Blinking Owl Books

Scandal of the Summer by Alexandra Vasti

, , , ,
Scandal of the Summer by Alexandra Vasti
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

This spicy slow-burn historical romance between Ruby, a brilliant and eccentric heiress, and Archer, an accomplished privateer turned con man, is hilarious, heartwarming, hope-filled, and HOT (y’all, there are TWO special interest-based love scenes, and they are *INCREDIBLE*)!! I love this book and these characters with my whole heart, and I desperately need all of you to read it, because brilliant stories are meant to be shared, and this is one of the very best books I’ve ever read!

Scandal of the Summer by Alexandra Vasti, (List Price: $19, St. Martin’s Griffin, 9781250414250, June 2026)

Reviewed by Lucy, Blinking Owl Books in Fort Myers, FL

Scandal of the Summer by Alexandra Vasti Read More »

Is This a Cry for Help? by Emily Austin

, , , , , ,
Is This a Cry for Help? by Emily Austin
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

This book is beautiful, full of subtle (and so unsubtle) subplots worth picking apart for hours, a very relevant love letter to libraries, and a lot of contemplation on censorship, compulsive heterosexuality, love, and manipulation. It is also completely devastating. Darcy is unreliable, messy, and complicated, and she is absolutely going through it. This makes her so incredibly easy to connect to on so many points as a queer adult. This is gonna haunt me for a bit.

Is This a Cry for Help? by Emily Austin, (List Price: $28, Atria Books, 9781668200230, January 2026)

Reviewed by Frances Elmore, Blinking Owl Books in Fort Myers, Florida

Is This a Cry for Help? by Emily Austin Read More »

The Keeper of Magical Things by Julie Leong

, , ,
The Keeper of Magical Things by Julie Leong
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

I love this book so so much! It’s warm and wonderful and filled with beautifully woven sentiments about love and one’s place in the world that I now have saved in a note so I can reference them when I need to believe in magic again. I’m so glad that I live in a world with Julie Leong books in it, and will truly never hesitate to throw them at readers with all of the love in my heart!

The Keeper of Magical Things by Julie Leong, (List Price: $19, Ace, 9780593815946, October 2025)

Reviewed by Lucile Perkins-Wagel, Blinking Owl Books in Fort Myers, Florida

The Keeper of Magical Things by Julie Leong Read More »

Ladies in Hating by Alexandra Vasti

, , , ,
Ladies in Hating by Alexandra Vasti
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

I’ve never possessed an ounce of chill in my life, and I’m certainly not going to find some when it comes to this book! I have adored secret Gothic novelist, and phenomenal actress, Georgiana since we first met her in Ne’er Duke Well, and have been anxiously awaiting the day when I would hopefully be able to throw her story at anyone with even a passing interest in it, so imagine my utter joy when I discovered that not only was she getting a book of her own, but that it would be a sapphic one at that!! I’m positively FERAL for this story y’all! I want nothing more than to bury myself in its pages, and live there for eternity! Alexandra Vasti literally never misses, and Georgiana and Cat’s story is a shinning example of that!

Ladies in Hating by Alexandra Vasti, (List Price: $19, St. Martin’s Griffin, 9781250910981, September 2025)

Reviewed by Lucile Perkins-Wagel, Blinking Owl Books in Fort Myers, Florida

Ladies in Hating by Alexandra Vasti Read More »

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

, , ,
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

McCurdy’s story is bold and heartbreaking and beautiful. Her journey is deeply distressing in the way that only true stories can be, and told in a voice that is raw, wry, and incredibly honest. Through this memoir, McCurdy tells us that we can find our way through the darkness, even if we stumble and fall and think we never ever can find a place of peace and wellness – and I am so thankful to her for it.

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy, (List Price: $18.99, Simon & Schuster, 9781668022849, August 2022)

Reviewed by Lucile Perkins-Wagel, Blinking Owl Books in Fort Myers, Florida

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy Read More »

The Magic All Around by Jennifer Moorman

, , , , ,
The Magic All Around by Moorman, Jennifer
buy this book

Buy from your local indie.
Get the audiobook

This book is a delight for both intellect and emotion. The characters are sensitive and believable. Family relationships resemble those in Practical Magic, but are more focused on understanding one’s place in life. Each individual has a specific purpose and intent… life happens the way it was intended (eventually). Highly recommend!

The Magic All Around by Jennifer Moorman, (List Price: $17.99, Harper Muse, 9781400240487, January 2024)

Reviewed by Liz Perkins, Blinking Owl Books in Fort Myers, Florida

The Magic All Around by Jennifer Moorman Read More »

Scroll to Top