Book Review for Rules for the Summer by Meghan Quinn

 

Rules for the Summer by Meghan Quinn

Published:  May 5, 2026 by Bloom Books

 

Taken from Goodreads:  From New York Times bestselling author Meghan Quinn comes a new laugh-out-loud summer rom-com.

He clicked "yes" on a dare. She bought a failing candy shop. Now they're neighbors for the summer―and neither is ready for what comes next.

Renley Gossage has one shot to prove she's more than Cape Meril's favorite cautionary tale: restore her favorite candy shop before the town writes her off like they did her father. No help, no shortcuts, and definitely no rich men wielding engagement rings and making things messy.

Theo Williams never planned on ending up in Cape Meril. A drunken game of truth or dare turned into a botched online engagement, and now he's across the ocean, escaping his father's control with nothing but designer shoes, misplaced confidence, and a rental next door to Renley.

She's practical, stubborn, and covered in paint. He's posh, persistent, and willing to use a sander if it means earning her trust.

Between collapsing drywall, gossiping neighbors, and the chaotic schemes of Renley's aunt, their forced proximity turns into something dangerously close to real.

But Renley's future depends on standing on her own two feet, and Theo's past isn't done with him yet. By the time the candy shop doors open, they'll have to decide if this is just a summer fling―or the happily ever after neither of them saw coming.

My Thoughts:  This book has 500+ pages and every single one of them is wonderful.   They are fun and flirty, full of friendships, lots of dares and many truths.   I enjoyed every page that I read and could not wait continue reading.  

I was not sure what to think of Theo and Renley.   They both had their reasons for signing up for the website, rather funny reasons, but they are so not right for each other.   Seeing privileged Theo come to the US with his “butler”, aka best friend, and circle around Renley had me giggling, cringing, and sighing in frustration.   I enjoyed every interaction they had, hoping that they would figure their lives out and their feelings for each other. 

I am a fan of Meghan Quinn.  Every book of hers is entertaining, full of fun banter, great relationships, and quirky characters.   Rules for the Summer is the perfect addition to my Meghan Quinn shelf.

Thank you to the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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Book Review for The Cove by L.J. Ross

 

Summer Suspense Mysteries #1

The Cove by L.J. Ross

Published:   May 5, 2026 by Poisoned Pen Press

Genre:  Mystery, Crime

Taken from Goodreads:  THE PERFECT ESCAPE...

Gabrielle Adams has it all – brains, beauty, a handsome fiancé, and a dream job in publishing. Until, one day, everything changes.

The ‘Underground Killer’ takes his victims when they least expect it: standing on the edge of a busy Tube platform, as they wait for a train to arrive through the murky underground tunnels of London.

Gabrielle soon learns that being a survivor is harder than being a victim, and she struggles to return to her old life. Desperate to break free from the endless nightmares, she snatches up an opportunity to run a tiny bookshop in a picturesque cove in rural Cornwall.

She thinks she’s found the perfect escape, but has she swapped one nightmare for another?

Suspense and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced thriller, set amidst the spectacular Cornish landscape.

 

My Thoughts:   The first half of The Cove I thought I was reading a romance book.   The second half I was reading a lightweight crime mystery book.  I enjoyed the book, it was easy to read, I read it in just a few hours, but it was not a mystery thriller book as I expected.  

The characters were fun but did not have a lot of depth.  They are what they are, doing what they do, but I was not surprised by any of it.  Even the who-dun-it part was given away too easily.   I wish for more of a buildup, more of a guessing game for the reader. 

If you are looking for a quick and easy read, this is a book for you.   It is not a long book and the story moves exactly as expected.

 Thank you Poisoned Pen Press for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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Meet the Author (taken fromher website):  LJ Ross is an international bestselling author, whose books have sold more than ten million copies worldwide.

Her debut, Holy Island, was released in 2015 and became an instant, international bestseller. Since then, more than thirty of her novels have gone on to take the coveted #1 spot, some even before general release and whilst only available to ‘pre-order’. The Bookseller magazine has reported on Louise having topped the ‘Most Read’ and ‘Most Sold’ fiction charts, and she has garnered an army of loyal fans who love her atmospheric and addictive storytelling.

Her eleventh novel, The Infirmary, is a prequel story to the DCI Ryan series and is available as a major Audible Originals audio-drama starring Tom Bateman, Kevin Whately, Bertie Carvel, Hermione Norris and Alun Armstrong.

The first novel in her Alexander Gregory Thrillers series, Impostor, was shortlisted in the British Book Awards 2020: Crime & Thriller Book of the Year. The audiobook of Impostor, narrated by Hugh Dancy, was also selected as a finalist in the New York Festivals Radio Awards, Best Fiction Audiobook of the Year Category. Louise was shortlisted again in 2023 for the nineteenth novel in her DCI Ryan series, Bamburgh. 

In May 2021, Louise was shortlisted for the prestigious Crime Writers’ Association ‘Dagger in the Library’ award, which recognises an author’s entire body of work having been consistently enjoyed by library borrowers around the United Kingdom, and an author’s longstanding support of libraries. She was shortlisted again in 2024.

Louise was born in Northumberland. She studied undergraduate and postgraduate Law at King’s College, University of London and then abroad in Paris and Florence. She spent much of her working life in London, where she was a lawyer for a number of years until taking the decision to change career. Now, she writes full time and lives with her husband and two children in Northumberland.

To find out more about the many philanthropic ventures Louise has founded and sponsored through her publishing imprint, Dark Skies Publishing, please visit ‘Philanthropy’.

 

Book Review for Summer State of Mind by Kristy Woodson Harvey

 

Summer State of Mind by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Published:   May 5, 2026 by Gallery Books

Genre:  Summer Romance, Southern

Taken from Goodreads:  “Queen of the beach read,” (Cosmopolitan) New York Times bestselling author Kristy Woodson Harvey returns with a heartfelt escape to coastal Carolina.

After the worst day in her professional life, burnt-out NICU nurse Daisy Stevens runs to Cape Carolina, North Carolina, looking for a new life—and possibly new romance. On her first day at her “simpler” job, high school baseball coach Mason Thaysden discovers an abandoned baby, sending ripples through the entire tight-knit town of Cape Carolina.

Mason is still struggling to reconcile the scars of the injury that kept him out of the big leagues, stuck in his hometown, and searching for a way out. This newcomer and the child they’ve saved together might be just the motivation he needs to stay put. Sparks fly as Mason acquaints Daisy with Cape Carolina, introducing her to his friends and family, including his batty Aunt Tilley, who is looking for relief from long-buried family secrets and her own fresh start.

But as Daisy becomes increasingly attached to this abandoned child, and begins facing her own demons in the process, a startling discovery is made that threatens to rip the entire town of Cape Carolina apart, placing Daisy, Mason, and Tilley in the center of the storm. In a novel that proves that “Kristy Woodson Harvey is (the) go-to for elevated beach reads” (People), they will each learn that with love, understanding—and a community theater production of Hello, Dolly!—sometimes life conspires to bring us just exactly where we belong.

My Thoughts: Southern writing its best.   Kristy Woodson Harvey is must-read southern hospitality writing.   Summer State of Mind took me right into Cape Carolina with Daisy, Tilly, and the rest of the wonderful characters.   Very quickly, I became attached to Daisy.   Her career as a nurse, especially as a baby nurse, put her as a hero in my eyes and as I learned more about her life she became more of a hero and someone I was invested in.  I loved seeing her find her way in a new hospital and with her new friends.  

Tilly, oh Tilly!   This character is a character.   Her spells had me giggling a little but realizing how much they affect her life.   As an friend and family member, she is the favorite and the one that you know will always have your back. She is also the one who is most likely to get you in trouble and then get you out of it. The adventures she has have her living life to the fullest.  She is learning to open her heart to new relationships and adventures, while not forgetting her past.  

Summer State of Mind is an amazing, must-read book.   I will recommend this book to anyone who loves a book with wonderfully developed characters, a storyline that pulls you in from the very beginning, and a setting that is beautiful. 

Thank you Gallery Books for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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Spotlight for How the Story Goes by Andrew Forrester

 How the Story Goes by Andrew Forrester

Published:   May 5, 2026 by Avon

Genre:  Books About Books, Contemporary Romance

About HOW THE STORY GOES : 

In this heartwarming, bookish debut, a young widower of a famous children’s fantasy author teams up with a down-on-her-luck MFA dropout to write the final book in his late wife’s series...and find their own perfect ending along the way.

Whit Longacre has a monumental task and a looming deadline. After his wife, Helen, died of cancer, she left him with their grieving eight-year-old daughter and a surprise in her will: the small task of writing the final book in her mega-popular children’s fantasy series for her legions of waiting fans.

