Women’s Fiction | Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

Spotlight Review: YESTERYEAR by Caro Claire Burke

July 14, 2026

From the publisher:

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A GMA BOOK CLUB PICK • A NEW YORK TIMES BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR (SO FAR) • A traditional American woman, a “tradwife” influencer, suddenly awakens in the brutal reality of 1855—where she must unravel whether this living nightmare is an elaborate hoax, a twisted reality show, or something far more sinister in this sensational debut novel.

My name was Natalie Heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive.

Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle. Her charming farmhouse is rustic, her husband a handsome cowboy, her six children each more delightful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers behind the scenes, her kitchen hiding industrial-grade fridges and ovens, her husband the heir to a political dynasty? What Natalie’s followers—all 8 million of them—don’t know won’t hurt them. And The Angry Women? The privileged, Ivy League, coastal elite haters who call her an antifeminist iconoclast? They’re sick with jealousy. Because Natalie isn’t simply living the good life, she’s living the ideal—and just so happens to be building an empire from it.

Until one morning she wakes up in a life that isn’t hers. Her home, her husband, her children—they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Her kitchen is warmed by a sputtering fire rather than electricity, her children are dirty and strange, and her soft-handed husband is suddenly a competent farmer. Just yesterday Natalie was curating photos of homemade jam for her Instagram, and now she’s expected to haul firewood and handwash clothes until her fingers bleed. Has she become the unwitting star of a ruthless reality show? Could it really be time travel? Is she being tested by God? By Satan? When Natalie suffers a brutal injury in the woods, she realizes two things: This is not her beautiful life, and she must escape by any means possible.

A gripping, electrifying novel that is as darkly funny as it is frightening, Yesteryear is a gimlet-eyed look at tradition, fame, faith, and the grand performance of womanhood.

“Mesmerizing… An ingenious, exquisite, be-careful-what-you-wish-for… In Burke’s biting prose, Natalie is an electric antiheroine… Revelatory… Yesteryear draws to a dizzying conclusion.” –Michelle Ruiz, The New York Times Book Review

“One of the year’s most relentlessly fast-paced and satisfying novels, a sharp and witty social satire that also works as a taut thriller and a vexing work of speculation… Unusually ambitious for a debut novel and also uncannily astute about the complicated, contradictory times in which we live.” –Kate Tuttle, Boston Globe

“Burke captures much of the zeitgeist in Natalie’s increasingly delusional, overall disturbing state of mind in both time periods—and in other characters’ collisions with it. The seductive topic, unreliable narrator, and surprisingly creepy vibes are sure to draw readers in and keep them guessing.” —Booklist (starred review)

“Readers won’t be able to look away. . . . Captivating.” –Library Journal
https://bookshop.org/a/123058/9780593804216

Talk about a premise that sells itself. Yesteryear is the kind of high-concept idea that gets snapped up in a bidding war before the ink is dry — and sure enough, Anne Hathaway’s production company attached itself early. That’s both the best and worst thing that happened to this book.

The premise of Yesteryear immediately grabbed me. A glamorous tradwife influencer with millions of followers wakes up one morning to find herself living an actual pioneer life in 1805? I was completely sold.

Natalie Heller Mills has built an empire around the illusion of the perfect traditional life. Her social media is filled with homemade bread, farm chores, a handsome husband, and six children living the dream on an Idaho ranch. What her followers don’t see are the nannies, production crew, expensive appliances, and carefully curated performances that keep the fantasy alive.

Then Natalie wakes up to discover she’s no longer playing pioneer—she’s living it.

Gone are the modern comforts, electricity, running water, and social media. Instead, she’s hauling firewood, washing clothes by hand, caring for her own children, and trying to survive the brutal realities of frontier life alongside a far rougher version of her husband. At first, I assumed this was going to be an entertaining blend of historical fiction, magical realism, and fish-out-of-water comedy.

It isn’t.

About halfway through, the novel takes a turn I never saw coming. I won’t spoil it, but the back half is where opinions split. Once the twist lands — and it’s a doozy, one that pulls hard from real-life headlines — the book shifts from satire into something darker and stranger. Some readers will find it a gut-punch that recontextualizes everything; others will feel the movie studio-committee fingerprints start to show, like the sharper political edges got sanded down along the way.

