Author: Steph Caffrey

Stephanie R. Caffrey is a romantic suspense author living in the midwest

March 2022 Reads

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A great retelling, I really enjoyed the plot. The characters were really well written. They were very well developed and I loved seeing the character growth. I loved, loved, loved the slow-burn between Easton and Ian. Very original twist on a classic.

4 Stars

I actually enjoyed both POV’s in this book, which has been rare lately with these dual POV books. I loved how both Lilian and Veronica were models and their lives turned out so different from what they expected. The story was interesting and I loved hearing about a wealthy Gilded Age family I knew nothing about. (BOTM)

4 Stars

Easily my favorite read of the month, I highly recommend you consume this via audiobook, it is read with a full cast. This book was my first book hangover of the year. I’m a sucker for these “Behind the Music” books. Opal and Nev told a rich story with vibrant characters. Opal came across as amazing. Nev wavered. More than once I wished they were real so I could YouTube their performances or see “The Picture.” (BOTM)

5 Stars

Our book club book for March, and so disappointing. The book had amateurish writing and had a real POV problem which made reading a little difficult and hard to follow at times. The characters were not well developed and hard to distinguish between each other. The crime solving was also difficult to read and felt like the author just Googled terms and slapped them in.

2 Stars

Fell in love with Kim and Penn on the recent season of “The Amazing Race” so I needed to get their book. The book is full of great marriage advice, and I will definitely be utilizing some of the tips for my own marriage.

4 Stars

This is a book I really wanted to love, but something prevented me from getting all the way there. It felt like something was missing the whole time I was reading it. The romance was okay, but I never really connected with Kian and Hudson. The numerous pop culture references were fun at first, and then they became too much and really distracted from the book.

3 Stars

Book Club pick for my sisters. this was a great book. It was so. funny. I loved it so much. It was witty and clever. Characters were all ones I could root for. Even a tiny little love triangle! I read the whole thing in two sittings. The action just pulled me along, and I didn’t want to stop!

5 Stars

I LOVE true crime, even fake true crime. This book had everything I love: true crime, a strong female lead, and all the suspense. This book was amazing. Kept me on the edge of my seat. Shea and Beth’s stories intertwined beautifully. And I love the way Simone St. James treats the paranormal elements in her books. (BOTM)

5 Stars

Nicky, yes. While the book started a little slow, it quickly sucked me in. There was nothing I didn’t love about this book. Coming of age story told through queer superheroes? Yes please! The story, the action, the found family, the romance, the parent/child relationship–it was all amazing.

5 Stars

This series is so good. I was worried the second book wasn’t going to live up to the first, and I’m so glad I didn’t have to worry. The mystery was on point in this one, I honestly didn’t see any of it coming. Finlay has amazing chemistry with everyone. there isn’t one character I didn’t like. I’m completely invested in this series.

5 Stars

This was a really good sequel. The book made me just as hungry as the first. What I liked best was how Lila was still dealing with the aftermath of the last book mentally, and I felt that was very realistic. The mystery was pretty good, and I couldn’t solve it before Lila. I still ship her with Detective Park.

4 Stars

February 2022 Reads

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The Wolf is the second book in the Prison Camp series by JR Ward. I really enjoyed the book and flew through it. However, it felt like Rio and Lucan were not the main focus of their own story. They were side characters to Vishious and Butch and their character development. This being said, I was not disappointed, I love V and Butch and their complicated relationship, and would be fine with even more of it in the future.

4 Stars

Told in verse, Clap When You Land was beautifully written and powerful. I couldn’t put it down. Such a beautiful story about loss and family. It made me cry several times, and I’m pretty sure it will be a book that sticks with me for a very long time.

5 Stars

Chosen for the book club I’m in at one of my local libraries, I really didn’t know what to think about Rules for Visiting before I read this book. And I am happy to say I was pleasantly surprised. I loved following May on her year of visiting and her reconnecting with her old friends and gaining so many more. I love books when you can see the characters growing before your very eyes.

4 Stars

A nice, short, pulpy story. I’m a big Bradbury fan, and this didn’t let me down. Great commentary about how you choose to spend the time you have on this (or any) planet.

