Book Review: Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Dolly All the Time
Author: Annabel Monaghan
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Publication date: May 26, 2026
Length: 395 pages
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

A hardworking single mom returns to her seaside hometown and stumbles into a fake dating situationship with a wealthy, workaholic scion, from the New York Times bestselling author of Nora Goes Off Script.

“This book is like a spicy margarita…sweet and a little salty, tart and hot…I have fallen in love with Dolly and with funny, fizzing Annabel Monaghan!” —Catherine Newman, New York Times bestselling author of Sandwich

If they start by pretending, can they end with something real?

Dolly Brick has never met a problem she couldn’t solve. Not when her mom left when she was twelve, and not at thirty-nine when she moves with her son back to Whitfield, Rhode Island, for the summer to keep her dad and brother from losing the family home.

So when she comes across Stewart Whitfield—annoyingly handsome scion of the Whitfield family—with a flat tire and at the wrong end of a very public, very humiliating breakup, it’s in her nature to help. But Stewart’s proposed arrangement ends up being more than either of them bargained for, because as public dinners and high-society benefits turn into sunset boat rides and kisses that hit her bloodstream like a ghost pepper, Dolly starts to feel something more than helpful. She’s never relied on anyone besides herself—can she really start now?

If summer is just around the corner, then it’s time for an Annabel Monaghan novel! Once again, her newest book is a delightful mix of grounded characters, interesting situations, sincere emotions, and fantastic beachy vibes.

Dolly Brick seems to never stop working. A single mom on the verge of 40, Dolly works four (yes, four!) jobs to make ends meet, support her son, make sure her dad and disabled brother have a non-leaky roof over their heads, and basically keeps everyone and everything going through sheer willpower. As Dolly All the Time opens, she’s headed back to her Rhode Island hometown for the summer — not what she’d had planned — to deal with the aftermath of a small electrical fire at her family home.

Once there, she jumps right back in — working at the counter at her father’s fish store during the busy tourist season, making sure her brother Chris gets his meds adjusted, bringing in a contractor to look at the fire damage, and figuring out how much of the needed repairs she can do on her own. Dolly is incredibly adept at fixing and creating — that’s what living on a shoestring budget will do for you! — but when she learns from the fire department that the roof is in such bad shape that the house may be condemned if they don’t replace it, she comes close to despair. Even with all her jobs, there’s no way the family has that kind of money.

Rescue arrives in the form of Stewart Whitfield, son of the town’s extremely wealthy founding family and next in line to be CEO of the family business. Or rather, Dolly starts off by rescuing Stewart, who finds himself in desperate need of help when he gets a flat tire and has a dead cell phone battery. Of course, he’s never changed a tire in his life, and of course, Dolly is a pro. When a passing paparazzo snaps a photo of them, Stewart realizes Dolly may represent more than just roadside assistance. After being very publicly dumped by his fiancée, Stewart needs to show his family that he’s stable and grounded enough for the CEO job. Cue the fake girlfriend trope!

Stewart offers Dolly a deal, complete with NDA. If she’ll pose as his girlfriend for the summer, attending key galas and family events with him, he’ll pay her enough to fix the roof (and then some). It’s a weird offer (which Dolly immediately connects with Pretty Woman), but really too good a chance to save the family home to pass up. Stewart is stiff and seems to be a workaholic, but Dolly detects a glimmer of something more relatable underneath the suits and fancy cars, and she agrees to the deal.

After an adorable makeover outing with Stewart’s younger sister (one of my favorite characters in the book), Dolly begins her role as Stewart’s fake girlfriend. She’s quirky and definitely not trained for high society, and yet there’s something in her non-conforming demeanor that starts to put Stewart at ease. As they spend time together, she challenges him to loosen up, even just a little. Why not take out the sailboat that he hasn’t touched in years? How about a break from working around the clock to enjoy a bit of summer? When Stewart meets Dolly’s family, she gets a chance to see how considerate he can be, and as the weeks pass, Stewart and Dolly begin to connect in ways that no longer feel like it’s all for show.

There’s just so much to love about this book! First, Dolly herself is amazing. While she struggles to allow others to share her burdens, her devotion to her family is incredibly admirable. She doesn’t resent her responsibilities — she’s a deeply committed caregiver, and her 24/7 priority is keeping her family safe and happy. As she learns over the course of the book, she really doesn’t have to take everything on her own shoulders, but learning to let others in is part of her personal journey. She’s a fantastic mother to 13-year-old Gus. I admired the honesty with which she interacts with him — they have a lovely dynamic.

The romance feels real very quickly, and is well-developed. We see Stewart and Dolly opening up to one another, and can track how their appearances-for-show turn into time spent together that means something to them both. The plot may follow key trope milestones in some ways, but it comes across as genuine. There’s no doubt that these two have a connection and understand one another in ways no one else does. They’re wonderful together.

Now, there is a 3rd-act breakup, which I generally dread these days while reading contemporary romances. Here, the events make sense. None of the more common failure-to-communicate or the (awful) I’m-dumping-you-for-your-own-good scenarios! When Dolly and Stewart’s relationship blows up, we know exactly why. We can hate it, but we also understand what went wrong (and fortunately, can be very confident that there will be a happy ending, even if they have to suffer before getting there).

Dolly All the Time conveys heartwarming messages about devotion to family, taking time to care for oneself even while caring for others, and giving thought to what real happiness might look like. The family dynamics are outstanding, and the romantic elements really sing.

I’ll note that this book has plenty of romantic, swoon-worthy moments, but that sex scenes are closed-door / off-the-page… which I, for one, really appreciate!

Dolly All the Time is both a terrific summer read — oh, to be in a little seaside town with salt breezes, ice cream shops, and walks on the beach! — and an engaging love story. There’s deep emotional impact, yet the tone is upbeat, with plenty of humor and whimsy to balance the more serious moments.

He’s in a tuxedo that was woven by angels with tiny hands to the exact specifications of his body. His black shoes have been professionally tied by the royal shoe tyer.

Great plot, wonderful characters, and a seaside, sunny setting all add up to a wonderful start to beach reading season. Highly recommended — for any time of year!

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

Interested in more books by Annabel Monaghan? Check out my reviews:
Nora Goes Off Script
Same Time Next Summer
Summer Romance
It’s a Love Story

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21May2026

Book Review: A Town with Half the Lights On by Page Getz

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: A Town with Half the Lights On
Author: Page Getz
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication date: April 22, 2025
Length: 384 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Purchased
Rating:

For readers of J. Ryan Stradal and The Music of Bees (with a dash of FX’s The Bear) comes a quirky and refreshing epistolary novel about family of culture-shocked Brooklynites transplanted to Goodnight, Kansas and their fight for their unexpected lifeline: the legendary May Day Diner.

