Rivals, Romance, and a Whole Lot of Heat: Two Can Play Delivers... and Here's My Review

 

 

Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood is a sharp, playful spin on the enemies-to-lovers trope that leans fully into its flirty chaos—and has a great time doing it.

Set in the high-stakes world of video game development, the story follows Viola and Jesse, rival designers from competing companies forced into an uneasy alliance. Their task? Collaborate on a major adaptation of a beloved book they both care deeply about. What starts as professional tension quickly reveals deeper layers—years of crossed wires, lingering grudges, and just enough unresolved history to make every interaction crackle.

Ali Hazelwood builds the chemistry with a steady hand, letting the friction simmer before dropping her characters into a snow-covered retreat where being so close to one another turns the temperature up. Old assumptions begin to thaw, walls come down, and—fair warning—the sparks don’t just fly, they IGNITE! Forget about G rating this romance!

At novella length, it’s a quick, satisfying read that doesn’t overstay its welcome. Viola, in particular, carries the story with her drive, vulnerability, and sharp edges, making her an easy character to root for from page one.

If you’re in the mood for something fast, fun, and a little steamy with a nerdy twist, Two Can Play absolutely delivers.

Published by Berkley in February 2026, you can find this book in your FLBS now!

First Lines Friday... Does a Dystopian Love Triangle Sound like Fun?

 A Hologram filled the center of my office with a painting. Simple, small. Just a woman, a hint of a smile on her face. 

As usual, I was alone in the Ancient Art section of the Archives, buried deep underground. My job was to destroy, piece by piece, the remnants of the world ancient humans had laid waste to in the Last War. Elsewhere in the Archives, my friend Lo sat in the Books section, and there were others who sorted ancient tools, documents, and relics from before the war. Our screens dictated what was saved, reassigned, or --like this one--destroyed. A push of a button, and the ties to the past disappear.

We meet our "heroine" in a dusty old basement, showing us how times have changed. Dystopian? Check. But there's much more to this book... Further reading the book we find romance (in a twisted dystopian way), a love triangle and maybe a bit of a rebellion under the surface? This had me at the Mona Lisa. Then at dystopian (I can never resist a good dystopian story)... and I have it on my TBR list. 

Would the first lines of this book make you want to read it?

Conform by Ariel Sullivan was published by Ballantine Books in October 2025.

It's the Luck of the Irish... 🍀 Love, Lies & Larceny: The 3 New Books Everyone Will Be Talking About Today

New Book Tuesday! 

These are new books released today!

Grab your bookmarks—here are the three heavy hitters hitting shelves this morning:

(Psst... and you're going to want to add all of these to your TBR list NOW!)

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Bloodlust by Sandra Brown... Sandra Brown delivers a new signature sexy suspense about a detective seeking justice for his murdered wife with the help of a psychotherapist … while fighting an undeniable attraction to her.

Two years ago, Detective Mitch Haskell lost his wife to a vicious act of retribution, and has since attributed her murder to two men: Roland Malone and the unidentified mastermind of the crime known only as Oz. Malone, a ruthless executioner and drug dealer who fronts as a restaurant owner, neutralizes so cleanly that he doesn’t leave a trace. And he performs his handiwork at the biddings of Oz, the faceless kingpin of a drug trafficking operation whose name alone evokes terror.

Obsessively vowing to avenge his late wife’s murder, Mitch has been on a downward spiral, jeopardizing his closest relationships and drinking excessively to numb his pain. After going one step too far, Detective John Bowie, his former best friend and now his boss, has forced Mitch to get therapy to sort himself out.

Dr. Dylan Reede is immediately empathetic to the pain she senses beneath Mitch’s cavalier attitude and wisecracking. She’s determined to make the most of his mandated sessions. But from the moment Mitch breezes into her office, Dylan finds it a struggle to maintain the professional and personal boundaries that keep her own tragic past at a safe distance.

As Mitch begins to close in on Oz and Malone’s operation, they’re prepared to stop him by any means necessary. And when it’s revealed that Dylan might hold the key to bringing them to justice, Mitch and Dylan’s irresistible attraction to each other may not only compromise both of them professionally, but place them in Oz’s bullseye.

I am always up for a new Sandra Brown novel! Her writing is outstanding with wonderful gritty characters and twisty plots. 

Published by Grand Central Publishing

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Life: A Love Story by Elizabeth Berg... A warm, intimate novel that reminds us of the richness that can be found all throughout our lives.

As ninety-two-year-old Florence "Flo" Greene nears the end of her life, she writes a letter to Ruthie, the woman who grew up next door to her, describing the items Flo is leaving Ruthie in her will. But as it goes on, telling surprising stories about those “little” things Flo will leave behind (What could possibly be the worth of a rubber band kept in a matchbox tied up in red ribbon?), an unforgettable portrait of the life she has lived emerges.

