#kr23

November 2023 Reading Wrap-Up 

Total books read: 5 

Total pages read: 1,657 

Days read: 25/30 

Average star rating: 3.8/5 

Challenge Prompts Filled: I stopped keeping track of the challenge prompts this month. Nothing I was in the mood to read fit with much of anything, except Chantal Reads All Day. The point was to find a new way to pick books, not to torment myself with things i didn’t want to read, so I stopped counting when it stopped being fun. 

A Proposal They Can’t Refuse by Natalie Caña  ⭐⭐⭐⭐  I got this in a Facebook group swap I joined in October and couldn’t wait to start reading! It’s an excellent balance of romance and family drama, spearheaded by a couple of spitfire-y old men. The epilogue felt a little incohesive with the rest of the story, but I’m waiting to see if this debut is the first in a series before I judge it too harshly – I could see it being a nice way to tie several stories together, but if this is a standalone then it didn’t quite fit perfectly imo. Aside from that, this was a top-notch read! Friends-to-enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, with a heaping scoop of “actually talking about your problems is the first step to solving them?” Sign me UP! This one packs an emotional punch in a few places, especially if you’re sensitive to cancer mentions, but it was handled wonderfully from where I’m sitting, and fed into a delightful story. I can’t wait to find out if we’ll get to see any more of these families!  

Prompts filled: BTBL – 2022 Debut Novel; Popsugar – Features two languages; Romanceopoly – The Bar/MC works at or owns a bar 

One Night on the Island by Josie Silver ⭐⭐⭐(¾) 

Many thanks to the local librarian who sat this one out in my book bag last month! I wasn’t sure about it at first, but I’m trying to read those down before they’re all due back, so I gave it a shot. Almost from the very first page, I was enraptured; now I’m trying to convince myself that moving to a remote island village in Ireland is not the move I want to make in my life. Because wow did this make it sound cute and idyllic and wonderful. The romance wasn’t quite everything I was looking for, but I suppose the ending befits the story: it’s almost as much women’s fiction as it is contemporary romance. Honestly, the biggest thing I'm missing as a reader was the aha moment where the title falls into place and makes sense. That's always such a fun moment, and as much as I enjoyed the every bit of the story, I wish I’d gotten to enjoy that feeling too. But honestly, how bad can a book be if it makes me tear up at a robotics meeting? 

Booked on a Feeling by Jayci Lee  ⭐⭐⭐(¾) 

This is a cute bookstore romance! I love book-themed books as a concept; they’re not quite meta, but there’s something close to a fourth-wall break, I think, that makes them very entertaining to me. It’s childhood/best friends to lovers, with solid anxiety rep, which I always love to see in stories. Aside from that, it was sweet, it was cute, it was sort of unremarkable, as romance stories go? I did like seeing Lizzy build friendships and find herself as her relationship with Jack developed, and it certainly wasn’t panful to finish. Mostly it was a solid, middle-of-the-road fluffy romance. Plus books and bookstores. It’s also about books and bookstores. 

Hope Never Dies by Andrew Shaffer  ⭐⭐(¾)  Listen. Sometimes you don’t read a book because you think you’ll like it. You read it because it’s so absurd that you can’t believe it actually exists and you need to know more. That’s why I was interested in Hope Never Dies. It’s been on my radar for a couple of years, but somehow I never though to check the local library. Then I stopped in on a whim one day, on my way between robotics and work, and found this book AND the sequel on the 50 cent sale rack. For a dollar, I’ll try reading almost anything, but it gets BETTER because the librarian gave them to me for free. I was so excited to dig in, knowing that it was sure to be absolutely ridiculous. And it was. This book is crack. It’s just crack. Biden is the jealous ex-girlfriend watching Obama move on after his presidency, until a murder brings them back together and they become a pair of private investigators trying to find out who killed the Amtrak conductor. It’s a wild ride, start to finish, and worth absolutely every page. But that’s not the same thing as a “good” book. Just a book that’s worth reading if you like to laugh at the absurd. 