Welcome to Goodnight, Kansas.

Population: Many Kansans, three New Yorkers, and one chance to save the place they love most

With more wind chimes than residents, folks don’t move to Goodnight when their lives are going well. That’s why all eyes are on chef Sid Solvang and his family from the moment they turn down Emporia Road to the dilapidated Victorian they inherited.

While Sid searches for work and a way back to Brooklyn, his daughter searches for answers to the cryptic messages her grandfather left behind to save both her family and the town. But then Sid makes an impulsive purchase: the fledgling May Day Diner, an iconic eatery under the threat of the wrecking ball.

As the Solvangs search for their ticket out, they discover the truth of Goodnight: one of heart and tradition, of exploitation and greed, and neighbors you would do anything to save. And the Solvangs must navigate all of it—plus wayward girl named Disco, a host of rambunctious alpacas, and the corrupt factory sustaining the town—in order to find their way back home…wherever that may be.

Told through diary entries, emails, school notes, and an anonymous town paper of the Lady Whistledown variety, A Town with Half the Lights On is a tender testament to the notions that home isn’t just the place you live, family isn’t just your relatives, and it’s almost never easy to find the courage to do what’s right.

A Town with Half the Lights On is a fish-out-of-water tale of New Yorkers forced into exile in a tiny Kansas town, and how they inadvertently manage to save the town and themselves in the process. Told through emails, newspaper clippings, and even letters in bottles, this epistolary novel is a fast, light-hearted read that combines Southern quirkiness and small-town shenanigans with some more serious real world issues.

The Solvang family arrive in Goodnight, Kansas fresh from the disastrous loss of their family business in Brooklyn. None of them want to be there, but given their financial and reputational ruin, they really have nowhere else to go. Sid and Scarlet and their teenaged daughter Harlem are dismayed by the dusty little town, the boarded up main street businesses, and the incessant church bells — but having just inherited Scarlet’s late father’s Victorian home and all that goes with it (including three alpacas), they have no option but to settle in.

The Solvangs’ goal is to sell whatever is worth selling from Pop Bannister’s estate and build up enough cash to return to New York. There’s no way they’re going to spend a moment longer in Kansas than they have to! But Scarlet’s father’s will is mysterious: Written in Latin (which he doesn’t actually know) the translated document is full of strange wording and even stranger messages, including what appears to be a hint about a secret treasure. Harlem becomes determined to find this treasure — maybe it’ll be their ticket back to New York!

Meanwhile, the neighbors and various townsfolk are wary of these strangers, and practically hostile toward Scarlet, who left Goodnight over twenty years ago with nary a word to anyone. As we see through letters to the local paper, as well as assorted emails, outsiders aren’t exactly welcome in Goodnight, and New Yorkers must be in league with the Devil himself!

But Goodnight is a town in trouble. The Goodnight American Tire Company is the main town employer, and its frequent rounds of layoffs and pay freezes leave half the town in poverty, with everyone else vying for the few remaining jobs at the factory. The town social and eating hub, the May Day Diner, is about to close, which distresses everyone, especially a strange local girl named Disco who trails glitter and causes mayhem wherever she goes. While Disco would love to buy the May Day herself, she only has the cash she’s earned from weeding neighbors’ gardens — but she has an idea. Sid and Scarlet Solvang were chefs in their former lives: Who better to rescue the beloved May Day?

As Sid and Scarlet get involved, they continue to defer their return to Brooklyn, discussing each investment in Goodnight as a means to save up to leave, but really getting deeper and deeper into the fabric of the community. First the diner, then a food lifeline for out of work locals, then a rehab/rescue of the local hotel… before long, the Solvang family has started injecting life into this boarded-up little town. When the grandfather’s secrets are finally discovered, there’s even more change in store for Goodnight, but not everyone appreciates these outsiders’ interference, and a local battle looms.

The tone of A Town with Half the Lights On is upbeat and humorous, even when the subject takes a turn toward darkness. Sid is depressed and full of self-doubt, having run his generations-old family deli into the ground through his focus on tranforming it into a molecular gastronomy destination. Now, he’s sworn never to cook or enter a kitchen again. Harlem struggles to fit into such a strange environment, and is branded a “non-conformist” from day one in her new school, which is really a death sentence among the middle school crowd. Local girl Disco is a riot, but she has very real struggles with her homelife and her pariah status, and while she’s a force for positive change in the town, she also suffers for it.

A major plot thread throughout is the corruption of the tire factory, and what seems like a few funny statements early on become more significant when the factory’s damage to the community is revealed. As the community goes through a whistle-blowing scandal, labor organizing, and mass layoffs, we see the more serious implications of the situation. Even so, the individual letters and emails that narrate events retain their humorous, quirky tone.

A Town with Half the Lights On is an engaging read, although not everything worked perfectly for me. Oddly, while the story is told through emails and newspaper articles, almost all of these are undated. The opening emails are dated in 2002, and we see a few references to what month it is… but for the most part, everything is undated, other than being identified by days of the week (occasionally) or time of day. Because of this, it’s difficult to tell how much time has elapsed between events, which feels problematic. How long did it take to turn the diner around? How long did the factory collapse take? It’s puzzling to me that we don’t get a clear timeline, especially since the story is told through documents that so easily could have been dated.

The epistolary approach allows many characters, major and minor, to have their say. It’s enjoyable to see so many personalities and voices, which gives a good picture of the variety of people who make up the community of Goodnight. The downside is that we’re reliant on whoever’s writing in the moment to tell us about events — some feel glossed over or briefly summarized, when it might have been more effective seem these events unfold with more of a real-time description.

Those points aside, I did enjoy reading A Town with Half the Lights On. The small-town vibe is lots of fun, and varying viewpoints, opinions, and gossip provide plenty of entertainment value. I’m glad I checked out A Town with Half the Lights On — it’s a quick, joyful read with heart.

20May2026

Book Review: The Shippers by Katherine Center

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Shippers
Author: Katherine Center
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication date: May 19, 2026
Length: 336 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

One of the hottest, fastest-rising rom-com stars delivers her latest swoon-worthy novel about a destination wedding on a cruise ship.

After a whole lifetime of being bad at love, JoJo Burton decides to solve her intimacy issues once and for all at her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship. With the help of a little pop psychology, she diagnoses herself with a fixation on the neighborhood guy who was her her first crush and first kiss (and who just happens to be a newly-divorced wedding guest ), and she decides to woo him during the cruise for some long-delayed closure. Only problem is, her sister’s a little busy being a bride at the moment—so JoJo ropes in her childhood bestie, Cooper Watts, to be her wing man. Cooper: who RSVPed no, but then showed up, anyway. Cooper: who left town without a word four years earlier and moved to London. Cooper: who was, if she’s honest, the worst heartbreak of JoJo’s life. It’s bliss for her to see him again, and it’s agony, too—and the more they team up for Project Conquest, the more she obsesses over questions she can’t bring herself to ask.

