I LOVED this book and I definitely need to read Waiting for Tom Hanks!
My Review| Buy Now | Add to Goodreads
Happy Pub Day Not Like the Movies by Kerry Winfrey!
Author: Bree
Hi, I'm Bree. I'm a tea-guzzling writer, designer, and romance novel junkie who takes my books like I take my tea & baths, steamy. I also do weird things like buy candles that smell like book boyfriends and write character descriptions for everyone I meet.
July TBR // July Reading List
And just like that… half of the year is in the books. And what a crazy half of the year it has been.
There are a few readathons happening this month that I will make separate TBRs for if I decide to participate, but I thought I’d share with you the books I’m hoping to read this month. Of course, as always, I use this as more of a reference guide to help me pick my next book rather than something that will DEFINITELY happen.
Books to Read in July
*=Author of Color, BIPOC Authors
*Meet Cute Club by Jack Harbon
TBH, I actually already read this, but I read it on July 1 it’s one of those things where you add things you’ve already done to your To Do list just so you have something to check off.
This is an adorable M/M romance between a guy who runs this romance book club called The Meet Cute Club and a book snob who works at his favorite book store. RTC!
This is the KU book that got the most votes over on my BookTube channel for what I should read in July.
*Sin & Ink by Naima Simone
This was the Audible Escape vote for July and it sounds so good.
This is a contemporary forbidden romance between an ex MMA fighter and his dead brother’s widow.
*The Space In Between by Brittainy C Cherry
The Guy on the Right by Kate Stewart
I am so late to the game on this one. This was super popular a few months ago, but it just kind of fell off of my radar. I found it on Scribd, so I think I’ll listen to the audiobook this month.
From what I understand this is a friends-to-lovers underdog romance. I think the hero gets friend zoned and his roommate gets all the attention.
*You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
This is the Dragons and Tea book club pick and I’ve had this on my radar ever since I saw promo for it on Instagram.
It’s about a girl who has a plan to get out of her small town, go to college, and play in the orchestra… except all of her plans blow up when she isn’t approved for Financial Aid.
*Always Never Yours by Emily Wibberley
This has been on my TBR for such a long time. I love the cover of this book!
It’s a YA Contemporary that revolves around a school play of Romeo and Juliet. The main character draws a lot of parallels between herself and with Rosalind.
*With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
I’m buddy reading this one with Mallory over at @FigsLibrary on Instagram. I read The Poet X last month and ADORED it so much I bought the physical book along with this one. We are reading the physical book together, but I also want to listen to the audiobook as well.
This is about a teen mom who is navigating life through high school while also being a parent and having aspirations of becoming a chef. This book includes recipes!
*Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
The hype around this book is so real and I can’t wait to get my eyes on it.
Felix’s last name is love, but he has never been in love. An anonymous person starts sending him transphobic messages and publicly uses his dead name, he comes up with a plan for revenge.
*Rhapsody (The Butcher and the Violinist #1) by Kenya Wright
That cover tho. This was a rec from a subscriber and it looks so good.
This is about a man named Jean-Pierre who is known as The Butcher of Corsican. He was known for his lack of feelings until he sees Eden playing the violin on stage.
I got the audiobook for this a while ago from Libro.FM and it has been haunting me from my library ever since.
This is an extremely unique-sounding story set in a world where people can become slaves in exchange for removing their debt for their families.
The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune
I read Wolfsong and House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ last month and adored them.
All I really know about this book is that it revolves around a fandom and TJ wrote it – that’s all I really need to know to read it!
*The Groom Will Keep His Name by Matt Ortile
This was an ALC from Libro.FM, and I was excited to see that it was written by a Filipino man. (For those who don’t know, I’m half Filipino. My dad immigrated to the US in college.)
This is, essentially, a collection of essays about Matt’s life as a gay Filipino immigrant.
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All of the books I mention in this post can be found and purchased on my storefront here.
(The above links are affiliate links and I receive a small commission if you purchase the book. I’m so grateful for your support.)
TeaChat: I Opened a Bookish Sticker Etsy Shop!
For those of you who are new around here, TeaChats are a monthly post that I do in which I pretend that you and I are going out and grabbing a cup of tea (or coffee or wine) and we’re chatting about what we’ve been up to lately.
