Writing Mr. Wrong by Kelley Armstrong

Title: Writing Mr. Wrong

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Publisher: Hachette Audio | Forever

Release Date: June 24, 2025

The #1 New York Times bestselling author delivers a fun romantic comedy about a woman reconnecting with her high school ex after writing him into her latest romance book. Gemma hasn’t written in years, but post-divorce, she dove back into writing romance. When her proposal didn’t sell, she became convinced it was because no one wanted her nice-guy heroes and decided to write and absolute Mr. Wrong…based on her first crush, Mason Moretti, now a star hockey player. She’s sure no one will make the connection between her highland laird and an NHL enforcer. Of course, someone does, and her secret is out.

Mason is going through some drama of his own as an aging hockey player, and when his “reunion-cute” with Gemma goes viral, he proposes some media-worthy fake dating to help her book. Which is so sweet and not at all to help solve his own image problem. Gemma reluctantly agrees. Mason convinces Gemma to go away with him so she can finish her overdue second book while giving him anti-asshole lessons. And if he really just wants to get time away with her, that’s not an bad move, right? Or is it?

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Great fake-dating trope!

Gemma, a debut author, has written a highland romance, basing the hero on her high school crush, Mason Moretti. She hasn’t seen him since high school, when he broke her heart. Recently divorced, Gemma is trying to rediscover the old Gemma—the one she was before her marriage. She thinks no one will realize her hero is inspired by the now-famous hockey player, but an old classmate figures it out, and the secret is out.

Mason Moretti, an enforcer for a Canadian hockey team, excels at his role, but in his last game, a teammate was injured. Mason knows his hockey career is nearing its end—he’s practically a dinosaur at his age. After the incident, he needs positive PR. When he learns Gemma wrote a book based on him, he’s eager to reconnect. He had a huge crush on her in high school. Maybe this is his chance to make things right. A fake-dating arrangement could boost both their careers.

With both POVs, it’s easy to root for Gemma and Mason and their second-chance romance. Furthermore, the novel was wonderfully narrated by Patricia Santomasso and Sean Patrick Hopkins.

I’ve always loved Kelley Armstrong’s fantasy books, and now I can say I enjoy her romances too..

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Hachette Audio & Forever via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North

Title: The Man Made of Smoke

Author: Alex North 

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Release Date: May 13, 2025

The latest gripping serial killer thriller from the New York Times bestselling author Alex North.

Dan Garvie’s life has been haunted by the crime he witnessed as a child—narrowly escaping an encounter with a notorious serial killer. He has dedicated his life since to becoming a criminal profiler, eager to seek justice for innocent victims. So when his father passes away under suspicious circumstances, Dan revisits his small island community, determined to uncover the truth about his death. Is it possible that the monster he remembers from his childhood nightmares has returned after all these years?

With his signature shock and suspense, Alex North brings us The Man Made of Smoke. In turn emotional, introspective, and utterly terrifying, this is a story of fathers and sons, shadows and secrets, and the fight we all face to escape the trauma of the past.

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Dan Garvie, a criminal profiler, is called back home after his father, John Garvie, a retired cop, appears to have committed suicide, though no body has been found. Dan returns to the island town where he grew up—a place he couldn’t leave fast enough after high school.

When Dan was eleven, he encountered the Pied Piper, a serial killer. He didn’t see the man but glimpsed a young boy, his own age, with the killer in a rest stop restroom. Instead of helping the boy to safety, Dan hid in a stall and waited until the man left with the boy. Dan carries this regret, his deepest shame, every day.

Upon arriving at his father’s house, Dan discovers his father was investigating a murder—or murders. The clues suggest John’s disappearance is tied to the Pied Piper.

Who is behind the killings now, and why? Who’s next?

The Man Made of Smoke is dark, thrilling, and atmospheric. I enjoyed the narration by Shane Zaza. It helped with the different POVs and timelines.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Tyrant Alpha's Rejected Mate by Cate C. WellsFive Packs #1

Title: The Tyrant Alpha's Rejected Mate

Series: Five Packs #1

Author: Cate C. Wells

He rejected me, and then he realized I’m the center of his world. Bummer.

Una

I keep my head down. In this backwards pack, females rank low, and my bad leg makes me damaged goods. It doesn’t help that I’ve never shifted. I don’t mind the late twenties single life, though. No one’s paying any attention as I build an illicit farmer’s market empire.

My roomies and I are doing it for ourselves, and if life under Killian Kelly is stifling, at least it’s predictable. We can deal.

But when biology finally kicks in, I lose my mind. I claim our alpha as my mate. And he rejects me in front of the whole pack.

It’s all good. It only hurts when I breathe. I’ll survive. That’s what I do.

Who wants an arrogant jerk for a mate, anyway? I’ve got a business to run.

Killian

To lead this pack out of the dark ages, I’ve had to be hard. Merciless. I don’t flinch, and I don’t make mistakes.

