Can't Wait for The Stranger I Love

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.

The Stranger I Love (Runaway Brides, # 1)

By: Anneka R Walker

Expected Publication: May 20, 2026

341 pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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

Goodreads description--When both attempt to flee their past, can love’s pursuit catch them?

Estelle Lowry has traded her privileged life for anonymity, running away to become Miss Estelle Lewis—governess and companion. But her carefully laid plans unravel when she discovers a man beaten and left for dead. Defying every rule of propriety, she rescues him, bringing him to safety. A connection sparks between the two strangers, yet his injuries keep his face obscured. Before he fully recovers, she is forced to leave in search of employment—without a name, a past, or any way to find him again.

Six months later, Estelle arrives at Rosemont Manor, determined to guard her heart—and her secrets. But her resolve falters when she finds herself drawn to the last man she should want: the brooding and unpredictable Lord Camden.

Atlas Camden has no time for distractions. Due to his complicated past, he is determined to shoulder his responsibilities and keep his family safe. The arrival of his sister’s new companion sets him at odds with himself. Miss Lewis is as headstrong as she is captivating—and far too often at the center of trouble, drawing both his attention and concern. His mother would be scandalized if she knew he was even entertaining romantic notions about a woman in service, let alone one who is half-Irish. Besides, a man with his history has no right to offer his heart—and even less to hope for one in return.

When secrets are revealed and trust crumbles, running from their past is no longer an option. Estelle and Atlas must choose between the new paths they’ve forged or the broken history to which they are still bound.

The Stranger I Love is full of longing, redemption, and courageous love. It is the first book in The Runaway Brides series and is a clean Victorian romance without explicit content.

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

Ten Authors I Wish Were Still Publishing New Books

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. This week's topic is Top Ten Authors You Wish Were Still Writing Today

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1. Katja Millay - Wrote The Sea of Tranqulity and hasn't published since.
2. Leah Garriott - Published Promised and hasn't published anything since.
3. Richelle Mead - Her last published book was in 2018. Granted, none of her later books compared to her Vampire Academy series for me, I would still like to read more by her.
4. George R R Martin - As far as I can tell, George R R Martin is still publishing, but we all know that we're waiting for Winds of Winter which will probably never come.
5. Stephenie Meyer - Your girl has been busy pursuing other paths, but I sure wouldn't mind some of those "other stories set in the Twilight world."
6. Katie McGarry - Last published in 2024, but I still want more.
7. Priscilla Glenn - Priscilla Glenn has two published books that I never knew about, but still, her last published book was in 2014.
8. Robin LaFevers - Last published in 2020 unless she's writing under a different name.
9. Tammara Webber - Last published in 2017. I want more.
10. Jane Austen - I mean who wouldn't want more Jane Austen.

Which authors do you wish were publishing new books? Let me know!

The Duke's Bargain - Review

The Duke's Bargain

By: Megan Walker

Expected Publication: May 5, 2026 by Shadow Mountain

320 pages

Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (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--Ruined by scandal, Georgiana bargains with a duke to regain her place in Society. But their pretend friendship sparks real love, risking reputations, duty, and unexpected happily-ever-afters.

Eight months after a stolen kiss ruined her reputation, Miss Georgiana Wood is a recluse, cast out of Society without any hope of ever finding a suitable match. Longing for redemption, she never expects her salvation to arrive in the form of a handsome, temperamental duke.

After a failed bargain left the Duke of Marlow without a promised wife and heir, he must face courtship a final time. He plans to entice his future bride with a priceless family heirloom—one now in the possession of Miss Wood, who agrees to return it if he takes her on three outings in London during the Season to restore her reputation.

As the pair navigate Society’s expectations and whispered gossip, Marlow soon sees a new side to Georgiana—an ally and friend. Her wit and courage, grace and allure far exceed that of the eligible ladies he intended to court, and soon, he’d do almost anything to secure her happiness.

