Whew, August slipped away like a bottle of wine …

I had to throw that Taylor Swift lyric in there, everyone was doing it. But I can finally say that September is here! Cozy girl fall is about to commence, and I have ALL the fall plans to curl up on the couch and read and watch Gilmore Girls and just live out my cozy dreams.

Speaking of reading, my August reading catch-up is down below! I set a goal of reading (and finishing) five books this month, and I did it. I freaking did it and I’m so happy. I read some great books that motivated me to read and finish each one of them.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas // this kicked off my August reading, and man oh man, this did not disappoint. Let me first start off by saying that I am not a fantasy reader. I am a contemporary romance reader 95 percent of the time. But ACOTAR … knocked my socks off. It’s not just fantasy or action or magic, but it has romance, passion, classism, and friendship. This book came recommended by #bookstagram so it’s not a new release, but if you’re on the fence about picking up this book, then why not just dive right in and get sucked into this fantasy series?

Rating: 5/5

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While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory // I had to pick up the latest Jasmine Guillory novel because, um, she’s one of my favorite contemporary romance authors?! I liked this one! This is the sixth book in her collection of novels starting with The Wedding Date. The story followed Anna Gardiner, an actress who signed onto an ad campaign directed by the book’s male lead, Ben. Anna and Ben form a friendship, which later turns into a casual fling, and then later turns into a fake relationship so Anna drums up new press for herself and her movie. I personally like Hollywood romance books, where one of the main characters is a celebrity and the other is not; but even if you don’t read those types of novels, this was a good example of a friends-to-lovers trope and it covered more than just romance—anxiety, talking about mental health with loved ones, and therapy.

Rating: 4/5

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Beth & Amy by Virginia Kantra // as a contemporary retelling of Little Women, I was initially wary of reading this one (and its predecessor, Meg & Jo). But, like Meg & Jo, I was pleasantly surprised! I found myself laughing and crying at different parts of the book. It follows Beth and Amy March (obviously) and their adventures in their twenties. The book is set between their hometown in North Carolina and New York. Amy goes back and forth between North Carolina and New York, while Beth moves back home to take care of herself after being on tour with her country singer boyfriend, Colt Henderson. Amy finds herself entangled with Trey Lawrence, the neighbor boy (he’s obviously a man as they’re all grown up here) and the girls’ best friend, whom she’s been in love with since she was 11 years old. After a rendezvous they had in Paris, Amy swore that she was done with Trey. But we all know in romance novels, two people who are meant for each other can’t stay away from each other. On the other side, Beth always grew up as the good girl in the family. As a talented singer/songwriter, she’s overcome her painful anxiety to tour with her boyfriend, Colt, but life on the road has taken a toll on her anxiety and health. Will Beth realize what she wants while she’s at home?

Overall, I finished this book in a week and it was very charming! The contemporary retelling of Little Women pleasantly surprised me. I was so excited to read this after loving Meg & Jo, and was not disappointed. Read if you loved Little Women.

TW: eating disorders, self-harm

Rating: 3/5

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If The Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy // A modern-day Cinderella story but with a Bachelor twist and a whole lot of body positivity, plus-size representation. The result? A fabulous book. I love books with plus-size representation, so when I saw this book in a Buzzfeed books article, I just knew I needed to pick this one up. The story follows Cindy Tremaine, a fashion-obsessed plus-size woman and recent college graduate of fashion school in New York. She returns home to live with her stepmother, Erica Tremaine, the executive producer of the world’s biggest dating reality show. When a contestant quickly backs out, Cindy is quick to replace her, eager to promote her shoe collection and jumpstart her career. Plus, there could be fun dates. But what happens when she starts to fall for the suitor … and become a body positivity, plus-size icon overnight? Overall, I liked it. I thought it was cute and charming, and such a quick read that put a smile on my face every page I turned. It’s made by Disney books, so initially I thought it was going to be too YA and more teen fiction, but it actually wasn’t! I’m surprised at the level of charm it was aimed towards older readers (late teens, early twenties). Definitely read if you loved One to Watch.

Rating: 3/5

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A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas // whew, I finished the second book of the ACOTAR series right before August ended and let me just tell you—this was better than the first. Maybe you didn’t think the first one had enough passion or friendship or war … this one has all of that. First things first, Rhysand > Tamlin. Now that we got that out of the way, I loved the new characters introduced in this book: Mor, Amren, Cassian, and Azriel. The first book followed Feyre as she entered into Prythrian under her will, as a prisoner of Tamlin’s, and exploring the faerie lands and the Spring Court. Without writing any spoilers, the second book delved into other courts, specifically the Night Court and the Court of Dreams and Nightmares, but also we learned more about the world and history of Prythrian. Feyre discovered who she really was in the faerie land and like the first, it included even more passion, friendship ties, classism, war, magic, and action. This will surely keep you awake past your bedtime.

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And there we have it! This is always super fun to put together. Let me know which ones you’ve read in the comments + anything else that you read in August. Some books I’m planning to read in September are: You Had Me At Hola by Alexis Daria (already started by the time this is posted and made it halfway, and it’s so good!), 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (I’ve had this on audiobook forever, and just now finishing it). I want to read more thrillers and murder-mystery books this fall to get me in the fall/spooky mood, so stay tuned to see which books I plan to read in my #cozygirlfall bucket list.