When You Loved Me by Beatriz Williams

Lucy Cooper has returned to Winthrop Island after a twelve year absence and a changed life. She has lived with her mother, who loves having children and marries serially (four times!) in Paris, where she has been educated, married and had a child. Then she loses both her husband in Paris and her estranged father on Winthrop Island. As his only child, she returns to settle the estate and possibly collect an inheritance.

What she finds is a mess: her father’s obsession with rumored pirate treasure on their land has left the grand home in shambles, covered with documents, research materials and maps. And a fair amount of dust, and a large amount of debt.

At the same time, Ben Ressler’s glorious career as an NFL player ends after an unfortunate fatal accident on the field, and he’s come to reside in the neighbor’s carriage house and lay low. The neighbor, Laura Peabody, was Lucy’s best friend, twelve years ago. Lucy’s involvement with Ben, and Laura’s Biggest Crush. So, they’ve lost touch, too.

Lucy’s dad has died under mysterious circumstances, and the pirate obsession is inherited by the precocious and utterly charming Elise, her 9-year-old daughter. The story unfolds from the point of view of Laura, Ben and an 18^th century diary of one of Laura’s ancestors. Yes, there is a pirate. Yes, there was treasure. And there are still people who would do anything to find it.

 

When You Loved Me is both a mystery and a lovely romance. Each character is sculpted by a master of the art, and I hated when the book ended. It is published by Ballantine Books and will be released on June 23, 2026. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.

More Than Enough by Anna Quindlan

   

More Than Enough by Anna Quindlen

Polly’s book club adores her and had her best interests in mind when they gave her a DNA test kit. Polly and her wonderful veterinarian husband, Mark, have been trying everything they can to get pregnant, including expensive IVF treatments, and have failed.

Polly always knew she was adopted but was shocked to learn that she actually had close relatives. The results lead Polly to discoveries she could never have predicted and bring her closer to her friends and family than ever.

Anna Quindlen writes warm, wonderful characters that are so much like the ones we know, or want to know, that we want to call them up and talk about the book. More Than Enough was published by Random House February 24, 2026. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

 

 

Chasing the Clouds Away by Debbie Macomber

Maisy is a cheerful girl from Seattle who has seen very little of the world and lives with her precious grandmother. She’s just completed a long-anticipated visit to her best friend Laura in Chicago. She’s treated to a business class seat for her flight home.

Chase Furst, grumpy, heir to a Chicago banking empire whose father is ready for him to settle down with the “right kind of girl” is on the same flight to Seattle where he has to make arrangements to bury his estranged mother.

 

Their meet-cute finds Maisy comforting her friend who works concessions in the airport, while an annoyed Chase waits to buy a newspaper before the flight. He threatens poor Laura with a report to her supervisor. Laura is a single mother who needs the job.

Of course, they meet again in Seattle and Chase has no choice but to recognize another world view when Maisy attends his own mother’s funeral, (he did not) learning things about which he has no clue. Sparks fly and the relationship will satisfy the devoted readers of romance that Macomber has been pleasing for years. Chasing the Clouds Away was published by Random House/Ballantine and on sale April 28, 2026. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer

Rainy March isn’t like every other book-o-phile in the world. She’s and actual book witch, whose purpose in life is to preserve books attacked by “burners” …people or organizations who would toss literature into a fire so that the effect is has on the world is lost. Burners are the bad guys, and Book witches are the calvary, saving works from evil.

But along with the magic they are granted, Book witches must play by the rules. They are “real” and the people…characters…they save are fictional, and ne’er the twain shall comingle.

Which is a problem when Rainy finally meets her own book Crush, The Duke of Chicago, and he responds to her with fervor!

The Book Witch is a delightful fantasy, simple in structure with a message about the values of books and fiction for everyone who ever opened a cover and fell into another world. Meg Shaffer has just the right voice to lend authenticity and depth to the story, and it was an easy, quick read. The book is published by Random House/Ballantine and was released April 7, 2026. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

 

Everything was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves

Travis has an unusual job.  Outwardly, he’s an unassuming, attractive young man. He’s quiet and keeps to himself. He moves around often, and travels light, carrying with him only the photographs he spends his spare time restoring.  But he is Death, or the human incarnation of the process of Death. He is the one with the dying in their last moments, and he makes the crossing over, whatever that is, easier.

            Sometimes, it is a good job, for the people who are ready, who’ve been left alone or in pain. For others, it’s tragedy, leaving life too young, too unfinished, or too heartbreaking.  These are the ones who stay with Travis, and usually he’s able to separate his emotion from what he knows is vital work.

            Then he meets Dalia, and her young daughters and gets a taste of what “life” is about.

