It’s time for my first half of November 2026 book review post! I am sharing what I read in November so far, although I am skipping my 5 star reads to share later in the month. The Amazon links to the books I’ve read are affiliate links and if you use them and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. If you’ve read any of these books or are interested in them, I’d love to hear about it in the comments! To see all of these links at once, visit my storefront!
Title: Done and Dusted
Author: Lyla Sage
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Dial Press, 10/24/23
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
I was excited to check out Dune and Dusted by Lyla Sage, the first book in the Rebel Blue Ranch series, as I previously read and loved a later book in the series. I liked this one, but not as much as the other one that I read! This was about Emmy, who comes home after an accident, and Luke, her brother’s best friend, who helps her get back on the horse.
“For the first time in her life, Clementine ‘Emmy’ Ryder has no idea what she’s doing. She’s accomplished everything on her to-do list. She left her small hometown of Meadowlark, Wyoming; went to college; and made a career for herself by doing her favorite thing: riding horses. But after an accident makes it impossible for her to get back into the saddle, she has no choice but to return to the hometown she always wanted to escape. Luke Brooks is Meadowlark’s most notorious bad boy, bar owner, and bachelor. He’s also the unofficial fifth member of the Ryder family. As Emmy’s older brother’s best friend, Luke spent most of his childhood antagonizing her. It’s been years since he’s seen her, but when she walks into his bar and back into his life, he can’t take his eyes off her. Despite his better judgment, he wants to do a whole lot more than just look at her. Emmy’s got too much on her mind to think about romance. And Luke knows he should stay away from his best friend’s younger sister. But what if Luke is just what Emmy needs to get her spark back? Or will they both go up in flames?”
I enjoyed the forbidden love aspect of this due to the brother’s best friend relationship. I also appreciated the ADHD representation. I found some of the language to be a bit crass. The special edition that I received contained a bonus retelling of a chapter from the opposite point of view.
Title: Bright and Deadly Things
Author: Lexie Elliott
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Penguin Audio, 2/14/23
Source: Publisher – Print, Library – Audio
Why I Read It: Backlist
My Rating: 3 Stars
The last book on my 26 in ’26 list was Bright and Deadly Things by Lexie Elliott. I listened to this somewhat strange thriller about Emily, who travels with a group of Oxford students and faculty on a retreat in the French Alps. Her husband recently passed away and now it seems that someone is looking through her things. Then a student goes missing.
“The Chalet des Anglais should be the ideal locale for recently widowed Oxford don Emily to begin cutting through the fog of her grief. With no electricity, running water, or access by car, the rustic chalet nestled at the foot of the snow-topped Alps should afford Emily space to heal. Joining her will be a collection of friends from the university, as well as other fellows, graduates, and undergraduates. Something feels off, though, and heightens Emily’s existing anxiety. Tension among the guests is palpable and as hostilities grow, Emily begins to wonder if the chalet’s dark history has cast a shadow over the retreat. When a student disappears after Emily’s room is ransacked and someone tries to hack into her computer, Emily realizes that she had better separate friend from foe and real from imagined—or the next disappearance may be her own. . .”
There was a weird aspect to this book having to do with a clock which I thought the book did not need. I knew who was involved in the student’s disappearance from the beginning. This was a bit of a creepy one!
Title: Ruby Spencer’s Whisky Year
Author: Rochelle Bilow
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Books on Tape, 2/14/23
Source: Publisher – Print, Library – Audio
Why I Read It: Backlist
My Rating: 4 Stars
I had previously read a more recent book by Rochelle Bilow but I had Ruby Spencer’s Whisky Year waiting for me on my shelf. I listened to the audio which is about Ruby, who goes to Scotland to write a cookbook and ends up falling for the small town she stays in as well as its residents, specifically Brochan.
