The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez

Two years after losing her fiancé, Sloan Monroe still can't seem to get her life back on track. But one trouble-making pup with a "take me home" look in his eyes is about to change everything. With her new pet by her side, Sloan finally starts to feel more like herself. Then, after weeks of unanswered texts, Tucker's owner reaches out. He's a musician on tour in Australia. And bottom line: He wants Tucker back.

Well, Sloan's not about to give up her dog without a fight. But what if this Jason guy really loves Tucker? As their flirty texts turn into long calls, Sloan can't deny a connection. Jason is hot and nice and funny. There's no telling what could happen when they meet in person. The question is: With his music career on the rise, how long will Jason really stick around? And is it possible for Sloan to survive another heartbreak?

From the USA Today bestselling author of The Friend Zone comes an adorable and fresh romantic comedy about one trouble-making dog who brings together two perfect strangers.

Paperback, 400 pages

Published April 14, 2020

 by Forever

4/5 stars

This is book 2 in The Friend Zone series, which started with The Friend Zone.  You can get away without reading it first but I still recommend it.

The Happy Ever After Playlist is a story of healing and new beginnings.    It's been 2 years since tragedy struck Sloan's life.  Is she ready to move on, open her heart again?  While there is no set time limit on grief, taking that first step is the hardest. 

With the help of Tucker, the doggie, this was a fun read with Jimenez's usual wit, banter and heart. I enjoyed being along side Sloan on this journey as she rediscovers herself and imagines a future for herself.

Coming in at 400 pages, it might have felt a be long but worth it.

This book was part of my 2026 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge, #11

Cinderella and the Beast by Kim Bussing

What would happen if Cinderella found herself in the beast's castle, and Beauty woke up in some evil stepmother's home? Fairy tales meet Freaky Friday in this series, where there’s a magical mix-up for every princess!

Ella’s spent her life dreaming about adventure, but it’s hard to have adventures when you’re stuck with a stepfamily who treat you like a servant. When she unexpectedly wakes up in a land far, far away, she’s thrilled at the chance to embark on an epic quest. That is, until she finds herself trapped once more—this time in the castle of a dangerous beast.

Belle, meanwhile, has plans. Her family’s trading company is on the brink of ruin, and to save it, she’s going to enter—and win—a royal competition in the prince’s honor. But when she unexpectedly winds up in a cellar with a wicked stepfamily who have their own plans to keep her from the competition . . . things get complicated.

Happily-ever-after couldn’t feel farther away. Can Ella escape the beast’s clutches? And can Belle get rid of this stepfamily in time for the competition?

For other Princess Swaps, don't miss Snow White and the Dragon (or, Sleeping Beauty and the Seven Dwarfs)!

Paperback, 304 pages

Published January 7, 2025

 by Random House Books for Young Readers

3/5

The Princess Swap: Cinderella and the Beast  takes two familiar fairy tales and gives them a fun twist, swapping Cinderella and Belle into each other’s stories. It’s unique, kind of a fairy tale Freaky Friday.

The Princess Swap is a story of stepping into someone else's shoes, its challenging and a story of how courage looks different for everyone.  Overall, this was a light, easy read with a clever twist on classic fairy tales. 

There were some fun moments watching Belle and Ella as they suddenly find themselves in completely different worlds.  But I gotta say the closeness of their names got to me a bunch of times, had to rethink where and who I was with.  It's  a nice fit for younger reads - yea you should really know the original fairy tales to get the full effect.

This book was part of my 2026 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge. #4

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

It's 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer. She devises a plan get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street.

Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.

With characters as captivating as those in her internationally bestselling novel Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys skillfully creates a rich story of secrets, lies, and the haunting reminder that decisions can shape our destiny.

Paperback, 348 pages

Published February 12, 2013

 by Philomel Books

4/5 stars

Out of the Easy is my 2nd book by Ruta Sepetys, Between Shades of Gray was my first, which I loved. Departing from WW2 this one is set in 1950s New Orleans, a city teaming with secrets. 

This story follows Josie Moraine, a seventeen-year-old determined to carve out a life beyond what’s expected of her as the daughter of a courtesan. She is driven and ambition, while also loyal and caring, a character I rooted for. Though a suspicious death, she finds herself pulled deeper into a world she’s trying to escape.

Having been to New Orleans myself, I already had a strong sense and visual of the area, which made the setting feel even more vivid. 

