Book Discussion | Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

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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THE CORRESPONDENT by Virginia Evans

March 20, 2026

From the publisher:

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Discover the word-of-mouth hit hailed by Ann Patchett as “A cause for celebration”—an intimate novel about the transformative power of the written word and the beauty of slowing down to reconnect with the people we love.

“The Correspondent is this year’s breakout novel no one saw coming.”—The Wall Street Journal

“Imagine, the letters one has sent out into the world, the letters received back in turn, are like the pieces of a magnificent puzzle. . . . Isn’t there something wonderful in that, to think that a story of one’s life is preserved in some way, that this very letter may one day mean something, even if it is a very small thing, to someone?”

Filled with knowledge that only comes from a life fully lived, The Correspondent is a gem of a novel about the power of finding solace in literature and connection with people we might never meet in person. It is about the hubris of youth and the wisdom of old age, and the mistakes and acts of kindness that occur during a lifetime.

Sybil Van Antwerp has throughout her life 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, divorcee, distinguished lawyer, she has lived a very 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 that 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’s life of letters might be “a very small thing,” but she also might be one of the most memorable characters you will ever read.

LONGLISTED FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION FIRST NOVEL PRIZE, THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL, AND THE WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR FICTION • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: NPR, The Washington Post, Boston Globe, Elle, Christian Science Monitor, She Reads

https://amzn.to/3PfWVy7

Well. Where to start. A letter!

Dear reader,

This remarkable debut novel came out last year, and I kept putting it off until I forgot about it entirely. My mistake — don’t make the same one. This is a book not to be missed, and now that I’ve finally read it, I know I’ll never forget it.

It’s an epistolary novel — a novel told entirely through letters. I love this format, though I know not everyone does. Set aside any reservations and give it a chance. One of my all-time favorite books is also epistolary: Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger. If you haven’t read it, find a copy and thank me later. I read it more than twenty years ago and could still discuss it in detail today — which, given how much my memory has faded and how many books I’ve consumed in the interim, says everything.

But I digress.

Our heroine/letter writer is Sybil Van Antwerp, a septuagenarian from Maryland who has spent her life writing letters. She writes to her brother in France, her best friend in Connecticut, and her children, who rarely write back. She corresponds with the troubled but brilliant young son of a judge who is a family friend, and with authors you may recognize — Ann Patchett (who blurbed this book) and Joan Didion, among others. We come to know everyone in Sybil’s world through her letters and the ones she receives.

Through those letters, we learn that Sybil lost a child when he was very young, a loss that shaped the entire course of her life. We learn about her divorce, her career in law, and the way she sees the world and the people in it. Once someone enters her orbit, they become a friend — whether they intend to or not. We also learn, with quiet heartbreak, that Sybil has been diagnosed with a rare disease that will eventually cost her her sight. She is slowly going blind.

I particularly loved her reflections on why she writes by hand. There are some emails in the mix, but most of the correspondence is written at her desk — a form of communication that has become, if not already obsolete, then rapidly fading. (To be clear, the book itself is printed in a normal font; I only mean that the characters write by hand.) What letters do, especially in this novelist’s hands, is create an extraordinary sense of intimacy. Reading them feels like peering directly into someone’s thoughts. The reader becomes almost complicit — a quiet witness to a private world.

I loved this book. It moves quickly, as epistolary novels tend to, but it lingers long after the last page. I’ve read two books since finishing it, and I’m still thinking about Sybil — her voice, her letters, the way they made me laugh, bristle, and ache by turns. I spent the final chapters dreading the end, even as it became inevitable. It will absolutely appear on my best-of-the-year list.

One of the reasons I started this blog back in the 1990’s was because when I find a book that I love, I want everyone to read it. I hope I’ve convinced you to read it. If I have, please come back and tell me what you think.

Thanks for reading.

Warmest wishes,
Stacy

PS: I found this little review online and wished I had written it!

“I don’t say this lightly: this book is perfect. A staggering achievement of voice and character, of layered empathy and honest appraisal about all the ways we fail and recover as humans. Just so so good. I read it in a day, but will think about it for years.” Michael Smith, Goodreads

3/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE CORRESPONDENT by Virginia Evans. Crown. (April 29, 2025). ISBN: 978-0593798430. 304p.

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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.

©Library Journal, 2026

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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Spotlight Review: AND NOW, BACK TO YOU by B.K. Borison

February 24, 2026

Heartstrings, Book 2

From the publisher:

“Promises plenty of Borison’s signature banter, emotional nuance, and snowed-in charm.”—New York Times

Two competing meteorologists are forced to find common ground in this opposites attract, When Harry Met Sally inspired romance, from #1 New York Times bestselling author B.K. Borison.

