Review: Soon by You by Dahlia Adler

Soon by You by Dahlia Adler
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Contemporary Romance 

ISBN: 9781250411884
Source: Publisher
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Arielle Becker is one hora away from a meltdown. After one too many bridesmaid gigs—complete with Spanx, heels, and hideous dresses—she’s officially over love and its overpriced trappings. Especially when they keep coming with the same smug, judgmental wedding singer.

Judah Klein is New York’s go-to Modern Orthodox wedding singer and most eligible bachelor. Years of failed setups have left him jaded, until repeated clashes with a fiery bridesmaid wake him right up. But when snarks turn to sparks, and fights turn to feelings, things get complicated.

Arielle is not a girl who settles down. And Judah is not a guy who hooks up. So why does walking away feel impossible?

Soon by You is a Modern Orthodox romcom whose premise had me hooked. Dahlia Adler wove themes of religion, community, and embracing your true self into this romance which I found incredibly appealing.

I liked that Ari was unabashedly herself and that didn’t conflict with her faith. What I didn’t love was the constant judgment Ari faces for embracing her sexuality. I understood why it was there but it felt like it overwhelmed the story at times and then didn’t feel fully resolved. Judah is a wildly popular wedding singer whose star is on the rise, but he’s still finding himself. He thinks he knows what he wants but then he and Ari clash at a wedding and he starts questioning his views on dating, marriage, and attraction. I liked that Judah was on the asexual spectrum but wanted to explore his character a bit more outside that.

There’s a lot of push-pull in Ari and Judah’s romance, mostly because of what others think about them. Judah is on a pedestal and Ari’s reputation is constantly being trashed. It felt a bit dragged out and repetitive at times, and the story slowed because of it. I wanted a bit more of them as people and the story focused a lot on sexual chemistry. Normally I’d be fine with that if the attraction sizzled on the page, but in this case it was just OK. Without the palpable tension, I felt like I was missing just a bit more depth from the main characters.

The Jewish representation in this book is excellent and Adler gives a great look at the dating and wedding scene in the Modern Orthodox community in New York. As someone who is Jewish (though not Orthodox) I felt like some of the supporting characters could be people I know (and that’s in ways both good and bad, which is a point in the book’s favor for realism). The star of the show for me was Judah’s brother, Akiva, who I’d gladly read a book about – to me he had more personality and was more interesting than either of the main characters. As for the rest of Judah and Ari’s friends, frenemies, and acquaintances, they ranged from pleasant to annoyingly judgmental and most of them didn’t make much of an impact.

Soon by You is a hard book for me to review because I wanted to love it – an Ashkenazi Modern Orthodox romance was a breath of fresh air. But the romance didn’t hook me like I wanted it to. The book did pick up steam in the latter half of the story but overall I ended up just liking it.



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: There’s Something Fishy About My Boyfriend by Gloria Duke

There’s Something Fishy About My Boyfriend by Gloria Duke
Series: Jersey Shore Merman, Book 1
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Paranormal Romance 

ISBN: 9781464242342
Source: Publisher
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GYM. TAN. MERMAN. Welcome to the Jersey Shore, where the men are hot, the sun is sizzling, and the boardwalk’s seen it all…until now.

After years of living on the Shore, Hannah Bell is sure two things are true:
    1. The family B&B is her future.
    2. Men like Xander—mysterious, charming, and un-freaking-believably gorgeous—do not just wash up like some kind of sexy flotsam.

But when Xander appears mostly-naked and half-conscious in the surf, Hannah does what any sane, kind-hearted woman would do: hauls him into her bed. Her bed and breakfast, that is. It’s only polite. But her one act of seaside charity goes sideways fast when her new perennially topless “guest” starts fixing leaky faucets with a wink, charming her with fishy dad jokes, and casually revealing that—oh yeah—he's a freakin’ merman.

Not only that, but he’s the merman who rescued her a decade ago and then ghosted her like an enchanted Tinder date gone wrong. Rude.

As Hannah reels from revelations and Xander tries to stay one step ahead of the secrets lurking beneath the tide, they’ll need to figure out if their surfside chemistry is just a summer fling... or the start of something truly fin-tastic.

There’s Something Fishy About My Boyfriend drew me in with its fin-tastic premise and the promise of a cute and fluffy romance between a human and a merman. However, once the hook lost its allure the book kind of flopped about.

Puns aside, I wanted to like Gloria Duke’s first Jersey Shore Merman story. It sounded campy and fun and parts of it were, but mostly it fell flat. Hannah is sadly just fine as a heroine. Ever since her near drowning as a teenager she has stuck close to home. She’s running her family’s bed and breakfast but it’s clearly not her passion. Then Xander washes up on the Jersey shoreline and turns her world upside down. Xander is a nearly perfect hero. He’s a hunky merman who is great with his hands in more ways than one. I liked that he and Hannah had corny dad jokes going back and forth, but I wanted depth from him and there was none. I didn’t really feel the chemistry between Xander and Hannah either. There was nothing wrong with them as a couple, but nothing truly drew me in either.

