It's Only Love: one man's disappearance raises questions and a new investigation discovers secrets, lies and betrayals

It’s Only Love is the seventeenth book in the Hart’s Ridge series by Kay Bratt. Wade Barret went duck hunting with his dog on his boat. The dog came home. The boat was discovered with no sign of foul play. Everyone believed he drowned or met an unfortunate end with an alligator. However, his brother, Walker, never has believed. Eight months later, a new piece of evidence brings new questions about the case. Determined as ever, Walker knows there is more to his brother’s case than just an accident. Sam Gray agrees to take the case as a private investigator and it becomes clear that someone has worked to make sure the case stays buried. His investigation uncovers half truths, betrayals, broken loyalties and secrets someone is willing to protect. Someone knows what happened to Wade Barrett, how far will they go to protect that knowledge? 

With the unforgettable cast of characters and stories that readers have come to know and love, It’s Only Love continues to explore secrets, lies and the lengths people are willing to go to protect themselves as well as the people they love. Loosely inspired by a real Florida disappearance that captured national attention, It’s Only Love is a gripping story of mystery, romance, and family secrets. From the very beginning, this story held my attention with twists, turns and kept me guessing until the very end. I thoroughly enjoyed Sam’s perspective and seeing him take the lead in this investigation. The book does end with a cliffhanger that links to the next book in the series. I can’t wait to discover the new story of Hart’s Ridge. If you have enjoyed the Hart’s Ridge series, you will love It’s Only Love. I highly, highly recommend It’s Only Love! 

It’s Only Love will be available September 29, 2026 in eBook with paperback coming soon

If you have not read the Hart’s Ridge series, 

I highly recommend starting with book 1, Hart’s Ridge.

Books 1-16 in this series are currently available in paperback and eBook 

The Starfish Sisters: two women's friendship is tested as they face betrayals and heartbreaks

The Starfish Sisters by Barbara O’Neal is a story of two women, friends close enough to be sisters, as they face betrayals, heartbreaks and finding refuge in true friendship. Phoebe and Suze met at the age of twelve as Suze moved to the small coastal town in Oregon as Phoebe visited her grandmother. They became as close as sisters until secrets threatened their friendship and even their lives. Decades later, Suze is a famous actress who needs a safe haven after a brutal attack. . Phoebe is now a successful illustrator and fabric designer living in the small town she enjoyed so much. As Suze arrives in town, Phoebe is both excited and unsure how to face her return and the drama she brings. Phoebe had let Suze down once before and she doesn’t want to do it again. Can Phoebe and Suze confront their past and strengthen their friendship? 

The Starfish Sisters has been described as “a moving story about the complicated nature of female friendships, and the joys and heartbreaks of life and the resiliency and power that women possess.” Sounds powerful, right? The opening prologue certainly set the scene for a dramatic story. However, I did not care for Phoebe or Suze, either as young girls and as older women. Phoebe and Suze are supposed to be as close as sisters and a little jealousy is understandable as young girls but the jealousy and resentment as older women was eye rolling. Overall, I was bored. The Starfish Sisters was my third book by Ms. O’Neal and I see the same issues I had with the other two books. The story is bogged down with too many flashbacks, a slow moving plot, and a rushed and disappointing ending. I do not recommend The Starfish Sisters. 

The Starfish Sisters is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

We Are Made Of Stars: a season of change is in the air as guests gather at an inn

We Are Made Of Stars by Rochelle B. Weinstein is a story of secrets, lies and second chances at an inn nestled in picturesque mountains. At the Via Ta Vie, owners Jean-Paul and Renee De La Rue are going through a season of change and for their guests as well. Hollywood celebrity couple, Leo and Penny, are celebrating their twenty-fifth anniversary while on the cusp of divorce. Lucy, a practical minded therapist, and her husband, Henry, an astronomer with his head in the stars, are also struggling with their marriage and divorce seems to be in the future. Their friends, Adam, a charismatic sports agent, and his former lawyer and current stay at home mom wife, Sienna, are desperate to find the cracks in their perfect facade. Adding to the group is Cassidy, a self-absorbed single mother and Rosalie, her sullen fifteen year old daughter. As the week progresses, betrayals, regrets and shocking truths are revealed where a heart can be broken or healed. 

I was so excited for this book as the title is absolutely beautiful and the opening chapter started off well. However, the story drags as each chapter changes point of views to one of the many characters. The only character I cared for was Rosalie. She is tired of being the responsible adult to her immature mother, and takes matters in her own hands to find the truth her mother has been hiding. I wish I could have reached through the pages and knocked some sense in the adults. The drama was a bit lackluster and the twist/secret reveal was a bit obvious and wasn’t as much of a surprise to me. Overall, I did not enjoy this story. This story was my second book by Ms Weinstein and the second one I didn’t care for, so it is obvious to me that her books aren’t for me. However, if you enjoy Ms Weinstein’s previous books, you may enjoy We Are Made Of Stars. 

We Are Made Of Stars is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Black Cake: a moving story of betrayals, secrets and memories

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson is the story of two estranged siblings who must set aside their differences to deal with their mother’s sudden death. Bryon and Benny Bennett will soon learn that there was more to their mother than they ever knew. After their mother’s death, they learn she left them a voice message, sharing her past, a past she kept hidden from everyone. Her request is that after they hear her message, they sit down when the time is right and share the last black cake she has ever made, made from a family recipe steeped in tradition. Eleanor’s story begins with a headstrong young swimmer in the Caribbean who escapes under a cloud of suspicion. Together, brother and sister learn their mother’s heartbreaking tale filled with the secrets she has held, and would challenge everything they thought they knew about their mother and even themselves. Will Eleanor’s story bring them together once again? Or would the revelations prove to be too much and separate them permanently? 

This moving story of a family inheritance is so beautifully written that it's hard to fathom that it is a debut novel. Ms. Wilkerson writes a story so intricate and powerful that the reader is taken on a journey of how one family is forever changed by the choices of the generation before. It is a story of betrayals, secrets, and memories. Black Cake reminds the readers that while we cannot choose what we inherit, we can choose who we become. There are many characters with many shifts in timelines and points of view that can get confusing if one is not reading close. I enjoyed the family saga aspect of the story with the emphasis on food and the memories it can invoke. However, there were too many topics covered in terms of cultural, social and political issues that it, at times, bogged down the story. The use of foreshadowing and the element of surprise was overused that a pattern emerged that when a twist was revealed, it wasn’t much of a surprise. Some I figured out almost as soon as another person was introduced in the story. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Black Cake and would highly recommend it. 

Black Cake is available on February 1 in hardcover, eBook and audiobook