202o was great for books, don’t you think? So many fantastic books came out and I think 2021 is going to be just as good, if not better! Here’s a sneak peek of some highly anticipated books coming out next year!
Shipped by Angie Hockman is such a fun, cute book. I love stories like this, which reminded me of The Unhoneymooners, that sweeps me away into another place and are just sweet and entertaining and light. I really enjoyed the setting of the Galapagos islands. At times I wanted to smack Henley for being so mean to Graeme but she redeemed herself!
Take a look:
Between taking night classes for her MBA and her demanding day job at a cruise line, marketing manager Henley Evans barely has time for herself, let alone family, friends, or dating. But when she’s shortlisted for the promotion of her dreams, all her sacrifices finally seem worth it.
The only problem? Graeme Crawford-Collins, the remote social media manager and the bane of her existence, is also up for the position. Although they’ve never met in person, their epic email battles are the stuff of office legend.
Their boss tasks each of them with drafting a proposal on how to boost bookings in the Galápagos—best proposal wins the promotion. There’s just one catch: they have to go on a company cruise to the Galápagos Islands…together. But when the two meet on the ship, Henley is shocked to discover that the real Graeme is nothing like she imagined. As they explore the Islands together, she soon finds the line between loathing and liking thinner than a postcard.
With her career dreams in her sights and a growing attraction to the competition, Henley begins questioning her life choices. Because what’s the point of working all the time if you never actually live?
Perfect for fans of The Hating Game and books by Christina Lauren. I could easily imagine this as a rom-com and if it’s one thing we need it’s funny movies and this would be perfect for the big screen with the backdrop of the Galapagos.
Coming in January! Pre-order here.
Meet Me In Bombay by Jenny Ashcroft is a historical fiction novel that centers around soldiers in India during World War I. I know next to nothing about the first World War so its always nice to learn something new. I particularly enjoyed the setting of Bombay, I don’t read many books set there so it was a welcome change.
Check it out:
It’s New Year’s Eve in Bombay, 1913, and Madeline Bright, new to the sweltering heat of colonial India, is yearning for all she has left behind in England. Then, at the stroke of midnight, Maddy meets Luke Devereaux, and as the year changes so do both their lives.
Bold and charismatic, Luke opens her eyes to the wonders of Bombay, while Maddy’s beauty and vivacity captures his heart. Only her mother disapproves, preferring the devoted Guy Bowen as a match for her daughter.
But while Maddy and Luke are falling in love, the world is falling apart. World War I is on the horizon, and Luke will be given no choice but to fight. They will be continents apart, separated by danger and devastating loss, but bound by Luke’s promise that they will meet again in Bombay.
I loved the love between Maddy and Luke, I cant recommend this enough for fans of historical fiction.
Coming in January! Pre-order here.
I just love the book cover for The Lost Manuscript by Cathy Bonidan! As a reader and writer, I especially loved this book. Anne-Lise finds a manuscript in the side table at a hotel, and naturally she reads it. Who wouldn’t?
She loves the book so much that she sends a letter to the address in the book, hoping the author will write back. When he writes, he tells her how he lost the manuscript years ago. Apparently, he wrote half the book and someone else wrote the second half. Who is the other author? Anne-Lise is determined to find out.
The synopsis:
When Anne-Lise Briard books a room at the Beau Rivage Hotel for her vacation on the Brittany coast, she has no idea this trip will start her on the path to unearthing a mystery. In search of something to read, she opens up her bedside table drawer in her hotel room, and inside she finds an abandoned manuscript. Halfway through the pages, an address is written. She sends pages to the address, in hopes of potentially hearing a response from the unknown author. But not before she reads the story and falls in love with it. The response, which she receives a few days later, astonishes her…
Not only does the author write back, but he confesses that he lost the manuscript 30 years prior on a flight to Montreal. And then he reveals something even more shocking—that he was not the author of the second half of the book.
