From the publisher:

Trapped in a London hotel room with her lover, a woman must contend with her life and her marriage in this exhilarating debut.

“Room 706 is as tender as it is surprising, a gripping interrogation of womanhood—before and after marriage and children change our identities. I’m sure I won’t be the only one nodding my head throughout. I adored this brilliant novel.” —Sarah Jessica Parker, SJP Lit 

When asked what matters to her the most, Kate would, of course, say her children and her husband. Because she loves her life. Even when it involves making a costume late into the night, scouring the supermarket for the only bread rolls her children will eat, and working during any spare moment in between. And she has found the way to hang onto her sanity in the process: Hours stolen away, once every few months, to have sex with another man.

Until one such rendezvous when Kate turns on the television to discover that the very London hotel they’re in has been taken under siege. And with that, she knows that nothing will ever be the same.

In the confines of a room with everything at stake, Kate is left to contemplate what has led her here, in hiding with a man who is not her husband while her beloved family waits at home. An exploration of marriage, identity, and desire, Room 706 traces the complicated story of one woman’s life as she faces what her future might hold—if she even makes it through the day.

https://amzn.to/3GXWTqP

Levenson’s debut novel is an introspective exploration of a seemingly ordinary life disrupted by crisis. Kate, a married mother of two, appears to have it all — a happy marriage, healthy children, and a job she enjoys. She also has a secret: Kate has a lover she has been meeting a few times a year for afternoon trysts, an escape from her everyday life. Then she finds herself in a morally complex situation: she is in a hotel room with her longtime lover when terrorists seize the hotel, trapping them together in room 706. What follows is more than a suspenseful hostage drama; it is a psychological portrait of a woman forced to confront the choices that brought her here. As death looms, the external siege becomes secondary to Kate’s internal reckoning, and her reflections are both unsettling and painfully honest. Thought-provoking and layered, this novel avoids easy moral judgments and embraces ambiguity, leading to an ending as unpredictable as it is unresolved.

VERDICT Book clubs will find plenty to discuss here. Recommend to readers who enjoy complex novels such as Life of Pi by Yann Martel or The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid.

©Library Journal, 2026

1/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ROOM 706 by Ellie Levenson. SJP Lit (January 20, 2026). ISBN: 978-1638932321. 320p.

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A woman learns to be the heroine of her own life in this heartfelt novel inspired by Anne of Green Gables by New York Times bestselling author Virginia Kantra.

She believed life could follow a plotline—until the story she was living unraveled.

Anne Gallagher has always lived by the book. Anne of Green Gables, that is. Growing up on Mackinac Island, she saw herself as her namesake: the same impulsive charm, the same wild imagination, even the same red hair (dyed, but still). She followed in Anne Shirley’s fictional footsteps, chasing dreams of teaching and writing, and falling for her very own storybook hero.

But when a string of real-life plot twists—a failing romance, a fight with the administration, and the sudden death of her beloved father—pulls her back to the island she once couldn’t wait to leave, Anne is forced to face a truth no story ever prepared her for. Sometimes, life doesn’t follow a script.

Back in the house she grew up in, Anne must confront her past and the people she left behind, including Joe Miller, the boy who once called her “The Pest.” It’s time to figure out what she wants and rewrite her story to create her own happy ending. Not the book version. The real one.

https://amzn.to/45wbAtm

Kantra (The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale) returns with an updated retelling of Anne of Green Gables, set on picturesque Mackinac Island.

Anne Gallagher, a devoted teacher from Chicago, heads back to her childhood home after her father’s sudden death and a bitter dispute over her classroom library. Her boyfriend, a pediatric oncologist, accepts a residency in Atlanta and expects Anne to follow without question.

Reeling from professional betrayal and personal upheaval, Anne seeks refuge on Mackinac Island to regroup. Over the summer, she confronts old wounds with her emotionally distant mother, reconnects with her best friend Daanis, now a busy mom, and gets reacquainted with Joe, the childhood crush who once teased her relentlessly.