Let’s chat!
June 2020 Wrap Up
For full reviews of the books I mention in this post, be sure to check out my Recent Reads posts!
All of the books I mention in this video can be found and purchased on my storefront here.
June Stats
Total Books: 28
Audiobooks: 21
EBooks: 2
Physical Books: 5
Fiction: 25
Nonfiction: 4
5 Stars: 12
4 Stars: 9
3 Stars: 4
2 Stars: 1
1 Star: 0
DNF: 0
June Standouts
Least Favorite: Twilight Graphic Novel
Favorite: Take a Hint Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
Most surprising: Becoming by Michelle Obama
Biggest Disappointment: On the Rocks by Kandi Steiner
June Rankings
These are all the books I read in June listed and ranked from least favorite to favorite.
*=Author of Color, BIPOC Authors
Unrated
White Fragility by Robin Diangelo
2 Stars
Twilight Graphic Novel Vol. 1 by Stephanie Meyer
3 Stars
* Rafe by Rebekah Weatherspoon
My Favorite Souvenir by Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland
4 Stars
*Once More Upon a Time by Rostand Choski
5 Stars
ARC Review: Not Like the Movies (Waiting for Tom Hanks #2) by Kerry Winfrey
Overall Rating: 5 Stars
Title: Not Like the Movies
Author: Kerry Winfrey
Series: Waiting for Tom Hanks #2
Format: ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: 7/7/20
Synopsis:
What happens when your life is a rom-com…but you don’t even believe in true love?
Chloe Sanderson is an optimist, and not because her life is easy. As the sole caregiver for her father, who has early onset Alzheimer’s, she’s pretty much responsible for everything. She has no time—or interest—in getting swept up in some dazzling romance. Not like her best friend Annie, who literally wrote a rom-com that’s about to premiere in theaters across America…and happens to be inspired by Chloe and Nick Velez, Chloe’s cute but no-nonsense boss.
As the buzz for the movie grows, Chloe reads one too many listicles about why Nick is the perfect man, and now she can’t see him as anything but Reason #2: The Scruffy-Bearded Hunk Who’s Always There When You Need Him. But unlike the romance Annie has written for them, Chloe isn’t so sure her own story will end in a Happily Ever After.
Review
Finally, an illustrated cover that matches the story!
This book is just as adorable as the cover. It’s a hilarious romcom about a barista named Chloe who is dealing with a lot: her best friend wrote a screenplay that is becoming a popular movie about the romance between her and her boss… except, her and her boss aren’t even in a relationship, which makes things awkward, but is also a bit forshadowing.
There was so much to love in this adorable novel. Chloe doesn’t have it easy, her mother and brother have abandoned her to take care of her father with Alzheimer’s completely on her own, she’s trying to get through business school, and she’s working full time. However, she somehow holds onto her constant optimism by a thread even though the hits keep coming.
The banter between Chloe and her boss, Nick, is so on point. I laughed out loud and highlighted so many lines while reading this one.
Chloe and Annie’s friendship is total friendship goals and I absolutely MUST read Annie’s story, if only to get more of these two characters.
The only downside about this book is that Chloe’s character became a little frustrating toward the end. Her reasons for refusing to be in a relationship with Nick just didn’t make sense to me, but Nick’s character alone was enough to make up for that. He’s the quiet, seemingly grumpy, but secretly sweet hero that I absolutely love.
Butterfly Rating: 2 Stars
Re-read Worthiness: Maybe
I might check out the audiobook after I read Waiting for Tom Hanks!
Bookshelf Placement: Yes!
This cover is gorgeous!
Book Boyfriend Rating: 3 stars
Recent Reads: June 14-27
I read a total of 14 books between June 14 & June 27 and there were so many great ones!
All of the books I mention in this video can be found and purchased on my storefront here.
4 stars
This is a graphic novel that is basically a series of scenarios that will be very relatable to true introverts. I am much more of an extroverted introvert, so there were some things that I didn’t fully relate to, but I totally understood. The illustrations were adorable and I read this book within an hour. I think this book would make a great gift for your introvert friends who don’t get enough love in this noisy world.
