Somehow it’s August, which means I owe you two months of book reviews instead of one. I was able to finish four books, and honestly, this might be one of the strongest reading stretches I’ve had all year. Four back-to-back, five star reads. I love it when that happens!
Let’s get into it.
Dolly All The Time by Annabel Monaghan
I’ll just say it: this might be my favorite read of the summer. I am a sucker for a fake dating trope, no notes, no shame, and this one delivered exactly what I wanted. Stewart is our rich leading man, Dolly is the single mom doing whatever it takes to keep things together, as her and her son head to Rhode Island for the summer to be with her family. Stewart needs to impress his family and Dolly needs some cash. This is very Pretty Woman-esque, minus the fact that she’s not a prostitute. Somewhere in the middle of all that pretending, it stops being pretend. If you’re an eldest daughter who would rather do the entire thing yourself than ask for a single ounce of help, this book gets you. It gets us.
The audiobook is fantastic as Julia Whelan narrates, and if you know, you know. She could read me a grocery list and I’d give it five stars.
5/5 ⭐️ (LOVED the Audiobook so much)
Order the Book on Amazon or Bookshop.org
Order the Audiobook on Libro.fm
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
This book is one I’m still thinking about, and I suspect a lot of you have already heard the buzz, because it is everywhere right now. I genuinely feel that this is a book best experienced knowing as little as possible going in, so I’m not going to be the one to spoil it for you.
What I will say is that the characters are horrid. Not misunderstood, not secretly good, just genuinely hard to root for, and the book knows exactly what it’s doing to you because of it. Natalie is a “traditional American woman” with a massive social media following. She’s married and has six children. That’s all you need to know starting this book. There are twists I did not see coming. I was genuinely shocked at parts of it and found so many elements from this story terrifying. I finished this one a while ago and I’m still turning it over in my head.
5/5 ⭐️
Order the book on Amazon or Bookshop.org
Order the Audiobook on Libro.fm
The Best Worst Thing by Lauren Okie
I genuinely don’t remember how this one landed on my TBR, but I’m glad it did. This was my introduction to this author, and it will not be my last visit. The writing is the kind that makes you forget you have other responsibilities, because I could not put this book down.
Nicole is married to Gabe and they live a pretty good life. She has a podcast that’s successful, BUT she’s been struggling with infertility and feels like her marriage is suffering because of it. She finds out that her husband is cheating on her the moment she finds out her Embryo transfer to their surrogate was successful. This is where we meet Logan, a former colleague who ends up being a part of Nicole’s life once again.
If you love pining, and I mean pining done well, this book is a masterclass. Heads up that it also deals with heavier material, infidelity and infertility both show up here, so go in with that in mind. Heavy in places, but a genuinely great read.
5/5 ⭐️ (Emotional read that packs a punch!)
Order the book on Amazon or Bookshop.org
Order the Audiobook on Libro.fm
Crescent City by Sarah J. Maas
You guys. I finally finished Crescent City, and I am so glad I stuck it out. Like most Sarah J. Maas books, this one requires patience up front. There is A LOT of world building in the early chapters, and I’ll be honest, I was confused and a little lost for a while there. But so many of you kept telling me to stick with it, so I did, and you were right.
Here’s what surprised me most: it’s modern. People have cell phones. People watch TV. It’s a very different vibe from her other series, and once that clicked for me, the whole thing opened up. There’s a major slow burn romance running through it, and it manages to feel spicy without a ton of actual spice happening on the pages. There’s friendship, there’s romance, there’s death and scary demons on the loose. Did I mention a hot angel who happens to be the Shadow of Death and is a slave to the Archangels?!? Plus, a half human-fae who is a total badass.
And to everyone who already knows what I mean: light it up. That’s all I’m going to say.
I read the physical copy and listened to the audiobook, and I’m already lined up for the next book in the series. 5/5.
I’m told I must finish this series before SJM’s next ACOTAR book comes out.
5/5 ⭐️ (Lots of world building, but keep with it!)
Order the book on Amazon or Bookshop.org
Order the audiobook on Libro.fm (there are 2 for the first book)
Have you read any of these? I especially want to know if Yesteryear shocked you the way it shocked me, or if anyone else is deep in their Crescent City feelings. Tell me everything in the comments.
Here’s a look at some of my most recommended books if you need a new read!
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