4 Stars

Clocking in at THIRTY hours on audiobook, I was really worried The Eye of the World would be a book that would be slow and drag, but the opposite was true. For being so long it really engaged me and kept me interested the whole time. I liked all of the characters, but Rand was my favorite. I enjoyed the show, but I honestly like the book even more. I wasn’t sure starting this if I would continue the series, but I have book two on hold at the library and I am looking forward to seeing how their journey will continue.

4 Stars

Chosen for my regular book club, I have to say, I am really pleased with the selection this month. I really liked this book. Casiopea was so relatable and Ioved how unsure she was about being a “hero.” I loved Hun-Kame and his slow descent into humanity. The roamance. That ending. I honestly am hoping for some small novellas to give us some more adventures following the characters at the end of the book. (BOTM)

4 Stars

Chosen for my book club with my sisters, this was actually my second time reading the book, this time I listened to hit, and I think that made rereading it less of a chore. I loved the book just as much the second time as I did the first time. I especially loved her discussion about Gilmore Girls, and still cried during the Year in a Life part. This just reiterated how much I want to read her fiction book.

5 Stars

My February choice from Book of the Month, Don’t Cry For Me was moving and tragic. It was a poignant look at the relationship between Black fathers and their sons and the fluidity of what it means to be a man throughout several decades. (BOTM)

5 Stars

Arsenic and Adobo was a really cute book, and a fun, light read. I loved all of the characters, especially Lila. I totally ship her with Detective Park, no matter what the author is trying to push on us. The dialogue was witty, the food descriptions made me hungry, and I already have book two in the series on hold. (BOTM)

4 Stars

These BBC Radio dramatizations are amazing. The productions are very high quality. The cast is superb. Loved this final installment of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. It was interesting to spot the differences between the book and the movie I’ve seen a dozen times.

5 Stars

My third Oscar Wilde book, and it’s safe to say, I love his writing. This was a hilarious short story. The caricatures of the American family had me rolling with laughter. There was so. much. snark. I loved every second reading this book. I have now made it my goal to read all of Wilde’s catalog.

4 stars

I binge read The Charm Offensive and have absolutely no regrets, other than it being over so soon. The book was so good. I especially loved the discussion about mental health and how it’s okay to always be discovering your sexuality. Charlie was a sweet cinnamon roll who need to be protected at all costs, and Dev was just hilarious and vulnerable and I just wanted to hug him. The romance between Charlie and Dev was sweet, and hot and everything.

5 Stars

January 2022 Reads

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With some of the writing a little cringeworthy, it really lowered my opinion of the book. I liked Lindsay and Ryan, but their story didn’t feel complete. Their break up felt forced and inorganic.

3 Stars

Everything I could hope for in a book by The Levy’s. The letters by each actor about their character was definitely the best part of the book. I also loved the behind the scenes stories. I laughed and I cried.

5 Stars

A raw and honest memoir about growing up in challenging circumstances, hitting the lowest lows, but coming out okay in the end. It was difficult to read at times, but at the same time it was inspiring. (BOTM)

4 Stars

Poor Wooley. This book was so good. A great book about adventure, friendship and fresh starts. Found myself rooting both for the boys and against them several times. The book had rich characters and an engaging plot. Towles has done it again. (BOTM)

5 Stars

Very good, especially on audiobook. Learned a lot about Will Smith as a person and professionally that I never knew before. Although, I’m not quite sure he is a great person, he is definitely very egotistical.

4 Stars

A cute romance. I loved Annie, but Patrick was the standout. It was a lot of fun. Glad there was no real break up between the characters. And obviously the Australia bits were the best.

4 Stars

A delightful memoir about a happy childhood. Was fun to read. Loved reading about Ames in the 1960s and 1970s. The whole book was very wholesome and I enjoyed reading it.

4 Stars

Poetry is not the genre for me. Found myself glossing over many poems to just get this over with.

3 Stars

Very interesting book about exploration. It was neat to read about the time and what it took to explore. But, it was also a little dry and boring.

3 Stars

Not the book for me. Too long, there could have been about 500 less pages. Too much rape. Too many contrived reasons for Jamie Claire to be in trouble. Writing not the best. Best part was the Jamie and Claire romance.

