Review & Giveaway - - Love on the Shelf

Love on the Shelf

by Sheila Roberts

Publisher: MIRA

Release Date: May 26, 2026

Reviewed by PJ

 

The battle lines are drawn—between a romance-loving bookseller and the shock jock determined to tear happily-ever-afters apart.

Alice Willoughby and her mom run HEA Books, a cozy shop devoted to love stories and the people who crave them. Alice is great at matching customers with their perfect happily-ever-after…she just can’t seem to find her own.
Enter Parker Black, a disillusioned radio host who’s reinvented himself as a romance-bashing shock jock. Bitter from his breakup with a romance author who turned love into a four-letter word, Parker takes aim at the entire genre—and his on-air rants start stirring up trouble for Alice’s loyal customers and their partners. He’s arrogant, aggravating, and absolutely not book-boyfriend material.
Parker’s crusade leads to spirited debates and bookstore protests, but when unexpected sparks fly between the two of them Alice begins to wonder if her favorite trope—enemies to lovers—might actually be playing out in real life. Parker may claim romance is a lie…but is he protesting a little too much?
With sharp wit and plenty of charm, USA Today bestselling author Sheila Roberts delivers a modern battle of the sexes where the biggest question is simple:
Are romance novels ruining love—or rewriting it?

PJ's Thoughts:

One of the things I most enjoy about Sheila Roberts' books is the community of characters she creates. They are well developed and almost always include characters who elicit my compassion as well as those I'd happily toss off a cliff (not literally, but definitely in my thoughts). In Love on the Shelf, Roberts once again gives readers a good blend of both.

Humor is central to this battle of the sexes but so is emotion and a storyline that I can easily see playing out in real life. I enjoyed watching Parker and Alice evolve throughout the book, especially Parker. He has many lessons to learn and, boy howdy, do certain characters enjoy delivering them.

This book feels like a women's fiction-romcom blend with multiple relationships, snappy banter, some sweet, Hallmark-style romance, and a hopeful ending. I could definitely envision it playing out on my TV as I read it. 

If you're looking for a fun, feel-good story with laughter and heart, I suggest putting Love on the Shelf on your summer reading list. 

Have you read any of Sheila Roberts' books?

Have you watched any of the Hallmark movies based on her books?

What are you reading this summer?

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, July 26 will receive a print copy of Love on the Shelf.

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

Review - - Otherwise Engaged

Otherwise Engaged

by Susan Mallery

Publisher: MIRA

Release Date: November 4, 2025

Reviewed by PJ

When Shannon gets engaged, her beloved mom, Cindy, is the first person she wants to tell—and the last. Cindy’s engaged, too, and has already hinted at a double wedding. The image of a synchronized bouquet toss with her mom fills Shannon with horror. She’ll keep her engagement a secret until Cindy’s I-dos are done.

Victoria has never been proper enough for her mother, Ava, so she stopped trying. She lives on her own terms and amuses herself by pushing Ava’s buttons. Ava loves but doesn’t understand her stuntwoman daughter. When a movie-set mishap brings Victoria home, Ava longs to finally connect.

Chance brings the four women together at a wedding venue, where a shocking secret comes tumbling out. Twenty-four years ago, desperate teenager Cindy chose wealthy Ava to adopt her baby—then changed her mind at the very last second. The loss rocked Ava’s world, leaving her unable to open her heart to the daughter she did adopt, Victoria. As Shannon and Victoria deal with the fallout from the decisions their mothers made, they wrestle with whether who they are is different than who they might have become.

PJ's Thoughts:

Wow, what a roller coaster of a ride! Mallery digs into all the messy, precarious, sometimes volatile emotions of mother-daughter relationships and the impact they have on her characters' lives. And, in this book, that impact is mighty. 

Imagine discovering as an adult that your entire life was supposed to be different. That's what happens to Shannon and Victoria, two women with very different upbringings and very different relationships with their mothers. For one, the revelation explains so much about why she and her mother have never connected. For the other, it threatens the close - maybe too close - bond between mother and daughter. The fallout is immense, as one would expect, and expertly revealed, one piece at a time, by Mallery.

The twists never stop coming in this story, pulling me into the lives of these characters and keeping me invested while wondering what would happen next. The relationships are complicated, the emotions complex, and the resolutions hard won. Mallery doesn't shy away from the messiness, the ramifications of mistakes made or the devastation of heartrending decisions. It all feels very authentic and relatable. 

Aside from the relationships among the women, there are also romantic relationships (marriage, secret engagement, dating) that do not go untouched in the aftermath of the revelation of those long-held secrets. It all unfolds organically with expected difficulties along the way but results in long-overdue growth, healing, and hope for stronger relationships going forward. The process isn't easy but it's ultimately rewarding. 

This story grabbed me from the beginning and held me enthralled throughout, right up until the abrupt, what-the-heck ending. I was sure I had received a corrupted file and there were missing pages but, nope. That was the end. Maybe it's the romance reader in me but it just felt unfinished. I wanted more closure for these characters. An epilogue or even a few more pages could have given me that and made this a five-star read (for me). Other readers may feel differently. My issues aside, Otherwise Engaged is still a deeply emotional, immersive, well-written book and one I highly recommend. 

Review - - The Man Next Door

The Man Next Door

by Sheila Roberts

Publisher: MIRA

Release Date: October 14, 2025

Reviewed by PJ

  

Zona never thought her life was headed this way, but here she is, newly divorced and moving back in with her mom, Louise. After her gambling addicted ex-husband lost all of their savings, including their daughter's college fund, she doesn't really have a choice. She's cutting every coupon she can and she's going to help put her daughter through nursing school, even if it kills her.

This wasn't Louise's plan, either, laid up at home with a broken leg after one unfortunate tumble on the senior singles cruise she'd been looking forward to for months. But if she's going to spend all her time at home, at least she's got her daughter there with her. And there's some hot new eye candy next door to distract them both from their troubles. He appears to be single and just around Zona's age. Could his arrival be the universe making amends for everything it's put her through?

Maybe the universe isn't feeling as generous as Louise hoped. There’s something lurking under that mans surface charm, something…dangerous? And who's the woman they can hear him in all-out shouting matches with on the other side of the fence? When the woman seems to disappear without a trace, imaginations run wild. Or at least, Zona hopes it's just her mother's imagination...

PJ's Thoughts:

In the mood for humor, three-generations of women, witty dialog, flawed (but relatable) characters, a splash of romance, and a bit of suspense? Have I got a book for you. Sheila Roberts' The Man Next Door is filled with all that and more.

One of the things I most enjoy about Roberts' writing is her ability to craft characters who elicit a range of emotions from snort-laughter to heartfelt tears. They are fully dimensional, relatable, and could easily be your own woman - or man - next door. I found myself fully invested in each of the main characters as well as a few of the side ones. When I find myself yelling at a character for what she does or is about to do, cheering another for regaining her confidence, telling yet another to just "grow up," or wanting to pull yet another into a great big hug, the author is to be commended for an outstanding job of pulling me not only into the story but into those characters' lives. Their authenticity, as well as the situations they get themselves into, give this book an immersive quality that keeps me eagerly turning pages to discover what is planned for them around the next corner. And, in this book, there are more than a few unexpected corners! 

If you enjoy stories bubbling over with humor, heart, and multi-generation family, pick up a copy of this book. If too many true crime shows or podcasts have you giving your neighbors a second look and wondering, "what if," get this book. If you enjoy watching women gather their strength and start over after betrayal or loss, with plenty of laughter, tears, and honest conversation, read this book. And finally, if you enjoy characters finding love the last place they expect it, grab a copy of The Man Next Door. It's a gem. 

