Hi Friends! I am here with a huge round up for the first part of May, I read 10 books! One was an audio that I listened to for over a week and then two of the books I started at the end of April. My favorites are probably The Last Train To Key West and Everything For You while All Fired Up was my least favorite. What have you been reading in May so far? Any new favorites? Let me know in the comments below!
Maggie Moves On by – 4 Stars This was my first book by Lucy Score and now I can’t wait to go and read her backlist! This one follows Maggie who has a youtube channel were she buys fixer uppers and then documents the entire remodel. Maggie’s newest purchase is in Kinship Idaho and it is a historic crumbling mansion and a property this size needs a great landscaper and in enters constantly flirting Silas. I loved Silas and Maggie’s relationship from the beginning, Maggie knows she isn’t staying long term but Silas is going to do everything he can to convince her to stay. Along the way Maggie not only starts to open herself up to Silas but she also makes friends and tries to help out a boy who is basically abandoned by his family by giving him a job with her crew but also fixing up a room for him in the house so he has somewhere to sleep at night! By the time it’s time for her to leave she has made so many new connections and even started to rebuild one with her own sister. I loved all the relationships in this book, it gave me so many feels and I didn’t want it to end. I highly recommend checking this one out when it is released June 21st of this year! Thank you so much Forever for my gifted copy for review!!!
The Favor by – 3 Stars The tag line for this book reads Staying is dangerous. Leaving could be worse and I feel like this does a good job of setting up your expectations for this book. In The Favor we follow two different points of view, the first is Leah who no longer works and drinks all day and the second is McKenna who also finds herself currently unemployed but still trying to figure out what her new normal is. Leah and McKenna have never met but both recognize something in each other at a chance meeting that will change their lives forever. I can’t say a lot about this book because it is a fast read and anything I say could be spoiler. I really enjoyed this thriller, it was fast paced and I kept wanting to keep reading to see where everything went. I will say that if you read a lot of domestic thrillers than this plot is not a new one but the author’s writing style kept me very engaged and I can’t wait to see what they put out next. Thank you Minotaur and St. Martin’s Press for my gifted copy for review.
All Fired Up by Dylan Newton – 3 Stars I’m not sure where to start with this book. After loving Dylan’s debut novel; How Sweet It Is, I was so excited to read this one but it did not live up to the first one for me. We follow Zander who runs a pottery studio in upstate New York and Imani who is a a book publicist. The two spend a fun weekend together at a wedding but then Imani ghosts Zander who thought this might be something long term. When Imani comes back to town to help out her grandmother for the summer, Zander makes it his mission to see if their chemistry is real. Overall this book was just ok, I felt like the entire book was one big romance cliche and I knew what was going to happen next. I also don’t like the trope of one character thinking the other is a player because of rumors they heard and don’t listen when said person says they are not! This trope just really frustrates me. My favorite parts were Imani’s grandmother and seeing Kate and Drake together again! Im hoping this reading experience was just a me thing and will pick up the author’s next book because while the plot wasn’t for me I still really enjoyed her writing style. Thank you Forever for my gifted copy for review!
Starry-Eyed Love by Helena Hunting – 4 Stars This is the second book in the Spark House series where we follow three sisters who run a hotel and event center in Colorado. In Starry-Eyed Love we are following the second sister London who after a recent break up decides to stop dating for awhile but of course this plan goes out the window when she meets Jackson who is the CEO of the company they will now be working with. This book was a lot of fun like all of Helena Hunting’s books. There is comedy but mixed in some heavier topics that don’t make me feel too overwhelmed while reading. I really liked how Jackson got to know London by taking her on work outings while showing her it’s ok to have a life outside of her sisters. Also any book set in Colorado is usually fun for me as I love where I live and enjoy when other people love it here too. Overall I really enjoyed this book but the ending was very predictable to me and so I kind of lost my mojo while reading it. Still highly recommend it and if you have read her Shaking Up series a few of the couples from those books make cameos in this one! Thank you St. Martins Press and Social Butterfly PR for my gifted copy for review!
