Week 1 Review: Truly Madly Guilty

From Goodreads:

Six responsible adults. Three cute kids. One small dog. It's just a normal weekend. What could possibly go wrong?

In Truly Madly Guilty, Liane Moriarty turns her unique, razor-sharp eye towards three seemingly happy families.

Sam and Clementine have a wonderful, albeit busy, life: they have two little girls, Sam has just started a new dream job, and Clementine, a cellist, is busy preparing for the audition of a lifetime. If there's anything they can count on, it's each other.

Clementine and Erika are each other's oldest friends. A single look between them can convey an entire conversation. But theirs is a complicated relationship, so when Erika mentions a last-minute invitation to a barbecue with her neighbors, Tiffany and Vid, Clementine and Sam don't hesitate. Having Tiffany and Vid's larger-than-life personalities there will be a welcome respite.

Two months later, it won't stop raining, and Clementine and Sam can't stop asking themselves the question: What if we hadn't gone?

In Truly Madly Guilty, Liane Moriarty takes on the foundations of our lives: marriage, sex, parenthood, and friendship. She shows how guilt can expose the fault lines in the most seemingly strong relationships, how what we don't say can be more powerful than what we do, and how sometimes it is the most innocent of moments that can do the greatest harm.

My Review:


Author: Liane Moriarty 
Read: December 31st, 2025
Source: Own
Reason Why: Love her writing and it's a SAC 2025 Book! 
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Published: July 26th 2016

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 52 Review: The Storm

From Goodreads:

St. Medard's Bay, Alabama is famous for three things: the deadly hurricanes that regularly sweep into town, the Rosalie Inn, a century-old hotel that's survived every one of those storms, and Lo Bailey, the local girl infamously accused of the murder of her lover, political scion Landon Fitzroy, during Hurricane Marie in 1984.

When Geneva Corliss, the current owner of the Rosalie Inn, hears a writer is coming to town to research the crime that put St. Medard's Bay on the map, she's less interested in solving a whodunnit than in how a successful true crime book might help the struggling inn's bottom line. But to her surprise, August Fletcher doesn't come to St. Medard's Bay alone. With him is none other than Lo Bailey herself. Lo says she's returned to her hometown to clear her name once and for all, but the closer Geneva gets to both Lo and August, the more she wonders if Lo is actually back to settle old scores.

As the summer heats up and another monster storm begins twisting its way towards St. Medard's Bay, Geneva learns that some people can be just as destructive—and as deadly—as any hurricane, and that the truth of what happened to Landon Fitzroy may not be the only secret Lo is keeping…

My Review:


Author: Rachel Hawkins  
Read: December 26th, 2025 
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: Love her writing and it sounded fantastic, and it's a SAC 2025 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Expected Publication: January 6th 2026

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 52 Review: Thirty, Flirty, and Forever Alone

From Goodreads:

27 Dresses meets Crazy Ex-Girlfriend in this witty, serendipitous rom-com with a magical twist from New York Times bestselling author Christine Riccio.

When your name literally means "forever alone," it takes a lot of positive self-talk to stay optimistic in the hellscape that is dating. But on the cusp of thirty, Rikki Romona is determined to find her person.

Columnist, therapist, podcaster, entrepreneur—Rikki is an overachiever who thrives on schedules. She can absolutely handle two weddings in two days, and lock down someone to drag along as a plus-one.

And yet, She doesn't.

Rikki finds herself flying hopelessly solo at a themed wedding in New Jersey. A lonely Rapunzel waiting for her Flynn.

Enter Reed writer, podcast producer, wannabe actor. Surprisingly single with startling blue eyes, he seems perfect. The catch? He lives kind of far away, so dating him would be a bit of a hike. Like an intense, all-the-way-across-the-country hike.

