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

**Save

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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

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

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.

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.

29Mar2026

Audiobook Review: And Then There Was You by Sophie Cousens

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: And Then There Was You
Author: Sophie Cousens
Narrator: Kerry Gilbert
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Publication date: November 18, 2025
Print length: 352 pages
Audio length: 9 hours 10 minutes
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Library
Rating:

She’s found the perfect man . . . There’s just one big twist.

Stuck in a Production Assistant job and living at home with her parents after a painful breakup, thirty-one-year-old Chloe Fairway isn’t where she wants to be in life. The last thing she needs is to face the people who once voted her “most likely to succeed” at her upcoming ten-year college reunion. And she definitely doesn’t want to see her former best friend, Sean Adler, who is now a hotshot film director living the life Chloe dreamed of. Desperate to make a splash—and to save face in front of the man who might be the one that got away—she turns to a mysterious dating service.

Enter Rob, her handsome, well-read, and charming match, the perfect plus-one to take to her reunion. The more she gets to know him, the more perfect he appears to be. Could it be that this dating service knows her better than she knows herself? And can she overlook the one big catch? As Chloe reconnects with old friends, she begins to question everything she thought she wanted. Maybe, just maybe, revisiting the past is exactly what she needs to move forward.

After really enjoying my last audiobook by Sophie Cousens (Is She Really Going Out With Him?), I grabbed her newest when I saw it was available through the library. And while I enjoy her upbeat storytelling and the terrific narration by Kerry Gilbert, this romance had certain elements that just didn’t work for me.

Ten years after graduating from Oxford, Chloe feels like a failure. Once considered most likely to succeed, sure of a brilliant career ahead of her as an actress and playwright, Chloe now lives with her parents and works as the personal assistant to a highly unpleasant man at a mediocre production company. All of her old schoolmates have gone on to do amazing things, especially Sean, once her best friend and writing partner, now practically a stranger, who’s a big-time Hollywood director. With the reunion looming, Chloe’s instinct is to hide and avoid it all. A chance encounter with a friend who seems to be radiantly happy leads Chloe to an exclusive matchmaking company that promises to find her the man of her dreams, someone who’ll be perfect for her. And when Chloe meets Rob, they just click. He’s gorgeous, smart, and sweet… so maybe attending the reunion with this impressive guy on her arm will be just the confidence boost that Chloe needs?

There’s a catch, of course… and here’s where I’m going to insert a big, fat…

SPOILER ALERT!

I’m guessing Goodreads reviews will already have spilled the beans, but in case you don’t want to know, here’s where to look away.

Seriously!

I’m going to get into the details of what I really did not like about this book.

SPOILERS COMING RIGHT NOW!

Okay, you’ve been warned.

The reason that Rob seems perfect for Chloe is that… he is. Rob is an AI robot created to Chloe’s exact specifications, based on an exhaustive questionnaire that she’s required to complete as part of her intake at the matchmaking company. She (and we) have no idea what she’s signing up for until after she’s signed an NDA and is introduced to Rob, who instantly impresses her with his good lucks, excellent manners, and sensitivity. He’s everything she thinks she wants in a man… because he’s been built and programmed that way.

Taking Rob to her reunion seems like a crazy idea. And it is. Convincing herself that she could have a future with Rob also seems ridiculous. And it is. Chloe spends a lot of mental energy trying to figure out whether a robot boyfriend might be her best bet for a happy life. Meanwhile, the entire reunion weekend is rife with moments when Rob’s perfection or stilted manners or weird affect threatens to reveal Chloe’s secret and undermine everything she’s trying to achieve.

From the moment of the reveal about what Rob really is (somewhere around the 15% mark), I was kind of over this book. I stuck with it because I liked certain elements of the story — but this was very nearly a DNF. The sad thing is that I don’t think this story needed the robot storyline at all. Rob could have simply been a date-for-hire, and the plot could have played out practically the same way. The AI/robot piece is a distracting novelty that just doesn’t work at all.