The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton – 5 Stars I’m pretty sure every time I pick up a new Chanel Cleeton I say that it is my favorite of hers. This time I can say pretty confidently that it is my favorite! I loved the setting and the characters of this one so much! We follow three different woman in the Florida Keys during the Labor Day weekend in 1935 which was when one of the worst hurricanes hit in the Atlantic. We have Mirta who is on her honeymoon and knows noting about her new husband Anthony. Elizabeth who is from New York City is down there looking for someone in the Army camps and then there is Helen who has lived there her entire life and wants nothing more than to get away. Also the first line in this is one of my favorites: I’ve Imagined my husbands death a thousand times. It’s so good!!! One of my favorite things about reading historical fiction is the fact that I learn something new from history and then go down rabbit holes to find out whatever I can and this one did not disappoint. I had never heard of this hurricane or the Bonus Army that was left over from WWI and were sent down to The Keys to help build the railway that connected the islands to Florida. Highly recommend any books by this author but this one is so good!
Book Lovers by Emily Henry – 4 Stars Rounded up to a 4, this one started out pretty strong for me but by the end I was left a little unsatisfied. We follow a book agent named Nora and an editor named Charlie, the two get off to rocky start but the two end up in the same small town over the summer and realize maybe they have more in common than they thought. One of my biggest complaints with this book was Nora’s need to control everything in her sister’s life to make sure se was happy. Her sister is almost 30 married and his2 children with a third on the way so Nora’s need to make her happy never made sense to me. Overall I really enjoyed this book and it might be my favorite by Emily Henry so far (need to do a re-read of Beach Read to make sure). If you are looking for a fun easy summer beach read than I would recommend checking this one out.
Our Last Days in Barcelona by Chanel Cleeton – 4 Stars I have a blog tour for this one closer to release date which is 5/24. However, I can let you know that I really enjoyed this on as I have Chanel Cleeton’s previous books following the women in the Perez family from Cuba. I highly recommend if you are looking for a historical fiction set in a different place and time. Thank you Berkley for my gifted copy for review!
Beauty and The Mustache by Penny Reid – Stars This was a re-read that I did for a buddy read and it is still one of my favorite books! I love the story of Ashley and Drew and I love getting to meet all the Winston Brothers for the first time! This book is on the sad side and I cried my eyes out even knowing what was going to happen. TW for cancer and death of loved one.
Everything For You by Chloe Liese – 5 Stars This book was one of my most anticipated books of the year because I just adore all of the books in The Bergman series. We are following the second youngest of seven siblings in this one, Oliver is a professional soccer player for the LA Galaxy and he starts to develop feelings for his co-captain Gavin. This book is very much sunshine grump but even the sunshine has some darkness to him and I loved it. Chloe even goes to showcase this with how they each dress! I also heard this was kind of inspired by Ted Lasso and I can totally see the inspiration for both characters, so if you love Roy Kent then you might just love Gavin like I did!!!!! This book also gave me Kulti vibes and I was here for that too! I also loved the fact that we got Bergman weddings and babies an I love seeing how past couples are continuing to grow in their relationships! I can not recommend this book or series enough! TW for mental health and on page panic attacks.
The Hacienda by Isabel Canas – 4 Stars This book is described as Rebecca meets Mexican Gothic and that is a pretty accurate description. For me it leans more on the Rebecca side in that we get a young wife moving to her new husbands Hacienda and there is a mystery of what happened to his first wife. The Hacienda is a sentient being and takes on the emotions of those who have lived there and something has made it turn malevolent. This book wasn’t as creepy feeling as Mexican Gothic was but I understand the comparison. I really enjoyed this story and I am sucker for a hunted house or sentient like house, highly recommend if you are looking for a historical paranormal fiction with just a hint of creepy.
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