A Time of Witches by Madeline Martin

Two women, bound by blood and betrayal, must break silence across centuries—or be silenced forever.

Lilith Legare’s life is unraveling. Since her mother’s death, strange things have been happening - plants turn toward her touch, animals linger in her path, and the birthmark on her arm has started tingling. Worse still is her recurring nightmare of being burned alive at the stake.

Her search for answers brings her from Savannah to England, to the decaying Brackenmere Manor where the past blurs with the present. There, Lilith discovers a legacy she never asked for and along with it, the threat of peril. History must be rewritten, or she too will die.

In 1645 Suffolk, Sybil Brantham stands accused as a witch. An educated, wealthy widow, she is branded a threat by men who fear her independence. As arrests begin and suspicion abounds, Sybil must protect her younger sister, even as betrayal takes root within her household.

Across centuries, Lilith and Sybil are bound by blood and by danger. To save themselves, and each other, they must confront the silence that has stolen women’s power for generations—and dare to claim their voices before it’s too late.

Kindle Edition, 380 pages

Expected publication September 1, 2026 

by Hanover Square Press

3.5/5 stars

Madeline Martin steps away from her usual World War II historical fiction with A Time of Witches,  trading the battlefields of the war for the witch hunts of 1645 in Suffolk, England. It is a big departure and for the most part it works.

The story moves between present day Lilith Legare and Sybil Brantham in the 1600s, two women connected across centuries by legacy neither of them chose. I enjoyed the present day storyline and how the links between Lilith and Sybil slowly came together. 

That said, something felt like it was missing for me, though I cannot quite put my finger on what.  Maybe I wanted more time with Sybil before her arrest. We meet her already caught up in accusation and suspicion, and I would have liked the chance to know her as a person first - an educated widow living her life before everything changes for her. That groundwork felt a little thin.

Still, this was an enjoyable read overall. Martin clearly did her research into the witch hunts and the atmosphere she builds is good throughout. 

My thanks to Hanover Press for a digital ARc in exchange for a honest review.

The Double Life of Eve Sinclair by C.C. Humphreys

The Alice Network meets The Nightingale in this romantic and suspenseful novel about a female spy who must push herself to her very limits to save herself and everything she holds dear.

It’s 1939, and Stockholm is a sea of spies. Yet Eve Sinclair couldn’t care less. Nineteen years old, beautiful, born in Montreal into privilege and educated to do little more than make a good marriage, she appears to have succeeded when she weds handsome diplomat Richard Spence and follows him to Stockholm. But, like so much in this city, Eve will discover that her marriage is not what it seems. Raised to expect only one life, she soon finds herself thrust into another one entirely—dark, corrupt and very, very dangerous.

If Eve is going to survive her newly perilous life in a world at war, she must learn certain skills—and swiftly. Discovering a core of steel buried deep within her, she will forge that steel into a career . . . as a spy. Her talents, and her need to fight evil, will take her from luxurious Sweden to the foulest tenements of Lisbon, onto the highlands of Scotland and finally to a bridge in Norway, a detonator and an inconceivable choice.

The Double Life of Eve Sinclair is much more than a war story; it’s a tale of love, passion, grit and the resilience of the human spirit. And it’s the story of one woman who discovers she has more strength than she ever could have imagined.

Paperback, 400 pages

Published June 2, 2026 

by Doubleday Canada

4/5 stars

I had the privilege of attending an author talk when this book was released,  C.C. Humphreys spoke about his own personal connection to this story. His father was from England and his mother was a spy during the war. Knowing that going in made reading this all the more interesting, there is something different about experiencing a book when you know it is rooted in the author's own family history.

Set in 1939, the story follows Eve Sinclair, a young Montreal socialite who marries a handsome diplomat and moves to Stockholm, only to discover her marriage is not what it appears to be. Raised to expect one kind of life, she is thrust into another entirely, one that pulls her into the dangerous world of espionage during the Second World War. Watching her transformation and all the obstacles she endured gave rise to how much strength she didn't realize she had.  

