A Sprinkle of Sweet Serendipity by Rachel Linden

 Paris trained chocolatier and single mother Emmie Wynne gave up her own dreams six years ago when she returned to her Pacific Northwest coastal tourist town to run her family's struggling candy store. Now on her thirty-fourth birthday, Emmie has only one wish, to be granted the vision that every Wynne woman is given once in her lifetime—a shimmering glimpse of her true destiny. This year, when she blows out her candles, it finally comes true.

Her vision is more delectable than she could’ve imagined—her very own artisanal chocolate shop filled with decadent truffles and caramels, and her celebrity crush, Henry Summers, down on one knee. And when Henry suddenly arrives in town for the summer, offering Emmie the opportunity of a lifetime, the future in her vision suddenly seems possible.

But a rekindled connection with Jakob, her former high school best friend turned hunky, brooding tattooed baker, forces Emmie to grapple with the bittersweet realization that her destiny may not be what her heart truly longs for. As the culmination of her vision draws nearer, can Emmie find the courage to create a happiness of her own making? 

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: A Sprinkle of Sweet Serendipity: 9780593816660: Linden, Rachel: Books

Rachel Mae Linden (who also writes as Rachel Linden) is a novelist and international aid worker whose adventures in over fifty countries around the world provide excellent grist for her writing. She is the author of Recipe for a Charmed Life, The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie, and several other novels. Currently Rachel lives with her family on a sweet little island near Seattle, WA where she enjoys creating stories about hope, courage and connection with a hint of romance and a touch of whimsy.

The Artful Anna Harris by Tracy Maton

 If the talented Mr. Ripley were a young woman today, she might be Anna Harris: charming, changeable, and perhaps not at all what she seems to be.

"You are quite the chameleon, aren't you? You could wear anything, do anything, and yet you choose plain, plain, plain. Or is it all a front for a secret life?"

Anna Harris grew up in a rough part of London, and learned young that she could become whoever she needs to be, moulding herself to get what she needs and wants. Somehow that has led her to a quaint, sleepy English village, swallowed into the lives of her boyfriend and his close and loving family. She's not unhappy, but there are quiet pressures and illicit temptations even in this storybook life.

When the vivacious Sofia Carstairs moves to the village, Anna is reminded of the freedom she once had. She used to be carefree and rebellious. But is she willing to throw away her future for some fun? Anna's not a bad person, she doesn't want to hurt anyone. But perhaps leading two lives is the path to fulfillment. What would happen if she just tried it out... 

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: The Artful Anna Harris: A Novel: 9781037803604: Maton, Tracy: Books

TRACY MATON has had a varied career as a copywriter, a marketer, a quality improvement ambassador in the UK's National Health Service, and a children's entertainer. When she's not writing, she can be found swimming in her local lake. Tracy was born in Montreal and now lives in Bristol, England, with her husband and three occasionally present children. The Artful Anna Harris is her debut novel.

Miss Beth Bettencourt by Eve Marie Everson

 Will an unlikely romance tear down Beth’s walls of indifference?

It's 1962 in Bynum, Georgia, and Beth Bettencourt's world is turned upside down when she wakes to a man snoring in the guest bedroom.

She's home alone; her parents are traveling abroad, grieving her twin sister's unexpected death. Instead of accompanying them, Beth stayed in Bynum to tend to her kindergarten and closely guard her own heart.

A beautiful and beloved member of the community, Beth is an unusual specimen for her time as she nears thirty and remains unmarried. She holds deep-seated unforgiveness toward her twin, Elise, who ran off with Beth's beau. To make matters worse, Elise took their grandmother's ring, which had been promised to Beth.

But now a stranger enters her home and her world. David Patrick Martin seems ready to break down her walls of indifference and find the core of Miss Beth Bettencourt. But can he be trusted with Beth's past, her present, and more importantly, her future? 

Pick up your copy here...

Miss Beth Bettencourt: A Bynum, Georgia Novel: Everson, Eva Marie: 9780825453342: Amazon.com: Books

Eva Marie Everson is a multi-award-winning author and speaker from Sylvania, Georgia. She is CEO of Word Weavers International and the director of Florida Christian Writers Conference. She coaches new authors through her company, Pen in Hand. Eva Marie and her husband make their home in central Florida

Where We Belong by Kim Vogel Sawyer

 Thank you Waterbrook for my review copy of Where We Belong by Kim Vogel Sawyer.

Release April 21, 2026

The life of Hester Haak, a widow with no children of her own, takes an unexpected turn when she opens her Kansas home to children from the bustling streets of New York City. The orphan asylum has entrusted her with two sisters and a young boy, and Hester is determined to provide a safe and loving environment for them. Despite the looming uncertainty of their stay, she rises to the challenge, embracing the opportunity to make a difference in their lives.

Meanwhile, Callum Holbrook is grappling with the loss of his wife and the despair that followed. Unable to provide for his family, he made the heart-wrenching decision to place his daughters in an orphanage, promising it was only temporary. Now, with a stable job and a renewed sense of purpose, Callum is horrified to learn that his daughters have been sent halfway across the country. Fueled by determination and love, he embarks on the difficult journey to bring them back.

