Book Link

From Amazon:

“The best books are those in which the characters come alive before your eyes” Telegraph & Argos ‘I’ve never read a story quite like this, but it was such fun I consumed it in one sitting. As we are introduced to the well observed, larger than life characters I felt I was watching a very British sit-com. We have Bradford, a corner shop, wacky characters, shopping at Primani, a knickerless caravan dweller, dozens of shoes and plenty of booze’ Amazon Review A corner shop, a lottery machine and a bamboo bike …. Shaz and Trace balance spreadsheets by day, but by night drink vodka and dance with their crazy Aunt Sheila in the magical wardrobe. As the country is hit with Brexit fever, mother has her bags packed in case she gets deported whilst gossiping with the likes of Tattoo Tony, Mad Mush Martha and Dammit Janet. Shaz is doing her best to avoid the creepy centre-parted Rajeev and his pet goat. However, her sister Trace is drawn to the charms of the lovely Channing Chopra who is from the posh end of town. A short story of drinking and dancing while the strange barman Bachittar watches on… tutting …

My Review:

Mary Schmidt

5 out of 5 stars

I laughed

Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2026

Format: Kindle

Verified Purchase

This was a very funny short story and I wish I had a magic vodka wardrobe in which I could go just to see all the crazy women did after a shot or two. This is my first time reading a book by Sheila Patel. Cleverly written and funny throughout.

Book Title: The Lark

Series: n/a

Author Name: Laura C. Rader

Publication Date: September 23, 2026

Publisher: Echoes Publishing

Pages: 425

Genre: Historical Fiction

Any Triggers: No

Twitter Handle: @LauraCR_Author @cathiedunn @AuthorMichael57

Instagram Handle: @lcrwriter @thecoffeepotbookclub

Hashtags: #HistoricalFiction #TheLark #WizardofOz #BiographicalHistoricalFiction  #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2026/09/blog-tour-the-lark-by-laura-c-rader.html

Book Title and Author Name:

The Lark

by Laura C. Rader

Blurb:

When The Wizard of Oz graced the silver screen in 1939, it changed cinema and popular culture forever. But the true story began decades earlier with the young composer who risked everything to bring it to the Broadway stage. 

At the turn of the century, twenty-three-year-old Paul Tietjens is a gifted classical pianist with dreams of greatness and a non-refundable ticket to Europe to study with the master composers of his time. 

But when the bank calls in the debt on his family’s Missouri farm, Paul forgoes his dream to save them from financial ruin. Desperate to find a new road to success, he moves to up-and-coming Chicago, where he persuades author L. Frank Baum to collaborate on a comic opera of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, setting the stage for the defining cultural touchstone that we know today.

Paul embarks on his opera with high hopes, but scandal threatens his soaring ambition when he falls in love with his best friend’s beautiful but married sister, and his fears grow as the Wizard of Oz demands not only his talent but his soul.

Inspired by Paul’s 1901 diary, The Lark follows Paul as he journeys from the theaters of Chicago to the streets of Manhattan, from his family’s Missouri farm to the beaches of Michigan, fighting to hang onto the chance of a lifetime, his integrity, and the woman he loves. 

Excerpt 2:

From Chapter Eighteen:

Kate closed her parasol and set it aside in a casual manner before leaning back on her elbows, holding her pale face up to the sun, her eyes closed, her long lashes brushing her high cheekbones. Curly tendrils of honey-brown hair framed her face beneath her straw hat and caressed her long neck. 

She opened her blue eyes and looked at me. For a moment, I was lost in them, heard in my heart the whispered German words “blaue Blume,” the blue flower that symbolizes desire, love, and striving for the unattainable. Never had I held a gaze so long nor felt such a stirring from within.

“This is lovely, isn’t it?” she said, gently awakening me from her spell.

“Very. I’m pleased to see you looking so well today.” I removed my hat, ran my hand through my hair, and fanned myself with it before settling it again on my head.

“My trouble comes and goes. I wish the doctors could help, but they only tell me to take it easy, that there’s no fix for my defective heart.”

Her lack of guile or self-pity touched me deeply. I’m sure if I had such a severe malady, I would either withdraw from society or torment everyone with complaints.

“There’s no remedy?” I asked.

“I take that new BayerÒ aspirin now, which eases the pain. I’m told both foxglove tea and quinine may help with my irregular heartbeats, though I’ve tried both without noticing much improvement.”