Not my favorite of the series, but I still really enjoyed it. You can tell Frank planned to write more books because the ending was a complete cliffhanger and left me wanting more. But I don’t know if it was enough for me to read the Brian Herbert books.

4 Stars

Amazing set up for the new spinoff series. Love the ties to BDB. Love that it seems the series is going to focus on Lydia and Daniel. I’m so excited for the new book that I went to preorder it and discovered I had already preordered it back in October.

December 2021 Reads

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Our book club pick for December, I went into this book hoping for something fun. Charles Dickens pulls a Sherlock Holmes? Yes, please! Instead, what I got was a Charles Dickens of his time, views on gender roles and all, and a mystery that was not as fun as I had expected. I wish the author hadn’t been so rigid in keeping with historical accuracy. I could have used a good, strong female character.

3 Stars

A cute YA holiday romance, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I felt that the characters were beautifully developed, and the pacing was very realistic. This book definitely met my expectations of a cute holiday read.

4 Stars

I felt the first book was pretty good, and decided to read the sequel because, why not? I went into the book thinking it was a duology and this book would complete the series. And I grew to love El and Orion even more than before as the book move through their senior year and the choices they made for their classmates and their relationship. However, with 20 minutes left of the book I realized Naomi Novik changed the book to a TRILOGY and I may have screamed in the parking lot of Kohl’s at the last line of the book. Now I’m anxiously awaiting book 3 in September.

4 Stars

Bayliss’ Twelve Dates of Christmas was one of my favorite holiday reads last year, so I was looking forward to reading this new book from her. And it did not disappoint. I fell in love with the small town of Willow Bay and found myself longing to visit. Annie and John had the perfectly paced slow burn, and I found myself sad when I reached the end of the book, wanting at least a hundred more pages so I could stay with Annie, John and the rest of Willow Bay’s residents.

4 Stars

Hallmark Christmas movie in a book. This was the perfect Christmas romance, and I just ate it up. I loved Annie. The twins were just freakin’ adorable. And the romance was great. Perfect holiday fluff read.

4 Stars

Twins swapping places, food network baking competition, small snowy town, and romance. What more could you ask for in a Christmas read? I could not put this book down, and loved every second of it. It was so cute, and I loved that I got two love stories for the price of one. (BOTM)

4 Stars

Prior to reading this book, I could not name one Foo Fighters song, and could only name one Nirvana song. I chose to listen to this book because I heard it was a great memoir. And it was. I really enjoyed it, and I fell in love with Dave Grohl. I have since listened to some of his music.

5 Stars

Chosen for my book club I do with my sisters, I was really excited to read this book since Project Hail Mary was easily the best book I read all year. Artemis, however, really fell short. I think my expectations were too high after Mary and The Martian. This book was a lot different than the other two. That being said, I still enjoyed the book, and loved the thriller aspect. It did start a bit slow, but it picked up.

4 Stars

Typically I read to escape reality, so I almost didn’t pick up a book so firmly set during the beginning of Covid. The concept of a woman being stuck in the Galapagos intrigued me though. And I have to say, this was a great book. I really loved the stuff on the Galapagos. However, there’s a twist that happens at about 60% that really knocked me for a spin, and knocked a star off my rating. I don’t want to spoil anything, but it was jarring and a bit disappointing. However, I’m going to choose to believe it ends the way I want it to end, and that will keep it at the higher rating.

4 stars

November 2021 Reads

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Trejo was an amazing memoir. I really enjoyed learning about what Danny Trejo was like before he was famous. I think the most impressive thing I learned about him was his role in the recovery community in L.A. Danny Trejo is really who you would hope he would be based on his social media and public persona.

4 Stars

This book was so good. I went into it thinking I wasn’t going to like it, and ended up absolutely loving it. The characters were so well written, and the plot was such an original idea. And I absolutely adored the summer camp setting. The book made me laugh and it made me cry. This was our book club pick and it is hands down my favorite book we read this year.

