strange and random happenstance

Benjamin by Ben H. Winters and Leomacs
Published by: Oni Press
Publication Date: March 10th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 104 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"IN ONE L.A. MOTEL ROOM, A COSMIC QUEST IS ABOUT TO BEGIN...

More than just a writer, more than just a science-fiction icon, Benjamin J. Carp was a cultural revolutionary. Over the course of 44 novels and hundreds of short stories - including the counterculture classic The Man They Couldn't Erase - Carp pushed the boundaries of literary respectability for the sci-fi genre and his readers' perception of reality itself...until decades of amphetamine abuse and Southern California excess finally ended a mind-bending career that always just escaped mainstream success. He died in 1982.

Until 2025...when Benjamin J. Carp awakens, alive, in a burned-out motel on the fringes of Los Angeles. He remembers dying. He knows he shouldn't exist. Is he a dream? A robot? A ghost? A clone? A simulation? In his own time, Carp pondered all of these scenarios through his fiction - and now, as he treks from Studio City to Venice Beach and onward into the paranoid sprawl of 21st-century Los Angeles, he will be called to investigate his greatest mystery yet: himself.

From Edgar Award nominee and Philip K. Dick Award winner Ben H. Winters (EC's Cruel Universe, The Last Policeman trilogy) and rising star Leomacs (EC's Epitaphs from the Abyss, Ghostlore) comes a uniquely fascinating and hilariously deranged excursion into the metatextual nexus where existence and oblivion, past and future, genius and madness, and glitter and grim reality all meet just beyond Hollywood Boulevard."

This is if Philip K. Dick came back from the dead and believed that he had be returned to Earth because he is a man of consequence only to be in for a rude awakening. It is epic and wonderful and human and if you love your science fiction and a stan of certain mid-century authors, this is for you.

Nobody's Baby by Olivia Waite
Published by: Tordotcom
Publication Date: March 10th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 144 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Becky Chambers meets Miss Marple in the second entry of this cozy sci-fi mystery series, helmed by a formidable no-nonsense auntie of a detective.

Welcome to the HMS Fairweather, Her Majesty's most luxurious interstellar passenger liner! Room and board are included, new bodies are graciously provided upon request, and should you desire a rest between lifetimes, your mind shall be most carefully preserved in glass in the Library, shielded from every danger.

A wild baby appears! Dorothy Gentleman, ship's detective, is put to the test once again when an infant is mysteriously left on her nephew's doorstep. Fertility is supposed to be on pause during the Fairweather's journey across the stars - but humans have a way of breaking any rule you set them. Who produced this child, and why did they then abandon him? And as her nephew and his partner get more and more attached, how can Dorothy prevent her colleague and rival detective, Leloup, a stickler for law and order, from classifying the baby as a stowaway or a piece of luggage?

Told from Dorothy's delightfully shrewd POV, this novella series is an ode to the cozy mystery taken to the stars with a fresh new sci-fi take - perfect for fans of the plot-twisty narratives of Dorothy Sayers and Ann Leckie."

Can we maybe stop namechecking Dorothy L. Sayers? I know she's the big name from the Golden Age, but she's also really problematic. 

Butterfly Effects by Seanan McGuire
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: March 10th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Seanan McGuire's New York Times-bestselling and Hugo Award-nominated InCryptid series continues with the fifteenth book following the Price family, cryptozoologists who study and protect the creatures living in secret all around us.

Sarah Zellaby is a Johrlac, a member of a species of psychic ambush predators colloquially referred to as "cuckoos." Eight years ago, she survived the difficult, painful process of becoming a cuckoo queen…although not without costs. In the wake of her transformation, the man she loved was entirely erased from his own mind, forcing her to reconstruct him from the memories of the people who knew and loved him.

Sarah has been struggling to come to terms with her actions ever since. But there's no one else on the planet with the power to hold her accountable - until the Johrlac authorities show up. It's time for her to stand trial for what she's done, something which can only happen on Johrlar, home world of her species, where the population is controlled by a system of unyielding hiveminds and crime is punishable by erasure.

With Sarah's life on the line, her family will need to find a way to cross dimensional borders and survive a hostile, telepathic world in order to get her back - before the Sarah they know ceases to exist.

But no matter what happens, actions have consequences...and Sarah Zellaby is about to learn that lesson the hard way.

Chaos, noun:
1. The inherent unpredictability in the behavior of a complex natural system.

Chaos theory, noun:
1. A branch of mathematical and physical theory that deals with the nature and consequences of chaos and chaotic systems.
2. The study of unpredictable systems.
3. See also "impossible math.""

After watching The Midwich Cuckoos twice in the last year this hits different. In a good way.

You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom by Vincent Tirado
Published by: William Morrow
Publication Date: March 10th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Demons clash with inheritance claims as secrets unfold and violence is unleashed over twelve harrowing hours trapped in a house with the worst thing imaginable: family.

When Papi Ramon, the patriarch of the wealthy Abreu family dies, he gives the family one last message in the will: "One of you is el bacà, the demon that I made a deal with. Get rid of them or you will be damned." Xiomara, the uncontested favorite of Papi Ramon (and therefore the least liked in the family), watches as everyone dismisses this as the joke of a senile old man and demands the lawyer obtain the previous will Papi wrote.

While the lawyer drives back to his office, a storm breaks out, forcing the entire family - Xiomara's aunts and uncles and cousins - to remain in the house. And the words of Papi's will hangs over their heads even heavier than the rain clouds. Over the course of the night, scandal after scandal is revealed to the public about the family. Suddenly a tense few hours of surviving her family turns into a vicious night of recrimination, violence, accusations...and murder.

Xiomara is faced with an impossible task: uproot a demon and somehow kill it or excise the ghosts that linger within her own family.

And the clock is ticking..."

I think you should be able to handle demons and ghosts both.

Cabaret in Flames by Hache Pueyo
Published by: Tordotcom
Publication Date: March 10th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 160 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Hache Pueyo returns after But Not Too Bold with her new novella Cabaret in Flames, where Interview with the Vampire meets Certain Dark Things in an alternate-Brazil where brutal flesh-hungering Guls stalk the night streets and manipulate the government from their glittering cabaret.

Guls can be brutal. Few know this better than Ariadne, who lost half her body to their appetites, but their brutality is a predictable constant amid Brazil's political chaos. Now, she treats them in the specialized clinic she inherited from Erik Yurkov - the mentor who rescued her as a child, trained her in medicine, built her prostheses, and disappeared without a trace.

Ariadne's routine is disturbed when Quaint knocks on her door: a charming, tattooed gul claiming to be Erik's oldest friend. Quaint suspects foul play in Erik's disappearance, and they soon discover Erik sought asylum at Cabaré, an infamous club in Rio de Janeiro frequented by the gul elite.

Together, Ariadne and Quaint will unravel the conspiracy behind their friend's disappearance, navigate the labyrinthine world of Ariadne's memories, and discover what Erik means to them - and what they are starting to mean to each other."

I mean, evil in a cabaret? Sold.

The Fox and the Devil by Kiersten White
Published by: Del Rey
Publication Date: March 10th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An obsession with an immortal serial killer entangles a vampire hunter's daughter in a sapphic romance in this enthralling gothic fantasy from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Lucy Undying.

Anneke has a complicated relationship with her father, Abraham Van Helsing - doctor, scientist, and madman devoted to the study of vampires - until the night she comes home to find him murdered, with a surreally beautiful woman looming over his body. A woman who leaves no trace behind, other than the dreams and nightmares that now plague Anneke every night.

Spurred by her desire for vengeance and armed with the latest forensic and investigatory techniques, Anneke puts together a team of detectives to catch this mysterious serial killer. Because her father isn't the only inexplicable dead body. There's a trail of victims across Europe, and Anneke is certain they're all connected.

But during the years spent relentlessly hunting the killer, Anneke keeps crucial evidence to herself: infuriatingly coy letters, addressed only to her, occasionally soaked in blood, and always signed Diavola.

The closer Anneke gets to her devil, though, the less sense the world makes. Maybe her father wasn't a madman after all. Diavola might be something much worse than a serial killer...and much harder to destroy. Yet as Anneke unearths more of Diavola's tragic past, she suspects there's still a heart somewhere in that undead body.

A heart that beats for Anneke alone."

I mean, rule number one in life is you have to be open for anything. That means knowing that vampires might exist. Especially if your father's been hunting them for years.

Bitterbloom by Teagan Olivia King
Published by: Keylight Books
Publication Date: March 10th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For fans of Hannah Whitten and Ava Reid comes a thrilling new fantasy by the author of Spit Back the Bones.

In a village plagued by mysterious deaths, Adelaide Thorn wonders if she is truly touched by the Devil.

