Review - How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days by Jessie Sylva

 

 Title: How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days

Author: Jessie Sylva

Pages: 384

Publisher: Orbit

Release Date: 20th January 2026

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days is a comfort read fantasy romance between a halfling and a goblin: imagine a classic opposites-attract romcom taking place in those cosy scenes in the hobbits' Shire from The Lord of the Rings. Expect magical forests, interfering wizards, lots of home cooking, and maybe even a kiss at the Harvest dance... 
 
When a halfling, Pansy, and a goblin, Ren, each think they've inherited the same cottage, they make a bargain: they'll live in the house together and whoever is driven out first forfeits their ownership. Amidst forced proximity and cultural misunderstandings, the two begin to fall in love. 
 
But when the cottage - and their communities - are threatened by a common enemy, the duo must learn to trust each other, and convince goblins and halflings to band together to oust the tall intruder. 

  

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My Review:

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown UK* 

 

 

When Halfling Pansy moves into the cottage she inherited from her grandmother, the last thing she expects is to find it already occupied by a goblin called Ren. 

Halflings and goblins have long distrusted each other, but Pansy and Ren come to an agreement - they will both live in the cottage until one of them gives up and leaves. The remaining inhabitant will win the sole right to occupy the cottage. 

As Pansy and Ren spend more time together, their opinions change, and they will have to work together to save their loved ones from the true threat. 

 

I'm not someone that typically reads cosy novels, but as a fantasy fan, I thought I would give this a try. 

Pansy and Ren were both likeable and relatable protagonists - Pansy because she was made to feel other to the rest of her village, and Ren because they would do anything for their clan and loved ones. 

The setting was interesting, and I liked that we got to see aspects of both Halfling and goblin cultures. 

The plot was good overall, but not that much really happened and it was a bit predictable. However, I enjoyed reading Pansy and Ren's interactions. I also found the idea of a wizard hanging around a Halfling town trying to recruit people quite funny - obviously this was meant to be a take in a very well-known wizard. While this wasn't a gripping read, I found it to be cute, and I did like the themes. 

 

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. 

 

 

Review - Retro by Jessica M. Goldstein

 

 Title: Retro

Author: Jessica M. Goldstein

Pages: 407

Publisher: Michael Joseph

Release Date: 25th June 2026

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 Ash is a failed actress who is done trying to ‘make’ something of her life. Until a golden opportunity drops in her a job at Retro, an agency who organise trips into the past for the ultra-wealthy. 
 
Energised by her new role, Ash throws herself into leading bachelorette parties in the Old West, birthday parties at Woodstock and a situationship with a hard-drinking detective from 1937. But as time goes on, it becomes clear that Retro’s shadowy founder Ro has terrifying designs for the company’s future – and for the part Ash herself can play in it. 

 

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My Review:  

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph* 

 

 

Ash's life isn't going the way she expected - she's in debt and an unemployed actress - meanwhile, her best friend has become a film star. 

When Ash sees a job advertisement for Retro, a company that sells time travel experiences to the past, she applies. 

Now a Time Travel Agent, Ash takes journeys to the past with clients and finds herself swept up in the fun of time travel. Ash also finds romance on the cards. 

But when strange things start to happen to her memory and her life in the present, Ash discovers that maybe there's more to Retro than she thought. 

 

The time travel element of this novel intrigued me, so I thought I would give it a try. 

Ash was a relatable and mostly likeable protagonist. She was going through a rough patch and missed her best friend who she wasn't able to see as often as before. Whilst I did feel sorry for Ash, I didn't fully connect with her and so wasn't really that invested in what happened to her. 

The plot was enjoyable to begin with, but after a while I found my attention drifting as not much was really happening. The pacing was definitely off, and it could have been structured better. There were some interesting concepts and themes, but none of them really hit home for me. I found the ending quite frustrating.  

I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more. This was one of those novels where the execution didn't work for me. 

 

Overall, this was an okay read.

 

Review - Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab

 

 

 

 Title: Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil

Author: V.E. Schwab

Pages: 514

Publisher: Tor

Release Date: 10th June 2025

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 This is a story about hunger. 
1532. Santo Domingo de la Calzada. 
A young girl grows up wild and wily—her beauty is only outmatched by her dreams of escape. But María knows she can only ever be a prize, or a pawn, in the games played by men. When an alluring stranger offers an alternate path, María makes a desperate choice. She vows to have no regrets. 
 
This is a story about love. 
1827. London. 
A young woman lives an idyllic but cloistered life on her family’s estate, until a moment of forbidden intimacy sees her shipped off to London. Charlotte’s tender heart and seemingly impossible wishes are swept away by an invitation from a beautiful widow—but the price of freedom is higher than she could have imagined. 
 
This is a story about rage. 
2019. Boston. 
College was supposed to be her chance to be someone new. That’s why Alice moved halfway across the world, leaving her old life behind. But after an out-of-character one-night stand leaves her questioning her past, her present, and her future, Alice throws herself into the hunt for answers . . . and revenge. 
 
This is a story about life— 
how it ends, and how it starts. 

 

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My Review: 

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan* 

In 1532, María lives in a small town and dreams of more. She makes a decision that will change her life forever. 

