Oh boy, May was a rough reading month. I had four DNFs–which is insane. That’s the same amount of DNFs I had for the entirety of 2023. I really know how to pick books at the moment apparently. Starting out the month I really thought that. Having a five star read right out the bat was clearly a bad omen.
Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams
Read: 1/5/24 – 2/5/24
I absolutely adored this book. It was my first read by Sarah Adams and it definitely won’t be my last. The characters were super cute and I loved the date practice scenes.
Book Review: Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams
Synopsis: Annie Walker is on a quest to find her perfect match—someone who complements her happy, quiet life running the local flower shop in Rome, Kentucky. But finding her dream man may be harder than Annie imagined. Everyone knows everyone in her hometown, and the dating prospects are getting fewer by the day. After she overhears her latest date say she is “so unbelievably boring,” Annie starts to think the problem might be her. Is it too late to become flirtatious and fun like the leading ladies in her favourite romance movies? Maybe she only needs a little practice . . . and Annie has the perfect person in mind to be her tutor: Will Griffin.
Will—the sexy, tattooed, and absolutely gorgeous bodyguard—is temporarily back in Rome, providing security for Amelia Rose as excitement builds for her upcoming marriage to Noah Walker, Annie’s brother. He has one personal objective while on the job: stay away from Annie Walker and any other possible attachments to this sleepy town. But no sooner than he gets settled, Will finds himself tasked with helping Annie find the love of her life by becoming the next leading lady of Rome, Kentucky. Will wants no part in changing the sweet and lovely Annie. He knows for a fact that some stuffy, straitlaced guy won’t make her happy, but he doesn’t have the heart to say no.
Amid steamy practice dates and strictly “educational” tutoring lessons, Annie discovers there are more layers to Will’s usual stoic attitude. As the lines of their friendship become dangerously blurred, Annie reconsiders her dream guy. Maybe her love life doesn’t need to be perfect—it just needs to be real.
Like a Charm by Kerry Barrett
Read: 2/5/24 – 3/5/24
DNF
My first DNF of the month was a pretty bad one. This book is awful. The author tries to make you feel bad for the main character but she’s ‘the other woman’ and she feels no guilt about it. She’s a terrible person and the story wasn’t going anywhere.
Book Review: Like a Charm by Kerry Barrett
Synopsis: Esme McLeod is a high-flying lawyer in London, but her life isn’t as perfect as it might seem. She is estranged from her family, in a toxic relationship with a married man, and she’s a part-time witch.
As a teenager, Esme discovered that her meddling mother had cast a love spell on Esme’s boyfriend, Jamie. Mortified, she fled her hometown in the Scottish Highlands, cutting ties with her mum, Jamie and magic. Well, nearly all magic – sometimes getting served at a bar or finding a space in a busy car park without magic is just too much of a drag.
When Esme’s aunt becomes ill, she reluctantly returns home to help out. What she doesn’t expect is for her aunt’s doctor to be Jamie. As Esme tries to repair her family relationships and master her unpredictable magic, could it be that sparks are flying between Jamie and her for real this time?
Suddenly a Murder by Lauren Muñoz
Read: 4/5/24 – 6/5/24
This was a very decent read and the mystery elements were fun. It’s not the most complex mystery in the world but it’s interesting to see how all of the stories came together.
Book Review: Suddenly a Murder by Lauren Muñoz
Synopsis: Everyone has a secret. Everyone has a motive. But only one of them brought a knife to the party . . .
To celebrate the end of high school, Izzy Morales joins her best friend Kassidy and five friends on a luxury 1920s-themed getaway at the glamorous Ashwood Manor. There, Izzy and her friends party in vintage dresses and expensive diamonds – until Kassidy’s boyfriend turns up dead.
And when a raging storm traps them on the island with two detectives, the sparkling young socialites become the prime suspects in his murder. There’s the girlfriend, and the other girl. The old friend, and the new friend. The brooding enigma. And then, there’s Izzy – the girl who brought the knife . . .