What follows is a sharp, unsettling exploration of influencer culture, religious extremism, gender roles, political polarization, and the dangerous gap between the lives people project online and the truth behind closed doors. Natalie is a fascinating narrator because she’s deeply flawed. She’s narcissistic, judgmental, desperate to be seen as morally superior, and often profoundly unlikeable. Yet Burke makes her understandable, if not sympathetic, showing how her upbringing, beliefs, and need for validation shaped the person she’s become.

I didn’t particularly like most of the characters, and I think that was intentional. Caleb is frustratingly passive, his family is manipulative, and nearly everyone seems trapped by expectations they either embrace or resent. Despite that, I couldn’t stop reading.

Yesteryear is darkly funny, wildly ambitious, and guaranteed to spark conversation. It’s part psychological thriller, part social satire, and part character study, wrapped inside a premise that’s impossible to resist. The final twist is shocking, emotionally devastating, and lingered with me long after I finished.

Provocative, unsettling, and completely unforgettable, this is one of those books people will be talking about all year. If you are in a book group, you won’t want to miss this one.

7/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

YESTERYEAR by Caro Claire Burke. Knopf. (April 7, 2026). ISBN: 978-0593804216. 400p.

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Spotlight Review: IRONWOOD by Michael Connelly

July 7, 2026

Catalina, Book 2

From the publisher:

Sworn to protect a scenic island meant to be far from the evils of the mainland, Detective Sergeant Stilwell can feel danger closing in.

Detective Sergeant Stilwell knows that his posting on Catalina Island is no paradise, but to most residents, it seems blissfully separated―by twenty-two miles of ocean―from the troubles of Los Angeles County. But now a threat is coming to his safe haven.

Acting on a tip from a confidential informant, Stilwell and his deputies watch a plane land in the middle of the night at the Airport in the Sky, a remote airstrip in the mountains. A duffel bag of drugs is dropped and the deputies move in, but things quickly go sideways. While Stilwell chases the fleeing pickup man into the mountainside brush, shots are fired on the runway and the plane flies off.

An internal inquiry follows, putting Stilwell on the bench until he is cleared of responsibility for the disastrous operation. But he is determined to find out who brought deadly violence to his island, and begins his own secret investigation into the drug deal gone wrong.

While under orders to remain in the sheriff’s substation, he finds in the lost and found a valuable backpack that was never claimed. He traces it to a woman who disappeared while hiking on the island four years ago. But then why was the pack only turned in two months back? Now thoroughly intrigued, he follows the mystery all the way to the LAPD’s Open-Unsolved Unit and Detective Renée Ballard.

Stilwell and Ballard work the case from both sides of the channel, and soon realize they are on the trail of a criminal who revels in taunting the authorities. Meanwhile, frustrated at being shut out of an investigation on his own island, Stilwell risks his already shaky standing in the department to pursue a case whose reach is wider than he ever imagined.

Page-turning, packed with intrigue, and bringing together an unstoppable investigative team, Ironwood continues the Catalina series with all of Michael Connelly’s signature “relentless narrative drive…evocative atmosphere, realistic dialogue, and well-developed characters” (Washington Review of Books).

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“A special treat from a genre master whose work seems as fresh as ever.”―Wall Street Journal

“Connelly is at his most polished and incisive here, with crackling dialogue, complex investigations, tricky relationships, escalating suspense, and dogged and inspired sleuthing by a principled, rule-breaking hero. The satisfying ending promises more enthralling episodes on the horizon.”―Booklist (starred review)

“Connelly has another great series on his hands with his Catalina novels…The mysteries are intriguing, the pace is relentless, and Stillwell is a captivating character. Adding Ballard makes a great book stellar.”―Library Journal (starred review)
https://bookshop.org/a/123058/9780316595384

The second Detective Sergeant Stilwell novel proves Michael Connelly hasn’t lost a step. Ironwood builds on the strong foundation of Nightshade, establishing Stilwell as much more than a new addition to the Bosch universe. He already feels like a fully realized Connelly protagonist—principled, relentless, and willing to bend the rules when justice demands it.

About a year after the events of Nightshade, a midnight drug interdiction on Catalina Island ends in disaster. One deputy is killed, another is critically injured, and the suspects escape. While an internal investigation sidelines Stilwell to desk duty, he’s ordered to stay out of the case. Naturally, that doesn’t last long.