In 1827, Charlotte reluctantly arrives in London to stay with her aunt. At a ball, Charlotte meets an alluring widow who offers her a new life. 

 In 2019, Alice is a college student in Boston having left her homeland of Scotland behind to see the world. Then, after spending the night with a stranger, Alice finds her life derailed and she wants vengeance. 

 

I have a mixed history with this author's works - I was a big fan of their earlier books, but I've found over the last few years that I've liked the concepts more than the execution. So, I was a little hesitant going into this new novel, however, I did enjoy this overall. 

María, Sabine, Charlotte, and Alice were all interesting characters who I empathised with. It was interesting to find out more about them and to see where their decisions led. 

The different time periods the novel was set in were interesting. 

The plot held my attention throughout, but I think it did help that I listened to the audiobook version, and the narrators were very good. The pacing was maybe a little off at times, and there were a few things that bugged me, but I found this to be an enjoyable novel with interesting themes. 

 

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. 

 

Review - The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

 

 

 Title: The Intrigue

Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Pages: 325

Publisher: Del Rey 

Release Date: 14th July 2026

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic and Velvet Was the Night comes a sizzling noir about desire, danger, and greed, in which seduction is the ultimate con. 
 
Handsome con artist Ulises has long charmed lonely women via letters to steal their money, but money is hard to come by in 1940s Mexico. Ulises knows his looks won't last forever, and he's desperate to get his hands on a real fortune. 
 
He thinks he's found it when he captivates his newest correspondent, Perla, the owner of a small-town boardinghouse in picturesque Veracruz. But when he meets her, he finds something he didn't expect. The woman has a niece, Inés, who is as observant as she is desperate to escape her aunt’s household. 
 
When Inés discovers Ulises' true intentions, she wants in on the scheme. They’ll convince her aunt that Ulises is a great catch, Perla will marry him, and her money will vanish. Easy, fast and clean. 
 
But Perla is not the desperate, silly spinster Ulises imagines. She harbors secrets. And although Ulises does not believe in true romance, Inés is more alluring than he bargained on. Suddenly, a simple plan may become perilously complicated. 
 
Venture into the streets of a small town where the patina of convention and good manners conceals a cauldron of avarice and lust. 

  

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My Review:

  *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey* 

 

Ulises is a con artist down on his luck. After a con that went wrong, Ulises is running out of money. Using his tried and tested technique of charming, lonely women through love letters, Ulises decides to pay one of his marks a visit. 

Perla is the owner of a boardinghouse in a small town. Never married, Perla spent her youth caring for her parents. 

Perla has a niece, Inés, who was born out of wedlock to Perla's younger and now deceased sister. Inés longs to escape the small town and doesn't turn Ulises in when she discovers his scheme. Instead, Inés offers to help Ulises steal Perla's money. 

 

Having read several of the author's previous books and enjoyed them, I was looking forward to reading this new one. 

Inés and Ulises were interesting protagonists. They were both morally grey characters. I empathised more with Inés and hoped her situation would improve. 

The setting of Mexico in the 1940s was interesting, especially a small town where everyone knew everyone else.  

The plot was good overall and held my attention, but the pacing was a little off and not that much actually happened. I also found the events a bit predictable. 

 I'm a little disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more. 

 

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. 

 

 

Review - The Barbecue at No. 9 by Jennie Godfey

  

 

Title: The Barbeque at No. 9

Author: Jennie Godfrey

Pages: 371

Publisher: Penguin

Release Date: 12th February 2026

 

Blurb from Goodreads:

 Set over 12 hours in 1985 the residents of Delmont Close are preparing a neighbourhood barbecue to watch the biggest music event in Live Aid. A day that will end having touched the lives of millions and changed the lives of all in Delmont Close. 
 
Hosted by the Gordon family, Lydia whose idols are Princess Di and Delia Smith, is determined to put on a show that will impress all. As the neighbours flood in, all the secrets that have been kept locked tight come rushing out. 
 
Rita, a new resident from Australia, harbours a shocking event in her past, Steve a young Falklands veteran battles his own demons, and Hanna, the Gordon's young teenage daughter prepares to flee to hide a shocking truth. 
 
The Barbecue at No.9 explores the nature of family and friendship, who we were and how far we have come. Jennie Godfrey returns to her powerful theme of how we are more united in our humanity than divided by our differences. All written with Godfrey’s signature wit, warmth and bite and, if possible, The Barbecue at No.9 surpasses the power and emotional impact of The List of Suspicious Things. 

 

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My Review:

 *I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK*  

 

  

The Gordon family are hosting a barbecue to celebrate Live Aid and have invited their neighbours at Delmont Close. 

There are several people in the Close hiding secrets, many of which will be uncovered as everyone comes together at the barbecue. 

 

Having enjoyed the author's previous book, I was intrigued to try this one. 

There were several protagonists in this novel, the main ones being Hanna (the daughter of the hosts), Steve (a veteran with PTSD), and Rita (who ran away from Australia and her life there). I liked all three and sympathised with them for different reasons. It was interesting to read as they all came together and how they interacted. 

The setting was interesting, and it did feel like things were slowly building up in the lead-up to the barbeque. 

The plot was enjoyable, but I wasn't gripped or itching to read more. There were some surprises, but I wasn't very invested in what was happening. 

 

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.