            This is a beautiful book.  It is told from Travis’s point of view, but we meet all sorts of people in their final moments, and even some whose time isn’t yet, but who wish it was. Sometimes, it gets a little slow, but I’d encourage the reader to linger there. Don’t try to zip through this book in one setting. We get to see the world not as an idealized fairy tale, but in all its messy human glory, from the grease of takeaway to the cold scent of dew from unseen grass.  Any book written “by” Death is bound to cause reflection in the reader, but this one goes further…it asks us to imagine our own final moments, and if we were allowed to go back, how would we wish to spend a few minutes reliving one thing. It broke my heart, made me cry and made me see the world around me in a new light. That’s an awful lot to get from one book.   

            This author goes on my must-read list, especially when I want more than simple entertainment. Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt will be released July 7, 2026, by Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Dog Person by Camille Pagán

 

I have to admit that when I realized the narrator of Dog Person by Camille Pagán was a dog, I moaned. Wasn’t that a thing we did for writing assignments in High School?  But I kept reading and was glad I did. Harold is not just any dog. He’s a fourteen-year-old rescue who has not only lost Amelia May, his “person,” but has been left with an assignment: Make sure her husband finds love again. And maybe that the bookstore they had founded would survive.

So many things to love about this book. Set in fictitious West Haven, Michigan, (which seems and awful lot like non fictitious South Haven), the bookstore is the sort of place readers and booklovers adore. Harold is a familiar part of it, after all, booklovers tend to love dogs and cats, too. And Harold takes his work seriously, which isn’t easy for a fourteen-year-old who gets tired easily. Rather than feeling contrived, we completely accept Harold’s voice and his intuition.

The other characters are well drawn and authentic as well, but Harold is the star. I hope you love him as much as I did. Dog Person will be released April 7,2026, by Ballantine. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

Save the Date by Mallory Kass

Billed as a romantic comedy with the slow-burn romance of Emily Henry and the fizzy humor of Sophie Kinsella, Save the Date had a lot to live up to. Happily, Mallory Kass met the challenge. This could have been just another wedding gone wrong book, with fake date and friends to lovers subplots, but Kass gave us wonderfully quirky and fully developed characters instead.

Marigold is marrying Jonathan, who was her maid of honor’s best friend. Natalie, the best friend, was always in love with Jonathan, but assumed he was too good for her. So, she introduced him to Marigold, the lovely, rich, influencer who’s wedding on Sandpiper Island in Maine is a major event. But there are problems, not the least of which is Natalie’s desire to make sure the wedding is perfect for her friend.

Olivia is Marigold’s sister and used to cleaning up the messes her sister inevitably gets into. She is organized and smart and probably should have been the maid of honor, but graciously helps Natalie with her issues, and assumes she will be enjoying the continuation of a near romance with an old acquaintance. But there are problems there, too. Like the old acquaintance’s supermodel Plus One.

Then Marigold disappears, the day before the wedding. Olivia sees her leave and assumes it’s cold feet. Olivia knows family secrets that Marigold has been spared and is determined to get Marigold back on board.

The novel is charming, serious and just what I needed for this time when the world seems anything but romantic. It will be released April 14, 2026, by Atria Books. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.

Clutch by Emily Nemens

This novel portrays the relationship of five college roommates who’ve stayed relatively close for 20 years. They decide to enjoy a reunion in Palm Springs, where each of the four are dealing with the particular challenges of middle age: careers, children, marriage and even politics.

 

The problem is that none of the women made me care. Their relationship was supposed to be unconditional and endearing, but the slow pace of the novel made it hard to see. The closeness just didn’t come across. For a character driven, literary novel, the work was dense. I found myself just wishing it were over. Thanks to the publisher, Zando/Tin House, and NetGalley for the advanced copy. The book was published February 3, 2026.

NetGalley Extras

  

 Every once in a while, I'll take advantage of tools provided by NetGalley for books that have been or are available for review on the platform, or to help reviewers keep track of not only their reading but their lives. 

It would be hard to write a whole review on a book club guide or a reading journal, but I wanted to take the opportunity to highlight how NetGalley makes reviewing there fun.

1.     Book club kit for Christina Lauren’s Tangled Up in You.   I didn’t get approved to read this book, despite being a devoted Christina Lauren Fan, but I did get the book club kit, which frankly made me want to read it even more.  With everything from discussion questions to recipes, it makes the whole leading a book club thing easy.

2.     Net Galley Reading Journal. I love the idea, but this was too labor intensive and …analog?.. to be of much use for me.  I think most reviewers take the time it would require to enjoy this journal as it should be enjoyed, to read and review.  If I were starting over and looking for a way to be organized, this would be much more helpful.

