Fever Dream by Elsie Silver

Published by Simon Schurster on May 9, 2026

435 pages

I read the paperback

Back Cover

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Elsie Silver comes a small-town, forbidden, rivals-to-lovers romance, the first book in the brand-new Western romance series Emerald Lake.

Professional bull rider Emmett Bush is not looking for love. He’s looking for a paycheck to save his family’s farm from bankruptcy. So, when he agrees to be the leading man on a hot new reality dating show, Romance Ranch, he’s already decided it’s all one big performance.

Until Julia Silva walks onto his property. Smart, snarky, beautiful, and off-limits in more ways than one. As the location consultant on set and the little sister of his most bitter professional rival, she’s the last woman who should pique his interest.

Julia has been warned about Emmett. She knows better than to fall for his cocky swagger, broad shoulders, and smoldering good looks. Plus, she’s sworn off relationships.

But as Julia and Emmett work together, mutual distaste grows into an unexpected connection and then… something more.

Soon, they find themselves searching for excuses to spend time together and out of reach of the cameras. Knowing glances. Stolen kisses. Secret rendezvous.

Still, Emmett signed up to play the role of an eligible bachelor searching for the one. His family’s land and legacy depend on him completing the show.

The problem is, he’s already fallen in love.

Just not with a contestant.

My review

You will notice if you have followed me for a while that I don’t read many Western romances, but I wanted to give the writer a chance because I heard so many good comments about her. I also looked for inspiration for my short story, so you might see a lot of small-town – western romance reviews coming up soon. I know most authors stay away from the genre they write, however I thought I had nothing to lose.

I’m not a fan of reality shows; I watched a few when I was younger, it’s not for me anymore. I just felt the storyline was to make fun of the concept. As you can read on the back cover, Emmet might not choose a contestant, and I just enjoyed his reactions during the whole novel. He’s a bull rider, but his qualities and flaws related to a lot of men. He doesn’t open up and maybe you’ll find out why in the story. I have to give him the star, although I also like Julia.

Julia is the most stubborn character I have met, she also makes me laugh. Her brother tries to collect information about the show, but she doesn’t say a word. She doesn’t listen to him when he advises her about Emmet, she prefers to believe her guts, and I guess it’s one of the reasons why I liked the book so much. I love strong-headed women. It helps me to get through a lot of stuff in real life.

The chemistry between the two protagonists is great: you can feel that they hate each other initially, and things slowly change while they’re filming the show. I think the author did a good job of making it entertaining.

Excerpts

I’ve been a professional bull rider on the WBRF circuit for years now. And I’m damn good at it-one of the best in the world. And yet that championship still eludes me. (p.1)

“Em, I’m not sure that anyone has explained this to you, but when you go on a dating show, you actually have to date people. Not just fuck ‘em and chuck ‘em.” (p.6)

“Yes, well, as Mick Jagger once famously said, ‘You can’t always get what you want.’“ (p.23)

 

“Listen, this is like a fucking dream job for someone who just graduated. It has nothing to do with you and everything to do with my career. You are just a character on a reality TV show. I’m not partaking, which means you’ll be too busy to even notice me. So, can you like..I don’t know. Buck the fuck up?” (p.23)

 

But where Theo has always seemed to share details about his escapades in dating with reckless abandon, I have a more reserved approach. One where my private life stays private. (p.41)

 

To the outside observer, I might look like I had a fun and rowdy night. But the reality is I narrowly escaped what could have been the worst night of my life. (p.41)

 

Thar channeling my nervous energy into being productive could be healthy. So, I’d taken that advice and run with it.. (p.46)

 

“But all good things must come to an end, and in the search for love, it’s important to be honest and true to yourself as you can be. Isn’t that right, Emmett? “ (p.137)

 

“Sure, “right as the music changes and Shania Twain’s voice rings out though the bar. (p.212)

 

Who knew that “Any Man of Mine “was so painfully long. (p.212)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wait for me by Lauren Flynn

 

Published on July 21st, 2026

314 pages

I read the digital version

Back Cover

Lucy Brooks moves to the quiet coastal town of Pleasant Cove, determined to prove that she’s capable of building a life on her own terms.

When she discovers a rundown lighthouse along the rugged Nova Scotia shoreline, something strange begins to happen. Each time she steps inside, she finds herself face to face with Dylan Hart.