CRAD November Prompt: set in a different time than your October book 

Too Much is Not Enough by Andrew Rannells  ⭐⭐⭐⭐(¾)  An excellent memoir! I’ve been a fan of Andrew Rannells for years, and actually tried to start this book the year it came out, but life did the thing and I never got around to finishing it. It’s fun, it’s heartfelt, it covers his life before his career really took off, and that’s always a chapter of life I’m interested in. It’s not a memoir I’d say is really applicable to everyone, but if you like theater, or if you like Andrew Rannells, definitely check it out. 

December 2023 Reading Wrap-Up 

Total books read: 6 

Total pages read: 1,214 

Days read: ?/31 (I didn’t do a good job keeping up with my planner this month because I was so busy. But I know I read at least half the days, so for the sake of my EOY counter, I’m going to call it 20.) 

Average star rating: 3.79/5 

Challenge Prompts Filled: Still not counting these. Oops?  

In The Likely Event by Rebecca Yarros  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  This. Book. Was. Incredible! I actually started it late November, but it was after the first of the month when I finished it, so it’s a December book. And a damned good one. I was recommending it to people before I’d even finished it because I was enjoying it so much (my deepest apologies to head coach, who I traumatized by giving it a chili pepper ranking, and then having to explain THAT scale). It’s a little bit out of my wheelhouse, but it’s good to spread my horizons sometimes. It’s action-packed, romantic, compelling as all hell (even if I don’t usually love dual timeline, this one held my attention from the very start and I finished it at 1 a.m., crying in my reading chair), and probably three pepper spicy, if that’s something that matters to you. 

The Trouble With Christmas by Amy Andrews  ⭐⭐⭐(¼)  This one took AGES to read. After I finished In the Likely Event, I wanted to switch to Christmas reading, starting with this thrift store find. Over two weeks later, I was still working on it, and I don’t even know why! I was busy, and it’s one of the longer books I read this year, but it didn’t feel like it moved that slowly. It’s definitely not a fast paced read, but the story never lagged or made me want to leave it behind. It’s cute, it’s Christmassy, she’s a struggling artist and he’s a veteran rancher, she ropes him into pretending to be her boyfriend for a harebrained scheme, and it’s really not a spoiler to tell you that they fall in love for Christmas. What’s not to like? 

Miracle on Three Kings’ Day by Beth Laycock  ⭐⭐⭐  Full disclosure: after The Trouble With Christmas took so long, I focused on novellas so I’d have a prayer of reading five books for December. My holiday season was super busy, and I had a bunch downloaded that I’d been meaning to read anyway. This was a fun take on celebrating non-Christmas winter holidays, without a single flake of snow on the ground. It’s quick, it’s steamy, I felt like I could picture the main characters at every step of the way. Solid rec, if you’re looking for something short and engaging without too much depth. 

Hazel’s Christmas Duet by Olivia Rian  ⭐⭐⭐(½)  I love a love story that’s not just about the romance, and this was exactly that! Hazel is new to town, finding her footing with new friends and rediscovering herself after a bad breakup. It’s a Hallmark movie in a mini-short, cozy and warm, and featuring a festively-named kitten. Easily something I could curl up and read beside a fire, if the fire didn’t mean that my apartment needed evacuating. 

Noah by Callie Vegas  ⭐⭐⭐  Uh. This is not a Christmas book, it turns out. It’s a Valentine’s Day novella –the miscommunication is on me; the series is called “Holiday Flings,” and I mistakenly assumed that meant “the holiday season,” not “every book in the series is set during a different season.” Not a bad read, but people with reading habits like mine should know that it is VERY NSFW. Well written, we all know I love a single parent trope, but I spent every minute of it hoping that no well-meaning guest would ask what was on my Kindle. Just ... be aware of that. 

