Setting sail with Heather McBreen...plus a book giveaway

We're pleased to welcome Heather McBreen to CLC today, to talk about her upcoming novel, Sunk in Love. We featured her debut novel last year and we're excited to be chatting with her today. Thanks to Berkley, we have one copy for a lucky reader!

Heather McBreen currently lives in Seattle, Washington, but spent the best year of her life living in London, where she completed an MA degree in arts and cultural management. When she's not writing or reading books about kissing, she can be found surfing the web for travel deals and plotting her next adventure. Wedding Dashers is her debut novel.

Visit Heather online:

Website * Instagram 

Synopsis:

Roslyn and Liam met nine years ago and have been the perfect couple ever since. Through every up and down, every milestone—from Liam’s residency to the publication of Roslyn’s debut romance—they’ve been each other’s rock. Until now.

Pulled apart by the untimely death of Roslyn’s mom and the undertow of grief, they’re now navigating the final wave in their marriage: divorce.

Heartbroken and unsure how to tell her family she’s called it quits with everyone’s favorite son-in-law, Roslyn keeps the impending split to herself. But when Roslyn’s grandparents ask if Liam can officiate their vow renewal ceremony aboard a Hawaiian cruise during their annual vacation, Roslyn needs to tell the truth or figure out a way to keep her secret. A week trapped at sea with her ex isn’t ideal, but neither Roslyn nor Liam want to rock the boat, so they concoct a plan—they’ll fake it.

After five years of marriage, they can figure out how to pretend for jungle hikes and mai tais, right? But when reality and make believe starts to blur, and old feelings begin to resurface, Roslyn and Liam have to decide whether it’s sink or swim for their marriage. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

“Readers, look no further for the perfect second chance romance from an author at the top of her craft. I’ll read anything she writes!”

—London Sperry, author of Passion Project

“Sunk in Love is a poignant story of two imperfect people learning to do their best for one another—and a beautiful reminder that the bravest thing we can be is hopeful. This book aches in all the best ways, and has a permanent spot on my favorites shelf.”

—Ellen O’Clover, author of The Heartbreak Hotel

“Heather McBreen has set the gold standard with her sophomore novel, Sunk in Love. An absolute must read for all romance lovers!”

—Amy Buchanan, author of Let’s Call a Truce

What is a favorite compliment you received on your writing?
Any time someone tells me my male leads are hot! That feels like the best compliment because I’m always unsure if what is hot to me will be hot to other people. It’s so nice to have my freak matched. 

How is Roslyn similar to/different from you?
Like Roslyn, I’m very emotional and I overthink absolutely everything. Unlike Roslyn, I can’t go to bed angry. If there’s conflict, I HAVE to talk it out until it’s resolved. Which is why it would have taken me all of three minutes to call Liam and beg him to come back after he left. 

If Sunk in Love was made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?
Theo James for Liam and Molly Gordon for Roslyn

Tell us about your last memorable vacation.
My husband and I went to Italy for our honeymoon and had the best time. We are constantly talking about going back to Rome, especially for the food. 

If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it?
I think Jennifer Coolige would bring the exact right vibes to my life 

If we were to visit you right now, what places would you take us to see?
I live in Seattle, so probably to Hot Cakes for a sweet treat, then to Beguiled Books, my favorite romance bookstore in Seattle, then to Kerry Park for the best view of the city.

Thanks to Heather for visiting with us and to Berkley for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use KingSumo to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using KingSumo on our blog, enter the giveaway here.

Giveaway ends January 27th at midnight EST.

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Sara and Melissa Talk About...Things We Are Optimistic About in 2026

We've been running a column series to get more personal with our readers. We are now starting our seventh year!

This month, we are talking about the top five things we are optimistic about in 2026. We'd love to hear what you are optimistic about this year. Feel free to share in the comments! 

We're always open to topic suggestions, so please don't hesitate to share those in the comments. We'd also love to know if you can relate to anything we've said or hear your own thoughts on the topic. So don't be shy. 😊 We look forward to getting to know you as much as we're letting you get to know us. You can find our previous columns here, in case you missed them.