As Marlow wrestles with duty and desire, Georgiana begins to hope that she could be loved not despite her past, but because of who she truly is. When hearts are tested, truth and secrets revealed, will love be enough to risk it all?

First, The Duke's Bargain should really be listed as book 3 in a series with the previous two books being: Lakeshire Park and Miss Newbury's List. Georgiana was a side character in Lakeshire Park. Her brother was the main male character of that book. And she and another woman were in competition at a house party for the hand of one man. Georgiana had known him since childhood and truly couldn't comprehend that he wasn't interested in her. She kisses him in a public way, and her reputation suffers because of it. But she hasn't given up. When the Duke of Marlow shows up at her house to retrieve an heirloom that his cousin lost to Georgiana's brother, Peter, during a bit of gambling, Georgiana knows that she has to capitalize on this opportunity.

Marlow was a side character in Miss Newbury's List. He was supposed to marry Rosalind in an arranged marriage beneficial to both of them. But Rosalind fell in love with another man during that time. Marlow still needs to find a wife and produce an heir. He agrees to Georgiana's request to escort her to three events, thereby giving her his blessing to all of society. But he didn't count on falling in love with her. Nor her with him.

I really enjoyed this romance. Marlow was so cold in Miss Newbury's List, yet I did remember feeling sorry for him. And I like that Georgiana was considered a villain in Lakeshire Park. It's all about perspective. I love being able to turn things around and see them from a different angle.

Favorite quotes:

-Loneliness was an ugly, bitter hag, and I was tired of her.

-"No man can measure up to a good book."

-"I don't aim to control you, Georgiana. I only aim to please you."

-"'Dear, dear! To see how some people fling away their happiness, and then cry and weep about it, just as if it was not their own doing, and as if there was more pleasure in weeping and wailing than in being at peace.'"

-"Ours is my very favorite story, Lucas."

I definitely feel like The Duke's Bargain should be listed as the third in a series. While you could read this book independently from the previous two books, I do feel like you'd be missing a lot about the characters' stories and background. How we got to where we are is so important to appreciate the full story. The Duke's Bargain gets 4 Stars. Have you read The Duke's Bargain? What did you think? Let me know!

Sunday Post - 05/03/26

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.

Man, this week was packed full. Monday was a normal school day. Little Boy had his last ball game of the season. They won, and they ended up winning their age group in our league because they only lost one leauge game. Big Girl also had a game. They didn't win, but it was a close one at 9 to 12. They were up to bat in the final inning and she hit a line drive that short stop robbed her of. Neither of our two base runners tagged up, so the other team got a triple play and ended our come back. Turns out about half of that team is from a travel ball team, so that made our game even more impressive to me. Tuesday, Big Boy had his second round of testing. I won't know anything about the results until later this month. We went to my parent's house after that. Big Boy's game got canceled Tuesday night because it was raining. I didn't mind the extra night at home this week because we have just been so busy. Wednesday was another normal school day. We are wrapping up a lot. We have finished our science unit for the quarter and we only have one more history lesson to wrap that up. I can't believe we only have two weeks left of school. Big Girl had pitching practice Wednesday night. And it was another emotional one. She's doing great though. The coach spent a good bit of time talking to the girls about how much of a mental game softball is, especially for the pitcher. I had to ask her if she would tell a friend the things she was telling herself. I hope that helps. Thursday, I had hoped we could go to the park, but even though it didn't rain on Thursday, everything was wet. We decided not to. Big Girl had her last ball game. Big Girl would get two strikes on almost every batter, and then they would hit or walk. She did much better staying calm, but she was really, really sad when the game was over. Mostly just that the season was over. Even though this group of girls wasn't our best team as far as knowing and playing the game, she said this group of girls was really nice, and that hasn't always been the case. Friday, we had another normal school day. Big Boy's last game was scheduled, but I just knew they would cancel it due to rain. But they let them play in the rain. We lost by one, but I was also proud of him because he played short stop in the first inning and caught a popfly. Then he got an out playing on the pitcher's mound. He had a good hit too, but he also had a piddly hit that he beat out the first baseman to the base. Saturday, the kids had a big gang of neighborhood kids riding bikes back and forth in front of our house. I always feel torn about them playing with neighborhood kids. More than one of these kids under 13 years old have a cell phone with (as far as I can tell) unfiltered access to the internet which scares me so much. I spent my day cleaning house. We've been gone every Saturday for over a month so I haven't been able to get as much done lately as I wanted, and it feels so nice to have cleaned what I did.

