Review: Murder at Donwell Abbey by Vanessa Kelly

Murder at Donwell Abbey by Vanessa Kelly
Series: Emma Knightley Mysteries, Book 2
Publisher: Kensington
Genre: Historical Mystery 

ISBN: 9781496746009
Release Date: November 25, 2025
eBook Source: Publisher
Audiobook Source: Purchased by Reviewer
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

Emma’s spirits are elevated after she and husband George Knightley host a joyful holiday celebration at the Hartfield estate. But it’s instantly a bitter January when her father makes an unexpected announcement—he and Miss Hetty Bates have decided to marry. Not only must Emma relinquish her role as mistress of the household, but also accept the reality that the excitable Miss Bates will become her stepmother…

More unwanted news arrives during an extravagant betrothal ball at Donwell Abbey, the grand Knightley estate where Emma and George will soon permanently reside. Nearly every villager in Highbury revels in the dazzling affair—except Emma’s hardworking lady’s maid, Prudence Parr. To Emma’s horror, Prudence is found dead, sprawled across the stones of the library terrace…

The woman’s tragic fall is quickly ruled a terrible accident and whispers circulate around personal troubles leading up to her untimely demise. But Emma’s instincts tell her that something far more sinister is at play. Now, Highbury’s matchmaker-turned-sleuth vows to outwit a cunning criminal before an innocent man loses his freedom—or Donwell Abbey plunges into a darker mystery…

All is well in Emma Knightley’s world after the events of last summer. She and George are happily living in Harfield, their siblings are visiting, and nothing could go wrong. That is, until Mr. Woodhouse makes a shocking announcement: he plans to marry Miss Bates! The Woodhouse-Knighley crew is somewhat alarmed that the chatty Miss Bates is soon to be a member of the family, but they quickly rally and Emma throws a party to celebrate the betrothal at Donwell Abbey. Then the unthinkable happens: Prudence Parr, lady’s maid at Donwell, is found dead on the terrace. Did she fall from her bedroom or was she pushed?

While George is Highbury’s magistrate, Emma isn’t about to sit around and do nothing. Emma’s Holmes has the unlikeliest of Watsons in her eldest nephew, Henry, and her stepmother-to-be, Miss Bates. I loved watching Emma put the pieces of the puzzle together, especially with Miss Bates who is surprisingly helpful. Vanessa Kelly excels at expanding the world of Highbury while still making it feel like the village of Jane Austen’s Emma. She also is fantastic at making the characters from Austen’s novel feel like themselves while allowing them space to grow as they live their lives beyond the original story. The new characters Kelly creates feel organic to the world and I was just delighted to be in it as Emma, George, and their loved ones uncover clues and hunt for the killer.

Murder at Donwell Abbey is a delightful story and I hope Kelly has many more Emma Knightley stories planned because the world is too good to leave. That being said, while this is a cozy mystery the mystery part is where the story did falter somewhat. Prudence’s death is only the beginning of what is going on at Donwell that George and Emma were unaware of. I really liked seeing the two of them – with the help of family and friends – put the pieces together. The mysteries that unfolded were interesting and the resolution of whodunit was satisfying. However, much of the why and how is explained after the fact in an infodump near the end which didn’t work for me. That being said, I still thoroughly enjoyed the book and I am very much looking forward to Emma’s next outing as amateur sleuth.



Disclosure: I purchased the audiobook and received the eBook for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah by Jean Meltzer

The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah by Jean Meltzer
Publisher: MIRA
Genre: Contemporary Romance 

ISBN: 9780778334422
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

Can these exes rekindle their love this Hanukkah?

Evelyn Schwartz has the perfect Hanukkah planned: eight jam-packed days producing the live-action televised musical of A Christmas Carol. Who needs family when you’ve got long hours, impossible deadlines, and your dream job? That is, until an accident on set lands her in the medical bay with one of her chronic migraines, and she’s shocked to find her ex-husband, David Adler, filling in for the usual studio doctor.

