Haiku Reviews

 

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Two sisters deal with

heartache in different ways.

Find love in the end.

Classic .... 353 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(My 2025 Jane Austen reread to celebrate her 250th birthday this year; it's not my favorite Austen novel, but I liked it more this time around than I did the first time I read it. Though I still love the Emma Thompson movie version best.)

Fly Girl by Ann Hood

The reality and

adventure of being a 

flight attendant for TWA.

Biography .... 265 pages .... 3.5/5 stars.

(Remember when flying used to be a more glamorous way of traveling? Ann Hood does in this interesting memoir.)

Star-Crossed Crush by Sarah Deeham

Hot rock star. Cute dog.

Best friend's little sister.

Secret crush. True love.

Contemporary Romance .... 335 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(Slowburn romance with lots of heart, humor, and only a few steamy scenes...it also has a very cute Corgi name Archie.)

Happy Reading!

Haiku Reviews...

 

Swept Away by Beth O'Leary

Stuck on a houseboat

adrift at sea, two strangers

learn about each other...and themselves.

Romance .... 369 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(Survival, honesty, revealing conversations, tears, smiles and unexpected love.)

The Geographer's Map to Romance by India Holton

A marriage of convenience.

Unleashed thaumaturgic magic.

Wild Adventure. And love.

Historical fantasy .... 327 pages .... 5/5 stars.

(Another magical read from Horton full of humor and romance.)

The Double-A Western Detective Agency by Steven Hockensmith

Gustav's and Otto's

first case puts them on the wrong

side of a range war.

Western/mystery .... 252 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(Sixth book in this fun series; I love that they've teamed up with their new partner, Diana Crowe, in this one. She keeps these cowboy sleuths on their toes.)

Season's Schemings by Katie Bailey

Their fake marriage plan:

show up her ex and get him

a green card. Win-win!

Sweet hockey romance .... 253 pages .... 5/5 stars.

(Loved this cute and funny marriage of convenience romance!)

Happy Reading!

Haiku Reviews

 

Crash Landing by Annie McQuaid

Wedding trip plane crash

strands bridesmaid with her old flame;

can love re-ignite?

Contemporary romance .... 293 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(Cute forced proximity second chance summer romance.)

The Passengers by John Marrs

Eight self-driving cars

hacked and programmed to collide

as the world watches.

Science fiction .... 337 pages .... 3.5/5 stars.

(Thought-provoking, fast-paced and twisty. And will make you never want to own a self-driving car.)

The Love Haters by Katherine Center

Filming Coast Guard hero Hutch

makes Katie face her fears and

learn to love herself. 

Contemporary romance ... 302 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(Favorite quote from this fun romance:  "No one's born fearless. You have to earn it. Every time you have to be brave, you get to be a little braver next time."

Happy Reading!

Two quick recommendations....

 

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

True crime podcaster, Ben Owens, is looking into the unsolved murder of Savannah Harper. His investigation brings Lucy Chase, the prime suspect, back to her hometown of Plumpton, Texas. It's the last place she wants to be, but Savvy was her best friend and Lucy was with her the night she died. Everyone thinks she did it, but no one can prove it. And Lucy can't remember what really happened that night. But it's time for her to find out the truth...even if the truth points to her. 

What a gripping twisty thriller! I loved the format and how each of Ben's podcast interviews brings out another piece of the truth. Then there's all the lies and contradictions and Lucy's own unreliable memories. It's great storytelling that kept me guessing until the very end.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Ornithologist's Field  Guide to Love by India Holton

"Birds are easy; people are utterly bewildering."

Set in England in 1890, this captivating historical fantasy has wild avian magic, cutthroat ornithologists, and a ruthless competition to capture the rare and magical Caladrius bird. At stake? Being named Best Birder of the Year...and winning tenure! Beth, a serious, smart, and shy professor from Oxford reluctantly teams up with Devon, an irreverent, good looking, and intelligent professor from Cambridge who finds out his competitor is not only spunky, but sassy, too. 

"Who knew that racing across the country, being attacked by deadly magical birds and kissed by a handsome rogue, would be so transformative to one's character."

I loved Beth and Devon and their competitiveness, their love of birds, their wit and banter, and their enchanting romance. Holton writes with a tongue-in-cheek humor that I thoroughly enjoyed. In fact, I loved everything about this book.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"All any of us want, bird and birder, is the freedom to find our own skies, our own magic."