The villagers of Rixton - including Adelaide's father, the vicar - believe her to be the monster responsible for all the town's tragedies, spurred on by the strange visions and blackouts caused by her chronic illness. Kept locked away except for funerals, even Addie herself begins to wonder if she is the one with blood on her hands.

But when she discovers a peculiar bell nestled in a riverbed, Addie realizes the truth behind her strange visions - they are actually the ghosts of the village's dead searching for rest. With the bell's strange power allowing her to see the lost souls and open a doorway to the Rowan Wood where they are trapped, she strikes a deal with the ghost of Bram Avery and the young lord Ransom Black to venture into the hellish purgatory.

As the three make their way deeper into the Wood, each motivated by their own desperate desires, trust turns to betrayal and flawless facades begin to flicker. It may be that the ones Addie has so longed to reunite are those who have been lying to her her entire life."

Here's to all the "Devil touched girls!" May the prosper and live long enough to see the destruction of those who would end them.

Spoiled Milk by Avery Curran
Published by: Doubleday
Publication Date: March 10th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A thrilling gothic debut. The untimely death of a student at a girls' boarding school marks the first in a haunting series of escalating supernatural events, and uncovers buried truths of teenage repression, queer desire, and the everyday horror of coming of age.

In 1928, Emily Locke's final year at the isolated Briarley School for Girls is derailed when Violet, the school's brightest star (and a cunning beauty for whom Emily would do anything), falls to her death on her eighteenth birthday. Emily and her buttoned-up rival Evelyn are, for once, in agreement: Violet's death was no accident. There's an obvious culprit, the French schoolmistress with whom Violet was getting a little too close - they only need to prove it.

Desperate for answers, Emily and her classmates turn to spiritualism, hoping for a glimpse of wisdom from the great beyond. To their shock, Violet's spirit appears, choosing pious Evelyn as her unlikely medium. And Violet has a warning for them: the danger has just begun.

Something deadly is infecting Briarley. It starts with rotten food and curdled milk, but quickly grows more threatening. As the body count rises and the students race to save themselves, Emily must confront the fatal forces poisoning the school. Emily's fight for survival forces her to reevaluate everything she knows: about Violet, Evelyn, Briarley, and, ultimately, herself. Avery Curran channels the indelible ambience and intrigue of the classic boarding school novel while turning the beloved genre on its head in this visceral, exuberant debut."

Yes! Mediums!

The Eighth Life (for Brilka) by Nino Haratischwili
Published by: HarperVia
Publication Date: March 10th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 944 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"War and Peace for the twenty-first century, the internationally bestselling, award-winning multigenerational epic that begins with the Russian Revolution and spans a century - a novel of war, loss, love requited and unrequited, ghosts, joy, massacres, tragedy, and hot chocolate.

At the start of the twentieth century, on the edge of the Russian empire, a family prospers. It owes its success to a delicious chocolate recipe, passed down from generation to generation with great care and caution. A caution which is justified: it is a recipe for ecstasy that carries a very bitter aftertaste...

Stasia learns it from her Georgian father and takes it north, following her new husband, Simon, to his posting in St. Petersburg, the center of the Russian Revolution. Stasia's is only the first in a symphony of grand but all too often doomed romances that swirl from sweet to sour in this epic tale of the red century.

Moving across years and vast expanses of longing and loss, each succeeding generation of this remarkable family hears echoes and sees reflections of their past. A ballet dancer's dream of performing in Paris never comes to fruition; a singer pines for Vienna. These and other unforgettable characters engage in larger-than-life relationships that come and go and come again; their world shakes and shakes more. A grand and sweeping epic, The Eighth Life (for Brilka) is one of those glorious classic books that readers can embrace and learn, be lost and found, and make indelible new friends."

Keep in mind this book is almost a thousand pages which means get a LOT of hot chocolate ready before you dive in.

The Two Deaths of Lillian Carmichael by Paulette Kennedy
Published by: Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: March 10th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 255 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A young woman, perceived dead, plots to reinvent herself in a gripping historical gothic about secrets, superstition, and murder by the bestselling author of The Devil and Mrs. Davenport.

South Carolina, 1853. Lillian Carmichael, privileged daughter of a disgraced Charleston family, is due to be hanged for the murder of her sister when fate gives her a second chance at life.

After a catatonic episode on the long walk to the gallows, Lillian is declared dead and entombed in the family mausoleum. She awakens days later, buried alive, and flees to the Lowcountry marshes to survive on her wits and reinvent herself. All the while, a series of exsanguination murders holds the terrorized city in thrall - as do the superstitions that the vanished Lillian is some craven creature, resurrected and out for blood.

Lillian finds sanctuary in a crumbling former plantation and a friend in Kate O'Malley, a charismatic actress adept at fashioning new identities. The two form an intimate and powerful alliance, but as the body count rises, the manhunt for Lillian reaches a fever pitch. It will take both women's cunning for her to escape the gallows again, and to find her freedom, Lillian must first cross paths with the real killer and confront her own family's deepest, darkest secret."

But if she's somehow become a vampire, I'm just saying, the gallows won't really do her in...

A Lady for All Seasons by TJ Alexander
Published by: Vintage
Publication Date: March 10th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the acclaimed author of Chef's Kiss and A Gentleman's Gentleman comes a riotous Regency romp, featuring a charming and unforgettable genderfluid lead.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a woman who has lost her fortune must be in need (not want) of a husband. Beautiful, cunning Verbena Montrose must marry to save herself and her odious family from abject poverty. Fortunately, what she lacks in a dowry, she makes up for in the currency of gossip.

When she hears an alarming rumor about her very dear, very queer friend Étienne that could ruin him, she comes to his aid with a proposal - for a marriage of convenience, that is. But when Verbena discovers that a mysterious and celebrated poet by the name of Flora Witcombe has been publishing verses that hint she is onto their scheme, Verbena has no choice but to pretend to be a poet herself to confront her in a local salon. And - unexpectedly - be charmed by her.

Flora, in turn, is terrified by and smitten with Verbena in equal measure. But she holds a secret of her own: he is also William Forsyth, a struggling novelist and fifth son of a minor noble family. And if circumstances don't allow Flora to woo Verbena, perhaps William can. Faced with two suitors and a fiancé, Verbena, who has always had to be clever to survive in society, starts to realize she may need to think outside of society's constraints to find true happiness."

Oh, suitors aplenty and a proposed lavender marriage!

The Pie and Mash Detective Agency by J.D. Brinkworth
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: March 10th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Oddball couple Jane and Simon take a private detective class and must use their (admittedly limited) skills to solve a series of mysterious disappearances in this delightful debut mystery.

Jane Pye and Simon Mash are a millennial couple with a little extra time on their hands. Jane was recently let go from her position as a back-end programmer, having never been quite sure what that meant. And Simon's career as a corporate collaboration consultant seems to be less collaborating and more scrolling the internet in search of matching velour tracksuits and well-balanced charcuterie boards. When they sign up for a private detective class on a whim, they quickly realize they've bitten off more than they can chew.

Their instructor, having a feeling his two worst students don't have a chance of solving anything beyond finding the classroom, assigns them the case of Nellie Thorne, a woman recently reported missing. But she's not the first Nellie Thorne to disappear. In fact, she's the fifth in fifty years. Jane and Simon set out to solve the case, armed with just a few days of notes, matching trench coats, and a feeling they should have enrolled in a different class. The investigation leads the newly minted Pie and Mash Detective Agency to places they never thought they'd go, including haunted woods, mysterious archives, and, most terrifyingly for Jane, Simon's mum's house.

As clues emerge, more questions than answers begin to pile up. What links the missing Nellies? Why do locals think she's a ghost? Is their teacher hiding something? So what if they're heavy on heart but light on experience. Jane and Simon are determined to uncover the truth in time to pass the class and save the day."

Wait, searching the internet for velour tracksuits and well-balanced charcuterie boards isn't a job!?! My dreams have been dashed.

This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum
Published by: Flatiron Books: Pine and Cedar
Publication Date: March 10th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Best friends Benny and Joy like to say they've been saving each other's lives since the moment they met. Until the day Joy disappears and Benny is suspected of murder...

Benny Abbott and Joy Moore host one of the most beloved podcasts in the world. Each week, they delight listeners with a different "against all odds" survival story, gleefully finding the weird, life-affirming humor in near-death experiences. Since their first episode on Joy's experience with severe narcolepsy, they've been the best friends everyone wants to befriend - and thanks to the meticulous management of Joy's husband, Xander, they've built a lucrative empire.