Una Hayes isn’t my mate.

My wolf might have some kind of strange infatuation, but if she were mine, I’d know it. And I can walk away, can’t I?

And if I keep coming back? If she starts living in my head?

I’m the strongest male in five generations. My pack scrambles to do my bidding. I can bring one quiet female back in line. No one can possibly be as stubborn as I am.

There’s no way I’ve ruined the best thing that’s ever happened to me.

I’m the Quarry pack alpha. I don’t lose.

The Tyrant Alpha’s Rejected Mate is a full-grown shifter romance. No cheating. HEA guaranteed. Intended for adult readers only.

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The Tyrant Alpha's Rejected Mate is another book that I found on a must-read list of paranormal romances.

The heroine, Una Hayes, is a werewolf who hasn’t yet transformed into a wolf. The pack sidelines her, along with other females, due to this. Una walks with a limp from an attack that nearly killed her as a child. Though she appears weak, she’s far from it. Una is intelligent and resourceful. She won’t apologize for taking actions to improve her life and those of her loved ones, even without her Alpha’s knowledge.

Everything changes when biology kicks in, and Una realizes the alpha, Killian Kelly, is her mate. What follows nearly destroys her: he rejects her in front of the entire pack.

Killian never believed he had a mate, having abandoned that dream long ago. He’s devoted his life to leading the pack and fixing his father’s failures. No one is more shocked than Killian when Una claims him as her mate. It can’t be true—or can it?

I love Una! What a fantastic female character. She’s tough and determined, giving Killian a run for his money. Forgiving Killian was easy once you understood why he rejected her.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

Cold Hearted by Heather GuerreTooth & Claw #1

 

Title: Cold Hearted

Series: Tooth & Claw #1

Author: Heather Guerre

I came to Longtooth, Alaska looking for a safe place to hide. All I wanted was to keep my head down, do my job, and enjoy the peace and quiet. But there’s no peace to be found once I meet Longtooth’s cantankerous bush pilot. Caleb Kinoyit is surly and rude and mean. He’s also, unfortunately, the most attractive man I’ve ever met. And as the long, Alaskan winter nights stretch on, I find myself warming to his rough charm just as much as I’m falling for the beauty of my new home.

A town with a secret…

There’s something different about Longtooth—something the locals won’t talk about with outsiders. And I am definitely an outsider. But when my dangerous past finally tracks me down, Longtooth can’t keep its secrets from me any longer, and the revelation upends the world as I know it. The only truth I can be sure of anymore are my feelings for Caleb. But will love be enough to save me? Or will I have to sacrifice myself to save the ones I love?

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I was looking for a paranormal romance and found this book on a must-read list.

Grace moves to Longtooth, Alaska, after being hired as the new English literature teacher. She’s relocating from the lower 48 to hide from her ex-boyfriend, Alex, who has been stalking her despite a restraining order.

Her first hint that some Longtooth residents distrust outsiders comes from the airplane pilot, Caleb Kinoyit. Having just met him, she’s puzzled by his apparent dislike, but she thinks she can deal with it. Or maybe not—she finds herself drawn to him. Caleb lifts her spirits, which have been low since her troubles with Alex.

Grace enjoys her new job and hopes the town becomes more welcoming so she can make Longtooth her home. But will the town reveal her secrets to her?

I liked how Grace and Caleb's relationship developed. It was a slow burn, and the suspense was present even though you could guess what was happening in this secluded  Alaskan town. 

Cliffhanger: No

3.5/5 Fangs

Hidden Nature by Nora Roberts

 

Title: Hidden Nature

Author: Nora Roberts

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Release Date: May 27, 2025

The #1 New York Times-bestselling author presents a new novel about an injured cop who must fight to bring down a pair of twisted killers…

Natural Resources police officer, Sloan Cooper, and her partner had just taken down three men preying on hikers in the Western Maryland mountains. Driving back, she pulled in at a convenience store—and walked right into a robbery in progress. One gunshot from a jittery thief was about to change her world.

After being shocked back to life on the operating table, she has a long recovery ahead, so she moves back to her parents’ peaceful house in Heron’s Rest. As for the boyfriend who dumped her via text while she was in the hospital, good riddance.

She may be down, but she’s not out. So when a woman vanishes, leaving her car behind in a supermarket parking lot, Sloan searches online for similar cases. She finds them, spread across three states. Men and women, old and young—the missing seem to have nothing in common. And the abductions keep happening.

Luckily, the new man in her life shares her passion for solving this mystery. But it will take every ounce of endurance to get to the dark heart of this bizarre case—and she's willing to risk her life again if that's what it takes to stop the horror.

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The novel unfolds seamlessly!

The story begins when Sloan Cooper, a Natural Resources police officer, and her partner close their latest case. They stop for gas and a drink. When Sloan opens the minimarket door, she senses something is wrong. The man at the counter suddenly turns and shoots her twice.

