WHAT I READ: JULY 2022
July was a month of sunshine, concerts, and patios for me, and I brought some great reads along with me! Read on for short reviews of every book I read in July, and let me know what you're reading this month!
The No-Show by Beth O'Leary
This book surprised me! I really didn't expect it to be what it was, and saying any more than that will spoil it. It follows three women as they all date the same man, and along the way you really do fall in love with every single character. I'm a big fan of Beth O'Leary's writing style, I loved The Flatshare and was excited for this one to hit shelves. It lived up to my expectations and then some! Warning: I cried. Have tissues at the ready! If you're a fan of the way Taylor Jenkins-Reid books often do really interesting things with timelines and have surprising twists that bring everything together, you'll love Beth O'Leary's books.
In a New York Minute by Kate Spencer
When Franny gets laid off and then becomes an internet meme with a mysterious, handsome stranger who helps her during an awkward, accidentally-naked moment on the subway, she is understandably disillusioned with the city she used to love. The universe and the internet keep pushing her and that handsome stranger into each other's paths, and while they don't get along initially, their relationship grows as Franny discovers who she is and who she wants to be. I really liked this book, the main character is delightfully relatable in her messy life and her struggles with imposter syndrome, and the love story gave me butterflies-- and made me want to book another NYC trip right away!
The Wedding Crasher by Mia Sosa
From the author of The Worst Best Man, this book features that same fun extended family, including the aunties and their Brazilian restaurant. The story starts with Solange accidentally stumbling on a bride in a compromising position, and before she knows it, she's (fake) dating the groom! If you love the fake dating trope in all its glory (there's only one bed! they are opposites in every way! meddling family members!) this book is a great choice. It is a romantic comedy that had a couple of laugh-out-loud moments, the characters manage to be mostly charming (a little annoying in their miscommunications, and Dean is a bit of a jerk sometimes...) and overall, it's a fun romp.
Not the Witch You Wed by April Asher
Set in a world that reminded me a bit of True Blood, with paranormal characters living out in the open, with ruling principals that reminded me a little of Sherrilyn Kenyon's worlds. All of that to say, I could see what the author was going for, but it didn't quite land for me. Violet is a magic-less witch (who does actually have magic pretty immediately in our story) who has passed her right to rule the witches on to her younger sister in order to escape the edict that she must marry in order to contain her powers. With werewolf (and ex boyfriend!) Lincoln's help, including some fake dating, she deals with past heartbreak, conquers her powers, and takes on the powers that be to change the witchy world. It's cute, but I didn't love it.
Something Wilder by Christina Lauren
I always feel so comfortable picking up a Christina Lauren book. I know their writing style will pull me in and that the story will be cute, with great characters and a plot that twists just enough to have a satisfying ending. This one twisted just a bit more than I expected, with a dark turn I didn't see coming and a second half that had me holding my breath and reading way past my bedtime. Set in the wilds of Utah, this story of a treasure hunt gone wrong features Lily, an independent-to-a-fault trail guide who takes a group of dudes on vacation out for an adventure and ends up stuck with an ex for a week as things spiral more and more out of control. More suspenseful than my usual read, this book was great and I loved everything other than the villain-- who I suppose I'm not supposed to like. I gave this book four stars on Goodreads right after reading it. Writing this review now a couple of weeks later, I'm tempted to change it to five, as it has really stuck with me in a great way.
Star Bright by Susannah Nix
Novellas aren't usually top of my tbr list, but I was looking for something fluffy as a palette cleanser after the suspense of Something Wilder and Hollywood felt as far from Utah as I could get on short notice. Starlet Kimberleigh's image is at risk when she has a vulnerable moment in front of a tabloid reporter she doesn't trust. Instead of exposing her, Spencer becomes her rock, and this enemies-to-lovers moves quickly to the lovers stage. The chemistry is great, the mental health elements are well handled, and the portrayal of the isolation of being an A-lister is surprisingly deep and impactful. I liked this little book, it surpassed my expectations!
Go Hex Yourself by Jessica Clare
Spooky reads are honestly hit or miss for me-- and I have to say, I loved this paranormal booktok darling. Another enemies-to-lovers (is this becoming my favourite trope?), this story follows naive Reggie as she answers a classified ad and accidentally ends up with a job as a real-life witch's familiar, living with the eccentric witch she works for and the witch's arrogant nephew Ben. Through a delightfully fun series of unfortunate events, Ben and Reggie are thrust together, and their relationship is so lovely and hot and everything I love in a romcom pairing. I found out after reading that Reggie and Ben are inspired by Rey and Kylo, respectively, and in retrospect that makes so much sense, and makes it all even better. This was a great read.
Rivals by Katharine McGee
The third instalment in the American Royals series, this book had me wondering when we are finally going to see these characters on screen-- because I love them, but I do think it would be a better tv series than book series. If you haven't read the previous two books in the series, start there for sure. This one jumps in right where we left off, and I was excited to jump back into this alternate America, where the Washingtons rule the kingdom and royalty is still in place the world over. This instalment builds out the world beyond America in a fun way, with Beatrice overseeing a summit of global royals as she continues to find her footing as Queen, making friends along the way and finding her voice. We explore a few different rivalries across the (many!) storylines, and I enjoyed all the new characters, especially the Queen of France. The cliffhanger ending has me waiting for book 4 even though I do think this was my least favourite of the three American Royals stories that have come out so far-- maybe because I'm ready for us to wrap it up in a way that I wouldn't be if it was an ongoing show?
From the Jump by Lacie Waldon
I had high expectations for this book after really enjoying The Layover last year, and it didn't disappoint. Liv lives by a very regulated set of expectations for herself, built over the years through scouring self help and self improvement books and blogs and letting all the 'shoulds' of the world dictate her every action. She expects that by following all of society's rules for what she should do, like, say, and be, she'll be rewarded with happiness. When she realizes (in dramatic fashion) that by prioritizing saving, exercising, and career advancement isn't leading her to the life she wants, she takes a leap and books a flight to join her university besties on vacation, slowly shedding her own expectations for perfection and finding love in the messiness of life. It's a great story that had me considering the weight that I give the 'shoulds' in my own life, and I can't wait for more from Lacie Waldon.
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