Review - - The Summer That Changed Everything

The Summer That Changed Everything

by Brenda Novak

Publisher: MIRA

Release Date: June 3, 2025

Reviewed by PJ

 

She returned to prove her father's innocence, but there's no telling what she'll find…

It's been fifteen years since Lucy Sinclair saw her father. Fifteen long years since she sat in a courtroom and watched him sentenced to life in prison. He murdered three victims—all people she knew—which ruined her life at just seventeen. But now she’s back in Virginia to talk to him, wondering if there’s more to the story of what happened that fateful night.

An old flame, Ford Wagner, makes his own return to North Hampton Beach, fleeing a marriage that seems destined for divorce. He’s wary of Lucy and her digging into the past, but the more time they spend together, the closer they get and the more he finds himself reconsidering the truth behind the death of their mutual friend that summer. Problem is, there are plenty of those in this small coastal town who would prefer things stay quiet…

PJ's Thoughts:

This is one of my favorite Brenda Novak books that I've read in the past few years. It is so well crafted, pulling me into the story and holding me in its grip through a series of twists and turns that I did not see coming. It kept me up reading way too late because I had to know how it would all turn out. 

I love a good mystery and this one was so tightly woven that I had no idea what would happen until the final reveal. Novak outdid herself. Just when I thought I had it figured out she threw in an unexpected twist that sent me careening in a totally different direction. I was thoroughly absorbed in every page, trying to decide where she would take the story next. I love when an author accomplishes that!

The romantic part of the story is no less complicated with Ford and Lucy reuniting after their teenage relationship crashed and burned. There's tension and mistrust (understandable, considering what happened after her father was arrested) but Novak handles it with a deft hand. Their actions in present day feel authentic and their slowly unfolding relationship, with its peaks and valleys, real and organic. 

If you're looking for a well-crafted romantic suspense novel with a cross-class, second-chance romance, a tightly-woven mystery, a hostile community, unexpected twists, and a hard-won happy ending, add The Summer That Changed Everything to your summer reading list. I highly recommend it. 

Review - - The Maui Effect

The Maui Effect

by Sara Ackerman

Publisher: MIRA

Release Date: November 19, 2024

Reviewed by Hellie

They say opposites attract, but are they meant to last?

‘Iwa Young’s life is high in the Maui rainforest. As a field biologist, she’s happiest in the company of trees and birds and waterfalls. When a developer arrives with plans for a so-called eco resort in the middle of a forest full of endangered species, ‘Iwa puts all her energy into the fight to protect it. But a chance encounter threatens to distract her. His name is Dane Parsons, a big-wave surfer from California. ‘Iwa has a few unbreakable rules, and at the top of her list: never date a surfer.

Dane is part of an underground group of big-wave riders, and his connection to the ocean runs deep. When he meets ‘Iwa, he can’t get her out of his mind. But ‘Iwa wants nothing to do with Dane until he offers to help protect her beloved forest and waterfall. Always on the hunt for the ultimate ride, Dane suddenly glimpses something even greater.

In this thunderous love story, we travel deep into the Maui rainforest and hop across the globe from Hawai'i to California to Portugal, chasing waves the size of nine-story buildings—where the unthinkable is always just one breath away. 

Hellie’s Heeds

Much like extreme sport surfing, this story is intense, fast-paced, and makes your heart drop into your stomach at least once a chapter. The level of detail made me feel as if I could understand surfing (have I touched a board? No) and made me respect the work the author clearly put into the story to make the characters authentic and relatable. Iwa, the heroine, is an eco-activist–and the detail there with her story in trying to protect one of the rainforests in Hawaii also felt very well researched yet approachable. The secondary characters were all very individualized, as if you met them at a party, you’d know who they were and what their quirks were. (Also I’d really like to meet Winston–I am not into surfers and would have totally thrown Dane over for him–and he can sing.) 