World War II fiction set in Stockholm is well off the beaten path, and it was refreshing to get a view of the war from that side of things. So much WWII historical fiction covers familiar ground, France, Britain, Germany, so setting the story in neutral Sweden gave a different perspective on how the war touched even those countries trying to stay out of it.

This book was part of  my 2026 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge #28

The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst

When sixteen-year-old Calisa arrives at her great-aunt’s bed-and-breakfast for the summer, she’s shocked to find it run down rather than cosy. Grumpy and eccentric, Auntie Zee is determined to keep anyone from messing with her beloved inn . . . even though she clearly needs the help.

To convince her great-aunt to keep her around, Calisa sets to work fixing up the inn, enlisting extra help from the groundkeeper’s (handsome) son. But the longer she stays, the surer she is that there’s something strange about the B and B―and its residents. Something almost . . . otherworldly.

The inn is hiding a magical secret―but secrets are like doors. Once Calisa opens this one, she won’t be able to go back . . .

Hardcover, 373 pages

Published April 9, 2026

 by First Ink

4/5 stars

Sarah Beth Durst is one of my auto read authors, so I went into this one with high expectations, once again she delivered a cozy, charming read. Along with a cozy and charming cover.

The story follows sixteen year old Calisa, who after a devastating heartbreak, arrives at her great aunt's rundown inn in Vermont for the summer, only to be told she is not welcome and should leave. Rather than turning back, Calisa sets out to win her great aunt over, what starts as that uphill battle quickly turns into something more. The Inn itself reveals it is hiding a magical secret of its own.

Calisa is a persitant character, pushing for what she wants and she does not want to go home.  I found her to appear much older then her 16 years. Between her mannerisms, the way she carries her heartbreak and the fact that she travels to her great aunt's inn entirely on her own, she read more like a young adult navigating real independence than a typical sixteen year old.  But aside from that I found this to be a unique story with great characters and again great storytelling.  Is there a sequel?  I sure hope so.

This book was part of the 2026 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge, #27

The Ghost Road by Charis Cotter

Ghosts, a family curse, buried secrets -- and two girls who have to figure it all out. 

For the first time, Ruth is heading to Newfoundland to stay with family she's never met instead of spending the summer traveling with her dad. When she arrives, she finds Newfoundland is very different from her life in Toronto--people there are much more friendly, but also superstitious, believing in ghosts and The Sight and family curses. Ruth's cousin Ruby is also staying for the summer, and the two discover they have a lot in common: they both lost their moms when they were two years old, they're the same age and they even like the same food. But while Ruby believes in spirits and fairies, Ruth believes in science and cold, hard facts.

When they find ominous information on some tombstones in the local cemetery, Ruth and Ruby start investigating their family's past and discover that twin girls are born in every generation, and every set of twins dies young, leaving their children without mothers. What's more, one of the twins always has The Sight and can see the Ghost Road that leads to the mysterious lost settlement of Slippers Cove. What happened there? What does it have to do with their family? And who is the ghostly presence that keeps visiting Ruth late at night?

The answers lie somewhere along the Ghost Road . . . if they can only find it.

Hardcover, 368 pages

Published September 4, 2018 

by Tundra Books

3.5/5 stars

I love a Canadian setting, add in some ghosty vibes and I'm there.  This is my first time reading anything by Charis Cotter.

The Ghost Road follows Ruth and her cousin Ruby, two girls who have never met and now they are spending the summer together for the first time. They could not be more different in personality, which makes for an interesting dynamic as they're thrown together and slowly uncover a family history neither of them expected. Set in 1978, this is a time period I don't see very often in middle grade fiction.

