Stats

Total books read: 12 (!)

2024 releases: 11

Holiday romances: 6

Cruel Winter With You by Ali Hazelwood (5 stars) – This month I found myself reading all 5 of the novellas in the Under the Mistletoe collection from Kindle Unlimited, which was a fun surprise of Christmas-themed contemporary romances from 5 authors I’ve previously read and enjoyed. Ali Hazelwood’s was my clear favorite; she made me care so much about these characters in such a short amount of time and become completely invested in their love story. She just does such a great job of creating characters that are completely obsessed with one another in a way it’s impossible for me not to root for. I think I’d enjoy this one as a full-length novel as well, but it was great as a novella.

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett (4.75 stars) – It took me much longer than I anticipated to pick up the sequel to one of my favorite reads from last year, but it was extremely satisfying and just as well-written as its predecessor. I love Emily as a main character so much, and two new side characters joined for this book’s adventure, which definitely set it apart from book 1. I can’t wait for the next book in early 2025.

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson (4.5 stars) – This is a nonfiction book I think everyone needs to read. Heart-wrenching, infuriating, informative, and emotional. I have so much respect for Bryan Stevenson and the work that he does, and I’m so grateful that he shared these stories with us.

Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur (4 stars) – My second-favorite of the Under the Mistletoe novella series, I felt like this was a bit of a departure from Alexandria Bellefleur, but I loved the dynamic between the main characters. Definitely recommend.

A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall (4 stars) – An extremely creative and absorbing epistolary novel set in a world almost completely covered by water, and featuring two people looking into the mysterious deaths of their siblings, who had formed a romantic and intellectual bond before their disappearances in an explosion. I was fascinated by this one, and surprisingly found the audiobook to be excellent, with a full cast narration. I’ll be interested to pick up the sequel even though I assumed it was a standalone when I bought it.

The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch (4 stars) – A very cute and different fantasy take on a Christmas romance, featuring the princes of Christmas and Halloween falling in love in a world where holidays have their own royal courts, subjects, and even tabloids that are hidden from the mundane world.

A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston (3.75 stars) – A romance reader finds herself mysteriously stranded in the small town from her favorite series in this contemporary fantasy romance. I enjoyed the meta takes on romance, as well as the main character’s journey and the backstory of the romance series she and her friends fell in love with. I think it’s a difficult task to get real life readers invested in a town based on a book series that doesn’t actually exist, but Poston did manage it.

Better Hate Than Never by Chloe Liese (3.5 stars) – After loving Liese’s first book in this series, Two Wrongs Make a Right, I had high expectations for its follow-up. Unfortunately, some things just didn’t work for me quite as well, including the mean treatment of the heroine by the hero and the fact that he’s an older brother figure who knew her as a young child.

Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey (3.5 stars) – This was a sweet and spicy entry in the Under the Mistletoe series that seems to really not be vibing with most readers, but I enjoyed it.

Daydream by Hannah Grace (3 stars) – This was my first time reading anything from this BookTok sensation author, and I wasn’t blown away; the book felt far too long and I had trouble keeping all of the side characters straight. Part of that might be my fault, since I didn’t read the first two books in the series, but I also wasn’t as invested in the romance as I’d expect from a book where that’s the central theme.

Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria (3 stars) – This was a cute contemporary romance featuring neighbors with secret crushes on one another, which finally comes to a head at the building Christmas party. I think I was just looking for a bit more depth from the characters.

All by My Elf by Olivia Dade (3 stars) – I wouldn’t say that I actively disliked any of the Under the Mistletoe novellas, but this was probably my least favorite. It involves the main characters getting snowed in in their work vehicle, which is honestly more of a dangerous issue where I live than a romantic opportunity, and the romance just didn’t work that well for me.

Stats

Total books read: 9

BOTM: 1

eARCs: 1

2024 releases: 6

Fall vibes reads: 6

Reviews

Elizabeth of East Hampton by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding (4.5 stars) – I absolutely love a Pride and Prejudice retelling; it’s one of the few stories that for me never gets old. After reading and loving Emma of East 83rd Street last year, I was so excited to see that Elizabeth was up next. The original story’s characters, plot, and themes are all translated into a modern Hamptons setting effortlessly and in a way that makes perfect sense and creates excellent fun; Mr. Wickham as a Fyre Festival-esque scammer was a particularly great touch. The central romance had all of the tension and banter that we’ve come to expect, but was still contemporary enough to feel fresh. I also enjoyed the appearance of Emma and Knightley from book 1, as well as hints that book 3 will be based on Persuasion.

I received an eARC of Elizabeth of East Hampton from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. However, I loved it enough that I also purchased myself a physical copy.

Bride by Ali Hazelwood (4 stars) – Ali Hazelwood does an excellent job with coming through with a great read. Although I didn’t love Bride as much as her contemporary romance novels (three of which I’ve rated in the 5-star️ range), this paranormal romance still delivered on the chemistry, tropes, and addictive writing style that makes me want to pick up anything she writes. The worldbuilding wasn’t as strong as I’d have liked, but I still enjoyed the heck out of it, and I do hope she comes out with a sequel romance starring the side characters that was hinted about at the end.

Graveyard Shift by M. L. Rio (4 stars) – Since If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio is solidly on my list of favorite books, I was always going to pick up whatever she wrote next. I wasn’t expecting a multiple perspective horror novella that takes place over a single night, but I thoroughly enjoyed Graveyard Shift nonetheless. The moments I was able to pick up this book during my brief Italy trip remain some of my favorites.

