I was expecting to begin this month’s reading wrap up by saying yet again that I’ve had a pretty bad reading month, but that’s actually not the case. It genuinely feels like I’ve hardly read anything during June but my tracking apps tell a different story. I’ve actually finished 16 books, graphic novels and audiobooks. I’ve barely been hitting double digits for the past few months, so I’m not sure how that’s happened.
As I had so many reads in June, I’m only going to include a handful of them as otherwise this post will take years to both read and write.
Wisteria by Adalyn Grace
Read: 19/5/26 – 2/6/26
What a way to kick off the month and what a way to end the series. Ok so technically I read the majority of this book in May but I finished it in June so I’m including it.
I’ve loved every moment of the Belladonna series. My journey with these books started with an ARC of Belladonna four years ago and it came to an end (other than the Christmas novella) in June 2026.
My review won’t be published for quite some time as I have a huge back log of reviews to post, but as you can see from my five star rating, I thought this was very good.
Synopsis: Blythe Hawthorn has never let anyone tell her what to do . . . and she’s not about to start now.
Headstrong and passionate, she won’t be ruled by society, or by her overprotective father, and certainly not by the man she’s bound herself to, no matter how insufferable he is. She’s determined to be a thorn in his side for the rest of her days, even as he ensues that her life in his palace is anything but the decadent fairytale she imagined.
But as Blythe discovers a new side of herself linked to his past, she’ll have to decide if she’s willing to let an unexpected spark ignite . . . and discover the real truth about who she is inside.
Heartbreaker by Anika Hussain
Read: 2/6/26 – 4/6/26
This was such a cute and fun read – it was exactly what I needed after back to back long reads. Everything seems to be taking me twice as long to read as it should at the moment, but I pretty much flew through this.
The John Tucker Must Die vibes were pretty strong in this but I’m not sure where the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before comparison comes from other than it being a cute romance. My full review of this book will be coming later next month, so keep an eye out for it!
Synopsis: HE BROKE HER BEST FRIEND’S HEART. NOW SAACHI PLANS TO BREAK HIS.
MAY THE BEST HEARTBREAKER WIN . . .
Saachi would do anything for her best friend. So when school bad boy Fahim breaks Mona’s heart, Saachi is hellbent on getting revenge. It’s time to put him in his place once and for all.
And so begins Operation Saachi will make Fahim fall in love with her and then pull the plug on him – just like he does to every girl he’s ever dated. Simple.
Except as she spends more time with Fahim, against her better judgement, she finds herself falling for him. Unable to talk to Mona about her mixed emotions, and with the mission veering dangerously off course, Saachi will have to embrace her role as a heartbreaker or potentially end up with her own heart broken . . .
When in Rome by Sarah Adams
Read: 4/6/26 – 11/6/26
I didn’t hate it, but I also didn’t love it. I’m actually not sure how I feel about this one. After loving Practice Makes Perfect, I thought I’d feel the same about When in Rome, but the romance didn’t hit quite the same. I think I’ve come to realise I’m much more a fan of flirty banter rather than “I want to but I know I shouldn’t so I’m going to act distant” type of romance.
I do love the town this is set in though – who doesn’t love a good ol’ weird townie?
Synopsis: Rome is where the heart is.
Amelia Rose is burned-out from years of maintaining her public image as pop princess Rae Rose. Inspired by her favourite Audrey Hepburn film, Roman Holiday, she drives off in the middle of the night for a break in Rome . . . Rome, Kentucky, that is.
Running the pie shop his grandmother left him, Noah Walker is busy enough as it is. But after finding Amelia on his front lawn in her broken-down car, he decides to let her stay in his guest room – on a very temporary basis, of course.
As the two of them grow closer, Noah starts to see a new side to Amelia – kind-hearted and goofy, yet lonely from years in the public eye. Amelia may have to go back to her other life someday, but for now she’s perfectly happy falling in love with the cozy small town she’s found herself in . . . and her grumpy tour guide isn’t half-bad either.
They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman
Read: 11/6/26 – 13/6/26
This was the first mystery/thriller I’ve picked up in a while and I did quite enjoy it. I hated every single character but I feel like you were supposed to. I’m not sure if the twist is easily guessable or if I just got a weird vibe from a certain character straightaway. Either way, I figured out the ending very early on, but I did still find this an enjoyable read.
Synopsis: But as Jill found out three years ago, nothing is as it seems.
Jill’s best friend, the brilliant, dazzling Shaila Arnold, was killed by her boyfriend. After that dark night on the beach, Graham confessed, the case was closed, and Jill tried to move on.
Now, it’s Jill’s senior year and she’s determined to make it her best yet. After all, she’s a senior and a Player – a member of Gold Coast Prep’s exclusive, not-so-secret secret society. Senior Players have the best parties, highest grades and the admiration of the entire school. This is going to be Jill’s year. She’s sure of it.
But when Jill starts getting texts proclaiming Graham’s innocence, her dreams of the perfect senior year start to crumble. If Graham didn’t kill Shaila, who did? Jill vows to find out, but digging deeper could mean putting her friendships, and her future, in jeopardy.
