Colleen Oakley's articles, essays, and interviews have been featured in The New York Times, Ladies Home Journal, Marie Claire, Womens Health, Redbook and Martha Stewart Weddings. She lives in Atlanta with her husband, two painfully cute kids and a huge lapdog named Bailey. Before I Go is her debut novel.
Southern by Design (2025) Grace Helena Walz "This charming debut has it all--second-chance romance, a balmy Southern setting, and plenty of long-held secrets that kept me turning the pages. As easy to imbibe as a glass of cold sweet tea on a hot summer day, SOUTHERN BY DESIGN is perfect for fans of Kristy Woodson Harvey, Karen White, and Mary Kay Andrews."
The Confidence Games (2024) Tess Amy "Best friends who are also cunning con artists - WHERE DO I SIGN UP? The Confidence Games is everything you need in a novel: fast-paced, feminist, fun - and as satisfying as pulling off the perfect heist."
Jackpot Summer (2024) Elyssa Friedland "Jackpot Summer is everything I want and have come to expect from Friedland's books: quirky characters, laugh-out-loud dialogue, and the drama! I'm calling it now--this is the feel-good read of the summer."
A Northern Light in Provence (2024) Elizabeth Birkelund "This sweeping, gorgeous novel is more than just a love story - it's a life-affirming tale about finding who and where you're meant to be. Birkeland has the uncanny ability to transport you with her prose to both the charming (and cold!) Greenlandic village and then the warm, idyllic French countryside, but her real gift lies in laying bare the truth of the human heart. I loved it."
Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies (2024) (Vacation Mystery, book 1) Catherine Mack "The hijinks! The humor! The heart! I can't remember the last time a book made me laugh out loud so many times. If you need me, I'll just be over here waiting impatiently for book two."
Christa Comes Out of Her Shell (2024) Abbi Waxman "Abbi Waxman has done it again! I laughed out loud, I swooned, I ... unexpectedly learned a lot about snails? (And they're awesome, by the way). I live for Abbi's awkward, lovable-yet-socially-anxious heroines, and Christa Liddle is hands-down my new favorite."
Women of Good Fortune (2024) Sophie Wan "Crazy Rich Asians, but add a heist led by three feisty women fed up with society's double standards? YES PLEASE. I loved every second of this fun, fast-paced book with hilarious hijinks that begs the question: can women really ever have it all?"
The Takedown (2023) Carlie Walker "Steamy, swoony and laugh-out-loud funny, The Takedown is part-Finlay-Donovan, part-Emily-Henry-rom-com - and 100 percent perfect. The clever dialogue! The hot bodyguard! The twists I didn't see coming! I couldn't turn the pages fast enough, and can't wait to see what Carlie Walker writes next."
Unleashed Holiday (2023) Victoria Schade "How do you make a holiday rom-com even more swoon worthy? Just add dogs. This holiday heartwarmer about a dog trainer helping to civilize her nemesis' pooch is laugh out loud funny, abundantly festive and delightfully sexy. Two paws up! I absolutely loved it."
The Little Italian Hotel (2023) Phaedra Patrick "A heart-warming and life-affirming story of five heartbroken strangers trying to wade through on their own--and learning that sometimes all we need is each other. Throw in a charming Italian hotel, a handsome proprietor and Patrick's perceptive wisdom and witticisms, and you've got the perfect summer read."
The Rewind (2022) Allison Winn Scotch "The Rewind is as much an endearing love story about the one that got away as it is a love letter to all things 90s, including Doc Martens, Y2K and dial-up Internet. Fresh, original and compelling, this book is Allison Winn Scotch at her absolute best."
Improbably Yours (2022) Kerry Anne King "This book has it all - a quirky island, a hot Viking, even ghosts! - but most of all, it has soul. I was charmed and moved by this lovely story that reminds us sometimes we have to dig up the past to remember who we are in the present. A real gem."
Just Another Love Song (2022) Kerry Winfrey "Witty, warm and compulsively readable, Just Another Love Song has all the makings of your next favorite romance. From the Stars Hollow-esque town to the hunky country singer Hank and second-chance at love, I alternated between swooning and laughing out loud. If you love Emily Henry, you'll adore Kerry Winfrey."
Some of It Was Real (2022) Nan Fischer "The perfect blend of mystery and love story, Some of It Was Real kept me guessing and turning pages way past my bedtime, all the way to its shocking denouement. An absolute must-read."
Meant to Be Mine (2022) Hannah Orenstein "I'm a sucker for a good book about soulmates - is true love destiny or a decision? - and Hannah Orenstein didn't disappoint! With its unique premise and a lovable cast of characters (including one super-hot rock star) Meant to Be Mine is beach-reading at its best."
The Beach Trap (2022) Ali Brady "A unique and fun twist on the enemies-to-lovers trope, The Beach Trap features two half-sisters who hate each other, but are thrown together one fateful summer to save their family's beach house. It's The Parent Trap meets Flip or Flop (with not one, but two hot handy men). In other words--the ultimate vacation read."
When We Let Go (2022) Rochelle B Weinstein "Rochelle Weinstein creates compelling, authentic characters I didn't want to let go of in this deeply heartfelt novel about love, loss, and the family ties that can break us - and make us whole. I absolutely loved it."
