VBT# Review - Where There's Smoke - Book #2 Haunted Paint Store Mystery - E.J Copperman - August 2026 There's something about picking up a new Laura Meehan mystery that feels like coming home , kettle on, cardigan on, the promise of trouble that's cozy rather than terrifying. Where There's Smoke delivers exactly that, and then quietly sneaks in something with real teeth. The premise pulled me in before I'd even cracked the spine: someone's setting fire to the Sea Breeze Public Library, and the suspects all seem to circle back to the same simmering fight so many small towns are having right now  who gets to decide what belongs on the shelves. EJ Copperman doesn't hammer you over the head with the banned-books angle, but it's there, woven into every conversation Laura has as a library volunteer, every side-eye between neighbors who used to just wave at each other over the mailbox. It gives the book a warmth of a different kind , the ache of watching a com...

Review: Mr Lemoncello's Library Olympics - Book #2 Mr Lemoncello's Graphic Novels - Chris Grabenstein and Illustrated by Douglas Holgate - October 2025 I have to be honest with you, lovely readers, some books arrive at just the right moment and wrap around your heart like a warm hug from an old friend. Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics: The Graphic Novel was exactly that for me. Growing up, the library wasn't just a place I visited ,it was my place. Every Saturday without fail, I'd be there, tucked into a corner with a stack of books taller than my good sense. And for years and years after that, it became my workplace too, five days a week right up until April 2021. The library was simply woven into the fabric of who I am. Sadly, due to some difficult and toxic circumstances in that workplace, I had to say goodbye to the physical library experience, something I never in a million years imagined I would do. Walking through those doors started to bring up feelings I...

Review: Bookworm - Katana Collins - May 2024 As a fellow bookworm, this cover and book caught my attention, books about books are my jam. Bookworm by Katana Collins begins with Harper and Adam as high school sweethearts and the pair of them losing their v-card. That night though, which should have been the height of their relationship was also the worst as that night the pair of them also broke up. Adam went to Dartmouth to study and Harper ended up at Oxford University. Now seven years later, the pair of them are back in the same place at Dartmouth as Harper has been hired to restore some rare books after a small fire broke out in their rare book room. We can see the sparks still fly between Adam and Harper and of course, we can see how things end up. The thing though is that there is someone beautiful and approved by Adam's father Elijah vying for Adam's attention. Can Harper and Adam work out their history and move forward together? This book was exciting as I would have lov...

Review: Love in the Stacks - Book #5 Love in New Bedford - Delilah Peters - October 2019 On Saturday last week, I ended up in the hospital and while waiting decided to click into something random on my Kindle, so I got my partner to pick a page number and a book number and it landed on Love in the Stacks by Delilah Peters. This was part of The Dirty Bits/ Love in New Bedford series published by Carina Press. This book also helps with being a Christmas in July-themed read as it is set at Christmas between two library workers. Ben and Poppy, this Christmas are going to both brave up and talk to one another and who knows what hijinks they might get up to between the stacks, especially after one Christmas Party that leaves Ben and Poppy stranded and stuck in the library overnight together. As a former librarian and a lover of books, I loved this read as it highlighted a few of my favorite things from librarians, quirky characters, love of Christmas, book recommendations, and romance betwee...

    Review: A Love Letter to My Library - Lisa Katzenberger and Rob Sayegh Jr - June 2024 "A Love Letter to My Library" by Lisa Katzenberger and Rob Sayegh Jr. is a delightful ode to the enchanting world of libraries, capturing the essence of what makes these institutions so beloved by readers of all ages. Through charming illustrations and heartfelt prose, the authors beautifully convey the magic of libraries, celebrating the joy of discovering new stories, embarking on exciting adventures, and forging connections with fellow book enthusiasts. The book encapsulates the universal experience of wandering through the aisles, eagerly searching for that perfect read, and the sheer delight of holding a cherished book in one's hands.  Ideal for children aged 4-8 years old, this picture book invites young readers to explore the wonders of their local library and embrace the endless possibilities it offers. From storytime sessions that transport listeners to far-off lands, to the...

Bookworm Cookie O’Gorman Publication date: April 20th 2023 Genres: Romance, Young Adult Bookworm (buk-werm): Someone who loves books, reading, and/or studying. For reference, see Charlotte Kent. Seventeen-year-old Charlotte Kent likes happy endings. Not that she’s looking for one herself. Awkward, never been kissed, and bookish to the core, Lottie would rather read about love than experience it. But she enjoys helping others find their HEA in books. Lottie loves working at the library…even if it means running into Bo Stryker. Broody, athletic, and unfairly attractive when he frowns, Bo works at the flower shop across the street. Lottie is about to get rejected…when surprisingly, Bo steps in, pretends to be her boyfriend, and steals her first kiss. One viral video later, everyone thinks they’re together. Bo wants to keep pretending. Lottie wants to make amends—long story short: she was on a ladder; he startled her; the book slap was an accident. A fake relationship may b...

Sidetracked Lauren Alsten Published by: Changeling Press Publication date: December 31st 2021 Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance Librarian Allison Callahan, aka “Encyclopedia Allie,” has always loved her steadfast and dependable best friend Dane. She’s just never admitted it to anyone, including herself. But Dane keeps trying to kiss her, and it’s changing their relationship status from friend-zone to danger-zone. Sure, Allie wants more, but what if Dane finds out she likes her hanky panky with a side of spanky? He’ll freak, that’s what. So she rebuffs his advances, tries to shake things up… and unbeknownst to him, discovers one of his best-kept secrets. Meanwhile, Dane is so frustrated he fantasizes about taking Allie over his lap. A good spanking would serve her right for refusing to acknowledge what they both already know: they’re perfect for each other. But he’s so busy trying to make partner at his law firm, he doesn’t notice something’s a bit off about his be...

Love in Deed, an all-new standalone contemporary romance from L.B. Dunbar, is now available in Kindle Unlimited! Sometimes it takes an outsider to force us to see who we are. The real struggle is accepting what we learn. For Beverly Townsen, nothing could be closer to the truth. Virtually a shut-in, Beverly has pulled back from Green Valley’s community, preferring the isolation of her farmhouse and her daily routine of viewing home improvement television shows. When the opportunity arises for her own home improvement and a personal re-assessment, she’s not so excited about the reality of real life versus DIY programs. Jedd Flemming understands physical pain and personal loss, but it’s never stopped him from bucking forward in life. A former military man and rodeo star, his life as a nomad comes to an end with false accusations and a family matter back in the Valley. It’s been a long journey to find his way home and once there, there’s nothing he wants more than to reclaim wh...

Review: Love In Deed - Book #6 Green Valley Library Series - L.B Dunbar - May 2020 Hopping back into the Smartypants Romance world and the Green Valley Library series with Book #6 Love in Deed, we meet Naomi Winter's older sister Beverley Townsen. Those who read Naomi's book will remember that we saw a snippet of Beverley where she had been starting to fall in love and become herself again after all these years. Love in Deed is Beverley's story. Our book starts with Beverley in AA after an accident that caused her to crash and do harm to herself. The book then jumps to present times where it has been years since the accident and Beverley has turned into a recluse of sorts and has let herself go. Our male lead Jedd Flemming hasn't set foot in Green Valley for at least twenty years, when he was here last he had eyes for Beverley but she had married Howard at that stage. When Jedd arrives at the farm, he can't believe his eyes and that this was the same woma...