Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

From the publisher:

New from the beloved New York Times bestselling author of Summers at the Saint and Hello, Summer!

Pack your bags for a summer journey shaped by family secrets, long-buried history, and charming men with Irish accents.

Maeve and Therese Dunigan haven’t spoken in years. Raised under the same roof in Savannah, the two sisters could not be more opposite―Maeve the rule follower, Therese the unapologetic rebel. But when their mother’s death pulls them back together, they inherit more than just grief: a mysterious painting that may be worth millions…if it’s real.

Determined to uncover the truth―and desperately in need of the money―the sisters set out on a journey to Ireland, tracing their family’s roots and the origins of the portrait. What begins as a search for answers soon becomes something deeper―a reckoning with the past, as they uncover secrets that span generations and reshape everything they thought they knew about their family.

With tensions simmering, the two hit the road and find themselves on twisty lanes, in colorful villages, at local pubs, and with handsome men whose gift of the gab is surpassed only by their charm.

Can Maeve and Therese actually survive the journey without killing each other? Join Mary Kay Andrews on a road trip that will entertain you for miles.

“A cozy romp that touches lightly on multiple genres to spin an intriguing tale: murder mystery, IRA art heist, coming-to-America immigrant story, justice for elder financial abuse, dual rom-com narratives, and an earnest story of two sisters learning to appreciate each other again. A delightful tale with vivid characters.” ―Kirkus

“With well-developed characters, a taut plot, and a keen sense of place, this lively tale is perfect for the beach bag.” —Publishers Weekly

“The pacing is consistent throughout the entire story, making the entire reading experience enjoyable. These characters shine under Andrews’s established hand, and their story arc is very satisfying.” —Library Journal

https://bookshop.org/a/123058/9781250372888

Mary Kay Andrews is one of my favorite authors, and this may be her best book yet! Road Trip is the kind of novel that sneaks up on you with its heart.

Sisters Maeve and Therese Dunigan haven’t spoken in years, and for good reason. Maeve is the dutiful one — tightly wound, reliable, the sister who stayed behind in Savannah to care for their mother. Therese is the opposite: impulsive, unapologetic, gone for seven years and only now returning home for the funeral. When they reunite to sort out their mother’s estate, they expect very little — and that’s almost exactly what they get. Instead of an inheritance, they discover their mother quietly mortgaged the family home to bankroll a Texas televangelist. What she left them instead is $9,000 in cash and a strange, legally binding request: travel together to Ireland and uncover the story behind the elegant oil painting that’s hung in their childhood home for generations.

What follows is equal parts mystery and reconciliation. The painting — brought over by their great-grandmother a century ago — may be worth a fortune, and chasing its provenance pulls the sisters into their family’s Irish roots. The story alternates between present-day Ireland and a historical thread that slowly reveals how the portrait became entwined with the Dunigan family in the first place, touching on emigration, hardship, and the pull of home.

The real pleasure here isn’t the treasure hunt, though — it’s watching Maeve and Therese figure each other out. Their relationship starts in old resentment and miscommunication, all sharp edges and unspoken hurt, and gradually softens into something like understanding. Maeve, admittedly, can be grating for long stretches — her rigidity occasionally makes you want to shake her — but that friction is the point. Watching two people who’ve spent years assuming the worst about each other slowly reconsider is genuinely moving.

Ireland itself is practically a character: the small villages, the pubs, the wary-then-welcoming locals of a place like Tarrymore all come alive on the page. The historical sections — following the painting’s journey and the immigrant story behind it — add real weight and texture.

Ultimately, Road Trip is a story about what heritage can heal. It’s about two very different women learning that forgiveness and identity are often found in the same place — sometimes literally, on the other side of an ocean. Warm, satisfying, and easy to sink into, it’s a lovely blend of family saga, light mystery, a touch of romance, and travelogue that will especially appeal to readers who love stories about sisters, secrets, and the past that shapes us. I loved it.

7/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ROAD TRIP by Mary Kay Andrews. St. Martin’s Press (June 2, 2026). ISBN: 978-1250372888. 448p.

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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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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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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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