There’s Something Fishy About My Boyfriend isn’t as catchy as its title and for all that Duke throws in a lot about saving the town from developers, hunters out for Xander, and both hero and heroine grappling with duty versus desire, the story overall falls flat. A mid-size cast of supporting characters didn’t help much as they were all caricatures who added very little to the story for all that there were themes of community supposedly present. Even for a fluffy romcom, this story could have used more depth. This is apparently the first book in a duology and there really isn’t enough to support two books worth of plot. The rather lackluster bulk of the book could have used more of the action rather than shoving it all in at the end in an inorganic manner. Overall, even though There’s Something Fishy About My Boyfriend has some bright and fluffy spots, it was a miss for me and I’m not inspired to read the sequel.



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: Falling Into You by Jill Shalvis

Falling Into You by Jill Shalvis
Series: Colburn Brothers, Book 3
E-Book Publisher: That’s What She Said Publishing, Inc.
Print Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Contemporary Romance 

ISBN: 9781464261060
Release Date: July 14, 2026
Source: Author
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Jill Shalvis Reading Order

Some love stories don’t stay buried, no matter how far you run.

Hazel Pierce has three goals for coming back to Star Falls:
1. Help her estranged dad.
2. Keep things strictly temporary.
3. Absolutely, under no circumstances, fall for Tucker Colburn again.

That plan dies a dramatic, soggy death when a rogue wasp sting sends Hazel swerving off the road and into the river—only to be hauled out, half-drowned and furious, by the Star Falls Fire Department’s finest. Unfortunately, “finest” is ex–best friend, ex–one-night mistake, and the man she’s been avoiding for a decade.

Tucker’s always had a way of getting into her head. And now between a family that thrives on gossip and a town that’s way too small for all this chemistry, Hazel’s running out of ways to avoid the truth. As sparks turn into late-night confessions and slow, toe-curling kisses, Hazel has to decide if she’s done running—from her past, from this town, and from the only man who’s ever made her feel like home. And Tucker has to prove that this time, he’s not just her safe place to crash—he’s her always.

The final Colburn and the one who got away finally get their happily ever after in Falling Into You. Tucker and Hazel have been circling each other since she returned to Star Falls, the unspoken tension simmering in the background. Can these two ex-best friends get their second chance at happily ever after?

Falling Into You is a bit difficult for me to review. On its surface, it’s a fine read. Tucker is handsome, caring, and honestly perfect. He’s a dreamy, modern-day Prince Charming and it’s easy to see why he’s impossible to resist. Hazel has trouble believing in unconditional love. She’s stubborn (sometimes to a ridiculous degree) and has walls so high Tucker will need climbing gear. If this were my first Jill Shalvis book, I’d probably enjoy it a lot more than I did. The issue I had with this story is it’s very repetitive and echoes of so many of Shalvis’s past books are present in this story. There’s falling into comfortable, enjoyable patterns from an author you enjoy and there’s a feeling of copy/paste. Nothing in this book really stood out to me, save for the rather messy and unnecessary dramatic twists in the third act. In all honesty, Tucker and Hazel’s story may have worked better as a novella; the plot was stretched too thin.

As is expected in Shalvis’s work, boisterous secondary characters with no boundaries are everywhere, pushing Hazel and Tucker to work out their issues. I enjoy the Colburn family, but they pulled focus a lot in this book in ways that highlighted the weakness in the main characters’ character development. All in all, Falling Into You is a light and breezy read, even though it touches on heavier themes. I wish I had connected with the story and the characters more, but ultimately for me this wasn’t one of Shalvis’s more compelling reads.



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: The Final Target by Nora Roberts

The Final Target by Nora Roberts
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Romantic Suspense 

ISBN: 9781250413581
Source: Publisher
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He showed up at Arden Bowie’s debut author appearance with a copy of her novel and an eager smile. He showered her with compliments and got her autograph. Then he came to her next event. And the one after that.

Dustin was just an aspiring writer who wanted advice, Arden reassured herself. But after giving in to one of his incessant invitations and chatting with him over coffee, she discovered that ignoring her inner alarm bell had been a terrible mistake…

An introvert at heart, Arden had long craved solitude—but now, after a harrowing assault, she finds herself hiding behind locked doors and startling at every sound. And her relief at his imprisonment is tempered by anxiety when Dustin’s wealthy mother helps to get him a paltry five-year sentence at a psychiatric facility.