Sara Steven:

It’s tough to focus on optimism right now, especially with everything going on in our world. It was hard for me to sit down and pinpoint what I’m looking forward to this year, but I strongly believe that even the smallest glimmers of hope and goodness can help. 

The five things I’m optimistic about for this year:

1. A new job: I feel like for so long, I can’t seem to catch a break when it comes to my employment. For the last three years, I’ve been working in environments that are borderline toxic, which seems to be a pretty standard experience in the line of work I’m in (property management.) I don’t know if it's the location I’m in–when I worked in property management in Nebraska, I had some really great experiences. Or maybe the industry has changed so much and this is the new norm, but I’m really hoping it’s not. I am hopeful that the impending opportunities I have that could allow me to change employers might be a much better, less toxic, fit. 

2. My relationships: I’m trying to work on bettering my relationships with people; my husband, my kids, my friends. My family. I’m optimistic that I can work on improving communication and letting the people who I care about know that they are important to me. With so many disjointed, confusing experiences in the world, having a solid support system and reciprocating that for others is the only thing that is going to get us through the craziness right now. 

3. My health: Despite my increasing age and dealing with a lot of physical changes since entering my late forties, I’m focusing on making my health and wellness a huge priority this year–maybe even the number one priority. It’s so easy to slide back into old habits, which for me means making sure everyone else is OK first, then making my own health and well-being dead last. I see improvements and feeling better overall in my near future, as long as I stick to my goals and plans. 

4. Don’t laugh, but: I see guinea pigs in my future. I love guinea pigs. I’ve had two piggies as pets, and they are just so cute. Sadly, we had to say goodbye to my cat Chance late last year, which was pretty devastating to all of us in my family. The only tiny sliver of a silver lining to that, was that my allergies have improved–he was my only allergen. I’m such an animal lover, but I know I have some limitations. I’d love to have a pet again at some point, one that I’m not allergic to, and a pet that won’t be super time consuming. Is it crazy that I want three guinea pigs? 

5. Time to write: I have been making myself a note every day for the last year or so, to remind myself to write. But I haven’t been doing it. With a new job comes newfound energy, space, and prioritizing my need to write, and I think I will finally pull the trigger and get back into it. I definitely see free writing and journaling in my future.  

Melissa Amster:

I can't believe we're at the beginning of another year. I'm sure I've probably written the year as "25" when I put dates on something. Anyway, I am glad Sara limited us to five things for this list, as I don't really have a lot in mind just yet for reasons similar to what she said above. So, here goes...

1. Turning 50 this summer. I shouldn't be excited about aging, but it also means I've lived this many years already. I am hoping to do something fun to celebrate, even if it's a mini-vacation somewhere. I feel like that's all up in the air, so we'll just see what happens. Otherwise, I'll just take a huge spa day for myself. 😄 Also 50 is the new 40, so there! 

2. My younger son graduating from high school. Technically, he's already in college, but he's also a senior in high school. (He's in an early college program from the county.) He applied to a bunch of colleges and we're just playing the waiting game. As much as I don't want him leaving, I also know he has a lot of great things in store. He's really smart and talented and I'm so proud of him!

3. Any and all opportunities to see my kids perform or show off their talents. My older son wrote a play that is going to be performed in a playwriting festival at his school this spring! I also look forward to any shows my kids may be performing in this summer or later in the year. 

4. Finally getting on top of book reviews this year. I had a huge queue to review last year and was always behind. I'm almost caught up on my 2025 reviews (one more left!) and am trying to write reviews as soon as I finish the new books I've been reading. I'm hoping that will help my reviews be more robust as I tend to forget stuff from a couple months ago and those reviews are weaker as a result. 

5. Hopefully making more new friends. I made some new friends over the past year. A bunch were online, but I did connect more with a woman in my neighborhood last year and we've gotten together a few times and had great conversations. So I am optimistic about making more new friends this year, whether it's online or in person!

What are you optimistic about for 2026?