It’s a shame, because there are other elements that are very good. Who can’t relate to the feeling that everyone else is doing better at life than you are? Or the anxiety of reuniting with people who were once the center of your world? It’s not exactly surprising that at the reunion, Chloe discovers romantic feelings for an old friend and learns secrets that change what she thought she knew about their past. This part was very good! I liked Chloe’s process of understanding her past, admitting where she’d made mistakes, and getting past the roadblocks that had her feeling stuck professionally and emotionally.

END SPOILERS

All in all, And Then There Was You has some very engaging bits and pieces that unfortunately get swamped by a ridiculous overarching storyline. Sticking with this book all the way to the end tried my patience, despite the great audiobook narration and the generally interesting, quirky characters. The clever and entertaining bits just can’t save an unconvincing storyline. My eyes hurt from too much rolling.

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
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25Mar2026

Audiobook Review: Grace & Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon by Matthew Norman

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Grace & Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon
Author: Matthew Norman
Narrators: Alex Finke, Jay Myers
Publisher: Random House
Publication date: October 14, 2025
Print length: 337 pages
Audio length: 8 hours 43 minutes
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Library
Rating:

A sentimental advertising creative and a blunt, no-nonsense bar owner find a second chance at love while binge-watching iconic holiday movies in this poignant and heartwarming romance, from the author of Charm City Rocks and All Together Now.

“Norman weaves nostalgic references to modern holiday classics . . . throughout this comforting romance.”—The Washington Post (Noteworthy Books of the Month)

The new year had barely begun when Grace White and Henry Adler both lost their spouses. Now, nearly a year later, the first holiday season since their “Great and Terrible Sadnesses” approaches. Although their mothers scheme to matchmake the two surviving spouses, it’s clear that neither is ready to date again. Yet no one understands what they are going through better than each other, and a delicate friendship is born.

When Henry sees an ad for a Christmas movie marathon—once an annual tradition for him and his wife—Grace offers to watch some films with him, despite her aversion to a few of his picks. Her two young kids, Ian and Bella, also join in whenever possible—bedtimes permitting, of course.

With each movie, Grace and Henry’s shared grief eases as they start to see a life beyond the sadness. But as they draw closer, other romantic possibilities leave them uncertain about their future together. Is their bond merely the result of loneliness and shared circumstances, or have they found something that’s worth taking a shot at . . . again?

Grace & Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon was an unusual pick for me — I don’t tend to read a lot of holiday-themed fiction, especially when it’s not even the holiday season! And yet… the charming title caught my eye, and then the story drew me in.

Grace and Henry both suffered terrible losses at the beginning of the year: Grace’s husband Tim died after a fast-moving cancer diagnosis, and Henry’s wife Bryn died in a shocking plane crash. Now, as the holidays approach, neither is doing particularly well. Grace is busy with her two children Ian and Bella (and their hilariously-named dog Harry Styles), but she spends most of her down time in her Costco sweats talking with the version of her dead husband who lives in her head. Henry can’t bring himself to return to the home he shared with his wife, so he’s rented a mostly empty apartment but mainly hangs out in his parents’ basement playing Mario Kart.

When Henry’s mom asks him to pop over to Grace’s mom’s house to “fix the internet” (which isn’t working due to a sneakily unplugged modem), Henry and Grace are helpless in the face of motherly matchmaking. Neither are interested in being fixed up or even considering dating again, but they do recognize that they might actually fit together as friends. As they talk about holiday movies, they find common ground, and soon, Henry is popping by for family movie nights, and then hanging out with Grace and the kids to help with Ian’s art projects, free captive mice (don’t ask), and discovering a mutual friendship that helps them all start finding a little joy in their lives.

I suppose most people would shelve this as a romance — and yes, of course there’s an underlying romance brewing slowly between Henry and Grace. But that, to me, isn’t the main point. The story overall is much more about loss and grieving, about the process of remembering and letting go, about finding ways to move on when everything you expected for your life is taken away.

The narrative is organized by the movies Henry and Grace watch, together and separately, as the holiday season advances. There are plenty of fun little references to a wide range of holiday (and holiday-adjacent) movies, from Die Hard and Edward Scissorhands to Love Actually, The Holiday, The Family Stone, and more. Point-of-view chapters shift between Henry and Grace; the audiobook has a narrator for each, and both are terrific at voicing the lead and supporting characters and adding humor (and sadness) as the story progresses.