For a middle grade book there is a surprising amount of depth here. Cotter weaves in generations of family history, centering on the fact that twin girls are born in every generation and the story unpacks what that has meant for the women who came before Ruth and Ruby. I will admit there were moments I felt a bit lost trying to keep track of all the names and how everyone was connected across generations. It took some concentration to keep it all straight.

I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but this was a fun read overall. Two cousins with opposite personalities, a rich family mystery and a setting steeped in Newfoundland history and folklore made for an engaging and entertaining story. 

This book was part of my 2026 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge, #29

Life's Too Short by Abby Jimenez

When Vanessa Price quit her job to pursue her dream of traveling the globe, she wasn't expecting to gain millions of YouTube followers who shared her joy of seizing every moment. For her, living each day to its fullest isn't just a motto. Her mother and sister never saw the age of 30, and Vanessa doesn't want to take anything for granted.

But after her half sister suddenly leaves Vanessa in custody of her baby daughter, life goes from "daily adventure" to "next-level bad" (now with bonus baby vomit in hair). The last person Vanessa expects to show up offering help is the hot lawyer next door, Adrian Copeland. After all, she barely knows him. No one warned her that he was the Secret Baby Tamer or that she'd be spending a whole lot of time with him and his geriatric Chihuahua.

Now she's feeling things she's vowed not to feel. Because the only thing worse than falling for Adrian is finding a little hope for a future she may never see.

Paperback, 384 pages

Published April 6, 2021

 by Forever

4/5 stars

This is the third book in Abby Jimenez's trilogy, The Friend's Zone, my favourite of the three. I came to this one as a hybrid read - splitting my time between the book and the audiobook - a great way to read.

The first 2 books leaned heavily on miscommunication, a trope that is not my favourite.  One discussion would have cleared everything up.  This being the author's debut series, I felt she was finding her groove in those earlier titles. Most readers absolutely loved them and I get it, but they just weren't quite there for me.

This one, though? Different story entirely. Life is Too Short has many layers, which is exactly what I look for. Like her previous books, Jimenez tackles a serious theme, but this time around the story felt less repetitive and had a much better flow. The dual POVs gave real depth to both main characters - I genuinely felt like I got to know them better, which made all the difference.

Add in witty banter, a baby and a gloriously ugly dog and you have a book that balances heart and humour beautifully.

Abby Jimenez has become an auto-read author for me. It's like she gets better with each release.  

This book was #14 in my 2026 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge.

The Astral Library by Kate Quinn

From New York Times bestselling author Kate Quinn comes a gorgeously written fantastical adventure which poses the question: Have you ever wished you could live inside a book? Welcome to the Astral Library, where books are not just objects, but doors to new worlds, new lives, and new futures.

Alexandria “Alix” Watson has learned one lesson from her barren childhood in the foster-care system: unlike people, books will never let you down. Working three dead-end jobs to make ends meet and knowing college is a pipe dream, Alix takes nightly refuge in the high-vaulted reading room at the Boston Public Library, escaping into her favorite fantasy novels and dreaming of far-off lands. Until the day she stumbles through a hidden door and meets the Librarian: the ageless, acerbic guardian of a hidden library where the desperate and the lost escape to new lives...inside their favorite books.

The Librarian takes a dazzled Alix under her wing, but before she can escape into the pages of her new life, a shadowy enemy emerges to threaten everyone the Astral Library has ever helped protect. Aided by a dashing costume-shop owner, Alix and the Librarian flee through the Regency drawing rooms of Jane Austen to the back alleys of Sherlock Holmes and the champagne-soaked parties of The Great Gatsby as danger draws inexorably closer. 

But who does their enemy really wish to destroy—Alix, the Librarian, or the Library itself?

Hardcover, 304 pages

Published February 17, 2026

 by William Morrow

4/5 stars

And now for something completely different... known for her historical fiction stories this is a big departure for Kate Quinn. Her first venture into magical realism and fantasy.