Shipboard antics ensue in this witty, heart-tugging, childhood-friends-to-lovers romance—as JoJo and Cooper fake flirt, slow dance, share a cabin, sing duets, treat sunburns, get jealous, rescue each other over and over, and finally, at last, figure it all out in the most blissful, swoony, romantic way.

No one does summer romance quite like Katherine Center. THE SHIPPERS will take readers on the cruise of a lifetime in a story awash with romantic longing, top-notch banter, long-held secrets . . . and true love rediscovered.

I usually love Katherine Center books, but The Shippers is a bit too slight and focused on silliness to entirely work for me.

In The Shippers, we open with main character Jojo’s wedding. She’s wearing her soon-to-be mother-in-law’s itchy, awful wedding gown — quite a clear sign that nothing about this wedding truly fits Jojo. She has a history of dumping guys as soon as they fall for her, and her fiancé’s distance and disinterest have kept her in the relationship far longer than made sense. As she’s about to walk down the aisle, her childhood best friend Cooper walks in. Cooper essentially ghosted her four years ago without explanation, but his sudden appearance (and suggestion to fake a faint at the altar) help Jojo realize how little she wants to get married. Fake fainting turns out to be her key to escape.

Six weeks later, Jojo is forced to endure endless gossip and family and neighborhood togetherness for her sister Ashley’s cruise-based wedding. But thanks to Ashley’s interest in psychology, the sisters seem to have figured out Jojo’s problem: They conclude that she’s fixated on her first kiss (at age 10), while carrying some serious abandonment issues courtesy of their distant dad, and will never be able to have a successful, healthy relationship until she resolves the feelings associated with that kiss. Fortunately, the kisser will be on the cruise too, and Jojo will have a week to get him to fall in love with her.

When Cooper unexpectedly shows up for the cruise as well, Jojo loops him into her plan — and when the obnoxious cousin Jojo is rooming with makes it clear that their cabin will be otherwise occupied most nights, Jojo ends up bunking with Cooper. With all that togetherness, it’s only a matter of time before Jojo and Cooper confront their pasts… but her fixation on the kiss may drive them apart for good this time, despite the fact that Jojo seems to be finally waking up to how awesome (and attractive) Cooper is.

“How did you turn into a Disney prince?”

“You think I look like a Disney prince?”

“I really do.”

“You think I look like a cartoon?”

“Not a cartoon like SpongeBob. A sexy cartoon.”

The vibe of The Shippers is mostly goofy. It’s hard to take Jojo’s emotional baggage seriously when it’s addressed in between comical scenes of her wearing inappropriate clothing, falling off her high heels, getting badly sunburned (I mean, that’s not actually funny, but it’s presented as yet another ridiculous thing that Jojo gets herself into), and entering a slow-dance contest with guy who’s clearly wrong for her. We’re obviously meant to be rooting for Jojo to wake up to the fact that Cooper has been her person — and love of her life — all along, but the frantic focus on Jojo making odd choices and getting into crazy situations makes it all seem rather frivolous and shallow.

To be clear, The Shippers is entertaining and zips along with never a dull moment. For me, it was just all so intentionally silly that I couldn’t take any of it particularly seriously, even when the characters attempt to address past hurts and issues in a more thoughtful way.

Still, fans of the author will find plenty to enjoy, and The Shippers would make a good choice for a sunny summer beach read.

Interested in this author? Check out my reviews of other Katherine Center books:
The Bright Side of Disaster
Get Lucky
Happiness for Beginners
Hello Stranger
How to Walk Away
The Rom-Commers
Things You Save in a Fire
What You Wish For
The Love Haters

16May2026

Audiobook Review: Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Our Perfect Storm
Author: Carley Fortune
Narrators: AJ Bridel and Jack Copland
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: May 5, 2026
Print length: 420 pages
Audio length: 10 hours 51 minutes
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Frankie and George have been best friends since they were eight years old. Both passionate, impulsive, and headstrong—they’ve always clashed . . . and come back together. Until now. It’s the eve of Frankie’s wedding weekend, and she doesn’t know where they stand or even if George will show up as her best man.

Then, at the start of the festivities, in walks George. For one glorious evening, surrounded by her loved ones, Frankie’s life is finally perfect. But it all comes crashing down when her fiancé dumps her the next morning, leaving only a note as an explanation.

Crushed and confused, Frankie returns to her family’s home to wallow. But George has a different idea and a plan for healing Frankie’s broken heart. He wants her to go on her honeymoon. With him. For one week, to the lush rainforests and misty beaches of Tofino.

Frankie agrees, seeing the trip for what it really is: one last chance to repair their friendship. Even if it means unearthing secrets and long buried feelings neither knows how to handle. Even if it means falling apart for good.

There’s nothing like a Carley Fortune book! Heartfelt storytelling, deep connections, and beautiful settings are the hallmark of her beach bag-ready novels. Her fifth novel, Our Perfect Storm, captures all the elements I love so much about her writing and delivers a friends-to-lovers story that, despite the trope, feels fresh and expansive.

Our Perfect Storm opens at the start of Frankie’s wedding weekend — a high-end affair at a luxury resort, no expense spared. But initially, it’s not perfect: Frankie is distracted throughout the opening dinner because her best friend (and best man) George hasn’t arrived. Her seemingly ideal fiancé Nate is sitting right next to her, but she can’t enjoy the food or the company… until George finally walks in. (It may not be obvious to Frankie, but we readers know deep, unacknowledged love when we see it!)

The perfect wedding is now back on track… until Frankie wakes up the next morning to a note from Nate, calling off the wedding with no explanation whatsoever. Devastated, Frankie moves back home with her parents and spends the next couple of months trying to get her life back on track.

George hasn’t been seen since the wedding, so Frankie is shocked when he shows up one day, and has a plan. Nate has already told Frankie that she should go to the resort he’d booked for their honeymoon, since it was already paid for. Frankie had no intention of going, but George insists that it’ll be just what she needs — and that he’s going with her. Frankie needs an escape from the world so she can heal, George has been researching recovery after a breakup, and he’s going to guide her through the process.