I found both characters’ stories to be quite moving, each loss awful in its own way. Grace is forced to carry on for the sake of her children and does a wonderful job, but there’s a sadness in their home that they can’t quite overcome. Henry’s loneliness is different yet also deep and real. It’s easy to see why these two need one another, first as “grief buddies”, then as friends, to get through the worst of times — or even just normal days when a sudden memory or association can knock them out of orbit. Their ability to understand one another’s pain forms the backbone of what becomes a beautiful support system.

I also appreciated how well both Grace and Henry are supported by their families and friends. While their well-meaning mothers may be pushing a bit too hard for them to get back into the dating world, it’s clear that the people who love them want to help — somehow — and are often stuck on how to do it.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Baltimore, the book’s setting, feels like a living, breathing character in this charming story. Grace and Henry have rich, deep connections to the city and the community, and it comes to sparkling life on every page.

All in all, I truly enjoyed Grace & Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon. The holiday spirit, the sense of fun, and the straightforward treatment of loss and grieving all contribute to making this sweet book feel like something special. The audiobook delivery is terrific — but in whatever format, I think this is a book well worth picking up and experiencing.

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18Mar2026

Audiobook Review: One & Only by Maureen Goo

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: One & Only
Author: Maureen Goo
Narrator: Jeena Yi
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Publication date: February 3, 2026
Print length: 364 pages
Audio length: 10 hours 32 minutes
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Library
Rating:

In Five Years meets a millennial The Joy Luck Club in the adult debut from the author of YA Reese Pick Throwback— a funny and fresh love story of a woman thrown a curveball by fate, and the family secret that will make her question everything.

She’s seen what her happily ever after looks like. And it’s not him.

Cassia Park believes in soul mates. Fated love stories. It’s her family business, after all—for centuries, from Korea to Los Angeles, Park women have peered into clients’ past lives to find their one true love, their fated. This magical secret is why One & Only Matchmaking has a 100% guarantee…for everyone but Cassia.

For ten years, Cass has been searching for her fated, a man named Daniel Nam. But he’s still nowhere to be found.

And so, on the eve of her 40th birthday, Cass decides to do something for herself. She impulsively has a fling with Ellis. He’s twenty-eight, indecently handsome, and not destined to be the love of her life. But she’s surprised by their connection and their fling feels like something more—up to the moment he introduces her to his boss…Daniel Nam.

As she battles between fate and chance, head and heart, a family secret is revealed that will make her question everything she’s ever known. Cassia will have to decide if she’ll follow her fate…or make her own.

Before jumping into the review, can we just talk for a minute about how weird the blurb is? “In Five Years meets a millennial The Joy Luck Club“?? Is that the marketing team’s way of saying this book has some woo-woo elements plus it’s about a multi-generational Asian family and the main character is about to turn 40? I think these blurbs that try so hard to compare a book to other books have now stretched themselves to the breaking point. Anyway…

One & Only is a recent Read with Jenna pick, and since I’ve had good experiences with many of that book group’s picks (see my post about celebrity book clubs), I thought I’d give the audiobook a try.

In One & Only, the concept of meant-to-be is given quite a workout! Main character Cassia is about to turn 40, and has yet to meet her one and only… although she knows exactly who he is, or at least, she knows his name. Cassia works for the One & Only matchmaking company in LA, a family business run by her grandmother which carries out traditions that go back centuries within her Korean family.

To their customers, One & Only is a hugely successful matchmaking business. They even offer a guarantee and boast of a 100% success rate! They use the ancient art of face-reading to understand who someone truly is and then find the perfect match for them — but what they never tell anyone is that the women of their family also have a gift: As they read their clients’ faces, they get visions of their past lives which show them their “fated” — the person they’re destined to be with, and whom they’ve loved throughout shared lives together. Cassia has the gift as well, and as the only woman of her generation in the family, she knows that the business’s future rests on her having children to carry on the gift… something that seems frustratingly out of reach.

Ten years earlier, Cassia finally agreed to have her grandmother read her face and reveal her fated, and Cassia has known his name — Daniel Nam — ever since. But after a decade of searching, she’s still unable to find him. Meanwhile, she’s had a string of short, uninvolved romances. Why bother giving her heart to anyone when she knows her future lies with someone else?

