Two Left Feet was one of my most anticipated 2026 releases. I was so excited about this soccer romance. But I’m throwing in the towel at 43%.
I tried, Two Left Feet was one of my most anticipated 2026 releases. I was so excited about this soccer romance. But I’m throwing in the towel at 43%.
I tried, really, I did. Basically, this is a fine story. I liked seeing a Dutch coach. But one thing started to irritate me, and eventually it turned into anger.
Oliver is injured but desperate to return. Leo is the new player, trying to earn a regular spot on the team. All the players have nutrition plans. But they also drink. Alcohol, I mean. They get tipsy and drunk. During the season. Not just once but several times. The injured players go to a pub during a match. And drink pints like they’re spectators. After a match, they get drunk. At Oliver’s birthday party, they drink vodka straight from the bottle.
Come on. Maybe hockey players get drunk regularly during the season, but most footballers (the soccer kind) don’t. Some European clubs even have strict rules about alcohol.
And to finish my rant (I know this is nitpicking): why call it “Eindhoven” when it’s PSV? There are two professional clubs in Eindhoven.
So, my first 2026 read could’ve been a great one. Sadly, I got too mad to finish it. If you’re interested in this book, definitely check out other reviews.
Thank you, Random House Publishing Group, for this ARC. I’m sorry that I had to DNF....more
I'm a huge Alison Cochrun fan, and while this isn’t my favorite of her books (Here I Go Again and The Charm Offensive still hold that title), I reallyI'm a huge Alison Cochrun fan, and while this isn’t my favorite of her books (Here I Go Again and The Charm Offensive still hold that title), I really enjoyed it!
I remember when Alison walked the Camino herself and shared her journey on Instagram; it definitely shows in this story. I always get a little nervous when American authors write about Europe, and I’m not always a fan. But Alison did a great job capturing the atmosphere (though I did find Stefano a bit of an Italian stereotype).
The Camino is such a great setting for a love story—two weeks of walking with the same group of people, bonding over blisters, laughter, and long conversations. The writing was so vivid, I felt like I was right there in Portugal (and later Spain) with them. I especially loved Sadie’s journey of self-discovery, and Mal quickly became my favorite: strong, extroverted, and guarded when it came to feelings. She was such a compelling character!
Oh, and one thing Alison, I’m sorry, but I do think stroopwafels are better than nata!
Now, I can’t wait for what Alison has in store for us next!
Thank you, Atria Books and NetGalley for this amazing ARC.
I’m calling it quits at 24%. I love the cover and the premise, but somehow Robby Weber’s characters just aren’t for me. So, instead of giving a bad raI’m calling it quits at 24%. I love the cover and the premise, but somehow Robby Weber’s characters just aren’t for me. So, instead of giving a bad rating, I decided to DNF.
I just unapologetically pushed that five-star button. This ‘The Charm Offensive but make it a mystery’ with fanfic writing like E.L. Massey’s and TaylI just unapologetically pushed that five-star button. This ‘The Charm Offensive but make it a mystery’ with fanfic writing like E.L. Massey’s and Taylor Fitzpatrick’s (without the hockey, though) just hit the right notes with me.
Sometimes, I know from the first page that I’ll like, correct, love a story, and He’s to Die For is one of those books. I hadn’t seen the book before; I just found it on NetGalley, read the blurb, and decided to request it. I’m so happy that I did because this is just the kind of story I fall head over heels with.
For those who don’t like thrillers or mysteries but do like romances, I believe this one's for you, too. He’s to Die For is just a warm bath, with some twists and turns that might give you a shiver once in a while, and a few rougher scenes, but overall, this story makes you glow on the inside and grow that smile on your face so many times. I call it fluff with heavier themes underneath. I rooted for Rav and Jack so much and fell in love with them both. Rav, the (half-Indian) Brit, so posh and driven and still so caring. And Jack, anxious, protective, sweet Jack, full of grief but also full of love.
