This month’s reading recap felt so satisfying because after last month’s surprise streak of zero 5-star books, this month completely turned around: 20 books read/listened to, and 4 earned five stars which honestly felt thrilling. There were a lot of memorable details this month too -apparently tattoos are having a moment in my recent reads: an initial on ribs, teeth marks on a partners butt, and one particularly unforgettable “bear” (her nickname) tattoo on a thigh right where her hand would rest while they drove around (I mean… so cute). Beyond the tattoos, there were several truly cute reads (buddy reads), a series I’m absolutely loving(The Wells Ranch Series -currently on book 3 from the library), and one book I genuinely cannot stop thinking about days later in a ‘what would you have done in this situation’ type of way (Into The Blue – have you read it? What would you have done as Noah? Plz comment or message me!!) What a good reading month. Rating system at the bottom, previous book reviews here, lets dive in!
Kin 5/5 (Libby) – I don’t know how you could rate this book anything but 5/5. It’s perfection, it’s so beautifully written! I love how the book follows two motherless girls, called ‘cradle friends’. I was just so moved by this story, definitely one I’ll be thinking about for years to come, just like I was with An American Marriage.
This Story Might Save Your Life 5/5 (Audible) – I got this one solely because my favorite audiobook narrator (Julia Whelan) narrates it. Omg it’s mystery, thriller and romance all in one. The story is so unique I can’t even describe it. It was perfection. Omg the compliment “there’s no one better than you being you” just melted me. It made me so sad that she’d stay in such a marriage like where he was making her so isolated. “I should have said me too” 😭in response to her friend sharing feelings where she had said nothing. I even got this book for my dad! I just looooved everything about it, it was a fascinating story to me, one I could not stop listening to.
No Matter What 5/5 (physical book)- Could not stop reading this one, like I was so annoyed I had to work and do life lol. I read this for 2 different bookclubs, so I really got into it. I loved her job, that she’s a recipe creator and food distribution coordinator. God at the beginning, how he won’t even talk to her and moves in to the guest room, like where’s the conversation? I’d be so pissed! The way she describes him, they sound so chemistry and matched! Couldn’t believe they’d only been married 8 years. But I guess it doesn’t matter if it’s a year or eight if something has happened. I like how halfway through she asks him like do you want me or not? When he tells the story and then says “she’s my “the end is the beginning”” wow, so beautiful! The part when he’s describing to her the symbol of his ring, she thinks it’s dishonest and he sees it as “calm… settled.. It..for me, it doesn’t need words” and she says “for me it does” and he flinches and describes how words are hard for him, and they’re like a cloud, feelings I don’t have words for.” Just so beautiful to see two sides of the same coin. This is so interesting to me, I’ve had the conversation with Nick before that there are actions and then there are words. Nick is definitely an actions guy, he does things, actions, and that’s very special to me. Sounds like Vin is like that too. The scene with the dancing, the song mimicking their situation and when she tells him she wants to keep living ‘no matter what’ (title of the book) it’s just beautiful!! Cue tears. What are those things in different font with Vin? Is he talking to a group or a therapist? We find out at the end, but I would have loved to know a little sooner. I found Roz so sweet and lovable and relatable – like her thoughts and asides. Every time the book title comes up “no matter what” in their conversations, I got goosebumps. When he describes his ptsd and she says it’s what she feels 😭 I loved this book, but really wish I could have seen after 5 years or even a year from when it ended. Also, I mean, at the beginning of the book I was just like eye roll, you both need therapy lol. But I couldn’t stop reading it and it was just a gentle beautiful love story, so I’m giving it 5/5 (I also came off of reading like 4 straight up not good romances, so maybe that had something to do with it?)
