Can't Wait for And Then There Was You

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

And Then There Was You

By: Sophie Cousens

Expected Publication: November 18, 2025 by G.P. Putnam's Sons

384 pages

Genre: Adult, Contemporary

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--From the New York Times bestselling author of This Time Next Year comes another "what if" romance about a floundering young woman who signs up for an unusual dating service to find The One . . . at a special cost.

Chloe Perfect is thirty-six, and despite her surname, suspects she’s not most men’s idea of the perfect woman. She wears too much corduroy, has an unglamorous job marketing gardening supplies online and her hair refuses to be straightened however much she tries. Between looking after her plants and her bad-tempered grandmother, she finds herself lonely, despairing she will never meet "her person."

So on a whim, she signs up to Perfect Partners, an experimental dating agency with an unusual model. The caveat? There are many, but Chloe must agree not to date anyone else outside of the program for the duration of the trial. Well, she's never had much luck finding someone the "normal" way, anyway.

After a few days, Chloe is matched with Rob, who checks off all her boxes, and she's instantly smitten. But the more seamless the dates, the more seriously she's forced to weigh the moral complexities of their setup.

And when she meets Oliver, another Perfect Partners participant, who quickly takes on the role of her confidante away from Rob, the more Chloe starts to perhaps her person isn’t someone perfect after all. Perhaps it’s someone just as kooky as she is. But is she really prepared to jeopardise the perfect life she's been wanting for so long? And more importantly, can she?

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

Sanskari Sweetheart - Review

Sanskari Sweetheart

By: Ananya Devarajan

Publication: May 20, 2025 by HarperCollins

272 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Raina needs to win the National Bollywood Dance Circuit Scholarship. That will show her mother that dance can be a financially stable career and prove to her boyfriend and co-captain, Aditya, that they’re still the perfect couple, even if all they seem to do these days is fight. There’s only one problem—Aditya breaks up with her, their Nationals choreography crumbles on stage, and Raina, as well as her hopes of winning the scholarship, is taken right down with it.

All Raina wants is a do-over, so when she wakes up the next morning to a miracle—another chance at Nationals with Aditya by her side—she couldn’t be happier. But as the events of the day start repeating, Raina realizes she’s stuck in a time loop, cursed to humiliate herself at Nationals and then get dumped—over and over again.

Raina is certain that if she follows all the right steps, she can break out of the time loop, win Nationals, and earn back the heart of her one true love in the process. But what if perfection isn’t enough?

I've been on an adult romantasy kick for a while. So I needed a change of pace, and that usually means changing genres. I decided to pick up Sanskari Sweetheart. The description tells pretty much everything you need to know. But I will say some things were confusing or needed more fleshing out for me. I felt the author understood the missing pieces, but they were never fully spelled out to the reader. One of those things is Raina's mom being so kind of a prophetess. That was never explained. Mentioned in passing as though the reader should understand or accept it as fact and move on.

Raina starts the book showing up at Nationals with her mother, whom she just dropped the bomb on that she wants to pursue dance as a career. She doesn't really give her mother a chance to discuss things with her as she drops the bomb and rolls out of the car at the same time. As she's running away, she basically declares that if she wins the scholarship offered at Nationals, then she will choose dance. 

Raina and Aditya have been dating for four years. They're madly in love. Yet they fight all the time. Raina is obsessed with being the perfect girlfriend for him, but she refuses to have any conversation with him about any important topics. The initial breakup felt jarring. I suppose it was supposed to feel that way. The couple went from "we're so in love" to "we should break up" in 0 to 60. Only after exploring many of the loop days do you begin to piece together what's missing in their relationship. I guess that was because Raina needed to figure it out, and as the narrator, it would only be frustrating for the reader to fully understand the issues while Raina continually repeats the same day and the same mistakes over and over again.

Raina does change things up. It isn't like she can't change the day she experiences. But it doesn't matter. Every time she gets to the end of the day she and Aditya break up. Then the day starts over. 

I liked that these two have such an innocent relationship. There is passion between them, but things don't progress physically, and I respect that. It is counter-cultural (American culture at least). And I'm all about that. They have found their person so early in life, which also isn't normal. I can respect that as well. 

