Book Review: The Once and Future Queen by Paula Lafferty

Pages: 512

Genre: Adult Historical Fiction/Fantasy

Publisher: Kensington

Pub. Date: December 16, 2025

Source: Personal Copy

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "Vera always knew she didn’t fit in. When she learns that she is meant to be in another time, she leaps at the chance to embrace a new life in a world of valor, intrigue, and unexpected magic in this bold and romantic retelling of Arthurian legend . . .

22-year-old Vera is at a crossroads: waiting tables, grieving her previous relationship, and jogging aimlessly each morning as if toward an uncertain future. Then an odd man shows up at her workplace, insisting that she was once the legendary Queen Guinevere of Camelot, and that her lost memories hold the key to changing both the past and the present. Somehow, it all feels like the direction she’s been looking for. But when she asks the mysterious man to tell her more about Lancelot, Arthur, and a faithless queen, he can only say that much of what she’s heard about Camelot is wrong. The truth, he claims, is something she must see for herself.

After jumping through a portal in Glastonbury’s historic center, Vera is not prepared for what she finds. Magic is everywhere, but a curse on the kingdom means it dwindles every day. She has no idea how to perform a queen’s duties. Her fast friendship with Lancelot sets gossip flowing, and the stranger she must call “husband” often refuses to meet her eye. Arthur is a puzzle: cold, forbidding, and, while angry to her face, keeps leaving secret tokens of tenderness in her chambers. Worst of all, Vera’s memories—and the answers locked within them—show no signs of returning. If Vera is truly destined to save Camelot, she’ll have to trust her instincts. And her king will have to trust her . . ."

 

Vera is a twenty-two-year-old living with her adopted parents in Glastonbury working at her parents' hotel. She is still grieving the untimely death of Vincent, her boyfriend, who died in a car crash. Her daily life has become monotonous until the arrival of a strange man at the hotel who tells her she must come with him to another time. She is actually Guinevere and has been hiding out in modern day, but must return to King Arthur's court to ultimately save England, which desperately needs her. Obviously, this sounds crazy, but Vera's mother confirms that this message is the truth. The mysterious stranger turns out to be Merlin, who, by using magic, can time-travel through a wormhole. Once back to Camelot, she has to acclimate to the time period and the dynamics at court. There are all the legendary characters present: Arthur, Lancelot, Gawain, and more, but Vera must forget what she knows about King Arthur's court and learn for herself what it's like to live there. It doesn't help that Arthur won't open up to her and avoids her, which is beyond frustrating for Vera. Also, she must figure out her place in this new world, how she can help save England, and what happened to her before her "disappearance" to another time. Paula Lafferty's The Once and Future Queen is a mash-up of various genres and a fun modern take on the King Arthur legend.
 
I have always enjoyed the legend of King Arthur, so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Lafferty's modern take on it. The first half of the book really pulled me in. To have Guinevere time-travel back to the court, after spending some time in Modern England, is a fun premise. While the science behind Merlin's wormhole and his magic was lacking, if readers suspend their disbelief and just go along with it, they are in for a lot of enjoyment. Also, the slow-burning romance between Arthur and Guinevere was also enjoyable, and Lafferty really took her time developing their relationship and explaining the backstory as to why Arthur has been so closed off lately. Lastly, Lancelot's friendship with Guinevere was also well done, and that was a entertaining take on the usual legend.

My only gripe with The Once and Future Queen was the length. I felt like it dragged on in the middle, which impacted the pacing. The characters also spoke in a modern way, which didn't feel very authentic for the time period. But other than that, I thought it was an enjoyable time-travel/historical fiction novel with a small side of romance. Fans of the Arthurian legend will especially appreciate this one, as well as fans of romantasy that prefer their fantasies to not include too many spicy scenes. 

Let me know in the comments if you enjoy Arthurian legend and time travel stories. The Once and Future Queen is the start of a promising trilogy, so let me know if you plan on reading it this winter.   

 

 

  

Book Review: The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage

Genre: Adult Fiction/Audiobook

Pub. Date: December 2, 2025

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Source: Personal Copy

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "Lexi Villiers is a 29-year-old Englishwoman doing her medical residency in Hobart, working too hard, worried about her bank balance, and living with friends. It's a good life, and getting even better, because as the dawn is breaking on New Year's Day, Lexi is about to kiss the man she loves for the very first time.

But by midnight, everything will change. Because Lexi is in fact not an ordinary young woman. She is Princess Alexandrina, third in line to the British throne - albeit estranged from the rest of her family and living in voluntary exile on the other side of the world. But following a terrible accident, Lexi - the black sheep of her family and, until this moment, always destined to be the spare - is now the heir apparent, first in line to the throne once her grandmother, the elderly Queen, dies. Called back to do her duty, she arrives in London to a Palace riven with power plays and media leaks, all the while guarding painful secrets of her own. Palace waters are treacherous, rumours are rife, and selling each other's secrets is a family tradition. And with the Crown just within her grasp, Lexi must choose what bonds she will keep ... and what she is willing to leave behind."

 

Lexi Villiers is a medical doctor in Australia living on an idyllic vineyard in Tasmania. She is estranged from her family due to her life choices, but is living a happy life without them in Australia; she even has a sort-of boyfriend and a promising career. Except her family isn't just any family; it's the British Royal Family. One day, a helicopter lands on the property delivering the bad news that her father (the future King), her twin brother, and his best friend have all died in a tragic skiing accident due to an avalanche. Lexi's world is turned upside down, and her grandmother, the Queen, summons her home to England. Lexi is now the heir apparent, should she choose to take the title; she has one year to decide. If she doesn't accept it and all that it brings, the title falls to her awful uncle Richard. Once Lexi is back in England, all of the reasons why she left come flooding back to her, not to mention all the difficult emotions she has to deal with regarding the loss of her brother and father. This is all triggering to her in that she lost her mother, and the circumstances surrounding her death are still issues that plague her to this day. Also, she has to deal with her grieving and angry sister-in-law, her power-hungry uncle, her grandmother, and all the tabloids that harass the Royal Family at every turn. Ultimately, the question that stresses her out is whether she will accept the title as the heir apparent or choose to pass it along to her uncle. What will happen to her perfect life in Tasmania and her almost-boyfriend, Jack? Can she have it all? Rebecca Armitage's The Heir Apparent is an absorbing audiobook that fans of the Royal Family will enjoy.
 
Lexi has to return to the very life she tried to escape to pursue a career as a doctor, and when she returns, the problems are still there. The grief around her mother's death, now her brother's and father's death, and all the family issues that made her escape to Australia bubble back up to the surface. Lexi is reminded that no matter how far you travel, you still can't escape your problems. Her former life as a doctor is still calling to her, not to mention Jack, and she wonders if she can make this all work. Or does she have to give up her previous life? Heavy is the head that wears the crown!

So many moments in The Heir Apparent felt like they were ripped straight from the tabloids about the Royal Family. It's obvious Armitage has a wealth of knowledge regarding the British Royal Family; however, at times it felt a little too similar - almost fan fiction. Nonetheless, as a Royal Family lover, I enjoyed being lost in a world full of court intrigue, family secrets, tabloids, and extreme wealth.
 
My main issue with The Heir Apparent is the length. The plot meandered too many times around the same plot point, and at times, it got tedious. 416 pages were too much, in my opinion, and due to this, the pacing was uneven despite Shakira Shute's excellent narration of the audiobook.
 
Royal family lovers will especially soak up all the family drama in The Heir Apparent and appreciate the similarities to the current British Royal Family. Have you read The Heir Apparent? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. 

