The Great Alone | by Kristin Hannah

Leni's parents have always had a passionate relationship. It's fueled by love, lust and anger. Leni's father Ernt is no longer the man her mother Cora married. Ernt was changed by the war in Vietnam and his plagued by his memories as a POW. He is quick to anger, He is impulsive and when he is left property in Alaska by friend who died in the war he decides that his family is going to move to Alaska, live of the land and be free.

Leni is initially happy but once they see the land and cabin she is crushed however they decided to make the best off it. Ernt's promises of things being better fall to the side and he is worse than ever. Living in the wilds of Alaska with little to no money, wild animals and brutal weather makes life all that much harder. 

Ernt becomes increasingly abusive and Cora takes the brunt of it. He slowly turns their home into a prison by building walls. Cora and Leni's bond is stronger than and when Ernt turns his anger onto Leni their lives change irrevocably. 

This is a hefty read at a bit under 450 pages. It's emotional however there are quite a few slower paced moments and way too much detail which drags the story down. It's still a good read but I wouldn't make it my first read by Hannah.

Birdlane Island | by V.C. Andrews

 

Expected Publication Date: October 28, 2025

Lisa is a teen who lives off the coast of Maine on an island called Birdland. It is shaped like a seagull in flight. The island is secluded from the mainland which poses a problem for Lisa as she has a serious health problem however Lisa and other inhabitations of the island like the simple life the island provides for them. 

Lisa's closest friend is Jamie the son of a fisherman. Lisa's comes from a very wealthy family but she doesn't let her father's elitist attitudes regarding others dictate who is and isn't her friend. Jamie becomes increasingly more important in her life with Lisa's mother dies in a tragic accident but her father forbids Lisa from seeing him. 

Kyle an artist from out of town enters the picture. Lisa is drawn to him as she too is an artist. He is  more worldly and older than her.  Lisa begins to grow into herself as a person and woman and a huge reveal from her beloved grandfather has her seeing life in a different light.

Birdlane Island is like other novels by Andrew's in that there is family drama , romance and a beautiful teen girl but it feels rough and unfinished. It just doesn't hit the way other books do. 

I did a bit of research and learned that this book it's based on an unfinished manuscript by the real V.C. Andrews and is considered a collector's copy. 

** I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Moon of the Crusted Snow(Moon #1) | By Waubgeshig Rice

 

Winter is the small northern Anishinaabe community in Nothern Ontario is cold. Very cold. Some members of the community prepare for the long cold winters while others pay the looming winter no mind. The community is run by a group of leaders the main leader named Evan Whitesky. 

The Anishinaabe community is used to random power outages and when the power goes out the community thinks its just normal but cell phones don't work and they are unable to reach out to others outside their community. The leaders get together to make a plan in order  to help the community survive until they can figure out what is going on. 

They soon discover that the outage isn't just them but that other cities have also been subjected to it. They don't know what has happened but they do know that they need to band together in order to survive. Then a stranger arrives and despite reservations they allow him in. They should have listened to their instincts. 

If you like dystopian and apocalyptic books this one is for you. It's about survival and how quickly chaos can ensure. The story is told from the point of a indigenous person giving a different feel. Expect a slow burn that will grip you.

Friends to Lovers by Sally Blakely

Joni and Ren are best friends. They have known one another since childhood but now that they are adults Joni has moved across the country for her job. Joni and Ren have decided that in order to keep in touch they will talk on the phone as often as possible and be one another's plus ones at weddings. Their deal works out fairly well until an event occurs that ruins their friendship.

As a result of this Joni has missed several family events a the summer home that is shared by her family and Ren's but she can't miss this next one. Her sister is getting married and that means returning to their summer home and pretending that her and Ren are still best friends.

Joni and Ren not only have to act like best friends but they also have to share a space. Will they be able to pull it off, will their friendship break down further or will they find a way to heal?

This is an fun read. It's full of so many sweet moments between several characters not just Joni and Ren.  The story is told in both the past and present giving insight into their decades long friendship. This is one of the better friend to lovers troupe book I've read in a while. 

The Incredible Kindness of Paper by Evelyn Skye

Chloe Hanako Quinn and Oliver Jones became penpals as children. They sent letters faithfully back and forth for years until one day they just stopped. Chloe is left to wonder what happened to Oliver and why he stopped writing back to her. 

It's been twenty years and Chloe hasn't forgotten about Oliver. She has moved to New York and is working as a school counselor. Chloe's life isn't what she imagined. She is struggling to survive. She feels lonely and life is getting more expensive then she's dealt a major blow. She has been laid off. 

