Welcome to another TTT! And happy first day of spring! Can you believe it’s spring already? I’m going to miss the cozy winter nights and the snow, but I do love the flowers and the warmer temperatures! I really enjoy putting together these seasonal to-read lists, even though I have a hard time sticking to them! The curse of the mood reader. Some of my picks are series I’m trying to catch up on, some are backlist titles I’ve been hoping to get to, some are on Kindle Unlimited that I’m excited about, and some are review copies coming out in the next few months! I’m excited to see what you’re planning to read!

Finding Mr. Write by Kelley Armstrong

Daphne McFadden already knows that as a female author, the cards are stacked against her. Now she knows just how much. Because her sudden whim to pose as an “outdoorsy hunk of masculinity” male author for her new book just resulted in the a bidding war, a huge book deal, and the kind of fame every author dreams of. Now she’s in big trouble. Because she needs to convince the world that Zane Remington actually exists . . . but how?

Only Chris Stanton is not an actor—not officially. He’s used to balancing the books, not pretending he wrote one. Still, he’s mostly certain he can pose as some overly macho bro-author. But when the media descend on Daphne’s gorgeous remote home in the Yukon, it’s not enough for Chris to just be the face of Zane Remington—he’ll have to become him. All while hilariously balancing the terrifying dangers of the wilderness, a massive femme fandom, and a serious crush on Daphne. But as the hype circus gets more out of control, it’s just a matter of time before someone discovers their little write lie . . .

The Duchess Hunt by Lorraine Heath

Hugh Brinsley-Norton, the Duke of Kingsland, is in need of a duchess. However, restoring the dukedom—left in ruins by his father—to its former glory demands all his time, with little room for sentiment. He places an advert encouraging the single ladies of the ton to write why they should be the one chosen, and leaves it to his efficient secretary to select his future wife.

If there exists a more unpleasant task in the world than deciding who is to marry the man you love, Penelope Pettypeace certainly can’t imagine what it might be. Still, she is determined to find the perfect bride for her clueless, yet ruthlessly charming employer.

But when an anonymous note threatens to reveal truths best hidden, Kingsland has no choice but to confront the danger with Penelope at his side. Beguiled by the strong-willed, courageous beauty, he realizes he’s willing to risk everything, including his heart, to keep her safe within his arms. Could it be the duchess he’s hunting for has been in front of him all along?

Chasm by Stacey McEwan

Dawsyn’s fight to save the people of the Ledge is far from over in this thrilling and highly anticipated sequel to the bestselling, Ledge

Dawsyn’s miraculous escape from the Ledge was just the beginning. In the queens’ dungeon, Dawsyn awaits her execution while reliving the death of her lover, Ryon. There is no chance of mercy.

But hope finds her in the form of rescue by her village friends. Now on the run and struggling to tame her newly-gained and greatly unstable powers, Dawsyn’s journey continues. Facing betrayal anew, she must learn patience and trust as she builds strength on all fronts, while she and her comrades recover and ready themselves for what’s to come.

As they ascend the perilous mountain slopes to the Glacian kingdom once again in a desperate attempt to save those remaining on the Ledge, Dawsyn must battle wills as well as weapons, before discovering an entirely new evil awaiting her…

My Lucky Charm by Courtney Walsh

A humiliating break-up leads to an impulsive New Year’s Kiss with a complete stranger.
What could possibly go wrong?

It’s no secret that I love life. And Dr Pepper. But also, I love a challenge. . .

So when the coach of the Chicago Comets gives me the opportunity to help their star player, newly traded to their team, acclimate to life in Chicago, I’m all in.

I have to be. After my last job went up in flames, I have something to prove.

It turns out that the player, Grayson Hawke, is the rudest, most off-putting, reclusive guy I’ve ever met.

It also turns out that he is the beautiful stranger I kissed on New Year’s Eve.

I can do this job. I can do this job. I can do this job.

And I can. Really well.

I can make Gray’s life easier, show him all the reasons to fall in love with this city, and in the process, hopefully completely forget that the amazing kiss ever happened.

How hard can it be? We’re total opposites anyway.