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Book Review: Dandelion is Dead

By Allyson Bales

Jake has fallen head over heels for Dandelion. The only problem? Dandelion is dead.

When Poppy discovers unanswered messages from a charming stranger in her late sister's dating app, she makes an impulsive choice: She'll meet him, just once, on what would have been Dandelion's fortieth birthday. It's exactly the kind of wild adventure her vivacious sister would have pushed her toward.

Jake is ready to find something real—and not least because his ex-wife's twentysomething boyfriend has moved into their old family home. When he meets the intriguing woman who calls herself Dandelion, their connection is undeniable, and he can think of little else.

As their relationship deepens, Poppy finds herself trapped in a double life she never meant to create. Every moment with Jake feels genuine, electric, and totally right—despite the fact they're tangled in deceit. As the lines between grief and love blur, Poppy faces a choice: keep her sister's memory alive through her lies, or risk everything for a chance at her own happiness?

With sparkling wit and aching tenderness, debut author Rosie Storey gives us a modern love story about the courage it takes to live again after loss and finding hope in the most unexpected places. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

Well, this was a very interesting read to start 2026 with!

When I saw the cover of this book and read the quick blurb of this debut I was immediately hooked and had to get my hands on it.  I mean, “Jake has fallen head over heels for Dandelion. The only problem? Dandelion is dead.” What a hook!  I am a huge fan of going into books blind and reading Dandelion is Dead was no different.  I am not sure what I was expecting but what this story delivered ended up being so much more.

This story read more like women's fiction than romance and that really, really worked for me.  You get to meet Poppy, a flawed and deeply loveable character that is navigating the loss of her sister.  You also get to meet Jake, a young father struggling with the end of his marriage.  You also get to meet Poppy’s mom and dad and her best friend and another man named Sam, but I’ll just let you read about him.  

All of these characters are struggling with something and the way that is explored in the book is deeply relatable.  There are themes of love and loss and how you have to move on and live life again. I don’t know a person on the planet that wouldn’t be able to relate to that on some level.  There are also themes of self discovery and self acceptance which was intriguing and really flushed out many of the characters.  I grew to really love Poppy and wanted to be her friend.   

If you are a fan of character driven stories with family drama and some romance, grab this one.  

I also really suggest the audio (thanks to @prhaudio). This story has dual POV and Laurence Dobiesz and Olivia Dowd really bring that to life.

Thanks to Berkley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Spotlight: Such a Perfect Family

A woman buried.

A woman broken.

A woman crashed.

A woman burned.

And the man who knew them all.

Love at first sight, a whirlwind Vegas wedding, a fairy-tale romance.

For forty-three days, Tavish Advani has been the happiest man in the world—until his new life turns to ash, his wealthy in-laws’ house going up in a fiery explosion. His badly injured wife lies in a coma, her family all but annihilated.

Tavish thought he'd left the sins of his Los Angeles life behind, but it’s not so easy to leave behind an investigation into the deaths of several high-profile women—all of whom he'd professed to love. Tragedy and death follow him no matter where he goes . . . but this time, he knows he’s truly innocent.

Desperately trying to clear his name as the authorities zero in, Tavish begins his own investigation into the fire—and learns that his wife’s picture-perfect family may have been nothing but a meticulously constructed mirage. The truth is much darker than anything Tavish could’ve imagined. . . . (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

Purchase Such a Perfect Family here

Credit: Sharyn Barratt

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh is passionate about writing. Though she’s traveled as far afield as the deserts of China, the temples of Japan, and the frozen landscapes of Antarctica, it is the journey of the imagination that fascinates her the most. She’s beyond delighted to be able to follow her dream as a writer. She is the author of the darkly beautiful Guild Hunter series, the much-loved Psy-Changeling novels, and stand-alone suspense novels.

Visit Nalini online:
Website * Facebook * Instagram

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Book Review: The Book Club for Troublesome Women

By Melissa Amster

By 1960s standards, Margaret Ryan is living the American woman's dream. She has a husband, three children, a station wagon, and a home in Concordia--one of Northern Virginia's most exclusive and picturesque suburbs. She has a standing invitation to the neighborhood coffee klatch, and now, thanks to her husband, a new subscription to A Woman's Place--a magazine that tells housewives like Margaret exactly who to be and what to buy. On paper, she has it all. So why doesn't that feel like enough?

