The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake by Rachel Linden

February 6, 2026

The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake by Rachel Linden

Juliana Costa is an internet influencer, hosting a weekly cooking show where she cooks retro recipes. When her co-host moves to Los Angeles for a chance at network television, Jules finds herself pretty much out of a job. To make matters worse, she has a publishing contract to write a cookbook, and her publisher has rejected her initial submission. When her mother offers to pay her expenses so she can go work on her book at the family farm in Italy, Jules feels she has no choice but to accept. The only catch is, she has to take her teenaged half-sister with her.

I'm not really crazy about magical realism but I was looking for something kind of light. This is a quick if predictable read with a warm and fuzzy vibe that centers around a magical cookbook. The descriptions of Italy and the food are the best parts of the book. Themes include healing, depression and grief, family, and love lost and found.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Orange blossom cake - looks pretty yummy!

The Searcher by Tana French

February 3, 2026

The Searcher by Tana French

Wanting to get as far away as possible from his former life, Cal Hooper, a retired Chicago detective, buys a small house in rural Ireland and sets about restoring it. He just wants a quiet life but is soon drawn into a missing person's case by a local family, and Cal agrees to ask a few questions. But someone (or more than just one someone) doesn't want him investigating and he starts to wonder why.

This story moves really slowly. It seems to take forever to get through the first hundred or so pages, although the story does pick up once the reader meets Trey. It keeps on at a slow pace which I presume is meant to reflect life in rural Ireland. There are a lot of conversations with people who either don't know anything about the missing boy, or are trying to tell Cal something without telling him anything, which got frustrating. I kept reading because I wanted to find out what happened to the missing teen and why, but I did a lot of skimming in the last half of the book. An editor could have whacked out about a hundred pages without damaging the story. Not sure if I'm going to reach the next book. Recommended only because it's Tana French.

Rural Ireland

Wickedly Ever After by R. Lee Fryar

January 30, 2026

Wickedly Ever After by R. Lee Fryar

Two elderly but still powerful witches are responsible for maintaining a balance of goodness and wickedness in their kingdom. But they face a new challenge when members of the younger generation refuse to act out the fairy tale that has kept their kingdom safe for nearly a thousand years. Even worse, they are starting to have feelings for each other.

This has been described as a screwball fantasy, and that's a good description. There are clever references to classic fairy tales as well as The Lord of the Rings. If you are looking for high fantasy, this isn't it - try Martha Wells' The Witch King or Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing. The dead of winter is a good time for a humorous romantasy. Beautiful cover. Recommended for light fantasy readers who enjoy a dose of silliness with their stories.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

One of Hector's black roses

Upward Bound by Woody Brown

January 24, 2026

Upward Bound by Woody Brown

Upward Bound is a rundown daycare facility for young disable adults, not exactly a place where most people want to spend time. Walter is a nonverbal autistic adult who spends his days at the daycare center observing others. They are supervised by a group of disinterested caregivers waiting to return to college or to move on to something else, who organize activities for the attendees when they can be bothered to stop analyzing their favorite reality television shows.

A remarkable short novel by a nonverbal autistic writer. Written in interlocking chapters that form a narrative, each section focuses on a different client or employee at a daycare facility for adults with autism and other disabilities. A look at a set of experiences and a world that is hidden from most of us.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

When We Were Brilliant by Eve Cullen

January 24, 2026

When We Were Brilliant by Eve Cullen

In 1952, photographer Eve Arnold is approached by Marilyn Monroe, a rising starlet, to do a photo shoot that will portray who Marilyn really is, not just a platinum blonde sex kitten as male photographers show her. Little did Eve know that the chance meeting would lead to a partnership and a friendship that would last until the end of Marilyn's life.

Eve Arnold was a celebrated photojournalist who did photo stories mainly of women and children, but some of her best-known work were her photos of Marilyn Monroe, depicting Marilyn behind the scenes in non-studio settings. Eve's book about Marilyn, Marilyn Monroe: an Appreciation, was recently reprinted in a new edition. Readers who enjoy historical fiction will enjoy this fascinating portrait of a woman intimately connected to one of the most famous women of the 20th century.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

One of Eve Arnold's first photos of Marilyn Monroe

Pendergast: the Beginning by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

January 13, 2026

Pendergast: the Beginning by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

In 1994, the FBI field office in New Orleans has just been assigned an odd new trainee named Pendergast. The agent in charge as well as Pendergast's mentor/partner already know he is going to be trouble, with his penchant for following hunches and obscure clues, plus a tendency to go rogue. When Pendergast and his partner solve a cold case connected to questionable science, Pendergast keeps digging, even when the case appears to involve some of New Orleans' prominent citizens and he is told to desist.

A foundation story for Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast, set in New Orleans in 1994, giving fans of the series a (partial) glimpse of Pendergast's beginnings and how he came to the FBI. We also learn how Proctor and Pendergast came together. Proctor is one of my favorite characters, so I was happy to get part of his story as well, even if I did have to worry about him for half of the book. Highly recommended for fans of the series, as well as anyone wanting to start a fabulous suspense series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

New Orleans mansions

It Girl by Allison Pataki

January 5, 2026

It Girl by Allison Pataki

Evelyn Talbot is a poor girl working for pennies at a Pittsburgh department store when an artist asks her to model for her. This leads to more modeling jobs, until Evelyn and her mother move to New York where Evelyn secures bigger modeling jobs and a chance for parts on Broadway. But Evelyn soon finds herself pursued by wealthy and powerful men who think it is their right to take advantage of women seeking to advance their careers or support their families.

Loosely based on the life of Evelyn Nesbit, the original Gibson Girl, whose jealous husband shot her former lover, New York architect Stanford White. But this version gives Evelyn the triumphant ending that she didn't get in real life. It pissed me off the way the men in Evelyn's life treated her, just like the sexual predators today treat vulnerable young women, men like Harvey Weinstein, Jeffrey Epstein, Bill Cosby, and others like them. Recommended for readers who enjoy historical fiction about the Gilded Age.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Evelyn Nesbit