While sorting through the Avalon station’s lost-and-found, Stilwell discovers an abandoned backpack connected to a young woman who vanished while hiking on the island four years earlier. What begins as a forgotten missing-person case soon collides with the fallout from the failed drug operation, drawing Stilwell into a far more dangerous investigation than anyone anticipated.

The cold case eventually brings in Detective Renée Ballard and the LAPD’s Open-Unsolved Unit, who are pursuing a serial killer with possible ties to the missing woman. Ballard is as sharp as ever, and her dynamic with Stilwell crackles. He admits he’s getting too close to the case; she hits him with classic Harry Bosch wisdom about working the murder book from every angle until something breaks. Speaking of Bosch — yes, he appears, and no, it doesn’t feel like a stunt. It feels like a torch being passed, which is exactly what it is.

Catalina Island continues to be one of the series’ greatest strengths. Connelly captures both its postcard beauty and its small-town politics, where petty disputes, vandalized landmarks, and long-held grudges exist alongside murder investigations and high-stakes police work. The island feels every bit as alive as the characters.

What I continue to admire most about Connelly’s writing is how effortless it feels. The pacing is brisk, but never rushed. The procedural details add authenticity without slowing the story, and every subplot serves a purpose. Even the smaller island cases deepen our understanding of Stilwell’s character, revealing a detective driven as much by compassion as determination.

The short chapters and razor-sharp plotting made this nearly impossible to put down. Every clue matters, every revelation lands, and Connelly expertly weaves multiple investigations into one satisfying conclusion.

While Ironwood can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend starting with Nightshade. Watching Stilwell grow into his role—and into the larger Bosch universe—is part of the fun. This is an even stronger outing than the series debut and another reminder that Michael Connelly remains the gold standard for modern police procedurals.

7/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

IRONWOOD by Michael Connelly. Little, Brown and Company (May 19, 2026). ISBN: 978-0316595384. 336p.

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Spotlight Review: THE SHAMPOO EFFECT by Jenny Jackson

June 30, 2026

From the publisher:

An ambitious young woman insinuates herself into a tight-knit social set, shaking up friendships and marriages in a small seaside town. A frothy novel of love, money, sex, and friendship, from the New York Times bestselling author of Pineapple Street (“Laugh-out-loud-good.” —Harper’s Bazaar)

When Caroline Lash arrives in Greenhead, Massachusetts, she falls head-over-heels for Van Whittaker, a fleece-wearing, litter-collecting, kayak enthusiast with long, floppy hair and the personality of a Border collie. Born and raised in this picturesque coastal village, Van runs with the same crowd he did as a kid: His ex-girlfriend, Bailey, a beautiful girl who attracts men like moths to a flame; Augusta, old money, horsey, and snobbish; and Fran, surrounded by brothers and sons, too fed up with boys to ever consider marrying one.

Together, the group runs wild through the marshes, beaches, and bars of Greenhead, drinking on houseboats, spending long afternoons sunbathing with their children, and playing games the way they always have. But when Bailey discovers that she is pregnant with Van’s baby, the delicate balance of the group’s friendship is thrown off. Soon Caroline is cast out of the circle and what she does next—in a potent mix of fury and heartbreak—exposes long-held secrets and works the entire town of Greenhead into a lather. Dazzlingly funny, sexy, and as juicy as it is astute, The Shampoo Effect is a story of late-night parties, early mornings with small children, the dawn of midlife, and a group of old friends finally growing up despite all their best efforts to the contrary.

“Jackson rotates the point of view around the set of friends, deftly depicting the practices and pressures of modern parents . . . This easy read combines a literary rom-com with an acute portrait of midlife among millennials.” —Kirkus
https://bookshop.org/a/123058/9798217059959

Jackson (Pineapple Street) offers sharp social commentary on millennials navigating middle age, set in a close-knit Massachusetts beach town. Caroline, an outsider, narrates much of the story, with other voices offering their perspectives. The daughter of a bestselling author, Caroline is determined to forge her own literary identity. After publishing a story in The New Yorker, she quits her publishing job and wins a prestigious writing fellowship that comes with a stay in a seaside cottage once owned by a legendary local writer. There she meets Van, a passionate environmentalist, and is drawn into his longtime circle of friends. As she immerses herself in their world—and falls in love with Van—initially guarded relationships soften. But everything shifts when one of Van’s friends reveals she is pregnant with his child. Though Caroline and Van navigate the pregnancy, things change after the baby’s birth, and Caroline lashes out the only way she knows how: through her writing. Her thinly veiled short story, based on Van’s friends, detonates this small town. Hidden truths surface, relationships fracture, and everyone is forced to reckon with what they’ve been avoiding.