The problem is, their next survival story may be their own. When Benny arrives at Joy and Xander's one morning to record, he finds shattered glass and an empty house. The one clue shedding light on the couple's disappearance is the incomplete, previously unseen first draft of Joy's memoir. Benny is desperate to find them, even when the police soon zero in on him as their prime suspect.

Millions of devoted listeners think they know the "real" Benny and Joy. But as the hours tick by, and the odds seem increasingly stacked against Joy and Xander being found alive, not even the most devoted fans could guess the terrible secrets their favorite famous BFFs have hidden from the world - and from each other."

Oh, oh, I need to know the terrible secrets!

The Free Verse Society by Delali Adjoa
Published by: Peachtree Teen
Publication Date: March 10th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A tender hate-to-love YA romance about two teens who connect through their high school poetry club, where the power of the written word tears down the walls they've built around their hearts.

No one in Delray knows Jae Aƒenyo's story - that she's a teen mom who placed her baby for adoption - and she intends to keep it that way. After moving in with her uncle, Jae is looking for a fresh start. But an accidental run-in with the school's delinquent, Derek Patel, is not exactly what she had in mind. She soon finds a haven in the poetry club - at least, until Derek joins.

Derek Patel is desperately clinging to his old life - where his dad was alive, his mom was healthy, and they lived in an oceanfront estate instead of a run-down pink bungalow. He'll do anything to hide his problems from his friends, including breaking into his old house to keep up the charade that he still lives there. But the house now belongs to the school's lit teacher, who offers him the chance to join the poetry club as a penance.

As the newest members of the club, Jae and Derek are tasked with planning the end-of-semester poetry reading. While Derek is hell-bent on keeping his broken family a secret, Jae is desperate to prove to her uncle that she's more than a walking statistic - which means guarding her heart against Derek, who her uncle thinks is no good.

A poignant exploration of love, loss, and the power of words to draw people together, The Free Verse Society announces the arrival of an important new voice in YA romance.

Perfect for readers who love Forced Proximity, Forbidden Love, Opposites Attract, Hate to Love, the Misunderstood Bad Boy, Opposite Sides of the Tracks, and Reading/Literature Club Bonding!"

Who doesn't love a misunderstood bad boy?

How (Not) to Conjure a Boyfriend by Jordon Greene
Published by: F/K Teen
Publication Date: March 10th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 366 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Feeling of Falling in Love meets While You Were Sleeping in this delightful rom-com about a nonbinary teen kitchen witch finding both family and romance in the least likely of circumstances.

Standing at the foot of my comatose crush's hospital bed is not how I envisioned becoming Hayden's partner. First I needed to find out if he's even into the theys, then hopefully some flirting, a cute date up in the valley or at Taco Bell, a kiss. The normal cutesy stuff, but this? No! Hayden wasn't supposed to get hurt, especially not a trauma-induced extended nap from slipping on a wet floor at my job. On top of that, one of the nurses told his family we're dating. Sure, it might have been because that's what I told her when I was trying to get to his room to see him...but it's not true.

The wild part is his family believes it! They really think I'm the Hayden Marcus's short little curly-haired enbyfriend. His partner! With one little lie, now they think he isn't straight, and I'm terrified he actually is.

So now I'm having Thanksgiving with a family I barely know because, as far as they're concerned, I'm "dating" their son. I can't tell if this is a sign my love spell worked, or if I royally messed up and I'm being punished. I mean this family is amazing. It's everything I wish I had, and honestly more. But it's all based on a lie.

Oh, and as if all of that wasn't bad enough, my comatose crush has an even cuter brother who I think I might be falling for..."

After reading this I really need to rewatch While You Were Sleeping.... Love it.

Magic and Mischief at the Wayside Hotel by Elizabeth Everett
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: March 10th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When a magical hotel appears smack-dab in the middle of the most unmagical of worlds, the last thing the residents expect is to fall in love.

Manager of the Number Five Wayside Inn and World Travel Hub, Pax Nomen has one of the easiest jobs in all the known universes, unless you count the occasional plumbing disaster. When Number Five Wayside gets stranded on a non-magical world, even Pax's trusty Wayside Handbook can't help him. How is he going to "reboot" the hotel and keep it on its magical journey?

Josie LaChusia is a single mom experiencing debt, having parenting doubts, and tipping dangerously toward depression when an ad pops up on her phone that an apartment is available in a building she's never seen before.

Pax needs a new guest to restart his hotel, and Josie needs a nudge to restart her life. In a building occupied by faeries, gargoyles, and a gnome with a bad attitude, two souls from very different places come together to create a home like no other."

Found family and magic! Yeah!

Spellbound by Murder by Stacie Ramey
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: March 10th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Gilmore Girls meets Charmed in this spellbinding cozy mystery featuring a magical bookshop run by three generations of women.

When her grandmother suffers a nasty fall and asks for help managing the family business, coffee-addicted single mother Veronica Blackthorne moves her sixteen-year-old rom-com-obsessed daughter to Mystic Hollow, Connecticut. Veronica is ecstatic to return to New England, but when she arrives, she quickly finds out that Mystic Hollow Books, her grandmother's pride and joy, needs more than a little TLC.

Hoping to save the bookstore from a big-box rival, Veronica enlists her sometimes mentor and sometimes crush, Adam Whitford, a controversial but popular author, as the keynote speaker to kick off a literary festival that will hopefully bring in a new wave of customers. But when Adam turns up dead, all that romantic potential turns into a nightmare as Veronica becomes the prime suspect in his murder.

As the local sheriff investigates his murder, Veronica decides to take matters into her own hands to solve the case and clear her name. With the bookstore's future on the line, the stakes couldn't be higher. Until her gran reveals the biggest secret of all - the bookstore is magical, and it was a botched love spell that led to this entire mess.

Witty and heartfelt, this mystery explores the price of magic and how it might be more hefty than one can hope, perfect for fans of Amanda Flower and Nina Simon."

I mean, sure a popular author could bring in customers.... But a popular author's death might actually bring in more...

Entwined by H.M. Long
Published by: Titan Books
Publication Date: March 10th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Three sisters join the hunt for a stolen magical artefact in the start of this Gilded Age fantasy duology. Perfect for fans of heists, skullduggery and stolen kisses, and authors such as Nghi Vo and M.A. Carrick.

Ottilie Rushforth hides from the mighty Sorcerer's Guild as secretary to a has-been detective. She is Entwined - threads of magic run beneath her skin, and the Guild would trap her in service.

But Ottilie has a plan to escape the Guild forever with her estranged fiancé, the enigmatic poet, soldier and smuggler Lewis Illing. All she must do is track down a mysterious artefact, claim the bounty, and leave the city forever. But Ottilie's sisters - Pretoria, a quick-witted sorceress and thief recently emerged from exile, and Madge, a guild mage to the core, appear to make equally unwelcome offers. A new life at the cost of everything she has ever wanted, or prestige and safety in a gilded cage.

With her life on the line, Ottilie must track down the artifact in a city torn apart by prejudice and violence, and choose between the two sides of herself - the fugitive and the Entwined."

Decisions, decisions... 

Pretenders to the Throne of God by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Published by: Head of Zeus - an AdAstra Book
Publication Date: March 10th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 512 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Arthur C. Clarke winner and Sunday Times bestseller returns to a world steeped in magic – and the Tyrant Philosophers' campaign to bring reason, logic and 'perfection' to it.

As the Palleseen's campaign to bring Perfection and Correctness to an imperfect world rages on, Eres Ffenegh - "the City on the Back of a Crab" - is the next state slated for conquest. But its citizens won't give up sovereignty easily.

The siege has dragged into winter and the defenders - both locals and Pal renegades - hold an uneasy alliance against the enemy at the gates, while the Pal army is looking over its shoulder for the next self-destructive dictate of their government back home.

Within the city, Devil Jack, a good man apprenticed to the notorious conjurer known as the Widow, is driven to bargaining with hell to get back what he's lost. Meanwhile Kiffel ea Leachan is the city's champion, a child of privilege who's just lost everything to the invaders. Both must try to survive the siege and make their own destinies in a world that's cut them loose.

Outside the city, Pal reinforcements have arrived to take the city, but it's the sort of help that might just damn them all...

THE TYRANT PHILOSOPHERS
1. City of Last Chances: portrait of Ilmar, a city under Palleseen occupation.
2. House of Open Wounds: portrait of the Palleseen war machine at work.
3. Days of Shattered Faith: portrait of a kingdom consumed, piece-by-piece, by Palleseen diplomatic subterfuge.
3.1 Lives of Bitter Rain: a prequel novella to Days of Shattered Faith, portrait of a life in the Palleseen diplomatic corps.
4. Pretenders to the Throne of God: portrait of a city under siege.
5. The Grave of Perfection: will take us back to Ilmar, the 'City of Last Chances' where our story began."

Need a good series to dig into? Well, here you go!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Adrian Tchaikovsky, Ben H. Winters, Delali Adjoa, Elizabeth Everett, H.M. Long, J.D. Brinkworth, Jordon Greene, Kiersten White, Leomacs, Olivia Waite, Paulette Kennedy, Seanan McGuire, Stacie Ramey, Tiffany Crum, TJ Alexander

Until American Gods I never thought a show with Ian McShane could ever be bad. He elevates every show he is in, from American Horror Story to Dallas. Though technically American Horror Story should not even be mentioned in the same breath as the magnificent juggernaut that was Dallas. But needs must. Because of American Gods I came to the realization that he isn't capable of saving every show and that's when I gave myself permission to never watch American Gods again. The fact that Bryan Fuller couldn't make it work should have been my sign to abandon it before the end of the first season but I just had to get to the episode filmed at The House on the Rock. If you know, you know. Now I'm not saying that Disraeli: Portrait of a Romantic is bad. It's nowhere near the level of American Gods, it's just that it's so damn forgettable. The main problem is that four episodes is too short to do the life of Benjamin Disraeli credit. Either it should have been longer or shorter, and as for what they chose to focus on? They really needed someone to come along and tell them that the minutiae of back door political deals that took up an entire episode was mind-numbing. He was a larger than life character and they seem to make him into a caricature. Not via the acting I should note, because with Ian McShane, as previously noted, and Rosemary Leach, Anton Rodgers, Patricia Hodge and the like, they aren't going to give a bad performance, they are going to be let down by the material. And they were. The first episode was basically Disraeli sewing his wild oats. Yes, he was a Lothario. The second episode is him trying to get his foothold in politics while having a comfortable domestic life. The third episode is him being the confidant of the Queen. The forth episode, as previously mentioned, is political minutiae as he is hailed as an elder statesman. And, while this outline seems to make sense, each episode tackling the furtherance of his life, the way things change so rapidly in his life because of the condensed timeline gives the viewers whiplash. Character's opinions wildly swing between scenes from hate to love. The most vivid examples are with his wife and Queen Victoria. His wife, Mary Anne Disraeli, was originally the wife of Benjamin's friend and colleague Wyndham Lewis. He thought her vapid and stupid. So how, one year after the death of Lewis, was he marrying her? A cynic would say it was for her money, but he also apparently had a change of heart and viewed her as far shrewder than he ever could have guessed. We don't see this. One scene he's talking about what an idiot she is and the next he couldn't live without her advice. Say what!?! How did that happen? The same thing happens with Queen Victoria. She won't talk to him and then he's her dearest confidant. This just doesn't make sense. Show don't tell. But even if they had shown the change in these relationships properly his relationship with his sister would have made me forever hate him. His sister is the caregiver for their father Isaac and when he's dying he offers no monetary support for his sister. Yes, money was tight, but he was buying a luxury house down the road while forcing his own sister out of her home! At least in a shorter version perhaps we wouldn't have seen this nasty and selfish side to the great statesman. But in a longer version perhaps we could have had some semblance of a cohesive life. As it is this is just bits and pieces that we're supposed to put together to make up a whole. Contradictions and all. Yes, perhaps this is more realistic, but it doesn't make good television. 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: American Gods, Anton Rodgers, Benjamin Disraeli, Disraeli: Portrait of a Romantic, Fifty-Five Years a Masterpiece, Ian McShane, Lothario, Patricia Hodge, Politics, Queen Victoria, Rosemary Leach, The House on the Rock

My parents like to cite Doctor Zhivago as their beginning. But personally I think that a compelling case could be made for their mutual love of Thomas Hardy. Before they even met my Dad ranked Jude the Obscure as one of his favorite books of all time and my mom named her cat Eustacia after Eustacia Vye from The Return of the Native. Of course it turned out Eustacia was a boy but Stacey lived a long long life unlike most characters in Thomas Hardy's books. Because my parents held Thomas Hardy in such high esteem he therefore became an author I was reluctant to read. Mainly because if I didn't like him I could possibly be disowned. Or at least I thought so at the time. But my love of James Purefoy made me willing to finally give Thomas Hardy a chance. In other words, I was really excited for the 2003 adaptation of The Mayor of Casterbridge that was made for A and E. And I didn't even make it through the first episode. I honestly don't know how far I made it but it was just depressing and muddy and it was at the height of my hatred of Ciarán Hinds so I washed my hands of it. Which means I wasn't over the moon about watching the 1978 adaptation but I do love Alan Bates so I was willing to give it a try. The problem is that no matter who stars in this tale it's a story of a miserable and horrible man, Michael Henchard. He sells his wife while drunk and blames the drink. Of course it's not the drink that's to blame, it's something rotten and twisted within him. Because if he had been a little nicer, a little more generous, you know what? Everyone could have had a happy ending. Instead there's lots of misery and death and self-flagellation. I mean, seriously, this is a lot to handle. Watching someone in a downward spiral with no way to stop it is not something that is relaxing. This isn't a show to be watched passively. You're an active viewer. You're viscerally involved in watching this man's downfall and just hoping that his death comes soon enough that some happiness can be grasped by the survivors. But at least with Alan Bates driving this crazy train there is acting on such a level that, well, I'm sorry, Ciarán Hinds, you could just never reach it. The simplest expression, the way Alan Bates's face can morph from awe and love to sheer blinding terror and rage in just an instant made the fall of Michael Henchard riveting but not restful television. The fact that the supporting cast includes Anna Massey, Jack Lowden's doppelganger, and the face melting Nazis from Raiders of the Lost Ark, was just an added bonus. Or another drink at the pub put on someone else's tab? Because Michael Henchard is not a man the better for drink. In fact most of Thomas Hardy is just desperation verging on folk horror. Which, it's a vibe I can get behind. And a vibe this adaptation leaned into. Just look to the scarecrow and how the townsfolk scared Lucetta to an early grave. Seriously, if Carl Davis had made the score a little scarier this might have been horror. But isn't the fall of a man horrible enough as it is? Again, I'd say it depends on the man and Michael Henchard got what he deserved.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alan Bates, Carl Davis, Ciaran Hinds, Doctor Zhivago, Eustacia Vye, Fifty-Five Years a Masterpiece, Horror, James Purefoy, Jude the Obscure, Michael Henchard, The Mayor of Casterbridge, The Return of the Native, Thomas Hardy

The Witch and the Wolf by Lindsey Kelk
Published by: Magpie (UK)
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Discover the sequel to gothic fantasy sensation The Bell Witches from Sunday Times bestseller, Lindsey Kelk.

Blood is thicker than water...

Since arriving in Savannah, Emily Bell has faced prophecies, werewolves, family secrets and her own grandmother's attempt to take her life.

But, strangely, surrounded by her friends and new family, Savannah has never felt more like home.

Now, faced with the absence of her love, Wyn, as he wrestles with his new abilities as a werewolf, and burdened with the task of finding her fellow witches to avert the prophecy that surrounds her, Emily is attacked by a new threat. A lone wolf that will stop at nothing to destroy her.

Emily must act fast and find out the wolf's identity before it kills her and all those she cares about. She will soon find out she can't do everything alone, and that a burden shared is a burden halved..."

This book might be very important to an upcoming theme on my blog...

When I Was Death by Alexis Henderson
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A group of girls does Death incarnate's bidding in this haunting speculative young adult novel by the author of The Year of the Witching.

Roslyn isn't herself anymore. It's been a year since her sister, Adeline, died under mysterious circumstances, and Roslyn is still tormented by her absence. So when the elusive caravan of girls that Adeline spent her last summer with rolls back into town, Roslyn joins them to finally figure out what happened to her sister.

Strange, beautiful, and intriguing, the girls are closed off from the world. And as it turns out, they're brought together by a force more sinister than Roslyn's nightmares could've conjured up: Death himself.

Death has spared the girls from untimely endings, and to pay for their lives, the girls travel the country reaping souls on his behalf. Now Roslyn must decide if finding closure is worth the price of striking the same deal."

Romani reapers? I could get behind that concept. 

What Digs Itself Free by Stoney Brooks
Published by: River-Lily Publishing
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Kindle, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Zap Rogers has made a career out of exploiting others, most of whom are dead. With one of the most successful, longest running ghost hunting shows on the market, he and his team have raked in the cash. But with market trends shifting, Zap and his crew are no longer relevant, and are losing market share to younger, more hip trends.

Scrambling to remain in the spotlight, Zap and his crew order new gear in an attempt to give the show a facelift. But when a mysterious package arrives from a secret admirer, things begin to take a sour turn. Investigations are seemingly sabotaged, weird sightings around the house have everyone on edge, Zap's plagued with nightmares of a mysterious old hag, and the manifestations are not only haunting, but starting to get physical.