The story centers on Alix Watson, a young women who spends her nights taking refuge in the Boston Public Library. That is until she meets the Librarian and what starts out as a simple escape into a book quickly turns into a full blown book hopping adventure, weaving through different literary worlds in ways I didn't expect going in.

The book droppings throughout are a real treat for anyone who loves books about books. Quinn clearly had fun building out different literary settings and it shows in how rich and layered the world feels. There was a stretch in the middle that felt a little off balance compared to the rest of the story, but it didn't take away from my overall enjoyment.

I have to confess, I'm a mood reader through and through and this book proved it. I first picked this one up back in February when it released - I mean look at the cover! - and could not get into it at all. I set it aside. Last week I picked it back up and could not put it down, finishing it in just a few days. Same book, completely different experience, which says more about timing and mood than anything about the writing itself.

If you love stories about libraries, books within books and a dose of adventure, plus if you're willing to let Kate Quinn take you somewhere totally different from her usual historical fiction, this is worth the trip.

This book was part of my 2026 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge, #30

Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller

The provocative and hilarious summer read that will have book lovers cheering and everyone talking! Kirsten Miller,  brings us a bracing, wildly entertaining satire about a small Southern town, a pitched battle over banned books, and a little lending library that changes everything.

Beverly Underwood and her arch enemy, Lula Dean, live in the tiny town of Troy, Georgia, where they were born and raised. Now Beverly is on the school board, and Lula has become a local celebrity by embarking on mission to rid the public libraries of all inappropriate books—none of which she’s actually read. To replace the “pornographic” books she’s challenged at the local public library, Lula starts her own lending library in front of her home: a cute wooden hutch with glass doors and neat rows of the worthy literature that she’s sure the town’s readers need.

But Beverly’s daughter Lindsay sneaks in by night and secretly fills Lula Dean’s little free library with banned books wrapped in “wholesome” dust jackets. The Girl’s Guide to the Revolution is wrapped in the cover of The Southern Belle’s Guide to Etiquette. A jacket that belongs to Our Confederate Heroes ends up on Beloved. One by one, neighbors who borrow books from Lula Dean’s library find their lives changed in unexpected ways. Finally, one of Lula Dean’s enemies discovers the library and decides to turn the tables on her, just as Lula and Beverly are running against each other to replace the town’s disgraced mayor.

That’s when all the townspeople who’ve been borrowing from Lula’s library begin to reveal themselves. It’s a diverse and surprising bunch—including the local postman, the prom queen, housewives, a farmer, and the former DA—all of whom have been changed by what they’ve read. When Lindsay is forced to own up to what she’s done, the showdown that’s been brewing between Beverly and Lula will roil the whole town...and change it forever.

Paperback, 304 pages

Published June 18, 2024

 by William Morrow Paperbacks

3.5/5 stars

I picked this one up because I loved Kirsten Miller's previous book, The Change , when I saw what she had coming next I didn't hesitate. A book about books? I'm always in.

The premise is wonderfully clever - what starts as a seemingly innocent joke takes on a life of its own. As the struggle over banned books ripples through the community, it brings out the best and worst in the people who live there. There are many layers to this story and a large cast of characters to keep track of, but Miller weaves it all together with sharp wit and a lot of heart.

I read this back in April and here we are in mid August and I can still remember it clearly. That's not nothing.

 

This book was part of my 2026 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge. #19

The Lion’s Tusk by Robert Jackson Bennett

An eccentric detective turns to the fantastical to solve a cold case in this short story.

On a long carriage journey with her assistant Din, brilliant investigator Ana Dolabra ponders a solution to an impossible crime that has remained unsolved for centuries. A lavish wedding for two noble scions of the Empire descended into chaos when the newlyweds were found murdered in their marriage bed. But Ana—an expert in ancient myths, awakened beasts, and magic—knows that nothing is impossible, only unimaginable.

Robert Jackson Bennett’s The Lion’s Tusk is part of the Magic & Mystery collection, puzzle-box mysteries from top fantasy authors. They can be read or listened to in one enchanting sitting.

