Review: The Kings of Kearny - Navessa Allen - February 2026 Some books sit on the shelf for months, giving you the quiet side-eye every time you walk past. The Kings of Kearny was one of those for me. So when I found myself facing a long bus trip up to Auckland to see 5SOS, I decided it was the perfect moment to finally pick it up. A bus, a bag of snacks, a good book and a concert waiting at the end? Hard to beat, really. I’ll be upfront: I went in with low expectations. I didn’t enjoy Lights Out, so I was a little wary of giving this author a second chance. But oh my goodness, I’m so glad I did, because this book was awesome. It also reignited my love of motorcycle club novels, which I hadn’t realised I’d been missing until I was knee-deep in leather jackets and clubhouse drama. The story is set in a small Texas town run by a motorcycle club. Krista works at the local bar, where she sees plenty of locals come and go, but on the nights Jakob walks in, the whole place changes. Known ...

Review: Dream On - Jennifer Hartmann - August 2025 I’ll admit it straight away: I adore Jennifer Hartmann, so I was practically bouncing in my seat when I got my hands on Dream On. Her books are always lovely chunky reads, and that made this the perfect travel companion for my bus ride up to Auckland to see Hilary Duff. Four uninterrupted hours-  Bliss. And can we talk about that cover? Total cover crush. It’s so beautiful that I kept pausing just to look at it. Honestly, it deserves pride of place on the shelf. The story follows Stevie St. James, a small-town dreamer with stars in her eyes, and Lexington Hall, the golden boy of Hollywood. They first collided on the stage of their high school musical, and something sparked. Then it all fell apart, leaving Stevie’s dreams in pieces. Fast forward four years and Lex is a household name, turning their past into a television sensation while Stevie is still haunted by what they lost. When he turns up with an offer to fake a romance and...

Review: Releasing 10 - Book #6 Boys of Tommen Series - Chloe Walsh - May 2025 Releasing 10 is the sort of book that needs a cuppa and a box of tissues within reach. Lizzie Young has spent her whole life feeling like too much of everything. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder at a young age, she has never quite fit in with her family, her friends or her community, and with so few people in her corner she carries her burdens alone. Then along comes Hugh Biggs, a kind boy on the school bus with an old soul and a sharp mind, who sees something in Lizzie he simply can’t resist. He wants to be her everything and to share the weight she’s been carrying. And oh, how she wants that too. Their chemistry is electric and their bond feels soul deep, a love that couldn’t be broken, except by the truth. What this book gave me, more than anything, was insight into Lizzie. I came away understanding her so much better, and OMFG, my heart totally broke for her. All the hard topics in this book are handled...

Review: A Thousand Perfect Lies - Monica Murphy - March 2026 Last year, I decided it was going to be my Monica Murphy year, and I happily worked my way through her Lancaster Prep series. Oh, how I fell in love with her writing! So when I spotted a brand new release from her, there was no question that it was going straight onto my reading pile, and I’m delighted to say it didn’t disappoint. If you’re a fan of Karen McManus and Sara Shepard and their twisty YA thrillers, pop the kettle on and settle in, because A Thousand Perfect Lies is right up your street. The story centres on Billie, whose parents divorced when she was young. Billie stayed in the US with her mum, while her sister Izzy went off to the UK with their dad. The sisters built separate lives, but they kept their bond alive through phone calls, weaving in and out of each other’s days. Now Izzy needs her sister more than ever. She’s lying in a coma, her best friend is dead, and the police believe Izzy is the murderer. Bil...

Review: One Missing Girl - Kristi Belcamino - October 2026 Three girls were on their way to big dreams and college, but when a night goes wrong - only two of those girls will find their way home and one will remain missing until a few days later. Years ago, Sofia had a family until one day she found a dead body in her basement and her family exploded and her father went to prison and she escaped her mother who blamed her for her brother's death.  As the book goes along, and Kate is considered missing - Sofia believes her past has caught up with her and this is somehow related especially when she finds hidden letters from Sofia's mother to Kate , however what if Sofia didn't realise that the danger wasn't her family but something closer and someone she cared about and this book showed us that sometimes the threats and the dangers are the one's right under our noses, the ones that we never consider as dangerous or ones that we would trust our lives with as we thought...

VBT# The Other Daughter - Book #4 The Peasdale Woods Killer Series - Heidi Field - October 2026 There are some books you settle into like a favourite armchair, and then there are books that quietly pull the chair out from under you. The Other Daughter is firmly the second kind, and I loved every unsettling minute of it. This is the final instalment in Heidi Field’s Peasedale Woods Killers series, and what a way to close it. By now, readers will feel they know Shiv. She has spent years trying to put Peasedale behind her, and as the story opens, things finally seem to be softening. Mason Tucker is out of prison, her son Pip is growing into a happy, giggly little boy, and for once the future looks bright. I found myself exhaling alongside her, which of course is exactly what Heidi Field wants, because the moment you relax, Hunter Piper walks in. The Piper name has always meant tragedy and violence in these parts, and Hunter arrives to claim what he believes is his. He brings with him a ...

Finding Zaide Kim Deister Publication date: October 19th 2026 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance Life had gotten comfortable for Amara Addison, maybe too comfortable. Fabulous job, great friends, even an amazing ex-boyfriend who was her ride or die for life. Then Zaide Rossi sauntered into her life and suddenly everything changed. But no matter how crazy life became, finding Zaide made every last moment of chaos worth it. ___ This book, from concept to edit to design, was created without the use of generative AI. Goodreads / Amazon — EXCERPT: I found the new photographer wandering around the top floor, occasionally lifting her hands and moving them around in what looked like a rather lame fight with a ghost. My own skills in photography started and ended with my phone’s camera, but I’d been doing this job long enough to know exactly what she was doing and that I shouldn’t interrupt. She was framing shots in her mind’s eye to find interesting plays of light, ...