Whit is the author of moderately successful (but well-received!) literary mysteries. He doesn’t have the first idea of how to complete Helen’s beloved series, and his enigmatic wife seems to have left no clues behind on how the story is supposed to end. Writer’s block is one thing, but to fail in fulfilling his wife’s last wish? Whit is guilt-ridden and dodging calls in the school pick-up line from Helen’s publisher and agent as the deadline fast approaches.

Then Whit meets Merritt Pryor, who works at the local bookstore in their small New England town. Merritt has moved back home after a disastrous affair led to her dropping out of her prestigious MFA program. When Whit realizes that Merritt is a superfan of the Greenwood Castle series, they come up with a plan to tackle the book together. For the first time in years, Merritt finds herself falling back in love with writing…and perhaps with the coauthor offering her the opportunity of a lifetime.

But when Whit uncovers a buried secret about Helen’s final wishes, he questions everything about what he and Merritt have created together, endangering the tender, electrifying partnership that has transformed their lives.

Can Whit and Merritt come up with an ending that feels right…for both a beloved series and for their battered hearts?

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About Andrew Forrester: Andrew Forrester is a writer and former English teacher whose work has appeared in McSweeney’s Internet Tendency and Parents magazine. He holds a PhD in nineteenth-century British literature and lives in Austin, Texas with his family. How The Story Goes is his first novel.

 

Praise for HOW THE STORY GOES

 

“Brimming with charm, heart, and humor!”

—Alex Kiester, #1 New York Times bestselling co-author of The Missing Half

 

“I loved losing myself in the novel's world of bookstores and libraries, lingering over tea by roaring fires, rediscovering alongside Forrester's rich characters the pleasure of creating art and the solace of love.”

— Amanda Eyre Ward, New York Times bestselling author of The Jetsetters

 

“How the Story Goes is a gift for book lovers."

—Ashley Winstead, USA Today bestselling author of In My Dreams I Hold a Knife

Release Blitz for Contractually Mine by Jennifer Chipman

 

Contractually Mine by Jennifer Chipman is now live!  From bestselling author Jennifer Chipman comes a spicy new spinoff of the Best Friends Book Club series, about a boss and assistant who agree to a contractual marriage–all while trying to resist the pull they feel for each other. It was only supposed to be a contract marriage with my boss… Zofia Narayan Being an executive assistant was never a part of my plan–not until Nicolas Larsen practically begged me to be his, insisting I was perfect for the job. Working closely together meant seeing a side of him I’d never seen before, and it was hard to ignore the spark between us. After a year of denying ourselves, we spent one incredible night together, agreeing that nothing would change between us. Except two months later, we’re signing a fake marriage contract. Suddenly, the man who had been my boss for the last year was now my husband. I know I shouldn’t get attached, even though the tender way Nicolas holds me and cares for me doesn’t feel like it’s just for show at all. Until I’m staring down at two pink lines, and our contract marriage suddenly feels a lot less fake. Nicolas Larsen Taking over as the CEO for my father’s company was everything I’d ever worked for. Yet, when the board voiced their concerns that I wasn’t settled and stable enough for the role, I proposed what might have been the craziest scheme of all: asking Zofia to be my wife. I needed her more than I could ever admit: as my assistant, my friend, and my everything. It would all be for show, but I couldn’t help wanting her to wear my ring, to call her mine, even if she never truly would be. I’d take whatever I could get when it came to her, because I wanted more than just one night with Zofia. I wanted forever. I just needed to prove to her that this could work—that we were meant to be together for real. Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited https://a.co/d/02O1OXHv Goodreads: https://bit.ly/4kHTImy

Release Blitz for The Backup Plan by K. Bromberg

 

The Backup Plan by K. Bromberg is now live! Sometimes love isn’t part of the plan. Sometimes it’s the backup plan. Lucas Hale built his entire life around football. The franchise quarterback. The GOAT. The man everyone on his team counts on. Recovering from a devastating shoulder injury, the veteran quarterback signs with the Lone Star Rebels for one last chance to prove he still belongs in the league. There’s just one problem—Dr. Emery Porter. The Rebels’ new injury specialist isn’t impressed by Lucas’s charm—or his determination to push through pain. She’s seen the scans. She knows the damage. And if she clears him to play, it might mean destroying his career for good. But the more time they spend together, the more dangerous everything becomes. For Emery’s career. For Lucas’s future. And the harder it becomes to remember where professional boundaries end—and where love begins. Because if Lucas keeps playing, he could lose everything. And if Emery stops him . . . she might lose the man she’s fallen for. Sometimes the biggest risk isn’t losing the game. It’s losing what you never thought you wanted. Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited https://geni.us/BuP_Amz Audible: https://geni.us/TBPAud Amazon Audiobook: https://geni.us/TBUPAmAu Narrated by: Lance Greenfield & Kit Swann Goodreads: https://bit.ly/4tX4pG7

