Blog Tour Review - - This Book Made Me Think of You

***********UPDATED 5 February 2026***********

This Book Made Me Think of You

by Libby Page

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: February 3, 2025

Reviewed by PJ

 

Twelve books. Twelve months. One chance to heal her heart…

When Tilly Nightingale receives a call telling her there’s a birthday gift from her husband waiting for her at her local bookshop, it couldn’t come as more of a shock. Partly because she can’t remember the last time she read a book for pleasure. But mainly because Joe died five months ago....

When she goes to pick up the present, Alfie, the bookshop owner with kind eyes, explains the gift—twelve carefully chosen books with handwritten letters from Joe, one for each month, to help her turn the page on her first year without him.

At first Tilly can’t imagine sinking into a fictional world, but Joe’s tender words convince her to try, and something remarkable happens—Tilly becomes immersed in the pages, and a new chapter begins to unfold in her own life. Monthly trips to the bookstore—and heartfelt conversations with Alfie—give Tilly the comfort she craves and the courage to set out on a series of reading-inspired adventures that take her around the world. But as she begins to share her journey with others, her story—like a book—becomes more than her own.

PJ's Thoughts:

What a lovely, tender, transformative story. As one who knows first hand how difficult the first year following the death of a loved one can be, I started this book with mixed feelings. Would it be weighted down by unimaginable grief? Would it be a total sob fest? Or, would it be a gradual awakening, a reminder of love that never leaves the heart but the realization that the living heart goes on beating. 

With the help of her late husband's gift, the thoughtful bookseller who is waging his own battle with grief, twelve carefully curated books, and twelve beautifully and lovingly written letters from her late husband, Tilly slowly begins to reimagine her future. Her emotional journey resonated deeply with me. Page does a superb job of laying it out, with realistic stops and starts along the way. I wanted to wrap her in a warm hug while also encouraging her to venture out of her small, but understandable, comfort zone. I loved the part books play in her transformation, how each month's selection, and each visit to Alfie's bookshop, seem to bring her exactly what she needs to move one more step forward. 

Alfie is a true beta hero: thoughtful, caring, dealing with his own loss, and unaware of the lasting impact he has on his customers, family, friends...and Tilly. I wanted to hug him too. He puts himself last - always - and I so wanted someone to put him first. He deserves healing. He deserves love. And, he deserves to live life - the life he chooses - to the fullest. Page skillfully guides him through the various stages of his journey and I couldn't help but cheer him on the entire way. 

If you enjoy tender, transformative stories about starting over, reclaiming joy, and moving forward with the healing help of loving letters, thoughtfully selected books, new friends, family, and an endearing bookseller and grieving widow who may not be perfect but could be perfect for one another, give This Book Made Me Think of You a try. I highly recommend it. 

Have books ever helped you through a difficult time in your life? 

Do you have a favorite bookshop that lifts your spirits each time you visit?

What are you currently reading?

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, February 8 will receive a hard cover copy of This Book Made Me Think of You. 

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

 

Review - - To Heist and to Hold

To Heist and to Hold

by Christina Britton

Wimpole Street Widows Society - Book 1

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: September 30, 2025

Reviewed by PJ
 

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.

PJ's Thoughts:

Christina Britton launches her new historical romance series with an intriguing story of mystery, adventure, sensual romance, and unexpected feelings. 

It took me a while to get into the story or feel invested in the characters, not unusual with book one of a series. There's a fair amount of set-up and introductions to dispense with before we really get into the meat of the journey. By the end of the first third of the book, however, I had developed an emotional attachment to both Ethan and Heloise. These two are the heartbeat of the romance in this book, both carrying some deep emotional baggage. Their physical connection is steamy and fast but Britton takes her time developing their emotional connection in a realistic and wholly satisfying way. 

The mystery portion of the book is well crafted with more than a few red herrings and surprise twists along the way. It kept me guessing, settling upon then discarding various theories right up until the big reveal. I love when an author keeps me from figuring things out too soon.

There's a sizeable ensemble supporting cast in this book, with characters from both the Widow's Society and Ethan's gaming club, Dionysus that I'm hopeful we'll see more of in future books. The relationships that are explored in both establishments, both new ones among the widows and lifelong bonds among Ethan and his family/friends/business partners, are instrumental in the individual growth of Ethan and Heloise as well as their romantic relationship as a couple. 

