Category: Book Reviews

DEBUT: The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies by Kate Westbury

Publication September 1, 2026-St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books-Historical Fiction, Mystery, Romance-352pp

    

Book Summary

     Set against the backdrop of post-WWII Oxford University, The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies is the irresistible debut from Kate Westbury that seamlessly layers mystery, romance, and a dash of academia to introduce the Crown’s newest undercover operatives.
Oxford, England, 1951 – The Honorable Ginevra Bishop likes red lipstick, clever retorts, and earning top marks in her tutorials. She’s following her mother’s footsteps by studying at Oxford, eager to prove she’s more than a debutante.

     Sidney Braithwaite likes brooding, Latin, and ignoring his nightmares. He’s determined to forge a new life for himself at Oxford, far from his childhood mining village and free from memories of the war.

     Though Gin and Sidney have little in common, the British Security Service is keen to unite her charm with his espionage experience: there’s a Soviet spy at the university, and the agent tracking them down was poisoned. MI5 wants Gin and Sidney to pick up the trail and identify the informant before more sensitive information is compromised. As a team, the pair of undergraduates clash in personality, upbringing, and taste––but have a connection neither can deny. Gin and Sidney must unite their respective talents to follow the clues before they’re caught in the traitor’s crosshairs…if the sparks flying between them don’t blow up the operation first.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

Kate Westbury’s debut novel is a must-read for mystery fans that relish espionage, a slow burn romance and a bit of British humor served up in the halls of Oxford University, 1951.

Ginevra Bishop, a debutante who lost her mother and has no relationship with her father, is paired with Sidney, a coal miner’s son escaping the mines and the memories of war, to find a Soviet spy at the university. An unlikely team, they get off on the “wrong foot,” with their working relationship taking two steps forward, one step back. This tension and the murder of Mr. Tolliver, librarian, sets the stage for the mystery. The shenanigans in and around Oxford University involve Gin’s friends: Iris (Tweety) and Sarita, Donald Craddock, family friend tirelessly proposing marriage, and Harold, heir to the Universal Biscuit fortune. A couple of Classics tutors from Oxford-Dr. Sam Neville and Dr. Jacqueline Watkins, names on the suspect list, complete the cast. Westbury’s characters are well developed with intriguing details of background, family expectations, and reveal plenty of suspicious weaknesses. Behind the scenes are dynamics with the Damocles Club, an exclusive drinking group, where Dr. Neville “holds court” for chess matches and the newspaper, Blue, with Marion Kirk, a suspected Communist sympathizer. Westbury reveals the ‘moves’ of the ‘pieces’ on the suspect list along with Gin and Sidney with great precision; keeping the suspense and angst of uncovering the spy at a high level, especially in the second half of the novel.

Westbury’s plot unfolds in a chess-like fashion, each move affecting the next. Whether the chess openings are the Italian Game or the Queen’s Gambit, mystery fans will be quite satisfied with the final moves of this match. Checkmate!

Kate Westbury grew up a voracious reader of detective fiction, and unraveling plot twists became her favorite pastime. She now puts her whodunnit obsession to good use writing historical mysteries. Beyond the page, Kate teaches Latin and dreams of moving to an English village with crimes to solve.

Kate Westbury’s debut novel is a must-read for mystery fans that relish espionage, a slow burn romance and a bit of British humor served up in the halls and Bodleian Library of Oxford University, 951.

Kate Westbury’s debut novel is a must-read for mystery fans that relish espionage, a slow burn romance and a bit of British humor served up in the halls and Bodleian Library of Oxford, 1951.

The Paper House by Barbara Josselsohn

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Publication September 2, 2026-Bookouture-Women’s Fiction-292pp

Book Summary

It was a shop full of wonder; sheets of colorful paper, pots of ink on every surface, and spools of ribbon suspended on gleaming brass hooks. But it was even more magical when it was filled with people. Rumor was that the owner, Tilly, could send letters to long-lost loved ones if you penned them on the long wooden desk…

Everyone on the island would go there, not just to buy writing supplies, but to write these letters. To the people they’d not been able to say goodbye to, to the people they wished would come home. The Paper House was a place for grieving, for remembering, for forgiving.

