Our website is live with some listings! Please consider one of the titles and bear with me as I make more listings--it's a task doing it all manually for SquareSpace, but allows me to more carefully curate!

Thank you all!

-Ryn

I'm excited to be able to offer not one, but TWO, exclusive giveaways for Rachael's Reads subscribers! These are truly just for this community and are independent of any giveaways that I am running over on Instagram. You are more than welcome to enter on both platforms in the case of Giveaway #2.

To enter:

• Comment on this post with the title of the book you'd like to win. Comment "Both" if you would like in the running for either title.

• Upgrade your subscription for extra entries!

  • Follower: One (1) entry per book

  • Inner Circle: Two (2) entries per book

  • Producer: Five (5) entries per book

Open to entrants aged 18+. Winner will be randomly selected from all entrants on October 21st. Must be willing to provide a US shipping address for prize delivery. Not affiliated with any publisher, PR company, author, or retailer (just me!). Void where prohibited. 

Giveaway #1

Not on the Same Page by Allie Samberts

The sequel to September's Book Club read! One (1) paperback is up for grabs! I've opted to extend this giveaway as I think many missed it in October's Newsletter - keep an eye on future newsletters 😉

Giveaway #2

Mine Again by Andrea Thome

Newly released 10/13! I'll be meeting Andrea on her book tour and will have this copy signed before shipping it to the lucky winner! One (1) paperback available.

Good Luck!

Dark, grisly, and difficult to put down. The Secrets That They Keep follows Alyx Beck, a high profile escort, through her day to day and how she comes to realize the life she 'chose' wasn't actually a choice. Check content warnings as there are several graphic depictions, traffiking, and violence. This novel made me think of what Epstein Island might have been like for these women. It was a compelling read that brought some visceral emotional reactions.

Today is the release day for the highly anticipated novel, It Looks Like You In the Dark by Mathilda Zeller. An expansion of her short story “Kushtuka” from the wildly popular anthology Never Whistle At Night (ed. Hawk & Van Alst), this book was chilling, fast-paced, and is absolutely perfect for winter.

We meet her main cast of characters quickly, which isn’t surprising in today’s landscape of literature. At least, certainly not for a lot of newer horror books! I love meeting the cast early on—it really helps me get invested in them and their plotlines as the story progresses. And Zeller does a great job in getting you invested in the Inupiat community that she has created in Alaska: the Kobuk River Valley. You learn about each of the young people at the center of the story and what drives them; who wants to stay and who wants to go and how they plan on making that happen. Everything boils down to what it always boils down to, no matter what community you’re part of: the money to make your dreams happen.

Then enters the white man. And he seemingly has the answers to all their problems. He helps one young man with college, gives our FMC a job, seemingly is helping the community. I gotta say, I really love how Zeller makes me hate him from the get-go. Nothing about him feels comfortable from the moment you meet him on the page. He’s an awful capitalist who thinks he knows a little something something about Native culture and how to survive in the Alaskan state, but he’s got several things coming to him. And if you’ve read the short story “Kushtuka”, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Without going into too much detail and ending up spoiling things for you all, I give this a “run-and-buy-it” rating. You’re going to want to read this one, curled up with a nice mug of tea (or hot drink of choice), covered up with your favorite cozy blanket while the air gets colder out. Like I said, this is absolutely perfect for winter, and I highly recommend.

I’ll be going to see the launch tonight at Bucket ‘o’ Blood in Chicago. Will you be seeing Zeller on tour?

Here’s your weekly round-up of brand new, progressive-leaning romances that you may not have seen on your Instagram feed. If I’ve omitted a title you feel passionate about and think this community will enjoy, please do share it in the comments. Reminder that I haven't read any of these titles yet, so this isn't an official endorsement unless noted. Click through to read the post on Bindery for my full commentary.

The Gilded Rose by Joanna Shupe (Avon) — Shupe’s new Gilded Age romance is a no holds barred twist on Beauty and the Beast that asks: What if Belle married Gaston? The Gilded Rose is heavy on angst, exploring how difficult it was for married women to escape domestic violence before no-fault divorce existed. I didn’t find it triggering as a survivor, but I recommend reading with caution if you are sensitive to physical abuse and spousal rape. Zane, our Beast character, is the perfect love interest for a woman rebuilding her autonomy. He does everything he can to help Caroline find freedom, and then joy, at the right pace for her. The Gilded Rose is one of my favorite books of the year, and one of the most important. (Listen to Joanna’s episode of Rebel Ever After here.)

Entities to Lovers by Mallory Marlowe (Berkley) — Rival tour guides are hexed by a matchmaking ghost in Mallory’s third rom-com. I love her voice and am excited to dive in when my pre-order arrives. (Listen to Mallory’s episode of Rebel Ever After here.)

Holidays at Northfield Hall by Katherine Grant, Isabella Kamal, Charlie Lane, and Sri Savita (indie) — Friend of the podcast Katherine put together this collection of holiday novellas that take place in the world of her Prestons series of historical romances. Celebrate Halloween, Diwali, Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Eid al-Fitr in stories written by Katherine and friends. (Listen to Katherine’s episode of Rebel Ever After here.)

Love You to Death by Jenna Levine (Berkley) — A grim reaper rom-com from the author of My Roommate Is a Vampire.

Once in a Timeline by Iman Hariri-Kia (Cosmo Reads) — From the author of last year’s Female Fantasy, an influencer gets stuck in her own “day in the life” video on a time loop… and she’s not alone.

A Very Merry Detour by Court Behr (Dial) — Court had me at bisexual/sapphic Christmas romance.

The Museum of Modern Love by Mariko Turk (Henry Holt and Co.) — Two exes get stuck overnight at The Met on a midnight museum tour in this YA romance. The Museum of Modern Love is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection.

Back Where We Started by Becca Freeman (Penguin Books) — A second chance Christmas romance about a Hollywood star who returns home for the holidays. Themes include escaping sexist Hollywood bullshit and redefining success and ambition.