So off they go to Tofino, a beautiful location on Vancouver Island, where they’ll be staying in a luxury villa at a fancy resort, with nothing to do but enjoy the scenery, explore, eat good food, and let Frankie find fresh inspiration and let go of the past. Of course, the past is not so simple. While Frankie had only known Nate for a total of one year prior to their almost-wedding, she’s known George since childhood. They’ve been there for one another through family sorrows, personal challenges, growing up, and turning into adults. From next-door neighbors to best friends to college roommates, they were inseparable for most of their lives, until George pulled away in recent years, leaving Frankie to miss him and wonder what happened to their friendship.

As they week in Tofino unfolds, George and Frankie reconnect, falling back into their easy dynamic, sharing truths and secrets, but also noting new elements to their chemisty… like a intense attraction that Frankie was never willing to fully acknowledge in the past. It becomes clear that there’s way more between them than friendship, but they’ll need to get past old hurts and traumas before they can fully trust that what they feel might just be love… and that they might have a very different future ahead of them than either could have imagined.

I just loved Frankie and George! They’re both fully developed characters. We can care about them because we get to know them so well. Flashback chapters take us back to their childhood and adolescence, and of course it’s clear to a reader that these two are way beyond “best friends”. The way they trust one another is lovely, as is the way they’re so easily able to fall back into spending constant time together, even after being apart for years.

In addition to her cancelled wedding, Frankie has a lifetime of unresolved issues to finally come to terms with, particularly in regard to her complicated relationship with her mother. I appreciated seeing the thoughtfulness with which the characters deal with this, and how past trauma gets addressed and acknowledged.

Of course, the heart and soul of the story is the connection between Frankie and George. The plot points I’ve mentioned so far may not sound action-packed, but that’s not what this book is. There’s plenty of humor, serious talks and situations too, but overall, the pacing is leisurely and gives time for the relationships and character growth to unfold.

The armchair travel elements can’t be ignored. Carley Fortune’s books always have the most lovely settings, and I was practically dying over the descriptions of Tofino. (Sad but true: I took a fantastic road trip to Vancouver Island last summer, but didn’t have quite enough time to get to Tofino… clearly, I need to go back!)

As with the author’s other books, the audiobook is narrated by AJ Bridel, who does a wonderful job. This time, she’s joined by Jack Copland, who does the dialogue for the male characters. I loved listening — the voices, pacing, and delivery are all fantastic.

Obviously, I’m a big fan, and Our Perfect Summer hit all the right notes for me. I’ll eagerly await whatever Carley Fortune writes next. Meanwhile, I highly recommend Our Perfect Summer, and all of her other books too!

For more by Carley Fortune:
Every Summer After
Meet Me at the Lake
This Summer Will Be Different
One Golden Summer

29Apr2026

Audiobook Review: Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Author: Rufi Thorpe
Narrator: Elle Fanning
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication date: June 11, 2024
Print length: 304 pages
Audio length: 10 hours 21 minutes
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Library
Rating:

A bold, laugh-out-loud funny, and heartwarming story about one young woman’s attempt to navigate adulthood, new motherhood, and her meager bank account in our increasingly online world—from the PEN/Faulkner finalist and critically acclaimed author of The Knockout Queen.

As the child of a Hooters waitress and an ex-pro wrestler, Margo Millet’s always known she’d have to make it on her own. So she enrolls at her local junior college, even though she can’t imagine how she’ll ever make a living. She’s still figuring things out and never planned to have an affair with her English professor—and while the affair is brief, it isn’t brief enough to keep her from getting pregnant. Despite everyone’s advice, she decides to keep the baby, mostly out of naiveté and a yearning for something bigger.

Now, at twenty, Margo is alone with an infant, unemployed, and on the verge of eviction. She needs a cash infusion—fast. When her estranged father, Jinx, shows up on her doorstep and asks to move in with her, she agrees in exchange for help with childcare. Then Margo begins to form a plan: she’ll start an OnlyFans as an experiment, and soon finds herself adapting some of Jinx’s advice from the world of wrestling. Like how to craft a compelling character and make your audience fall in love with you. Before she knows it, she’s turned it into a runaway success. Could this be the answer to all of Margo’s problems, or does internet fame come with too high a price?

Blisteringly funny and filled with sharp insight, Margo’s Got Money Troubles is a tender tale starring an endearing young heroine who’s struggling to wrest money and power from a world that has little interest in giving it to her. It’s a playful and honest examination of the art of storytelling and controlling your own narrative, and an empowering portrait of coming into your own, both online and off.

When Margo’s Got Money Troubles came out in 2024, I was sure it wasn’t a book for me, despite the buzz I kept seeing. A book about someone starting an OnlyFans account? Nope, no thanks.

But… when the AppleTV adaptation (starring Elle Fanning, who narrates this audiobook) was released a few weeks ago, the reviews were unvaryingly positive — and once I started paying attention, I realized there might be much more to this story than I thought.

So, I borrowed the audiobook from the library, got started… and was immediately captivating by Margo’s narrative voice and the overall excellent storytelling.

Margo’s Got Money Troubles is about a 19-year-old trying to figure things out, without much in the way of parental or other support. A college freshman with a flare for writing, Margo supports herself through waitressing and lives with three roommates in order to make rent. When her (married) English professor takes an interest, Margo falls into a brief affair with him — and when she discovers that she’s pregnant, he tells her to get an abortion and then basically cuts her out of his life completely.

Despite not being at all prepared to become a mother, Margo can’t bring herself to end the pregnancy. Her mother Shyanne is no help whatsoever, being an entirely self-centered woman who sees Margo as an accessory rather than a person separate from herself. Margo’s father Jinx is a former pro wrestler and manager, hugely famous in the wrestling world, who’s always been a guest in Margo’s life, showing up here and there but clearly focused on his “real” family.

Once the baby is born, Margo’s money troubles really hit. Her roommates are furious about the noise a baby makes — they have midterms to study for! She’s fired after leaving a shift due to a baby emergency, and really can’t afford childcare without spending all the money meant for rent. When Jinx shows up needing a place to stay, it’s perfect timing, since two of the roommates have left in a huff. Jinx’s splitting the rent isn’t a long-term solution, but Margo appreciates his help and companionship. One night, watching a wrestling match together, he casually mentions that a particular woman wrestler has struck it rich via OnlyFans… and Margo has to know more.

Let me pause here to say that while the plot may sound somewhat tawdry, it’s anything but — and the key is Margo herself. Funny and smart, Margo tells her story with humor and with a narrative flare.

The sadness from the morning didn’t exactly go away; it dried on me and slowly crumbled, leaving me covered in little flakes, like if you eat a glazed donut in a black shirt.

She alternates between first person and third person throughout the book, which initially feels like an odd choice, but gives Margo room to tell both a straightforward account of her life and a story with a more fanciful feel.