And now, years later, as Kayla reopens the beautiful front door, and feels the memories of her Great Aunt Tilly come flooding back, it has the chance to become a place for someone who lost everything to finally find herself again. If only Kayla can find the courage to face the ghosts of the past…

A compelling and captivating novel full of heart, imagination and magic, The Paper House is perfect for fans of The Lost Bookshop, The Glass House and The Keeper of Lost Things.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

I’ve read Barbara’s The Secret Orphanage, The Sisters of War series, and the Lake Summer series. All excellent. The Paper House touched my heart in a special way.

Do you treasure bundles of letters tied with ribbon or Christmas cards with personalized messages kept year after year? Then The Paper House, Tilly’s story, is for you! Written with a dual timeline,The Paper House is an absorbing mystery filled with gripping suspense and haunting life lessons. Central to the novel is the theme of “Choose life-giving in, giving up, or turning away is not a choice.” Josselsohn develops characters, Tilly and Kayla, through chilling accounts of the past, misgivings, secrets, and learned lessons. At the heart of the mysterious timelines is a baby cradle in the attic of Tilly’s house and a long-ago life-changing event during Kayla’s summer stay with Tilly.

 Tilly’s Paper House was a haven for people to write to loved ones, whether grieving, asking for forgiveness, or sharing family updates. The long trestle table beckoned patrons to sit and write. Tilly sat and listened. The patrons learned: it is the writing that matters most; physically writing has power. This poignant gift from Tilly reminds readers that writing a letter to another person, whether it’s received or not, makes one immortal.

After reading The Paper House, a trip for stationery may be a delightful beginning to a letter writing revival. Will you write to a friend or loved one from the past, present, or future?

Barbara’s work is marked by richly developed characters, intricate emotional landscapes, and immersive settings that transport readers to the heart of each story. With a talent for blending history and human drama, Barbara’s novels explore complex themes of love, loss, resilience, and the enduring power of secrets. Her storytelling often spans generations, drawing readers into a tapestry of personal and historical struggles. Known for her lush descriptions and evocative prose, Barbara has garnered praise for her ability to bring history to life while crafting deeply emotional, character-driven narratives. Her books resonate with readers who appreciate stories that combine rich details with powerful personal journeys. Currently, Barbara is working on a new World War II novel set in the mountains of southern France.

Meet Me in Paris by Kristin Harmel

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Publication July 28, 2026-Gallery Books-Women’s Fiction-368pp

Book Summary

Nine Americans in Paris. Seven intertwined love stories. One City of Light.

Love Actually meets The Notebook in a tale of love, loss, and finding your way home, all set over the course of one life-changing week in Paris.

Julia Glover has brought her twenty-three-year-old daughter, Piper, to Paris for the first time—but they know it will also be their last trip here together. Julia is dying, and as the mother and daughter desperately try to make memories together as the clock ticks down, the world opens up around them. Piper meets a cute French waiter, who might just understand her better than anyone she’s ever met, and Julia meets a man at a dive bar and struggles with how to tell him the truth about her future.

Rock star Jackson Quick’s glory days are behind him. He had a handful of hit songs thirty years ago, but he hasn’t toured in a decade. This week, he’ll launch his reunion tour in Paris, the city where it all began. But he wants more out of life than being defined by fame. When he meets a woman who finally sees him for who he is at his core, the ground shifts beneath his feet.
Henry McGee has been writing hit songs for decades—including Jackson Quick’s biggest hit, City of Light. But his secret is that every love song he’s ever written is for a woman named Celeste, whom he loved a lifetime ago, when they were both teenagers in Paris during World War II. He has spent eighty years believing she died—but when a letter arrives telling him the opposite, he’s on the first flight to France. Can he break through the haze of her dementia, using the songs he’s written all these years, to remind her of who they once were to each other—and to tell her he came back for her?

Henry’s granddaughter, Melody, has just discovered that her husband of twenty years, Gilles, a French cosmetics executive, is having an affair. When she confronts him, he tearfully apologizes and begs her to forgive him. But can she? And, perhaps even more importantly, does she want to? Or is there a different kind of life out there for her if she chooses to be alone?

