Jill Santopolo is not a super sleuth, though she is particularly good at walking quickly and quietly through the streets of New York City, where she lives. She is currently working on her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College, and spends most of her time reading books, writing books, and editing some other ones.
Pictures of You (2024) Emma Grey "Pictures of You is a compelling and propulsive exploration of the ways love can twist and morph into darkness and destruction. With richly-developed characters and a page-turning plot, this emotional story is one I wasn't able to put down. Emma Grey's writing is beautiful."
Summer Fridays (2024) Suzanne Rindell "In this pacey, emotional novel, Suzanne Rindell perfectly captures the essence of summer in New York City at the turn of the 21st century. With the wit and depth of all the best Nora Ephron movies, this love story is not to be missed."
Finding Margaret Fuller (2024) Allison Pataki "A fascinating novel that brings this lesser-known transcendentalist writer to life in all her complicated brilliance and beauty . . . Filled with hope and love, heartbreak and sorrow, this book about the true mother of the American women's rights movement is not to be missed."
Bye, Baby (2024) Carola Lovering "A twisty novel about the dark side of love and the reverberating effects of childhood trauma, Carola Lovering's Bye, Baby is tense and suspenseful with secrets and surprises at every turn."
The Book of Silver Linings (2023) Nan Fischer "A feel-good novel about freeing ourselves from the past and finding our way to a bright and beautiful future."
Talking at Night (2023) Claire Daverley "An achingly beautiful novel about the people who change us irrevocably. This novel will consume you."
The Paris Daughter (2023) Kristin Harmel "A powerful exploration of the depths of a mother's love and the impossible choices that must be made during times of war....Part mystery, part family saga, part homage to the artist's soul, this book had me in tears and kept me riveted until the final page. It was unputdownable."
Meet Me at the Lake (2023) Carley Fortune "Meet Me at The Lake is a beautiful, heart-tugging, love story about secrets, lies, missed connections and second chances. Set against the idyllic backdrop of a family hotel on a rural lake, this novel brims with the warmth of summertime and the feeling of home. An exquisite, emotional read."
Only Love Can Hurt Like This (2023) Paige Toon "Only Love Can Hurt Like This is the story of small towns, big secrets, and even bigger love. Paige Toon's writing is emotional and riveting. Even while her novel was breaking my heart into tiny pieces, I couldn't put it down."
Adelaide (2023) Genevieve Wheeler "Adelaide is a beautifully-written, deeply-felt exploration of what it means to love and be loved. In it, Genevieve Wheeler perfectly captures the exquisite pain of being head-over-heels in love with someone whose feelings don't match yours and poignantly celebrates the people on our journeys who make life worth living. A remarkable debut."
When in Rome (2023) Liam Callanan "Liam Callanan's beautiful novel swept me away - right into the cobblestoned streets of Rome. His sumptuous descriptions are magically transportive, and his characters are as well, as they wrestle with questions of love, of faith, and of service to a higher power. This is a story for the mind and for the soul, and is one that will stay with me for a long time."
Nora Goes Off Script (2022) Annabel Monaghan "This perfectly-scripted love story left me feeling the way all the best romances do: filled with hope and the feeling that true love always wins."
Meant to Be (2022) Emily Giffin "Meant to Be elegantly captures love in all its passionate, messy, wonderful glory. Emily Giffin's writing is addictive--from the first page to the final line. This warm hug of a book is the perfect literary escape."
The Unsinkable Greta James (2022) Jennifer E Smith "Filled with music, passion, and love of all kinds, The Unsinkable Greta James is a fast-paced, emotional novel and an unforgettable exploration of family and the choices we make that shape our lives."
Scarlet in Blue (2022) Jennifer Murphy "Just like a beautiful and complex painting, Scarlet in Blue pulls readers in--and then captivates them with a story that is part mystery, part thriller, and wholly gripping and fascinating. The perfect dark escape."
By Any Other Name (2022) Lauren Kate "Reading Lauren Kate's By Any Other Name is like watching a Nora Ephron movie. It makes the day seem brighter, the world seem more hopeful, and happiness seem possible for everyone. This book is a buoyant celebration of love."
The Liz Taylor Ring (2022) Brenda Janowitz "Brenda Janowitz's heartfelt novel shows readers that just like gemstones, people have flaws, but it doesn't mean we love them any less - in fact, those imperfections may make us treasure them even more. Written with warmth and humor, this compelling family story sparkles like the diamond at its core."
Real Easy (2022) Marie Rutkoski "With a fully-realized world, a compelling mystery, fascinating characters, and beautiful prose, Marie Rutkoski's REAL EASY will capture readers and stay in their minds forever."
