Happy July 1st everyone!
And happy Canada Day to all my fellow Canadians.
I'm so relieved to have the last two weeks behind us, and that work is finally entering into a more normal pace.
I'm also hopeful that July is going to be a great reading month for me, and that I'll have way less one and two star books than I did during the month of June.
Now that's not to say that I didn't read any good books in June, as I definitely did, and I discovered many new favorites. However, there were a few that ended up being quite disappointing, and I'm hoping that won't be the case for July.
Here's all the books I read in June, listed in the order of which I finished them:
Don't Look Back by Jennifer L Armentrout:
I've long been a fan of Jennifer L Armentrout's books, and Don't Look Back was one that I was really looking forward to reading. I still enjoy reading young adult thrillers, and this one had me intrigued from the synopsis. The writing was spot on, the plot kept me engaged, and I loved Sam's relationship with her brother and with Carson. My only issues with this one ended up being the fact that I could have done without the language and sexual innuendos, and that I'd pieced together the mystery quite a ways before everything was revealed. Still an enjoyable read though, and I gave it four out of five stars.
Starfall by Melissa Landers:
I'd enjoyed the first book in this duology, and was looking forward to reading Cassia and Kane's story. While it was still an enjoyable read, I didn't end up liking it as much as I did the first book. I wasn't a fan of the "friends with benefits" trope being included in a ya book, I thought the plot dragged a bit in this one, and I thought the last quarter of the novel went in a really strange direction. I gave this one three out of five stars, and you can read my full review here.
Always, Never, Yours by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka:
Without a doubt, this book was my most disappointing read of the entire month. The content included in this one is plain atrocious, and it wasn't at all what I was expecting. I gave it a rating of one out of five stars, and you can read my full review here.
A Question of Holmes by Brittany Cavallaro:
I wouldn't consider the Charlotte Holmes series a favorite, but I was interested enough to want to give the last book a try. I picked it up from the library, and I ended up thinking it was a decent enough end to the series. Nothing truly spectacular happened in my opinion, but it was nice to see Jamie come into his own a bit more than he had in the previous books. I gave it a rating of three out of five stars, and while I enjoyed it, I don't see myself rereading this series in the future.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah:
Another of my most disappointing reads this month, I didn't think this book lived up to its hype or its potential. There were way too many plot inconsistencies, and I never grew to care about any of the characters or their stories. You can check out my full review here, and I gave it a rating of two out of five stars.
Wander Canyon Courtship by Allie Pleiter:
I had the pleasure of being on the street team for this one, and I adored it. With how many Love Inspired's I've read over the years, it's sometimes hard for any of them to truly stand out to me. I'm happy to say that this one did truly stand out, and I adored it from start to finish. I loved that it tackled many serious issues, but still focuses around sweet romance and faith. I gave it a rating of four out of five stars, and you can check out my full review here.
Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett:
Another book that I expected to be great that wasn't. Serious Moonlight had my interest piqued from its beautiful cover, and the fact that it's about a girl and a guy working graveyard shifts at a hotel who try and uncover the true reason a famous author has been appearing at the hotel incognito. Unfortunately, this book was nothing like I was expecting, and the content pushed this one more into NA in my opinion than YA. There's extreme sexual content, drug use, drinking, innuendos, explicit language, and the mystery was pretty lackluster in my opinion as well. This one gets a two out of five star rating from me, and I don't foresee myself reading any more of this author's titles in the future.
Cold Day in the Sun by Sara Biren:
I really loved this book guys. I loved the romance between Holland and Wes, I loved how strong the familial element is, I loved Holland's love for music, I loved how it showcases the struggles girls go through trying to fit into a world that's never been accommodating to females. I loved the writing style, I loved the plot and premise, I loved the friendships portrayed, I loved how fast paced it is, and the fact that I finished it in barely any time at all. I'm not a sports fan in the slightest, but I often enjoy sport romances, and that was definitely the case here. This actually would have been a five star read for me, if it hadn't been for the multiple uses of explicit language. I loved this one, but I can't completely recommend it without putting a content warning on it, as the language included is extensive and explicit. I gave this one a rating of four out of five stars, and if it had only been a little cleaner, it would have received a perfect five star rating from me.
Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E Smith:
For many years, Jennifer E Smith was one of my favorite authors. I adored her writing and her characters, her settings-you name it I loved it, with my all time favorite being The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. And then last year I read Windfall, and I honestly didn't love it. I gave it a rating of three out of five stars, and so I went into this one a little hesitant. Unfortunately, this one went more in the direction of Windfall for me, and I ended up not loving it. I thought it was cute, and the writing was still great, and I adored Hugo as a character. However, I'm really not a fan of insta-love and that's what this relationship is, and that hindered my enjoyment. Plus, the plot is very tedious and slow moving, and Mae's character never ended up growing one me. I gave this a rating of three out of five stars, and I have to say that I personally prefer Jennifer E Smith's earlier books.
In Another Life by C.C. Hunter:
I've enjoyed many of C.C. Hunter's books previous books, and I was looking forward to seeing how she tackled the ya thriller genre, plus I loved the fact that it focuses around adoption. I did enjoy this one for the most part, and finished it almost entirely in one sitting. However, I definitely feel it's not her best novel, and that the plot could have been a bit better. The mystery seemed pretty implausible, and I didn't personally care for how everything was wrapped up. I gave this one a rating of three out of five stars.
Mandie and the Angel's Secret by Lois Gladys Leppard:
This was never one of my favorite Mandie stories growing up, as it's so sad and definitely one of the more heartbreaking titles. The mystery is also not one I find super interesting, but I enjoyed rereading it anyways, and seeing Mandie coming back from her big European vacation, and reuniting with her friend Joe. I gave this one a rating of three out of five stars.
After the Tide by Lindsay Harrel:
I adore Lindsay Harrel, and I love that she gave this super sweet novella as a gift to her newsletter subscribers. I adored this so much, and honestly, the only thing wrong with it is that there wasn't more. I could have easily read a whole book about these two characters and their sweet attraction to each other. I gave this one a rating of four out five stars, and you can read my full review here.
Just Between You and Me by Jenny B Jones:
After how much I'd loved the first novel I read by Jenny B Jones earlier this year, There You'll Find Me, I was really looking forward to diving into another book by her. I'm sad to say that I didn't enjoy this one quite as much, and that was mainly because I didn't care for Maggie's character. She's extremely cynical and sarcastic, and makes some extremely hurtful comments towards other people during the duration of the story. There were still parts of it I enjoyed, but it wasn't as great of a story I was expecting. I ended up giving it a rating of three out of five stars, and I'll be sharing a full review with you all shortly.
Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly:
I've been searching for great mermaid reads for as long as I can remember. While I've read a few that I've definitely enjoyed, I feel like I have to truly find one that I really love. So when I heard about the Waterfire Saga series, I was quite excited. I couldn't wait to dive into this one, but alas it wasn't the amazing mermaid story I've been looking for either. I liked the concept behind this one, I enjoyed the emphasis on sisterhood, and I cracked up over the many clever puns that are included throughout. However, I found the world building extremely confusing in this one, and the numerous names scattered throughout was impossible to follow. I kind of gave up on keeping track of who was who and where was where very early on in the novel, and that obviously hindered my enjoyment. I did gave it a rating of three out of five stars, and I do still plan on continuing with the rest of the series, but it may be put off for a little while.
Never Say Goodbye by Mandi Blake:
I was so blessed to get to advance read Mandi's upcoming release, and I can't wait for you all to get your hands on this one! I will be sharing a full review with you all very shortly, but just know that it's an amazing read, and I gave it five out of five stars. I could literally gush about this one for paragraphs and paragraphs, but I promise my review will have some actual substance to it. I can't possibly recommend this one enough.
All Manner of Things by Susie Finkbeiner:
This was my last read of the month, and what an amazing read to finish out the month of June with! This is such a powerfully emotional story, and I loved every single page. I will be sharing a full review of this one with you all on Wednesday, but for now I'll say that I completely loved it, and I gave it a rating of five out of five stars.
And that's all the books I finished in June of 2019! Did you have a favorite or least favorite book this month? If so, let me know in the comments!
I hope your week is off to a great start guys! Thanks so much for stopping by :)
This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The photos do not belong to me and all rights to the respective owners.
