What I Read In May + My June TBR
I read a total of EIGHT books this month. A couple of five star reads, a lot of four star reads, and a few three star reads. Going into June, I put myself on a book buying ban (with the exception of my Book of the Month box) because I am moving soon and don’t need to buy any more books. That being said, I went to the library! Because I love the feeling of leaving with a few books in my bag.
Anyway, let’s dive into the books I read in May.
The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
I did not expect to like this as much as I did, and the more I sat on this, I realized I really loved it! It told the story of Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary McLeod Bethune’s friendship. Eleanor Roosevelt, as we all know, was First Lady during the Great Depression and WWII. Mary McLeod Bethune was a prominent civil rights activist and businesswoman! Their friendship changed the world, including a photo of them shaking hands at a restaurant where they dined together—a historic moment. This book detailed their friendship on the backdrop of the civil rights movement and on the eve of WWII. Mary McLeod Bethune was a character in history who I was introduced to while reading this book, and I am very impressed by her and her determination in the fight for civil rights, especially in education and the military. The chapters were short which made it quick to read but I felt like I read this slower than usual because I was learning so much about their friendship. I would DEFINITELY recommend this one.
Rating: 3.5/5 at first, but honestly, after a couple of weeks, it’s a 4/5
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
I already wrote a full review on the blog, so you can go read that. There’s nothing really else to say about this book. I loved this book so much that I am re-reading this entire series! I finished Part of Your World (book 1) this past month on audio, and now reading my favorite book, Yours Truly (book 2). I loved this third book so much. What I thought was going to be a fun, summer romance turned into a gripping, heart-wrenching, romantic book about two people who have had their worlds turned upside down—for different reasons—and somehow navigated their way through it, either help and support from their loved ones and/or from lots of therapy. I didn’t realize this was a part of the Part of Your World series until about a couple of chapters in, but it made me love it even more. I loved the cameos of the other characters from the other books! Shhh—I won’t say who made a cameo, but I will say it is well worth the read!
Rating: 5/5 (I could give it infinity stars, but Goodreads only allows me five.)
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
This has been on my list FOREVER, and it was only fine. I don’t think this author is for me. I read The Guest List, and thought that was good and gripping enough, but the story didn’t impress me. Same with this one. I didn’t really like the main character; I thought she was a tad annoying, but that wasn’t even the worst part. In fact, the fact that she was annoying made her even more interesting, if that makes sense? She was on this quest to find her missing brother, and she was learning about this weird house (which I only found out it was a house, and not an apartment building, about halfway through the book) and the family that resides there. Each family member had a floor (rich people, lol) and held secrets close to their chest. The step-mother was the only character that I really came to like by the end of the book. The twist at the end was a surprise! That was the only thing that piqued interest to me. Still, I’d recommend for someone who really loves thrillers and probably liked The Guest List.
Rating: 2.5/5 (Idk, I gave it a 3/5 on Goodreads but I’m trying to be more honest in my ratings.)
The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren
I wrote a review on the blog, so you can go read that, but I really loved this one! Christina Lauren books are always a hit or miss for me, but this one was a hit. It had me kicking my feet and giggling by the end. Let me just tell you, I will recommend this book to ANYONE. Even if you’re not a romance reader. Go read my entire review for all the details but is it just me, or does this book make CLo’s steamiest book yet? Maybe it’s just me. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. With the family drama, and the family being a very wealthy family so money is involved, I think anyone can be interested in that storyline. It’s definitely one of my favorite books of the year.
Rating: 4.5/5
To Love Jason Thorn by Ella Maise
Oh, I really wanted to love this book. It just didn’t hit for me. I didn’t like it, I didn’t like the pacing of the story, I didn’t like the characters. The pacing was so off—the first 150 pages were just a lot of build-up and I almost set it down to mark it DNF but then the story finally started to pick up. The MMC, Jason Thorn, was a tad possessive of his “childhood friend’s little sister” (all grown up now, obviously), Olive. Olive’s character development was kind of all over the place, too. But still, their fake dating/marriage of convenience of scheme was a good idea. This may be too nit picky, but I wanted a wedding between them! I thought for sure that Olive’s family would be more involved, and that they could plan this whole wedding, but it was just one tiny scene in one chapter. And then nothing else, they just moved on. The story focused heavily on Olive and Jason’s relationship, as romance novels usually do, but I guess I wanted more outside involvement from her family and her friends. And there was little to no mention of Jason’s past—it was mentioned in the beginning, but we (the readers) heard nothing else about it. Not one mention of how he handled his grief. And that would’ve been central to his character development! He started out this troubled bad boy in Hollywood, and then love helped him along the way become a better person. But not how he took care of himself and processed his grief and trauma. Anyway. Overall, I personally wouldn’t recommend.
Rating: 2/5
Better Than Fiction by Alexa Martin
What a delightful romance with a bookstore setting! This one had a twist, though—the FMC, Drew, inherited her late grandmother’s bookstore, but there’s one thing: Drew doesn’t like books. So when a new romance author, Jasper, comes into town and is working on a new book, he enlists Drew to help him show him around town. In return, he helps her read more and find good books to read. Romance ensues. This was a low stakes romance but also dealing with grief and abandonment issues. I really liked this one. Overall, I’d recommend!
Rating: 4/5
Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez
I hardly re-read books, but after reading Just for the Summer, I knew I had to re-read this series on audio. I listened to this on audio and I love it just as much as the first time I read it. See my review for this book here! Everything that I wrote in that review holds up.
Rating: 5/5
The Queen of Sugar Hill: A Novel of Hattie McDaniel by ReShonda Tate
I really loved learning about Hattie McDaniel, the first African American woman to win an Academy Award in 1940, for her portrayal as “Mammy” in Gone with the Wind! (I have never seen that movie nor read the book, so I don’t actually know what happens.) This book follows her life and career after historic win. Hattie thought this would open all sorts of doors and transcend her into more serious roles, but the calls weren’t coming. She was only typecast as one role, a housekeeper or maid (the role of “Mammy”). Through it all, she continued her fight to pave a path for Black actors, while focusing on war efforts, fighting housing discrimination, and navigating four failed marriages. With the help of her friends, Hattie took on Hollywood and paved the way for generations to come. This was a great novel and the author did an incredible job of telling Hattie’s story.
Rating: 3.5/5
My June TBR:
As part of my no-buy month in June, I will not be “planning” a TBR. Instead, I plan to #ReadMyShelf and #VisitMyLocalLibrary. So with that being said, I cannot plan my TBR! However, I did receive my Book of the Month box with two exciting new books.
The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe