Road Trip to the Riviera – ARC Book Review

Road Trip to the Riviera

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Date published:- will be published on 29th May 2026

Author:- Gillian Harvey

No. of pages:- 256 pages

Genre:- Romance

Quick review:- this is a slow-burn romance, not really much going on but two old flames reconnecting with each other is interesting.

Rating:- 3.5/5

An utterly escapist story about a journey to remember through the French countryside, from the bestselling author of The Bordeaux Book Club .

When Sarah breaks her leg, her only thought is how on earth she’ll get to the south of France for her beloved son’s wedding. She’s been told not to fly, and the train route involves many changes – not ideal when you can barely walk.

There’s only one person she can turn to. Her son’s father, Hal. The pair were teenage sweethearts when Sarah fell pregnant, and he’s always been in his son’s life. Only his parenting style is more ‘fun uncle’ than serious dad; all the ‘proper parenting’ has been left to Sarah. He’s oblivious. She’s furious.

But she’s out of options. And Hal is happy to drive her, with one they’re taking the scenic route, in his battered VW camper van.

Now, two people – whose lives have only been intertwined through their child for more than twenty years – are about to find out there is far more of a journey ahead for them than either could possibly anticipate…

An unmissable story, perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan, Veronica Henry and Faith Hogan

Sarah breaks her leg just a few days before her son’s wedding, which was going to be held in France, where her mother lives. Sarah then asks Hal, who is also her son’s father to give her a ride. Hal promises to give Sarah the ride to the wedding but Hal is taking his old Betty, which is a VW to take the scenic route to the wedding. As they go on the ride together, they try to get along but then their old connection to each other seemed to have started to rekindle.

We have two POV’s in this book–Sarah and Hal. Sarah is upset at Hal for not really helping her to raise Louis, the son. Hal is a laid-back guy who seemed to be accepting his mistake. The story started out slow but then gradually, it started to build the climax when both Sarah and Hal realized that they still have feelings towards each other even though it’s been more than twenty years since they have separated. The route through France and the descriptions of the surroundings made us feel like we are actually in France. The ending is predictable, it’s just nothing extraordinary in my opinion.

Overall, this is a good romance book. Worth 3.5 stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Boldwoods for the invitation to review this book. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Podcast Episode: Book Reviews Across Genres

Pip: Tropical Girl Reads has been busy this week — rom-coms with impossible men, zombies with very legitimate grievances. Quite the range.

Mara: tropicalgirlreads1988 covers two distinct territories this episode: a romance built around a twist you won’t see coming, and a horror novella that uses grief and vengeance to examine trauma and identity. Let’s start with the romance.

Romance And Relationship Fiction

Pip: The No-Show by Beth O’Leary sets up what looks like a straightforward betrayal — three women, one man, Valentine’s Day — but the real question is whether that setup is actually what it appears to be.

Mara: The review puts it plainly: “That’s what I thought initially. But the great twist at the end, changed the whole perspective of the story that actually changed Joseph Carter a serial dater to a loyal boyfriend.”

Pip: So the entire moral weight of the story shifts in the final pages. What reads as a cheating narrative turns into something else entirely — and the review notes that Jane, the quietest of the three protagonists, is the one worth rooting for hardest.

Mara: A four-star rating, with the caveat that the romance itself was less compelling than the structural surprise. The emotional payoff came from the twist and the characters, not the love story. Horror handles grief differently — let’s go there next.

Horror And Grief

Mara: Grief Eater by Emma Osborne, due June 1st 2026, asks what happens when the person grief was supposed to consume decides to consume it back — through a zombie story rooted in queer identity, family abandonment, and the question of whether vengeance and forgiveness can occupy the same body.

Pip: The book’s own framing sets the stakes directly: “As her body fails and her mind fractures, she’s left with one final question: Is she here to forgive, or to feed?”

Mara: That question isn’t rhetorical. Kristina rises from death no longer frightened, but the review is careful to note the horror cuts both ways — the gore is difficult, but the childhood abuse she relives through flashbacks is described as equally hard to sit with.

