Saturdays at the Café

Saturdays at the Café is a weekly feature hosted here to talk about and discuss the books I’ve discovered during the past week, added to my shelf and am excited about reading. They may be new/scheduled releases I’ve seen on NetGalley, at the library, or from publishers or they may be older titles my friends have reviewed and shared on Goodreads or blogs.

From bestselling author Amanda Prowse comes a spellbinding story about two sisters, one choice—and a lifetime of consequences…

For identical twins Remy and Ashleigh, everything changes with one childhood decision. A simple act of love that unwittingly alters the paths they will both walk—an act of love that will echo through decades…

As the years unfold, their lives take dramatically different courses. Ashleigh soars through a glittering London career with the perfect house and family, but beneath her success lies a gnawing her whole life is built on a lie. Meanwhile, Remy stays close to home, finding joy in simple pleasures, yet forever feeling the weight of being ‘the other twin’—the one who didn’t shine.

Both sisters long for the uncomplicated closeness they once shared, but can they find their way back to each other? And after a lifetime shaped by that single childhood choice, is it too late to become the people they were meant to be?

This emotionally compelling story asks challenging questions about paths not taken, and about making peace with the life you have, rather than the one you might have expected.

I love her stories and accepted this for audio review.

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In the thin glow of moonlight, a mess of auburn curls gleams against the rocks. A girl’s pale hand reaches from a cleft in the boulders, waving weakly. But it’s too late. A wall of raging white water crashes down, swallowing her whole…

A knock on the door late in the evening can only mean trouble for Detective Josie Quinn, but fear chokes her at the news that one of her own team is missing. No one has seen Denton PD’s Press Liaison Amber for days and, as she follows the message scrawled on the frosted windscreen of Amber’s car to a nearby dam, Josie hears a piercing scream that tells her she’s too late. But the body they pull from the freezing water is not Amber…

Josie won’t sleep until she finds a name for the beautiful girl left to drown, and the meaning of the numbers scribbled in a tattered pink diary found on Amber’s desk. She must stay strong and focused for her close-knit team. But as rumors of an argument the night Amber disappeared surface, can she even trust her own colleagues?

Cracking the cryptic numbers reveals a twisted truth about Amber’s family – did anyone really know Amber at all? Finding her alive is Josie’s only chance of knowing the truth. But as a blizzard closes in, how many more precious lives will be snatched before she can?

Do you absolutely love crime thrillers that keep you up all night and leave you sleeping with the lights on? Then this gripping rollercoaster ride, perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Robert Dugoni and Rachel Caine, will have you TOTALLY HOOKED!

This is next up in my group read of the series. I used an Audible credit for the audiobook.

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Vampire warriors in black leather and tattoos.
Passionate love stories that pierce the heart.
Dark nights filled with drama, chaos, and epic battles in the shadows of Caldwell, NY…
And then there are the unicorn pajamas. And the Tootsie Pops.

Welcome back to the world of the iconic, #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series. With millions of devoted readers across the globe, these unforgettable books have redefined paranormal romance. Now, to celebrate two decades of the Brothers, author J.R. Ward opens the door to their world once more.

Inside this all-new 20th Anniversary Insider’s Guide, Ward reflects on the journey—sharing behind-the-scenes moments, heartfelt memories, candid writing advice, and insight into the challenges and triumphs of her long and legendary career. She also brings back the original Brothers in a mix of classic content and never-before-seen material,

A brand-new novella, Happy Anniversary – Revisit Wrath and Beth as they reclaim the time lost between them. Tender, erotic, and emotional, this story returns to the couple who started it all—and proves that happily ever after doesn’t always come easy.
Brotherhood updates, as J.R. interviews the Brothers to reveal where they are now
Fan-favorite features like Ask a Brother, Vishous’s Agony Aunt Column, Kitchen Corner with Fritz, and Bella’s Books
Quotes, playlists, Lassiter’s journalistic takeovers, monthly horoscopes, and more
Q&A with J.R. Ward, filled with new insight and revelations

This keepsake collection is more than just an insider’s look—it’s a love letter to the fans, the world, and the unforgettable characters that have made the Black Dagger Brotherhood a genre-defining phenomenon. Whether you’ve been here from the beginning or are just now feeling the pull… this book is for you.

I was gifted a special hardcover edition! It’s ideal for fans of this series.

