Review Card & Book Review- Pieces Of Us By Eve Ainsworth

To move forward, I’ll have to look back to our past…

I know I have to get myself out of this funk, but it feels impossible. My childhood best friend is dead and nothing in life is working out as I’d planned.

Then Lottie leaves me a ‘jar of joy’ in her will – filled with instructions to visit places where we had our happiest memories. But with every happy memory, I also remember the things that tore us apart.

Because Lottie was keeping secrets. And Jay – the man we both loved – keeps turning up at the same places. Even as I feel pieces of myself begin to heal, some wounds run too deep.

It’s time to make a change in my life, but can Lottie’s jar of joy really give me the strength I need?

About The Author

My Review

Pieces of Us is a poignant, introspective novel that delicately navigates themes of grief, guilt, friendship, and healing. Told through dual timelines and perspectives, the story follows Sara as she copes with the death of her long-time friend Lottie, while revisiting the highs and lows of their decade-long relationship. Sara’s frustration with Lottie’s past behavior slowly gives way to a deeper understanding of her friend’s motives. Lottie, despite her flaws, emerges as someone trying to bring joy and redemption into Sara’s life, even from beyond the grave.

The dual narrative structure works well, allowing the reader to piece together not only the history of their bond but also how unresolved emotions linger after loss.Ultimately, this is a beautifully written novel that speaks to the power of forgiveness, the weight of memory, and the quiet strength it takes to move forward. It’s a moving exploration of how we carry others with us—even after they’re gone.

My Rating

Link To Purchase

Happy Publication Day – 12 August 2025

The Love Fix By Jill Shalvis

Lexi Clark’s life is falling apart!

Summoned home to Sunrise Cove, the last thing she wants to do is face all the complications she left behind. Her past, her stepsister Ashley, and especially her infuriatingly gorgeous childhood nemesis-turned-crush Heath Bowman.

Lexi’s way too focused on her job as an art appraiser, she doesn’t have time to believe in trust, love, or Happily Ever Afters. Her stepsister, on the other hand, is so full of life it hurts to look at her. But Lexi can’t refuse Ashley’s plea to honor their late mother’s final wish. So, on behalf of her estranged mother’s estate-and with Heath in tow as the executor-Lexi embarks on a road trip to repay all the people her gambling addicted mother owed money to.

Soon, all of Lexi’s complicated feelings come to a head; missing her mom, missing Ashley, and most of all, missing Heath. For the record, she doesn’t like it, or the way he has of scaling the walls she’s built around her heart. The road trip shenanigans that ensue are both funny and heartbreaking, but Lexi finds something shocking along the way. Acceptance. Family.

And, unbelievably… love.

Rear View By K.C Harper

Speed can be dangerous. Letting your past catch up with you is deadly. 

An ex-con bad boy is brought to his knees in K.C. Harper’s contemporary debut, perfect for fans of Lauren Asher’s Dirty Air series. 

Xavier Bosch has yet to find a rally-car course he can’t handle—or a woman he wants to share the road with. He’s worked hard to keep his criminal record a secret, but when the news breaks that his abusive father will soon be released from prison, his past threatens to catch up fast. Letting a woman into his world would only make her a target.

But when a nasty crash brings Ryah Nolan into his life, all bets are off. 

Psychology student Ryah Nolan doesn’t trust easy. Not with a professor determined to make her life hell, an ex-boyfriend who isn’t quite an ex…and a terrifying stalker no one but her best friend takes seriously. Letting someone in is a risk. But despite his gruff exterior and need for speed, Xavier makes her feel safe.

The closer Xavier and Ryah become, the more they want to put their pasts in the rear view. As they race the clock and the dangers they’ve run from give chase, one thing is certain—they will win or lose together.

Rivals To Lovers By Elise Wayland

Mo Denton has been obsessed with the classic feminist novel The Proud and the Lost for as long as she can remember. When Mo puts everything she has into writing a modern adaptation of her all-time favorite book, her agent Yuri loves it—but can’t pitch it anywhere. The original author’s estate must approve any adaptation, and so far, it has never allowed one to go forward.