It’s been two years since David walked away from Evelyn and their life in Manhattan, and his ex-wife is still the same workaholic who puts her career before everything else—especially her health. But when Evelyn begins hallucinating “ghosts” tied to her past heartbreaks, and every single one leads to David, he finds himself spending much more time with her than he anticipated. And denying the still-smoldering chemistry between them becomes impossible.

As Evelyn revisits her ghosts of Hanukkah past, she and David both begin to wonder if they can have a Hanukkah future. But with a high-stakes production ramping up the pressure on Evelyn, and troublesome spirits forcing them both to confront their most difficult shared memories, it might just take a Hanukkah miracle for these two exes to light the flame on their second-chance at love.

The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah is a story of facing love and loss, wrapped up in a second chance romance and a Jewish, contemporary spin on A Christmas Carol. Jean Meltzer takes her readers on an incredibly emotional journey as our heroine relives the heartbreaking moments of her life.

Evelyn Schwartz believes in the power of television to transport people away from the cruelties of the world for just a while. She’s put everything she has had and more into climbing the ladder and the live-action televised version of A Christmas Carol will make or break her career as a producer. Evelyn lives with chronic migraines and carries a lot of pain inside. She buries herself in work not just because of her love of the job but because she cannot bear the pain of her past. Enter David, her ex-husband. She’s never forgiven him for leaving her but David had his own reasons and trauma that lead him to divorcing her. Now he’s back to fill in as a doctor and when Evelyn takes a header into a piano and starts having hallucinations, David will drop everything to help her.

I’m not going to spoil what drove Evelyn and David apart, but Meltzer puts a rather lengthy list of content warnings in the front of the book and I highly recommend people read it before diving into the story. There are painful moments in Evelyn and David’s lives that are handled with care and authenticity, and the realistic depictions of some of the most heartbreaking times of their lives can be hard to read. Evelyn and David have always loved each other but that isn’t enough. While he supports her career, David is also open about the fact that Evelyn wasn’t there for him when he needed her the most. She in turn has pain over the way he abandoned her during their darkest time. Neither of them are wrong nor are they entirely right. They needed help and Evelyn wasn’t ready for it when their marriage fell apart. There’s a lot of struggle for the two of them that can’t be addressed until Evelyn is ready, which isn’t until the very end. I liked where they ended up, but I wanted a bit more between the last chapter and the epilogue.

This is a heavy book, but there is hope in it. Meltzer also tries to lighten the mood with the difficult star of the musical, Jared Sparks. Whether you find Jared funny or irritating is really reader preference. For me, he was the latter and his over-the-top nonsense didn’t fit with the rest of the book and kept pulling me out of the tale.

The Eight Heartbreaks of Hanukkah was sometimes hard for me to read, but even with the issues I had with it I do think it’s well-written. Jewish joy and tradition may take somewhat of a backseat by virtue of the plot but it’s there and I loved it. Even though there may be mystical holiday spirits guiding Evelyn’s journey, the heartbreaks she and David faced were grounded in reality and the book made me tear up more than once. Though this isn’t my normal type of book, it was engaging and I finished it rooting for David and Evelyn to get the life they deserved.



Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: Murder in Highbury by Vanessa Kelly

Murder in Highbury by Vanessa Kelly
Series: Emma Knightley Mysteries, Book 1
Publisher: Kensington
Genre: Historical Mystery 

ISBN: 9781496745972
eBook Source: Publisher
Audiobook Source: Purchased by Reviewer
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

Less than one year into her marriage to respected magistrate George Knightley, Emma has grown unusually content in her newfound partnership and refreshed sense of independence. The height of summer sees the former Miss Woodhouse gracefully balancing the meticulous management of her elegant family estate and a flurry of social engagements, with few worries apart from her beloved father’s health…