He’s to Die For might end up being one of my favorite 2025 reads. Even though it’s only January. Even though it’s a bit insta love. And even though Rav is Indian without hardly any heritage mentioned (another thing in common with The Charm Offensive). I really want you all to read this one, everyone!
Thank you so, so much, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley, for this awesome ARC!
Okay, the story might be a nice one, but I’m writing a story myself right now, and I learned that one of the rules to make your writing showDNF at 17%
Okay, the story might be a nice one, but I’m writing a story myself right now, and I learned that one of the rules to make your writing show instead of telling is to limit the number of adverbs.
But boy, oh boy, Chip Pons is Mr. Adverb himself. I jumped from probably to finally to quickly to instantly to nervously to coolly to visibly to skeptically to gently to abruptly to typically to intensely to quietly to many, many, many more, and I found out that I was only looking for adverbs instead of reading the story. So yeah, I quit.
Please check out other reviews if you want to read this one! ...more
When I first read the blurb of The Gentleman and his Vowsmith, I didn’t think much about it, only that it could be a nice read. It is, everyone, and wWhen I first read the blurb of The Gentleman and his Vowsmith, I didn’t think much about it, only that it could be a nice read. It is, everyone, and with the magic of Freya Marske’s The Last Binding series and the wit from K.J. Charles’ Will Darling, it’s even more than a nice read.
A Gentleman and His Vowsmith is light, sweet, and funny, even though it’s not only a romance but also a mystery (just like the above mentioned series). I always love it when a historical story (in this case, one with magical elements) has a strong and a bit brash female character in it. I really liked Nic and Dash, but Leaf was by far my favorite. Fearlessly, she wanted to investigate the deaths, stood up to her father, and was simply the star of the book.
This story is for all of you who just want to smile, don’t mind a few dead people (there’s a little tension, but it is often dismissed fast due to the snarkiness in the story), and love a few speculative/magical elements, but not too much.
Thank you, Saga Press Books and NetGalley, for this entertaining ARC!
The sweetness of E.L. Massey’s Like Real People Do meets Shaun David Hutchinson’s historical setting of Before We Disappear. Add beautiful prose and fThe sweetness of E.L. Massey’s Like Real People Do meets Shaun David Hutchinson’s historical setting of Before We Disappear. Add beautiful prose and fantastic illustrations, and Vanessa Vida Kelly presents you When the Tide Held the Moon.
Told from Benigno’s perspective (I refuse to call him Benny), interspersed with amazing illustrations and Rio’s voice, this book is a remarkable debut. Benigno and Rio both were such beautiful persons: Benigno, the young Puertorican blacksmith, so gentle and caring, and Rio, the merman who kept his distance from people at first because they killed his mother and held him captive in the glass container that Benigno had made until Benigno gained his trust and something beautiful grew between the two of them.
Oh, and I simply love Matthias!
I already loved Venessa Vida Kelly’s illustrations, and now I want to read more of her writing. I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us next! Because of those illustrations, I recommend buying a physical copy of this book!
Thank you so much, Erewhon Books and NetGalley, for this fantastic ARC!
Paige Toon has been an auto-read author for me for years, and her latest novel, Seven Summers, was a masterpiece. I would have rated that one a millioPaige Toon has been an auto-read author for me for years, and her latest novel, Seven Summers, was a masterpiece. I would have rated that one a million stars if I could. So, when I read that the main characters in What if I Never Get Over You meet while interrailing in Portugal, my heart jumped up. It brought back so many great memories, and I couldn’t wait to read Paige’s newest.
I adored the first part when Ellie and Ash met in Lisbon. Their instant connection (even though I’m not fond of insta love), Sleeping on the beach (I slept on train stations and a rooftop of a hotel), just wandering through the city, and falling in love with each other—all this in three days.
I also immensely loved the last part. Again, their connection was so beautiful, and smiles danced on my face so many times. I loved all those little things, like an elbow bump, brief eye contact, or a small smile. I even might have shed a tear.
The part in between I really liked but didn’t fully love. Sometimes, I wanted to shout at them both, most of all at Ellie, because she just didn’t feel ready for a relationship. So, I understood the third-act breakup and wasn’t even mad about it. And that’s probably also why I loved the last part so much.
Someone said that Paige Toon is a prolific author, and she is, so I’m already waiting for her 2026 book!
Thank you, Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley, for this wonderful ARC!
I hesitated to start reading A Gentleman’s Gentleman because I’d seen a few low ratings and even people DNF’ing it. But when I finally dared to pick iI hesitated to start reading A Gentleman’s Gentleman because I’d seen a few low ratings and even people DNF’ing it. But when I finally dared to pick it up, I actually liked the stilted and, at the same time, witty story. I flew through the pages (it’s a pretty short one) and amused myself.
But …
Yep, there is a but. Even though I liked it, I also believe that this story is underdeveloped. Christopher’s grief never came fully to the surface, and Harding (for a long time, I forgot his first name!) was pretty one-dimensional. Therefore, the chemistry was zero and I couldn’t really connect to Harding/James. So, I wanted more, much more. More witty dialogues, more depth in Harding’s character, more inside in Christopher’s grief. I wanted to see Christopher’s past as flashbacks, not as a rushed story being told in one chapter. This could have been a gem, but now it felt like a nice in-between to read snuggled up on the couch or lying on the beach. But that’s all.
Pitched for fans of Raven Boys and Cemetery Boys, but in my opinion closest to F.T. Lukens’ Spell Bound and their The Rules series.
I love the rival tPitched for fans of Raven Boys and Cemetery Boys, but in my opinion closest to F.T. Lukens’ Spell Bound and their The Rules series.
I love the rival to lovers trope, but I like the grumpy-sunshine trope even more, and I loved that one the most in The Hollow and the Haunted. Miles is the empath, always helpful and thinking about others. Gabriel is the brooding one, distant and cold. But when a friendship grows, Gabriel opens up, and Miles finds out, that a sweet boy is hiding underneath all those layers of coldness. Be aware this is a slow, slow, slow-burn and that the romance isn’t the main theme. This story is about two rivaling families, and Miles and Gabriel find themselves in the middle of the feud.
Camilla Raines writing is incredibly vivid and made this story such a pleasure to read. Miles and Gabriel, including the side characters, splashed of the pages, and I smiled so many times. At Miles’ and Gabriel’s banter, but also at Miles’ car because Camilla managed to make Blanche almost human.
To be honest, while reading that ending, I was like ‘WHAT?’, but now I can’t wait to read the sequel! I’d love to be back with Miles and Gabriel again.
Until 80% of the story, I was sure this would be a glorious four-star read. And then it wasn’t because F.T. I’m sorry, okay … actual rating 3.5 stars.
Until 80% of the story, I was sure this would be a glorious four-star read. And then it wasn’t because F.T. Lukens decided to throw 80% of the plot into the last 20% of the story.
But let’s start with the lovely things. I always love F.T. Lukens’ stories, especially the contemporary, speculative ones. Even though Love at Second Sight starts with a glimpse of a murder, it’s overall a light, witty lower YA story with a great friend group and a sweet romance. What I liked the most that all that lightness covered a far more serious theme, the acceptance of being different and that it’s okay to be different instead of wanting to be normal. The friend group was an excellent example of very different people who always had each other’s back.
I adored Cam and Mateo, and they were such a cute couple, but to be honest, I wanted way more time with Mateo. He was a pretty shy boy who was more in the background, and I’d have loved to have more time alone with them.
And then came that last 20%, and my eyebrows braided together. I just didn’t like that rushed ending where suddenly the villains took the upper hand, villains that shouldn’t be villains this late in a YA story. It’s like an unnecessary third-act break-up in a romance. So yeah, that’s why I rounded my 3.5-star rating down to a sad three stars.
Thank you, Simon and Schuster Children’s Books and Edelweiss, for this ARC!
It’s been a while since I loved a book this much, and it might be because I adored Dani and Wouter, but it might even be more because this fantastic sIt’s been a while since I loved a book this much, and it might be because I adored Dani and Wouter, but it might even be more because this fantastic story is set in my home country. It’s the book you need to read if you want to experience Europe without your eyebrows braided together because the author decided to use every cliche available.