The letter starts off as an autobiography in things, but it turns out to do much more than that: ultimately, it will transform Flo and those around her. In the time she has left, Flo decides to take herself up on tiny dares. She encourages Ruthie to reconsider her impending divorce by sharing a startling, long-buried secret about her own perfect-seeming marriage. Flo has never had a pedicure before now, and as long as she's going to a beauty parlor, she arranges to have a blue streak put in her hair, too. And as these adventures lead her to make new friends, Flo helps them, too, find the fulfillment that living a full life has led her to understand.

Full of Elizabeth Berg's characteristic mix of warmth, humor, and poignancy, Life: A Love Story is a reminder that whatever your circumstances, as long as you're alive, you can keep on investing in life. The joy will inevitably follow.

I just saw that Elizabeth Berg had a new novel and had to check it out. WOW! This sounds like such a great read! I read a sample of it and OMG! The sample starts out with a letter, and then ANOTHER letter! With the crush of epistolary reads out these days, I LOVE that Elizabeth Berg includes these in Life: A Love Story! I love epistolary novels! I hope there are lots more in her novel and I can't wait to read this! On My TBR list and Wishlist!!

Published by Random House

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Everyone in This Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson... Ten heists. Ten suspects. A murder mystery only Ernest Cunningham can solve in this delightfully clever and twisty new novel in Benjamin Stevenson’s bestselling series.

I’ve spent the last few years solving murders. But a bank heist is a new one, even for me. I’ve never been a hostage before.

The doors are chained shut. No one in or out. Which means that when someone in the bank is murdered, everyone is a suspect.

THE BANK ROBBER

THE MANAGER

THE SECURITY GUARD

THE KID

THE FILM PRODUCER

THE PRIEST

THE RECEPTIONIST

THE PATIENT

THE CAREGIVER

ME

Turns out, more than one person planned to rob the bank today. You can steal more from a bank than just money.

Who is stealing what? Are they willing to kill for it? And can I solve the crime before the police kick down the door and rescue us.

This is a first for me... first Benjamin Stevenson book and first Ernest Cunningham detective novel. Lots of rave reviews on these books, and I want to read one now! A fun play on your "traditional" murder mystery. Benjamin Stevenson is a comedian and writer, which may give us a hint as to how these are written.

Published by Mariner Books

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What new books are on your radar?

Hope you found something interesting here today! All these books look like great reads!

Memoir Monday... A Daughter Looks Back at the Woman Who Changed Everything

 

Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy... "A raw and deeply moving memoir from the legendary author of The God of Small Things and The Ministry of Utmost Happiness that traces the complex relationship with her mother, Mary Roy, a fierce and formidable force who shaped Arundhati’s life both as a woman and a writer.

Mother Mary Comes to Me, Arundhati Roy’s first work of memoir, is a soaring account, both intimate and inspirational, of how the author became the person and the writer she is, shaped by circumstance, but above all by her complex relationship to the extraordinary, singular mother she describes as “my shelter and my storm.” 

“Heart-smashed” by her mother Mary’s death in September 2022 yet puzzled and “more than a little ashamed” by the intensity of her response, Roy began to write, to make sense of her feelings about the mother she ran from at age eighteen, “not because I didn’t love her, but in order to be able to continue to love her.” And so begins this astonishing, sometimes disturbing, and surprisingly funny memoir of the author’s journey from her childhood in Kerala, India, where her single mother founded a school, to the writing of her prizewinning novels and essays, through today.

With the scale, sweep, and depth of her novels, The God of Small Things and The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, and the passion, political clarity, and warmth of her essays, Mother Mary Comes to Me is an ode to freedom, a tribute to thorny love and savage grace—a memoir like no other".... From Goodreads 

I first was drawn to Arundhati Roy's memoir by the haunting photograph on the cover. Reading more about the book, I realized that "Mother Mary" was a reference to Arundhati's own mother and the complex relationship she had with her. In her Booker Prize winning novel (1997), The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy brings us  into her "fictional" India, but here we learn of her real life in India. On my wishlist, and thinking now of re-reading The God of Small Things too (which I just saw was $1.99 on Kindle today)

Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy published by Scribner, Sept. 2025

The Sunday Salon... and The Dangers of Bookstores (for me?)

Welcome to The Sunday Salon! It's the place where Book Bloggers from around the world share their bookish finds with one another in a virtual place called The Sunday Salon. Thank you to for Deb at ReaderBuzz keeping us all together on Sundays and hosting The Sunday Salon now! I also visited with Kim at The Caffeinated Reader, another Sunday gathering place for us bookish people called The Sunday Post! 