Anne-Lise can’t rest until she discovers who this second mystery author is, and in doing so tracks down every person who has held this manuscript in their hands. Through the letters exchanged by the people whose lives the manuscript has touched, she discovers long-lost love stories and intimate secrets. Romances blossom and new friends are made. Everyone’s lives are made better by this book—and isn’t that the point of reading? And finally, with a plot twist you don’t see coming, she uncovers the astonishing identity of the author who finished the story.
This is an enjoyable and beautifully written book, it’s a treat to read such a lovely story!
Don’t miss this one, coming out in January, pre-order here!
If you haven’t read Sarah’s Key by Tatiana De Rosnay, do it now! Then get ready for Flowers of Darkness. I love the setting of Paris, and the older woman as the main character. I’m not a huge fan of Artificial Intelligence that plays into the story because the building Clarissa moves into has a lot of high tech features which right away, gave me the creeps.
You can only imagine how all of the cameras/robots etc could lend a creepy feeling of always being watched. Perfect for a book, I’d hate it in real life!
Synopsis:
Author Clarissa Katsef is struggling to write her next book. She’s just snagged a brand new artist residency in an ultra-modern apartment, with a view of all of Paris, a dream for any novelist in search of tranquility. But since moving in, she has had the feeling of being watched. Is there reason to be paranoid? Or is her distraction and discomfort the result of her husband’s recent shocking betrayal? Or is that her beloved Paris lies altered outside her windows? A city that will never be quite the same, a city with a scar at its center?
Stuck inside, in the midst of a sweltering heat wave, Clarissa enlists her beloved granddaughter in her investigation of the mysterious, high tech building even as she finds herself drawn back into the orbit of her first husband who is still the one who knows her most intimately, who shares the past grief that she has never quite let go.
Staying true to her favorite themes—the imprint of the place, the weight of secrets—de Rosnay weaves an intrigue of thrilling suspense and emotional power.
Coming in February, get it here!
Possession by Katie Lowe centers around Hannah, a woman whose husband was murdered ten years ago. She doesn’t recall anything about that night, how terrible! The police found a suspect however and the person was locked away in prison. Hannah took her daughter and ran.
Fast forward years later and a podcast is revisiting the crime. This podcast is bringing attention to the fact the man who was locked up for the crime was probably innocent, and they are looking at Hannah. What is Hannah hiding?
Here’s the plot:
Ten years ago, Hannah’s husband was brutally murdered in their home, and she (conveniently) doesn’t remember a thing about that night. But the police charged someone else—a stranger—and put him away for life. And Hannah packed up her six-year-old daughter and left London behind.
But now her hard-won countryside peace is threatened. Conviction, a viral true crime podcast known for getting cases reopened and old verdicts overturned, has turned its attention to Hannah’s husband’s murder for its new season. They say police framed the man who was found guilty, and that Hannah has more suspicious secrets than just her memory loss: a history of volatility; citations at the clinic where she worked as a psychiatrist; dependencies on alcohol and pills; and a grandmother, locked away in a Gothic insane asylum until her death. As Hannah loses the trust of everyone she loves, the only person she feels she can confide in is a former colleague, Darcy, who’s come back into her life—but who may have motives of her own. But Hannah can’t tell even Darcy her deepest secret: that she’s still tormented by the memory of her husband and the crater he carved through her life.
I always love an unreliable narrator and Hannah is VERY unreliable! A very complicated, interesting, twisty book!
Coming in January! Pre-order here.
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano was a fun read about a novelist who is a single mother. She is completely down on her luck and gets an opportunity to investigate a real crime. It all starts when she runs into a Panera to meet her agent and someone overhears the conversation and gets the wrong idea. Fast forward to Finlay accepting an offer that is unconventional and unexpected. Someone wants to pay her a large amount of money to kill someone. Suddenly Finlay is a hitwoman. And one thing leads to another…
This book was fun and humorous, just what I like in between heavier and more intense reads. I am already looking forward to more from this author.
Coming out in February! Get it here.
The premise of Do No Harm by Christina McDonald was brilliant! Imagine you are a doctor and your child is diagnosed with cancer. You know the only way to get the extremely expensive treatment that will save your child is to sell drugs. That’s right, the main character in this novel has quite a Sophie’s Choice. Will she get away with it? What about her husband, a detective- how will she keep this from him?
