Comedy

The Austen Affair by Madeline Bell Genres: Adult, British Literature, Chick Lit, Historical Fiction, Romance, Contemporary Romance Published by St. Martin’s Press on September 15, 2025 Format: eBook Pages: 330 Two feuding co-stars in a Jane Austen film adaptation accidentally travel back in time to the Regency Era in this delightfully clever and riotously funny debut.  Tess Bright just scored her dream role starring in an adaptation of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey. It’s not just the role of a lifetime, but it’s also her last chance to prove herself as a serious actress (no easy feat after being fired from her last TV gig) and more importantly, it’s her opportunity to honor her mom, who was the biggest fan of Jane Austen ever. But one thing is standing in Tess’s way—well, one very tall, annoyingly handsome person, actually: Hugh Balfour.A serious British method actor, Hugh wants nothing to do with Tess (whose Teen Choice Awards somehow don’t quite compare to his BAFTA nominations). Hugh is a type-A, no-nonsense, Royal Academy prodigy, whereas Tess is big-hearted, a little reckless, and admittedly, kind of a mess. But the film needs chemistry—and Tess’s career depends on it.  Sparks fly, but not in the …

The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley Series: Dearly Beloathed #1 Genres: Adult, British Literature, Fantasy, Dark Academia, Gaslamp Fantasy, Romantasy Published by Orbit on July 7, 2025 Format: Hardcover, Special Edition Pages: 398 Source: Illumicrate A slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romance featuring a scholarly healer and a gentleman assassin, set in an exquisite fantasy world.  Osric Mordaunt, member of the Fyren Order of assassins, finds himself in dire need of an expert healer. As fate would have it, that very healer is Aurienne Fairhrim, a member of his enemy Order, the Haelen.  Aurienne is desperate for funding to heal the sick, so desperate that when Osric breaks into her office to offer her a bribe for her healing services, she must accept. Even if she loathes him.  A forced collaboration ensues: the brilliant Woman in STEM is coerced into working with the PhD in Murders – much to Aurienne’s disgust. Despite being enemies thrown together, as Osric and Aurienne work together to solve not only his illness, but the mysterious reoccurrence of a deadly Pox, they find themselves ardently denying their attraction which seems to only fuel the heat between them. This book may be unsuitable …

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman Series: Thursday Murder Club #2 Genres: Adult, British Literature, Comedy, Crime, Mystery, Cozy Mystery Published by Penguin on September 15, 2021 Format: eBook Pages: 432 It’s the following Thursday.  Elizabeth has received a letter from an old colleague, a man with whom she has a long history. He’s made a big mistake, and he needs her help. His story involves stolen diamonds, a violent mobster, and a very real threat to his life.  As bodies start piling up, Elizabeth enlists Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron in the hunt for a ruthless murderer. And if they find the diamonds too? Well, wouldn’t that be a bonus?  But this time they are up against an enemy who wouldn’t bat an eyelid at knocking off four septuagenarians. Can The Thursday Murder Club find the killer (and the diamonds) before the killer finds them? Round 2 in Richard Osman’s charming Thursday Murder Club series, the Man Who Died Twice is a sequel novel that should satisfy most fans of the first book. Delivering the same cozy mystery vibes and light-hearted comedic shenanigans, this novel instantly feels familiar and is incredibly easy to pick right up. In many …

The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi Genres: Adult, Comedy, Fiction, Science Fiction Published by Tor on March 14, 2022 Format: eBook Pages: 261 The Kaiju Preservation Society is John Scalzi’s first standalone adventure since the conclusion of his New York Times bestselling Interdependency trilogy.  When COVID-19 sweeps through New York City, Jamie Gray is stuck as a dead-end driver for food delivery apps. That is, until Jamie makes a delivery to an old acquaintance, Tom, who works at what he calls “an animal rights organization.” Tom’s team needs a last-minute grunt to handle things on their next field visit. Jamie, eager to do anything, immediately signs on.  What Tom doesn’t tell Jamie is that the animals his team cares for are not here on Earth. Not our Earth, at least. In an alternate dimension, massive dinosaur-like creatures named Kaiju roam a warm, human-free world. They’re the universe’s largest and most dangerous panda and they’re in trouble.  It’s not just the Kaiju Preservation Society who have found their way to the alternate world. Others have, too. And their carelessness could cause millions back on our Earth to die. Imagine taking loose elements of Jurassic Park, bioengineer some crazy science fiction …

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman Series: Thursday Murder Club #1 Genres: Adult, Contemporary Fiction, Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Thriller on September 22, 2020 Format: eBook Pages: 382 In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders.  But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.  Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it’s too late? Richard Osman’s series has already been heavily read and reviewed so I won’t be quite as detailed as I usually do since the major points of discussion have already been covered. Despite what the genre and synopsis of the book may imply, The Thursday Murder is as much of a senior citizen themed character drama as it is a murder mystery novel and therefore one must adjust their expectations to its crossover intentions. If reading and reviewing this novel purely as a murder mystery investigation procedural story, The Thursday Murder Club is generally an above average, …