Well Summer peeked from around the corner this week with 80 degree weather for a few days before we were back in the 60's. It was a busy week too, and those gorgeous days slipped by without me making those seed snails I talked about last week, but as long as today stays nice out, those seeds will be planted! But about this past week...

                                                                                                                                                                   

For those of you who don't know, I live in a rural part of South Carolina and the "Big City" is about 45 minutes away. So this week I had to go to the "Big City" to get a new charger for my new cell phone (I forget that those things don't come with the phone anymore), and when pulling out of the parking lot of where I had to get the charger, you can only make a right hand turn, so I have to basically turn around to get back home... well, turning around means pulling into the next parking lot down the road, and in that parking lot is.... Books a Million. My excuse for going to a bookstore this week ( I couldn't help it?!?)

I am dangerous in a bookstore. I'm sure if you're reading this, the bookstore is a dangerous place for you too! I love walking around and looking at all the books. I ,of course, always end up taking books home with me. It's dangerous for me to actually be able to open the books, feel those silky pages under my fingers, read a little. This also causes me to pick up books I would never look at otherwise and sometimes that means they go in the basket... Here are 3 books that went in the basket...

I Medusa by Ayana Gray... Meddy has spent her whole life as a footnote in someone else’s story. Out of place next to her beautiful, immortal sisters and her parents—both gods, albeit minor ones—she dreams of leaving her family’s island for a life of adventure. So when she catches the eye of the goddess Athena, who invites her to train as an esteemed priestess in her temple, Meddy leaps at the chance to see the world beyond her home. In the colorful market streets of Athens and the clandestine chambers of the temple, Meddy flourishes in her role as Athena’s favored acolyte, getting her first tastes of purpose and power. But when she is noticed by another Olympian, Poseidon, the course of Meddy’s promising future is suddenly and irrevocably altered. When her locs are transformed into snakes as punishment for a crime she did not commit, Medusa must embrace a new identity—not as a victim, but as a vigilante—and with it, the chance to write her own story as mortal, martyr, and myth. Exploding with rage, heartbreak, and love, I, Medusa portrays a young woman caught in the crosscurrents between her heart’s deepest desires and the cruel, careless games the Olympian gods play.

I have seen this book everywhere lately. I didn't even give it a second look because I know the mythology behind Medusa and didn't have much faith that whoever wrote it would make it interesting and "original"... but then I walked into the bookstore and there it was, and I opened it up, and started reading... I wasn't even going to open it, but I decided I should while I was able to read parts of it in the actual book... Omg, Ayana Gray had me at "Meddy"! I read the beginning where Medusa is the horror that she is and she turns someone to stone (he really deserved it), and then the story pivots to her as a young innocent girl that she was at one time-- Meddy. Ayana really made Medusa come to life off of those pages and I was hooked. So, in the basket it went. Published by Random House last November... on to the next book...

Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman... You know what’s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what’s worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic intergalactic game show. That’s what. Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world—or just get to the next level—in a video game–like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon that’s actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy. Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly, drug-dealing llamas. This ain’t your ordinary game show. Welcome, Crawler. Welcome to the Dungeon. Survival is optional. Keeping the viewers entertained is not.

I had seen Matt Dinniman's other book, Operation Bounce House, everywhere too. Published by Ace Publishing this past February, it's been getting lots of press. Another book I was meh about, but now that it was looking right at me, I had to pick it up. So, I started reading and I liked Matt's writing. The story seemed really good too. Not my usual genre, but I was interested. Right next to that book was a bunch of Matt's other books in a series referred to as the Dungeon Crawler series. There are 8 books, so far, in that series and I opened up the first book in the series...alright, how can I resist a sci-fi adventure with a cat. Especially a cat named Princess Donut. In the basket this book went... I resisted putting Operation Bounce House in the basket because I wanted to read this book first to make sure my love would go beyond Princess Donut. Okay, next book... 

The Poet Empress by Shen Tao... Debut author Shen Tao introduces readers to the lush, deadly world of The Poet Empress, a sweeping, epic and intimate fantasy perfect for fans of The Serpent & the Wings of Night, The Song of Achilles and She Who Became the Sun. Wei Yin is desperate. After the fifth death of a sibling, with her family and village on the brink of starvation, she will do anything to save those she loves. Even offer herself as concubine to the cruel, dissolute heir of the blood-gutted Azalea House―where poetry magic is power, but women are forbidden to read. But in a twist of fate, the palace now stands on the knife-edge of civil war, with Wei trapped in its center. .  with a violent prince. To save herself and the nation, she must survive the dangers of court, learn to read in secret, and compose the most powerful spell of all. A ballad of love. . . and death.