I love people . . . and all their stories. Gray loves hockey . . . and nothing else.

I love to talk. Gray only stares.

I’m happy-go-lucky. Gray’s all work and no play.

There’s just one problem. The more time I spend with Grayson Hawke, the more I start to see that underneath his bristly, standoffish exterior, he’s nothing like the man everyone thinks he is.

And suddenly, all the reasons for keeping my distance, staying professional, and not falling for someone again. . . are impossible to remember. My Lucky Charm is a grumpy/sunshine, sweet hockey romance with all of the sizzle but none of the steam. It’s the second in the Holidays with Hart series, but My Lucky Charm can be read as a stand alone.

Selling Out by Martha Keyes

The only thing more daunting than singing in front of sold-out crowds across Europe? Facing the music when you start falling for the guy in the spotlight.

AUSTIN
After years of working my tail off in the music industry, I’ve finally made it: headlining my own tour across Europe. Sure, it’d be great to sing my own songs instead of the stuff my label gives me, but success requires compromise.

It also requires a stellar tour team, which is why I know I have to have Mia Sawyer as one of my backup vocalists when I hear her sing. With thousands of women screaming my name on stage every night, it shouldn’t bother me that she doesn’t seem to think much of me. I don’t have time for real relationships anyway.

MIA
Austin Sheppard is the exact type of man and “musician” I roll my eyes at. But since my own following on social media is stagnant enough that it’s bound to start attracting mosquitoes soon, I figure this may be the only opportunity I have to get paid to sing—and to see Europe, for that matter. For an opportunity like that? I can keep my opinions to myself.

Life on tour with Austin gives me a front-row seat to everything I wish I could have as a musician. It also puts me constantly and perilously close to the man I’ve pegged as a womanizer and a sell-out. So close, in fact, that I’m starting to worry the next sell-out will be my heart.

The Prince of Secrets by A.J. Lancaster

Well-bred women should not be seen kissing their butlers. Even when the butler in question is secretly a fae prince.

Wyn knows falling for Hetta Valstar is a bad idea. She’s not only human but the new magically bonded ruler of Stariel Estate. If their relationship gets out, it’ll cause a scandal that could ruin their attempts to sort out the estate’s crumbling finances.

And it doesn’t help that Stariel has decided it doesn’t like him.

But more than jealous sentient estates and Hetta’s good name are at stake. Wyn’s past is coming back to bite him. Ten years ago, he broke an oath and shattered the power of his home court, and the fae have been hunting him ever since. Now they’ve found his hiding place, they won’t rest until he’s dead or the debt is repaid–and they don’t play nicely.

The Seamstress on Cider Lane by Jillianne Hamilton

The Germans pause their bombing raids on London but life on the homefront is certainly far from ordinary. The Seamstress on Cider Lane is a lighthearted and hopeful romance, perfect for fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and The Last Bookshop in London.

Gifted seamstress Nora Archer opens a sewing shop just as clothing becomes rationed and scarce in Britain. London’s fashionable elites soon discover her remarkable talent for giving garments new life and her skills are soon in high demand.

Having lost his flat during the Blitz, Jack Parker is relieved to finally locate a new home. He finds himself living under the same roof as Nora, the spirited and enchanting woman he thought he’d lost, as well as Nora’s protective aunt.

Despite her aunt’s warnings, Nora can’t help falling for Jack. However, the sweet and bookish teacher is from a different world and Nora doesn’t know if she fits in or if Jack might be too good to be true. She can’t deny the intense attraction between herself and Jack—and neither of them wants to.

When a struggling friend’s desperate plea for help lures Nora into the dodgy clothing black market, she risks not only her business and reputation but also her blossoming relationship with Jack.

Will Jack and Nora’s wartime romance survive when Nora’s secrets are revealed?

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

The Dead Guy Next Door by Lucy Score

A nice, normal life. Is that too much to ask? For Riley Thorn it is.

Divorced. Broke. Living with a pack of elderly roommates. And those hallucinations she’s diligently ignoring? Her tarot card-dealing mom is convinced they’re clairvoyant visions.Just when things can’t get worse, a so-hot-it-should-be-illegal private investigator shows up on her doorstep looking for a neighbor…who turns up murdered.

