What I Read In August 2023 + My September TBR
August sipped away like a bottle of wine…
It’s the start of a new month, so it’s time to recap all the books I read the previous month! In August, I read six books, the same as July. I listened to two audiobooks (Twisted Hate and Nora Goes Off Script) and one on Kindle (Flawless). I’m proud of the books I read in August! However, starting in September, I want to read more books (specifically romance books) by BIPOC authors—check the TBR for some I’m excited to read!
Disclaimer: This post contains spoilers.
Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J. Maas
This is the second book in the ToG series. The first one was so good that I needed to read the second one (I read The Assassin’s Blade before the first book in the series.) I like Celeana as a strong female main character and I like how we get to know her more in this book. I also like we get to know Chaol more—especially the romance between Celeana and Chaol. That was something I did NOT expect. I got to read more about the magic and the history behind this world that SJM built; something I felt lacking in the first book. Overall, I’d recommend this YA series.
Rating: 4/5
Twisted Hate (Twisted, #3) by Ana Huang
I listened to this book on audio. I thought I wasn’t going to like this book because I wasn’t a fan of Josh or Jules in the first two books but this enemies-to-lovers trope hooked me. There was more than just romance in this one, like the author did in the previous two books, and I liked Jules’s mysterious background coming back to haunt her. Didn’t get to hear much about Josh, however. I wish there was more about the whole thing with his dad in jail and fixing his friendship with Alex, but maybe in the next book? Still, I enjoyed this one immensely. Very steamy!
Rating: 4/5
Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
What a refreshing delight from the past two books I read! This was such a delightful contemporary romance set in a STEM setting. I loved The Love Hypothesis but haven’t gotten to her other books. Still, she has a way of communicating romance between two characters without giving the other person’s POV. This was told in the perspective of Elsie, who is a theoretical physicist who is aiming for a job in physics, but is blocked by … let’s just say, politics in the physics world. Jack, the MMC, is on the other side of all that, so it’s kind of like a rivals to lovers situation, and we do see some fun, playful banter between the two, but Jack is a big softie who only wants to see Elsie succeed. I loved the past characters from The Love Hypothesis popping in to say hey!
Rating: 4.5/5
Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan
I listened on audio. I wanted to like this book. I listened to a Bad on Paper podcast episode with the author on her new book, Same Time Next Summer. I liked the short chapters, how the author kept the plot and chapters short and sweet, but sometimes, that was a flaw in some parts of the book. For example, when the two characters decided they were falling for each other and told each other “I love you”? That was sudden. I thought it was more of literary fiction than a contemporary romance, so if you like both genres, I think this one could be for you. Overall, I like her writing style but the plot fell through for me at times.
Rating: 3/5
Magnolia Parks by Jessa Hastings
Where do I begin with this book? First of all, this is a toxic romance where the two main characters are obviously soulmates and meant for each other—I mean, they’re obviously going to end up together. However, do I think that their relationship is healthy? Absolutely not and that should not be the standard for relationships—and I don’t think the author was trying to convey that. I think the author (check out this podcast episode with her as a guest talking about the book and the series) was trying to convey the messiness in relationships. Not every relationship is picture perfect. There is no way that I will excuse cheating in a relationship, but that’s what I thought this book was trying to convey—that even though someone cheats, someone can take that someone (the cheater) back with a healthy amount of reflection. But the push and pull between Magnolia and BJ, both of them going back to each other and then breaking each other’s hearts in a repeated cycle, was a tad uncomfortable (maybe wrong word choice) to read. Yes, it made me want to turn the page and keep reading, but I kept on asking myself, “When is it going to be the final straw? Are they truly done with each other?” And that’s where I think the author wants us to think that they’ll always find their way back to each other, even through heartbreak. It even says on the back of the book: How many loves do you get in a lifetime? Through too many heartbreaks, can Magnolia and BJ find their way back to each other? Besides the toxic romance, and them going back to each other, I think I just didn’t like the characters—like they were entitled. One of the things I liked about the book was her writing style. She wrote down every thought the character had. It was very conversational, her writing style, like we were in Magnolia’s brain or something.
Overall, it’s fiction. It’s a fictional romance. I don’t think that this book is glorifying or romanticizing cheating; even Magnolia, who is cheated on by BJ, is heartbroken and leaves him. Maybe I don’t get the book. But this is my take on it. I think I’ll probably read the second book, since it focuses more on the side characters (who I actually liked!), but not for a while. (I have too many books on my list!!)
Rating: 3.5/5 (maybe I’ll give it a 4/5 eventually)
Flawless (Chestnut Springs #1) by Elsie Silver
What a palette cleanser. I loved this sweet, sultry cowboy small town romance. It follows Summer, a city girl who works for her dad’s law firm/entertainment agency (couldn’t figure out which one), who gets assigned to “work for” (or babysit) a client of her father’s, Rhett Eaton, a professional bull rider. Rhett is a celebrity bull rider, but from a small town and works on his dad’s ranch when he’s not working. Summer and Rhett, the city girl and country boy, grow closer. I mean, these characters had chemistry and it did not disappoint. I highly recommend this book and excited to continue the rest of the series!
Rating: 4.5/5
My September TBR:
Tastes Like Shakker by Nisha Sharma (Already finished! Wanted to include this in August reading wrap-up, but couldn’t finish in time.)
Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
Reign (American Royals, #4) by Katherine McGee
American Royalty by Tracey Lindsay
A Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya Lalli
The Celebrants by Steven Rowley
Attached by Amir Levine and Rachel S.F. Heller