Intercepted by Alexa Martin: So you know how I always complain that heroines in most books are always naturally skinny, well it was refreshing to read about a girl that was not a size 0 or 2. Now this book was such a fun read, I could not put it down. Marlee is the long time girlfriend of an NFL player that is not the nicest guy, unfortunately for her the guy she had a fling with is now playing in her boyfriend’s team eek! She also doesn’t get along with the other NFL wives, I have to admit this part of them book was my least favorite, probably because I hate drama and catty people. She’s been with her bf since high school so she never had the chance to build her own life and this book is about an adorable new romance and Marlee getting her life together. Removing half a star because I almost killed myself because Marlee would not stop saying hashtag this or that. No one I know in real life, talks like that. That was frustrating to me til the very end of the book, it was still a very cute and diverse novel. Verdict: 4 stars
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman: Eleanor is a bit peculiar, she doesn’t seem to care what people think about her and has no friends, she speaks once a week to her mom and seems to have a lonely life. After rescuing an older man with a co-worker after work one day, her life slowly begin to change, we get to understand her story and the trauma she’s been through. This book was so beautifully written and by the end I felt so much compassion and love for Eleanor, and was so amazed at her inner strength. This book was also a great reminder to be less judgmental on people’s appearances and to make an effort to be kind to everyone. Even those who don’t seem to care. This book totally made me cry. Verdict: 5 stars
I Wanted To Tell You by Anna Mansell: This book goes over two main stories, two couples who are experiencing challenges. One couple is fairly young (in their late 30s) and the other is an older couple. Helen is a bus driver whose husband seem to be stuck in a rut. He lost his job and is having a hard time being proactive, Helen is trying to help the best way she can which isn’t always helpful. Goeff is in his 80s and caring for his wife with Alzheimer’s and having a difficult time with the fact that he is too old to do this on his own. Both couple are going through some really hard times but are learning with time to let go. The relationships in this book are difficult and filled with heartbreaking moments. I loved this book because it wasn’t just another fairytale but a truthful story of love with all the heartaches and messiness it entails. *This book was given to me by NetGalley for review. Verdict: 3.5 stars
Becoming by Michelle Obama: Oh where do I start, this book is a GEM. I learned so much about her and her upbringing. If you know a young person who’s struggling to find their path, this book would make an excellent present for them. Back to the book, Michelle is gracious, smart and a badass woman. I appreciated her from afar before but through this book I felt much closer to her and felt like she became my mentor. I love how candid she was in her book about her struggles, her insecurities, her relationship with Barack, her daughter and with other women in her life. Get this book you won’t regret it at all and I now have a new found appreciation for First Ladies, it’s not an official job with a salary but it’s a job nonetheless. Verdict: 5 stars
The Man I Fell I Love With by Kate Field: This book started with a bang! Mary founds out her husband is having an affair with a man and is leaving her. Her life as she knew it, changed overnight. As she starts to get it together and try to move on, she is constantly tempted by a man she is not supposed to have. This book is about a woman coming into her own and taking responsibility for her own life. I was frustrated at how naive Mary was at times but as we all know some people are really like that. I could not put this book down as I was dying to find out what her final decision would be. *This book was given to me by NetGalley for review. Verdict: 4 Stars
All In by Shelley Shepard Gray: This was such a pleasant read, just a simple and sweet story with still a deep message about trust. The heroine didn’t have the best family so had a lot of trust issues but Ace and his son Finn rescued her after being attacked. She is not used to people fussing over her but slowly she lowered her guard and let them in as well as the tight community she’s built around her through her Pilates studio. As a pilates enthusiast I loved that she was an instructor. I read this in 2 afternoons, it was a nice and feel good read. I would totally pick up more book from the series as I would to learn more about their friends and keep in touch with Ace and Meredith. *This book was given to me by NetGalley for review. Verdict: 3.5 stars
The Accidental Beauty Queen by Teri Wilson: This is one of the best rom com I’ve ever read and I know that this book will get a movie deal. I even started casting the actors in my head. So Charlotte and Ginny are identical twins, Charlotte in a nerdy Harry Potter obsessed librarian and Ginny is a pageant girl as well as an Instagram influencer. Ginny has a terrible allergic reaction right before her pageant festivities and convinces her sister to take her place until her swelling in gone. Charlotte has a major crush that end up being one of the judges at the pageant.