Of course, Rachel Lynn Solomon added a few stereotypes like the windmills and the cheese and the stroopwafels (syrup waffles), but also so much more. All those things that really feel Dutch: from biking without a helmet to wheelbarrow bikes with three kids inside, from Appie (Nick name for Albert Heijn, a grocery store) to HEMA (just our everything store), from peeking inside houses to renting unfurnished apartments (even without floors), from our coffeeshops which aren’t coffeeshops (oops …) to the ‘lekker’ hand wave, from the tiny sinks in the bathrooms with only cold water to Dutch flags with a backpack hanging outside after high school graduation, from poffertjes (small pancakes) to hagelslag (little chocolate sprinkles), and of course, she called soccer football! Like all Americans should do!
And as I said, I loved Dani and Wouter. Dani with the port-wine stain on her face and parents who are always overprotective, even now she’s thirty, and Wouter with his thinning hair and the way he always needs to take care for others. Two real people who fell head over heels. At seventeen and now again.
So yes, I fell in love with this book and with my own country.
It would be awesome if Luitingh Sijthoff translated this book just like they did with Business or Pleasure. But if you’re Dutch and can read in English, then I’d recommend picking up this one in English so you can have that fantastic feeling of being an English-speaking person in a Dutch-speaking city.
Thank you, Rafa from Penguin Random House International, for this amazing book! So, so good! En dank je wel Rachel Lynn Solomon voor dit waanzinnige boek! Zo, zo goed!
Lucky Bounce is okay. Nice. Fine. I’ll admit, I really, really liked the first pages. I smiled, and I chuckledIf only this book had a dual narrative …
Lucky Bounce is okay. Nice. Fine. I’ll admit, I really, really liked the first pages. I smiled, and I chuckled, and sometimes I had second-hand embarrassment because of Zeke’s crush. But after a few chapters, my enthusiasm faded away. I think this story could have been so much more! Such a shame.
I terribly missed Spencer’s narrative. And now that I’m spouting criticism, I also missed character depth. There was wit, and my lips turned up in a smile, but Zeke and Spencer were also very one-dimensional. I kind of hated their dialogues because there was hardly any, especially in the beginning. It would have been okay, but I didn’t feel any yearning or longing, or at least some buildup to something more. Yeah, Zeke felt sexual attraction, but that’s it. I think the book is much too short. Add at least 100 pages, dive into the characters, upgrade the dialogues, tell Addie’s background story in more than three sentences, and lose the bro/dude/bud thing, and this romance could suddenly be really good. But right now it isn’t, at least not in my opinion, and therefore, Lucky Bounce became an in-between. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed myself, but this book is rather unforgettable. And that’s a pity.
If you love an easy read and at times funny story to dream away for a while, readable in one sitting, this one might be for you. Oh, and there’s no third act breakup and that’s great!
Thank you, Harlequin-Romance and NetGalley, for the ARC.
Lucky Bounce is okay. Nice. Fine. I’ll admit, I really, really liked the first pages. I smiled, and I chuckled, and sometimes I had second-hand embarrassment because of Zeke’s crush. But after a few chapters, my enthusiasm faded away. I think this story could have been so much more! Such a shame.
I terribly missed Spencer’s narrative. And now that I’m spouting criticism, I also missed character depth. There was wit, and my lips turned up in a smile, but Zeke and Spencer were also very one-dimensional. I kind of hated their dialogues because there was hardly any, especially in the beginning. It would have been okay, but I didn’t feel any yearning or longing, or at least some buildup to something more. Yeah, Zeke felt sexual attraction, but that’s it. I think the book is much too short. Add at least 100 pages, dive into the characters, upgrade the dialogues, tell Addie’s background story in more than three sentences, and lose the bro/dude/bud thing, and this romance could suddenly be really good. But right now it isn’t, at least not in my opinion, and therefore, Lucky Bounce became an in-between. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed myself, but this book is rather unforgettable. And that’s a pity.