With the help of an old colleague Zap begins investigating the occurrences, following the trail right back to his own selfish behavior. Now Zap must do everything in his power to stop the malevolent entity before this investigation turns into his last."

Oh, yes, ghosts, it's time for a bit of just desserts! 

The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts by Kim Fu
Published by: Tin House
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A Most Anticipated Book of 2026 from TIME, Book Riot, and Chicago Review of Books.

From the critically acclaimed and award-winning author of Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century comes The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts - an eerie, spellbinding novel of grief and guilt, with a razor-sharp eye for the absurdity and melancholy of the internet age.

In the aftermath of her mother's death, Eleanor is unmoored. For years, her mother orchestrated every detail of her life - from meals, to laundry, to finances - so that Eleanor could focus on her career as a therapist. Left to navigate the world on her own, Eleanor clings to her mother's final directive: use her inheritance to buy a house.

Desperate to obey her mother one last time, but finding few options she can afford, Eleanor impulsively buys a model home in a valley-turned-construction site, a picturesque development steeped in a shadowy history. It feels like a fresh start, until the rain comes - an endless, torrential downpour. As water seeps in through the house's cracks, the line between what is real and what is not begins to blur. Haunted by the stories of her clients, a stream of workmen and bureaucrats she can't trust, and visions of ghosts from her past and present, Eleanor's reality unravels, and she is forced to reckon with the secrets she's buried and the dark choices she's made."

Yes yes, unraveling reality and ghosts!

Turn Off the Light by Jacquie Walters
Published by: Mulholland Books
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Two women living centuries apart are bound by the same dark secret in this haunting novel that "upends everything you think you know about ghost stories" (Jennifer McMahon, author of The Winter People).

The Devil enters through doors left open...

On the isolated Eastern Shore of Virginia, Edith is a healer, a woman of knowledge - and a woman watched. Shadows move where they shouldn't. Whispers creep through the dark. Terrified she has opened her home to the Devil, Edith makes a desperate choice.

Claire doesn't believe in ghosts - until she returns home to care for her dying father and finds her childhood house... listening. As one sleepless night bleeds into the next, she becomes convinced something is stirring beneath the floorboards. Something that has waited a long time to rise.

Is the house haunted? What compels this lurking darkness? As the danger mounts, Edith and Claire will discover they'll need each other to survive. But they are separated by four hundred years. And time is running out for them both."

It's hard when that which can save you is separated from you by hundreds of years.

Burn the Water by Billy Ray
Published by: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From award-winning screenwriter of The Hunger Games Billy Ray comes an immersive and breathtaking enemies-to-lovers epic romance about war, loyalty, and the power that love has to save... or destroy.

The year is 2425 and London is underwater.

Three hundred years ago, rising oceans drowned a vast majority of the English Isle. London is now a jungle of dead skyscrapers and submerged streets.

Fighting over the scraps of a world none can remember, two Houses - the Crowns and the Rogues  - have been at war for three centuries.

Rafe is the Rogue army's fiercest captain. Jule is the Crown army's deadliest soldier. They are vicious and merciless, courageous and beloved by their Houses. They are sworn enemies.

And then they fall in love.

It's a death sentence. But their love is all-consuming. As Rafe and Jule try to keep each other alive in their war-torn world, they are forced to confront new, horrifying threats to their loved ones while the hatred between their Houses only grows.

When mysterious foreigners appear on their shores, the warring factions may destroy each other, unless their two most ruthless soldiers can become beacons of peace and possibility, showing their people a different way, and save them all.

From the award-winning screenwriter of The Hunger Games comes a visceral and breathless forbidden romance about sacrifice, the neverending cycle of violence, and fiery, all-powerful love."

So British Waterworld? PS, though he's a screenwriter he DID NOT write Waterworld. 

The Half-Hearted Queen by Charlie N. Holmberg
Published by: 47north
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 383 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this spellbinding dark fantasy from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg that concludes the Shattered King duology, Nym must escape the clutches of her captors and find her way back to Renn even as forbidden love, magic, and secrets collide with the weight of the crown and the war between kingdoms.

Nym never told Prince Renn she loved him. And now, as a captive and political pawn to the ruthless King Nicosia, Nym finds herself guarding more than her forbidden feelings for Renn as the kingdoms of Cansere and Sesta clash and the bloodshed of war rages. Nym's connection to Renn is more than just romantic - it's magical, and King Nicosia will stop at nothing to find Renn's weakness and claim the kingdoms as his.

Now Nym must find a way to escape the cruel and twisted fate of imprisonment as she faces the unimaginable horrors and dangerous secrets hidden within King Nicosia's palace walls. With the succession of kings on the line and a dangerous prophecy unfolding, Prince Renn faces his own impossible choice. The future of the throne hinges on a political alliance that means forsaking his love for Nym. If he can't fulfill his destiny and unite the kingdoms, King Nicosia will destroy them all."

Come on, Nym and Renn have to have an HEA! Fiction is the only place that happens these days.

The Dark Lord's Guide to Dating (And Other War Crimes) by Tiffany Hunt
Published by: Scarlett Press
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 512 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A conflicted villain and his unstoppable bride form the realm's most chaotic alliance in this riotously funny dark romantasy perfect for fans of Assistant to the Villain, but darker and spicier.

"What's mine stays mine."

Step One: Kidnap someone cute.
Step Two: Force her into marriage.
Step Three: Try not to catch feelings.

When Dark Lord Kazimir Blackrose kidnaps Lady Arabella for a forced marriage, he expects an obedient, trembling bride. What he gets is a knife to the throat and a furious woman with demands of her own. He may need her heroic bloodline to achieve ultimate dominion, but she's not about to make this easy for him.

Arabella has already survived her father's tower prison and a lifetime of being treated like property. Getting abducted by the realm's most notorious villain is just another Tuesday. If she must be married to the infuriating (and infuriatingly attractive) Dark Lord, she'll do it on her terms: freedom within his fortress, hands strictly to himself, and complete honesty about his plans.

But when those plans go awry, Kazimir faces his most terrifying challenge yet: he must date his own wife. Between magical training sessions, playing golf with the eyeballs of his enemies, and aphrodisiac dinners gone spectacularly wrong, his attempts at villainous seduction are failing at every turn.

As Kazimir and Arabella navigate magical explosions and jealous exes, they discover a far more terrifying prospect than war or magical catastrophe: They might actually be falling for each other.

This dark and sexy fantasy romance is perfect for readers who love: a morally gray antihero (who stays that way); a strong heroine who embraces her dark side (she doesn't need rescuing, thanks); touch her and die trope; hilarious, wicked banter and sizzling spice; one bed/forced proximity; kidnapped bride/forced marriage; and dark humor."

The hardest thing is not catching feelings.

A Kingdom of Shadows by Emily Bain Murphy
Published by: WaterBrook Children's
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A band of misfits seek to fight the darkness that's slowly overcoming their kingdom - the start of a grand adventure series in the tradition of The Chronicles of Narnia and the Wingfeather Saga.

Ever since the Great Betrayal, the light in Wildfel has been dying. The sunshine is dimmer, it takes more firewood to brighten a room, and the shadows grow stronger by the day. Twelve-year-old orphan Finn survives in this world by being a thief. When he, his best friend Adrion, and younger sister Lydia meet a mysterious stranger who claims to know of a Lake of Light, they set off on an adventure to places where the mist can steal a precious memory, starlight gathers in waterfalls, and spiders spin shimmering webs of glass as deadly as they are dazzling.

But there are secrets hiding in the shadows that could change Finn's understanding of everything he knows - and finding the Lake of Light could alter not only the course of his life but the very kingdom itself."

I just adore a great fantasy series. I have a good feeling about this one.

Speak of the Devil by Sweeney Boo
Published by: HarperAlley
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the thrilling, witchy sequel to Over My Dead Body, Abigail fights to clear her name as strange occurrences continue to plague Younwity Hidden Institute of Witchcraft - a spooky teen graphic novel perfect for fans of Wednesday Addams and the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina!

Months after Abigail and her friends thwarted a dark magic ritual that threatened to destroy Younwity Hidden Institute of Witchcraft, new dangers and long-buried secrets bubble to the surface.

As autumn turns to winter, a mysterious rune-dotted fissure has appeared in the school grounds, and no one from the Coven is able to seal it - no matter how powerful their magic is. Even worse, it's believed this fissure is the source of hazardous tremors that continue to rip through the grounds, threatening the institute's very foundation. Abigail is certain this is all her fault and hatches a plan to seal the fissure herself, but when her ritual goes sideways, she awakens a long-dormant entity hellbent on revenge. To put things right, Abigail will need to unearth the true history of Younwity Institute and, just maybe, unravel the secrets of her own forgotten past along the way."

