We Live and Breathe Books: Five Star Friday

Five Star Friday is my version of the monthly wrap-up. On the first Friday of each month, I will share my five-star reads from the previous month. Fingers crossed, I have lots of books to tell you about.

This month, I was able to read 22 books, and I had 4 five-star reads.

The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake by Rachel Linden
Published by Berkley on September 30, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Enchanted Realism
Rating: five-stars

Goodreads

A magical cookbook and a summer on her family’s Italian olive farm help a brokenhearted social media chef cook up a satisfying new life in this delectable novel from the bestselling author of Recipe for a Charmed Life.

Rising star Jules Costa loves re-creating vintage recipes for her popular online cooking show. But when personal and professional disaster strikes, her only chance of saving her career is to complete her new cookbook before the end of the summer. Panicked, Jules returns to her family’s beloved olive farm on the shores of Italy’s stunning Lake Garda. Seeking culinary inspiration, she's hoping to convince her spunky eighty-year-old Nonna Bruna to share her precious collection of family recipes.

Jules’ plans quickly go awry as she discovers Nonna’s cookbook has magical and unpredictable powers. It only reveals one recipe at a time, offering a cooking experience guaranteed to satisfy the chef’s palate and bring clarity to their life. Yet it remains stubbornly blank for Jules. To make matters worse, the olive farm is in deep financial trouble, and Jules soon uncovers a web of family secrets involving the cookbook and a lost recipe for orange blossom cake that holds the key to everything. And Nicolo, the boy next door who broke her young heart, is now all grown up, even more attractive, and the only person poised to help her find answers.

In a whirlwind summer beyond her imagination, Jules begins to unravel the mysteries baked into her family’s history and discovers the essential ingredients to create the future of her dreams.

Linden's books are always wonderful and feel-good, and she did it again with The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake. Loved the Italian setting, but I loved the family focus even more. Family, food, a sweet romance, and a touch of magic made this one a hit for me.

The Blonde Who Came in From the Cold by Ally Carter
Published by Avon on August 5, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Action/Adventure
Rating: five-stars

Goodreads

Ten years ago, they joined the CIA.

Six years ago, he left the game.

Five years ago, they fell in love.

One year ago, she ran out into the cold with absolutely no intention of ever coming back.

And two minutes ago, they woke up, bloody and bruised and handcuffed together in the dark.

They don’t know where they are. They don’t know how they got there. And they have absolutely no idea who is after them or what this nameless, faceless villain wants.

The only thing that’s clear is that, after ten years of covers and chemistry, secrets and lies, these two rival spies have been sucked into their greatest mission yet, and now they’re going to have to team up to stay alive. (If they don’t kill each other first.)

Ally Carter does it again! I actually didn't realize that I was returning to the world of the previous book, and as expected, I was excited when figured that out. Two spies falling in love is never simple, and I hung on every word of the long history shared bewteen Michael and Alex, and Carter flipped back and forth throughout, slowly allowing the full picture to form. Needless to say, I was cheering them on and biting my nails with each precarious encounter. Action packed while also being swoony and tender. I loved every second of it!

Never Over by Clare Gilmore
Published by St. Martin's Griffin on October 28, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Rating: five-stars

Goodreads

A swoony second-chance romance where facing the one who broke your heart could be the thing that makes your dream come true.

Twenty-five-year-old Paige Lancaster is one contract away from earning a living doing her favorite thing in the world: writing songs. But when a music industry professional suggests she might be holding back with her lyrics to lessen the heartbreak of an old flame, Paige doubts if her music is ready to be heard.

In a rare, impulsive move, Paige contacts Liam Bishop after four years of no contact to ask him for a small favor: date her, and then re-break her heart, all so she can remember what those big, songworthy emotions felt like. And since Liam is the one who first set Paige on this career path, he hesitantly agrees.

Across three months of Liam’s summer work travel, the exes are forced to share hotel beds, rehash the past, and date in the present, all while navigating the building attraction between them they both swore was the one line of their agreement they wouldn’t cross.

But when it becomes near impossible not to act on their rippling chemistry, and as ever intensifying feelings blur the lines of what’s actually real and what’s driven by the music, Paige and Liam will both have to decide what’s more important: art for the sake of it, or love over everything.

A second chance romance AND a road trip - these are two things I love, and they were combined for great results in Never Over. Even if I was not fully sold on the reason for their first break-up, I was super invested in this reunion. A road trip was a brilliant way to pushed this couple back together, but it was also a means for so many other bigger changes for the characters, especially Paige. Her journey was a good one, and I cannot complain with the outcome for everyone involved. I was thrilled to take this reunion tour and walk down memory lane with Paige and Liam where I swooned, smiled, and cheered while watching the sparks fly as they surrendered their hearts to each other.

Gracie Harris Is Under Construction by Kate Hash
Published by Dutton on July 29, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction
Rating: five-stars

Goodreads

In this resplendent debut novel, a beautiful love story unfolds for tenderhearted Gracie Harris—a mom of two and recent widow—as she navigates the unexpected curveballs that adulthood throws and takes her second chance to find love.

Gracie Harris never intended to become the queen of grief. But when an essay she writes the night of her husband Ben’s memorial goes viral, she lands a popular column on love and loss and an impressive book deal.

Now, the biggest tragedy of her life is the center of her world. With a looming book deadline and her kids at summer camp, Gracie escapes for a summer of solitude to the ramshackle mountain house she and Ben bought for their family before his death. When charming contractor Josh arrives on her doorstep to help renovate the home, Gracie discovers an unexpected connection that is energizing . . . and surprisingly flirtatious.

As her feelings and resilience grow, Gracie must decide whether she’s ready to embrace a new version of her life. Gracie’s first Happily Ever After didn’t last as long as she’d expected. Now she has to wonder: Could Josh be her chance for a second great love story?

I could not have picked a more perfect book for myself. I always adore a good healing journey but couple that with grief and loss, and I am fully onboard. Hash did such a beautiful job combining Gracie's personal journey, the happy and the sad, with a sweet romance. I had a wonderful time with Gracie who rebuilt herself as she rebuilt her house. This story highlighting her personal journey was told with warmth and humor and had me shedding the happy and sad tears.