Now Available!! Stay With Me by Nikki Sloane

 

Stay With Me by Nikki Sloane is now live! When the spotlight turns deadly, survival becomes the performance of her life. A single gunshot rings out, shattering Laurel Hayward’s debut as a professional dancer—and witnessing an assassination is only the beginning of her nightmare. The ruthless killer will stop at nothing to find her—determined to possess her or silence her forever. Enter Deputy U.S. Marshal Jason Dunn: handsome, confident, and far too good at getting under Laurel’s skin. Keeping her alive is his job, but keeping his distance? Impossible. Alone in the secluded safe house, the line between duty and desire blurs into something too powerful to resist. Laurel needs Jason to survive. Jason needs her to finally capture the ghost who’s haunted his career for years. But as their attraction ignites, the obsessed killer returns with a deadly final act . . . And it could cost them everything. * Stay With Me was previously published in 2014 as Stay by Karyn Lawrence (Nikki’s alter ego). This completely rewritten version features new content, more spice, and a point-of-view switch. Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited https://mybook.to/JfRQXj Audible: https://adbl.co/4d2oRyQ Amazon Audiobook: https://bit.ly/4tcCJfz Narrated by: June deBorahae, Ryan Hudson, & Chris Merlin Goodreads: https://bit.ly/4cBgYAM

Book Review and Release Blitz for Crown of Storms and Starlight by Susan Person

 

Crown of Storms and Starlight by Susan Person is now live!

Some destinies end in ashes. Others are reborn in starlight.

Fated mates blessed by the magic of a goddess, Ari and Rain face their darkest hour. Her father, Albert, has become something beyond fae or vampire, a false king determined to devour the magic of all fae-kind and forge a new world in his image.

Ari must lead her allies, her friends, into the darkness one last time. But Albert knows his daughter's greatest weakness. She would burn the world to save those she loves.

Victory demands more than magic. It requires the absolute surrender of two souls who were always meant to burn together.

The fate of not only fae-kind but the entire realm rests on the edge of a dagger and the strength of a bond forged in storms and starlight.

The storm has come to claim its queen. The reckoning has come for them all.

Crown of Storms and Starlight is the shattering finale to The Night and Rain romantasy series.

My Thoughts:  The Night and Rain series is complete.  Crown of Storms and Starlight is all that I was hoping for to end this series.    The characters became characters that I became invested in.  I wanted to know how this series would end.

Ari and Rain are fated mates and they have quite the story to share.  Everything about their lives have been hard. Together they make it easier.   They know that no matter what they are in this life together.  I enjoyed watching them figure out how to fight Albert and his army, how to keep their kingdom safe. 

Susan Person is an author that I hope write more of these genre.   I love the magic world that she has created. 

Thank you Valentine PR for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

  Download today!

Amazon: https://bit.ly/4ljL8Lj   

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Nook: https://bit.ly/4l97z5L  

Kobo: https://bit.ly/4rfRAUX  

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/4r8Bs7m 

 

Meet Susan Person

Susan Person is a multi-contest finalist in the paranormal and dark paranormal romance categories. A former member of Romance Writers of America since 2013, she served on the PRO Steering Committee for several years. Recently, she returned to college to pursue a degree in anthropology and graduated in May of 2021. Susan enjoys meeting writers and readers alike at conferences. Her grandmother's love of Harlequin novels was passed on to her, and she was fascinated by paranormal worlds and mythology. The combination of the two led her to the paranormal romance genre. She knew at an early age she wanted to write powerful heroines and fulfills that dream today by writing empowered heroines who take charge in their paranormal worlds.

Susan grew up on a thoroughbred horse farm before moving to the big city of Dallas. She considers herself a Texan but is loyal to her home state of Arkansas. A lover of travel, she has visited several countries with many more to go on her list. She particularly loved dowsing at Stonehenge and seeing the Eiffel Tower light up at night. The outdoors are a place Susan finds inspiration and can often be found in a park, at the lake, or on a road trip. She especially loves the mountains. Furry animals hold a special place in her heart. Dogs tend to seek her out as a friend, and she gladly returns their friendship.