The guarded lighthouse keeper is stubbornly attractive… but he doesn’t even know what Wi-Fi is. Living alone at Killick Point, he spends his days looking out onto the sea and watching the waves crash against the cliffs below. Hard as she tries to resist, Lucy finds herself drawn back to the lighthouse… and to Dylan.

But something isn’t right. Every time Lucy walks through that door, she isn’t stepping into the present; she’s stepping into 1993. And according to the town’s history, a storm is coming. One that will take Dylan’s life.

As their bond deepens into something neither of them can ignore, Lucy tries to rewrite the past. But will their love survive a ticking clock as everything around them starts to crumble?

My review

Honestly, I forgot the first time that Lucy and Dylan weren’t living on the same timeline before she mentioned it. It’s the first book I read that is happening in Nova Scotia. I was so young when I went there that I didn’t have many memories, but with the description in the novel, it was easy to imagine it.

Hard to choose between the two protagonists, however I would say that Lucy deserves first place. Not only because she left everything, she knew she needed to get a life where she would live on her own, but she went through a complicated relationship with Dylan. I can’t tell you much, but don't forget your tissues if you want to read the book.

As for Dylan, he has a heart of gold. I think I haven’t been touched by a character since a long time. Please note that there are a lot of spicy scenes between him and Lucy. I liked it in general. I was also into tears in the end.

My favorite is still For the Story, but this one was a roller coaster, and I enjoyed most of it.

Le cœur en rétrograde de Pascale Hubert

Publié chez Groupe Lbrex le 13 mai 2026

320 pages

Lu en format papier

4^e de couverture

Je cogne ma tasse contre la sienne, pleine de fébrilité. Dans quoi je viens de m’embarquer, là ? Émilie, célibataire dans la trentaine fraîchement débarquée à Montréal, se jette à corps perdu dans un défi estival : avoir une date (et plus, si affinités) avec chacun des douze signes du zodiaque en espérant, au passage, se réconcilier avec l’amour. Mais plus Émilie coche des cases de son défi, moins le chemin indiqué par les astres lui semble clair.

Entre des nuits de folie et des rendez-vous galants pas toujours réussis, Émilie se laissera-t-elle prendre à son propre jeu ?

Mon avis

Je trouve l’idée de dater un homme différent pour chaque signe du zodiaque originale, quoi que douze personnes en quelques mois, cela peut sembler un peu intense. Je pense que c’est un mélange de romance et de chicklit et que c’est un livre que je recommande si vous souhaitez vous détendre. J’ai passé un bon moment,  mais je n'essayerais pas l’expérience dans la vraie vie.

J’ai bien aimé la protagoniste qui m’a bien fait rire et qui m’a aussi fait réfléchir sur le couple ouvert. Est-ce qu’Émilie se laissera tenter? À vous de le découvrir, mais disons que j’ai réalisé que ce n’était pas pour moi. Ce thème ne peut ne pas convenir à tous les lecteurs, alors je préférais vous en aviser.

Un fait drôle, je tente d’oublier une personne qui est du même signe que le personnage qui se démarque des autres et il a environ les mêmes qualités et défauts que celui que je connais.

J'ai observé qu’il y a beaucoup de franglais dans les dialogues et j’avoue que cela m’a dérangé un peu, mais je dirais que c’est le seul défaut majeur trouvé à l’œuvre.

Extraits

Là d’où je viens, on a le droit de nourrir des rêves, tant qu’ils sont raisonnables. Ce qui veut dire « moyens-gros ». Dès qu’ils sont trop imposants, démesurés, ils ont tendance à déranger ou à faire peur. Ce n’est pas toujours bien vu d’être différente. (p.9)

Au-delà de l’expérience, on cherche quelqu’un avec des idées qui sortent de l’ordinaire, capable d’aborder des questions de société sous un angle original. On cherche des voix uniques. (p.15)

Ça fait un moment que je n’ai pas vu M. Bélier. Il a planifié, puis annulé, deux rendez-vous depuis la dernière fois qu’on s’est vus. C’est la personne la moins fiable qu’il m’a été donné de rencontrer. Franchement, je me trouve ridicule de toujours l’accueillir à bras ouverts, de me faire tout plein de scénarios, de me mettre belle pour lui, pour finalement être déçue, alors qu’il me fait inévitablement faux bond à la dernière minute. (p.56)

Il faudra que je demande à la professeure Trelawney ce que ça veut dire, ça! (p.78)

