Can't Wait Wednesday!

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I am combining CWW with Books From the Backlog hosted by Carole at Carole's Random Life in Books. This will allow me to feature some newly "rediscovered" books, which I plan on reading, alongside a new release.

This week I can't wait for

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Faking Christmas by Kerry Winfrey
Published by Berkley on September 26, 2023
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Goodreads

Laurel Grant is playing house for the holidays--complete with a fake husband and kids--in this delightful, cozy rom-com by Kerry Winfrey.

Laurel Grant works as the social media manager for Buckeye State of Mind, an Ohio tourism magazine and website. She is most definitely not an owner of a farm...but one tiny misunderstanding leads her boss, Gilbert, to think she owns her twin sister Holly's farm just outside of Columbus. Laurel only handles the social media for the farm, but she's happy to keep her little white lie going if it means not getting fired.

And keep it going she must when Gilbert, recently dumped by his wife, invites himself over for the farm's big holiday dinner (as advertised on Meadow Rise Farm's Instagram, thanks to Laurel herself). Laurel immediately goes into panic mode to figure out how she can trick Gilbert into thinking she's basically the Martha Stewart of rural Ohio and keep her job in the process.

Laurel and Holly come up with a plan--all Laurel has to do is pretend to own the farm for one dinner. But when Laurel shows up at the farm, an unwelcome guest is there: Max Beckett, her nemesis since Holly's wedding. The annoyingly attractive man she hates will be posing as Laurel's husband just for the evening, but when a snowstorm traps them all for the entire weekend, Laurel is going to have to figure out how to survive with her job and dignity intact. Whatever the case, this promises to be the most eventful Christmas in ages...

I always enjoy Kerry Winfrey's books, and now she has written a holiday romance. Be still my heart! The synopsis speaks of a LOT of faking which hopefully will translate to lots of fun. There also seems to be an enemies-to-lovers thing going on which I think Winfrey will execute to my liking. More or less, I just expect more of what I adore from Winfrey - a sweet and adorable romance packed with humor and warmth (and set in Ohio). 

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The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
Published by Berkley on October 23, 2018
Age/Genres: Adult, Fiction
Goodreads

Sometimes you have to leave behind everything you know to find the place you truly belong...

Nana the cat is on a road trip. He is not sure where he's going or why, but it means that he gets to sit in the front seat of a silver van with his beloved owner, Satoru. Side by side, they cruise around Japan through the changing seasons, visiting Satoru's old friends. He meets Yoshimine, the brusque and unsentimental farmer for whom cats are just ratters; Sugi and Chikako, the warm-hearted couple who run a pet-friendly B & B and Kosuke, the mournful husband whose cat-loving wife has just left him. There's even a very special dog who forces Nana to reassess his disdain for the canine species.

But what is the purpose of this road trip? And why is everyone so interested in Nana? Nana does not know and Satoru won't say. But when Nana finally works it out, his small heart will break...

Don't laugh. I wanted to read this because of the title. That's it. You all know how much I appreciate cat antics, and here we have a book about a cat on a road trip. That's a lot of things Sam likes. PLUS! It sounds like there is a personal journey in there too. Not sure how I feel about the heartbreak mentioned at the end, but other readers seem to be ok with it, so I am thinking it's one of those painfully beautiful things. 

What are you waiting on?
Let us know in the comments!