The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies by Westbury

THE OXFORD GUIDE TO SCANDAL AND LIES by Kate Westbury is a wonderful historical and cozy mystery debut set in the early 1950s.  The main characters are very different from each other: Ginevra Bishop (estranged daughter of a viscount and former debutante, trying to find purpose) and Sidney Braithwaite (former soldier, recovering from wartime emotional trauma) although they are both students at Oxford. It is at the university that they witness the death of a beloved librarian and are recruited by the security services (Rook is their handler) to investigate further. The handful of suspects (both professors and students) provides multiple scenarios for the dual to unravel, all while fighting a romantic attraction.  Westbury’s THE OXFORD GUIDE TO SCANDAL AND LIES was a LibraryReads selection, a September 2026 Indie Next Pick and received a starred review form BookPage (“The chemistry is delightful, the setting is academia personified and the story itself encourages propulsive page-turning―a heck of a debut novel indeed”). Enjoy!

Golden Boy by A. J. Symon

GOLDEN BOY by A. J. Symon is a young adult novel with a strange supposition. It has a wonderful cover which mirrors the story of a dog (Hudson) being turned into a high school boy (Bud Golden). Emma Branch is a lonely high school student who ended up taking care of her brothers (Chip and Buckhead – who act like their names) and her rather obnoxious, opinionated, and prejudiced father, Wayman, after her mother dies. Emma’s dream is to study science, and she has developed an injection to prolong the life of fruit flies. No one is really interested, though, until in desperation she injects her dog. Suddenly there’s a star player for the football team that Wayman coaches, and the adventure (filled with deception) begins. There is some suspense and high school relationship drama which could appeal to readers. As all gets resolved, the author is not afraid of explicitly highlighting the value of scientific experimentation (“Flying machines. The telephone. Landing on the moon. All crazy ideas until they weren't. Magic is just science no one can explain yet.”) and quality parenting (“It's amazing what a kind word from a parent will do.”). Thankfully, the father character does mature, but it’s not a subtle transformation. School Library Journal (starred review) and Booklist suggest GOLDEN BOY for grades 6 thru 10, and these less mature students may appreciate the hijinks, although the animal experimentation could be triggering for some. I am more apt to agree with Kirkus: “An interesting premise that suffers from clumsy execution.”

Road Trip by Mary Kay Andrews

Publishers Weekly called the latest novel, ROAD TRIP, by Mary Kay Andrews “perfect for the beach bag” and it is a light read, with a combination of historical fiction, mystery, and romance. Two adult (thirty-something) sisters, practical professor Maeve and carefree struggling actress Therese, are brought together by their mother’s recent death and her squandering of funds on a televangelist. She wanted them to repair their relationship with a trip to Ireland and they travel, hoping to establish provenance for a family painting and thereby secure an inheritance. At first, the sisters are not very likeable characters, but the trip gradually transform them. Plus, Andrews weaves in the story of Kathleen Connor, who emigrated to America in 1926 and of an IRA heist in the mid-1970s with the present-day quest. At the end, the sisters learn to admire and emulate “all the gutsy, ballsy women in our family who’ve picked up the pieces and kept going.”

The Castle in the Glen by Rhys Bowen

THE CASTLE IN THE GLEN is the latest stand-alone historical mystery by Rhys Bowen, bestselling author of more than sixty novels. This is the story of a famous mystery writer, Iris Blackburn, who was recently diagnosed with dementia and needs to find a co-writer to help finish her latest work, the prequel to her best-selling Inspector Melrose series. She offers the opportunity to Emma Callander, a young writer living in London, but from Australia. Emma is hesitant at first but quickly becomes enthralled by the author’s book within a book about the drowning death of the daughter of a laird and her male companion. The draft chapters describe fictional Melrose’s first solo case and he, too, is concerned about solving the puzzle, especially since the main suspect, a rival suitor, has disappeared. To help writing and revising, Emma is given a trip to Glascow and the Isle of Skye and there she begins to learn some troubling facts and is threatened while also starting a romance. The pace picks up and readers will likely predict some of the ending Bowen has crafted, but she includes numerous twists and surprises, so they are unlikely to foretell them all. The unique geography and environment on Skye is vividly described in this entertaining combination of suspense and historical fiction.

