The Southern Bookseller Review 8/19/25

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The week of August 19, 2025

A Bookstore Romance Day Reading List

"We read to know that we are not alone." ―C.S. Lewis

For the readers who have been wondering about the plethora of reviews of romance books in the last few SBR editions, that is because this month is host to a little-known but much-loved holiday, Bookstore Romance Day!

It is celebrated in August (this year it was on August 9) and is a chance to show some love for independent bookstores across the country who love to a good love story. Here are just a few of the romance books indie booksellers are swooning over:

If Looks Could Kill by Julie Berry
If Looks Could Kill has something for every reader. It is a cleverly plotted genre mashup with elements of true crime, fantasy, and historical fiction all rolled into one immersive read! And mythology, of course, as you would expect from the incredibly talented Julie Berry!.
―Anderson McKean, Page & Palette in Fairhope, Alabama

A First Time for Everything (Deluxe Edition) by K. L. Walther
This fun and lighthearted young adult novel follows high school sports star Madeline through her journey to find love as well as a connection with her soon to be sister in law. Just like in life, Madeline had to learn to open her eyes and realize that our journey does not always lead us where we expected.
―Kristy Everette, Angel Wings Bookstore & Bistro in Oxford, North Carolina

The Most Unusual Haunting of Edgar Lovejoy by Roan Parrish
A man terrified of the ghosts he sees falls in love with a transmasc nonbinary person who creates haunted houses for a living. Loved it, their relationship troubles resolve early-ish in the book, but that doesn’t mean life is smooth sailing as their individual families provide some unique challenges as well as the characters going through their own spats of personal development. Very cute!.
―Kelly McLeod, The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, Alabama

Pucking Strong by Emily Rath
Queen Dr. Emily Rath has once again written a beautiful (yet spicy) hockey romance with so much emotional depth, I find myself shocked. I loved this book so so much and I’m so sad that this series is almost over.
―Ash Spaulding, Writers Block Bookstore in Winter Park, Florida

The Second Death of Locke by V. L. Bovalino
The Second Death of Locke is my number one book of the year, no contest, no doubts, no NOTHIN. I took this book to the beach and devoured it in the span of about five hours. The yearning is out of this world, the world-building is so unique and fascinating, the heroes are reluctant but determined to set things right. I could kiss the ground Bovalino walks on for this work of art.
―Caitlyn Vanorder, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Overruled by Lana Ferguson
Berkley / July 2025

Fiction, Romance, Workplace
More Reviews from Tombolo Books

She just keeps getting better. Oh my word! This book was exquisite. Listen, we can talk about how Dani is a wonderful female main character, strong but still fragile. We can talk about the hilarious banter and sizzling chemistry. But what makes this book amazing is the one and only Ezra freaking Hart. He has stolen my heart with his charm, his sensitivity, and just overall deliciousness. He is one of the best main male characters I have ever read, and at this point in time no one will take his crown. In true Lana Ferguson style, this book had me laughing, blushing and screaming from literally page one.

Reviewed by Mekhala Villegas-Rogers, Tombolo Books in St Petersburg, Florida

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An Oral History of Atlantis by Ed Park
Random House / July 2025

Adult Fiction, Fiction, Short Stories (single author)
More Reviews from Avid Bookshop

One thing I’ve learned from his first two books: Ed Park’s up to something. Just what it is, well that’s for the reader to stumble upon and, for me at least, love every bungling minute of. Just like the Mississippi River appears still on the surface, blanketing torrents that swallow swimmers and spit them out 25 miles downriver, don’t be fooled by his simplistic jokey style (and also kick your shoes off if you fall overboard). He’s up to something. Often oddly self-referential, often levelheadedly off-kilter, often softened by its own bite, these humorous shorts will come back to you the next day to make you say “hey, wait… ha.”

Reviewed by Ian McCord, Avid Bookshop in Athens, Georgia

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Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham
Minotaur Books / August 2025

Adult Fiction, Crime, Fiction, Thrillers
More Reviews from Copperfish Books

Stacy Willingham has done it again, she seems to never fail to write a great thriller mystery that will keep you guessing until the end. This one intertwines the past of the main characters parents generation, then her sister who was murdered 20 years prior to the story and then the main character Claire. Claire seems to be following right in the footsteps of her big sister as she returns home to help her mom but then finds herself working at a vineyard, the same one her sister worked at. There are definitely a lot of secrets hiding at this farm and her career as a journalist has her wanting to uncover them. The diary she found tucked away in her cabin seems to be the key to solving everything but the more she learns the more she should turn around and run, but she doesn’t. Super bingeable and you will be wondering how often history repeats itself in real life.