The Clause in Christmas by Rachael Bloome  ⭐⭐⭐⭐  I really came in under the wire and finished my last read half an hour before my friends came over for New Year’s Eve game night. But I finished it, and that’s what counts! One of my favorite cheesy Christmas movies – this feels like a tangent, but bear with me – is The Christmas Calendar, and this reminded me a little bit of that! The premise was only very loosely similar: 24 Christmas tasks, distributed one day at a time, to get ready for the holiday, but it had the perfect vibe. As much as I was invested in the romance – I was VERY invested in the romance, trust me – I was waiting with every page to find out what the next Christmas task would be and how Cassie would embrace it. And a cute romance on top of that? What a way to wind things down for 2023! 

The SEAL’s Secret Daughter by Christy Jeffries  ⭐⭐⭐(½)  This was the first book out of the 95 my mom and I are sharing from a library fill-a-bag book sale – lots of chintzy Harlequin romances in my future! Good thing I like them, though, and this was a pretty solid addition to the genre. It's predictable, it’s cheesy, I love it for something easy and quick to read through. The characters were fun, the plot held my attention, it was exactly as described on the package, and sometimes that’s exactly what I’m looking for.  Prompts filled: BTBL – Plants on the cover 

The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren  ⭐⭐⭐⭐(½)  After I mowed through The Unhoneymooners last month, I knew I wanted something else CL for October. This caught my eye on a library browse, and it kept me engaged every step of the way. I was SO invested in the romance between Carey and James, but also the struggling relationship between Melissa and Rusty. The police interviews scattered between the chapters left me dying to know what happened and how we got there, and the eventual payoff was worth every minute of the wait. I laughed, I chuckled, I didn’t cry, I’ll probably end up re-reading at some point. Also, fantastic representation of chronic illness, for people seeking that out in their reading.   Prompts filled: Popsugar – a book with just text on the cover; Romanceopoly – free choice 

The Road Trip by Beth O’Leary  ⭐⭐⭐(¼)  I wanted to like this book more than I did. Road trip trope, second chance romance, and I loved the Beth O’Leary I read last month. This should have been made for me. It was … fine? I wanted to keep reading, but the dual timelines threw me off, and the LI’s best friend was more obnoxious than he was redeemable. They kept me hooked with the Rodney of it all, and with wanting to see how Addie and Dylan worked things out, but I don’t know that I’d read it again.  Prompts filled: none 

Truly Sweet by Candis Terry  ⭐⭐⭐(¼)  This was cute! I grabbed it from my shelf to fill the CRAD prompt for the month, but also because it’s been sitting around for a while and I hadn’t made time to read it. I’m glad I did! It was a good park read, until the rain picked up and I had to go coach, and saw me through a handful of shifts at work and an afternoon sitting in the stands with a bunch of my high school kiddos. It’s not about the book itself, but when the kids got a little out of hand, I told them to ‘straighten up, or I’ll start reading from Chapter Five of my romance novel. I’ll skip the scenes that aren’t for school, but I will NOT be offering context on chapters one through four!” They were … suitably threatened, but as a result missed out on a very fun little romance story. The writing was light and fun, even when the story was serious, and the plot was well balanced. Definitely a cheesy romance worth checking out.  Prompts filled: BTBL – Horses.; Romanceopoly – Historical romance with a rake; CRAD – First letter of author’s last name is the first letter of the title 

In the Weeds by B.K. Borison  ⭐⭐⭐⭐(¾)  I know what they say about “don’t judge a book by its cover,” but I’m also proud to admit that I regularly pick up books just because the covers are eye-catching. That was the case here, and it ABSOLUTELY paid off. The *only* thing I somehow missed – and this was absolutely, 100 percent user error – was that it’s the third book in a series. It worked well as a standalone, but I could feel a couple places where my prior knowledge was lacking. That said, I’m ABSOLUTELY planning to go back and get the rest of the series, because this was FANTASTIC. It’s all the best parts of Hallmark movies (small towns, big city exec learning to slow down, you know the routine) with the fun bonus of unlikely animal friends.  Prompts filled: Romanceopoly – Farmers Market/MC is a farmer or rancher or cowboy;  