Dane is a flawed but very lovable hero. He grew up without a father; and he has a very complicated relationship with his mother. His character arc in this story was as big a wave as the kind he seeks out for the best surf of his life–and about as dangerous. The story should maybe have a trigger warning or two since drug addiction, depression, death (or near death), and mental health plays a big role in his heroic development. Iwa is a lovable but stubborn (slight flaw) heroine who has been once bitten, twice shy where surfers are concerned. While Dane definitely shows her he is not like the other surfers she has dealt with, it becomes clear that Dane’s need for extreme surfing as a way to get ‘high’ and not have to deal with his issues (both mommy and daddy ones) and Iwa has to rightfully draw some boundaries. As Luke tells her, you can’t save him; you can only love him. And sometimes love isn’t enough. (Iwa also has some undealt with emotions and grief where her mother is concerned. Honestly the grief and emotions that have to be dealt with where mothers are concerned should have been a specific trigger warning for me…)

I loved the love scenes–they did not feel gratuitous or rushed, but the sort of modern blend of consent and passion I have come to appreciate in my romances. And that scene at the waterfall–ooof. They were definitely ones that developed the relationship between the characters–but the story itself was so meaty with all the other plot and conflict that the sex scenes definitely took second fiddle. (At least for me–it’s not the love scenes I remember–it’s the intense conversations and scenes where they bond in other ways.) 

If you want to escape to Hawaii…or learn more about big wave surfing, this is the book. I need to go find more books by Sara Ackerman now because I can’t believe I haven’t read her books before. And with the cold settling in where I live, the escape to Hawaii was perfect–though I’m going to stay on the beach. This story did not lure me to want to learn to surf. Just a beach and a 5 star book for me.

Review - - The Merry Matchmaker

The Merry Matchmaker

by Sheila Roberts

Publisher: MIRA

Release Date: October 1, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

Frankie Lane knows what’s best for just about everyone but herself. Her divorced sister, Stef, who is too young to give up on love; her shy employee, Elinor; and her daughter, Natalie, who works in Frankie’s shop, Holiday Happiness, and really needs to start her own business selling the delectable chocolates she makes at home; even her best friend, Viola, who is trying to renovate her old Victorian. Frankie knows she could help all of them, if they’d just let her—and if all of her help didn’t end in utter disaster. 

Then there’s Mitch Howard, the owner of the local hardware store. They’ve been friends ever since Frankie opened her store, nine years earlier. He got her through the nightmare when she lost her husband in a freak accident, and he’s her favorite shoulder to cry on. He’s been divorced for years, and it’s such a waste of man! Mitch is the fittest, finest man Frankie knows. He’s easygoing, wise and kindhearted. Mitch needs someone. And she’s determined to help him find that someone—whether he likes it or not.

PJ's Thoughts:

Sheila Roberts is back with another humorous, heart-tugging novel that is sure to put readers in the Christmas spirit. One of the facets of Roberts’ books that I most enjoy is the sense of community she creates, something that’s important in The Merry Matchmaker, with main character Frankie front and center. 

Frankie is that friend, family member, business owner that has her hands in just about everything going on in her small town. She’s the person who is certain she knows what’s best for everyone else and sets about making it happen…whether “everyone else” wants it or not. Where she’s completely clueless is when it comes to what she needs.

Roberts walks a fine line with this character. Her antics generate humor but also awkward situations, frustration, and occasionally hurt feelings. What saves her is the fact that everything she does comes from a place of genuine - if misguided - kindness. She may be fifty but she still has some growing to do, a journey that Roberts skillfully, and realistically, guides. 

The supporting cast of the book are all richly depicted, contributing humor, holiday fun, and, in some cases, life lessons along the way. Combining laughter, emotion, and those all-important lessons is something Sheila Roberts does exceedingly well. The touch of romance - between mature characters - adds another layer of enjoyment as does the community’s many Christmas events. This one is sure to put you in a holiday frame of mind. 

Review - - The Banned Books Club

The Banned Books Club

by Brenda Novak

Publisher: MIRA

Release Date: September 17, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

She left her hometown following a scandal—but family loyalty is dragging her back…

Despite their strained relationship, when Gia Rossi’s sister, Margot, begs her to come home to Wakefield, Iowa, to help with their ailing mother, Gia knows she has no choice. After her rebellious and at-times-tumultuous teen years, Gia left town with little reason to look back. But she knows Margot’s borne the brunt of their mother’s care and now it’s Gia’s turn to help, even if it means opening old wounds.

