Published by St. Martin's Press on November 4, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Enchanted Realism
Rating:
Goodreads
A detour. A chance encounter. Two women who alter the pages of each other’s story.
Juliet Nightingale is lucky to be alive. Months after a freak accident involving lightning, she’s fully recovered but is left feeling that something is missing from her life. Something big. Impulsively, she decides to take a solo summer road trip, hoping that the journey will lead her down a path that will help her discover exactly what it is that she’s searching for.
Newly single mom Tallulah Byrd Mayfield is hanging by a thread after her neat, tidy world was completely undone when her husband decided that their marriage was over. In the aftermath of the breakup, she and her two daughters move in with her eighty-year-old grandfather. Tallulah starts a new job at the Forget-Me-Not Library, where old, treasured memories can be found within the books—and where Lu must learn to adapt to the many changes thrown her way.
When a road detour leads Juliet to Forget-Me-Not, Alabama, and straight into Tallulah’s life, the two women soon discover there’s magic in between the pages of where you’ve been and where you still need to go. And that happiness, even when lost, can always be found again.
Tallulah was back in her hometown after her husband surprised her with a divorce trying to rebuild her life. Juliet had been living her life with a huge hole in her memories and her heart after surviving a side flash lightning strike. Both women were in need of healing and recovering the pieces of themselves that were lost, and the community of Forget-Me-Not, Alabama was the perfect place for them to take this journey.
I always feel happy and uplifted after finishing a Heather Webber book. She writes beautiful, feel-good stories about family, friendship, love, second chances, and community that never fail to tug at my heartstrings and fill me with joy.
I loved the idea of this town that held onto you until it thought you were healed enough to move on. That magical touch and the lore involving the Forget-Me-Not library were wonderful and utilized so well by Webber in this tale. As with all her books, the story was not overwhelmed by magic. There were just these lovely touches of it which were worked organically into the story. I simply could not resist the idea of the smell of books awakening important memories, or a broken down vehicle signaling that I had found my true love.
Forget-Me-Not was a special place, and it was packed with incredible citizens. I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite because I truly adored them all. The sweet little girl who named trees, the jolly old man at the end of his days, the meddling ladies who always meant well, the show-tune signing great grandfather - they all charmed their way into my heart, even the pets earned a space there! This town coursed with love, support, and affection for all, and I was so happy that Juliet and Lu had this lovely place where they could heal and figure out what was next for them.
Once again, Webber had worked her magic! The Forget-Me-Not Library made me smile from ear to ear while warming my heart and leaving me in a walking-on-sunshine mood.
Published by Atria Books on November 11, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating:
Goodreads
From the “masterly” (The New York Times) Jodi McAlister, a charming new romance about two English professors who embark on a fake relationship…only to discover that it may be harder to pretend than they realized.
Sadie Shaw and Jonah Fisher have been academic rivals since they first crossed paths as undergraduates in the literature department thirteen years ago. Now that a highly coveted teaching opportunity has come up, their rivalry hits epic proportions. Jonah needs the job to move closer to his recently divorced sister and her children, while Sadie needs the financial security and freedom of a full-time teaching position.
When Sadie notices that the job offers partner hire, however, she hatches a plot to get them both the job. All they must do is get legally married. It’s a simple win-win solution but when sparks begin to fly, it becomes clear that despite their education, these two may not have thought this whole thing through.
Perfect for fans of Ali Hazelwood, Abby Jimenez, and Kayla Olson, An Academic Affair brings Jodi McAlister’s “smart, scorching, and emotionally resonant” (Freya Marske, author of A Restless Truth) writing to the forefront and demonstrates her talent as one of today’s best rom-com authors.
They have been academic sparring partners for fifteen years, and a constant driving force in each other's lives. When they competes for a rare full-time teaching position, Sadie had a plan to get them both hired - a marriage of convenience. What could go wrong?
I am not an academic, nor do I care about the world of academia, but gosh darn it! I loved this book! I attribute my adoration to the wonderful main characters McAlister masterfully crafted. Jonah won my heart with his prologue describing the various cease fires established between him and Sadie over the years. At first, I appreciated Sadie's pluck, drive, and ambition, but she earned my heart in different ways once she married Jonah. She showed her scars and bared her underbelly, and I couldn't help but want her to have everything her heart desired.
The dynamic between Sadie and Jonah was always interesting. They seemed like enemies, but there was so much more simmering beneath the surface. Jonah was the tender-heart of this pair who quietly pined for Sadie since their first academic argument. She was brilliant, feisty, and full of fire, and she challenged him in ways that put him at the top of his game.
I must admit, I was a bit surprised with how quickly I devoured this book. Like I said, academia is not my thing, but McAlister put just enough of those details and drama into this story while still allowing the growing friendship and blossoming romance between Jonah and Sadie to take center stage.
Filled with love, friendship, family, and lots of literary references, this story of academic rivals-to-lovers hooked me and never let go.
*ARCS PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER
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