 

 

 

Book Review: Conform by Ariel Sullivan

Pages: 416 

Genre: Adult Fiction/Sci-Fi

Pub. Date: October 14, 2025 

Publisher: Ballantine

Source: Personal Copy

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "Centuries after a catastrophic world war nearly decimated the human population, a city arose from the ashes, ruled by an elusive and technologically advanced group called the Illum.

At twenty-seven, Emeline lives in limbo, wasting away her days in a job sorting ancient human art for destruction and waiting to be selected as a Mate for a procreation contract. Where others look forward to being chosen, Emeline has never felt like she fit into a society where a person’s worth is determined by constantly monitored genes, health, and the ability to procreate. She’s struggled to keep her discomfort secret, but when she is finally chosen, her Mate is revealed to be a member of the Illum named Collin, a man who seems to be harboring secrets of his own.

It is the first time an Illum has taken a Mate in decades, leaving Emeline—and others—baffled as to why she was chosen. Soon, she is swept into the dangerous game of Courting, filled with ballgowns, lavish dinners, and watchful eyes, where one wrong move can mean elimination. While parts of this elite lifestyle are unexpectedly appealing, the more embroiled she becomes, the more she sees its dark underbelly—and a rebellion rising in secret. Collin is confusing, both cold and protective, and worse, she finds herself drawn to the very last person she should be falling for: Hal, one of the resistance leaders.

As she draws closer to both Collin and Hal, the Illum exercise their power in increasingly brutal ways, forcing Emeline to question everything—most of all whether she’ll have to give up her heart and even her life to stop them."

 

Emeline works a job on the ground, helping go through old works of art after the Last War. The Last War raged through the world, and now society is left with the main focus being on procreation, but with requirements. The Illum, the elite group of authoritarian rulers, run the show and prioritize procreation, but with people who have the best genes and traits. Emeline, a "minor defect, " is paired with Collin, the youngest Illum, which seems like an unconventional pairing and one that is unprecedented. This could be a way out of the drudgery for Emeline and a way into their world of comfort in the clouds. Except this isn't going to be easy. Emeline has met a charismatic man, Hal, while at her job. He just showed up in her office one day, as he is interested in the art she is going through. They hit it off and have a connection, but she slowly realizes that Hal is on the outskirts of society. With her recent pairing with Collin, how on earth could she actually have a genuine relationship with Hal, and even worse, what if the people in charge find out? While all this is brewing, there is an uprising occurring that makes Emeline question which path she should take. Conform, a debut novel by Ariel Sullivan, is an engaging dystopian, reminiscent of the many young adult dystopians that swept the literary world years ago.
 
I enjoyed the character of Emeline a lot in Conform. She recognizes her place in society, but isn't exactly a conformist. She has dreams and desires outside of what the Illum want for her. While Conform does have a love triangle (Collin vs. Hal), I think it is done well as each man represents a different path Emeline could take. Plus, there are some twists and turns coming down the road as she progresses with her assigned relationship with Collin.
 
My only issue with Conform was the lack of world-building. Usually, dystopian novels really flesh out the setting a bit more, and that wasn't the case here in Conform. I wish Sullivan had explained it a bit more, but other than that, I really enjoyed the novel. 

If you, like me, were really into all those dystopian novels from 10-15 years ago, this will be right up your alley. Conform ended up being one of my favorite books of the year! 

 

Audio Book Review: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

Genre: Adult Fiction/Audiobook

Pub. Date: April 29, 2025

Publisher: Penguin Random House

Source: Personal Copy

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

 

Goodreads says, "Throughout her life Sybil Van Antwerp has used letters to make sense of the world and her place in it. Most mornings around half past ten Sybil sits down to write letters—to her brother, to her best friend, to the president of the university who will not allow her to audit a class she desperately wants to take, to Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry to tell them what she thinks of their latest books, and to one person to whom she writes often yet never sends the letter.

Sybil expects her world to go on as it always has. A mother, grandmother, wife, divorcée, distinguished lawyer, she has lived a full life. But when letters from someone in her past force her to examine one of the most painful periods of her life, she realizes the letter she has been writing over the years needs to be read and that she cannot move forward until she finds it in her heart to offer forgiveness."

