Category Archives: Book Review

Book Review: Secrets of a Super Ager by Roy Blacksher

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Book Review: Secrets of a Super Ager by Roy Blacksher

A Nonfiction Health and Wellness Novel published on (09/29/25)

A well-researched guide for changing lifestyle and eating habits to live longer and healthier

I received an Advanced Review Copy (or ARC) on Reedsy Discovery

“The solution is deceptively simple: reduce portions, eliminate ultra-processed foods, and return to whole, nutrient-dense meals. Eating less—especially of the wrong kinds of foods—is not deprivation; it’s liberation.”

This nonfiction book is a hopeful yet practical guidebook for staying healthy and energized as you age. The author draws on science, knowledge, and his own personal experience to share simple strategies for eating, staying active, and lifestyle changes that helped him reverse his declining health and thrive. The book encourages readers to acknowledge the truths surrounding health and wellness and to rethink aging as a chance to live stronger and better for longer.

Keywords:

Nonfiction, Health, Wellness, Eating, Activity, Exercise, Movement, Science, Education, American Habits

My Review:

This nonfiction book serves as a comprehensive, research-backed guide to lifestyle and eating habits that readers can adopt to lead longer and healthier lives. The writing is instructional and matter-of-fact while leaning heavily on science to make its points. There is an extensive notes and references section that takes up a third of the book’s content at the very end, with most references occurring post-2000, which is helpfully divided into sections (brain food, food truths, sweets, junk food, fiber, inflammation, etc.).

The second half of the book contains a chapter-by-chapter summary in bullet point format for those TL;DR impatient readers or those who need a recap and/or bullet-by-bullet guide for making the changes proposed in the first half of the book.

The author utilizes motivational language and a causal tone amidst the research-based sections that read like a summarized literature review. Each chapter is short and to the point, easier to digest than any lengthy article or paper on similar subject matter. Each chapter can be read as a whole in one sitting, and the information is presented in a way that’s easy to understand and digest. Each chapter ends with a summary of key points that includes additional fascinating statistics, facts, and conclusions to drive the point home. However, there is more emphasis on what to do and why the reader should make the changes, and less time on storytelling or examples.

The main emphasis of the book is on diet as the foundation for long-term wellness. Beyond food, the book frames longevity as inseparable from lifestyle. Regular physical activity is essential. Rest, quality sleep, stress management, and time spent in nature are highlighted as critical for hormonal balance, immune health, and emotional well-being. Practices such as meditation, yoga, deep breathing, social connection, laughter, optimism, and a sense of purpose round out the author’s holistic view of aging well. This is not new information for individuals who are already wellness-conscious. The book is repackaging contemporary health and wellness content in a way that’s interesting to read and reinforces the science that currently exists.

This nonfiction guide is best for readers wanting to reinforce health and wellness practices they are already adopting or for those new to the health and wellness journey. The book is especially useful for the average American, as the research and information are centered around the current and recent American diet and lifestyle.

TL;DR Star Rating: 3.50

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Amazon

Book Review: Shit Happens by Justin bussman

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Book Review: Shit Happens by Justin bussman

A Comedic Memoir published by Buss Publishing House (10/24/25)

I received an Advanced Review Copy (or ARC) on Reedsy Discovery

“The bathroom was the only viable option. It offered the illusion of control, a controlled environment for an uncontrolled situation.”

This comedic memoir by Justin Bussman is a deeply personal exploration of a life full of chronic digestive anxiety and subsequent dietary and bathroom obsession. This book is intensely focused on food, stress, and the biological limitations of Justin’s throughout his life, from childhood to adulthood.

Keywords:

Nonfiction, Memoir, Bowel Movements, Life, Anxiety, Bodily Functions

My Review:

The book is a relentless inner monologue, with each thought, fear, and bodily sensation magnified, described, and sometimes exaggerated. Every paragraph comes loaded with adjectives, similes, and metaphors, leaving the reader occasionally overwhelmed with the glut of figurative and descriptive language devices.

Bussman’s obsessive attention to every little detail surrounding his digestion makes each story feel like a diary entry. This narrative is both exhausting and fascinating to read. The point of view is uniquely unfiltered and descriptive.

The memoir is divided into periods of time in the author’s life, and each of those chapters is divided into specific incidents related to digestive anxiety. This book could have been structured like an epic poem or ode to digestion without losing its focus or impact

There are strong running themes of stress, anxiety, and fear, particularly around public humiliation and embarrassment. The memoir skips over anything not related to food or digestive anxiety, which sharpens its focus but also contributes to repetition that can slow the reading experience.