Into The Blue 5/5 (Audible) – another one I got because of the narrator Julia Whelan lol. This book you guys! It’s SO GOOD! The yearning!! Gah! This was so well written, I could not put this down. My laundry has never been so folded. Love SNL anything so loved that she was a writer there. UGH NOAH!! All the heartache!! OMG what AJ does at the end with the play, I died, it was so perfect!! This was a heartbreaking love story. I loved it, but really wanted to know what happened in like 5-10 years! This is a book I could not stop thinking about after the fact. Like what would you have done in Noah’s situation? My husband had a very different opinion than I did! He thought Noah was wrong for even going down that road with her. Again, I really wanted to know like, what happened? He had that tremor in his hand, was it the start of it? Because I can’t stop thinking about it, I’m giving it a 5/5
Across The Vanishing Sky 3/5 (Audible) – wow what a narration cast!!! Same main narrators as In Her Own League. But omg Owen narrator – the kid voice- is SO BAD! The banter between the brothers was cute, especially Dex and Mav and I just loved Wilder. A little, ok a lot cheesy. Read like a lifetime movie lol. They’re having panic attacks left and right, it’s SO over the top! I mean they’re both having a lot of panic attacks at the drop of a hat (or phone, literally she dropped her phone and had a panic attack). They talk incessantly about breakfast burritos and now I want one. It fell a little flat for me.
Seeing Red 4.5/5 (Library book) – book 2 in this series, I love a book with a looong list of trigger warnings lol! These are fairly tame (including things like pregnancy and childbirth lol) omg I loved this story so much! She sees her ex with the girl he cheated on her with and wants to get back at him so she has sex on the hood of his car with someone she doesn’t even consider a friend, and ends up getting pregnant! God, the reason for his tattoos, heartbreaking and beautiful. “I’m warning you now-I’m a cuddler” she groans “and I’m absolutely not. Fuck all the way off” I don’t know what she puts in her books but they’re addicting. I love her pregnancy hormones, like when they’re driving to the hospital and he’s going so slow and she’s like “at this rate we’ll be lucky to make it by the baby’s actual due date” lol. Ok only thing I didn’t/done like, and this is personal is I hate when men use derogatory terms for a woman in the bedroom like “you’re a little slut” and then say “slut” repeatedly, like no, just no! Accidental pregnancy, cowboy, small town romance.
Seal The Deal 3.5/5 (Kindle Unlimited) -I’m not crazy about the dual timelines, or how their meeting after all these years was soooo coincidental. I like when she’s talking with her friend “I’m not here to get laid. I’m here to start a new life.” And her friend goes “as a nun” lolol. I did love though that they were in their early 30s, a little ‘older’ – love that, and that they had had their own lives (she has kids). Love that he’s so accepting of her kids, love! And how he transferred their car seats to his car- swoon! That’s such a manly thing – and him saving Meadow from a public meltdown, yeah, double swoon!! I love how he’s all in and says it (a little too much if you ask me)! The way he talks with his friends is a little cringe, no guys are talking like that lol! “You’re really all in” “dude you’re in deep”. Ok the conversations in this book are SO cheesy, just like no! The conversations between the guys where they’re telling each other how much they love their partners, the conversations Jake has with Charlie where she’s constantly telling him she’s unsure and then him continually telling her he’s “all in” or when she talks to her ex and Jake overhears and tells her how proud of her he is. Just all so unrealistic. Her ex is just a giant bag of dicks. Loved the apology brownie, v cute. Soooo repetitive with the “you’re mine” and “you’re my everything” like ok we get it! Love that the grandmas recipe is included and that there’s a playlist at the back.
Make The Play 4/5 (Kindle Unlimited) this is book 2 in the series. Why is this book So much better than book 1?! I was about to jump ship because I don’t like series usually, but I’m buddy reading with a friend! Their banter is so good. Love how he makes things into devastatingly sweet moments. Love how much he cares!!! Her name on the back of his jersey, died!! All the flowers and coffee? Yessss! Love when she says “you’re my cringe” and he goes “you’re my goal, my reward, my….” Lol. I love that he wants all versions of her, that was so sweet and how he kept showing up for her. Meadows weddings, toooo funny, and what a sweet epilogue.
Break The Ice 4/5 (kindle unlimited) look at me reading a series in order!!! Again? Why is this one SO much better than book 1? I was on like page two and laughing already. I love a “so annoyingly competent” man! Love how he’s gruff with everyone else but gentle with her. He is just so sweet, and so is she. What she did for him by wearing his name for Halloween when she couldn’t around her brother, so special. How she celebrated his birthday with all those kind words and memories on cards and balloons, I teared up! 52 truths 😭Eli, her brother, when he found out, I love love love that he’s like “act like you love her” instead of being all bro like! Loved this one, very cute.
