Most Anticipated Books of 2025

What happens when you put 30 or so published authors in a room?

Last week I attended an oh-so-literary luncheon given by book influencer and author Zibby Owens. Between the “Zibby” cookies, her stunning home and the inspiring group of writers, it was so special that I wanted to bring you along. Zibby named her list of the Most Anticipated Books of 2025 in January, and Our Last Vineyard Summer made the cut. How fun is that!!

To celebrate, she invited every author on the list to come to one of two events: the first at her gorgeous Manhattan apartment or the second, at Zibby’s Bookshop in Los Angeles. I chose New York.

I met my editor, Hannah, outside on a rainy, slushy day, giving her a big squeeze. We get to talk all of the time on Zoom, email and phone, but I don’t always get to see her in person. Oh what fun we had catching up about our kids, juggling work and family , and okay, we gossiped a tiny bit, too. We also made the rounds chatting with various authors. It was lovely to see Jackie Friedland (whose book Counting Backwards is out in March) as well as Rochelle Weinstein (her novel We Are Made of Stars is also out in March).

Clockwise, from upper left: The writers gather in Zibby’s living room; Me and my editor smiling for the camera; Zibby’s adorable dog; and Lauren Willig, Zibby Owens and me mugging for the camera.

I was able to meet adorable historical fiction writer Lauren Willig—whose compelling novels I’ve adored for years including The Lost Summers of Newport, which she penned with Beatriz Williams and Karen White. It was nice getting to know Christine Pride whose novel All the Men I’ve Loved Again comes out in July; I read her and Jo Piazza’s novel We Are Not Like Them in my book club. Oh! And I met Amy Blumenfeld in person as well as Wendy Francis. My buddy, Karen Dukess, was also there!

There were so many lovely writers, and so many that I missed seeing but whose work made the list—Patti Callahan Henry, Fiona Davis, Annabel Monaghan, Jane Rosen, Amy Poeppel and Kristy Woodson Harvey! Next time! I just kept thinking…how inspiring is it to be in a single apartment with this much talent?

Aren’t these bookshelves stunning? Also, this is me announcing my book while awkwardly pushing my thumbs, then fingers, in my jeans pockets!

The funniest part was when Zibby stood on a chair in her grand living room and announced that she wanted all of the authors to introduce themselves and their book. After each person did so, the audience clapped. It was so supportive but I got extremely nervous when it was my turn and awkwardly slipped my thumbs into my jeans pockets like a high schooler. Haha! Nerves.

I loved the dining room at Zibby’s house because of the view of the city outside. Also, how cute are these custom cookies? Adore!

I was so busy chatting for the rest of the luncheon that I didn’t even eat the lovely finger foods. At one point, Hannah and I tried to stuff a few mini quiches or tomato/mozz skewers in our mouths but then another person would pop up and say hello. After Hannah slipped out, I explored Zibby’s stunning bookshelves. It was fun to see what novels she loves most; see for yourself! I also fell in LOVE with a framed photograph in her study. It was a vast horizontal picture of the ocean with a few surfers bobbing in it. So very beachy and still at home in her city apartment.

Thank you for hosting, Zibby, and for naming Our Last Vineyard Summer one of your most anticipated books. I’ve recorded three podcasts with Zibby, too. To listen to the most recent one, click here. Have a great week, everyone!

I’m so excited for my pal Julia Kelly’s novel The Dressmakers of London to come out, and I’ll be featuring an interview with her in an upcoming issue! Stay tuned!

In the meantime, if you like reading Dear Fiction, please heart this post so other book lovers can find it. Get some sun, all, and if you’re in the mood, preorder Our Last Vineyard Summer here. xoxo