Out of the Easy is a story of secrets, ambition and the pull between where you come from and where you want to go. It highlights how the choices we make can shape our future, even when the odds feel stacked against us. An enjoyable read by an author I really need to read more of.

This book was part of my 2026 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge, #9

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely travelling further than the pantry of his hobbit-hole in Bag End.

But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard, Gandalf, and a company of thirteen dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an unexpected journey ‘there and back again’. They have a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon…

The prelude to The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit has sold many millions of copies since its publication in 1937, establishing itself as one of the most beloved and influential books of the twentieth century.

Hardcover, 317 pages

Audiobook, 10 hours, 29 minutes

Published November 8, 2012

 by HarperCollins

3.5/5 stars

The Hobbit has been on my radar (and my tbr shelf) for years. Listening to the advice of my off spring and glowing comments I dived into this hybrid read.  Andy Serkis did an amazing job of narrating The Hobbit - he also does The Lord of the Rings books.

It did take a little bit to adjust to the language and the fantasy elements, things like trolls, dwarves and keeping track of all the names and places. But once I settled into the story, I really enjoyed the adventure.

Bilbo is a wonderful character to follow as he is pulled out of his quiet life and takes a journey far beyond anything he imagined. Along the way there are plenty of encounters that make this story feel like a classic quest.

I used to say fantasy isn't a genre i read alot of, but these days I feel that I read plenty.  And this was a fun read.  My print copy had illustrations which had nice visuals. 

My print copy was part of my 2026 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge (#7)

 and the audiobook purchase via Audible

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez

Kristen Petersen doesn't do drama, will fight to the death for her friends, and has no room in her life for guys who just don't get her. She's also keeping a big secret: facing a medically necessary procedure that will make it impossible for her to have children.

Planning her best friend's wedding is bittersweet for Kristen -- especially when she meets the best man, Josh Copeland. He's funny, sexy, never offended by her mile-wide streak of sarcasm, and always one chicken enchilada ahead of her hangry. Even her dog, Stuntman Mike, adores him. The only catch: Josh wants a big family someday. Kristen knows he'd be better off with someone else, but as their attraction grows, it's harder and harder to keep him at arm's length.

Paperback, 384 pages

Published June 11, 2019

 by Forever

3/5 stars

I first discovered Abby Jimenez a few books ago and quickly became a fan.  Her witty banter, fun characters, heartfelt stories and there is always a dog to round things out nicely.   So I was curious to read her back list and started with The Friend Zone and am pretty sure this is her debut.

Again I was treated to all the things I mentioned already.  Her characters are engaging and she has a way of mixing humour with emotional moments.  There is always a strong and relevant message given also.

That being said, this one didn't hit the same level for me as some of her later books.  I still enjoyed the story overall but found parts of it felt a bit repetitive and some of the secrets were drawn out longer than necessary.

Even with that it was an enjoyable read and nice to read Jimenez's earlier works.  I have already finished book 2 in this series, The Happy Ever After Playlist.  That review is coming in a couple days.

This book was part of my 2026 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge, #8

What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez

The Mummy meets Death on the Nile in What the River Knows, Isabel Ibañez's lush, immersive historical fantasy set in Egypt and filled with adventure, a rivals-to-lovers romance, and a dangerous race.

Bolivian-Argentinian Inez Olivera belongs to the glittering upper society of nineteenth century Buenos Aires, and like the rest of the world, the town is steeped in old world magic that's been largely left behind or forgotten. Inez has everything a girl might want, except for the one thing she yearns the most: her globetrotting parents-who frequently leave her behind.

When she receives word of their tragic deaths, Inez inherits their massive fortune and a mysterious guardian, an archeologist in partnership with his Egyptian brother-in-law. Yearning for answers, Inez sails to Cairo, bringing her sketch pads and a golden ring her father sent to her for safekeeping before he died. But upon her arrival, the old world magic tethered to the ring pulls her down a path where she soon discovers there's more to her parent's disappearance than what her guardian led her to believe.

With her guardian's infuriatingly handsome assistant thwarting her at every turn, Inez must rely on ancient magic to uncover the truth about her parent's disappearance-or risk becoming a pawn in a larger game that will kill her.