These intertwining stories—plus several others—unfold over a few breathtaking spring days, as an unforgettable group of Americans in Paris must find their way to their own versions of happily ever after in the City of Light.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

Meet Me in Paris, a vacation between the covers of a novel, is a collection of life stories intertwined and illuminated on the streets of Paris. The City of Light becomes a charming character all its own, as Kristin Harmel creates the magic of Paris for Piper, visiting for the first time with her dying mother, while recreating the world Henry knew when he was first there during World War II as a soldier protected by Celeste and the Resistance.  The love stories of Shelby and her friends attempting a “divorce party,” three Viet Nam veterans returning for a reunion, and Jackson Quick, a “has been” rock star hoping for a successful comeback tour, are all packed into this travelogue. Readers will delight in the streets and bridges, bistros and bars, museums and memories as seven love stories of Americans from different walks of life rendezvous in the City of Light. The heartache of losing love and the joy of finding love; Meet Me in Paris is the pièce de résistance.  

Kristin Harmel is the New York Times bestselling, USA Today bestselling, and #1 international bestselling author of The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau, The Paris Daughter, The Book of Lost Names, The Winemaker’s Wife, and a dozen other novels that have been translated into more than 35 languages and are sold all over the world.  After graduating with a degree in journalism (with a minor in Spanish) from the University of Florida, she spent time living in Paris and Los Angeles and now lives in Orlando, with her husband and son. A breast cancer survivor, she is also the co-founder and co-host of the popular weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction.

A Love Once Lost- Bridwells’ Grand Tour Series by Jennie Goutet

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Publication June 23, 2026-Haven Historical Fiction, Romance-

Book Summary

Amy Bridwell reluctantly accompanies her family on a Grand Tour of the Continent–the very trip her former sweetheart proposed they take as newlyweds. Receiving no suitable marriage offer in the six years since and with her heart still guarded by regret, Amy has no choice but to go along with her widower father and younger sisters to ensure their travels proceed smoothly. 
 
James Fletcher has built a successful practice as a physician in the fashionable resort town of Spa. Though he came to the Netherlands with a wounded heart, seeking distance from Amy’s rejection, he’s managed to build a respectable life and is now engaged to a woman who will ensure his professional future. If only he could be certain that his betrothed’s heart is truly his. 
 
When the Bridwells arrive at their first destination, Amy is stunned to encounter James again. He is promised to another, and as old feelings resurface, Amy must confront the choice she made six years ago, facing the possibility that her heart has never truly moved on. 
 
Bestselling historical romance author Jennie Goutet weaves a story of lost love and second chances against the scenic backdrop of Georgian-era Europe.

Grateful Reader Book Review by Dorothy Schwab

A Love Once Lost is an 18th century, second-chance romance set in Spa, Belgium,1770. Spa is the town that launched the global self-care industry we know today. Springs of acidic, iron-rich water drew visitors to evaluate the health benefits, so the area was first known for “drinking therapy” rather than bathing in the thermal waters. Jennie Goutet introduces readers and the Bridwell family to Spa as the first stop on their Grand Tour, in hopes that drinking the mineral waters will help Mr. Bridwell.

Jennie Goutet’s diligent research has provided insight into society’s daily living, social expectations and, through James Fletcher, the possibilities for economic growth due to the healing waters. Amy, the oldest of the three sisters, is devoted to her eccentric father, and Goutet shows great discernment in Amy’s feelings of responsibility, self-doubt, and expectations regarding her sisters’ futures.

Goutet explores several relationships, their heartaches, and challenges. I felt empathy for James, and even frustration due to the acceptable social mores of the Georgian era. The well-drawn supporting characters gain readers’ confidence, disdain, or interest in the outcome of their relationships. A Russian princess, visiting Spa incognito, is my favorite. In the princess’s request for Amy’s help to improve her English, Goutet revealed the Russian’s direct nature and desire for human connection.

The best news is that after readers have experienced A Love Once Lost, Book One in Bridwells’ Grand Tour Series, the next in the series is coming summer 2027.