First of all this book is beautiful, which is why I just had to pick it up. Gilded edges and book art inside just made my heart sing. Of course the setting also speaks to me-- I just love the book being based on Chinese history. I love the name of the dynasty (Azalea) and when I read a chapter, I loved Shen Tao's writing. Yes, this will be a good read I'm sure. I have since read a Q&A with Shen Tao on Reddit, where people were talking about this book being referred to as "romantasy". From the comments from people who have actually read it, it is NOT romantasy, which is fine with me. Give me the history and a strong female character and I'm happy. Published by Bramble this past January... AND, into the basket. Boy this basket is getting heavy (of course my wallet is getting lighter)... But I stopped at 3 and put my blinders on the other books that were crying out for attention...

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Weekly Wrap-up...

Memoir Monday... We started the week with Jenny Lawson and her new book published by Penguin Life and coming out March 31st. If you haven't read anything by Jenny Lawson, you should. Follow the LINK to read about her new book!

New Book Tuesday... 3 Great Books you NEED to put on your TBR list! Follow the LINK to read about them!

First Lines Friday... I googled authors in the Upstate of SC (where I live) and I found Scott Gould. Read about Scott and tell me if you'd read his book based on the first lines HERE.

Did you find anything interesting here?! Have you read any of these books?! What books did you start reading this week?!

Are You Dangerous in a Bookstore?

I hope you did find something interesting here today! Come by next week for more books... and until then,

Happy Reading... Suzanne

First Lines Friday... and Taking a Trip to the Upstate of South Carolina

The Hammerhead Chronicles by Scott Gould... Your wife dies and you buy an expensive foreign bicycle, and yes, you know how that sounds, how cold and borderline brutal, how it possesses not even the tiniest speck of compassion, but you have been lusting after a bicycle much longer than she has been dying, and the two eents collide on a Thursday evening in late summer. Call it synchronicity. Call it whatever you want. Except don't call it unfeeling.

Because she isn't really your wife when she passes away. Okay, technically, maybe on paper Peg is. But she is a month and a day from becoming your official ex-wife, what with South Carolina's odd, year-long waiting (contemplating? second-guessing?) period after you separate...

I did a google search the other day to see how many local authors there were near me in the Upstate of South Carolina. I found two authors that stood out... Susan Boyer, who writes the Lowcountry mysteries (the Lowcountry is Charleston, SC and that area) and Scott Gould, who I had never heard of before.

Then I googled Scott Gould and learned he has 6 books under his belt and has won numerous awards for his writing. Then I looked up his books and read a little bit of a few of them. From the small bit of writing I sampled of Scott, I really liked his writing. My library actually had a copy of Strangers to Temptation, Scott Gould's short story collection, which I promptly took out. AND, I bought a copy of The Hammerhead Chronicles so I could have a leisurely story to read of Scott's. Here's the blurb from the publisher about The Hammerhead Chronicles:

On the day Claude slaps down a credit card for an expensive racing bicycle, his soon-to-be-ex-wife passes away. As Claude begins a quest to pedal away from his marriage and his grief, we encounter the Southern eccentrics that orbit his world: his overly independent, rebellious teenage daughter; his foul-mouthed sister-in-law who deftly stalks her husband's mistress; twin, gay bookstore owners who serve the profitable underground Confederacy market out of their "special" back room; the math professor possessing an attic full of rats and a penchant for revenge; a skinny bartender-named for a Marine base-who preaches a suck-it-up philosophy; and Claude's recently deceased wife, observing it all from the Great Beyond, where she is annoyed by the lack of decent weather and by the troubled, tangled lives she left behind.

I love quirky characters and the stories that bring these types of characters alive. And I am really looking forward to reading all of these stories from Scott Gould! 

Would the First Lines of this book make you want to read it?

Hammerhead Chronicles was published by:

 University of North Georgia Press in 2022.

🔥 Hot Off the Press: Three Fresh Reads You’ll Want on Your Radar!

Today's Book Releases!

New book day is my favorite kind of temptation. Suddenly there are fresh stories everywhere and my TBR pile grows just a little taller.

Today’s releases bring a mix that’s impossible to resist: Gilded Age glamour, a chilling mystery involving podcasters who vanish, and a strange speculative tale about women mysteriously compelled to head west.

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In It Girl, Allison Pataki dives into the dazzling and ruthless world of Gilded Age high society, bringing to life one of the era’s most talked-about women. I love historical fiction that brings to life a real person. In this case, Evelyn Talbot is based on real life "It Girl" Evelyn Nesbit. 

