October 26, 2026 – My Sanctuary

Review Card & Book Review- Candy Apple Kisses By Amy Clipston

This autumn, love is in the air.

Artist Emily Carmichael has always considered Splendid Lake her home, but she never imagined she would ever return. However, when she learns her childhood best friend, Jake Hughes, is struggling to save the beloved Hughes Family Orchard, she doesn’t hesitate to pack her bags and head back to the North Carolina mountains–even if it means battling a corporate giant and resisting the temptation of too many candy apples.

For Jake, the orchard is more than just a business; it’s a living legacy, a bond with his father and a promise to his family. As Jake and Emily work side-by-side to prepare for the orchard’s centennial anniversary, long-held feelings, once hidden beneath years of friendship, begin to surface. For Jake, Emily’s return illuminates what’s been missing in his life, and for Emily, being with Jake stirs long-dormant emotions she’s too scared to name. The air is crisp, the apples are sweet, and the sparks? They’re flying higher than a bonfire.

But with Jake’s ex-girlfriend’s dramatic reappearance and the mounting pressure to keep the orchard from failing, their budding romance is put to the test. Can these two best friends turn a season of chaos into a lifetime of love, or will their romance fall flat before the first frost?

About The Author

My Review

This book is about a cozy friends-to-lovers romance set in the autumnal charm of Splendid Lake, where returning home, saving a family orchard, and rediscovering love all come together.

Candy Apple Kisses follows artist Emily Carmichael as she returns to the North Carolina mountains to help her childhood best friend, Jake Hughes, save his family’s apple orchard from financial trouble. What begins as a simple act of support gradually turns into something deeper, as long-held friendship shifts into a quiet, heartfelt romance.

The setting is one of the story’s highlights, with the orchard’s golden fall atmosphere, crisp air, and nostalgic small-town warmth creating a soothing backdrop. Emily and Jake are easy to root for, with their bond built on trust, history, and genuine care for one another.

Amy Clipston delivers a gentle, predictable romance that leans into comfort rather than surprise. While the conflict feels familiar, it doesn’t take away from the overall warmth of the story.

Ultimately, this is a soft, feel-good read perfect for readers who enjoy low-stakes romance, cozy settings, and the comfort of a guaranteed happily ever after.

My Rating

Link To Purchase

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

Happy Publication Day – 26 October 2026

Who I Am With You By Jennifer Carr

She built a career on becoming who everyone wanted. He knows exactly what it costs to lose yourself.

Lanie Tisdale learned early that talent could be both a gift and a cage. After years of being shaped, managed, and polished into the star the world knew as Lanie Love, she has finally found a chance to take back her voice on Real American Country. But the higher she climbs, the harder it becomes to tell where the performance ends and the real woman begins.

Charles Young knows all about living under a spotlight that never forgives. As the son of country music royalty, his rise came with impossible expectations, and his fall became the kind of headline people never let him forget. Now sober, steady, and trying to rebuild on his own terms, judging Real American Country is supposed to be another step forward. Falling for one of the contestants was never part of the plan.

But Lanie is not the woman the cameras think they know, and Charles is not the reckless star the tabloids want him to be. Behind the stage lights, press rumors, and carefully edited stories, they find something neither of them expected: a quiet place to be honest.

With careers, reputations, and hard-won healing on the line, Lanie and Charles will have to decide if love is worth the risk of being truly seen.

Review Card & Book Review- The Grump I Married By Leslie North

Working for Weston Kincaid should come with hazard pay—and maybe a therapist on retainer.

The man is a corporate glacier in a designer suit—arrogant, ice cold, and allergic to anything resembling a work-life balance. As his assistant, I basically run his empire, his schedule, and his caffeine supply. Holidays included.

Then his grandfather’s will drops a nuclear-level twist: Weston must get married ASAP to inherit a jaw-dropping Scottish estate straight out of a Highland fairy tale. Who does he choose?

Me.

Qualifications: female, breathing, knows his coffee order. Romance isn’t just dead—Weston buried it six feet under and salted the earth.

I quit. Then flee to a café to rage-call my bestie—only to discover (too late) that Weston’s psycho ex is in the booth behind me, listening like she bought tickets.

Within hours, every woman who might’ve considered him refuses to touch him—even for a castle. Oops. My bad.

Cornered, Weston offers me a deal: so much money my bank app would crash, a chance to chase my dream, and (best of all) time away from the biggest bosshole on Earth. All I have to do is live in the Highlands as his wife for a couple months.

And I don’t know whether it’s exhaustion or insanity, but I say yes.

Naturally, the universe has jokes, because somewhere between the airport and the castle, my brain decided to develop a crush on Satan in a suit.

About The Author

My Review

This book is about a grumpy/sunshine marriage of convenience romance set in the Scottish Highlands, where fake vows slowly turn into real emotions amid humor, healing, and hidden truths.

The Grump I Married follows Lena, a sharp and overworked personal assistant who finally quits her job after her billionaire boss, Weston, shockingly suggests she marry him. Weston needs a wife to fulfill the terms of his grandfather’s will and secure the Scottish estate he loves, leading the pair into a practical arrangement that quickly becomes far more complicated than expected.

What begins as a business-like agreement soon shifts when they travel to Scotland to settle family affairs, attend a heartfelt community festival, and confront the emotional weight of Weston’s inheritance. Surrounded by close friends, small-town charm, and plenty of banter, Lena and Weston discover that their chemistry is impossible to ignore.

Leslie North balances lighthearted romcom energy with deeper emotional layers as both characters face personal wounds from their pasts. Their growth feels natural, and the supporting cast adds warmth and humor throughout. As secrets surface and feelings deepen, the story asks whether love can grow from convenience—or if some lines were never meant to be crossed at all.

Marriage of Convenience

Grumpy × Sunshine

Billionaire Boss × Assistant

Forced Proximity

My Rating