Every Reason Why by Sophie Hamilton | Book Review

[ad/gifted - I received an eARC of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

Title & Author: Every Reason Why by Sophie Hamilton

My rating: 5/5

Publisher: Montlake/Amazon Publishing

Publication date: 16th February 2026

Blurb:

Leah’s never truly known what it means to feel at home until she settles at Amity Court. But Jackson Hale wants to take it all away.

When Jackson inherits the historic mansion from his grandmother, Esther Hale, the last thing he needs is her bizarre final request: to allow Leah Raven, Esther’s perky tenant, to stay there until the house is sold. It’s infuriating and he doesn’t want her company.

Leah’s found a sanctuary within the walls of Amity Court, and she isn’t going to let some frustrated city businessman cash in his inheritance without resistance—not while there’s so much pleasure to be had in ruffling his feathers.

Although Jackson has learned not to rely on anyone, Leah, with her sunny smiles and silly jokes, soon starts to make that feel like a lonely choice. Forced to live side by side, the walls between them begin to crumble.

But with Jackson’s controlling father pressuring him to sell and a loan shark threatening not only the family business but Leah as well, the two will have to decide what matters more: the security of the lives they’ve built independently, or the chance at something real together.

Sometimes home isn’t a place—it’s finding the person brave enough to see who you really are.

Review:

Ugh I just loved this book so much.

Every Reason Why is the second book in the Pine Springs series and while you don't need to have read the first one, I highly recommend that you do because I loved it also.

When Esther Hale passes away, her grandson Jackson inherits her home, Amity Court. Jackson begrudgingly works for his father's development company and has always been compared to his late brother Dominic. With his father making some bad business decisions, Jackson plans to spruce up Amity Court and get it on the market. The only problem is, Esther's tenant Leah Raven who has been tasked with working on Esther's novel.

What I love about Hamilton's books are the depth. Jackson, the grump, and Leah, the bright, sunny one both have their own troubles. Leah has never really had somewhere that felt like home and now Amity will be taken from her. Jackson will never hold a candle to Dominic in the eyes of his family.

The relationship and how it develops between these two is beautiful. There is a really gorgeous caretaking scene which was probably one of my favourite takes on that trope and the pacing worked so well. I believed that Jackson was warming to Leah and it felt real. 

This is a romance but as a thriller and crime lover, I always enjoy when that genre is incorporated too. All in all, it gave me everything I wanted and Leah is such a strong character who I want to be friends with! 

Bring on the next one! 

He's The Devil by Tobi Coventry | Book Review

[ad/gifted - I received a proof copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.]

Title & Author: He's The Devil by Tobi Coventry 

My rating: 4/5

Publisher: 4th Estate

Publication date: 12th February 2026

Blurb:

Simon has always been a good boy. He’s invariably employee of the month at the seasonal small plates restaurant where he works, he neurotically tidies his home, he keeps on top of repairs on behalf of his twenty-something, permanently-abroad landlord and tries to do right by everyone. But when his best and only friend, Josh, moves out of their shared flat, Simon is lonelier than ever – until in moves a new flatmate, the strange (and strangely sexy) Massimo.

But Massimo’s brought something with him. Odd sounds emerge from Massimo’s room, smells of earth and meat drift through the corridor and Simon’s nights fill with disturbing and tantalising dreams. Massimo is awakening something in Simon, something wild and exciting and horrifying that could be the end of him – or maybe a new beginning. But whatever’s in Massimo, whatever’s in the flat, isn’t finished. It wants more...

Review:

It only took me about five pages into this until I thought, "I'm really going to enjoy this." The writing style was just fantastic.

Think of He's The Devil as a queer modern horror novel where your new flatmate is housing a demon that wants to possess you. 

Our main character Simon, is an unlikeable one but that absolutely did not put me off because I enjoyed the story so much. Simon wants to try his best to be a 'good boy', he works his restaurant job but doesn't really have a lot of friends. His friend and roommate Josh moves out and it feels quite clear that their relationship is a bit one-sided. Simon thinks of Josh and tries to contact him a lot but Josh gives nothing back. 

An Italian man called Massimo comes to live with Simon as recommended by Josh but strange things start to happen around the flat and it is apparent that not all are as it seems with him. I genuinely started to feel a bit crazy reading about Simon trying to work out what was going on. There is dark humour, gross depictions and really everything I look for in a horror novel.

I couldn't put this down and I just wanted to see how it would end because I could not guess it at all, but to me it was perfect and satisfying.

So, I Met This Guy... by Alexandra Potter | Book Review

[ad/gifted - I received a copy of this book in order to take part in a readalong. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.]

Title & Author: So, I Met This Guy... by Alexandra Potter 

My rating: 5/5

Publisher: Pan Macmillan 

Publication date: 29th January 2026

Blurb: 

So, I Met This Guy...

Well, isn’t that how every love story starts? But how does it end – a happily ever after? Or with the discovery that the supposed love-of-your-life has stolen your life savings and your home, trashed your heart and demolished your self-esteem?

Maggie is barely fifty years-old, and she's not one to give up on herself. So when she meets Flick, a young reporter who realizes this story could be the big break she’s been looking for, they set off to catch him as he goes on the run across Europe. After all, she’s got nothing left to lose, right?