The author’s exploration of bowel anxiety also touches on cultural prudishness. If only he had read Everyone Poos, so much of the psychological angst surrounding poop (and diarrhea) might have been avoided. The book underscores the shame and embarrassment that society attaches to natural bodily functions – especially if they are not experiencing them like the average person. The author shows us through his thoughts surrounding his experiences – read incidents – that our reactions to these experiences often matter more than the experiences themselves.

Ultimately, the memoir leaves you with questions: what is the takeaway, and why this book? Perhaps it is nothing more than a personal reflection and insight into living with anxiety around digestion and the constant mental calculations it provokes. Or maybe it’s intended to create empathy for anyone with atypical bowel movements or, more generally, social anxiety. Or maybe it’s just a fun book to read in small chunks while in the bathroom.

This novel was published on 10/24/2025 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 3.25

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Goodreads

Book Review: The Joy Dividend: How Brands Win by Reducing Stress and Sparking Delight by Hamutal Schieber

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Book Review: The Joy Dividend: How Brands Win by Reducing Stress and Sparking Delight by Hamutal Schieber

A Nonfiction Business Strategy Novel published on (01/01/26)

I received an Advanced Review Copy (or ARC) on Reedsy Discovery

“When a product perfectly blends form, function, and delight, customers don’t just use it, but they fall in love with it and spread the word.”

This nonfiction book (more like a research guide) looks at how constant stress has changed the way people think, choose, and stay loyal to a product or brand. Instead of chasing more features or novelty, consumers are gravitating toward experiences that feel easier, calmer, and more human. Blending research, real-world examples, and practical frameworks, the book shows how reducing friction, creating moments of joy, and respecting people’s limited time and emotional bandwidth can build deeper, longer-lasting loyalty.

Keywords:

Nonfiction, Business, Consumer Behavior, Strategic Management, Marketing, Strategy, Psychology, Research

My Review:

The book is highly structured and methodical. Each chapter opens with a summary, ends with key takeaways, and often includes practical exercises. It draws on a mix of very recent data (2024–2025 studies) alongside older references, giving the arguments strong contemporary relevance.

The examples throughout are concrete, realistic, and easy to imagine applying in real business contexts. The book contains tables, charts, and dense blocks of information. The small text and volume of technical detail can feel like information overload, especially in mobile format, where some tables become difficult to read. Often, large lists or frameworks are presented first and explained afterward.

The tone of the content presented is academic and highly analytical, like a research-backed thesis. As a book, the pacing can feel challenging to read cover-to-cover. I can envision this book as a companion to a business class, where the content is broken up into weekly readings and lessons, allowing the ideas room to breathe.

Chapter 7 stands out as a highlight and a fitting conclusion. The comprehensive implementation guide provides a clear, step-by-step framework that brings all the concepts together practically and cohesively. After the analytical density of the previous chapters, this section feels necessary and helpful. It offers a thorough, actionable roadmap for product design, implementation, and long-term strategy.

If you want a thoughtful framework you can apply to long-term product, experience, or brand strategy, this book is for you.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.00

Links for more information

Goodreads

Amazon

Book Review: The Shared Pulse by Eda Kara

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Book Review: The Shared Pulse by Eda Kara

A Speculative Fiction – Romance Novel published on (01/02/26)

I received an Advanced Review Copy (or ARC) on Reedsy Discovery

“Steel Hook, the trendiest AI dating app of the moment: part Bumble, part psychometric experiment, part cult. For her, the app was less about meeting someone and more about defining a problem statement for which the match would be the optimal solution.”

In a near-future Istanbul where love is governed by algorithms, Alev and Toprak are improbably matched by a system glitch that creates an intimate “Shared Pulse” between them. Alev is a perfectionist guided by her AI coach, while Toprak is a commitment-phobe gaming the dating app so it won’t kick him off. Can real love exist in an optimized world, or is it doomed by the messy chaos of being human?

Keywords:

Technology, Dating, AI, Turkiye, Algorithm, AI Coach, Autonomy, Efficiency, Humanity, Connection

My Review:

I was immediately hooked by the speculative fiction, semi-dystopian premise, but even more so within the first few pages of Chapter One, by the writing itself and the story. The moment Secret Garden tells Alev she’s ready for a relationship, and she joins the AI dating app Steel Hook, the story’s main plotline is set up: a woman who has optimized every part of her life now outsourcing intimacy itself. Alev’s complete lack of concern about privacy, handing over her data without hesitation, and letting her devices record her daily life feels both unsettling and painfully accurate. “She was trapped in an infinite loop of optimized, emotionally neutered efficiency.”