5 Stars

Now, this was a thriller. The entire book really kept me guessing. The most difficult part was keeping track of the dates at the beginning of each chapter. But I thought I had figured out what had happened and I was so proud of myself, but I was very wrong, and I was very happy. I really didn’t expect the ending. (BOTM)

4 Stars

Easily the best memoir I’ve ever read. If you get the chance, listen to it. Ron Howard’s life is just as wholesome as you would expect Opie and Richie Cunningham’s life to be. And I loved hearing about the relationship he had with his dad growing up in Hollywood. I learned a lot about Clint I didn’t know. I had no idea he was a child actor in his own right. This book was though provoking and lovingly told.

5 stars

Reading this book set in 2026 in the year 2021 was a bit unsettling. The world building was very realistic, and had the desired effect on me. I really enjoyed the slow build of events. It was a hard read, outside of my comfort zone. I really enjoyed the characters and the abrupt ending has made me want to read the next book.

4 Stars

A quick , but interesting read, I learned a lot about pioneers in Queer history. There were some I learned about I didn’t even know were queer, like Lincoln, and some I had never even heard of at all. Geared toward the YA crowd, this book was very educational. It comes with a glossary at the end defining all the terms used in the book.

5 Stars

I can’t believe I had never read this book before. I read this aloud with my son, and I absolutely loved this book. It is full of my favorite humor: Puns. This was such a fun read

4 Stars

I really enjoy reading holiday books around the holidays. This year I was so excited to see a Rom Com around Diwali. The book was a really cute romance set around Diwali. However, the plot just didn’t suck me in as much as I would have liked, and it took me a very long time to finish it. It felt like a lot of the romance elements were a bit forced.

3 stars

Following my expanded holiday reading, I found this new release debut novel about Hanukah. It was so. good. I really loved the dual points of view, and the representation of a chronic illness in such a positive light. I laughed, I cried, this book was everything I love in a romance book.

4 Stars

October 2021 Reads

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This book moved slower than I would have liked, I wish the romance had started a little sooner, and the break up seemed a bit contrived, but overall I enjoyed the book. I loved Lucie and Tristan together, and wish more pages had been devoted to them together rather than apart. I love how well researched these books are, and how angry it makes me to read about how little women had in so far as independence and rights in the 19th Century. It truly makes me grateful that I live now instead of then. (BOTM)

4 Stars

This was easily my favorite book of the three. I felt the romance was earned more in this one than in the other two. It may be because Hattie has always been my favorite and I was so happy for her to get her HEA. Taking Lucien and Hattie out of London and up into Scotland was brilliant, and definitely gave the story more depth. I loved all the side characters and hope to see them again of there are more books. (BOTM)

5 Stars

I wasn’t quite sure what to think starting this one, with yet another huge time leap between books and 100% new characters, however, I found myself enjoying this one quite a bit. In true Herbert fashion the book is SO MUCH set up, however, I love the way he world builds I honestly don’t care that nothing really happens for the first three fourths of the book. The ending and the revelations in the last fourth are totally worth it. I had a lot of predictions that turned out wrong, but I find myself really looking forward to the final book in the series.

4 Stars

What a great book. Everything in love in a romance and some of my favorite tropes. We had friends to lovers, game dating and only one bed all in one book. Add in a strong independent Latina protagonist I could identify with and you have a book I could devour in a day. I loved the pace of Gabe and Mich’s relationship and I loved their extended families. The book made me laugh, and it made me cry.

4 Stars

What a beautiful book. Really makes you think about the way you live your own life, what is your legend journey? What is your treasure? Are you listening to the world around you? The prose was beautiful. I was moved to tears at points.

4 Stars

Other than the fact that I couldn’t stop picturing Piper as Season 1 Alexis Rose and Brendan as Ron Swanson through the entirety of the book, which made for some interesting visuals when they started bumping uglies, this book was a lot of fun. I enjoy a good enemies to lovers book, and I love a good fish out of water book, and this provided both. The writing was smooth, the characters well developed, and I rooted for them from the first page. I’ve already put the next book on my TBR.

4 Stars

Powerful book about a horrible event in our history. Colbert does a great job contextualizing the massacre in history and bringing the event to life. Written for a teen audience, the book isn’t too bogged down by complex sentences. The history is told concisely and simply and it’s easy to follow and read.