Opposites Attract by Camilla Isley
Read: 6/5/24 – 9/5/24
This was a pretty fun read, other than the female main character being fairly insufferable. To be honest, I didn’t think she was that bad while I was reading, those thoughts only came after I sat down to write my review.
Book Review: Opposites Attract by Camilla Isley
Synopsis: First law of magnetism: opposite poles attract.
Single mom Vivian has been burned by love once before, and her job as a divorce lawyer has presented enough evidence to convince her there are no good men left in New York City.
The worst offender is her new neighbor: Dr. Lucas Keller, a couple’s therapist whose piercing blue eyes and flawless dark hair are just as annoying as his bad temper.
But when Luke starts poaching Vivian’s clients by saving their marriages, she makes it her mission to force him out of the building to save her practice. But it’s Luke who gives her the perfect opportunity when he proposes an unexpected bet.
With their offices at stake, Vivian and Luke play the field of love in a fierce battle of wits that quickly turns hot and personal, especially when Vivian’s daughter gets involved. Now, taking down Luke has become more than business for Vivian. It’s become a pleasure—and soon, Vivian and Luke will realise how pointless it is to fight the laws of attraction.
Lore Olympus: Volume Two by Rachel Smythe
Read: 14/5/24
I love everything about this series. The art work is incredible, the story is gripping and the characters are so good. It’s taking a lot of restraint for me to not finish the entire series in one go.
Graphic Novel Review: Lore Olympus Volume Two by Rachel Smythe
Synopsis: Persephone was ready to start a new life when she left the mortal realm for Olympus. However, she quickly discovered the dark side of her glamorous new home—from the relatively minor gossip threatening her reputation to a realm-shattering violation of her safety by the conceited Apollo—and she’s struggling to find her footing in the fast-moving realm of the gods. Hades is also off-balance, fighting against his burgeoning feelings for the young goddess of spring while maintaining his lonely rule of the Underworld. As the pair are drawn ever closer, they must untangle the twisted webs of their past and present to build toward a new future.
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
Read: 12/5/24 – 15/5/24
DNF
Now, this was surprising. I adore Red, White & Royal Blue, so I thought I’d at least enjoy this. Oh how wrong I was. The pace is awful, it felt like nothing was happening.
Book Review: One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
Synopsis: For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. She can’t imagine how waiting tables at a 24-hour pancake diner and moving in with too many weird roommates could possibly change that. And there’s certainly no chance of her subway commute being anything more than a daily trudge through boredom and electrical failures.
But then, there’s this gorgeous girl on the train.
Jane. Dazzling, charming, mysterious, impossible Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile, showing up in a leather jacket to save August’s day when she needed it most. August’s subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there’s one big problem: Jane doesn’t just look like an old school punk rocker. She’s literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her. Maybe it’s time to start believing in some things, after all.
Of Blood and Roses by Georgiana Kent
Read: 17/5/24
DNF
Just absolutely terrible. There’s nothing more I can say that I didn’t include in my review.
Book Review: Of Blood and Roses by Georgiana Kent
Synopsis: In exchange for protection, Emperor Amias de Marc has two requests of the people of a willing supply of blood sacrifices, and a wife…
Every hundred years, the vampire Emperor opens the gates to his Eternal Palace to select a human bride. In ‘The Picking’, unmarried maidens turning twenty in the winter are requested to attend, and, from them, the one to make the flowers bloom becomes his betrothed. Refusal means certain death.
Lamia Fontaine is a girl hell-bent on revenge. And her target is the Emperor. Lucky for her, she’s part of The Picking, and has an invitation to attend the Palace. Now, all she needs is a chance to get close enough to strike…
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Read: 15/5/24 – 17/5/24
I’m definitely not the target audience for this book, but I’ve always heard great things about it so I checked it out. I also want to check out the adaptation.
Book Review: Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Synopsis: Margaret shares her secrets and her spirituality in this iconic Judy Blume novel, beloved by millions.