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A shivery blend of queer psychological thriller and horror, evocatively set in the secluded islands of the Pacific Northwest, You Watched in Silence has the bite of Jessica Knoll with the twists of Verity and the atmospheric tension of The Haunting of Bly Manor.

Having been cut off by her best friend, Caitlyn is devastated—until a miracle occurs. Family vlogger Bella Greene—the celebrity influencer with whom her ex–best friend was obsessed—offers Caitlyn a job as nanny to her twins. Like millions of others, Caitlyn knows that Bella’s life is in pieces, too. Canceled (unfairly in Caitlyn’s opinion) over perceived indifference to a tragic suicide by one of her fans, Bella fled with her family to a remote island. For Caitlyn, the opportunity to help Bella Greene will also help her to heal; a way to honor the past while creating a new future.

At first, Caitlyn can’t believe how easily she bonds with the twins. She also feels an instant connection with the family’s flirtatious chef, Hannah Zhou, who soon stirs romantic impulses that Caitlyn never imagined having again. It feels like magic … until she catches a glimpse of a mysterious girl that nobody else can see. Before she knows it, Caitlyn is in constant terror, unable to tell if she is losing her mind or being haunted by a past she’d rather forget. Worse, there is magic here, a dark force that manifests in mysterious pentagrams, animal sacrifices, and scrawled threats. But who’s behind it? Is it a disgruntled employee? A scorned lover? Or someone out for unjust revenge? Because Bella didn’t do anything wrong … right?

I received a hardcover edition for review.

From Pulitzer Prize–winning Washington Post reporters Carol Leonnig and Aaron C. Davis, a shocking investigation of unparalleled depth into the subversion of the Justice Department over the last decade, culminating in President Donald Trump upending this cornerstone of democracy and threatening America’s rule of law as we have long known it

Throughout his first administration, Trump did more than any other president to politicize the nation’s top law enforcement agency, pressuring appointees to shield him, to target his enemies, and even to help him cling to power after his 2020 election defeat. The department, pressed into a defensive crouch, has never fully recovered.

Injustice exposes not only the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine the department at every turn but also how delays in investigating Trump’s effort to overturn the will of voters under Attorney General Merrick Garland helped prevent the country from holding Trump accountable and enabled his return to power. With never-before-told accounts, Carol Leonnig and Aaron C. Davis take readers inside as prosecutors convulsed over Trump’s disdain for the rule of law, and FBI agents, the department’s storied investigators, at times retreated in fear. They take you to the rooms where Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team set off on an all-but-impossible race to investigate Trump for absconding with classified documents and waging an assault on democracy—and inside his prosecution’s heroic and fateful choices that ultimately backfired.

With a plethora of sources deeply embedded in the ranks of three presidencies, Leonnig and Davis reveal the daily war secretly waged for the soul of the department, how it has been shredded by propaganda and partisanship, and how—if the United States hopes to live on with its same form of government—Trump’s war with the Justice Department will mark a turning point from which it will be hard to recover. Injustice is the jaw-dropping account of partisans and enablers undoing democracy, heroes still battling to preserve a nation governed by laws, and a call to action for those who believe in liberty and justice for all.

Leonnig is an outstanding investigative journalist and one I respect and have followed for years. I’m in the library queue for the audiobook.

A woman’s surprising inheritance opens the door to her family’s secrets in a moving novel about healing, forgiveness, and second chances by New York Timesbestselling author Mariah Stewart.

Kit Porterfield is coping with the upheaval of her personal life when another shock blindsides her. Maxine Meadows, an aunt she never knew existed, has bequeathed to her a rustic campground in Maine. With it comes a long-buried family secret that Kit’s late mother took great pains to hide for her entire life.

When Kit arrives to tenuously claim her inheritance, she learns the town’s history and finds the lakeside sporting camp and its beautiful wooded acres in need of restoration to their former glory. But it’s Kit’s own history that compels her to stay, and she’s not returning home until she uncovers the secrets that tore two sisters apart so many years ago.

Kit soon discovers clues in old photographs and in the tale of a tragic and enduring love story, but the most startling revelations are yet to come. For Kit, they could be the path to understanding the mystery that defined her mother’s life—and her own.

Thanks to Sandy @ Sandy’s Book a Day Blog for featuring this in her What’s New on My Bedside Table post. It’s an audio review hopeful.

What books did YOU add to your shelves this week?