Instagram story viewer> @reader.steph> Posts

Steph Reader

@reader.steph

3.3K

followers

4759

following

Reading for pleasure. 💗📖
Indie author supporter. 📚
Ontario 🇨🇦

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Download All

✨️ Words and Wonders Book Market ✨️

Words and Wonders Book Market in Owen Sound was my first bookish event.

Along with the opportunity to meet some of my favourite indie authors and bookish friends, I got to meet lots of amazing authors, vendors and bookish people, and left with a decent collection of books.

A total of 19 books (18 physical books and 1 e-book) plus one excerpt came home with me. They are by 13 different authors--three I already know and love and 10 that are new to me. I was happy to find four new-to-me authors that are local to me and 2 more that aren't too far from me.

I also had the opportunity to meet the other authors and vendors at this event and chat to them about their books and products. I was so happy to have been given business cards and a kingdom map so I could follow these authors and vendors and learn more about them.

My daughter was thrilled to be able to attend a bookish event with me. She was thrilled to get bookmarks, stickers, candy and a keychain, which she is proudly displaying on her backpack. I was also happy to have her as my photographer for the day. We did get one book she is able to read, and we will keep an eye out for more indie author middle grade books at the next bookish event.

I also got to bring home two bonus books! My friend Marina, who attended the event with me, brought me a copy of her recently released poetry book, and I had the pleasure of meeting the lovely Madeline Nixon, who was attending as a reader and happened to have a copy of one of her books on her.

A huge thank you to Words and Wonders for putting on this incredible event. I am looking forward to their next visit to a location close to me. by @reader.steph

60

26

4 days ago

Never Have I Ever… CIRR Edition 🇨🇦📚
Inspired by a trend, we put together some fun Never Have I Ever questions for the CIRR admin team!

Now we want to know about YOU! ⬇️

How many of these have you done? … And just how similar are you to us?! 😂📖

Drop your answers in the comments 👀 by @reader.steph

49

4

4 days ago

CIRR Summer BINGO

This summer, which feels like forever ago, I participated in the Canadian Indie Romance Reads fun Canadian challenge. Summer BINGO!

I usually try to stick to indie authors for these challenges, but I did include a traditionally published author this time.

Creating a Canadian Indie Author wish list was my favourite part of this challenge. Now I can remember which of the books I have added to my TBR and wish list are Canadian indie authors.

Purple Cover: The Genie's Wish by Alora Quinn
Beach Read: Booked for Love by Lynn Gale
More than one POV: Driving to December by Elle Rush
A book overview 200 pages: In Too Deep by S.A. Thorne
Takes place in Alberta: Floating into Love by Katie O'Connor
Takes place in cottage country: Game Jam by Charlene Boutin
Single word title: Heartthrob by Noah Steele
$0.99 or less: Before We Fall by Tina Cyr
Debut novel: The Summers Between Us by Noreen Nanja
Flowers on cover: The Edge of Summer by Bobbi Maclaren
Features an animal sidekick: Perfect Pairing by Daisy Landish
Takes place in Nova Scotia: Good for the Summer by Emma Davie
Title starts with the first letter of your name: Summer at Pine Lake by Alyssa Delle Palme

Please let me know if you have a Canadian fantasy you would recommend.

Thank you to Canadian Indie Romance Reads for offering these fun challenges to help readers read more Canadian authors, especially indie authors.

#CanadianRomance #canadianauthors #indieauthor #canadianindieauthor ##readcanadian by @reader.steph

30

20

6 days ago

I am currently reading 🩷 Dream Chaser 🩷 by indie author Alwyn Knighton.

Happy release day to Alwyn and Dream Chaser. 🎉

🩷 Workplace romance: boss x employee
🩷 Age gap: 35/26
🩷 Angst
🩷 Yearning
🩷 Spanish, protective, green flag hero
🩷 Dual POV
🩷 Open door spice

Book overview

Nova

He’s the boss I shouldn’t want—and the man I can’t afford to lose.

On my third wedding anniversary, I demanded a divorce.

