Farewell 2023- it’s been nice reading you!

 This month was just kind of average with how much I read. 9 books. A total of 2721 pages. An average of 88 pages a day. But I got stuck on a series (again). So what can I say!

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover (410 pages). The first of a five book series. Sky Davis likes her life. She’s got a best friend named Six who lives right next door. She’s got an adoptive mom who she loves. But when she finally starts public school (without Six, who went to Italy for a foreign exchange program), she is a little nervous. Until Dean Holder enters her life. There’s something different about Holder. And as Sky becomes closer with Holder, she also begins to remember things about her life pre-adoption. And the things she remembers begin to terrify her. Colleen Hoover writes a book that is easy to get involved in the plot and the characters. I finished in 3 days. 

Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover (330 pages). Book 2 in the series. This is Hopeless, from Holder’s perspective. You see, Holder has his own demons. His twin sister Lesslie committed suicide a year earlier. His parents are divorced and remarried, living in different cities. And he has secrets about Sky’s pre-adoption life. I do love reading the same story from different perspectives. I finished in 3 days.

Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover (129 pages). Book 3 in the series. Holder has a best friend named Daniel. Before Sky and Holder ever met, Daniel had a life changing experience with a girl in the dark in a janitor’s closet at school during fifth period. And he’s been looking for that girl and that feeling ever since. Now, he’s been third wheeling with the happy couple. Until Sky’s best friend Six returns from Italy. Because Six isn’t just Sky’s best friend- she’s closet girl. But while Sky and Holder have some secrets they haven’t told their best friends, Six has some secrets too. I am throughly enjoying this series. It’s fun to read things from different characters perspectives. I finished in 1 day. 

All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover (310 pages). Book 4 of the series.  Quinn and Graham first met when they discovered that her fiancé and his girlfriend were having an affair. Six months after that awful day, they ran into each other while on dates. And immediately became inseparable. Years later, they are unhappily married and desperately trying for a child. Something that doesn’t seem like is ever going to happen for them. Can a marriage withstand Category 6 troubles when it’s not the marriage you thought you wanted?  This one was much heavier than the first 3, in a good way. As a grown married woman, I connected more with Quinn than I did with the high schoolers of the first 3 books. Not that the first books weren’t good. This one just hit more. And yes, this book IS connected to the rest of the series- Quinn’s sister is an ex-Pat Italian tutor for foreign exchange students. I finished in 2 days.

Finding Perfect by Colleen Hoover (86 pages).  Book 5 and the final one in the series. And the most beautiful conclusion to the story.  We again go back to Daniel. He and Six are still together by Thanksgiving break of their freshman year of college. But their secret from the earlier book lies heavy on both of them. When Daniel finds a way to ease their pain, all of the stories come full circle. Y’all, I started crying about halfway through and didn’t stop until I finished. This one might have been my favorite of the series. I finished in 1 day. 

Through the Snow Globe by Annie Rains (292 pages). This was my Christmas Once Upon a Book Club box (I only do their special edition books now) so gifts on social. Diana is an in-home physical therapist. She’s engaged to Linus, a toy store owner. So everything should be perfect. But Diana was raised to never show her feelings. And it seems like that has spilled over to all her relationships- with her patients, with her best friend, and most importantly with her fiancé. On December 4, after a horrible day, Linus is in an accident. and for the next three weeks, Diana goes to visit him, hoping that he will come out of his coma before Christmas. When she finds his Christmas gift to her, a snow globe of their little town, she makes a wish on it. And wakes up to December 4 all over again. She tries everything to change the outcome of the day (ala Groundhog Day). But it isn’t always about changing the day. It’s about seeing changes that need to be made in yourself. It was super sweet.  I finished in 2 days.

Untying the Knot by Meghan Quinn (461 pages).  A spin-off of the Cane brothers series that I read earlier in the fall. Ryot and Myla Bisley first met 12 years ago and have been together for 7 years. But Ryot isn’t the charming man that Myla married. Since retiring from baseball (they met when he was in the minors), he’s not really sure of who he is anymore.  So Myla does the only thing she can- she files for divorce. But Ryot isnt willing to let her get away. And with JP and Kelsey’s wedding in 3 weeks (see book 2 of the Cane brother series), he decides to buy himself as much time as he can. Because an athlete always has a game plan on how to win. This might have been my favorite of the series. I loved how it went back and showed you how Ryot and Myla’s love story grew. And how it got to where it is in present day. None of Meghan Quinn’s characters are perfect but somehow the stories just work. I finished in 4 days.

