By Maria Semple
** Publication Date 14 April 2026 **
5 stars




Could I actually love a book more than I loved ‘Where’d You Go, Bernadette?’ Maybe. Sometimes when an author writes a novel as memorable as Bernadette, you think they’ll never be able to match that one. Go Gentle does. I think, maybe, I might like it even a bit more than Bernadette.


Adora Hazzard has had an interesting life in addition to having an interesting name. Originally determined to be a comedic TV writer, after a few stumbles along the way, she finds philosophy and knows this is her life. As a Stoic, most everything rolls right off her. She loves being single. She loves her job working for a very wealthy old money family in New York City. She lives in a historic hotel that was renovated into apartments with her ‘coven’ of female friends. Life is, in her mind, pretty darn perfect. 


All it takes is just a moment and a mysterious man to turn things upside down.


To say I loved this is truly an understatement. I found the information about Stoics fascinating (beyond the adjective ‘stoic.’) I love how grounded Adora actually seems to be. Her employers and their kids are interesting, as are all the other characters in her life. You will laugh out loud at parts of this, because they are funny. It’s just a joyous ride from start to finish.


Well done Ms. Semple.

By Diane Kelly
** Publication Date 31 March 2026 **
​4 stars




Cute cozy mystery that has just a bit of darkness to it. This is the 8th book in Kelly’s House Flipper series. I have not read another book in this series, therefore this one is a standalone for me.


Whitney is a flipper. Along with her cousin Buck, they buy up properties, renovate, and sell once again. Previously Whitney even flipped her own home. Whitney’s husband Collin is a member of the police department. And somehow Whitney keeps finding herself in the middle of murder investigations.


This time it entails a barn which was once part of an antebellum estate. There is both good and dark history associated with this barn that served as a stopover for the Underground Railroad. Instead of being a flip, Buck and Whitney have been hired to rehab the barn into a property the family can be proud of. 


When a local reporter, working on a story about the barn, gets brutally murdered on the property, Whitney inserts herself right into the investigation. After all, this young man wouldn’t have even been there if it weren't for the history and rehab of the property. 


Cute novel. Loved the chapters with the cat’s thoughts inserted in-between the human focused chapters. As this is part of a larger series, I can testify that you do not need to have read any of the previous novels to enjoy this one. Also, like me, you may want to go back and read the rest because you enjoyed this one so much. 


Engaging, not too dark, fun read. Definitely recommend when you’re in the mood for something mysterious, but not gory or depressing. 

By Meg Shaffer
** Publication Date 7 April 2026 **
4 stars




Book witches protect novels from those who wish to burn the books. Essentially burners can hop into a novel, burn up pages within, and then the books will disappear forever. Book witches all over the world monitor for burners and call on the Ink & Paper Coven to repair the book before something terrible happens.


Twenty-seven year old Rainy March (both a weather forecast and a name) is a book witch. Rainy resides in Rainy Port Meriwether, Oregon with her Pops and Hannah, their housekeeper. Rainy was raised without parents. Her father is unknown and her mother died shortly after Rainy’s birth.


What got Rainy through some very tough times were the books about the Duke of Chicago. When there is an incident with the Duke’s books, Rainy volunteers to hop in and fix it. After all, who knows the books better than Rainy? Only things don’t go quite as planned. Duke doesn’t want Rainy to leave. Rainy doesn’t want to leave, but rules are rules. Can Duke and Rainy find a way to bend those rules?


This is an adorable book. It is so much fun to bring book characters and book settings to life with Rainy in them. Rainy herself is a young woman who has spunk, and she’s almost fearless. She’s also dealing with a lot of trauma in her past. This novel, while lighthearted, deals with some dark themes. Life isn’t perfect for the heroine Rainy. Still, it is a sweet story about love, life, and fiction vs the real world. 


Absolutely worth a read. Quick one

By Rachel Hochhauser 
** Publication Date 3 March 2026 **
​4 stars




From the blurbs I read, this novel is supposed to be a retelling of Cinderella from the evil stepmother’s view. While I definitely wouldn’t call Lady Tremaine ‘evil’, nor the wicked stepsisters, ‘wicked’, I will say that there are definitely some strange family dynamics going on here.


Lady Tremaine, Etheldreda, was once a child of a brewer, who didn’t live in luxury, but didn’t have need for much. Until she met Henry, the wealthy landowner’s son. She enmeshed herself in Henry’s life for many years, until as adults, they wed. They had blissful years together, raising two young girls, Matilda and Rosamund. But life has its ways of being less than perfect, and Henry perished. 


Etheldreda found herself a single mother with nothing to her name - no land, no money. After a year’s worth of grieving, she found a widower father, a Lord, who was raising a young girl on his own. Etheldreda set her sights on him and soon became Lady Bramley. The stepdaughter would be Elin, who made it very clear from the first day that she needed neither Etheldreda nor sisters. After a brief marriage, once again Etheldreda found herself alone, but now with a large estate, staff, her own two daughters and a stepdaughter. And other than the dowry set aside for Elin, no money.


With all three girls now young women, and of marrying age, Etheldreda is dedicated to having them marry well. When the prince’s ball is being held, Etheldreda secures invitations for her two daughters, in addition to Elin. I think we know how the story goes from here, but it’s not the Disney version of the fairytale. This prince is charming on the outside, maybe not quite as nice on the inside. 


I found this book a little slow through the first half. There is a lot of history and backstory that needs to be established to understand Etheldreda and her current state of affairs. As we moved into the ball and later chapters, it got really interesting. I loved the take from the stepmother’s point of view, because we see what lengths this mother is willing to go to so that her children can be happy and well cared for. It’s fascinating to imagine a world where women are essentially belongings. They don’t have a lot of rights. Etheldreda is anything but a simpering female. The novel portrays her as a tough cookie who won’t stand for much. 


Stick around for the entire novel, because you will want to see how this one plays out. Elin is no Disney princess, and Simeon no Disney prince. This is more of a cautionary tale than fair tale.


Recommend!!