My vindictive husband kicked me out and left me with nothing.

So when I land an interview at Guerrero Sports Agency, I lie to get the job—and somehow, it works.

Now I work for Alejandro Guerrero.

He's successful. Competent. Frustratingly handsome.

But that's not what scares me.

It's the way he sees me.

Alejandro believes in my talent. Pushes me to chase the dreams I buried during my marriage. Protects me without trying to control me.

He treats me like I'm worth something.

Like I deserve more.

And after years of being made to feel like I wasn't enough, I'm dangerously tempted to believe him.

But I'm still married.

And falling for Alejandro could cost me the new life I'm fighting so hard to build.

I already made one mistake trusting the wrong man.

I'm terrified of making another.

Alejandro

I know better than to get involved with an employee.

Especially one who's still married.

But then Nova Lockhart walks into my office, and suddenly every rule I've ever made feels negotiable.

She's driven. Talented. Beautiful enough to distract me—and stubborn enough to challenge me.

I should keep my distance.

Instead, I find myself pushing her toward the dreams she's afraid to chase. Giving her the confidence her husband took from her. Wanting to protect her without becoming another man who tells her what to do.

The more I get to know Nova, the harder it becomes to pretend she's just another employee.

She deserves a man who chooses her.

I want to be that man.

But she's still married.

And if I cross that line, I could cost her everything she's worked so hard to rebuild.

For the first time in my life, following the rules might be the one thing I can't afford to do.

#alwynknighton #starcrossedloveseries #indieauthor #supportindieauthors by @reader.steph

19

2

6 days ago

Canadian indie author Tina Cyr welcomes readers to Madawaska Falls with the prequel Novella Before We Fall.

Before We Fall is a beautiful introduction to this charming, river-side town, its businesses and residents.

Each book in this new series features at least one member of the high school graduating class of '96, now, almost thirty years later, finding love a little later in life.

Before We Fall features Class of '96 graduate Nathalie and her older brother's friend Julien. As they spend the day capturing the beauty and realness of Madawaska Falls for the regional tourism campaign, they allow us to see Madawaska Falls (with no creative spelling) how the town sees it.
• Town hall
• Café La Feuille Rouge and Chantal who remembers coffee orders after one visit
• Les Brasseurs - the brewery with the bilingual greetings and chalkboard
• The old bench near the river
• The river path
• The railing school kids decorate with ribbons
• The lookout
• The old mill
• Residents who wave before they can see who's driving
• The volunteers
• The fall colours

And between it all, they allow something to build between them.

"Because Julien Martin with a camera is one problem, and Julien Martin looking at me like he remembers who I was before I became the woman with the clipboard is another one entirely."

Fans of Cyr's Bluewater Cove series will be happy to have another small, Canadian town to escape to. I am enjoying the French-Canadian, northern New Brunswick and autumn feels.

Welcome to Madawaska Falls.

#tinacyr #beforewefall #ClosedDoorRomance #canadianbook #canadianauthor by @reader.steph

28

1

6 days ago

The Genie's Wish by Canadian indie author Alora Quinn was the first book I read from the Harmony Glen series, a multi-author, shared world of standalone books that can be read in any order.

Raya and Arman
A human x a genie.
Raya may not have wanted a genie to grant her happiness.
But Arman was captivated by her from first glance.
And I was so happy for their HEA.

I enjoyed the character growth, patience, determination and understanding that came with Raya and Arman getting to know each other. I also enjoyed the friendship between Raya and Orie and the harmony that monsters and humans have found in Harmony Glen.

I appreciated the mental health rep in this book. And learning more about the gaming community. The support in the gaming community reminded me of the support in the indie author community.

The character art in the book was a wonderful treat.

I am now looking forward to reading more books from this series, especially Shadows of Love, which is also by Alora Quinn.

#aloraquinn #agenieswish #Canadianauthor #canadianindieauthor #supportindieauthors by @reader.steph

15

3

6 days ago

I am currently reading an ARC of 🍂 Fall Into Us 🍂 by Canadian indie author Tina Cyr. This is the first full-length novel in Cyr's new Madawaska Falls series.

