March 2026

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent 🇮🇪 (2024)
Wow – where to start? SSD is shocking, unsettling and utterly original. Nugent really doesn’t hold back. It’s complex, dark and skilfully told storytelling, with heartbreak layered upon heartbreak (…and then some more). This is the kind of book that makes you pause between chapters just to process what you’ve read. It was recommended to me by a friend, and while it was definitely a challenging read (tip: have a ‘happy book’ on standby), I’m glad I stuck with it. It’s bleak, dark and deeply sad – but undeniably compelling. It’s definitely made me curious to dive into Nugent’s back catalogue, which I suspect will be filled with equally gritty, emotionally intense stories. ⭐️⭐️⭐️½

February 2026

Woman Down by Colleen Hoover 🇺🇸 (2026)
I was so excited for this. A new Hoover novel after two years? I bought it the moment it was released. And to be fair, the opening had me hooked – completely immersed for the first few chapters. But around chapter six, the momentum just… vanished. What followed was pages of repetitive back-and-forth drama until chapter twenty-one, when things finally sparked up for a few chapters before finishing with a fizzle. Honestly? This should have been a novella. The premise was intriguing: the main character is a wildly successful author whose latest book is adapted into a film – met with significant backlash. In the aftermath, she spirals into intense writer’s block and is unable to publish for years. Sound familiar? It shouldn’t… Hoover opens WD with a foreword explicitly asking readers not to draw parallels between the book and her personal life. She notes that while writers inevitably pull from personal experience, this book wasn’t a replica of her journey. And yet it’s difficult not to notice the similarities, particularly given the drama surrounding the whole It Ends With Us saga (IYKYK). Whether intentional or subconscious, it was hard to seperate the overlap between fiction and context IRL. I’m generally a CoHo fan, but this one was hard work. I pushed through instead of being pulled along. It wasn’t terrible, just disappointing – Woman Down was exactly how I felt reading it. ⭐️⭐️

After You by Jojo Moyes 🇬🇧 (2015)
I found this while sorting books at the Church op shop and thought I’d give it a go given how much I adored Me Before You (the movie adaptation especially). AY was… a bit pointless, to be honest. I didn’t love it, but I also couldn’t not finish it. It lacked the emotional weight and spark of the original – it felt more like an unnecessary epilogue than a story in its own right. Just didn’t have the substance I was hoping for, sorry! ⭐️⭐️½

Night Road by Kristin Hannah 🇺🇸 (2011)
In true Hannah style, NR had me absolutely weeping as I read. An absolute emotional bombshell of a book – her writing is just stunning. Vivid, heartfelt and deeply complex. Characters are flawed, relatable and so, so raw – the way she explores motherhood, loss, identity and forgiveness is nothing short of masterful. Hannah has this rare gift of cracking you open emotionally, while still making you want to keep turning the pages… I expect nothing less from her now – she’s a literary powerhouse, and NR is another unforgettable reminder why. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Ledge by Christian White 🇦🇺 (2024)
An eerie, isolated setting and the kind of slow-burn suspense that White does oh-so-well… but for me, it didn’t quite reach the heights of his previous work. The tension was there, the pacing was solid – but the final twist didn’t pack the punch I’d hoped for. Still an enjoyable read, just not as gripping or memorable as I wanted it to be. Will there ever be another as good as The Wife and The Widow..? ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Last One Out by Jane Harper 🇦🇺 (2026)
I’m always here for a great Aussie author – there is such incredible homegrown talent here, and I’m always for championing it wholeheartedly. Harper, in particular, has given us some absolute standouts. Force of Nature and The Survivors remain firm favourites of mine – and I’ve long admired her atmospheric, character-driven storytelling. But LOO just didn’t land for me. The writing, as always, is impeccable – Harper has a way of evoking foundation, landscape and mood like few others. The character development was solid enough and there were some great red herrings and twists woven in. But overall, it felt like the story just… went on. And on. The pacing dragged and by the end, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it lacked urgency or any real purpose, tbh. I wanted to love it. But compared to her best work, this one felt meandering and just… meh. LOO just wasn’t one I vibed with, unfortunately. ⭐️⭐️

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes 🇬🇧 (2019)
TGoS is a real showcase of how dynamic Moyes’ writing can be. At times, I felt like I was reading a Kristin Hannah novel – it was so immersive and emotionally rich. Moyes’ ability to shift styles and dive into different genres and periods is just sensational. TGoS is a powerful and beautifully told story about friendship, loss and the fight for freedom (both personal and societal) for five remarkable women living in Depression-era Kentucky. Gorgeously written and thoroughly researched, this is Moyes at her most expansive and powerful. An absolute must-read! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Without Merit by Colleen Hoover 🇺🇸 (2017)
Now, I’ve read a LOT of Co-Ho… but WM just. Didn’t. Land. The characters felt flat, the plot was messy and the emotional payoff just wasn’t there. It had glimpses of Hoover’s usual style, but overall it all just felt a bit scattered and underwhelming. Definitely not her best. ⭐️⭐️

Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden 🇺🇸 (2026)
Now, let me preface this by saying; I love McFadden. You KNOW I love her. I’ve read her entire back catalogue, I’m here for the thrills – a full-on, fan girl obsessive. But DD just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. It wasn’t bad. The writing is solid and there’s a decent twist … I just didn’t find it particularly gripping. It felt a bit flat compared to her usual high-stakes, page-turning, up-’til-2am thrillers. DD just wasn’t one of my favourites. Sorry, Freida! I guess even the queen of twists can have an off day! ⭐️⭐️⭐️