 

 

 

 

 

Sybil Van Antwerp has lived a carefully constructed life at first glance. She worked in law for years and lived a fulfilling life with her kids, although she is divorced. However, she gardens, possesses wonderful manners, and, more importantly, has spent her life writing meaningful handwritten letters to friends, work associates, family, and many others. The Correspondent is an epistolary novel, and as readers are privy to her letters, we learn more about Sybil, her relationships, and what makes her tick. The more we know about her, the more readers recognize that her life wasn't as perfect as it may look at first glance, as she was adopted, dealt with a lot of grief and heartbreak, and to this day, has made decisions that haunt her. Virginia Evans's debut novel, The Correspondent, is a fantastic audiobook and certainly one of the best of the year; this book is smart, moving, and surprisingly immersive. 
 
Sybil writes letters to communicate with family and friends, but also to process things herself. Readers are privy to her letters to and from her close friends, her brother, her sister-in-law, and even her literary heroes, such as Larry McMurtry. As mentioned, through these letters, readers learn more about Sybil's past as well as the way she operates. She can be a bit brash, stubborn, and point-blank, but half the time she makes very astute observations. Her life is forever changed when she receives a gift to trace her DNA origins and connect with her possible relatives. This is huge, as she is adopted and has always questioned her parentage, as all she was left with was a letter that her adopted mother shared with her. There's also a person that Sybil is writing to that she never sends the letters to, and slowly, readers piece together this part of the puzzle. 
 
An epistolary novel is hard to pull off, especially one that is absorbing; these days, we don't have time for lengthy letters. It almost seems like an archaic treasure from the past, but I really loved being lost in Sybil's words through her letters. To add to this delight was the superb narration of Maggi-Meg Reed. There was a full cast narration of the audiobook, which truly brought it to life, but the star of the show was Reed; a tremendous job! If you are looking for a thoughtful, absorbing audiobook to close out the year, I urge you to pick up The Correspondent .  

 

Book Review: Falling Like Leaves by Misty Wilson

Pages: 352

Genre: YA Fiction

Pub. Date: September 2, 2025

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Source: Publisher for review

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "Ellis has a lot of expectations for her senior year, but moving from Manhattan to Bramble Falls, Connecticut is not one of them. Yet in the wake of her parents' separation, that's exactly where she and her mother are headed.

Bramble Falls might be charming, but it's also full of distractions. Like local barista Cooper Barnett, Ellis's one-time best friend—and first kiss—who has not only majorly glowed up but wants nothing to do with Ellis.

Then there's the Falling Leaves Festival, a month-long tourist attraction run by Ellis's aunt—celebrating everything autumn. The festival seems nice and all, but Ellis doesn't have time to be roped into her aunt's enthusiastic planning. Dragged to each event, she can't stop bumping into Cooper, the one person she's hoping to avoid.

But the longer she stays in Bramble Falls, the harder it is to pretend she's not falling for this town and the people in it. As her return to Manhattan gets pushed further and further out, Ellis is forced to confront exactly what she wants for her future—and what that means for her present."

 

 

Ellis seems to have it all figured out. She studies nonstop, earns excellent grades, and has a plan to excel in a journalism internship that her media executive father arranged for her. She is excited to embrace all the opportunities that New York City has to offer. However, her world comes crashing down when her parents announce their separation and her mother decides to move back to Bramble Falls, a small town in Connecticut where her mother's sister lives. Although Ellis has visited Bramble Falls every summer and enjoys spending time with her cousin Sloane and her friends, she is not keen on making a long-term move there. She hopes this situation is just temporary. As Ellis reacquaints herself with small-town life, she unexpectedly runs into Cooper, her former friend and first kiss, who is now behaving coldly toward her. She has no idea why. Despite her initial discomfort, Ellis finds herself helping to prepare for the town's Falling Leaves Festival and begins to wonder how long she will be stuck in Bramble Falls. Maybe life there isn't as bad as she thought. Falling Like Leaves is a smart YA novel by Misty Wilson, filled with autumnal charm, making it the perfect romantic comedy to cozy up with this season.
 