Main Character Energy by Jamie Varon (313 pages). This was my Up All Night Once Upon a Book Club box. Which means I’ve got my new reading challenge scratch off for next year!  It was also my 100th book of the year. But on to the book. Poppy Banks feels like a failure. She hates her job. Her older (perfect) brother has the writing career she always dreamt of. And her mother makes her feel like she’s not good enough, not thin enough, not anything enough. But every year, her clandestine meeting with her estranged Aunt Margot makes her feel okay. And when Margot dies and leaves Poppy her elusive writers retreat, The Colony, Poppy is intrigued. Even more so by Margot’s stipulations- she must move there for 6 months and finish a book before she can take ownership. So off Poppy goes to the French Riviera. She meets new friends and begins to wonder if she can actually be like Margot and be the main character in her own life. Turns out, she’s more like Margot than she ever dreamed. This book was really cute- just the right amount of romance and self confidence. I finished in 3 days. 

Home Front by Kristen Hannah (390 pages). Jolene Zarkades is a Black Hawk helicopter pilot in the National Guard, married and living outside Seattle with her criminal defense attorney husband Michael and 2 daughters, 12 year old Betsy and 4 year old Lulu. She loves being both a military woman and a mother. The same can’t be said about her relationship with Michael. But Jo lives by the credo that happiness is a choice. When her unit is deployed to Iraq, everything changes. And when her copter is shot down, her injuries upend their lives. Meanwhile, Michael is assigned a case that makes him question everything he’s thought about the military- a young soldier is accused of murdering his wife. But he has no recollection of actually doing it. When Michael delves into the world of PTSD, he starts to understand his wife, perhaps for the first time ever. And finally, FINALLY, the family is able to heal. I bawled several times throughout reading. Jo’s struggles, the family coming together, it was so difficult and beautiful all at the same time. I finished in 4 days.

This month’s favorite is…….Home Front and Finding Perfect. Yes, the two books that made me cry

Being the last entry of 2023, it’s time to give my yearly report. I read 101 books this year. A total of 34,273 pages. An average of 94 pages a day. And this year’s favorite?  The Personal Librarian. 

A busy November meant not as much reading time

 This month was the month of a series. I got hooked and just couldn’t stop.  I ended up reading 7 books. A total of 2,338 pages. An average of 75 pages a day (which is not quite up to snuff with my regular monthly averages). But let’s get to the books, shall we?

Hooked by Emily McIntire (300 pages). The first of the Never After Series. James “Hook” Barrie is part of a crime syndicate (The Lost Boys) that sells pixie dust (clearly drugs) and runs Boston. Wendy is the daughter of Peter Michaels, owner of NevAirLand Planes. When Hook sees Wendy at his bar, the Jolly Roger, he decides he must have her. Because Hook has some unfinished business with Peter. But Hook has never let anyone in before. Until Wendy. This was not a reimagining of a fairytale. This was a full on naughty reinvention. And I loved it!  The character names (the twins, Curly, Smee) and location names (the Lagoon, the Jolly Roger) were such a creative way to keep the magic of the original but also completely recreate it. I finished in 3 days. 

Scarred by Emily McIntire (337 pages). Book 2 in the series. Lady Sara Beatreaux has spent her adult life knowing one thing- that she will avenge her father’s death by destroying the Faasa line of royalty in the kingdom of Gloria Terra. Her betrothal to the king will allow her to do just that. But what Sara didn’t anticipate was the king’s brother Tristan, the scarred prince. Tristan, doesn’t want to destroy his family’s line; he just wants to destroy his brother. As they begin to fall wildly (and quite dirtily) in love and lust, they realize that their goals aren’t that dissimilar. A little Hamlet and a lot of 50 Shades. Again, the characters were great. Even though this wasn’t inspired by a fairy tale (at least not one I know), I might have liked it more than Hooked! I finished in 4 days.

Wretched by Emily McIntire (268 pages).  Book 3 in the series. Woo hoo- the jolly old land of Oz!  Evelina is the youngest of three sisters- oldest sister Nessa died when Evie was 17 and middle sister Dorothy is the reason she’s dead. And her father is the head of an Irish crime family. Seven years later, Nicholas is the DEA agent assigned to go undercover and bust the drug ring. A drug ring that Evie is intimately involved in. And when Nick and Evie become intimately involved, everything shifts. For both of them. So many shoutouts to Oz. A bar called Winkies. A drug called Flying Monkey. A hacker named Oz. A strip club called Yellow Brick. A yacht named My Toto. A mother named Glinda. And another naughty naughty reinvention. I finished in 3 days.