Margaret is thrown for a loop when she first meets Charlotte Gustafson, Concordia's newest and most intriguing resident. As an excuse to be in the mysterious Charlotte's orbit, Margaret concocts a book club get-together and invites two other neighborhood women--Bitsy and Viv--to the inaugural meeting. As the women share secrets, cocktails, and their honest reactions to the controversial bestseller The Feminine Mystique, they begin to discover that the American dream they'd been sold isn't all roses and sunshine--and that their secret longing for more is something they share. Nicknaming themselves the Bettys, after Betty Friedan, these four friends have no idea their impromptu club and the books they read together will become the glue that helps them hold fast through tears, triumphs, angst, and arguments--and what will prove to be the most consequential and freeing year of their lives.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women is a humorous, thought provoking, and nostalgic romp through one pivotal and tumultuous American year--as well as an ode to self-discovery, persistence, and the power of sisterhood. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

I was watching an episode of Superstore recently where one of the male characters was judging a female character for being a working mom instead of staying home with her kids. He was implying that she wasn't a real mother because she also spent a lot of time at work. I was so infuriated by what he was saying that I wanted to reach through the screen and slap him. And this took place around 2020. I felt a similar level of anger while reading The Book Club for Troublesome Women, as the sexism was so aggravating. I know it took place in 1963, but some of the stuff people said just made my jaw drop.

Margaret wants to be a writer and when she gets a job doing just that, she's told what she has to write and how it has to cater to housewives. She's not allowed to share deeper thoughts about being a woman, lest she lose this coveted job. And her husband makes her feel like her job is a joke. 

Charlotte's husband is stepping out on her, but her own parents take his side and threaten to take away everything from her if she tries to divorce him. 

Viv's kids are old enough that she can go back into the workforce and follow her passion to be a nurse again. However, a wrench is thrown into her plans to have a full-time job.

Bitsy is torn between wanting to be a veterinarian and wanting to have kids with her much older husband, until he makes that decision for her. 

This was such a great novel in so many ways. It really spoke volumes about how women were seen and treated over sixty years ago. While I like the simplicity of the 1960s, I'd be so frustrated if I were an adult during that time period. Men had to sign for women to get checking accounts or birth control. Women had difficulty getting jobs because men felt they would just leave them anyway to get married and have babies. All of this just makes steam come out of my ears! 

I loved the friendship between the four women and getting to see each of their perspectives, although I wish there was more focus on the other women vs. most of it being on Margaret. Each woman was so great and it would have been nice to see their situation through their own eyes more often. We just got a chapter for them here and there, and sometimes it was split up with Margaret's perspective anyway. 

The story speaks volumes about marriage, motherhood, friendship, and pursuing dreams. It's perfect for fans of Sara Goodman Confino's novels, as well as The Briar Club and Lessons in Chemistry. I also love that it takes place near DC, as it's more in my neck of the woods.  

I recommend this novel, whether or not you're in a book club of your own. It's a thoughtful and well-written story! With people trying to push women back into the kitchen these days, so to speak, this novel is very much needed. 

Movie casting suggestions:

Margaret: Hayley Orrantia
Viv: Kaley Cuoco
Bitsy: Olivia Rouyre
Charlotte: Rose Leslie
Walt: Kasey Esser
Tony: Milo Ventimiglia
Kingsley: Christopher Russell

Denise: Darci Shaw

(Trigger warnings below.)

Thanks to HarperCollins for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Marie Bostwick:
Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly
The Restoration of Celia Fairchild
Hope on the Inside

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TW: Infidelity, divorce, emotionally abusive behavior, one of the characters gets really drunk, suicide (talked about, but not shown)

Spotlight and Giveaway: The Lies We Trade

We are pleased to feature Kristine Delano's debut novel, The Lies We Trade. The story sounds intriguing and suspenseful and we are here for it. Thanks to Kaye Publicity, we have one copy to share with a lucky reader!