How To Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie 🇬🇧 (2021)
I felt slightly unhinged reading (and thoroughly enjoying) a book called How To Kill Your Family – but here we are. HTKYF was compulsively readable, wickedly dark and absolutely had me rooting for a serial killer. Written with Mackie’s knife-sharp wit and impressive skill, HTKYF is bold and oddly satisfying. A great read… even if it did have me questioning my own morals along the way! ⭐️⭐️⭐️½

January 2026

The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage 🇦🇺 (2025)
Full disclosure: I’m British, and have always been a total royalist. I grew up in a family who adored the monarchy – we had the cups, the tea towels, the whole lot. That said, after twelve years of living Down Under, I’ve definitely developed a nuanced lens when it comes to the royal fambam – particularly in recent years with all the headlines, departures and d-r-a-m-a. So, it’s safe to say I dove into THA with fascination and scepticism… I absolutely loved it. It was even more relatable not just coming from an Australian author (as a debut novel, no less!) – but because Armitage brought real-world experience to her work. As an ABC journalist, she’s reported everything from the death of Lizzy to the coronation of Charlie – and of course, all of the tea (English breakfast?) surrounding Hazza and Meghan’s departure from royal life, too. Her clear understanding of monarchy, power plays and media manipulation layers into THA perfectly. It’s sharp, insightful and respectful – while still managing to be sassy and delightfully tongue-in-cheek. The parallels to Queenie are clear (and handled with care), but it’s the cleverly drawn comparisons to the entire royal circus (love them or loathe them), which makes this such a standout. The writing is rich and intelligent, but it does require your full attention. Armitage shifts between timelines, memories and perspectives in a way that isn’t always the easiest to follow – but when you do, you’re immersed in a smart, satirical and emotionally grounded world exploring the cost of duty, complexity of legacy and the quiet rebellion of choosing your own path. A Crown Jewel of a read! 👑👑👑👑½

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth 🇦🇺 (2025)
I wanted to celebrate an Australian author today (26 January 2026) – and I couldn’t go past the queen of character-driven fiction herself, Sally Hepworth. A beautiful blend of domestic thriller and emotional storytelling – MM has all the charm, humour and depth that is just so very Hepworth. Equally hilarious and heartbreaking, MM is told through dual timelines, drawing on the good, the bad and the wonderfully quirkiness of human behaviour. Exploring platonic soulmates, reinvention at any age and the blurred lines between perception and truth… MM had me fully invested from start to finish. I especially loved the old lady quirks and characteristics; sharp, eccentric and brutally honest (in all the very best ways!). A rich and layered read which I’m so glad I got to experience. Loved it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix 🇺🇸 (2025)
I picked this up expecting an unputdownable ride, based on the traction it received online -more specifically, winning the Goodreads 2025 Choice Award for Best Horror Novel. While it did start strong (engaging, quirky, full of promise), it ended up feeling a bit… stretched. Like one of those Netflix series you enjoy, but realise it could’ve been trimmed down to like, half the episodes. While WFWG was a great concept, it became a bit of a slog to get through. That said, the ending really pulled it together. Weird, wonderful… and a good read overall, but maybe skim through the slower bits. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dead Med (previously released as: Suicide Med, 2014) by Freida McFadden 🇺🇸 (2024)
DM shows early signs of the Freida magic we all know and love: gritty setting, gripping moments and morally grey characters. It’s dramatic, unhinged and addictive. You can see that this is where she was finding her thriller footing – and I’m so glad she released the 2024 re-write… I was all in. A proper little gem from the McFadden archives! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Layla by Colleen Hoover 🇺🇸 (2020)
This one takes a definite detour from CoHo’s usual fare – and while the concept is bold and intriguing, it’s definitely new territory for her. That said, she’s still the powerhouse storyteller we know her to be, and once again, she manages to hook you in early. The characters had a surprising charm about them and there were more than a few twists toward the end that kept things interesting, even if it was tricky to keep up at times. A different read, but one that still shows off her ability to keep us readers turning pages. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Beach Read by Emily Henry 🇺🇸 (2020)
And so my love affair with Henry continues… I’m always either all in or totally meh – and Beach Read landed somewhere in the middle. This one’s been sitting on my shelf forever, mostly because I suspected it might be a little bit… vanilla. And I wasn’t wrong. It’s got all the classic Henry charm – wit, banter, emotional everything… a guy and a girl with great potential for chemistry. You get it. But for me, the spark just didn’t quite fly. The pacing dragged and it lacked the emotional weight and narrative awesomeness I know she can deliver after devouring (and loving) her latest two releases. Still, it’s a solid early entry from an author who’s only gotten better – and if you’re a Henry fan, it’s definitely worth the ride. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Breaking The Dark by Lisa Jewell 🇬🇧 (2024)
A totally random Marvel collab I didn’t see coming – BTD blends Jewell’s signature suspense with low-key superpower twists. It’s definitely different, but also… kind of fun? The supernatural element felt subtle enough not to overpower the thrill and while it wasn’t particularly deep, it was an entertaining read. Not classic Jewell, but I didn’t hate it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️