Book Review: Don’t Fall in Love With Me by Paige Toon

🐾🐾🐾🐾 — A nostalgic love triangle set in France—where first love and second chances collide

Review Date: April 3, 2026 | Release Date: April 14, 2026

Paige Toon has a way of writing love stories that feel like memories you’ve lived—and Don’t Fall in Love with Me is no exception. This is the kind of romance that lingers in the quiet spaces, built on years of history, unspoken feelings, and the kind of timing that never quite lines up.

Grace’s love for Jackson isn’t dramatic—it’s steady, deeply rooted, and painfully one-sided for far too long. You feel every ounce of that longing as she returns to the Ardèche, a place that holds both the happiest and most bittersweet pieces of her past. When Jackson re-enters her life, offering not just proximity but possibility, it’s impossible not to understand why she gets pulled right back in—even when you know it might hurt her.

But what elevates this story is Étienne. What starts as a playful, strategic fake relationship slowly becomes something layered and real. His presence shifts the emotional center of the story, forcing Grace—and the reader—to question whether first love is truly the greatest love, or just the one that came first.

This book thrives in its emotional tension: the push and pull between past and present, comfort and risk, longing and self-worth. And just when you think it’s settling into a predictable path, the story deepens with secrets and revelations that raise the stakes in the most heartbreaking way.

It’s romantic, yes—but also reflective. About who we were, who we’ve become, and whether love should be about history…or about choosing what feels right now.

I had the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication, and these are my honest thoughts.

Book Review: Where It All Began by Debbie Howells

🐾🐾🐾🐾 — A tender, heartbreaking story about the love that shapes us—and the distance that tests it.

Review Date: April 3, 2026 | Release Date: April 9, 2026

This is the kind of story that quietly slips under your skin and then refuses to let go.

Where It All Began is, at its heart, a love letter between a mother and daughter—but not the polished, picture-perfect version. It’s messy. It’s complicated. It’s full of misunderstandings, distance, and the kind of love that doesn’t always know how to say what it means… but feels everything all the same.

Edie’s voice carries the weight of years—of choices made with the best intentions and consequences she never saw coming. Watching her reflect on Lexie’s childhood, the fractures in her marriage, and the slow unraveling of their once-close bond is both tender and devastating. There’s something deeply human about how their relationship shifts over time—from that all-consuming early love to something strained, distant, and aching with things left unsaid.

And Lexie… she’s not just “the daughter who left.” She’s a product of everything that came before her—every silence, every sacrifice, every moment that shaped her need to run. The push and pull between them feels real in a way that’s almost uncomfortable at times, like you’re witnessing something too personal to look away from.

What makes this story unforgettable is how it handles love and loss—not as opposites, but as things that exist side by side. It’s about the moments that define us, the people who shape us, and the fragile hope that it’s never too late to come back to where it all began.

This one doesn’t just tug at your heartstrings—it sits with you long after the final page, asking you to think about the people you love, and the things you wish you’d said.

I had the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication, and these are my honest thoughts.

Audiobook Review: Set Point by Meg Jones

🐾🐾🐾 1/2 — Sun, secrets, and starting over—sometimes the life you didn’t choose saves you.

Review Date: April 3, 2026 | Release Date: April 7, 2026

Set Point is the kind of romance that thrives on tension—on the court, in the locker room, and in every charged glance between two women who should absolutely not want each other…and yet, very much do.

Inés Costa is clinging to the edges of a career that once defined her. Watching her navigate the quiet grief of fading relevance hits hard—there’s something deeply vulnerable about an athlete who remembers exactly what it felt like to be unstoppable. On the flip side, Chloe Murphy is all fire and volatility, a rising star whose talent is matched only by her inability to keep it together when it matters most.

Their dynamic? Electric.

What makes this story stand out is how their rivalry doesn’t just dissolve into romance—it transforms. The friction never disappears; it evolves into something sharper, more intimate. Every practice session, every argument, every moment of forced proximity adds another layer to their connection. And the deal they strike—part mentorship, part survival—creates the perfect setup for slow-burning, high-stakes tension.

The tennis backdrop isn’t just aesthetic—it’s integral. The pressure of the US Open, the physical exhaustion, the mental chess match of the sport—it all mirrors what’s happening between them. Control vs chaos. Precision vs instinct. Guarded vs raw.

And when the emotional walls start to crack? It’s not soft. It’s not easy. It’s messy, complicated, and incredibly satisfying.

This is enemies-to-lovers done right—where winning doesn’t just mean lifting a trophy, but risking everything for something bigger than the game.

I had the opportunity to read this book ahead of publication, and these are my honest thoughts.