We all know reading with a favorite snack handy is nothing short of the best but have you paired your next read with a delicious drink? Fall is the best time to cozy up some drinks, and we have a couple of book recommendations that are perfect for a good drink pairing. Put on your cozy clothes, turn on that reading light, and have your favorite mug handy, because you will not want to skip these book and drink pairings!
The Wife Before by Shanora Williams
and Mulled Wine (non-alcoholic optional)
Everyone who loves a good, mulled wine knows the best batches are ones that have had time to simmer, and this is precisely why you’d enjoy a glass alongside a dive into Shanora Williams’ The Wife Before. The Wife Before is the kind of suspense that only gets better, building in intensity, as the pages turn. As you sip your flavorful, spicy and warm wine (or a mix of pomegranate and cranberry juice for a non-alcoholic delight), hold on to Samira Wilder’s every move as she learns her sweet and handsome husband may not be so perfect. Or, worse, his ex-wife’s death may not have been as much of an accident as Samira has been led to believe.
The Lost Girls of Willowbrook by Ellen Marie Wiseman
and Milk & Honey
Ellen Marie Wiseman’s The Lost Girls of Willowbrook is the kind of book you read underneath a lamplight. Sage Winters sets out to find her twin sister, Rosemary Winters, when she disappears after being committed to the Willowbrook State School in Staten Island, New York. The events of this book are based on the real-life, harrowing events that occurred at the Willowbrook State School and, as such, deserves a pairing no less warm and comforting than traditional milk and honey. Sip on a drink that makes real the warmth of sisterly love as you, like Sage, recover lost stories and learn the truths of the Willowbrook State School.
In the Event of Love by Courtney Kae
and Vanilla Latte
Nothing will prepare you for the sweetness that is Courtney Kae’s In the Event of Love except, perhaps, a vanilla latte. In the Event of Love follows Morgan Ross, an event planner who takes a break from Los Angeles to visit her hometown, Fern Falls, where a best friend (and crush) awaits. In an effort to save her best friend’s tree farm, Morgan sets out to plan an event of a lifetime with delicious vanilla lattes, acoustic guitars under majestic pines, and a cozy barn surrounded by brilliant stars. It’s only fair that you transport yourself into the festivities with a vanilla latte of your own.
A Certain Darkness by Anna Lee Huber
and Lavender Earl Gray Tea (also makes a great London Fog)
Get you a drink that takes you all across Europe, a drink like a Lavender Earl Grey Tea, as you read Anna Lee Huber’s A Certain Darkness. With lavender reminiscent of French lavender fields, and Earl Grey tea reminiscent of an overcast day in London, there is no better pairing to take with you along this riveting ride. In an effort to investigate the death of a suspect in French custody, Verity Kent travels from England to France and Holland to unravel the international mystery of a lifetime.
Quicksand by Janet Dailey
and Hot Mule (mocktail optional)
Making yourself a hot mule by substituting the alcohol with club soda for a delicious mocktail, and grab Janet Dailey’s Quicksand. Quicksand is the story of an Arizona family ranch seeking to save their bull-rearing legacy. And, just as ginger beer has a bit of sweetness before the kick, you’ll be feeling the same as you follow the hot-and-cold relationship between Tess Champion and Brock Tolman, a rancher who offers to help Tess save her family ranch though he has scorned Tess once before.
Peg and Rose Solve a Murder by Laurien Berenson
and Apple Cider
Apple Cider, with lots of cinnamon, is a delicious sweet and spicy classic which makes it a perfect pairing for bickering sisters-in-law of Laurien Berenson’s Peg and Rose Solve a Murder. Peg and Rose have a fractious relationship that they must learn to navigate in order to solve the mysterious death of the local bridge club’s most accomplished player. Just like a warm apple cider, there will be sweet moments, and other moments may come with a bit of spice. Either way, let’s just hope you have another drink handy when the killer decides they are done playing games…
Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder by Valerie Burns
and Hot Chocolate (extra marshmallows, vanilla for extra sweetness)
With a title like this, and a main character like Maddy Montgomery, you will enjoy all the sweetness that comes when you pair this book with a classic hot chocolate (with extra marshmallows). Valeria Burns’ Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder follows Maddy Montgomery after a failed livestreamed wedding leaves her jilted and heading for New Bison, Michigan to run a bakery and take care of a 250-pound English mastiff. Things take a turn when New Bison’s mayor is found stabbed, and Maddy’s prints are on the knife. Pile on the marshmallows because the quest to clear Maddy’s name is just getting started.
Reprinted with permission from Kensington Books