It Girl by Allison Pataki... At the dawn of the twentieth century, New York’s streets teem with change: electricity, automobiles, the brash young President Teddy Roosevelt—and the It Girls. As artists’ muses and working models, these independent young women soar to stardom not because of their pedigrees or inherited wealth, but because of their talent, charisma, and irresistible beauty. Pop culture is born, and in a world alight with Mr. Edison’s new bulbs, no one shines brighter than America’s sweetheart, Evelyn Talbot.

But the journey to stardom is not simple or straight. While working as a shopgirl, the young Evelyn is recruited as a studio model and soon catches the eye of the preeminent artists of the age. When Broadway comes calling, Evelyn solidifies her status as the first self-made American female celebrity: the iconic Gibson Girl, the most sought-after figure and face of her time. Enter a parade of powerful and power-hungry men, from world-famous architect Stanley Pierce, the visionary behind Manhattan’s mansions and iconic landmarks, to Hal Thorne, the shockingly wealthy railroad heir and premier “playboy” of high society. Each man promises comfort, glamour, security—even love. But fame and fortune are cruel teachers, and Evelyn learns that the only person she can rely on is herself.

When Evelyn finds herself at the center of a murder of passion declared “the Crime of the Century,” she is blamed for the acts of the men in her life. In the media frenzy that spirals around her, Evelyn realizes that to survive, she will have to write her own ending. But can this artists’ muse turned showgirl pull off the greatest act of her life?

Published by Ballantine Books

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I've come to really like those "murder mystery" podcasts, and though This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum isn't about "murder mystery" podcasters, these podcasters become the "murder mystery" as they mysteriously disappear. I read the beginning of this novel and just loved it. I might have to see if there really is a podcast for survival stories now...

This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum... Benny Abbott and Joy Moore host one of the most beloved podcasts in the world. Each week, they delight listeners with a different “against all odds” survival story, gleefully finding the weird, life-affirming humor in near-death experiences. Since their first episode on Joy’s experience with severe narcolepsy, they’ve been the best friends everyone wants to befriend—and thanks to the meticulous management of Joy’s husband, Xander, they’ve built a lucrative empire.

The problem is, their next survival story may be their own. When Benny arrives at Joy and Xander’s one morning to record, he finds shattered glass and an empty house. The one clue shedding light on the couple’s disappearance is the incomplete, previously unseen first draft of Joy’s memoir. Benny is desperate to find them, even when the police soon zero in on him as their prime suspect.

Millions of devoted listeners think they know the “real” Benny and Joy. But as the hours tick by, and the odds seem increasingly stacked against Joy and Xander being found alive, not even the most devoted fans could guess the terrible secrets their favorite famous BFFs have hidden from the world—and from each other.

Published by Flatiron Books

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AND in the haunting speculative novel Westward Women, Alice Martin imagines a mysterious phenomenon spreading among women—an inexplicable urge pulling them westward, leaving families, jobs, and entire communities trying to understand why. This book hit a nerve because recently I watched the movie BirdBox, where people started to up and kill themselves after seeing something in front of them. They would get this zombie like expression all of a sudden and start acting crazy. The survivors wore blindfolds to prevent themselves being "infested" with the infection. I am so intrigued by Westward Women and it is definitely on my TBR list and should be on yours too!

Westward Women by Alice Martin...
It starts with an itch.

In homes across the country, women ages eighteen to thirty-five begin to slow down.

Tired. Blank. Restless.

Drawn to the Pacific Ocean like it’s calling them home. They abandon their lives—jobs, families, their very selves. And once they reach the West, they vanish forever.

At the center of the story are three young women caught in the pull of something unstoppable.

Aimee follows the trail of her missing best friend to a man called the Piper—known for leading infected women West.

Teenie, afflicted and unraveling, clings to a single memory as she looks out the window of the Piper’s van.

And Eve, a former journalist, is chasing the story that might just consume her.

Published by St. Martin's Press

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Let's not forget about She Fell Away by Lenore Nash! I shared this book on Sunday. Get the full description in The Sunday Salon, but here' s little blurb about it. I just  started reading it and really love Lenore Nash's writing, plus she really is a "detective" here, in the midst of a murder investigation...

She Fell Away by Lenore Nash... A State Department diplomat must confront the ghosts of her past as she searches for a missing American woman in New Zealand in this pulse-pounding and unputdownable thriller.  Published by Atria Books.

Are you building up that TBR pile?! I've got all of these on my TBR list! What is the saying... So many books, too little time? Well, make time for these! 

Memoir Monday... Jenny Lawson back with some more of her on point humor

     

How To Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay by Jenny Lawson... Warm, insightful, and witty, the first book of advice from New York Times bestselling author Jenny Lawson—aka the Bloggess

Jenny Lawson is full of contradictions. She’s a celebrated author but battles self-doubt, paralysis, and anxiety. She’s an award-winning humorist but struggles with treatment-resistant depression. The questions people most often ask her are, “How do you do it? How do you keep going even when it feels impossible? How do you keep creating?” This book is her answer.