As Anne helps at her family’s candy store, she rediscovers the comfort of familiar places and rekindles long-lost connections. Joe becomes an unexpected source of support, and their relationship begins to evolve, hinting at something deeper. But Anne’s summer is anything but idyllic; it is a season of grief, reflection, and tough decisions about love, career, and where she truly belongs.

VERDICT This charming modernization of a classic is sure to suit readers who enjoy Kristan Higgins or Carly Fortune, and should have nostalgic appeal for Montgomery fans.

©Library Journal, 2026

1/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ANNE OF A DIFFERENT ISLAND by Virginia Kantra. Berkley (January 20, 2026). ISBN: 978-0593816493. 368p.

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In this effervescent millennial coming-of-age novel, a woman accidentally upends her entire life after a disconcerting tarot reading

Everyone knows the death card in a tarot reading isn’t a literal death sentence. Well, everyone except Becky.

Becky is not doing well. Her dreaded thirtieth birthday is looming, and she can’t help thinking she’s falling behind in life. Her (smug) friends are all planning weddings, buying houses, or starting their own businesses, but not Becky. She still lives with her mom, hates her job, doesn’t speak to her father, and—despite numerous dates—hasn’t moved on from her ex-boyfriend. Things can’t get much worse.

Becky doesn’t believe in the arcane, but armed with a gift card and a desperate need for guidance, she visits a tarot reader… who tells her she’s going to die. Convinced she’s a goner and panicked about having done nothing with her life, Becky finally takes action. She writes a series of letters to the people she loves unloading all the things she’s been holding back. And she waits. 

But in the morning, she’s not dead. And worse, the mail is already reaching people’s doorsteps. Will the letters be the wake-up call Becky needs, or just the next step in a never-ending downward spiral?

With sparkling wit and compassionate insight, Chloe Seager chronicles the ups and downs of figuring out how you wants to show up in life—for yourself and for the people you love.

https://amzn.to/43b1mih

In this sharp and heartfelt new novel from Seager (Open Minded), we meet Becky, a twenty-something still living at home with her mother—ostensibly to save for a down payment on a house, though she’s mostly stuck in place. She hates her job, feels left behind by her peers, and is convinced everyone else has life figured out. After a disastrous tarot card reading predicts her imminent demise, Becky impulsively writes brutally honest, critical letters to her friends and family, mails them, and sets off to travel the world before her supposed end arrives. But nothing goes as planned; now jobless, homeless, and estranged from everyone she knows, Becky is forced to rebuild her life from the ground up. Along the way, she discovers—with humor and surprising grace—that money can’t buy happiness, that apologizing takes strength, and that what we think we want isn’t always what we truly need. Her journey is a chaotic, emotional rollercoaster—raw and relatable—but it makes her growth all the more satisfying.

VERDICT A witty and moving millennial coming-of-age story, perfect for fans of The Midnight Library by Matt Haig and The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle.

©Library Journal, 2025

11/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

P.S. YOU’RE THE WORST by Chloe Seager. William Morrow Paperbacks (November 18, 2025). ISBN: 978-0063307209. 320p.

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For fans of Matt Haig and Clare Pooley, an enchanting novel about a pair of long-lost childhood friends who find themselves magically linked through origami flowers as adults—from the New York Times bestselling author of the “fresh, magical, and hopelessly romantic” (Sarah Addison Allen, New York Times bestselling author) The Hundred Loves of Juliet.

In elementary school, Chloe Hanako Quinn is assigned Oliver Jones as her pen pal partner. Before sending her letter, she also whispers a note into it…and he hears her. Little does she know it would be the beginning of a friendship that would bloom into something more. That is, until disaster strikes, and Oliver and his family disappear without a trace.

Now over twenty years later, Chloe is a high school guidance counselor in New York City. But life in the Big Apple is not what she dreamed it would be as she faces a layoff, rising rent, a situationship, and loneliness. Desperate for encouragement, she gives herself a pep talk via uplifting messages written on yellow origami paper that she folds into roses. When one of the roses unexpectedly finds its way to a neighbor in need of cheering up, a desire to spread kindness and optimism is sparked in Chloe, who begins folding more roses and leaving them around town.