As Margo describes her investigation of OnlyFans and how she might use it as a source of income, it’s clear that her creative spark, once nurtured through her writing classes, has found a new source of inspiration. Margo is curious about what makes someone stand out, and what makes subscribers keep coming back. It’s Jinx who’s able to supply some critical advice. Drawing from his wresting career, they discuss “faces” versus “heels” (hero characters and villain characters), how to draw attention, and what keeps a crowd interested and engaged. Margo isn’t interested in just posting nudes for a few dollars; she wants to know how to succeed online, and engages in some incredibly creative research and outreach to figure it all out.

Margo never would have guessed she loved money this much. In fact, in the movies and TV shows and books she’d read, you could tell if a character was the bad guy by how much he cared about money. And since she wanted to be good, she’d always been careful not to care too much about money. Now she wondered if all those Disney movies were merely propaganda to keep poor people content with their lot.

Meanwhile, her struggles with her mother, and the return of her baby’s father (with a potential custody battle) create tension in her personal life, especially when she starts to achieve the type of viral success she’d hoped for. And I must point out: Margo is a terrific mother. She may struggle financially, have some odd people in her life, and does something very unconventional as her job — but she loves little Bodhi and is a gem when it comes to caring for him and providing him with safety and showers of affection.

Elle Fanning’s narration is fabulous. Her voice for Margo is full of the character’s spirit; the humor and intelligence come through even when Margo is going through some of her worst challenges. I didn’t want to stop listening!

Margo’s Got Money Troubles is highly engaging and entertaining, and it also has a lot to say about reputation, finding one’s own way, and non-conventional families. Margo’s solution to her money troubles certainly isn’t for everyone — but it’s incredibly fun and even inspiring to see her figure out a way to be creative and support her baby through sheer willpower and a kooky sort of talent.

Highly recommended (and do check out the audiobook version if you can).

I’m hoping to start the TV adaptation this week — can’t wait to see how it compares!

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

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25Apr2026

Book Review: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Yesteryear
Author: Caro Claire Burke
Publisher: Knopf
Publication date: April 7, 2026
Length: 400 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Library
Rating:

My name was Natalie Heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive.

Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle. Her charming farmhouse is rustic, her husband a handsome cowboy, her six children each more delightful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers behind the scenes, her kitchen hiding industrial-grade fridges and ovens, her husband the heir to a political dynasty? What Natalie’s followers—all 8 million of them—don’t know won’t hurt them. And The Angry Women? The privileged, Ivy League, coastal elite haters who call her an antifeminist iconoclast? They’re sick with jealousy. Because Natalie isn’t simply living the good life, she’s living the ideal—and just so happens to be building an empire from it.

Until one morning she wakes up in a life that isn’t hers. Her home, her husband, her children—they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Her kitchen is warmed by a sputtering fire rather than electricity, her children are dirty and strange, and her soft-handed husband is suddenly a competent farmer. Just yesterday Natalie was curating photos of homemade jam for her Instagram, and now she’s expected to haul firewood and handwash clothes until her fingers bleed. Has she become the unwitting star of a ruthless reality show? Could it really be time travel? Is she being tested by God? By Satan? When Natalie suffers a brutal injury in the woods, she realizes two things: This is not her beautiful life, and she must escape by any means possible.

A gripping, electrifying novel that is as darkly funny as it is frightening, Yesteryear is a gimlet-eyed look at tradition, fame, faith, and the grand performance of womanhood.

The premise sounds like a perfect reality TV show, in a way: Take a tradwife influencer and make her actually live on a homestead. No running water, no appliances, no fresh veggies except what she can grow herself. Make bread for the family every day… without an electric stove or perfect kitchen tools or curated ingredients. And do it all again, day in, day out. How many would last more than a day? A week?

In Yesteryear, this is exactly the set-up… sort of. Natalie is a perfect wife and perfect mother, raising her adorable brood of adorable children with good old-fashioned family values, with a devoted husband to protect them all and care for the farm while she prepares wholesome food and homeschools her little ones. She’s devout, she’s pretty, she’s hard-working… and she’s an influencer with millions of followers. So yes, she makes a small fortune from the products her fans buy, and she’s adored and hated probably in equal measure — but loved or hated, that’s attention, and that means money and fame.

Until it doesn’t. Because one day, Natalie wakes up cold, under a rough quilt rather than the high quality linens she’s used to, and the children in her kitchen aren’t really her children. Instead of a rustic-looking but actually highly polished home, her house is truly rustic, with gaps in the boards, heat from a wood-burning hearth, and no modern conveniences whatsoever. Is this a trick? Is she being secretly filmed? Has she teleported back in time? All Natalie knows is that something is very, very wrong, and she’s powerless to change it or to escape.

As Yesteryear moves forward, we follow several timelines. We seeing Natalie’s history from childhood to college, where she disdained her classmates and dropped out to marry a seemingly perfect man, to their complicated early years of marriage, and finally, to their life at Yesteryear Ranch and her growing internet fame. We also see Natalie’s panic when, pregnant with her sixth child and experiencing huge success, her carefully constructed world starts to crumble around her. And mixed in with all this, we see Natalie’s awakening in the ranch of 1855, experiencing displacement, confusion, and sheer panic as she tries to figure out what’s been done to her and how she can get back to her real life.

Lest you have the impression that Natalie is a hero or a good person, let me assure you: She is not. In every age and stage, Natalie — who professes to be a good, Christian, God-fearing woman — is full of spite, scorn, and even hatred for the people around her. She judges everyone and finds them lacking, and sees herself as the epitome of everything a woman should be.

And who was I? A flawless Christian woman. The manic pixie American dream girl of this nation’s deepest, darkest fantasies. The mother every woman wanted to be, and the wife every man wanted to come home to. Like a nun in a porno, it didn’t make sense, but also, by God: it worked. My name is Natalie Heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive.

As Natalie’s world unravels, readers may struggle to feel any sympathy for her at all. The world she’s built is so blatantly false, existing only while the cameras roll. Modern conveniences, nannies, farmhands — all are hidden behind false fronts, so that her perfect prairie life appears on screens as a shining example of virtuous, healthy, wholesome family living. It’s all a bit sickening… but even Natalie is aware that she exists as both Online Natalie and Offline Natalie, and it’s only when the two converge that things really go south.

Yesteryear is a strange book in so many ways. It’s truly dismal for much of it. I have no idea why the synopsis calls this book darkly funny; I couldn’t find anything to laugh at. Well, okay, that’s not entirely true: Natalie’s self-serving statements and prayers really did make me stifle a snort at times:

Thank you for watching over the farm animals, Lord, and thank you for helping us pass five million on Instagram this week.