She stroked Vita’s curls tenderly. “William used to hold me in his arms when I had an attack, which at least made the events less frightening.”

My thoughts leapt to the sensation of holding her in my arms on our calamitous walk last month—not to mention all the times I’d imagined doing so. She had opened Pandora’s box, and I decided to explore it. Cautiously.

“You must miss him.”

“Very much. Still, I haven’t heard from him for months, and I’m beginning to fear…although…”

I wanted to prompt her as the silence stretched on. I held my tongue.

She stared at her wedding band. “I truly am at a loss for what to think. I am worried. And lonely.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sure it’s just the difficulty of getting mail through. Trans-continentally.”

My heart ached for her with both sympathy and longing. I met her gaze and, almost as a lark, I slowly closed my right eye. You are beautiful. When I opened it again, she smiled at me. Emboldened, I briefly closed both eyes. May I kiss you?

To my shock, when I opened them, she raised her eyebrows. Kiss me. I grasped her hand, brought it to my lips, and tenderly kissed the back of her knuckles. It was her left hand, and my lips brushed the chill of her wedding band.

“We can’t,” I murmured, but kept hold of her hand.

“We haven’t.” She kept her gaze locked on mine.

“You are so beautiful.” I held my breath for her response. A thrill ran through me, reminding me of my moments with Abby, but this was much stronger and more frightening, knocking me speechless.

“You know the language.” She stroked the back of my hand with her thumb. A bow drawn across the strings of a violin, making them tremble and sing.

I met her gaze again and reached out, my fingertips grazing her cheek. She caught my hand in hers and kissed my palm.

“Kate.” I choked on her name.

“Yes?” She kept hold of my hand.

“I’m trying to be honorable. I’m failing miserably.”

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/m0RDZV

Author Bio:

Laura C. Rader is the award-winning author of the biographical historical novel Hatfield 1677. When she isn’t writing, you can find her conducting research, playing her 1905 antique piano, and spending time with her family, friends, and pets.

A native of Southern California, she now lives north of Raleigh, North Carolina.

Author Links:

Website: https://www.lcrwriter.com

Twitter / X: https://x.com/LauraCR_Author

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LCRWriter

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lcrwriter/

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@lcrwriter

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/laurawriter2b.bsky.social

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/laurarader8/

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/laura-c-rader

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@laura.rader0

Amazon Author Page:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Laura-C-Rader/author/B0CZF3SQT9?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/47076598.Laura_C_Rader

Book Link

From Amazon:

Forty will enter Crossroads Farm, Thirty-seven will die. Meet Rita Jackson, a child serial killer who deprives her victims of oxygen. Hidden behind her youth and innocence is a monstrous killer. From a young age, her father knew of her murderous tendencies. He fed it and encouraged the monster to grow. Rita will steal her victims’ last breath and watch them die with a smile on her face in this chilling and captivating story. Their house in Crossroads Farm will echo with the cry of her victims. Will Rita be amongst the living? Or will she lose her life to her madness?

My Review:

Wow. First book by Harryman, I’ve read. The story is exceptionally written and tight. People can be a serial killer in many ways and this book is no exception. It’s completely different from any book I’ve read in the past. Serial killers come in all shapes and sizes. If one can kill and carve a symbol into the cheek of the dead, then they can act out any scene. But will they be caught?

Book Link

From Amazon:

She’s killed her husband—and now she must convince the police that she is not the villain but the victim . . .
Caron Rivers appeared to have it all. Lovely home. Loving spouse. Happy marriage. But behind closed doors, things were not what they seemed. Why did Caron snap and kill Bill? Now she finds herself at the police station, facing questions about exactly what happened and what led to the shocking event. With Bill dead, she is free to tell her story. But the police may not believe it, in this gripping novel of emotional and psychological suspense from the author of Abduction and The Accident.

My Review:

Mary Schmidt

5 out of 5 stars

Chilling

Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2026

Format: Kindle

Verified Purchase

Caron chills my blood to the maximum. It’s one thing to be a real abused wife, and a whole other thing to act out a script after stabbing your husband and watching him bleed out on the floor. Caron is a sociopath at best and much more than that. The lengths one will go just to keep what they have is crazy. Abused when a child, did that start Caron on the path she took in life? If given a choice, would the outcome be different? Stabbing a man in the chest in a calculated manner so you know you stabbed his heart, watching him bleed out on your kitchen floor, then deciding that what you just did was better than sex? Read to find out.

