Can't Wait Wednesday: Change of Plans

Can't Wait Wednesday is hosted by Wishful Endings and helps us spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.   

 

Change of Plans by Sarah Dessen

Pub. Date: May 5, 2026

 

Goodreads says, "Finley has always felt most comfortable in someone else’s shadow. Fortunately, she’s got Colin, her magnetic boyfriend, who sweeps her along for activities, friendships, and future plans. Then she goes on a last-minute trip with her distant mom to a family vacation house that Finley didn’t know existed and is now about to be sold.

Her mom was estranged from her own parents and siblings since leaving home for college, and it’s a novelty for Finley to see her aunts and cousins, and to meet the handful of teens who work at the Egg, her aunt’s diner, and make up a found family of their own—including undeniably handsome guitarist Ben.

Then her relationship with Colin goes into freefall, and Finley’s roadmap for life after high school is gone. She has no choice but to live, for the first time, without plans. The longer Finley stays, the closer she gets to the truth about why her mother stayed away—and why she’s brought Finley here now.

And the closer she grows to new friends at the Egg, the more she starts to fall for charmingly awkward, soulful Ben and to realize how much of herself she’s been missing. By the end of the summer, nothing will be the same—for this community or for Finley herself."

 

Cue all the excitement! Sarah Dessen has been, hands down, one of my favorite YA authors for years. I adore her novels, and I’m thrilled she finally has another book coming out. I’ve really missed them. How about you? Are you a Sarah Dessen fan, and do you plan to read Change of Plans?

 

Blog Tour: Anne of a Different Island

 

I love all things Anne of Green Gables, so I when I heard about Virginia Kantra's new novel, Anne of a Different Island, it was a no-brainer for me to join Berkley's blog tour showcasing this new novel. I can't wait to read this Anne inspired tale about Anne Gallagher, who learns to be the heroine of her own life. Plus, I love the idyllic Mackinac Island setting; it's a perfect wintertime escape.

 

Learn More About the Book:

Anne of a Different Island by Virginia Kantra

Pub. Date: January 20, 2026

 

Goodreads says, "She believed life could follow a plotline—until the story she was living unraveled.

Anne Gallagher has always lived by the book. Anne of Green Gables, that is. Growing up on Mackinac Island, she saw herself as her namesake: the same impulsive charm, the same wild imagination, even the same red hair (dyed, but still). She followed in Anne Shirley’s fictional footsteps, chasing dreams of teaching and writing, and falling for her very own storybook hero.

But when a string of real-life plot twists—a failing romance, a fight with the administration, and the sudden death of her beloved father—pulls her back to the island she once couldn’t wait to leave, Anne is forced to face a truth no story ever prepared her for. Sometimes, life doesn’t follow a script.

Back in the house she grew up in, Anne must confront her past and the people she left behind, including Joe Miller, the boy who once called her “The Pest.” It’s time to figure out what she wants and rewrite her story to create her own happy ending. Not the book version. The real one."

 

You can learn more about Virginia Kantra by visiting her website and connecting with on Instagram and Facebook. You can purchase your own copy of Anne of a Different Island at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Bookshop.   

Is Anne of a Different Island on your winter TBR list and are you an Anne Shirley fan too? Let me know in the comments!”

 

20 Fantastic Domestic Thrillers

 

There’s something about the cold months of January and February that makes them the perfect time to dive into a domestic thriller. As winter sets in each year, I find myself gravitating toward these kinds of reads. With so many excellent psychological and domestic thrillers out there, I’ve narrowed the list to my 20 favorites, plus some promising picks from my overflowing TBR. I've linked the title to my review when possible. 

 

1. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

 

2. The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

 

3. Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

 

4. Verity by Colleen Hoover

 

5. None of This is True by Lisa Jewell

 

6. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

 

7. The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

 

8. The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

 

9. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

 

10. The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

 

11. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

 

12. The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

 

13. The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth

 

14. The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

 

15. Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

 

16. The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

 

17. The Other Woman by Sandie Jones

 

18. His & Hers by Alice Feeney

 

19. Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister

 

20. Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman

 

 

On the TBR:

 

1. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

2. The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

3. Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

 

 

4. The Couple Next Door by Sari Lapena

5. The Push by Ashley Audrain

6. The Water Lies by Amy Meyerson

 

 Shop All Books Here:

 

Let me know if you enjoyed any of these books as well in the comments below and be sure to share any recommendations with me, too.  

 

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Romance Revival

Can't Wait Wednesday is hosted by Wishful Endings and helps us spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.   

The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren

Pub. Date: July 14, 2026

 

 

Goodreads says, "Three years ago, Emery Finch did something completely out of character: She got married. To Luca—the impossibly charming landscaper she met on one blistering night in Vegas who made her laugh, made her dance, made her feel.

But now, Emery is consumed by her top-secret job, missing dinners, forgetting anniversaries, and promising herself Luca will understand once her cutting-edge research comes to light. Until the unthinkable happens: A tragic accident takes Luca from her.

Desperate not to lose him, Emery breaks every rule to bring him back. And Luca would probably thank her for it, if only he could remember her. Their first kiss, their Sunny Sundays at the beach, the life they built together...all of it is gone.

It may be a miracle of science, but for Emery it’s her one shot at a second chance. And this time, she won’t waste it—because true love is always worth reviving."

 

 

This summer’s new releases are already looking outstanding! Christina Lauren has a new novel on the way, and it seems like the perfect book to toss in your beach bag. Tell me in the comments if will you be reading it and if are you a Christina Lauren fan?

 

Book Review: The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage

Genre: Adult Fiction/Audiobook

Pub. Date: December 2, 2025

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Source: Personal Copy

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "Lexi Villiers is a 29-year-old Englishwoman doing her medical residency in Hobart, working too hard, worried about her bank balance, and living with friends. It's a good life, and getting even better, because as the dawn is breaking on New Year's Day, Lexi is about to kiss the man she loves for the very first time.

But by midnight, everything will change. Because Lexi is in fact not an ordinary young woman. She is Princess Alexandrina, third in line to the British throne - albeit estranged from the rest of her family and living in voluntary exile on the other side of the world. But following a terrible accident, Lexi - the black sheep of her family and, until this moment, always destined to be the spare - is now the heir apparent, first in line to the throne once her grandmother, the elderly Queen, dies. Called back to do her duty, she arrives in London to a Palace riven with power plays and media leaks, all the while guarding painful secrets of her own. Palace waters are treacherous, rumours are rife, and selling each other's secrets is a family tradition. And with the Crown just within her grasp, Lexi must choose what bonds she will keep ... and what she is willing to leave behind."

 

Lexi Villiers is a medical doctor in Australia living on an idyllic vineyard in Tasmania. She is estranged from her family due to her life choices, but is living a happy life without them in Australia; she even has a sort-of boyfriend and a promising career. Except her family isn't just any family; it's the British Royal Family. One day, a helicopter lands on the property delivering the bad news that her father (the future King), her twin brother, and his best friend have all died in a tragic skiing accident due to an avalanche. Lexi's world is turned upside down, and her grandmother, the Queen, summons her home to England. Lexi is now the heir apparent, should she choose to take the title; she has one year to decide. If she doesn't accept it and all that it brings, the title falls to her awful uncle Richard. Once Lexi is back in England, all of the reasons why she left come flooding back to her, not to mention all the difficult emotions she has to deal with regarding the loss of her brother and father. This is all triggering to her in that she lost her mother, and the circumstances surrounding her death are still issues that plague her to this day. Also, she has to deal with her grieving and angry sister-in-law, her power-hungry uncle, her grandmother, and all the tabloids that harass the Royal Family at every turn. Ultimately, the question that stresses her out is whether she will accept the title as the heir apparent or choose to pass it along to her uncle. What will happen to her perfect life in Tasmania and her almost-boyfriend, Jack? Can she have it all? Rebecca Armitage's The Heir Apparent is an absorbing audiobook that fans of the Royal Family will enjoy.
 
Lexi has to return to the very life she tried to escape to pursue a career as a doctor, and when she returns, the problems are still there. The grief around her mother's death, now her brother's and father's death, and all the family issues that made her escape to Australia bubble back up to the surface. Lexi is reminded that no matter how far you travel, you still can't escape your problems. Her former life as a doctor is still calling to her, not to mention Jack, and she wonders if she can make this all work. Or does she have to give up her previous life? Heavy is the head that wears the crown!

So many moments in The Heir Apparent felt like they were ripped straight from the tabloids about the Royal Family. It's obvious Armitage has a wealth of knowledge regarding the British Royal Family; however, at times it felt a little too similar - almost fan fiction. Nonetheless, as a Royal Family lover, I enjoyed being lost in a world full of court intrigue, family secrets, tabloids, and extreme wealth.
 
My main issue with The Heir Apparent is the length. The plot meandered too many times around the same plot point, and at times, it got tedious. 416 pages were too much, in my opinion, and due to this, the pacing was uneven despite Shakira Shute's excellent narration of the audiobook.
 
Royal family lovers will especially soak up all the family drama in The Heir Apparent and appreciate the similarities to the current British Royal Family. Have you read The Heir Apparent? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.