3 NetGalley’s Book Advocate TookKit.  Another great assistant to keep organized and answer questions like “how to improve your review percentage” …the inspiration for this post!

The Near and Dstant World by Bianca Stone

 

How an author can take mere words and turn them into such a collection to touch the inner consciousness of anyone who picks up their work always surprises and astounds me. Make that author a poet, condensing it all into a few stanzas and collecting them into a book, and you have The Near and Distant World by Bianca Stone. Though she says A metaphor no longer holds like it used to in Old Bio in Snow, I have to disagree. She’s found metaphors that hold.

The Near and Distant World was released January 13, 2026. Thanks to NetGalley, and the publisher, Zando/Tin House, for the review copy.

Buzz Books Spring Summer 2026

I always look forward to reading Publisher’s lunch Buzz Book publications because it gives me a sneak peek at what I want to read in the coming year.  I experienced my first Buzz Books panel live at Book Expo in New York way back in 2005 and have considered some of the books highlighted in Buzz Books to be must reads.

 

Buzz Books 2026 continues the tradition. I’m excited by the fiction and debut offerings particularly.  For example, Maria Semple’s excerpt of Go Gentle, (Putnam) promises a story as fascinating as Bernadette, and I’m eager to see what happens to the bereaved daughter and her inheritance of Molly in Jan Saenz’s debut, 200 Monas. 

I’ll be sure to let you know what I think! Thanks to NetGalley and Publisher’s Marketplace for the advance copy!

The End of Romance by Lily Meyer

Silvie Broder decides, based on her life experiences, to write her dissertation in philosophy on the theory that any public or public inspired performance of relationships or sexuality--any romance—at once kept women from flourishing and corroded true love. Men were fine as sex partners or friends, but not both together.

She then spends the novel quoting and studying philosophers, while telling us her theories and living the opposite. It seemed to me that what the author was trying to say had more to do with the distribution of power in relationships, but her character can’t seem to handle any of it.

I didn’t ever like Silvie, but she has some fun boyfriends!

 

There are some unique ideas and interesting writing in the book, but it seemed to me not quite there. Not only didn’t Silvie (or her reader) quite buy her own philosophy, she made the mistake of all philosophy professors, in my experience, and make the whole higher level of thinking idea boring. The end of the End of Romance couldn’t come fast enough.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Viking/ Penguin Random House, for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. It will be released February 3, 2026.

 

 

 

Road Trip by Mary Kay Andrews

 

Maeve and Therese are sisters who’ve drifted apart. Maeve is a college professor, happy to remain in her hometown of Savannah, Georgia and Therese is an actress, who isn’t exactly homeless, but drifts from job to job and man to man as she pleases.  When their mother dies, the girls inherit the estate, which includes a recently mortgaged house, a coffee can, filled with cash, and a portrait of Lady Geraldine Rossington, an English aristocrat by an old master. The painting holds great value if it can be authenticated.

As neither of the sisters are employed at present, they decide to honor their mother’s wish to trace their roots in Ireland, in hopes of authenticating the portrait.

It’s a great adventure for Maeve and Therese, and the reader.  Charming villages, beautiful scenery, irascible characters and of course, handsome Irishmen make the quest delightful and the mystery hard to put down. Road Trip will be released June 2, 2026, by St Martin’s press. Thanks to them and NetGalley for the review copy.

The Midwest Lawyer (audio) by Peter Kirkland

First in a new series featuring attorney Maggie Gallagher, a former Chicago prosecutor who has returned to her “safer” mid-west hometown of Kerry (fictional) Ohio, in order to spend more time with her family.  As a lawyer who has grown up and practiced in the Mid-west, I had to suspend a lot of disbelief for the telling of this story, including the law and the setting. While Kirkland’s story was well written, I found it to be a bit generic in setting and unreasonably simplistic in its understanding and portrayal of the law and small-town life.

Maggie happens to see emergency vehicles at a childhood friends’ home while out on a run and stops by.  There has been a shooting.  Ultimately, her friend is charged with a crime connected to it, and ballistics tests show the gun involved is one used in an unrelated, and unsolved, murder a year and a half earlier. 

Of course, her friend is charged with murder and the case speeds to trial. The rest of the book is basically narrative of the trial, and for me, it was about as accurate as any crime drama.

I listened to this book on audio and found the narrator a bit much.  She made Maggie sound like she was always the victim, and my experience with women lawyers, especially in the criminal field, is that there may be attempts to victimize them, but those attempts do not define a mindset.

Other than a couple of backyard barbecues, I found nothing that marked this book as a Midwest representative.  I think it could have stood a little more research.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Relay Publishing for the review copy. The Midwest Lawyer was published on November 21, 2025.