Meredith Hansel should be having the best week of her life. After establishing herself as a portfolio manager at a prestigious Wall Street firm, she’s in the national spotlight for the innovative funds she created. But as Meredith prepares to celebrate, the plates she’s kept spinning for years begin to crash: Her strained marriage reaches a breaking point. Her conscientious teenage daughter acts out under mysterious pressures. Someone vandalizes her home with disturbing graffiti. And Betsey, her most trusted ally at the financial firm, goes rogue, and Meredith is forced to sign a restraining order against her.

Then her worlds collide when she receives a thumb drive and a cryptic note from Betsey threatening to reveal a secret that could have devastating effects on Meredith’s family . . . unless she can figure out what Betsey wants and deliver it in time.

As Meredith begins to dig into the data, however, she begins to suspect that it’s no coincidence her life is crumbling. That maybe what’s happening to her family is connected to what’s boiling beneath the surface at her investment company. Soon Meredith realizes there’s only one way to avoid taking the fall, and it all hinges on Betsey’s true motives. Was she really threatening Meredith or trying to warn her? (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

"Tense and gripping, The Lies We Trade is a clever story. . . . Delano has created a thought-provoking and intricately plotted suspense."
- Samantha M. Bailey, USA Today and #1 international bestselling author of Hello, Juliet

"Delano strikes a wonderful tone with her strong but flawed protagonist Meredith Hansel, making us root for her as her world crashes down. An impressive and timely debut."

- Carter Wilson, USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of Tell Me What You Did

Kristine Delano is a former Wall Street executive turned award-winning author of domestic thrillers set in the high-stakes finance world. She hosts the We Talk Careers podcast and mentors women on work-life balance. When she’s not writing or reading, she enjoys scuba diving, playing games with friends, and chasing her family down the ski slopes of western Maine. 

Visit Kristine at her website (get a free novella there) and on Instagram.

How to win: Use KingSumo to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using KingSumo on our blog, enter the giveaway here.

Giveaway ends January 20th at midnight EST.

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Book Review: The Hostess

By Jami Denison

Author Courtney Psak definitely enjoys rich towns. Her debut, The Tutor (reviewed here) took place in the wealthy playground of Palm Beach, Florida. Her follow-up, The Hostess, is set in the Hamptons. Is there anything better than reading about rich people behaving badly?

The rich person here is Sadie, a psychiatrist married to billionaire Tom. Tom, an alcoholic who suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder, is about to be released from a mental hospital. Not wanting to be alone with her dangerous husband, Sadie decides to rent out her guest cottage to Natalie and her husband Luke, who are trying to put their marriage back together after Natalie was hit by a car. 

Natalie knows nothing of Tom, and she’s surprised and a little hurt when Luke tells her he can only come down on weekends for their month-long rental. A nurse practitioner, Natalie decides to stop taking her medication because it makes her hallucinate about her brother Danny, who died in a car accident when he was eight. Her parents always blamed her for the accident, and as a result, Natalie doesn’t want to have children of her own, a sticking point in her marriage. But when Natalie starts to fear the estate’s landscaper, Riley, and has visions of Danny, she doesn’t know what she can trust, and what’s real.

Sadie and Natalie form a friendship, and Sadie compares her to her best friend, Cassie. Natalie realizes she and Cassie look a lot alike… and starts to wonder what exactly happened to Sadie’s oldest friend.

The book is told from both women’s first-person points-of-view, and both of them seem enormously sympathetic (although Sadie is dismissive of her maid). While the writing isn’t as strong as The Tutor, Psak employs impactful plot points to move her story along. Both women’s lives seem credibly in danger… but the question is, from whom?

With its fast pacing and twisty ending, The Hostess is a fitting addition to the domestic suspense genre. It’s a good beach read for anyone taking a winter vacation to the tropics. 

Thanks to Kaye Publicity for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Also by Courtney Psak: The Aunt (coming in June)

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