July 2022 Reads

What have you read and loved lately? Here are my thoughts on 4 books I finished this month!

It really is a wonder that Jasmine Guillory is so consistent in delivering fun, fresh reads, as was the case again in "By the Book." Oddly enough I have recently read a string of books set in the book publishing world and this one was really fun. I did need to suspend disbelief a tad over how quickly the set up for the two characters happened, but then the push-pull tension of their relationship was believable and a delight. (Also, for those who are a little nervous about steam factor in contemporary romance, this is totally G rated...I actually could have used some more heat LOL.)

So here's the odd thing about "Wish You Were Gone" by Kieran Scott. I couldn't get behind ANY of the characters. I either found them annoying and sort of evil, lacking in agency, self-absorbed, or just not developed enough (to me) to feel anything for them. AND YET, the plot pacing was really, really good and I totally wanted to find out what happened so I read the whole thing.

My inability to connect with characters in "Wish You Were Gone" was 1000% not the case in "Take My Hand" by Dolan Perkins-Valdez. Particularly at this devastating and infuriating time for reproductive rights, this book is heart-wrenching yet also beautiful and raw and brave in its telling. Someone here on Instagram recommended this one to me and I am grateful for that!

What a gem Katherine Center is! I believe she is the sole multi-book author for whom I have read every single title, and she knocked it out of the park (again!) with "The Bodyguard." The premise of this book is fun, and I was rooting for Hannah the entire time. I completely fell for the unexpected twist at the end and cheered over the epilogue. I have said this to Katherine time and again, but MORE BOOKS, PLEASE AND THANK YOU.