Wilson did an excellent job of bringing Ellis to life, illustrating her internal struggles and the conflicting desires that many teenagers face. Many teens can relate to Ellis in Falling Like Leaves as she navigates her uncertainties about what she truly wants in her life. Is she pursuing journalism because her father has pushed her in that direction, or is she drawn to something else, like her passion for designing clothes? During her time in Bramble Falls, Ellis can explore different aspects of herself and consider various options, but she finds it challenging to let go of her life in the city. However, once she reconnects with Cooper and becomes more acclimated to the town, she begins to realize that life there isn't so bad after all. She also learns to see her parents as just people who are dealing with their own imperfections and challenges. As you can see, this is a young adult novel filled with thoughtful situations that teens can easily relate to.
 
But it isn't all seriousness, Wilson brings all the autumnal romance, and I was here for it. There are town festivals, apple orchards, cafes, fall treats, pumpkin patches, corn mazes, fall dances, and so much more. I adored the setting as it was reminiscent of Stars Hollow and filled with so much charm!  
 
Falling Like Leaves is the type of book that reminds me why I still read YA. I really enjoyed it and plan on continuing with the series. Let me know in the comments if this book is on your fall TBR list.   

Mini Reviews: New Releases

There are two books that I didn't get to feature this summer, but I realize that they actually are perfect for the fall season. One is a heartfelt family drama and the other is a murder mystery that involves influencers. 

The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff

Pages: 288

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pub. Date: April 22, 2025

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Source: Personal Copy

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "Ryan and Lillian Bright are deeply in love, recently married, and now parents to a baby girl, Georgette. But Lillian has a son she hasn’t told Ryan about, and Ryan has an alcohol addiction he hasn’t told Lillian about, so Georgette comes of age watching their marriage rise and fall.

When a shocking blow scatters their fragile trio, Georgette tries to distance herself from reminders of her parents. Years later, Lillian’s son comes searching for his birth family, so Georgette must return to her roots, unearth her family’s history, and decide whether she can open up to love for them—or herself—while there’s still time.

Told from three intimate points of view, The Bright Years is a tender, true-to-life novel that explores the impact of each generation in a family torn apart by tragedy but, over time, restored by the power of grace and love."

 

It's 1979 in Texas, and bank teller Lillian Wright meets Ryan Brighton. After a lengthy courtship and despite all his complicated family history, Lillian marries Ryan. But she has a secret about a pregnancy she had before she met Ryan. This will come into play later in the novel when her son comes back into the picture. Also, Ryan's life wasn't easy in a family that struggles with alcohol, and then Lillian finds out that Ryan also has issues with alcohol. After a heartbreaking miscarriage, they have daughter, Georgette. But Ryan never chooses his family over alcohol, and the vicious cycle continues for generations with long-lasting impacts. Sarah Damoff's debut novel, The Bright Years, is a heartfelt story that was moving, poignant, and oftentimes very sad.

The Bright Years alternates points of view between Georgette and Lillian (and later Ryan), which really offers readers a perspective and insight into these characters and how Ryan's choices have a rippling effect on the lives of the people he loves. Damoff is a social worker, and readers can tell how she obviously has experience with this topic and can truly illustrate how addiction impacts families. The story felt like it rang true, and while I found it heartbreaking and depressing, the final pages did leave me with hope. If you enjoy moving novels about generations of people and families, look no further. Damoff's debut is well-written and memorable.

Everyone is Lying to You by Jo Piazza

Pages: 336

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pub. Date: July 15, 2025

Publisher: Dutton

Source: Publisher for review

Other Books By Author: The Sicilian Inheritance

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

Goodreads says, "Lizzie and Bex were best friends in college. After graduation, Bex vanished, leaving Lizzie confused and devastated.