I have been addicted to any school of witchcraft since I first saw The Worst Witch. OG version with Diana Rigg and Tim Curry of course.

The Bewitching Miss Blair by Darcy McGuire
Published by: Boldwood Books
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: eBook, 308 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In a world where secrets are as dangerous as spells, love might be the most powerful magic of all...

Clio Blair is a fire witch - gifted, defiant, and hiding more than just her magic. With the power to speak to the dead and glimpse their final memories, she's called in by her uncle at Scotland Yard to help solve the murder of Viscount Beachley. His ghost lingers, his wife is missing, and the trail leads straight into the glittering world of the ton...where Clio has no place.

Enter Lieutenant General Thomas Grey: brooding, scandal-shadowed, and bound by honour to assist the investigation. He never expects to be paired with a sharp-tongued witch who walks with ravens and burns like fire beneath her skin. As they're forced into close quarters and dangerous secrets begin to surface, so does a desire neither of them can resist.

But Clio knows a witch's heart is a dangerous thing to give away - especially to a man who swore never to love again. And Thomas knows desire alone won't protect her from the dead who would use her, or the living who would destroy her.

Solving the murder may save them both - but surrendering to passion could consume them completely.

Practical Magic meets Bridgerton with a dash of Agatha Christie in this new series from Darcy McGuire."

Falling in love doesn't end her powers like in Bell, Book and Candle does it!?!

The Regency Switch by Helen Gaskell
Published by: HQ Digital
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Holiday meets Lost in Austen, with a sprinkling of Bridgerton steam...

Etta Moore expects nothing more from a Tuesday than another dull day in the office. But when her morning commute ends in Regency England, she is forced to accept the impossible: she and her ancestor Miss Henrietta Bainbridge - or 'Mad Hetty', as she's known amongst the ton - have switched bodies.

Suddenly Etta and Hetty must get to grips with the new worlds they find themselves in. For Etta, it's goodbye to dating apps and the daily commute and hello to the list of things 'Ladies Do Not' do. Luckily the dashing Lord Stanhope is on hand to aid her through even the most shocking of faux pas.

Meanwhile Hetty, who has always felt unseen and unknown, finds her truest self blossoming with the help of 21st century medicine and the most welcome attentions of her rather beautiful Adult Learning teacher, Stella.

Two hundred years away from everything they've ever known, might Etta and Hetty have actually found a place where they each truly belong?"

How did Etta just accept the situation so fast?

Star Shipped by Cat Sebastian
Published by: Avon
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Cat Sebastian's long-awaited foray into contemporary romance! A witty, emotional, and deliciously slow burn enemies-to-lovers romance between two costars on a popular sci-fi television series.

Simon and Charlie, actors on a long-running sci-fi show, can't stand one another. Charlie is impetuous, outgoing, and basically feral, and Simon thinks he should have stayed in reality television where he belongs. They've spent the better part of a decade quarreling over the spotlight and pretty much everything else, and everybody in the industry knows it. Now that Simon's contract is finally done, he can move to New York, start fresh with work he actually likes, and get away from Charlie.

Simon's only problem is that people might assume he's been pushed off the show due to being impossible to work with. And he is kind of difficult to work with. He doesn't get along with people - unlike Charlie, who somehow tricked everyone on the show into adoring him despite some outrageously bad on-set behavior during the show's first season. Simon would rather never have to see Charlie again, but reluctantly agrees to stage a very public friendship during the short time before he moves. When Charlie has to leave town to deal with a family emergency, this means Simon comes along. Their road trip brings Simon to places he would never have willingly chosen to visit - and he finds he's actually not having a terrible time.

The more he gets to know Charlie, the more Simon suspects he's underestimated his former coworker. Simon also realizes that after seven years, Charlie might know him better than anyone ever has. Even stranger, Charlie seems to be starting to actually like him, despite knowing him so well. Still, Simon is about to move three thousand miles away, so whatever's starting between him and Charlie can't really amount to anything... right?

Tropes:
Enemies to Lovers
Opposites Attract
Forced Proximity
Slow Burn"

Never worry about distance when the love starts to take hold!

Where the Girls Were by Kate Schatz
Published by: The Dial Press
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"They were sent away to be forgotten. This is their story.

In this electrifying historical novel about coming of age in tumultuous 1960s San Francisco, a pregnant teenager reckons with womanhood and agency after being sent to a home for unwed mothers.

It's 1968, and the future is bright for seventeen-year-old Elizabeth "Baker" Phillips: She's the valedictorian of her high school, with a place at Stanford in the fall and big dreams of becoming a journalist. But the seductive free-spirited San Francisco atmosphere seeps into her carefully planned, strait-laced life in the form of a hippie named Wiley. At first, letting loose and letting herself fall in love for the first time feels incredible. But then, everything changes.

Pregnancy hits Baker with the force of whiplash - in the blink of an eye, she goes from good girl to fallen woman, from her family's shining star to their embarrassing secret. Without any other options, Baker is sent to a home for unwed mothers, and finds herself trapped in an old Victorian house packed with pregnant girls who share her shame and fear. As she grapples with her changing body, lack of choice, and uncertain future, Baker finds unexpected community and empowerment among the "girls who went away."

Where the Girls Were is a timely unearthing of a little-known moment in American history, when the sexual revolution and feminist movement collided with the limits of reproductive rights - and society's expectations of women. As Baker finds her strength and her voice, she shows us how to step into your power, even when the world is determined to keep you silent."

Love the concept, hate the tryhard cover.

Wait for Me by Amy Jo Burns
Published by: Celadon Books
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the author of Mercury and Shiner comes a novel about the bond between two female folk singers, the love stories that haunt them, and the music that brings them together to burn bright.

Young folk singer Elle Harlow reaches the height of her prowess in 1973, with two wildly beloved albums to her name and a hidden history of impossible heartbreak. When she sets foot on the famed Grand Ole Opry stage, a far cry from the mountain that raised her, Elle gives the biggest performance of her life. Then, to the dismay of shocked fans, her producer, and the man who still loves her, she vanishes.

Almost two decades later, eighteen-year-old Marijohn Shaw is spending her summer pumping gas, writing songs on her broken mandolin, and longing for a mother. Her father, Abe, has always sworn he was the last person to see Elle Harlow alive, but when a meteor strikes the woods of their sleepy Pennsylvania town and a piece of Elle's past emerges from the wreckage, the truth of her disappearance sets fire to everything Marijohn believes about herself, her music, and her ability to love with abandon.

Wait for Me exalts the lush hills of Appalachia and the bright lights of Nashville as it reveals the legacy of Elle Harlow, the bold voice that defined her, the intimate betrayal that undid her, and the unexpected faith of another young woman determined to resurrect her."

I mean, I'm a sucker for a disappearance that's straight out of a folk song.

Buried in a Book by T.C. Lotempio
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Bookshop owner Charley James is plunged into a mystery involving a rare book worth killing for in this new Cozy Bookshop Mystery by award-winning and national bestselling author T.C. LoTempio.

No treats but lots of tricks and murder!

Retired thriller author and current bookshop owner Charley James is preparing for Halloween in her small hometown of Austin, Pennsylvania - what she isn't prepared for is discovering the body of a woman at the local inn.

Charley recognizes the stranger as a suspicious customer who popped in just to hide a rather peculiar book at her store - did she already know she was about to lose her life for it?

Pursuing this mysterious case, Charley can't seem to stay out of trouble, and no one knows this better than Detective Hottie, Ian Grant. But Charley has a mind of her own and, together with cat Poe, sets off on another puzzle-riddled quest, unaware that the killer might be someone she knows...

"If you've ever wondered what it would be like to read a Hallmark Mystery movie in book format, wonder no more" (Cozy Crime Mystery). For fans of Laura Childs's Tea Shop Mysteries, Jenn McKinlay's Library Lover's Mysteries, and Ellery Adams's Secret, Book and Scone Society Novels."

The best place to hide and book is among other books! Though personally I would have opted for a library. 

The Primrose Murder Society by Stacy Hackney
Published by: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Witty, endearing, and wildly entertaining, this Southern cozy mystery is a little bit Gilmore Girls, a little bit Finlay Donovan, with a big helping of Only Murders in the Building.

Lila Shaw stopped trusting anyone the minute her husband went to jail for white-collar crime, taking their country club lifestyle with him. Now Lila is broke, friendless, and losing her house - and to make things worse, her true-crime-obsessed daughter, Bea, was just expelled from fourth grade. Desperate for a fresh start, Lila agrees to temporarily move in and clean out an abandoned junk-filled apartment in Richmond's palatial Primrose building. The luxurious Virginia landmark is filled with retirees who start their days early drinking bourbon and gossiping, in that order.

Soon after Lila's arrival, the Primrose is thrown into chaos. The owner of the building's splendid penthouse has died and in his final days he set up a two-million-dollar reward for any resident who helps to solve the 21-year-old murder of his granddaughter at the Primrose. A fan of all detective stories and true-crime podcasts, Bea is inspired to investigate. They really could use the reward money, so Lila reluctantly agrees, in a questionable attempt at family bonding. She's certain the killer is long-gone after all these years anyway. That is, until another resident is murdered...and Lila becomes the prime suspect.

Now Lila needs to solve both murders to avoid jail, and even worse, losing her daughter to her snobby in-laws. To catch a killer and clear Lila's name, she and Bea must rely on their elderly neighbors - Jasper, a shy former detective, and Evelyn, an opinionated socialite - along with Nate, a good-looking reporter who keeps appearing at the most inconvenient moments. As the amateur sleuths expose the truth about the Primrose, Lila hopes she can also unravel the trickiest parts of her own life and start fresh."

I mean, the chance to solve the unsolvable AT WORK and get money? Perfect. Just ignore the pesky possible prison time.

Two Bodies Are Better Than One by Erica Ruth Neubauer
Published by: Thomas and Mercer
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 347 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Loaded with dark humor and sharp wit, this wild ride through the '80s follows an advice columnist trying to unravel the mystery of the dead body on her lawn - while keeping her own secrets under wraps.

Until 1989, the wildest thing to happen in the sleepy town of Sheboygan Bay was surfers catching waves on frigid Lake Michigan. Then one summer morning, Lorraine Highsmith wakes up to find a corpse on her lawn.

Detective Michaela "Mike" Zenoni is on the case immediately, eager to make a name for herself in a male-dominated precinct. And Lorraine is close behind - as the local advice columnist, she's always looking for a scoop.

What they don't know is that Lorraine once had ties to the mob, and those connections could be coming back to haunt her. A recent transplant to Wisconsin, she keeps her past shrouded in mystery, and she'd like to keep it that way.

Mike might be working with her to find the killer, but Lorraine knows that alliances can change on a dime. She needs to get ahead of this story...no matter who's trying to put an end to hers."

Oh trust me, Wisconsin is not the place to escape the mob. 

The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives by Elizabeth Arnott
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A remarkable trio whose lives have been cracked wide open by their husbands' crimes unite to catch a serial killer in this dazzlingly captivating novel.

Beverley, Elsie, and Margot are not your average housewives. They are all wives of convicted killers. During the sun-drenched summer of 1966, the three women form an unlikely friendship after the discoveries of their husbands' brutal crimes. With their exes - some of California's most infamous murderers - dead or behind bars, they are attempting to forge a new future for themselves.

Headstrong Beverley tries compulsively to maintain control of everything around her, all while raising two children. Bookish Elsie fights to make a name for herself in the newsroom, working among men who sneer at her career goals. Glamorous Margot prefers partying to homemaking and devotes all her energy to upholding the appearance that everything is fine - anything to quell the shame from her husband's deceit.

They know people look at them and think only one thing: How could they not have known what their husbands were doing? How much are they to blame? And yet when a string of local killings hits the news, the three women - underestimated, overlooked, shrewd - decide to get to work. After all, who better to catch a killer than those who have shared their lives and homes with one?

At once a riveting portrayal of shattered trust and a story of gripping suspense, The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives is a testament to the intricacies of women's lives and how the deep bonds of female friendship can empower, uplift, and lead us to endure."

But even if they succeed then the gossip will be, takes one to know one, am I right?

Has Anyone Seen My Hormones by Anne Taintor
Published by: Chronicle Books
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 96 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Celebrate the hot flashes of wisdom and the power that comes with getting older in this hilarious collection of vintage-with-a-twist art and wit - from the bestselling queen of women's humor, Anne Taintor. Are you forever young...ish? Are you ready for someone to invent cool yoga? Do you see no good reason to act your age? Sure, midlife and menopause can come with moments of wondering if it's you or the thermostat running warm, but they also bring well-earned realizations and rewards:
-You've awakened from the nightmare of youth.
-You're old enough to know better, but too young to give a rat's ass.
-Wrinkles reveal character, and you've come far enough to realize, honey, you couldn't pay me to be twenty.

Funny, sarcastic, and sympathetic, with just the right dose of bad behavior, Anne Taintor's new collection is proof that getting older is an upgrade.

MENOPAUSE: IT'S SO HOT RIGHT NOW: New York Times bestsellers like The New Menopause and The Menopause Manifesto have ushered in a new era of conversation and knowledge about perimenopause and menopause, tearing down the topic's longstanding taboo.

TALK ABOUT IT, LAUGH ABOUT IT: Half the population goes through menopause, yet few giftable items address this life transition. Here is a just-right, art-filled humor book to share with moms, sisters, partners, best friends, grandmoms, cousins, or anyone you love who may need a bit of laugh-therapy self-care between hot flashes and mood swings.

GREAT GIFT BETWEEN FRIENDS: The ultimate "iykyk" topic for women makes this a fun and thoughtful gift to share with friends and loved ones navigating this phase. Pair with an Anne Taintor calendar to keep track of each day of fresh hell survived to create a hilarious bundle.

ANNE TAINTOR'S BESTSELLING HUMOR: With over two million books, postcard boxes, and calendars sold, Anne Taintor has been making people laugh since 1985.

Perfect for:
-Women ages 35 - 65
-Anyone going through perimenopause or menopause in need of a laugh
-Gift-giving for birthday, Mother's Day, and Galentine's Day
-Readers of The New Menopause, The Menopause Manifesto, and The Menopause Reset
-Fans of humorous takes on the subject, such as Menopause The Musical and Samantha Bee's How to Survive Menopause
-Fans of popular perimenopause and menopause novels, including Miranda July's All Fours and Catherine Newman's Sandwich"

I mean, yes, there's menopause in the title, but it's basically just her old magnet and sign stuff repurposed with a catchy title to sell. Don't fall for it. It's OK and that's about all.

The Hotel by Elizabeth Bowen
Published by: Union Square and Co.
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An awkward young woman develops an "unsuitable attachment" to a beautiful, worldly widow in a queer-coded novel set in a luxurious hotel on the Italian Riviera.

Sydney Warren is a young, rebellious women in her twenties, uninterested in marriage and a puzzle to her friends and family. She becomes infatuated with Mrs. Kerr, an older and very beautiful widow - and the two women's close friendship swiftly becomes the subject of gossip at the hotel. But when Mrs. Kerr's young son arrives to visit his mother, the balance of Sydney and Mrs. Kerr's relationship is upset: a drama that plays out in front of an array of delightful, fascinating minor characters.

Originally published in 1927, Elizabeth Bowen's The Hotel is a debut novel that explores social and emotional relationships and one young woman's coming-of-age."

Such a fan of Elizabeth Bowen and this is a beautiful new edition.

Death in the Palace by Barbara Hambly
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A proposal to die for...British widow Emma Blackstone gets mixed up in murder once again in this stunning 1920s historical mystery featuring New York high society, mobsters, and silent-movie stars!

November, 1924. Beautiful silent-movie star Camille de la Rose - Kitty, to her adoring fans - is amused to receive an unusual proposal from an extremely rich stranger. Clark Dexter offers her $50,000 if she will marry and then divorce him.

Young British widow Emma Blackstone, Kitty's dog walker, companion, and dearest friend, is determined to talk her employer out of it. Emma might have been living in the topsy-turvy world of Hollywood for a year now, but she knows a bad idea when she hears one.

There are disturbing rumors about Mr. Dexter. And when the source of the rumors is found dead in mysterious circumstances, Emma soon finds herself plunged into a disturbing investigation that sees her mixing with New York's high society, mobsters, and movie stars...and a ruthless killer, who'll stop at nothing to see their evil plan through.

New York Times bestselling author Barbara Hambly brings the glamor, intrigue, and dark side of Hollywood to life in the Silver Screen Mysteries - a perfect choice for fans of female-fronted historical mysteries set in the roaring twenties."

I take $50,000 to marry and divorce someone!

A Ghastly Catastrophe by Deanna Raybourn
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Veronica and Stoker are practically dying for a new adventure, but when their wish is granted, they find themselves up against a secret society and a darkly seductive duo in this landmark historical mystery from beloved New York Times bestselling and Edgar® Award–nominated author Deanna Raybourn.

