Holiday Recent Reads

 Christmas Fling by Lindsey Kelk (2025)

Through a series of unfortunate events, Laura finds herself pretending to be Callum's girlfriend over the holidays at his family's home in the Scottish Highlands.  Their feelings for each other start to grow, leading them to wonder how much is real and how much is fake.  I tend to enjoy Lindsey Kelk's books.  They are heartfelt and humorous and just have this ease to them.  They flow nicely and nothing feels too hard.  Christmas Fling was no exception.  I loved watching the growing feelings between Laura and Callum, and the way she stood up for him against his family, despite barely even knowing him, was touching.  When Laura's friends show up at the gathering, the story went a bit off the rails for me; I could have done without the extra characters and drama, but overall, this was a decent holiday read.  4 stars

Grace & Henry's Holiday Movie Marathon by Matthew Norman (2025)

Grace and Henry both lost their spouses earlier this year, and now that the holidays are approaching, their mothers scheme to get them together.  Neither feels ready to date, but could a growing friendship blossom into something more?  This sounded quite different from my normal holiday reads, so I was excited about this story, and a lot of it worked for me!  I liked how Grace and Henry bond over holiday movies, which I think is something very relatable.  I enjoyed how they come to rely on each other, without even realizing it.  I found myself gravitating more towards Henry - Grace was a tad too blunt for me, and not as funny as she thought she was.  But Henry, his struggles, his sadness, all of it, felt so real to me.  Watching him work through his grief and finally see a light at the other side was so touching.  Like I said, Grace was not as likable a character for me, and a revelation about her deceased husband felt very unnecessary, but I did appreciate that her journey was different from Henry's, especially in light of the fact that she had two children to care take of.  4 stars

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Can't-Wait Wednesday: Catch Her If You Can

Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings and helps us spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!

Catch Her If You Can (Big Shots #5)

Tessa Bailey

Expected publication date: January 20, 2026

#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey is back with an all-new marriage of convenience, friends-to-lovers sports romance about a baseball catcher and the burlesque club owner he can’t get out of his head.

Madden Donahue, the newest catcher for the Yankees, has been in love with Eve Mitchell since high school, but for some mysterious reason, the burlesque club owner always turns him down. That never stopped him from being her self-appointed protector. Case in point, now that Eve’s sister has left Eve with her two children indefinitely, Madden steps in with a proposition—marry him for the much needed health benefits.

Eve has secretly harbored feelings for Madden all along, but there’s one problem—her best friend Skylar called dibs on him when they were fourteen. Eve has always put their friendship above all else, and she’s not willing to risk losing Skylar over a man. Raised by the local strip club owner, Eve is woefully short on friends and treasures the ones she has. But with Skylar happily paired off, Eve finds herself accepting Madden’s proposal—on the condition that their marriage remains strictly private. She’s not about to let her unique profession and maligned reputation destroy Madden’s shiny new career.

Madden won’t let Eve get away that easily, though. What starts as a marriage of convenience soon ignites into something much hotter, and now it’s up to Madden to convince Eve that their connection is far more than a business arrangement. As the passion builds, can their fake marriage become the real deal? - from Goodreads

Michele's Monday Picks #85

Angela is so generous to let me pop in with a new little series, Michele’s Monday Picks!  I’m not a blogger or bookstagrammer, but I love getting excited about new releases with the rest of you.  Here I’ll be sharing new books I’m really looking forward to!

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Graceless Heart

By Isabel Ibanez

Expected Publication: January 13, 2026

From Goodreads:

A lush, atmospheric and achingly magical standalone adult fantasy romance set in Renaissance Italy from a #1 New York Times bestselling author.

In 15th-century Volterra, sculptress Ravenna Maffei enters a competition hosted by a secretive, immortal family who offer an invaluable boon to the victor. Desperate to win so she can save her brother, Ravenna reveals a rare magical talent-a dangerous act in a city where magic is forbidden. Her revelation makes her a target, and she is kidnapped by the Luni family and taken to Florence, a city of breathtaking beauty and cutthroat ambition.

There, Ravenna is forced into an impossible task where failure means certain death at the hands of Saturnino dei Luni, the family's enigmatic and merciless heir. But under his cold reserve hides a vulnerability that draws her closer than she ever intended.

Meanwhile, Ravenna's forbidden magic does not go unnoticed. The Pope, waging war against Florence, the Medici, and magic itself, has his own interest in her abilities, seeing her as a potential weapon in his ruthless campaign.

As alliances shift and war brews on the horizon, Ravenna must navigate the treacherous line between survival and betrayal, between love and duty. With time running out and her every move watched, the choices she makes will determine the fate of not just her own life, but the fragile balance of magic and power that could unravel Florence itself.

I thought this one sounded so unique and the cover is gorgeous! Do you think you’ll be picking this one up?