4 Stars
I saw that a friend of mine on bookstagram was reading a couple of Whitney G novels and this was one of them. It definitely inspired me to pick it up since it was my birthday and her novels tend to be short and sweet – like a little treat on a day of relaxation.
This book had so many great romance tropes happening in it. First of all, the heroine, not unlike Whitney G, is a successful author of short, self-published, steamy romance novels. She joins this sort of pen pal ish service that is supposed to be strictly platonic and starts talking to this guy. At first he’s a douche, but then they work things out. Turns out he is her dad’s good friend. So there is a forbidden and age gap scenario.
I have to be honest, I didn’t love this at first. I really didn’t like the way the hero was talking to our heroine at all and I worried he wouldn’t redeem himself.
He did and I ended up really enjoying this. Whitney G does what few authors can when it comes to steamy novellas: she builds chemistry quickly and crafts a believable romance in otherwise outlandish settings. Her and Katee Robert are my two very favorite short, steamy, romance writers for that reason.
5 Stars
I finally did it! I read a Tessa Dare novel and everyone was right. I freaking loved it.
This book is about a woman who is incredibly introverted and to avoid having to do the typical coming out in society thing, she makes up a pretend boyfriend. A Scottish soldier who, it turns out, actually exists.
He has been receiving her letters and learns all about her from them, so when he shows up unexpectedly at the house she inherited because of her fake engagement to him, she’s obviously surprised.
For those who don’t normally like historical romances, I think Tessa Dare is the perfect place to ease your way into the genre. Her heroines aren’t annoyingly innocent and naive. Her books feel modern even though they are not.
This had so many elements of a great romance: fake dating, a little bit of enemies-to-lovers, and an adorable meetcute.
I can’t wait to read more Tessa Dare!
5 Stars
This is a coming-of-age memoir about a mixed-race gay teen who eventually finds himself when he discovers drag, written in verse. Obviously I can’t personally speak for the rep in this novel, but I can tell you that it was beautifully written.
I’m a big fan of modern poetry and though I connected a little more with the poetry in The Poet X a little more, I still really liked this one. While I loved the audiobook, I have seen a few pages of the book and I wish I had it as I was reading as well.
I feel like this book is so important for young people to read, to help them see outside of their boxes – or to help them find themselves on page. To help them not feel so alone.
4 stars
My very first official manga was gifted to me by my sweet friend, @genkireader, for my birthday. There was definitely a learning curve when it came to reading this. I was messaging her on Instagram with questions like, “Wait, this book is backwards, where do I start? Do I read right to left or left to right?” It was surprisingly more difficult than I expected, but I REALLY enjoyed this book. So much so that I ended up buying a few more of her favorites.
This book was quirky and cute. It’s about a guy who has developed the power to read people’s mind through touch and he thinks it is because he’s a 30yo virgin. He ends up reading the mind of a charasmatic, good-looking guy in his office and discovers that he is attracted to him. So many adorable moments ensue, a ton of over-thinking and awkwardness, but also super sweet, swoony moments, too. I feel like this will speak to any of us who overthink every little thing when we are falling for someone. Especially when it is unexpected.
Thank you, De’Siree for this gift, it was like you gifted me a piece of yourself because I know how much you love these stories. Lovelovelovelovelove.
3 Stars
This is a cute romance between a buff, tattooed nanny who begins working for a savant young surgeon and mother of two girls.
This book was fine, though I didn’t see anything special about it. Maybe I gave in a little to the hype surrounding it and that was the issue, but mostly the romance was just ok. I felt like it was a little rushed, I wished there was more pining and more of a forbidden aspect to this, but it seemed like they both gave in pretty quickly.
5 stars
This was a super angsty, emotional story about a girl and a guy who are both dealing with terrible tragedy and find solace in each other. The first night they meet is filled with unbelievable chemistry, it’s almost too good to be true.
And it turns out to be. Because it turns out he is her high school teacher.
The heroine was held back in school because of a medical condition, so she is 19 years old and a senior. He is a young teacher, in his early twenties, so the age gap isn’t really a thing, but it doesn’t make it any less forbidden.
When they realize the situation, it’s heartbreaking because of how intense their first meeting was. A series of super angsty things happen and it’s all very intense, but in the best epic love kind of way.
I was rooting for this couple the entire time, but not only that, I loved the heroine’s relationship with her step siblings even with all that drama.