But cheery circumstances change in an instant when Emma and Harriet Martin, now the wife of one of Mr. Knightley’s tenant farmers, discover a hideous shock at the local church. The corpse of Mrs. Augusta Elton, the vicar’s wife, has been discarded on the altar steps—the ornate necklace she often wore stripped from her neck. As a chilling murder mystery descends upon the tranquil village of Highbury, the question isn’t simply who committed the crime, but who wasn’t secretly wishing for the unpleasant woman’s demise. Emma—armed with wit, unwavering determination, and extensive social connections—realizes she must discreetly navigate an investigation of her own to protect the innocent and expose the ruthless culprit hiding in plain sight.

Emma Knightley, handsome, clever, and…amateur sleuth? That is indeed the case in Vanessa Kelly’s Murder in Highbury. Kelly beautifully captures the spirit of Jane Austen’s characters in this cozy mystery.

Emma is ensconced in Hartfield, married to Mr. Knightley and living her happily ever after. All is peaceful in Highbury until one hot summer day Emma and Harriet stumble across a corpse in the church. Mrs. Elton may not have been Emma’s favorite person, but she’s not about to sit idly by and let her magistrate husband search for clues on his own. What charmed me the most about Murder in Highbury is how well Kelly made this story feel like a natural continuation of Austen’s Emma. The characters acted as you would expect and the world came alive most beautifully. It was a delight to see Emma and George seek out clues with the help of their friends. Everyone plays exceedingly well off each other and that made the book incredibly engaging. As for whodunit, well I’ll leave that for readers to discover. Mrs. Elton isn’t the most endearing character and Kelly kept me guessing as mystery unfolded.

Murder in Highbury is a wonderful cozy mystery that will charm readers whether they’re Janeites or not. I was utterly delighted by this story and cannot wait to see Emma put her sleuthing skills to the test once again in Murder at Donwell Abbey.



Disclosure: I purchased the audiobook and received the eBook for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: The Seven Rings by Nora Roberts

The Seven Rings by Nora Roberts
Series: The Lost Bride Trilogy, Book 3
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance with Paranormal Elements 

ISBN: 9781250288790
Release Date: November 18, 2025
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

Long ago, Arthur Poole built a grand house overlooking the turbulent ocean, in a Maine village that bore his name. Today, Sonya MacTavish lives in that house—a manor that has been cursed for generations. Within its walls, she has witnessed the deaths of seven brides and the thefts of seven wedding rings. And now, to break the curse and banish a malevolent spirit once and for all, a difficult task must be completed.

After Sonya, her boyfriend, Trey, and their friends are forced to hear, see—and feel—the suffering of the house’s many ghosts as their torment is reenacted by the evil presence, their bond only strengthens and their anger is renewed. Refusing to let her spirit be broken, Sonya searches each room for clues to her ancestors’ hidden story, putting the picture together, unearthing small treasures, and uncovering the moments of joy that existed among the sorrows. She’s determined to bring light to this haunted place—to fill it with people, with life and hope, once again.

But the enemy in the black dress continues to hover, to come at her in frightening forms. They may be illusions—but illusions can be powerful enough to wound and kill. She feeds on fear, and lies are her weapon. This dark-hearted witch wants to be mistress of Poole Manor, at any cost. And Sonya will need to fight a battle across two realms to finally take possession of the house on the clifftop—and of her own future…

The Lost Bride trilogy comes to a close with The Seven Rings. Nora Roberts has woven an engaging tale of light versus dark, good versus evil. Sonya, Trey, Cleo, Owen, and all the ghostly residents of Lost Bride Manor must team up to put an end to Hester Dobbs’s reign of terror. Each step our heroes take toward the grand finale is balanced by their evil nemesis’s growing power, making the match-up interesting.

Sonya brings determination and bears the heaviest weight of the group as the key to breaking the curse. Owen brings strength and Poole blood, Cleo the magic, and Trey the logic. Together the four of them are the key to bringing down Dobbs and breaking her curse. How they do so, I won’t spoil, but I loved that the manor’s spirits assisted where they could, enjoyed seeing the relationships between living and dead grow. I also adored the devoted animal companions who had their own supporting roles to play in this book.