After one unforgettable night together, Rikki's sure this is the end. But as she braces herself for heartache, the universe, it seems, has other plans…

My Review:


Author: Christine Riccio
Read: December 26th, 2025 
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Love her writing and it sounded fantastic, and it's a SAC 2025 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Montlake 
Expected Publication: January 1st 2026

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 52 Review: Greta Gets the Girl

From Goodreads:

From New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr comes a steamy tale of forbidden romance.

NY publishing is Greta Clayborne's life, and she's on a high since she edited a hot new series that was just adapted for television. In her career, everything is on track. On the relationship front, there are no relationships, not since she had her heart broken. Now Greta uses a dating app, Sappho's Kiss Society, for casual connections.

That's all the tattooed taciturn Lee was supposed to be when Greta invites the enigmatic woman to her hotel room, expecting to never see her again.

Kaelee has more secrets than truths. She changed her name, finished a couple degrees, and just sold her book in a deal that will replace the money she's spent on her tiny studio during grad school. Her life is writing, teaching, and too much time at the gym. But after she meets "Marie" on her app, she can't get the curvaceous woman out of her mind.

Long distance chat lead to another meeting, and the two discover that they both want more. Maybe. The possibility of something real seems in reach—until Kaelee walks into her meeting with her editor only to find that woman she's starting to fall for is her editor. Now Greta’s career and reputation are at risk, but when Kaelee's wealthy and influential family shows up to put a stop to the "embarrassment" of writing sapphic fiction, Greta has to decide what matters her heart or her career.

My Review:


Author: Melissa Marr 
Read: December 22nd, 2025
Source: NetGalley  
Reason Why: Love her writing and it sounded really fantastic, and it's a SAC 2025 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Bramble
Expected Publication: January 13th 2026

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 52 Review: The Swan's Daughter

From Goodreads:

In this lush and romantic novel from New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi, a prince is only as good as his beating heart and a maiden is only as good as her honest word. But when love and the truth become impossibly tangled, the two must figure out how to survive together, or fall completely apart.

To find love is a curse ...

Prince Arris knows that marriage means murder. Thanks to a poorly worded wish to a sea witch, all one needs to rule the Isle of Malys is the heart and hand of the kingdom's heir. Historically, this has been construed quite literally.

Thus, Arris expects that the day after his marriage and murder he will wake up as a sentient tree alongside the rest of his predecessors. His only chance at a long life is finding true and lasting love. When Arris's parents announce a tournament of brides to compete for his hand and heart, a slew of eligible, lovely and (possibly murderous) bachelorettes make their way to Rathe Castle. Amidst glittering balls in ozorald caves, strolls through menageries of daydream trees and pearl crocodiles, tea time on glass boats and kisses that leave his head spinning, Arris cannot tell who is here out of love for him…or lust for power.

Until he meets Demelza.

As a veritas swan, Demelza's song wrings out the truth. Forced into hiding, Demelza strikes a deal. Arris will provide her with safekeeping in exchange for her truth-telling song to sort through his potential brides.

While Arris is used to dodging death threats and Demelza is accustomed to fighting for her voice to be heard, to survive the tournament of brides requires a different kind of bravery. And perhaps the bravest thing one can do is not merely protect one's life, but find the courage to chase a life worth living.

My Review:


Author: Roshani Chokshi
Read: December 22nd, 2025
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Love her writing and it sounds really great, and it's a 2025 Retelling Reading Challenge Book, SAC 2025 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Macmillan Young Listeners
Expected Publication: January 6th 2026

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 52 Review: Caribbean Cruising

From Goodreads:

The perfect summer story of a girl, several boys, and a cruise ship full of possibilities.

Lindsay has never been on a cruise, but she knows exactly what she wants to do now that she is: climb a waterfall, snorkel, meet lots of cute guys, and look for one perfect guy for a summer fling.

But her to-do list isn't going according to plan, especially when she discovers that it's impossible to have a fling-when you're actually falling in love.