5 Stars

This book was everything I had hoped for in a sequel. It was just as good and beautiful as the first book, and picked up the second after the first book ended. I fell in love with Ari and and Dante even more than I did before. They are so well written. And Ari’s journey was so great. I know it probably won’t happen, but I would love to see at least a short story following Ari, Dante, the girls, the parents, et all maybe like twenty years later, just to see where their lives are. If I don’t get that, I’ll be happy. The ending of this book was perfect. This book was…perfect.

5 Stars

Now THIS was a thriller. Everything that I thought would be a last minute twist happened in the first 50% of the book, and I honestly had no idea how it would end. The book kept me at the edge of my seat and I didn’t want to stop reading. (BOTM)

5 Stars

I don’t know if it’s because I’ve read a lot of these dystopian female heroes books or what, but this one just didn’t wow me. I enjoyed the book okay, but if it weren’t picked for my book club I may have set it aside. The only thing that compelled me to keep reading was the relationship between Immanuelle and Ezra, and even then there wasn’t enough there. I would have loved to see their relationship flushed out. And more of them together. The book wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t AMAZING. I don’t think I’ll be reading the next book in the series.

3 Stars

This was a fun book to read during October. I really liked the Jones girls and I liked how magic was just a thing in the world. And I really like Rhys. I’m a sucker for a Welsh man. (BOTM)

4 Stars

This book was okay. I wanted to love it more, but I just couldn’t get into the way it was written. Too many pop culture references, not a lot of character development, which I know can be difficult in a novella, but can be done. Maybe I was walking into this expecting something different, but whatever I was expecting, this wasn’t it. It just didn’t draw me in. 

3 Stars

September 2021 Reads

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This was a such a fun read. Anna and Keane slowly falling in love and working through the stages of grief together was so beautifully done. I had to Google several of the places they visited while they island hopped, because I just wanted a clearer pictures. The book made me want to sail around the Caribbean, even though I’m severely afraid of water. I wish there was about a hundred more pages so I could spend more time with Anna and Keane.

4 Stars

A touching book about traumatic brain injuries in pro football players told from the point of view of the twelve year old son of one. Written in verse, you won’t be able to get through this book without crying at least once. 

4 Stars

This was a pretty slow read for me, but mostly because I kept stopping and looking things up since I’m unfamiliar with the history of China. The book is very much a slow burn, but it’s totally worth it. The last 1/3 of the book was definitely my favorite and I read it quicker than the rest, and I will definitely be picking up the next book when it is released.

4 Stars

What a good book. Jane Igharo is officially on my auto buy list. This book made me laugh, it made me cry, and it warmed my heart. My only complaint is that it was too short. I could easily read a whole other book about the Jolades. (BOTM)

4 Stars

What a great rom com. I learned pretty early that this started as Reylo fanfic, and other than Adam very clearly being inspired by Adam Driver, I didn’t find that knowledge distracting (it actually made me love the book more tbh). I loved the pacing and characters. And the romance between Olive and Adam was swoonworthy. Ali Hazelwood has been moved to my auto-buy list. (BOTM)

5 Stars

I don’t know what it was, but this book just didn’t click with me. There was something about the style of writing that just really turned me off. I felt at arm’s length with the characters throughout the whole book. I really loved the concept, but the execution could have been better. 

2 Stars

This book was SO WEIRD, but SO GOOD. I love Frank Herbert’s world building, and I love the way he makes you root for characters who have questionable morals. And aren’t even completely human. The most frustrating part was how he didn’t fully lay out what exactly the Golden Path was. But I got it. Just like I figured out what the ultimate goal would be. Yes, I sort of predicted what would happen, but it didn’t ruin the book for me.

4 Stars

This book was so good. The characters were great and really leapt off the page. I loved Annabelle and her spirit. And Sebastian was striking. The history was amazing, and I had to look up when women could finally own property in England, and was quite disappointed in the result. Overall this was a very enjoyable read. (BOTM)

4 Stars

August 2021 Reads

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A Rom Com set in Belize, The Layover was a perfect summer “beach read.” The banter between Jack and Ava was top notch. This was a fun, light read, and I loved every second of it.