Book Title and Author Name:

The Midnight Carousel
(A Forest Falls Frolic)
By Hanna Park

Publication Date: 22^nd September 2026
Publisher: Baisong Press
Print Length: 197 Pages
Genre: Romance

Blurb:

Belle Stanhope had plans. Good plans. Practical plans.

None of them involved Hudson Carver.

The florist with the crooked smile had become a distraction she neither wanted nor could avoid. Which was inconvenient, considering the Pretty River Inn and the upcoming bachelor auction left little room for distractions.

For years, Hudson had been content with the life he’d built beneath Christmas Mountain. His flower shop, his workshop, and the friends who had become family were more than he’d ever expected. Then he met Belle Stanhope.

As Christmas approaches, the carousel’s calliope sings off-key, and the old magic he’d left behind stirs once more. The life he’d built and the life he wants are no longer the same.

In Forest Falls, wishes have a way of finding the people who need them most.

Twitter / X Handle: @maryanneyarde @AuthorMichael57
Instagram Handle: @hannaparkwrites @yardereviews

Bluesky Handle: @hannaparkauthor.bsky.social @maryanneyarde.bsky.social

Hashtags:

#TheJerseyNightingale #EllenRead #YardeBookPromotions #BlogTour #HistoricalFiction #HistoricalRomance #WWIIFiction #WartimeFiction #HistoricalFictionBooks #BookTour #BookBloggers #BookReviews #BookRecommendations #NewBook #BookLovers

Tour Schedule Page:

https://maryanneyarde.blogspot.com/2026/08/blog-tour-midnight-carousel-forest.html

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/bOBpkA

Author Bio:

Hanna Park

I began my writing career in the pre-dawn of a winter morning while my husband snored like a train. We could call my husband the catalyst. If it weren’t for him, I would never have gone to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee, feed the cat, and sit on the loveseat in front of the fire. It was there, in those moments of wondrous quiet, that I did something I had never thought possible. I opened my laptop, and while the coffee went cold, I wrote a story. My husband had no idea that these sojourns to the loveseat in front of the fire would become a daily occurrence, that writing would become an obsession, but the cat knew. She knows everything.

I write stories that make you laugh, make you cry, and make you love. Thank you, friends, for reading!

In the beginning, there was an empty page.

I am a writer who lives in Muskoka, Canada, with a husband who snores, a hungry cat, and an almost perfect canine––he’s an adorable little shit.

Social Media Links:

Website: https://www.hannapark.ca

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannaparkwrites/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hanna.park.1485537

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hannaparkauthor.bsky.social

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/hanna-park

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Hanna-Park/author/B0999S2RKX

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21418698.Hanna_Park

Book Link

From Amazon:

Zenya Cobb has had enough of a traditional life with her husband-to-be, Pavell. She returns to her life as a space pirate, setting out to find and claim as much gold and other treasures as she can.

Except, due to a freak accident, she crash-lands on a planet that shouldn’t exist – The mythical lost planet of Vunerth, reputed to have been the galaxy’s richest spot until an asteroid destroyed it many years ago.

But it’s still very much around, and holds more secrets than even Zenya can imagine.

She meets the mysterious natives, a peaceful alien community of traders with their own secrets, and hears whispers of conspiracy. Could Vunerth’s disappearance be part of a web of darkness perpetuated by the government?

While Zenya reels, her determined partner, Pavell chases her across the galaxy.

But when they are reunited, they must make a choice. Leave this bizarre planet in their past and return to a life of peace, or risk their lives teaming up with the natives to save the planet and expose an intergalactic lie?

My Review:

Mary Schmidt

5 out of 5 stars

Sci-fi

Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2026

Format: Kindle

Verified Purchase

Another sci-fi book read. This book is sci-fi all the way. Greed from one almost destroyed a planet. The tunnels difficult to navigate in the dark just like the heavily foggy atmosphere was hard two alien races could navigate tree by tree. When one’s girlfriend takes off after being angered by her to be father-in-law, his son chases after her. To finally realize the damage to the planet and it’s people was touching. Three unlikely heroes brave elements and more in a last ditch effort. Will it work? Will the plan change often? Can they get out alive? One must read in order to find out.