Jackson Clark and Delilah Stewart have had their fair share of run-ins over the years, often ending in disaster. While Jackson thrives on routine and organization from the comfort of his radio booth, Delilah loves the spontaneity and adventure out in the field. When they’re partnered against their will to cover a historic snowstorm, they find themselves scrambling to figure out how to work together.

Eager to be taken seriously as a journalist, Delilah offers Jackson a deal: If he can help her ace this assignment, she’ll help him rediscover his long-lost fun side. With unexplored chemistry burning beneath their clashes, the unlikely partnership quickly tumbles into an easy and surprising friendship.

But when other feelings start to enter the equation, can Jackson and Delilah withstand the storm? Or does what happens in the mountains stay in the mountains?

“The snowy setting, the endearing protagonists’ grumpy/sunshine dynamic, and their slow-burn romance make for a wonderfully cozy and sexy read…Borison writes a delightful romance to get wrapped up in, full of well-executed tropes.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“Fans of Borison’s previous outings will be excited to delve into this warm winter-hug of a novel.”—Booklist

“A wonderfully cozy and warm romance in a cold, snowy setting.”—Kirkus Reviews
https://amzn.to/4kGmlR0

Delilah Stewart is a cheerful, camera-ready meteorologist at a Baltimore TV station who loves her job—but she’s tired of not being taken seriously. When she’s assigned to cover a major weather event, she sees it as her chance to prove herself. The catch? She has to work with Jackson Clark, the no-nonsense radio meteorologist who would rather stick to his carefully ordered world than team up with her.

In And Now, Back to You, the second installment in Heartstrings by B.K. Borison, rival meteorologists are forced together to cover a historic snowstorm in Baltimore. What starts as professional friction slowly builds into undeniable chemistry—especially when forced proximity (hello, one-bed trope) turns up the heat.

Jackson thrives on lists, structure, and routine. He’s a devoted caregiver to his two younger sisters and prefers life behind the scenes. Delilah, by contrast, is spontaneous, optimistic, and a little accident-prone. She’s often dismissed as “too much,” while Jackson worries he’s not enough. Together, they create a beautiful balance—chaos meeting calm in a way that allows both of them to grow.

Their relationship unfolds with mutual respect and emotional honesty. The tension builds naturally, the steamy moments feel earned, and the romance never overshadows the story’s deeper themes of ambition, family responsibility, and self-worth.

Jackson quietly steals the show—steady, dependable, and endlessly supportive—while Delilah remains fiercely committed to her dreams. Neither changes to fit the other; instead, they challenge each other to be braver and more authentic.

With cameos from First-Time Caller and hints at what’s next in the series, this is a warm, satisfying grumpy-meets-sunshine romance that delivers heart, heat, and a perfectly timed snowstorm. An easy recommendation!

2/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

AND NOW, BACK TO YOU by B.K. Borison. Berkley (February 24, 2026). ISBN: 978-0593953143. 464p.

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Spotlight Review: FREE FALLING by Jill Shalvis

February 17, 2026

Colburn Brothers, Book 2

From the publisher:

College rivals become workplace frenemies-turned-lovers in this warm, sexy contemporary romance from New York Times bestseller Jill Shalvis. First, they were rivals… Now they’re stuck with each other…

Retired hockey player Caleb Colburn needs this construction project to prove himself in the family business, but he also needs to recover from the injury that ended his pro career. Too bad Emma Sumner, architect liaison and Caleb’s college nemesis, is back in town and assigned to the project. They’re going to have to see each other almost every day. Which means once again she’ll make his life a living hell.

As for Emma, her job is on the line with this big project, made all the more challenging by the project manager. Caleb was the one who had snagged the scholarship she’d desperately needed to stay in college. She’s been living hand to mouth ever since and has no intention of ever forgiving the man.

But the beautiful historic building they’re renovating is exactly the kind of project that they both love best. Their surprising common ground and a burning mutual attraction start bringing them closer and closer to a potentially explosive mistake. And that’s even before the secrets come out…
https://amzn.to/45wbAtm

I fell in love with this series when I read He Falls First, and Jill Shalvis absolutely delivers again with Free Falling, the second Colburn Brothers book. This time, we follow Caleb, and there’s far more to him than the charming exterior he shows the world. While the story works as a standalone, I highly recommend starting with book one—these brothers are swoony, imperfect disasters in the best possible way. This small‑town romance is sweet, fun, and deeply satisfying.

Caleb Colburn, a retired hockey star, is trying to prove himself in the family construction business. Taking the lead on their newest renovation project is already stressful enough, but he’s completely blindsided when the architect liaison turns out to be Emma Sumner—his fiercest college rival and harshest critic.

Back in school, Emma was everything Caleb found intimidating: brilliant, driven, and relentless. She fought tooth and nail for every opportunity, while Caleb seemed to breeze through classes and hockey, often landing the very positions she wanted most. To Emma, he was the golden boy with every advantage. To Caleb, she was the relentless overachiever who made his life harder at every turn. Now, years later, those old resentments flare the moment they’re reunited on the job site.