VERDICT Fueled by humor, sex, and drugs, this pointed, character-driven novel should appeal to fans of Emma Straub or Taffy Brodesser-Akner.

©Library Journal, 2026

6/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE SHAMPOO EFFECT by Jenny Jackson. Pamela Dorman Books. (June 30, 2026). ISBN: 979-8217059959. 352p.

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Spotlight Review: WORSE THAN STRANGERS by Kyleigh Leddy

June 23, 2026

From the publisher:

A debut novel for fans of Jane Austen, Elin Hilderbrand, and Gilmore Girls, Worse Than Strangers is a Nantucket-set retelling of Austen’s Persuasion about finding romance, second chances, and a new path in life.

Rose and Lily are best friends first, mother-daughter second, which is good because right now, Lily could really use a friend. Recently fired from her NYC magazine job and heartbroken, Lily has fled to the family cottage in Siasconset. She is shocked when she stumbles across her first love at the grocery store holding hands with his new fiancé—a fiancé he never mentioned on their many, many late-night phone calls.

Rose has secrets, too. A therapist about to start her own private practice, Rose’s world is rocked by the handsome renter staying in their guest cottage, Thomas Wentworth: the one person she thought she would never see again and the man who has always (unfortunately) held her heart.

A modern retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion set against a backdrop of blue and purple hydrangeas, swollen brick sidewalks, tall sea grass, and uniform, shingled houses, Lily and Rose Gardner’s summer journey of second chances, healing, and hope begs the question: Can you repeat the past, and is it ever too late to try again?
https://bookshop.org/a/123058/9781668092514

Leddy’s first novel after her acclaimed memoir, The Perfect Other, feels like a contemporary Persuasion set on sun-drenched Nantucket—exploring love, loss, regret, and second chances with warmth and depth.

Rose and Lily Gardner are mother and daughter and best friends, though Rose keeps a few secrets. When Lily loses her job and returns home, she finds her mother still grieving for the aunt who raised her. Their cottage has a small rental apartment, and Rose is stunned that her new summer tenant is Tommy—her first love, the one she let get away.

Meanwhile, Lily lands a job at the local yacht club after meeting Theo, the tennis pro, who recommended her partly out of self-interest: he is drawn to her but reluctant to pursue anything. Lily, still recovering from an amicable breakup, has just learned her ex is now engaged—a sting she did not expect.

There is plenty of drama, but it’s the tender, layered bond between Rose and Lily that anchors the story and keeps pages turning.

VERDICT A beautifully written ode to mothers and Austen alike, this will delight book clubs and fans of Elin Hilderbrand.

©Library Journal, 2026

6/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

WORSE THAN STRANGERS by Kyleigh Leddy. Gallery Books (June 23, 2026). ISBN: 978-1668092514. 320p.

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Spotlight Review: SUMMER STATE OF MIND by Kristy Woodson Harvey

May 5, 2026

From the publisher:

“Queen of the beach read,” (Cosmopolitan) New York Times bestselling author Kristy Woodson Harvey returns with a heartfelt escape to coastal Carolina.

After the worst day in her professional life, burnt-out NICU nurse Daisy Stevens runs to Cape Carolina, North Carolina, looking for a new life—and possibly new romance. On her first day at her “simpler” job, high school baseball coach Mason Thaysden discovers an abandoned baby, sending ripples through the entire tight-knit town of Cape Carolina.

Mason is still struggling to reconcile the scars of the injury that kept him out of the big leagues, stuck in his hometown, and searching for a way out. This newcomer and the child they’ve saved together might be just the motivation he needs to stay put. Sparks fly as Mason acquaints Daisy with Cape Carolina, introducing her to his friends and family, including his batty Aunt Tilley, who is looking for relief from long-buried family secrets and her own fresh start.