Twisted by Emily McIntire (366 pages). Book 4 in the series. A twisted Aladdin. Yasmin is the only child of Ali, owner of the worldwide diamond company Sultans. His right hand man is Julian. And Yasmin’s first love is Aiden, the boy who grew up on her father’s estate as the son of one of the staff. But when Ali learns that he has very little time left, he lets Yasmin know that only her husband will be inheriting Sultans. And Yasmin isn’t married. But Julian is bitter that HE isn’t the one who will inherit. So he tricks Yasmin into marrying him. All while sending Aiden off to find a legendary lamp. I’m not sure how I felt about this one. Part of me liked it, part of me was super bothered by the Stockholm Syndrome that clearly occurred with Yasmin and Julian. I finished in 4 days.

Crossed by Emily McIntire (403 pages). The 5th and final book in the series. I’d say this was a reimagining of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, but honestly it was just a modernization of it in a lot of ways. The small town of Festivale, Vermont, is a little bit of Paris in America. Amaya works at the Chapel, a strip club, as Esmeralda in order to provide for herself and her younger brother Quinten  (when their mother left, she left them indebted to Parker, the local criminal in charge). But when Father Cade arrives at Notre Dame to bring renewed religion to the town, his obsession with Amaya becomes overwhelming. Nothing different than Victor Hugo imagined with that one. The biggest difference?  Amaya feels the same draw to Cade. Honestly, I think this one was my favorite of the whole series. I finished in 6 days.

The Girl Beyond the Gate by Becca Day (326 pages). Jodie Madison needs a fresh start. And the exclusive gated community of Kensington Grove seems like just the spot. But you can never escape the ghosts of your past. And try as Jodie might, she can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong with her next-door neighbor, Norah Williams, and Norah’s terminally ill daughter Lacey. As the months go by, Jodie becomes even more suspicious. When the safe little community is rocked by a murder, Jodie becomes even more convinced that she needs to save Lacey. But are her suspicions merited?  Or is it her own guilt, coming back to mess with her head?  I finished in 2 days.

The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose (338 pages). OMG!  This book!  Sarah and Adam Morgan seem to be the perfect couple. She is a super successful defense attorney in DC. He is a struggling author who spends most of his time at their lake house in Virginia. But there are always secrets. And Adam’s is that he’s been carrying on an affair with Kelly Summers, a local woman near their lake house. One night, after an encounter with Kelly, Adam heads home to Sarah. But when the housekeeper arrives at the lake house, she finds Kelly’s lifeless body, stabbed 37 times. Adam is immediately charged with her murder. And Sarah puts away her heartbreak at the affair by agreeing to represent him. And that’s all I’m going to say. The investigation. The trial and outcome. So, so good. I finished in 3 days. 

This month’s favorite is…….The Perfect Marriage. 

Last month was a little Booktober

 This month was pretty good. I got 9 books read. A total of 2,873 pages. An average of 93 pages a day.  Not the best month ever, but respectable. And a nice range of genres

Where the Sky Begins by Rhys Bowen (389 pages).  Josie Banks is happy when her husband is sent to war and she begins working at a tea shop in London. But when the shop owner dies and her own apartment is bombed, Josie is evacuated to the country to recuperate. She is placed in the mansion of a rather crotchety spinster and her housekeeper. To keep herself busy, she starts a garden. And a tea room.  And finds an RAF officer who makes her happy.  But Josie is still a married woman. And if her husband survives the war, the new life she has created for herself will be destroyed. Y’all know I love a good WWII historical fiction!  This one was great- references to other parts of WWII that I already knew about (Bletchley Park) and a very sweet story to boot.  I finished in 4 days. 

A Long Time Coming by Megan Quinn (446 pages). Another book in the sexy billionaire Cane brothers series. This one focuses on youngest brother Breaker. With Huxley and JP happily married off to sisters Lottie and Kelsey, it’s time for Breaker’s story. 10 years ago, Breaker met his best friend Lia in college. They are both total nerds. And remain nothing but friends. But when Lia’s boyfriend surprises her with a proposal and his mother surprises her with a 5 week timeline for the wedding, Breaker begins to realize that Lia is more than just his best friend. And when Lia begins to realize that her fiancé isn’t the man she needs (who wants a man who can’t even stand up to his mother for you?), she ends things. Huxley and JP encourage Breaker to tell Lia how he truly feels. Luckily, a decade of friendship is the best foundation for the rest of their lives!  I loved Breaker. I’m not sure about Lia. I loved her nerdiness. I didn’t love that she thought it was appropriate to sleep in the bed with Breaker “just as friends” when she was engaged to another man because they’d done it before. I really enjoy this author though. Her pop culture references are <chef’s kiss> perfection!  I finished in 1 day. 

Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid (88 pages). I love this author. Literally I love everything she’s written. I love how she intertwines characters throughout (in this one, one character listens to Joni Mitchell and Daisy Jones when she is sad). This was (obviously) a short story. It was a series of letters between Carrie and David, two people who have never met but discovered that their spouses are having an affair. Over a series of months, they exchange letters and support (and copies of the letters their spouses exchanged). They even meet up to commiserate. But eventually, when the affair ends, one of them remains with their spouse. And the other doesn’t. I finished in 1 day (30 minutes actually). 

The Girl in Cabin 13 by A.J. Rivers (223 pages). Emma Griffin is an undercover agent with the FBI. She’s had a rough go of it- her mother was killed, her father and boyfriend have both disappeared, she bungled a big case. But she is assigned to a case (or rather cases) that has everyone baffled. People are going missing in a small town and no one has answers. The night she arrives at her rented cabin, there’s a knock on her door. She opens it to a man who promptly drops dead. A man who has a piece of paper with her name on it clasped in his hand. Emma immediately gets to work, investigating the case.  Her case work is (in my opinion) shoddy at best. When she finally figures out whodunit, it’s only because she stumbles into it. And we still don’t have an answer as to how the dead guy showed up on her door with her name written down (the killer says he didn’t figure out who she was until later). It was a little all over the place. Good pace, interesting premise, but disappointing. I finished in 4 days.

The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen (401 pages). Juliet Browning is just 18 years old the first time she visits Venice in 1928. She meets Leonardo da Rossi, a young man from a wealthy family, and falls hard in one day. But her life is in London. Until she is given the opportunity to return, first on a tour with her students and then as a student herself in 1938. By this time, Leo is married. But he is still in love with Juliet. So she stays, even as a war rages across Europe. In 2001, Caroline Grant’s life is falling apart. Her husband has left her and is keeping their son with him in America after 9/11. And her beloved Great Aunt Lettie is dying. When she kneels at Lettie’s deathbed, she is given a sketchbook, 3 keys and the whispered word “Venice.”  So Caroline heads off to Venice to discover what secrets Lettie had and to scatter her ashes in what seems to be her favorite city. A little bit of WWII history (I don’t hill I ever knew much about Italy’s contribution to the War, other than the fact that Mussolini idolized Hitler. I finished in 4 days.

The Guilty Husband by Stephanie DeCarolis (308 pages). Vince Taylor is the CEO and founder of KitzTech, a very successful tech company. He literally has it all- money, fame, and the love of his life, his wife Nicole. All that is missing is a family. When intern Layla Bosch comes to work for him, she manages to seduce him. And when she is found dead in Central Park, all clues point to Vince as the murderer. But as Detective Allison Barnes and her partner begin to investigate, she begins to wonder if they have the right man. I love a good whodunit murder mystery. I finished in 4 days.

Night Road by Kristen Hannah (387 pages). 14 year old Lexi Baill has been in and out of foster homes her whole life. But she’s finally found a home with her great aunt in a small town in Washington State. 14 year old twins Mia and Zach Farraday couldn’t be more opposite- Mia is painfully shy and Zach is Mr Popular. But their helicopter mom Jude has always been there for them. The first day of high school, Mia and Lexi meet and immediately become best friends. Three years later, it’s senior year. The girls are inseparable. And Zach and Lexi have finally admitted that they love each other. As the school year ends, one decision leads to an accident that changes everyone’s lives. And years later, the pieces of this family, and Lexi’s place in it, needs to be put back together. In a way that only love and forgiveness can do. I bawled like a baby about 10 times. I finished in 4 days.

Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong (294 pages). This was a special edition Spooky Halloween from Once Upon a Book Club. So gifties on social (per usual). Laney Kilpatrick loves her vacation home on a private island in Lake Superior. But she doesn’t like the fact that she has to rent it out to vacationers in order to keep it after the pandemic fuels her divorce. When renters start reporting strange occurrences (bones, hex circles, blood), Laney and her niece Madison show up to investigate. On their way, they run into her ex husband Kit and his sister Jayla (who used to be Laney’s best friend). And before they know it, another former friend Sadie and her brother, policeman Garrett, show up. By the time they find a hand poking up out of the ground, their only means of escape is gone. And they are left on an island with a murderer. As the day progresses, they begin to realize that maybe it’s not a murderer they need to be scared of. This book was not what I expected. But I didn’t hate that!  I finished in 3 days.

My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine (337 pages). This was my Sweet Halloween special edition Once Upon a Book Club box. So stinking cute!  When struggling artist Cassie Greenberg answers an ad for a roommate, with rent of only $200 a month in a ritzy Chicago neighborhood, she isn’t sure what to expect. But she certainly didn’t expect Frederick J Fitzwilliam. He sleeps all day and looks like he walked out of an 1800’s novel. She also didn’t expect to find herself charmed by him. And she definitely didn’t expect to learn that he is a centuries old vampire, in need of a modern day “tutor,” to help him learn about the 21st century. But the more time she spends with him, the more she realizes how much she cares about him. It was kind of cute. I finished in 3 days.

