A swoony romance with a perfect touch of self acceptance!
Last First Kiss by Julian Winters, (List Price: $19, St. Martin’s Griffin, 9781250326263, January 2026)
Reviewed by Cameron, Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, NC
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Julian Winters writes another romance that is as funny as it is tender and sweet. I really enjoyed I Think They Love You, so I was really excited to read this, and it did not disappoint. With all of the same heart as the first book, we dive right back into this family that is, while nosy and opinionated, loving in their own way. Jordan and Jaime are a couple you will have you yelling at the pages sometimes, but only because you are rooting for them so hard. A second chance romance with more heat than the first book, this is a great read to enjoy as the weather warms up too.
Last First Kiss by Julian Winters, (List Price: $19, St. Martin’s Griffin, 9781250326263, January 20267)
Reviewed by Brianna, Epilogue: Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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Once again, Julian Winters gets right to the heart of learning to love and be loved exactly as you are. I also love seeing such beautiful demisexual representation on page in a romance novel and appreciate the care with which Julian wrote Jordan’s journey with his sexuality. This story was an absolute delight and I can’t wait to recommend it to everyone that I can!
Last First Kiss by Julian, (List Price: $19, St. Martin’s Griffin, 9781250326263, January 2026)
Reviewed by Jonlyn Scrogham, A Novel Romance in Louisville, KY
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In the weeks since I finished John of John, I keep thinking back to the experience as if I actually traveled to the Western Isles of Scotland, stayed in a croft on the water, gossiped and cried with all the inhabitants of this island–except I didn’t do any of those things, that’s just the power of Douglas Stuart. John of John isn’t a book you read inasmuch as you live it, achingly real and vulnerable. I loved it.
John of John by Douglas Stuart, (List Price: $28, Grove Press, 9780802167194, May 2026)
Reviewed by Lindsay, Parnassus Books in Nashville, TN
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Hall’s hilarious dialogue is front and center in his newest addition to the London Calling series and you won’t be able to put this one down! Luc and Oliver have been through it in Boyfriend Material and the Husband Material. But you know, “first comes love, then comes marriage” so you know what’s next! That’s right, an adorable rescue dog that looks like a big potato! And maybe if they can get dog parenting down, they might be ready for more?
Father Material by Alexis Hall, (List Price: $18.99, Sourcebooks Casablanca, 9781728264295, June 2026)
Reviewed by Jennifer, Bookmiser in Marietta, GA
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Whoa, what a silly, goofy time. Absolutely the definition of camp. Immediately, you can tell that this book is not to be taken seriously and is intended to be incredibly cheesy. But also, aren’t all spy films incredibly cheesy? It’s not typically my sort of genre, but the narrator did such a fabulous job that I had to keep going!
The Tuxedo Society by Paul Rudnick, (List Price: $28, Atria Books, 9781668212615, May 2026)
Reviewed by Itzy, M. Judson, Booksellers in Greenvillel, SC
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How haunting and beautiful. That epilogue hit me like a freight train. This beautiful and tragic coming of age story will stay with me for a long time. From the very beginning, you can just feel that something is waiting to happen and you hope it doesn’t happen but you don’t really know for sure until you keep reading. The suspense is clear throughout and it had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I was thinking it would be one character but it ended up being a different character, which in a way, hurt more. The way Besson writes is absolutely beautiful and truly enriches not only the plot but the characters. You really feel for this unlikely group of characters and want them to feel joy in their adolescence but you also know that life never turns out that way. There’s so much emotion pouring from this complex novel and I have no doubt that readers will fall in love with Besson’s writing style.
The Summer Boy by Philippe Besson, (List Price: $26, Scribner, 9781668204047, May 2026)
Reviewed by Itzy, M. Judson, Booksellers in Greenville, SC
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There won’t be a better, more deeply affecting heart-crack of a book this year than John of John. Douglas Stuart has given us a gift so golden and holy, so singular and reverent, a pinprick of his spinning wheel that bleeds seawater and secrets. The labyrinth of the human soul is woven and unfurled and stitched back together over 400 perfect pages of loneliness, faith, desire, home, shame, and deep, unyielding love.
John of John by Douglas Stuart, (List Price: $28, Grove Press, 9780802167194, May 2026)
Reviewed by Emily, Thank You Books in Birmingham, AL
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Beautiful, beautiful, absolutely beautiful. This absolutely broke me and yet stitched me back together all the same. Aciman does an amazing job capturing the love and fascination we have with other humans when we are young and awestruck. It is an absolutely brilliant coming-of-age novel about sexual identity, deep-rooted connections, and everything in between. It’s frustrating, it’s delightful, it’s utterly absorbing, and I need everyone to read this as well; to know how much it means to me.
Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman, (List Price: $18, Picador, 9781250169440, October 2017)
Reviewed by Itzy, M. Judson Booksellers in Greenville, South Carolina
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“I am obsessed with old Hollywood. I used to love Nick at Night and all the old classic TV shows. I’ve always been fascinated by that, but I’ve also always been fascinated by the fact that we all have a behind-the-scenes. And when I was touring for All the Bright Places, which is a young adult book I wrote years ago, the thing I heard most from my readers was, “Thank you for letting me know that it’s okay to be messy. It’s okay to be me, that, you know, I feel seen, and I matter.” And I just kept thinking about the fact that it’s so sad that so many people, well, all of us actually, have a behind-the-scenes that we aren’t always comfortable showing or sharing with other people. And so I wanted to write something about that. And then I thought, oh, I could combine it with my love for Hollywood because God knows there’s a lot going on behind the scenes there.”
― Jennifer Niven, Interview, Zibby’s Bookshop
What booksellers are saying about Meet the Newmans
About Jennifer Niven
Jennifer Niven is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of thirteen books, fiction and nonfiction, including the massive breakout All the Bright Places, which she also adapted for film. Her award-winning books have been translated into more than seventy-five languages and have sold upward of 3.5 million copies worldwide. Jennifer has loved television and film her whole life and has been lucky enough to develop projects with Netflix, Sony, ABC, and Warner Bros. She divides her time between coastal Georgia and Los Angeles with her husband and literary cats.
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Not only has Lovell Holder crafted the most delightful redemption stories, he also managed to intrigue me with the inner workings of reality competition shows. Luke is an emotionally (and physically, sort of) broken soul on the verge of losing everything after learning his politician husband, Barnes, is the cheater of the century. That’s when fate comes calling him back to “Endeavor”, the competition series that was the catalyst of their relationship. So many secrets come out, and so many lives are changed. Read this book!
The Book of Luke by Lovell Holder, (List Price: $30, Grand Central Publishing, 9781538770153, December 2025)
Reviewed by Thomas Wallace, Reading Rock Books in Dickson, Tennessee
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A magical, moving, and wildly fun novel, The Disco Witches of Fire Island blends queer history, grief, self-discovery, and disco-fueled witchcraft into an unforgettable story. Set in Fire Island Pines during the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Blair Fell masterfully balances heavy themes with humor, heart, and a vibrant cast of characters. Drawing from some of his real-life experiences and relationships, Fell’s book will break your heart while lifting your spirit, and maybe even make you want to dance.
Disco Witches of Fire Island by Blair Fell, (List Price: $19.99, Alcove Press, 9798892420341, May 2025)
Reviewed by Bianca Eckhoff, Epilogue: Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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The Broposal was a wild ride from start to finish. Alejandro (Han for short) has been best friends with Kenny since they were 8. Now, at 23, they are still inseparable. When Kenny learns that Han lost his job that was meant to sponsor his visa, he comes up with the idea of fake-marrying Han for his citizenship instead. Although their plan seems foolproof, Kenny’s ex Jackie continues to cause trouble for the two. This book has the fun romance trope of fake relationships while also showing the struggle of an undocumented person in America. You’ll laugh and you’ll cry, and hope for their happily ever after.
The Broposal by Sonora Reyes, (List Price: $17.99, Forever, 9781538766682, January 2025)
Reviewed by Gabriela Warner, Epilogue: Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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Show of hands—who’s had a rough couple of years? It’s a mark of just how brutal life’s been that I know your hand went up. Life’s been hard. It’s been cruel. And in the summer of 2022, I’d had it. I was tired of being sad and feeling crushed by the continued crap life heaped on us all. So, I set out to recapture joy by writing a rom-com. A silly, irreverent, whimsical rom-com about how you spend your life chasing nostalgia even when you know those moments will never be quite the same; about not just surviving, but living, and doing that while being unapologetically queer.
― Sara Raasch, Letter to indie booksellers
What booksellers are saying about The Nightmare Before Kissmas
About Sara Raasch
Sara Raasch grew up among the cornfields of Ohio and currently lives in the historical corridor of southeastern Virginia. She is the New York Times bestselling author of seven books for young adults. In her debut adult novel, Raasch offers readers all the joy, irreverent wit, and crackling sexiness of your favorite sweet-as-a candy-cane holiday romp.
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Beginning in New York City in a tangled web of post-academia adulthood, in the late-20s, early-30s haze, Masquerade follows Meadow through a life in New York City, a childhood left behind in Shanghai, a friendship with his mysterious artist friend, and an ever-increasingly odd set of coincidences of mirrors and doubles, wrapped up in an odd book of 1930s Shanghai. Past the layers of mirrors and doubles, peeling away history and memory, Masquerade is about resisting the inertia of remaining in life when and where it’s comfortable and instead (re)-writing the story as you would like to see it.
Masquerade by Mike Fu, (List Price: $17.95, Tin House Books, 9781959030843, October 2024)
Reviewed by Mikey LaFave, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee
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