Nick Santiago doesn’t play well with others. Unless the “others” are of the female persuasion. Wink. He’s a rebel, a black sheep, a man who prefers a buffet of options to being stuck with the same entrée every night, if you catch his drift.

When the pretty, possibly psychic Riley lands at the top of the list of suspects, Nick volunteers to find out whodunit. Only because he likes solving mysteries not because he wants to flex his heroic muscles for the damsel in distress.

All they have to do is figure out who pulled the trigger, keep the by-the-book detective with a grudge at bay, and deal with a stranger claiming he was sent to help Riley hone her psychic gifts. All before the killer discovers she’s a loose end that requires snipping.

The Lady He Lost by Faye Delacour

Her only interest is in making her own way in the world. Luckily, he can help.

Lieutenant Eli Williams was supposed to be dead. In the two years since his shipwreck, his friends and family mourned him, his brother spent his savings, and his fiancée married someone else. So, when he turns up in the middle of the London social season, he quickly becomes the talk of the town. All Eli wants is to set his life back in order and reconnect with Jane Bishop, a friend who has always meant so much more to him, before returning to sea.

Jane refuses to waste any more of her life pining over Eli, who chose her cousin instead of her. She needs to focus on gaining her financial independence by establishing a ladies’ gambling club. Never mind that Eli keeps trying to atone for his past mistake by bringing in new members. He’s obviously keeping secrets about his disappearance, which means that she can’t trust him with her heart even if she did kiss him in a moment of weakness. Or three.

As Eli works to regain her trust, Jane’s defensive walls begin to crumble. But when Eli faces a court of inquiry on suspicion of desertion, Jane must decide if she can let go of the past to build a future with Eli, or risk losing him for good.

This charming and sexy friends to enemies to lovers historical romance romp is the perfect read for fans of Evie Dunmore and India Holton.

Have you read any of these? Do you want to?
What’s the one book you’re prioritizing this spring?

Welcome to another TTT! This week’s topic is on books I loved the first time I read them and am worried I won’t love them as much if I go to re-read them. I love re-reading, but there are some books that hit so perfectly and I loved so much that I worry reading them again wouldn’t evoke the same emotions or joy because of the situations I found myself in while reading them. Or maybe the books I read when I was younger wouldn’t be favorites anymore. Or maybe some books just don’t age well! Whatever the case may be, these are the books I’m afraid to re-read for fear of tainting my original reading experience. If you’re not a re-reader, you could consider tweaking this topic to books you wish you could read again for the first time!

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
This book was exactly what I needed, when I needed it. I hated reading during all my school years because teachers and curriculum loved to suck the fun out of it for me, handing over huge packets of essay questions that gave me so much anxiety that I’d miss the answer that I couldn’t focus on the story and enjoy myself. Twilight came out my sophomore year of college, and my mom and I read it together. We bonded over the book, plus I found my love of reading again! Twilight was a gateway book for me into YA and I started devouring everything I could find. I worry now that all that magic would be ruined if I attempted to read it again.

Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson
I read this while on a transatlantic cruise! The heroine was on a yacht in the Mediterranean Sea, and I was sitting on my cabin’s balcony reading this as we crossed from the Atlantic into the Mediterranean. You could tell because the water was doing some really cool swirly stuff and flowing in all different directions. I had to set my Kindle down and watch. It was pretty amazing. I’ll never be able to duplicate that situation again!

Catherine and the Pirate by Karen Hawkins
I read this in high school, and it was my first pirate romance! And really, the first historical romance that I LOVED. But it was written for teens, and I worry that I’ve aged away from this story.

Pretend You Don’t See Her by Mary Higgins Clark
I’ve been reading Mary’s books this year, and have found that they really aren’t aging well. lol. Like, not at all. This one was my first of hers and I read it as a kid. I loved it so much, and was so curious what was going to happen! I was glued to the page. I’ll keep reading Mary’s books until I finally get through them all, but this one is sacred and I don’t think I should re-read it. I don’t want to ever love it less than I do!