Alev is written as hyper-competent and emotionally constrained… “basically, if an Apple Watch had a human form.” She treats dating (even romance and romantic feelings) as a problem statement waiting for the optimal solution. Steel Hook, with its cult-like slogans MATCH. MEASURE. MAXIMIZE becomes less a dating app and more a mirror of her internal logic: efficient, sterile, and emotionally risk-averse. The result is a life that feels performative and devoid of emotion.

The disruption comes in the form of Toprak, whose unpolished kindness and awkward charm challenge Alev’s instinct to judge and categorize. His resistance to being reduced to metrics and his frustration with being seen as likable but not trustworthy introduce the book’s most compelling counterargument to algorithmic compatibility. When the AI begins “optimizing for emotional authenticity instead of compatibility metrics,” the story becomes even more compelling: that emotion, messiness, and so-called chaos are not bugs in the system but the point of life itself.

What elevates all of this is the author’s language. The prose is sensory and alive—“The night was already pressing the windows,” “The city below stretched its limbs.” The author’s command of wordcraft feels effortless and immersive, making the emotional and philosophical questions feel real and alive rather than abstract. This is speculative fiction at its best: using near-future technology to interrogate identity, intimacy, and the radical idea that our cracks aren’t flaws at all: they’re openings.

TL;DR Star Rating: 5.00

Links for more information

Eda Kara’s website

Goodreads

Amazon

Book Review: A Knight in Central Park by Angela McConkey

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Book Review: A Knight in Central Park by Angela McConkey

A Middle Grade book published on (01/19/26)

I received an Advanced Review Copy (or ARC) on Reedsy Discovery

This short story is a wholesome coming-of-age tale that centers on Henry, a fifth grader, who describes himself as “strategically reckless.” Told mostly from Henry’s point of view, this middle-grade book offers a slice-of-life look at one summer in the life of a 12-year-old boy navigating imagination, responsibility, and growing up.

Keywords:

5th grade, New York, Arthurian Legend, Adventure, Imagination, Lessons, Cat, Bird, Grandmother

My Review:

The author’s writing style is clean and unobtrusive, striking an effective balance between showing and telling that makes the book easy to read. The reading level firmly places it in the chapter book/ middle-grade category, and it never asks too much of the reader. Henry’s voice feels intentionally young for his age. He is emotional, a little whiny, and completely unfiltered. He often talks out loud to himself, holding nothing back, which feels authentic, yet makes Henry seem younger than he is.

This story is driven by imagination rather than action. Arthurian ideas of knighthood: courage, justice, mercy, generosity, faith, nobility, and hope are woven throughout, reinforcing the idea that being a “knight” doesn’t require sword fights or dragon slaying. As one line puts it, “You’ve got the heart of a knight… Even if you don’t know it yet.” These lessons are clear and intentionally spelled out, especially in the last chapters of the book.

The story itself is low stakes and low action, more slice-of-life than adventure. That makes for a calm, sometimes plodding read with no real surprises. It doesn’t need to be read in one sitting, and in fact works better when taken in small pieces. The predictability and steady pacing make it ideal as bedtime reading for middle-grade readers, where you can pause at any point and easily pick up again the next night. And, of course, who doesn’t love a book with animals?

Ultimately, this is a cute short story packed with positive lessons and an earnest message about growing into kindness and character. While it may not be particularly exciting or surprising, it succeeds as a thoughtful, age-appropriate read for middle-grade readers—and for adults reading aloud to children who appreciate a calm, reassuring story with heart.

TL;DR Star Rating: 3.50

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Amazon

Book Review: Bot Camp by Paul Clarke

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Bot Camp by Paul Clarke

A Middle Grade Action Novel published by Green Hill Publishing (08/14/25)

I received an Advanced Review Copy (or ARC) on Reedsy Discovery

“If you want to win, you need ruthless efficiency.” 

Daniel doesn’t really have any friends, but he’s passionate about robotics and bot competitions. Daniel has his heart set on winning a spot at billionaire Bernad’s elite bot camp. All he has to do is win the local bot wars competition against his fierce rival, Mary, and her machine, Big Bertha. This underdog story isn’t just about Daniel’s big dreams of wowing Bernard; it’s also about teamwork, leaning on others’ strengths, and learning to step up as a leader.