Across the city, Oliver has picked himself up from the rough circumstances that forced him to leave everything behind as a teenager—including Chloe. Now a successful financial analyst, Oliver’s past continues to haunt him. But when the city is suddenly inundated with yellow origami roses, a specific one finds its way into his hands and changes his life forever…

https://amzn.to/3YbzdVn

Love, magic, and kindness blend beautifully in this uplifting novel by Skye (The Hundred Loves of Juliet). Childhood pen pals Chloe and Oliver form a deep bond, earning the nickname “Clover” as they grow inseparable. Their connection begins to blossom into something more—until Oliver and his family mysteriously vanish without a word, leaving them both heartbroken. Years later, a chance encounter reunites them. Recently laid off from her job as a school counselor, Chloe begins leaving yellow origami roses with inspirational messages around the city—an extension of a practice she once shared with her students. The roses quickly go viral, spreading hope far and wide. One special rose reaches Oliver, but he responds with skepticism, scribbling a note and trashing it—only for it to return to Chloe. An anonymous exchange begins, each unknowingly reconnecting with the other through these magical messages. As secrets are revealed and past wounds are healed, Chloe and Oliver find their way back to one another just as her roses capture hearts around the world.

VERDICT A heartfelt, feel-good story full of warmth, wonder, and romance. Perfect for anyone in need of a little extra hope.

I loved this book so much. Once again, Emily Bestler Books comes through for me. This imprint is home to some of my favorite books, and I’m adding this one to the list. This book is a lovely gift in the middle of the shit show that is life in America right now. Embrace it.

©Library Journal, 2025

8/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE INCREDIBLE KINDNESS OF PAPER by Evelyn Skye. Atria/Emily Bestler Books (August 12, 2025). ISBN: 978-1668081907. 256p.

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An electrifying novel about the complicated friendship between two ambitious and talented women writers in 1960s Los Angeles and the ultimate artistic betrayal: one writes a book based upon the other’s life… from the author of Reese’s Book Club Pick Before We Were Innocent.

After a steady descent from literary stardom, Lane Warren is back. She’s secured a new book deal based off the life of her sometime friend and more often rival, notorious free spirit and muse Gala Margolis. Lane’s only problem is that Gala has been missing for months.

Ten years earlier, Gala was a charming socialite and Lane was a Hollywood outsider amidst the glittering 1960s L.A. party scene. Though they were never best friends, Lane found Gala sharp and compelling. Gala liked that Lane took her seriously. They were both writers. They were drawn to each other.

That was until Gala’s star began to rise, and Lane grew more envious. Then Lane decided to do something that she wouldn’t ever be able to take back…changing the trajectories of both their lives.

https://amzn.to/3DPGH9C

Berman (Before We Were Innocent) offers a fascinating look at two women, Lane and Gala, whose lives intersect and diverge throughout the 1960s and 1970s in Los Angeles, California. Lane, a writer with a troubled past, and Gala, the quintessential Hollywood party girl, form an intricate relationship. The story focuses on the nuanced dynamics of their friendship, which is underscored by their rivalry. As their paths diverge—Lane opts for a conventional lifestyle with marriage and children, while Gala becomes entangled with a substance-dependent rock star—their professional lives continue to intersect, but their successes strain the relationship. The tension ratchets up when Lane begins crafting a novel inspired by Gala’s life, but before she can finish it, Gala disappears, and Lane becomes obsessed with finding her. The narrative structure employs a non-linear approach, moving back and forth over a decade, which effectively illustrates the evolution of their relationship. The vivid depictions of the era’s social scene and their interpersonal drama make for compelling reading.

VERDICT This razor-sharp exploration of female friendship and rivalry is likely to resonate with readers who appreciate the works of Anna Quindlen, Elizabeth Berg, or Jodi Picoult.

©Library Journal, 2025

8/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

L. A. WOMEN by Ella Berman. Berkley (August 5, 2025). ISBN: 978-0593639153. 416p.

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The power to be seen. The power to be heard. The power to be adored. . .