The Last Word by Katy Birchall  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  I love a good journalism romance. And let me tell you, this was a GOOD journalism romance. Cute, fluffy, laugh out loud funny, the whole nine yards. I grabbed this copy on a library run, but it was good enough that I might have to add it to my shelf sometime soon. The best books get me funny looks from guests when I’m cackling to myself at the front desk, and there are definitely some people questioning my sanity over this one. Hands down, will likely read again. Prompts filled: Romanceopoly – The Office/The characters meet at work 

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren  ⭐⭐⭐⭐(½)  I read this one on a recommendation from @sgtbradfords and it lived up to every work of her hype! Christina Lauren books are always feel-good and funny, we know I love annoyances-to-lovers, AND we got to watch adults have actual, real conversations about their feelings? What’s not to love? (Other than the very last chapter/epilogue, which just isn’t in my favorite style for a book to end.) There are shenanigans and complications all around, handled perfectly to create something wildly entertaining and attention-grabbing from the very first page. This would be a perfect travel read, but it was excellent from the comfort of my daily routine too.  Prompts filled: BTBL – Giving an author a second chance; Popsugar – A book your friend recommended; Romanceopoly – A book that has been recommended to you 

The Librarian and the Spy by Susan Mann  ⭐⭐⭐⭐(¼)  After reading this, I’ve got books to buy. Apparently it’s the first in a trilogy, which is SUCH GOOD NEWS, because I’m not done loving these characters, OR this universe, just yet. Usually, I don’t go so much for the mystery/intrigue books, but I’d picked this up at a library book sale somewhere along the way, and it caught my eye on my shelf so I brought it along for a couple overnight shifts. Mann perfectly balanced the mystery and the romance, delivering a spy/librarian fake relationship that slid into the best cliffhanger ending I’ve read in a long while. When I finished the last page, the story felt complete and tied down, but I was also DESPERATELY wishing that Amazon would do 20-minute delivery at 4 a.m. so I could jump right in on the next installment.  Prompts filled: BTBL – The heist plot tho; Romanceopoly – book with a clench cover 

The Switch by Beth O’Leary ⭐⭐⭐⭐(½)  If I’m honest, I probably wouldn’t have picked this book up from a shelf on my own. But I signed up for monthly “experience bags” at the local library, where they take my questionnaire answers and set aside books they think I’ll like and this was in the first bundle I got to pick up. It’s … also the book I’ve tried to foist upon the most people this month, without a doubt. The premise (grandmother and granddaughter switch lives for six weeks) is unlike anything I’ve ever read before, and it was FANTASTIC. I laughed, I cried, I bashed my head against the pages when people wouldn’t just talk to each other. It’s equal parts women’s fiction (where they wouldn’t freaking communicate, in the wake of unspeakable family tragedy) and romance (where I saw the BEST conversations about feelings and boundaries that I think I’ve EVER read), with a delightfully happy ending.  Prompts filled: None

You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  I’ve been meaning to get around to this one for ages. No idea why I put it off for this long, but I’m SO glad I made time for it now. I won’t be surprised if this lands in my Top 10 at the end of the year. But before we get into that, let’s talk titles. Y’all might’ve seen this one as The People We Meet on Vacation, and I see where they were going with that for US bookstores. That said, I specially ordered my copy from the UK (RIP Book Depository) because I liked the British cover design and title better. I just think this title fits the plotline better – we're not meeting anyone on vacation; the MCs have known each other for years. Yeah, sure, it’s about the versions of themselves that they become, but it’s my home library and this is the version of it I wanted to keep. Now, for the actual story. I read this one, as I do many books, working overnight shifts. A few pages in, my trainee commented that I’ve got different books every day, surprised that I read as quickly as I do. I told her it’s easy for me to read this much when the books are this good, and filled her in on the basics of the plot. Annnnnnd … had to give her updates every so often until I finished the book. She's not a big reader, but the story was engaging enough that she badly wanted to know if these hooligans worked themselves out by the last page (spoiler alert: they do). I love it, I love it, I love it, I can’t wait to work my way through the author’s other books, and probably read this one a dozen or so times more.  Prompts filled: BTBL – It's a trope! (your favorite); Popsugar – A book you wish you could read for the first time again; Romanceopoly – BFF's House/Friends to lovers romance 