The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda (4 stars) – This YA contemporary mystery about two teens working on a podcast centered around their town’s darkest period was absorbing and an easy listen on audiobook, but didn’t necessarily blow me away.

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston (4 stars) – The Pairing was a great book to read right as I was leaving on a trip to Europe; it flows through France, Spain, and Italy on a food and wine tour that had me reminiscing about featured places I’ve been to and stoking excitement about places still on my travel goals list. It’s a very sweet second chance romance between two people who are very deeply in love with and obsessed with one another, and I thought the audio was performed very well with the many accents and frequent dialogue in other languages.

Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis (4 stars) – Dreadful was a satirical and humorous take on fantasy featuring an amnesiac evil wizard who doesn’t actually want to be evil now that his memories are gone; a resourceful kidnapped princess; scarier, evil-er wizards that are also more than they appear; adaptable townsfolk figuring out how to eke out a living in the shadow of a malevolent castle; less than bright heroes; and a background cast of delightful goblins. I love fantasy that interrogates and questions the tropes and conventions of the genre while turning them on their heads, and therefore found this a very fun read.

Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree (4 stars) – I enjoyed returning to the adventures of Viv the orc in this cozy fantasy prequel; for me this as well as Legends & Lattes were definitely enjoyable reads but didn’t necessary strike as impactful a chord as they seem to with many readers.

A Long Stretch of Bad Days by Mindy McGinnis (3.5 stars) – This YA contemporary mystery about two teens working on a podcast centered around their town’s darkest period was absorbing and an easy listen on audiobook, but didn’t necessarily blow me away.

Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places by Claire Kann (3 stars) – This contemporary paranormal romance had a lot of potential, but unfortunately the writing, and therefore the characters and plot, fell flat for me. I liked the premise and early aspects of the mystery, but ultimately this didn’t work well for me.

I feel like I had a great reading month in May, even if I didn’t have any 5-star reads. I’m particularly proud that I managed to read 2 of my NetGalley eARCs and also 2 books towards my Book of the Month reading challenge.

Stats

Total books read: 8

eARCs: 2

BOTM: 2

Nonfiction: 2

2024 releases: 4

#readmyowndamnbooks: 5

Truly, Madly, Deeply by Alexandria Bellefleur (4.25 stars) – I’ve been a fan of Alexandria Bellefleur since the minute I picked up Written in the Stars. I love the sweetness and emotional resonance of her stories, and as a bi reader, I also love the frequency of her inclusion of bi main characters. Until now, Elle and Darcy’s story has been my favorite, with last year’s The Fiancee Farce as a close second, but Truly, Madly, Deeply has been making me question everything. Although the side characters in the story didn’t always work with me (particularly Truly’s parents, whose scenes were for me the weakest), I absolutely loved the adorable and spicy bi/bi romance at the book’s heart. It was such an enjoyable read that I’ll be recommending all over the place.
I received an eARC of Truly, Madly, Deeply from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, but I loved it so much I also purchased a physical copy for myself.

You, Again by Kate Goldbeck (4 stars) – Pitched as a milennial take on When Harry Met Sally, I happily enjoyed it a lot more than I did the movie (it’s just never worked for me personally). It’s sort of a chance meeting enemies-to-friends-to-lovers story that’s heavy on banter, quarter life crisis career issues, and emotional blockages on the part of both protagonists. Ari and Josh have a slow, complicated, messy love story that I nevertheless rooted for the entire time. Goldbeck’s writing is very solid, and I felt I got to know the characters extremely well over the course of the novel and the years in their lives that it covers; I also liked the glimpse into chef careers, since that’s a niche interest of mine in romances. It’s definitely more spicy than sweet, so as long as that’s what you’re in the mood for, I think you’ll enjoy.

I received an eARC of You, Again from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed (4 stars) – This was a creepy dark fantasy novella that I really enjoyed; it involves a mysterious and deadly forest and a mission the main character can’t escape. Definitely recommend and a great pick for a quick read.

The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn (4 stars) – When an audiobook involves podcast elements, it definitely makes me more likely to pick it up. The focus here was definitely more on the romance than the true crime aspect, but I enjoyed the relationship between the two main characters as well as the relationship between the heroine, her younger sister, and their history with their estranged mother. I thought it was well-developed and a great audio listen; I’ll be looking for more from this author.

The Gentleman’s Gambit by Evie Dunmore (3.5 stars) – This may have been my least favorite installment in the League of Extraordinary Women series, but I did like how it wrapped up the quartet as a whole.

Sociopath: A Memoir by Patric Gagne (3.5 stars) – This was an interesting look inside the mind of a woman with a PhD in psychology who is also a diagnosed sociopath. I was intrigued by how Gagne described her thought patterns and interpersonal relationships, but the book became a bit less interesting as it went on and focused more and more on her relationship with her eventual husband.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (3 stars) – This was my third book from Krakauer this year and definitively my least favorite; I spent the entire time too frustrated with the protagonist to sink into the book the way I wanted to. I felt like the author’s narrative skills were much less on display compared to the other two nonfiction works I’ve read from him, which makes me really wonder why this one is so widely read and taught in schools.

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston (3 stars) – I didn’t enjoy nearly as much as my previous read from Poston (The Dead Romantics); I felt like the characterization wasn’t very strong, and that’s very important to me when I read a romance.