Forced into close collaboration, both arrive with deeply rooted assumptions and unresolved hurt. Emma still sees Caleb as the guy who had everything handed to him, and Caleb assumes Emma is back to make his life miserable. But as they work side by side, those walls begin to crack. Misconceptions fall away, vulnerabilities surface, and they slowly realize how wrong they were about each other—and how much they share beneath the surface.

Their shift from rivals to something much more is heartfelt and immensely rewarding. The tension is electric, fueled by sharp banter, lingering wounds, and undeniable chemistry. What makes their enemies‑to‑lovers arc shine is that it’s grounded in real emotional baggage rather than petty conflict. Watching that tension melt into trust and tenderness is genuinely moving.

Caleb is exactly the kind of hero I adore: protective, dependable, and kind without a hint of toxicity. There’s an emotional safety to this romance that makes it even more swoony. Emma is equally compelling—resilient, hardworking, and easy to root for. Her struggles with housing and job stability after losing nearly everything in a fire add real emotional weight, and seeing her allow herself to be vulnerable is beautiful.

The supporting cast adds so much charm, from Emma’s loyal best friend to the adorable boxers, Calvin and Klein, and Keira’s toddlers. The Colburn family dynamic remains one of the series’ strongest elements, and Caleb’s complicated relationship with his once‑abusive father—now softened by illness with no memory of his past behavior—adds a poignant layer of growth and forgiveness.

Returning to Star Falls, California, feels like coming home. The mansion renovation, the town’s falling‑star soulmate legend, and the strong sense of found family create a warm, inviting backdrop. Jill Shalvis excels at writing characters with real problems and real healing, blending humor, heart, and romance with effortless charm.

Free Falling pulled me in from the first page and never let go. It’s comforting, funny, emotionally rich, and deeply romantic—the kind of story that leaves you smiling long after you finish. If you love small‑town settings, workplace enemies‑to‑lovers tension, strong family bonds, and romances that feel supportive and genuine, this series is absolutely worth diving into. I’m looking forward to the next Colburn Brothers story.

2/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

FREE FALLING by Jill Shalvis. Sourcebooks Casablanca (February 3, 2026). ISBN: 978-1464243929. 384p.

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Spotlight Review: ONE & ONLY by Maurene Goo

February 10, 2026

From the publisher:

In Five Years meets a millennial The Joy Luck Club in the adult debut from the author of YA Reese Pick Throwback— a funny and fresh love story of a woman thrown a curveball by fate, and the family secret that will make her question everything.

She knows what her happily ever after looks like. And it’s not him.

Cassia Park believes in soul mates. Fated love stories. It’s her family business, after all—for centuries, from Korea to Los Angeles, Park women have peered into clients’ past lives to find their one true love, their fated. This magical secret is why One & Only Matchmaking has a 100% guarantee…for everyone but Cassia.

For ten years, Cass has been searching for her fated, a man named Daniel Nam. But he’s still nowhere to be found.

And so, on the eve of her 40th birthday, Cass decides to do something for herself. She impulsively has a fling with Ellis. He’s twenty-eight, indecently handsome, and not destined to be the love of her life. But she’s surprised by their connection and their fling feels like something more—up to the moment he introduces her to his boss…Daniel Nam.

As she battles between fate and chance, head and heart, a family secret is revealed that will make her question everything she’s ever known. Cassia will have to decide if she’ll follow her fate…or make her own.

“In her adult debut, Goo creates a delightfully dramatic love story that will keep readers on their toes…A perfect blend of steamy angst and family drama makes for a love triangle that’s impossible to put down.” —Kirkus (starred)

“YA author Goo’s (Throwback) adult debut is certain to steal readers’ heart… A must-buy title that’s perfect for book groups, with themes of love, generational ties, and harmony.” —Library Journal (starred)

An Oprah Daily Most Anticipated Book of the Year
A Town & Country Most Anticipated Romance of the Year
A Goodreads New, Red-Hot Romance to Read this Year
A Harper’s Bazaar Most Anticipated Book of the Year

A READ WITH JENNA TODAY SHOW BOOK CLUB PICK
https://amzn.to/4r36Q8i

This warm, heartfelt novel blends romance with magical realism to explore fate, choice, and the courage to write your own story.

Cassia Park works in her family’s legendary matchmaking business, which has an uncanny record of success for one secret reason: the women in her family can, by reading someone’s face, slip into past timelines to discover a person’s true fated love. Despite helping countless clients find their soulmates, Cassia still hasn’t found her own—though for nearly a decade, she’s known his name: Daniel Nam, a man she’s never met and hasn’t found yet.

