Which books are worth the read and which should you skip? Find out what books I’ve been reading lately and whether I recommend them.
What polar opposites my May and June Reading have been!
For most of May, I was reading at a decent pass. Then I went on a two-week trip to Portugal with my husband. Long ago, we realized that a successful couple’s trip involves us doing a lot of fun activities for him and lots of built-in reading time for me. I read like crazy, finishing eight books while we were away.
Then I came back from Portugal and summer hit me like a ton of bricks. Having the kids home all summer combined with my new position as a soccer coach and coordinator has taken its toll on my reading and blogging. I have only read two books in the three weeks I’ve been home and have barely touched the blog.
Now that things are finally settled, I’ve managed to write up all my May and June book reviews. I’m taking more time to actually work on my blog and rediscovering why I love blogging so much. It’ll still be a balancing act but I’m ready for the pendulum to swing back toward more reading and blogging in July.
Scroll down to see my reviews, and, as always, be sure to let me know what you’ve been reading lately in the comments!
May and June 2024 Reading List
Just for the Summer
Abby Jimenez
Justin finds himself with an unusual curse: every woman he dates finds her soulmate the minute she breaks up with Justin. Emma has the same problem, so Emma and Justin hatch a plan to spend a month together in Minnesota, hoping to break each other’s curses. Things go awry when Emma’s toxic mother shows up and Justin assumes guardianship of his younger siblings. Yet, it seems Fate may have more in mind than a quick summer fling.
With her ability to hit on deeper issues, Abby Jimenez is quickly becoming one of my favorite romance writers. Although all her books inhabit the same world, each story reads as a standalone with small nods to her other books. I particularly love how Jimenez mixes in mental health and trauma, showing how our pasts can affect our current relationships. With great chemistry and adorable banter, Emma and Justin are super cute together and the fake-dating trope is so well-written, it doesn’t feel cliche.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 2 April 2024
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Daughter of Mine
Megan Miranda
After her father dies, Hazel Sharp returns to her hometown and is shocked to discover that she, and not her brothers, has inherited their family home. With a drought plaguing the region, the low water level reveals two cars long hidden in the lake – one belonging to her mother who ran away when she was a teenager. As Hazel starts questioning what happened to her mother, her childhood best friend (who is now her brother’s wife) also disappears. With long buried secrets coming to light, Hazel isn’t sure who she can trust anymore.
Megan Miranda has penned yet another atmospheric thriller that will keep you guessing since everyone is covering for someone else. I loved the complicated family dynamic between Hazel and her brothers and the generational secrets inherent in their small town. With plenty of tension and suspense throughout, you’ll be hooked by this psychological thriller.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 9 April 2024
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How to End a Love Story
Yulin Kuang
Weeks before high school graduation, Helen Zhang and Grant Shepherd become connected for life when Helen’s sister is killed after she jumps in front of the car Grant is driving. Now a bestselling author, Helen loves working with the screenwriters adapting her popular young adult novels. When Grant shows up in the writer’s room, Helen is furious. Yet as Helen and Grant get closer, they cannot deny the chemistry, even though Helen’s family would never approve. For theirs was never meant to be a love story.
I feel like How to End a Love Story didn’t achieve the depth I was hoping for. I liked the core of the story: the people-pleasing daughter of immigrants, the mental health and trauma of dealing with a suicide. Yet the love story itself felt rather formulaic. First, they understandably hate each other. Next, they hook up too quickly, without much depth or vulnerability. The entire middle of the book is just sex scenes. Finally a cliche breakup and an eventual reunion. Honestly, both characters mostly just needed better therapists.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 9 April 2024
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Funny Story
Emily Henry
After moving to her fiancé Peter’s lakeside Michigan hometown, Daphne finds her life upended when Peter decides to leave her days before the wedding for his childhood best friend Petra. Needing a place to stay, Daphne moves in with Petra’s ex-boyfriend, Miles, who is completely Daphne’s opposite. And no big deal if they happen to post misleading photos to make their exes jealous, because there’s no way they would ever actually fall in love.
Emily Henry has become known for her cute romances that give a therapeutic look at how past traumas affect our current relationships. Funny Story had all the witty banter and a decently realistic fake dating trope that would normally hook me in. Yet, although the story was cute, I didn’t particularly enjoy Daphne or Miles, individually or together.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 23 April 2024
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The Ministry of Time
Kaliane Bradley
After being offered an exorbitant salary, a government worker starts a new position at the Ministry of Time. Studying whether time travel is possible and feasible, she is tasked with being a “bridge”, an assistant to a time-traveling expat. Now she is unlikely roommates with Commander Graham Gore, who history records as having died on an 1847 Arctic expedition. By the time the Ministry of Time’s true objectives come to light, she has fallen hopelessly in love and must decide if she is able, and willing, to change the future.