4/5 Stars

A You’ve Got Mail type book, To Sir, With Love was another fun rom com I read in August. This time set in New York in a champagne store. This one was fun, but the romance was way too slow of a burn. I wish they had gotten together quicker.

4/5 Stars

There are no words I can use to describe how much I loved Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. This is a book that will stay with me for years. A story about coming of age and coming out, the book read like prose. Narrated by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the book was perfect. He made Aristotle come to life. He made me fall in love with Dante.

Saenz wrote a book about teenage boys who had a beautiful relationship with each other and with their parents. Everything about this book made me so happy.

5/5 Stars

My book club’s pick for August, Transcendent Kingdom is a wonderful look into the life of a woman struggling with her brother’s death, her mother’s depression and father’s abandonment. This is a story of strength and faith in tragedy. I’m not usually fan of lit fic, but I really enjoyed reading this book.

4/5 Stars

The Personal Librarian tells the story of JP Morgan’s personal librarian, a Black woman, Belle de Costa Greene, who passes as white. The book does an amazing job at bringing you into Gilded Age New York City. The fact that I needed to keep Googling key players really slowed down this read, but I really liked it, and it made me wish they deviated a bit from the history just slightly. If you read it, you’ll know what I mean.

4/5 Stars

It’s always sad when a series comes to a close, and it’s even sadder when it feels like the series really could continue after the end of the final book. Any Way the Wind Blows ends Rainbow Rowell’s Simon Snow series, something that started off as a parody Harry Potter story that someone was writing fanfiction about in Fangirl.

I will say, if we have to say goodbye to Simon, Baz, Penny and Agatha, this was the way to do it. If you’re like me and have been waiting TWO BOOKS for just nothing but Simon and Baz being in love, THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU! The book ended with everything being wrapped up nicely, but not too nicely there couldn’t be possible continuations, and I for one am hoping Rowell chooses to write something more with my favorite boys.

5/5 Stars

I love alternate history books, and I love mysteries, and The Yiddish Policemen’s Union combined both of those things. My favorite things about this book were the fact that I honestly had no idea who committed the crime until it was revealed, and the fact that Michael Chabon just sprinkled in the alternate history and didn’t just bombard you with it. This book was a really good read.

4/5 Stars

What a disappointing read The Plot ended up being. I had been looking forward to reading this book ever since NPR did a piece about it at the beginning of the summer, and then Jimmy Fallon picked it for his summer read. Once I finally got my hands on it, I was looking forward to this thriller. However, the book turned out to be very slow, very predictable, and I really didn’t like the ending.

3/5 Stars

Everyone should take some time and read The Reading List. A beautiful book which reflected my love of both reading and libraries, it was at once both heartwarming and heartbreaking. Aleisha and Mukesh were amazingly written characters whose growth you rooted for throughout the book. Even as tragedy struck about three fourths of the way through the book, you couldn’t help but root for them to succeed. Plus, this book caused my TBR to grow just a little.

5/5 Stars

A sweet love story set in a small village in England, you can’t help but fall in love with Roane right along side Evie. Not only do you root for the main couple throughout the book, you fall in love with the village and all of it’s inhabitants. A wonderful feel good read.

5/5 Stars

July 2021 Reads

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Northern Spy is billed as a thriller, but that wasn’t the book I read. I went in expecting a spy thriller set in Northern Ireland. What I got was a story about a woman experiencing motherhood for the first time, and maybe a little about being a spy.

The setting was also suspect. I had to actually Google the IRA and whether it was still active today, it isn’t. All around the book was a bit of a disappointment, even though it was well written.

3 Stars

Project Hail Mary was one of my most anticipated releases of this year, and it really didn’t disappoint, it actually exceeded my expectations. Science Fiction, emphasis on the science, Hail Mary tells the story of Grace, a scientist sent to the edges of our universe to try and solve the problem of our dying sun.

Full of twists and turns and edge of your seat action, this book diverges from Weir’s The Martian by bringing in a surprising ally to Grace, and turning the story into one of not only survival but to one of unlikely friendship and hope.

