313 pages Publisher G.P. Putnam’s Sons Publication date April 14, 2026
ABOUT THE BOOK
Brought together by chance, bound together by secrets.
A decade into the Great Depression, Millicent Green is a twenty-five-year-old “old maid” living with her marriage-obsessed mother and domineering older brother in the stiflingly small Jewish community of New Bern, North Carolina. Smart and prickly, she’s struggling to find her place in the world following the loss of her beloved younger brother, and with him, her dreams for the future.
One humid August day, Millie is sent to run an errand and discovers a young woman unconscious on the ground. This mystery woman, mute and without identification, will upend Millie’s life. Together, they set out on a quest that will lay bare some of the twentieth century’s most shameful episodes.
From a historic river town to the hinterlands of rural North Carolina, The Lost Girl of Craven County delves into the impossibility of burying secrets forever. It’s a story of love, loss, and—above all—the indelible, world-moving power of female friendship.
MY THOUGHTS
Very intriguing read that kept me reading. Taking place in New Bern, NC in 1939. There is Jewish representation in this historical fiction. I enjoyed the characters and the storyline really kept me intrigued. The story had surprising twists and turns and wasn’t how I expected it to be but even better. Now I’ll need to see what else the author has out.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Pack your bags and get ready to fall in love with The Hotel by the Sea—your next romantic getaway awaits!
Rebecca needs to escape. After making a complete fool of herself watching the man she’s secretly loved for years run off with someone else—she jumps at a temporary job at the family-run Quinta do Mar hotel. Sun, sea, and a fresh start sound perfect.
What she doesn’t expect is Felipe Rebelo.
Charming, infuriatingly confident, and always ready with a flirty quip, Felipe seems to have life sorted. But beneath his carefree exterior lies a man carrying the weight of his entire family. The last thing he needs is another responsibility. Especially one who challenges him at every turn, makes him laugh, and is dangerously easy to fall for…
Escape to Portugal’s stunning Algarve coast in this uplifting summer romance about finding yourself, choosing happiness, and discovering that love isn’t about being needed—it’s about being seen.
I really enjoy the author’s books and have read quite a few of them. All take place in such a fun and new location. Fun and romantic escapist read. An exotic location read, fun, flirty and oh so charming. This one welcomes a newcomer to beautiful “Portugal’s stunning Algarve coast in this uplifting summer romance about finding yourself, choosing happiness, and discovering that love isn’t about being needed—it’s about being seen.” I just loved this one, it made me so happy while reading this feel-good book. Loved the characters, so warm, outgoing and friendly. They make our newcomer feel right at home and part of the family. The setting sounds so tropical and wonderful like a perfect vacation spot that welcomes you in and you just want to forget about home life and stay there. So glad I got a chance to read this, and I look forward to reading many more by the author.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
A note from Julie Caplin
“My books are definitely not created by AI – apologies for the very human error that crept into the first few pages during the production process. I’m very sorry but as we’re all human, mistakes can happen. I’m sad but but there are worse things in life. “
About Julie Caplin
Jules Wake aka Julie Caplin is an internationally bestselling author with over 2 million sales over twenty five books including the highly successful Romantic Escape series which has been translated into over 24 languages. Her books have topped the charts in the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Iceland, Italy, Czech Republic and Slovakia.
After reading English at university, Jules Wake worked in PR where she honed her fiction writing skills on press releases and swanned around Europe taking journalists on gastronomic press trips. These visits inspired the locations of many of her books. She’s now a full-time author and what better job is there than making stuff up! It certainly beats housework.
As an avid romance fan, she’s written in several genres including historical romantic fiction, contemporary women’s romance fiction and romantic comedy.
386 pages Publisher Boldwood Books Publication date September 15, 2023
ABOUT THE BOOK
It’s the most wonderful time of the year on Castle Street, and there’s a paw-some new business opening….
It had always been Tabby’s dream to work with cats and an inheritance from her beloved nanna has finally made that a reality. Idyllic Castle Street in Whitsborough Bay couldn’t be a better place for pastry chef Tabby to open a cat café with her boyfriend, Leon.
