How can it be June already?! This year is going so fast, and after checking my calendar, this summer looks like it will zoom past before I know it. But I always have time to read a good book. 😉 This month my book club is reading The Bookshop of 99 Doors — a bookshop and great gothic suspense from Jaime Jo Wright — it can’t get much better! Have you read it yet? We’d love to know your thoughts.
The manor’s rumored one-hundredth door may conceal secrets hidden as deep as the estate’s bookshelves extend high . . . but the haunted past has a way of ensnaring curious souls.
In 1888, Minnie Tipton finds herself beset by the dark superstitions that envelop the Pennsylvania mansion her father bought. Convinced the vengeful spirit of a Civil War captain haunts the house and worried by her father’s rapidly worsening illness, Minnie delves into the home’s fraught past in an effort to bring him peace. Yet the lingering impact of the war and the gruesome tale of murder she uncovers only foster more fear and threaten to unravel Minnie’s own sanity.
In the present day, Triss Bellamy eagerly steps into the role of bookshop manager in the mansion-turned-museum boasting ninety-nine doors. But Triss’s dream job turns into a nightmare when havoc breaks loose with the arrival of her brother’s team of self-proclaimed paranormal investigators. Their determination to find a rumored one-hundredth door–a dangerous portal to the madness long said to plague the mansion–results in calamity, leaving Triss no choice but to hunt down the truth or watch her brother slip forever beyond her reach.
An atmospheric dual-time Gothic suspense masterfully penned by acclaimed author Jaime Jo Wright with themes of a Civil War-era ghost, a possible hidden door, and unexplained mysteries at a historic mansion’s bookshop with a troubled past.
Jaime Jo Wright, multi award-winning author–including the Christy and Daphne du Maurier awards–is a coffee-fueled and cat-fancier extraordinaire. She has entwined her life with the legendary Captain Hook, residing serenely in Wisconsin’s rural woodlands. Her literary vocation involves penning chilling Gothic tales, a baffling change from that of Austenites, with a strong preference to the master of dark, Edgar Allan Poe. Two mischievous urchins adorn their family, who keep their mother on her toes – providing an exhilarating amount chaos.
Happy Tuesday! Today’s TTT challenge is May Flowers. Since I’ve read only one book featuring Pilgrims 😉 , I decided to list books with titles that included things you could find in a southern garden, including things that have to be beaten back! I hope you find a book to catch your interest.
Happy Tuesday! Today I just was not feeling the TTT topic — bucket list books. I have done a couple of these posts and didn’t really want to do the research on books and destinations, so instead I am sharing the latest additions to my NetGalley Shelf. A few of these have already released, so I need to get going on my reading. There is also a good mix of genres — I hope you find one to love.
Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Love & Baseball by Jaime Jo Wright (with Chloe Joanne) AND The Cinderella Plot by Pepper Basham, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About The Books
Title:Love and Baseball Author:Jaime Jo Wright with Chloe JoAnne Publisher: MadLit Publishing Release Date: February 10, 2026 Genre: Young Adult Romantic Comedy
She needed a boyfriend. AI came to her rescue. But then her fake boyfriend showed up at school.
Brielle has never wanted a boyfriend. She’s happy with her book boyfriends–purely fictional, right? Easy to maintain. She’s also not a huge fan of sports, except baseball. Not playing it. No. Again, books and cozy afternoons are her thing. But Brielle can get into baseball with the best of them when it comes to watching, repeating stats, and wearing her favorite jerseys. But apparently, that’s not enough in life. At least according to her four nosy aunts, who all think she needs a boyfriend, people at school who are convinced Brielle is a closet serial killer because she’s happier with her books, and yeah. Valentine’s Day is on the calendar.
There is a purpose for AI, and Brielle decides the genius thing to do is make a fake boyfriend. Complete with deepfake photos, Brielle creates the perfect boyfriend, and no one needs to know he’s entirely fictional. They just need to believe she met him over summer vacation, and he lives somewhere in North Carolina. Only he doesn’t. When baseball catcher, Brooks Mason shows up at high school, a lookalike to Brielle’s AI boyfriend, her entire world becomes a dog-eared, bent pages book nightmare.
Brooks is getting sick of all the girls at school wanting to date him. He wants to play ball and hang out. So, yeah. It makes sense to help Brielle out. Fake date? Why not? But once together, dating for show becomes an act that both Brielle and Brooks aren’t quite prepared for, and dealing with unexpected attraction, complicated situations, and interfering aunts and bffs?
It’s a grand slam of problems just waiting to happen, plus a game-changing shot at a championship home run at love.
** CLEAN YA Rom-Com Fiction you can read without skipping a page **
Excerpt
“Are you cold?” Brooks dropped his gear bag and bent over it. Rummaging around, he tugged out his sweatshirt. It was navy blue with the name of his old high school on the front. Before I could say, “no” or “thank you” or “yes, please,” he had scrunched it up in his hands and tugged the hoodie down over my head. My baseball cap got stuck at the neck opening, and then it flipped off my head and onto the ground as he tugged. The sweatshirt settled on my shoulders, and he finally let go of it. “Put your arms in. You’ll get warm.”
It was so off-handed, so nonchalant, like it wasn’t anything any normal, decent human being wouldn’t have also done. But as Brooks bent to retrieve my cap that lay on the ground, I slid my arms into the sleeves and inhaled the smell of laundry detergent and . . . Brooks Mason. It smelled like what I imagined palm trees and ocean spray might smell like. To die for.
Title:The Cinderella Plot Author:Pepper Basham Publisher: independently published Release Date: March 19, 2026 Genre: Young Adult Romantic Comedy
Paisley Harper is invisible.
Not in a superpower way. More like the people-look-right-through-you-in-the-hallway kind of way.
She’s the girl with the oversized cardigan, random book knowledge, and the uncanny ability to tutor the school’s star quarterback without actually being seen as anything more than helpful. Meanwhile, her aunt and uncle’s beloved small-town bookstore is under threat from a shiny corporate chain, her best friend keeps giving her looks that feel suspiciously loaded, and Homecoming is looming like a glittery reminder that senior year is running out…and she’s never been kissed.
Enter The Cinderella Plot—a wildly popular self-help book promising total transformation in five easy steps. New hair. New confidence. New life. Maybe even… a date.
With nothing to lose (except her dignity), Paisley decides to follow the plan. Because if fairy tales have taught her anything, it’s that invisible girls don’t get happy endings unless they change something first.
But as Paisley starts stepping into the spotlight, she has to ask herself an important question:
What if being seen comes at the cost of being herself?
Full of heart, humor, bookish charm, and small-town magic, The Cinderella Plot is a romcom about friendship, first love, faith, and discovering that sometimes the greatest transformation isn’t becoming someone new—it’s realizing you were worthy all along.
** CLEAN YA Rom-Com Fiction you can read without skipping a page **
Excerpt
It’s Homecoming Week, which means Spirit Days—a torture device designed by extroverts to terrify introverts on a daily basis by drawing attention to them through costumes. Jokes on them, though. They underestimate nerd-love of dressing up, which is definitely in my favor, because the fashion rules are not only spelled out but eccentric.
Monday: Favorite book/movie character day.
I don’t know how this is related to school spirit, but I’m totally here for it. Go Jayhawks!
With my blue 1930s-style dress (courtesy of Aunt Diane’s thrift shop expertise) hitting just below my knee, cinched at the waist with a thin belt, my hair straightened and flipped out at the ends—as close to classic Nancy Drew as I could manage without a time machine—and a magnifying glass tucked in my belt, I’m not only ready for Spirit Day.
I’m ready for crime-solving.
Which is an important factor this week.
But as I walk toward my locker, I stop dead.
Standing in front of it is Chris.
But not like I’ve ever seen him before.
Ever.
I almost whimper.
He’s full-on Regency. Complete with the long coat, vest, the works.
My poor little heart takes off on a marathon I was not prepared to run. He looks amazing, and he even styled his hair. I am so not prepared!
Chris looks up from his phone, a slow grin spreading across his face as he sees me and my knees make jelly seem sturdy. Forget about feet sweating. My whole body just erupted!
“Nancy Drew?”
Who? I blink and then look down at my outfit. Right. Me.
Of course he’d know. Because he knows me.
I’m still trying to find my voice beneath complete air-loss. Wow. He looks fantastic.
Dashing, even.
Last time I’d seen him he was loopy and drooling on a pillow. This is…different.
“Yeah.” I manage.
“Need a Watson?”
Dear heavens, I nearly melt to the floor on the spot. Who knew this Chris was hiding behind my best friend Chris? How did I not… How…
Clearly, my brain capacity was going the way of my oxygen supply.
“Wrong detective.” I gesture to where Molly is posing for photos in her own sleuthing costume, hoping my voice isn’t as high-pitched as it sounds to my ears. “And I think Watson’s already taken.”
“Fair enough.” He’s still smiling, gaze searching my face. Is there something different in those eyes? “Well, if you need backup on your case, Nancy… I’m around.”
Was he…flirting? Because, I didn’t come prepared for that today. Or ever.
“I would love that.”
Major fail. Still high-pitched. Cinderella’s mice have nothing on me.
I clear my throat. “But… we’ll have to time travel, because you’re—” I wave toward his ensemble and check him out all over again. “Mr. Darcy?”
“Knightley, actually.”
And there goes my airflow again. “Mr. Knightley?” I squeak.
“Yeah, I like him better than Darcy. He’s more my kind of guy.”
My mind stutters to a complete stop. How have we never talked about Austen before? Disney princesses? Yes. Star Wars? Yes. Lord of the Rings? Of course. But not Austen.
I feel as though I need to encourage this on a regular, self-torture-style basis.
Though it tracks. Totally. He is more of a Mr. Knightley than a Mr. Darcy.
My silence must push him to clarify. “Don’t get me wrong, Darcy’s great and all. But Mr. Knightley? He’s underrated.”
Jaime Jo Wright is a multi-award-winning author of gothic historical mystery novels that weave suspense through dual timelines. Her debut novel, The House on Foster Hill (2017), won both the prestigious Christy Award and the Daphne du Maurier Award, establishing her as a compelling voice in inspirational fiction. An ECPA and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author, Wright specializes in chilling mysteries stained with history’s secrets, drawing readers into haunting tales set primarily in turn-of-the-century Wisconsin. Her work has earned praise from Publishers Weekly for skillfully wrapping intricate mysteries around dual timelines with enough surprises to captivate lovers of gothic fiction. When she isn’t writing mysteries, she co-authors YA RomCom with her teenage daughter, Chloe JoAnne, with a passion to provide sweet and witty romance for teenagers with no apologies needed. Residing in Wisconsin’s rural woodlands with her husband and their two children, Wright is a self-proclaimed coffee enthusiast and lover of all of her rescued felines.
Connect with Jaime Jo by visiting jaimewrightbooks.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email updates.
Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance “peppered” with grace and humor. Writing both historical and contemporary novels, she loves to incorporate her native Appalachian culture and/or her unabashed adoration of the UK into her stories. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of southwestern VA, where she is the wife, mom to five great kids, a speech-language pathologist, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus.
Connect with Pepper by visiting pepperdbasham.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email updates.
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive a prize pack of Brielle’s Faves (an signed copy of Love & Baseball, a copy of Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, a Milwaukee Brewers lanyard, and a Brewers Christian Yelich baseball card) and Paisley’s Faves (a signed copy of The Cinderella Plot, a Cinderella carriage jewelry holder, and a beautiful copy of Emma by Jane Austen)!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight March 2, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on March 9, 2026. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Happy Tuesday! TTT‘s topic today is bookish quotes. I regularly participate in First Line Friday hosted by Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower. What a great way to introduce new books to readers! So today, I am including some of the best first lines from the past few months. I hope you find a book to pique your interest.
I deeply regret to confirm that your son Lance Corporal Mark James Taylor died in Vietnam 1 November 1968.
All We Thought We Knew by Michelle Shocklee
Viola Chambers had always wondered at what point in the dying process a person understood they weren’t long for this world, and now she’d give anything to unlearn it.
The Bitter End Birding Society by Amanda Cox
“The sea never gives back what it claims . . .”
Deadly Currents by Elizabeth Goddard
A shrill sound pierced the night, sweeping through the house like the unearthly wail of a banshee.
Dragonfly Ashes by C. C. Warrens
Lizbeth Bennet clutched the handle of the wicker basket with hope.
The Heart of Bennet Hollow by Joanne Bischof DeWitt
No one knew that Carol Langstrom hated Christmas.
Once Upon a Christmas Carol by Melody Carlson
Natasha shifted uncomfortably on the rock floor of the icy cave, shoving her gloved hands under her armpits to keep warm.
Queen of Hearts by Heather Day Gilbert
Death had always been fashionable.
Specters in The Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright
Pandemonium has broken out in the streets of New York City.
Under The Tulip Tree by Michelle Shocklee
When I was eight, I watched my mother disappear in fading pixels.
Happy Tuesday! Today TTT is featuring book covers with interesting typography. What is typography, you may ask? From Google AI —
Typography is the art and technique of arranging type to make written language legible, readable, and visually appealing.
There were a lot of different directions to go with this topic, but I finally narrowed it down to titles with two or more fonts. While some are more subtle than others, the visual interest really grabbed my eye. What do you think?
Happy Tuesday! 2026 has already been one long year and we aren’t even half way through January. If you’ve noticed I’ve been quiet here on the blog, it’s because my MIL fell and suffered a subdural hematoma on the 3rd. She is back at her care facility and is receiving excellent care, but I would appreciate any prayers you lift up. She is 97 years old and the toll of the injury has really impacted her. I will probably be in an out of the blogosphere for the foreseeable future.
But today I have a bit of free time and listing my most anticipated books of the first half of 2026. I long to get lost in a good book! What books are you looking forward to?
Happy last Tuesday of 2025! How is it the year is over?! I had a great year of reading and of course acquiring books. My physical, Kindle, and NetGalley shelves overflow. Today on my TTT post I am featuring the last books to hit my NetGalley shelf. I know, I need to get reading. Let me know what you think of the latests additions.
Happy Tuesday! This week TTT bloggers are posting about Thanksgiving and thankfulness. I have done a lot of these posts through the year and just couldn’t seem to come up with anything fresh. So . . . I am spelling out THANKGIVING with titles from books I am thankful for. The authors created books that made me smile, laugh out loud, and cry. They made me think and examine and ponder. They entertained and educated. So a big thanks to all on my list!
Top Book Titles That Spell Thanksgiving
T — Truth Be Told by Patricia Raybon
H— The Heart of Bennet Hollow by Joanne Bischof DeWitt
A — The All American by Susie Finkbeiner
N — The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner
K — The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan
S — The Stories We Carry by Robin Pearson
G — Guilty Until Innocent by Robert Whitlow
I — The Indigo Heiress by Laura Frantz
V— The Vanished by Cara Putman
I— Indigo Isle by T. I. Lowe
N — Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jaime Jo Wright
Happy Friday! I reviewed Specters in The Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright last week, but failed to post the first line in a timely fashion. So here it is — the first line of an atmospheric dual timeline novel with all the spookiness you could love. It’s a great line of an equally great book!
Death had always been fashionable.
AN OMINOUS BUTTERFLY HOUSE. A SINISTER LEGACY. AN UNTRACEABLE KILLER.
In 1921, Marian Arnold, the heiress to a brewing baron’s empire, seeks solace in the glass butterfly house on her family’s Wisconsin estate as Prohibition and the deaths of her parents cast a long shadow over her shrinking world. When Marian’s sanctuary is invaded by nightmarish visions, she grapples with the line between hallucinations of things to come and malevolent forces at play in the present.
With dead butterflies as the killer’s ominous signature, murders unfold at a steady pace. Marian, fearful she might be next, enlists the help of her childhood friend Felix, a war veteran with his own haunted past.
In the present day, researcher Remy Shaw becomes entangled in an elderly biographer’s quest to uncover the truth behind Marian Arnold’s mysterious life and the unsolved murders linked to an infamous serial killer. Joined by Marian’s great-great-grandson, can Remy expose the evil that lurks beneath broken wings?
Or will the dark legacy surrounding the manor and its glass house destroy yet another generation?
Jaime Jo Wright, multi award-winning author–including the Christy and Daphne du Maurier awards–is a coffee-fueled and cat-fancier extraordinaire. She has entwined her life with the legendary Captain Hook, residing serenely in Wisconsin’s rural woodlands. Her literary vocation involves penning chilling Gothic tales, a baffling change from that of Austenites, with a strong preference to the master of dark, Edgar Allan Poe. Two mischievous urchins adorn their family, who keep their mother on her toes – providing an exhilarating amount chaos.
Many of the books I review are provided to me free of charge from publishers, authors, or other groups in return for a review. The opinions expressed in the reviews are mine and mine alone. No monetary consideration is given. This disclaimer is in accordance with FTC rules.
I am an Amazon.com affiliate, which means that I earn a small percentage of the sales from products purchased through links on my site. I NEVER recommend a book in order to receive a profit. Proceeds from affiliate sales help to defray operating costs of the blog.
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