Laura Hankin is the author of The Summertime Girls, a novel about estranged best friends forced back together for one final summer in Maine. When not writing, she sings to babies and acts in New York City. Recently, she broke her rib from hugging too hard, but she's all better now.
A Grim Reaper's Guide to Catching a Killer (2024) (S.C.Y.T.H.E. Mystery, book 1) Maxie Dara "I'd follow this grim reaper anywhere. Wildly creative and impossible to put down, sure to induce both belly laughs and tears, A Grim Reaper's Guide To Catching A Killer is full of heart and soul(s)."
The Most Famous Girl in the World (2024) Iman Hariri-Kia "Outrageously fun but also sharp and clear-eyed, The Most Famous Girl in the World is the perfect novel for our scammer-obsessed age. Iman Hariri-Kia has given readers an unapologetic satire filled with surprising humor and heart."
A Home for the Holidays (2024) Taylor Hahn "A deeply moving portrait of mothers and daughters, A Home for the Holidays is perfect for readers who like their heartwarming holiday stories cut with a dash of Joni Mitchell's 'River.' Taylor Hahn had me laughing one moment and weeping the next with this stunner of a novel."
Welcome Home, Caroline Kline (2024) Courtney Preiss "Brimming with warmth, humor, and bit, Welcome Home, Caroline Kline is an absolute home run of a novel. Courtney Preiss has written an unputdownable love letter to baseball, New Jersey, and the power of starting over, featuring an unforgettable heroine for whom you can't help but root."
Happy Medium (2024) Sarah Adler "A total delight from the first sentence to the last, Happy Medium delivers an utterly winning romance, not to mention a chatty ghost and baby goats in sweaters. Like her good-hearted conwoman heroine, Sarah Adler knows how to spin a story that's exactly what her audience wants - and needs - to hear."
The Breakup Tour (2024) Austin Siegemund-Broka and Emily Wibberley "An ode to those brave enough to love deeply despite the risk of heartbreak, The Breakup Tour is as full of feeling as your favorite Taylor Swift song. My only regret after reading this swoony, sensitive novel is that I can't actually listen to the fictional album at its center."
The Last Caretaker (2023) Jessica Strawser "The Last Caretaker is as full of life, beauty, and menace as the nature reserve in which it is set. This masterfully constructed novel explores just how much we're willing to risk to do what's right. Jessica Strawser's writing drew me in and refused to let go until the very last page."
Pas de Don't (2023) Chloe Angyal "A tender, sexy novel about the forbidden romance between two dancers at the Australian National Ballet, Pas de Don't will sweep readers off their feet. Chloe Angyal's deep knowledge of the ballet world gives the story an extra layer of richness and originality. I fell hard for the longing and the chemistry, and started wondering if I should move to Sydney."
Once More with Feeling (2023) Elissa Sussman "Elissa Sussman has given a gift to all of us theater nerds and boy band obsessives. Smart and sexy, infused with crackling chemistry, Once More with Feeling deserves an enthusiastic round of applause. I devoured it in a day."
Before We Were Innocent (2023) Ella Berman "Before We Were Innocent takes a scenario we've seen in news reports - young women abroad, falsely accused of a horrific crime - and gives it all the nuance and empathy that the media never bothered with. Ella Berman is a master at depicting teenage friendships in both their beauty and their brutality. A haunting and dazzling page-turner, Before We Were Innocent kept me up well past midnight."
Adelaide (2023) Genevieve Wheeler "I fell head-over-heels in love with Adelaide.Featuring an unforgettable main character, this debut bursts with warmth, while offering an unflinching look at heartbreak and mental health. Genevieve Wheeler's writing had me cackling, crying, and nodding in recognition so vehemently that I almost gave myself whiplash."
Stone Cold Fox (2023) Rachel Koller Croft "Move over, Anna Delvey -- there's a new con artist in town. This wild, twisted ride made me gasp, laugh, and most shockingly of all, feel for the girl hiding beneath the French tipped facade."