Release date: October 8, 2026

🍂 Best friends to lovers
🍂 Later-in-life romance
🍂 Divorced FMC + widower MMC
🍂 Love after grief and divorce
🍂 Small-town chaos
🍂 Autumn vibes
🍂 Family, friendship & second chances
🍂 Dual POV / present tense
🍂 Just kisses / closed-door romance
🍂 Mild swearing

Book overview

Everyone in Madawaska Falls thinks Sophie Ouellet and Marc-André Leblanc belong together.

Everyone except Sophie and Marc-André.

They’ve been best friends for years—sharing peppermint tea, family crises, and the comfortable certainty that neither will ever ask for more. Sophie has already rebuilt her life after one marriage. Marc-André has spent years believing that loving his late wife means keeping his heart exactly where she left it. Friendship is safe. Predictable.

Then a last-minute cancellation lands them on the same team for Madawaska Falls’ Fall Foliage Weekend rally.

Suddenly, they’re racing through town, completing ridiculous couple challenges, and trying to convince an overly invested crowd that Team Twelve is not secretly in love. But the more they play along, the harder it becomes to ignore how natural the pretending feels—or how much neither of them wants the weekend to end.

Sophie refuses to lose herself in another relationship. Marc-André isn’t sure moving forward means he’s ready to let go. And risking the friendship that has carried them through their hardest years might be the most terrifying challenge of all.

But when your best friend already feels like home, how long can you keep pretending you don’t want more?

Fall Into Us is a warm, witty, closed-door small-town romance featuring later-in-life love, meddling neighbours, a fall scavenger hunt, and two best friends who never expected to fall for each other.

#tinacyr #madawaskafalls #canadianbook #canadianauthor #indieauthor by @reader.steph

30

8

19 days ago

I am currently reading Before We Fall by Canadian indie author Tina Cyr. This is a prequel novella to Cyr's new series, Madawaska Falls.

🍁 Later-in-life romance
📸 Brother’s best friend
🏡 Small-town charm
💕 Closed-door / just kisses

Book Overview

Two and a half weeks before Madawaska Falls’ biggest weekend of the year, Nathalie Landry has everything under control.

Mostly.

Then the regional tourism campaign goes live with the wrong town name, fake photos, and enough generic autumn charm to make every sponsor in Madawaska Falls question their life choices. Nathalie has one day to replace the whole thing with something real, specific, and unmistakably theirs.

Which means calling Julien Martin.

Julien is the photographer who left town, the man who once saw too much, and the last person Nathalie wants witnessing her current clipboard-fueled spiral. But Julien’s camera catches what the campaign missed: the river path, the old mill, the cafe lights, the stubborn beauty of a town that refuses to be flattened into a postcard.

As they race to save Fall Foliage Weekend, old almost-feelings sharpen into something harder to ignore. But if Nathalie wants Madawaska Falls to be seen clearly, she may have to risk letting Julien see her too.

Before We Fall is a warm, funny, closed-door Madawaska Falls prequel novella about homecoming, second chances, and the terrifying intimacy of being known.

#tinacyr #beforewefall #ClosedDoorRomance #canadianbook #canadianauthor by @reader.steph

30

2

20 days ago

Henley & Mason: And Then It Happened by Canadian indie author Alyssa Milani is a spin-off of her book Notes of the Past. It is a fast burn, bi-reawakening, one-night-stand to more, MM romance.

This book could be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading Notes of the Past first, as this book feels like Mason's continued storyline and you get to meet both characters there first.

I loved the insta attraction in this book. And the chemistry between Henley and Mason. I also loved that when they were together, they felt free to be who they were and enjoy their lives.

Their shared friend/family connection/history played a big part in this story, as did Henley's job and his fear of how his love for Mason would affect his and his loved ones' safety.

After seeing Mason be dumped by who he thought was his future in Notes of the Past, I was very happy to see him get his HEA. I also really enjoyed getting to return to Beaver Creek and seeing the characters from Notes of the Past again. Wren and Mason had a special bond, so I was happy to see them stay in touch and continue being friends, and it was wonderful to see Henley further develop a relationship with his brother, nephew and future sister-in-law.