Life at Hamilton by Mike Anthony  ⭐⭐(½)  I wanted to like this one. I REALLY wanted to like this one. And it was … fine? I guess? I dunno. Maybe I had too clear a vision of what I was expecting, but I was ready for this to be a behind-the-scenes look at working FOH in a Broadway theatre. I love musicals, I love memoirs, this should have been perfect. Instead, it was … mostly a lot of name dropping. Also, politics. Which isn’t necessarily something that keeps me from reading a book – hell, I seek out political books somewhat frequently – but it wasn’t what I was looking for here. We get it, everybody and their brother has seen Hamilton, and that includes famous people; good, bad or otherwise. There were some cute moments, but not really enough to make the rest of it worth it, in my opinion.  Prompts filled: CRAD – Turn to page 50, one of those words is in the title; BTBL – All about music or the arts 

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

Listen. By now we all know how much I love this one. I just wanted an excuse to read it again before the movie came out. Five stars before, five stars now, five stars always.  

Prompts filled: Popsugar– A book becoming a TV series or movie in 2023; BTBL – Five word title 

The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser 

⭐⭐⭐(¾) 

This was adorable! It took a few chapters to ramp up, and I almost didn’t keep going, but I’m so glad I did. I love books about books, so this caught my eye … I think at the dollar store? It’s a gentle, cute read, some perfect escapism for unbearably hot summer days. Once the story picked up, I got to sit back and enjoy friends-to-crushes-to-lovers, with a hearty side of women’s lit as the MC reinvents herself post-divorce. Very cute, but I don’t know that it’s something I would pick up and read again. 

Prompts filled: BTBL – Standalone; CRAD – The same genre as last month 

Bear With Me Now by Katie Shepard 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

I LOVED this one, and I'm already excited to reread it again later. I bought a copy at my local indie back on Indie Bookstore Day, but only just now got around to reading it. I laughed, I cried, I got some strange looks from my coworkers for the laughing and the crying. Right out of the gate, when Teagan gets tricked into rehab (he’s not an addict), I was invested in the relationship between him and his sister. Then he meets a bear, then he meets Darcy and we’re off to the races. They’ve got their traumas, they’ve got their walls, and they’re figuring them out together. There’s something about a love story where nobody needs to be “fixed” to be loved that just hits so perfectly for me, and this absolutely fit the bill. 

Prompts filled: BTBL– All the nature vibes 

Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlay 

⭐⭐⭐⭐(¼) 

Again, books about books. Also, books about robotics (tangentially. Anyone looking for books about CIMs and RIOs and such will not find that here. But the MC’s younger brother is into robotics, so I was interested). The first thing I noticed about this book was right there in the forward: it’s designed to be dyslexia-friendly. The author worked with her publisher to use a font that’s harder to flip around, wider leading and bold type instead of italics. The bold text took some getting used to, but I love that McKinlay took such care in putting her story out there. The MC is dyslexic, which made this the perfect story for this sort of accessibility. It touches on mental illness, family drama, friendships, sibling relationships and everything in between. Also, the MC is a chef, which makes this a book about books, robotics AND food. All in all, an excellent book presented in an excellent way. 

