New Release Review: The Fall Affair by Vi Keeland

 

Title: The Fall Affair

Author: Vi Keeland

Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance

Tropes: Opposites Attract/Found Family

Release Date: August 18, 2026

BLURB

She’s counting down the days until she leaves Tuscany. He’s counting on making her stay.

Some people go to Tuscany to find themselves.

I went to escape—New York, my ex’s new relationship, and a career that derailed the moment I was passed over for partner.

My plan was simple: settle my eccentric Italian grandmother’s estate, sell whatever wasn’t nailed down, and return to the life I’d worked too hard to lose.

Instead, I walked into a mess—a crumbling antique shop, two hundred acres of leased vineyard land, and one infuriating clause in the will: Live and work in the shop for three months, or inherit nothing.

Then there’s the neighbor I clash with instantly. Matteo Lucchese is the infuriatingly handsome winemaker who leases my family’s land and refuses to be impressed by my credentials—or my attitude. He’s rugged and stubborn, stuck living in a time that has long passed us by, and the word rush isn’t part of his vocabulary. Basically, we’re exact opposites.

But as the days stretch into weeks, Tuscany chips away at the armor I didn’t realize I was wearing, and Matteo shows me the appeal of slowing down, of staying rooted, of wanting something other than climbing the corporate ladder.

I came to Tuscany to escape.

But now that the countdown to going home was on, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to leave. And the life I was falling for came with a looming expiration date.

ADD TO GOODREADS

WHAT TO EXPECT

Opposites Attract

Under the Tuscan Sun Vibes

Found Family

NYC Heroine x Italian Hero

Late-summer Magic

PURCHASE LINKS

EBOOK

AUDIOBOOK

SPECIAL EDITION PAPERBACK

eBook available in Kindle Unlimited

My review: 5 stars!

Can I please take a trip to Italy? The Fall Affair made me want to dust off my passport and finally book that trip. Author Vi Keeland created such an amazing story and setting- I really felt like I was there with them listening to the audiobook. Allegra and Mateo's story was all-consuming and I absolutely loved it. I especially loved Allegra's Nonna and her letters. The book flowed so well and the epilogue was just perfect. Narrators Connor Crais and Andi Arndt did such an excellent job with their narration- even the Italian!

AUTHOR BIO

Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-seven languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria, Israel, and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

AUTHOR LINKS

FACEBOOK

PROFILE / PAGE / GROUP

WEBSITE

TIKTOK

INSTAGRAM

X (TWITTER)

GOODREADS

New Audiobook Release Review: Colt by Jessica Peterson

 Colt by Jessica Peterson is now live on audio!

Narrated by: Vanessa Edwin & Aiden Snow 

She isn’t supposed to care about a ranch.
She definitely isn't supposed to fall for the foreman.
And his six-year-old son is absolutely, definitely not supposed to capture her heart.

Lainey Brown is not ranch material. She's a city girl who landed on the legendary Wallace Ranch to give the place a fresh coat of branding—and get her career back on track. She's got no interest in cowboys, cattle, or the infuriatingly gorgeous foreman who clearly wants her gone.

Colton Wallace has spent every day since losing his wife building something worth leaving his son: a spotless reputation, a thriving operation, and a life with no room for complications. The last thing he needs is a firecracker from Austin with a sketchbook full of big ideas and a smile that makes him forget every reason he swore off wanting things he can't keep.

But somewhere between their very first fight and a Texas night sky that stretches on forever, something shifts. Lainey stops counting the days until she can leave. And Colt stops pretending he wants her to.

The ranch has always been the Wallace legacy. But Colt is starting to wonder if the best thing that's ever happened to it—and to him—just walked in wearing city shoes.

COLT is the first cowboy romance book in the all-new DOUBLE U RANCH series, releasing summer 2026! 

My review: 5 stars!

What a great start to a new series! Colt and Lainey's enemies-to-lovers story was full of all the things I love in my romance reads- spice, tension, the best banter, and believable relationship development. Being from Oklahoma, I know Texas well and author Peterson certainly did the state justice. Yay for hot cowboys! Grumpy/sunshine is always one of my favorite tropes, and Colt was the best kind of growly grumpy and Lainey's sunshiny personality was the cutest. I listened to the audiobook narrated in duet by Vanessa Edwin and Aiden Snow, and their performances were absolutely perfect. Chef's kiss casting for sure. One book in, and I am here for the Double U Ranch Series and cannot wait for the next book.