Reviewed by Kelli Dynia, Copperfish Books in Punta Gorda, Florida

Bookseller Buzz

When Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén

Lisa Ridzén, photo credit Gabriel Liljevall When it comes to emotionality in the book, I wanted to portray how — this goes along with the ambiguity — multiple contradictory feelings can exist simultaneously within one person, and how our feelings may change over the day, over an hour, and over a year and a lifetime. Even the simplest things can be the hardest to say. For example, Bo really wants to tell Hans how proud he is. He tries to say it throughout the whole book. It was super frustrating to write. “Come on, Bo! You can do it!” It’s a simple and good emotion, right? You think that it should be easy, but a lifetime of normative training combined with the recurring conflicting aspects of the relationship get in the way. And in this sense, I was very inspired by my own father and grandfather. My grandfather told me how proud he was of my father and how well he’d done in life and so on, but he couldn’t tell my father that. But of course I did, and it made my dad happy. But there’s something that makes certain feelings really hard to express.

― Lisa Ridzén, Interview, Bookweb, Indies Introduce

When Cranes Fly South Lisa Ridzén, Alice Menzies (trans)

This quiet, yet powerful book about aging, grief, and regret sneakily stole my heart and left me with a renewed desire to live life to the fullest.
― Kandi West, Wordsworth Books in Little Rock, Arkansas | BUY
My heart is in pieces after finishing Lisa Ridzen’s beautiful, heartbreaking novel. When Cranes Fly South is the tender story of Bo, an elderly man navigating the challenges of his 89 years. His frank observations on the betrayals of his body and mind are balanced with heartfelt recollections of his childhood and special times with his wife and son. I don’t think I’ve read a book that so delicately captures the loss of independence and dignity an aging parent feels when they are no longer able to make their own decisions. This is an emotional, important read that highlights the agency and empathy we all need during the last days of life.
― Anderson McKean, Page & Palette in Fairhope, Alabama | BUY
Quiet, tender and moving, When Cranes Fly South is a meditation on living and dying that I will never forget. Bo is at the end of his life. His wife is in memory care, and his adult son takes care of him along with a rotation of carers. As his body slowly fails him, he has time to reminisce about growing up with an abusive father, marrying the love of his life, and raising a son who he desperately loves, but has a fraught relationship with. When Bo is confronted with the possibility of his beloved dog, Sixten, being taken away, he stubbornly refuses, which brings age old memories and conflicts to the surface. Here’s what you need to do: relax, find a comfortable reading spot with a blanket and hot drink, and settle in to read this incredible debut. Make sure to have tissues handy. When Cranes Fly South is now one of my top three books of all time. Sob.
― Jessica Nock, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina | BUY
Warning: this book WILL make you cry. But in a good way. When Cranes Fly South follows the last few months in the life of Bo, an elderly man living in rural Sweden with just his pet dog, Sixten, for company. As his world becomes ever more circumscribed, Bo spends ever more time immersed in his memories – taking stock of his life, particularly his relationships with his family. Meanwhile, his days are interspersed with visits from caregivers, whose notes on Bo’s daily care form part of the novel, and visits from well-meaning family and friends. Profound, poignant and achingly sad, When Cranes Fly South is perfect reading for anyone who has ever loved and lost someone. In other words, all of us.
― Jude Burke-Lewis, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi | BUY

Lisa Ridzén is a doctoral student in sociology, researching masculinity norms in the rural communities of the Swedish far north, where she herself was raised and now lives in a small village outside of Östersund. The idea for her debut novel came from the discovery of notes her grandfather’s care team had left the family as he neared the end of his life.

Alice Menzies holds a master of arts in Translation Theory and Practice from University College London, specializing in the Scandinavian languages. Her translations include works by Jonas Hassen Khemiri, Fredrik Backman, Tove Alsterdal and Jens Liljestrand. She lives in London.

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This Happened to Me by Kate Price
Gallery Books / August 2025

Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Memoirs
More Reviews from Fountain Bookstore

Price is getting comparisons to Jeannette Walls and Tara Westover, and they are so deserved! Her therapy journey is featured in the bestselling book, The Body Keeps the Score, and is an unflinching tale of overcoming repressed childhood trauma and breaking cycles of abuse. It has some tough parts, but Price is honest and open. Her story of growth will inspire you.

Reviewed by Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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Legendary Frybread Drive-In by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Heartdrum / August 2025

Collections & Anthologies, Short Stories, Young Adult Fiction
More Reviews from The Snail on the Wall

I loved this collection of intertribal stories that center on Sandy June’s Legendary Frybread Drive-in. Sandy June’s exists where and when it is needed. Sandy June’s is a gathering place for Indians across the country to find comfort, community, hope, and acceptance. You find it in your time of need: are you lonely or grieving? Want to help a friend? Need to forgive? Or build your confidence? In love? Sandy June’s is a comforting place to gain solace and understanding, and the perfect place to hang out with friends and family. Each story is written by a different author, but some characters and elements cross over. A very enjoyable and comforting book.

Reviewed by Amy Dance, The Snail on the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama