January 30, 2026

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

It's Not Her by Mary Kubica
Published by Park Row on February 3, 2026
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

A scream shatters the silence…
Courtney Gray’s peaceful vacation turns into a nightmare when she discovers her brother and sister-in-law dead in their lakeside cottage. Her niece Reese is missing. Her nephew Wyatt is asleep upstairs—unharmed.

A town full of secrets…
As police swarm the quiet resort, dark truths about Courtney’s family—and the town itself—begin to surface. Is Reese a victim… or the killer?

A truth no one saw coming…
With everyone hiding something, Courtney races to uncover the terrible mystery. But the closer she gets, the harder it is to know who—or what—to trust.

Absolutely unputdownable! I was hooked from start to finish and there were a couple of twist that had me not expecting THAT right up until the very end. The characters are easy to sink your teeth into as we trail after Courtney Gray as she tries to comes to grips with the fact that her brother and sister-in-law were murdered in the vacation cottage right next to hers as she sets out on a race against time to find her missing teenage niece. Kubica’s diabolical writing voice has us questioning even those that should be most trusted, yet not seeing possible corruption right in front of our faces. Superb writing and a really great read. I loved every minute!

* Review * FREE FALLING by Jill Shalvis

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

Free Falling by Jill Shalvis
Series: Colburn Brothers #2
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on February 3, 2026
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

Retired hockey player Caleb Colburn needs this construction project to prove himself in the family business, but he also needs to recover from the injury that ended his pro career. Too bad Emma Sumner, architect liaison and Caleb's college nemesis, is back in town and assigned to the project. They're going to have to see each other almost every day. Which means once again she'll make his life a living hell.

As for Emma, her job is on the line with this big project, made all the more challenging by the project manager. Caleb was the one who had snagged the scholarship she'd desperately needed to stay in college. She's been living hand to mouth ever since and has no intention of ever forgiving the man.

But the beautiful historic building they're renovating is exactly the kind of project that they both love best. Their surprising common ground and a burning mutual attraction start bringing them closer and closer to a potentially explosive mistake. And that's even before the secrets come out…

Shalvis never fails to warm my heart with her heartfelt characters, signature sass and adorable hairy sidekicks! The second book in her already addictive Colburn Brothers series is just as good as the first and had me hooked from the very start. Caleb is trying to prove his worth to the family biz, but can’t resist his attraction to their architect liaison. Emma is equally interested, but her living situation and job potential has her distracted from the drama. Both characters have an interesting back story that carries the reader along on their journey of making love work through thick and thin. I love his family and their complexity, and the doggos were just too adorable. Loved every minute!

Hank is a very angsty character for me that in both books in the series has kept me perplexed with how I feel about him. I see a very human and caring side to his interaction these days, but I can’t put the past out of my mind either. He’s a tough nut to redeem, but I have a feeling I’ll be all in before Shalvis is all said and done. I highly recommend this book as well as the previous one in the series to anyone that enjoys a family centric romance with a touch of suspense in the background as true love finds a way to beat the odds and flourish amid drama and laughter. I can’t wait for Tucker’s book! I’m crossing my fingers for one for Kiera and even a novella for Hank, and hey, let’s go for one for Bill too!