Jennie Goutet is the best-selling author of eighteen historical romances, including the Clavering Chronicles, Memorable Proposals, and The ‘Bridwells’ Grand Tour series. Jennie is an American-born Anglophile who lives with her French husband and their three children in a small town outside of Paris, but her imagination resides in Georgian England, where her proper historical romances are set.

Shortbread in the Highlands by Robin Jones Gunn

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Publication June 23, 2026-Revell- Christian, Women’s Fiction-299pp

Book Summary

Cousins Nora and Allie are sent to Scotland to claim an inheritance but are hindered by delayed flights and canceled reservations before settling into a picture-perfect cottage. Surprised by an encounter with a man in a kilt and a visit from a nosy neighbor and her five Scottie dogs, the cousins begin to experience life in the village where their grandmother grew up. But a brewing mystery along with more delays make this adventure far different than they expected.

Undaunted, the Suitcase Sisters stock up on shortbread from the village bakery and explore the beauty of Scotland in autumn, beginning with a leisurely boat ride on Loch Lomond. Buoyed by laughter and shared childhood memories, they head to the Highlands for a tour of their ancestral castle and a luxurious stay at a resort.

An enchanting train ride returns them to the village, where a secret their sweet Gran hid from them all these years comes to light, and a final stop in Edinburgh holds more life-changing revelations for them.

On this armchair trek to Scotland, readers will experience a journey of surprises brimming with God’s mysterious ways and the unbreakable bonds of family.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

Lads and Lassies- This armchair trek through Scotland is filled with clans, castles, and shortbread! Robin Jones Gunn captures Scotland’s beauty and the quest for Gran’s diary through the eyes of Nora and her cousin Allie. Gunn’s story of the mystery of the diary, its importance, and the revealing story of Edward, (Another Edward, not their grandfather Edward)- provides the opportunity to weave in some Robert the Bruce, William Wallace, and Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. Having lived in Scotland, I can attest to the vivid descriptions in Nora’s journal while traveling by train and car to Kildegren, Inverness, Glasgow; visiting Dunrobin Castle and St. Giles Cathedral.  Scottish sayings from poets and authors also add a heartwarming opening to each chapter.

The “suitcase sisters” learn about the Sutherland and Campbell clans, tartans, and mottos. As Allie and Nora explore Gran’s home village of Kildegren and Bird’s Nest House, they learn about themselves, their cousin relationship, and most importantly “to rely on the creative purposes of God.” The theme of “letting go” is carried through the characters Allie and Nora meet along their journey and through their personal disclosures. Robin Jones Gunn has done a “bonnie” job of Scottish storytelling in this tale of family heritage and love.

Libraries, rare books, shortbread, scones and if you’re brave, some haggis! Well, maybe just some fish ‘n chips and a copy of Shortbread in the Highlands.

Robin’s stories invite you into a world where the characters feel like your new best friends. Her non-fiction nudges you along in your faith as she opens her heart and shares her love for God. Robin’s novels have been adapted into four Christmas movies, and you can listen to her podcasts! Listen to the Women Worth Knowing podcast hosted by Cheryl Brodersen and Robin Jones Gunn. Each week Robin and Cheryl tell the stories of ordinary women who lived extraordinary lives.

The Chateau on Sunset by Natasha Lester

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Publication June2, 2026-Ballantine-Women’s Fiction-384pp

Book Summary

A sheltered young woman living at the Chateau Marmont falls under the spell of a scandalous, secretive man as all of Hollywood’s glamour swirls around her—a stunning feminist reimagining of Jane Eyre from the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Seamstress.

In 1957, newly orphaned Aria Jones is sent to live with her aunt, a fading star who hides away in Hollywood’s infamous Chateau Marmont. There, two aspiring actresses, Calliope and Flitter, take grieving Aria under their wing.

But the Marmont isn’t meant for small girls with big hearts, and Aria’s first few nights reveal an insidious secret that continues to haunt her as she grows up in the hotel’s halls, where the bright lights of Hollywood cast even darker shadows. If Aria can just stay invisible and invite no trouble as she saves money, then she can leave the Marmont and live life on her own terms—alone, but free. 