But as the pair embark on the road trip of their lives, unexpected twists, hidden secrets and hard truths are revealed. And as an unlikely friendship begins to blossom, they realize it’s not just about finding the guy, it’s about finding themselves...

Review:

I can't give this book any less than five stars. I absolutely love Alexandra Potter's books and this one is no different.

Maggie Fletcher is approaching fifty and is living in a mouldy old caravan after being absolutely fleeced of everything by a romance fraudster. Her art gallery, her home, her savings, the lot.

Twenty-six year old Flick, a journalist at the local paper who is usually just given fluff pieces, catches wind of Maggie's situation and visits her claiming she wants to expose con-man Theo.

Flick discovers that Theo is on a Mediterranean cruise and invites Maggie along to follow it at the ships stops in order to confront him. But is a story the only reason Flick is so invested in this?

I loved this so much. The setting made me feel like I was on a beautiful sunny holiday and it is one of those books where you feel like you just have to keep reading on. There is nothing better than having great supporting characters which is exactly what we get with American heiress Birdy and Maggie's best friend George. 

A lovely story not just entertaining by way of catching the fraudster but the growth, bonding and friendship that Flick and Maggie develop.

Galentine's Day by Rebecca Anderson | Book Review

[This post contains affiliate links.]

Title & Author: Galentine's Day by Rebecca Anderson 

My rating: 4/5

Publisher: Avon Books

Publication date: 15th January 2026

Blurb:

Thirteen years. Three women. One annual sleepover.

13 February 2013. Alicia, Marnie and Hannah have their first Galentine’s Day sleepover. They’re eighteen, single, and the world is at their feet. Soon they’ll go their separate ways after college, but they promise that every year, they’ll have their sleepover.

13 February 2026. There are only two friends at the annual sleepover. Their friendships have been tested by life, by partying, breakdowns, and even by pregnancies. Are their best Galentine’s Days now behind them?

Galentine’s Day is a love letter to female friendship, that celebrates messiness, real relationships, and growing up together.

Review:

As teenagers, Marnie, Hannah and Alicia started the tradition of having a sleepover on February 13th, Galentine's Day, and this book follows these girl's nights over the course of thirteen years. 

It takes them from teens, through university, into adulthood and navigating jobs, relationships, babies, marriages and everything in between. They all lead such busy separate lives but always make time for Galentine's.

This friendship group felt so real. All three of their journeys through life were different and I do think that anyone reading it will definitely resonate with one of the characters or aspects of a few.

I enjoyed the text exchanges between the girls, the cultural references and humour but it is definitely a story tinged with sadness too.

This is an accurate portrayal of female friendships across the years.

Stirred Up by Leigh Suznovich | Book Review

[ad/gifted eARC - I received a gifted eARC for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.]

Title & Author: Stirred Up by Leigh Suznovich 

My rating: 5/5

Publication date: 9th December 2025

Blurb: 

Gage Cabrera is married to his work running his family’s beloved bar, El Abrevadero. His past has him not wanting to commit to any relationship, he’s content to go home to his funny birds. That is, until his ailing dad sets an ultimatum: get married, or I won’t turn ownership of the bar over to you when I retire. Gage is at a loss, until Celeste comes charging into his life with a personality as fiery as her hair.

Celeste Martino is trying to get her life back together and moving forward after a four month stint in prison on an unjust charge. The trying experience has made her endometriosis flare up, but she has no healthcare. After commiserating with Gage, who she has started to like visiting at his bar, he comes up with a plan: get married so he can inherit his bar, and she can go on his healthcare.

As with any carefully laid plan, it goes off script and lines start to get stirred up when they find everything they could have ever wanted in each other. Can these two people who are so scared of romance make a marriage work for real?

Review: 

We all know I am a serial four star giver but there was genuinely nothing I disliked about Stirred Up so it gets an instant five stars from me.

I read, and loved, the Special Delivery duet - The Parcel and The Care Package - and was delighted when I heard that there was actually going to be another book focusing on the sister of a character in The Care Package. From what we heard of Celeste in The Care Package, I knew she would be an interesting character to delve into and boy, was I right! Suznovich has developed this character perfectly.

Celeste has recently been released from prison after her charge of breaking a man's nose after he inappropriately touched her, was reduced to a misdemeanor and has to attend anger management classes. She has also been recently diagnosed with endometriosis and requires an operation to help with her pain but with no health insurance, that will prove difficult.

Gage runs his father's bar and is good friends with Carlo, the boyfriend of Celeste's sister. He knows he will become the owner of the bar soon due to his father's declining health, but his dad doesn't want the bar to be his life. He wants Gage to find love and get married and for everything to be balanced.

He needs a wife, she needs health insurance - the two could help each other out surely?

I absolutely adored these two. Celeste is probably my favourite FMC I have read about in a while. She is so headstrong and her issues with anger, trauma, trust and endometriosis are tackled fantastically. I love how her relationship with Gage changes her for the better and she learns to trust someone other than her sister.

Gage's family dynamic and all of their support for them, taking Celeste in so she feels like a part of them too is beautiful. Especially for someone like Celeste who has never really felt that.

In true Leigh Suznovich style, there are some of the most mouth-watering descriptions of food and I feel like I want to go to El Abrevadero immediately! 

Everyone needs to go read not just this book, but The Parcel and The Care Package too.