And happy Canada Day to all my fellow Canadians.
I'm so relieved to have the last two weeks behind us, and that work is finally entering into a more normal pace.
I'm also hopeful that July is going to be a great reading month for me, and that I'll have way less one and two star books than I did during the month of June.
Now that's not to say that I didn't read any good books in June, as I definitely did, and I discovered many new favorites. However, there were a few that ended up being quite disappointing, and I'm hoping that won't be the case for July.
Here's all the books I read in June, listed in the order of which I finished them:
Don't Look Back by Jennifer L Armentrout:
I've long been a fan of Jennifer L Armentrout's books, and Don't Look Back was one that I was really looking forward to reading. I still enjoy reading young adult thrillers, and this one had me intrigued from the synopsis. The writing was spot on, the plot kept me engaged, and I loved Sam's relationship with her brother and with Carson. My only issues with this one ended up being the fact that I could have done without the language and sexual innuendos, and that I'd pieced together the mystery quite a ways before everything was revealed. Still an enjoyable read though, and I gave it four out of five stars.
Starfall by Melissa Landers:
I'd enjoyed the first book in this duology, and was looking forward to reading Cassia and Kane's story. While it was still an enjoyable read, I didn't end up liking it as much as I did the first book. I wasn't a fan of the "friends with benefits" trope being included in a ya book, I thought the plot dragged a bit in this one, and I thought the last quarter of the novel went in a really strange direction. I gave this one three out of five stars, and you can read my full review here.
Always, Never, Yours by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka:
Without a doubt, this book was my most disappointing read of the entire month. The content included in this one is plain atrocious, and it wasn't at all what I was expecting. I gave it a rating of one out of five stars, and you can read my full review here.
A Question of Holmes by Brittany Cavallaro:
I wouldn't consider the Charlotte Holmes series a favorite, but I was interested enough to want to give the last book a try. I picked it up from the library, and I ended up thinking it was a decent enough end to the series. Nothing truly spectacular happened in my opinion, but it was nice to see Jamie come into his own a bit more than he had in the previous books. I gave it a rating of three out of five stars, and while I enjoyed it, I don't see myself rereading this series in the future.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah:
Another of my most disappointing reads this month, I didn't think this book lived up to its hype or its potential. There were way too many plot inconsistencies, and I never grew to care about any of the characters or their stories. You can check out my full review here, and I gave it a rating of two out of five stars.
Wander Canyon Courtship by Allie Pleiter:
I had the pleasure of being on the street team for this one, and I adored it. With how many Love Inspired's I've read over the years, it's sometimes hard for any of them to truly stand out to me. I'm happy to say that this one did truly stand out, and I adored it from start to finish. I loved that it tackled many serious issues, but still focuses around sweet romance and faith. I gave it a rating of four out of five stars, and you can check out my full review here.
Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett:
Another book that I expected to be great that wasn't. Serious Moonlight had my interest piqued from its beautiful cover, and the fact that it's about a girl and a guy working graveyard shifts at a hotel who try and uncover the true reason a famous author has been appearing at the hotel incognito. Unfortunately, this book was nothing like I was expecting, and the content pushed this one more into NA in my opinion than YA. There's extreme sexual content, drug use, drinking, innuendos, explicit language, and the mystery was pretty lackluster in my opinion as well. This one gets a two out of five star rating from me, and I don't foresee myself reading any more of this author's titles in the future.
Cold Day in the Sun by Sara Biren:
I really loved this book guys. I loved the romance between Holland and Wes, I loved how strong the familial element is, I loved Holland's love for music, I loved how it showcases the struggles girls go through trying to fit into a world that's never been accommodating to females. I loved the writing style, I loved the plot and premise, I loved the friendships portrayed, I loved how fast paced it is, and the fact that I finished it in barely any time at all. I'm not a sports fan in the slightest, but I often enjoy sport romances, and that was definitely the case here. This actually would have been a five star read for me, if it hadn't been for the multiple uses of explicit language. I loved this one, but I can't completely recommend it without putting a content warning on it, as the language included is extensive and explicit. I gave this one a rating of four out of five stars, and if it had only been a little cleaner, it would have received a perfect five star rating from me.