But as Daisy becomes increasingly attached to this abandoned child, and begins facing her own demons in the process, a startling discovery is made that threatens to rip the entire town of Cape Carolina apart, placing Daisy, Mason, and Tilley in the center of the storm. In a novel that proves that “Kristy Woodson Harvey is (the) go-to for elevated beach reads” (People), they will each learn that with love, understanding—and a community theater production of Hello, Dolly!—sometimes life conspires to bring us just exactly where we belong.
https://bookshop.org/a/123058/9781668074886

Harvey returns to the charming small town of Cape Carolina (Under the Southern Sky) with a tender, emotionally layered story about love, loss, and what it truly means to be a family.

Daisy, a burned-out NICU nurse, is searching for a quieter life after years in a high-pressure hospital job. She hopes Cape Carolina will offer a fresh start—but on her very first day, everything changes. Mason, the local high school baseball coach trying to outgrow his bad-boy reputation, discovers an abandoned newborn behind the school gym and rushes her to the hospital. Daisy is instantly drawn to the baby—and to the man who found her. Their growing attraction is further complicated by family secrets, especially those involving Mason’s eccentric Aunt Tilly, whose kindness comes with a long-buried confession.

When Daisy is given the chance to foster the baby girl, her attachment runs deep. As she becomes convinced the child is meant to be hers, Mason begins to worry that Daisy’s judgment is skewed.

VERDICT With small-town North Carolina charm, memorable characters, and thoughtful exploration of motherhood, grief, and redemption, this heartwarming novel is a moving story of second chances and unexpected love.

©Library Journal, 2026

3/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

SUMMER STATE OF MIND by Kristy Woodson Harvey. Gallery Books (May 5, 2026). ISBN: 978-1668074886. 384p.

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Spotlight Review: HAPPY ENDING by Chloe Liese

April 28, 2026

From the publisher:

From USA TODAY bestselling author Chloe Liese, a clever and heartwarming rom-com that is perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Annabel Monaghan about two best friends who must fake a relationship for their exes.

Thea and Alex have three things in common—they love food, they hate where they live, and they’re both divorced. Otherwise, they couldn’t be more different.

Thea’s never cooked a day in her life. Alex is a world-class chef. Alex resents feeling stuck in his hometown. Thea resents the town for not feeling more like home. Thea and her ex are in a contentious custody battle for their dog. Alex and his ex amicably coparent their daughter. Beyond a few friends in common, a couple small-world connections (welcome to life in a mid-size city), their lives look nothing alike. Fast forward two years, and they’re truly the best of friends. No one would ever know their friendship began as a lie…

Two years ago, their exes got together immediately following their divorces, and somehow, Thea and Alex found themselves spinning a spite-fueled story about being old friends and first loves. Two years later, what began as a ruse has grown into real friendship—just friendship, despite what friends and family seem to think. But when their exes invite them on a two-week, “two family” beach vacation—daughter and dog included—Alex and Thea start to wonder if this story they’ve spun might have gotten away from them, and if it’s led them to the last place they ever thought it could: a happy ending.

“A slow-burning love story keeps the pages turning…Friends-to-lovers fans won’t want to miss this.” ― Publishers Weekly

“The story features believable, fully developed characters, the dialogue is fun and realistic, the story surrounding the protagonists is interesting, and Alex and Thea’s slow journey to romance is both frustrating and delightful. Liese’s latest is a beautifully written slow-burn rom-com.” ― Library Journal (starred review)

https://bookshop.org/a/123058/9781668205471

This is one of the strongest friends-to-lovers romances I’ve read in a long time.

Divorced strangers Alex and Thea meet by accident at her ex-husband’s house—she’s there to pick up her dog, he’s there for his daughter—and quickly realize their exes are now together. They both lean into a fake backstory that they are long-time friends and first-time loves. The story traces two years of friendship born of that petty revenge, which gradually becomes something real. Their chemistry simmers beneath a foundation of trust, emotional safety, and deep care. It moves between past and present timelines with real skill, and the characters are written with genuine depth.

That’s what makes this work so well: we truly get the friendship. Alex—celebrity chef, devoted single dad—and Thea—quirky, kind-hearted bookstore manager—don’t rush into anything. They teach each other, support each other, and slowly rebuild their lives side by side. Their connection feels effortless, almost fated.

The pacing is beautifully grounded. Every hesitation, every small moment, every quiet shift in feeling is given space to breathe, which makes the eventual payoff feel completely earned. The tenderness here—especially in scenes like the bar, the bike ride, the dating apps, and the cuddling—lands harder than any big dramatic moment. What stands out just as much is the nuance in the side characters. No one is flattened into a villain—not even the exes. Everyone feels human, with their own motivations and flaws.