But when Leon leaves her in the lurch, the pressure mounts for Tabby. With Christmas fast approaching, she has to open the café on her own – a daunting prospect, especially when she’s been hiding her health issues from the ones she loves.
Faced with local resistance to the café – and somebody seemingly determined that she won’t succeed – Tabby will need her friends, family and cats more than ever to recover her broken Christmas spirit and pull together for a Christmas miracle.
Will the cat café bring the festive joy to Castle Street as Tabby had hoped or will it be a cat-astrophe? And can the magic of Christmas on Castle Street mend Tabby’s broken heart as well as her business?
A warm café scene with Christmas decorations, cats, and snow falling outside
MY THOUGHTS
Christmas at the Cat Café is written by one of my absolute favorite rom com authors. I still have a few books of hers I am catching up on, and I am so glad I got a chance to finish this one recently. I have never been inside a cat cafe, but I have seen pictures and they do really seem a lovely place to be. Cat cafes are so helpful to cats and beneficial to helping clear out the animal shelters they are pairing with. A woman has a real affinity for cats and wants to save/rescue as many as she can and get them adopted when people come to see them and have tea at the cafe. A bit of drama is included of course because we can’t have a boring story. An employee causes a bit of trouble and isn’t at all whom she seems like she was when she is hired and it causes havoc with the cafe and the cats, sadly. A health issue for our cafe owner makes it a bit hard for her to manage the day to day running of the cafe and it adds seriousness to this charming story, and I got information about a common health issue many deal with. Fun, entertaining and an author I keep returning to.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
About the author
A warm welcome to my author page! Thank you for visiting.
I live in Scarborough on the stunning North Yorkshire Coast in the UK. My home inspired the creation of the fictional seaside town of Whitsborough Bay where I set many of my books. The Hedgehog Hollow series and Bumblebee Barn Collection take readers to a gorgeous countryside setting on the Yorkshire Wolds. In July 2023, I added the lakes and mountains to my settings with the start of my ‘Escape to the Lakes’ series. I absolutely love this part of the country and am loving writing a series in my happy place.
I live with my husband, our teenage daughter and sprocker spaniel, Ella. I’m a stationery addict with a notepad obsession who loves chocolate (although it doesn’t love me), hedgehogs, 80s music, collectible teddy bears and lighthouses.
My career has mainly been in HR as a trainer and recruiter. I had a brief detour into retail to set up and manage my own specialist teddy bear shop and started writing my debut novel on quiet days in the shop.
In June 2020, I became a full-time author. I’m so very grateful to anyone who has bought or borrowed my books in whatever format, helping me fulfil a long-held dream of writing full-time. I still can’t believe I get to spend every day chatting to my fictional friends and making stuff up.
383 pages Publisher Bethany House Publishers Publication date November 4, 2025
ABOUT THE BOOK
Two siblings. One fate. A web of secrets that could ensnare them in an inescapable destiny.
In 1883, Charles is a poor farmer desperate to secure financial stability for his mother and sister, as he is unsure which of his time-crossing paths he will choose on his twenty-fifth birthday. Posing as the Earl of Norfolk, he enters the opulent circles of Newport’s elite to assist a fellow time-crossing friend, Drew. But suspicions of his identity arise among the upper crust, and his encounters with Drew’s intriguing sister further complicate decisions that could impact a lifetime.
In 1563, Lady Cecily serves Queen Elizabeth while clinging to the hope that her stepbrother Charles will remain with her in this path. As the true Earl of Norfolk, Charles is deeply entangled in the deadly politics of the court. When he brings Drew, a physician in training, to Windsor Castle to help save the ailing monarch, old feelings for Drew rekindle in Cecily’s heart, but her love faces impossible odds under the strict rules of the crown. As their futures hang by a thread, Charles and Cecily race to prevent their web of secrets from unraveling and ensnaring them in an inescapable destiny.