A Brewed Awakening by Pepper Basham
Read: 7/6/26 – 14/6/26
My review of A Brewed Awakening will be posted later this month (this was an ARC so I should have posted it way sooner as it’s already out, but life got in the way). I can’t tell you how often I forget about audio ARCs because they sit in a completely different app. I do love that once you download them they don’t expire – this has saved me on multiple occasions.
One word I would use to describe my review you ask? Scathing. I did not hold back on how much I disliked this book. I’m genuinely baffled how it has an average rating of 4.11 on Goodreads.
Synopsis: As a child, Daphne Austen fell in love with her grandmother’s stories of England, perhaps to the point of romanticizing them a little too much. Now, as an adult, she inherited Tea Thyme, the only English tearoom within a hundred miles of her Blue Ridge Mountain town. But keeping her tea and pastry shop afloat proves to be a continual struggle. Since losing her mother and then grandmother, Daphne’s clung to the need for routine, predictability, and beautiful order–and her tearoom shines as the epitome of her Anglophile and obsessive tendencies. But her perfect world spirals into madness when an Englishman moves in next door and shatters all her Darcy daydreams with his loud music, questionable manners, and highly American interests. With an off-the-charts swoon factor, he even tempts to shatter her heart.
Finnley Dashwood left England to start over somewhere his ex-wife’s parents couldn’t track him down and force their parenting techniques on him. It was as if they wanted to make up for their daughter’s neglect by suffocating him with control and unwanted affection. The unassuming town of Wisteria, North Carolina, provides the perfect place to start over and even remake himself as the dashing, English restaurant owner of his earlier days, instead of the somewhat-cynical recluse he’d truly become. With a shop ready for his use, an apartment for him and his daughter, and an acquaintance who owns the revered Wisteria Manor (now event planning center), Finn has everything he wants for a new beginning–except . . . maybe an understanding of the small-town Appalachian culture and the uptight, perfectionistic tea princess next door.
At first, Finn finds the whimsical and notoriously optimistic shop owner humorous and somewhat annoying, but as she begins to invest in the life of his daughter and he observes her authentic love for the people of the town, Finn’s heart opens to the terrifying possibility of a second chance at love. As they are forced to work together on a local-celebrity wedding, their differences clash, sizzle, and finally begin to simmer into a unique, complementary blend of sweet and savory. But just as hope blooms into possibility, a massive storm crashes into the little town, upturning all their plans and putting not only their budding romance but the resilience of the tight-knit community to the test.
Wildfire by Hannah Grace
Read: 13/6/26 – 17/6/26
This was pretty close to being a five star read. I can’t tell you exactly why it wasn’t, but it didn’t feel right. I did really love it though. There’s something about a summer camp setting that’s so nostalgic despite the fact that I’ve never been to one. I think my love for The Parent Trap as a kid is the reason for this.
I loved the sneaking around aspect of Wildfire and the fact that Russ and Aurora were genuinely pretty good at communicating. There’s a whole interaction of Aurora ranting to Russ that they miscommunicated and honestly, we love a self-aware queen.
Synopsis: When Russ and Aurora cross paths at a university party, a drinking game ends with them spending the night together. The next day, Aurora slips away before Russ learns her full name.
This anonymity ends when they both turn up to their first day of work as camp counsellors. A job they had both chosen to escape Maple Hills for the summer.
Given their history, there’s still an obvious tension between the two but the camp has a strict “no staff fraternizing” rule. Russ doesn’t want to risk heading home early but Aurora has never been one for rules.
As things heat up, they’ll have to resist or risk starting something they just can’t stop.
It’s a Love/Skate Relationship by Carli J. Corson
Read: 23/6/26 – 30/6/26
I just about finished this in time to include it in this post. On June 30th I had a sleepless night (didn’t get to sleep until at least 4am) so I actually finished this around 2am July 1st, but my Kindle tracked it as finished on the 30th so it counts.
I haven’t written my review of this book yet so my rating may change but I thought this was a pretty entertaining read. Especially as someone that used to skate when I was younger. It’s so fun actually knowing all of the moves and techniques they’re talking about.
I’ll save my other thoughts and opinions for my review, which probably won’t be posted until September.
Synopsis: A sapphic enemies-to-lovers romance between a hotheaded hockey player and the ice princess at the figure skating rink next door.
Charlie Porter is a force to be reckoned with, both on and off the hockey rink. When she accidentally starts a brawl after a game, she’s suspended from school, meaning no hockey this season—and no chance to play in front of college scouts.
Alexa Goldstein’s pairs skating partner was hurt in the fight, and with only four months until their next competition, pickings for a replacement are slim. So she strikes a deal with Charlie—skate with her at the competition well enough to place, and her Olympian mother will use her formidable connections to get Charlie in front of scouts at D-1 schools, even without her team.
It seems impossible, and not just because Charlie has never figure skated before. Where Charlie is powerful, Alexa is elegant; where Charlie is quick to blow up, Alexa is cold as ice. But as the frostiness between them starts to thaw, they begin to wonder if they’ve found a partner for more than just skating.
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