It’s that time again! How has your TBR pile been treating you lately? My reading has slowed down a tad in the last few weeks as we go about all the extra stuff that inevitably accompanies the end of the school year, plus I lost some sleep over a kiddo with a stomach bug. As much as I love reading, sleep matters to me more. I am NOT the reader who stays up until 2 a.m. saying ‘just one more chapter’. If I’m up at that hour its because there is a crisis to be dealt with.
Despite these small obstacles I still have several great books to share with you today, and I hope you’ll share your current reads with me in the comments, too!
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Just Finished:
The last book in the Love Clichés series did not disappoint! This is a straight up enemies-to-lovers story that kept me entertained from beginning to end as Sam and Rhys embark on a roadtrip together that neither of them wants to go on, especially not with each other.
Make sure stick around all the way to the end because there is an epilogue to the epilogue that I couldn’t have loved more. If you’ve read the entire series (which you totally should do) you will love it too. The entire series is available through Kindle Unlimited, which is how I read them.
Is there anything worse than reading a book that totally sucks you in and then finding out that the next book doesn’t come out until November so you have to wait FOREVER to find out what happens next? I know, I know, first world problems, but seriously.
This is a Rumpelstiltskin retelling and it is dark and surprising and totally engrossing. When Serilda lies to a dark prince about her ability to spin straw into gold in order to protect someone else she is drawn into a dangerous cycle of magic and secrets. A mysterious and handsome stranger appears out of nowhere and offers her his help, but everything comes at a price. If you like YA fantasy then consider giving Gilded a try.
I am a die-hard Jaime Jo Wright fan and this book is my favorite of hers so far.
I was totally blindsided by the twists in the last 20% as the mystery started to really come together, and I teared up at some touching moments between Arwen and Patty. I was also deliciously creeped out by a couple of scenes, like the one that I pulled the quote below from:
‘“Aaaaaava?” A singsongy whisper sent chills through her. She backed up a step, her hip colliding with the corner of Noah’s desk. She couldn’t tell if the voice was male or female.
“Aaaaaaava Coons?”’
See? Totally creepy! But there are also two sweet love stories to go along with the mystery (this is a dual timeline novel) and I thought all the secrets and suspense wrapped up really well in the end. Go read it right now!
In Progress:
This is a safe space to be honest, right? I love love love Laura Frantz, but I’m struggling a little with this one. I think it’s a little slower paced that some of her other novels, and I am enjoying it, it’s just not what I expected.
This is a second-chance love story between a privateer captain and a chocolatier spinster, who cross paths unexpectedly ten years after they broke each others hearts and parted ways. There is a lighthouse involved and some fun food descriptions since she works with chocolate. Here’s hoping the ending knocks my socks off!
I literally just started this one, so I don’t have a lot to say about it yet. I have high hopes that I will love it because I inhaled Kiera Cass’s The Selection series. The description makes this sound like it has little mermaid vibes, and I am a sucker for a good fairy tale retelling, so we shall see! Also, the cover is gorgeous, which doesn’t hurt my feelings at all.
Wow, what a storyteller! This much discussed Will Smith memoir is absolutely fascinating. I’m listening to the audio version because Will reads it himself and I knew I needed to hear it in his voice. He’s done so many things in his life and his attitude is so interesting. I knew he was a talented actor and musician, but I don’t think I ever realized before how intelligent he really is.
From the portion I’ve listened to so far, I highly recommend, though I do caution you to keep your earbuds in around your children and your mama.
Up Next:
I am highly intrigued by the lovely cover and the description of this book:
‘If any place on God’s earth was designed to help one heal, it is Meadowland. Surely here, at her brother-in-law’s Kentucky farm, Rose and her daughters can recover from the events of the recent past–the loss of her husband during the 1918 influenza epidemic, her struggle with tuberculosis that required a stay at a sanatorium, and her girls’ experience in an orphanage during her illness. At Meadowland, hope blooms as their past troubles become rich soil in which their faith can grow.’
I listened to an interview with the author recently and she said that the brother-in-law is a recluse because of some scars to his heart and body, so having three females invade his farm is quite a change for him. I think this sounds like a sweet love story and I can’t wait to dive in.
After reading the wildly popular Shadow & Bone trilogy, I was happy to learn that the Grishverse continues with this first book in a spin-off duology. I’m hopeful that there will be appearances by some familiar characters in this story of a gang of thieves attempting a risky heist with a potentially life-changing payoff.
I’ll round out my YA fantasy picks with this last book in the Graceling series. Winterkeep revisits Princess Bitterblue five years after the events of the last book as she prepares to go on dangerous journey to find out why the envoys she’s sent to the mysterious land of Winterkeep never return. The description makes me suspect that someone important dies, which has me a little anxious, but I’m still excited to read this last book and close out a series I’ve really enjoyed.
As always, you can find more great book recommendations on Modern Mrs. Darcy’s quick lit post.