As I was reading this book I could honestly picture the scenes in my head. I love how each sister got to see the beauty and brain in themselves through their journey. Yes a girl can be beautiful and smart at the same time. It doesn’t seem like it at first but this book as a great message about women being empowered and owning who they are. *This book was given to me by NetGalley for review. Verdict: 5 Stars
Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center: The heroine Cassie is a firefighter/super-woman who after snapping at an award ceremony has to either work at a different station or just be fired. She has a bad relationship with her mom but agrees to stay with her (as she is having health related problems) in a new city for her new job. At first Cassie felt like a robot, she was so mechanical and so stubborn, but in a new place with her mom around and a new hot rookie firefighter by her side, her guards are slowly coming down. I loved the way this book talked about forgiveness, holding grudges is like drinking poison. Cassie’s story is of a woman understanding that being vulnerable doesn’t mean you are weak. It was a pleasant and sweet love story. It wasn’t a page turner for me but finished it in a few days. *This book was given to me by NetGalley for review. Verdict: 3 stars
Discovering you by Kate McBrien: Lucy is getting her PhD in art history and Justin is a famous rock star. They met and it’s pretty much love at first sight. Of course Justin being a handsome rockstar, doesn’t have the cleanest past. They are going strong but a bitter ex released a very unflattering video of herself and Justin and this causing a major drift in his relationship with Lucy. There’s something supernatural about Lucy’s and Justin attraction and this intrigues me (my favorite part of the book really). So far I don’t quite understand what this weird connection between them is so I cannot wait to read part 2 of this book. It’s a trilogy. *This book was given to me by NetGalley for review. Verdict: 3 stars
I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella: If you’ve read Sophie Kinsella before, this one does not disappoint. Fixie the heroine made me so angry in the beginning, she’s took it upon herself to fix all the issues with her family and is in love with the stupidest guy. Thankfully she meets Seb and after saving his laptop from water damage, he is soo thankful that he gives her a written and signed I Owe You, which she redeems. I really enjoyed this book, it was nice to see Fixie coming into her own and standing up for herself. I have to say that I love how close her family was, although for most of the book I hated most of her family members. A very fun read indeed! *This book was given to me by NetGalley for review. Verdict: 4 stars
Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid: Taylor Jenkins Reid is slowly becoming a favorite of mine, I know you remember The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and this very short book was just as juicy. I devoured it one morning, Carrie found letters revealing her husband is having an affair. She contacts the other woman’s husband, exposing the affair he was clueless about and hopes on getting her hands on the letters her husband sent. What started out as a few letters back and forth between Carrie and David blooms into a friendship and support system dealing with their spouse indiscretions. This little book was brilliant! Verdict: 5 Stars
One Day In December by Josie Silver: I’ve had my eyes on this book forever and over the holidays I picked it up. Laurie makes eye contact with Jack while on the bus and their connection is instant. They hesitated so Jack didn’t have time to make it on the bus and Laurie didn’t get off. She spent an entire year looking for him, when she finally sees him again, he is dating her best friend Sarah. I won’t spoil the end for you but this story stretch from 2008 to 2018. Laurie and Sarah has the most amazing friendship, there’s really two strong love stories within this book. This is the kind of book that they need to turn into a movie, it would make the perfect Holiday romance movie ever! Verdict: 5 stars
The Third Wife by Lisa Jewell: This is my second time reading this author, I finished this book in two days only because I had to go to bed and it was getting late. It was all so intriguing, Adrian third wife dies in a weird accident and he is left lost. He put up a note to give away her cat at the local post office and get one call back. He meets with her a couple of times and eventually finds her phone in his home. He starts looking for her only to find out she lied about her identity. With 2 ex wives and 5 kids, Adrian start looking for clues about his wife’s death and start realizing that maybe his life wasn’t as simple as he thought it was. This story held my attention til the end, love Lisa’s twisted mind lol. Verdict: 4 stars.