Prompts filled: Romanceopoly – The Gym/Longest book on your TBR; Popsugar – Longest book on your TBR 

Chef’s Kiss by TJ Alexander 

⭐⭐⭐(½) 

I grabbed this from the library based on the vibes of the cover alone (it’s a great cover, honestly. I know how the adage goes, but the fact of the matter is that covers sell stories). What I got was rivals(?) to lovers, workplace stress, and a well-handled discussion of sexuality and gender. The book handled the complex nuances of those conversations with grace and class, but the rest of the plot fell flat in places. There were places I was ready to reach through the pages and shake the MC silly for staying with her terrible workplace, or refusing to have one (1) conversation about her feelings. Solid romance, but it’s hard to stay invested in that plot when I’m so frustrated with one of the characters invovled. 

Prompts filled: Romanceopoly – Rainbow Row/Read an LGBTQ+ romance; Popsugar – A book with a queer lead 

Dog Days: A Year in the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile by Dave Ihlenfeld 

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

My non-fic selection for the month, this one has been on my shelf for ages. I love a good memoir, and this was unlike anything I’ve read before. There was a startling about of parallel between the author and myself – J-school graduates who didn’t want a future in journalism – except he went on to spend a year driving an Oscar Mayer Wienermobile across America. I LOVE a good tourist gimmick ((thanks to this book, I’ve looked to see if the renamed Frankmobile is going to be anywhere near me)), so this was a perfect fit for me. Ihlenfeld wove his personal story together with the history of Oscar Mayer and the Wienermobile, which left me with a better understanding of how and why it worked as a marketing schtick, and how taking unexpected opportunities can change peoples’ lives.  

Prompts filled: Popsugar – A book with alliteration in the title; BTBL – No romance  

Christmas Angels by Nancy Naigle  ⭐⭐⭐(½)  What a way to kick off Christmas in July reading! I wanted something that would read with Hallmark movie vibes, and this was PERFECT. Big city exec moves to a small town and takes over the family inn? Where she hires a handsome construction man to help get it ready for open? Sign me UP. It was funny, it was light hearted, merry and bright, and gave me warm fuzzy emotions in just the right places. I loved the motif with the angels coming up with a sort of spiritual reverence, but still finding a logical, yet meaningful closure at the end. Very cute, very sweet, made me want to give up my corporate hospitality job and go buy a tiny mountain lodge of my own.  

Prompts filled: BTBL – Cozy read or cover; Romanceopoly – Winter/cover is blue, black or silver; or winter holiday book 

The Christmas Wedding Guest by Susan Mallery  ⭐⭐⭐⭐(½)  I meant to get to this one back at the holidays, and I’m SO glad I finally made the time now. As usual, Susan Mallery hits it out of the park, this time with an added boost of holiday spirit! It’s a double romance – rockstar/small town girl and teacher/parent, two EXCELLENT tropes. I think it’s supposed to kick off her new series, and I can’t wait to see what else comes of the worldbuilding. There are a few characters I’m already eyeing for hopeful plots in the next stories. And yes, again, there’s a hotel at the holidays involved. What can I say? I have a type. 

Prompts filled: BTBL – All the romance; Romanceopoly – Autumn/red or green cover; or has trees and leaves on the cover; or has a cozy vibe 

Home for Christmas by Camille Isley ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐  No hotel this time, but still lots of holiday travel! This was laugh out loud funny, sweet, romantic, grumpy, sunshine-y and everything in between. I blew through it in like three days and have already downloaded two other books by the same author. We love a writer romance, and a not-quite-only-one-bed, but definitely not enough beds forced proximity setup. This one was different than I usually read too, because not ONLY was there a romance budding, but family dynamics fitting together right out of the gate. It’s a predictable plot, but as we know, sometimes that’s exactly what I want. Give me a prank war with a guaranteed happy ending and lots of Christmas merriment, and I am a happy camper.  