All in all, this was a solid first book in what has the potential to be another romantic, adventure-filled, highly satisfying series by Christina Britton. I'm already eager to discover what she has in store for readers next and who will step into the spotlight in book two. 

Review - - A Hero's Return

A Hero's Return

by Carrie Nichols

Sandy Shores - Book 1

Publisher: Harlequin Special Edition

Release Date: August 26, 2025

Reviewed by PJ

He knows how to be brave on a battlefield

Now he has to be brave with his heart

Years of military service taught decorated veteran Braden Sullivan how to be strong. It didn’t teach him how to be vulnerable. Back in his Oregon hometown, with a job as a helicopter pilot and a two-family home to renovate, he’s not at all prepared for his heart to take flight after meeting his tenant, Cassie Donovan. The widowed single mom is beautiful, charming…and terrified of loving another pilot after losing her husband in a crash. Overcoming her fears and his own uncertainties will take courage—but isn’t that what a hero soldier is for?

PJ's Thoughts:

Carrie Nichols launches a new series with A Hero's Return, a heartwarming, humorous, and deeply emotional story of surviving loss, starting over, and finding new love. 

I was quickly invested in Cassie Donovan and her daughter, Amelia. Nichols paints a clear picture of mother and daughter, starting over in a new town after a devastating loss three years earlier. The effects of that loss are still reverberating, making the duo, who are both strong and vulnerable, sympathetic characters I took to heart. I appreciated Cassie's strength, her willingness to put her heart at risk again, and her fierce determination to keep her daughter her priority.

Braden took a bit longer to get to know. I enjoyed his character but I wouldn't have minded more attention to his backstory, especially his military service and its lasting effects on him. It would have added layers and rounded out his character a bit more. He may be grumpy at first but it quickly becomes evident that he's a good guy, showing through his actions how much Cassie's happiness means to him. He's a guy who pays attention.   

I especially enjoyed Braden's soft spot for the animals in the story as well as the evolution of his relationship with Amelia. It's not easy starting a romance with a woman who has a twelve-year-old daughter, especially when that daughter is still grieving the tragic death of her father, taking tentative steps forward in life, and watching her mother fall in love with a new man, all while navigating the hormonal peaks and valleys of puberty. Her character is realistic, relatable, and essential to this story.

If you enjoy stories that feature starting over after loss, family dynamics, finding love a second time, adorable pets, and happy endings, A Hero's Return by Carrie Nichols may be a good book for you.

TLC Tour Review - - Mail Order Cowboy

Mail Order Cowboy

by Victoria James

Wishing River - Book 4

Publisher: Entangled Amara

Release Date: December 27, 2022

Reviewed by PJ

Hope Roberts has a strict No Cowboys Allowed policy. Between raising her daughter, running her business, and trying to settle into her new ranch, Hope has no room for romance—especially when it comes to cowboys. What she needs is someone to help fix her ranch. But the only person to respond to her ad is the one man Hope still blames for her husband’s death…

In Wishing River, Dr. Dean Stanton is pretty much a legend. Cowboy, doctor, heir to his family’s ranching empire—everyone knows and loves him…with the exception of Hope. But Dean doesn’t trust a complete stranger to keep Hope and her daughter safe. And despite their troubled past, he’s still the best cowboy for her job.

Bit by cautious bit, Hope’s little family of two is making room for the man she once thought of as her enemy. Until one day, Dean looks like the perfect exception to her “no cowboys” rule. But he’s been keeping a secret from her that could destroy their newfound family…

PJ's Thoughts:

This was my first book by Victoria James. It won't be my last. I'm a pushover for unrequited love...if there's a pathway to a happy ending. In this case there is, though it isn't a clear one by any means. 

James's characters charmed me, intrigued me, and won my heart with their journey to love. I haven't read the earlier books in the series, though I plan to at my first opportunity. I never felt lost or confused by stepping into the series at book four and I thoroughly enjoyed Dean's and Hope's character paths. Having said that however, I get the impression from conversations within their group of mutual friends that perhaps their story arc has played out in the background during those first three books which leaves me with the feeling that, had I read the books in order, my emotional attachment to them would have been even deeper. I guess that's a long way of saying this book stands on its own but might possibly be even better if read in series order.

There are a lot of complicated feelings at play in this book, giving it layers that make the reading experience richer and more complex. The author weaves everything together in such a way that gives the story a realistic, relatable vibe - as if it was happening to someone I know. I appreciate the time she took with Hope and Dean, giving them the space necessary to work through the byproducts of grief and guilt. I adored Hope's daughter, Sadie, wise beyond her years yet still imbued with the wide-eyed wonder and enthusiasm of a young child. If I hadn't already been half in love with Dean, his relationship with young Sadie would have sealed the deal. 

I also enjoyed how the author contrasted the dysfunction of Dean's family with the love and support of Hope's, clearly showing that money does not equal happiness and that the face families show to the world does not always equate to what's happening behind closed doors. 

I don't know if Victoria James has plans to write a story for Dean's brother but I'd like to go on record as saying I'd love to read it. In the meaning, I'll be going back to the beginning to read the first three books in the Wishing River series. And adding Victoria James to my must-buy, western contemporary romance author list. 

~~~~~~~~

Have you read Victoria James?

Have you read any of the Wishing River series?

How do you feel about unrequited love in the romances you read?

Review & Giveaway - - A Duke Worth Fighting For

A Duke Worth Fighting For

by Christina Britton

Isle of Synne - Book 3

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: August 24, 2021

Reviewed by PJ

Daniel Hayle, Duke of Carlisle, returned from Waterloo a hero, and he has the wounds to prove it. But he dreads the coming London season as he never did the battlefield, where his lack of social skills is certain to make it difficult to find a wife. What he needs is someone to help him practice socializing with the ton. Someone who isn’t frightened away by his scars . . .

Margery Kitteridge is still mourning the loss of her husband. So when she receives a blackmail letter accusing him of desertion, she’s desperate to protect his reputation. The answer to her troubles appears in the form of a damaged, reclusive—and much-too-desirable—duke in need of a wife. She proposes an alliance: she’ll help him find a bride, in return for the money to pay off the blackmailer. But working so closely together awakens passions they never imagined possible, and reveals secrets that might tear them apart.

PJ's Thoughts:

Oh, my heart! Christina Britton has really outdone herself with this book. Tender, poignant, and deeply emotional, while sprinkled with enough humor and wit to keep it from turning dark, A Duke Worth Fighting For tells the story of two wounded souls who, together, find support, respect, healing, and unexpected love. I adored it! Also, if an experienced widow and a virgin hero are your jam, this one is calling your name. 

Usually, I gravitate to couples where the hero is the stronger of the two but Britton has flipped the script with this story and it really worked for me. That's not to say Margery doesn't have her struggles - she does - but she's such a pillar of strength for Daniel, especially in the first three quarters of the book. I loved how she defended him, nurtured him, and helped him begin to realize his own worth. But I also appreciated, and understood, the tenuous foundation of her strength, especially as pesky feelings of desire and affection began to creep in, causing confusion and guilt. Grief is a tricky path to navigate and sometimes, just when you think you've mastered it, the pain and anger come rushing back to overwhelm you. As a widow myself, I applaud Britton for facing Margery's emotions head on and allowing them all to come pouring out. It is only after she confronts those emotions surrounding not only her husband's death at Waterloo but also the betrayal from someone she should have been able to count on that she is able to fully heal, find forgiveness, and move forward, with the realization that she has room in her heart to love again without guilt or regret.  

And then there's Daniel. I just wanted to wrap his wounded, socially awkward self up in my arms and tell him everything would be okay. My heart ached for all he had endured, for the pain to both his body and his soul from the events at Waterloo, the pain of the rejection he had suffered since his return, and especially the childhood events that had so severely undermined his confidence and self worth. The evolution of his character was incredibly satisfying. I cheered aloud when he finally confronted his adversary and wept tears of joy when the love and acceptance from Margery allowed him to finally be vulnerable enough to open his whole self - body and soul - to her keeping. 

Britton surrounds Margery and Daniel with a vividly depicted secondary cast of characters (both two and four-legged) who bring humor, intrigue, and wisdom to our couple's journey. Fans of the series will especially enjoy seeing the earlier couples living out their happily ever after while readers new to the series should be able to jump in here without too much confusion, though I enthusiastically recommend all three stories, with their intertwining characters. They are, in order: A Good Duke is Hard to Find, Someday My Duke Will Come, and A Duke Worth Fighting For (click the title to read PJ's review).

Have you discovered Christina Britton yet? 

Are you reading the Isle of Synne series?

Are you as excited for Margery's story as I have been?

What books have you read recently that had you laughing, crying, and cheering?

One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, August 21 will receive a print copy of A Duke Worth Fighting For. 

*U.S. only

*Must be 18

*Void where prohibited