This book is easily my favorite book I’ve read so far this year. (BOTM)

5 Stars

Well Met was such a fun romance set in a small New England town and their annual Renaissance festival. Simon and Emily’s enemies to lovers story was absolutely fantastic, and I loved every second of their banter.

I enjoyed this book so much that I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series. And I also really want to go to Faire. (BOTM)

4 Stars

The Lost Apothecary is probably the book I was most disappointed with this month. Billed as Historical Fantasy, I just didn’t see any sort of fantasy elements, at least not until the very end, and even that was a stretch. The inside flap also implied time travel, but again, there was none of that.

The dual storylines were okay, but they were so loosely tied together I often wondered what the point was.

Overall, the book left a lot to be desired and was nothing what I expected it to be. (BOTM)

3 stars

This. Book. The timeline through Alex and Poppy’s relationship was an absolutely stunning way to tell their story. Their friendship was beautifully told, and the slow realization of Poppy’s feelings for Alex was so realistic.

This is a book that I will definitely be keeping on my shelf in order to re-read. (BOTM)

5 Stars

Sometimes when you go into a book with low expectations, you’re pleasantly surprised. I loved Daniel. He was hilarious and very relatable as a person. The story flowed perfectly from beginning to end. And it even got suspenseful near the end, which was something I really wasn’t expecting! Overall if you want a fun Rear Window type book, this is the book for your. (BOTM)

4 Stars

I highly recommend listening to Born a Crime on audiobook. Listening to Trevor Noah tell his own story is compelling and powerful. And I think it helps inject humor into the story, with his voices and inflections. I learned more about Apartheid from this book than I ever did in school.

5 Stars

I think I went into One Last Stop with high expectations since Red, White, and Royal Blue was one of my favorite books I read last year, so I was let down just a little. I still really enjoyed the book, but I didn’t immediately go to Pinterest and start pinning fan art of it either.

I really enjoyed the concept of the book, and I LOVED August and Jane, their chemistry was undeniable, and they were so cute together. I also loved the theme of found family.

I can’t put my finger on what fell short with me preventing me from giving this book five stars, but I really loved this book, just not as much as I had hoped I would. (BOTM)

4 Stars

I chose this book because I needed a debut to finish off my Book of the Month challenge and earn my free socks. We Are the Brennans was a huge surprise. I LOVED this book. It reminded me of Parenthood, one of my favorite tv shows.

The characters were all flawed, but that just made them more endearing. I loved this book so much I’m really hoping Lange will write more books about this family. (BOTM)

5 Stars

Brave New World was my book club’s pick for July. This was my third time reading it, and I have to say I still loved it the third time around. The commentary about consumerism and society is still spot on nearly ninety years after its publication. While the characters are not super strong and just a means for pushing the plot forward, Mustapha Mond and John still have one of the most iconic pieces of literature I’ve ever read. If you haven’t read this classic, you should.

4 Stars

I think I was expecting a little more thriller in The Maidens so I was a little let down, but the book still pushed me through and I couldn’t put it down. Starting out a bit slow, once Marianna really started investigating the mystery, the action picked up and I really didn’t want to stop reading. The ending really made up for the slow beginning. (BOTM)

4 Stars

A fun summer Rom Com set in a beautiful setting, Shipped was the light reading I needed after a month of heavy books. Graeme and Henley were a match made in Rom Com heaven, and their enemies to lovers relationship was to die for. Not only did this book have a wonderful love story, I really enjoyed the focus it had on ecotourism and the plight of women working in a male dominated industry.

4 stars

June 2021 Reads

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Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake is the first book in Alexis Hall’s new queer Great British Bake Off series, and it is delightful.

The book follows Rosaline, a single mom, as she works her way through the different stages of a Great British Bake Off-esque show. The character development is amazing, and I absolutely fell in love with Harry. I really wish I could have watched this as a show.

5 Stars

Dirty Dancing meets Schitt’s Creek, The Last Summer at the Golden Hotel was a fun read. An abundance of characters, and a family tree as reference, it is not difficult to keep track of the zany characters. Even with the point of view jumping all over the place.

