Set Piece by Lana Schwartz
When bartender CJ helps breakout star Jack fend off fans at a bar, she’s not expecting him to stick around for an after-hours drink-turned-tryst. Or, that five years later, she and Jack will be reunited on a filmset. They’ve both changed… but their electric chemistry hasn’t dimmed a bit. Is there room in their lives for anything more than one very memorable night together?
My obsession with 831 Stories continues! An American indie publisher, specialising in romance novellas, these slickly packaged little numbers look like the Fitzcarraldo design team figured out what the colour pink is – call them Kisscaraldos, or Fitzcaromances. Smart, funny, very sexy – Set Piece is the second-chance, celebrity/normal person romance of my dreams. Undoubtedly my romcom of the year! – Liv
The Moon Seeker by Dee Barragry
When Lampwick, the lighthouse keeper at the top of the world, and his talking sheepdog Humphrey notice that the moon has gone missing from the night sky while a boat of school children are still out on the water, Lampwick knows in his bones that he must do whatever it takes to find the moon and return it to its rightful place in the sky.
However, Lampwick and Humphrey are not ones for adventure, especially when that adventure leads them right into the hands of a wicked sea hag…or so the stories tell them. Lampwick and Humphrey will have to dig deep to find the courage to bring the moon home and restore order! The Moon Seeker is a whimsical, magical light adventure for readers 8+ full of curious creatures, heart-filled characters and delightful imagination! – Hannah
Fitting Indian by Jyoti Chand
Nitasha’s life is a balancing act. Her parents want her to be the perfect Indian daughter – studious, obedient, and polite. But her friends in high school want her to be a typical American teenager – drinking at parties and flirting with boys. Nitasha doesn’t want to disappoint her parents, but she also doesn’t want to lose her best friend, or the boy she has a crush on. So she lives a double life, lying to her parents so she can get drunk at a house party on Saturday, and then accompanying them to Arya Samaj with a wicked hangover on Sunday. When Nitasha makes a mistake at a party one night, her carefully separated personas collapse into one big mess and Nitasha realises she needs help. But mental health is not something her family or their community talk about.
Beautifully illustrated and with a bold colour palette, this book perfectly captures the struggle of being a second-generation immigrant. For anyone who’s ever felt stuck between being part of a community and being true to yourself, this book is for you. – Nethmi