Much of The Seven Rings is our protagonists living their lives, strengthening the bonds of love (romantic, familial, and friendship) between them, while they search for clues and learn more about the spirits they are trying to save. Roberts makes the ordinary interesting and I really enjoyed the ups and downs of work, life, and relationships in this book. But through it all runs the story of the Poole family. This isn’t a book you can jump into without reading Inheritance and The Mirror. But once you have you’re in for a treat. The Seven Rings has moments that are lovely, bittersweet, hopeful, and tense. I fear I cannot say much without spoiling the story for readers which I won’t do. Suffice it to say that Roberts brings the Lost Bride trilogy to a wonderfully satisfying conclusion.



Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: Ladies in Waiting Anthology

Ladies in Waiting: Jane Austen’s Unsung Characters by Elinor Lipman, Adriana Trigiani, Karen Dukess, Eloisa James, Audrey Bellezza, Emily Harding, Diana Quincy, Nikki Payne, and Sarah MacLean
Publisher: Gallery Books
Genre: Contemporary/Historical Romance 

ISBN: 9781668204177
Release Date: November 4, 2025
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
Eloisa James Reading Order

In honor of her 250th birthday, eight authors have come together with wildly imaginative reboots of the lives of several of Jane Austen’s minor characters. Written with plenty of love and wit, these clever stories star everyone from Pride and Prejudice’s snobbish Caroline Bingley to the modern descendant of Sense and Sensibility’s Eliza Williams and much more. Blurring genres and taking us across the oceans, Ladies in Waiting is a heartfelt celebration of Jane Austen and her timeless masterpieces.

“Miss Bates Bobs Her Hair” by Elinor Lipman
Lipman keeps it short and sweet with the chatty Miss Bates finally getting her chance at love (and security) by catching the eye of Mr. Woodhouse. It’s a cute story, though perhaps a less charitable read of it is Emma and Isabella Knightley are looking to offload some of the attention their father requires onto poor Miss Bates. However, all’s well that ends well and though I thought both Miss Bates and Mr. Woodhouse could have used more depth it was a likeable read.

“The Bennets of Jane Street” by Adriana Trigiani
Set in modern-day New York, Mary Bennet is the last unmarried Bennet sister and the only one residing in the family home, taking care of her aging parents. Of all the stories in this book, this one held my attention the least and I kept putting the book down because of it. Mary goes about her life and we follow her, with not much really jumping out at me until the climax of the story. It was fine and Trigiani did a good job of putting the Bennets into modern times, but overall this wasn’t the story for me.

“What Georgiana Wants” by Karen Dukess
Georgiana is grown up and a married mother of two, but this story follows her for a day where she thinks of her past with Wickham and what might have been. It’s a quietly contemplative tale that wouldn’t normally be my cup of tea but the short format worked in its favor. Dukess’s writing was interesting and her take on Georgiana and what she thought of her past was something different.

“Sense, Sensibility, and Snapdragons” by Eloisa James
This is where the book picked up for me. James takes grown-up, would-be writer Margaret Dashwood and gives her her own happily ever after, much different than that of her sisters. Margaret’s story is a friends-to-lovers romance and it’s both fun and funny, with endearing characters and buoyant dialogue. Squibby and Snaps cracked me up and Margaret’s writing efforts let James’s sense of humor shine.

“The Elizas” by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding
Bellezza and Harding give three generations of Elizas their tale. From the tragic first love of Colonel Brandon to her daughter, deceived by Willoughby but whose fate was not sealed, and finally a modern-day Eliza at a crossroads in her life. There’s melancholy and hope in equal measure in this tale but it was compelling, empowering, and incredibly sweet.