In How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay, Jenny shares more than one hundred humorous, heartfelt, and genuine tools and tricks that she relies on to keep her going even when her brain isn’t working properly due to depression, anxiety, and ADHD. She also offers tips to stay passionate and focused on creative endeavors, especially when everything around you is saying to give up.

Jenny Lawson suffers from severe anxiety and humanizes what she goes thru. She has a large following on different social media platforms and I think that is because of her self deprecating sense of humor, honesty and empathy towards others who also suffer with these issues. Nice to see Jenny Lawson back with another book to bring awareness and help. Her other books were great and I look forward to reading more from her! How To Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay will be published by Penguin Life and out on March 31st! 

The Sunday Salon... and Spring has Sprung, or at Least Great Books are Popping up all Around Us!

Welcome to The Sunday Salon! It's the place where Book Bloggers from around the world share their bookish finds with one another in a virtual place called The Sunday Salon. Thank you to for Deb at ReaderBuzz keeping us all together on Sundays and hosting The Sunday Salon now! I also visited with Kim at The Caffeinated Reader, another Sunday gathering place for us bookish people called The Sunday Post!

This week has been a crazy weather week in South Carolina. From 40 degrees to 80 degrees and rain here and there. I just bought some seed starter soil and plan to make some seed snails the beginning of the week. Have you heard about seed snails? Cut a waterproof feed bag or bubblewrap into 6 inch x 18 inches, lay it out flat and layer that with about an inch of damp seed starting soil. Leave about 4 inches without soil on the end. Roll it up. Then put your seeds on top, cover with a thin bit of soil, cover with a baggie and you're good to go! Put in a waterproof tray and put them somewhere sunny. We'll keep you updated on how that is going. Cross your fingers. It's the first time I'm trying this before actually planting them in the garden or seeding them in the garden. Spring is definitely in the air!

And speaking of the start of Spring, how about all the great books coming out now?!! Let me share my reading week now too...

She Fell Away by Lenore Nash... A State Department diplomat must confront the ghosts of her past as she searches for a missing American woman in New Zealand in this pulse-pounding and unputdownable thriller.

Lake Harlowe may not appear to be your typical State Department diplomat. With the number of skeletons in her closet exceeding the tattoos on her skin, she moves to a new country every few years to keep one step ahead of her personal demons. After two grueling years working in Cambodia, Lake’s desperate for a break and a new posting to sleepy Wellington, New Zealand, seems like a dream come true.

That is, until eighteen-year-old singer-songwriter Bowie Bishop mysteriously vanishes shortly after American NFL player Bruce Walter is found dead in his hotel room. An exchange student from Las Vegas, Bowie was a world away from her possessive, washed-up stage mom who won’t stop calling until Lake finds her superstar daughter.

All at once, Lake finds herself ensnared in a network of deception involving Bowie’s high-profile host family, a shadowy music producer, a casino magnate, and the US ambassador—her boss. Obsessed with finding the truth, Lake soon realizes that to find the missing girl, she must confront her own dark past in this unputdownable thriller that will keep you guessing until the final page.

I just started reading She Fell Away and was hooked right from the start with Lenore Nash's writing. I wasn't sure what to expect with a "State Department diplomat" as the lead character. Will she be on the sidelines and on the phones doing "diplomatic things"? Nope, she is right in the thick of things, currently standing and looking over a dead body. No, this girl definitely isn't just on the phone, although she is the liason between the victims and the families. I'm really looking forward to reading this! Published by Atria Books and coming out this TUESDAY, MARCH 10th!

(P.S. This is Lenore Nash's debut thriller, but her romances, under a different name, are wildly popular)

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Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood... An enemies-to-lovers spicy novella set in the world of video gaming from the New York Times bestselling author of Problematic Summer Romance—now in print and ebook!

Viola Bowen has the chance of a lifetime: to design a video game based on her all-time favorite book series. The only problem? Her co-lead is Jesse F-ing Andrews, aka her archnemesis. Jesse has made it abundantly clear over the years that he wants nothing to do with her—and Viola has no idea why.

When their bosses insist a wintery retreat is the perfect team-building exercise, Viola can’t think of anything worse. Being freezing cold in a remote mountain lodge knowing Jesse is right next door? No, thank you.

But as the snow piles on, Viola discovers there’s more to Jesse than she knew, and heat builds in more ways than one.

If you are a big Ali Hazelwood fan, and there a LOT of them, here's her newest book. I have heard so many wonderful things about it, and have seen it EVERYwhere! Now it is my house and ready for me to crack the spine thanks to my local library. I just happen to see that it was just checked in and no wait, which is a rare occurance, but I jumped at the chance. Especially since it is only a little over 200 pages, I should be able to fit this in with my other reading "obligations". I'm expecting a fun read. Published by Berkley.