MY THOUGHTS
The Timeless series is fascinating. Writing about crossing time takes a lot of research into the different time periods and this author really does her research. Though each can be read as a standalone there are characters mentioned in previous books so it would be beneficial to read past books first. Taking place in 1563 and 1883 are such different times you couldn’t have asked for something more unlike. I found the 1563 time period fascinating as I learned so much about it and royalty especially Queen Eliabeth I and her court. Richly detailed I was immersed in what I was reading and greatly look forward to the next book in the series.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
About the author
Gabrielle Meyer is the Christy Award-winning, bestselling author of over 45 books, including her popular Timeless Series. She lives in central Minnesota on the banks of the Mississippi River with her husband and four children. As an employee of the Minnesota Historical Society, she fell in love with history and enjoys writing fictional stories inspired by real people, places and events.
381 pages Publisher Berkley Publication date June 13, 2023
ABOUT THE BOOK
A Most Anticipated Book by Real Simple ∙ SheReads ∙ BookBub ∙ and more!
Inspired by a remarkable true story, a young teacher evacuates children to safety across perilous waters, in a moving and triumphant new novel from New York Times bestselling author Hazel Gaynor.
1940, Kent: Alice King is not brave or daring—she’s happiest finding adventure through the safe pages of books. But times of war demand courage, and as the threat of German invasion looms, a plane crash near her home awakens a strength in Alice she’d long forgotten. Determined to do her part, she finds a role perfectly suited to her experience as a schoolteacher—to help evacuate Britain’s children overseas.
1940, London: Lily Nichols once dreamed of using her mathematical talents for more than tabulating the cost of groceries, but life, and love, charted her a different course. With two lively children and a loving husband, Lily’s humble home is her world, until war tears everything asunder. With her husband gone and bombs raining down, Lily is faced with an impossible choice: keep her son and daughter close, knowing she may not be able to protect them, or enroll them in a risky evacuation scheme, where safety awaits so very far away.
When a Nazi U-boat torpedoes the S. S. Carlisle carrying a ship of children to Canada, a single lifeboat is left adrift in the storm-tossed Atlantic. Alice and Lily, strangers to each other—one on land, the other at sea—will quickly become one another’s very best hope as their lives are fatefully entwined.
A vast expanse of ocean water reflecting sunlight under a sky filled with scattered clouds
MY THOUGHTS
The Last Lifeboat puts you right there, in the lifeboat with the lost at sea and needing rescued children. Based on true historical facts I had a hard time putting this one down. When the S. S. Carlisle carrying a ship of children to Canada is torpedoed by a Nazi U-boat tragedy strikes. As the threat of war looms British children are being evacuated overseas to Canada but disaster strikes this one. The very last lifeboat to evacuate the children becomes lost at sea in treacherous waters. This is the story of those children and how they survived those harrowing days, adrift in a lifeboat becoming weaker and delusional with very little food and water. Very few children from the original voyage survived. Such a tragic story but the heroes become apparent right away as they give their portions of food, water, warm clothing and boost the morale of the children. What a celebration when the survivors reached shore. Very sad history I was glad to see all who helped in whatever way they could.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
About the author
Hazel Gaynor is an award-winning, New York Times, USA Today, Irish Times and internationally bestselling author known for her deeply moving historical novels which explore the defining events of the 20th century. A debut author recipient of the 2015 RNA Historical Novel of the Year award, her work has since been shortlisted for the 2019 HWA Gold Crown Award, the 2020 RNA Awards, and the Irish Book Awards in 2017, 2020, 2023 and 2025. WHEN WE WERE YOUNG & BRAVE was a national bestseller in the USA and THE LAST LIFEBOAT was a Times of London historical novel of the month and a 2024 Audie winner for Best Fiction Narrator. Her co-written historical novels with Heather Webb have all been published to critical acclaim. Hazel’s latest novel, BEFORE DOROTHY, became a USA Today bestseller and is shortlisted for the 2025 Irish Book Awards. Her work has been translated into twenty languages and she is published in twenty-seven territories to date. She lives in Ireland with her family.
298 pages Publisher St. Martin’s Paperbacks Publication date August 26, 2025
ABOUT THE BOOK
After a long, snowy winter on Daybreak Island, Maddie and her cat cafe crew are finally ready to embrace the spring, though life is anything but calm. With Val and Ethan’s wedding taking center stage, Maddie finds herself juggling wedding plans alongside a new and unexpected venture—a generous donation has made her the co-owner of a traveling cat cafe truck. To kick off the new chapter, she seizes the chance to take the truck on its inaugural trip to a cat literary festival in Provincetown, accompanied by her family and some of the shelter crew.