5 Stars
This is a super relevant fictional story that is somewhat reminiscent of The Hate You Give.
This is about a boy in the ROTC in high school who is falsely accused of stealing by a racist, hateful police officer who ends up beating him until he is unconscious which stirs protests in his town that is sick of this constantly happening.
Sound familiar?
What’s interesting about this story is how it follows the perspective both of the victim and a white boy that goes to his school who is linked to the police officer.
I was completely invested in this story, while also cautious. I was super curious about how this book would end. Would it be far too optimistic or would it be realistic?
When I finally came to the end, I very much appreciated it. It was hopeful without being naive. It left questions that we still need answers to, but it didn’t feel too unresolved that it leaves you unsettled. I almost took it as… let’s let current events tell us how this story is going to end.
5 Stars
I read this sweet, heartwarming graphic novel with my girls. They adored it from the very first night we read it before bed.
This story is about a prince who likes to wear dresses and hires, in secret, a dressmaker to make him custom dresses.
I didn’t tell them what it was about, I wanted them to discover it on their own and ask questions as they came up.
Books are an essential parenting tool for me.
The girls begged me every night to keep going. They loved the characters in this book and they were excited to see what was going to happen.
This entire book, but especially the ending was so adorable. I absolutely loved it and can’t wait to read more from this author. Especially if I can share the experience with my girls.
5 stars and 4 stars
A lot of my friends have read and loved this series, between that and the premise, I’ve been super excited to read it.
This is about a woman who is a sex addict and her best friend she’s in a fake relationship with who is an alcoholic.
This is a super angsty, dark, gritty series so far with such a strong romance. These are extremely troubled characters who are using their relationship and each other to hide their addictions.
I found this book, ironically enough, addicting to read and I can’t wait to read on in the series.
The second book did seem to drag on a bit, I feel like it could’ve been half as long as it was, but I know it was necessary.
5 Stars
I am absolutely LOVING these Brown sisters books! Chloe’s book was fantastic, but I think this one might be my favorite so far.
Dani is a smart, independent savvy woman who is not interested in a long term relationship. Zaf is basically the complete opposite.
The two of them have not had much more than a nice rapport – he’s the security guard at the school she teaches at, until Dani gets trapped in an elevator and Zaf rescues her. This wouldn’t be a big deal if the entire rescue didn’t get caught on film and go viral.
The “going viral” thing seems to be really popular lately and it’s not normally something I would gravitate towed. Honestly, I tend to prefer if romance novels just pretend that social media didn’t exist. I think it’s tricky including anything involving technology in contemporary romance novels only because things change so rapidly, it’s easy to become outdated.
However, I didn’t care what this book was about, I knew I was going to read it and fully expected to love it … and I was right.
As always, Talia’s steamy scenes are SO on point, but more than anything, she writes sweet heroes SO well. I adored Zaf with everything I am. I can’t handle how much I love his side job and that despite being a big guy, he’s a big softie.
And, of course, I adored Dani. I love how badass and confident and independent she is, even if it does complicate her relationships.
5 Stars
I borrowed this on a whim from my library. I’ve been reading a few nonfiction books lately and have enjoyed all that I’ve picked up.
I have to admit, though, I loved this one the most.
I didn’t realize Michelle’s father had MS. As soon as she mentioned his symptoms, my stomach dropped and I just KNEW it. It’s always hard for me to read about people who have Multiple Sclerosis, especially nonfiction because I’m always wondering if that will be me and when.
As a romance reader, I adored Michelle and Obama’s romance. I officially ship them SO hard. Watching their relationship unfold was so satisfying and adorable.
I’m not a big crier while reading, but I got choked up so many times. When she talked about visiting the VA, when she talked about Sandy Hook… it wasn’t overly dramatic, but it was enough to have me covering my mouth with my hand trying not to cry.
I’ve always admired this woman, but even more now than I did before learning more about her.
Pick My Kindle Unlimited & Audible Escape TBR
Vote on what I should read in July!
Head over to my YouTube channel and check out my latest video where I’m asking you to pick one book from my Kindle Unlimited TBR and one book from my Audible Escape TBR.
OR comment below with your vote!
All of the books I mention in this video can be found and purchased on my storefront here.