All her carefully laid plans are shattered when the hotel is bought by Theo Winchester: a reclusive rockstar turned unexpected caretaker of his daughter Adele, and unlike any man Aria has met before. To earn the last bit of money she needs to escape, Aria becomes Adele’s tutor, which brings Aria closer to Theo and ignites a passion she never expected. 

Suddenly, Aria finds herself wondering if she still wants to remain invisible—and if inviting trouble is a risk she’s willing to take to pursue what she truly desires.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

Natasha Lester’s dual timeline is set at the famous Hollywood hangout, the Chateau Marmont on Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles. Alternating between 1957 and 1964, the Chateau is a character that plays a key role in determining the paths of the inhabitants. The main roles in Lester’s Jane Eyre reimagining include “Three Sisters”- Calliope, Flitter and Aria Jones, former star, Miss Devine Rey, Director Bob Ashenhurst-King of Hollywood and Theo Winchester-Rockstar & new owner of the Chateau. This backdrop of ambitious starlets, the control and manipulation of starlets by directors, along with the addictions and overindulgences of the Chateau’s residents set the stage for Part 1. I viewed the 2011 Jane Eyre movie as a reminder of key elements: unusual noises, screams, rooftop death, a wedding, and fire-all of which are monumental in Lester’s reimagining.

Part II, in Italy, focuses on Aria’s fears, suffering, and dreams; searching for a skill to make her smile. Perhaps a typewriter? The influence of new characters and Aria’s personal discoveries add to the suspense of whether dreams come true for Aria, Calliope, Flitter, and the fading, addicted, Miss Devine Rey. I found part II very compelling as Lester unravels the plot line which involves a Hollywood remake of Jane Eyre. Speaking of divine- that describes Lester’s use of symbolism-stars, night, flames, fire, and the sea.

Whether it’s a poolside cabana at the Chateau or on a stool at the soda fountain in Schwab’s Drugstore-The Chateau on Sunset is the quintessential summer read filled with 1950-60’s Hollywood atmosphere and energy.

The Chateau Marmont at 8221 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, was renowned in the 1960s and 1970s as a place that attracted visitors from Hollywood such as Roman Polanski and Donald Cammell; and celebrities from the music industry, such as the singer Ray Charles and the music producer Denny Cordell. This was not however the only era in which it was well-known: it has had a long and exciting history. Read more about the Chateau! https://www.theswinging60s.com/places/chateau-marmont/

Schwab’s Pharmacy was a drugstore located at 8024 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California, and was a popular hangout for movie actors and movie industry dealmakers from the 1930s through the 1950s. Opened in 1932 by the Schwab brothers, Schwab’s Pharmacy in Hollywood became the most famous and longest-operating outlet of their small retail chain.[2] Like many drug stores in the United States during the mid-twentieth century, Schwab’s sold medicines and had a counter serving ice cream dishes and light meals. In the 1930s, Schwab’s was the inspiration for songwriter Harold Arlen to write the music for the song “Over the Rainbow” for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwab%27s_Pharmacy#History

The Windsor Affair by Melanie Benjamin

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Publication June 2, 2026-Ballantine, Delacorte Press-Historical Fiction-384pp

Book Summary

A scandalous affair. A power struggle for the throne. A sensational rivalry between an English queen and an American social climber. In this electrifying novel, the New York Times bestselling author of The Swans of Fifth Avenue tells the story of the Abdication of Edward VIII—and the two women at the center of it all.

Feuding Windsor brothers and their wives—some things, it seems, never change. The Men: Edward David Windsor, heir to the British throne, and younger brother Albert, aka Bertie, “the spare.” The Women: Edward’s wife Wallis, an American divorcée, and Bertie’s wife Elizabeth, daughter of Scottish nobility. The Feud: a rivalry that will last all their lives, make headlines, and still fuel gossip pages a century later.

The Windsor Affair recreates the cataclysmic events that nearly toppled the monarchy and incited the power struggle between Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the queen-to-be, and Wallis Simpson, aka “That Woman,” who fell into a calculated love affair with Prince Edward. Told from the perspective of both women, the novel propels readers into the fabulous world of the debonair Prince of Wales, café society of the 1930s, and the glittering private lives of the Windsors.