The Distinctly Competent District Councillor

THE DISTINCTLY COMPETENT DISTRICT COUNCILLOR by Jonas Jonasson is a quick read (144 pages) which will have readers laughing and smiling even as Jonasson satirizes multinational conglomerates and their impact on small towns. The newly elected mayor, Julia Back, of a small Swedish town, Halstaholm, is intent on improving future prospects for her constituents and she spearheads a campaign to attract investment by a German mattress manufacturer. Her local task force (including a ten-year-old boy) quickly devise a number of surprising ways (e.g., starting a German language school) to convince the owner, Konrad Kaltenbacher Jr., and his two young daughters that Halstaholm is German-friendly. They are up against a tight timeframe and some unethical competition from consultants pushing for a rival location, however. Let the contest begin! Jonasson said that he “felt the urge to write something that might give us hope … about friendship between people from different nations.” Booklist called THE DISTINCTLY COMPETENT DISTRICT COUNCILLOR a “warm-hearted satire” and The Mail on Sunday described it as “a shot of serotonin in book form.” Enjoy!!

Return to Sender by Stephanie Parente

RETURN TO SENDER by Stephanie Parente is a debut novel which succeeds and surprises on many fronts. While mainly a rom com, it explores aspects of identity, friendship, and grief, offering humorous sidenotes and road trip adventure with appealing characters. The most endearing is fourteen-year-old Phoebe who has recently lost her father and is living with her twenty-six-year-old sister, Violet, a teacher. Parente is described as “passionate about writing messy characters falling in love,” and she begins the story with a rebellious Phoebe opening and reading a stranger’s love letter. That leads to their finding and convincing Dex, a troubled young man, to return the letter to its intended recipient, named Catalina. Along the way, the trio visits several highlights (e.g., Yogi Bear statue, Coney Island, a gay bar in Chicago) and experience moments of self-reflection (“The sort of unremarkable night that maybe once would have been easily forgotten, but now I knew to hold onto it with both hands. What a privilege it was to be bored and boring. We were alive at the same time, on opposite sides of the couch. I could have lived in this moment with him forever.”). Violet often focuses on naming three good things and is relentless in trying to stay positive (although her musings about being a guardian can feel repetitive). As readers might expect, there are several romantic scenes as well. RETURN TO SENDER received a starred review from Publishers Weekly (“a zany road trip provides a path to recovery”).

An Infinite Love Story by Chanel Cleeton

Suspenseful and with a surprising ending, AN INFINITE LOVE STORY by Chanel Cleeton (The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes) is a work of historical fiction and set in the 1960s. The emphasis is on the nascent space program and the lives of test pilots, early astronauts and their families. Cleeton begins with the facts that divorces in the United States at that time were 2.9 for every 1,000 marriages; while “there were thirty-nine married astronauts in the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space programs. Twenty of those marriages ultimately ended in divorce.” And, then she shifts to fiction and the news of a missing spaceship in 1968. Employing frequent flashbacks, she introduces readers to the main characters: Vivian, an aspiring journalist, and Joe, a fighter pilot who has dreams of travelling in space. The most memorable element of this book is the devotion which Viv and Joe have for each other. For the most part, that is beautifully written, but it becomes somewhat repetitive as Cleeton continually emphasizes the tension: “It must be an extraordinary thing to be loved by a man who felt things so deeply, so passionately, that he devoted his life to a vocation with such singularity. Or was his love for flying, for his dreams of space, so great that there was room for little else?” Still, AN INFINITE LOVE STORY not only conveys the love between two people, the historical events and details also invoke many memories of rocket launches and a country’s love affair with space travel in a more hopeful, inspiring time. Discussion questions are included as are references to relevant works like The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe, A Man on the Moon by Andrew Chaikin, Apollo 8 by Jeffrey Kluger, and Rocket Men by Robert Kurson. Publishers Weekly gave AN INFINITE LOVE STORY a starred review, saying, “Readers won’t want to miss this.”

Most Ardently Yours by Freya Sampson

MOST ARDENTLY YOURS by Freya Sampson is another rom-com of sorts from this creative author (Nosy Neighbors, The Busybody Book Club) and a LibraryReads selection for July. My favorite of Sampson’s titles, The Lost Ticket, also took place in London and dealt with issues that happened decades earlier. In her latest, Sampson draws on events from centuries earlier … and fictional ones at that. Imagine avid romance reader Zoe Knight’s surprise when a man appearing to be Mr. Darcy arrives at the café where she works in modern day London. She convinces him that he has time traveled there - rather than being summoned by magic related to a copy of Pride and Prejudice which Zoe stole from the grumpy, but handsome bookstore owner, Nick Baskerville. See where this may be going? Library Journal says, “The many book lovers who have dreamed that their favorite fictional characters could leave the pages of a novel and join them in the real world will want to pick up Sampson's latest.” Perhaps, but only if they are willing to endure Zoe’s almost constant crisis of self-worth. Publishers Weekly calls MOST ARDENTLY YOURS “a charmer,” citing Darcy’s amusing reactions to present day culture. In addition, there are numerous references to romance novelists and the plot of Pride and Prejudice. A reading group guide and author interview are included.

The Reimagining of Thornwood House

THE REIMAGINING OF THORNWOOD HOUSE by Jaleigh Johnson is an absolutely delightful fantasy debut. The author says that “this book turned out to be a strange alchemy of things I needed to write to comfort myself during hard times, and gifts I wanted to give to other people.” The gentle story about a young witch, Evie, and her adopted daughter (also with magical abilities), Ruby, is indeed a gift. The two stake their future together on a new posting to a sentient house in a rural area, only to find upon their arrival that the house has run away. Together with their neighbor, Gil, and many of the other villagers, Evie and Ruby gradually repair the house and slowly gain its trust. “You nurture it, allow it to grieve, and, when it's ready, help it to reimagine itself and what it's going to be moving forward. It won't be the same as it was, but it can still be something amazing.” Nature – there is a lovely Mood Garden and Star Oak tree – plays a key role. But there is danger about and a mystery to solve before the house can be fully restored. This is a hopeful story and is highly recommended, especially for readers who enjoyed the cozy fantasy titled The Teller of Small Fortunes. Another gentle story involving “found families” is Loon Point, although it has a contemporary setting without magic. I am also going to look for the author's middle grade series (published about a decade ago) about The Mark of the Dragonfly. 

A Zoom with a View by Jess Cannon

A ZOOM WITH A VIEW by Jess Cannon is an entertaining debut mystery set in small town Blue Oak, Texas and features numerous residents including the local cops (steadfast Jake, a bumbling sheriff, and a couple of other deputies), plus Leonora “Leo” Holloway (who has returned after a long absence), her mother (ditzy hairdresser Karina), and Leo’s long ago boyfriend, Mack Garner. The cast of characters also includes some local influencers and wannabe real estate moguls, Chaz Nickolson and Kymber Owens. Chaz is found murdered, and a rival real estate professional (best friend of Leo’s Mom) is arrested. Suddenly, Leo and her friend Emily, who have been covertly mocking Chaz online for years are local experts and guiding the police towards potential clues. The clever, humorous text is sprinkled with text messages, police memos, blog posts, and Reddit or Facebook entries. Complicating matters are hints of a romantic triangle as well as some long-hidden family secrets. Library Journal sums up A ZOOM WITH A VIEW well: “Readers who enjoy epistolary novels and quirky characters may enjoy this mystery from first-time novelist Cannon.”

The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden

THE UNICORN HUNTERS by Katherine Arden is a work of historical fiction, based in part on a real person, Anne, Duchess of Brittany. The story occurs in 1491 and centers around her attempts to keep Brittany separate from France, despite the efforts to have her wed the French King. Initially, the unicorn hunt is conceived as a delaying tactic, but it opens connections to The Lost Lands and the magic – sorcery and enchantments – still practiced there. As a result, Anne, her sister, and her kingdom are in great peril. In its starred review, Booklist says, “The lush historical details, descriptive language, and intriguing relationships will draw readers into this world of mystery, deception, danger, and fantasy.” THE UNICORN HUNTERS blends romance (including some bedroom scenes), folklore (with a legendary missing city and sea dragons), pageantry, and political intrigue for a memorable reading experience.

Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan

Set on the water in Rhode Island, DOLLY ALL THE TIME by Annabel Monaghan is the perfect beach read escape. In an almost too good to be true romance, we meet Dolly Brick (now in her 30s) who used to tease her sister with tales of becoming a princess and riding off on a horse with a gentle man. After helping a local (and wealthy) businessman, Stewart Whitfield, fix a tire on his car, Dolly is offered a platonic contract to act as his girlfriend for the summer. As a single Mom (and underpaid teacher who helps at the family fish store), she agrees. Of course, Dolly and Steward develop feelings for each other, and he even takes her thirteen-year-old son, Gus, under his wing. No relationship is totally “smooth sailing,” though, and the appealing characters struggle a bit with expectations from themselves and well-meaning friends and family. DOLLY ALL THE TIME is a Hall of Fame LibraryReads selection for May 2026 and received a starred review from Kirkus (“a charming love story that absolutely radiates warmth”), plus praise from authors Catherine Newman and Beth O’Leary. Enjoy!

Change of Plans by Sarah Dessen

CHANGE OF PLANS by Sarah Dessen (Lock & Key; Just Listen; The Truth about Forever and more) is her first novel in seven years and offers the chance for new readers to sample Dessen’s expressive writing. Booklist says, “Dessen’s greatest strength is her creation of vivid atmosphere, which enhances both her characters' personalities and their conflicts.” Here, the award-winning young adult author introduces readers to Finley, a graduating high school senior who lives with her stepmom, dad, and their young family. Finley has a strong, two-year relationship with Colin, but must decline his family’s invite to a cruise because her career-oriented and distant mother, Catherine (Cat) has plans for the two of them to travel together. Quite a bit does change when Colin meets another girl on the cruise and Finley’s Mom chauffeurs Finley to The Woods, a family home on a rural lake, instead of heading to New York City. Finley meets new friends (Clark, Ben, and Lana) and aunts (Liz and Kasey) as she begins to learn more about her Mom – and herself. CHANGE OF PLANS received starred reviews from Kirkus (“she discovers strength, independence, and the transformative power of being fully present …. A sweet, nuanced, and reflective coming-of-age love story filled with moments of true beauty between family and friends”) and Publishers Weekly (“delightfully layered, bighearted novel”). As Clark says, “Everything changes. You have a choice: make it hard or make it work. And there's enough hard shit already.”

Save the Date by Mallory Kass

SAVE THE DATE by Mallory Kass is, as several members of my book club would say, “a palate cleanser.” Kass, who has written previous bestsellers as Kass Morgan, offers a romantic comedy set at a wedding in Maine as her adult fiction debut. The action revolves around three women: bride-to-be Marigold who discovers she still has feelings for an ex-husband; Matron of Honor Natalie who is suppressing long held feelings for the groom; and lawyer Olivia who is Marigold’s sister and out to find her own perfect match. It is all a bit ridiculous and fairly predictable, but as Publishers Weekly says, “Fans of romantic comedies with a Hallmark Channel vibe will enjoy this heartwarming tale.” Cute and undemanding, if a bit slow paced and full of fluff, SAVE THE DATE will leave readers smiling. Below is a great graphic summarizing all of the confusion; the fact that none of the characters are shown with faces simply confirms how little they know themselves and their feelings. 

Stay for a Spell by Amy Coombe

STAY FOR A SPELL by Amy Coombe is a cute, cozy fantasy that received starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, and Library Journal. The main character in this debut novel is a princess, Tandy (Tanadelle de Courcy, fourth in line for the throne of the Widdenmar), who loves books and reading, but whose sense of duty keeps her on the road for most of the year. She falls under a curse and gets trapped in a bookstore while travelling in her royal role. Her parents arrange for the seven princes of the Shining Realm to try to break the curse with a kiss. Each arrival offers some amusing diversion, but, for me, the story moved too slowly. I was curious instead to see the relationship between Tandy and Bash, a pirate cursed with fear of water, develop. That took quite a while and meanwhile, two local teens worked with Tandy to rebrand and revitalize the bookstore. I agree with Booklist that teen readers may find those characters and even Tandy to be relatable. Overall, however, I would have preferred a faster pace and a chance to see Tandy make more of her own decisions and really grow. Interested readers should also look for titles like Travis Baldree’s Bookshops & Bonedust or Julie Leong’s The Teller of Small Fortunes.

The Name Game by Beth O'Leary

THE NAME GAME by Beth O'Leary (The Switch, The Road Trip and others) is a cute, if confusing, story. Two people with the same name – Charlie Jones – show up to manage a farm store on a remote island named Ormer. Each so desperately craves a fresh start (“It’s so tiring. Trying to be what I think other people think I should be.”) that they agree to share the managerial responsibilities for the summer. The island doesn’t allow motorized vehicles and sports a cohesive local community filled with eccentric characters (like the doctor who is also a fabulous baker). Readers gradually learn parts of the Charlie Jones back stories (e.g., about a former girlfriend and boyfriend), but there is a lot to track and sharing a name doesn’t help. Emotions, especially romance and anxiety, run rampant and readers may, like one of the characters, ask themselves, “When did everything get so messy? It’s all lies and secrets and people pretending to be things they’re not.” An engaging story, but one that is hard to follow, especially at the end, THE NAME GAME is an April 2026 LibraryReads Hall of Fame selection. Booklist describes it as “a perfect read for those who enjoy the voice of Bridget Jones or want their romance with a side of drama.”  