*=Author of Color, BIPOC Authors
Kindle Unlimited TBR
1. Meet Cute Club by Jack Harbon
M/M romance between a guy who loves reading sci-fi romances and the bookstore clerk who makes fun of him, but also has a club called The Meet Cute Club that he invites him to.
2. *Will You Be Mine by Rilzy Adams
Contemporary fake dating friends-to-lovers romance where the friends fake date at a wedding.
3. Saint by EM Snow
A new adult high school bully romance recommended to me by Lisa from Remarkably Lisa.
Audible Escape
1. The Vixen and The Vet by Katy Regnery
This is a contemporary reimagining of Beauty and the Beast.
2. *A Hundred Thousand Words by Nyrae Dawn
This is a best friend’s older brother m/m romance between Tobias, who grew up in a town where he was the only gay person. His dream guy is his best friend’s jerk of an older brother. Fast forward a few years later and he’s grown up quite a bit and moved to San Francisco. His best friend’s brother has changed quite a bit as well.
3. *Sin and Ink by Naima Simone
This is a contemporary forbidden romance between an ex MMA fighter and his dead brother’s widow.
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell {Review by Kayla|
Overall Rating: 5 Stars
Title: Fangirl
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Synopsis:
Cath is a Simon Snow fan.
Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan..
But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving. Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.
Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.
Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words… And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.
For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?
And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?
Review
I have been reading such good books lately and this one definitely is one of them!
Where do I even start with this book?? First of all, I want to talk about how real this was and I could totally see this as being someone’s actual life which was really interesting to see. Then there are the characters in this book which I absolutely loved. The main character, Cath, is so relatable especially to me since she is a writer and I think almost all writers out there will easily relate to her on many levels. With the minor characters, I really enjoyed that I either completely loved or completely hated them (in a good way) based on their relationship with Cath and just the overall role played in her life. Towards the end when I finished the book, I felt like I wanted more of the story. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the way it ended but part of me I wanted more of an in depth description. Overall, what really pushed this book to a five star was the book boyfriend (of course) because he was basically perfect. See for yourself!
Butterfly Rating: 4 Stars
Book Boyfriend Rating: 5 stars
Age recommendation: 14+
Free eBooks, Kindle Unlimited, & Birthday eBook Haul – June 2020
*=Author of Color, BIPOC Authors
Free
In this hate-to-love contemporary, a woman saves a man’s life at the risk of her own and she holds a grudge against him because of it.
KU
This is a sapphic friends-to-lovers romance between Aubrey, one of Atlant’s wealthiest Black women as the president and CEO of the Atlanta Redbirds, and London who dreams of starting her own clothing company.
Free
This is a small town YA contemporary romance about a girl who recently lost her father and her only solace are these recurring dreams she has about this boy she never met until one day a new boy arrives in town – the boy she’s been dreaming about.
Free
This is a contemporary romance between a man who is going under cover as a Manny and the baby’s mother.
Free
This is a fated-mates type of story between Fenella and Graham who are both reincarnations of a centuries-old match.
KU
This is a New Adult College romance with a lot of angst, steam, and drama. I believe Jessica is doing a readalong for this entire series next month. I’ll put the information down below if that’s true.
Free
This is a new adult college sports romance. Grayson has acquired the label “player” and now he is desperate to clean up his act and find a girlfriend. He decides to start a secret group called Parties Anonymous which is a party that is held in a pitch dark room so him and his friends can meet people without them knowing who they are.
Free
This is a forbidden bodyguard romance between the president of the US’s daughter and her bodyguard.
KU
This is a paranormal forbidden enemies-to-lovers romance between a witch and werewolf. Valeria is a witch who has had a strict upbringing and suddenly loses control of her magic and kills a bunch of people. Asher is seeking revenge on Valeria and her family when he discovers a secret about her.
This is a paranormal romantic comedy about a family who has psychic and empathic abilities. There is disability rep in this book, the main character is disabled. She’s a self-imployed strategist. The hero is described as a foul-mouthed Prince Charming. They meet when Matilda, the heroine, shows up late for a sales meeting with Jake, the hero, dripping wet and partially frozen.
Free
This is an adult contemporary hate-to-lover workplace romance between an intern (the heroine) and the CeO of the company (the hero) who is a single dad of twin toddlers.