First off, I have to say that marketing The Ministry of Time as a comparable to Outlander was a terrible idea. The Ministry of Time is not a romance; even worse, its love story felt more off-putting than swoon-worthy. Commander Gore was an interesting character and his interaction with his fellow time traveling expats was the only bright spot of the book. Unfortunately, the novel is instead told from the point-of-view of his unnamed female handler as she quashes any moral scruples she has about the project. Basically nothing happens for almost the entire book until it suddenly shifts to a high-action spy plot that would have mattered more if I had cared about the characters.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 7 May 2024
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The Return of Ellie Black
Emiko Jean
Ellie Black, who disappeared without a trace over two years ago, is shockingly found alive in the woods in Washington State. But Ellie isn’t talking about where she’s been. Detective Chelsey Calhoun thinks Ellie is protecting someone and is determined to find answers – not only in the unlikely hope that maybe Chelsey can find a clue to her own sister’s disappearance twenty years ago but also to prevent it from happening again to another girl.
The Return of Ellie Black is an extremely slow-paced thriller that lacks an emotional punch. Jean never lets you emotionally connect with either of the female protagonists. This is understandable with Ellie, whose experience leaves her with plenty of trauma when she returns but not as forgivable in Chelsey, who felt flat and one-dimensional. The story was dark and hard to read at times. Although it plods along for the most part, the ending had plenty of action and some unexpected twists.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 7 May 2024
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One Perfect Couple
Ruth Ware
With her post-doc research going nowhere, Lyla agrees to go on a new reality tv show with her boyfriend Nico, an aspiring actor. On One Perfect Couple, Lyla and Nico must compete against four other couples on a remote island in the Indian Ocean. After the first challenge leaves everyone angry, a storm cuts off the contestants. At first, everyone is grateful when a leader emerges, but they quickly begin to wonder if they made the right choice.
Ruth Ware shines with a fun beach read that mixes the cutthroat survival of Lord of the Flies with an Agatha Christie-style isolation thriller. With Lyla as a narrator, the large cast wasn’t too hard to navigate and I loved that the characters reflected a typical reality tv casting, primed to have grating personalities that place stress on everyone. Lyla’s levelheadedness, realistic plot twists, and page-turning pace keep you glued to the page in this psychological thriller that belongs on all the summer reading lists.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Gallery Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 21 May 2024
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Better Left Unsent
Lia Louis
After a heartbreaking public breakup, Millie learned to keep to herself and never share her true feelings. Instead, she vents her thoughts into emails that never leave her drafts folder. When all her emails are accidentally sent, Millie must deal with the chaos that ensues after her colleagues, friends, and family find out her deepest confessions.
Lia Louis has penned an adorable and lighthearted romance with a relatable protagonist. Millie’s self-doubt and constant people-pleasing were all too realistic. As was her awful ex that you wish she’d realize wasn’t good enough for her. With the public embarrassment of having everyone hear her unfiltered thoughts to her struggle to be open and vulnerable with a new romantic interest, Better Left Unsent was a well-written, heartwarming, feel-good read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Atria Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 21 May 2024
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The Paris Widow
Kimberly Belle
Stella doesn’t mind leaving her jetsetter life as a flight attendant behind when she marries Adam, a nice normal guy. While vacationing in Paris, Adam goes missing after a bomb explodes in a public square. Now the police are telling Stella that Adam is a known dealer of stolen antiquities. Refusing to leave Paris until she learns the truth, Stella must discover if Adam was a random victim or a target of the explosion.
The Paris Widow starts off with a bang, literally, which had me geared up for a high-action thriller. Instead, the action slowed to a crawl as Stella processes her grief and confused feelings before settling into a slow-burn mystery. I know this is more realistic pacing but it wasn’t a ton of fun to read about and I struggled to stay engaged. While the action picked up near the end, it was over-the-top and rather anticlimactic. Other than the fun setting, The Paris Widow is a rather forgettable summer thriller.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Park Row through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 11 June 2024
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The Rom-Commers
Katherine Center
Emma has always wanted to be a screenwriter but her dreams have taken the backseat to being a full-time caretaker for her father. When Emma gets the chance to rewrite a script for Charlie Yates, her screenwriting role model, Emma’s younger sister steps in as a caretaker so Emma won’t miss this opportunity. Yet Charlie has no interest in working with Emma or even in the script they are rewriting. Emma must convince Charlie that love stories matter, but it might end up being her heart that is on the line.
