October was the month I decided to lean into easy reads. I tried to read mostly fun books that didn’t require too much mental energy to process, like two Sophie Cousens romances. She is an ideal author for that kind of mood. And unsurprisingly, given all I have going on right now, I also found myself gravitating towards a couple of grief adjacent books.
Fiction
Romance
The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood
The Love of My Afterlife is about a young woman who dies suddenly, ascends into heaven, immediately falls for a stranger in the waiting room, and then is sent back to earth for just a few days. Her task? Find that same man and get him to kiss her of his own free will, or return to the afterlife forever.
I went into this with very high expectations. It had earned five-star reviews from everyone whose taste usually mirrors mine.
And it was good! A unique premise, with sweet elements of found family (always a favorite of mine). I didn’t totally feel the chemistry between the main characters, but I loved the twist at the end. Really loved. It reminded me of what I enjoyed most in Ashley Poston’s The Dead Romantics.
I think fans of Ashley Poston, or anyone who loves tender grief-infused stories with a found family theme, will really enjoy this one.
Is She Really Going Out With Him? by Sophie Cousens
Sophie Cousens has become an auto-read author for me, and I loved the premise of Is She Really Going Out With Him? from the moment I heard about it. A divorced mom writes for a local publication that’s on the brink of shutting down. To add some flair to her column, she lets her children set her up on a series of dates. But the man she has the most chemistry with? Her coworker and professional rival.
I really enjoyed this book. You find yourself rooting for characters going through deeply relatable struggles, trying to hold onto their sense of self while prioritizing family. And the obstacles in the way of their relationship feel realistic, not forced just to move the story forward.
Anyone who enjoys romances or contemporary fiction that are light on steam will appreciate this one.
And Then There Was You by Sophie Cousens
In And Then There Was You, Chloe is getting ready to attend her ten-year college reunion, and she’s dreading it. She’s living with her parents, single, and stuck in a dead-end job. Facing her old college crew, especially Sean (now a big-shot Hollywood director and the one who got away), feels like too much. So she brings the perfect date for the weekend.
Spoiler alert: he’s a robot.
This was the first AI-adjacent romance I’ve read, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. It’s definitely a timely topic. That said, the book felt like one of those 90s or early 2000s “very special episodes,” where the author has a moral to share and delivers it with a heavy hand.
In this case, the message is clear: robots and AI are no match for real human connection. And… I think most Cousens readers already know that?
Still, all the characters were likable and relatable, and the desire to “rehab” your image before a reunion is extremely real. Cousens’s writing remains consistently strong, so fans of her work will likely enjoy this, even if the message is a little on the nose.
Note: Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for providing me with an Advanced Reading Copy.
Grape Juice by Eliza Dumais
Grape Juice, the latest novella from 831 Stories, is its most literary offering yet. In beautiful prose, Eliza Dumais tells the story of Alice, a wine sales rep sent to France by her boss to help with a wine harvest, and hopefully rediscover her zest for life. While there, she meets Henri, the nephew of the winery owner, and they quickly fall in love.
The standout here is the instant chemistry between Alice and Henri. Not every writer can capture that kind of immediate spark, but Dumais does it beautifully.
This literary, grown-up romance will appeal to many, especially readers who love Europe, wine, and a more thoughtful pace in their love stories.
Note: Thank you to NetGalley and 831 Stories for providing me with an Advanced Reading Copy.
Contemporary Fiction
Honeymoon Stage by Margaux Eliot
Honeymoon Stage follows Cassidy, a former reality TV production assistant who’s about to marry Gabe, a man she met while working on a show similar to Newlywoods: Nick and Jessica. But is Gabe hiding something? And can Cassidy really call off the wedding when it’s being filmed for TV?
This book is a bit of a genre-bender, tonally all over the place. The publisher describes it as “brimming with wit and romance, this twisty tale…” So is it a mystery? A romance? A drama? I couldn’t quite keep up. The ending, in particular, left me confused.
That said, while some reviewers share my take, many others absolutely loved it. So I might be in the minority here.
Readers who love reality TV – especially those who grew up on Newlyweds – will enjoy this one if they go in expecting something fun, soapy, and a little unpredictable.
Note: Thank you to NetGalley and Little A for providing me with an Advanced Reading Copy. Also, this book is available right now on Kindle Unlimited!
A Day Like This by Kelley McNeil
I devoured Kelley McNeil’s latest book, Mayluna, but couldn’t quite get into A Day Like This, which follows a woman who gets into a minor car accident with her young daughter and wakes up in a new reality. In this version of her life, she doesn’t have a daughter, doesn’t live in her beloved yellow house in upstate New York, and is separated from her husband. So which reality is real? And is she losing her mind … or experiencing something miraculous?
Ultimately, this book was too sad for me at times, and the premise was a little hard to follow. But I think fans of Rebecca Serle or readers who enjoy emotionally complex, slightly mystical stories will appreciate it.
Note: This book, and McNeil’s latest, Mayluna, are available right now on Kindle Unlimited!
Non-Fiction
POLITICAL
107 Days by Kamala Harris
107 Days is former Vice President Kamala Harris’s memoir about her 2024 presidential campaign and the short-lived run that followed.
What’s left to say that hasn’t already been covered by every news outlet? (The commentary around her lack of loyalty to Joe Biden has been thoroughly dissected.)
What surprised me most was how she wrote about her husband, Doug Emhoff. She shares unflattering details, like the fact that he doesn’t know how to cook or do laundry, so she had to meal prep for him before going out of town as Vice President. She also describes how he completely dropped the ball on celebrating her 60th birthday during the campaign. I was genuinely shocked that she embarrassed both herself and Doug by admitting these things in the book..
Ultimately, there’s really no need to read 107 Days. Just skim the reviews and you’ll get all the highlights (and lowlights) in a much more condensed form.
As I inch towards total and complete burnout (actually, let’s be real – I’m already there), I’m dreaming of a November with lots of time spent sitting on the couch and reading, and many more reviews coming your way.
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