Holiday Recent Reads

A Merry Little Lie by Sarah Morgan (2025)

The Balfour family is gathering for Christmas, but it seems like almost every member is hiding something - one twin is having marriage problems, the other twin has a major secret, their brother Jamie has a big announcement, and their mother is trying to help her husband deal with his recent retirement.  Can the holidays bring everyone together and fix all their problems?  Well, of course it can!  It wouldn't be a Christmas book without everyone figuring everything out over the course of just a couple days, with some twinkle lights and gingerbread cookies thrown in.  I'm being a little harsh, I know.  I do love reading about Christmas celebrations, and this book was enjoyable, if a little predictable.  I think things were tied up a bit too neatly and easily, but it was a cute holiday read.  3.5 stars

The Christmas Cookie Wars by Eliza Evans (2024)

Widow Melody is trying to make Christmas special for her twin boys, but she finds herself wrapped up in school politics, cookie drama, and a growing attraction to her boys' school principal.  This was a mixed bag for me.  I liked the parts with Melody and her sons - ever since their father passed away, she's been trying to hold it together.  The holidays have always been special, but she feels them drifting away, and she wants to try extra hard this year to be close to the boys.  I liked how she saw a different side to the school principal, one she actually liked, when they began to work together, but the small-town/school committee drama vibes felt off to me.  Like, are people really this petty about cookie sales?  Also, I grew up in a small town and I've never seen anything like the multiple cookie events that completely took over this community during the holidays.  3.5 stars

* This post contains affiliate links; I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.

Michele's Monday Picks #84

Angela is so generous to let me pop in with my little series, Michele’s Monday Picks!  I’m not a blogger or bookstagrammer, but I love getting excited about new releases with the rest of you.  Here I’ll be sharing new books I’m really looking forward to!

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The Swan’s Daughter

By Roshani Chokshi

Expected Publication: January 6, 2026

From Goodreads:

In this lush and romantic novel from New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi, a prince is only as good as his beating heart and a maiden is only as good as her honest word. But when love and the truth become impossibly tangled, the two must figure out how to survive together, or fall completely apart.

To find love is a curse ...

Prince Arris knows that marriage means murder. Thanks to a poorly worded wish to a sea witch, all one needs to rule the Isle of Malys is the heart and hand of the kingdom’s heir. Historically, this has been construed quite literally.

Thus, Arris expects that the day after his marriage and murder he will wake up as a sentient tree alongside the rest of his predecessors. His only chance at a long life is finding true and lasting love. When Arris's parents announce a tournament of brides to compete for his hand and heart, a slew of eligible, lovely and (possibly murderous) bachelorettes make their way to Rathe Castle. Amidst glittering balls in ozorald caves, strolls through menageries of daydream trees and pearl crocodiles, tea time on glass boats and kisses that leave his head spinning, Arris cannot tell who is here out of love for him…or lust for power.

Until he meets Demelza.

As a veritas swan, Demelza’s song wrings out the truth. Forced into hiding, Demelza strikes a deal. Arris will provide her with safekeeping in exchange for her truth-telling song to sort through his potential brides.

While Arris is used to dodging death threats and Demelza is accustomed to fighting for her voice to be heard, to survive the tournament of brides requires a different kind of bravery. And perhaps the bravest thing one can do is not merely protect one’s life, but find the courage to chase a life worth living.

I thought this one sounded so unique and the cover is gorgeous! Do you think you’ll be picking this one up?

Nonfiction Recent Reads

 Women in the Valley of the Kings by Kathleen Sheppard (2024)

Kathleen Sheppard explores the female Egyptologists who paved the way for later explorers and also helped shape the field in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  A lot of the major findings in Egypt have been credited to men, but there were several women, enamored with Egypt and its history, who were critical in the excavation, recording, and education about Egyptian sites.  At a time when the lives of women were perhaps not that well-documented, Sheppard has managed to pull together some amazing personal histories.  She also shows how the work of these women inspired each other.  I did, however, think the writing was a bit heavy-handed and clunky, in that it felt more like a college thesis than a cohesive narrative.  There was a lot of telling the reader why things were important, instead of letting the reader naturally draw those conclusions.  3 stars

Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep (2020)

During the 1970s, a Southern man was accused of killing his family members to gain the insurance money.  When he was shot dead, his previous lawyer helped the shooter get an acquittal.  The case piqued the interest of author Harper Lee, who attended the trial and hoped to write a book about it - but she never did.  Cep explores the murder cases and also gives a comprehensive portrait of a successful but elusive author.  I really enjoyed this book!  The first half of the book is about the Reverend Willie Maxwell, accused of murdering five members of his own family, and the trial of the man who shot him.  I found this part to be absolutely fascinating.  The second half focuses on Harper Lee, author of the classic To Kill a Mockingbird.  It explores her early life, her success, and her struggles to write another book.  While interesting, I did think this part was a bit slower and kind of rambled toward a somewhat unsatisfactory conclusion.  4 stars

* This post contains affiliate links; I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.

Month in Review: November 2025

 

November was so busy!  We went to a semi-local Apple Festival, and then celebrated our nephew's 4th birthday.  Then it was onto Thanksgiving festivities - an early dinner with my in-laws, and then both my mom and sister-in-law came into town.  My SIL stayed with us while my mom stayed with my sister.  We spent Thanksgiving day at my sister's and the next day was Henry's 4th birthday!  We took him bowling for the first time and we had a big family party at my dad's house.  Before she went back home, my mom took us to the aquarium, which was so fun!  It was actually decorated for Christmas and Henry loved it!

The Books

We All Live Here // Nuclear War: A Scenario // Cue the Sun! // The Hidden History of the White House

Furious Hours // Women in the Valley of the Kings // The Waiting Game // Once Upon a Time

The Posts and Reviews

Can't-Wait Wednesday: And Then There Was You

Recent Reads

Nonfiction November 2025: Book Pairings

Charmed & Bound Prologue Event

Nonfiction Recent Reads

Michele's Monday Picks #83

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Mating Game

Nonfiction Quick Reviews

Nonfiction November 2025: New to My TBR

How are you doing?

* This post contains affiliate links; I earn a commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.