This month’s favorite is…….The Venice Sketchbook. With Night Road coming in a close second 

Falling into a lot of books this month

 Let’s just say it- I killed it this month. I read 9 books. A total of 3,538 pages. An average of 118 pages per day. Yep, that’s some good reading. Admittedly, I got stuck in some types (Colleen Hoover, romcoms, sequels). So I’m going to try to spice it up next month with some diversity. But I really liked almost every book I read this month. 

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover (373 pages). Lily Bloom loves her life in Boston- she has opened her dream business (a flower shop) and found a wonderful man who loves her (neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid). Everything seems perfect. But looks can be deceiving. And when Atlas Corrigan, her first love, reappears in her life, she realizes that she doesn’t have to repeat patterns in her life. Even though I’d heard of this book, I didn’t know what it was about. I found myself very affected. More so than I would’ve thought. As I was poolside, I finished in 1 day. 

It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover (320 pages). This is Atlas and Lily’s continuation story. Lily and Ryle are officially divorced and attempting to coparent their daughter Emerson. The last person Ryle would want in their life is Atlas, the man HE blames for the divorce. But Lily and Atlas know better. And a love story that began in high school finally has a chance to grow into forever. This was very sweet. I didn’t like it as much as the first book.  I finished in 3 days. 

The Rebel King by Gina L. Maxwell (316 pages). The second in the Deviant King series. This one focuses on second brother Tiernan Verran. Tiernan has just been named King of the Dark Fae after his brother’s abdication (hey, you’ve got to do whatever it takes to save your life and your mate’s life). As king, there are certain expectations. One of them is not being involved with Fiona Jewel, one of the fae housekeepers of Midnight Manor. But when Dark Fae begin to be murdered (something hard to do), Tiernan realizes he’s got to save his people. All before he officially takes the throne. Fiona learns some truths about herself as well when she and her mother are attacked. But along the way, Tiernan realizes that no king is complete without his queen. Another round of faerie 50 shades!  I finished in 4 days. 

Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score (642 pages). The third and final book in the Knockemout series. Now that we’ve got the Morgan brothers settled down, it’s time to focus on their bad boy best friend, Lucian Rollins, and his long time love/hate relationship with town librarian Sloane Walton. This book was the perfect ending to the series. It might have been my favorite one actually!  Lucian and Sloane started out as best friends in high school. But one mistake led to a seemingly deep seated hatred for decades. Until Lucian decides that the easiest way to get Sloane out of his mind is to get her into his bed. After all, he gets bored with women once he beds them. But Sloane isn’t just any woman. And they aren’t just any couple. As crime lords continue to pester the town and inhabitants of Knockemout, Sloane and Lucian need to decide how they truly feel about each other. I finished in 4 days.

Too Late by Colleen Hoover (388 pages). Sloan thought she’d met the perfect guy when she met Asa Jackson in college. But her fairytale quickly turned into a nightmare when she learns that Asa is a drug trafficker at the college. Unfortunately, he’s managed to make her so dependent on him that she can’t leave, even though she’s miserable. When Carter, an undercover agent, infiltrates Asa’s inner circle, he decides that after he takes down Asa, he’s going to rescue Sloan. But Asa doesn’t ever hear no from anyone. Especially the woman he obsessively loves. Can Sloan and Carter make it out alive?  And can they find a happy ending?  I finished in 3 days.

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden (329 pages). Millie feels like she’s hit the jackpot. Despite her criminal past, she manages to land a job as a live-in maid/part-time nanny for the very wealthy Winchester family. Husband Andrew is a dreamboat. Daughter Cecelia is a bit of a brat. Wife Nina, on the other hand, is a nut job. She’s demanding, slovenly and a nightmare. But Millie accepts her attic bedroom and difficult job, fanaticizing about Andrew all the while. Turns out, Nina needs more than just a maid.  Because life in the Winchester house isn’t what it appears. And Millie is just the girl for the job. Y’all- this book!  It really reminded me of The Wife Between Us that I read about 2 years ago.  But possibly even better?  I finished in 3 days.

The Housemaid’s Secret by Freida McFadden (310 pages). A sequel?  Heck yes!  Millie is back in New York City, going to school and working where she can. She’d managed to make a bit of a name for herself as a “maid.”  So when she gets a call from the Garricks to be their new housekeeper, she quickly learns that Douglas is abusive. So when Wendy begs for help, Millie knows what she must do. But Wendy isn’t Millie’s typical client. Another fun twist and just as good as the first book!  I finished in 4 days.