Chloe drops a yellow origami rose she creates on accident and discovers that the uplifting words she wrote in it cheered up the neighbor who picked it up. She decides to spread kindness by writing messages in the roses she creates and spread them around. A few others hear about her project and join in but it's Chloe's messages written in the roses that make major differences in the lives of the people who receive them.

These roses start a movement and one of these roses finds Oliver. 

This book is beautiful. It's a charming story and perfect for those who believe in the power or kindness and how small acts can make changes in peoples lives. 

Dinosaur Therapy by James Stewart

This book is so stinking cute. It's a comic about dinosaurs who are living life and dealing with everyday situations such as anxiety, depression, self doubt and other issues. It's completely adorable and I was able to relate which gave me a lot of comfort! 

Everyone needs a copy of this book or others by James Stewart and his Dinosaurs. 

And Then There Was You by Sophie Cousens

 

Expected Publication Date: November 18, 2025

Chloe Fairway is back home living with her parents. She just went through a rough breakup and she doesn't exactly love her job as a production assistant. Her ten year college reunion is coming up and despite being voted most likely to succeed she's fair from it. The last person she wants to see is former best friend Sean. Sean is living her dream as a film director.

Chloe doesn't want to go to her reunion without a date and decides to see what this mysterious dating service is all about.  She's given a perfect match. Rob is everything she could possibly want in a man but there is a catch and it's huge! You are going to have to read this book to find out what it is.

Rob is a hit at the reunion but Chloe is quick to discover that the perfect man isn't exactly what she wants/needs. She finds herself reconnecting with an old friend names John which complicates things further however I liked the relationship between them. It's the most interesting and genuine one in the book.

And Then There Was You is not one of my favorite books by Sophie Cousens. I can see what she wanted to do with it but it just wasn't my thing. Others may enjoy it as there are some really good parts of this book and Chloe is a well developed and interesting character.

** I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean

The Storm siblings have grown up under the eye of their manipulative father. He is filthy rich, powerful and likes to play games. Alice is different from her sibling. She's been kicked out and is living on her own. She hasn't visited her family home in years but her fathers death means Alice must return to Storm Island.

Upon returning to the island Alice finds that nothing has changed. The family is still chaotic and dysfunctional. The reading of the will results in Alice, her mother and siblings playing an inheritance game. Everyone has different tasks and everyone has to complete their own task. It they don't their is no inheritance. 

Alice isn't sure if she can complete her task but everyone is depending on her in more ways then she knows.

These Summer Storms wasn't for me. I nearly gave up on it several times. It's a pretty rough read and I didn't care about any of the characters. Family drama can be interesting to read and this was no exception  but it was just a little to soap opera for me. 

Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin

Another great read by Emily Giffin. I listened to this one and the narrator was engaging. Heart of the Matter follows two women Tessa Russo and Valerie Anderson. Valerie is a single mom to a six year old named Charlie. Tessa has two children of her own and married. Valerie and Tessa's live quite different lives but when Valerie's son is injured and Tessa's husband treats him their lives merge. 

Tessa's story is told in first person view while Valerie's is told in third person which gives them both solid character differences. The story is also told in alternating points of views and Rachel and Dex from Something Borrowed make a cameo. Both characters have likable and dislikable qualities which makes things more realistic. 

This is a fast easy read and perfect for the weekend.

The Memory Collectors by Dete Meserve

Time Travel books have my attention right now. In this book four strangers, Elizabeth, Logan, Andy and Brooke time travel into their past. They pay a hefty price for it and have no control over where in their past they will travel to. They are each given one hour per the time travel guidelines but something happen and that find themselves in the past way longer than then an hour. 

Readers quickly discover that these four people have all some how jumped into the same timeline and what happens is unpredictable. As the stories are unraveled and the connections revealed the story becomes more interesting and the characters become more desperate. 

August 25th changed their past lives but will revising it cause them further emotional harm of give them closure. 

This is a character driven book and told through multiple points of view. It's a mystery that explores a variety of themes such as loss and grief. Would you take a chance on traveling back in time knowing it won't change the past?

Love the One You're With | by Emily Giffin

Your first year of marriage is blissful. It's perfect and you bring out the very best in one another. You couldn't be happier. Ellen and Andy don't have to imagine because that is the life they are living. Then Ellen runs into the one who go away. Her very first love. Leo the who broke her heart and whom she never got closure from. Ellen never forgot Leo and when he offers her a job she can't refuse she takes it. This means spending more time with Leo and with that complications arise. 

Ellen begins to question her life, her relationship with Andy and when Leo finally reveals why he left her she is pulled into an emotional tailspin. Ellen needs to make some decisions and whatever choice she makes will result in not only herself being hurt but her hurting someone. 

Giffin's writing makes you feel what Ellen is going though and puts you in her shoes. This is a book of rollercoaster emotions and if you like that type of romance book this one is for you!