As expected, Gia’s homecoming is far from welcome. There’s the Banned Books Club she started after the PTA overzealously slashed the high school reading list, which is right where she left it. But there is also Mr. Hart, her former favorite teacher. The one who was fired after Gia publicly and painfully accused him of sexual misconduct. The one who prompted Gia to leave behind a very conflicted town the minute she turned eighteen. The one person she hoped never to see again.

When Margot leaves town without explanation, Gia sees the cracks in her sister’s “perfect” life for the first time and plans to offer support. But as the town, including members of the book club, takes sides between Gia and Mr. Hart, everything gets harder. Fortunately, she learns that there are people she can depend on. And by standing up for the truth, she finds love and a future in the town she thought had rejected her.

PJ's Thoughts:

I had to let this one percolate a bit before sitting down to write my review because...feelings. So many feelings. It might have a cutesy cover but there are some deeply emotional topics explored in The Banned Books Club. Topics like sexual assault, emotional (domestic) abuse, harassment, a dying parent, and physical violence. 

Novak doesn't pull any punches as she delves into the messiness of these characters' lives, within their families as well as the community as a whole. Her depiction of the division within Gia's hometown, those who support her and those who hold her responsible for the "ruination" of a beloved teacher, is a reflection of small-town dynamics that rings with authenticity. So too, do the divisions within Gia's family. The author does an excellent job of peeling back the layers and exposing unexpected realities. The fear, evolution, and healing of characters and relationships is substantial, realistic, and relatable. The downfall of one particular character, justified and certainly cheer-worthy, also exposes the alive and well underbelly of privilege and the "good ole boy" network within small towns.  

This book is primarily women's fiction but there is also danger, suspense, and a romance thread. Actually, two romance threads. I'm still waffling on how I feel about one of them. Let's just say, it's complicated. 

While the end of the book felt a bit rushed to me, overall, The Banned Books Club is an intense, emotional story of family, community, forgiveness, healing, and new beginnings that drew me in and kept me avidly turning pages from start to finish. 

Review - - Magical Meet Cute

Magical Meet Cute

by Jean Meltzer

Publisher: MIRA

Release Date: August 27, 2024

Reviewed by Hellie

Faye Kaplan used to be engaged. She also used to have a successful legal practice. But she much prefers her new life as a potter in Woodstock, New York. The only thing missing is the perfect guy. 

Not that she needs one. She’s definitely happy alone. 

That is, until she finds her town papered with anti-Semitic flyers after yet another failed singles event at the synagogue. Desperate for comfort, Faye drunkenly turns to the only thing guaranteed to soothe her—pottery. A golem protector is just what her town needs…and adding all the little details to make him her ideal man can’t hurt, right? 

When a seriously hot stranger mysteriously turns up the next day, Greg seems too good to be true—if you ignore the fact that Faye hit him with her bike. And that he subsequently lost his memory… 

But otherwise, the man checks Every. Single. Box. Causing Faye to wonder if Greg’s sudden and spicy appearance might be anything but a coincidence.

Hellie’s Heeds: 

So say you had really bad luck in the dating territory and had taken yourself off the market; and say you practiced witchcraft; and say after a really harrowing event where you felt you needed a protector…and you’d had some wine, you decided to try your hand at summoning a guardian, a golem, if you will–so far, it was sounding a lot like an average pre-husband Friday night to me, where I honestly believed the perfect man did not exist and I would have to make him up. But Jean Meltzer takes it one step further: Faye Kaplan actually summoned the perfect man…or golem. Faye can’t quite pinpoint which. Greg–well, that’s what she’s calling him, she’s not sure since she’s the reason for his amnesia and she had to call him something–is definitely a man, but he also looks like her wet-dream in real life and his characteristics are alarmingly checking every single box she created in the little clay golem she buried in her backyard just last night.  