The first novel dedicated to the infamous rivalry between these two world-famous women, The Windsor Affair brings us all the gossip and intrigue between the two very different—yet perhaps more similar than they would admit—wives of royals. As Queen, Elizabeth would become the symbol of British pluck and courage during World War II and remain a British institution for the rest of her long life. Wallis would be forever forced to enact the World’s Greatest Love Story even after it sours, as she goes from being admired to vilified and, ultimately, pitied.

Against the backdrop of the Abdication Crisis, World War II, coronations, funerals, births, and deaths, these two women maintain a bitter, biting, sharp-tongued feud—until age and the long arm of history bring about a kind of understanding. For the last communication between these bitter rivals was a simple, surprising message: “In friendship, Elizabeth.”

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

The royal name of Windsor conjures many names and events. Perhaps the most acrimonious is the decades long, ongoing feud between the English Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and the American, Mrs. Ernest Simpson. A royal feud known as the “Windsor Affair!”

Melanie Benjamin opens The Windsor Affair with the theft of the Duchess of Windsor’s jewelry at an estate in the outskirts of London. Benjamin vividly recreates the animosity between Queen Elizabeth I, “Cookie,” and Wallis Simpson, known as “That Woman,” from 1936-1976.  Laced with plenty of British history and details, Benjamin explores the royal feud from several points of view, including the Abdication and the war years, 1940-1945. Royal readers follow the feuding women to London, Scotland, the Bahamas, and Windsor.  Details of Bessie Wallis’ childhood, born without money and privilege, her marriages, her travels to Hong Kong, and her quest to be wealthy, attempt to explain this complex woman.  Likewise, Benjamin covers Elizabeth’s early debutante years, courtships, proposals, and finally marriage to the “spare” Bertie. She adds plenty of queenly maneuvers, conniving conversations, and society gossip to add fuel to the fiery feud!

For the first time in history, the King of England voluntarily abdicated the throne. Also, for the first time, the two women at the center of the abdication come face to face for readers’ examination; saintly or manipulator, victim or heroine? The Windsor Affair has “castles, jewels, the Blitz; scandal and designer clothes!”  A novel for readers with a royal fascination with two “Kingly” brothers; the heir in love with an American divorcée and the spare, the daughter of a Scottish earl. The women become sisters-in-law, but would they ever be friends? An insightful peek behind the royal gates and straight into the breakfast room, dining room, and dressing room conversations of the royal families.

Melanie Benjamin is the New York Times bestselling author of nine works of historical fiction: Alice I Have Been, The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb, The Aviator’s Wife, The Swans of Fifth Avenue, The Girls in the Picture, Mistress of the Ritz, The Children’s Blizzard, California Golden and The Windsor Affair. 

Lost in the Summer of ’69 by Eliza Knight-Music + Artists

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Publication June 9, 2026-Sourcebooks Landmark-Women’s Fiction -400pp

Book Summary

Three generations of women, an unforgettable summer of music, and the epic cross-country road trip they’ll never forget.

Summer, 1969: Eleanor Bell doesn’t have anything to lose. According to the doctors, she might not remember how to sing or play guitar soon, so why not head west now? Why not join the music festivals sweeping the country and lose herself in the music again, in a swan song of her own? 

Except she forgets, maybe on purpose, to tell anyone where she’s going. When her daughter, Leanne, discovers her mother missing, she enlists the help of her own daughter, Nora, to help her find Eleanor. The last thing Nora wants to do before starting as one of Yale’s first female undergrads is hit the road. But then Nora hears something strange on the radio—her grandmother’s voice, singing. Nora and Leanne hop in their Chevy for a cross-country road trip, always one step behind Eleanor, who has been dubbed the Dame of Rock n’ Roll by none other than Johnny Carson. 

Full of nostalgia and awash with the warmth of summer, Lost in the Summer of ’69 is an epic celebration of savoring the encore-no matter what the next act may bring. 

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

A poignant return to the music and vibe of rock festivals through the fading memory of sixty-nine-year-old Eleanor Bell; formerly known as the Bell of Wartime Music. With a secret Eleanor’s kept tucked away, along with a forgotten note: “until next time,” Eliza Knight’s Lost in the Summer of’69 bombards the senses with blaring guitars, masses of humanity, the aroma of hot dogs, beer, sweat, and the sting of tear gas. Readers get a guided tour of rock festivals as Eleanor follows her heart and love for the music from coast to coast, ending in Woodstock, New York! Eleanore’s daughter Leanne, struggling with her marriage, and granddaughter, Nora, one of Yale’s first female undergrads, add two generations of perspectives on love and life to this rockin’ jaunt across the country. The music list below includes songs played at the concerts, heard on the radio, and listened to on “turn tables.”

So much music. So many memories. Three generations of love stories. Put on the bell bottom jeans, tie-dyed t-shirt & fringe vest for a real trip, Lost in the Summer of ’69.

MUSIC FROM THE SUMMER OF ’69

Purple Haze-Jimi Hendrix , Abbey Road-Beatles, Proud Mary-Credence Clearwater Revival, With a Little Help from My Friends-The Beatles, Here Comes the Sun-Beatles, Celebrate-Three Dog Night, Bad Moon Rising-Credence Clearwater Revival, You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me-Dusty Springfield, Whole Lotta Love-Led Zeppelin, It’s My Party-Lesley Gore, Loretta Lynn, Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay-Otis Redding, Heartbreak Hotel-Elvis, Break on Through to the Other Side-The Doors, Light My Fire-The Doors, Crazy-Patsy Cline, Summertime-Janis Joplin, With a Little Help From My Friends-Joe Cocker, Joni Mitchell

Music in Epilogue & Author’s Note

Please Be Mine-New Kids on the Block, Foxy Lady-Jimi Hendrix, Piece of My Heart-Janis Joplin, Break on Through-The Doors, You Can’t Always Get What You Want-Rolling Stones

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The Queen’s Coronation by Jennifer Ryan

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Publication June 2, 2026-Ballantine Books-Historical Fiction-336pp

Book Summary

As a young Queen Elizabeth II prepares to take the throne, three women in her employ will discover where they belong in a rapidly changing world in this heartwarming novel from the bestselling author of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir.

London, 1953. Buckingham Palace and the many employees vital to the smooth running of the monarchy find themselves in bedlam as the Queen’s coronation quickly approaches.

Caroline Brimstone, assistant dresser to the queen, watches the queen finding the strength to rule—a woman taking charge of her future. Meanwhile, Caroline’s life is worn thin by her gambler husband, and she is barely holding on as every penny she earns seems to run out the door. When a trip to Balmoral brings her face-to-face with the man she once loved, she finds herself at a crossroads between what her life is and what her life could be. Can she, like the queen, find the strength to define her own future?

Lucy Jones is a junior wardrobe assistant who positively radiates life—she’s young, idealistic, and eager to become a famous singer. So when a handsome, wealthy man at the palace promises to help her on her way to stardom, she’s over the moon to have such a supportive husband-to-be. And if he’s asking some things of her that she’s not quite sure about, isn’t that just part of the glamorous life?

Miranda Miller has come over from America just in time to help with preparations as a temporary secretary in the palace. The job is a perfect way to gather information for the article she’s writing about the coronation for a magazine back in New York; the article that will keep her boss from firing her because of her gender.

But as all three women discover, just because a woman will soon be sitting upon the throne, it doesn’t mean that society will change overnight—and if they want to carve places for themselves in this world, they’ll have to do it together.

Grateful Reader Review by Dorothy Schwab

The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, London1953, is the stunning backdrop for the lives of three women employed at Buckingham Palace. From parade routes, royal carriages, the design and fitting of the Norman Hartnell-designed coronation gown, to the nerve-wracking T.V. rehearsals-readers are submerged in the frenzied day-to-day hubbub of the palace staff-all leading to Coronation Day.

Jennifer Ryan expertly braids intricate coronation plans and history with the point of view of three vastly different women; each trying to ‘break free’ from life as they know it. Caroline Brimstone, with a 13-year-old daughter, is Assistant Dresser to the queen. Caroline needs to break free from the suffocating control of husband, Frank. A Scottish gardener from Balmoral and Caroline’s past, Angus, adds tension and anticipation to this situation.