Happy Reading!

Haiku reviews...

 

Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez

Xavier falls hard for Sam. 

The next day, she moves away.

What's a guy to do?

Romance .... 353 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(Xavier is an "alarmingly handsome veterinarian" who loves animals more than people...but he loves Sam most of all. Their long-distance love story is funny, poignant, and tugs at the heart.)

The Serendipity by Emma St. Clair

There's magic in the

building bringing Willa and 

Archer together.

"A Whimsical Romance" .... 276 pages .... 5/5 stars.

(A sweet and funny grumpy vs. sunshine romance with a cute magical twist. The Cupid Chronicles by Courtney Walsh is another whimsical romance in this fun series involving a magical match-making newspaper; it's equally charming.)

The Treasure Hunters Club by Tom Ryan

Lost treasure. Buried

secrets. And murder. Three try

to dig up the truth.

Mystery .... 368 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(Entertaining fast-paced thriller full of family secrets, lies, hidden gold, betrayal, shocking twists, and new beginnings.)

Happy Reading!

Haiku reviews...

 

A Dark and Secret Magic by Wallis Kinney

Necromancer and 

Hedge witch. Can their love defeat

a common enemy?

Fantasy .... 311 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(I found the characters, the magic, and the nod to the myth of Persephone enchanting.)

Get Lost With You by Sophie Sullivan

Levi Bright is back.

Jilly has a second chance at love....

if she's brave enough to take it.

Romance .... 293 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(This is a quirky small town, single mom, brother's best friend, low angst, charming romance.)

Scorpio by Marko Kloos

Colonists from Earth

struggle to survive against

the monstrous Lankies.

Science fiction .... 274 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(I've always liked stories of space colonization and survival; and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel when it comes out in August.)

Happy Reading!

Haiku reviews...

 

Track Her Down by Melinda Leigh

Dark secrets come out

as Bree investigates the

murder of Claire's parents.

Mystery .... 304 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(This is the 9th Sheriff Bree Taggert mystery and it's another good one, mostly because Bree and her partner, Matt Flynn, are such great characters.)

Only In Your Dreams by Madison Wright

Grey's loved Finley for

years. So when she needs a fake 

boyfriend, he's ALL in!

Romantic comedy .... 351 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(I loved this charming, clean romance! It's as delightfully sweet and fun as her previous novel, Off the Beaten Path.)

The Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right by Suzanne Allain

Cousins switch places

during London Season. Each find love.

But will their love survive the truth?

Regency romance .... 257 pages .... 3.5/5 stars.

(Cute and clean romance; a little silly and a bit shallow, but still fun.)

Happy Reading!

Haiku Reviews...

 

Summit's Edge by Sara Driscoll

When a hijacked plane

crashes, Meg and Hawk join the 

risky mountain search.

An FBI K-9 Mystery .... 308 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(One of my favorite mystery series!)

A Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen

Boom! Then time resets.

They're stuck in a loop. Why?!

And how do they get out?

Science Fiction .... 346 pages .... 3.5/5 stars.

(Great beginning. But I felt the story lost some momentum in the middle. And while I liked the ending, I didn't love it. Still a good read.)

Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson

She finds family

in Scotland along with a

curse, magic, and love.

Paranormal romance .... 386 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(Key and Lachlan's romance is full of sparks, lots of spice, and the Loch Ness monster, too. It's a fun one.)

Happy Reading!

Haiku Reviews

 

Out On a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young

A Halloween fling.

Her unexpected pregnancy.

Co-parents? Friends? More?

Romance .... 357 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(I adored Win and Bo and their sweet romance!)

To Capture His Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen

Bachelor detective &

independent photographer

solve case; find love.

"A Proper Romance" .... 283 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(Loved the historical time period, the engaging characters & their honest respect for one another.)

Cold as Hell by Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle

Angels yanked James from

hell to kill monsters and demons

in the wild, wild West.

Western + Supernatural .... 323 pages .... 5/5 stars.

(A dead outlaw cowboy battling evil for the angels of the White Throne. How awesome is that? I totally loved it!)

 

Happy Reading!

Two Quick Recommendations...

