The Shippers by Katherine Center

 

Another unapologetic romance novel om the brilliant Katherine Center. The first thing we read in this novel is the Author’s Note which begins: “Spoiler: This book will end well.”  No surprise for romance readers; one of the rules of romance writing is the Happily Ever After. I suspect Center begins this way for her growing number of readers from other genres who’ve heard about this funny, smart author. She’s a graduate of one of the most respected MFA programs in the USA. She can hold her own with anyone, and she chooses to bring these funny, human characters to life, to bring joy and hope and fun to reading.

The Shippers takes place primarily on a cruise ship, but the “shippers” refers to the slang term for relationships. Jojo, our protagonist, has a habit of dumping any relationship that becomes serious—including her fiancé at the altar. Her best friend from childhood, Cooper, shows up just in time to help her make her escape, and then disappears until Jojo’s sisters cruise ship destination wedding. Jojo is convinced she has imprinted on her crush from high school and sets out to connect with him at the wedding. She enlists Cooper’s help with the project, and … shenanigans ensue!

The Shippers will be released May 19, 2026, by St Martin’s Press. Thanks to them and NetGalley for the review copy. This will be a great book to kick off the summer!

Weightless by Rocio Salas-Whalen, MD

 

This is the user manual needed by everyone taking, or considering, GLP-1 weight loss medication. Dr. Salas-Whalen is a board-certified endocrinologist and expert in obesity medicine. Unlike many physicians who’ve jumped on the bandwagon in the last few years, Dr. Salas-Whalen has decades of experience with the formulations and development of these drugs and has taken them herself. Rather than stressing the cosmetic side of weight loss, she stresses the health issues, including the mental health and genetic sides with compassion. A very informative book that stresses the need for increased protein and strength training, especially for older adults. Weightless was released December 30, 2025, and will be great support for New Year’s Resolutions. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Rodale books, for the review copy.

 

The Storm by Rachel Hawkins

 

The Storm by Rachel Hawkins

Geneva has inherited the family business, the Rosalie Inn, after her father dies and her mother’s Alzheimer’s makes it impossible for her to keep it going. Set in beautiful St Medard’s Bay, Alabama, which is famous because major hurricane’s hit the small community regularly. Most of the town is regularly destroyed, except for the Rosalie Inn.

The other thing the town is famous for is that the Senator’s son died there—but whether it was murder or nature, no one know. When the woman accused of the alleged murder returns to SMB to write her memoirs, with handsome Journalist August, the old story is revived. In true Rachel Hawkins form, the mystery twists and turns as dramatically as the final hurricane to reveal the truth. Told from multiple viewpoints, including the hurricanes! This is a quick to read thriller. The Storm is published by St. Martin’s press and will be released January 6, 2026. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.

The Memory Gardener by Meg Donohue

 

A beautiful story about the power of memory and scent. Lucy Barnes had always had a special relationship with gardens and had created a career designing them in ways even the people who hire her don’t understand. She’s able to know what they need just by listening to them, and her intuition. In fact, Lucy senses which fragrances can provide life changing memories to the people she works for.

It's a precious talent, one her recently departed mother warns her to take care of. When Lucy facilitates a memory for her boyfriend, things go terribly awry and Lucy flees her beloved hometown in shame.

After her mother dies, Lucy finds a reference in her calendar to the Oceanview Home, a senior center near her father. She’s worried about him, and accepts the task of reviving the Oceanview gardens, a monumental task. The effect she has on the gardens, the residents and herself is nothing short of magic. The Memory Gardener was released November 25, 2025, by Gallery Books. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.

An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister

 

 

Jonah Fisher and Sadie Shaw are brilliant. They have each achieved the highest levels of scholarship in their fields of literature after sharing all 13 years of their education, starting with their first class together as undergrads, and continuing all the way through their doctoral program. It would be an understatement to say they are academic rivals. But Jonah comes from and elite, overachieving academic family, and Sadie is a hard-working orphaned daughter whose sister sacrifices everything she can to make sure Sadie realizes her dream.

The problem comes when the rivals must find a way to make a living in the highly competitive academic world, both wanting full professorships in a tight market where only a few positions ever open up. When they find they are both applying for the same job, in a location Jonah needs to support his beloved, abandoned sister, and Sadie needs because the job is open to her less than traditional specialty, the competition heats up.

But when Sadie wins, she can’t leave well enough alone.

This book is a great enemy to friend romance, particularly for anyone who’s had to suffer toxic academia. The characters are fully formed, with just enough vocabulary, and footnotes! to authenticate the situation. Set in Australia, the reader learns that toxicity is as universal as a good romance. An Academic Affair was published November 14, 2025, by Atria books. Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the review copy.

And Then There Was The One by Martha Waters

 

An enchanting mystery set in the Cotswolds, starring a wonderfully named character, Georgiana Radcliffe, of Radcliffe Hall, who solves murders, whether she should or not.  Her little idyllic village has become a site for Murder Tourism, and Georgie and her crew are intent on stopping the murder spree.  Romance, mystery and humor and good writing make this a good choice for fans of clever cozy mysteries.  And Then There was One was released October 14, 2025, by Atria Books. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

 

Death at the Door by Olivia Blacke

Death at the Door by Olivia Blacke

 

Ruby Young is new to Boston, running away from a bad relationship to make her way in the big city. She’s got unusual help in the form of the former occupant of her new, tiny apartment. Unusual, because she is a ghost. And she died in the apartment.

Ruby has overcome her squeamishness, and thinks of Cordelia, the ghost, as her only true friend in Boston. Cordelia is fond of naïve Ruby and wants to help her make her way. Only murder cases keep falling to them, and they keep figuring out the mysteries!

This is the second book in the Cordelia/Ruby series by this author. I haven’t had the pleasure of reading the first one, but that didn’t make Death at the Door hard to follow. The characters are delightful, and the book has a touch of the dark underbelly of both the tech world and Boston. Great book for people who like to “play” with ghosts! Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s/Minotaur for the review copy. Death at the Door was released October 21, 2025.

The Christmas Ring by Karen Kingsbury

 

Vanessa Mayfield is a woman of faith, and her first thought when faced with a question is to pray on it. A devout southern mother and military widow, Vanessa sends her only child off to college and worries about what’s next. But she has a mission--to find the antique ring that has been handed down in her husband’s family for generations… the ring she lost.  Her plan is to find the ring and continue the legacy by giving it to her daughter.

Her quest takes her to Ben Miller’s Antique shop and destiny takes over. Ben has lost his wife as well, and he and Vanessa strike up conversation that turns to friendship, and then more. I understand that this book has been made into a movie that releases in theaters November sixth. Fans of Hallmark Christmas movies, spiritual romances and a love story that won’t embarrass you will enjoy getting to know Vanessa, Ben and the military families of Columbus, Georgia. The Christmas Ring will be available to purchase on October 21, 2025. Thanks to NetGalley, and the publisher, Thomas Nelson Fiction, for the advanced review copy.

Yours for the Season by Emily Stone

Melanie Stone returns with another wonderful holiday story centering around family and the conflicts faced by young people trying to follow dreams and fall in love.

Melanie and Finn meet in Edinburgh on New Years Eve. She’s a talented jewelry designer on the verge of a big break, and he’s a house flipper/carpenter. His family adores Melanie, and she them, but when Finn ends their relationship at his sister engagement party, Melanie is stunned and heartbroken.

 

Then Finn asks her to join his whole family the next Christmas, at a cozy home in Scotland, and pretend that they are still together.

As with all fake romances, someone finds out, but by the end of the book, the real question is just who is fooled!  Lovely writing and satisfying romance, with characters you will remember. Yours for the Season was released by Ballantine/Dell on October 7, 2025. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the delightful review copy.

What We Can Know by Ian McEwan

 

Ian McEwen books have been my must reads for years, but I would never call them easy reads. What Can We Know juxtaposes the literary scholars of the future against intellectuals of our era who take themselves a bit too seriously. Add the fact that the world we know today has been mostly destroyed by nuclear explosions and the flooding of a warmed globe, and the scholars face even more complications to discern meaning from 21^st century poetry than we might today. 

As always, beautiful writing carries McEwan’s twisty story to a rewarding finish.  What We Can Know was released September 23, 2025. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Knopf, for the review copy.

My Favorite Holidate by Lauren Blakely

 

A fake romance between a billionaire owner of an NFL franchise and his merchandise designer heats up during the company’s annual Christmas celebration which coincides with the designer’s sister and the billionaire’s best friend’s wedding.  This is a fun and easy Holiday read, complete with lots of snow, hot chocolate and spice.  When I say spice, I mean lots of explicit sexcapades, so if that’s not your thing, you might want to pick another author.  This one turns on the heat! Published on October 7, 2025, so it is ready when you are to cozy up!  Thanks to Atria and Netgalley for the advanced readers copy.

Grace and Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon by Matthew Norman

 

Grace and Henry have each lost a beloved spouse and their families want them to move on. But they were happy in their lives, and to lose their partner is sad. So, Grace and Henry are sad. When Henry’s mother sends him to fix Grace’s Wi-Fi at the holidays, it is clear that they have been set up.  But because they share the terrible experience of losing their spouses, they agree to be friends, because it is always nice to have someone to talk to who knows what you know.

They begin a friendship of sharing the movies they have loved with their past spouses, and with the help of an adorable dog, two fascinating kids and even a bunch of mice, Harry and Grace explore and share their grief and what it will mean to move forward in life.  The wonderful characters and their journey make for a delightful read, and the messages distilled from the holiday movies they share make this a charming book. Grace and Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon was released on October 14, 2025. Thanks to the publisher Ballantine/Dell and NetGalley for the early release copy. 

Holiday Ever After by Hanna Grace

Clara Davenport is a savvy businesswoman, in line to increase her position at her family’s toy company. She’s in charge of their small business program, which creates partnerships with businesses in their line of work. Until she is reassigned to an emergency post as incentive to get her promotion.

While she is away, her program gets hijacked. What she sees as her baby, her competition in the company sees as a way to make fast money, cheap. When she discovers the marketing nightmare created by the social media of the small town whose favorite small business has been abused, she has to find a way to fix it, fast. Her promotion is on the line.

 

What she doesn’t plan on is falling in love at Christmastime with tiny Fraser Falls, or with the toy maker who has been maligned. Clara’s journey to win over the town, the man and get her promotion makes a fun holiday read, and ripe for a Hallmark movie!  Holiday Ever After will be released September 30, 2025, by Atria books. My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy, which was a wonderful, warm escape for me!