Reservations for Six (2022) Lindsey J Palmer "It's not often you find a book that so perfectly captures the messy complexities of modern mid-life marriages and manages to also be a riveting page turner, yet with Reservations for Six, Palmer somehow pulls it off. I inhaled this book in two days, but these six characters so fully came alive for me that I'll be thinking about them for much, much longer. Absolutely brilliant."
The Secret of Rainy Days (2021) Leslie Hooton "Like the best Southern novels, The Secret of Rainy Days reminds us when searching for your place in the world, you may find it where you least expect it. And that sometimes to move forward, you have to go back to where you came from."
The Holiday Swap (2021) Maggie Knox "I devoured this delightful romantic comedy in two nights. It's like Gilmore Girls meets The Parent Trap meets Cake Wars. In other words, it's perfect."
She Wouldn't Change a Thing (2021) Sarah Adlakha "Adlakha takes the classic ‘what if?’ tale and grounds it in a premise that is so outrageous, yet so solidly believable, I blew through it in 24 hours, because I had to know what happened next. A powerful and rare treatise on fate, love, morality and spirituality that will make you question everything-including yourself. This book absolutely blew my mind."
Freya Sampson "The Last Chance Library is a heart-squeezing and charming story about grief, love and the power of community. An absolute delight."
Impacted (2021) Benji Carr "A darkly comic novel by a wildly talented new voice. For better or for worse-I'll never go to the dentist again without thinking about this book."
Pack Up the Moon (2021) Kristan Higgins "A gorgeous study of love, life and grief, this book broke my heart—and then stitched me back together again. Kristan Higgins is a masterful storyteller."
The Break-Up Book Club (2021) Wendy Wax "The Break-up Book Club is everything we've come to expect from Wendy Wax--a heartwarming, witty and compulsively readable tale that makes you feel like you're spending time with your best girlfriends. I loved it!"
Lucky (2021) Marissa Stapley "This fun romp, with deeper themes of identity, family ties, and the meaning of truth in a life built on lies, kept me greedily turning pages late into the night. Perfect for book clubs—or anyone looking for their next unputdownable read."
Little Pieces of Me (2021) Alison Hammer "A gorgeous, heartbreaking-yet-hopeful story about identity, truth, and most importantly, that tender—and sometimes tense—tightrope that connects mothers and daughters. Alison Hammer has that rare gift of writing true-to-life characters that feel like good friends, and I can't wait to see what she writes next."
A Million Reasons Why (2021) Jessica Strawser "A powerful and poignant tale with characters that burrowed their way into my heart and will stay with me for a long time."
The Love Proof (2021) Madeleine Henry "This brilliant novel attempts to answer the age-old question: What happens when all-consuming, passionate love comes to an end? Henry crafts a connection so real between Jake and Sophie, it left me breathless. A must-read."
Agatha Arch is Afraid of Everything (2020) Kristin Bair "Oh, how I loved this book! Move over Eleanor Oliphant—Agatha Arch is here. And she's the exact quirky, laugh-out-loud, feel-good heroine everyone in the world needs right now."
Millicent Glenn's Last Wish (2020) Tori Whitaker "A poignant and touching story of three generations of women and the secret family tragedy that unwittingly binds them. With rich settings and fully realized characters that you’ll root for, this book broke my heart—and then stitched it back together again."
How to Save a Life (2020) Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke "Groundhog Day meets Serendipity in this compelling and clever novel about fate, love, and soul mates. I cracked it open on a plane and inhaled it in one sitting because I had to know if Dom could save the love of his life. No spoilers, but a warning: keep tissues handy for this gorgeously satisfying book."
My Kind of People (2020) Lisa Duffy "A beautifully drawn portrait of a motherless girl and a rudderless woman both trying to find their place in the world-- but who find each other instead. Lisa Duffy nails the complexities of modern relationships, and proves that she's a storyteller that's here to stay."
The Antidote for Everything (2020) Kimmery Martin "With her signature compassion and sharp writing, Kimmery Martin delivers a poignant yet compulsively readable story examining the timely topic of medical discrimination. I loved it—and have a new must-read recommendation for book clubs everywhere."
One Night at the Lake (2019) Bethany Chase "This book has it all—real, three-dimensional characters, complex moral situations in which the lines between right and wrong are expertly blurred, and a love for the ages. It’s perfect for book clubs."
In the Blink of an Eye (2019) Jesse Blackadder "Blackadder's masterful, moving novel explores the unraveling of a family in the face of unimaginable loss? and how they ultimately stitch themselves back together. A searing study of grief, marriage and forgiveness, this book grabbed me by the heart and didn't let go."
The Life Lucy Knew (2018) Karma Brown "With In This Moment, Brown proves once again that she is a masterful observer of the emotional nuance of relationships-both familial and romantic. A must-read."
Dreaming in Chocolate (2018) Susan Bishop Crispell "Like a good piece of chocolate, Crispell's latest is sweet, without being cloying, and utterly satisfying. Perfect for fans of Sarah Addison Allen, this is a real treat of a novel."
The Simplicity of Cider (2017) Amy E Reichert "The Simplicity of Cider is the perfect blend of sweet, smart and immensely satisfying. If foodie fiction is a thing, Amy Reichert is the grand master."
Slightly South of Simple (2017) (Peachtree Bluff, book 1) Kristy Woodson Harvey "Heartfelt and warm, SLIGHTLY SOUTH OF SIMPLE deftly explores the familial ties that bind us-- and those that have the power to break us."
