One Old, One New features two books – one old, one new, which are connected in some way. Today I am featuring two books by Freya Sampson.
Published by Sourcebooks Landmark on July 7, 2026
Age/Genres: Adult, Romance, Fiction
Rating:
Goodreads
From USA Today Bestselling author Freya Sampson comes a swoon-worthy, laugh-out-loud romance inspired by Jane Austen's beloved Pride and Prejudice that begs the question: what if your book boyfriend jumped from the pages of their story and into your life?
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single woman in possession of many romance novels, must be in want of a book boyfriend."
Zoe Knight, a struggling romance writer, has sworn off men for good. At least…the ones in real life. Once a believer in a happily ever after, she now curbs her loneliness with the help of the best book boyfriends in literature – and there is no better man than Jane Austen's Mr. Darcy. So when she stumbles into a classic London bookshop and argues with the annoyingly attractive store owner, Nick, who refuses to sell romance novels, she decides to liberate him of a dusty copy of Pride & Prejudice abandoned on a top shelf.
But this is no ordinary book.
After reading from the pages, Zoe finds herself in a remarkable situation: she has accidentally summoned the Mr. Darcy to the real world. Now, she's face-to-face with the man she's loved forever, and he's everything she dreamed he would be. Handsome? Check. Brooding? Check. Talks like he swallowed a thesaurus? Check and check. But even in all his regency perfection, can he ever be as good as in the novel? And if he's here, in her London apartment trying to figure out how to work a shower , what will happen to the literary world he came from? With Nick—the last man she could ever be prevailed upon to work with—urging her to send the fictional Darcy back to his own story, Zoe will have to decide what she really wants from a happy ending, before it's too late.
Once upon a time, Zoe was an aspiring romance writer who lived for the happily ever after, but after her breakup, she swore off men, well, most. She was keeping her book boyfriends. After a tense meeting with a local bookseller who was anti-romance, Zoe steals his copy of Pride and Prejudice, and shortly thereafter, finds herself face to face with her most exalted book boyfriend - Fitzwilliam Darcy. She had no idea how this happened, but after some time, realizes that she must help him get back to his time.
I had a great time reading this time-travel romance. I am no stranger to this fictional-character-joins-the-real-world trope, but I thought Sampson added some great twists that made it fresh and unique. This especially shined in the latter part of the story when it took a turn I was not expecting.
Zoe was a very bookish heroine, name dropping many books and authors I have read as she defended the romance genre to our hero, Nick, but Zoe had also closed off her heart and kept her world small following her breakup. She had been in "love" with Mr. Darcy since her teens when her late mother introduced her to the works of Jane Austen. So, it was no surprise that this was the book boyfriend to magically appear to help her through this tough time in her life. I appreciated the way her world grew and changed with the addition of Nick and Mr. Darcy. They helped her realize she wanted and deserved more, though, as we all know, the heroine saved herself.
I supposed you would call the romance part of this book a slow burn. Every time there was a scene between Nick and Zoe, you could feel the heat, but the progression was slow. Maybe it was to mirror the way it all went down in P&P, or perhaps it was due to the fact that Zoe was trying to fall for Mr. Darcy. Regardless of the reasoning, I did want Nick and Zoe to be together. They bantered well, and one could feel the passion between them. I was definitely rooting for them despite some serious obstacles.
There was also a great supporting cast who added to the fun. Zoe had a wonderful best friend, but her landlady and her cat Mr. Wickham won a place in her heart (as well as mine). And, oh, how I was thrilled when Sampson put Zoe and Darcy on the 88 with a sighting of some of our friends from The Lost Ticket. I live for Easter eggs like this.
Overall, it was a delight traveling through time with Zoe, Darcy, and Nick. I found this romance to be full of wit, charm, and humor that kept a smile on my face from beginning to end.
*ARC PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER
Published by Berkley on May 27, 2025
Age/Genres: Adult, Fiction
Rating:
Goodreads
A dysfunctional book club must pull together when one of their members goes missing.
The five members of the St. Tredock Book Club disagree on everything, from the books they read to the biscuits they eat. But when one of the group suddenly disappears and a dead body is discovered at his house, these bibliophiles must put their differences aside to solve the mystery.
Having recently moved to Cornwall, Nova Davies started the book club to impress her new colleagues at the community center, but so far it’s a disaster. To make matters worse, six thousand pounds is stolen from the community center during one of her meetings, putting both her job and the whole center at risk.
Suspicion for the theft falls on book club member Michael, especially when a dead body is discovered at his house and Michael disappears. The police think he’s simply run away, but the other members have their own theories. Agatha Christie superfan Phyllis is determined to prove he’s a murderer as well as a thief, while secret romance reader Arthur believes Michael’s eloped with his mistress, and teenage sci-fi fan Ash thinks dark forces are at play.
While trying to find Michael and recover the money, each book club member has their own secrets to protect. With inspiration from their favorite fictional sleuths, they won’t rest until they’ve cracked the case and everyone is safe at home where they belong.
They may not agree on much, but when one of their members and the center's money go missing, the St. Tredock Book Club band together to solve the mystery.
One of the reasons I love Sampson's books so much is that she writes warm and welcoming stories that feature a multigenerational cast. She has done that once again with The Busybody Book Club.
Each member of the book club were so different, yet they found a way to connect. As a fan of unlikely friendships, I reveled in the many that formed among these characters and how their friendships brought so much to their lives.
The characters were layered and came with many surprises. One of my favorites was Phyllis. She was an elderly woman who was a die hard Miss Marple fan. Her affection for Marple was only matched by her distaste for Poirot. Her commentary on him never failed to make me giggle. And, let me tell you, there was a LOT more to Phyllis than met the eye.
There was also a mystery in this tale which took some interesting twists and turns. But what kept me turning the pages was learning about the book club members and their lives. I found them to be such a delightful group and was invested in them all.
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