Beth Bordenkircher
Ana is a podcaster and new author of a self-help book. Fond of situationships, she shies away from deeper feelings. Dynamic and a little self-centered and high maintenance, and very sex positive. She's a bit of a steamroller and not warm on the surface, but she cares deeply for those in her inner circle. Ryan is the director of publicity for Ana's publisher and ends up being her tour manager. He's sweet and serious, but his façade of literary snobbery hides a bit more than expected. I liked the story, even if I didn't always like Ana (I respected her energy, though, she's a force of nature). The book is initially very enemies-to-lovers until we get to delve under the surface. They both fight extremely strong and spicy mutual attraction. There's a satisfying amount of tension from the main plot and several sub-plots. The cover makes it seem more lighthearted than it is: while the romance does play a large part in the story, it feel like it's equally a self-journey with some heavier themes of grief and loss. Very relatable themes of personal boundaries, caring for family, and being brave enough to recognize and hang on to happiness. Written in singular 1st-person POV, I would have liked Ryan's POV too, although a singular POV made sense since at times this seemed more about Ana's personal growth and relationship with her Iranian family. One final note, when the spice gets going it's pretty descriptive so be warned if you're listening to an audio book! Publishes March 3, 2026. This review is based on a complimentary DRC, all opinions are my own.
Ana is a podcaster and new author of a self-help book. Fond of situationships, she shies away from deeper feelings. Dynamic and a little self-centered and high maintenance, and very sex positive. She's a bit of a steamroller and not warm on the surface, but she cares deeply for those in her inner circle. Ryan is the director of publicity for Ana's publisher and ends up being her tour manager. He's sweet and serious, but his façade of literary snobbery hides a bit more than expected. I liked the story, even if I didn't always like Ana (I respected her energy, though, she's a force of nature). The book is initially very enemies-to-lovers until we get to delve under the surface. They both fight extremely strong and spicy mutual attraction. There's a satisfying amount of tension from the main plot and several sub-plots. The cover makes it seem more lighthearted than it is: while the romance does play a large part in the story, it feel like it's equally a self-journey with some heavier themes of grief and loss. Very relatable themes of personal boundaries, caring for family, and being brave enough to recognize and hang on to happiness. Written in singular 1st-person POV, I would have liked Ryan's POV too, although a singular POV made sense since at times this seemed more about Ana's personal growth and relationship with her Iranian family. One final note, when the spice gets going it's pretty descriptive so be warned if you're listening to an audio book! Publishes March 3, 2026. This review is based on a complimentary DRC, all opinions are my own.
Falling for the Fake Lumberjack
Falling for the Fake Lumberjack is a quick and flirty open-door HFN romance that's enjoyably ridiculous in parts. It's perfect if you're looking for a light and humorous read that definitely doesn't take itself seriously. A bit light on plot and the author lets their physical chemistry do a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of relationship development. There's not much that's new here, although I thought the premise had potential. Leans heavily on the intentional misdirection/misunderstanding trope. Harris is kind of a man-child and didn't seem like a great match for the more grounded Lucy, although they certainly had physical attraction as well as a certain amount of sweetness together. There were dual 1st-person POVs, which is my preference. I thought the interactions between the main characters and supporting characters was fun. While this wasn't quite the book for me, it was still a fun read. Looks like the start of a series, I would likely read the next one since I found Lucy's friend Annabelle to be a bit more relatable. 3.5 stars. Publishes January 27, 2026. This review was based on a complimentary DRC of the book, all opinions are my own.
Falling for the Fake Lumberjack is a quick and flirty open-door HFN romance that's enjoyably ridiculous in parts. It's perfect if you're looking for a light and humorous read that definitely doesn't take itself seriously. A bit light on plot and the author lets their physical chemistry do a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of relationship development. There's not much that's new here, although I thought the premise had potential. Leans heavily on the intentional misdirection/misunderstanding trope. Harris is kind of a man-child and didn't seem like a great match for the more grounded Lucy, although they certainly had physical attraction as well as a certain amount of sweetness together. There were dual 1st-person POVs, which is my preference. I thought the interactions between the main characters and supporting characters was fun. While this wasn't quite the book for me, it was still a fun read. Looks like the start of a series, I would likely read the next one since I found Lucy's friend Annabelle to be a bit more relatable. 3.5 stars. Publishes January 27, 2026. This review was based on a complimentary DRC of the book, all opinions are my own.
This is one of the few books that I've loved enough to read over and over again. Set in atomic age small-town Central Florida, it follows Randy Bragg and his family (and found family) as they struggle with to survive and thrive after the bombs fall. It's very dated in places, which can be hard to ignore. Best to remind yourself of the time frame in which it's written and set. There's good amounts of both tension and hope to keep you going, with enough peril thrown in to keep things realistic. This was a banned book when I was in high school in the '80s, but I found an old paperback copy while visiting my grandmother in South Florida and read it during my vacation. I saved that copy and eventually gave it my nephew when he was old enough to appreciate it, and now a second generation is hooked on Alas, Babylon.
This is one of the few books that I've loved enough to read over and over again. Set in atomic age small-town Central Florida, it follows Randy Bragg and his family (and found family) as they struggle with to survive and thrive after the bombs fall. It's very dated in places, which can be hard to ignore. Best to remind yourself of the time frame in which it's written and set. There's good amounts of both tension and hope to keep you going, with enough peril thrown in to keep things realistic. This was a banned book when I was in high school in the '80s, but I found an old paperback copy while visiting my grandmother in South Florida and read it during my vacation. I saved that copy and eventually gave it my nephew when he was old enough to appreciate it, and now a second generation is hooked on Alas, Babylon.
This is one of the few books that I've loved enough to read over and over again. Set in atomic age small-town Central Florida, it follows Randy Bragg and his family (and found family) as they struggle with to survive and thrive after the bombs fall. It's very dated in places, which can be hard to ignore. Best to remind yourself of the time frame in which it's written and set. There's good amounts of both tension and hope to keep you going, with enough peril thrown in to keep things realistic. This was a banned book when I was in high school in the '80s, but I found an old paperback copy while visiting my grandmother in South Florida and read it during my vacation. I saved that copy and eventually gave it my nephew when he was old enough to appreciate it, and now a second generation is hooked on Alas, Babylon.
This is one of the few books that I've loved enough to read over and over again. Set in atomic age small-town Central Florida, it follows Randy Bragg and his family (and found family) as they struggle with to survive and thrive after the bombs fall. It's very dated in places, which can be hard to ignore. Best to remind yourself of the time frame in which it's written and set. There's good amounts of both tension and hope to keep you going, with enough peril thrown in to keep things realistic. This was a banned book when I was in high school in the '80s, but I found an old paperback copy while visiting my grandmother in South Florida and read it during my vacation. I saved that copy and eventually gave it my nephew when he was old enough to appreciate it, and now a second generation is hooked on Alas, Babylon.
Cute, but I think I'd have preferred this as a longer story. Loved the epistolary parts!
Cute, but I think I'd have preferred this as a longer story. Loved the epistolary parts!