“Ruby Spencer is spending one year living in a small cottage in a tiny town in the Scottish Highlands for three reasons: to write a bestselling cookbook, to drink a barrelful of whisky, and to figure out what comes next. It’s hard to know what to expect after an impulse decision based on a map of Scotland in her Manhattan apartment—but she knows it’s high time she had an adventure. The moment she sets foot in Thistlecross, the verdant scenery, cozy cottages, and struggling local pub steal her heart. Between designing pop-up suppers and conversing with the colorful locals, Ruby starts to see a future that stretches beyond her year of adventure. It doesn’t hurt that Brochan, the ruggedly handsome local handyman, keeps coming around to repair things at her cottage. Though Ruby swore off men, she can’t help fantasizing what a roll in the barley might be like with the bearded Scot. As Ruby grows closer to Brochan and the tightly held traditions of the charming village, she discovers secret plans to turn her beloved pub into an American chain restaurant. Faced with an impossible choice, Ruby must decide between love, loyalty, and the Highlands way of life.”
I enjoyed this story, although I didn’t find it very memorable. There is not much to say about it, other than it’s a romance that takes place in Scotland!
Title: Blue Jean Summer
Author: Maggie Gates
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Berkley, 9/15/26
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
Blue Jean Summer by Maggie Gates was about Catherine (Cate) and Hayes, who enter into a marriage of convenience to ensure that Hayes can inherit his grandfather’s ranch. Cate needs the money, so she agrees.
“Hayes Wilder needs to find a wife—pronto. After returning to the small town of Honey Hollow before his grandfather’s death, he’s shocked to learn that the sprawling Wilder Estate was left to him. All Hayes wants is the one thing money can’t buy—more time with his grandfather. Failing that, he’ll do whatever it takes to save his grandfather’s legacy from falling into the wrong hands. Even if it means marrying in order to satisfy the terms of the will. Catherine Foster, reigning Miss Virginia and former Honey Hollow native (who had a childhood crush on Hayes), is saddled with mountains of medical debt ever since her mother’s death. Running out of time to figure out her next move, Catherine reconnects with Hayes at his grandfather’s funeral. Hayes and Catherine impulsively strike a bargain: He’ll pay off her debts, but only if they get married. Despite the situation, Hayes and Catherine look forward to getting to know each other as adults—after the wedding. Which is tougher than anticipated when the entire town has eyes on them and his half brother keeps circling the property like a vulture, determined to poke holes in their marriage. Most troubling of all, this pair may have miscalculated how much they have in common—enough for this cowboy to fall in love for real.”
This was a pretty straightforward fake marriage, spicy rom com that I thought was a bit too long. I enjoyed the found family among those who live at the ranch. This is the first in a series.
Title: When The Moon Turns Blue
Author: Pamela Terry
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Random House Audio, 2/21/23
Source: Publisher – Print, Library – Audio
Why I Read It: Backlist
My Rating: 4 Stars
When The Moon Turns Blue by Pamela Terry is about a small town in GA divided over the existence of a Confederate statue. During an ice storm, the statue is destroyed. There are many characters in the book, though the main one seems to be Marietta, whose husband dies. Her friends Butter, Gordon, and Glinda, who is also her sister-in-law, stay with her during the storm. Her brother Macon, Glinda’s husband, vows to restore the statue.
“On the morning after Harry Cline’s funeral, a rare ice storm hits the town of Wesleyan, Georgia. The community wakes up to find its controversial statue of Confederate general Henry Benning destroyed—and not by the weather. Half the town had wanted to remove the statue; the other half had wanted to preserve it. Now that the matter has been taken out of their hands, the town’s long-simmering tensions are laid bare. Without Harry beside her, Marietta is left to question many of her preconceived ideas about her friends and family. Her childhood friend, Butter, has come to her aid in ways Marietta never expected or asked for. Her sister-in-law, Glinda, is behaving completely out of character, and her brother, Macon, the top defense attorney in the Southeast, is determined to find those responsible for the damage to the statue and protect the legacy of Old Man Griffin, the owner of the park where it once stood. Marietta longs to salvage these connections, but the world is changing and the divides can no longer be ignored.”
This book reminded me a bit of Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books, which I loved. There are many characters and the audio was a bit jarring in its lack of pauses between point of view switches. I did occasionally forget who was who. I liked the subject matter and the way various viewpoints were shared throughout this book.
This post includes five of the books I read this month. Two were print books and three were audio. They were all adult books. Genres included rom com, thriller, and contemporary.
Have you read any of these books or do you want to? What have you been reading lately?