A woman’s life is forever changed by a mysterious perfume in this stunning novel about ambition and untapped desire from the New York Times bestselling author of Ghosts of Harvard.

Reeling from a breakup and overlooked at her job as a lighting designer, Iris Sunnegren finds herself stuck, disconnected, and lonely in crowded New York City. Her wealthy friends are married and having babies, while she’s trying to pay for freezing her eggs. And the future she longs for feels out of reach.

Then, a mysterious neighbor, an older Frenchwoman, makes her a gift: a bespoke perfume.

One spritz, a dab behind the ears, and Iris feels like a different woman. Suddenly, she is the object of every man’s desire, and she can satisfy her own hungers for sex, love, and ambition. She can cast off her inhibitions and use her newfound allure to dazzle the high-profile client, attract a man who excites her like no other, and access all the rarified spaces that once excluded her. Invigorated by the perfume, Iris embodies her maximum power—a flower fully bloomed.

But there is danger in connecting to our primal emotions. Scent awakens buried memories, and nightmares of the childhood house fire she barely survived return to haunt her. As Iris ventures deeper into the glamorous and male-dominated worlds of New York real estate, dimly-lit steakhouses, and beachfront mansions in the Hamptons, she finds herself getting closer to unspeakable truths—about the people she trusted, about the people she loved, and about the new circle of power-players that invited her in.

A sensual and seductive novel set among the upper echelons of New York City, Full Bloom is at once a poignant story of becoming and a riveting mystery that asks: Who are you without your inhibitions? Does being wanted get what you want, or will you be devoured by desire?

https://amzn.to/42qSQdh

This beautifully written new novel from Serritella (Ghosts of Harvard) is a New York City-centric tale of a woman’s journey of self-discovery sparked by a perfume created especially for her, as well as an exploration of scent. Iris, who lost her parents in a tragic house fire as a child, now finds herself at a crossroads: at thirty-five, she’s single, freezing her eggs, stuck in a dead-end job as a lighting designer, and unsure of her future. A touch of magic imbues the fragrance and gives Iris newfound confidence; when wearing the bespoke perfume, her life transforms. Suddenly, she becomes irresistible to men and lands a major new client at work. After losing out on a promotion, she takes a job offered by her new client, and life couldn’t be better. Her new boss supports her in every way possible, but when Iris stumbles across some unsavory business dealings, she faces impossible choices. Torn between her newfound success and her conscience, Iris must decide what truly matters.

Verdict: This engaging story is part mystery, part romance, and is infused with a hint of magic, making it an excellent choice for book groups.

©Library Journal, 2025

8/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

FULL BLOOM by Francesca Serritella. Ballantine Books (August 5, 2025). ISBN: 978-0525510390. 416p.

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From New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs, a wrenching but life-affirming novel based on a true story of survival, friendship, and redemption. Set in the turbulent Vietnam era in the All-American city of Buffalo, New York, six girls are condemned to forced labor in the laundry of a Catholic reform school.

In 1968 we meet six teens confined at the Good Shepherd—a dark and secretive institution controlled by Sisters of Charity nuns—locked away merely for being gay, pregnant, or simply unruly.

Mairin— free-spirited daughter of Irish immigrants, committed to keep her safe from her stepfather.

Angela—denounced for her attraction to girls, sent to the nuns for reform, but instead found herself the victim of a predator.

Helen—the daughter of intellectuals detained in Communist China, she saw her “temporary” stay at the Good Shepherd stretch into years.

Odessa—caught up in a police dragnet over a racial incident, she found the physical and mental toughness to endure her sentence.

Denise—sentenced for brawling in a foster home, she dared to dream of a better life.

Janice—deeply insecure, she couldn’t decide where her loyalty lay—except when it came to her friend Kay, who would never outgrow her childlike dependency.

Sister Bernadette—rescued from a dreadful childhood, she owed her loyalty to the Sisters of Charity even as her conscience weighed on her.