Untrue by Wednesday Martin: This book was such a great read and I could not put it down. Wednesday Martin covered the topic of female infidelity in depth and her research was simply fascinating. I learned so much and this book kept my attention from beginning to end, it challenged a lot of the assumptions about women and what motivates them to cheat. Trust me on this, just read it! Verdict: 5 stars
FEBRUARY 2019
Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman: This is a book everyone should read, it’s full of key information to help you understand yourself and more importantly those around us. Have you ever met someone and thought they were odd, seems uncomfortable, shy or plain creepy? Have you met insanely successful people that were not necessarily the smartest? Well, Daniel Goleman fully explains the benefits of emotional intelligence, how it affects our most important relationships and all of his research is backed by science. I loved this book, I would say it’s one of those that is better in audio. Verdict: 5 Stars
Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love by Dani Shapiro: This memoir is about the author finding out after doing one of those popular DNA test, that her half is actually not related to her, hence the man she grew up loving so much is actually not her biological dad. I loved this book because her story is fascinating and it’s so well written. I felt so much compassion for the author, although I felt like she idolized her father and vilified her mom. Of course this is her life story and I don’t know parents but I’ve learned that all stories have many sides. You won’t be able to put this down, her memoir could easily be turned into a movie and I would watch it. Verdict: 4.5 Stars
99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne: I pre-ordered this book because I loved The Hating Game so much. This book started a bit slow for me, Darcy the heroine was a bit annoying and I don’t understand with a heart condition can live off candy and wine. It did pick up and Sally Thorne does a great job at giving even a rom com some depth. I loved that this book had an epilogue of The Hating Game and it was so fun to hear about Josh and Lucy. Also you guys The Hating Game is going to be a movie, I am so freaking excited for this. Verdict: 4.5 Stars
The Good Friend by Jo Baldwin: Jenny is on her way to visit her best friend Kath that is currently married to her high school sweetheart that she was so in love with. This story was a little twisted, I didn’t understand how Jenny was so nice and seemed ok with Kath. As the story progress we are seeing more and more the dark side of Kath and how she manipulated everyone around her. The ending of this book had me at the edge of my seat. *This book was given to me by NetGalley for review. Verdict: 3 Stars
Summer Hours by Amy Mason Doan: Becc, Eric and Serra have been best friends since forever. High school is ending and Becc and Eric won’t give into the odd attraction between them. Eric’s parents broke up and his mom has a new hot young boyfriend. It’s safe to say Eric is carrying a lot of resentment for but when Becc tries to talk to him about his pushes her away. They are now in college, Becc and Serra are still close but Eric is distant. Becc runs into Cal that is no longer with Eric’s mom and Becc is tempted to let her miss goodie goodie image behind. I won’t spoil this for you but this story is so good and juicy. Becc and Eric’s relationship evolution is slow but so worth the wait. This book would make a fun movie to watch. *This book was given to me by NetGalley for review. Verdict: 3.5 stars
Gimme Some Sugar by Molly Harper: Lucy is back in her hometown with her young son after the passing of her cheating husband. So is not really grieving at this point but feels oddly relieved to be back to her roots. Despite wanting ti have a new start, she has a crazy mother in law who’s trying to sabotage her new business venture and won’t stop criticizing her parenting. Thankfully her old best friend Duffy who’s always been in love with her is there to help through all this. This book was cute and an easy read. I love that Lucy was strong and didn’t take crap from anyone. *This book was given to me by NetGalley for review. Verdict: 3.5 Stars
The Key to Happily Ever After by Tif Marcelo: Three sisters recently inherited a wedding planning business after their parents recently decided to retire. The youngest sister Pearl is hoping she will become a lead wedding planner but her eldest sister Mari is constantly doubting her abilities and she is getting ready to just walk out. Mari is stuck when one of her top client has an awful fiancé that reminds her of a very abusive relationship. The middle sister, Jane is juggling being a single mom and being the mediator with her stubborn sisters. While the sisters were all dealing their own love interest, the story was mostly centered around their business, their differences and how the come together in the end when they finally realized that they are stronger together. It was a lovely read. *This book was given to me by NetGalley for review. Verdict: 3.5 Stars