Book Title:                 What Love E’er Meant

Series:                                    Regina            (Book #2)

Author Name:                       Janet Wertman

Publication Date:      September 7, 2026

Publisher:                  Janet Wertman

Pages:                                     432

Genre:                                    Historical Biographical Fiction

Any Triggers:                        n/a

Twitter Handle:        @cathiedunn

Instagram Handle:   @janetwertman @toomuchtudor @thecoffeepotbookclub @AuthorMichael57

Hashtags:                   #WhatLove #HistoricalFiction #BiographicalHistoricalFiction #Tudors #ElizabethI #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2026/09/blog-tour-what-love-ever-meant-by-janet-wertman.html

Book Title and Author Name:

What Love E’er Meant

by Janet Wertman

Blurb:

A new queen must prove she deserves the throne God gave her, while the path everyone insists will secure it might cost her everything

Against all odds, Elizabeth Tudor has become Queen of England. Determined to fulfill what she sees as a divine responsibility, she sets out to heal a country ravaged by religious discord, war, and debt – and vindicate the legacy of Anne Boleyn, the mother who did not deserve her fate.

But Elizabeth’s crown is not fully secure: to the Catholic world, her cousin Mary Stuart is the rightful Queen of England and there are rumblings to put her there. Shoring up defenses requires that Elizabeth challenge France’s control of Scotland and Spain’s dominance on the seas, as well as calm internal strife. Above the din of menace, one question dominates all others: who will she marry?

William Cecil, her trusted Secretary of State, urges her to secure an alliance through a strategic match. Robert Dudley, the love of her life, pressures her to choose him. And Mary herself presents a cautionary tale. In the end, Elizabeth chooses not as a woman but as a queen, and learns the sobering truth of sovereignty: to rule is to stand alone.

What Love E’er Meant, the searing second volume in the Regina Trilogy, captures a young queen’s struggle to balance love and power, duty and desire…and the profound cost of choosing crown over heart.

Excerpt 1:

December 14, 1558

Elizabeth made her way down the gallery, determined to appreciate the waning hours of her stay at Somerset House and gird herself for the symbolic start to her responsibility. Today was Mary’s funeral, the last Requiem Mass that would be sung in England, and only now would Elizabeth move into an official royal residence. What started out as convenience had turned into brilliant political strategy: with Mary’s final debts presented in the days after her death, Elizabeth’s absence created a visceral reminder that she could not be blamed for them.

Just in front of her, William Cecil stepped out of his office. “Ah, Cecil, you are coming to supper? You may escort me.”

He raced to give her his arm. “You do me too much honor. Though I am told nowhere near as much as you offer Robert Dudley.”

There was an edge to his voice. Jealousy or judgment? Maybe both. “Oh?”

“Is it true you receive him in your apartments late at night? I worry for your reputation if this becomes known. People will call you…people will talk.”

Embarrassment at Cecil’s disapproval ceded quickly to resentment, and she determined to continue visits she deeply enjoyed. Cecil had always been a prude. She had done nothing wrong, which made this about power, not morality. If Elizabeth bent now, petty opinions would always control her. She needed to quash this, or nothing she ever did would ever be enough. “I do receive him, just as I would receive you or any Councilor, surrounded by my ladies.”

“He is a married man.”

“And you are not?” She put an exaggeratedly quizzical look on her face. “Has something happened to Mildred?”

Cecil bowed his head as if acknowledging his hypocrisy, but continued. “You should not show such favor to—”

“I will show whatever favor I please. Especially to my advisors.”

“Hence my worry. Robert Dudley’s motives are always self-interested.”

“He wishes to serve me. As many do,” she said calmly, not caring that she would never change Cecil’s mind about Robin. They were perfect foils, and that served her: her father’s worst mistakes had come from heeding a single perspective.

“Could he not do so during the daytime?”

“I have always conducted myself properly,” she said, each word crisper than the last. “I daresay, if I were a man, I would already have done far worse.”

“The eyes of the world—”

“Are judging me unfairly if they are judging me at all. You should be defending me and my prerogative.”

He winced. “I do and I always will. But privately I believe it would be fatal to your reputation to be called an adulteress.”

The word stung. But the accusation had been falsely leveled at her before, and now it only fueled her defiance. “Adulteress? For playing cards with all my ladies surrounding me?”

“It is not about the truth; it is about what people believe. And if they believe you an adulteress, they will turn against you.”

“I cannot control people’s opinions. And slinking away with my tail between my legs will only lend truth to the slander. I will not validate anyone’s evil judgment when I am doing nothing wrong.”