Fifteen years later, Bex is now Rebecca Sommers, a “traditional” Instagram influencer with millions of followers who salivate over her perfect life on her ranch with her five children and handsome husband, Gray. Lizzie is a struggling magazine writer, watching reels while her young children demand her attention.

One night out of the blue, Bex calls Lizzie with a career-making proposition—an exclusive interview with her about her multimillion-dollar business venture and an invitation to MomBomb, the high-profile influencing conference.

At the conference, Bex goes missing and Gray is found brutally murdered on their ranch. Lizzie finds herself plunged into the dark side of the cutthroat world of social media that includes jealousy, sordid affairs, swingers, and backstabbing. She must learn who her old friend has become and who she has double-crossed to try to find her, clear her name, and maybe even save her life.

Piazza’s master storytelling and razor-sharp insight into the world of social media brings us a pulpy, juicy, and cleverly plotted read that will have you guessing all the way through and leave you gasping for more."

Bex and Lizzie were best friends in college, but after a falling out, they haven't spoken in years. Sure, Lizzie has stalked Bex, now Rebecca, and a "tradwife" influencer on Instagram, but they haven't actually talked in years; that is, until Bex sends Lizzie a message. Bex would love to reconnect with Lizzie and involve her in an interview with her to break some big news that Bex is hinting at. Bex isn't on social media for fun; this is her livelihood, and she is raking in the dough as she peddles farm life, baking, and other "tradwife" hobbies. Lizzie, a struggling journalist, jumps on this opportunity despite her hesitation and agrees to meet Bex at Mombomb, an influencer conference. After a night of reconnecting with Bex and many drinks, Lizzie wakes up to the news that Bex is missing, along with her six children, and her husband, Greyson, is dead...murdered! Lizzie, the journalist, wants to find out what is happened, but also wants to help her friend. And that's when the murder mystery part of the story unravels, and it will keep readers guessing. Jo Piazza's Everyone is Lying to You is a fun murder mystery that kept me flipping the pages, but it is also a peek into the behind-the-scenes life of an influencer.
 
I am always a fan of Jo Piazza's novels, and Everyone is Lying to You was no different. The story felt like readers were peeking behind the curtains at not only the type of women that are featured on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Duggars, etc, but also influencers that come across your feed on Instagram. I like how Piazza peels back the layers in that none of this is real. These influencers are a business, and while they are trying to tell women to just bake cookies at home or milk their own cow, they are actually raking in the dough with endorsements, partnerships, etc. While this message felt a little preachy over and over again, I was still invested in what happened to Bex, her husband, and I wanted Lizzie to uncover not only what happened, but also what Bex's life is actually like on the farm with her sexist husband and her gaggle of kids. Originally pitched as a summer read, I am glad I left this book for September, because it's the perfect fall read, especially with the murder mystery.

 

 

Have your read The Bright Years or Everyone is Lying to You? Let me know you thoughts in the comments below. 

Mini Reviews: Debut Beach Reads

 

Some beach reads truly captivate you, keeping you up late as you flip through the pages or lose yourself at the pool. However, other summer novels can feel just okay, serving as a decent way to spend an afternoon. That's what I've experienced with these two new debuts.

Happy Wife by Meredith Lavender and Kendall Shores

Pages: 320

Genre: Adult Fiction 

Pub. Date: June 24, 2025

Publisher: Bantam

Source: Publisher for review

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "Nora Davies doesn’t exactly fit in to Winter Park, Florida, where old-guard Floridians mix with the tax-fleeing coastal elite. Twenty-eight and barely making ends meet working at a country club, Nora feels like she’s going nowhere fast. Enter Will a prominent forty-six-year-old lawyer, father to a teenage daughter and recently divorced. The two set Winter Park’s social scene agog when they fall in love and marry after a whirlwind Cinderella-style courtship.