C’est peut-être totalement illogique, mais j’ai la certitude que j’ai quelque chose à aller chercher dans cette relation-là. Et si ce n’est pas l’amour, eh bien, ce sera peut-être une selon de vie, ou des parties de moi que je ne connais pas encore. (p.139)

Ça fonctionne pas, nous deux. Ça va nulle part..(p.159)

Alors que je n’ai pas quitté mon lit depuis plus de douze heures, sauf pour aller à la salle de bain, trop occupée à fixer le plafond et à caresser Didi, je suis sortie de mes rêveries par mon téléphone qui se met à vibrer. (p.294)

 

The Vanishing Bride by Mimi Gunn

Published on June 23^rd, 2026 by Petite Press

394 pages

I read the digital version

Back Cover

Charlotte Townsend had tasted love before.
The price had been too high to bear.

A scandalous secret drove her into hiding on a remote family estate. True safety lay in being forgotten. When a gravely wounded man arrives on horseback, her peace is shattered. She must decide if the one who once held her heart can keep her secret safe.

Lord Peregrine Spencer never expected the woman from his fevered dreams to appear before him. Sent by his brother to expose nefarious dealings at the Spencer estate, his investigation ends with a bullet to the chest. A love-scorned widower, his horse leads him to a place from his past. Is he seeing a ghost—or the woman once thought lost? Could this tragedy reunite him with his heart’s desire?

When long hidden secrets necessitate a marriage of convenience, Charlotte must choose between guarding her heart or trusting her new husband. To secure their happiness, Peregrine must unmask his would-be killer before losing his love forever.

My review

It’s the first novel I read from this author and since I enjoy historical romance, I believed I should give it a chance, and I just learned that we were from the same regional, so it’s always a plus to support a fellow Canadian writer.

The blurb resumes perfectly the book. Since it’s a romance, you can say it’s predictable, but it has a good twist. Honestly, initially, I found that  Charlotte fairly annoying because she doubted Perry when he did everything he could to make sure that she could trust him. At the same time, people believed she was dead for years because of her secret, and I can understand that, under the circumstances, she thought it was the only way to get a better life.

Perry is a great character, but I also found him annoying sometimes because he was so in love with Charlotte. I’m not saying that he should be toxic, but I noticed that he was addicted to her and I wondered if he had his own identity, just like most women in that era, that all they could dream of a good marriage.

The reader can experience the Victorian period because of how the characters talk and how they think. There are also a few intimate scenes that could make the reader imagine it’s contemporary from Perry’s point of view. If you don’t like too many historical details, I recommend this one for you. History is important in the background, but I didn’t feel I followed a university class. It was just the characters that made me think that the story was happening a few centuries ago.

 

Nocticadia by Keri Lake

 

Published by Bloom Books on November 14^th, 2025

600 pages

I read the paperback version

Back Cover

Mortui vivos docent.

The dead teach the living.

After watching my mother succumb to a mysterious illness, I promised myself two things. I'd find the cure for what ravaged her. And leave the godforsaken city where she abandoned me.

Four years later, I receive an acceptance letter from Dracadia University, one of the oldest, most prestigious schools in the country. Nestled on a secluded island off the coast of Maine, it's rumored to be haunted by the souls of the mental patients exiled there centuries before. Those whose bones are said to make up the island's white sandy shores.

And restless ghosts aren't even its most daunting peculiarity.

Devryck Bramwell, known on campus as Doctor Death, is a brilliant pathologist in charge of the midnight lab. He's also my devastatingly handsome professor, who seems to loathe tenacious first-years, like me. Except, his dark and enigmatic gaze tells me all the ways he'd devour me if given the chance, and his stolen kisses burn my lips with forbidden jealousy.

I crave his authority.

He aches for redemption.

Together, we're toxic. Delicious fodder for the prying eyes hellbent on exhuming the rotted skeletons of our pasts.

For the dead have much to teach, and it's only a matter of time before Dracadia's most depraved secret is resurrected.

Perfect for fans of Kaylie Smith, Briar Boleyn, and Rina Kent, Nocticadia is a standalone dark academia gothic romance.

My review

 I wasn’t a huge fan of Dark Romance until lately, if I want to be honest. I’m in the mood for watching horror movies and reading that genre for personal reasons. I have to thank Cassy Vincent for giving me the motivation to renew with it. As you can guess by consulting the back cover, Devryck Bramwell is super controlling, but it’s work with the story. As much I would stay away from that type of guy in real life, it makes me realize some patterns humans can have when it comes to love.