Free
This is a contemporary new adult college sports romance between Blake – who is projected to be a 1st round draft pick – and an all around good guy and Kately who is a chem geek.
Free
This is a Peter Pan reimagining.
KU
This is an adult contemporary friends-to-lovers romance that sounds like there is all kinds of pining because the hero, JT, has been in love with his best friend forever, however she has no idea. There is also fake dating – she asks him to pretend to be her boyfriend for a friend’s wedding. I beleive JEss from PeaceLoveBooks rec’d this in her recent Fake Dating Rec video.
KU
This is another contemporary friends-to-lovers romcom, but this time the heroine is the one who has been in love with her bearded best friend. Apparently the hero, Mike, has a girlfriend, but the description says there is no cheating.
KU
This is an m/m contemporary romance between Jordan – who loves to read steamy supernatural romance novels and the new employee at his favorite bookstore, Rex, who makes fun of the books he reads. Little does Jordan know that Rex has a club called The Meet Cute Club that he invites Jordan to.
Gifted from Misty at Mistysbookspace
This is a coming-of-age YA romance between a transgender boy and a cisgender girl.
Purchased
This is a romance manga that takes place in high school. Leo is the outcast because he “looks like a crazy animal with wild eyes” who has a special connection to animals. This intrigues the heroine instead of scaring her away.
Purchased
This is another romance manga that ta
I’m kes place in high school. In this one, the heroine is accepted to a prestigious Academy. It sounds like this is an enemies-to-lovers because her friend falls on the leader of this group of rich kids at her school and he refuses to forgive her. He then “tags” her to be bullied by the school, but she stands up to them.
Free
This is a adult contemporary romance with fake dating between an audiobook narrator and an ownder of a brewpub.
Free
This is a dark mafia romance about a woman who has run away from the ruthless man who rules the criminal underworld until he finds her again.
Free
This is an adult contemporary romance between Erin and the man she is hoping can help her find her missing sister.
Gifted from Lacey at Laceybooklovers
This is a contemporary romance between a woman and a man who come from families who used to be very close until something tore them apart. They grew up together and he used to be awkward in adolesence, but is now the complete opposite
Gifted from Averie at AverieLovesBooks
This is an alien romance between a golden skinned alien who destroyed the heroine’s ship. She should hate him, but everything on his skin is an aphrodisiac.
Free
This is an adult contemporary sports romance between a woman who has lost everything and a jerky pro quarterback.
Free
This is a contemporary romance between neighbors. A sexy italian guy moves into the apartment down the hall from our heroine. He’s described as “quiet, reserved, and disciplined with a thunderous passion.”
Free
This is a dark romance about a woman who has been kidnapped by a man who she trusted and sold as if she were property.
Free
This is a small town contemporary second-chance romance between a woman who is in an awful marriage and her kind high school sweetheart.
Free
This is an anthology of stories about being young in Black Americ with authors such as Ibi Zoboi, Dhonielle Clayton, Nic Stone, Renee Watson, and more.
KU
This is a romcom between a woman whose pug “attacks” the hero and she ends up having to pay his medical bills.
Free
This is a dark, taboo romance that takes place around a BDSM club.
KU
This is a collection of Dark Romance short stories with authors such as CD Reiss, Skye Warren and Laurelin Paige.
Free
This is a romance that happens right before an apocalypse takes place.
Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag
I think this is more of a BookTube thing, but I thought I would post my answers here as well!
All of the books I mention here can be found and purchased on my storefront.
1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2020.
I don’t think I can pick just one, so I’m going to pick two (which was also difficult.)
Brooklynnaire by Sarina Bowen took me completely by surprise. I wasn’t expecting to become obsessed with this book, but here we are. It is part of the Brooklyn Bruisers series, but it can be read as a standalone. Our heroine is the former assistant to a socially awkward, but brilliant owner of a tech company (think Apple) and hockey team. They had a very close working relationship until he moved her to Brooklyn to manage the hockey team. I loved this so much because the hero is adorably awkward, but also super smart and the heroine has absolutely no idea that he has been in love with her this entire time. Like, she can’t even fathom it. It was just so swoony and there were so many moments that gave me so many butterflies. This is how I love to feel while I read a romance.