And yet, Natalie is just so awful that there isn’t truly much in the way of enjoyment in reading about her rise and fall and the startling transposition to a 19th century farmhouse. She’s certainly not sympathetic in any way. There’s a weird fascination to it all, as readers are forced to piece together the truth of what’s going on from hints and clues. It takes a very long time for any of it to make sense. I will say that the author manages to pull it all together in an ending that answers all the questions posed along the way, although I didn’t necessarily think the actual events and explanations were believable.

I picked up Yesteryear after seeing the book start gaining buzz once it was selected as the April pick for Good Morning America’s book club, and after winning two hardcover copies for my Little Free Library (which got snapped up in the blink of an eye). Luckily, I was able to get a copy from the library to read myself without too long a wait.

I’m not sorry that I read Yesteryear — but I also didn’t find it as compelling or deep as the buzz might have us believe. Until close to the end, I probably would have given this book less than a 3-star rating… but I did admire the author’s sleight of hand in coming up with an ending that (more or less) works, so long as you can apply a hefty dose of suspending disbelief.

I’d be curious to hear other people’s thoughts on Yesteryear: Timely story about today’s society, influencer culture, the rot beneath the family values/tradwife hype, a rant against anti-feminism? Or a muddled book that seems to want to be saying more than it actually is?

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible audiobook – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

22Apr2026

Book Review: Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Mad Mabel
Author: Sally Hepworth
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication date: April 21, 2026
Length: 348 pages
Genre: Thriller
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley (also won a copy in a Goodreads giveaway)
Rating:

From New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth comes a twisty tale of justice, redemption, and one irrepressible woman who’s not done breaking the rules just yet.

Meet Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick: eighty-one years old, gloriously grumpy, fiercely independent, and never without a hot cup of tea—or a cutting remark. She minds her own business in her quiet Melbourne suburb, until a neighbor turns up dead and the whispers start flying.

Because Elsie hasn’t always been Elsie. Once upon a headline, she was Mad Mabel Waller—Australia’s youngest convicted murderer. But was she really mad, or just misunderstood? Either way, she’s kept her secret buried for decades.

Enter seven-year-old Persephone, a relentless little chatterbox who has just moved in across the road (armed with stickers, questions, and no sense of personal boundaries); Joan, who appears to have it in for Elsie; and a healthy dose of public interest—the cops are sniffing around, and the media is circling like seagulls at a picnic.

So Mabel does what she’s always done best—she takes matters into her own hands.

Is she a cantankerous old lady with a shady past? A cold-blooded killer with arthritis? Or just someone who’s finally ready to tell her side of the story?

Sharp, surprising, and wickedly funny, this is the unforgettable story of a woman who’s spent a lifetime being underestimated—and is about to prove everyone wrong. Again.

What a dark, twisted delight it is to have a new book by Sally Hepworth to read! To read? Maybe I should say to devour. I could not put this book down once I started.

As Mad Mabel opens, we meet grouchy 81-year-old Elsie, who lives on Kenny Lane, a quiet Melbourne street close enough to a seedier part of town to have to deal with the occasional miscreants who stumble through. Still, it’s mostly a predictable life, as Elsie spends time with her best friend Daphne, feuds with her neighbor over his yappy dog, and exchanges nasty little notes with the nosy woman across the street. When 7-year-old Persephone decides that Elsie is her new best friend, despite Elsie’s clear resistance, the door is opened to chaos.

First, the dog-owner next door dies and Elsie finds the body. Next, the nosy neighbor lets it be known that she knows the truth about Elsie’s past. Soon, the police want to talk to Elsie about the body, and packs of reporters are staking out her house. Elsie, it turns out, is Mad Mabel, the youngest convicted murderer in Australian history. Has Mad Mabel struck again?

When a pair of persistent podcasters show up on her doorstep, Elsie decides to finally tell her story. After all, she’s 81 years old! What does she have to lose?

The story Elsie tells is dark and tragic, as the truth about her family and her alleged crimes is revealed. The stories of the murders she was rumored to be responsible for as well as the murder for which she was convicted are shared over the course of her interviews with the podcasters, which we see doled out in small doses in “then” chapters interspersed throughout the book. The story of Mabel’s childhood and early teens is shocking and heartbreaking, and we’re fully on Mabel’s side long before the more sordid events come to pass.

The flashback chapters are fascinating; it was jarring to be forced to return to the “now” chapters. And yet, Elsie’s “now” story is also terrific, with much more humor as well as some rising tension. I couldn’t help but laugh at Persephone’s persistence and Elsie’s utter inability to drive her away. Elsie reveals a tender, nurturing heart underneath the cranky exterior as it becomes clear that she does, in fact, care about her neighbors, that they care about her, and that’s she’s more than willing to take action to protect those who need it.

Elsie is a fabulous character, and her story held me tight from start to finish. The balance of now and then is masterfully managed, with just enough revealed chapter by chapter to keep readers on the edge of their seats. I had plenty of guesses about where the story was going — and while some may have been in the general ballpark, I was delighted by just how many twists and surprises the book had in store for me.

Mad Mabel ranks right up at the top of my list of favorite Sally Hepworth books, along with The Good Sister and The Things We Keep — although you really can’t go wrong with any of her books. I have just one of her books yet to read, The Secrets of Midwives (2015), and I’m going to make it a priority to finally pick it up this year.

Mad Mabel is a compelling story that will keep you hooked. Highly recommended — don’t miss it!

*Australia edition – which cover do you prefer?*

Interested in this author? Check out my reviews:
The Things We Keep by Sally Hepworth
The Mother’s Promise by Sally Hepworth
The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth
The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth
The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth
The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth
The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth
Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

19Apr2026

Audiobook Review: The Name Game by Beth O’Leary

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Name Game
Author: Beth O’Leary
Narrator: Harriet Cains and Arty Froushan
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: April 7, 2026
Print length: 379 pages
Audio length: 10 hours 55 minutes
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Audible (eARC via NetGalley)
Rating:

A man and a woman with the same name are looking for a fresh start only to discover they have landed the same job in this charming new romance by bestselling author Beth O’Leary.

Charlie couldn’t be happier to take the job of farm-shop manager on the remote, wild Isle of Ormer. She’s grieving, a little lost, and in desperate need of a fresh start.

Jones has come out of a difficult breakup and is looking forward to some peace away from the noise of his city life. Moving to Ormer couldn’t have come at a better time.

But when Charlie Jones and, ahem, Charlie Jones both turn up at Ormer’s one and only farm shop, claiming to have been offered the role of manager, everyone is baffled. How could this have happened? And just who is the real Charlie Jones?