Kindle Edition, 38 pages

Published July 28, 2026

 by Amazon Original Stories

3/5 stars

This was my first time reading Robert Jackson Bennett, reading a short story is a great way to discover new authors. 

The Lion's Tusk is part of the Ana & Din Mysteries, this worked fine on its own.

On a long carriage journey, investigator Ana recounts an unsolved case to her assistant Din, a case that is tied to a wedding gone horribly wrong.

This was a weird one. Interesting enough to hold my attention, but definitely on the gory side, more than I was expecting going in. At only 38 pages it was enough to get the gist of what was going on without overstaying its welcome.

Since this was my introduction to the author and the series, I imagine longtime fans of Ana and Din would get more out of the references and dynamic between the characters than I did coming in cold. As a standalone taste of Bennett's style, it was a decent enough read, but not one that is pulling me to immediately continue with the series.

My thanks to Amazon Original for a digital arc (via Netgalley) in exchange for a honest review.

Heat Trap: A Short Story by Ellery Lloyd

A vacation in the French countryside turns sinister in a twisty short story of manipulation and revenge among friends.

Yet again, Lizzie has taken on the task of organising the annual summer getaway in France for her longtime friend group. After all, she’s got the time: The others are married, with families and high-powered jobs, while Lizzie is a perpetually single personal assistant. This year, though, she’s excited to show off her charming new boyfriend, Mal. While the holiday group chat buzzes with questions for Lizzie, Mal stays quiet, but once they gather at the château, he’s all charisma—even as dangerous mishaps begin to mount. The guests begin to realise that one of their number has his or her own sinister reasons for joining this year’s trip.

Kindle Edition, 96 pages

First published July 14, 2026

by Amazon Original Stories

3.5/5

Coming in at 96 pages, this is another quick read that packs a fair bit into a short space. Ellery Lloyd, the pen name for husband and wife duo Collette Lyons and Paul Vlitos, is a new to me author.  Which is why I grabbed this Read Now from netgalley.

As with anything this short, there usually isn't a lot of time to get to know each character in great depth. But in this case, I did get to know them fairly well and feel this could have made a great full length novel.  Told from a couple pov's there was secrets, suspense and twists I genuinely did not see coming. There is the mystery running throughout that built tension as this group dynamic starts to unravel.

The conclusion felt fitting, wrapping things up in a way that suited the length and tone of the story without feeling rushed. A solid pick if you want a quick, twisty read that delivers some good surprises along the way.

My thanks to Amazon Original for a digital ARC in exchange for a honest review.

The Wednesday Witches Book Club by Sarah Beth Durst

A book-loving witch finds magic and mystery in a whimsical short story about the transformative power of friendship and community.

After a challenging divorce, Ashley joins a witchy book club in search of a new social life. But when members start being transformed one by one, Ashley and the remaining book club members must uncover the culprit behind these sinister spells. With time running out until she’s the next target, she turns to her grimoire for answers. Because what better way to catch a magical culprit than through stories?

Sarah Beth Durst’s The Wednesday Witches Book Club is part of the Magic & Mystery collection, puzzle-box mysteries from top fantasy authors. They can be read or listened to in one enchanting sitting.

Kindle Edition, 49 pages 

Expected publication July 28, 2026 

by Amazon Original Stories

4/5 stars

This reader loves stories with a bookish theme.  Welcome to The Wednesday Witches Book Club! 

Sarah Beth Durst brings her signature cozy fantasy warmth to this short story about Ashley.  Hoping to find new friends she joins a witchy book club after a rough divorce.

What she finds is a lot more complicated. Members of the club start getting transformed one by one, and nobody knows who's behind it or why. Ashley has to dig through her grimoire for answers before she becomes the next target.

This is a quick read, more short story than novella, so I didn't expect deep world building or a slow burn. What I got instead was a charming read with a great cat, witchy details and more.