Second on the royal staff is Miranda Miller, a journalist sent by the New York Gazette to report on coronation happenings. She’s a war widow, independent and ambitious. Miranda’s mask is that of grief; she’s in a rut, using her situation as an excuse. This plot thread threatens to shred friendships with betrayal, putting trust and ambition in the balance.

Lucy Jones, running from life in Cornwall is a third POV. Lucy becomes a wardrobe assistant working for Caroline, while looking for adventure, glamour, romance, and she can sing! Sucked into the world of beauty pageants and prostitution, Lucy becomes involved in the infamous Thursday Lunch Club. While beauty is her strength, her weakness is self-doubt. Ryan incorporates male perspectives and a few known, accepted palace behaviors in this POV.  

Buckingham Palace, Balmoral, Windsor, Westminster Abbey, and the sheer opulence of the royal parade are front and center in Jennifer Ryan’s tribute to Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen’s Coronation. A royal treat for royal readers.

Jennifer Ryan is the author of National Bestseller THE CHILBURY LADIES’ CHOIR, THE SPIES OF SHILLING LANE, THE KITCHEN FRONT, THE WEDDING DRESS SEWING CIRCLE, AND THE UNDERGROUND LIBRARY.Previously a book editor with The Economist, DK, and the BBC, she moved from London to Washington, DC after marrying, and she now lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and two children. Her novels are inspired by her grandmother’s tales of the war in Britain.

Missed Connections by Aimie K. Runyan

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Publication May 26, 2026-Harper Muse Romance-Sci-Fi & Fantasy-Women’s Fiction-320pp

Book Summary

What if you had the chance to revisit every choice that mattered?

Sabrina Sorensen is 37, single, and recently let go as general manager of a posh Parisian restaurant. She heads home to California for her younger sister’s engagement party, and it’s an open door for her mother and siblings to prod Sabrina for her itinerate lifestyle and her inability to commit to any of her previous jobs and relationships. What they don’t know is that Sabrina, for fifteen long years, has been building her résumé in hopes of becoming an inspector for the famed MICHELIN guides—a path that has required anonymity and keeping her ambitions hidden. And now, with her career on the downturn, even that is in jeopardy. After her mother’s final clumsy attempt to fix her up with the charming “boy next door,” Sabrina bolts for Burbank Airport.

The problem? She has nowhere to go.

She arrives at the airport, resolved to put the family conflict behind her and focus on her work, but now her mother’s critical voice fills her with doubts. Has she been wasting her life? Faced with the enormity of her next decision, and feeling utterly alone, Sabrina breaks down at the ticket counter. The kind ticket agent ushers her to a private lounge and offers her something far more important than tea and sympathy: the opportunity to revisit some of her key choices, personal and professional, in her past. Sabrina suddenly is given the rare chance to answer the burning question: has she been foolish to sacrifice so much for her dream of becoming a Michelin inspector? Spanning fifteen years and thousands of miles, Sabrina will have the rare opportunity to know for certain if all her choices had led her down the right path.

Grateful Reader Book Review by Dorothy Schwab

Foodies everywhere will appreciate this delicious melding of menus, Michelin stars, and life choices into a tantalizing concoction of fantasy and time travel known as Missed Connections. Sabrina is at a crossroads in her life and needs a friend to help her find the right path. Reminded of bad decisions by traveling back in time, Sabrina has a chance to learn lessons and find out what would’ve happened had she made different choices altogether. Through this foray into contemporary fiction, readers are treated to tantalizing menus and restaurants from coast to coast and beyond, terrifying Michelin agents, sticky front and back of house situations, and an adorable Irish “fairy godmother.” Recipes included! An appetizing exploration of overcoming self-doubt to grow and prosper in the deliciousness of the present. Five Michelin Stars!

Aimie writes fiction, both historical and contemporary, that celebrates the spirit of strong women. In addition to her writing, she is active as a speaker and educator in the writing community. She lives in Colorado with her amazing husband, kids, cats, and pet dragon.