Amy's Book Reviews for 2026 So Far
Amy has been keeping track of everything she's read this year, and it's turned into a pretty solid stack — thrillers, rom-coms, family dramas, and a few book club favorites mixed in. Here's the full rundown, star ratings and all.
Into the Blue — Emma Brodie
★★★★☆
My most recent read. I went in with high hopes based on the reviews, and it was good, just not quite what I was expecting. Loved some parts, could've skipped others. It's about two actors with an undeniable connection who keep finding their way back to each other, even when the timing's all wrong.
Verity — Colleen Hoover
★★★★★
Another psychological thriller. This Colleen Hoover book is so twisted and so good. I started listening to it on a Friday night and finished it on Saturday. A ghostwriter finds a manuscript that spills some seriously dark secrets she was never meant to see. The movie's coming out Oct. 2 and I cannot wait to see it!
Freida McFadden — Psychological Thrillers
- The Housemaid ★★★★☆ — A housekeeper with secrets moves in with a family hiding even bigger ones.
- The Housemaid's Secret ★★★☆☆ — New house, new job, and something's definitely off.
- The Housemaid Is Watching (listened to) ★★★★☆ — Old secrets come back, and nobody's safe.
Abby Jimenez — Rom-Coms
★★★★★
Super cute books with emotional depth. Loved all 3 equally, listed here in the order they came out (I read Yours Truly first, then found out it's part of a series and listened to the others on Audible, so learn from my mistake).
- Part of Your World: When opposites attract.
- Yours Truly: Terrible first impressions turn into something real.
- Just for the Summer: Two strangers with the same dating curse team up to break it.
Strangers — Belle Burden
★★★★☆
My only nonfiction read of the year. This book hit hard. It's a memoir about a woman whose husband suddenly walks out on their marriage and kids with basically no explanation. Some parts of it felt oddly familiar to when my dad left our family as a kid, not the same story, but close enough that it brought up some feelings I wasn't expecting. Still, so raw and real, and I couldn't put it down.
Emotional, Family-Driven Reads
A mix of buried secrets and messy relationships. In order from favorite to least favorite, except The Names — I couldn't get into it (though others love it).
- These Summer Storms ★★★★☆ — So good. A wealthy family's secrets come out after their father's death.
- The Irish Goodbye ★★★★★ — Loved it. Grief, family, and the ties that hold people together.
- Every Summer After ★★★★★ — Easy read. Childhood friends, a decade apart, one more summer.
- The Encore ★★★★★ — Interesting twist. A mother, a daughter, and the past that connects them.
- The Names ★☆☆☆☆ — Haven't even finished it. A mom names her son three different ways, and each choice plays out as a completely different life for him.
Emily Henry — Contemporary Romance
★★★★★
I thoroughly enjoyed all of these, and I've put them in the order I liked them, even though I'd give all of them 5 stars... for the rom-com category only.
- Book Lovers: My favorite. Smart, funny, and swoony.
- Funny Story: So good. Messy exes, big heart.
- Happy Place: Loved it. Bittersweet and so much fun.
- Beach Read: Really fun. Charming and easy to fall into.
Book Club Favorites
A lot of book clubs are reading these this year.
- The Calamity Club ★★★★☆ — I LOVED this book!! Two women in Depression-era Mississippi doing whatever it takes to save the people they love.
- The Correspondent ★★★★★ — So good. Feels like a hug. An older woman's letters slowly reveal her whole life, and it'll make you want to write to everyone you love.
- Theo of Golden ★★★★★ — Sweet and slow. A mysterious old man quietly changes a town in the most inspiring way.
- The Bookclub for Troublesome Women ★★★★☆ — Really enjoyed this. Four 1960s housewives, one book club, and everything changes.
- Yesteryear ★★★★☆ — Wild ride. A tradwife influencer gets her "perfect" old-timey life... for real.
Kristin Hannah
- The Nightingale ★★★★☆ — My favorite, hands down. Two sisters trying to survive Nazi-occupied France, so brave, so good. Can't wait for the movie! Coming March 2027.
- Winter Garden ★★★★☆ — Slow to start, but then you can't put it down. The mom's been holding something back since WWII, and it's worth the wait to find out what.
- Home Front ★★★★☆ — Solid read. A contemporary story about a marriage tested by deployment.
- The Four Winds ★★★★☆ — Enjoyed this one. A tough, beautiful fight to survive the Dust Bowl for her kids.
- The Great Alone ★☆☆☆☆ — Not for me, though plenty of people love it. A family falling apart while living way out in the middle of nowhere in Alaska.
Check out more of Amy's review of favorite vs least favorite Kristin Hannah book here.
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