The book felt nostalgic, even though I have never been to the Catskills. The end of the book moved me to tears, and overall the book had a very magical feel to it. (BOTM)

5 Stars

Easily my favorite read of the month, The Guncle follows Patrick, a gay former television star, as he takes in his niece and nephew for the summer after their mother (his best friend) dies and their father (his brother) enters rehab. A coming of age story, if you can come of age in your forties, The Guncle tugs on your heartstrings as you watch Patrick help his niece and nephew navigate their grief and come to terms with their new reality.

The book is all at once heartfelt and heartbreaking, humorous and tender. The book made me laugh and cry, and when I finished all I wanted to do was hug it close to my chest. It is a book I wish I could completely forget so I could experience reading it for the first time again.

5 Stars

Taylor Jenkins Reid is a new favorite author of mine, and Malibu Rising is a book I highly anticipated the release for. And I was not disappointed.

Following the Riva siblings, children of Mick Riva the rock star, Malibu Rising‘s A-plot takes place during a single day leading up to and during the annual end of summer party. The B-plot takes place in the past, weaving in the siblings past to give a clearer picture of the choices they make the day of the party.

Like her previous books, Reid’s characters make the story. They come to life on the page and draw you in never letting you go. (BOTM)

5 Stars

Your typical regency romance, The Duke and I was our book club pick for the month of June. While I was worried it wouldn’t live up to the hype surrounding it with the Netflix show, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Fake dating and friends to lovers are two of my favorite romance tropes, and they were both included here. The relationship between Simon and Daphne was fun, and I loved seeing them interact. I enjoyed all of Daphne’s siblings as well, and I am planning to read the rest of the books in the series.

5 Stars

Another highly anticipated release, John Green’s Anthropocene Reviewed is a series of essays in which Green reviews aspects of the Anthropocene on a five star scale, all while interweaving personal stories.

This book is a beautifully written, honest and heart wrenching picture into Green’s life, and this book has catapulted to the top of my list as my favorite of his books. While I had heard some of these personal stories before on both his Vlog and his Pod, some he has never really told before. Deeply personal, and extremely eye-opening, I love that Green has shared this book with the world. (BOTM)

5 stars

The Road Trip is such a lovely book. While telling the story of two exes who are forced to take a road trip to a mutual friend’s wedding, we get flashbacks to their time as a couple.

The “then” storyline was very frustrating for me to read, but I understand in order to root for them to reunite, you have to understand why they broke up in the first place. In all I didn’t find the character of Marcus to be at all redeemable, but I loved Addie and Dylan, and I just wanted their love to succeed.

4 Stars

Have you ever really looked forward to a book, and then when you read it are utterly let down? That’s me with Anne of Manhattan. I’m a sucker for retellings, just look at my bookshelf and you will find at least 3 retellings of Beauty and the Beast. And this was a retelling of one of my favorite books, Anne of Green Gables. However, this book ended up falling way short for me.

The book read like fanfiction, which as an avid reader and writer of fanfiction I’m very familiar with. What I mean by that is the author never really delved deeply into the familiar characters. We only saw them, and their romance, at surface levels. She did a lot of telling, and not a lot of showing. Which was very frustrating because I love Anne and Gilbert, and wanted to see a modern take on their romance.

3 Stars.

Book two in a series (oops!), Hang the Moon tells the story of Brenden and Annie and their journey to love.

Typical friends to lovers trope, this book is fun and lovely and hits the right spots if you love a good rom com. I enjoyed the story, and never felt like I was missing something even though I didn’t read the first book. I really enjoyed the flipped character trait of the man being the hopeless romantic and the woman being the cynical one.

4 stars

A fast-paced thriller from beginning to end, Riley Sager’s Survive the Night is one to read if you like to be kept guessing.

Charlie wants to get off campus ASAP after the tragedy of her best friend being murdered, and she finds a ride home with a stranger, Josh. From the second she gets in the car until the end of the book, it’s impossible to put down. Taking place in 1991 without cell phones and social media, it’s the right setting for keeping you on the edge of your seat. I was able to guess some of the twists, but only paragraphs before they were revealed, and guessing didn’t detract from the story at all.

Completely satisfying, I read the book in two sittings. (BOTM)

5 Stars.