Fall Back Skyward by Autumn Grey is another one that surprised me. I read this because my daughter picked it out for me and it’s a book that I got at Shameless Book Con from Autumn last year. I immediately fell in love with this book and the way this story was told, both in present day and in flashbacks. It’s an emotional contemporary second-chance romance between a girl who moves in next door to these two brothers who both end up caring deeply about her. The hero is deaf and his brother is much more of your typical good-looking, talented, charismatic, nice guy, but she is much more drawn to his brother who is a bit darker and quieter. This had the epic love story that contemporary romances rarely have.
2. Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2020.
This is actually really easy.
Undercover Bromance (The Bromance Book Club #2) by Lyssa Kaye Adams. I loved The Bromance Book Club so much, but this one is my favorite so far. Mostly because it was so freaking funny and swoony. I adore Mack, the hero, so much, but I’ll talk more about that later. A lot of people didn’t like Liv, the heroine, but I loved her snark and attitude! This continues the story about The Bromance Book Club, a book club that Mack started because he relys heavily on romance novels to give him relationship advice. He’s very popular with women, however, he hasn’t been able to find a long-term relationship despite following all the romance novel rules.
3. New release you haven’t read yet, but want to.
I flipped out when I saw that this book was a thing because Jo and Laurie from Little Women is a ship I will so go down with. I’ve loved them together since I first watched the movie that came out in 1949 as a kid. This is basically fanfiction retelling the story, but with Jo and Laurie ending up together.
4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.
I did this tag on my channel before Mariana Zapata announced her latest book, but I had said whatever book she comes out with this year is my most anticipated. Well, we have a title and a cover now!
*Hands Down by Mariana Zapata
This is about one of my favorite characters from The Wall of Winnipeg and me, Zac!!
5. Biggest disappointment.
I honestly don’t really have one that stands out, but if I had to choose it’d be: Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin. I was expecting an epic romance, but it was just ok. It certainly wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t epic as I would expect a forbidden romance in a YA fantasy would be.
6. Biggest surprise.
I’ve mentioned two books that surprised me this year already, but for this specific question, I’m going to go with *Can’t Escape Love (Reluctant Royals #2.6) by Alyssa Cole.
I really didn’t have any expectations going into this one. I thought it would be a cute, quick read, but I didn’t love the first book in this series because I don’t love the royalty trope. This book had nothing to do with royalty, despite mentioning some of the characters from the other books briefly, and it had everything to do with a smart, geeky couple falling in love and having the best meetcute ever.
7. Favourite new author. (Debut or new to you)
*Autumn Grey
Like I said earlier, my daughter picked her book Fall Back Skyward for me to read and I fell in love. Since then I’ve read Desolate and really enjoyed that as well. She doesn’t have a huge backlist yet, so I’m pacing myself reading her books, but I already know she’s going to be a favorite. Her writing is beautiful, I love her story-telling, she creates such swoony and realistic relationships with tons of chemistry, and she’s an awesome human on top of it all.
8. Newest fictional crush.
There are a lot of heroes I’ve been loving this year, but I think Mack wins because he’s such a conundrum. He’s super successful, seemingly alpha guy, but he’s also self-depricating and a big softy. He loves reading romance novels and he is a feminist.
9. Newest favourite character.
Regina is such a badass. She’s hardworking and super smart and geeky. She runs a very successful website pretty much on her own. This is one of those situations where, though I loved the hero as well, the heroine was my favorite.
10. Book that made you cry.
I legit got teared up a few times reading *Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda because, though it was written back in 2016, reading it now and how relevant it is – how filled with hope it is – just really hit home for me.
11. Book that made you happy.
OMG, so many! I rarely read books that make me feel any other way. But I had a big smile on my face while I read The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. It’s so full of magic and whimsy and sweetness. I loved it.
12. Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)
I just bought the collectors edition of Anna and the French Kiss. I haven’t received it yet, but it’s absolutely stunning. Buy this version here.
13. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?
All the books. Seriously. So many. I want to continue reading at least one Brittainy C Cherry book per month. This month I’m going to read Loving Mr. Daniels. I want to read the rest of Autumn Grey’s back list. I’m definitely going to read Mariana Zapata’s new release.