In The Name Game, a seemingly simple mix-up leads to a wild mix of truths, deceptions, accidental discoveries, and found community, all set on a small island in the English Channel that’s known for its farms, wild donkeys, natural beauty, and isolation.

When Charlie Jones and Charlie Jones both turn up for the job of shop manager at Bramblebay Farm on the Isle of Ormer, the farm owners, married couple Rosie and Marley, are perplexed. Yes, they sent a job offer to Charlie Jones — but having conducted the entire process via letters, they have no idea which is the intended Charlie. She (Charlie) is a bubbly woman who seems unprepared for island life; he (Charlie, but prefers to be called Jones) is a bit more taciturn but seems solid enough. There’s only one job, and only one accommodation available. The obvious solution? They’ll need to share — the job and the lodgings — until they can figure out which one is actually right for the job and for the island.

As Charlie and Jones settle in, the mystery of which one the job offer was intended for remains murky, but as both prove they’re capable, a solution of sorts is offered: If they can get the shop to be profitable enough to support co-managers by the time the fall harvest festival rolls around, they can both stay.

At first rivals, Charlie and Jones eventually warm up enough to get past resentment and hostility and achieve the start of a friendship. Forced proximity, grumpy-sunshine tropes anyone? The islanders are a mixed group, with everything run by committee, and the most resistant of all is a super ornery store employee and long-time Ormer resident who seems determined to undermine everything Charlie and Jones set out to do.

As the story progresses, we get flashback chapters showing earlier moments in Charlie and Jones’s lives, explaining the pain and secrets each has brought with them to Ormer and shedding a bit of light on why and how they’ve both arrived at this moment.

I must be honest and say that until somewhere a bit past the midpoint of this book, I would have given The Name Game a 3-star rating at best. Nothing much happens. There are the expected fish-out-of-water moments — such as dealing with an errant pig and getting stuck on a hike after a change in tides — showing how little these people (especially Charlie) are suited for the life they seem to be pursuing. But of course, they settle in, begin to make connections with the islanders, and make a positive difference in the life of the community.

Just when my impatience was really reaching a boiling point, things turn around. Without entering spoiler territory, I can’t say why… but the last third or so of the book kept me pretty enthralled and made the reading experience — even the less interesting parts — worth it in the end.

One aspect I found myself more than a little annoyed by is the characters’ approach to wellness and mental health. While on Ormer, and with prodding from Jones, Charlie acknowledges to herself that she has anxiety. Although she asks the local doctor a question about it, she never seeks treatment, and instead finds ways to self-heal and get to a place where she can manage the anxiety when it spikes. Jones, meanwhile, is an alcoholic whose arrival on Ormer marks day one of sobriety. Like Charlie, he seeks no professional help and does not participate in meetings or counseling, choosing to manage his addiction through his own powers of self-healing and control. Both of these situations disturbed me. It’s nice to think that people could address issues of anxiety or addiction on their own, but a healthier version might have shown them seeking actual help.

I listened to the audiobook of The Name Game, and enjoyed the dual narrators, who alternate as the POV changes between Charlie and Jones. I will say, though, that the story complications late in the book can be a bit challenging to follow via audio — listeners may want to keep a print edition handy as backup!

I’ve loved some of Beth O’Leary’s books more than others, and have found my opinions of some changing once I have more time to think and digest. For example, I was surprised to look back and discover that I gave her previous book, Swept Away, four stars! In retrospect, I have a LOT of issues with the plot, but I suppose in the moment, I was caught up in the story enough to go high on the rating. Regardless, I had to chuckle while listening to The Name Game and coming across this line, which just has to be a wink at the previous book:

“Being stranded together in the sea sounds romantic but is actually just quite inconvenient, surely?”

Overall, my early frustration with the story was redeemed by the fun of the confusion and resolution closer to the end. I wouldn’t say this is the best of Beth O’Leary’s books, but it’s a good one! Be patient with it, and you’ll get to a good payoff. Silliness mixed with more serious emotional moments and a highly unusual and quirky setup make The Name Game an entertaining read/listen.

For more by Beth O’Leary:
The Road Trip
The Flatshare
The Switch
The No-Show
The Wake-Up Call
Swept Away

18Apr2026

Book Review: Cherry Baby by Rainbow Rowell

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Cherry Baby
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication date: April 14, 2026
Length: 416 pages
Genre: Contemporary fiction / romance
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

Everybody knows that Cherry’s husband, Tom, is in Hollywood making a movie . . .

Almost nobody knows that he isn’t coming home.

Tom is the creator of Thursday—a semi-autobiographical webcomic that’s become an international phenomenon.

Semi-autobiographical. That means there’s a character in this movie based on Cherry . . . “Baby.”

Wide-hipped, heavy-chested, double-chinned Baby.

Cherry never wanted this. No fat girl wants to see herself caricatured on the page—let alone on the big screen. But there’s no getting away from it. Baby looks so much like Cherry that strangers recognize her at the grocery store.

While her soon-to-be ex-husband is in Los Angeles getting rich and famous and being the internet’s latest boyfriend, Cherry is stuck in Omaha taking care of the dog he always wanted and the house they were going to raise a family in . . . and wondering who she’s supposed to be without him.

Cherry had promised to love Tom through thick and thin.

She’d meant it.

One night, Cherry decides to leave all her problems, including Tom’s overgrown puppy, at home. She ventures out to see her favorite band play her favorite album . . . and someone recognizes her from across the room.

Russ Sutton knew Cherry when she was a young art student with a fondness for pin-up dresses and patent leather heels. Before Tom.

Russ knows Cherry. He likes Cherry.

And best of all . . . he’s never heard of Thursday.

Tender, funny, and utterly human, Cherry Baby is Rainbow Rowell’s richest, most surprising—sexiest—novel yet.

Cherry Baby is a beautiful depiction of the stages of love — beginnings and endings, and all the messy stuff in between. Main character Cherry is a delight — the middle of five sisters from a devout yet raucous family, Cherry knows she’s gorgeous, accepts that she’ll always be fat, and knows she deserves to be happy… although getting there seems almost impossible.

As Cherry Baby opens, Cherry lives alone in the Omaha home she once shared with her husband Tom. Well, alone except for their outrageously large dog Stevie (as in Stevie Nicks), who really was Tom’s dog before he headed to LA and left Cherry to deal with the aftermath. Cherry and Tom met as art students, and while she went on to have a successful career in marketing, he unexpectedly found fame and fortune when Thursday, the webcomic he’d created as his own little creative outlet, suddenly became a huge sensation.

And now, Cherry is alone, because Tom left for Hollywood to work on the movie version of Thursday and never came back. Making matters worse all these months later is that the trailer for Thursday has dropped, and once again, Tom’s version of Cherry, via the character Baby, is everywhere. Cherry can’t avoid the exaggeratedly fat depiction of herself that apparently shows how Tom truly sees her.