“You represent the Protestant ideal and should—”

“Thank you,” she said, as if his argument contained only compliment. “I am always aware of that – as I am of the rights God has given me.”

That stopped him. “I never meant to suggest otherwise. Please forgive me.”

They walked on in silence. She paused at the entrance to the Great Hall, ostensibly to survey but also to give herself a moment to shake off the conversation and the feeling of guilt that lingered despite her victory.

Flirting was not adultery, she reminded herself. Besides, testing her virtue was the best way of proving it. God is more pleased with a man who is able to sin but does not, than with a man who has no opportunity to sin.

Buy Links:

Amazon & Apple Ebook Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/4XqdD7

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/what-love-e-er-meant?

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-love-eer-meant-janet-wertman/1151015402

Author Bio:

Janet Wertman’s critically acclaimed, character-driven historical novels reflect a passion for the Tudor era she had harbored since she stayed up late at age eight to watch The Six Wives of Henry VIII and Elizabeth R.

Her Seymour Saga trilogy (Jane the Quene, The Path to Somerset, The Boy King) took her deep into one of the era’s central families – and now her follow-up Regina series (Nothing Proved and What Love E’er Meant out now, Forever Gloriana to come) explores Elizabeth’s journey from bastard to icon.

She shares interesting takes on the Tudors at http://www.janetwertman.com  and her YouTube channel @TooMuchTudor.

Author Links:

Website:                     https://janetwertman.com  

Facebook:                  https://www.facebook.com/janetwertmanauthor/

Instagram:                 https://www.instagram.com/janetwertman/

https://www.instagram.com/toomuchtudor

Bluesky:                     https://bsky.app/profile/janetwertman.bsky.social          

Pinterest:                   https://www.pinterest.com/janetwertman/

Book Bub:                  https://www.bookbub.com/profile/janet-wertman

TikTok:                      https://www.tiktok.com/@janetwertman

YouTube:                   https://www.youtube.com/@TooMuchTudor

Amazon Author Page:                     

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Janet-Wertman/author/B01CUSMWFA

Goodreads:           https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2028387.Janet_Ambrosi_Wertman

Book Link

From Amazon:

When Lorenzo Dalton inherited his Grandma Mabel’s BMW Coupe, he was a twenty-two-year-old kid without a care in the world. Now, two years later, his inheritance has lost its luster, and so has his life, until an old friend rolls through the doors of the Little Ivywood Humane Society.

Catalina Chavéz, a successful artist, has spent fifteen years hiding her personal demons by hiding her heart. Now, staring thirty in the face, she’s ready to relinquish her recluse status and reconnect with old friends. She just wasn’t expecting one of them to be a tall, dark, and handsome Lorenzo Dalton.

Cat and Lorenzo find they share the same taste in food, music, and dreams for their future. They also share a mutual enemy, Xavier Carellton. Threats, lies, murder, and betrayal swirl through the air of Little Ivywood, California, and neither knows friend from foe. Someone wants them dead, and they must find the killer before the killer finds them.

My Review:

This is my lost count of how many books I’ve read by Katie Metter, but I know I’ve read more than twenty titles. Mettner’s writing style evolves the same way most of her books do, love finds one when least expected. One, or more characters have a disability. Her characters are believable. Angst exists. A large majority of her books center around Christmas and very sweet romances. Then she changes things up in other books and danger lurks. Dark danger. Deadly Danger. This novel is from the POV of the leading man, only 22, and Catalina (Cat), wheelchair bound and looking at 30. Cat has a plethora of concerns and body anxiety due to her disabled status. For Lorenzo, (Ren), he falls in love at first sight. Someone wants thwem both dead. Could be a man from Cat’s past. Well worth reading.

Book Link

From Amazon:

Cosy in with the first book in Susan Buchanan’s Christmas Spirit series – a small-town, feel-good festive romance with lashings of community and goodwill – not to mention Christmas Spirit!

For fans of Sarah Morgan, Philippa Ashley, Jenny Colgan and Milly Johnson.

ESCAPE TO THE SUGAR AND SPICE CAFE THIS CHRISTMAS! 🎄💖🍰🎄💖🍰

When eternally optimistic Natalie Hope takes over at the Sugar and Spice bakery café could it be just the injection of Christmas spirit her regulars need?

Newly dumped Rebecca is stuck in a job with no prospects, has lost her home and is struggling to see a way forward. To make matters worse, her ex-boyfriend is trying to take her to the cleaners.