Over The Line 4/5 (Kindle Unlimited) – love how his friends are there for him! Love how he shows up rather than texts to death, and love that he chews minty gum- good breath is hot! And omg I die “just a heads up, my cat’s a dick” Lol. There is a lot of talking during intimate time, and I just don’t like that. But she enjoyed it lol. Love that she writes words in ketchup on her burger like “hope” and grow”. His notes on her in his phone are more than adorable! The lists of likes and reminders omg so sweet. Ok, I did tear up at the name Ivy Harriet Hope and the meaning behind it!
Riding the High 3/5 (Spotify) – their banter is cute, and I love how they’re friends. Don’t love how he’s a train wreck in love department and how he sleeps with so many women. Female voice was a little old for the character I thought. His G tattoo/brand!!!! That breakfast- the pineapple- you go girl! Ok one question why would he have it mailed to the office?! It was fine, didn’t make me want to pick up the next book or any other book in the series. Small town romance, single dad, friends first, friends brother, fake marriage, forced proximity.
In Her Own League 4/5 (Spotify) – hot audiobook narrators. Omg “don’t tell me what to do” ahhhhh so cute! She’s not trying to pull away through the casino walk! I love that she slept in his room and ugh the Reddit post! Why didn’t she just tell him instead of freeze him out? A little bit much with the “oh we can’t he’s my employee/she’s my boss” theme. I like that he actually got mad in chapter 24 when he’s like “I hate that you’ve made me want you and you’re my boss and I haven’t wanted anyone in 20 years”. Lots of heaving chests and waiting for the other one to give in. Love that they’re older and how she always gets her nails done. I like how he bit her butt the first time they did it. Love how he made her coffee and loved her coffee order, cream and a little brown sugar- how I like mine LOL. Lots of talk of “signing paychecks” and I’m like 100% sure at that level she’s not signing anything!!!! Ending was cute, love in the epilogue how she’s always beating him to big moments.
Chasing The Wild 3.5 (Kindle Unlimited) -buddy reading this! So fun to do. He bought her gas, hot already! Don’t love the ex’s dad troupe, it’s just kinda gross to me. Colt finally says “fuck it” at 31% but it’s not that good lol. And god there are so many creeps on the mountain! And they all want to get with her? Seems excessive. She tries so hard not to disappoint him and he’s a gruff ahole. I mean, how BIG is he that she’s worried he won’t fit?! I like that he doesn’t talk but then becomes the king of dirty talk. He asks if she wants a towel for her knees, sweet, lol. Normally I don’t like when the guy talks during, but in this book, it works!! Lots of filthy words and lots of spice. Hand around the neck is hot here. Oh daddy Colt “well, if it isn’t the biggest turn on ever to know how endlessly capable the man can be” he built a house!!! HE GAVE HER HIS HAT! He is just such a man letting her go. The part with Kayce was kinda anticlimactic. But overall v spicy. Things that would normally annoy me worked in this book!
Braving the Storm 2/5 (Kindle Unlimited) – love that he describes that she has a little roll above her leggings lol, but that’s where my love of this book stops. V spicy from the beginning. Omg when walks in on her and she goes “Uncle Stormand?”!!! I died! But I do have to say I really didn’t like this one, it’s seems like the author was trying way too hard to make this a “forbidden age gap” if was very like “oh we shouldn’t” repetitive. Who taught these men on the mountain to have intimate time, seems overly dirty and just not fun, lots of withholding orgasms, weird. Also, why are they not shouting from the rooftop they’re not really related? DO NOT UNDERSTAND (this continued into the next book, like they still didn’t tell anyone they weren’t related). Ugh! That epilogue was just like another chapter in the book. So stupid. Straight up smut no plot. So much spice but not in a hot way.