How to be Second Best by Jessica Dettmann: This book made me so angry at first, Emma was such a pushover and I have to admit I wonder if she was just plain stupid. After she had her second baby, she founds out her husband is cheating on and the other woman just had a baby as well. She somehow let him convince her that the other woman needs him more and he still loves her. So now she’s in the weird arrangement with her ex and his new wife, where she now spends most of her time with the three kids. Thankfully in the end she redeemed herself, her life was quite a mess and she needed to see her role in this mess. *This book was given to me by NetGalley for review. Verdict: 3 Stars
Atomic Habits by James Clear: I decided to get this book after hearing James Clear story. If you are trying to build any new habits, go to the gym, limit your time on social media or eat healthily this book will share fairly simple concepts to help you with your goal. It also explains what makes us fail. Building new habits can be daunting even if you have several good ones. This year I want to pick up two new habits, meditate and journal. Of course, I’m struggling and this book has given several pointers to make picking up these new habits easier. When it comes to reading more, I have found a trick that helps me read more non fiction books, having an Audible account helps me go through them easier. I put all my novels on my Kindle since I am always more motivated to read those. Verdict: 5 stars
Waking Up by Sam Harris: So my review of this book will be simple, if you read the title and this is something you think you would be interested in reading then yes do read it. I picked it up because I admire Sam Harris’s work and this book like his other work is well researched and written. I also use his app Waking Up for my meditation practice. Verdict: 5 Stars
MARCH 2019
Jane Doe by Victoria Helen Stone: I so enjoyed this book, Jane is a self aware sociopath. Despite her “disability”, she did manage to love and care about one person. When her friend Meg commits suicide, she is set to seek revenge from the evil ex who abused her. Jane feels zero guilt or remorse, so she perfectly manage to terrorized those who did her best friend wrong. Gina made me pick this up and I’m so thankful for her. This book gave me chills, it was an awesome story that had me hooked the entire time.
Verdict: 4 Stars
Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering: As soon as I started this book I knew I was dealing with another sociopath. I did read and basically memorized the sociopath next door, which is a great book by the way. This book made me so angry, Lucy is a young freshman who ran into this guy that she pretty much spends her entire college career obsessing over. He cheats on her to her face, makes her the girl on the side and plays with her feelings for years while sleeping with her whenever he wants. Yet at 25 yo she is still thinking about this guy. See why I was so angry, overall it was a well written book with some not so lovable characters. I finished it in two days because I couldn’t wait for this girl to finally get a grip and move on. All in all, a great read.
Verdict: 4 Stars.
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid: So this entire books is a series of interviews with members of a old rock band and how they rose to fame. At first I really thought this was a true documentary style book but Taylor Jenkins Reid is just that good. It’s the first time I’ve read a fiction book in this format, it started slow at first but the story quickly became captivating. This book convinced me that I need to read all her other books. I don’t want to give anything away but this book covers perfectly the industry in the 60s-70s and Taylor must have done so much research. I do think this book will be better enjoyed in audio format. I read it in two days and loved it!
Verdict: 5 Stars
Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport: I really liked this book, it doesn’t just tell you to put your phone and devices away but gives you an actual plan on how to do a detox from all things digital. I think in this day and age where people can’t put their phones down even while driving, this is a great read. We often say that we don’t have time for this or that hobby, or just to read a book but yet we spend hours doing God knows what on our phones everyday. If you think you need a reality check, this is a book for you.
Verdict: 5 Stars
APRIL 2019
The Idea of You by Robinne Lee: Solène is a 39 yo divorced mother to a 12 yo girl, she took her daughter and her friends to see her favorite boy band and she is seduced by one of the member of the band that is 20 yo. Apparently the band is inspired by One Direction and Solène’s love interest Haiz seems to be inspired by Harry Styles. After reading the intense books above, this one was such a brain candy, a term I’m stealing from Hitha. This book was entertaining, Solène was so intense, I think this should have been a fun fling for her but she actually fell for the guy which made this situation very complicated. Haiz was the perfect boyfriend, handsome, rich, caring and great in bed, so basically Solène was living a teenage dream at 39.
