises herself she’d be back to her life in the city by December.

But when Penny discovers that her childhood sweetheart Ethan Blake is also helping in the orchard – looking distractingly handsome in his flannel shirt and workman’s boots – she realises it might be harder to keep her promise to herself than she thought.

As Penny and Ethan spend every day of harvest season working side-by-side, it becomes clear that there’s still a spark flickering between them. And Penny can’t help but wonder if she might be falling for Ethan all over again…

Tags: ARC / Best Friend’s Brother / Chefs (Female) / Five Star Reads / New-to-Me Author / Second Chance

(3) The Baby Dragon Bakery (Baby Dragon #2) by A.T. Qureshi (2025) (*New Purchase*)

Will it be a recipe for romance? Or a friendship up in flames?

Lavinia has it all. A loving family (complete with adorable pet baby dragon). A place at university training to be a magical animal vet. And a part-time job at the enchanting Baby Dragon Cafe. The only thing she doesn’t have is her one true love: Theo.

Theo is the local baker and her best friend. On paper, they’re perfect: he’s funny, she’s witty. He’s sweet, and she’s a little salty. That’s why they’ve been friends for as long as they can remember. They’ve never been without one another – and it’s clear to everyone that they’re meant to be.

Everyone except Theo. Because when Lavinia finally makes her move, he pulls away.

Lavinia is devastated. Has this friendship gone up in smoke? Or will Theo finally realise that he wants them to be more than friends?

Tags: Bakers / Friends-to-Lovers

(4) Where You’re Planted by Melanie Sweeney (2025) (*New Purchase*)

A single mum. A grumpy gardener. Can they let love bloom?

Busy librarian and single mum Tansy Perkins doesn’t have time for love – she’s either lost in a book or in a pile of homework.

Grumpy gardener Jack Reid has sworn off relationships since his divorce. Right now, he’s only interested in growing flowers, not feelings.

So when a hurricane forces Tansy to move her library into Jack’s pristine botanic gardens, it’s safe to say that neither of them are thrilled by this new distraction. But soon the chemistry between them grows impossible to ignore …

Will they dig in their heels, or let love take root?

Tags: Florists & Gardeners / Librarians / Single Parents