Keywords:

Bot Camp, Robotics, Bot Battle, Camp, 12-Year-Olds, Billionaire, Leadership, Winning, Competition

My Review:

Daniel’s story pulls the reader in because he needs to win, and he doesn’t just win from the get-go. His victories are earned, not handed to him. This story and watching Daniel face up against difficult challenges give readers a front-row seat to both the thrills of competition and the real-life challenges of becoming a good teammate and leader.

The author has made battle bots exciting because they play a pivotal role for both Daniel and the plot. The action, especially battle scenes, feels cinematic and very exciting, just like a Spy Kids movie.

This book concisely presents numerous lessons, yet packages them in an engaging way. There are many themes to grasp and learn from, such as friendship, teamwork, loyalty, empathy, and leadership, without feeling like they overwhelm the plot.

Daniel has never had many friends, let alone been the leader of a team, but he steps up when it counts to save the day. It’s easy to root for him. He rises to the occasion, but he’s not the only one. The author has created a diverse set of characters that are all brilliant in their own way. There are many ways to be a genius, creative, and/or good at something. The author naturally weaves in diversity without it feeling forced. Each of the many kids at bot camp has their own, albeit quick, backstory. They feel real and not reduced to a single defining characteristic.

The villain is exaggerated enough to feel fun and fitting in the story, just like the bad guy in Sonic or Minions.

The writing is surprisingly visual and accessible. Even readers not familiar with battle bots or robotics (like me) can follow the action and understand what is going on. It’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of the action, just like Daniel does in the story.

This book will definitely make you want to watch a bot battle! It’s a great book for readers interested in robotics, battle bots, or simply a fun, quick book full of adventure. Parents and teachers, in particular, will appreciate the positive messages seamlessly embedded throughout.

This novel was published by Green Hill Publishing on 08/06/2025 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 5.0

Links for more information

Goodreads

Book Review: HUMAN AGAIN: In the AI Age by J.D. Macpherson

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HUMAN AGAIN: In the AI Age by J.D. Macpherson

A Nonfiction Novel published by Cairnstone Press on (11/26/25)

I received an Advanced Review Copy (or ARC) on Reedsy Discovery

This nonfiction book on human-computer interaction and AI semantics is centered on understanding and utilizing AI. The author presents AI as a tool, a partner, a co-thinker, an assistant, a force multiplier, and more. The author, a journalist first and foremost, delved into AI use as part of the research for this book. Along with personal experience, the author combines thorough research, providing citations throughout.

Keywords:

Nonfiction, AI, Technology, Humanity, Tool, ChatGPT

My Review:

Although the author says they aren’t explicitly pro-AI or anti-AI, the tone of the book is distinctly AI-forward. The author challenges readers to keep an open mind and offers a wide range of examples showing how AI is already useful, and increasingly necessary to understand and adopt. The concept the author returns to most often is intention in the use of AI.

This book is a journalist’s take on AI. The questions the author poses are uniquely searching and deep, often reading more like a research paper, complete with references at the end of each chapter.

Intertwined with the philosophy and nature of AI in our current moment are practical tips and tools such as avoiding the “AI ick,” creating an AI profile, and having deeper conversations with AI. The book’s real strength lies in the broader context it provides. Rather than a step-by-step guide, it functions as an instruction manual for what thoughtful use of the paid version of ChatGPT can look like and how to achieve that outcome.

The author makes a compelling case for AI’s real-world applications: AI tutoring can increase student engagement, AI brainstorming can help creatives become more innovative, and AI tools at work can improve both enjoyment and focus. The examples are concrete and easy to imagine applying to your own use of tools like ChatGPT and adopting them into your own life.

The core argument, that the future belongs to those who can balance AI efficiency with human insight, appears in different forms throughout the book. This repetition reinforces the idea that AI defines the current era, but meaning still belongs to humans. As the author puts it, “You’re not just shaping text, you’re curating meaning. Welcome to your new role: You, The Editor.” The book argues that AI doesn’t replace who you are but amplifies it. But as AI filters into everything technological and its competitive advantage erodes, intention becomes the true differentiator. Or perhaps, as Syndrome from The Incredibles famously said, “When everyone’s super, no one will be.”

This book is for anyone who hasn’t been paying attention to AI beyond headlines and social media rants. This book is for anyone wanting to start using Chat, level up their game using Chat, or level the playing field with intention.

This novel was published on 11/26/2025 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50

Links for more information

Goodreads

Book Review: Holly & Heartbeats by Amber W. Lynne

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Holly & Heartbeats by Amber W. Lynne

A Holiday Romance Novel published by Carnelian & Quills Publishing on (11/11/25)

I received an Advanced Review Copy (or ARC) on Reedsy Discovery

Set in the cozy, snow-filled area of Cedar Glen at the Holly House Inn holiday retreat, this story begins with Jess. She is steadfast and has always put her career first, but that’s come at the cost of companionship and starting a family. Graham is the single father of two eight-year-old twin girls, holding down the inn and keeping up with Christmas traditions on his own for years. The heart of the story lies in how Jess and Graham must decide to make space for something more in their lives—a matter of love, joy, and a potential future that doesn’t fit within the plans they’ve been clinging to for years.

Keywords:

Romance, Contemporary, Christmas, Holidays, Small Town, Grumpy-Sunshine, Family, Single-Dad, Career-Driven, Holiday Retreat, Inn, Holiday Magic, Widower

My Review:

Jess is steadfast, but she’s starting to feel like she wants something more. She’s trying to outrun loneliness by exhausting herself at the clinic, leaving no room for anything else. She helps everyone but herself. She doesn’t know how to make space for others in her life without feeling she has to be who she is: driven, focused, and useful. She worries that she’s built more for purpose than partnership. This book is more than a simple holiday romance; it dives headfirst into being single around the holidays, the loneliness of the season, and choosing career over family. It explores what a partnership truly is and how to make a relationship work between two people. Partnership should feel like purpose.

Told in dual POV, the book switches seamlessly between Jess and Graham at exactly the right moments.

Graham has no backup. No buffer. No plus one. Just himself, his two impressionable daughters who are determined to play hostess without adult supervision, an impending snowstorm, and six rooms at the holiday inn retreat full of guests expecting candy-cane cheer with an extra helping of holiday magic. Graham is the epitome of a stereotypical small-town romance single dad armed with all the duct tape and grit needed to make things work. His twin girls don’t just need a dad; they need more joy. 

Jess inhabits Holly House Inn like she’d always belonged. She fills a room with movement. For the girls, she doesn’t try to distract them so she can do something else. It’s nice to see a character who isn’t afraid to jump right in with someone else’s kids. The girls are uniquely different from each other, and the author gives them so much life and sparkle. Noelle is wild and unfiltered, while Clara is serious-eyed and cautious.

At times, it almost feels as though Jess is falling in love with the twins more than with Graham himself. The early spark between them is subtle, and Graham sometimes comes across as someone who fits the role the story needs rather than standing out on his own right away. I found myself hoping for a little more depth from his POV. Even so, the foundation of their relationship is sweet and very Hallmark-esque. 

Grief does appear in the story, but doesn’t weigh down the narrative. The author takes a light approach to grief, allowing it to weave into the backstory rather than cling to Graham or overshadow the warmth of the current action. The overall tone is full of joy and hope. As Jess says, “Grief makes you hold your breath too long. And then life sneaks in when you aren’t watching.”

This book is for romance readers who love holiday-themed, heartwarming, family-friendly, found-family, small-town, slow-burn, or single-father romances.

This novel was published on 11/11/2025 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.00

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Goodreads

Book Review: The Aloha Lawyer by Jeanilou Grace

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The Aloha Lawyer by Jeanilou Grace

A Women’s Fiction Novel published (11/15/25)

I received an Advanced Review Copy (or ARC) on Reedsy Discovery

This memoir-like book is an introspective exploration of identity, relationships, career path, motherhood, and personal growth. The main character, Santana, reflects on pivotal moments in her life, from young adulthood to middle age, examining her thoughts and feelings to understand herself, her choices, and her place in the world. She views her life through a lens that doesn’t always define facts and details but is based more on the thoughts and feelings she has for different parts of her life.

Keywords:

Fiction, Hawaii, Filipino, Identity, Romance, Lawyer, Family, Strong Female, Aloha, Motherhood

My Review:

The book reads more like a memoir than a fictional story in that it is a retelling of the past and the feelings associated with those building, pivotal moments, without strict setting details of place, time, etc. The writing is very introspective, almost a stream-of-consciousness narration, with life divided by how Santana feels about a period of time rather than by any one specific event or occasion. The book doesn’t have scenes and dialogue in the present like a fictional story might. Some of the phrasing is so on point, you have to read it three times for it to really sink in because the truth is so weighty.

For anyone questioning their identity, be they biracial or bicultural, or anyone wanting to empathize and understand, this is a thoughtfully written book. It contains a sense and a breakdown of identity at all life stages and life definitions: adulthood, motherhood, relationships, lawyer, ethnicity, and even feelings of otherness.

The law themes are powerful: law as protection, law as a canoe, law as healing. The author breaks down lawyer stereotypes within the aloha spirit, humanizing the lawyer experience. “They think that aloha means soft. But it also means strength, and we’re going to make sure they don’t ever forget it.”

The book imparts wisdom in small bites and pieces as mantras and lessons that Santana thinks about and learns over time. For example: Tiis lang means to endure with grace. Legacy isn’t what you build but who you become while creating a legacy.

Santana’s relationship arc hits hardest, showing the lessons that life teaches the hard way. She discovers that a healthy, loving partner is someone who listens and shows up without being asked, an active presence, not passive. The book explores what love really looks like and how to recognize it without running away. It felt like a philosophical study of what love is and how to embody it in a relationship with both positive and negative examples in Santana’s life. Her partner is kind, but he feels like a lowercase presence in her capital-letter life, believing that simply being near her is the same as showing up. He takes the last piece of sushi and never looks back. Some of these described partner crimes are so visual and gut-punching that they are like a bullet point list of what not to do in a loving relationship.

The book makes a powerful point: when one partner doesn’t put in effort unless prompted, it’s not a true partnership. It’s a tit-for-tat arrangement of two people together, but not fully in it together. Santana says it best when she asks for “support that moves” in a partner. It’s like the author is breaking down common phrases (like people need to grow together) into understandable examples using Santana’s fictional life.

The book overall resonates as a guide for every partner to understand that showing up means more than presence. It’s about solidarity, sacrifice, and consistently thinking of the other person, not only when it’s convenient.

While the pacing slows a bit in the middle, that doesn’t detract from the book’s wisdom and impact. This book is more fun to read than a typical couples therapy or self-help book, blending heartfelt, meaningful lessons with a compelling and intimate story.

This novel was published on 11/15/2025 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.25

Links for more information

Goodreads

Book Review: The Holiday Post by L. B. Dunbar

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The Holiday Post by L.B. Dunbar

A Romance Novel published by L.B. Dunbar Writes, Ltd. (11/14/25)

Summary: It’s Never Too Late For Happiness and Romance

“I’ll take an order of one hot Santa lookalike with a side of sexy time.” (Kindle Edition).

Lumi is a single mom and lifelong small-town post office worker whose dull holiday season is upended when a blizzard strands a charming stranger on her doorstep. With no rooms available, he becomes her unexpected houseguest. As they grow closer, his holiday magic and her fear of being left behind collide, forcing Lumi to decide whether this mysterious man with a deadline can be more than a fleeting Christmas miracle.

Keywords:

 Contemporary, Hideaway Harbor, Christmas, Family Business, Mature Main Characters, Small Town 

My Review:

This fourth book in the Hideaway Harbor series hooked me right away, but as the hints piled up that the main love interest, Saint, might actually be Santa (or related to Santa), I grew less and less interested in the story. I went in expecting a contemporary romance, and I got a Santa-adjacent-Christmas-magic version of magical realism. There were so many Holiday puns and Santa insinuations, it started to get distracting.

Still, the book absolutely shines as a warm, character-driven holiday romance, especially when it comes to Lumi. Her journey is relatable in a way that surprised me. Her journey feels relatable and grounded. When I’m finished with my current job, I will also be at a standstill in my life, just like Lumi. I’m also afraid of how to make the change in my life to get to where I want to be. What will I want when that moment happens? It’s easy to let the momentum of daily life dictate the future, and for Lumi, tomorrow feels inevitable until the change arrives in the form of Saint. He is the catalyst for changing the way she’s been thinking about her life and what she wants to do today, tomorrow, and in the future. And who she wants to do it with…

The chemistry between Lumi and Saint is undeniably cozy, and their connection feels earned. Even as mature characters, their love has a youthful, hopeful quality. And while some of the magical elements weren’t for me, the forced-proximity setup remains one of my favorite romance tropes, and it’s done well here.

If you want a sweet, slightly whimsical holiday romcom with heart and Santa magic sprinkled on top, then this book delivers.

I received an ARC, and this is my honest review.

This novel was published by L.B. Dunbar Writes, Ltd. on 11/14/2025 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 3.50

Links for more information

Goodreads