If you love an easy read and at times funny story to dream away for a while, readable in one sitting, this one might be for you. Oh, and there’s no third act breakup and that’s great!
Thank you, Harlequin-Romance and NetGalley, for the ARC.
I love books by K.J. Charles, especially the combination of wit and pining, both ingredients in The Duke at Hazard. And still …
I liked Cassian’s and DI love books by K.J. Charles, especially the combination of wit and pining, both ingredients in The Duke at Hazard. And still …
I liked Cassian’s and Dhazell’s story; I just didn’t love it. Situations that should have made me smile didn’t do anything more than sometimes pull up my lips a little; I lost my concentration while reading the ‘There’s just one bed’ scene, and even though the pacing was fast, I was reading so slowly.
I do not even have the inspiration to write a full review. For me, this story was just okay. Nothing more, nothing less. Please check out other reviews if you want to read this one!
Thank you, Orion Publishing Group, for this ARC. I’m sorry for not liking it more.
Oh, I liked this one more than Time to Shine (I liked that one too, but this one just a bit more!). It just hit all the right notes, a slow burn seconOh, I liked this one more than Time to Shine (I liked that one too, but this one just a bit more!). It just hit all the right notes, a slow burn second chance romance (okay, the story itself only takes place in a week or so), two men in their forties (we need more older MCs!), and the first pages grief-stricken (and we know I’m a sucker for sadder stories).
Riley’s grief was so palpable in the first part of the story. His love for his father shone through the pages, and I loved all those small family dynamics. They were all so relatable. I immediately wanted to hug him.
Even though I hated the way Adam had treated Riley in the past, he was the one I had a soft spot for. Without many words, Adam was so quietly caring. All those tender moments, bringing coffee and breakfast in the morning, just lying in bed and comforting Riley because he needed it.
I think the tenderness in this story stood out for me the most. Two grown-up men who’d already lived a part of their lives and finally felt they were coming home. And that epilogue was chef’s kiss.
Thank you, Harlequin Romance and NetGalley, for this wonderful ARC. I loved reading it!
Wow, wow, wow! Some stories silence me, and this is one of them. Just take a look at that stunning cover! It’s so quiet and, at the same time, so vibrWow, wow, wow! Some stories silence me, and this is one of them. Just take a look at that stunning cover! It’s so quiet and, at the same time, so vibrant. Exactly like Deedee and Jay are. I love it when a cover and a story fit so well together.
Sometimes, I want to hug bookish main characters badly, and Deedee and Jay are two of them. Deedee tries to be the perfect daughter. She has to follow all of her Filipino mom’s rules (many!), but she thinks she’s bad and longs to be unconditionally loved. Deep inside, she’s screaming for acknowledgment and, most of all, for freedom. Jay is the perfect son, having an almost full-time job to help his mom to pay the bills. But he has buried so much underneath his seeming ease.
This story is raw and messy, about two lonely teens who are stuck in life, never showing to the world who they really want to be, needing each other so much, and maybe even thinking they can fix the other. My chest tightened quite a lot, especially when Deedee got sadder and sadder with all those intrusive thoughts that she’s never good enough. But don’t think this story only has dark sides. It’s a powerful story and, in the end, hopeful too.
Thank you so much, Clare, for sending me an ARC of your book! You’re such a talented author, and after reading this impressive debut, I can’t wait for what you have in store for us next!
For fans of If This Gets Out or Kiss and Tell. Or those with a soft spot for anxious teen boys. And for those who can handle hActual rating 4.5 stars.
For fans of If This Gets Out or Kiss and Tell. Or those with a soft spot for anxious teen boys. And for those who can handle heavier and darker-themed stories.
Even though Under All the Lights is a sequel, this story is perfectly readable as a standalone.