“Lydia’s Story” by Diana Quincy
Who hasn’t been annoyed by Lydia Bennet? Quincy challenges opinions of Lydia by telling her a story through an adult, widow with four children’s version of the youngest Bennet sister. I liked that Quincy focused on how young Lydia was during Pride and Prejudice. Yes, she was a brat, but she was also forced to pay a lifelong price at just fifteen years old. In this story Lydia is a pariah still, but then a handsome vicar comes along and propels change. Michael is sweet and kind and honorable and I loved that he was head-over-heels for Lydia. I enjoyed watching Lydia claim a new life, changing her relationship with her family, her home, and herself.

“Lace and Larceny” by Nikki Payne
Speaking of not-so-beloved Pride and Prejudice character, Payne takes Caroline transforms her into a white-passing New Orleans woman who is grabbing her destiny by the reins and heading west as a mail-order bride. This is the most unique spin on a character in this anthology and I could have read a whole book about Caroline and her journey. Rather than try to control the chaos that erupts around her, Caroline learns to adapt and finds her own inner strength. She also finds love in a man who truly cares for her which was just lovely.

“The Triumph of Hetty Bates” by Sarah MacLean
Hetty Bates gets the happily ever after she deserves in the anthology’s final tale. I absolutely loved this take on the chatty Miss Bates, showing that she is certainly not what others take her for. She’s a vibrant, interesting woman with a past but no one has seen beneath the surface for years. Then that past shows up in Highbury and Hetty gets to take the spotlight. MacLean did so much with Miss Bates without changing her from the character in Emma. I loved it and – even though this story was satisfying on its own – I wanted more because it was so good.


Ladies in Waiting features eight different takes on some of Jane Austen’s most famous supporting characters. I do wish that for Austen’s 250th birthday the anthology had covered more of her work, but there’s nothing to be done for that. The stories span a variety of styles, so not all the stories will be for everyone, but there is so much to delight. What came through most of all was every author’s enjoyment of Austen and the focus on keeping the heart of the characters the same, no matter how close or far they strayed from the original text. If you like Jane Austen, Ladies in Waiting is an absolutely charming read.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: Legend by Karina Halle

Legend by Karina Halle
Series: A Gothic Shade of Romance, Book 2
Publisher: Ace
Genre: Erotic Gothic LGBTQIA Romance 

ISBN: 9780593952368
Release Date: December 2, 2025
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

Welcome back to Sleepy Hollow. Though Katrina Van Tassel, Ichabod Crane, and Brom Bones have begun to pull apart the bone-chilling mystery of the Headless Horseman, their journey is far from its end. As they share the enigmatic halls of Sleepy Hollow Institute, their lives become increasingly entangled. Amidst their exploration of dark desires, Kat grapples with the affections of two possessive men who hunger not just for her, but for each other.

As their passions deepen, unsettling secrets within the school's ancient coven come to light, threatening to unravel the very fabric of their existence. Each must face a profound test, with one harboring a hidden past that could shatter their newfound unity.

In a suspenseful tale of desire, obsession, and the ever-lurking shadows of Sleepy Hollow, these three souls will be pushed to the brink, facing the chilling consequences of their deepest secrets and darkest cravings.

Return to the dark and haunted world of the Sleepy Hollow Institute in Legend. Author Karina Halle brings her erotic reimagining of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow to a close as Kat, Crane, and Brom work to unmask the school’s secrets and find a way to break the curse of the Headless Horseman.

I absolutely loved the first book in this duology, Hollow. It’s eerie, imaginative, horrifying, and sexy all at once. Legend maintains those elements, but ups the steam sometimes at the expense of substance. I thoroughly enjoyed the conclusion of Kat, Crane, and Brom’s tale, but not quite as much as the beginning of their story. Kat and Crane remain as curious as ever, which I loved. I liked seeing them both work out the puzzles surrounding them, looking horror straight in the eye and moving forward anyway. Brom is the most mysterious of the lot, feeling somewhat inferior due to his lack of magic. Where Kat’s character was explored in the first book, here it’s Brom and Crane whose history, insecurities, and ghosts must be faced.

