Sap and Secrets blends grumpy–sunshine romance, small-town charm, and a quietly simmering murder mystery into a story that feels both cozy and compulsively readable. It sounds like a lot on paper, but Daphne Elliott balances every element beautifully. The opening immediately pulls you in with a surprise baby reveal at the Maple Festival — a…
A Shore Thing by Portia MacIntosh | Book Review
Cleo and Lockie’s love story is wildly unconventional, and that’s exactly what makes it so enjoyable. Think Survivor meets Love Island at its most chaotic — but with a softer, sweeter emotional core than you might expect. While the story took a little time to find its footing before the show truly began, once the island setting came…
Binding Threads on Beamer Street by Sheila Riley | Book Review
This was my first time reading a book from the Beamer Street series, and I was pleasantly surprised by how easily I was able to settle into the story. Although this is the fourth installment, it works very well as a standalone, and I never felt lost or confused by ongoing storylines or characters. The…
Celebrations at the Beach Hotel by Francesca Capaldi | Book Review
This was my first time stepping into this series, and while I found the story poignant and emotionally resonant, I do wish I had read the earlier books first. There is a helpful character list at the beginning, but without the full series context, some relationships and ongoing plot threads felt slightly out of reach….
January 2026 Author Spotlight
One of the quiet joys of a new reading year is the freedom to begin again — new stories, new voices, and authors I’ve somehow missed until now. For January, I wanted to start my Author Spotlight series with two writers who come highly recommended and feel well-suited to the way I read: one rooted…
House of BS & Lies by Lani Lynn Vale | Book Review
This book was everything I love about Lani Lynn Vale wrapped up in one irresistible story. Romeo and Mable completely stole my heart. From their very first meeting, there’s an undeniable pull between them—curiosity, attraction, and a sense that the other gets it in a way most people don’t. Both are carrying the weight of…
Only for Love by Natasha Madison | Book Review
Natasha Madison does it again, delivering a sports romance that completely stole my heart. From the very first moment, Kirby was impossible not to love. He sees Lexi, feels an instant pull toward her, but more importantly, he notices that something isn’t right. That awareness—his instinct to protect, to help, to care—is what makes him…
The BBC Big Read: Take Two
In April 2003 the BBC began searching for the nation’s best loved novel, and asked the public to nominate their favorite book. They ended up with a list of 100 books and I thought in 2022 that I would work my way through that list. Of course, I didn’t really do anything with it. There…
2026 Has Arrived: An Update of Sorts
2025 was the worst year I have had in a while. Saying that is actually putting it very mildly. If you follow me on Rita Reviews then you already know that I have been in the process of moving. All of the details about that nightmare can be found over there. On top of that,…
26 in 2026
I suck at reading challenges and most of the time I don’t bother with them anymore but in an effort to get things back on track and me back into some sort of something I am doing a few. We’ll, sporadic and you’ll see. The first is this 26 in 2026. It is where you…