I was curious but also a little scared when I started reading because Ollie was in a solid relationship with Aisha after book one. Although I really wanted to know what was going to happen between Ollie and Jessie, I didn’t want to get stuck in a cobweb of lies because of a love triangle. And luckily, that didn’t happen. But be prepared; this story is messy. Let me just love messy and harder hitting stories! Under All the Lights is about a boy and his confused feelings. About a boy who’s trying to battle with severe anxiety. About a boy who’s suddenly in the spotlights, including sh*tty social media rumors. About a boy and his past and the inextricable link to his internal biphobia. And yeah, it’s also about a boy with a wonderful girlfriend who finds out he likes a guy, too.
I loved reading from Ollie’s POV. I already had a soft spot for him when I was reading When It All SyncsUp, and after I found out what happened to him in the first installment of this series, my blood was boiling, and I wanted to protect him against all costs. And therefore, I fully understood why Ollie felt he needed to ignore his feelings for boys. But after meeting Jesse, his feelings came flying back like a boomerang, and suddenly, he couldn’t shrug off what he knew deep inside anymore.
Some stories hit me hard, and this is one of them. Those two boys, both struggling so much but not letting the other in. I felt their inner fights throughout the book. The soft spot I had for Olly has become bigger, and he nestled himself deep into my heart. Just like Jesse, actually, and I’m secretly hoping Maya Ameyaw will write a follow-up story with a dual or even triple POV because with that ending and all, I’m not done yet with these characters, and I really, really, really need more!
Thank you so much, Maya, Annick Pres, NetGalleyand, and Edelweiss, for the eARCs of this book. I know I needed a few of them before I was finally able to read this story, but I’m so glad I could in the end because I loved Olly, Jesse, Aisha, Neil, and all the others!
Adored this one!!! The Gay Best Friend has hints from The Charm Offensive and Red White and Royal Blue, but the book that comes to mind the most is FiAdored this one!!! The Gay Best Friend has hints from The Charm Offensive and Red White and Royal Blue, but the book that comes to mind the most is First Time for Everything.
Recently single, thirty-year-old gay Domenic (Dom) is an anxious mess and stuck between his best friends, the hypermasculine Patrick and his fiancé, the ultrafeminine Kate. When Kate asks Dom to protect Patrick from doing stupid things at his bachelor party, and Dom arrives at Kate’s bachelorette party with a bunch of secrets, his life is spiraling out of control.
The Gay Best Friend is incredibly heartwarming, captivating, and witty. Funny and almost cringe-worthy moments alternate with wonderful conversations, especially between Dom and Bucky. Because of this, the story is far more layered than you’d assume when you start reading the book. Even though Dom feels trapped, his friendship to both Patrick and Kate is so precious and this story is Dom’s personal journey to his true self. Throughout the story, I wanted to tell him desperately that he should start loving himself and doesn’t have to feel less than Patrick. I simply loved the book and Dom. In the end, I was surprised that I even liked Ted and fully agreed with the message he gave Dom. I can’t wait to read more by Nicolas Didomizio!
I received an ARC from Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Adored this one!!! The Gay Best Friend has hints from The Charm Offensive and Red White and Royal Blue, but the book that comes to mind the most is First Time for Everything.
Recently single, thirty-year-old gay Domenic (Dom) is an anxious mess and stuck between his best friends, the hypermasculine Patrick and his fiancé, the ultrafeminine Kate. When Kate asks Dom to protect Patrick from doing stupid things at his bachelor party, and Dom arrives at Kate’s bachelorette party with a bunch of secrets, his life is spiraling out of control.
The Gay Best Friend is incredibly heartwarming, captivating, and witty. Funny and almost cringe-worthy moments alternate with wonderful conversations, especially between Dom and Bucky. Because of this, the story is far more layered than you’d assume when you start reading the book. Even though Dom feels trapped, his friendship to both Patrick and Kate is so precious and this story is Dom’s personal journey to his true self. Throughout the story, I wanted to tell him desperately that he should start loving himself and doesn’t have to feel less than Patrick. I simply loved the book and Dom. In the end, I was surprised that I even liked Ted and fully agreed with the message he gave Dom. I can’t wait to read more by Nicolas Didomizio!
I received an ARC from Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.