But Winter Park is fully upended when Will disappears the morning after a birthday bash Nora throws for him. Going back and forth between Nora and Will’s romance and the search in the wake of Will’s mysterious disappearance, Nora must answer the question from all Where. Is. Will?

Combining breathless suspense, glittering and juicy social dynamics, and an unforgettable cast of characters, Happy Wife is a clever and subversive novel that explores marriage, wealth, and the secrets that lurk behind closed doors."

 

 

Nora is a second wife, which means she is pretty much a second-class citizen at affluent Winter Park, Florida, where money and connections rule the town. Her husband, Willi, is a workaholic lawyer who often stays at work for days at a time. Her cold reception around town doesn't help things, but thankfully, next-door neighbor, Este, has taken her in. On the night of her husband's birthday party, Will goes missing. He went to retrieve a sweatshirt for his daughter from the boat after the party was over and never returned. Nora wakes up the next morning to an empty house, but doesn't think much of it as Will often disappears for days at a time during a big trial. However, after she doesn't receive any texts from him and his work colleague hasn't heard from him, things start to look dire. Happy Wife by Meredith Lavender and Kendall Shores is an average beach read with a touch of mystery.

 

The best part of Happy Wife is the setting of affluent Winter Park. It's an ultra-rich community where it's always summer. The authors do a good job of bringing this setting to life; however, Nora got old after a while, and I was tired of hearing the nauseating problems of the rich. For example, Nora got Botox and other treatments, as well as a trip to the gym, when her husband was missing because "self-care!" Normal people would be spiraling. I did appreciate the flashbacks to the beginning of her relationship with Will, as that helped develop the characters, but other than that, I felt that this novel lacked suspense and substance. I thought it was going to be a thrilling summer read based on the description, but it really lacked in that department and read more like a mystery/family drama. Happy Wife is perfect for readers who want a soapy summer read with not a lot of depth.

Friends to Lovers by Sally Blakely

Pages: 352

Genre: Adult Fiction/Romance

Pub. Date: July 22, 2025

Publisher: Canary Street Press

Source: Publisher for review

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "Best friends Joni and Ren have been inseparable since childhood. So when Joni moves across the country for her job, the two devise a creative way to stay in they’ll be each other’s plus-ones every year for wedding season, no matter what else is happening in their lives.

It’s a tradition that works, until a line is crossed and the friendship they once thought was forever is ruined.

Now Joni is back at their families’ shared summer home for her sister’s wedding, and she’s determined to make the week perfect, even if it means faking a friendship with Ren—and avoiding the truth of why they have to fake it in the first place. How hard can it be to pretend to be friends with the person who once knew you best?

But as sunny beach days together turn into starry nights, Joni begins to question what her life is without Ren in it. And when the wedding arrives, bringing past heartaches to the surface, she’ll be forced to decide if loving Ren means letting him go, or if theirs is a love story worth fighting for.

Joni and Ren have always been best friends, and as they got older, they promised to be each other's plus ones at weddings. However, something changed between them, and they had a falling out. After some time, they are reunited at their family's summer homes on the Oregon Coast as Joni's sister is getting married. Joni wants things to go beautifully for her sister, so she pretends all is ok between her and Ren. Obviously, the more time Joni and Ren spend together, the more they realize their chemistry is still there. They will have to decide if their friendship (and something more!) is worth fighting for. Friends to Lovers by Sally Blakely is a satisfying debut, especially for readers who enjoy the friends-to-lovers trope.

Friends to Lovers is a cute debut - perfect for a day at the beach! If you are like me and you love a good friends-to-lovers summer story, this is a good one. I appreciated Blakeley's flashbacks to years prior, as that really developed their relationship, and their chemistry felt genuine. I haven't read many books set on the Oregon Coast, so this was a nice touch, and Blakely brought the beautiful nights and gorgeous scenery to life. I mean, who doesn't love a good summer reunion?

Have you read either book? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.