Pip: Grief delivered through feeding is a genuinely unsettling mechanism. The memories aren’t narrated cleanly — they arrive as Kristina eats, which means the emotional and the visceral are fused throughout.

Mara: At under a hundred pages, the novella still makes room for tenderness. Josh, Kristina’s only kind relationship, and her first romance both surface in those flashbacks — small counterweights to the abuse that defined her family life.

Pip: Ninety-four pages, read in under twenty-four hours, four stars. That’s a strong endorsement for a book that apparently doesn’t look away from anything.

Mara: A rom-com that dismantles its own premise and a horror novella that turns grief into something with teeth — not an obvious pairing, but both hinge on a reveal that reframes everything before it.

Pip: Next time, we’ll see what else the reading pile turns up.

The No-Show – Book Review

The No-Show

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Date published:- April 12th 2022

Author:- Beth O’Leary

No. of pages:- 337 pages

Genre:- Romance

Quick Review:- A funny but emotional romance story that will make you love all the characters

Rating:- 4/5

Siobhan is a quick-tempered life coach with way too much on her plate. Miranda is a tree surgeon used to being treated as just one of the guys on the job. Jane is a soft-spoken volunteer for the local charity shop with zero sense of self-worth.

These three women are strangers who have only one thing in common: They’ve all been stood up on the same day, the very worst day to be stood up–Valentine’s Day. And, unbeknownst to them, they’ve all been stood up by the same man.

Once they’ve each forgiven him for standing them up, they let him back into their lives and are in serious danger of falling in love with a man who seems to have not just one or two but three women on the go….

Is there more to him than meets the eye? And will they each untangle the truth before they all get their hearts broken?

Three women who seemingly have nothing in common find that they’re involved with the same man in this smart new rom-com by Beth O’Leary, bestselling author of The Flatshare.

Three women, Siobhan, Miranda and Jane were waiting for one man–but all three get dumped by this man on the most important day–the Valentine’s Day. All three women have different personalities and jobs with no connection to each other. Siobhan is a successful life-coach, Miranda is a tree surgeon while Jane is a volunteer at a local charity shop. One connection they have between them is that they are all dating the same man.

Here’s the thing, you think this man, Joseph Carter is dating all three women, at first in reader’s point of view. He dumped all three women on Valentine’s Day but as he felt bad, he treats them special and tries to make up for his mistake. Should we hate him for using all three women? Should we hate him that he is taking advantage of these women?

The story is told in Siobhan, Miranda and Jane’s POV each talking about their experience in dating Joseph Carter. They are all in love with him, not knowing that he cheating with all three of them in the background (maybe…).

That’s what I thought initially. But the great twist at the end, changed the whole perspective of the story that actually changed Joseph Carter a serial dater to a loyal boyfriend (you can figure)

I didn’t really like the romance part but I really liked the twist at the end–it was so completely unexpected. Plus Jane is my most favorite character that I really rooted for Jane.

This is the second book I have read from this author and I cannot wait to read more books from this author as I enjoyed reading her books. Worth four stars.

Grief Eater – ARC Book Review

Grief Eater

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Date published:- will be published on 1st June 2026

Author:- Emma Osborne

No. of pages:- 94 pages

Genre:- Horror

Quick review:- a short horror story about a girl who dies and then risen as a zombie and then takes revenge on those who wronged her. Emotional and quick to read

Rating:- 4/5

-Domestic Abuse

-Child Abuse

-Gory scenes

Visceral, gritty, and unforgiving, GRIEF EATER is a zombie story like you’ve never read before.

When Kristina rises from her violent death, she’s not the same fragile woman her family once abandoned. She’s rageful, powerful, and hungry—for the blood of the ones who were supposed to love her. With a newfound craving to see vengeance and grief served, she launches into a once-in-an-undead-lifetime journey across blood-slicked highways to the scorched Australian bush and her hometown. As her body fails and her mind fractures, she’s left with one final question: Is she here to forgive, or to feed?

A transgressive, gory examination of queer identity and found family, GRIEF EATER sinks its teeth into trauma and what it means to be devoured by grief.

This is a fantastic horror book–kind of gave the feeling of Walking Dead. This is a novella which is less than 100 pages. Kristina, a young queer woman who has been abandoned by her own family faces her own dead when a dead zombie woman bites her lethally. Kristina dies then rises up again, becoming a zombie. Kristina is no longer the shy frightened woman anymore but a dangerous woman who is determined to take revenge and avenge against her family, who had been treating her horribly since her childhood.

Kristina gets flashbacks of her memories through feeding. The memories all contained moments of abuse she faced from her family, particularly her parents. The author has managed to capture those raw emotions and moments through those memories and as a reader you really sympathize with the main character. Despite the horrible moments of her childhood, Kristina also savored those people who had been closest to her–her friend Josh, who was the only one who was kind to her and her first relationship. Though all the gore was difficult to read with all the scenes of blood, the emotional and physical abuse Kristina suffered as a child was too sad to read as well.

I enjoyed reading this book and I managed to read this book in less than twenty-four hours. For people who are looking for a fast, quick read with under 100 pages, then this book is one for you. Perfect to read during Halloween. Worth 4 srars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

What the Wife Knew – Book Review

What the Wife Knew

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Date published:- December 10th 2024

No. of pages:- 355 pages

Author:- Darby Kane

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Quick Review:- this was a fast-paced, page turning thriller however the ending wasn’t as great as I thought it could be, although it was unexpected.

Rating:- 4/5

Darby Kane, author of the #1 international bestseller Pretty Little Wife, returns with another twisty domestic thriller about a wife wondering who tried to kill her husband twice before finally succeeding… because that was supposed to be her job. 

Dr. Richmond Dougherty is a renowned pediatric surgeon, an infamous tragedy survivor, and a national hero. He’s also very dead—thanks to a fall down the stairs. His neighbors angrily point a finger at the newest Ms. Dougherty, Addison. The sudden marriage to the mysterious young woman only lasted ninety-seven days, and he’d had two suspicious “accidents” during that time. Now Addison is a very rich widow.

As law enforcement starts to circle in on Addison and people in town become increasingly hostile, sides are chosen with Kathryn, Richmond’s high school sweetheart, wife number one, and the mother of his children, leading the fray. Despite rising tensions, Addison is even more driven to forge ahead on the path she charted years ago…

Determined at all costs to unravel Richmond’s legacy, she soon becomes a target—with a shocking note left on her bedroom  You will pay. But it will take a lot more than faceless threats to stop Addison. Her plan to marry Richmond then ruin him may have been derailed by his unexpected death, but she’s not done with him yet.

Addison has become a rich widow, when her husband, Richmond Dougherty apparently committed suicide. But then soon, the death was ruled out as homicide and Addison has become the main suspect. However here is the problem–Addison did want to kill Richmond Dougherty–it’s that someone else did the work for her.

If you have read Pretty Little Wife, Darby Kane mostly writes domestic thrillers and most of the time, her thrillers are usually fast-paced and page turning thrillers. This book is no exception. Initially, the story started great, with some twists and turns. The story is mostly told in Addison’s POV. The marriage has been kind of a deal between Richmond and Addison as Addison holds a secret that might threaten to ruin Richmond’s carefully curated image that most community is having of him. The book is intriguing and it basically will put the reader on the edge.

We also have Richmond’s POV as well and we know by reading through his POV that he might not be as innocent as he is turned out to be. And then we have someone, who is determined to get rid of Addison who also might be responsible for Richmond’s murder. The whole book makes you feel like you are watching an action thriller movie.

The ending kind of was unexpected but despite being unexpected, I didn’t really like the ending much as I thought I would.

Overall, this is worth 4 stars.

