Review: Get Over It, April Evans by Ashley Herring Blake

Get Over It, April Evans by Ashley Herring Blake
Series: Clover Lake, Book 2
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Female/Female Contemporary Romance 

ISBN: 9780593816011
Release Date: February 3, 2026
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

April Evans’ life is in shambles. She’s had to close her tattoo shop in Clover Lake and she’s subletting her house to cover her mortgage. And her love life? Nonexistent ever since Elena, her ex-fiancée, left her for a younger woman three years ago. When she is asked to teach a summer art class at the town’s new resort called Cloverwild, April jumps at the opportunity, especially since the job comes with boarding. She’s sure that this is the silver lining she needs…until she meets her cabinmate: Daphne Love, the woman who stole her ex-fiancée. And even worse, it’s clear Daphne has no idea who April is.

Daphne Love is cursed in, well, love. She thought she’d found the unconditional love she craved in her girlfriend, Elena, but now she’s single again and utterly brokenhearted. When her friend hooks her up with a summer gig as an art instructor at a swanky resort in New Hampshire, Daphne feels optimistic for once. If only she had a roommate and coworker who didn’t seem to hate her on sight.

Their already-tense relationship gets even shakier when April and Daphne find themselves competing for a rare opportunity to showcase their art in a London museum. But slowly, barriers begin to fall, and an inexplicable allure keeps drawing them closer, leaving them to wonder if the perfect picture they’re looking for can only be made with each other.

April Evans hasn’t been having the best few years. She had to close her shop, she can’t afford her mortgage, and the last long relationship she was in ended when her fiancée dumped her for someone else. Teaching at Cloverwild, the brand new resort in Clover Lake, at least provides her with room and board for the summer. There’s just one problem: her new roommate and co-teacher is none other than Daphne Love, the woman her fiancée left her for. Getting stuck spending the summer with your ex’s ex is one thing. Falling in love with her? That’s just unimaginable…right?

Prickly Scorpio April Evans finds love in Get Over It, April Evans. And how could she not with a love interest like Daphne Love? I was immediately charmed by the sweet artist who is finding herself over the course of this book. Daphne is a preacher’s daughter and grew up in a very religious, extremely strict family. She went from that to trying to find herself in college to falling in love with Elena, a woman who molded her into what she wanted her to be. Daphne has never had the chance to be herself, learn about herself, and own her true self. I absolutely loved seeing her grow over the course of the story. She’s kind and funny and utterly charming. It’s easy to see how she breaks past April’s defenses.

I admit, I wasn’t too keen on April in the first Clover Lake book, but Ashley Herring Blake made me like her in this one. April has a tough exterior she uses to mask her vulnerable insides. Even though I liked her in this book and I adored April and Daphne together, April for me was the weakest part of the book. She felt somewhat underdrawn in comparison to Daphne or other Herring Blake characters, even by the end. And as much as I loved Daphne, it was a bit hard to fully fall into the story when I didn’t feel the other half of the couple was as well-formed. That being said, I did enjoy their romance overall and was rooting for them every step of the way. The third act test of their relationship was incredibly well done and made the happily ever after all the more satisfying. All in all, I was charmed by Get Over It, April Evans and even though I had some issues with April’s character I found the story entertaining overall.



Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: Free Falling by Jill Shalvis

Free Falling by Jill Shalvis
Series: Colburn Brothers, Book 2
E-Book Publisher: That’s What She Said Publishing, Inc.
Print Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Contemporary Romance 

ISBN: 9781464243929
Release Date: February 3, 2026
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Audible
Jill Shalvis Reading Order

These rivals are stuck with each other…

Retired hockey player Caleb Colburn needs this new construction project to go smoothly to prove he’s earned his place in the family business. There’s only one problem. The architect liaison assigned to the project is Emma Sumner. As in, the woman who made his life a living hell in college. Now, she’s back in town and already breathing down his neck on the job. Worse? She’s only gotten more beautiful.

Emma’s in love with the beautiful historic building they’re renovating. But her feelings toward project manager Caleb definitely lean more toward hate. Not only is the man making her job harder than it needs to be, he’s the one who took everything from her when she was at her most desperate. Not that she’d ever admit it out loud, but she’s never recovered.

Neither is willing to forgive and forget. But forced proximity and surprising common ground have these enemies starting to wonder just how fine the line between love and hate is. A burning mutual attraction adds complications for them both. Will anything be left standing when their secrets are finally revealed?

It’s middle brother Caleb Colburn’s turn to fall in love in Free Falling. And who better for him to fall for than his prickly college rival, Emma Sumner? Both have something to prove but neither can look away from the sparks flying left and right whenever they’re in the same room.