 

An Instruction in Shadow by Benedict Jacka

This urban fantasy novel picks up right where An Inheritance of Magic leaves off with Stephen Oakwood meeting his mother for the first time. He's also looking for his father, trying to find wells of Essentia and master the magic of Drucraft, and survive the ambushes and attacks coming from new enemies and members of his own aristocratic family. It's fun and full of action. I really like Stephen and his friends, and can't wait to read the third book in this captivating series. I'm only sad I have to wait at least another year before it comes out. 

(I also really love Jacka's Alex Verus series!)

The Night Woods by Paula Munier

I bet you can guess one of the reasons I love this mystery series. Mercy Carr and her Belgian Malinois, Elvis, are favorites of mine, as are her game warden husband, Troy, and his Newfoundland, Susie Bear. Despite being eight months pregnant, Mercy gets drawn into a murder investigation, which doesn't make her mother very happy. Then a billionaire out hunting goes missing. And someone's threatening Mercy. Plus, there are wild boars loose in the Vermont wilderness near their home. It's another compelling and entertaining novel from Munier.

(I highly recommend checking out the first book in this series, A Borrowing of Bones.)

Happy Reading!

Christmas-y Haiku Reviews....

 

Snowed In by Catherine Walsh

Megan and Christian

team up to survive Christmas

with their families.

Romantic comedy .... 336 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(Fun fake dating holiday romance set in Ireland. Walsh's first book, Holiday Romance, is even cuter.)

The Christmas You Found Me by Sarah Morgenthaler

Sienna marries 

a stranger to help him and his sweet,

but very ill, daughter.

Romance .... 291 pages .... 5/5 stars.

(Have Kleenex nearby when you read this one; it totally made me cry.)

One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery

A quiet Christmas?

Not with her kids, her boyfriend's

kids, his ex, and a dog.

Contemporary fiction .... 316 pages .... 4/5 stgars.

(Unexpected guests, humorous banter, a secret or two, confessions of love, family, friends and exes all in one cabin at Christmas made this a fun read.)

Happy Reading!

Haiku Reviews...

One Last Play by Annah Conwell

She loves football...and 

his daughter. Can he convince 

her to love him, too?

Sweet romantic comedy .... 252 pages .... 5/5 stars.

(Clean single dad sports romance that I totally loved.)

Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe

He's into cryptids;

she's not. But when they team up,

their new web show rocks.

Romance .... 334 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(Cute and humorous with lots of fun banter.)

Reel Love by Savannah Scott

Online word game brings

famous actress and marine

biologist together.

Romantic comedy .... 372 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(Opposites attract in this sweet romance. Loved the island setting.)

Happy Reading!

Haiku Reviews...

 

The Summer of Yes by Courtney Walsh

Getting hit by a

car has Kelsey rethinking 

her entire life.

Fiction .... 370 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(A charming novel about friendship, second chances, journeys, hope, romance, and not letting fear keep you from choosing life.)

Grim and Bear It by Juliette Cross

Aura witch invites

Grim necromancer to join

romance book club ... love follows.

Paranormal romance .... 382 pages .... 3.5/5 stars.

(Clara and Henry were a very cute couple, but there's lots of language and several steamy sex scenes, so beware if that's not your thing.)

The Teacher by Freida McFadden

A troubled student.

Married tachers. Obsession,

love, hate, sex, and death.

Thriller.... 379 pages .... 3/5 stars.

(Fast-paced, with lots of unexpected twists and turns. But very unlikable characters.)

My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine

Amelia knows taxes, but

vampires? Fake dating Reggie is one

surprise after another.

Romance .... 389 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(So cute & funny! I especially loved Reggie's bullet journal excerpts.)

Happy Reading!

Two quick recommendations...

 

Bride by Ali Hazelwood

She's a Vampyre; he's a Were.  They're supposed to be enemies.

She's grown up without love or family. He's never found his mate.

Their arranged marriage is a political alliance. 

They're not supposed to fall in love. 

But then their worlds collide and everything changes. 

This paranormal romance is such a fun read! Misery Lark is a sympathetic and spunky character. And I loved her swoony relationship with Lowe Moreland. There's also great banter and humor.   4.5/5 stars.