Field Notes on Love by Jennifer E Smith:
For many years, Jennifer E Smith was one of my favorite authors. I adored her writing and her characters, her settings-you name it I loved it, with my all time favorite being The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. And then last year I read Windfall, and I honestly didn't love it. I gave it a rating of three out of five stars, and so I went into this one a little hesitant. Unfortunately, this one went more in the direction of Windfall for me, and I ended up not loving it. I thought it was cute, and the writing was still great, and I adored Hugo as a character. However, I'm really not a fan of insta-love and that's what this relationship is, and that hindered my enjoyment. Plus, the plot is very tedious and slow moving, and Mae's character never ended up growing one me. I gave this a rating of three out of five stars, and I have to say that I personally prefer Jennifer E Smith's earlier books.
In Another Life by C.C. Hunter:
I've enjoyed many of C.C. Hunter's books previous books, and I was looking forward to seeing how she tackled the ya thriller genre, plus I loved the fact that it focuses around adoption. I did enjoy this one for the most part, and finished it almost entirely in one sitting. However, I definitely feel it's not her best novel, and that the plot could have been a bit better. The mystery seemed pretty implausible, and I didn't personally care for how everything was wrapped up. I gave this one a rating of three out of five stars.
Mandie and the Angel's Secret by Lois Gladys Leppard:
This was never one of my favorite Mandie stories growing up, as it's so sad and definitely one of the more heartbreaking titles. The mystery is also not one I find super interesting, but I enjoyed rereading it anyways, and seeing Mandie coming back from her big European vacation, and reuniting with her friend Joe. I gave this one a rating of three out of five stars.
After the Tide by Lindsay Harrel:
I adore Lindsay Harrel, and I love that she gave this super sweet novella as a gift to her newsletter subscribers. I adored this so much, and honestly, the only thing wrong with it is that there wasn't more. I could have easily read a whole book about these two characters and their sweet attraction to each other. I gave this one a rating of four out five stars, and you can read my full review here.
Just Between You and Me by Jenny B Jones:
After how much I'd loved the first novel I read by Jenny B Jones earlier this year, There You'll Find Me, I was really looking forward to diving into another book by her. I'm sad to say that I didn't enjoy this one quite as much, and that was mainly because I didn't care for Maggie's character. She's extremely cynical and sarcastic, and makes some extremely hurtful comments towards other people during the duration of the story. There were still parts of it I enjoyed, but it wasn't as great of a story I was expecting. I ended up giving it a rating of three out of five stars, and I'll be sharing a full review with you all shortly.
Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly:
I've been searching for great mermaid reads for as long as I can remember. While I've read a few that I've definitely enjoyed, I feel like I have to truly find one that I really love. So when I heard about the Waterfire Saga series, I was quite excited. I couldn't wait to dive into this one, but alas it wasn't the amazing mermaid story I've been looking for either. I liked the concept behind this one, I enjoyed the emphasis on sisterhood, and I cracked up over the many clever puns that are included throughout. However, I found the world building extremely confusing in this one, and the numerous names scattered throughout was impossible to follow. I kind of gave up on keeping track of who was who and where was where very early on in the novel, and that obviously hindered my enjoyment. I did gave it a rating of three out of five stars, and I do still plan on continuing with the rest of the series, but it may be put off for a little while.
Never Say Goodbye by Mandi Blake:
I was so blessed to get to advance read Mandi's upcoming release, and I can't wait for you all to get your hands on this one! I will be sharing a full review with you all very shortly, but just know that it's an amazing read, and I gave it five out of five stars. I could literally gush about this one for paragraphs and paragraphs, but I promise my review will have some actual substance to it. I can't possibly recommend this one enough.
All Manner of Things by Susie Finkbeiner:
This was my last read of the month, and what an amazing read to finish out the month of June with! This is such a powerfully emotional story, and I loved every single page. I will be sharing a full review of this one with you all on Wednesday, but for now I'll say that I completely loved it, and I gave it a rating of five out of five stars.
And that's all the books I finished in June of 2019! Did you have a favorite or least favorite book this month? If so, let me know in the comments!
I hope your week is off to a great start guys! Thanks so much for stopping by :)
This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The photos do not belong to me and all rights to the respective owners.
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