Margaret Simon, almost twelve, likes long hair, tuna fish, the smell of rain, and things that are pink. She’s just moved from New York City to Farbook, New Jersey, and is anxious to fit in with her new friends—Nancy, Gretchen, and Janie. When they form a secret club to talk about private subjects like boys, bras, and getting their first periods, Margaret is happy to belong.
But none of them can believe Margaret doesn’t have religion, and that she isn’t going to the Y or the Jewish Community Center. What they don’t know is Margaret has her own very special relationship with God. She can talk to God about everything—family, friends, even Moose Freed, her secret crush.
The Lucky List by Rachael Lippincott
Read: 18/5/24 – 21/5/24
I love Rachael Lippincott’s books so much. They always make me so happy, this one did have its sad moments though. The premise of this is so cute and I loved the characters.
Book Review: The Lucky List by Rachael Lippincott
Synopsis: Emily and her mum were always lucky.
But Emily’s mum’s luck ran out three years ago when she succumbed to cancer, and nothing has felt right since.
Now, the summer before her senior year, things are worse than ever – Emily has wrecked things with her boyfriend, Matt, and her dad is selling the house she grew up in and giving her mum’s belongings away. The only person she has to talk to is Blake, a girl she barely knows since she and her dad moved back to town five seconds ago.
But that’s when Emily finds the list – her mum’s senior year summer bucket list – buried in the back of her closet. When Blake suggests that Emily take it on as a challenge, the two set off on a journey to tick each box and help Emily face her fears over losing her connection to her mum. As she starts to feel closer to her mother, so too does Emily’s bond with Blake deepen into something she wasn’t expecting.
And suddenly Emily must face another fear: accepting the secret part of herself she never got a chance to share with the person who knew her best.
The Lending Library by Aliza Fogelson
Read: 22/5/24 – 23/5/24
DNF
I feel like my actual review of this will be worth waiting for. Just terrible and also a little weird.
Synopsis: When the Chatsworth library closes indefinitely, Dodie Fairisle loses her sanctuary. How is a small-town art teacher supposed to cope without the never-ending life advice and enjoyment that books give her? Well, when she’s as resourceful and generous as Dodie, she turns her sunroom into her very own little lending library.
At first just a hobby, this lit lovers’ haven opens up her world in incredible ways. She knows books are powerful, and soon enough they help her forge friendships between her zany neighbors—and attract an exciting new romance.
But when the chance to adopt an orphaned child brings Dodie’s secret dream of motherhood within reach, everything else suddenly seems less important. Finding herself at a crossroads, Dodie must figure out what it means to live a full, happy life. If only there were a book that could tell her what to do…
The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams
Read: 24/5/24 – 28/5/24
I really enjoyed The Cheat Sheet. I feel like I really needed a cheesy romance last month and this book delivered. Super cute, super fun.
Synopsis: Is it ever too late to leave the friend-zone?
Hi, my name is Bree Camden, and I’m hopelessly in love with my best friend and star quarterback Nathan Donelson (so is half of America, judging by the tabloids and how much the guy dates). The first step is admitting, right? Except, I can never admit it to him because he clearly doesn’t see me that way, and the last thing I want is for things to get weird between us.
Nothing but good old-fashioned, no-touching-the-sexiest-man-alive, platonic friendship for us! Everything is exactly how I like it! Yes. Good. (I’m not crying, I’m just peeling an onion.)
Our friendship is going swimmingly until I accidentally spill my beans to a reporter over too much tequila, and now the world seems to think me and Nathan belong together. Oh, and did I mention we have to date publicly for three weeks until after the Super Bowl because we signed a contract with…oops, forgot I can’t tell anyone about that!
Bottom line is, now my best friend is smudging all the lines and acting very un-platonic, and I’m just trying to keep my body from bursting into flames every time he touches me.
How am I going to make it through three weeks of fake dating Nathan without anything changing between us? Especially when it almost-sort-a-kinda seems like he’s fighting for a completely different outcome?
Send help.
XO Bree
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