The agent who represents the estate—Wes Spencer—is also working on an updated version of the beloved story. Promoting Mo’s project would go against Wes’s own interests, and he’s reluctant to bring it to Estelle Morgan, the elderly daughter of the original novelist. But when Yuri contacts Estelle herself, Estelle invites Mo and Wes to her home for a weekend where they will pitch each book to her and let her decide whose book will be approved–and whose work will be destined for deletion. 

Soon, Mo and Wes realize that they have more in common than just their love of the original book. As they grow closer and wait for the estate’s decision, will the secrets Wes is keeping ruin the bond between them, or can they find their way to a happy ending?

The Soldier By Susan Stoker

In this steamy contemporary romance about family, unforeseen circumstances, and unexpected love, an ex-military man and a down-on-her-luck woman find more than they bargained for when they find each other.

When Chad Young moves home, it’s not a decision he makes lightly. A former military man, he doesn’t make any decision lightly. But his father’s passing has left the family—and their business—reeling. Now more than ever, they need to stick together.

Britt Starkweather moved to Maine with her boyfriend, never imagining he’d abandon her there. With no money and nowhere to go, she accepts the Youngs’ offer of a job and room on their property. What more does she have to lose?

Although they just met, Chad makes Britt feel safe in a way no one has before. And she makes him feel things he’d given up on finding. But even as they grow closer, Britt realizes that something is amiss at Lobster Cove…and Chad will do whatever it takes to keep her safe.

Never Been Witched By Molly Harper

Alice Seastairs is in a precarious position for a witch—isolated from her coven and regretting a lot of her choices. Keeping herself from her sisters is the only way she can protect them from a threat only she knows is coming. While Alice should be searching for the final missing Welling locks and protecting the ghostly residents of Shaddow House, she distracts herself with a job offer from Collin Bancroft. Handsome, surprisingly sweet and filthy rich, Collin needs her expertise to restore his historic Duchess Hotel from the previous owner’s ghastly citrus-toned taste. Little does he know, Alice is also the perfect consultant for what to do when you discover a ghost running nightly through the hotel hallways. Spoiler alert: The solution is almost always late night snacking and smooching.

The weight of Alice’s secrets only gets worse when her manipulative grandparents threaten to ruin her relationship with Collin. And because her life isn’t complicated enough, Collin’s delusional ex walks back into his life like she never left. And then there’s the minor problem of an ancient magical family trying to take over Shaddow House, using the ghosts within for who-knows-what to further their nefarious agenda. Alice can only avoid her coven for so long before they come looking for her… She could really use a friend—or a house full of family, both living and dead.

Will Alice break from generational toxic patterns and claim the joy that she deserves? A witch doesn’t kiss and spell…

Review Card & Book Review – The Woman With All The Answers By Linda Green

Alexa knows your family better than you do. Now you’re about to get to know her…

Fifty-two-year-old Michelle Banks is struggling to keep all the plates spinning. She’s a perimenopausal district nurse, caring for elderly parents. Her husband is wasting their money on children’s TV memorabilia, her teenage daughter is riddled with anxiety and her sixteen-year-old son is behaving secretively.

Alexa is the only one who knows how much Michelle is juggling. Listening in via four smart speakers, she also knows that it’s about to get even worse.

So, when Michelle pleads for help from the woman with all the answers, Alexa decides to go rogue and reveal her true identity as Pauline – a sixty-five-year-old former voiceover artist from Halifax – to teach Michelle everything she knows…

About The Author

My Review

Set in Yorkshire, the story centers on Michelle Banks, a hard-working district nurse juggling the endless demands of teenage children, aging parents, and a financially irresponsible husband. Her exhaustion is palpable—and familiar to many readers—but it’s given a refreshing twist with the introduction of Pauline, a retired actress who impersonates a virtual assistant and slowly inserts herself into Michelle’s chaotic life.

Told in alternating perspectives between Michelle and Pauline, the novel balances humor and heartache while tackling modern concerns: digital scams, mental health, generational conflict, and the feeling of being invisible in one’s own life. Pauline’s unorthodox intervention may start with good intentions, but it raises questions about boundaries, honesty, and the lengths people go to help others—and themselves. The relationship that forms between Michelle and Pauline—born of necessity and bolstered by empathy—becomes the emotional core of the story. Ultimately, this is a novel about unexpected friendships and the surprising ways help can arrive when we need it most.

My Rating

Link To Purchase