The festival is organized by the renowned cat-romance author Jasmine Prescott, who also runs a beloved cat rescue foundation on Cape Cod. But when Jasmine’s longtime friend and fellow author Vivi St. Clair arrives with a boatload full of drama—everything from a dangerous ex-husband to an unwanted Netflix crew—tensions run high. At first, it seems like just another dose of celebrity chaos—until Vivi is found murdered. As new evidence ties Maddie and her cat cafe into the investigation, Maddie must dig deeper into the tangled web of secrets, rivalries, and feline-friendly drama to uncover the truth. The question is: what’s the connection between the cat cafe and Vivi’s untimely death?
A smiling older woman enjoys a peaceful day at the beach with her four cats resting nearby.
MY THOUGHTS
‘ve really been enjoying the Cat Cafe mystery series, and this is book nine. Though I haven’t read them in order each story is a standalone so it’s fine. A harsh winter has the owners/workers of the cat cafe more than ready to welcome spring. This book actually takes place off the island, Daybreak Island off of the New England coast. Cat cafe owner Maddie and her cat JJ are thrilled they have a donated van that they’ll be using as a mobile cat cafe van. Taking it on the road to an exciting cat literacy fair where authors are selling books devoted to, of course cats. The cat cafe on wheels is a huge hit and adoptions are made. The authors seem so warm and welcoming to each other, but when a literary artist winds up dead is there more than just coffee brewing behind the scenes. Lots of drama unfolds and there may just be a cat fight in the works. Loving this series. It keeps me on my toes and I’m enjoying the main characters.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
An Italian-American Cookbook for the Modern Home Kitchen
For millions of Italian-American families, the food we grew up with didn’t come from restaurants. It came from the kitchen. From simmering pots of tomato sauce and trays of baked ziti to Sunday gravy and desserts that took patience, tradition, and love.
As families moved beyond the Little Italy neighborhoods of cities like New York, Boston, and Philadelphia and spread across the country, much of that everyday cooking tradition slowly faded. This book helps bring it back. This cookbook is for anyone who wants to recreate authentic Italian-American recipes in a modern home kitchen. It shows how the dishes many of us remember from childhood can be made with simple ingredients and clear, practical guidance. It’s also for people who love Italian food but have mostly experienced it through restaurant meals or supermarket shortcuts. If you’ve ever reached for a jar of tomato sauce and wondered how to make a real homemade Italian tomato sauce, fresh pasta dishes, or classic comfort foods the way Italian families have for generations, this book shows how surprisingly simple and rewarding it can be.
More than just a collection of recipes, this is a guide to traditional Italian home cooking. Along the way, you’ll learn the techniques, principles, and small details that make these dishes taste the way they should.
Inside you’ll learn how to prepare beloved Italian-American favorites, including: • Rich, slow-simmered homemade tomato sauce • Classic baked ziti and traditional pasta dishes • Handmade gnocchi • Savory family recipes passed down through generations • Authentic desserts like homemade cannoli, Italian lemon ice, and ricotta pie
Each chapter explains not only how to cook these dishes, but why they work. The goal is to help home cooks build confidence while learning the traditions behind some of the most beloved Italian comfort foods.
Because Italian-American cooking has always been about more than food. For generations, the kitchen table has been the center of family life, where stories are shared and traditions are passed down.
Today many children and grandchildren of Italian immigrants have married into families from all backgrounds. Which means that if you want a tray of baked ziti, a plate of gnocchi, or a batch of homemade cannoli, you may have to learn to cook it yourself.
This book makes that possible.
Clear, approachable, and full of authentic flavor, it’s designed to help anyone bring traditional Italian-American cooking back to the family table.
Put on an apron, start the sauce, and cook the way generations before us did. It might even make your mother proud.
An elderly woman joyfully stirs tomato sauce in a rustic kitchen filled with fresh herbs and natural light
MY THOUGHTS
Cucina Italiana Comes to Brooklyn: An Italian American Cookbook and Memoir is written by John Agresto who grew up in Brooklyn. Though he has had many interests and accomplishments over the years he has always had one steady interest that he has kept through this day that started when he was a child. He would ask the neighborhood women to show him tips and tricks of cooking. Using these methods he created his own cooking style. What I really enjoyed about this book is it doesn’t feel like a formal cookbook but that you are visiting with the author in his own home and he is casually showing you a recipe and talking you through it, so no mistakes are made. It’s a casual Italian American cookbook and memoir. Not only will you receive delicious recipes in the author’s own words but it’s like visiting with a dear friend on a weekend night, no rush, casual talking about family, delicious authentic Italian foods and learning about the culture as well. I think you’ll treasure this one and revisit it many times.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
About the Author
John Agresto has worn many hats over the years, including teacher, writer, university president, husband, father, and grandfather. Through it all, one passion has remained constant: cooking.Growing up in a rough section of Brooklyn, his early adventures included flying pigeons from the roof of his family’s tenement building. But he was just as fascinated by what was happening in neighborhood kitchens. As a boy, he spent countless hours asking the women around him to show him how they prepared their meals, absorbing techniques and traditions that would shape his lifelong love of food.By the time he was in college, he had already developed a knack for finding and preparing food on his own. He learned to gather edible weeds, catch and cook fish for his roommates, and even make his own wine and brew beer long before it became fashionable.As his professional life expanded to include roles as a college professor, author, university president, and local judge, cooking remained an essential part of who he was. Today, he continues to share that passion by hosting occasional cooking classes in his home in New Mexico.This book is his second Italian cookbook.
We may start to notice our loved one struggling to answer questions or manage daily tasks. Is this just part of getting older or a sign that something more serious is happening in their brain? The possibility of a neurodegenerative disease or dementia is a fear many of us carry and facing that reality can be overwhelming. This book offers clear, compassionate guidance on how the brain changes with age, and what can go wrong. Drawing from years of experience, Dr. Madison answers the most common questions about dementia, offers practical caregiving strategies, and helps readers plan for their own cognitive future.
A cozy kitchen table with a potted daisy plant and a cup of coffee in a rustic setting
MY THOUGHTS
Navigating cognitive decline can be a stressful and uncertain time. The author is a neurologist who has focused on memory care for the past twenty years of her career. Also, her personal experience with her mother’s care with Alzheimer’s has given her the experience and insight to write this book. The book is very informative and offers the insight you may need as you are dealing with this in your own family. Offering help through questions and examples through all stages of the disease this is very informative and a great reference to have on hand.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
About the Author
Dr. Catherine Madison is a board-certified neurologist with over 40 years of experience, specializing in Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. She is the founding medical director of the Ray Dolby Brain Health Center in San Francisco, where she created an innovative model of care that supports both patients and their families. Her work is rooted in decades of clinical practice, research, and leadership in dementia care. Dr. Madison is also affiliated with the California Pacific Medical Center and currently serves with Jewish Family and Children’s Services, educating and guiding families through cognitive aging and care planning.Respected by colleagues and beloved by patients for her compassionate, human-centered approach, Dr. Madison brings deep knowledge and warmth to everything she does. She lives in San Francisco, where she continues her work through a small private practice focused on quality-of-life planning and brain health education. This book reflects her commitment to sharing clear, trustworthy guidance with anyone navigating the challenges of dementia.
320 pages Publisher St. Martin’s Paperbacks Publication date August 20, 2024
ABOUT THE BOOK
The eighth installment in a charming cozy mystery series set on an island off the New England coast and featuring the cat cafe owner Maddie and her cat JJ.
Beware the cats of Christmas past…
It’s the holiday season on Daybreak Island, and Maddie James is looking forward to stepping out of the limelight, watching the island’s Christmas decoration competition from afar, spending time with her boyfriend and family, running tours for visitors as part of the festivities and spreading holiday cheer through cute cats in jingle bell collars.