Prompts filled: Popsugar – A book that was self-published 

A Very Merry Bromance by Lissa Kay Adams  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  Listen. I knew I would like this one. Anyone who’s listened to me talk about my taste in books probably knew I would like this one. And I LOVED it. Bromance Book Club is possibly the best series I’ve read in a long time, and this one is right in line with the rest of them. It’s funny, it’s sweet, it’s … I mean, the romance goes without saying, but it’s romantic. And this one is Christmassy too, which just makes things better. It’s so fun reading not only the Bromance stories, but the little snippets of the stories the guy are reading throughout the book, but as usual my one regret is that those books don’t exist in full. I’d read the CRAP out of them. As it is, I’ve been thinking about Colton and Gretchen even DAYS after I finished the book. 15/10 recommended to anyone who’s looking for something bright and fun and festive, with just enough emotion to bring tears to your eyes, and always, ALWAYS a big gesture before the happy ending. 

Prompts filled: None, I just really wanted to read it! 

Christmas at the Island Hotel by Jenny Colgan  ⭐⭐⭐ (¾)  A last minute pick, designed to fit the CRAD prompt for the month. I own many Christmas books, but as it turns out, all of them are set here in the US. Ended up with this one as an eBook from the library, following some very specific search parameters. It was … alright, and I enjoyed almost every minute of reading it, but it’s not something I think I’d choose to read again. Generally I’m more romance, less women’s fiction, but this book was definitely more women’s fiction than romance. And sure, it’s good to read outside my comfort zone – and this was a good story, without a doubt – but I found myself frustrated a couple of times when it felt like the author was dancing around the romantic elements. The relationships are there, a couple of them are hinted at, but I would have liked to see them fleshed out a little further. That said, Isla and Konstantin are definitely one of the cutest relationship arcs I’ve read in a hot minute. I just wish the other pairings had gotten a little bit of that depth too.  

Prompts filled: Romanceopoly – Post Office/set in a different country to where you live; CRAD July – set in a different country or world [to June] 

The Christmas Wager by Holly Cassidy  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  Alright, full disclosure: I technically finished this at like 1 a.m. on 1 August. But I hadn’t gone to bed yet, and the day isn’t over until I go to sleep, and I would have been done earlier if half a dozen things had gone differently over the weekend. And it was good enough for me to stay up past midnight, running on like three hours of sleep. Of all the books I read this month, it’s definitely top two (and that’s up with some tough competition). I loved the fun, silly competitions, and the heartwarming family dynamics. This book would make an EXCELLENT movie; I could picture so many of the scenes playing out clearly inside my head. It read just like a romance novel should, from start to end, and I’m already eager to find more of the author’s work to read in the future! 

Happy Singles Day by Ann Marie Walker 

⭐⭐⭐⭐(¼) 

This was cute! I picked it up on a whim, when I found myself with some free time at the big library branch across town, because I liked the idea of a romance novel celebrating singlehood. I liked watching the MC figure out who she is outside of her job, and her love interest was such a compelling dude. Between his daughter and his sister, and his bed and breakfast, he really made the story for me. It wasn’t quite grumpy/sunshine, because Lucas opens up as things progress, but something about his reluctance to even be invovled in the story at all really entertained me. The only thing I’d say really bugged me was the dog. Don’t get me wrong, I love dogs. Like, so much. But the cover has a picture of a little terrier shaped pup, and then the text describes the dog as a “pit bull/boxer mix,” and it drove me nuts every step of the way. A little detail, maybe, but the discrepancy really threw me off. 

Prompts filled: Popsugar – A book about a vacation 

Summer on Blackberry Beach by Belle Calhoune 

⭐⭐⭐(¾) 

What a fun little summer read! I’ll admit, I was expecting there to be some sort of Christmassy detail, given that the town is called Mistletoe, but once I got past that, this was so delightful! I grabbed it from a book thrift store while my friend was in town visiting, after the teacher/Navy SEAL fake dating plot caught both of our attentions. I liked watching the characters learn how to move past their respective losses, and that they communicated really effectively through much of the story. Too many times, the plotline falls apart if the characters would just have like one mature conversation, so I really enjoyed that they did that here and the story held up. It was refreshing to watch these characters grow together and find the futures they didn’t think they deserved. 