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In Her Defense by Philippa Malicka...  As a sensational celebrity libel trial unfolds, a young woman at the periphery secretly wields the power to make or break the case. But with her own hidden past, will she dare to speak up?

Everyone is watching. Only one person knows the truth.

The whole country has been riveted by the trial: Beloved TV star and national treasure Anna Finbow, standing in court, accusing her daughter’s therapist Jean Guest of brainwashing her daughter Mary for her own financial gain. Jean insists Mary’s traumatic memories arise from her upbringing and her time studying at a prestigious art school in Rome; wounds only Jean’s therapy can heal. But as the trial unfolds, it’s Augusta “Gus” Bird, Anna’s former employee—a seemingly insignificant bystander, a nobody—who holds the key to unraveling the tangled web of lies and deceit.

What really happened to Mary in Rome? And if her memories can’t be trusted, how will they ever uncover the truth behind her estrangement? Twisty and propulsive, In Her Defense is a compulsively readable debut for fans of Lucy Foley and Laura Dave.

I also was able to grab this at my local library this week. It's been on my radar ever since Reese Witherspoon picked it for her February Book Club selection. I wasn't sure about the whole celebrity trial premise, but I usually enjoy Reese's picks, so it's in the TBR pile for the next 14 days. Published by Scribner.

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Oscar Movie Watch...

I'm still trying to get all those Best Picture Oscar nominated films under my belt. Last night was F1 with Brad Pitt. It's a racing movie, with Brad Pitt being the "Old guy" vs the young up and coming racer and they need to figure out how to work together to accomplish their common goal of winning for the team. I'm not into racing really, but I enjoyed the thrill of the track. And Brad Pitt... he looks like a young Robert Redford now that he's matured a bit. He was very good in the movie. I don't think it outshines Hamnet or Frankenstein (my secret choice before seeing Hamnet). P.S. When did renting a movie start to cost $20?!? I was able to borrow this movie from the library, but hesitate to pay $20 for a rental. Ugh. 

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Weekly Round-up...

Memoir Monday... Adult Braces by Lindy West was our Memoir for the week. Read about it HERE!

Tuesday's New Book Releases... Historical Fiction was the genre of choice for this Tuesday's releases! Check them out HERE!

First Lines Friday... Music gone missing! Or at least the woman behind the music in Wait For Me by Amy Jo Burns. Read about it HERE!

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That about wraps up this week in my reading week! How about you?! What have you been reading or has captured your attention? I hope you found something interesting here today! More books and bookish things next week!

Happy Reading... Suzanne

First Lines Friday... A Musical Coming of Age Story Sprinkled with Mystery and Friendship

"Ever since she was born, Marijohn Shaw could hear the dark sing to her. 

It was an unusual truth, as darkness didn't have a voice. Yet she's always loved the inky pitch of things like nightfall and dreamless sleep--the mystery of it, the privacy, the music. Eighteen years ago, she'd slipped into the world with a swirl of dark hair and even darker thoughts. Her earliest memory wasn't sight but sound--a crooning in the dimness, low and certain, like the whisper of a beloved ghost she'd known forever."                 

                                                        ...Wait for Me by Amy Jo Burns

This was the March Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club pick and I love the writing in just these first few lines. And I love the sound of the story too...

Young folk singer Elle Harlow reaches the height of her prowess in 1973, with two wildly beloved albums to her name and a hidden history of impossible heartbreak. When she sets foot on the famed Grand Ole Opry stage, a far cry from the mountain that raised her, Elle gives the biggest performance of her life. Then, to the dismay of shocked fans, her producer, and the man who still loves her, she vanishes.

Almost two decades later, eighteen-year-old Marijohn Shaw is spending her summer pumping gas, writing songs on her broken mandolin, and longing for a mother. Her father, Abe, has always sworn he was the last person to see Elle Harlow alive, but when a meteor strikes the woods of their sleepy Pennsylvania town and a piece of Elle’s past emerges from the wreckage, the truth of her disappearance sets fire to everything Marijohn believes about herself, her music, and her ability to love with abandon.

Doesn't it sound like a delicious mystery... it is catergorized as "coming of age" and "small town fiction", but also has reviewers talking about the story of being about friendship, love and forgiveness. It certainly has piqued my interest!  Published by Celadon Books on March 3rd and on my wishlist now!

Three Brand-New Historical Reads to Get Lost In...