That certainty unravels when a bike accident introduces her to Ellis, a charming 28-year-old who stays by her side and makes her feel seen in ways she didn’t expect. Their chemistry is immediate and undeniable. For Ellis, the connection is simple. For Cassia, it’s anything but—because she’s always believed her future was already written. Cassia is on the cusp of turning 40, and determined not to end up alone like her mother who rejected the family tradition. Instead, she decides to choose herself for once and indulge in a no-strings fling with Ellis. Then she discovers that his boss is Daniel—the very man she’s been waiting for.

The story explores love in all its messy, beautiful forms: the weight of expectation, the danger of overlooking what’s right in front of you, and the freedom that comes from choosing what you truly want.

Though the book includes magical realism, it’s equally grounded in Cassia’s Korean heritage and the cultural roots of her matchmaking legacy. One & Only blends humor, emotional depth, and cultural richness into a story about stepping out of destiny’s shadow and claiming your own agency.

This has all the makings of a feel-good rom-com: snappy dialogue, emotional resonance, and a heroine whose journey is both magical and deeply human. Expect heartbreak, reconciliation, family drama, an aggressive pet bird, a fiercely loyal best friend, and—of course—a happy ending.

Even readers who typically avoid love triangles or age-gap romances may find themselves swept up. Ellis is a cinnamon-roll dream—caring, considerate, quietly yearning—while Daniel is mature, steady, and utterly smitten. The tension between them keeps the pages turning, and the resolution is too delightful to spoil. Cassia’s age adds refreshing depth; it’s rare and wonderful to see a 40-year-old heroine navigating desire, identity, and destiny with such nuance.

Ultimately, this novel is charming, romantic, and a little bit magical—a story about grief and healing, about discovering who you are, and about choosing the love that feels right, not the one you were told to expect. A truly enchanting read.

2/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ONE & ONLY by Maurene Goo. G.P. Putnam’s Sons (February 3, 2026). ISBN: 979-8217181162. 368p.

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Spotlight Review: THIS BOOK MADE ME THINK OF YOU by Libby Page

February 3, 2026

From the publisher:

A woman receives an unexpected gift from the man she loved and lost—a year of books, one for every month—launching a reading-inspired journey to live, dream, and love again in this glimmering and heart-stopping novel.

Twelve books. Twelve months. One chance to heal her heart…

When Tilly Nightingale receives a call telling her there’s a birthday gift from her husband waiting for her at her local bookshop, it couldn’t come as more of a shock. Partly because she can’t remember the last time she read a book for pleasure. But mainly because Joe died five months ago….

When she goes to pick up the present, Alfie, the bookshop owner with kind eyes, explains the gift—twelve carefully chosen books with handwritten letters from Joe, one for each month, to help her turn the page on her first year without him.

At first Tilly can’t imagine sinking into a fictional world, but Joe’s tender words convince her to try, and something remarkable happens—Tilly becomes immersed in the pages, and a new chapter begins to unfold in her own life. Monthly trips to the bookstore—and heartfelt conversations with Alfie—give Tilly the comfort she craves and the courage to set out on a series of reading-inspired adventures that take her around the world. But as she begins to share her journey with others, her story—like a book—becomes more than her own.
https://amzn.to/45wbAtm

Sure to make my best books of the year list! I believe in the power of books to change lives, which this book certainly illustrates.

Following her debut Mornings with Rosemary, Page’s second novel is a beautifully crafted tribute to books, booksellers, and the transformative power of reading. This heartfelt story centers on Tilly Nightingale, a young woman whose world shattered when her fiancé Joe received a terminal cancer diagnosis. The couple married quietly and spent nine tender months together before Joe passed away.

Now, Tilly is adrift, clinging to an uninspiring editing job and struggling to navigate her grief. Six months after Joe’s death, Tilly receives an unexpected phone call from Alfie, a local bookseller, about a birthday gift Joe arranged before his passing. When she arrives to collect it, she discovers Joe’s final act of love: twelve carefully chosen books, one for each month of the coming year, with the stipulation that she can only receive them on the first of each month.

For Tilly, a lifelong reader who hasn’t touched a book since Joe’s diagnosis, this posthumous gift becomes exactly what she needs. Month by month, Joe’s selections guide her through the landscape of grief and back to her passion for reading. These books become her companions on a journey of healing, leading her toward new adventures, unexpected friendships, and eventually, the possibility of love again.

VERDICT Readers everywhere will be captivated by this tender exploration of loss, healing, and the enduring connections that books create between us.

1/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THIS BOOK MADE ME THINK OF YOU by Libby Page. Berkley (February 3, 2026). ISBN: 979-8217186990. 416p.

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Spotlight Review: ROOM 706 by Ellie Levenson

January 27, 2026

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.

1/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

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

Kindle

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Posted by Stacy Alesi