Second Shot at Love by Carolyn Miller

Second Shot at Love a Northwest Ice Book # 6 by Carolyn Miller is second chance romance.  Genevieve Rivas is working as a doctor in Seattle, WA.  She works hard to keep her life on track after a mistake 10 years ago changed her life.  Kyle Tinker plays professional hockey and loves what he does.  After an injury reunites him with his former love, Genevieve, he begins to imagine the possibilities of a second chance with her.  But what if the past gets in the way of their future.

It was wonderful to read this dual POV slow burn romance story.  Genevieve and Kyle are engaging characters that I truly felt connected to.   I appreciated their honesty, vulnerability, and their desire to grow as people.   They graciously worked through so many challenges to find their happily ever after.  The faith elements were well done and natural in the story.  The beautiful overarching themes of grace, second chances, and forgiveness deeply resonated with me. I really enjoyed the story.  

I loved Second Shot at Love and have been eagerly anticipating it. I am so happy that there is one more book in the Northwest Ice series as this series is one of myall time favorites.  I highly recommend Second Shot at Love by Carolyn Miller.  This will be a 2026 top pick for me. 

I was gifted a copy and not required to write a positive review.  

I'm an award-winning, bestselling author of inspirational historical and contemporary romance. I live in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia with my husband and four children. Together with my husband I pastored a church for ten years, and I've worked as a high school English and Learning and Support teacher. I love reading (especially Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer & LM Montgomery), music, films, gardens, art, travel and food. I really enjoy creating worlds where flawed people can grow in faith, hope and love. I am a member of Omega Christian Writers and American Christian Fiction Writers and I'm represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube agency

A Love Once Lost by Jennie Goutet

 

A Love Once Lost by Jennie Goutet is a delightful historical romance set in the Georgian time period with Jane Austen Persuasion vibes. Amy Bridwell is accompanying her family on a Grand Tour of the Continent stopping in the town of Spa, Belgium. When she arrives, she sees James Fletcher, a love from her past, who is a physician in the town of Spa. They have thought of each other for the last six years, but James is engaged to another and Amy and James did not leave on good terms. Can they find love again?

I enjoyed this slow burn romance with engaging characters who I was very invested in. I loved how James and Amy both grew and matured as people while becoming more selfless as the novel progressed. It is always wonderful when two kind people find each other in books and in life.

The setting of Spa, Belgium was fascinating. The author immersed me in the time period, setting, and romance with her elegant writing. The themes of second chances and friendship resonated with me.

I greatly enjoyed reading A Love Once Lost by Jennie Goutet. The novel is immersive and filled with relatable characters, sweet slow burn romance, and a wonderful setting. I very highly recommend and this will be a 2026 favorite for me.

I was given a free copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

 

Jennie Goutet is the best-selling author of eighteen historical romances, including the Clavering Chronicles, Memorable Proposals, and The ‘Bridwells’ Grand Tour series. Her books have received first place in historical romance for the New England Reader’s Choice Awards and have hit the number one spot in Regency Romance on Amazon. They have been featured on BookBub and Hoopla, and are translated into six languages. 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. Sign up for my newsletter to stay in touch!

All Booked UP by Melody Carlson

 All Booked UP by Melody Carlson is a delightful story with Riva Owen who wants to keep her home that has an amazing library and has been in her family for many generations. She decides to rent her home to four women who need a place to live due to the challenges of their lives. What could possibly go wrong?

I found All Booked Up a charming story. The author weaves in books, some romance, and reminds us that everyone has a story. I appreciated the cozy feel of this book and its positive outlook on women and aging. Watching Riva continue to embrace life, share her love of books with others, and save her beautiful home was truly inspiring.

I highly recommend All Booked Up by Melody Carlson. The engaging characters, book references, and cozy feel made this a wonderful read. There is nothing quite like mixing up a variety of people in one house and stepping back and watching the action. The story did not disappoint.

I was gifted a copy and not required to write a positive review.