Arden decides to write a new story for herself, moving to a tiny Oregon town and befriending Gideon, an ex-LAPD detective. But while she learns to thrive, Dustin remains his delusional, twisted self, as fixated as ever and now seething with anger. He still believes Arden's purpose on earth is to serve and please him. And his job is to protect her. But who will protect her from him?

With its survivor heroine, protective hero, and despicable villain, The Final Target is classic Nora Roberts romantic suspense. It’s the tale of Arden Bowie, a young author who survived a stalker and didn’t let his attack destroy her. With the help of her family, she healed, moved forward in life, and now she and her dog have moved to Oregon to get a fresh start. Said start involves a new home, new friends to go with her beloved family close by, and a handsome ex-cop who’s good with his hands. But underneath the joy in her life, Arden knows the clock is ticking. Dustin, the violent stalker, was only given five years and his release date is coming up…and his obsession with Arden never ended.

If you’re familiar with Roberts’s books, it won’t surprise you that this one has a healthy dose of home renovation, cooking and gathering with friends and family, and adorable dogs. While this story doesn’t offer something dramatically different, it’s highly enjoyable. Arden, Gideon, and their loved ones are delightful and I enjoyed spending time with them. The romance between Gideon and Arden is understated but lovely. The two of them fit each other extremely well and it was easy to see how their lives just slid together.

On the opposite end of the spectrum from our protagonists we have Dustin, who is – as one might expect – a monster. He’s selfish, cruel, misogynistic, delusional, and violent. His fixation on Arden is what adds the suspense to the romantic suspense, so even if his point of view chapters made my skin crawl there wouldn’t be a story without him. All in all, The Final Target is a solid romantic suspense that will keep you engaged from beginning to end.



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: The Last Lady B by Eloisa James

The Last Lady B by Eloisa James
Publisher: Gallery Books
Genre: Historical Romance 

ISBN: 9781668200056
Release Date: May 12, 2026
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
Eloisa James Reading Order

In the depths of winter, Lady Genevieve Hughes, her pet piglet, and her septuagenarian husband travel to a haunted abbey in the Scottish Highlands. Evie is excited to meet a ghost (perhaps one of her husband’s three previous wives), but didn’t expect the funny, quirky guests to become the friends she’s never had. And she certainly didn’t imagine meeting Sir Godric Everly, a sardonic, witty solicitor who loathes her husband.

Yet as secrets and lies turn Evie’s world upside down, Sir Godric becomes the one person whom she can trust.

When ghosts, multiple wills, and a shocking marriage certificate bring Lord Burnsby’s past crashing into his present, Burnsby promptly dies, leaving Evie free to remarry…though as a virgin wife, now a virgin widow, she is more unnerved by the marriage bed than a spectral visit.

More importantly, she has to figure out whose identity is false, whose vows are dishonorable, whose truths could destroy her reputation—and where her heart belongs.

A haunted abbey, a pet piglet, more shocking secrets than you could shake a stick at, and a hero who is most decidedly not the heroine’s husband… Eloisa James packs The Last Lady B full of interesting twists and turns. It’s both an ode to romcoms and gothic romance, which sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t, but at least it’s not boring.

Evie married Lord Burnsby in order to secure her sister’s future. It was an unromantic decision and she doesn’t care that she’s the third wife of the lackluster septuagenarian. That is, until she arrives at his Scottish abbey and finds his mistress, some ghosts, a stepdaughter and sister-in-law who have been neglected, and more. If that wasn’t enough of a shock, Evie meets Sir Godric Everly, a handsome solicitor who makes Evie yearn for a marriage that would not be in name only.

The Last Lady B is filled with supporting characters who have a lot of personality, and I enjoyed watching Evie form a family out of this not-so-ragtag group of abbey residents and visitors. Godric is strong, protective, and handsome, and I wish I felt like I learned more about him over the course of the story. I liked him and Evie together, but the chemistry wasn’t as strong as what I’m used to from James’s characters.

There’s a lot going on in the story but the interesting part is watching the twists and turns unspool so I won’t spoil them. And James packs a lot of twists in one story. The overall tone of the book is light and quirky, sometimes leaning into silliness that didn’t work for me (though your mileage may vary). The tone is sometimes at odds with the darker aspects of the story and I felt like some seriousness could have been injected into those parts rather than things being waved away at times.

The Last Lady B was an uneven read for me. I liked that James took some big swings, even though they didn’t always hit. Overall it was an interesting read, even if it’s not my favorite of the author’s work.



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: Archangel’s Eternity by Nalini Singh

Archangel’s Eternity by Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter, Book 18
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy 

ISBN: 9780593550052
Release Date: May 5, 2026
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
Nalini Singh Reading Order

A thousand years.

It’s been a millennium since Elena’s fateful first meeting with Archangel Raphael. She has survived war and loss, experienced beauty and cruelty. But no matter what, she has always held on to her mortal heart, as she and Raphael have held on to each other. Passionate and vibrant, they’ve built a life that has stood the test of time, growing ever stronger with each turn of the sun.