I did appreciate the lessons that Raina and even Aditya learned along the way. I don't think I would want to read many books that follow this same format, but overall, I enjoyed Sanskari Sweetheart. A few things were confusing, like Raina's mother's prophecies, why Raina had an obsession with being the perfect girlfriend, and a few other things. But overall, I read this book quickly and wanted to keep reading when I needed to stop. Sanskari Sweetheart gets 3.5 Stars. Have you read Sanskari Sweetheart? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday Post - 07/06/25

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

After last week, I was determined to be lazy this week. Recovery was really the key. We can't always be going all of the time, and that's the entire purpose of summer break. It's a break. So I had a lot of lazy days. We did our maintenance house chores. My big kids had baseball and softball 1:1 practices. We didn't have martial arts this week because of melt ceremony and the holiday. We didn't spend the day with my parents on Tuesday because my dad had pre-op for his upcoming hip replacement surgery this week. Husband got off work early on Thursday. We spent all day Friday at his mom's house. The 4th of July has a double meaning for his family as his dad passed away on the 4th 10 years ago. Saturday, I was ready for a project but didn't have one.

THE PAST WEEK

Monday: May & June 2025 EOM Wrap Ups
Tuesday: Top Ten Bookish Accessories from Amazon
Wednesday: Can't Wait for The Marriage Method (The Crinoline Academy, # 2) by Mimi Matthews
Thursday: Review of Look Before You Leap (Miss Prentice's Proteges, # 2) by Virginia Heath (4 Stars)
Friday: Homeschool Friday - Tails Are Not for Pulling (5 Stars)

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Review of Sanskari Sweetheart by Virginia Heath
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait Wednesday?
Friday: Homeschool Friday - Be Careful & Stay Safe

NEW BOOKS:

No new books.

That's it for my shelves and recaps of my past and upcoming week. What did you add to your shelves this week? Any bookish news you want to talk about? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - Tails Are Not for Pulling

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review/review for each.

Tails Are Not for Pulling

By: Elizabeth Verdick

Illustrated By: Marieka Heinlen

Publication: September 15, 2005 by Free Spirit Publishing

24 pages

Genre: Children's, Picture Books, Manners

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Description--If pets could talk, what would they say? Maybe “Fur is for petting, backs are for scratching, noses are for nuzzling . . . and tails are not for pulling!” Toddlers and pets belong together—as long as toddlers don’t chase, grab, squeeze, yank, and tease. In simple words and delightful illustrations, this book teaches the basics of kindness to animals: careful handling, awareness, safety, and respect. It also includes helpful tips for parents and caregivers.

We have been studying manners in our homeschool, and we got our first dog and family pet this past October. So when I saw Tails Are Not for Pulling for review, I grabbed it. My older children are very calm with our dog, although they had to learn to the proper way to handle him. My youngest son, who is only 4 years old now, is still a little rough with him from time to time. He knows better, but sometimes he gets a little wild. The content in this book is best suited for smaller children and probably even younger than 4.

I liked how the book starts off with wondering how if animals could talk, what would they say. It goes through some common pet animal sounds. Then the book enters into a series of statements that are about how to properly handle a pet. For example: "fur is for petting, not grabbing" and "ears are for listening, not yanking." This establishes that there are good and proper ways to handle our pets. That section ends with "Tails are not for pulling. Ouch, that hurts." Even young children understand pain and "ouch". The book then goes into some other things a pet might want to say. For example: "Hey, my bowl is empty!" or "Gee, I could use a walk." This shows the different ways that animals need to be cared for. The book then emphasizes that pets are for loving, not teasing. And then some examples for teasing are given. Like "holding toys out of reach" or "pretending to steal food". The book shows how teasing might feel for both the pet and the child, which, again, I think all children can relate to. And then some warning signs are given that an animal might give you to show that they're unhappy with your treatment. A few tips are given about approaching someone else's pet.

All in all, I think Tails Are Not for Pulling gets 5 Stars. If you are considering getting a pet, this would be a great resource to share with your children first--especially if you have younger aged children. It's simple and straightforward. Have you or your child read Tails Are Not for Pulling? What did you think? Let me know!