At its core, this is a story about second chances—not just in love, but in life. It’s a reminder that starting over in your 30s isn’t too late, and that healing can lead to something unexpectedly beautiful.

Warm, funny, and full of heart, this is a romance that lingers long after the final page. Highly recommended for anyone who loves slow-burn romance, found family, and stories that make you feel genuinely warm.

4/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

HAPPY ENDING by Chloe Liese. Gallery Books (April 14, 2026). ISBN: 978-1668205471. 384p.

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Spotlight Review: MEET ME IN ITALY by Brenda Novak

April 21, 2026

From the publisher:

A sun-soaked trip to the Amalfi Coast promises a fresh start—and reveals secrets never imagined in New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak’s tender new novel.

In the wake of her debut novel’s breakout success—and a very painful public divorce—Charlotte Williams-Jackson has something to prove. With her second novel overdue, she’s scrambling to hold it together. But her focus is rocked when she discovers that her childhood wasn’t as it seemed—and she has a tween half-sister who’s been orphaned in Italy.

Alongside her best friend, Sloane, and Sloane’s charming brother, Julian, Charlotte ventures to the Amalfi Coast to meet her sister. She would never turn her back on family, especially since this girl doesn’t have anyone else, but between her looming deadline and her entire identity being flipped upside down, it’s a lot. Determined to rebuild her life, Charlotte must confront the relationships she’s held dear—and the loss of those she thought she had but didn’t—forcing her to question everything she understood about herself and the bonds that shape a family.

An Instant USA TODAY bestseller!
https://bookshop.org/a/123058/9780778306467

Charlotte Williams-Jackson is married to an NBA star—until he ends their marriage just weeks before their fourth anniversary. Devastated, she moves back into her parents’ home. Not long after, a letter from an attorney upends her world even further: she has a twelve-year-old half-sister, Lilly. The two share the same mother—and Charlotte learns she was adopted, a truth her parents never revealed.

As if that weren’t enough, Charlotte’s career is unraveling too. Her debut romance novel was a huge success, and her second book is due in just a few months. The problem? She has no idea what to write, let alone a draft in progress. She suspects her first book’s success was tied to her husband’s fame—something she can no longer rely on.

Meanwhile, Lilly has no other family and needs a guardian. Her mother’s boyfriend, who lives on Italy’s Amalfi Coast, isn’t her father and is unwilling to take responsibility beyond short-term help. Determined to meet her half-sister and figure out next steps, Charlotte decides to go to Italy. She reconnects with her estranged best friend, Sloane, and Sloane’s twin brother, Julian—relationships she’d neglected during her marriage to a controlling husband. They agree to join her, and the trio rents a beautiful villa for a month-long stay.

Each of them arrives in Italy carrying their own burdens. Lilly, understandably guarded after being abruptly uprooted, slowly begins to open up—thanks largely to Julian’s easy charm. Still, her future remains uncertain.

Sloane is struggling in her marriage; her husband wants children, but she’s no longer sure she does. Julian is hiding a devastating medical diagnosis he plans to reveal only after they return home. And Charlotte, long harboring unspoken feelings for Julian, finds those emotions rising to the surface as they share close quarters.

Set against the beauty of Italy, their escape becomes a turning point—full of healing, hard truths, and second chances. The story delivers a satisfying, heartfelt ending and is another compelling read from Novak.

4/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

MEET ME IN ITALY by Brenda Novak. MIRA (April 7, 2026). ISBN: 978-0778305811. 400p.

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Spotlight Review: DOG PERSON by Camille Pagán

April 7, 2026

From the publisher:

In this delightfully heartwarming novel, an elderly dog is determined to help his grieving owner find a reason to go on after loss. Now, if only he’d stop getting in his way by being so very . . . human.

Harold may be an aging mutt—but Amelia May, the romance novelist who adopted him, taught him a thing or two about the human heart before she died. And she also left Harold with a final task: to help her partner, Miguel, find love again.