Taming the Heart 3/5 (kindle unlimited) – ugh with these “forbidden romances” eye roll. This one was much better than book 2. They have great chemistry and this banter is cute. Loved the opening scene, I lol’d. He talks a big game, but she’s right, he didn’t tell her the whole story. My fave part is when Sage put a reminder on her friends’ Hubbys phone to play with her titties more when she’s gone, knowing he won’t know how to turn the alarm off LOL!!! All these books follow the same formula, it was kind of lazy of the author. Young woman who doesn’t want kids. Strong(ish) females, forbidden romance, no no no we shouldn’t then at 50% they have crazy sex and continue to sneak around having it until 75% when there’s something that happens the big bag ex wife or ex husband or family and then the girl leaves and the guy lets her go because it’s for her own good, then his friends say to go find her and he does and they love loved each other all along. Legit all 3 books I read in the series were the same. Just eye roll. This is where I’ll stop in this series, I just can’t anymore.
A Not So Meet Cute 3/5 (Libby)- I love how confident she is with her body and sexuality. This book was really stupid but cute. I usually like Meghan’s books so much more, this one just fell v. flat!!!
Game On 3/5 (Audible) – you know how I was embarrassed to admit I read book 1 because l liked it but it’s wild and dirty? Book 2 was straight up bad, and this one was ok, still didn’t live up to book 1, but it had its moments. It’s definitely a dirty dark romance. I’m not into the whole multiple partners thing so that’s one of the reasons it was kind of meh for me, but there were some good moments. I loved the “advanced age” joke lol she’s 35! You know how much I like an older character. I like how he acted when she ran in to Maddie (the worst) and how they argue in the study when they’re supposed to be nice to each other. They have great I hate you I like you chemistry. Omg I love when he finds her sketch pad, and he’s like “you’re obsessed with me” and there’s sketches of him in there!!! After all the crap he pulled, then when he kneels at her feet in the motel and admits what he does, and apologizes it was kind of hot, and I learned about a new kink lol. Not gonna lie though, just don’t love the addition of AJ to the couple storyline. It was totally fine until the end where she is saying she loves another person too? It just felt so added on and unnecessary. The bonus content was nice.
Sunday Morning 3.5/5 (Kindle Unlimited) omg their banter is so good I literally lol’d . I love how he gives her control and says “you have me wrapped around your finger” and I love how he’s protective over her but still dirty and flirty. Didn’t love how he just took off to go to the rodeos when shit got tough? Like wtf? It was so random and out of nowhere. The ending was cute. The characters were a little young for me (18 & 24) but it worked, it was a little Jesusy, didn’t make me want to pick up the next one. Steamy at parts but then not lol.
Every Reason Why 2/5 (Audible) – This is book 2, I loooved book 1. This book was SO slow and I didn’t love it. And like all the quiet from Jackson like wouldn’t say goodbye or when he was coming or going, I’m just not here for suuuch bad communication, like what is wrong with you? And the drama seemed SO unrealistic and stupid. God I hated this book. Oh, and the “grifter” jokes to someone who has experienced homelessness is just awful, especially at the end!!!! And then the way he gives her the “gift” that his grandma had asked him to give her anyway but he never told her until the end, just gave me the ICK.
Love At First Sighting 3.5/5 (Libby) – she opens a lot of things with a Bobby pin lol, like picks the locks, seemed unlikely that she’d be sooo good at that lol. The yearning is there. It was cute and fluffy. Didn’t really buy the whole series of events and fight at the end, but it was all around cute. I’d say like 1 pepper spice? It was just kind of ok, nothing I’d recommend as a ‘must read’
My rating system:
- 5 stars – I loved this book and would recommend it to someone looking for their next book to read. This is a book I would re-read and am slightly jealous of anyone who gets to experience it for the first time!!
- 4 stars – I really liked and enjoyed this book, it was solid. Glad I read it.
- 3 stars – I liked this book enough to finish it, but wish there would have been something more – and probably wishing it had changes
- 2 stars – It was hard to finish, but I made it to the end. I don’t understand why people liked this
- 1 star – Really annoyed I finished this book, did not like it
- DNF – Did not finish, just couldn’t do it
Some links you might enjoy
- My Amazon books list – these are all the 5 star ones over the years.
- My Kindle – I’m in love with it more than anything! It’s so lightweight, I just throw it in my purse!
- Favorite playlist to listen to while I read
- Kindle case – very basic. Maybe one day I’ll find a cute case, any recs?
- Reading is my favorite sport sweater – I have this in navy and wear it to all sporting events lol
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