Through their struggles and triumphs, Hester and Callum discover that family and love can be found in the most surprising places—and that the journey home is paved with hope.

Pick up your copy here...

Where We Belong: An Orphan Train Novel: Vogel Sawyer, Kim: 9780593600856: Amazon.com: Books

Award-winning, bestselling author Kim Vogel Sawyer is a wife, mother, gramma, chocolate-lover, cat-petter, and--most importantly--a daughter of the King! With more than 1.5 million books in print in seven different languages, Kim enjoys a full-time writing and speaking ministry. Her "gentle stories of hope" are loved by readers and reviewers alike. Kim and her retired military husband, Don, reside on the plains of Kansas, the setting for many of her novels.

My Someone By Yuko Torii

 Thank you Penguin for my review copy of My Someone by Yuko Torii.

A heartwarming picture book about a stray dog’s journey to finding his forever home.

A little stray dog wanders the streets alone, afraid of everything he comes across—loud city noises, getting caught in the cold rain, and bigger dogs that fight for scraps. He doesn’t like it!

And he especially doesn’t like it when he gets caught by animal rescue and is forced to be cleaned and scrubbed. But everything changes when a family chooses him to take home, helping him slowly discover all the things he does like—playing fetch, eating delicious food, and being loved forever.

Pick up your copy here...

My Someone: A Pet Adoption Story: Torii, Yuko, Torii, Yuko: 9780593887271: Amazon.com: Books

No Author headshot

Yuko Torii was born in a small town near Kobe, Japan. As a child, she always dreamed of traveling and discovering a new place to call home. Her dreams became a reality when she moved to Los Angeles and received a BFA in fine arts from the Otis College of Art and Design. She then worked at Louis Vuitton as a top hand-painter and a designer of trunks, including the “Malle Mars” (Mars Trunk) now displayed in the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris. She also worked as a master embosser for Anya Hindmarch of London. After living in New York for many years, participating in the city’s active arts scenes, she and her husband made the move to Mexico, where she is enjoying the nation’s ancient and contemporary cultural riches, as well as the warmth of its people. Yuko is a self-proclaimed “Queen of Kittyrature,” a storyteller whose trademark characters are feline protagonists (largely inspired by her three cats, Mitternacht, Mondschein, and Parsifal), but she loves dogs just as much!

Thank you Harper Muse and Uplitreads for my Classics

 Thank you Harper Muse and @Uplitreads for my review copies of The Harper Curated Classics.

Aesop's Fables, My Favorite Fairy Tales, Grimm's Fairy Tales, and Classic Princess Fairy Tales.

All four books are hard back with gorgeous, sprayed edges. The illustrations in each book are unique, and these would be perfect on your coffee table or on your bookshelf. They make the perfect gift as well. 

Moonlight Murder by Uzma Jalaluddin

 

When Kausar Khan moved back to Toronto to be closer to her family, she didn't expect to have another murder investigation on her hands so soon—or really ever. But when a young man named Qasim is found dead in their Golden Crescent neighborhood, and when she learns he was close to her granddaughter, Maleeha, what’s a grandmother to do but try and solve the case?

And it’s not just her heartbroken granddaughter spurring Kausar to find answers; it’s also how the circumstances of Qasim’s death remind her of her own teenage son, Ali, and his mysterious death nearly twenty years before. Kausar knows firsthand what a difference closure can make to a grieving parent—and the more she seeks to find that for Qasim's parents, the more she begins to realize that perhaps it's time she finds closure for herself as well.

As Kausar digs into both Qasim’s and Ali’s cases and her “aunty” skills continue to bring more information to light, she can’t help but wonder if the similarities between the two cases are more than just mere coincidence. But how could two deaths, twenty years apart, possibly be related?

Detective Aunty is determined to find out. 

Pick up your copy here...

Amazon.com: Moonlight Murder: A Detective Aunty Novel (Detective Aunty Investigates, 2): 9780063434967: Jalaluddin, Uzma: Books

Uzma Jalaluddin is the author of six novels, including YOURS FOR THE SEASON (2025), a multifaith holiday romcom, DETECTIVE AUNTY (2025), featuring Kausar Khan, a South Asian Miss Marple, MUCH ADO ABOUT NADA (2023), a second-chance romance inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion, and THREE HOLIDAYS AND A WEDDING (2023), a holiday romcom co-written with Marissa Stapley. Her debut novel, AYESHA AT LAST (2019), was a Goodreads Choice Award Finalist, Cosmopolitan UK Book of the Year and Publisher’s Weekly Best Book of 2019. Her second novel, HANA KHAN CARRIES ON (2021) was an instant Canadian bestseller, and named a 2021 Best Romance Novel by the Washington Post. It is currently in development for film by Mindy Kaling. Uzma is a former contributor to The Toronto Star, and has written for The Atlantic. She lives outside Toronto, Canada, with her husband and two sons.