One thing that pissed me off with this book is how her ex husband could date a 20 something yo, have a baby, get married again and it was no big deal. However she was so judge for dating a younger man, it’s like once a woman has kids and is divorce her life is basically over. Ends rant. This book is by Robinne Lee, I had no idea she was an author. This was a fun and juicy read, the end will crush you. Verdict: 4 Stars
The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks : I grabbed this one at the library and it was another page turner. I finished it in two days only because I had other things to do. You will make several assumptions when you start this book, Nellie is getting married but it seems she is being stalked by her fiancé’s ex wife. This story is so twisted and kept me hooked the entire time. I cannot tell you more because I don’t want to ruin it for you. Trust me read it! Verdict: 4 Stars
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent: This is the kind of book you cannot put down once you start. Agnes Magnusdottir and Fridrik Sigurdsson are set to be executed for the murder of two men in a farmhouse where Agnes was living. This is happening in Iceland in the 1800s. She requests a new priest to counsel her before her execution and is placed with a family in a farm to work until the time of the execution. Quickly we realize that Agnes story is not that simple and no one takes into account what her motives could have been. While this book is fictional this double execution really did happen in Iceland, and was the last capital punishment that took place in Iceland. Burial Rites is set to become a movie starring Jennifer Lawrence. I will for sure watch it, Jennifer is a great actress and I’m sure she will kill this role. Verdict: 5 Stars
Verity by Colleen Hoover: Lowen is an introverted writer whose mom just passed away from cancer. When she get asked to finished a successful series of books by a writer in her genre, she can’t really refuse because she needs the money. She now have to temporarily live in the writer’s home to go over her office and research. The catch is the sick writer is also living there after a fatal accident in vegetative state, with her husband, her young son and a very complicated past.
Once I made it to chapter 2, I knew I would have to finish this book the same day and ended up going to bed at 1 AM (if you know me at all, you know that staying up late is NOT my thing). This book will have you at the edge of your seat the entire time. It was freaking crazy! Verdict: 4.5 Stars
MAY 2019
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren: This looks like the typical chick lit at first and I put it down for a couple weeks but when I went back to it, it got funnier, sweet and totally made me teary at some point. I loved Olive and Ethan relationship so much. They don’t like each other at first but after being stuck in a fake honeymoon together, they quickly realized, they didn’t know each other all that well. I’ve reviewed two Christina Lauren’s books here. This was given to me for free by NetGalley and actually comes out today. Verdict: 4 Stars
Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson: Hen and Lloyd just moved in their new house and after dinner with their new neigbhor Matthew and Mirra she is convinced Matthew is murderer because of a case she followed a few years ago. I will not say anything else about the plot to avoid spoilers but damn this book was juicy. I could not put it down, huge thanks to my friend Gina for the recommendation. Verdict: 5 Stars
The Girl He Used To Know by Tracey Garvis Graves: Oh this book, I really don’t want to go in the plot because I really want you to go in with no expectations. This is how you write a good love story. Life is not perfect and people struggle, the only thing I’ll give away is that the heroine, Annika is obviously somewhere on the spectrum, just high functioning. She runs into her ex college boyfriend and clearly is not over him. There’s a major twist that you will not see coming and it’s just devastating. Trust me, just read it! Verdict: 5 Stars
Two Can Keep A Secret by Karen M. McManus : So this is by the same author of One of us is lying. I found out on instagram she had a new book out and promptly picked it up. I finished it in one day, Karen has a knack for this type of writing and I enjoyed this book as much as I did One of us is lying that I reviewed here. Twins Ellarie and Ezra have to move with their grandmother from California because their mom is in rehab, the new town where they are moving to has a series of unresolved crimes and Ellarie is fascinated by all things crime and investigation related. She has several theories but is spooked when she finds herself in the middle of the drama. This is a young adult book and I enjoyed it so much. Verdict: 4 Stars
Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams: This is my first time reading Beatriz and this book is so well written and full of details. The thing with this book is that I didn’t care for any of the characters so I was a very bored. So basically in the 50s a lot of wealthy families go vacationed to this island for the Summer. The regular habitant of this island are not wealthy and don’t seem to mesh well with the vacationers. I put this book down for a week to see if I was at all curious about the ending but I wasn’t invested at all. So I moved on, I’m just mad I didn’t give up sooner.Verdict: 2 Stars