The Rom-Commers has all the hallmarks of a fantastic romantic comedy: witty banter, darling personalities with adorable clashes, and over-the-top plot twists. But all of these are combined with real emotions and character development. Emma and Charlie was so cute together and their will-they/won’t-they had me gripped to the page. I love how Center knows all the clichés of the romance genre and expertly utilizes them to write something that feels charmingly adorable.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 11 June 2024
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The Next Mrs. Parrish
Liv Constantine
In The Last Mrs. Parrish, Amber was able to claw her way to become Jackson Parrish’s wife. While Jackson has been serving time for tax evasion, Amber has enjoyed being the queen bee of Bishops Harbor. With Jackson’s release from prison imminent, Amber’s time and money is running out. Meanwhile, Daphne has never looked back after divorcing Jackson. But when her daughter runs away desperate to see Jackson, Daphne must return to Bishops Harbor and reenter a vicious cat-and-mouse game.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of The Last Mrs. Parrish and wasn’t sure if it really needed a sequel. Now I can soundly proclaim that it didn’t. The Next Mrs. Parrish was an unnecessary return to Bishops Harbor whose premise hinged on Daphne making the most idiotic decision to voluntarily return to Jackson’s life. Having escaped Jackson and Amber’s psychotic behavior, I cannot believe she would ever go back. From there, the current book felt much like the last one, though all the villains get a proper comeuppance this time.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Random House through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 18 June 2024
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The Midnight Feast
Lucy Foley
From the author of The Guest List comes another locked-room mystery where not everyone will make it out alive. At the opening weekend of The Manor, a luxury resort in an ancient forest, the guests each have their own agenda. On the guest list: the founder, her lover, the mystery guest, the kitchen help, and the detective. All have their own secrets and by the end of the weekend, a fire will break out and several people will be dead.
The Midnight Feast was simply a hot mess; a failed attempt to replicate the magical locked room vibe of her hit The Guest List. The problem with The Midnight Feast is that you hate almost every character. Worse, the characters are all supposedly tied together from their teenage years but somehow none of them recognize each other. Add in tons of clunky timeline shifts and you have the recipe for a complete waste of your time. I’m seriously annoyed with myself that I didn’t DNF this one.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from William Morrow through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 18 June 2024
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From the Backlist
The House in the Cerulean Sea
TJ Klune
Linus Baker enjoys his solitary life working as a caseworker for magical youth in orphanages. When Linus is assigned to Marsyas Island Orphanage, he must investigate whether the six orphans there are in good care. For these aren’t just any youth – but the most extreme cases, including an actual Antichrist. But as Linus gets to know the children and befriends the mysterious caretaker of the orphanage, he struggles to decide whether he can do his job without letting his personal feelings get in the way.
Everyone has been raving about The House in the Cerulean Sea for years but I was a little iffy. Especially after a failed attempt to read Under the Whispering Door. Yet, Klune’s novel deserves all the hype for it is an adorable heartwarming fantasy. From start to finish, The House in the Cerulean Sea will simply enchant you, leaving you with the happiest feelings. For anyone looking for a delightfully wholesome read, this is one book not to miss.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 17 March 2020
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Beach Read
Emily Henry
When her father’s unexpected death reveals that he had a long-running affair, January Andrews can’t seem to get back to her happy self. After her boyfriend dumps her, January is forced to move into her Dad’s secret second house in Michigan, desperately trying to finish her contracted novel. Of course her next-door neighbor is her college nemesis, Augustus Everett whose literary fiction was released to great acclaim. When they discover they both have writer’s block, they make a deal. He will write a happily-ever-after story while she pens a serious piece of literature.
Emily Henry’s bestseller Beach Read stole the summer in 2020 and Henry has become a staple of the summer beach reads ever since. This sweet enemies-to-lovers story has the kind of romance that tugs at the heart. You can’t help but feel for January and Gus as they each deal with family issues and deep emotional pain. But their silly challenge leads them to motivate each other and their great chemistry makes for a just plain fun summer read.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 19 May 2020
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Falling
T. J. Newman
Although he will miss his son’s baseball game, Captain Bill Hoffmann can’t refuse when his boss asks him last minute to pilot a flight from LAX to JFK. Once he’s in the air, Bill is informed that terrorists have kidnapped his wife and son. Their demands: Bill must crash the plane or his family will be killed. Now Bill and his cabin crew have only a few hours to figure out how to save the plane and his family in this page-turning thriller.
Falling is a pure action thriller with constant twists and turns that keep you glued to the page. It was just what I needed to survive a long layover at JFK. The terrorist motivation was on the thin side and there wasn’t much character development. Yet, Newman’s experience as a flight attendant gave refreshing authenticity to the crew interactions. Sometimes a high-action plot is all you really want and Falling definitely delivers that.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 6 July 2021
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The Final Empire
Brandon Sanderson
For a thousand years, the Lord Ruler has enslaved the Skaa with no hope that his despotic rule will ever end. From a hellish prison, Kelsier snaps and develops the powers of a Mistborn. As a brilliant thief, Kelsier instigates the ultimate heist to overthrow the Lord Ruler with a crew of the underworld’s elite. But adding in Vin, a ragged orphan girl, might just be what they need to succeed, if they can teach her to use her powers and to learn to trust others.
