April 6, 2026 – My Sanctuary

Review Card & Book Review- Paradise By Julie Cohen

Katie never stops moving – constantly changing her address, her boyfriends, her life. But every June, for a month, she goes back to Maine. To the old lake house her family calls Paradise.

But one day Katie wakes up in a hospital bed in Maine, with no memory of the last eighteen months. From her current boyfriend to the global pandemic, Katie is lost. And everything at Paradise has changed, too… including her best friend in the world, Nic.

Nic puts down deep roots. She still lives in the house where she grew up. She’s the memory keeper of her family. And she’s been in love with her best friend Katie for almost her entire life. Now Katie’s claiming not to remember the night that destroyed their friendship forever. Is her amnesia real? Or does she just want to forget?

And how can either of them move on, if only one of them remembers the truth?

About The Author

My Review

This is a beautifully written, emotionally layered novel that delves into the complexities of friendship, identity, and the choices that shape who we become. Katie and Nicole have been inseparable since childhood, their bond tested by time, ambition, and the diverging paths of adulthood. When their dreams and desires begin to clash, the two women find themselves at a crossroads, questioning not only their friendship but also their own sense of self.

Cohen’s storytelling shines with empathy and depth, exploring how even the strongest relationships can falter when life pulls people in different directions. The Maine setting adds a serene yet poignant backdrop to the emotional turbulence, capturing both the beauty and isolation of self-discovery. The characters feel incredibly authentic—their pain, confusion, and loyalty leap off the page, making it impossible not to root for them.

With its honest portrayal of love, friendship, and growing pains, Paradise is a tender, thought-provoking read that lingers long after the final page. A heartfelt, soul-stirring novel perfect for readers who enjoy emotional, character-driven stories.

My Rating

Link To Purchase

Amazon

Happy Publication Day – 6 April 2026

The Islander’s Daughter By Patricia Wilson

A letter from the past. A wartime secret buried on a Greek island. A truth that will echo across generations…

When Trisha receives an unexpected letter to her Liverpool home, it opens a decades’ old mystery, drawing her back into her family’s forgotten past, the horrors of war, and a small island off the coast of Greece…

Eighty years earlier, on the island of Milos, Dora is dreaming of a better life, free from the oppression of the occupying army and, closer to home, the brutal rule of her father, an infamous horse breeder.

Then a German cargo ship is bombed in the harbour, killing dozens of the men on board. The islanders trawl the waters for spoilage from the wreckage – finding among the debris a badly injured man, who may just hold the awful truth about what happened.

Dora soon finds this man under her care, and it changes her life forever, introducing her to the possibility of love and freedom for the first time… But Dora cannot know, as she nurses the stranger back to health, that her actions will have devastating consequences for her beloved island. Consequences that will last for generations…

On the island of Milos, one act of compassion will change a life forever – and leave consequences that last for decades.

Can’t Shoot Whiskey By Zoe Forward

Josh Hurst was supposed to be my forever. Instead, he became the villain in my origin story.
I gave him my heart. He broke it without flinching. So, I did what any self-respecting, heart-shattered girl would do—I declared war.
Our revenge game? Legendary.
Until I left for college and swore I’d never look back.

But life doesn’t care about vows made in the dark.
When my father dies unexpectedly, I’m dragged back to the hometown I outgrew, handed guardianship of my grieving kid brother, and forced to take over my father’s struggling veterinary clinic.
And waiting for me—like karma with a smirk—is Josh.
Not as a memory.
Not as a ghost.
But as my new business partner.

Avoiding him? Impossible.
Forgetting what we were? Laughable.
He still looks at me like I’m his. Like we’re a story paused instead of over. Like one spark is all it would take.
And God help me, the spark is still there.
But we don’t do soft. We don’t do safe.
We do oil and fire. War and wreckage.
Whatever we once were—
Whatever we still could be—
We’re enemies.
And this time, nobody’s walking away unburned.

Review Card & Book Review – Protected Hearts By Cissy Mecca

The Rules of the Bachelor Pact: Never date the neighbour…

Beck

It’s probably a bad idea to fall for the one woman I was never supposed to touch. Mae O’Malley. . . my childhood best friend and the reason for Rule #1 of the Bachelor Pact: no dating the girl next door.

Following the rules has never been hard. Until Mae walks back into my life, fresh off a broken engagement and looking like a complication I want to make. She’s sexy, smart, and more off-limits than ever. But I’ve never been one to give up easily, especially not when it comes to the only woman I’ve ever loved.

Mae

Coming home with my heart still broken from Paris wasn’t part of the plan. But being surrounded by family, and Beck makes it easier. Or so I thought.

Because now he’s looking at me like I’m something more than a friend, and suddenly I’m feeling things I never thought I would again. Butterflies. Hope. Beck’s made it clear he’s not the settling-down type, and I’ve been burned before. So why can’t I protect my heart from the one person who’s always had it?

About The Author

My Review

This is a warm, slow-burn friends-to-lovers romance that beautifully captures the fear and excitement of taking a lifelong friendship to the next level. Beck and Mae have been inseparable since childhood, their bond rooted in shared memories and unspoken feelings. Beck, the humble bartender at O’Malley’s, has always felt unworthy of Mae, the talented pastry chef whose dreams once took her to France. When Mae returns home heartbroken after her fiancé’s betrayal, she’s unsure where her life—and her heart—belong.

As they reconnect, their easy banter and undeniable chemistry make it impossible for their friends not to notice what’s brewing beneath the surface. Cissy Mecca writes with warmth and humor, balancing heartfelt emotion with witty, sarcastic exchanges that make the friendships feel real and alive. Beck’s quiet devotion and Mae’s vulnerability create a deeply relatable love story about risk, healing, and realizing that sometimes the person you’ve always loved has been beside you all along. Charming, heartfelt, and full of small-town charm—this is a must-read for contemporary romance fans.

My Rating