September 7, 2026 – My Sanctuary

Review Card & Book Review- Coupling Up By Jo Lyons

The most adventurous thing unlucky-in-love primary school teacher Libby has done this year is buy an air fryer. So when she finds herself trading places with her twin sister during the summer holidays, to be a contestant on reality TV show Love on the Island, she is way out of her comfort zone.

Jetting off to a villa in Mexico full of promiscuous muscle-mountains coupling up with glamorous women with frozen foreheads and hidden agendas, and a she-devil executive producer hellbent on exposing her to ridicule, should be her worst nightmare but somehow Libby does end up catching feelings… for the one guy who is forbidden fruit. Gorgeous, sexy, show producer Cameron.

Suddenly Libby’s summer is picking up. But she’ll be kicked off the show and lose her chance with Cameron unless she learns how to become a crazed, fame-hungry, media whore… and fast.

Yes, love is about staying true to yourself. But it’s also about taking risky leaps of faith.

About The Author

My Review

This book is about a shy primary school teacher who agrees to impersonate her reality-TV-star twin on a tropical dating show and accidentally finds herself falling for the one man she absolutely isn’t allowed to love. Chaos, comedy, and heartfelt growth collide in a sunshine-filled rom-com that balances outrageous premise with emotional sincerity.

Libby’s fish-out-of-water journey is the novel’s greatest strength. Watching her navigate influencer culture, villa politics, and scripted romance while clinging to her authentic self is both hilarious and endearing. Her chemistry with producer Cameron delivers a delicious slow-burn tension, full of witty banter and forbidden-romance stakes that keep pages turning. The twin dynamic adds extra sparkle, with Layla’s glamorous unpredictability constantly threatening Libby’s carefully balanced lie.

Lyons captures the energy of reality TV perfectly—dramatic contestants, manufactured storylines, and glamorous settings—while gradually peeling back the spectacle to reveal a softer story about confidence and self-worth. The pacing mirrors a dating show season: fast, messy, and addictive before settling into deeper emotional territory.

Light, escapist, and genuinely funny, this is a joyful summer romance that proves stepping outside your comfort zone might lead to the love story you never expected.

Forbidden Romance

Hidden Identity

Reality Dating Show Romance

Slow Burn

My Rating

Link To Purchase

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Happy Publication Day – 7 September 2026

Could You Be Mine? By Sophie L. Henderson

She’s the boss of the Vancity Tide lacrosse team. He’s the team captain—and the firefighter who’s never failed anyone. There are a hundred reasons why their steamy encounter has to stay a secret. But number one? Her dad owns the team…

Seren is on the brink of career disaster. The general manager job she’s worked her entire life for is about to slip away. The season is unraveling and she’s been given an ultimatum—make it to the playoffs or lose her dream job forever. But keeping her head in the game would be so much easier if she wasn’t falling for her star player. And he hadn’t told her he was falling too…

Brad Holt is the team captain. Nicknamed ‘Fixer’, he holds everything together, whether it’s on the lacrosse floor, at the fire hall or at home with his family. Being steady was his whole identity—until the night things crossed the line with Seren. Now he’s in a tailspin, failing in every arena that matters. All because she’s the one problem he can’t fix. And the one person who might actually break him for good.

As the final games of the season loom over Seren and Brad, and a clip of a heated kiss goes viral, their carefully crafted defence crumbles around them. With seconds left on the clock, a win could change everything. But if they lose, they lose it all…

Review Card & Book Review- All The Truth In My Lies By Elisabet Benavent

Six best friends on a bachelorette road trip. One RV packed with secrets.

Blanca’s September wedding is the perfect excuse for one last adventure, so Coco, Loren, and Aroa rent a camper and plot a week of sun splashed beaches, campsite dinners, and dancing till closing time. Marín and Gus jump onboard at the last minute. It should be idyllic—if only the truth weren’t riding shotgun.

Coco and Marín are the kind of roommates who make life look easy. Too bad Coco is in love with him. To keep it hidden, she pretends she’s still hung up on her ex, Gus… who seems to be writing love poems to someone he won’t name. Marín and Aroa’s breakup? Messier than anyone admits. Blanca should be glowing for her fiancé, yet she’s miles away. And Loren—poor Loren—knows more than he should and can’t tell a soul.

What starts as a carefree farewell becomes a pressure cooker of almost confessions and half truths. As the miles roll by, the stories they’ve told about themselves start to crack, and each of them has to choose what to protect: the friend group they’ve always been—or the person they might finally be brave enough to become.

With Benavent’s trademark mix of sparkle, tenderness, and razor sharp honesty, All the Truth in My Lies is a friends to lovers slow burn, a found family drama, and a summer road trip you’ll feel in your bones—about how telling the truth can break a heart…and how it just might be the only way to mend one.

About The Author

My Review

This book is about a tangled web of friendships, secrets, and complicated relationships that test how honest people are willing to be with themselves and each other. A close-knit group of friends reunites for a road trip to celebrate a wedding, only for long-buried truths and emotional baggage to surface along the way.

The novel is instantly engaging, pulling readers into a whirlwind of drama, romance, and shifting loyalties. With multiple perspectives and a lively cast—including Coco, Marin, Loren, Blanca, and Aroa—the story explores how adulthood doesn’t magically solve insecurities, jealousy, or unresolved feelings. The messy dynamics feel intentionally heightened, creating a page-turning, binge-worthy experience reminiscent of a gripping TV drama.

While the characters can be impulsive and flawed, their struggles with honesty, growth, and self-discovery keep the story compelling. Themes of friendship, love, and personal accountability run throughout, offering moments of reflection beneath the drama. Entertaining, emotional, and packed with twists, this novel will especially appeal to readers who enjoy complex friend groups and high-stakes relationship drama.

Wedding Road Trip

Secrets & Lies

Messy Friendships

Complicated Relationships

My Rating