Days at the Torunka Cafe – Book Review

Days at the Torunka Cafe

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Date published:- November 4th 2025 (translated version)

Author:- Satoshi Yagisawa

Translated by Eric Ozawa

No. of pages:- 240 pages

Genre:- Japanese fiction

Quick Review:- If you are looking for a comfort read and a quick read, then this book is one for you

Rating:- 4/5

From the internationally bestselling author of the Morisaki Bookshop novels comes a charming and poignant story set at a quiet Tokyo café where customers find unexpected connection and experience everyday miracles.

Tucked away on a narrow side street in Tokyo is the Torunka Café, a neighborhood nook where the passersby are as likely to be local cats as tourists. Its regulars include Chinatsu Yukimura, a mysterious young woman who always leaves behind a napkin folded into the shape of a ballerina; Hiroyuki Yumata, a middle-aged man who’s returned to the neighborhood searching for the happy life he once gave up; and Shizuku, the café owner’s teenage daughter, who is still coming to terms with her sister’s death as she falls in love for the first time.

While Café Torunka serves up a perfect cup of coffee, it provides these sundry souls with nourishment far more lasting. Satoshi Yagisawa brilliantly illuminates the periods in our lives where we feel lost—and how we find our way again.

If you liked Days at the Morisaki Library, then check his latest book the Days at the Torunka Cafe.

Nestled in the narrow streets of Tokyo is a cafe named as Torunka Cafe. Chinatsu Yukimura is a mysterious young woman who makes napkins shaped in the form of ballerina. Then we have Hiroki who returned back to the neighborhood to look for the happy life he had given up once and then Shizuka who is dealing with her sister’s death. Each of these three stories tell you how to appreciate with what you have, always ending on a positive tone.

My favorite one is the first story, which involved Chinatsu and a young man named Shuichi, who is working at the cafe as part time. The first story was enjoyable, talking about forgiveness and moving on with life. The other two stories are OK in my opinion and kind of felt flat in my opinion but nonetheless it was OK.

Overall, I give this book a four star reading.

Murder with a Side of Shrimp and Grits – ARC Book Review

Murder with a Side of Shrimp and Grits

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Date published:- will be published on 13th May 2026

Author:- Skylar Warren

No. of pages:- 377 pages

Genre:- Cozy Mystery

Welcome to Honeybee’s diner, where the scent of butter and garlic wraps itself around you, thick and comforting. Jessie Haynes’ homestyle cooking feeds the hearts and souls of the good people of Willow Bluff. Until someone puts murder on the menu!

Y’all are invited to dig into a steamin’ plate of meatloaf. The diner’s well-worn red chairs have cradled folks from every corner of Willow Bluff—Jessie’s podcasting bestie, Tee, Old Mr Higgins, two mighty mischievous kittens, Biscuits and Gravy, and every tattling townsperson in between—so when the mayor turns blue after a bite of Jessie’s famous shrimp and grits, she finds herself in seriously hot water…

Suddenly, all eyes are swivelled toward Jessie. For fifty years her family has fed Willow Bluff, and Jessie won’t let one mouthful shatter the legacy of her grandmother’s secret recipes. The mayor’s peanut allergy was the talk of the town, so when traces are found in his food, Jessie must fight to clear her name.

An empty peanut packet in the diner’s pantry has Jessie and Tee hot on the heels of the murderer when another case of food tampering occurs at a nearby bakery. Someone is dishing out delicious death sentences—but how many locals will get served before Jessie can crack the case? Her investigation must be a recipe for success or Honeybee’s will be toast…

This unputdownable and addictive cozy mystery is full of Southern charm, a gripping whodunnit and a feisty amateur sleuth. It’s perfect for fans of Ellery Adams, R. L. Killmore and Joanne Fluke.

Murder with a Side of Shrimp and Grits is a cozy mystery novel which starts off with the apparent murder of the town’s mayor.

Jessie Haynes inherited her grandmother’s diner in Willow Buff after her unsuccessful stint as a journalist in Atlanta. She follows her grandmother’s recipes although she was slightly under pressure to live up to her grandmother’s expectations. The mayor is a frequent visitor to the diner but on one visit, after he orders his usual shrimps and grits, the mayor falls unconscious and then died along the way to the hospital. When doing autopsy, it was found that the mayor had died from peanut allergy. Jessie knows that she never used peanuts in her meals and that someone is trying to sabotage the diner and ruin its reputation. Together with Tee, Maddy, her mother Norah and new friend Dr. Bennett, they must find out who is responsible for the mayor’s death as there are several people in the town who do actually wanted the mayor to be dead.

Honestly, I actually liked and enjoyed this book. The book has an air of Southern charm with those southern accents the characters are speaking in. The food and pies descriptions are all mouthwatering and delicious. The characters, particularly Tee are all likable–maybe except Barbara. But, despite being a cozy mystery, I feel the story was way too long and could have been shorter. Maybe too much flowery descriptions and maybe if those descriptions have been reduced, then this book would have been a great book.

I am not sure if this book is going to be a series but if it was a part of the series, then I am looking forward to read more books from the series and from this author. Overall this is worth 4 stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

The Obsession – Book Review

The Obsession

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Date published:- December 2nd 2025

Genre:- Thriller/Horror/YA

Author:- Natasha Preston

No. of pages:- 320 pages

Quick Review:- horrible ending, and could have been better.

Rating:- 2/5

ARE YOU REALLY HOME ALONE?

Sixteen-year-old Connie has been dragged into the world of vlogging – her mum Lou’s vlog is hugely popular, enough to bring in money for a new house, expensive lifestyle . . . and a lot of criticism.

While Lou and Connie’s older sister Isla are touring colleges, Connie stays home alone, where she becomes increasingly paranoid about comments on the vlog. Plus someone is turning up at her school and following her on her way home.

Then Connie’s best friend is attacked – the third teenage girl attacked in five weeks – and suspicion turns to Connie. Connie doesn’t know who she can trust any more and goes on the run. But will the killer – whoever they are – catch up with her?

Connie is dragged into the world of vlogging by her mother as her mother’s YouTube vlogs have become immensely popular, so now they could afford to live in a new mansion and live nicely. So when Lou and Isla leaves Connie home alone, to tour the colleges, Connie becomes increasingly paranoid about the comments on the vlog and thinks that someone is stalking. Connie’s best friend is attacked, which is the third attack in a matter of five weeks. Suspicions mount towards Connie and she has no idea who to trust.

On the plus side, the story kind of had a potential to be an interesting thriller. But there are lot of negative things about the book.

I couldn’t stand any of the characters in the book–found them annoying and selfish–particularly Connie’s mother and sister. Initially I liked Connie but her naivety at trusting strangers online bothered me. So fair to say, Gray is my only favorite character in the book, even though he only had a small role in the overall story.

Though this book is labelled as a thriller, 60% of the book is about the drama, with Connie fighting with her mother and sister, her being paranoid about someone stalking and the thriller starts actually towards the end. But my rating went down to two stars at the ending. I mean WTF is the ending???? Here’s the thing, I CANNOT stand cliffhangers in a standalone novel–I despise is. If it’s a series, then cliffhangers are fine but in standalone novels like this one…no, I hate that. Did not like the ending at all.

With that being said, and despite my horrible rating with this book, I am willing to read more books from this author and hopefully they are better than this book.

Overall worth 2 stars.

The Macha Maker Cafe – ARC Book Review

The Matcha Maker Cafe

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Date published:- will be published on 14th July 2026

Author:- Lily Chen

No. of pages:- 400 pages

Genre:- Romance

Quick Review:- would have been better if this book was written as a first person POV rather than using third person, then the readers could really connect with the main character, Sasha.

Rating:- 3.5/5

The only person harder to match than her clients . . . is the matchmaker herself.

The Matcha Maker Café is a sweet, small-town slow-burn romance set in a charming matcha cafe, perfect for readers who love Laurie Gilmore, B.K. Borison and the gentle magic of Before the Coffee Gets Cold.

At Matcha Moments, owner Sasha Lee is a star matchmaker, helping customers find love over a smooth cup of matcha. You’d think that as the master she’d be living her fairytale ending, but Sasha is allergic to commitment.

With a growing reputation, her successes are challenged when the ‘unmatchable’ Ben walks in – a man who believes he’s too boring for love. As Sasha tries to match him, she slowly finds herself drawn to his quiet charm.

As their daily banter becomes the highlight of her day, Sasha must confront the possibility that her own love story might be brewing. Will she embrace the unexpected romance, or let her past fears keep her from true love?

This is a cute, cozy small town romance which I did enjoy reading.

Sasha owns a matcha cafe and her cafe specializing in something unique–using matcha bubbles, she could predict and do matchmaking to her clients. Her matchmaking cases had been successful as she helped clients to find their true love. But Ben, walks in and when Ben wants her to do a matcha matchmaking service, Sasha couldn’t really intrude his thoughts. In fact, Sasha couldn’t help but has feelings towards this new handsome customer. Meanwhile Sasha despite having a huge customer base and community support, she has to extend her lease but if her lease isn’t extended then she would have to stop this matchmaking business and then close down the cafe.

This was actually cute and lovely story in my opinion. I think I like how the whole community is supporting Sasha even though she is being threatened about the lease and forced to give up on her cafe. There were not too much drama and might be a perfect read for someone who likes reading romance in cozy setting. My issue is if this book was written in the first person POV, maybe we could have gotten more feelings and shared Sasha’s thoughts and feelings.

Overall this is worth 3.5 stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and PanMacmillan. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

The Fake Wife – ARC Book Review

The Fake Wife

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Date published:- will be published on 11th May 2026

Author:- Emily Shiner

No. of pages:- 336 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Quick Review:- a fast-paced, page turning thriller with twists and turns. The ending was unexpected.

Rating:- 4.5/5

As I watch Darren bury his wife’s body in the backyard, I know I need to act fast. I’m going to be her replacement. He’ll never know what’s coming…

The next day, I smile down at Darren in bed next to me. When he wakes up, I’m going to tell him I’m his new wife. I’ll keep this beautiful house clean and host the most fabulous dinner parties.

He’ll wonder what’s going on. He’ll wonder how I got into his house. We both know I’m not really his wife. But he will never be able to get rid of me.

Before she died, I watched Britt and Darren for longer than I care to admit. I knew her favorite white wine. I know Darren’s weekly tee time. I also know about the cheating. And the lies they told each other on their wedding day…

You might think I’m a woman in love, obsessed with someone else’s husband.

Or you might think I’m here to avenge Britt’s death.

All I know is, handsome and powerful men like Darren think they can get away with anything.

But he’s so, so wrong…

A totally gripping psychological thriller that will keep you up all night! The Fake Wife is perfect for fans of The Perfect Marriage , John Marrs and Freida McFadden.

Darren knows that he had killed his wife and had already buried her at the backyard of the house. But when he wakes up, he sees a woman who looks eerily similar to his first wife. Didn’t he just kill his wife? But the woman next to him pretends to be his wife and all she wants is Darren to pretend that she is his wife as well.

I have read Emily Shiner’s books before, but I personally think this was one of her best. The start of the book was what actually drew me into the book. Darren kills his wife and buries her in the backyard but then finds his wife back in his bed! That was such an eye-opening scene. Is it really his wife or is someone pretending to be his wife? But we know it’s someone pretending to be his wife though we don’t know the exact reason why she is pretending to be his wife and look just like his wife. The story is told in multiple POVs–we have Britt before her ultimate death; the Wife whose name is a mystery and Darren. Then of course we have the story divided between past and present. The story is fast paced, packed with twists and turns and will definitely put you on the edge. The ending was so completely unexpected and I needed to take a breather to absorb what I have just read.

This book will give you a roller-coaster ride and you wouldn’t be able to put this book down. Fast-paced filled with twists and turns and an unexpected ending. Overall worth 4.5 stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.