I will recommend if you accept the age gap and the teacher-student relationship. Fortunately, they’re both adults, however Lilia is only 20 and we don’t know how old the professor is. It can’t be worse than Bella and Edward, but you get the idea.

You might find some plot that you usually see in Dark Romance. Lilia doesn’t have a good life. Her mom is death and the man who is taking care of her has a strange relation with someone else that cause a lot of problems. Her sister is also studying at a prestigious school because she can’t go to a normal one.

It’s the first novel by that author and I wouldn’t discover her if it wasn’t of the book club at Evermore. It’s almost a 600 pages story, and it might not fit to everyone, but I liked most of it.

Excerpts

“The sky…turned to blackness. All of them burned.” (p.4)

In truth, I hated cleaning the bathrooms, the patient rooms, the offices, but I suspected it was the closest I’d ever get to working in an actual hospital. My dream of medical research seemed to fade every day as my body grew weary of life. (p.14)

“Manners are a foreign language to assholes,” I blurted before I could stop myself. (p.24)  

I shrugged, mildly frustrated at the way she’s nosed herself into my business. We’d had a neighbour like her back in Covington. An older woman who’d constantly inquired about my mother’s state of health and whether her illness could pass through the apartment vents. (p.132)

He’s an asshole, the voice inside my head argued back. Don’t put too much into it. (p.140)

After my mother’s death, I’d gained certain freedoms that I hadn’t had growing up, mostly of necessity. Conner had needed help with the rent, so I’d had to get a job, and going to school meant working late at night. It was a scarier brand of freedom. One, I didn’t care to exert, but again necessary. (p.157)

I’d touched myself before, but only a couple times and never outside piles of blankets and pillows. I’d always been too nervous of Conner walking in on me, so the sessions had always been quick and rarely ever satisfying. (p.192)

“You shouldn’t knock romance, Professor. It happens that love is biologically important to human beings. It reduces blood pressure and depression and improves sleep.” (p.346)

Sex had become easier, more thrilling, and I found myself far more in tune with my body than I’ve before. He taught me things I never knew about myself, unlocking the dark fantasies tucked deep inside my head that I’d always feared were some strange anomaly. (p.465)

Bon marché de Stéphanie Michaud

 

Publié chez Hashtag le 6 avril 2026

142 pages

Lu en format papier

4^e de couverture

Dans les allées de l’épicerie Bon Marché, les drames ordinaires se rencontrent. À travers ce geste banal du quotidien – faire l’épicerie –, on découvre des femmes aux prises avec leur mal de vivre. Entre les rangées et les chariots se côtoient l’anorexie, le deuil, l’infertilité, la monoparentalité, l’agoraphobie, la violence sexuelle, la solitude, la violence conjugale. Le décor de chaque nouvelle est un lieu clos qui cristallise l’enfermement des personnages en même temps qu’il leur permet de s’évader, de se souvenir.

Avec Bon Marché, Stéphanie Michaud aborde des sujets actuels et lève le voile sur des réalités invisibles : celles de femmes qui tentent d’enfouir leur souffrance au fond d’elles-mêmes. Silencieuses, elles avancent la tête haute alors que les vitres des congélateurs les forcent à affronter leur propre reflet. Après tout, « la colère n’appartient pas aux femmes ».

Mon avis

La 4^e de couverture décrit parfaitement les différentes nouvelles que contient ce recueil. Elles se déroulent toutes à l’épicerie, mais chaque personnage aborde un thème qui sort de l’ordinaire. On peut se questionner si on connaît vraiment nos voisins. La femme qui nous sourit dans l’allée de la boulangerie cache peut-être une détresse que l’on n’aurait jamais pu deviner.

C’est une œuvre féministe dans le sens que l’on aborde des sujets sensibles et chaque protagoniste est une femme. Si vous manquez de temps pour lire ou que vous éprouvez de la difficulté à vous concentrer, chaque récit ne dure que quelques pages, alors c’est facile de prendre une pause sans perdre le fil.

Je lis peu de nouvelles même si c’est le genre littéraire que j’écris, mais j’ai bien aimé me rappeler des souvenirs des premiers emplois et disons qu’on passe tous énormément de temps dans cet endroit.

