Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block by Jesse Q. Sutanto is expected April 28, 2026

 

Mebel is a trophy wife who is thrown for a loop when her husband leaves her for their very young personal chef. She decides that learning how to cook is the way to get him back. Which makes her seem incredibly stupid. But really, her blinders about the allure of a young woman to an old man are kind of a metaphor. 

She is beautiful and an expert at pleasing her mate, but she has never had to do anything else. She is beautiful and rich and it would seem that that should be enough to keep her happy. But clearly it is not. 

Sutanto is, once again, completely on her game at showing generational differences and lack of self-awareness and how finding community can help people find themselves. 

The story is a delight, there is a bit of a mystery, some competition and some delicious sounding food. But the real gem is Mebel's fish-out-of-water learning curve, both with cooking and with the youths of today. The world in which she was raised is entrenched in respect for the elder and when she realizes the world she has moved to (a drippy outpost of Oxford, England that is delightful in its lack of character) has very little respect for women her age, particularly spoiled ones like her, it is uncomfortable for her, but awfully fun for the reader. 

How to Write a Love Story Catherine Walsh comes out March 10, 2026

 

Well this was a pure delight! 

Our hero Sam is a RAVIAN fanboy of the highest order. RAVIAN is a series that seems to be GoT meets LotR meets whatever the hell Brandon Sanderson is pumping out. He is also an editor with the publishing house that represented Frank Sheridan, the RAVIAN creator, before he died, leaving his beloved series unfinished. 

Ciara Sheridan, our heroine, is Frank's daughter, a frustrated crime writer who has been badly mistreated by the internet and her beloved father's propensity for giving away all his wealth to charity before his death. 

Sam's boss sends him to Ireland to help Ciara finish her father's series and make a whole lot of money for everyone and also, you know, honor his legacy.

GUESS WHAT HAPPENS, YOU GUYS???

It's all there in the title. It's a nice, slow-burn, "this is definitely a bad idea to everyone except every single person who is reading this book" kind of romance. Everyone's motives are fairly realistic, the secondary characters are delightful and the setting is deftly drawn without being too irritatingly detailed. 

What I liked about this is that the impediments to romance feel like they have some actual depth and the sex scenes are not embarrassing. Every romance has to have speed bumps, but often they are so ham-handed that I can't be bothered to care. Walsh keeps the stakes high, but doesn't take any messy shortcuts. As far as the steamy bits go, they are hot, but not trying too hard. 

Ultimately, just about everyone in this book is likable and trying their best, Reddit trolls and clueless fans notwithstanding, and it is a lovely book about fandoms and love and getting the job done. 

Parks and Rec: The Underdog TV Show That Lit'rally Inspired a Vision for a Better America by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong is coming April 7, 2026

 

After reading this book, I needed to take some time to watch a few episodes to see if it was really as revolutionary as Armstrong made it seem. 

Just kidding.

PARKS AND REC is what (along with Maker's Mark) got me through the covid lockdown. It it a love song to comedy, collaboration, and community, created by extremely talented and brilliant people working at the top of their game. And Armstrong sketches it out perfectly with the respect it deserves.

The format is chronological and I was surprised at how much lead up there was to actually locking down the show and getting it going as compared to the production. It has a real inside-baseball feel to it. All the players are introduced, the process is deconstructed and the influence is beautifully defined. 

It is extremely well written and I barreled through it, which is rare for me reading nonfiction. I am not sure if that was because I love the show so much or because Armstrong kept waving interesting bits of lore that kept me reading. Either way, it was delightful. The only way I could have loved it more would be if there was a 375 page appendix of recaps of every single episode through Armstrong's discerning lens. But I suppose you can't have everything!