Series Sunday: Landon & Shay

(Chances #2) 

Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Read an installment of a series.
• Share your review/recommendation below.
• Include the title, author and series name.

"Don't throw away your story before you reach your happily ever after." ~ 92%

My Series Sunday pick is Landon & Shay, the second book in the Chances series by Brittainy C. Cherry. Landon doesn't believe in love. Shay likes a challenge. What began as a bet of who can fall in love first, turned into something neither of them expected.

While I enjoyed the return of these two characters in their own love story, it was just okay. Perhaps it is better suited for a young adult audience. I would have been satisfied with a cameo mention of their relationship but after finishing the novel, I understand why it was best told from their point of view. It is a journey of first love, second chances. I recommend Landon & Shay to the hopeless romantics and the Bookhearts that love to carry a pretty book around.

Happy Pub Day to Brittainy C. Cherry! Landon & Shay is officially on shelves.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: Landon & Shay
Author: Brittainy C. Cherry
Published: April 2026
Pages: 411
Edition: Galley
Genre: Romance
Rating: 🖤 🖤

Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block

"I don't know if I like spotted dick, is sounding quite unhygienic." ~ 39%

A funny cozy mystery by Jesse Q. Sutanto? Sign me up! 

In this new fiction novel from the bestselling author of the Vera Wong series, we are introduced to a nearly divorced housewife who enrolls in cooking school to win back her husband. Mebel is 63 years old. Retirement should be long-awaited trips, not a husband of more than forty years announcing he's leaving for their 20-something-year-old private chef. But Mebel has the perfect plan to win him back: learn how to cook!

Oh, you want a chef, not a trophy wife? Bet, Mebel said! So she enrolls at the renowned Saint Honoré School of Culinary Arts in France. Then realizes it is really in a small village outside of Oxford. Mebel adjusts and befriends a much younger classmate named Gemma. When Gemma stops showing up for class, Mebel's goal turns into finding out what—or who—caused her friend's sudden disappearance. 

Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block has a clever title and unique premise. I love a good found family trope. The jokes were there, true to Sutanto's writing style. Let this be exhibit fittylem that Sutanto can write the hell out of an older Chinese woman character. I always learn tidbits about Chinese-Indonesian culture while reading her books. Even though this one seemed a bit over the top, it was an enjoyable read.

Happy Early Pub Day to Jesse Q. Sutanto! Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block will be available Tuesday, April 28.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block
Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto
Published: April 2026
Pages: 304
Edition: Galley
Genre: Cozy Mystery Romance
Rating: 🖤 🖤

The Rough Side of the Mountain

"Self-awareness is saving grace." ~ 76% 

Before Keisha Lance Bottoms rose to prominence in politics, she was a daddy's girl from the Westside of Atlanta. Beginning with the memory of her father being arrested and taken to prison, going through law school, serving as a judge, elected to City Council and eventually becoming Mayor of Atlanta is quite the story to tell. She could have easily fallen victim to unfortunate circumstances. Instead she held true to self, pursued higher education and excelled. Who knew that little girl sitting on a couch afraid would be appointed to advise the former President of the United States? 

"Whatever anybody else thought of me, I had shared my fullest truth and I was good with it." ~ 65% 

This memoir is not all about her professional success. After stepping away from politics, she faced the details of a campaign-ready life. Addressed what the public didn't see: her dad's drug abuse, the sexual abuse she endured, an eating disorder she developed and an unpolished Southern family. Keisha took the mask off!

The Rough Side of the Mountain is an inspiration to young girls and professional women. Pursue your dream. Stand firm. Do not let your surroundings dictate your future. The rough side of the mountain leads to an authentic life. The originator of "One Atlanta" is proof.

Happy Pub Day to Keisha Lance Bottoms! The Rough Side of the Mountain is officially on shelves.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: The Rough Side of the Mountain
Author: Keisha Lance Bottoms
Published: April 2026
Pages: 288
Edition: Galley
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤

The Mother-Daughter Book Club

"I need good luck because I'm hosting the first Mother-Daughter Book Club meeting in three years, and it must be assolutamente perfetto." ~ 9%

Four longtime friends and their five daughters make up the Mother-Daughter Book Club (MDBC). It's been a few years since their last get-together so it is an emotional reunion when the finally gather on the shores of Italy's Lake Como. The distance casted shadows and doubt but they are still close readers—of novels, memoirs, secrets and each other. 

The Mother-Daughter Book Club is not what I expected. The easy breezy book cover led me to believe it was a summer light read. Spritzes, second chances and fun secrets. Far from it! A tragedy happens in the beginning and sets the tone for rest of the book. While the characters tried to move past it, the mood of the story did not quite follow along. What also bothered me was the stereotypes of the women (old vs. young) and the unbelievable 60-year-old virgin who is a minister and mother of two (yup, you read that right). 

I only hung in there off the strength of James Patterson's name. Leave the storytelling to the Mister, Susan.

Happy Pub Day to Susan and James Patterson! The Mother-Daughter Book Club is officially on shelves.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: The Mother-Daughter Book Club
Author: Susan and James Patterson
Published: April 2026
Pages: 342
Edition: Galley
Genre: Chick Lit
Rating: 🖤

Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead

"I didn't expect the casket to be so small." ~ 1%

What a startling first line! And so begins the semi-fictional novel by Mai Nguyen titled Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead. Cleo Dang always wanted to be a mother. The day she discovers she's pregnant is the happiest day of her life, especially when she learns that her best friend, Paloma, is expecting too. Together they enjoy their pregnancies and look forward to motherhood. But when they both go into labor, only Paloma comes home with a baby. 