Hardcover, 404 pages

Published October 31, 2023

 by Wednesday Books

3.5/5 stars

This was my first time reading Isabel Ibañez, the Egyptian setting is what drew me in along with the cover.  I was lucky enough a number of years ago, while on a Mediterranean cruise, to stop in Alexandria. Being able to experience even a small part of the country, seeing the landscape, learning about its history and even walking through some pyramids made this setting feel a little more real. It definitely added to my reading experience.

Inez was an interesting character, grieving the loss of her parents she impulsively boards a ship for Egypt looking for answers. What she gets me more questions, adventure and betrayal.  

What the River Knows was an interesting read, a tad slow at times.  But the mystery, unreliable characters, history and some magical realism kept me reading. The dynamic between Inez and her guardian's assistant was entertaining, especially with his mysterious past.

Overall this was an intriguing start to a duology.  Knowing this was the first book I didn't go in expecting full disclosure, but more of an introduction.  It definitely left me curious to see what comes next.

This book was part of my 2026 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge. #13

One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

Good things happen at the lake. That’s what Alice’s grandmother says, and it’s true. Alice spent just one summer there at a cottage with Nan when she was seventeen—it’s where she took that photo, the one of three grinning teenagers in a yellow speedboat, the image that changed her life.

Now Alice lives behind a lens. As a photographer, she’s most comfortable on the sidelines, letting other people shine. Lately though, she’s been itching for something more, and when Nan falls and breaks her hip, Alice comes up with a plan for them both: another summer in that magical place, Barry’s Bay. But as soon as they settle in, their peace is disrupted by the roar of a familiar yellow boat, and the man driving it.

Charlie Florek was nineteen when Alice took his photo from afar. Now he’s all grown up—a shameless flirt, who manages to make Nan laugh and Alice long to be seventeen again, when life was simpler, when taking pictures was just for fun. Sun-slanted days and warm nights out on the lake with Charlie are a balm for Alice’s soul, but when she looks up and sees his piercing green gaze directly on her, she begins to worry for her heart.

Because Alice sees people—that’s why she is so good at what she does—but she’s never met someone who looks and sees her right back.

Paperback, 401 pages

Published May 6, 2025

 by Berkley

4.5/5 stars

Canadian author Carley Fortune is an auto-read for me.  One Golden Summer released last year so yea I am a little behind, had to get this in before her new release next month.

The thing with this author is that she gets summer.  There is the cottage setting, the lake and slower pace.  I love that her books are set in Canada, mostly Ontario.  Seeing familiar places adds to the charm.

To aid in the recovery of her Nan, Alice takes her to a cottage in Barry's Bay.  A place that has history with her family.  Alice reflects about her time there as a teen.  This is where Charlie enters the picture, he might not remember her but she sure remembers him.

I liked each of the characters, Nan gave some nice comical relief, Charlie...well he was easy to like.  And Alice as she slowly comes out of her shell.  There is secrets for each of time and watching them come to light was an emotional journey.

I won't say too much about the plot about suffice that One Golden Summer is a story of healing, family, memories and realising you are stronger then you think.  I think my favorite by this author....so far.

This book was part of my 2026 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge.  #3

The Girl Upstairs by Jessica R. Patch

She bought this house to save her marriage. Unearthing its secrets might just claim her life.

Gwen McDaniel’s life is broken. But she knows the perfect place to fix it. Cold Harbor, Maine, an idyllic small town with views of Acadia National Park, is where she used to vacation with her parents as a child. Here, she and Steven can start over, renovating their cliff-side fixer-upper while patching up their marriage. Soon, everything will be better.

Except from the moment they arrive, Gwen sees and hears things, and it’s more than just the drafts and shadows that are part of any old house. Steven downplays her fears, warning her not to fixate on problems as she has in the past. But Gwen spent years as a homicide detective, and her instincts don’t lie. Something happened here. Proof comes when she rips up the attic’s carpet to discover a chilling message carved into the wood underneath.

As Gwen delves into the history of the house and the Cold Harbor community, she begins to piece the fragments together. And gradually, a terrifying picture A missing girl. A house of horrors. And a dark, decades-old nightmare that is more haunting than Gwen ever imagined…

Kindle Edition, 381 pages

Expected publication April 28, 2026

 by Love Inspired Trade

4/5 stars

I’ve only read one book by Jessica R. Patch before, Her Darkest Secret, which I loved. So I went into The Girl Upstairs with high expectations. Thankfully, this one delivered another suspenseful and engaging read.

From the start there’s an eerie, unsettling atmosphere with a house that practically feels like a character itself. The spooky vibe is strong throughout, and it really kept me on edge wondering what was going on behind the scenes.

I’ll admit it took me a little while to get fully engaged. The beginning felt somewhat slow, and there were quite a few characters to keep track of, which made it a bit harder to settle in. But once I hit the halfway mark I was completely hooked. From that point on, I couldn’t stop reading. I needed to know how everything was going to come together.  

The Girl Upstairs is a creepy, suspense filled read that rewarded my patience. Rather then just a love story (it is published by Love Inspired Trade after all), it is a suspense mystery with many layers.  And to top it off it had a conclusion that I could not figure out, but it fit together nicely.  Just like a puzzle when all the pieces are there - know what I mean?  I need to read more by this author.

My thanks to Love Inspired Trade for a digital arc in exchange for a honest review.

The Winter Witch by Jennifer Chevalier

Two sisters set sail on a bride ship from Normandy hoping to leave a curse behind them and find better lives in the wilds of 17th-century Quebec, only to meet a mysterious witch who forces them to confront the truth about magic—and their past.

Élisabeth Jossard boards a bride ship to New France with her sister Marthe, forced to start a new life after a scandal in her village in Normandy. She’s harbouring a dark secret and hopes that by coming to Montreal—the holiest place in the world, she’s been told—the saints will hear her pleas and lift the curse that plagues her.

When Élisabeth’s prayers go unanswered and she is unable to banish the spirit she believes is tormenting her, Marthe encourages her to turn to a powerful witch for help, the enigmatic stowaway Jeanne Roy. But Jeanne has secrets of her own, and when she refuses to help, Élisabeth’s resentment kindles a dangerous fire.

Inspired by the tales of Canada’s Filles du Roi, The Winter Witch examines how lies, arrogance, and ignorance can lead to witch hunts in any society.

Paperback, 384 pages

Published January 27, 2026 

by Simon & Schuster

3.5/5 stars

It's been a while since I've read a Jennifer Chevalier, but it was the stunning cover that caught my eye.  Pair that with Canadian historical fiction and I was all in.

Inspired by the stories of the Filles du Roi, this story follows sisters Elisabeth and Marthe who are sent from France to New France, to marry and start new lives.  Different in personalities made for an interesting journey and also as they faced the realities of their new lives.  Elisabeth's belief that she is cursed was a darker side to this story but it also didn't grab me like I'm sure the author intended, maybe the repetitiveness of her thoughts got to me. 

I appreciated the historical elements and how the story had a theme of resilence, faith (though that wasn't central) and highlighted the dangers of ignorance - did these young women really know what they were in for.  

All in all an intriguing and unique take on early Canadian history with a darker edge.  It didn't completely pull me in, but still a worthwhile read.  If you enjoy HF with a touch of mystery and folklore this would work.

This book was part of my 2026 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge, #14

Olive Oakes and the Haunted Carousel by Kalynn Bayron

This new spooky mystery series by New York Times bestselling author Kalynn Bayron is perfect for fans of Goosebumps.

Olive Oakes loves a good mystery. She keeps a notebook with her at all times, ready to jot down observations about anything that seems out of the ordinary. Along with her cousin Eli, Olive is always looking to follow the clues.

When Olive and her family visit a town called Whispering Woods, she uncovers a strange backstory to the traveling carnival that comes through the area once a year. With rumors of missing kids and ghost sightings, it's the perfect opportunity for Olive to investigate! The people of Whispering Woods are very secretive, but Olive is ready to solve the mystery of the haunted carousel.

Kindle Edition, 151 pages

Expected publication April 7, 2026

 Bloomsbury Children's Books

3.5/5 stars

I first discovered Kalynn Bayron when I read This Poison Heart, which I loved.  This, her latest, releases today is a middle grade story.

Olive Oakes and her sidekick Eli are a fun pair.  One free spirited and the other caution, making a great pairing for a fun read, which this was.  It was also a fast read coming in at 150 pages.  The start of a brand new series follows Olive and Eli who like to solve mysteries.  There was the right amount of mystery with some ghostly vibes, unreliable characters and some spooky situations.  It had that haunted feel without being too scary.  The mystery itself was unique, I was picking up clues just as Olive and Eli were.

All in all an enjoyable read, looking forward to seeing what Olive and Eli are up to next.

My thanks to Bloomsbury Children's Book for a digital ARC in exchange for a honest review.