When Cherry decides to treat herself to a night out listening to a favorite nostalgia band, she runs into someone she once had a crush on during college, and learns that he had a crush on her as well. As they begin to date, Cherry wonders if she has a new chance at happiness. But then Tom comes back to Omaha to pack up his belongings, and the more time he spends at their house, working with Cherry to dismantle the physical remnants of their lives together, the more their unfinished business looms over them both.

There’s a beauty in seeing the past and present unfold through the chapters of this book. We’re firmly rooted in Cherry’s present, as she deals with the men in her life and struggles to hold onto her sense of self — yet we also see flashbacks to the start of Tom and Cherry’s love story, from their first meeting through their early relationship and into the years of their marriage. It’s not sugar-coated, and yet it’s incredibly touching. Rainbow Rowell’s depiction of marriage is gritty and real. Love is wonderful, but it doesn’t fix everything, and we see time and again all the ways in which Tom and Cherry get derailed from the life they thought they were working toward.

Cherry Baby surprised me in all sorts of ways. Based on the synopsis, I expected a certain basic story arc, but in fact, that’s not what the book ended up being at all… and honestly, I loved it. I think Cherry Baby is best experienced without a lot of foreknowledge — not because there are dramatic reveals or shocking plot twists, but because its focus on people figuring things out is just such a powerful journey.

Cherry is a fantastic, funny, complex character, and I loved seeing all the ways in which she believes in herself, and all the ways in which doubt and pain creep in. She’s realistic and strong and vulnerable, and an utter delight.

A minor quibble for me is the overly graphic sex scenes — which, on the one hand, show the intricate levels of intimacy involved and also illustrate Cherry’s ease/discomfort dynamic with her own body… yet on the other hand, I think the point could have been made even without the close-up-and-personal details. Then again, I recognize that each reader has their own preferences when it comes to spicy scenes — your mileage may vary.

I can’t say I’ve ever been disappointed by a Rainbow Rowell book, and Cherry Baby is no exception. The banter between Cherry and her sisters is absolutely delicious, and even the more serious scenes include clever quips and dialogue. At the same time, this book is a heartfelt look at love and trust and commitment, and includes a powerful mix of heartbreak and joy. Highly recommended.

11Apr2026

Audiobook Review: Just Kiss Already by Lily Chu

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Just Kiss Already
Author: Lily Chu
Narrators: Phillipa Soo & Simu Liu
Publisher: Audible Originals
Publication date: March 12, 2026
Print length: n/a
Audio length: 9 hours 30 minutes
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Audible download
Rating:

Enemies. Coworkers. Accidental Icons.

Dr. Ben Song likes his life orderly, predictable, and blissfully private. By day, he’s a forensic anthropologist running a controversial research project. By night, he’s the anonymous author of a bestselling cozy mystery series. What he absolutely doesn’t need? One viral moment turning him into the internet’s new favorite grumpy heartthrob.

Lauren Wei has built her career in the spotlight—and paid for it. A former teen star turned serious filmmaker, she’s determined to prove she’s more than her past persona. With her first feature film about to premiere and a press tour that could make or break her future, she can’t afford distractions. Especially not the brilliant, infuriating author whose book she adapted…and whose visibly unimpressed reaction to her movie just made him a viral meme.

When the studio forces Ben and Lauren to share the press circuit to capitalize on the moment, sparks fly. But between industry politics, public scrutiny, and a growing sense they might actually be perfectly imperfect for each other after all, their reluctant partnership soon turns into something far more complicated….

Lily Chu’s audiobooks are always a treat, and Just Kiss Already is no exception! This clever story about a film star and a scientist (who’s secretly a bestselling author) hits familiar beats of the celebrity romance and enemies-to-lovers tropes, but keeps things fresh with engaging characters and interesting dilemmas.

Lauren Wei is a former teen star, known for playing a chaotic character on a popular TV show until her reputation took a hit. Now, Lauren is reestablishing herself by directing and starring in a movie adaptation of the first book in the popular Lady Petronella mystery series. The success of the film will help her make sure the world sees her as a serious talent.

Dr. Ben Song is a forensic anthropologist who runs a lab devoted to studying the decomposition of bodies… and is also the secret author of the Lady Petronella books. When he attends the advance press screening of the movie, he’s annoyed by what he sees as some factual errors — and when his sour expression is caught on camera and turned into a meme, it could spell disaster for the movie’s success and Lauren’s future.

Desperate to capitalize on Ben’s viral moment and turn it into social media gold, the studio strong-arms Ben and Lauren into doing a press tour together leading up to the film’s premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. Ben is opposed at first, but is won over by both his lingering crush on Lauren’s TV character and by Lauren herself, who is smart, funny, and not at all the Hollywood snob Ben had expected. Naturally, they get past their initial hostilities and discover both friendship and chemistry, but challenges in their respective careers seem to put up roadblocks before their relationship can really get started.

Just Kiss Already sets up the connection between Lauren and Ben really well, quickly moving past their grumpy/sunshine, enemies-to-lovers dynamic and focusing on the deeper ways they communicate and understand one another, offering support to each other in a way that’s refreshing to see. Their careers seemingly couldn’t be more different, yet each faces professional hurdles that an outsider’s perspective helps them to overcome. Ben and Lauren work as a couple because they take the difficult steps needed to establish trust and friendship first, and even when they have the inevitable misunderstandings so typical of the romance trope, they’re able to quickly clear things up through open communication. Honestly, I wish more third-act break-ups/fights could be resolved so maturely!

The Lady Petronella books sound like they’d be so much fun to actually read (and it’s a nice little treat that each chapter opens with a line from Lady P). Likewise, I’d love to see Lauren’s movie! Just Kiss Already establishes these fictional elements so well that they seem believable, and Ben’s work sounds both fascinating and important. A side plot about a community trying to undermine his research site is also interesting, and gives Ben professional challenges to overcome that balance his parts of the story nicely against Lauren’s.

As always, Phillipa Soo is an amazing narrator (she’s narrated all of Lily Chu’s audiobooks so far), and the pairing here with actor Simu Liu for the Ben chapters offers great listening entertainment,

I really enjoyed Just Kiss Already (despite being annoyed by the title, which has nothing to do with the story). It’s currently available only through Audible. Lily Chu’s previous novels were released the same way, and then released in paperback about a year later. As I’ve said in previous reviews, I always look forward to a new Lily Chu audiobook! The Comeback and The Stand-In remain my favorites, but you can’t go wrong with any of them.

Purchase links: Amazon
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.