And then Cassia meets Ellis. He’s a younger man with a lovely energy and personality, and the two click right away. They spend a passionate weekend together, and their chemistry is obvious. But when Cassia runs into Ellis on a work retreat, their new relationship comes to a screeching halt, because Ellis’s boss is Daniel Nam. Yes, that Daniel Nam. Adopted as a child, Daniel grew up with a different last name, and only recently added his Korean surname to his public persona.

Cassia does feel a connection to Daniel right away… and he’s so much better a choice for her — at least, on paper. And he’s her fated! She owes it to herself and to Daniel to pursue this, so she dumps Ellis and begins dating Daniel. And it’s good… for a while. But every time she runs into Ellis, there’s a pang over what might have been, and a nagging sense that maybe her fated doesn’t quite fit her life after all.

As the story progresses, we see Cassia attempt to forget about Ellis and focus on her meant-to-be life with Daniel, but there’s an element of unease. If Daniel is her fated, why does she still have feelings for someone else? Also, Cassia discovers months into her relationship with Daniel that they’re not on the same page about a huge issue, which is confusing and distressing: If they’re perfect for each other, why doesn’t this critical piece match up?

There’s a lot to appreciate about One & Only, especially the dynamics between the women of the Park family. Cassia’s grandmother is a force to be reckoned with, and her great-aunt and aunt are entertaining and dynamic too. The love between the generations of women is fierce and protective. Cassia’s mother died when Cassia was eight years old, and she was raised by her grandparents, who showered her with love and did their best to nourish a broken-hearted little girl.

Cassia’s grief related to her mother’s loss is a dominant theme throughout the book, as are some of the mysteries surrounding her mother’s life. Yvette was a rebel, an artist who chose to pursue her own path and not follow her elders into a life in the matchmaking business. More crucially, Cassia has known all her life that Yvette chose to marry someone she met in college, who wasn’t her fated… and who left her and Cassia because he couldn’t handle fatherhood. Cassia’s core beliefs are tied to this family history. See what happens when you ignore your fated?

Of course, the truth is more nuanced. Late in the book, Cassia tracks down the father she’s never known, and learns more about his years with her mother. Starting to heal this broken part of her life is a major step that gives Cassia fresh perspectives on her own choices — including finally acknowledging that she has more options than she once believed.

Cassia’s actions related to Ellis and Daniel can be troubling at times. She handles neither relationship particularly well, and I wished she’d been more honest with both about her reasons for ending and starting things with each of them. Her behavior toward Ellis feels particularly problematic. He’s a cinnamon roll character, totally sweet and caring and giving. Cassia dumping him in order to immediately start dating his boss is cruel. The fact of Daniel being her fated is Cassia’s excuse to herself for her behavior, but it’s just all so painful and awkward, not helped by going with Daniel to company events where this uncomfortable love triangle is on full display.

In real life, Cassia definitely wouldn’t get the happy ending she gets here… but given that this is a romance, we know she’ll find her way to true love by the final pages. The book takes a bit of a hand-wavy approach to settling the issue of fateds and past lives and reconciling this with Cassia’s choices. Honestly, I didn’t quite buy the matchmaking company’s business model or their astonishing success rates, and felt it might have helped readers suspend disbelief if we got to spend more than a few minutes with other matched couples, to get a sense of how finding your fated translates into building a relationship and a life together.

Despite not entirely loving the entire matchmaking storyline and feeling really uncomfortable with some of the love triangle scenes (including one near the end where Cassia behaves very badly), I found the plot overall to be engaging and unusual. The generational aspect and the focus on the impact of Cassia’s mother’s death on her life add depth to the story and provide some of the deepest emotional impacts.

The audiobook narration by Jeena Yi is lovely. She brings a lot of spirit to the narrative, and lets us really feel what Cassia is going through. I also enjoyed her portrayal of the older women in the family — they truly sparkle.

One & Only held my interest and made me care about the characters. The storyline feels fresh, I really enjoyed the vivid depiction of the LA setting, and the family dynamics greatly enrich the romantic framework. This is a nice option to pick up for a mix of entertaining set pieces and deeper emotional experiences.