Where Hollow raised a lot of questions, Legend provides satisfactory answers. We learn the secrets of the school, of Crane and Brom’s pasts, and who or what the Headless Horseman is. Halle satisfactorily wraps up the story and I only wish we got to delve more into the history behind what happened. The majority of this book is focused on the heat and connection between Brom, Crane, and Kat. Sex, jealousy, rituals, and magic weave through every bit of their relationships, tangling them together sometimes not comfortably. I liked that everything wasn’t perfectly smooth with the three of them and wanted just a bit more of the emotional development between Brom and Crane. As with the mysteries and horror, the love stories and romance are satisfying at the end of the book but there’s so much possibility there that I could have read more to dive deeper.

While I can’t help but compare Legend to Hollow, that doesn’t mean I was let down by the book. I devoured it in one sitting, enjoying the unbridled heat between the three protagonists. The worldbuilding Halle did was so compelling that I – an avowed chicken when it comes to horror – could have spent a long time in it, unpacking all the secrets of the Institute. As it was, I finished this book hoping Halle continues the Gothic Shade of Romance series with the characters introduced in the epilogue. She has a talent for delivering dark and sensual reimaginings of gothic tales.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: To Heist and to Hold by Christina Britton

To Heist and to Hold by Christina Britton
Series: Wimpole Street Widows Society, Book 1
Publisher: Forever
Genre: Historical Romance 

ISBN: 9781538769119
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

A vigilante widow and a casino owner are both trying to bluff their way to a winning hand.

Heloise Marlowe has always forged her own path. As a former blacksmith and fencing instructor, she wasn’t just going to sit around knitting after her husband died. The Wimpole Street Widows Society, a secret group dedicated to balancing the scales of justice, was a much better fit for her skills. Her newest mission: seduce the owner of the club Dionysus and gain access to the den’s inner workings. She didn’t mind putting her body on the line, but she wasn’t prepared to gamble her heart.

Ethan Sinclaire has worked hard to clean up his club after the betrayal of his brother. But now, rumors are swirling that his club is just as crooked as before. He won’t let anyone destroy what he’s built, so when Heloise starts poking around, he decides to go all in, in hopes that she’ll show her hand. Enjoying her company is the easy part. Keeping himself from falling—that’s a whole different card game.

To Heist and to Hold is both sensual and surprisingly sweet. Christina Britton’s first entry into the Wimpole Street Widows Society series features a kind, strong, determined heroine and a hero whose stoic mask hides a vulnerable heart.

Heloise is a former blacksmith and a fencing instructor who was taken in by the Wimpole Street Widows Society after the death of her husband. Heloise has a hard time believing people will care about her for herself alone rather than what she can do for them, which makes her very relatable. She and her fellow widows help people in need and this time it’s her sister-in-law who needs assistance. The case takes Heloise into the world of Dionysus and she’s determined to seduce the owner in order to gain access to the back rooms of the club. But Ethan is nothing like she expected. Ethan has been hurt, betrayed, and has pulled himself out of the gutter to be a success. At first, he seems like a broodingly sexy hero but then Britton does the unexpected and shows him to be rather emotional. I loved it and it made the whole book hit differently. The romance starts with heat and desire but what builds is off of emotion. The characters don’t always react predictably because said emotions are in play and it gave the story so much heart which I just loved.

To Heist and to Hold is fast-paced and engaging with romance, intrigue, and memorable characters to make the book appealing. The hunt for who is behind the theft at Dionysus brings the action, but it’s the characters at the heart of it that truly drew me into the story. I adored Heloise and her fellow widows and cannot wait to learn more about them. The same goes for Ethan and his partners at Dionysus. Everyone is intriguing and it makes me impatient to read the next Wimpole Street Widows Society tale.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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