Trouble is, the grief-ridden recluse rarely goes out, not even to the bookstore he and Amelia owned together. Now it’s in danger of going under, and when a renowned author doesn’t show up for his event, it pushes the store’s already precarious finances into the red. In a final attempt to save the bookstore, Miguel and Harold set out to find the no-show and insist he fulfill his obligation. But instead, they’re greeted by Fiona, his sunny yet secretive sister.

Fiona is intent on protecting her brother’s privacy—and to Harold’s horror, she doesn’t like dogs. But her precocious eleven-year-old daughter, who’s also named Amelia, immediately befriends Harold . . . who can’t help but wonder if his Amelia was right when she said there are no coincidences in life.

Harold’s quickly running out of time to accomplish his mission, but if he can just convince his infuriatingly stubborn person to let Fiona in, he’s certain Miguel will find something far more important than a missing author: his own happy ending.

Uplifting, smartly observed, and hilariously insightful, Dog Person is as undeniably charming as its beloved narrator, Harold, and offers a much-needed reminder that while not all love is unconditional, it is still always worthwhile.
https://amzn.to/4q3LeIS

“There are two kinds of people in this world:
dog people, and people who still need to meet the right dog.”

In Pagán’s latest novel (following Good for You), Harold—a loyal dog and our charming narrator—guides us through a story of grief, healing, unexpected love, and the magic of books. Miguel and Amanda May shared a beautiful romance that cancer tragically cut short. Before she passed, she asked Harold, the shelter dog she adored, to help Miguel find love again. Harold is determined to honor her request—if only he could coax the heartbroken Miguel to leave the house. Amanda was a romance writer who dreamed of opening a bookstore, and Miguel helped make that dream a reality. But the shop is now failing. When a famous author’s assistant calls to schedule an event, Miguel sees a lifeline. But the author never shows, leaving Miguel scrambling to save the shop. Desperate, he and Harold set off to find the missing writer. Instead, he meets the writer’s sister, Fiona, and her young daughter, Amanda Mae. The name stops Miguel in his tracks. As Fiona and Miguel grow closer, secrets are revealed, the bookstore is saved, and Miguel—thanks to Harold’s gentle guidance—opens his heart once more.

VERDICT: Suspend your disbelief and recommend to readers who loved The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, or A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron.

4/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

DOG PERSON by Camille Pagán. Delacorte Press (April 7, 2026). ISBN: 979-8217092055. 336p.

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TAKE ME HOME TO YOU by Miranda Liasson

March 6, 2026

The Amazing Doctors of Oak Bluff, Book 3

From the author:

Here comes another standalone heartwarming and humorous romance in the Doctors of Oak Bluff series by Amazon Top-5 author Miranda Liasson, who “deals with so much of what makes life hard . . . without ever losing the warmth and heart that characterize her writing.” ~ Entertainment Weekly.

For fans of Kristan Higgins, Susan Mallery, and Lori Wilde.

A grumpy ER boss and a sunshine doctor think they’ve sworn off romance—until one tiny baby decides to play matchmaker.

When Dr. Ani Green drags herself onto the plane after her wedding-that-never-was, she’s a self-described mess who has sworn off all relationships for good. But her “honeymoon for one” has a silver lining: Adam. He’s the kind, charming stranger who takes her trip from unbearable to almost fun.

What happens in Turks and Caicos stays there.

She left the island thinking she’d never see him again—only to walk into her new ER shift and realize that her vacation fling is her new boss. And he’s not the man she remembers.

Dr. Adam Lowenstein doesn’t do “fun.” He does rules, schedules, and whatever it takes to shield his heart from any more grief. His time in Turks and Caicos was a temporary lapse in judgment. Now that he’s the Head of Emergency Medicine, he needs to be the stoic leader—not the man who fell for a whirlwind of a woman under a tropical sun. If that means denying his connection with Ani, so be it.

Until a patient surrenders a baby with a desperate plea for help.

As their professional boundaries crumble, Adam and Ani are forced to bridge the gap between who they were on the island and who they are now. Now, they must work together to protect a tiny life—and find out if the family they never thought they’d have is the one they can’t live without.

Grumpy/Sunshine
Baby-on-Doorstep
Main Characters are Doctors
Romantic! but Close-the-Door

https://amzn.to/46GwCHo

Dr. Ani Green, a pediatrician, boards a plane to Turks and Caicos alone after calling off her wedding at the last minute. She knew she shouldn’t go through with it, but feels terrible for waiting until the actual wedding to call it off. At her mother’s urging, she escapes before facing the fallout at home by taking their planned honeymoon trip. Sitting next to her on the same flight is Dr. Adam Lowenstein, an ER physician and young widower, honoring a promise to take the anniversary trip he and his late wife never got to share. Nearly two years after her death, he’s still deep in grief.