A Not So Meet Cute by Meghan Quinn (401 pages). Lottie needs a job (her toxic bff/boss just fired her), a new place to live (as much as she loves her mom and stepdad, 28 is too old to be living at home) and a date to her high school reunion (thanks to the aforementioned bff/boss being involved). Huxley needs a pregnant fiancée to seal a real estate deal (he let himself lie just a teensy bit). So when they accidentally meet on the sidewalk of Huxley’s neighborhood, a deal is struck and a contract signed. Yall know I love a rom com!  And one that acknowledges CT as the greatest MTV Challenger of all time?  Yes yes and yes!  It was super cute (if slightly predictable). I finished in 4 days.

So Not Meant to Be by Meghan Quinn (459 pages). A sequel featuring Lottie’s sister, Kelsey and one of Huxley’s brothers, JP. From the moment they met, Kelsey found JP to be annoying. But when they are forced to go to San Francisco for 2 weeks for work, she begins to realize that there is more to him than she ever imagined. Another cute romcom, complete with misunderstandings and makeups. I finished in 5 days.

This month’s favorite is…….The Housemaid.

Nothing AUGUST about this month of reading

 August was a pretty good reading month. Not great, just average amounts of reading. I finished 9 books. A total of 2,938 pages. An average of 95 pages per day. 

The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren (401 pages). Felicity “Fizzy” Chen is a super successful romance novelist who’s currently in the middle of a dry spell, both professionally and personally. Connor Prince is a documentary film maker who’s been conscripted by his boss into producing a reality dating show. When Connor meets Fizzy, he realizes he has the perfect concept on his hands. And with Fizzy’s input, the True Love Experiment is born. Where our Heroine is set up with 8 archetypal Hero’s- from Hot Nerd to Tattooed Bad Boy, from the One that Got Away to Vampire. But sparks fly between producer and star, and Connor and Fizzy begin to have a hard time denying their attraction. As with any true romance, the path is never easy. But omg- it was so cute!  I finished in 4 days. 

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint (305 pages). I love me some mythological fiction (is that a genre?!  It should be). I never really thought much about Ariadne. She helped Theseus defeat the labyrinth and the Minotaur and was then abandoned by him on the island of Naxos, to be wooed and wed to the god Dionysus. That’s all I knew. I loved this version of her story. Her relationships with her family members. Her heartbreak at being abandoned by Theseus. Her love for Dionysus. The tragedies surrounding her and her family. It was awesome!  And the author did such an amazing job weaving the “true” mythology into the novel. I finished in 1 day. 

The Dark King by Gina L. Maxwell (275 pages). Caiden Verran is the king of Vegas. He and his brothers own most of the Strip. And he is king of the Dark Fae of the Night Court of Faerie as well, fae who have been banished from their home of Tir na nOg in Ireland for centuries. Bryn Meara arrives in Vegas for a weekend at Nightfall, a Verran hotel and casino. When they lock eyes across the hotel lobby, they both feel something they’ve never felt before. And the next morning, they wake up mated and bonded. As only fae can be. But there’s more than a few things Bryn doesn’t know about her new husband. Like treaties and blood curses. And turns out there are some things Caiden doesn’t know about his new wife. I liked this book way more than I thought I would. Imagine if there was a faerie version of Twlight. And it had a baby with 50 Shades. Now you have this book. I finished in 3 days. 

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley (356 pages). The residents of 12, rue des Amants, are an eclectic bunch. Antoine, the alcoholic who’s just been left by his wife on the first floor. Nick, the nice guy who was Ben’s classmate at Cambridge on the second floor. Mimi, the young student on the fourth floor. Sophie, the wealthy wife in the penthouse. The concierge in her courtyard cabin. When Jess arrives late one Friday, she fully expects her brother Ben to be waiting for her in his third floor apartment. Even though she told him about her trip shortly before leaving England, he’s her brother and he’s always there for her. So when there is no sign of him upon her arrival, she begins to worry. And no one in the building is helping. In fact, there’s a good chance at least one of them knows what has happened to Ben. Y’all- the twists and turns. Loved it!  I finished in 4 days. 

Never Never by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher (358 pages). Charlize Wynwood and Silas Nash have known each other their whole lives. And been in love for the past nearly four years. But as of the middle of one school day, they don’t remember each other. Or really anything. But what has happened to them?  And when they finally learn what’s happening, can they fix it?  I finished in 2 days. 

Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge (259 pages). This was my May Once Upon a Book Club box. I’ve been hoarding.  When Tabitha Knight moves to Paris to live with her grandfather, she quickly becomes friends with her neighbor, fellow American Julia Child. She helps Julia with her French, Julia helps her with her cooking. One morning, the body of Therese Lognon is found in the trash room of Julia’s apartment building, the morning after Julia’s sister hosted a party. A party that Tabitha attended and left at the same time as the victim. Inspector Merveille is assigned to the case. And Tabitha finds herself in the midst of a murder investigation that involved international espionage!  I finished in 2 days. 

Famous for a Living by Melissa Ferguson (294 pages). This was my June Once Upon a Book Club box. Cat Cranwell has been been a famous Instagram influencer for half her life. But shortly after her 30th birthday, her world implodes. Her business partner (and by extension she herself) have been accused of serious financial crimes. So Cat runs to her uncle Terry, a park ranger in Montana. While helping boost the park’s social media presence, Cat also begins to learn that there is life outside of the carefully curated Instagram life she’d created. And it doesn’t hurt to have handsome park ranger, Zaiah Smith, around to look at. A man who hates all things social media. Maybe even her…. So cute!  I finished in 2 days. 

Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman (401 pages). London is the winter of 1799. Pandora Blake is an aspiring jewelry designer.  But she’s stuck living with her uncle above her parents’ former shop of antiques. A shop her uncle has turned into a shop of frauds. When a mysterious crate containing a mysterious vase appears at the shop, her uncle becomes obsessed. And enlists the help of an antiquities scholar Edward Lawrence to learn about the vase. Turns out it more than simply an ancient Grecian vase. And as myth and fact begin to intertwine, Dora begins to learn more about her family. It took a bit to get into this one. But once I did, I couldn’t put it down!   I finished in 2 days. 

Murder in the Locked Library by Ellery Adams (289 pages). Storyton Hall is a beautiful resort in Virginia, the resort of any book lovers’ dreams. Rooms are named for famous authors. And resort manager Jane Steward is the guardian of it all- books, resort and people. Her next goal is the addition of a spa. But when they break ground, they find bones and an old book. Fortunately the Rare Book Conference is staying at the resort and they are happy to lend their expertise. Unfortunately, someone doesn’t want the truth to come out. And someone is willing to kill. This book was the 4th in a series (I have no idea how it came into my possession) so there were some things that seemed confusing- relationships, jobs (some people at the Hall were Fins and Jane herself was a Guardian). I finished in 4 days. 

This month’s favorite is…….a tie between The True Love Experiment and Ariadne. Totally different genres but the two that stuck out the most at the end of the day

July’n- I finally got some pool time and therefore got some good good reading done

 Last month was better than I expected. I read 10 books. A total of 3,312 pages. An average of 107 pages per day. And all but one were winners. So I consider that a great month!

Deliberate Cruelty: Truman Capote, the Millionaire’s Wife and the Murder of the Century by Roseanne Montillo (288 pages). In 1955, former showgirl Ann Woodward shot her husband, banking heir Billy Woodward. She claimed to have mistaken him for a prowler. No one believed her. And the very society she craved by marrying Billy shunned her after his murder. Meanwhile, Truman Capote was riding high on literary success and the confidences of his “swans,” society women who let him in.  But all it took was publishing one story. One story to undo everything Capote had created. Because death can come at the hands of a gun. Or at the hands of a pen. Y’all- I typically tolerate biographies and nonfiction. Not this one!  I couldn’t put it down. The background into Ann and Truman was so fascinating- their rises to the top and their eventual downfalls. I finished in 2 days. 

Red Queen by Christina Henry (313 pages). The sequel to Alice (which I read back in February). Alice and Hatcher have escaped from the City and are searching for Hatcher’s daughter.  But the allegedly beautiful land surrounding the City is nothing but ash. And Alice and Hatcher find themselves in the clutches of the White Queen, the Black King and the Red Queen.  Alice learns more about her own magic and Hatcher learns more about his own madness. I didn’t love this one as much as Alice, but I still love this retelling of Wonderland. I finished in 3 days. 

Looking Glass by Christina Henry (287 pages). 4 novellas that continue the Alice Chronicles. These were great. We meet a new character, a young girl from the New City named Elizabeth. One who seems curiously familiar to another young girl from the New City. Even down to her magical abilities. We also learn more about Hatcher’s life when he was just Nicholas, a fighter in the Old City. And we get a few more adventures with Alice and Hatcher as they search for their happy ever after. An excellent ending to the Alice Chronicles!  I finished in 3 days. 