Cleo must navigate life after losing her baby. She tries returning to work early but is forced to take leave. Then she finds work at the most unexpected place: a funeral home. Maybe the best way to honor the dead really is to live.

This is an emotional heartbreaking, side-eyeing read. Never thought I would put those two descriptions in the same sentence but it applies here. The main character is going through a grieving process that leads to disturbing scenes that tugged at my heart strings with empathy. I cannot begin to imagine her loss. I cannot believe how she manages to cope. I cannot do anything but marvel at her strength. Infant loss is heavy. It is triggering. It is tragic. Yet Mai Nguyen did a wonderful job translating her own story to paper in a darkly humorous way. Her portrayal of grief is well written.

Happy Pub Day to Mai Nguyen! Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead is officially on shelves.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead
Author: Mai Nguyen
Published: April 2026
Pages: 272
Edition: Galley
Genre: Dark Humor Fiction
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay

"Don't be afraid to share your journey. It's more beautiful than you know." ~ 8%

The oh-so-witty hilarious Jenny "The Bloggess" Lawson is back with a new memoir titled How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay. This book reveals her contradictions. She is a bestselling author full of self-doubt. She is hysterically funny but struggles with depression. And through it all, she keeps going. Even better, she shares how in How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay: Tips and Tricks That Kept Me Alive, Happy, and Creative in Spite of Myself.

It's the informational book I didn't know I needed. The advice I longed for. The validation that I am not the only anxious one. A reference for when I'm feeling stuck. Even though I read it entirely with tons of highlights and annotations, I will assuredly revisit How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay as needed. Having been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, I am cognizant of stress. Jenny Lawson shares tools that are sure to help avoid and address anxiety, depression and chronic illness. 

"That the scars you carry on your body or inside your heart are a mark of courage, a secret tattoo proving that you too faced that beast." ~ 82%

This new book is like an ongoing conversation with Jenny Lawson. The kind where a friend calls on the phone and says, "Girl, guess what happened today..." then proceeds to tell the most funniest story. The more I laugh, the more I think about how relatable it is, then we cackle and find the lesson within. You know, to be prepared for next time. I appreciate her honesty, raw storytelling and thought process during situations. A great resource! Now excuse me while I add to, and search the #yepthisisme hashtag.

Happy Pub Day to Jenny Lawson! How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay is officially on shelves!

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay
Author: Jenny Lawson
Published: March 2026
Pages: 288
Edition: Galley
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

Judge Stone

"It was a harbinger of ill tidings." ~ 5%

All rise and head to the nearest library or bookstore! Fiction Court is in session. Honorable Judge Stone presiding. 

Never did I ever imagine two of my faves from two different forms of art would collab like this. Bookhearts already know that James Patterson is one of my go-to authors. I read just about anything he puts his name on. And Viola Davis? I will watch any and everything she is featured in. How To Get Away with Murder was a recurring Thursday night event in my calendar. So I was super excited to get an advance copy of their literary collaboration, Judge Stone.

In small-town Union Springs, Alabama, Judge Mary Stone is the most respected person. She has two jobs: running her family farm and presiding over cases. But when the most controversial case in the South reaches her docket, her career, livelihood and standing in the community is put on trial. What's causing such a stir? Dr. Bria Gaines is charged with the Class A felony of performing an abortion. On paper, the case is open-and-shut. Ethically, it's not so black and white. It is a choice between life and death that divides the town. 

"How could they put a doctor in jail for helping somebody?" ~ 36%

Judge Stone delivers! Legal drama layered with courtroom shenanigans, politics, ethics and suspense. The characters are far from one-dimensional. The writing is so descriptive that I felt like a spectator in the courtroom, watching it unfold in real time. Every time I set the book down felt like a court recess and I was always ready to reconvene! 

I took my time reading Judge Stone on purpose because of the themes, emotional weight and moral tension. It is fiction that feels close to reality. It tugs on your heart strings and pings your moral compass. Although the ending is neatly wrapped, I'm not ready to adjourn just yet. I would love for Judge Stone to grace more pages in the future. Davis and Patterson have created a strong Black female character that dances to the beat of her own drum, is unapologetically herself, stands tall, and commands justice. 

"The law of FAFO. Fool around, find out." ~ 29%

Need I say more? Judge Stone is easily one of my favorite books of 2026 so far. Please add to your immediate TBR list. For the Bookhearts that prefer audiobooks, prepare yourselves for a treat. I heard it is excellent and narrated by Viola Davis herself. I already know the emotion and intensity in her voice will take this story to another level. The thought gives me goosebumps. Read/Listen to it solo, with a buddy or in a book club; be ready for passionate discussion and heated debates. Judge Stone is the type of book that will leave you thinking about the gray areas long after the last page.

Happy Pub Month to Viola Davis and James Patterson! Judge Stone is officially on shelves.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: Judge Stone
Author: Viola Davis and James Patterson
Published: March 2026
Pages: 432
Edition: Galley
Genre: Legal Thriller
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