Their meet-cute is anything but polished—Ani is teary, overwhelmed, and determined to survive her honeymoon, while Adam just wants to get through the week. Instead, they find comfort in each other. What begins as shared dinners and sightseeing turns into a meaningful connection—and one unforgettable night. They part knowing the timing is wrong, each assuming they’ll never meet again.

Months later, Ani is stunned to discover that Adam is the new head of the ER at her hometown hospital in Oak Bluff, where she covers shifts alongside running her practice. The warm, attentive man she met on the island has been replaced by a guarded, regimented boss who keeps everyone at arm’s length. Adam insists their past won’t interfere with work—but unresolved feelings simmer beneath the surface.

When Ani helps deliver a baby girl whose teenage mother surrenders her, she makes a life-changing decision: she’ll foster the child, with hopes of adopting her. Naming the baby Rosalie after her grandmother, Ani opens her heart in ways she never expected. With support from her own mother and Adam’s mother—a retiring social worker who specializes in foster care—Ani begins to build a new kind of family.

Adam finds himself drawn not only to Ani but to baby Rosalie. Yet he’s terrified that loving again means betraying the memory of his wife and opening himself up to hurt again. Ani, burned by past mistakes, questions her judgment and her heart. As misunderstandings, grief, and outside complications test them, they must decide whether to cling to the past or risk a future together.

Emotional, tender, and ultimately hopeful, this story is filled with heartbreak, healing, forgiveness, and second chances. I was completely invested in Ani, Adam, and Rosalie—their journey was impossible to put down. I loved it.

3/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

TAKE ME HOME TO YOU by Miranda Liasson. Self-published. (February 23, 2026). ISBN: 978-0998634661. 252p.

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Spotlight Review: THE BOOKSTORE DIARIES by Susan Mallery

March 3, 2026

From the publisher:

This summer, the town’s juiciest secrets are revealed in New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery’s joyful and sparkling new novel

Jax has a slight issue with control—as in, she needs it. Always. Too bad she has power only over the Painted Lady Bookstore, the Victorian mansion turned bookshop she inherited. No one else listens to a word she says. Her ex gets engaged for questionable reasons. Her beloved sister, Ryleigh, wants to move away to find a husband. And the handsome contractor Jax has chosen to convince Ryleigh to stay is only interested in Jax.

Still, she’s living the bookworm dream—until an unhappy accident erases the names from the bookshop lockboxes where the town keeps their diaries. Which means the only way to find a diary’s owner is…to read it.

As secrets spill and scandals surface, life at the Painted Lady Bookstore gets a lot more colorful and chaotic. But for a woman who’s always had to take charge, Jax will see that losing control—especially with the right wrong guy—can set you free.

A deluxe limited edition of The Bookstore Diaries!
This special-edition hardcover will include beautifully designed endpapers and gorgeous sprayed edges!
https://amzn.to/45wbAtm

Mallery (Otherwise Engaged) delivers her signature warmth and humor in this engaging tale. Jax owns a cozy bookstore in a small California town. Divorced and co-parenting two children with her ex, Jax navigates life with the help of her sister, Ryleigh, and her precocious African Gray parrot, Ramon. Ryleigh wants to marry but fears this small town is devoid of any romantic prospects. Her best friend, a widower with a young son, lends her support as she navigates her best path forward.

When the shop needs major renovations, Jax hires a charming young contractor and immediately tries to match him with Ryleigh—only to learn he’s interested in her. Meanwhile, a worker cleans a section of an old brick wall, unaware that the wall conceals secret diaries that townspeople had hidden there. Chaos ensues as customers search for their lost journals. Through unexpected discoveries, heartfelt connections, and a touch of romance, both sisters discover that love can find them when they least expect it.

VERDICT Mallery fans and new readers alike will relish this charming read with plenty of fodder for discussion, and should appeal to Robin Carr or Brenda Novak fans.

3/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE BOOKSTORE DIARIES by Susan Mallery. MIRA (March 3, 2026). ISBN: 978-1335629708. 384p.

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