The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson: Lily meets Ted at the airport in London and end up agreeing to help him kill his cheating spouse. Lily is peculiar and has no problem killing based on her own moral code. Again not going to spoil this for you, Lily is sharp, smart and you don’t want to be on his shit-list. Verdict: 5 stars
Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne: Naomi is an almost billionaire running a successful company she started from the ground up. She is however harboring a lot of resentment for a family her mother worked for as a child. Her mom had an affair with the husband and eventually they ended up on the street. Years later, she has the opportunity to move in this family building and plans on seeking revenge. But the family is no longer the same, the young son of that family is now a handsome 30 yo that is struggling with his father’s illness. Naomi is also insanely attracted to him but cannot seem to admit who she really is. It was a nice light read and it was sweet to see Naomi let go of her resentment. This was given to me for free by NetGalley.Verdict: 3.5 Stars
I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson: Jude and Noah are fraternal twins and really close. At 13 yo, Jude is a wild child interested in boys, makeup and short clothing. Noah is quiet, artsy and seems to live in his head. Noah has a special bond with his mom because of his love of art and he wants badly to attend this art high school. 3 years later, things have changed quite a bit, Jude is now the weird one and Noah is a popular high school teen with a girlfriend. He is no longer into art, him and Jude are trying hard to find their way back to each other and most of all forgive themselves. I don’t want to give much away but this book was amazing and so well written. Finished it in two days, had to take breaks because of life and work. Verdict: 5 Stars
Forever Is The Worst Long Time by Camille Pagán: James meets his best friend Rob’s new fiancée Lou and she is his dream girl and he falls for her almost instantly. He works hard to push down his feelings for Lou which is even harder when Lou and Rob’s relationship starts struggling and Lou confides in James. 3/4 of this book is so juicy but at the end a heartbreaking twist changes everything. It’s a great book about friendship, love and forgiveness. I loved it! Camille is definitely an author to check out if she is new to you. I’ve seen a lot of her books in my local library. Verdict: 4 Stars
Woman Last Seen In Her Thirties by Camille Pagán: I had to read another one by Camille Pagán and this one was on major sale. This story is another great novel of a woman getting herself and life together after her husband asks for a divorce out of nowhere. This sounds like a cliché story at first but Camille still made it so interesting and loved how the characters progressed. Verdict: 3.5 Stars
How Not To Die Alone by Richard Roper: Andrew is kinda weird and has a depressing job. He’s the person that goes to people’s home who were found dead to go through their stuff and see if they have any relatives. Peggy gets hired and his shadowing him and for the first time in a very long time, he gets to urge to open up again. But he has huge lie weighing on his shoulder that could jeopardize his job and stability. This book was compared to Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine but I totally disagree. This was given to me for free by NetGalley. Verdict: 3.5 Stars
Those Who Wish Me Dead by Michael Koryta: This was such a captivating book filled with suspense. A young boy witnesses a murder but do manage to hide from the killers. Now they are hunting him down and his family can’t even trust the witness protection program. My favorite part of this book is that it most of it takes place in Montana where the boy goes to hide under a fake identity. He’s part of a program for troubled boys that take them to the wilderness to teach them survival skills. The killers are determine to get him and tracks him down, not going to give anything more away. Just read it. I found out this after reading the book that Nicholas Hoult joined the cast for the movie, Angelina is also in it and the guy that played little finger in Game of Thrones.. Verdict: 5 Stars
Normal People by Sally Rooney: I read fiction for entertainment, while this story was interesting, I wasn’t at all entertained. The main characters of this were sad people, not at all normal. At least not MY normal. Marianne has an on and off fling with Connell since high school. They clearly love each other but are never together. The dynamic was weird, I think I just couldn’t relate to any of the characters hence why the book was meh for me. Marianne was clearly living in an abused home which made me sad for her. If you read this, I would love to hear what you thought. It’s one of those books one can love and another can hate it. I’m somewhere in the middle. Verdict: 3 Stars.