But trouble hits close to home when word gets out that Donna Carey, the publisher of the island’s only daily newspaper where Maddie’s best friend Becky is editor, may be selling the business. Becky is a diehard journalist and to her, selling the only newspaper on the island is a fate worse than death. She publicly opposes the potential sale, wreaking havoc on her relationship with her big boss.
Maddie is sympathetic, but she has her own problems – like getting pulled into a role on the Christmas event committee despite her best efforts to stay far removed, and solving the case of a mysterious cat breeder trying to sell expensive designer cats as holiday gifts on the island. But then Donna winds up dead―electrocuted by her own Christmas decorations―and it appears to be more than an accident. To make matters worse, Becky becomes suspect number one. Maddie is thrown into another murder investigation in order to save her best friend from a Christmas behind bars.
Four playful cats enjoy Christmas-themed toys in a cozy living room.
MY THOUGHTS
Shock and Paw is the eighth book in the Cat Cafe mystery series. Christmas time should be relaxing and pleasant on Daybreak Island off the New England Coast but it’s anything but as it often tends to be around Christmas time. Once again Grandpa Leo and granddaughter Maddie have a mystery to solve there’s a Christmas decorating contest and the cat cafe owners, grandpa and Maddie are in the thick of it again solving the crime. Talk of selling the island’s only newspaper have some pretty upset and the newspaper owner is found with Christmas lights around her neck. Could it be the last person seen arguing with her trying to persuade her not to sell or perhaps the electrician doing work to get the Christmas lights to shine. Whoever it is certainly doesn’t have the Christmas spirit this island is used to. Another great book in the cat cafe series that I’m enjoying.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
304 pages Publisher St. Martin’s Griffin Publication date
June 28, 2022
ABOUT THE BOOK
In Gone but Not Furgotten, the sixth in Cate Conte’s Cat Café beloved cozy mystery series, Daybreak Island has a killer on the loose…and this villain isn’t afraid to use their claws.
Maddie James has big plans for the summer season at JJ’s House of Purrs. But when her friend, master meditator and Tai Chi teacher Cass Hendricks, brings a potential animal hoarding situation to her attention, Maddie has to refocus her attention on the furry felines who may need a helping paw.
Cass has brought his Zen teachings to Fisherman’s Cove―a tiny, working class town on Daybreak Island―and one of his students, Laurel, has been on the receiving end more than one hissy fit from her neighbors, mostly because of her cats. When Maddie and Cass go to Laurel’s to check out the situation, not only do they find a plethora of cats in need, but also a dead body. Laurel appears to have had an unfortunate accident falling down her stairs, but Maddie gets a sneaking suspicion that something more sinister might be behind her death. When she voices her concerns, she’s horrified that it’s Cass who falls under suspicion.
With Grandpa Leo’s help, Maddie has to dig into the secrets this small community is keeping close to find out why Laurel really died before Cass is put behind bars . . . or the killer strikes again.
Visitors enjoy coffee and cats at Purrfect Pals Cat Cafe.
MY THOUGHTS
Number 6 in the Cat Cafe mystery series. I really enjoy this series, and this is the first of four I need to read to catch up with the series. Grandpa is retired law enforcement and has allowed his granddaughter to create a cat cafe in part of his house while he still lives there. there are tasty treats available there and cats for adoption. We just had a cat cafe open up a few months ago near us and I think it’s a wonderful idea. JJ’s House of Purrs is the cat cafe and Maddie; the granddaughter is running it along with her sleepy-eyed cat JJ who approves the cats that come in for adoption. Grandpa Leo is ready to dig into a murder case on the tiny island of Daybreak. A woman has kept secrets no one knows about she is a cat hoarder. It’s a very tricky subject, when does cat rescuing and helping the cats turn into hoarding. It can turn into hoarding if the rescue takes in too many or the cats are breeding from non-spaying and neutering. So many times, a rescue association starts out with the best of intentions before things start going sideways. The rescue woman is found dead, and many cats need rescued with grandpa and Maddie on the case. I wasn’t able to guess who it was even though they were talking to a lot of suspects including maintenance people, neighbors and relatives of the deceased.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own. This series is enjoyable has kept my attention and I’m looking forward to reading more in it.