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1Mar2026

Audiobook Review: Is She Really Going Out With Him? by Sophie Cousens

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Is She Really Going Out With Him?
Author: Sophie Cousens
Narrator: Kerry Gilbert
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Publication date: November 19, 2024
Print length: 368 pages
Audio length: 11 hours 42 minutes
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Library
Rating:

A hilarious love story about a disillusioned divorcée who agrees to let her children play matchmaker.

Columnist Anna Appleby has left her love life behind after a painful divorce. Who needs a man when she has two kids, a cat, and uncontested control of the TV remote? Besides, she’d rather be single than subject herself to the hell of online dating. But her office rival is vying for her column, and no column means no stable source of income. In a desperate attempt to keep her job, Anna finds herself pitching a unique angle: seven dates, all found offline, chosen by her children.

From awkward encounters to unexpected connections, Anna gamely begins to put herself out there, asking out waiters, the mailman, and even her celebrity crush. But when a romantic connection appears where she least expected it, will she be brave enough to take another chance on love?

In this feel-good romance, 37-year-old Anna is trying to bounce back from divorce — which is especially hard now that her ex has moved his much younger girlfriend into his home, yet can’t be bothered to do the kids’ laundry or make sure their homework is done when they’re with him. What’s more, Anna’s career as a columnist is at risk when Bath Living is acquired by someone more focused on profits than on great writing. Anna’s new publisher wants her column to be edgier and more personal, and she just doesn’t know if she has it in her. But, her annoying (and attractive) coworker seems to be angling for her column space, and she’s determined not to let him win… so she pitches one last desperate idea for a new dating-themed column.

After trying online dating, with the expected awful results, Anna wonders if it’s possible to find romance in real life anymore. Her kids are eager to set her up, and a concept is born: Anna will go on seven dates, with people selected by the kiddos. What could possibly go wrong?

From a fishing trip with a painful ending to a Regency encounter to a setup with the grumpy widower next door, Anna goes on a series of dates — some ending with awkwardness, one proving that you should never meet your idols, and one that results in an ill-advised tattoo. None are exactly successful, but they do make for entertaining column material.

Meanwhile, the office rivalry with Will goes from barely tolerating each other as coworkers to something much more NSFW… but Anna doesn’t see a future with Will, who seems to be destined for jetsetting career success while she is firmly tied to her roots in Bath. But they do have undeniable chemistry, so even as she continues to date according to her kids’ whims, she can’t help but wonder if there’s any possible scenario where she and Will could actually have more than casual hook-ups.

Is She Really Going Out With Him? is a charming look at the ups and downs of reentering the dating scene after marriage, with an engaging, bright main character who’s a delight to get to know. A devoted mother, Anna struggles to balance her home and work commitments, and can’t imagine ever putting herself first… but through the dating experiment, she’s reminded of experiences that bring her joy, such a rediscovering her creative, artistic side and finding an upbeat, life-affirming new friend when she least expects it.

One of the many pleasures of this book is seeing Anna coming out of her dates with new connections — not in terms of romantic partners, but finding people to engage with outside of her worlds of home and office, and finding ways to break out of her routine in a way that benefits all the people in her life.

Of course, the romantic storyline is important too, and while I was initially skeptical about reading yet another enemies-to-lovers story arc, this is a good one! There are plenty of reasons why Will and Anna shouldn’t work, and while it’s clear from the start that their pairing is the book’s endgame, it’s quite fun to see the ups and downs along their path to figuring it all out.

The less said about the 3rd act break up, the better: It’s one of my least favorite tropes — the old “breaking up with you for your own good”, with a smattering of “pretending never to have cared so it’ll be easier for you to walk away”. Fortunately, this part flies by pretty quickly and honesty prevails, but still… this was the only part of the book that annoyed me.

The audiobook narration by Kerry Gilbert is light and whimsical, with the humor very well captured by her character voices and delivery. I enjoyed the listening experience very much — it kept me engaged and entertained.

All in all, Is She Really Going Out With Him? is a lot of fun, and I look forward to trying more by this author.

Any favorites to recommend?