This was set up so well from the plot to the characters, it’s a really fantastic book that keeps you turning the pages! I wondered what I would do throughout this story. As parents we’d do anything for our
Here’s what you need to know:
Emma loves her life. She’s the mother of a precocious kindergartener, married to her soulmate—a loyal and loving police detective—and has a rewarding career as a doctor at the local hospital.
But everything comes crashing down when her son, Josh, is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.
Determined to save him, Emma makes the risky decision to sell opioids to fund the life-saving treatment he needs. But when somebody ends up dead, a lethal game of cat and mouse ensues, her own husband leading the chase. With her son’s life hanging in the balance, Emma is dragged into the dark world of drugs, lies, and murder. Will the truth catch up to her before she can save Josh?
This will be published in February, pre-order here.
I’m such a big fan of Jane Harper’s books so I was super excited to read The Survivors. I think this is a little different from her other novels. It wasn’t as much of a page-turning suspense but an intriguing story. Her writing is fantastic, though this book is a bit dark and heavy!
Here’s the plot:
Kieran Elliott’s life changed forever on the day a reckless mistake led to devastating consequences. The guilt that still haunts him resurfaces during a visit with his young family to the small coastal community he once called home.
Kieran’s parents are struggling in a town where fortunes are forged by the sea. Between them all is his absent brother, Finn.
When a body is discovered on the beach, long-held secrets threaten to emerge. A sunken wreck, a missing girl, and questions that have never washed away…
Coming out in Feb! Pre-order here.
Ladies of the House by Lauren Edmondson is a charming, modern version of Sense and Sensibility. When Senator Gregory Richardson dies in the company of his young mistress, his family will never be the same. His wife, Cricket, is forced to sell her beautiful home and daughters Daisy and Wallis try to deal with the fallout and subsequent shame as best they can.
And that’s not all. Other things about the Senator start to come out that further complicates things for the women he left behind. Cricket, Daisy, and Wallis must gather their strength and confront the challenges of their new life with courage they never knew they needed- or possessed.
Here’s the plot:
No surprise is a good surprise. At least according to thirty-four-year-old Daisy Richardson, a woman of routine, order and careful thought. So when it’s revealed in dramatic fashion that her esteemed father had been involved in a public scandal before his untimely death, Daisy’s life becomes complicated—and fast.
For one, the Richardsons must now sell the family home in Georgetown they can no longer afford, and Daisy’s mother is holding on with an iron grip to this last vestige of their former life. Her younger sister, Wallis, is ready to move on to bigger and better things but falls fast and hard for the most inconvenient person possible, someone Daisy can’t bring herself to trust. And then there’s Atlas, Daisy’s best friend. She’s always wished they could be more, but now he’s writing an exposé on the one subject she’s been desperate to avoid: her father.
Daisy’s plan is to maintain a low profile as she works to keep her family intact amid social exile, public shaming and quickly dwindling savings. But the spotlight always seems to find the Richardsons, and when another twist in the scandal comes to light, Daisy must confront the consequences of her continued silence and summon the courage to stand up and accept the power of her own voice.
This book is clever, witty, and fun. I was entertained throughout and loved the writing. Jane Austen would approve!
Coming in February! Pre-order here.
I was totally taken with Nadia Hashimi’s novel, The Pearl that Broke Its Shell, so reading Sparks Like Stars was a no-brainer! It’s a beautifully written story full of rich and atmospheric writing. Just like with her previous books, this one will pull at your heart and make you experience a full range of emotions.
Typically, I don’t read many books that take place in the Middle East so this was a unique setting for me and one that I enjoyed quite a bit.
Here’s what you need to know:
Kabul, 1978: The daughter of a prominent family, Sitara Zamani lives a privileged life in Afghanistan’s thriving cosmopolitan capital. The 1970s are a time of remarkable promise under the leadership of people like Sardar Daoud, Afghanistan’s progressive president, and Sitara’s beloved father, his right-hand man. But the ten-year-old Sitara’s world is shattered when communists stage a coup, assassinating the president and Sitara’s entire family. Only she survives.