Pensioner Stanley is dreading his first Christmas alone without his beloved wife, who passed away earlier this year. How can he celebrate Christmas without her and will he ever feel whole again?

Graduate Jacob is still out of work despite applying for hundreds of jobs. Will he be forced to go against his instincts and ask his rich but unsympathetic parents for help? And will he regain the confidence he has lost with women and find love?

Spiky workaholic Meredith hates the jollity of family gatherings and would rather stay home with a box set and a posh ready meal. Will she finally realise what’s important in life and start appreciating those around her?

Natalie sprinkles a little magic to try to spread some festive cheer, restore Christmas spirit, and bring those in need together, but will she succeed?

My Review:

This was a very sweet read of the holiday season and main character was sweet as could be. She helped out many during her time in a small town in winter. I found myself wanting a taste of each cake she’d baked in the bakery. People have problems and issues and helping those people is touching. I’d like to name her Angel, if I could. Things maybe be represented differently in this story’s setting, but the 12 days of Christmas does not start on December 12th. For most, it starts on Christmas day and through epiphany in January.

Book Link

Mary L. Schmidt’s Earth’s Last Hope is an apocalyptic survival novel that starts with a frighteningly simple problem: Yellowstone is about to erupt, and humanity has almost no time to prepare. When scientists realize the supervolcano is behaving far more aggressively than expected, President Joyce Zimmerman and government leaders move quickly to protect as many people as possible. Much of the story follows retired General James Tilson and his extended family as they take shelter in a massive underground complex beneath the Denver Federal Center. Schmidt spends a lot of time showing how bunker life actually functions, from hydroponic food production and medical care to schooling, security, recreation, and daily chores. That practical detail gives the novel the feel of both a disaster story and a survival manual, while the worsening eruption, ash-filled atmosphere, extreme cold, and collapse of normal society keep reminding everyone that the world above them is changing permanently.

What gives the book its personality, though, is its focus on family and community. James may be dealing with presidents, generals, secret facilities, riots, evacuations, and classified missions, but he’s also Grandpa James, a husband and the emotional center of a sprawling family. The quieter scenes matter just as much as the disaster scenes. People cook together, work in the hydroponic gardens, teach children, fall in love, get married, play games, paint, pray, deal with injuries, and eventually welcome new babies. Those moments create an unusual rhythm for an apocalypse novel because Schmidt is interested in more than simply surviving the next catastrophe. She’s interested in what people would do with ordinary life once ordinary life has been forced underground. Faith is also central to that vision. Prayer, gratitude, marriage, childbirth, and the belief that humanity has a future become recurring parts of the characters’ response to enormous loss.

About halfway through, Earth’s Last Hope expands from disaster fiction into science fiction when the Nyard, an advanced extraterrestrial race secretly connected to humanity since the Roswell era, become crucial to Earth’s survival. Their technology changes the scale of the novel dramatically. Instead of concentrating only on how long people can endure underground, the story begins asking whether the planet itself can be repaired. Yellowstone is permanently neutralized, new technology removes volcanic ash from the atmosphere, nanobots assist with cleanup, and a new source of clean energy helps humanity rebuild. In that sense, the book reminded me somewhat of Andy Weir’s The Martian. Both stories enjoy explaining solutions instead of simply announcing that a problem has been solved. Weir tends to build those solutions through tightly constrained engineering and scientific problem-solving, while Schmidt blends scientific explanation with speculative technology, government coordination, faith, and family life. Her canvas is also much larger. Instead of one person trying to stay alive, she follows an entire society trying to figure out what living should look like after almost losing the planet.

The result is a hopeful kind of apocalypse story. There’s tremendous destruction here, including mass death, ruined cities, toxic ash, starvation, psychological trauma, and the near extinction of humanity, but the novel keeps returning to rebuilding. By the final chapters, survivors are confronting what remains of Denver, salvaging materials, restoring communities, welcoming new life, and imagining a society built differently from the one that disappeared. The birth of Georgy near the end works especially well as a symbol of that direction, arriving just as the characters finally face the physical remains of their former homes. The epilogue carries that idea forward three years into reconstruction, with salvaged stone, granite, new infrastructure, and green energy becoming the foundations of another civilization. Earth’s Last Hope is ultimately a story about catastrophe as a test of cooperation. Its biggest interest is the question of what people preserve when nearly everything familiar is taken away, and its answer is remarkably consistent: family, knowledge, faith, useful work, community, and the determination to build something that can last.