May 21, 2026 – My Sanctuary

Lottie and Theo have it all – except it.

Lottie and Theo are definitely happily married: deeply in love, beautiful house, two adorable puppies… except that after seven years together, the only action they’re having in the bedroom is Netflix marathons. Why has every night become ‘not tonight’?

Frustrated in more ways than one, Lottie drunkenly calls in to her favourite podcast (The Cliterati) to let off some steam. But her anonymous rant goes viral, with thousands of women replying with tales of their own long-term relationships going limp and floppy.

Now everyone is trying to unmask the ‘horny wife’, the podcast agency make Lottie an offer which could change her life. The only problem is… Lottie still hasn’t told Theo about her confession. How on earth can Lottie admit to her husband that they could be famous – for being sexless?

About The Author

My Review

This is funny, heartbreaking, cringe-inducing, and ultimately uplifting. I was completely riveted by Lottie’s story and felt deeply connected to her from the very first page. Julia Jones captures, with painful honesty, the quiet loneliness that can grow inside long-term relationships when communication and intimacy fade.

Lottie is not a villain but a deeply human, misguided woman trying—often clumsily—to fix something she loves. The novel brilliantly explores how terrifying difficult conversations can be, and how easy it is for couples like Lottie and Theo to bury their heads in the sand rather than face uncomfortable truths. That avoidance felt painfully real.

The moment Lottie realises she has accidentally sent her confession to a well-known podcast is both mortifying and compelling. Watching her spiral further while still not talking to Theo made my heart ache, even as I cringed for her. Thankfully, her best friend Caro is a standout—warm, blunt, and fiercely supportive. I adored her and would happily read an entire book about her life.

Beautifully written and emotionally resonant, this novel feels authentic, compassionate, and deeply relatable, with a satisfying and hopeful ending.

My Rating

Link To Purchase

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

In your own darkest hour, would you help a child in need?

When a teenage girl with haunted eyes enters Bec’s world, she stirs something in Bec she thought she’d buried long ago.

Still reeling from the loss of her husband, Bec is barely keeping her life together. But there’s something about Skye, motherless, wary and alone, that reaches into the shadows of Bec’s past. Twenty years ago, she was that lost girl, grieving her twin brother and cut off from her parents after one terrible night. Now, with the threat of those same parents re-entering her life, Bec makes an impulsive decision: she offers Skye food, shelter and the promise of help.

When Bec’s search for help brings Anna into their world, the connection feels almost fated. Anna has demons of her own. A past she’s fought to bury and a brother’s name she’s desperate to clear.

Both women believe they know what’s best for Skye. But as past and present collide, each will be forced to face truths they thought they’d left behind.

About The Author

My Review

This is an emotionally rich, multi-layered story about grief, fractured families, and the quiet power of chosen connections.

The novel weaves together three compelling perspectives. Anna has buried the pain of losing her brother so deeply it has become a closed chapter in her life. Bec, on the other hand, is shaped by loss—her twin brother, her boyfriend, and later her husband, Owen. Estranged from her parents and raising her twins alone in Sydney, her children are her anchor. When they move back to Melbourne, her daughter’s determination to uncover the truth about the grandparents she’s never met forces old wounds to the surface.

Then there’s Skye, a heartbreaking and unforgettable sixteen-year-old whose mother dies from cancer, leaving her alone and briefly lost to the foster system. Through Bec’s work, their paths cross, and Skye’s story gently intertwines with both Anna’s and Bec’s. What follows is a beautifully handled exploration of friendship, found family, and healing across generations.

The plot is filled with unexpected turns, yet never feels contrived. Guy’s writing is compassionate, absorbing, and impossible to put down. A deeply moving read, perfectly matched by its striking cover.

My Rating