Beautiful Little Fools (2022) Jillian Cantor "In Beautiful Little Fools, Jillian Cantor gorgeously captures the complex lives of the women in The Great Gatsby, creating a delicate and intricate story that dovetails perfectly with F. Scott Fitzgerald's. It was engrossing to the final page."
Heard It in a Love Song (2021) Tracey Garvis-Graves "Tracey Garvis Graves's Heard It in a Love Song is filled with so much warmth and so much hope, reading it feels like listening to your favorite song while curled up with someone you love. I'll be thinking about these characters and their passion for life for a long time to come."
Blush (2021) Jamie Brenner "This book about three generations of women discovering their power at a North Fork vineyard is delicious, delightful, and smart. Reading it feels like drinking a crisp glass of rosé on a hot summer's day."
Take What You Can Carry (2021) Gian Sardar "At once heartbreaking and hopeful, this story’s magic is in the power its characters have to love—a partner, a family, a homeland, a people—deeply and unconditionally. I was gripped by Gian Sardar’s emotional storytelling until the final page."
Last Summer at the Golden Hotel (2021) Elyssa Friedland "In The Last Summer at the Golden Hotel, Elyssa Friedland creates a broad cast of characters who are at once touching and hilarious. Their fears, their secrets, and their dreams come together in a moving story that balances nostalgia for the past and hope for the future. A perfect book for a family book club."
The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano (2021) Donna Freitas "In a powerful exploration of motherhood and feminism, Donna Freitas probes the ties that bind us all to one another through love, through obligation and through choice. At once thought provoking and emotionally moving, this novel will have readers examining their own relationships and their own ‘what-ifs.’"
Little Pieces of Me (2021) Alison Hammer "A powerful story of family and connection that is just as fun as it is heartbreaking. I didn’t want the story to end."
The Love Proof (2021) Madeleine Henry "The Love Proof is a fascinating story about how love opens us up to the remarkable possibilites of the universe. Smart, sexy, and scientific."
The Lions of Fifth Avenue (2020) Fiona Davis "In a compelling novel that's part family saga, part high-stakes heist, and part love story, Fiona Davis creates an intricate and beautiful puzzle that kept me turning page after page as I tried to solve its central mystery along with her characters. A gripping and satisfying story for book-lovers the world over."
The Sight of You (2020) Holly Miller "This book had me in tears. I can't stop thinking about Callie and Joel and what my choices would be in their circumstances. Beautiful and heartbreaking."
Happy and You Know It (2020) Laura Hankin "An engrossing and compelling story of what would happen if the women from The Nanny Diaries men the women from Sex and the City in the social media age."
You Were There Too (2020) Colleen Oakley "A beautifully woven story of love, grief, and the power we do and don’t have to choose our fate, You Were There Too brought me to tears. I read it in one long gulp and didn’t want it to end."
Sweet Sorrow (2019) David Nicholls "David Nicholls' Sweet Sorrow perfectly captures the intensity of first love, the beauty of a chosen family, and the complexity of transforming from a teenager to an adult. These are characters I'll be thinking about for a long time to come."
One Night at the Lake (2019) Bethany Chase "Captivating and compelling . . . This is the perfect book to slip into your weekend bag for your own trip to the lake this summer."
After the End (2019) Clare Mackintosh "A powerful exploration of grief, love and the way in which all decisions - both large and small - can have life-changing results."
Daisy Jones & The Six (2019) Taylor Jenkins Reid "Reid's writing is addictive and all-consuming. Filled with passion, complexity, and fascinating detail, Daisy Jones & The Six felt so real, I had to remind myself that it was fiction."
Lights On the Sea (2018) Miquel Reina "This beautiful, unusual tale explores the healing power of love and the magic that exists in our everyday lives, even when we don’t know how to find it."
One Day in December (2018) Josie Silver "Josie Silver writes with a warmth so palpable her characters sneak their way into your heart and stay for a long time. One Day in December is an exploration of love that reads like a thriller, filled with secrets and heart-aching betrayals. The perfect book to get lost in this holiday season."
The Life Lucy Knew (2018) Karma Brown "In The Life Lucy Knew, Karma Brown's exploration of the intersection of memory, identity, and love is both fascinating and deeply moving. I stayed up far too late reading chapter after chapter, knowing I wouldn't be able to fall asleep until I learned Lucy's fate. I'm sure I'll be thinking about this powerful, compelling story for a long time to come."
We Own the Sky (2018) Luke Allnutt "We Own the Sky is a heartbreak of a novel filled with love, sorrow, pain, and--ultimately--hope. The characters are drawn so tenderly, with such beautiful detail, that it's impossible not to feel the emotions that pulse through the pages. Powerful, touching, and poignant, this family's love story had me in tears."
This Love Story Will Self-Destruct (2018) Leslie Cohen "Leslie Cohen's characters all felt so real to me--and much cooler than my friends and I were at Columbia! A very enjoyable read."