Midnight Movie by J.L. Bryan

Ellie Jordan is a ghost trapper. She and her partner, Stacey, are investigating the strange paranormal phenomena happening at a local Drive-In movie theater that's being renovated. Is it being haunted by the ghost of the previous owner? A murdered actress from the old movies that they used to show there? Or something more sinister? This is another fun ghostly mystery with humor, atmosphere and a suspenseful ending. Though it's not as scary as some of his other Ellie Jordan books. Ellie and Stacey and their boyfriends, Jacob and Michael, are great characters. I really like them....and this series.    4/5 stars.

Happy Reading!

Haiku reviews...

 

Off the Beaten Path by Madison Wright

Flirty, sunny Wren

tangles with her grumpy neighbor,

single dad Holden.

Romantic comedy .... 360 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(Loved Holden's relationship with his six-year-old daughter, June, in this sweet romance.)

Metropolis by B.A. Shapiro

Six lives intersect

at Metropolitan Storage; 

each with their own secrets.

Fiction .... 355 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(This character-driven novel is so well-written!)

Beauty and the Beach by Gracie Ruth Mitchell

Her need for money.

His grandma's will. Two reasons

for a fake marriage (that turns out to be real).

Sweet romance .... 306 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(A charming summer romance with clever and humorous banter...and some very funny nicknames between Holland and Phoenix.)

Happy Reading!

Two fun reads...

 

The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter

"Here's the thing about waking up with no memory in the middle of the night, in the middle of the street, in the middle of Paris: at least you're waking up in Paris."

She's not a spy, but she gets caught up with one. And Sawyer's the only thing standing between her and all the bad guys chasing her. There's a lot of action, banter, suspense, and some great laugh-out-loud moments between Zoe and Sawyer in this one. This is such an addictive and fun novel; I couldn't put it down. I loved the combination of spies and romance.   4.5/5 stars. 

Tangled Up In You by Christina Lauren

"For as many books as she'd read in her lifetime, Ren had never found one that taught a woman like her--raised away from society and off the grid for most of her twenty-two years--how to live in the real world. Still, she was so ready for the change, she could practically taste it."

Ren is naive, optimistic, eager and full of sunshine. Fitz is streetwise, charming when he wants to be, but hiding some dark secrets from his past. The two of them together? Magic. From Ren's first weeks at college to their road trip across the country, I ate this book up. It's a charming read with lots of humor. I liked how spending time with Ren made Fitz open up and want to be better. And Ren's journey had some unexpected surprises in it, especially at the end.   4/5 stars.

Haiku Reviews...

 

Desire or Defense by Leah Brunner

Suspended NHL star

coaches youth league--falls for player's 

cute older sister.

Hockey romance .... 267 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(I loved Mitch's personal journey to work through his anger issues and become a better person, one worthy of Andie's love.)

Love, Naturally by Sophie Sullivan

City girl, outdoor guy.

One week at the Get Lost Lodge.

True love, or just a fling?

Romance .... 309 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(Funny and sweet! Presley's humorous thoughts on hiking and biking made me laugh out loud.)

The Murder of My Aunt by Richard Hull

Again and again

Edward tries to find a way

to do in his aunt.

British Library Crime Classic .... 208 pages .... 3.5/5 stars.

(Darkly funny with a great twist at the end!)

Happy Reading!

Two Quick Recommendations...

 

Forgotten Trail by Claire Kells

This is the third mystery with ISB agents Felicity Harland and Hux Huxley. This one takes place at Pinnacles National Park in California. I really enjoy the National Park setting in this series, especially when it introduces me to parks I've never heard of before, like Pinnacles. And Felicity and Hux are such engaging characters. They make a fun team. I had one problem with the mystery and how the murderer knew to be there, which I felt was never satisfactorily explained, but I liked everything else about it. Especially the suspenseful moments in the park and those unexpected twists along the way.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Season on the Wind by Suzanne Woods Fisher

"Ben Zook had only two loves in his life. Books and birds."

No longer part of the Amish community, Ben has returned to his childhood home of Stoney Ridge in search of a rare bird. He's hired shy Micah Weaver as his guide. But it was Micah's sister, Penny, who first taught Ben to love birds twenty years ago, when she was just twelve. Too bad he doesn't remember her. 

"She looked at his profile. Him. Ben was her spark bird."

I loved this book because of Micah, Penny, and Ben. And that Amish setting. But most of all, because of the birding! This is an enchanting and heartwarming romance.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Reading!