My Review:


Author: Rachel Hawthorne
Read: December 21st, 2025 
Source: Ebook.bike
Reason Why: Love her writing and it sounded really great, and it's a SAC 2025 Book! 
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: April 27th 2004

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 52 Review: The House Saphir

From Goodreads:

This is the tale of Bluebeard as it's never been told before--a romantasy murder mystery.

Mallory Fontaine is a fraud. Though she comes from a long line of witches, the only magic she possesses is the ability to see ghosts, which is rarely as useful as one would think. She and her sister have maintained the family business, eking out a paltry living by selling bogus spells to gullible buyers and conducting tours of the infamous mansion where the first of the Saphir murders took place.

Mallory is a self-proclaimed expert on Count Bastien Saphir—otherwise known as Monsieur Le Bleu—who brutally killed three of his wives more than a century ago. But she never expected to meet Bastien's great-great grandson and heir to the Saphir estate. Armand is handsome, wealthy, and convinced that the Fontaine Sisters are as talented as they claim. The perfect mark. When he offers Mallory a large sum of money to rid his ancestral home of Le Bleu's ghost, she can't resist. A paid vacation at Armand's country manor? It’s practically a dream come true, never mind the ghosts of murdered wives and the monsters that are as common as household pests.

But when murder again comes to the House Saphir, Mallory finds herself at the center of the investigation—and she is almost certain the killer is mortal. If she has any hope of cashing in on the payment she was promised, she'll have to solve the murder and banish the ghost, all while upholding the illusion of witchcraft.

But that all sounds relatively easy compared to her biggest learning to trust her heart. Especially when the person her heart wants the most might be a murderer himself.

My Review:


Author: Marissa Meyer 
Read: December 21st, 2025
Source: Bought/NetGalley
Reason Why: Love her writing and it sounded fantastic, and it's a 2025 Retelling Reading Challenge Book, SAC 2025 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Published: November 4th 2025 

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 52 Review: The Afterlife of Holly Chase

From Goodreads:
On Christmas Eve five years ago, Holly was visited by three ghosts who showed her how selfish and spoiled she'd become. They tried to convince her to mend her ways.

She didn't.

And then she died.

Now she's stuck working for the top-secret company Project Scrooge--as the latest Ghost of Christmas Past.

Every year, they save another miserly grouch. Every year, Holly stays frozen at seventeen while her family and friends go on living without her. So far, Holly's afterlife has been miserable.

But this year, everything is about to change. . .

My first review of The Afterlife of Holly Chase
My Review:


Author: Cynthia Hand
First Read: June 2nd, 2017

Read: December 20th, 2025
Source: Own
Reason Why: Rereading! And it's a SAC 2025 Book!
Publisher: Harper Teen
Published: October 24th 2017

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 51 Review: Such a Perfect Family

From Goodreads:

A man with a deadly past marries into the perfect, most respectable family in this riveting thriller from New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh. . . .

A woman buried.

A woman broken.

A woman crashed.

A woman burned.

And the man who knew them all.

Love at first sight, a whirlwind Vegas wedding, a fairy-tale romance.

For forty-three days, Tavish Advani has been the happiest man in the world—until his new life turns to ash, his wealthy in-laws' house going up in a fiery explosion. His badly injured wife lies in a coma, her family all but annihilated.

Tavish thought he'd left the sins of his Los Angeles life behind, but it's not so easy to leave behind an investigation into the deaths of several high-profile women—all of whom he'd professed to love. Tragedy and death follow him no matter where he goes . . . but this time, he knows he's truly innocent.

Desperately trying to clear his name as the authorities zero in, Tavish begins his own investigation into the fire—and learns that his wife's picture-perfect family may have been nothing but a meticulously constructed mirage. The truth is much darker than anything Tavish could've imagined.