Eight Dates by John Gottman and Julie Schwartz Gottman (225 pages). This book was a gift. It focuses on going on 8 different dates with your partner to discuss different issues. All of the issues are important for long-term relationships. And the ideas for dates are great. I’m going to have to get the hubs to go on a few with me!  I finished in 3 days. 

The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand (368 pages). In 1922, hotel maid Grace Hadley died in a fire. And remained behind to gleefully haunt the hotel. In present day, Lizbet Keaton finds herself newly single and jobless after breaking up with her cheating boyfriend/business partner. When she learns that billionaire Xavier Darling is planning to reopen the Hotel Nantucket, she applies for the job of general manager. The hotel is more beautiful and luxurious than she could’ve imagined. And as she opens the season with her new employees and a superstar chef running the popular new Blue Bistro, Lizbet hopes they can score an elusive rave review from an anonymous travel influencer. When a young guest uncovers the secret of Grace, the hotel becomes more popular than ever before. It was a great summer read. If I’d been poolside, I’d have probably finished it in a day or two. I finished in 4 days. 

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie (333 pages). If you haven’t seen the (relatively) recent movie, you should. It’s great. In the book, beautiful and wealthy newlywed Linnet Ridgeway Doyle is killed during her honeymoon in Egypt. She and her husband are on a small cruise down the Nile. Meaning the only suspects are the 18 passengers on board. Fortunately, famed detective Hercule Poirot is on board as well.  As the clues begin to unfold and 2 more bodies are discovered, Poirot slowly begins to unravel the mysterious deaths. Even though I’d already seen the movie and therefore should have remembered whodunit, I literally found myself at the edge of my seat, wondering how it would end. I finished in 1 day. 

The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas (383 pages). Rosie Graham quit her job after her first romance novel was a big hit. But she’s hit the sophomore book writer’s block. At the same time, the ceiling of her apartment literally crumbled on top of her. So she decided to head to her best friend’s studio apartment to stay while Lina is on her honeymoon. The one thing Lina forgot to tell her?  She’d offered the use of the apartment to her cousin Lucas (who is visiting from Spain). Turns out Rosie had kind of Insta stalked Lucas and developed a major crush.  So when Lucas offered up experimental dates to help her out of her slump, she takes him up on it. And as they live together and date each other, they begin to worry (without telling the other) that the 6 week stay of Lucas’ might not be enough time for them. They might need more than that.  They might need forever. I finished in 1 day. 

A Kingdom of Stars and Shadows by Holly Renee (259 pages). The book itself is beautiful- pink hardback and decorative page edges. The story?  Meh. Adara is the Starblessed and betrothed to Gavril, the fae crown Prince of Citlali.  Her blood and his power will combine to keep their country safe. But Adara doesn’t want to married Gavril, as she finds herself attracted to his brother Evren. His slightly older, bastard, mixed vampyre-fae brother. It wasn’t really my type of book. Think bodice ripper, but with a supernatural fantasy bent. I finished in 3 days. 

Run, Rose, Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson (407 pages). Ruthanna Ryder is Nashville royalty- one of the greatest singer-songwriters to hit the stage. Think Dolly and Reba combined (at least that’s what I did!). And Ruthanna is retired. But when her backup guitar player Ethan Blake first heard newcomer AnnieLee Keyes in a bar, he knows he’s heard something special. Ruthanna takes a special interest in helping AnnieLee achieve her goals. But AnnieLee has some secrets that she doesn’t want to come to light. I finished in 1 day. 

The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer (449 pages). Y’all know I love some WWII historical fiction. Especially when it covers something of which I had no prior knowledge. Covering the 1930’s to the 1950’s, the novel looks at two women. The first is Sofie von Meyer Rhodes, wife of scientist Jurgen, mother to Georg, Laura, Gisela and Felix, and best friend to Jewish Mayim, in Berlin. Under severe threat to himself and his family, Jurgen eventually joins the Nazi party and helps create bombs at Mittlewerk. But neither of the Rhodes are believers in Hitler’s plans. They just want to survive. And when Jurgen is given the opportunity to join Operation Paperclip in America, he does so. Hoping Sofie and the children can join him in creating a new life.  The other is Lizzie Davis. Lizzie grew up a farm girl in Texas. Until the Dust Bowl claimed the lives of both of her parents and their farm. Lizzie finds herself and her brother living in El Paso and eventually being wooed by Calvin Miller.  Lizzie marries him and they move to Huntsville, Alabama, for Operation Paperclip. Lizzie has nothing but hatred for the former Nazis who are taking over their town. And Sofie struggles with the hatred directed toward her. Y’all- this book was so good!  Survival, family, blind bigotry and hatred- all things that we still face today. I finished in 4 days. 

This month’s favorite is…….a tie. Between Deliberate Cruelty and The German Wife.