Ruby Spencer's Whisky Year (2023) Rochelle Bilow "Ruby Spencer's Whisky Year is utterly charming. Rochelle Bilow's evocative writing made me feel like I was in a cozy Scottish cottage right alongside her irrepressible heroine, swooning over the local food, whisky, and strapping bearded handyman. I finished the book, my heart full and my stomach rumbling, then immediately googled 'plane tickets to Scotland'."
Hayley Aldridge is Still Here (2023) Elissa R Sloan "Grab your bucket hat. Queue up your favorite 90s boy band album. Then prepare to lose yourself in this thoughtful, page-turning exploration of how the world treats young women in the spotlight, and what happens when they finally decide to fight back."
The Sweet Spot (2023) Amy Poeppel "THE SWEET SPOT sparkles with Amy Poeppel's signature wit and warmth. This genuinely uproarious novel celebrates families - born and made - in all their messy glory. It's so much fun, you'll wish you could pull up a chair at the kitchen table and stay forever. (Though you might need to remove a feral gerbil from that chair first.)"
None of This Would Have Happened if Prince Were Alive (2022) Carolyn Prusa "Both insightful and messy in the most relatable way, None of This Would Have Happened If Prince Were Alive will have you cackling, nodding in agreement, and rooting hard for Ramona as she battles various storms -- literal and figurative."
The House Party (2022) Rita Cameron "Rita Cameron's exploration of privilege in a Philadelphia suburb tackles difficult questions with enormous empathy, and is sure to keep readers riveted."
Meant to Be Mine (2022) Hannah Orenstein "Orenstein takes a fascinating premise - what if you knew the exact date you'd meet your soulmate? - and spins it into a sparkling celebration of love in all of its forms. This book has plenty of swoon-worthy romance, but it's also an effervescent love letter to family, New York City, and the magic of a great martini."
At Least You Have Your Health (2022) Madi Sinha "Sharply observed and laugh-out-loud funny, this cautionary tale about the Goop-ification of modern medicine brilliantly blends satire, suspense, and genuine heart."
This Might Hurt (2022) Stephanie Wrobel "An immersive novel about our capacity to both love and destroy, This Might Hurt is genuinely shocking, laced with dark humor, moments of surprising tenderness, and nightmare fodder galore. I read it in 24 hours, but will be thinking about it for much longer."
Bad Luck Bridesmaid (2022) Alison Rose Greenberg "Bad Luck Bridesmaid is a romantic romp, complete with a witty, unfiltered heroine who you just know would give the most entertaining (and scandalous) toast at a wedding - that is, if the bride and groom could ever make it through their I do's."
The Neighbor's Secret (2021) L Alison Heller "Like the characters that populate it, The Neighbor's Secret is funny and engaging on the surface, but full of deliciously dark surprises underneath. Fans of Liane Moriarty just might read it all in one day -- I certainly did."
Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes (2021) Alexa Martin "Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes is a sparkling novel about female friendship in all its messy glory. The love the characters have for one another practically bursts off the page. If their podcast was real, I'd be hitting subscribe immediately."
He Gets That from Me (2021) Jacqueline Friedland "Jacqueline Friedland creates a host of complex characters in this nuanced, compelling exploration of what it really means to be a family, and why we should maybe think twice before heading to ancestry.com."
All Are Welcome (2021) Liz Parker "A dramatic and darkly funny dose of WASP culture. Liz Parker takes on dysfunctional families, destination weddings, and the fact that sometimes the most difficult person to accept is yourself."
Are We There Yet? (2021) Kathleen West "Are We There Yet is a sharp-eyed but generous novel, filled with a vivid cast of characters. Despite their flaws, you can't help but root for them as they grapple with their competitive urges, family secrets, and some very lewd graffiti. I laughed out loud, and got real nervous about someday having tweens of my own."