When the corpse of an entitled young man is found entirely drained of blood in a carriage next to Highgate Cemetery, Veronica's interest is piqued. And then a second victim is found, his death made to look like a suicide - and Veronica and her intrepid beau Stoker know the hunt is on. The two men share one link: they were both members of a society so secretive that only a singular mention of it can be found anywhere.

Thirsty for more clues, Veronica and Stoker hear that a young Romany boy may know more about their first victim, and the only way to the boy is through an old acquaintance of Stoker's, Lady Julia Brisbane. Lady Julia and her dashing husband, Nicholas, occasionally track down murderers and are only too happy to help. But as it becomes clear that the secret society is a dangerous sect looking to entice immortality seekers, Veronica and Stoker find themselves ensnared by a decidedly more sinister couple.

The professed leader of the society claims to be a creature of the night; his partner practices witchcraft and they both fancy themselves emissaries of the otherworldly. Just as Veronica and Stoker get closer to learning the true purpose of the society and unraveling this macabre mystery, another body turns up, and they quickly discover they've gone from being the hunters to the hunted...."

Wait, what!?! A crossover with her Lady Julia Grey series!?!

The Harvey Girl by Dana Stabenow
Published by: Head of Zeus - an Aries Book
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the award-winning author of the Kate Shugak Mysteries, a thrilling new detective series set during America's wild boom time of the nineteenth century.

WELCOME TO THE GILDED AGE. WHERE NOT EVERYTHING GLITTERS.

1890. The New Mexico Territory is a lawless frontier where criminals steal money and land alike with impunity. Everyone wears a six-gun and is ready and willing to draw it.

In the new city of Montaña Roja, Fred Harvey's growing empire is threatened by the robberies plaguing his newest Harvey House restaurant. To get justice, he needs a skilled detective to go undercover and procure answers to questions the law will not ask.

The assignment falls to Clare Wright, a young Pinkerton agent. Disguised as one of Harvey's famous hostesses, Clare travels west where she risks being exposed at every step of her investigation. To get answers - and to get out alive - there are only two things she can trust: her instincts, and her derringer."

Mainly here for the Harvey House if I'm being honest...

The Woman and Her Stars by Penny Haw
Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"She must find her own place amongst the stars.

Caroline Herschel has always lived in the shadows. Beholden to her wildly popular older brother, William, who rescued her from servitude, she's worked hard to build a life for herself - one where she can go unnoticed and repay the debt she believes she owes him. But when her brother becomes obsessed with sweeping the stars, everything changes.

Newly appointed as the King's Astronomer, William is rushed away from the bustling streets of Bath to the quiet countryside of Windsor. When Caroline makes a discovery that could send her right back to the people she was rescued from, she has no choice but to leave her carefully constructed life and follow her brother. Taking up the position as William's assistant, Caroline resolves to learn everything she can about astronomy. But the more she understands, the more she falls in love with her telescope, and soon, she discovers that she might be good at the science, great, even, and that the stars could offer her the freedom she's always secretly wanted. When it's clear that Caroline is just as much the astronomer as her brother, she realizes she must break free from the life she has lived and find her own place in the night sky.

Based on the true story of Caroline Herschel, The Woman and Her Stars shines a light on a woman who was raised to believe she was worth nothing more than to serve others, but whose genius and resolve made her one of the world's leading astronomers. An awe-inspiring story set within the societal boundaries of the Georgian era, it's a hopeful journey of self-discovery, familial bonds, and passion."

YAS! Break that glass ceiling! Go for the stars! Literally!

Two Spinsters and a Swindler by Eve Tarrington
Published by: Tenacious Teacup Press
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 234 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Derbyshire, December 1815. A cozy family Christmas turns deadly when a visitor is murdered.

Louisa-Margaretta Haddington, still reeling from a broken engagement, must come to terms with both her parents' displeasure. Though her family's Christmas visitors are a welcome distraction, one handsome man in particular promises to raise her spirits by Christmas. But she cannot live for pleasure alone, as her father's financial difficulties threaten both her home and her family's reputation. What's more, there are warning signs that one of their visitors, an old lady, has come expressly to defraud Louisa-Margaretta's family.

Judith St Clair promised to help unmask the swindler, but she has her own troubles. Her father, usually the most mild-mannered of men, has not given her marriage his blessing. Unless Judith's fiance, Mr Ramsbury, quickly finds a profession, Judith will get not one penny for her dowry. Judith's sister Miriam is now engaged to a man who once proposed to Judith herself, raising tensions in the St Clair household. But Judith is too preoccupied by a sudden murder at Wycliff Castle to properly tend to her family ties.

The magistrate has no intention of sparing the Haddingtons or the St Clairs, and Judith and Louisa-Margaretta quickly find themselves tangled in his false accusations. If they wish to save their fortunes and their reputations, they must find the killer before Christmas.

This Regency cozy historical mystery will whisk you away to the English countryside."

It's never too early to start planning your holiday reading.

Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Twice-widowed, Lady Etheldreda Verity Isolde Tremaine Bramley is solely responsible for her two children, a priggish stepdaughter, a razor-taloned peregrine falcon, and a crumbling manor. Fierce and determined, Ethel clings to the respectability her deceased husband's title affords her, hoping it will secure her daughters' future through marriage.

When a royal ball offers the chance to change everything, Ethel risks her pride in pursuit of an invitation for all three of her daughters - only to see her hopes fulfilled by the wrong one. As an engagement to the future king unfolds, Ethel discovers a sordid secret hidden in the depths of the royal family, forcing her to choose between the security she craves and the wellbeing of the stepdaughter who has rebuffed her at every turn.

As if Bridgerton met Circe, and exhilarating to its core, Lady Tremaine reimagines the myth of the evil stepmother at the heart of the world's most famous fairy tale. It is a battle cry for a mother's love for her daughters, and a celebration of women everywhere who make their own fortunes."

An Ever After for our time.

Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman
Published by: Tor Nightfire
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The unmissable BookTok sensation, now at Nightfire! Enter a darker age with USA Today bestselling author Christopher Buehlman's Between Two Fires, a medieval horror adventure unlike anything on the shelf.

And Lucifer said: "Let us rise against Him now in all our numbers, and pull the walls of Heaven down..."

The year is 1348.

Thomas, a disgraced knight, has found a young girl alone in a dead Norman village. An orphan of the Black Death, and an almost unnerving picture of innocence, she tells Thomas that plague is only part of a larger cataclysm - that the fallen angels under Lucifer are rising in a second war on heaven, and that the world of men has become their battleground. Is it delirium or is it faith?

Now she has convinced the faithless Thomas to shepherd her across a depraved landscape to Avignon. There, she tells Thomas, she will fulfill her mission: to confront the evil that has devastated the earth, and give him - blood-stained and wretched as he is - a chance at redemption he long thought lost.

As hell unleashes its wrath, and as the true nature of the girl is revealed, Thomas will find himself on a macabre battleground of angels and demons, saints and the risen dead, and in the midst of a desperate struggle for nothing less than the soul of man."

An apocalyptic cataclysm that's thankfully fictional. 

The Spire by William Golding
Published by: Penguin Classics
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Succumb to a churchman's apocalyptic vision in this prophetic tale by the radical Nobel Laureate and author of Lord of the Flies, introduced by Benjamin Myers.

A Penguin Classic.

Dean Jocelin has a vision: that God has chosen him to erect a great spire. His master builder fearfully advises against it, for the old cathedral was miraculously built without foundations. But Jocelin is obsessed with fashioning his prayer in stone. As his halo of hair grows wilder and his dark angel darker, the spire rises octagon upon octagon, pinnacle by pinnacle, watched over by the gargoyles - until the stone pillars shriek, the earth beneath creeps, and the spire's shadow falls like an axe on the medieval world below."

I mean, authors like Orwell and Golding are more relevant today than ever.

The Inheritors by William Golding
Published by: Penguin Classics
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Hunt, trek, and feast among Neanderthals in this stunning novel by the radical Nobel Laureate and author of Lord of the Flies, introduced by Ben Okri.

A Penguin Classic.

When spring comes, the people leave their winter cave, foraging for honey, grubs, and the hot richness of a deer's brain. They awaken the fire to heat their naked bodies, lay down their thorn bushes, and share pictures in their minds. But strange things are happening: inexplicable scents and sounds. Imaginable beasts are half-glimpsed in the forest; upright creatures of bone-faces and deerskins. What the people do not know is that their day is already over."

Poor neanderthals. 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alexis Henderson, Barbara Hambly, Cat Sebastian, Charlie N. Holmberg, Christopher Buehlman, Dana Stabenow, Darcy McGuire, Deanna Raybourn, Elizabeth Bowen, Erica Ruth Neubauer, Lindsey Kelk, William Golding