I hit a five-star hat trick with these books! All of them were five-star reads – what a delight!
The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer (★★★★★)
Audiobook • Libby • Contemporary Fiction • 2023
Short synopsis: Still grieving her grandfather, a withdrawn death doula who spends more time with the dying than the living, is nudged back toward life by a persistent new neighbor and a spirited client whose extraordinary past sets her on an unexpected path toward connection and possibility.
I absolutely adored this book. It’s a contender for my favorite book of 2026, but of course, a lot can change in 10 months. I started it after abandoning another audiobook that wasn’t working for me, and it felt like a breath of fresh air. The writing is gorgeous, heartbreaking and heartfelt at the same time, and Mikki Brammer captures the nuances of death and grief with remarkable beauty and sensitivity. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about a story centered on a death doula because I have very complicated feelings about the death and grieving process, but Clover won me over. She has been dealt a difficult hand—losing her parents young, grieving the loss of her beloved grandfather, and struggling to trust people because of past bad experiences. I could wholly relate to Clover, and also wanted to wrap her in the biggest hug and protect her from all the evils in the world. I loved the journey this book took me on, and the ending was perfection.
Heart the Lover by Lily King (★★★★★)
Print • Owned (indie bookstore) • Contemporary Fiction • 2025
Short synopsis: A woman who once found herself entangled in a passionate college love triangle is forced decades later to confront the long-buried choices and deceptions that shaped her life when her past unexpectedly resurfaces.
This book has been getting so much buzz, and I was worried that my expectations might be too high. Thankfully, I shouldn’t have doubted Lily King. She has such a beautiful, sparse writing style, and I was drawn into this story from the first page. I’d previously read Writers & Lovers, and I think having that background adds an extra layer of richness you might miss otherwise. Jordan occasionally drove me crazy (I just cannot deal with characters who stay with partners who don’t value them like they should, even if that’s part of growing up), but mostly, I thought she was so easy to root for. Between the subtle echoes of Writers & Lovers and King’s signature understated style, this novel cemented her as one of my favorite authors.
Wild Eyes by Elsie Silver (★★★★★)
Print • Owned (indie bookstore) • Contemporary Romance • 2024
Short synopsis: A scandal-plagued country superstar finds unexpected peace—and a complicated chance at love—with a charming small-town horse trainer whose world couldn’t be farther from her own.
Oh, my heavens. I loved this book so much! A few months ago, I read Wild Love, the first book in this series, and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I was hoping the second book would capture the same magic. And I think I liked this book better than the first one! First, there’s Skylar Stone, a country music star who’s basically been treated like a prop by her parents her entire life (very Britney Spears vibes here). Then, there’s sweet, hunky West, who loves his quiet country life but can admit it gets lonely sometimes. I had a happy, sappy grin on my face the entire time I was reading, and I adored the slow, natural way Skylar and West fell in love. Skylar needed time to heal before starting something new, and West needed time to be sure this was real and worth pursuing. It is not a closed-door romance, so prepare yourselves (I’d give it three chili peppers out of five). This is the book I mentioned as one of my FIGs because once I finished it, I couldn’t stop thinking about Skylar and West for the rest of the day!
What are you reading?
I loved Heart the Lover too! What a beautiful, moving book.
THREE five-star reads! Wowza! What a great run, Stephany. I loved Heart the Lover, too. Such a good one!
After I saw your rave for the Clover book on GR I requested it and got it right away! It’s also on my potential fave read of 2026 list. I loved the different perspective on grief it gave me. And the perspective into Clover’s lonely, protected life. I need to read books like this to have more compassion and empathy. I wish we could meet up at Starbucks to discuss it in person!!!
So glad you loved Wild Eyes! That series is 👌👌👌 when will you read the next one?
I’m reading 59 Minutes, The Language of Flowers, and that aviation weather handbook 😆
Clover has my whole heart! I feel so sad for the things she has endured, and her journey was so great. I’m glad you loved it, too!
I just bought the third book in the series, so I might slot it in to read during my reading retreat in April!
I read and loved the first 2! I will have to check out that last one. Do you need to read the books in order or are they stand alones?
I kind of want to go back and re-read Writers and Lovers because I do not remember much about it! Maybe I will do that when I’m retired!
I have yet to read a 5-star book in 2026. 🙁 I have read some 4-star ones but nothing 5-star yet!
Nope! You can read Wild Eyes as a stand alone. It discusses people and some plot points from the first book, but that’s all.
I’m sad you haven’t read a 5-star book yet in 2026! The year is young, though.
I’ve not read any of those. I’ve seen Heart the Lover mentioned with lots of praise on other blogs. The death doula one is sounding really good – contender for best book of the year?
I’m reading a book for book club called The School of Essential Ingredients or something Not loving it. I’m almost done. I’m trying to get my hands on Culpability -next on our book club list. I’m assuming that’s a good book because it’s hard to find.
Culpability is on my TBR list and I hope to read it soon. I’ve heard really great things about it!
Three five-star books! You are on a roll! YES to Heart the Lover, and I also loved how it’s a companion to Writers and Lovers. I just finished Inhale Exhale, so I have to start a new book. I have lots to choose from, between our book-buying spree and my Christmas books.