My Review:


Author: Nalini Singh
Read: December 17th, 2025 
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Love her writing and it sounded so good, and it's a SAC 2025 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Berkley
Expected Publication: January 27th 2026

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 50 Review: Cruel Winter With You

From Goodreads:

For two former childhood friends, a blustery winter storm stirs some frosty—and scorching—memories in a delightful short story by #1 New York Times bestselling author Ali Hazelwood.

All newly minted pediatrician Jamie Malek wants is to borrow a roasting pan for Christmas dinner. Unfortunately, that requires her to interact with Marc—her best friend's troublemaking brother, who's now a tech billionaire. He's the one who got away. She's the one who broke his heart. Outside, a howling blizzard. Inside, a crackling fire. Suddenly, being snowbound with the man she never expected to see again might not be such a bad way to spend a winter's night.

My Review:


Author: Ali Hazelwood 
Read: December 9th, 2025  
Source: Ebook.bike 
Reason Why: Love her writing and it sounded really great, and it's a SAC 2025 Book!
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories 
Published: November 12th 2024

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 50 Review: The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah

From Goodreads:

Can these exes rekindle their love this Hanukkah?

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-smoldering 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.

My Review:


Author: Jean Meltzer
Read: December 8th, 2025 
Source: Ebook.bike 
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and it's a SAC 2025 Book!
Publisher: MIRA
Published: October 21st 2025

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 49 Review: Naughty Saint Nick

From Goodreads:

Amber Wright has one goal this Christmas: survive it.

Between her son's impossible-to-assemble bike, a half-finished bottle of wine, and the ghost of a marriage gone wrong, she's barely holding it together.

Then a strang's voice crackles through her son's walkie-talkie, warm, kind, and wickedly funny.

"Saint Nick," he calls himself. He's a neighbor. A good one. The kind who checks in on her and makes her laugh when she forgets how.

But the more they talk, the less neighborly it feels. What starts as lighthearted banter turns into late-night confessions, laughter, and a spark that lingers long after the signal fades.

Saint Nick seems nice...but Amber can't shake the feeling he might also be a little naughty.

Maybe she should invite him over and find out?

Naughty Saint Nick is a darkly funny, steamy, and emotionally charged holiday romance about loneliness, temptation, and two strangers who collide when they least expect it. It blends small-town Christmas charm with neighbors-to-lovers heat, a single-mom heroine, late-night walkie-talkie flirting, secret longing, and a protective cinnamon-roll hero with a dirty mouth. Perfect for readers who crave grown-up holiday stories with heat, humor, heart, and a touch of naughty Christmas magic.

My Review:


Author: Lexie Davis 
Read: December 5th, 2025
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Loved her other book, and it's a SAC 2025 Book! 
Publisher: Lexie Davis
Published: December 4th 2025

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 49 Review: Holiday Ever After

From Goodreads:

Clara Davenport wants to solve Fraser Falls's biggest problem. According to Jack Kelly, Clara is Fraser Falls's biggest problem.

All Clara Davenport has ever wanted to do is climb the ladder at Davenport Innovation Creative, her family's toy business. Everything was going according to plan, until the company was accused of stealing a doll design from an independent toy maker, creating a flurry of bad publicity. With a promotion dangled in front of her like a carrot to a reindeer, Clara is tasked with charming the locals of the small town to solve the PR nightmare, by any means necessary.

Jack Kelly would be happy to never hear the name Davenport ever again. Less than a year after a guy in a fancy suit appeared on his doorstep with a sleigh-full of promises, the company that once falsely claimed they wanted to sign him to their small business program has copied his design. So when Clara prances into town hoping to convince Fraser Falls that her company is not the enemy, Jack is determined not to be fooled by Davenport twice.

But Clara has a plan to win over the community only to realize that beneath Jack's frosty demeanor lies the key to the town's heart—and maybe her own.

My Review:


Author: Hannah Grace 
Read: December 4th, 2025 
Source: Bought 
Reason Why: Love her writing and it sounded really good, and it's a SAC 2025 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Atria Books
Published: September 30th 2025

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars