Wednesday, September 9, 2026

Could You Be Mine Review


Could You Be Mine?

Vancity Fire

Sophie L. Henderson

 

She’s the boss of the Vancity Tide lacrosse team. He’s the team captain—and the firefighter who’s never failed anyone. There are a hundred reasons why their steamy encounter has to stay a secret. But number one? Her dad owns the team…

Seren is on the brink of career disaster. The general manager job she’s worked her entire life for is about to slip away. The season is unraveling and she’s been given an ultimatum—make it to the playoffs or lose her dream job forever. But keeping her head in the game would be so much easier if she wasn’t falling for her star player. And he hadn’t told her he was falling too…

Brad Holt is the team captain. Nicknamed ‘Fixer’, he holds everything together, whether it’s on the lacrosse floor, at the fire hall or at home with his family. Being steady was his whole identity—until the night things crossed the line with Seren. Now he’s in a tailspin, failing in every arena that matters. All because she’s the one problem he can’t fix. And the one person who might actually break him for good.

As the final games of the season loom over Seren and Brad, and a clip of a heated kiss goes viral, their carefully crafted defence crumbles around them. With seconds left on the clock, a win could change everything. But if they lose, they lose it all…

A completely swoon-worthy and steamy forbidden love sports romance that fans of Hannah Grace, Stephanie Archer and Amy Daws will totally fall for.

Perfect for fans of:

🖤 Forbidden romance 🖤

💋 He’s already fallen 💋

🎇 Forced proximity 🎇

💖 Sports romance 💖

🔥Spicy slow burn🔥


My thoughts:

This is a fun, light romance novel with just enough tension and danger to make it interesting.
 
Seren and Brad have been interested in each other for months, but have done virtually nothing because of their jobs. Brad is the captain for Seren's lacrosse team, and is know as a fixer, both on and off the field. Yet he never allows anyone to help him, no matter how much he's hurt or in the weeds. 
 
Seren is desperately trying to accomplish her goals and show her father that she can manage a professional lacrosse team, and hopefully make him proud of her at the same time. But will a chance at happiness with Brad burn it all down? 
 
This story is part of a series, which I didn't know when I started it, but I felt like I didn't need to read the previous books in order to understand this one. It was a bit sportier than I would normally read, so that was a stretch for me, but the descriptions are well done, so I didn't feel like I was missing out on understanding what was happening.
 
Overall a solid, enjoyable read that will have me coming back to read more of her books! 

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy. 

 

Readers love Could You Be Mine?:

“An absolute, glowing 5-star review!… delicious, highly addictive… incredible heat straight to your Kindle screen!… an absolute masterpiece!… I honestly could not put it down… completely hooked from the very first page to the last… pure perfection!… incredible, high-heat spice… absolute top-tier. It delivers everything a contemporary romance fan could ever ask for.” thelitwhisperer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Ohhh, this book! 😍🔥… Exactly the kind of steamy, forbidden, slow-burn sports romance that had me completely hooked!… watching these two try to resist each other was EVERYTHING! 😍🔥 The chemistry between Seren and Brad was absolutely sizzling 🔥 … Addictive… fun, swoon-worthy and seriously spicy romance… You absolutely need this on your TBR!” NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“HOT, HOT, HOT! 🔥 The chemistry between Seren and Brad was incredible… A steamy, addictive romance that kept my turning the pages!” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I am obsessed… completely stole my heart!… 🔥 Oh, the chemistry is unmatched… seriously hot… read this immediately!” Mvlreads, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I absolutely adored this!” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I was completely hooked and from that point in, I was wanting to read more and more.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I read this book from cover to cover and stayed up to finish it!… I loved it.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I was hooked from the first page right to the end… a gripping read.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Love, love, loved this.” Amsjadee.reads, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 
Author Bio

Sophie L. Henderson

Sophie L. Henderson writes steamy romcoms full of chaos, heart, and characters who swear a little too much to be considered polite. Originally from a tiny village in England, she spent seventeen years wrangling jazz hands as a drama teacher before finally listening to the voice in her head (the one telling her to write, not the one asking for another snack). She now lives in Vancouver with her husband, where she’s embraced views of snowcapped mountains from the beach, over-invests in the hockey, and talks to hummingbirds like they’re her best friends.
 






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Sunday, September 6, 2026

The Paper House Review


The Paper House

Barbara Josselsohn


 

It was a shop full of wonder; sheets of colorful paper, pots of ink on every surface, and spools of ribbon suspended on gleaming brass hooks. But it was even more magical when it was filled with people. Rumor was that the owner, Tilly, could send letters to long-lost loved ones if you penned them on the long wooden desk…

Everyone on the island would go there, not just to buy writing supplies, but to write these letters. To the people they’d not been able to say goodbye to, to the people they wished would come home. The Paper House was a place for grieving, for remembering, for forgiving.

And now, years later, as Kayla reopens the beautiful front door, and feels the memories of her Great Aunt Tilly come flooding back, it has the chance to become a place for someone who lost everything to finally find herself again.

If only Kayla can find the courage to face the ghosts of the past…

A compelling and captivating novel full of heart, imagination and magic, The Paper House is perfect for fans of The Lost Bookshop, The Glass House and The Keeper of Lost Things.

My thoughts:

This book is a beautiful multi-generational, multi-timeline story centered around The Paper House. Inside The Paper House, people can step back in time to write letters on beautiful stationery, with all of the pens, ribbons, papers, and decorations that they could ever imagine.
 
Yet it's far more than a stationery store, as it's a place to sit and write and be with your community. Even if you're writing to those who have long passed, or who you have no way to send the letter to, the act of writing the letter makes a huge difference to you. 
 
Yet this shop is shrouded in mystery, and the new owner has to figure out what happened, and make big decisions about the future, both for herself and for the store.
 
This story is very well written, yet it includes lots of heartbreak, pain, and regret. It includes wartime stories and general life, and definitely makes me feel like I should have been reading it on paper, instead of an electronic device! Overall a wonderful story, with love, loss, family, friends, and mystery all rolled into one.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy. 

What readers are saying about Barbara Josselsohn:

“A book to be devoured, once you begin you won’t be able to stop until the last page is turned… Heart-warming, feel-good… A must-read… I absolutely loved this.” Page-Turners Book Reviews by Caroline, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I loved this book, it captured my heart from the minute I started reading it… I couldn’t put this down… absolutely brilliant.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I am at loss of words to explain how I felt about this book… Loved… Amazing… A wonderful masterpiece. This book will stay with me for a long time.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Completely stole my heart from the very first page!… absolutely fantastic and had me hooked right from the beginning… perfect, emotional… brought tears to my eyes and joy to my heart. This book is a stunning, unforgettable read that I will be thinking about for a long time!” heidireadsitall, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I devoured this beauty in a day! Talk about being hooked to a book!… Had me from the first page and didn’t let go!… Will tug at the heart.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Totally enchanting. I was immediately under the spell of the characters… Gorgeous… will capture your heart.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Enchanting… phenomenal… magic… I cannot recommend it enough.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Phenomenal… Grabbed my attention immediately and had me eagerly flipping pages by the end of the first chapter!… There’s so much to love about this story!” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Absolutely gorgeous and page-turning… Enchanting… Captivating… I honestly couldn’t get enough! … Spellbinding!” Goodreads reviewer,

 

Author Bio

Barbara Josselsohn

Barbara Josselsohn is an award-winning journalist and novelist who loves crafting stories about strong protagonists facing a fork in the road. Her novels center around second chances, family relationships and, of course, romance. 

 

She is the author of the Lake Summers series set in the fictional town of Lake Summers, nestled in the Adirondacks Mountains, which includes the books The Lilac House and The Bluebell Girls. Before joining with Bookouture, she published The Last Dreamer, a women’s-fiction novel from Lake Union Publishing, along with hundreds of articles and essays in major and regional publications about family, home and relationships. 

 

She lives just north of New York City and enjoys escaping to the beach or the mountains whenever she can. Other than writing, her biggest passion is her family: husband, her three kids, and her indefatigable shih-poo!

 






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Tuesday, September 1, 2026

The Work Husband Book Review


The Work Husband

Sophie Ranald



 

You’re just friends that work together. Nothing more. Right?

When Georgia’s boyfriend Sam tells her he’s meeting up with his ex, she’s living every girlfriend’s worst nightmare. Because it’s not just any ex, it’s his first love – the relationship everyone thought would last forever. Convinced she’s one pinot-grigio-fuelled evening away from having to argue custody of their beloved cat, she turns to her work husband for help.

Jamie fixes all Georgia’s work crises (like that time she jammed the printer so badly it started smoking…) so when he suggests faking a romance to make Sam jealous, she’s all ears. After all, he’s already her work husband, how hard can it be to pretend he’s something more?

From flirty texts to a dangerous number of G&Ts in the local pub, Jamie’s declarations of love soon start to get out of hand. Suddenly, Georgia’s not sure her work husband was the best choice to help her keep hold of her (hopefully) future husband.

Georgia has watched enough romcoms to know office romances are not a good idea and, as she soon finds out, even fake ones can be dangerous… Is she prepared for what happens when fake dating turns out to be not so fake after all?

A totally heartwarming contemporary romance, perfect for anyone who has ever thought about crossing the line at work. Perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Sophie Kinsella and Mhairi McFarlane.


My thoughts:

Georgia and Sam have been together for quite some time, live together, and have a happy life. Yet when Sam mentions that he's going to visit his ex but refuses to say any more, Georgia begins to worry.

Enter her good friend and work husband Jamie, who claims that making Sam jealous will bring him back to her. Georgia thinks it's a crazy idea that won't work, but eventually caves when Sam keeps running off to be at another woman's beck and call.

Will the plan succeed or blow up in their faces? Will Georgia pick the right guy and have her Happy Ever After?

I greatly enjoyed this book. I read it quickly, laughed out loud, teared up, and once wanted to throw my e-reader across the room in frustration (I don't recommend this btw!) It was somewhat predictable, as you'll often find with books of this type, but definitely was not what I expected at the end!  

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy. 

Readers are loving The Work Husband:

‘Knocked my socks off in a good way… I sobbed in places, laughed in others… I cringed thinking oh my god. I devoured this book in one sitting.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I could not put this book down! It was absolutely amazing… I loved every minute of it… Amazing.’ Bookish_jessx, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I couldn’t put it down and I read it in one sitting. I loved.’ Emmas_books_and_more, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Brilliant… I couldn’t help smiling.’ _believeinyourshelf, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Charming and laugh-out-loud… perfectly combines workplace banter, fake dating, and heartfelt romance.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 
Author Bio

Sophie Ranald

Sophie Ranald is the youngest of five sisters. She was born in Zimbabwe and lived in South Africa until an acute case of itchy feet brought her to London in her mid-20s. As an editor for a customer publishing agency, Sophie developed her fiction-writing skills describing holidays to places she’d never visited. In 2011, she decided to disregard all the good advice given to aspiring novelists and attempt to write full-time.

After one false start, It Would Be Wrong to Steal My Sister’s Boyfriend (Wouldn’t It?) seemed to write itself. Four further novels followed, and she became part of the Bookouture family in 2018. Sophie also writes for magazines and online about food, fashion, finance and fitness. She lives in south-east London with her amazing partner Hopi and Purrs, their adorable little cat.

 




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