Goaltender Interference by Ari Baran (2025)
Contemporary romance. Book 4 of the Penalty Box series. Second chance romance here between Aiden and Matt. They’ve been apart for like a decade, but meet up again after Aiden is retired and Matt is in New York with his family. They start casually angrily hooking up, with very little in the way of conversation. It’s pretty much a very slow rekindling of their relationship, especially after Aiden goes to stay with Matt in Montreal. Neither of these guys is willing to be direct or ask for what they want because they’re afraid of bursting the bubble they have right now. Add in Aiden’s post-retirement depression and we have a recipe for tons of angst. Not my fave of the series, but still a great read.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Hoopla.
Despite the Duke by Kathleen Ayers (2026)
Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the London Vices series. So much scandal here. Tragic prologue when a duchess is running for her life after her husband is attacked. She dies giving birth to the next duke. We start Chapter 1 in Sophia’s perspective, where she is the oddball daughter of an earl and then compromised by a handsome duke in the garden. When called upon the next day by her father, the drunken Alexander has no recollection of going to the ball, let alone compromising a young lady. But they have to marry anyway because of propriety and all of that. There is so much bickering between these two, since they don’t really want to be trapped into marriage with each other. It was so much fun watching them slowly soften towards each other and fall in love. Plus there’s the overarching mystery of why Alexander’s uncle is sketchy and the possibility of fraud somewhere.
Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.
Magic and Mischief at the Wayside Hotel by Elizabeth Everett (2026)
Cozy fantasy romance. This book was so cute and funny with the mix of wacky characters. So former knight Pax runs the Wayside Hotel, which is actually a magical traveling form of lodging that goes between worlds. The magic at the hotel has run out and they’re stranded in the human world. Josie and her son Amos are looking for a new place to live and lucky for them, there’s an affordable opening at the Wayside. The romance here between Josie and Pax is very sweet, but the real entertainment is how the other ragtag residents interact with each other and with Josie, all while keeping their magical origins a secret.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.
Sheer by Vanessa Lawrence (2026)
Contemporary fiction. Standalone novel. Ooh, this one was fun. We have present-day scandal for beauty brand founder Maxine, intercut with her life story and how the company was founded and grew. There’s an overarching mystery of what exactly the scandal is of the present day, but we start to see glimpses of it when faced with the stories of the past. Super interesting to see how a young woman from the middle-class New Jersey suburbs fought for her independence and her art in her makeup brand. If you were ever interested in the evolution of makeup trends over the past few decades, this book might be up your alley. I really enjoyed it.
Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.
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