Ohhh we have a trio of fresh releases and they are bringing the drama in very different ways. Let’s talk about what just hit shelves:

The Woman and Her Stars by Penny Haw... For fans of Her Hidden Genius and The Engineer's Wife comes the awe-inspiring true story of Caroline Herschel, an 18th century astronomer who lived in the shadow of her brother, but learned to pave her own path among the stars.

1772. Caroline Herschel is beholden to her wildly popular musician brother, William, who rescued her from servitude and brought her to live a comfortable life in Bath. Caroline vows that, because William saved her, she must always remain by his side. When William becomes obsessed with the science of astronomy, Caroline follows suit, and soon, the duo are moving to Windsor to be close to court, so they can advise the king about the stars and become members of the Royal Astronomical Society. Overshadowed by her brother, Caroline quietly studies the stars, attributing her success to the men in her life. But when it becomes clear that Caroline is just as much the astronomer as the men in society, she will have to break free from the life she's lived, and find her own place amongst the stars.

Based on the true story of Caroline Lucretia Herschel (1750-1848), The Woman and Her Stars shines a light on a woman who was raised to believe she was worth nothing more than to serve others, but whose genius and resolve made her one of the world’s leading astronomers. An inspiring story set within the societal boundaries of the Regency era, it is a journey of self-belief, friendship, and triumph. 

I love a story that brings to life a woman who was behind the scenes but finally gives her, her due. I'm thinking about Beryl Markham who was the first person to fly solo, non-stop, across the Atlantic from Britain to North America, and brought to life by Paula McLain in Circling the Sun or Mamah Borthwick Cheney, Frank Lloyd Wright's lover in Loving Frank by Nancy Horan. I can't wait to read about Caroline Lucretia Herschel! 

Published by Sourcebooks Landmark, who graciously sent an ebook for me to read and review! Thank you! So look for that review coming soon...

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Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser... 

Twice-widowed, Lady Etheldreda Verity Isolde Tremaine Bramley is solely responsible for her two children, a priggish stepdaughter, a razor-taloned peregrine falcon, and a crumbling manor. Fierce and determined, Ethel clings to the respectability her deceased husband’s title affords her, hoping it will secure her daughters’ future through marriage.

When a royal ball offers the chance to change everything, Ethel risks her pride in pursuit of an invitation for all three of her daughters—only to see her hopes fulfilled by the wrong one. As an engagement to the future king unfolds, Ethel discovers a sordid secret hidden in the depths of the royal family, forcing her to choose between the security she craves and the wellbeing of the stepdaughter who has rebuffed her at every turn.

As if Bridgerton met Circe, and exhilarating to its core, Lady Tremaine reimagines the myth of the evil stepmother at the heart of the world’s most famous fairy tale. It is a battle cry for a mother’s love for her daughters, and a celebration of women everywhere who make their own fortunes.

Kirkus Reviews gave it a Starred Review and called it, ""A bold and beautifully written examination of a mother's love told through the eyes of Cinderella's 'wicked' stepmother."

I am so excited for this book! I love a novel that takes a tale we know and reimagines it. Gives us a different side of the story. 

Published by St. Martin's Press

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A Far-Flung Life by M.L. Stedman...  From the author of the acclaimed bestseller The Light Between Oceans comes a breathtaking and epic novel set in the vast outback of Australia—about tragedy, family secrets, and the enduring power of love.

When we do something that can’t be undone or mended, how do we go on living? How do we find our North Star when there is no right answer? These are the questions at the center of M. L. Stedman’s unforgettable and magisterial new novel, A Far-flung Life. From the author of the beloved and bestselling The Light Between Oceans, this is a sweeping and epic story of a family, a tragedy, and the aftermath that reverberates for decades.

Remote Western Australia, 1958: here, for generations, the MacBrides have lived on a vast sheep station, Meredith Downs. It is a million acres, an ocean of arid land. On an ordinary day, on a lonely road, under the unending blue sky, patriarch Phil MacBride swerves to avoid a kangaroo. In seconds the lives of the entire MacBride family are shattered. And then, tragedy revisits when a twist of consequences claims the life of one sibling, and leads another to give up everything for the sake of an innocent child. Matt, the youngest MacBride, is plunged into a moral and emotional journey for which there is no map, no guide. The secrets at the heart of this gutting and beautiful story force him to choose between love and duty, sacrifice and happiness.

A Far-flung Life is a tale about family and belonging, fate and time. It is about people trying to do their best, and each, for private reasons, seeking shelter from the storm of life.

OMG, a new novel rom M.L. Stedman!?!  I can't wait to read more from the author that brought us The Light Between Oceans!!

Published by Scribner, who also sent along an ebook for me to read and review. Thank you! And look for that review coming soon...

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Three very different journeys. 

All deeply immersive.

So tell me — which one’s going straight to the top of your TBR?