August 18, 2026 by Melissa de la Cruz Studio
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Biltmore, Eileen. The Disappearance and the Diary (The Manor Mysteries #1)
The new covers are quite nice, and if you are looking for a series of upper crust English manor mysteries, this is a good bet. The sequel to this one seems to be The Girl and the Ghost. (Aug. 25, 2026) https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/2014/07/mmgm-secrets-of-manor.html
Emily has decided not to go to college, since she is still dealing with the death of her older sister Liv five years ago, and thanks to her grandmother, is able to take a gap year in Europe. Her grandmother Rose is comfortable because she was part of a girl group, the Flower Sisters, with her sister, Dahlia, and their songs have been used in movies and sampled by later artists. Rose has given Emily her itinerary and asked her to recreate it. On her first day in Seville, she meets Penny, a social media influencer who is traveling with several other teend. Emily is soon caught up with their whirlwind, since Penny decides to document the tour recreation. Emily has a relationship with Alejandro, who is at college, but when he doesn't meet up with her at Christmas because he has to be with his girlfriend, this relationship ends. She also meets up with Nick, whom she has seen several times, but when his grandmother is ill, he and his group return home. While there are some educational spots that she visits, and there are a few people who remember her grandmother (including her great aunt Dahlia's female life partner), most of the trip is eating, shopping, dancing, and yes, kissing boys.
This was pitched as Johnson's 13 Little Blue Envelopes meets Welch's Love and Gelato, and I guess it sort of is. I was definitely looking forward to it, and my disappointment is because I am old and Emily's travels are completely unlike my own... in 1986. It's very modern with family video chatting our intrepid traveler, the sister having died after taking a pill laced with fentanyl at a party, and generally a very Gen Z feel. Which it should have. I won't buy it for middle school because there was a lot of casual drinking as well as mentions of Emily losing her virginity. It would have been great to see a LOT more of the grandmother's tour with the Flower Sisters, but there wasn't very much. It seemed very, very privileged, and didn't have the vibe of 13 Little Blue Envelopes. I would probably buy it for high school, but think it might be dated quickly. I'm curious how this book plays with fans of Kasie West or Sarah Dessen, and am curious enough that I might take a look at this author's The Grace Kelly Dress.
August 25, 2026 by Simon Spotlight
E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus
This is a repackaging of Whitby's Beth's Story (Secrets of the Manor #1)(June 24th 2014 by Simon Spotlight), much like the Lee Heart repackaging of the Angela Darling Crush books as Spotlight Sprinkles. I wasn't able to compare the two, but they are essentially the same story. Names are changed (Margaret instead of Beth), as are some details, but since I already have the entire 2014 series, I won't be purchasing the new books.
This is a repackaging of Whitby's Beth's Story (Secrets of the Manor #1)(June 24th 2014 by Simon Spotlight), much like the Lee Heart repackaging of the Angela Darling Crush books as Spotlight Sprinkles. I wasn't able to compare the two, but they are essentially the same story. Names are changed (Margaret instead of Beth), as are some details, but since I already have the entire 2014 series, I won't be purchasing the new books.
The new covers are quite nice, and if you are looking for a series of upper crust English manor mysteries, this is a good bet. The sequel to this one seems to be The Girl and the Ghost. (Aug. 25, 2026) https://msyinglingreads.blogspot.com/2014/07/mmgm-secrets-of-manor.html
The Introvert's Guide to Kissing in Europe Brenda Janowitz
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