But change is coming—of a magnitude they could have never imagined—and it will forever alter the trajectory of their existence.

Even as they grapple with the cataclysmic shift in their personal lives, the Cadre of Ten, which has maintained a hard-won peace for centuries, begins to simmer with dangerous fault lines. The specter of madness looms in one archangel, the promise of war burns between two others, and in darkness far from mortal and immortal eyes stirs an ancient, slumbering power.

Suddenly, the future is terrifyingly uncertain…at the very moment that Elena and her archangel need to protect a treasure infinitely more precious than eternity.

It’s been a thousand years since a human Guild Hunter crossed swords with an enigmatic archangel. Neither Elena nor Raphael could have imagined the turns their lives have taken since that first meeting. And readers, since first picking up Angels’ Blood, could not have guessed the wild ride Nalini Singh would take them on through eighteen full-length novels. Archangel’s Eternity brings the Guild Hunter series to a close in a sweet, satisfying way.

While there have been many wonderful characters and romances throughout this series, Raphael and Elena are at the heart of it all, so it’s fitting that the series end with them. I enjoyed seeing how their love has grown and stays strong over not just decades but a millennium. Now they have a new adventure to face and though it’s not hard to guess what that is, I’ll leave it for readers to discover. Suffice it to say that it’s delightful and brings them new challenges and even greater happiness.

Archangel’s Eternity is light on plot, serving mostly as a love letter to the series and the vast and varied cast of characters Singh brought to life. There is some tension with a potential war brewing between two archangels and simmering madness in another, but nothing like what we’ve seen throughout this series. I admit, the first half of the book was slow for me. As much as I adore all the characters, the step-by-step visits felt a little. Things did pick up in the latter half of the story; it brimmed with life, love, and even a few moments that made me tear up. All in all, I found this to be a lovely end to the Guild Hunter series. Singh started the series with blood and ends it with joy; a wonderful bow to tie up all the angels, vampires, and other beings readers have come to know and love.

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: Tentacles & Triathlons by Ashley Bennett

Tentacles & Triathlons by Ashley Bennett
Series: Leviathan Fitness, Book 2
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Male/Male Erotic Monster Romance 

ISBN: 9780593956991
Release Date: June 9, 2026
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

There is only one thing holding back Briar Glenn Parks Department supervisor Reece Rollins from success in his upcoming triathlon—his subpar swimming skills. At the urging of his sister’s wolven mate, Reece joins Leviathan Fitness to train in the gym’s Olympic-size pool. There he meets Cyrus, a charming kraken with unparalleled skill in the pool, and many, many tentacles that both intimidate and intrigue Reece. When Cyrus offers to coach Reece for his race, he happily accepts the help.

For the past few months, Cyrus has been floating through life without his usual spark. He’s even hit a creative block with his painting and hasn’t been able to produce a new piece of artwork in a while. But the opportunity to train this handsome human grump gives Cyrus something real to smile about.

New and unexpected feelings begin to arise from the depths as Reece and Cyrus start to spend time together in and out of the water. But can both men let down their guards enough to be swept away by love?

Tentacles & Triathlons is a super sweet and sexy monster romance. Ashley Bennett’s second Leviathan Fitness novel is a fated mates love story between a kraken and a human.

Cyrus is centuries old and has lost his spark. He hasn’t been inspired to paint, he has friends but feels a bit lonely, and he’s watched his best friend fall in love while worrying he’ll never find that for himself. Then he meets Reece, his best friend’s soon-to-be brother-in-law and all three of Cyrus’s hearts awaken. Cyrus is a sweetheart with a naughty side. He’s easy to like and he’ll do anything for those he loves.

Reece has never been comfortable around monsters and Cyrus is unique even among the unusual, which makes for an awkward first encounter. Reece has issues he’s trying to work through and he’s making a real effort to not be so standoffish. He’s training for a triathlon and needs help with the swimming portion so he accepts Cyrus’s offer to train him. Cyrus is everything Reece has ever needed and never knew he wanted. I liked that Reece had to work at lowering his guards. His attraction to Cyrus helped with that and I enjoyed seeing them fall in love. Cyrus is patient and giving and Reece learns to open up and enjoys showing care for Cyrus in return. The two of them fit one another and their love story was low on drama, which worked for this tale.

Tentacles & Triathlons is a super sweet story that thankfully Bennett kept from becoming saccharine. There’s a lot of tentacle play for monster lovers to enjoy and the spice balances well with the sweetness. It’s a fluffy story with one perfect hero and one work in progress hero who’s really trying. Muscles & Monsters, the first Leviathan Fitness book, wasn’t for me, but Cyrus and Reece’s romance was a lot more entertaining and made me curious to explore the series further.



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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