What I Read In June + My July TBR
Where did this month go? Just kidding—it feels like June went by so slowly. I moved apartments this past month, and it’s been a whirlwind (of emotions), but I read some pretty amazing books! Surprisingly, I read only one book on audio, which I thought I would have read more because I was busy packing. But weirdly enough, I had more time to sit down and read because packing didn’t take me a long time to do.
Seven Days In June by Tia Williams
I don’t know why I took so long to pick up this book, but I am so glad that I did. It was so worth it and let me tell you, if this is sitting on your shelf rn, set down your phone or whatever device you’re reading this on and pick this book up now. Tia Williams wrote these beautiful, flawed characters who are successful writers and are reuniting after several years apart. These two writers, Shane and Eva, met and spent a week together during high school years, until Shane disappeared, leaving Eva heartbroken and confused. This book deals with addiction, grief, and abandonment issues, but it’s truly incredible to read. I loved this story and would highly recommend.
Rating: 5/5
The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
I adored this one! It was fun seeing characters from The Bodyguard make a cameo. This one is set in LA and features two screenwriters who are tasked to write and edit a romantic comedy script. I liked them talking about screenwriting and writing a rom-com! Sometimes I had a hard time believing in their chemistry but honestly, that was probably just because of their personalities—Charlie was a tad stand-offish (and grumpy!). It made sense to their characters, tbh. The pacing was good! It was a fast-paced read. The ending?! The last 100 pages were like a rollercoaster of emotions. Overall, I’d recommend!
Rating: 4/5
House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas
It’s funny—this reads like a conclusion to the series, but it’s not. Sarah J. Maas recently confirmed (I think?) that she is not done writing in the Crescent City series, so this may not be the last one! I think it could be like the first three books in the ACOTAR series, where the first three books focused on Rhysand and Feyre, and then transitioned into more POVs from the Inner Circle. I’m excited to see where she takes this series next. For the most part, I loved HOFAS! It was exciting, thrilling, and kept me on the edge of my seat. There were a lot of POVs and it jumped from each one, and of course, when it jumped to a different POV, it left the previous one on a cliffhanger and I had to wait a few chapters to catch up. Overall, I’d definitely recommend this one and the entire series—the first book is a beast to get through, but it’s oh so worth it!
Rating: 4/5
Reckless by Elsie Silver
I loved this one! I put this one off for so long because I didn’t like Winter but when I started reading, I really liked her character and how she explained her perspective on family history and more. And Theo!! So dreamy, but also incredible, sweet, and loyal. I love how Winter and Theo’s story came together. It’s funny—there was a BIG time jump there in the beginning, and I remember thinking how random it was! I did not expect it. Overall, I’d recommend! Also! This is my 50th book of the year!
Rating: 4/5
Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
I really loved this one! It was a high stakes fantasy (with a little bit of romance! and a love triangle!) and kept me on the edge of my seat. I even audibly gasped and clutched the book a few times, like I couldn’t wait to read more. If you read and loved Powerless (by Lauren Roberts) or Throne of Glass by SJM, then you’d love this one! Overall, I’d definitely recommend. And how beautiful is the cover?
Rating: 4/5 (the cover gets infinity stars)
Hopeless by Elsie Silver
I’m really, really in my cowboy romance era. I enjoyed this one. Tbh, I didn’t like the age gap at first—she was 22 years old and he was in his early 30s. But I still liked Beau and Bailey’s relationship. They were good for each other. The whole fake dating and engagement of convenience was just a small thing to move the plot along but what I liked most about the book was the banter and growing feelings they developed for each other. And also their own character development on where they came from—for Bailey, it was discarding her family’s bad reputation and making her own name for herself. Loved, loved, loved the cameos from the Eaton family!! Overall, I’d recommend this one and the entire series.
Rating: 3.5/5
Wild Love by Elsie Silver
Again, I’m really in my cowboy romance era. But the thing about this book … is that it’s a billionaire cowboy romance?! Elsie Silver strikes again with her most recent read and new series! (She even said the rest of the books in this series are going to be single dad romances!) I really enjoyed this one. I loved Rosie and Ford. This is a brother’s best friend and childhood friends to lovers romance—if you loved Powerless by Elsie Silver, then you’ll love this one! It’s set in a province in Canada, and not too far from Chestnut Springs. Ford Grant Junior is Willa Grant’s Billionaire brother (Willa is from Heartless by Elsie Silver), and she may appear from time to time. Ford is also a newly single dad when his 12-year-old daughter shows up on his doorstep (that’s not a spoiler, that’s literally on the back of the book). I liked the relationships and banter in this one, and am excited to see where Elsie takes this series next! (Hopefully with Wes!)
Rating: 4/5
Mistakes We Never Made by Hannah Brown
I liked this one alright. The female main character, Emma, was a tad annoying, but contrary to reviews, I actually liked her. Her need to control everything was something I could relate to. It was her best friend, Sybil, who in the book, was getting married in a few days but mysteriously ran off “for alone time” without telling anyone, including her best friends in her wedding party and the groom. Sybil was barely in the book at all, despite being the focus of it. I still felt like that storyline was left hanging, and we never really got full closure to what was happening with Sybil. Half of that opinion was mainly me being upset with the characters, but I wish the writer (Hannah Brown, former Bachelorette, and a co-writer) would have went more into detail. Finn, on the other hand, was amazing. I didn’t really have any qualms with him. Although he wasn’t really the main character, I liked reading about him and his past. He was a good supporting character. To be honest, this read like Hannah Brown and Tyler Cameron fan fiction—and the author herself is Hannah Brown. It’s almost like this is the life she was trying to sort through, the possibility of a relationship that never panned out, and she needed to write it to sort through her feelings about the impossible relationship. I’d recommend this book if you were a fan of her season and anything else she’s done. It wasn’t that great, but I also didn’t have high expectations. It was a fun summer romance with low stakes so it would probably be good to read on the beach or by the pool!
Rating: 3/5
My July TBR:
Love, Unwritten by Lauren Asher
Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
Not In Love by Ali Hazelwood
Collide by Bal Khabra