I am now intrigued to read Milani's Stowaway series, which is the story of the charter Henley is part of. I do love when authors interconnect their books like this.

"the right person allows me to embrace who I am. And I hope one day, he'll embrace the man that he is, too."

#alyssamilani #henleyandmason #librarylovenotes #canadianromanceauthor #canadianindieauthor by @reader.steph

32

3

a month ago

I am currently reading 🩷 The Edge of Summer 🩷 by Canadian indie author Bobbi Maclaren.

The Lake Huron postcard on this cover caught my attention!

Book overview

Delilah Delacroix is doing the best she can. Eight months after losing her parents and taking guardianship of her younger siblings, moving halfway across the country to a small island town is just what they need. Too bad this only seems to make her brother hate her more.

Fire Chief Luke Bowman can count on one hand the number of people he trusts. After what happened with his ex, he certainly isn't going to let another woman get inside his head. But when Delilah comes to town, this proves to be difficult.

As summer burns and things between Delilah and Luke start to heat up, trouble lingers. Delilah's brother seems to be drifting further away and she doesn't know how to get him back. Meanwhile, Luke is trying desperately to keep history from repeating itself.

When a casual arrangement starts feeling like a whole lot more, Delilah knows she needs to walk away, but it's easier said than done when Luke has seen all her jagged edges. Luke knows that he can't give Delilah what she needs and letting her go is the right thing to do. So why does it feel so wrong?

#bobbimaclaren #theedgeofsummer #canadianauthor #canadianbook #indieauthor by @reader.steph

38

17

a month ago

I am currently reading 🪶 Feathers 🪶 by Canadian indie author Madeline Nixon.

I have the e-book version of this book, but when I saw the physical copy was available through my local library, I decided to read it this way.

Thanks to @brucecountypubliclibrary for supporting indie and local authors. I am a few stories in and already enjoying the local references.

Book Overview

A feather that appears without notice, without warning, without reason, is not a coincidence. It's a sign. Feathers is a collection of stories about the paranormal, spirits, and unexplainable events. Follow Maddi on her journey as she tries to figure out the feathers in her life.

#madelinenixon #feathersmadelinenixon #brucecountypubliclibrary #canadianauthor #indieauthor by @reader.steph

34

3

a month ago

I am currently reading 🌅 Good for the Summer 🌅 by Canadian indie author Emma Davie.

I look forward to reading this summer romance series in beautiful Cape Breton, Canada.

Book Overview

Sometimes the road to forever starts with a summer of pretending.

Violet Ross needs a summer getaway, preferably one far away from Vancouver Island, her big, hopelessly nosy family, and the questions she can’t seem to outrun about why, at thirty-three, she’s never had a boyfriend. Cape Breton feels like the perfect reset: her two best friends are there, the coastline is stunning, and it’s an entire country away from her lack of a job and the life she’s not sure how to fix. But while she's running from her problems, Violet runs smack into Finn Campbell, the cocky, smug, roguishly handsome brother of her best friend’s husband-to-be, and suddenly her quiet summer plans don’t stand a chance.

Finn needs a happily-ever-after, or at least someone who believes he’s capable of one. After another heartbreak, he’s hauled himself from Scotland to “the middle of nowhere” Canada for his brother’s wedding–the perfect hero brother with the perfect love story, of course. Tired of being dismissed as a flirt who is perpetually unserious, Finn comes up with a mad idea: Violet will pretend to be his girlfriend for the wedding whirlwind to prove everyone wrong. What starts as a simple deal turns surprisingly easy, as they explore Cape Breton and get swept up in last-minute wedding chaos. But as their “relationship” starts to fool everyone else, Violet and Finn begin to wonder who they're really fooling. And it turns out what’s just “good for the summer” can leave a lasting mark long after the season is over.

#emmadavie #goodforthesummer #CanadianRomance #canadianbook #canadianauthor by @reader.steph

49

16

a month ago