Melody Carlson has published over ninety books for adults, children, and teens, with sales totaling more than two million and many titles appearing on the ECPA Bestsellers List. Several of her books have been finalists for, and winners of, various writing awards, including the Gold Medallion and the RITA Award.

Pity Prank by Whitney Dineen

 Pity Prank by Whitney Dineen is a wonderful romantic comedy and the eighth book in the pity series. It can be read as a stand-alone novel. Finley Harper owns Happy Snaps Photography, a photography studio, in Elk Lake Wisconsin.  A mix up with the type of picture that Dr. Thomas Culpepper who is new to town needs leads to more business, fake dating, and many laughs. 

I was filled with so much joy and laughed out loud while reading Pity Prank.  The story is engaging, sweet, and written in dual point of view. Finley and Thomas were such endearing characters.   The author did an incredible job with Finely’s character who is on the spectrum, and Dr. Thomas Culpepper is an all-around great guy.  I enjoyed visiting Elk Lake and reconnecting with my friends in town.  Thomas and Finley’s family were a delight to meet and connect with. 

Pity Prank by Whitney Dineen is a delightful book with likeable characters, an ideal small-town setting, and sweet romance.  I loved laughing and making new friends in Elk Lake.  I highly recommend and this will be a 2026 favorite for me. 

I was gifted a copy and not required to write a positive review. 

USA Today Bestselling author Whitney Dineen is a rock star in her own head. While delusional about her singing abilities, there’s been a plethora of validation that she’s a fairly decent author (AMAZING!!!). After winning many writing awards and selling nearly a kabillion books (math may not be her forte, either), she’s decided to let the voices in her head say whatever they want (sorry, Mom). She also won a fourth-place ribbon in a fifth-grade swim meet in backstroke. So, there’s that.

Whitney loves to hang with her kids (a.k.a. dazzle them with her amazing 80's dance moves, serenading them to Bohemian Rhapsody, and binge watch Ted Lasso ), bake stuff, eat stuff, and write books for people who "get" her. She thinks french fries are the perfect food and Mrs. Roper is her spirit animal.

The Good Fortune of Miss Robbins by Melanie Dickerson

 

The Good Fortune of Miss Robbins by Melanie Dickerson is delightful Regency novel with all the feels. Charlotte Robins grew up as an orphan in a school and is now the governess for the Earl of Brookhaven’s siblings. She has very few expectations for her life and is hoping to marry a gardener, vicar or steward. Earl of Brookhaven has been publicly humiliated with his last fiancé. He trusts no one, but he does like Charlotte. Charlotte when she inherits a fortune does that change the game?

I was enraptured by this delightful Regency novel. Charlotte and Earl of Brookhaven had wonderful chemistry, a tender love, and were simply delightful people I wanted to befriend. I loved watching Charlotte mature, fall in love and grow wiser with her new fortune. The side characters were perfect for the story and made the time period come alive. The author does an amazing job writing in all of the nuances of the time period. I felt I had entered an enchanting world that I did not want to leave.

The Good Fortune of Miss Robbins was a delightful book with engaging characters, the perfect Regency setting, and a sweet happily ever after. I was so sad the story had to end. I highly recommend and this will be a 2026 favorite for me.

I was gifted a copy and not required to write a positive review.

Melanie Dickerson is the New York Times bestselling author of happily-ever-after romance. She grew up in rural South Alabama dreaming of a career as a novelist. She wrote stories in notebooks for her friends from the time she was twelve years old and finished her first full-length romance novel when she was fourteen. She’s come a long way since then, but she still believes in love and the power of story.

With over 1M books sold, Melanie’s work has been awarded two Christy Awards, a Carol Award, a Maggie Award, a Golden Quill Award, a National Readers Choice Award, and a Book Buyers’ Best Award, has been named to Christian Retailing’s Best, and hit #1 in her category on the New York Times bestseller list.

When she’s not writing, Melanie can be found watching While You Were Sleeping for the hundredth time with her handsome hero husband, and shaking her head at her slightly unhinged Jack Russell terrier. She lives in the beautiful foothills of the Appalachians near Huntsville, Alabama.

The Shippers by Katherine Center is all that and a bag of chips. JoJo Burton feels stuck in her relationships, and is hoping to solve her problems on her sister’s wedding cruise. Her best friend from childhood, Cooper Watts, agrees to help. But they have had their ups and downs and what if he could be the one?

I adored this novel! It was funny, romantic, and engaging. I was so invested in the main characters JoJo and Cooper with their delightful banter, chemistry and sweet friendship! This novel was filled with so much humor, delight, and I appreciated the depth of the story and characters. The cruise setting was wonderful and I loved the subplots with other family members. This story reminds you that you really never know people quite as much as you think you do. It is always good to look a little deeper in their lives before passing judgement.

 

I was able to listen to the story narrated by Patti Murin. The narrator made the story very engaging and I listened as I drove. The voices were very distinct and I was sometimes surprised she was the only narrator. Amazing job.

I adored The Shippers by Katherine Center and read by Narrated by Patti Murin. It had all the feels and brought me so much joy! I highly recommend and this will be a 2026 favorite for me.

I was gifted an ALC and book and not required to write a positive review.   

BookPage calls Katherine Center “the reigning queen of comfort reads.” She’s the New York Times bestselling author of over half a dozen books, including How to Walk Away, Things You Save in a Fire, and What You Wish For. Katherine writes laugh-and-cry books about how life knocks us down—and how we get back up. She’s been compared to both Jane Austen and Nora Ephron, and the Dallas Morning News calls her stories, “satisfying in the most soul-nourishing way.” Her books have made countless Best-Of lists, including RealSimple’s Best Books of 2020, Amazon's Top 100 Books of 2019, Goodreads' Best Books of the Year, and many more. Bestselling author Emily Henry calls her summer 2022 book, The Bodyguard, “a shot of pure joy.” The movie adaptation of Katherine’s novel The Lost Husband (starring Josh Duhamel) hit #1 on Netflix, and her novel Happiness for Beginners is now a Netflix original starring Ellie Kemper. Katherine lives in her hometown of Houston, Texas, with her husband, two kids, and their fluffy-but-fierce dog

 

The Life She Forgot by Joanna Davidson Politano

 The Life She Forgot by Joanna Davidson Politano is a wonderful book that kept me up reading into the night.  Merryn is trying to retrieve her memories to figure out her past so she can prove her competency to live in the now. 

I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out who to trust as I tried to solve the mystery of Merryn’s past.  The characters, places and timeline are woven together in the most amazing way in this dual timeline Cornwall setting. The author’s writing had me fully immersed in this incredible story, and the themes of forgiveness, true love, and faithfulness resonated deeply with me.  

I adored The Life She Forgot by Joanna Davidson Politano with its elegant words, beautiful story, breathtaking setting, and inspiring themes.  I highly recommend The Life She Forgot and it will be a 2026 favorite for me that I will recommend to everyone.  Please go get this book!  

I was gifted a copy and not required to write a positive review.

I homeschool my three adventurous, messy, magnificent tiny humans and live out my second childhood by playing alongside them.

I worked as a medical writer for a pharmaceutical company and a Chrisitan publishing house that focused on Sunday school material. I also worked for myself as a freelance writer, and I was the toughest boss I ever had.

I married my hero Vince, who is my love and my polar opposite. I’m quiet, and he’s…. less so. I break things, he fixes them. He’s nailed the “speak the truth” thing, and I bring the “in love” part. But the real spark to our marriage is that he does not like chocolate and I… like it a normal amount. We live in our house in the woods near Lake Michigan where we regularly receive visitors needing a break from adult life.

I own eight library cards—and I use them all
I have an addiction to collecting books of all kinds
I often read the ending first
I often splash in mud puddles with my kids