The Weekend Post #223: Weekly Highlights & More!

Welcome to The Weekend Post #223! The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted at Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme. I will also be joining Deb at Readerbuzz for the Sunday Salon.

My Week:

This has been an emotionally difficult week as I remember my Dad, who passed away a year ago this week. In some ways, it feels as though it was just yesterday. At other times, it feels like it has been forever. I’m sure those of you who have lost someone you love can relate to that strange feeling of time standing still and moving forward all at once.

It definitely feels like Fall has arrived here, as though Mother Nature simply flipped a switch. We’ve had cooler temperatures and periods of rain—and honestly, we need it. I’m looking forward to seeing green grass again. I’ve also decorated my home for the season, and I’m loving the cozy feeling that comes with this time of year. I haven’t had my first pumpkin spice latte yet, but I’m sure that will happen soon!

I’ve done quite a bit of shopping this week and had a 3.5 hour hair appointment. And somehow, once again, it’s already the weekend. Time really does fly.

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend and hoping you find a little time to slow down, get cozy, and enjoy the simple things.

Recent Additions To My Bookshelf:

From Publishers, Netgalley or Libro.fm:

Christmas in Shelter Springs brings an unexpected second chance for Hannah Goodwin and Wes Kenner, former sweethearts who haven’t seen each other in years. When Hannah steps in to care for her friend Morgan’s children and Wes returns home to help his grandfather, the two are forced back into each other’s lives. As they work together to bring some holiday magic to Morgan and her family, old feelings and painful memories resurface. With Wes and his beloved K9, Kodiak, by her side, Hannah begins to wonder if this Christmas might finally give them both the chance to heal, find forgiveness and rekindle their first love. Expected Publication: October 6.

Gabby Donaldson travels to a small town to fulfil her late mother’s final wish: delivering a letter to the grandmother she never knew. When finding Rosemary proves more complicated than expected, Gabby accepts help from journalist and single dad Mason Morrison in exchange for sharing her story. But as Gabby becomes entwined in Mason’s life and grows close to his twelve-year-old daughter, what was meant to be a brief visit begins to feel like home. As long-buried family secrets surface and professional boundaries blur, Gabby must decide whether to return to the carefully planned life she left behind or take a chance on the unexpected family, love, and sense of belonging she’s discovered. Expected Publication: October 13.

From The Library:

🇨🇦 Reece’s world is turned upside down when he discovers his father and a woman he assumes is his mother dead in bed at his parents’ home, in what initially appears to be a murder-suicide. But when his real mother calls and reveals the dead woman isn’t her, Reece realizes his family is hiding far more than he ever imagined. When his mother suddenly disappears instead of returning home, he begins to wonder whether she was involved—or whether the killer mistakenly believed she was the woman they murdered. As Reece investigates the shocking crime, he uncovers disturbing secrets about his parents and his father’s connection to an unscrupulous pharmaceutical company, forcing him to question everything he thought he knew while trying to determine who is responsible and whether he and his own family are now in danger.

🇨🇦 Ellie McCain has always dreamed of a bigger life, so when she’s accepted into a prestigious acting school in New York City, she leaves her family, friends and first love, Rory Campbell, behind. Although New York initially seems like everything she hoped for, Ellie soon finds herself struggling to get ahead while watching those around her—including Rory, now a successful professional golfer—achieve their dreams. When she unexpectedly reconnects with Rory after ten years apart, Ellie begins questioning the choices she’s made, what she truly wants and whether the love she left behind might still have a place in her life. Told across alternating timelines and set in Vancouver, New York and Los Angeles, This Changes Everything explores first love, second chances and the possibility that the person you’ve always loved might also be the one you’re meant to end up with.

What I’m Watching:

We watched The Whisper Man on Netflix and both enjoyed it. I’ve also discovered that Disney+ is streaming the series Brothers and Sisters which I enjoyed a couple of decades ago and have started rewatching it.

What Was On The Blog This Week:

Mother Daughter Sister Stranger by Hank Phillippi Ryan: A Twisty, Fast-Paced Thriller Review

The Birthing Tree by Amanda Peters: A Moving and Powerful Book Review

Can’t Wait Wednesday #204: The Best Christmas Ever by Sarah Morgan

Celebrity Book Club Picks for September 2026

The Summer Between Us by Jennifer Probst: A Heartfelt Hawaiian Romance Review of Love & Second Chances

This Post: The Weekend Post #223

Next Week On That Happy Reader:

August 2026 Wrap Up

Can’t Wait Wednesday #205

Book Review: You’ll Love it Here by Natalie Sue

Who Wears it Better in September 2026?

The Weekend Post #224

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That’s a wrap on The Weekend Post #223. How was your week?

I wish you a wonderful week ahead!