Smuggled out of the palace by a guard named Shair, Sitara finds her way to the home of a female American diplomat, who adopts her and raises her in America. In her new country, Sitara takes on a new name—Aryana Shepherd—and throws herself into her studies, eventually becoming a renowned surgeon. A survivor, Aryana has refused to look back, choosing instead to bury the trauma and devastating loss she endured.
New York, 2008: Forty years after that fatal night in Kabul, Aryana’s world is rocked again when an elderly patient appears in her examination room—a man she never expected to see again. It is Shair, the soldier who saved her, yet may have murdered her entire family. Seeing him awakens Aryana’s fury and desire for answers—and, perhaps, revenge. Realizing that she cannot go on without finding the truth, Aryana embarks on a quest that takes her back to Kabul—a battleground between the corrupt government and the fundamentalist Taliban—and through shadowy memories of the world she loved and lost.
Sparks Like Stars will make you cry, it will transport you to another place, and you won’t forget the book long after you’ve finished reading.
Coming out in March, you can pre-order here.
I liked this book- The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths. I REALLY loved The Stranger Diaries and recommend that you read it if you are looking for gothic suspense. The Postscript Murders was good too and Elly is super talented writer and I especially love her humor which sneaks into her words.
Check it out:
The death of a ninety-year-old woman with a heart condition should not be suspicious. Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur certainly sees nothing out of the ordinary when Peggy’s caretaker, Natalka, begins to recount Peggy Smith’s passing.
But Natalka had a reason to be at the police station: while clearing out Peggy’s flat, she noticed an unusual number of crime novels, all dedicated to Peggy. And each psychological thriller included a mysterious postscript: PS: for PS. When a gunman breaks into the flat to steal a book and its author is found dead shortly thereafter—Detective Kaur begins to think that perhaps there is no such thing as an unsuspicious death after all.
And then things escalate: from an Aberdeen literary festival to the streets of Edinburgh, writers are being targeted. DS Kaur embarks on a road trip across Europe and reckons with how exactly authors can think up such realistic crimes . . .
This will be out in March, get it here!
Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly was a fantastic book! I loved it. This is historical fiction at its best. A long book, but I enjoyed every chapter and was sad when the book was over.
The synopsis:
Georgeanna “Georgey” Woolsey isn’t meant for the world of lavish parties and the demure attitudes of women of her stature. So when war ignites the nation, Georgey follows her passion for nursing during a time when doctors considered women on the battlefront a bother. In proving them wrong, she and her sister Eliza venture from New York to Washington, D.C., to Gettysburg and witness the unparalleled horrors of slavery as they become involved in the war effort.
In the South, Jemma is enslaved on the Peeler Plantation in Maryland, where she lives with her mother and father. Her sister, Patience, is enslaved on the plantation next door, and both live in fear of LeBaron, an abusive overseer who tracks their every move. When Jemma is sold by the cruel plantation mistress Anne-May at the same time the Union army comes through, she sees a chance to finally escape—but only by abandoning the family she loves.
Anne-May is left behind to run Peeler Plantation when her husband joins the Union army and her cherished brother enlists with the Confederates. In charge of the household, she uses the opportunity to follow her own ambitions and is drawn into a secret Southern network of spies, finally exposing herself to the fate she deserves.
Inspired by true accounts, Sunflower Sisters provide a vivid, detailed look at the Civil War experience, from the barbaric and inhumane plantations, to a war-torn New York City, to the horrors of the battlefield. It’s a sweeping story of women caught in a country on the brink of collapse, in a society grappling with nationalism and unthinkable racial cruelty, a story still so relevant today.
Coming out in March, don’t miss this one! Get it here.
Every book I have read by Victoria Helen Stone have been great, consistent page-turners. I especially loved Jane Doe, so if you haven’t read that one, be sure to get it right now. Its FREE if you have Kindle Unlimited.
