I was slacking this season. With a new job, traveling almost the entire month of April, and no more commute, reading has been a challenge. But my goal is to get back on track this summer and prioritize of one of my favorite pastimes!
Title: The Midnight Feast
Author: Lucy Foley
Rating: 2/5
Comments: Really hard to get through. Nothing kept my interest. Not the characters, not the story, not the history. If you’re going to pick up a Foley book, grab The Guest List.
Title: The Five-Star Weekend* RRN
Author: Elin Hilderband
Rating: 4.3/5
Comments: It’s so Elin! I picked this one because of the upcoming show premiering on Peacock. It’s about a famous food blogger, Hollis, who recently lost her husband and plans an epic weekend for her closest friends from each stage of life. There is jealousy, secret-keeping, identity crises, mother-daughter dynamics, and grief. It was really fun to read about women at this age because I can totally see my friends and I navigating these same situations one day. It’s a good reminder that grown ups are just big kids and they value the same things: friendship, love, and having fun.
Title: One Golden Summer (Barry’s Bay, #2)
Author: Carley Fortune
Rating: 4.5/5
Comments: LOVED! When I read Every Summer After, I had no idea there was a sequel so this was a pleasant surprise when Molly and I decided on this one. I loved ESA and being on Percy and Sam’s journey with them. The setting of the lake is so magical and I was thrilled to be back for Alice and Charlie’s journey. Alice is recently single and at a crossroads in her photography career. She decides to spend the summer at a lake house with her grandmother while she recovers from hip survey. This is the same lake house Alice spent one summer at in her teens where she fell in love with photography. This summer, she decides to make a bucket list of things that scare her, challenge her, and remind her who she is. Along the way, she meets Charlie, Sam’s brother. It’s a pleasure watching Alice’s friendship with Charlie blossom. 10/10 bring these two books to the beach ASAP.
Title: The Perfect Divorce (Perfect, #2)
Author: Jeneva Rose
Rating: 4/5
Comments: This is the sequel to the book we all know and love: The Perfect Marriage. This one takes place a decade later when our favorite lawyer, Sarah Morgan, files for divorce from her second cheating husband Bob. There are plenty of mysterious plot lines to keep you hooked until the very end!
Title: The Paper Palace
Author: Miranda Cowley Heller
Rating: 4.8/5
Comments: Wow. This one is… I don’t even have words. But you need to read it. It’s deep and tragic. Most of book club disliked it but Rachel, who chose the book, and I loved it. The main feedback was that there is no character development which I would agree is true. There is not much growth from the main character, Elle. She made decisions I did not agree with but I kind of enjoyed that. Not all books are about agreeing with the protagonist.
Warning: It’s very dark and there is abuse.
Title: Anatomy of an Alibi
Author: Ashley Elston
Rating: 2/5
Comments: Don’t bother. This took me way too long to finish. Mostly because the characters are not interesting enough to care about. There are no characteristics or background info that made me want to root for any of them or learn their fate. I simply just didn’t care. Waste of time.
Title: Say You’ll Remember Me
Author: Abby Jimenez
Rating: 3.8/5
Comments: Not my favorite Jimenez book by any means. Is it enjoyable? Yes. Do I understand the title? No- and that’s one of my biggest pet peeves. Make it make sense. Anywho- it’s about veterinarian Xavier who falls in love with Samantha after she brings a kitten into his practice. Many factors, including distance, try to keep these two apart. Their first date is epic and fairy tale-esque and not very relatable. But it’s cute, it’s an easy ready, and there’s a sequel I’ll definitely be reading.
*RRN = Read Right Now! – only because the show premieres July 16 on Peacock!
Sarcastically Callie 