Summer is right around the corner, so let’s talk about vacation reading. There are a lot of different approaches one could take for reading while away from home. Some people cram stacks of books into their suitcases, beach bags, or carry-ons with the intention of doing some serious damage to their TBRs. Others lean heavily on a loaded-down e-reader for a literary fix on the go. Still others have a laissez-faire attitude and just bring a book or two in case the mood strikes them.
Where do you fall on the spectrum? Personally, I’ve evolved in this regard over the last few years. I used to be the person who packed a stack and probably also had some ebooks ready as well. But I’ve realized that while my vacation preference might be to schedule time reading by a pool, the rest of my family has different ideas. We typically stay pretty busy while we’re away, so now my strategy is to pick one physical book that I really want to fit in and then make sure my Kindle has a few options ready to go in case I end up with more downtime than expected. It’s all about the expectations!
The books you’ll see in the ‘Up Next’ section of this list are the books I’m planning for our Canada trip at the end of the month. The first one is my paperback selection and the rest are courtesy of Kindle Unlimited.
Do you have a vacation (or staycation!) planned for this summer? Do you have a reading list for it? Keep scrolling to see mine.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I might make some extra coffee money at no extra expense to you if you buy something through one of my links. Read more about that here.
Just Finished:
When young widow Edith ends up living in the upstairs of Henry’s house as a favor to his niece, a series of misunderstandings causes both of them to assume the other is elderly. Since they keep missing each other due to different schedules and communicate through notes left in the kitchen, it takes a while for them to realize the truth about their mistaken identities, and by then a completely different series of events has everyone in town convinced they are a couple. This was a charming and delightfully funny small-town rom-com that had me turning the pages like lightning. I loved it!
This one was meh for me. I expected to like it based on the premise – new billionaire Scott finds himself suddenly responsible for an orphaned family member and attracted to the nanny who is caring for him – but it fell a little flat to me. I think my biggest complaint is that there were several points where I felt there should have been some kind of conflict or discussion that just slipped by without mention. It didn’t feel believable and that’s coming from someone who was well prepared to suspend disbelief to accommodate an overnight billionaire. I only gave it three stars.
The Solid Grounds Coffee Company
Brian Shaw has spent his life bucking the norm, traveling the world as a professional rock climber, and going through women like chewing gum in an effort to forget the woman who broke his heart. When tragedy prompts him to turn his life around, he buys a coffee farm and determines to start a roasting business in his hometown of Denver, CO. Ana Sanchez has sensed a mutual attraction with Brian since she met him two years ago, but she can think of many reasons why acting on it would be a bad idea. Now he’s back in town and needs help getting his business off the ground. A misunderstanding at work causes her to be placed on leave from her job as a publicist, so she has plenty of free time to spare. As they spend time working together on this project, both of them are forced to evaluate what they really want out of life and who they want to be, both together and apart.
This is the third book in a series, but you could definitely pick it up as a standalone and not feel lost. I thought this was the best of the three, with several plot twists I did not see coming. I also learned a lot about the process of growing and roasting coffee beans.
In Progress:
I mentioned this one in my books in progress post last month, but somehow it kept getting pushed aside. No more! I’m reading this one right now and enjoying Denise Hunter’s characteristic sweet romance with well developed characters and just the right amount of chemistry. I just started so right now all I know for sure is that he’s a horse trainer and she’s keeping her parentage a secret, but I anticipate that this story will be as enjoyable as her others.
This medical thriller about a hemoragic fever that begins in an internment camp in Indonesia and quickly becomes a global pandemic is full of interesting science stuff. After reading Richard Preston’s The Hot Zone a couple of years ago, Ebola and other hemoragic fevers remain in the back of my mind as something to avoid at all costs. Some of the medical descriptions might be a little gross for anyone with delicate sensibilities, but watching the progression of the disease in this story is fascinating, at least to me.
I could tell within one minute of starting this book I was going to love it. Like many people, I love a good ‘I didn’t know I was a princess’ story and this one is hitting all the right notes for me. To make things more complicated, not only has Brielle just learned of her royal heritage, she is also informed that in order to maintain her right to the throne, she must marry before being coronated. I’m listening to the audio version and I highly recommend it. The narrator does a great job switching back and forth between American and African accents, which really adds to the experience.
Up Next:
The Premonition at Withers Farm
Jaime Jo Wright is one of my favorite authors. I love her unique blend of romance and creepy but not too scary dual-timeline mysteries. In this book, a farm links Perliett in 1910 to Molly in the present as Perliett is pursued by a killer and Molly attempts to solve a century old murder. This is my first vacation book choice and I can’t wait to read it!
I can barely wait to start reading this enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy following two rival chefs who feel the heat when they wind up cooking in the same kitchen. It’s the third in Jenny Proctor’s How to Kiss a Hawthorne series and I loved the first two, so I have a good feeling about this one too.
Time-travel to the Middle Ages that results in a marriage of convenience to keep everyone out of trouble in the past? Sign me up! This is the fourth in the Waters of Time historical romance series, but they can be read independently without an issue. I think you do enjoy them slightly more if you go in order, though, because some of the previous characters tend to make cameo appearances.
For even more book recommendations, check out Anne Bogel’s May quick lit post — and don’t forget to keep scrolling to the comments where other book bloggers share links and suggestions as well!
I don’t typically read romance, but Dear Henry, Love Edith sounds fun! I’ve added it to my Libby holds!
I really loved it — hope you do too!
I haven’t heard of any of these. I have been reading so many heavy books, mostly parenting books, that I need a good novel to balance it!
Linking a recent author interview with a new favorite WWII novel, if interested!