An entertaining and quick read.

Thanks to Amazon Original Stories for a digital ARC (via Netgalley) in exchange for a honest review.

The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen

From Sarah Pekkanen, comes a stunning new novel of buried secrets, mind-bending history, and one woman’s search for the truth . . .

Decades ago, four women at prestigious Marquis University were the focus of parapsychology experiments led by a pioneering researcher. Just as they seemed on the verge of a real breakthrough, the four women vanished and the program was abruptly shut down.

In the present day, Riley Bell is desperate for a new life when she lands a caretaker job for Betty Sadler—an elderly, wheelchair bound woman whose house seems suspended in time. No television. No microwave. And Betty has never even heard of a cell phone.

Newly widowed, Betty discovers notes in her late husband’s papers that spark her quest to answer one final unanswered mystery that has shadowed her for six what happened to her three best friends who disappeared on the same day?

Told in dual timelines, as Betty’s world of 5 o’clock martinis and increasingly rigorous experiments converges with Riley’s present-day search for the other three women, the danger and intensity grow white hot.

Because whatever was swirling around these four exceptional young women is rising again.

Kindle Edition, 352 pages

Expected publication August 4, 2026

 by St. Martin's Press

4/5 stars

This was my first time reading Sarah Pekkanen, I enjoyed the experience enough that I will be looking into more of her work. 

This unique premise story moved between two timelines. In 1964, four young women become the subjects of parapsychology experiments.  It's part of a program that mysteriously vanishes from history along with the women themselves. In the present day there is Riley Bell,  newly divorced and looking for a fresh start.  She takes a caretaker job for an elderly widow named Betty.  Betty has lived in near total isolation for decades.  Red flags right there!

Blending a decades old mystery with paranormal elements is not something I come across often and Pekkanen pulls it off well. The dual timeline is one of my favorites and this one kept me engaged as I slowly connected the dots between what happened to those women in the sixties and why Betty has spent so many years hidden away from the world.

The Women in White is  a twisty, original read that stood out from the usual dual timeline books I've read.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press (via Netgalley) for a digital ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Destination Funeral by Paige Harbison

A fresh take on Groundhog Day in this heartfelt and hilarious novel following a friend group so damaged that only a funeral could bring them back together. 

When Babe—the complicated, magnetic matriarch of their teenage summers—dies, four estranged friends return to sleepy Mercy Island, a storm-swept stretch of coastal Georgia, summoned by the reading of her will.

Didion arrives at the timeworn pink house to find the friends she never thought she’d see again—along with the tensions, attractions, and unfinished business that once bound them together and broke them apart.

What should be a brief weekend of small talk quickly unravels when they wake up and discover...it’s Saturday. Again. And again. And again.

Trapped in a time loop with no end and no instructions, they’re forced to confront the betrayals, breakups, and buried truths that shattered them all those years ago. Because maybe, just maybe, an endless weekend is exactly what they all need to save their own lives.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press

 Audiobook, 10 hours, 18 minutes

Published July 21, 2026 

by Macmillan Audio

3.5/5 stars

Destination Funeral, out since July 21, was my second read by Paige Harbison, I really enjoying her debut, The Other Side of Now. I listened to this one as an audiobook ARC.

When Babe dies, four estranged friends are pulled back to Mercy Island for the reading of her will.  They find themselves stuck in a Groundhog Day style time loop the night before her funeral.

A time loop naturally means covering similar ground on repeat. That said, Harbison does it well, letting small shifts show up in each loop as the group slowly catches on. Each friend brings a distinct personality to the group  with the story weaving back in time to show how their friendship formed and the moments over the years that shaped who they became.  It gave the present day tension more weight and I was able to grasp exactly what each was carrying into that pink house.

Destination Funeral is a story about family,  sisters specifically and a group of friends finding their way back to each other. A warm, bittersweet read that asked for a little patience, but worth it in the end.

My thanks to Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for a honest review.