Published by Avon on October 13, 2026
Age/Genres: Adult, Mystery, Romance
Rating:
Goodreads
A billionaire’s grandson and the housekeeper’s daughter square off in this cat-and-mouse holiday romance-mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year.
Ella Chambers didn’t kill Liam Montgomery.
If she had, she certainly wouldn’t have done it outside his family’s mansion during the Christmas party of the year. She definitely wouldn’t have loaded his body into the trunk of her car. And she absolutely would not have announced to the town that the boy who ruined her life ten years ago was “so dead to her.”
But now Liam is missing—nothing but a bloody spot on the drive and a host of unanswered questions—and Ella is the only person who knows he’s still alive.
So it’s up to her to prove it.
Liam Montgomery didn’t want to die.
But, it turns out, when you’re the sole heir to a billionaire, someone might want you dead. Luckily for Liam, being dead works for him.
Now he’s on the hunt for a killer. Unfortunately, Ella is on the hunt for him.
She’ll have to prove he’s still alive to clear her name, but that’s easier said than done in a quaint mountain town where everyone knows your story but no one knows the truth. Can the billionaire’s grandson and the housekeeper’s daughter join forces to catch a killer? Or is their past too steeped in secrets and lies?
As the storm of the century blows in, every step will bring these two childhood rivals closer to a killer—and each other.
Because, this Christmas, only one thing is it’s beginning to look a lot like murder.
• Holiday Romance
• Childhood Enemies-to-Lovers
• Cat and Mouse
• Slow Burn
• Forced Proximity
I really hope Ally Carter has an endless supply of these holiday murder mysteries because I am loving them!
This time around, we have a billionaire heir and the housekeeper's daughter trying to unravel the mystery before they find themselves the latest victims. The story was fun and fast paced, and the banter between Ella and Liam was superb. Their dynamic was so interesting too. They met at age six and moved in and out of each other's lives for twenty years. There was a bond that may have seemed like rivalry, but deep down inside, there was something special between them. It was special getting to see them reunited and working together to solve the mystery.
Ella was someone who I would fight for. Her whole backstory made me want to be her champion, and I was grateful that someone finally did step up for her. Though this was a story about murder, it was rather heartfelt at times. The last few chapters really moved me.
Overall: Another fun and fantastic holiday book from Ally Carter!
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons on July 7, 2026
Age/Genres: Adult, Enchanted Realism, Romance
Rating:
Goodreads
It’s all fun and games until someone falls in love.
MANSION • APARTMENT • SHACK • HOUSE
Ruby Wynne is a staunch rule-follower who lives by the numbers. So when a surprising breakup – on her thirty-fifth birthday – ruins all her well-laid plans, Ruby makes an unexpected wish . . . Only to wake up inside a M.A.S.H. game from seventh grade.
Settled in a Technicolor mansion, driving a tie-dye Jeep, and running a roller-disco restaurant, Ruby is living out her childhood dreams come true—with one exception. According to the game, Ruby’s “other half” is supposed to be Penn Hayes, her brother’s annoying, and annoyingly handsome, best friend. But there’s zero romance between them. Just like in real life, all they share is sarcasm. With no rules to follow and desperate to return to reality, Ruby makes her best guess at an escape plan: win Penn’s heart so the game comes completely true and she can go home.
It’s unthinkable. On Ruby’s list of dos and don’ts, Penn Hayes is a lifelong don’t. But as Ruby navigates the magical world she dreamed up at thirteen, she wonders if, by finally throwing out her rules, she might just find her way home to the life and love she deserves.
What a fun concept!
A woman finds herself trapped in an alternate universe where she lives according to her middle school MASH dreams. This was what set up the comedy part of this rom-com. Could you imagine living in a what you thought was the perfect house or the perfect life when you were 13 years old? I admired young Ruby's love the the wild and whimsical as it was very nostalgic, somewhat outrageous, and made me laugh.
But the MASH world was a interesting way to push Ruby out of her comfort zone where she went from playing it safe to taking chances and chasing her dreams. I also liked how this alternate life had Ruby seeing things in a different light. As her fears settled, she was able to reflect on her past reactions and decisions and could recognize the good in things she hadn't before. I also have to say that this was a solid rom-com. So many laugh out loud moments. I had a great time reading this one.
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