Designated Reading Buddies

Margaret Ives grew up as Hollywood’s sweetheart and was one of the most photographed women at the time. That all changed after the death of her husband Cosmo Sinclair. Margaret decided she’d have one last Hollywood hoorah and would then go on to live her life in solitude. Flash forward 20+ years later, journalist Alice Scott has somehow discovered where Margaret has been all of these years and pro...

Ivy League school, secret societies, & murder! Join us for Alex’s April pick, Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown.

Growing up Macy and Elliott were inseparable, even when apart they were emailing and thinking of each other. Now as adults, they haven’t seen each other for 11 years. Will rekindling their friendship finally lead them back into love? Join us as we discuss Kaitlin’s April pick “Love & Other Words” by Christina Lauren.

Grimalkin adored his purrfect owner Eilidh, he loved to follow her around the house, get chin scratches and cozy up on her lap after a long day of protecting her. But being a kitty in the streets of Edinburgh meant that bad things can sometimes happen. Join us as we discuss Grimalkin’s 9 lives in “The Ghost Cat” by Alex Howard, Alex’s March pick.

The Nightmare in Elspeth Spindle's mind has taught her to always “be wary, be clever, be good”. But living in a world that is determined to hunt you down and banish you for carrying magic is something Elspeth hopes to never live through. In an attempt to save the town of Blunder and their families, Elspeth must risk sacrificing herself to save them. Join us as we talk about Kaitlin’s March pic...

If you were to read Emma Wheeler’s resume there are a few things you’d find: screenwriter, professional worry-wart and fulltime Charlie Yates fan. Imagine Emma’s surprise when she lands a job with THE Charlie Yates to help him rewrite a romance script, which is Emma’s forté. You know what they say, don’t meet your heroes. Join us as we discuss Alex’s February pick “The Rom-Commers” by Katherine Ce...

Julian and Dahlia have one thing in common, they both love to loathe each other and compete for first place no matter what. But that was when they were kids, now as adults that loathing has shifted into something else. Join us as we discuss Kaitlin’s February pick “Love Redesigned” by Lauren Asher. 

Hannah and Garrett are complete opposites. Garrett is Briar Colleges hockey captain, and ladies man. Hannah attends Briar on full scholarship and is a straight A student who doesn’t have time for distractions. The one thing they both have in common? When they set goals for themselves, they always score. Join us as we discuss Alex’s January pick “The Deal” by Elle Kennedy.

Paedyns has spent her whole life running away from The Elites. But now that she’s killed their king, she has no choice but to hide away from Kai Azer, Ilya’s enforcer, and pray he doesn’t ever find her again. But as luck would have it, Kai won’t stop searching for Paedyn no matter the cost. Join us as we discuss Kaitlin’s pick “Reckless” by Lauren Roberts.

Stella has always dreamed of owning a Christmas tree farm and creating core memories for families. But when she realizes her finances are not doing as well as she hoped she enters a holiday contest hosted by famous influencer, Evelyn St. James. When applying for the competition Stella said she owns Lovelight Farms with her boyfriend.. who currently does not exist. That’s where her best friend Luka...

After the sudden death of her father Bethany is trying her best to keep his legacy alive, but the reality of running a cafe and dealing with grief is harder than Bethany expected. Join us as we discuss Alex’s November pick “Coffee Shop Girl” by Katie Cross.

At the age of 25, Takako feels like she’s finally finding her way in the world; she has a great job, a loving boyfriend and friends to last a lifetime. But when her perfect world is rudely interrupted by a cheating boyfriend, Takako finds herself lost. With the help of her uncle Satoru and his bookshop, she begins to find that life isn’t always perfect, but there are ways to always find joy in the...

In the summer of 1998, Chloe Davis turned 12 years old, which meant she was cool enough to hangout with her older brother Cooper. One thing that was not on Chloe's summer bucket list was watching her father be arrested for the murder of 6 local girls. She also was not expecting to learn how to live life known as a daughter of a murderer or that something always felt off about his arrest. 20 years...

When Jeanie moved to Dream Harbor, her life goals changed from climbing the corporate ladder, to slowing her life down as much as possible. She decides to reinvent herself by running a local cafe, joining town hall meetings and wearing jeans regularly. But like every small town romance novel, Jeanie’s plans shift when she bumps into hunky local farmer Logan. Join us as we discuss Kaitlin’s October...

Molly adores her job at the Regency Grand Hotel. She loves seeing new guests and following all of the rules exactly how her manager likes it, some may say she’s the perfect employee… until she is the number one suspect for the murder of the guest Mr. Black. Join us as we talk about Alex’s September pick “The Maid” by Nita Prose.

Five years ago a local girl named Andie Bell went missing, and all signs pointed to her boyfriend Sal Singh as the number one suspect. But with both Sal and Andie gone, the town still believes that Sal’s guilty of the murder of Andie Bell.. well almost the whole town. Flash forward to present day, Pip Fitz-Amobi believes that Sal has always been innocent and plans to solve the Andie Bell murder an...

Thea and Margot were once the best of friends, but after the summer of 1967 the two never heard from each other again… that is until Margot shows up 10 years later begging for Thea’s help. Join us as we discuss Alex’s August pick “All Of The Summers In Between” by Brooke Lea Foster.

From a young age Paedyn has been living an alter ego, one that will protect her from the Ilyra Elites. But when her name is added to Ilyra’s Purging Trials, her goal to survive and protect her loved ones is put to the test. Join us as we chat about Powerless by Lauren Roberts.

Per my last email, I Hope This Finds You Well.. or not because I’m sick of stale donuts and office pizza parties as a reward. Jolene has been working at Supershops as an office admin for most of her adult life and it’s all that she has going for her. At her age, Jolene should be married with a white picket fence by now. But alas, she has no friends, not a drop of romance, and is pretty sure the pe...

Growing up Fern Brookbanks loved spending the summers working at her family’s lake resort and she always knew that one day ownership would pass down to her. But how was she supposed to tell her mom that’s not what she wanted to do with her life? A few days before she’s supposed to return home from college, she bumps into Will Baxter, an artist hired to paint a mural at the cafe she works at. Toget...

After the death of her best friend Lily Morgan, Emery has spent the last 14 years wondering what truly happened. Secrets start to unravel when Emery’s high school boyfriend August Salt returns to Saoirse Island. When the truth starts coming to the surface the island is not the same. Join us as we chat about Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young.

Two weeks after the battle of Avalon Bluff, Iris is back in her hometown Oath, but this time without Roman. Separated by two Gods and what feels like worlds apart, Roman and Iris are fighting for each other and a way to end the war. Join us as we chat about Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross.

Daphne has spent her whole life making sure that the happiness of her loved ones comes first, and sets aside her own. When she finally feels like she’s paving her own path with her fiance Peter, life of course, decides to throw a curveball. With the help of her roommate Miles, Daphne learns that it’s okay to put herself first and live life by her own rules. Join us as we talk about Alex’s May pick...

After years of bad luck, Opal is at her wits end. She’s trying her best to make life easier for her younger brother Jasper, but life has other plans. Until one day, she’s offered a cleaning job at Starling House - the creepy house at the top of the hill. Will luck finally be on her side? Or will she have more problems to face? Join us as we chat about Starling House by Alix E. Harrow.

In the year 1877, Carlotta is living her normal life in her home in Mexico. She’s taking care of her siblings, learning the family business and falling in love for the first time. But once she begins to uncover the truths of her fathers science experiments - The Hybrids - and what they were created for, her normality begins to crumble. Join us as we talk about Alex’s April pick, “The Daughter of D...