Category Archives: Book Review

Review Card & Book Review – A Wyoming Family Holiday By Virginia McCullough

Can saving a town landmark…

Restore her faith in love?

When attorney Sloan Lancaster returns to Adelaide Creek to care for his father, he’s shocked at Winding Creek Rehab and Care Center’s run-down state. He considers moving his dad but is drawn to his high school crush Bethany, in charge of the facility’s restoration. Moved by Bethany’s community spirit and her adorable young daughter, Heidi, Sloan makes an anonymous donation to the center as the holidays bring them all closer. But when Sloan’s identity is revealed, Bethany pulls away, anxious about conflict of interest. Can she overcome her fears to embrace Sloan’s support—and build the loving family she’s always wanted?

About The Author

My Review

This is a tender, small-town holiday romance that beautifully blends second chances, forgiveness, and community spirit. Returning to Adelaide Creek to care for his recovering father, lawyer Sloan Lancaster doesn’t expect to reconnect with Bethany, his former high school crush and now the capable manager of the Winding Creek Rehab and Care Center.

Bethany is juggling the demands of single motherhood and her dream of restoring the care center to its former warmth and vitality. When Sloan quietly donates money to help fund the renovations, his secret generosity backfires, threatening their growing connection. What follows is a heartfelt journey of truth, trust, and rediscovering what really matters.

McCullough excels at capturing the nuances of small-town life—where compassion, gossip, and holiday magic intertwine. Both Sloan and Bethany are mature, relatable characters navigating love after loss and disappointment. With themes of healing, gratitude, and the courage to open one’s heart again, A Wyoming Family Holiday is a warm, uplifting story perfect for readers who believe in second chances and Christmas miracles.

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Review Card & Book Review – Maybe One Day By Catherine Bybee

Mari D’Angelo’s life is complete. Her children are all married. Two grandbabies fill her days, with two more on the way, and her thriving family restaurant is running on autopilot. Not once in the ten years since she’s become a widow has Mari considered another love of her own. Until she sets sail on a singles cruise to placate her recently divorced best friend. Then James comes crashing into Mari’s world.

Charming, witty, and with two daughters of his own, James isn’t looking for love either. But Mari is as irresistible as she is beautiful. As their simmering attraction grows, Mari’s resolve to ignore the spark James has ignited slowly breaks away. She promised her beloved late husband she’d find someone new. Maybe that impossible day has come.

Knowing her protective sons would not approve, Mari chooses to keep the romance a secret. After all, there is no reason for her family to know about James if their relationship doesn’t work out. It’s up to James to prove he can be trusted with the heart of a woman he’s come to cherish. But without her family’s approval, their love doesn’t stand a chance.

About The Author

My Review

This is a heartwarming and humorous conclusion to the beloved D’Angelo family series. This final installment shifts the spotlight to matriarch Mari D’Angelo, who, after ten years of widowhood, has devoted herself to her children and grandchildren, believing her own romantic chapter closed. But when her vivacious friend Rosa convinces her to take a two-week cruise, Mari unexpectedly meets James, a kind, charming man who reawakens her long-dormant sense of passion and possibility.

Bybee writes with tenderness and wit, exploring love later in life with refreshing honesty. Mari’s inner conflict—balancing loyalty to her late husband with a desire for new companionship—is portrayed with empathy and depth. The cruise setting adds warmth and levity, while the reactions of Mari’s close-knit Italian family bring both comedy and emotional truth.

Ultimately, this book is a celebration of second chances, family bonds, and the courage to embrace joy at any age. Bybee delivers a fittingly uplifting finale—romantic, mature, and full of heart.

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Review Card & Book Review- Falling Apart And Other Gifts From The Universe By Catherine Ryan Hyde

An army veteran with a career as a beat cop behind her, security guard Addie Finch is tough—on the outside. Internally, she’s in crisis mode. She’s lonely, introverted, struggling through AA, estranged from her son, and, at sixty-two years old, questioning her role as a protector. She also has a soft spot for the underdog that’s about to change her life.

Addie finds Jonathan, a homeless teenager abandoned by his mother, holed up in a warehouse and vulnerable to the elements and to predators. Touched by the boy’s gentle nature and a wisdom beyond his years, Addie offers him temporary shelter in her garden shed in exchange for maintaining the sprawling property. It’s an act of kindness and purpose that means the world to Jonathan. But when Addie faces a situation that sends her internal world tumbling, the emotional connection with Jonathan, once the unlikeliest of strangers, becomes her lifeline as well.

As both process past traumas, Addie and Jonathan forge a surrogate grandmother-grandson bond—a chosen family that could restore trust and heal hearts they thought were broken forever.

About The Author

My Review

This is a quietly powerful, deeply human story about redemption, resilience, and unexpected family. At sixty-two, Addie Finch—a recovering alcoholic and retired cop—works nights as a security guard, haunted by her past but determined to stay sober and steady. When she encounters Jonathan, a homeless teen escaping violence, an unlikely bond forms between two lost souls seeking safety and purpose. Their connection, first born of compassion, grows into mutual healing as they face trauma, guilt, and the ghosts of their histories together.

Hyde’s storytelling is compassionate yet unflinching, weaving tough realities—addiction, homelessness, assault—into a narrative that ultimately uplifts rather than crushes. Addie’s introspective “life inventory” offers emotional depth and insight into the long shadows of regret and recovery. Jonathan’s quiet strength and kindness balance her struggles beautifully.

Handled with tenderness and moral clarity, this novel explores found family, forgiveness, and the fragile grace that emerges when broken people help each other heal. It’s moving, reflective, and quintessentially Catherine Ryan Hyde—heartache transformed into hope.

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Review Card & Book Review- Letting Go Of Yesterday By Jo Bartlett

Sometimes the only way forward… is to go back.

When Rowan Bellamy’s marriage collapses in spectacular style, she retreats with her two children, Bella and Theo, to the last place she ever wanted to return—her windswept Cornish hometown of Port Agnes. Taking the headteacher role at the local primary school is the easy part. Facing village gossip, curious neighbours, and old flames? Not so much.

Especially when one of those flames turns out to be Nathan Lark — the boy who broke her heart and the man who now has a reputation as bruised as her own. With his young nephew Leo a pupil in Rowan’s school, she and Nathan are thrown into each other’s lives once more. And whether she likes it or not, the chemistry between them is impossible to ignore.

As salty sea air begins to soothe old wounds and Port Agnes slowly feels like home again, Rowan must decide if she’s brave enough to let go of the past and open her heart one more time.

About The Author

My Review

Set against the windswept beauty of Port Agnes, this book delivers a heartfelt story about resilience, small-town gossip, and second chances. Jo Bartlett captures the claustrophobic charm of a close-knit community where everyone knows your business — and your secrets.

Rowan’s move to Port Agnes after discovering her husband’s affair is both painful and brave. Her ex, a minister with a judgmental father, hides behind respectability, forcing Rowan to shoulder the shame of their marriage breakdown. It’s frustrating but realistic, and Bartlett handles it with compassion and insight.

Nathan’s return to town after a prison sentence adds another layer of redemption to the story. His bond with his nephew Leo, who has Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy, brings warmth and depth, shining a light on how illness affects families and relationships.

Rowan and Nathan’s second-chance romance feels tender and earned, and the wider Port Agnes community sets the stage perfectly for future books. A moving, uplifting read about healing, honesty, and finding peace after heartbreak.

My Rating

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Review Card & Book Review- Off Limits By Emma Rae

She’s the cheerleader. He’s the star player. One problem: their contracts.

For Serenity Harper, paying off her father’s massive gambling debt means working a job as a late-night dancer in a sleazy dive bar. But achieving her dream of becoming a cheerleader for the Canyon football team, she must hide her double life from her new employers.

But when Serenity catches the attention of the newest Canyon star player, golden-boy Jake Walsh, while out shopping – sparks instantly fly.

But their contracts have a very specific clause: no fraternizing with the players or cheerleaders. As the pair struggle to stay away from each other, will Serenity’s other secrets come to light, and will Jake lose his perfect player image…?

About The Author

My Review

This is a contemporary sports romance that explores a forbidden relationship between Jake, a young NFL rookie, and Serenity, a dedicated cheerleader for his team. Their connection begins with an unexpected grocery store encounter and grows stronger despite a professional rule prohibiting relationships between players and cheerleaders. The secrecy surrounding their romance adds tension and tenderness, and Jake’s caring nature—especially in his interactions with his younger sister, River—adds depth to his character.

The story includes heartfelt moments and emotional exchanges, though some aspects may feel less authentic, such as the limited football detail and the use of British spellings in an American setting. Discussions about relationships and intimacy recur throughout the book, which may not appeal to all readers. Additionally, certain plot elements—coercion, intimidation, and scenes set in a strip club—may require content warnings.

Overall, Off Limits offers a sweet, secretive love story with elements of risk and devotion. It’s a light, emotional read for those who enjoy romance centered on breaking rules for love.

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Review Card & Book Review- Never Look Back By Susan Lewis

A dead husband. A missing wife. Will they find her in time?

Romy Kaplan has vanished from her home.

Or has she?

When Romy begins posting on her social media accounts asking everyone to stop looking for her, the police are certain she is safe. But Romy’s nearest and dearest are far from convinced.

Her husband died in the bath under inconclusive circumstances six weeks ago. And Romy would never disappear without telling someone where she is going.

As true crime podcast host, Cristy Ward, picks up Romy’s case… she has the whole world asking…

Where is Romy now?

About The Author

My Review

This is a gripping, timely mystery that blends emotional depth with modern-day intrigue. When Romy Kaplan suddenly vanishes—her phone unanswered and her social media active—her terminally ill friend Beth grows desperate. Beth’s daughter, Layla, turns to the Hindsight podcast team—Cristy, Connor, and Clove—for help. Through Cristy’s perspective, the investigation unravels secrets, lies, and a chilling conspiracy tied to cybercrime and AI manipulation.

Lewis’s storytelling is sharp and immersive, balancing tension with heartfelt character moments. Cristy, in particular, stands out as a determined and empathetic lead whose own story adds texture and realism. The podcast format offers a fresh narrative device, revealing clues and emotional insights naturally. With smooth prose, brisk pacing, and clever twists, the book keeps readers engaged throughout.

While Romy’s character occasionally feels too idealized, the mystery’s momentum and the timely themes make up for it. Never Look Back is an absorbing, contemporary thriller about friendship, truth, and the dark side of technology.

My Rating

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