Wanderlove by Kristen Hubbard
Wanderlove changed my life. It’s one of those books that I found at just the right time, and I’m not sure I’d ever feel like I did when I read it. It scares me that I’d taint that life-changing reading experience if I tried to re-read it now.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
I read Delirium right when it came out. I was still on a dystopia kick after reading and loving The Hunger Games. I LOVED this book so much. When I read the synopsis now, though, it’s the kind of story I’d pass over. Maybe I’ve read too many dystopian novels since, or maybe I’m tired of reading so many similar stories. I don’t think I’d love it anymore, which is sad because I own Requiem and want to see how it ends. But that means I’d have to re-read Delirium and Pandemonium because I’ve forgotten everything. I’m worried I wouldn’t make it through and then I’d have ruined one of my favorite books for myself.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
I LOVE this book so much. I’m scared to ever re-read it, though, because I’ve aged out of contemporary YA and might not feel the same anymore.

Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson
MAJOR PLOT TWIST that I can never ever re-experience unless I get amnesia. If I do, remind me I want to read this book.

The Only One Left by Riley Sager
This thriller had my on the edge of my seat. I haven’t felt this way about a mystery in SO long. This is another one that will never have me as locked in again, though, because knowing what happens makes the journey less exciting.

Christmas at Frozen Falls by Kiley Dunbar
I will absolutely re-read this, but am a bit afraid that it won’t be as magical the second time. The stars were all so perfectly aligned with this one, and I’m scared I won’t fall as madly in love.

Do you worry about this like I do?
Have you ever finished a book and just known there’s no way you’ll ever be able to recreate the magic you felt?
Tell me what book it is! I might want to read it!

Welcome to another TTT! These week’s topic was submitted by Astilbe at Long and Short Reviews and is “Weird or Funny Things I’ve Googled Thanks to a Book”. I thought this sounded like a really fun topic, but now that I’m sitting here trying to write it up my mind is drawing a complete blank! So I know a lot of these are going to be vague and not about one specific book or experience. But I’m going to make this work for me, and that’s what I want you to do too! If this is as tricky for you as it is for me, you’re going to want to get creative. Embrace that want and have fun!

1. I’ve read many books, namely historical fiction ones, that made me Google the historical event to learn more about it. The first thing that comes to mind is when I googled barrage balloons that were used in London during the Blitz because I read about them in a Madeline Martin book. I wanted to know what they looked like and if they were really effective.

2. I love looking up the places books are set in, especially if they’re places I’ve never been to before. If I read about a beach in a rom-com about people on vacation, I will definitely look up pictures to see what it looks like!

3. This makes me blush a little, but sometimes I’ll read a steamy scene and be completely unconvinced that a certain… thing is even possible. lol. Like, how did they even do that? Are people that flexible? What even is that?

4. I will almost always look up pictures of animal breeds that characters have as pets. I know what a tabby cat or a Corgi dog looks like, but sometimes it’s a breed I haven’t heard of and I’ll want to know what it looks like!

5. I read a lot of historical romance, so I will sometime google terms I’m not familiar with. I remember wondering why the characters always mentioned “the ton” and had to google to find out what that meant.

6. This kind of goes hand in hand with the first one, but I also like looking up real people who make cameos or are mentioned in books. I’ll look up historical figures to learn more about them, or I’ll look up actors/musicians mentioned so I can see who they are.

7. I will never not google songs mentioned in books so I can listen to them. Although, I’ll usually ask Alexa to play them for me but that’s almost the same thing!

8. I will google translate anything in another language if context clues don’t indicate that’s being said.

9. If a dog or cat or other beloved pet comes into the picture, and it’s in a book where the possibility is there that that animal might not be ok I will ALWAYS google to see if I can find out if the pet ends up happy and healthy. And if I can’t find the answer, I stop reading and write to the author. lol. I have to know if it’s safe to continue!

10. This is stretching it a bit, but I like googling the narrators of audiobooks I enjoy so I can put a face to the voice and see what else they’ve read that I might like!

What kinds of things have you googled because of a book?