The Moonshine Women by Michelle Collins Anderson

Beginning in 1912 and continuing through the Prohibition era, THE MOONSHINE WOMEN by Michelle Collins Anderson is a work of historical fiction set in rural Missouri that was chosen as an Indie Next pick for April 2026. The family saga revolves around the Strong sisters: Rebecca who loves nature and working on the farm; Elsie who is looking for love and a chance to escape to an easier life; and “Shine,” the youngest, who despite her impulsive personality and fiery, red hair, is the most talented at crafting moonshine with her father, Hiram and grandmother, Lidy. Rural life is especially difficult during the Depression, and, after a tragedy, these young women expand their operation to Hot Springs, Arkansas, a vacation spot for mobsters (Al Capone makes an appearance or two) and other wealthy customers. The sisters still suffer setbacks but stay strong (“who they were deep down, that core of pure obstinance and determination”) while also learning to depend on others (“enlarging your circle didn’t dilute love, but miraculously multiplied it”). Anderson has thoroughly researched this era: pointing, for example, to when “the government feared that female bootleggers outnumbered their male counterparts five to one!” She provides a useful list of Sources, some, like this, with online links, plus Discussion Questions for Book Groups. For interested readers, Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls is another fictional work which also deals with Prohibition and has strong female characters; it received multiple starred reviews.

The House of Hidden Letters by Izzy Broom

THE HOUSE OF HIDDEN LETTERS by Izzy Broom is a dual timeline mystery set on Folegandros, a Greek island. The story moves back and forth between the 1940s’ local resistance efforts (of Stefanos, Katerina, and her sister, Leni) and more present day when Skye (fleeing an abusive relationship) and several other new residents are attempting to renovate the older houses with the help of contractor Andreas. Storms and excavations yield bodies and clues to the long ago past: “An antique blade buried underground, a bundle of letters sealed behind stone. Six houses abandoned since the war, with nothing and nobody to tell them why. There were secrets here. Secrets that someone had gone to great lengths to hide…. The past, it seemed had begun to reawaken.” It is a story of budding friendships, romance, courage, and the importance of community woven into a beautiful setting. The award-winning author’s acknowledgments suggest more adventures will follow.

Love Me Tomorrow by Emiko Jean

LOVE ME TOMORROW by Emiko Jean is a young adult novel whose main character is high school senior, Emma. She is a violin prodigy, but resists following her dream of music school because she feels compelled to stay close to home in order to help her single Mom and grandfather. It is a bit difficult to reconcile that selfless view with her almost obsession with several boys in her life. Teen readers will likely enjoy the angst and the mystery about which boy is really right for her. There’s her longtime neighbor and quasi brother, Theo; her high school crush and fellow musician, Ezra;  and wealthy Colin whose parents are house cleaning clients of Emma’s Mom. The author weaves a mystery into the story due to a romantic letter Emma receives which is supposedly sent from the future. Can Emma and her best friend Delia discover who wrote it? What risks will it inspire her to take? Kirkus describes LOVE ME TOMORROW as a “charming, funny, time-traveling romance [which] weaves in themes of personal growth and shifting family relationships...” Booklist recommends for Grades 8 to 12 and a recent author interview indicates that a second book about Emma is in the works.

The Future Saints by Ashley Winstead

THE FUTURE SAINTS by Ashley Winstead was a LibraryReads Hall of Fame selection for January and deservedly so. This is a novel which deals with strong emotions shared through the actions of appealing characters. Hannah Cortland is the lead singer whose band is on its way down, due in part to the death a few months ago of their manager and in part to Hannah’s alcohol use and self-destructive behavior. In steps a new manager, Theo Ford, and the dynamics change rapidly as the band’s new and darker songs, along with some spectacular antics, build awareness and interest through social media. United in devastating grief, Hannah and the other band members (handsome bassist "Ripper" Ravishankar and gentle drummer Kenny Lovins) gradually accept Theo into their “found family.” Together, they push back against the pressures of sudden fame and corporate balance sheets, but not without some ruptures along the way. THE FUTURE SAINTS received starred reviews from Booklist (“emotional, unflinching story of grief and fame”) and Publishers Weekly (“readers will fly through the pages to find out whether Hannah will manage to tame her demons in time”). Highly recommended.