In the upcoming book, The Last One Home, Lauren moves into her elderly grandmother’s mansion after grandma has a stroke. Sounds great but Lauren’s mother, Donna, has told her that grandma is dangerous. Is she a liar? Or is she telling the truth? The book alternates between Lauren and Donna. The family history is complicated and dramatic and I wasn’t sure who to believe.
Check out the synopsis:
Lauren Abrams wants nothing to do with her damaged mother, whose spurious testimony sent Lauren’s father to prison for murder years ago. After a serial killer’s confession to the crime restored justice, Lauren chose to live with her father and grandmother. Now an adult, Lauren has come home to the Sacramento family estate for good, her mother’s lies be damned…
It’s been decades since Donna made her cheating boyfriend pay, but she hasn’t forgotten the past. She knows her estranged daughter has made a terrible mistake by returning to the estate. There’s more to the story of the welcoming old homestead—and her childhood—than Lauren knows.
As Lauren settles in, she is haunted by the questions of what really happened with her father, what her mother might be hiding, and what secrets the family ranch holds. It’s getting so dark, Lauren may not be able to see the truth to save her life.
Going into this book, know that it is not a suspense or thriller, it’s more of a family drama. The last part of the book had me very intrigued!
Coming in March, get it here!
Who is Maud Dixon by Alexandra Andrews is a suspenseful novel about Florence who gets a job assisting a famous, but a mysterious author. This isn’t a faced paced thriller, but a slower story that kept my interest and I’ll be curious to see what Alexandra comes out with next. I loved her writing style!
The plot:
Florence Darrow is a low-level publishing employee who believes that she’s destined to be a famous writer. When she stumbles into a job the assistant to the brilliant, enigmatic novelist known as Maud Dixon — whose true identity is a secret — it appears that the universe is finally providing Florence’s big chance.
The arrangement seems perfect. Maud Dixon (whose real name, Florence discovers, is Helen Wilcox) can be prickly, but she is full of pointed wisdom — not only on how to write, but also on how to live. Florence quickly falls under Helen’s spell and eagerly accompanies her to Morocco, where Helen’s new novel is set. Amidst the colorful streets of Marrakesh and the wind-swept beaches of the coast, Florence’s life at last feels interesting enough to inspire a novel of her own.
But when Florence wakes up in the hospital after a terrible car accident, with no memory of the previous night — and no sign of Helen — she’s tempted to take a shortcut. Instead of hiding in Helen’s shadow, why not upgrade into Helen’s life? Not to mention her bestselling pseudonym . . .
Coming in March, pre-order here.
Vera by Carol Edgarian takes place before and after the huge earthquake of 1906 in San Francisco. Vera is our young heroine who is forced to live outside of her comfort zone and take control when all is lost. She is a great main character, scrappy and smart, focused and resourceful.
Check it out:
Scrappy fifteen-year-old Vera Johnson—illegitimate daughter of Rose, the notorious proprietor of San Francisco’s ritziest bordello and ally to the city’s corrupt politicians—narrowly survives the devastating 1906 earthquake. Relying on her wit and determination, Vera and her unlikely new family of survivors navigate a world reborn in the wake of disaster.
In Vera, Carol Edgarian creates a panoramic and deeply compassionate world where notions of honor, survival, and love are tested, and grace is hard-won. Vera celebrates the bold resilience its heroine bears in the face of a disregarding mother and a colorful cohort of liars, thieves, and con artists who would manipulate the teenage girl while her righteous neighbors judge her for her low birth. A ravishing, heartbreaking, and profound affirmation of youth and a testament to a city eternally reimagining itself, Vera’s story brings to life legendary characters—tenor Enrico Caruso, indicted Mayor Eugene Schmitz and boss Abe Ruef, tabloid celebrity and fabled doyenne Alma Spreckels, as well as an unforgettable cast that includes Vera’s young lover, Bobby, protector of the city’s tribe of orphans, and three generations of a Chinese family competing and conspiring with Vera.
Vera will be published in March, pre-order it here!