Sloan survives, but her recovery at Heron’s Rest is slow. While still recuperating, a woman goes missing around Thanksgiving. She left her home mid-cooking, searching for butter, but never returned. Her car was found outside the store with no trace of her.

After the shooting, Sloan decides to make life changes and begins renovations on her new home. This is where she meets Nash Littlefield, a newcomer to town who has started a contracting business with his brother, Theo.

Nash and Sloan connect instantly, and soon she’s sharing her ideas with him. Sloan can’t let go of the woman’s disappearance; she’s now certain more people have been abducted in the past year, and they may share a common link. If she’s right, this connection could make Sloan a target.

Hidden Nature was compelling from start to finish. Nora Roberts crafts vivid, well-rounded characters, including the unhinged ones. The story blends suspense, romance, and a stunning setting, brought to life flawlessly by January LaVoy’s narration.

I’m hoping Nora Roberts brings Sloan back for a sequel.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Macmillan Audio via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Death Row by Freida McFadden Alibis Collection #1

Title: Death Row

Series: Alibis Collection

Author: Freida McFadden

Publisher: Amazon Original Stories

Release Date: June 1, 2025

With all hope of an appeal fading away, the fate of a condemned murderess takes a shocking turn in a breathtaking short story.

Talia Kemper is on death row for murdering her husband. She had an alibi and no known motive, yet Talia’s unwavering protestations of innocence have always been ignored. Then one day in the visiting area, she sees a recognizable stranger she’s certain is her husband. It turns out the man she’s been convicted of killing may not be dead after all. But as the days tick away toward Talia’s execution, what will it take for her to be believed?

Freida McFadden’s Death Row is part of Alibis, a collection of stories about lies, truth, and deception. It’s just a matter of what you can get away with. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.

Amazon

A thrilling short story!

If you’re after an audio under two hours or a 70-page read, this one is perfect!

Talia Kemper sits on death row, accused of murdering her husband, Noel.  Talia says she is innocent, and she even had an alibi for that night, but no one believes her.  Then, days just before she gets the needle, she thinks she sees Noel again.

Did she do it, and is he truly gone? And does the ending deliver a deadly twist?

Grab this $1.99 audio if you want to find out how it ends.

Cliffhanger: No

3.5/5 Fangs

It's a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan

Title: It's a Love Story

Author: Annabel Monaghan

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons

Release Date: May 27, 2025

From the USA Today bestselling author of Nora Goes Off Script, a novel about a former adolescent TV punchline who has left her awkwardness in the rearview mirror thanks to a fake-it-till-you-make-it mantra that has her on the cusp of success, until she tells a lie that sets her on a crash-course with her past, spending a week in Long Island with the last man she thinks might make her believe in love.

Rules for a love story: There are none. It’s all a lie.

Jane Jackson knows that true love is a lie. Laughter is the only truth—you can’t fake a belly laugh. Jane should know, she spent her adolescence as "Poor Janey Jakes," the barbecue-sauce-in-her-braces punchline on America's fifth-favorite sitcom. Now she’s a Creative Executive at Clearwater Studios and she’s living by a new mantra: Fake it till you make it.

Except, she might have faked it too far. Desperate to get her first project greenlit and riled up by pompous cinematographer and one-time crush Dan Finnegan, she opened her mouth and a big fat fib fell out. She claimed that Jack Quinlan, hottest popstar of the moment, has promised to write an original song for the soundtrack. Jack may have been her first kiss—and greatest source of shame—but she hasn’t spoken to him in twenty years.

Now, Jane must turn to the last man she’d ever want to owe: Dan Finnegan. Because Jack is playing a festival in Dan’s hometown on Long Island, and Dan has an in. A week in close quarters with Dan while facing down her past is Jane's idea of hell, but Dan just might surprise her. While covering up her lie, can they find something true?

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A great summer read!

Jane Jackson, in her thirties, is a Creative Executive at Clearwater Studio. Her latest optioned romance, True Story, is one she’s determined to see on the silver screen. She’ll do anything to make it happen, even lying to her boss by claiming she knows Jack Quinlan, the top popstar, and that he’ll write the movie’s soundtrack.

In reality, Jane’s stretching the truth. She does know Jack—from when she was a teenager, and he broke her heart. Most people don’t know that Jane once played “Poor Janey Jakes,” the punchline of a famous sitcom.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. To reach Jack, Jane agrees to travel to Long Island with Dan Finnegan, a cinematographer. Jane dislikes Dan, but she needs this movie too much to refuse.

Arriving at Dan’s parents’ home and meeting his family, Jane realizes her preconceived notions about Dan were wrong. Dan himself is nothing like she expected.

Annabel Monaghan has become an auto-request/auto-buy author. Her stories are wonderful romances with quirky characters, sharp humor, and emotional scenes.

It’s a Love Story is another winner. I fell for Dan and his family and rooted for Jane to find love and support.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by G.P. Putnam's Sons via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.