Look Before You Leap - Review

Look Before You Leap (Miss Prentice's Protegees, # 2)

By: Virginia Heath

Publication: June 24, 2025 by St. Martin's Griffin

320 pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--The second hilarious and heartwarming novel in the Miss Pretence’s Protégées Regency romp of a series

Nine years ago, Lord Guy Harrowby, Viscount of Wennington, was publicly humiliated when a reckless romantic gesture went very wrong. Despite that, his mother held tight to the promise he made her then: that she would have a house full of grandchildren by his thirtieth birthday. Still single, embittered, and swiftly approaching that milestone birthday, there’s not a grandchild in sight. His heart now lies with his land and work is his life. In desperation, his mother decides that if he refuses to venture back into society to find her future daughter-in-law, the only solution is to bring society to him via a weeklong houseparty so that she can find one for him. The first Guy knows about her plan is when her hand-picked gaggle of debutantes arrive at his estate, all competing to be his wife.

After failing miserably as a governess, Lottie Travers isn’t proving to be any better at being a lady’s companion. As the only girl in an all-male household growing up, she’s developed several bad habits she can’t shake and keep getting her dismissed. Even after years of Miss Prentice’s teachings, Lottie still climbs a tree better than she embroiders, and still cannot seem to curb the desire to gallop astride a horse in breeches whenever an opportunity arises. But with the family farm in trouble, and her father now in dire need of her wages to keep it afloat, she’s determined to conquer her wildness once and for all and concentrate on her career.

Even with his home full of eligible women, there is only one that catches Guy’s eye, as much as he tries to deny it. And succeeding in her new role is easier said than done for Lottie when the Wennington Estate is filled with horses and she can’t help but feel a spark around the grumpy Lord. By the end of the week, will the two of them remain stuck in their ways, or will they learn that they may just be the perfect match?

Lottie has been failing. She finds it so hard to tame herself. More than her manners, she finds it impossible not to sneak away and gallop on the back of a horse. The specific horse doesn't seem to matter. She just has to get away. Horseback riding is one of the ways she lets off steam and deals with anxiety. She's been let go from another position as a governess. She goes for a gallop in Hyde Park (Rotten Row), and she has an accident with Lord Guy Harrowby. After that, she gets hired as a companion to Guy's aunt, who is as spunky as Lottie--maybe more. And she needs to keep her job this time. Her father's farm is failing, and even though he wouldn't accept it if he knew the money was coming from her, Lottie sends every spare penny home to her family. 

Guy is jaded. He had his heart broken years ago, and he's hated London and society ever since. Yet he's promised his mother that he will give her grandchildren by his 30th birthday. Despite not having any prospects. He finally relents and allows his mother to plan a small birthday party for him, but she turns that into a house party full of ladies who are driving him crazy. Even more, the crazy woman who almost ran him over in London is among the guests as his aunt's companion. 

Favorite quotes:

-But then pride always came before a fall, and once fallen, pride was the only thing you had left to cling to that might get you through it.

-They instantly bunched up inside him and then seemed to sigh in unison as they immediately relaxed as if they had been waiting his entire life for this moment. For this woman. Even the muscles in his jaw gave way, and he felt it hanging in bemused wonderment. [...] but she was stunning!

-"He is adamant there is nothing else to be done for my...condition. Beyond reducing my motherly anxieties over you, of course. He is convinced my malaise is aggravated by stress." "I thought Dr. Arden said that it was your overindulgence of cheese that set it off?" "That is what I told him to tell you, dear, because I didn't want you upset."

Look Before You Leap is my 5th book by Virginia Heath, and I have complained about this in just about every book. Just because you write historical fiction romance doesn't mean that the main characters have to have sex before marriage. Of course, this happened. Life doesn't change that much. But would it be too much to ask that one of her couples abstain until marriage in keeping with the cultural expectations of the period? 

Look Before You Leap was a fast, fun book. It didn't take me long to read it at all. I have it marked as started and finished on the same day on Goodreads. I can't remember if that's accurate or if I just forgot to mark that I'd started reading it when I actually did. Either way, it was a fast read, which improved my enjoyment. I rooted for Guy and Lottie. They were both easy to like, even when I wanted them to behave differently at times. Look Before You Leap gets 4 Stars. Have you read Look Before You Leap? What did you think? Let me know!