Extraits

Sauf qu’elle n’aura probablement jamais à préparer de tels lunchs. Elle n’aura peut-être pas l’occasion de couper des sandwichs en triangle, de trancher le haut des fraises pour en faire des fleurs, d’ajouter un petit dessert surprise ou de glisse dans la boîte à lunch un mot d’amour inscrit sur un Post-it en forme de cœur. (p.13)

Les filles prudes ne sont jamais populaires. À l’école, les prudes deviennent la risée de tous, même des filles. Tu lui souris, t’efforçant d’étirer tes lèvres, et de les garder ainsi le temps qu’il te tourne le dos. (p.27)

Parfois, tout ce dont les créatures vivantes ont besoin pour s’épanouir est d’un peu d’attention. (p.37)

Parfois, Léonie aimerait travailler de nouveau en tant que simple caissière à l’épicerie Bon Marché, comme à l’époque où elle faisait son baccalauréat en éducation. Avant de devenir Madame, pour des centaines d’élèves. (p.49)

My god que la solitude des autres peut être pesante! QU’ils la portent discrètement, tout comme toi et moi. On était des femmes seules, mais on ne transformait notre détresse en commérage. (p.90)

Our Perfect Strom by Carley Fortune

 

Published by Penguin Canada on May 1^st, 2026

410 pages

I read the paperback version

Back Cover

Frankie and George have been best friends since they were eight years old. Both passionate, impulsive, and headstrong—they’ve always clashed... and come back together. Until now. It’s the eve of Frankie’s wedding weekend, and she doesn’t know where they stand or even if George will show up as her best man.

Then, at the start of the festivities, in walks George. For one glorious evening, surrounded by her loved ones, Frankie’s life is finally perfect. But it all comes crashing down when her fiancé dumps her the next morning, leaving only a note as an explanation.

Crushed and confused, Frankie returns to her family’s home to wallow. But George has a different idea and a plan for healing Frankie’s broken heart. He wants her to go on her honeymoon. With him. For one week, to the lush rainforests and misty beaches of Tofino.

Frankie agrees, seeing the trip for what it really is: one last chance to repair their friendship. Even if it means unearthing secrets and long buried feelings neither knows how to handle. Even if it means falling apart for good.

My review

It’s almost a tradition to read a novel from Carley Fortune in May or June. I haven’t missed one since I discovered her first. I wasn’t a huge fan of her last book, but this one is way better. I recommend it if you like friends to lovers.

I would say it’s a slow burn because they take a long time to opt the next step, but everything happens in one week during the vacation. I enjoyed following the two protagonists’ psychology to know why it took so long to share their feelings.

It’s hard to choose a favourite character. This time I will vote for George because I could relate to the fact that he took his distance with Frankie, although he loved her. It’s exactly what I do when I believe there is no point in sharing my feelings. It will only make things worse. I’m not saying that I agree that he acted like that, but I understand him. Frankie is also an awesome character. She’s not scared to show when she’s angry, and I wonder if she should think before speaking, but I appreciate honest people.

This summer will be different was inspired by Anne of Green Gables. This time it’s about little women. I watched the 2019 adaptation and Frankie loves the 1994, but the tale doesn't change. I even read a theatre version and this is how I felt in love with the story.

Excerpts

I’ve always related to Jo March. I’m stubborn, hotheaded, and independent. I never wanted a partner, until I did. I’m not particularly vain, except when it comes to my hair. I used to hate the part in the movie when Jo turned down Laurie’s proposal. (p.11)

But out history is so intertwined that it’s impossible to have enough distance to see our friendship clearly, let alone explain it. George is of me, not separate from me. (p.21)

“One day at a time. Keep your head up, shoulders proud, and breath, Francesca. Remember what I used to say in class : Breathe from your belly.” (p.56)

“I’ve found that going back to the beginning is sometimes the only way to move forward,” Mimi says. (p.58)

I don’t share my mom’s and George’s reverence for nature, but even I marvel at the magnificent display of autumn leaves- the red, rust, and gold bright against evergreen boughs and crisp blue skies. (p.61)

“And the real me is so horrible, right?” I raised my voice, fighting the sting of tears. “How could anyone possibly want to spend their life with me?” (p.77)

Her directive to get inspired. It irks me in a way I can’t put my fingers on, and not only because telling someone to get inspired is about as helpful as telling them to be happy or calm down. (p.132)

“I’m not sure I can. But I don’t want to ruin our friends, either. He means everything to me.” (p.256)

My review of This summer will be different