My college bestie told me this was her favorite book and since I didn’t read it when my entire family did a few years ago, I felt like this was the summer to finally try the Mistborn series. Fantasy isn’t my usual genre but Sanderson quickly hooked me with his rich world-building and fascinating characters. The detailed explanation of the magical system wasn’t really my thing, though I know people like my husband love reading about such things. However, the compelling narrative was complex enough to keep you guessing and perfectly set up the rest of the series.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 16 July 2006
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Bury Your Dead
Louise Penny
After a police raid gone horribly wrong, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache seeks refuge with a former mentor while visiting a Literary and Historical Society. When a body is found in the library’s basement, Gamache is drawn into the investigation. Meanwhile, Gamache takes his second-in-command Jean-Guy Beauvoir to reinvestigate their last case in Three Pines, wondering if maybe Olivier is innocent after all. Haunted by their last disastrous case together, can either man push past their memories to find the truth?
Louise Penny has hooked me again. Everyone told me to wait until books 5-6 before deciding on the Inspector Gamache series, and they were absolutely correct. The three storylines in Bury Your Dead meshed extremely well, giving you a cozy murder mystery, the quirky Three Pines characters, and a thriller aspect through flashbacks. I also loved that Penny set up a larger conflict for Gamache in the next book, which I cannot wait to read.
My Rating:
Publication Date: 28 September 2010
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Currently Reading
I always seem to have multiple books going at once. Here’s a peek at what I’m currently reading.
My To-Read List
What’s up next for me? Before I let you go, here are a few of the titles I’m hoping to get through this upcoming month.
Be sure to come back next month to see which ones I read.
Which Books Did You Read in June?
What books did you love this month? Which books can you not wait to read? As always, let me know in the comments!
More Book Lists to Enjoy:
Holly Kukkonen says
Ha! I loved the image about you reading Fallen at JFK!
I actually planned on reading vacation topic books on our recent vacation. I read Cataclysm by Tim Washburn while visiting Yellowstone (the super volcano erupts). We spent the night in Cody when it was destroyed in the book. Then I read The Day the World Ended at Little Bighorn by James M. Marshall III surrounding our visit to the battlefield. The description of the battle was very helpful and enhanced the visit and continued it for days after. I recommend doing this!
Rachel E. says
So glad you are rediscovering your love for blogging because you are amazing at it! These blogs that detail which are worth reading and which to skip are my favorites. I appreciate that you provide both a rating as well as your reasoning. It’s exciting for me to add some great ones to my TBR list as well as remove some that I know I won’t enjoy as much. Currently reading: Devil’s Corner by Lisa Scottoline (from my backlist) and listening to Machiavelli For Women read by the author, Stacy Vanek Smith.
Ciara says
Interesting. I read The Ministry of Time expecting it to be lit fic featuring a morally ambiguous protagonist working for a shady governmental time travel project &…that’s what I got. I liked it quite a bit. Had I seen the marketing that tried to sell it as a new take on Outlander, I probably would have skipped it because I don’t care for romance. I wonder what exactly the marketing plan was for this book.
Chris Cook says
I totally agree with you about The Ministry of Time. And in my comment section on Goodreads I noted that it does have a great cover.
Ann says
First book of June was Cara Bastone’s Ready Or Not. The colorful cover caught my eye very early on. I think I kept seeing it in Goodreads giveaways. I had the oddest experience with this book. I swear the first 3/4 was fine. I was actually enjoying it. It all went to pot for me with the descriptions of the first kiss, making out; well you get where this is going. Hands down, the most ridiculous writing I have ever come across.
Then, thank goodness Colm Tóibín saved the day with his absolutely stunningly written sequel to Brooklyn, Long Island. I savored every page from start to finish. There is just nothing like a good book!!!!
The only downside to reading something so perfect, is how do you follow it up?! I went into a bit of a slump. Nothing stood up.
Currently reading: Pete and Alice in Maine, Sandwich & The Boys In The Boat (for book club). Almost done with the first & like it.
Then I may switch it up with something totally outside my box: We Used To Live Here.
I adored our trip to Portugal years ago. I’d love to go back. My youngest will go to Barcelona in the fall to begin her Masters program; so who knows, I may just hop over to Portugal again. My niece & nephew just went & my brother will go in October.
I love Summer reading!!!! Hoping my slump is behind me. I must admit, I do not get as much reading done when I travel, even though I always take a book or two.