 

Connect with Susan

Website | https://www.susanperson.com   

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Book Review for My Whiskey Redemption by Melissa Foster

 

The Whiskeys: Dark Knights at Redemption Ranch #5

My Whiskey Redemption by Melissa Foster

Published:  May 6, 2026 by World Literary Press

Taken from Goodreads:  Birdie Whiskey has spent years watching love find everyone else. She has a successful chocolate business, an incredible family, and a full life. All that’s missing is someone to share it with. When she gets swept up in a single, unforgettable night with a mysterious stranger, she believes it’s finally her turn. But the man who knocks her off her feet is the last man her family would ever accept.

Four years ago Crew Hendricks shattered the Whiskey family and went to prison. Now he’s standing on Redemption Ranch, desperate to make amends for what he’s done and trying to forget the one woman he can never have.

Come along for the emotional ride as the Whiskeys’ belief in second chances is put to the test, and Birdie faces her toughest decision yet—stay loyal to her family or fight for the man she loves.

My Thoughts:  Truly wonderful Melissa Foster.  Characters that are real with life problems.   A storyline full of love, heat, friends and family.  A HEA ending that has no cliffhanger.   I look forward to every book Melissa writes knowing that it is a chance to catch up with past characters, meet new ones, and read a book that I will not be able to put down. 

This book is Birdie Whiskey’s story.  She wants to meet her soul mate so badly and knows that Redemption Ranch is the place to do it.   Little does she know what meeting that soul mate really means for her.   She meets Crew, hooks up, and her life changes forever. 

Birdie is a character that I met in past books and I knew when it was time for her story it would be epic.   I was not disappointed.  She found that person that encouraged her uniqueness, joined her in adventures, and never tried to slow her down.    He encouraged, supported, and loved everything about her.   

My Whiskey Redemption is a story of second chances, making amends, true love, embracing uniqueness, and happily ever afters.

Thank you to the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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Release Blitz for Edge of Steel by Elizabeth Dear

 

Edge of Steel by Elizabeth Dear is now live!

My mates rejected me, and now they’ve come crawling back. It’s too little, too late....

When the men I’d been falling for spurned me and then left me in the woods to die, I vowed to cut them out of my life for good.

But the Moon had other plans for me.

It turns out Heath, Aiden, Elijah, and Wyatt are my Fated. A rare blessing of perfect mates from our celestial deity.

One I absolutely do not want.

But now I’m stuck with them at Guardian training camp, where I'll continue my quest to earn a permanent place among our kind’s elite military force. Within their ranks, I’ll finally have safety for myself and my beast.

I don’t need bonds, and I definitely don’t need my Fated, who only want me now because the Moon told them they’re supposed to.

But these four powerful shifters aren’t giving up so easily. They’ve come to camp ready to claim what they think is theirs.

They’ll find my claws are out and my swords are sharp.

Game on, boys.

This is a paranormal romance set at a supernatural summer camp in present-day USA and should be read after Clash of Claws. It is a “why choose” romance, which means our heroine will have multiple love interests and will get her Happily Ever After with ALL of them by the end of the series. This is book 2 of a trilogy, and it will end in a mild cliffhanger. It is intended for readers aged 18+ and contains foul language and spicy scenes. Detailed content warnings can be found in the Author’s Note. Happy reading!

 Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

 

Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/edgeofsteel     

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/4aAchVk 

 

Meet Elizabeth Dear

Elizabeth is a corporate girl who recently discovered she's also a dreamer and storyteller. She's a military spouse, a mom, and a lover of genre fiction, especially romance and urban fantasy. Academy romances were her first love. When not writing or spending time with her family, her favorite pastime is going on a journey with a powerful heroine, her sexy, obsessed love interest(s), and a cast of characters she'll still think about days later.

While always a romance writer, Elizabeth tends to jump around the subgenres and romantic pairings. Her specialty is strong and uber-competent female leads with a backbone and a smart mouth. Elizabeth also discovered that readers love that her heroines tend to have supportive, loving families--particularly strong sibling relationships--so she tries to incorporate that into each of her series. She loves to write action, suspense, banter and steam.

 

Connect with Elizabeth

Website | www.elizabethdearwrites.com   

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