JUNE 2019
The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan: Bex is in England, part of a college exchange program and is ready to have all the fun. Upon arrival in her new dorm, she meets Nick and makes inappropriate jokes about the monarchy. She later finds out Nick is none other than Great Britain’s future king. I don’t want to give much away but this book is full of twists and turns. I really enjoyed it, the ending was so good. Verdict: 3.5 Stars
The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms: Amy is a single parent and her husband left her 3 years ago. She is overwhelmed, working and trying to keep her kids life as normal as possible. Until her husband comes back and want to spend a week with the kids. Amy now has a week free of any responsibilities, with the help of her friends, Amy starts a social media movement and ends up finding love and more importantly herself. Verdict: 3.5 Stars
Park Avenue Summer by Renée Rosen: This historical fiction was hands down my favorite book of the month. It’s about Helen Gurley Brown when she took over Cosmopolitan and made it the sex positive magazine as we know it today. The story is said through the lens of a fictional secretary slash aspiring photographer Alice. Her story was equally captivating. They said this book is a cross between The Devil wears Prada and Mad Men, I could not agree more. This story is also very inspiring, it’s a reminder how other women paved the way for us today to have the freedom to do and be whoever we want. Verdict: 5 Stars.
Vacuum in the Dark by Jen Beagin: Mona is a peculiar girl, she has this imaginary character Terry that she is constantly speaking to. She cleans houses for a living and have some weird rapport with her clients. She loves photography and often takes pictures of herself in her client’s home and clothing. Through her journey you slowly find out about Mona’s heartbreaks and abuse. She has been through a lot and is doing her best to make it through. This book is certainly not for everyone, the writing is different. Verdict: 3.5 Stars
The Shortest Way Home by Miriam Parker: Hannah is on a gateway in Sonoma with her boyfriend and falls in love with one of the wineries and almost immediately accepts a job there. This is an issue because she was suppose to move to NY with her boyfriend after their graduation and now has to pass on a major job opportunity. This puts her relationship in jeopardy and she starts questioning the path her life was suppose to take. I loved this book, I think we can so easily get lost in the career path and lose who we are in the process. I also loved that this book didn’t have the typical ending. Verdict: 3.5 Stars
Meet Cute by Helena Hunting: I was looking for a light read and decided to go with this after seeing all the great reviews. It did not disappoint, of course it’s a romance but with more depth than I expected. Kaylin meets her TV crush in law school and acts like a crazy fan around him. Few years later she meets with him again as a big time lawyer but by now has a very low opinion of him after what went down between them at the end of law school. After a tragedy in Daxton’s life, they meet again but this time Kaylin gets to know the real Daxton. Verdict: 4 Stars
Maybe You Should Talk To Someone by Lori Gottlieb: Lori is a 40 something year old therapist with a son. Her boyfriend broke up with her because his kids are now in college and he doesn’t want to be with someone with kids. Needless to say Lori is shaken up, they were suppose to get married. She quickly realized that she needs help to cope and start seeing a new therapist. This is the story of Lori’s life as a therapist, helping her clients cope with all sorts of heartbreaking struggles. We also get to know Lori’s struggles and her story and how she is also learning from her therapist and her clients. I loved this book and so far this year is my #1. Verdict: 5 Stars
One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid: I was looking for a new read and decided to stop looking at the new releases and decided to look back at Taylor Jenkins Reid because I’ve loved every single book I’ve read from her. This was no different, she has such an amazing imagination. Emma falls for Jesse the very first time she saw him, a few years later he finally talks to her at a party and they are inseparable since. On their one year wedding anniversary, Jesse goes missing while heading on a trip to Alaska and declared dead. Emma is of course crushed but about a year later she slowly starts getting her life back together. She then runs into an old high school friend that always had a crush on her and falls in love with him. After they get engaged Emma gets a call from Jesse, turns out he is alive after all. Taylor is a great writer and now I need to continue reading all her books. Verdict: 4 Stars
Love at the Shore by Teri Wilson: This book was kind a cheesy and predictable but an easy read, perfect for a lazy Summer day. Jenna is a single mom of two and is vacationing with her kids. Her neighbor in her vacation rental is a surfer dude who doesn’t seem to want anything serious. Slowly but surely they start getting to know each other and can’t deny their attraction. Verdict: 3 Stars
The Relationship Cure by John M. Gottman: I’m always fascinated by people, why they act the way they do? What makes them tick etc… This was a great book, not only to help you understand yourself, as well as other. This is a book everyone should read. It would make a great present for a newly married couple, someone starting a new career or a new parent. Verdict: 4 Stars.