Prompts filled: Popsugar – About a holiday that’s not Christmas; Romanceopoly – Soldier Street/One of the MCs are in the military 

Biting Through The Skin: An Indian Kitchen In America’s Heartland by Nina Mukerjee Furstenau 

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

I’ve had this on my shelf for … probably two years now? At least a year and a half; I’m pretty sure I bought it at the library fall book sale on Fill A Bag day. Food as a vessel for culture has always interested me, and the idea of a memoir pairing Indian food with Midwest culture (where I’ve lived my entire life) was particularly fascinating. Turns out the author spent most of her childhood like three hours from where I grew up/live, in the same small town where one of my friends is from! Every chapter includes stories about the Indian foods that flavor her memories, and the recipes are at the ends of the chapters. I haven’t cooked any of them yet, but maybe someday! The essays were heartfelt and compelling, like I could feel myself in the kitchen right alongside the author and her family, with the warm, hearty spices and sentimental stories.  

Popsugar – favorite prompt from past challenge (2022 – a book with a recipe in it); BTBL – Epistolary/unusual writing style (recipes) 

Darcy by RJ Scott, Meredith Russell 

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

At some point, I got this for free on my Kindle, and it got the callup this month for being something short enough that I could read it in a couple of days, but compelling enough to hold my attention (also, for having a five-letter title!). I’m admittedly a sucker for fake dating-turned-romance, but usually the “dating” couple is the endgame, so it was interesting to read a story that turned the trope on its head. Darcy and Adrian had such an instant attraction, but more than just sexually. I loved seeing them open up to each other, and how supportive Darcy was through the whole story, of both Adrian and his sister, and especially at the ending. I’m definitely planning to pick up the rest of the series at some point.  

BTBL – less than 170 pages; CRAD – half as many letters as May; Popsugar – Forbidden Romance; Romanceopoly – Passion Place/slow burn or instant heat contemporary romance 

The Water Baby by Roz Denney Fox 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

Finally, I got back around to reading this for the first time in … 15 years or so? I don’t remember exactly when I read it for the first time, but I do remember picking it up from my mom’s book stack when I was probably too young for Harlequin romance novels. I liked it then, and saved it from a garage sale pile a few years later. It’s well-loved and rough around the edges, but the best books always are. Luckily, it’s just as good now as it was years ago, and absolutely worth the shelf space for all this time. 

Prompts filled: BTBL – released at least 23 years ago; Popsugar – Set in the decade you were born 

Egghead: or, you can’t survive on ideas alone by Bo Burnham 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

I don’t have much to say about this one that I haven’t said before. I love poetry, I love Bo Burnham, and some of my favorite poems ever are in this book (look at you, The Letter!). This particular reread was just shy of an hour, sitting on the floor of my denbrary, looking for something to spark inspiration for an upcoming writing project I'm trying to plan. I’m not sure yet, but I think I figured it out, at that! 

Prompts filled: None 

The Last Flight by Julie Clark 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

Fuck this book. Five stars. I’m writing this right about an hour after I finished devouring the book in three days. Mostly two days – the first day I only had time to read like the first chapter. Usually, I’m not one for thrillers, but this caught my eye at the same thrift store as Blackberry Beach up above. Once I realized it’s a signed copy, and was only three dollars, I basically had to give it a try. And holy HELL, am I glad I did! I was sucked in from the first few pages, absolutely enthralled right down to the end. In fact, on page 142, I actively shouted “what the fuuuuuuck?!?” out loud to my empty apartment. It’s that sort of a book. I had a loose suspicion of how it would end, but there were a lot of things I didn’t see coming. I’d KILL to see this one as a movie, and I’m absolutely going to read the author’s other thrillers. Sometimes, there’s a benefit to stepping outside my wheelhouse, because I have a feeling this is going to be a top 10 for 2023.