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31Jan2026

Audiobook Review: Anne of a Different Island by Virginia Kantra

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Anne of a Different Island
Author: Virginia Kantra
Narrators: Kathleen McInerney and Will Collyer
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: January 20, 2026
Print length: 368 pages
Audio length: 10 hours 54 minutes
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Library (audiobook); ARC via NetGalley (ebook)
Rating:

A woman learns to be the heroine of her own life in this heartfelt novel inspired by Anne of Green Gables by New York Times bestselling author Virginia Kantra.

She believed life could follow a plotline—until the story she was living unraveled.

Anne Gallagher has always lived by the book. Anne of Green Gables, that is. Growing up on Mackinac Island, she saw herself as her namesake; the same impulsive charm, the same wild imagination, even the same red hair (dyed, but still). She followed in Anne Shirley’s fictional footsteps, chasing dreams of teaching and writing, and falling for her very own storybook hero.

But when a string of real-life plot twists—a failing romance, a fight with the administration, and the sudden death of her beloved father—pulls her back to the island she once couldn’t wait to leave, Anne is forced to face a truth no story ever prepared her for. Sometimes, life doesn’t follow a script.

Back in the house she grew up in, Anne must confront her past and the people she left behind, including Joe Miller, the boy who once called her “The Pest.” It’s time to figure out what she wants and rewrite her story to create her own happy ending. Not the book version. The real one.

Anne (with an E!) is a 24-year-old high school teacher who enjoys inspiring her students by making sure they find the books that might change their lives. She lives alone, waiting for the day when her doctor boyfriend Chris is ready for them to move in together. Anne dreams of being a writer, but meanwhile, everything is fine, and her happy ending seems within reach.

And then, her life more or less implodes. Anne’s beloved father dies — the man who was always her greatest source of love and support, the man who first put a copy of Anne of Green Gables into her hands, the man who always seemed to appreciate Anne’s nonstop chatter and big dreams. Going back home to Mackinac Island for the funeral, she is wracked by guilt over not visiting more, and has to deal with the sense of abandonment she feels when Chris chooses to stay behind to take care of a patient rather than going with her.

Back on the island, Anne at first is reminded of her own isolation. Her mother isn’t emotionally accessible. Anne has never quite repaired the distant relationship with her childhood best friend. Her father’s former apprentice and business partner — who nicknamed her the Pest when she was a child — seems to always be around, apparently closer to her parents than she herself was. By the end of the funeral, Anne can’t wait to get back to her “real” life in Chicago.

But when a parent complaint leads to a temporary leave from work, and Chris makes a unilateral decision about their future, Anne retreats back to Mackinac for the summer to take a break, recharge, and take stock of what she really wants. And the longer she spends on the island, the more she starts to see the potential of a good life back where she started from, especially as she reforges relationships with the people who matter most to her.

Anne of a Different Island is, obviously, filled with references to and inspiration from Anne of Green Gables, but it’s not a retelling. Anne Gallagher holds up Anne Shirley as her idol (she even has a tattoo of a favorite Anne quote, “tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet”). The Anne of this book shares Anne Shirley’s optimism and imagination, and uses the Anne books as a point of reference when she feels lost in her own thoughts and quandaries.

Seeing Anne find her place on the island is heart-warming, and while we may figure out long before Anne does that (a) Chris sucks, (b) her old school sucks too, and (c) she really can have a future on Mackinac, it’s still sweet to see how Anne finally realizes all this too. The romance with Joe is mostly a slow-burn, as each deals with the baggage of former relationships, but there’s really no doubt that they’ll work it all out eventually.

The story is mainly told through Anne’s point of view, with a scattering of Joe chapters mixed in. The narrators do a nice job of voicing the characters and their friends and neighbors; Kathleen McInerney is particularly charming as she brings out Anne’s quirkiness, self-doubt, and irrepressible brightness.

One thing I really loved about this book is the emphasis on how reading can change lives. We get the sense that Anne is an amazing teacher. She reaches her students through books, and makes sure that they have access to books that can open their eyes or speak to their inner fears and needs. I was pleased that teaching remains a focus for Anne throughout; even though she finds more time and commitment for writing, she never views teaching as just a fallback until she makes it as an author.

Anne of a Different Island is a sweet, lovely story that made me yearn for a little island community of my own… and reminded me that it’s about time for me to revisit the world of Anne of Green Gables.