Caleb and Emma have an easy chemistry that is fun to read about. Their rivalry is more one-sided on Emma’s part due, but given her situation it’s easy to understand why she feels the way she does at first. Emma has had it hard. Her talent is there, but one bad thing after another has happened to her. Caleb hasn’t led quite the charmed life Emma thinks, but he’s got his family at his back at least. Caleb is a wonderful hero; sensitive, caring, handsome, and kind. The two of them fit each other well with shared interests and a growing bond that feels organic. That being said, I sat with Free Falling for quite some time, as I had some lingering misgivings that kept me from fully enjoying Emma and Caleb’s romance. While the story is overall light in tone, it touches on heavier subject matter, and for me the balance between the two didn’t always quite come together. Emma is living out of her car, and as someone who works in a location with a high population of people experiencing homelessness, aspects of how her situation was portrayed felt slightly off to me. I appreciated Jill Shalvis’s clear kindness toward Emma as a character, and I recognize that every experience is different (and that this is ultimately a work of fiction). Still, there was something about the portrayal that pulled me out of the story at times. Even after mulling it over for a few weeks, I can’t quite put my finger on it so your mileage may vary.

As with almost every Shalvis novel, there are big personalities outside the main characters to fill in the story. Caleb and Emma’s family and friends are supportive, nosey, and interfering as one might expect. They add fun and chaos to the story and, of course, make me look forward to the next book in the series. Even though I had some misgivings about the story, I still liked Free Falling overall and very much enjoyed Caleb and Emma as a couple.



Disclosure: I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: Best Man with Benefits by Samanthe Beck

Best Man with Benefits by Samanthe Beck
Series: Wedding Dare, Book 4 / McCade Brothers, Book 3
Publisher: Entangled: Brazen
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance 

ISBN: 9781622667291
Source: Publisher / Purchased by Reviewer
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Entangled

How far can one favor go…

Logan McCade arrives at his best friend’s wedding overworked and in desperate need of a vacation, only to discover his best man duties have been…expanded. He must coax Colton’s little sister out of her shell so she doesn’t hide in her room all week. Logan figures he can handle one introverted bridesmaid, but he’s not expecting how much he enjoys “handling” Sophie…or how much she enjoys being handled.

Socializing has never been web designer Sophie Brooks’s strong suit, but she’s determined to shed her wallflower image and embrace the “New Sophie”—a feat made easier with the supremely sexy Logan McCade tempting her to explore all her forbidden fantasies. If she’s not careful, she just might fall for the best man.

Sophie’s sweet, sexy, and delectably awkward demeanor brings much-needed calm to Logan’s hectic life. With the nuptials only days away, Logan is forced to face the possibility that his favor to a friend might have become something else entirely…and that he’s not willing to let Sophie go. Ever.

Best Man with Benefits is a flirty, sexy read. Samanthe Beck’s entry in the Wedding Dare series features best man Logan and bridesmaid/sister of the groom, Sophie. Sophie is an insecure introvert who needs to be coaxed out of her shell. Logan is a longtime friend of her brother who can’t stop seeing Sophie as desirable. Sparks fly and neither tries to resist, which means readers are in for a good time.

Sophie carries a lot of baggage from being a wallflower and having been teased in the past. She finds it hard to believe someone like Logan could really be attracted to her over the other gorgeous bridesmaids. Sophie’s insecurities are a big factor in the story and can threaten to take over but I did like seeing her overcome them and come into her own. Logan is an incredibly appealing hero. He’s overworked and stressed with it, but Sophie gives him a reason to take time, slow down, and appreciate life. They have fantastic chemistry and Beck keeps the heat turned up with these two. The result is a deliciously sensual romance that has a lot of heart because Logan and Sophie are so likeable and watching trust and love build between them was delightful.

Best Man with Benefits is part of both the Wedding Dare and McCade Brothers series but it can easily be read as a standalone. I liked seeing the other characters move in and out of the story without stealing the spotlight from our hero and heroine. All in all, Sophie and Logan’s story was a highly entertaining read. Their chemistry was perfect, the romance both sensual and sweet, and the happily ever after was satisfying.



Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I also purchased a copy of my own. Neither affects my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Best Books of 2025

2026 has fluttered in like a freshly opened hardcover—pages crisp, spine unbroken, and possibilities tucked into every chapter. Before I race off toward shiny new releases, towering TBR stacks, and the inevitable comfort re-reads, it’s time to pause, dog-ear the past, and look back on my 2025 year in books.

Over the course of the year, I read 68 books, including a handful of beloved re-reads that felt like curling up with old friends—familiar, comforting, and just as magical as ever. I also took a chance on 27 debut or new-to-me authors, discovering several absolute gems whose backlists are now whispering my name from the shelves. While I’m setting aside the A to Z Reading Challenge after sixteen years in favor of a little more reading freedom, 2025 was still a year full of delightful surprises, unexpected favorites, and plenty of bookish joy worth revisiting.

Just like last year, I’m once again sorting my top reads into two carefully curated stacks: Best Books of 2025 (Published in 2025) and Best Books of 2025 (Published in Years Prior). Every book on this list was a first-time read—otherwise a few much-loved authors and perennial comfort books would simply take up permanent residence on my year-end roundup. To keep things fair (and to save myself from endlessly reshuffling the list), the books are alphabetized by author. Any other approach might have had me second-guessing every choice until 2027, and I’d much rather spend that time discovering a new favorite book

Best Books of 2025 (Published in 2025)

The Austen Affair by Madeline Bell

My Review

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Archangel’s Ascension (Guild Hunter, Book 17) by Nalini Singh

My Review

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

Best Books of 2025 (Published in years prior)

Hollow (A Gothic Shade of Romance, Book 1) by Karina Halle

My Review

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

Murder in Highbury (Emma Knightley Mysteries, Book 1) by Vanessa Kelly

My Review

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, Book 1) by Rebecca Yarros

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

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2026 New (to me) Author Challenge

I've done this challenge for the past fifteen years and discovered some amazing authors along the way (not hard to believe since I've read 726 debut/new-to-me authors in that time). It's fun for me to look back on these lists, especially when I see authors who are now auto-buys for me.


The Challenge: Read 10 or more books this year by authors you’ve never read before.
Dates: January 1, 2026 - December 31, 2026

My list:

1. Author: Ken Cuperus
Title: Mistletoe Murders

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Books I've Read in 2026

For the past sixteen years I've kept track of the books I read and it's been quite a fun project. I read so much that everything tends to blend together in my mental library and it's fun to look back and see what I've I've read, loved, and want to re-read (and - on the rare occasion - want to avoid). Plus, it's great to share and compare lists with other book bloggers.

This list is only of books and novellas I've read and finished (though if I read an entire anthology, I list only the anthology title). The books are listed in the order I read them and if I write a review for a book I link it here as well.

There are sure to be many wonderful stories on the list, but the ones with a ** by them are ones I highly recommend.

1. Illicit (The Wrong Alpha, Book 3) by Alessandra Hazard
2. Expert (The Wrong Alpha, Book 4) by Alessandra Hazard
3. Forbidden (The Wrong Alpha, Book 5) by Alessandra Hazard
4. Undone (The Wrong Alpha, Book 6) by Alessandra Hazard
5. Best Man with Benefits (Wedding Dare, Book 4 / McCade Brothers, Book 3) by Samanthe Beck
6. A Body, a Baron, and Miss Mifford (Regency Murder & Marriage, Book 4) by Claudia Stone
7. Mistletoe Murders by Ken Cuperus
8. Chasing Alex by Riley Shane (re-read) **
9. Two-Man Advantage (Seattle Marauders, Book 1) by Riley Shane (re-read) **
10. Free Falling (Colburn Brothers, Book 2) by Jill Shalvis
11. Mistletoe Murders 2 by Ken Cuperus
12. In the Penalty Box (Seattle Marauders, Book 2) by Riley Shane (re-read) **
13. Get Over It, April Evans (Clover Lake, Book 2) by Ashley Herring Blake

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Review: The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet by Lindz McLeod

The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet by Lindz McLeod
Series: Austentatious, Book 1
Publisher: Carina Adores
Genre: Female/Female Historical Romance 

ISBN: 9781335928269
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

When Mr. Collins dies after just four years of marriage, Charlotte is lost. While not exactly heartbroken, she will soon have to quit the parsonage that has become her home. In desperate need of support, she writes to her best friend, Lizzie. Unable to leave Pemberley, Lizzie sends her sister Mary Bennet in her stead.

To Charlotte’s surprise, Mary Bennet is nothing like she remembers. Mary’s discovery of academia and her interest in botany (as well as getting out from under her mother’s thumb) have caused her to flourish. Before long, Charlotte is enraptured, and with each stolen glance and whispered secret, their friendship quickly blossoms into something achingly real.

But when her time at the parsonage begins to dwindle and a potential suitor appears, Charlotte must make a choice—the safety and security of another husband, or a passionate life with Mary outside the confines of the ton’s expectations.

The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet is a slow-burn romance between a widowed Charlotte Collins (née Lucas) and her best friend’s sister, Mary Bennet. Author Lindz McLeod continues the story of two of the more wallflower-ish supporting characters of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice in a charming story of love and growth.

Charlotte has always done what was expected of her, mindful that though loved she is a burden on her family. Marriage to Mr. Collins was supposed to fix that, but when he dies four years into their marriage, Charlotte is adrift. She can either remarry to secure her future or return home to her parents and the same existence she was drifting through for years. When her best friend is unable to leave Pemberley, she sends her younger sister, Mary. What I liked best about this story was how McLeod truly makes Mary feel like an older version of Austen’s character. She’s different, mature, and has come into her own but in a way that felt natural. Mary has blossomed having left Longbourn to stay with a relative and she sparks something in Charlotte that the woman has long repressed.

Charlotte and Mary make an excellent couple. They shine when they are among people who listen to and appreciate them for who they are. I really liked seeing Charlotte come out of her shell and to be respected by people for her knowledge and skills. But will Charlotte upend what is expected of her, what duty and society has drilled into her? Or will she take a chance on a forbidden love with the enchanting Mary Bennet? As this is a romance, I doubt it will surprise readers which track Charlotte takes, but it’s the journey not just the destination we read for. And the journey is sweet, if a little slow for my taste. As much as I liked Charlotte and Mary together, the middle of the book did drag for me. The writing didn’t pull me in as much as I would have liked and I kept putting the story down, not because it was bad but because it didn’t pull at me. Still, The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet is a lovely romance overall and the ending was a satisfying one for our two heroines.



Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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