Happy Tuesday! Today’s TTT topic is book titles that describe me or my life. Uh, no! LOL! I read a lot of mystery/suspense and those titles can be seriously scary. And besides, I am a huge rule follower — just ask my husband, the man who never saw a rule that couldn’t in some fashion be broken. 😉 So I decided to flip the topic and go with titles that would describe my evil twin aka alter ego. This was a fun post to put together. I hope you enjoy it and find a great book to read.
If I was one to take on a life of crime, I would want to be thought of as a member of TheQueens of Crime. In pursuit of the lofty title I’d travel to Scotland and perpetrate a Highland Heist. Not sure if that would include a few shaggy cows, but who knows what a thief could discover among the heather. I might Ambush a man in a kilt to help me carry all the loot, making sure I hide my identity and not let on An Appearance of Impropriety. I must maintain an air of integrity and not get caught! But if I’m found out and pursued by the coppers, I’ll make sure my crimes are well Hidden by a Canyon of Deceit so I am not forced into Taking A Second Shot to fend them off. A good criminal must be able ToOutwit Them All! If I’m not successful, the authorities will say that Death Follows Her and I may be presumed Guilty Until Innocent .
Here’s a tip: the authors of these books are way better at telling tales than I am. Check out their fabulous books!
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.
Happy Tuesday! Today’s TTT topic is buzzwords — words attributed to a book that make you want to read it. With a little tweaking of the topic, I am bringing to you books that might appeal to you if you are looking for a specific trope or plot device. There are 5 buzzwords but 10 books of a variety of genres! I hope my list achieves its goal to make you want to read them immediately! 😉
Happy Tuesday and happy St. Patrick’s Day! Today TTT bloggers are sharing books with green covers. I am hitting the review archives and my TBR shelves to bring books featuring greens of all shades. Some of the covers have more green than others, but I felt that green is what first strikes the eye.
Today’s topic is fitting not only for the holiday, but because my yard is GREEN! It’s cold today (for central Georgia) but flowers are in bloom and the trees are full of new leaves. Such a beautiful day! I hope you have one too, plus some reading inspiration.
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! Today TTT bloggers are celebrating all things romance with a Love Freebie! After many years of creating these posts it is a bit daunting to come up with something fresh. Today I am featuring romance novels — contemporary, historical, and suspense — that have part or whole of their settings on boats. You know, The Love Boat! 😉 Extra points for those whose characters cement their love on the open seas. Come aboard, they’re expecting you!
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 first Friday of 2026. To go with the New Year, I have a new book to bring you for First Line Friday — ABrewed Awakening, a contemporary romance from the Queen of Kissing Books, Pepper Basham. This one looks like so much fun! Look for it in May 2026.
Here’s the first (at least the to me) line:
Ladies did not drool over cars.
Daphne dreams of Mr. Darcy. Finn serves up pints and rock music. Can opposites attract when a tea shop princess meets her pub-owning rival?
In the charming mountain town of Wisteria, North Carolina, Daphne Austen clings to tradition like cream to a scone. She’s built her life–and her late grandmother’s tearoom, Tea Thyme–around all things English: delicate china, Jane Austen novels, and the comforting predictability of routine. The only thing threatening her perfectly ordered world? The loud, aggravatingly handsome Brit opening a pub next door.
After his ex-wife broke his heart and his business partner nearly destroyed his career, Finn Dashwood packed up his six-year-old daughter and left England behind. He’s looking for a fresh start, and the last thing he needs is a fussy, tea-obsessed neighbor criticizing his every pint and playlist. It doesn’t matter that she’s ridiculously kind (to everyone else) and that his daughter is utterly fascinated by her. Finn’s heart is not open to being broken again.
But disagreements turn into prank wars and then a competition when a high-profile wedding needs a last-minute caterer. The townsfolk are thrilled–Wisteria hasn’t seen this much excitement since the county fair lost a goat.
When the wedding demands both sweet and savory fare, Daphne and Finn are forced to put down their swords and pick up their serving trays. Between burnt pastries, brewing tempers, trending hashtags (#SipsAndSpats, anyone?), and one very adorable little girl, rivalry soon gives way to reluctant friendship–and maybe something that feels suspiciously like chemistry.
Can a tea shop princess and a pub owner with a past mix their lives as seamlessly as clotted cream and jam . . . or will their differences keep them steeped in rivalry forever?
Pepper Basham is a best-selling 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.
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’s TTT topic is Cozy/Atmospheric reads. When I see those two descriptors I think of very different types of books. Cozy makes me think of small communities, quirky characters, and a feel-good plot, regardless of genre. Atmospheric reads, to me, are ones in which the setting plays a big part of the plot, often setting the stage for spooky goings-on. I am going to focus on cozy books this week, and for next week’s Halloween Freebie, atmospheric novels.
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.
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