Wayward Girls is a haunting but thrilling tale of hope, solidarity, and the enduring strength of young women who find the courage to break free and find redemption…and justice.

https://amzn.to/4bvMJIU

Wiggs’s new novel (after The Twelve Dogs of Christmas) is compelling historical fiction set in Buffalo, NY, during the late 1960s. The story primarily takes place in the Good Shepherd Home for Wayward Girls, a reform school run by nuns, which operates like a Dickensian workhouse. The story follows a few young women who are there for various reasons, including perceived protection from abuse, sexuality, and family circumstances. The main character, Mairin, is sent there when her stepfather tries to rape her; her brother is being deployed to Vietnam, and her mother is a strict Catholic who thinks the nuns will protect her daughter. Little does she know about the harsh conditions the girls face, including forced manual labor in a Magdalene laundry, nightly confinement, and severe punishments for rule infractions. Mairin and a few of the girls become friends, and eventually, some of them escape. The book follows these girls throughout their lives, including the traumatic aftereffects of their childhoods and their subsequent pursuit of justice.

VERDICT Wiggs offers a poignant and enlightening look into a dark chapter of recent history in this powerful and unforgettable read. Readalikes include The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead and This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger.

©Library Journal, 2025

7/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

WAYWARD GIRLS by Susan Wiggs. William Morrow (July 15, 2025). ISBN: 978-0063118270. 400p.

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From the beloved New York Times bestselling author Adriana Trigiani, a “dazzling” storyteller (Washington Post), and a “comedy writer with a heart of gold” (NYT), comes a novel about one woman’s quest to build her own life before it’s too late.

Jess Capodimonte Baratta is not living the life of her dreams. Not even close.

In blue-collar Lake Como, New Jersey, family comes first. Recently divorced from Bobby Bilancia, “the perfect husband,” Jess moves into her parents’ basement to hide and heal. Jess is the overlooked daughter, who dutifully takes care of her parents, cooks Sunday dinner, and puts herself last. Despite her role as the family handmaiden, Jess is also a talented draftswoman in the marble business run by her dapper uncle Louie, who believes she can do anything (once she invests in a better wardrobe).

When the Capodimonte and Baratta families endure an unexpected loss, the shock unearths long-buried secrets that will force Jess to question her loyalty to those she trusted. Fueled by her lost dreams, Jess takes fate into her own hands and escapes to her ancestral home, Carrara, Italy.

From the shadows of the majestic marble-capped mountains of Tuscany, to the glittering streets of Milan, and on the shores of enchanting Lake Como (the other one), Jess begins to carve a place in this new/old world. When she meets Angelo Strazza, a passionate artist who works in gold, she discovers her own skills are priceless. But as Jess uncovers the truth about her family history, it will change the course of her life and those she loves the most forever. In love and work, in art and soul, Jess will need every tool she has mastered to reinvent her life.

Fed by the author’s cherished Italian roots comes a bighearted, hilarious novel of the moment: the story of one woman’s determination to live a creative life that matters, with enough room left over for love. With a one-way ticket to Italy, Jess is determined to write a new story on her own terms–this time, in stone.

https://amzn.to/41zzi65

Trigiani’s latest, after The Good Left Undone, is a compelling story that masterfully weaves together themes of self-discovery and an Italian-American family’s unique cultural nuances and traditions. Jess is a young divorced woman struggling with family dynamics as she strives to find her place in the world, which leads her from Lake Como, New Jersey, to Carrara, Italy. Jess has worked for her uncle in the marble business for several years, and she inherited the business when he passed away. She also inherited another shell company, an FBI investigation, and a massive tax liability. While fully cooperating with the FBI and the IRS, she goes to Italy to learn about the family business and herself; in the process, she learns the importance of letting go of the past to embrace change and finds new family and love. This is the book Trigiani fans have been waiting for.

VERDICT Trigiani’s hallmark charm and love of family, along with a touch of romance, make this a captivating and memorable read. Recommend to readers who enjoy Dorothea Benton Frank, Lisa Scottoline, or Kristy Woodson Harvey.

©Library Journal, 2025

7/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE VIEW FROM LAKE COMO by Adriana Trigiani. Dutton (July 8, 2025). ISBN: 978-0593183359. 416p.

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