The premise is a hoot and a treat–and I thirstily read this book down like the cool drink of lemonade, sweet and tart and refreshing, that it is. The secondary characters, particularly Nelly, are hysterical and add to the antics. But besides being fun, flirty, and all the best of rom-coms, it also pulled in real emotion from real issues: like parental neglect and child abuse, anti-semitism and the escalading violence we continuously see in our communities, and the pain and trauma in always feeling like one is either too much or not enough in our relationships–that we’re inherently unlovable. ANGST! (It’s one of my favorite things about a Jean Meltzer book: the angst and emotion! Recall: it was her Mr. Perfect on Paper which had both me and my husband sobbing from a scene I read to him.) 

Representation matters–and I think these books definitely add perspective to the lived experiences of those who are treated as Other in our communities. I’m always honored and thrilled to read these review books that touch on these issues that affect all of us in one way or another and to learn new perspectives–and maybe also how to be a better ally to those around me. But don’t worry–if that’s not what you’re looking for in a book–I think the straight up rom-com feel of this story will keep you laughing and proclaiming this the perfect beach read.  

I would start offering scenes you definitely need to read, but then I’d need to add a subsequent one…and soon you’d have the whole story told to you and it wouldn’t do it justice. Just know the pacing, the emotion and pacing are well-done, and you will be rooting for Greg and Faye on every page. Apparently you can create the perfect man…and he will find you. Top Dish!

Review & Giveaway - - The. Best Life Book Club

The Best Life Book Club

By Sheila Roberts

Publisher: Mira

Release Date: May 7, 2024

Reviewed by PJ

 

It started as a book club. It became a way to build a better life together.

Karissa Newcomb is ready for a new start in a new neighborhood, as far away as she can get from Seattle, where her husband cheated on her with the neighbor who was supposed to be her best friend. She and her nine-year-old daughter are moving on to the city of Gig Harbor on the bay in Puget Sound. She even has a new job as an assistant at a small publishing company right in Gig Harbor. Her new boss seems like a bit of a curmudgeon, but a job is a job, she loves to read, and the idea of possibly meeting writers sounds fabulous.

Soon she finds she’s not the only one in need of a refresh. Her new neighbors, Alice and Margot, are dealing with their own crises. Alice is still grieving her late husband and hasn’t been able to get behind the wheel of a car since a close call after his death. Margot is floundering after getting divorced and laid off in quick succession. They could all use a distraction, and a book club seems like just the ticket. Together, the three women, along with Alice’s grumpy older sister, Josie, embark on a literary journey that just might be the kick start they need to begin building their best lives yet.

PJ's Thoughts:

As someone who has met some of my dearest friends through a shared love of books, The Best Life Book Club by Sheila Roberts found a special place in this reader's heart. 

Moving to a new city, especially as an adult, can be difficult. Making new friends, even harder. For these three new neighbors, and one's very cynical sister, books will hold the key to new friendships, new opportunities, new growth, forgiveness, healing, and, in some cases, romance. 

I really enjoyed how Roberts explored these characters. She gives each woman the time and attention she deserves while also weaving their individual journeys together into a fabric of friendship, support, and new beginnings. I found myself cheering them all on, even the curmudgeon. 

The book quotes at the beginning of each chapter are fun additions that set the tone for what's happening with - and to - the characters at that point in the story as well as cool Easter eggs for longtime Roberts readers. Muriel Sterling, anyone? 

Books, what we learn from them and how they impact our lives, is a prevalent theme throughout this book. So too, is both humor and heart-tugging emotion. One thing I'm guaranteed when I pick up a Sheila Roberts book is that she will make me laugh and also touch my heart. It's an intoxicating combination. This book did both, keeping me eagerly reading from start to finish. It's one of my favorites from an author who always entertains. 

Have you read any of Sheila Roberts' books?

Are you, or have you ever been, in a book club?

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, May 8 will receive a print copy of The Best Life Book Club.

*U.S. only

*Must be 18