THE PAST WEEK

Monday: Review of Stranger Things Have Happened by Kasie West (4.5 Stars)

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: Reivew of The Duke's Bargain by Megan Walker
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday
Friday: Homeschool Friday - The Bad Seed

NEW BOOKS:

No new books this week.

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!

Stranger Things Have Happened - Review

Stranger Things Have Happened

By: Kasie West

Publication: April 14, 2026 by Saturday Books

352 pages

Genre: Adult, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (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--Can fake dating lead to real love? In Kasie West's next sexy adult romcom two people must decide where the lie ends and the chemistry begins.

Sutton knows she needs therapy. After all, she’s managing her newly opened restaurant remotely while taking care of her ungrateful sick mother. Plus, her boyfriend of two years just dumped her over the phone. But does therapy with a handsome stranger, who she has to pretend to be engaged to, in order to help her friend’s struggling relationship count? Probably not. Then why did she just agree to go? Because she’s had a few too many drinks? Because this stranger, Elijah, is smug and annoying and really, really handsome? Because she feels guilty that she abandoned her best friend, Tara, after high school and this might just make up for it? Whatever the reason, she has committed to this unhinged plan.

What [...] is Sutton doing?

Helping Tara prove a point: a good therapist can tell the difference between real love and fake love. That’s what she’s doing. But as they attend their sessions, Sutton and Elijah only seem to be proving one thing—the lines between pretend desire and real desire are very blurry. This true connection forming between them is threatening to unravel everything Sutton thought she knew about family, friendship, and her own heart.

Kasie West has been a mostly auto-read author for me. Up until this year, she has written only for young adults. But within the last year, she's released two adult novels, and I'm here for it.

Sutton starts off the novel on her way to meet her boyfriend for a date since she's been out of town taking care of her mom. But her boyfriend decides to dump her over the phone instead. On top of that, she's recently opened a new restaurant with a friend and business partner that isn't getting great reviews from critics. She's not in the best place, but she's keeping it together. She runs into her high school best friend, who is engaged, the fiancé, and his brother.

Tara is trying to talk her fiancé into doing premarital counseling before the wedding, but he thinks therapy is pointless. Sutton gets pulled into a bet of sorts that a therapist couldn't even tell if two random strangers were actually in a relationship or not. But Sutton and Elijah (fiancé's brother) are the only strangers who could attempt this for Tara and fiance. Of course, Sutton and Elijah are forced to spend some time together and have some homework given to them by the therapist. They agree to do the homework to the best of their abilities to ensure they don't need to lie in their sessions and remain as truthful as possible to see if the therapist can figure things out. And of course, feelings begin to develop.

Elijah and Sutton were great. Everything about their relationship was enjoyable. Even though things kept getting thwarted. They were easy to root for. There is a little on-page spice, but there are not too many scenes if that's an issue for you.

What was a struggle was DB fiance who I haven't dignified with even a name in this review. He was easy to root against. And then Sutton's mom was so difficult as well. She was often downright mean to Sutton. I suppose there's resentment towards Sutton and thoughts that her husband wouldn't have left, but she was just so awful to her that it was hard to read. Caregiving is hard work, but compound that with trying to care for someone who degrades you, and that's what she was facing.

Overall, Stranger Things Have Happened was a fun, fast read for me. I am actually giving Stranger Things Have Happened 4.5 Stars because of how real and connected I felt to the story. Have you read Stranger Things Have Happened? What did you think? Let me know!