Listen today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4xaD58D

Audible: https://bit.ly/4uWcAmc

Apple: https://bit.ly/43MelX5

Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/4aT8lQr

Kobo: https://bit.ly/4voEHtZ

Audiobooks.com: https://bit.ly/4f8lvM4

Chirp: https://bit.ly/4vshHtH

Libro FM: https://bit.ly/43PR3j4

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3Qmp9bl

New Audiobook Release Review: Just for the Plot by Meghan Quinn

Just for the Plot

by Meghan Quinn

Release Date: July 28, 2026

TROPES

Baseball Romance
Friends to Lovers
He Falls First
Best Friend’s Sibling/Sibling’s Best Friend
Slow Burn

BLURB

They're just friends.

At least, that's what she thinks. Him? He has other plans.

Bennett Brinkman is San Francisco baseball's golden boy―focused, disciplined, and very bad at ignoring the one woman he shouldn't want. Falling for his sister's best friend was inevitable, even though she's always seen him as safe, familiar, and firmly off-limits.

Bower knows exactly why wanting Bennett is a terrible idea. She's fiercely loyal to her best friend and well aware that crossing this particular line could blow everything up. But when she moves into Bennett's apartment building, that "just friends" boundary begins to blur in the most tempting ways.

The banter comes fast.

The sparks come faster.

And pretending it's "no big deal" is getting ridiculous.

As feelings get messier and attraction turns undeniable, Bennett and Bower must decide if risking their family ties is worth chasing the love that's been in front of them all along.

My review: 5 stars!

This was an absolute hoot! Meghan Quinn is the queen of hilarious antics and banter, and she did not disappoint with Bennett and Bower's story. (And oh gosh- more of the Gladdy Daddys group texts!) I adore friends-to-lovers stories and Bennett's long-time crush on Bower was so charming and sweet and their journey felt effortless and real. The narration was done in duet style by Teddy Hamilton and Samantha Brentmoor along with a full cast (my favorite!!!!) including Emma Wilder, Connor Crais, J.F. Harding, Jason Clarke and Stella Hunter and was so so so good!

New Audiobook Release Review: Crooked by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward

 

Title: Crooked

Authors: Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward

Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance

Tropes: Bodyguard, Close Proximity

Mafia Daughter, Forbidden

Release Date: March 29, 2026

BLURB

A new, sexy standalone novel from New York Times Bestsellers, Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward…

 

The last thing I needed was a live-in bodyguard. And I definitely didn’t want him. Six foot two, with broad shoulders that were impossible to ignore and a talent for getting in my way, Wes Callahan was a walking bad decision.

 

But when you’re the daughter of a notorious mob boss, apparently your opinions stop mattering the moment your father ignites another war. I’d spent my entire life trying to escape that crooked world—new name, new city, newfound freedom. At least until I was suddenly shacked up with my new bodyguard. 

 

Wes knew exactly how to push my buttons. He was also infuriatingly protective. And smart. And funny. And thoughtful when he thought I wasn’t paying attention.  Little by little, the walls I’d built started to crack, and falling for the bodyguard became the most dangerous thing I’ve ever done. Because if my father found out, Wes wouldn’t just lose his job. He’d lose his life. 

 

Getting involved with him was reckless, yet I couldn’t find a way to stop it, no matter how hard I tried.  But while I was busy losing my heart, the man who took it was hiding a secret. 

And it turned out, the most dangerous man in my life wasn’t my father after all—it was the one who threatened to break my heart.

GOODREADS

BOOKBUB

My review: 5 stars!

There's really no one other than the writing duo of Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward that I'd add a "mafia" shelf for. Since they are at the top of my favorite writers list, I figured why not give it a try? I was sure it wasn't going to be a typical dark mafia romance, and I was glad to see their trademark blend of humor and heat was the star of the show. I listened to duet-style audiobook and enjoyed every minute! Screenwriter Juliette and bodyguard Wes clashed from the very beginning, but their chemistry was hard to deny and their story was so good. Maybe I'll add some more books to my mafia shelf!

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited

ALSO AVAILABLE

ALTERNATIVE COVER PAPERBACK

AUDIOBOOK

VI KEELAND

Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-seven languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films by Passionflix, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

FACEBOOK

PROFILE / PAGE / GROUP

WEBSITE

INSTAGRAM

TIKTOK

X

GOODREADS

PENELOPE WARD

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.

With millions of books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over thirty novels. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.

FACEBOOK

FACEBOOK GROUP

WEBSITE

INSTAGRAM

TIKTOK

X

GOODREADS