Two posts in two months, back-to back?? Who am I?!
Also… now it’s *actually* fall, so bust out your candles, sweatshirts, and cozy blankets.
I’ve finished 5 books since my last post. The book-bug bit and I apparently scratched the itch. Will I now fall into a lull? Who knows. Life’s unpredictable that way.
American Fantasy by Emma Straub
★★★ out of 5 | Fiction
Why I Read It: The idea of adult boy band members, people being isolated on a cruise, and potential romance hooked me.
What I Thought: This had every opportunity to be nostalgic gold, but it missed its mark… Or maybe I’m not the right audience. The FMC was 50 and going through some mid-life changes, so I struggled to relate. Also, I believe it was NKOTB fiction and I was a BSB girl… So I’m going to go out on a limb and say this wasn’t for me from the start.
Buy it HERE
And Now, Back to You [Heartstrings #2] by B.K. Borison
★★★★★ out of 5 | Romance
Why I Read It: I enjoyed the first one in the series but didn’t plan to keep going. And then I changed my mind for Erin’s challenge.
What I Thought: I’m so glad I changed my mind! This romance was loosely based on “When Harry Met Sally”, but I didn’t really get those vibes. I enjoyed Jackson and Delilah’s banter and romance and jokes and drama. And the way their people rallied for them 🥰 It was a cozy little romance and another win from Borison!
Buy it HERE
It Happened One Summer [Bellinger Sisters #1] by Tessa Bailey
★★★★/5 | Romance
Why I Read It: This was on my challenge list for “MC is 25 years old.”
What I Thought: I don’t know what I was expecting, but this was cute. It was an enjoyable but forgettable little romance with a lovely friendship between sisters and spicy haters-to-lovers trope between MCs. I will be picking up the second in the series soon ☺️
Buy it HERE
View From the East Wing: A Memoir by Dr. Jill Biden
★★★/5 | Memoir
Why I Read It: One of the selections for Sharon McMahon‘s book club.
What I Thought: Mm, I walked away pretty frustrated. I wanted to hear more about Jill’s time in the White House- not her husband’s doings through her eyes 😕 I was pretty bored up until the chapter about the disastrous debate- then things got a little more interesting. Prior to that things felt vague and all over the place. I wanted to love it!
Buy it HERE
The Goal [Off-Campus #4] by Elle Kennedy
★★★★ out of 5 | Romance
Why I Read It: It was next up & finally became available at the library 🏒
What I Thought: I appreciate that Kennedy gave everyone a difference storyline and pace, though I very rarely enjoy a surprise pregnancy trope. I found Tucker and Sabrina to both be flawed, but likable, so I forgave the pregnancy direction. I really liked the growing relationship before and after the 2 blue lines- instalove due to a baby on the way would’ve really turned me off.
Overall, a sweet little wrap on the series (unless I read The Legacy).
Buy it HERE
Technically on Goodreads I’d hit my goal for the year (26), but GR counts each Amazon novella as a book and I count each set of novellas as “one book”, so in my mind I still have 8 to go.
Erin Challenge 25.0 Update:
5 points | Freebie: American Fantasy (Straub)*
10 points | Set in a country different than yours: Lady Tremaine (Hochhauser)
10 points | Book 2, 5, 20 or 25 in a series: And Now, Back to You (Borison)*
15 points | The words 2, 5, or 25 in the title: Two Can Keep A Secret (Karen McManus)
20 points | A book with “silver” or silver on the cover: Wild Love (Elsie Silver)
20 points | An award winner from the last 25 years: The Four Winds (Hannah) Publishers Weekly: Named the Bestselling Hardcover Novel of the Year – 2021
25 points | MC is 25 years old: It Happened One Summer (Bailey)
30 points | Published in 1925, 2025, or 25 years ago: Onyx Storm (Rebecca Yarros)
30 points | One of the 300+ books Erin’s read in previous BCBE challenges: Remarkably Bright Creatures (Shelby Van Pelt)
35 points | A book about a book club: The Brogan Book Club (John Larkin)
| T O T A L | P O I N T S | 60 points
*I swapped out a few of my original choices
And there we have it. I think my next few will be the second Bellinger sister book, Remarkably Bright Creatures, and Lady Tremaine.
What bookish thoughts do you have? Did you read the Off-Campus series?? 🌶️
-Aud
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