Happy Friday Everyone :)
Can you believe it's already August?
I'm personally excited that fall is just around the corner, but I can definitely understand those that are sad to see summer come to an end as well.
Since we are already into August, I thought today would be a fun day to share with you all my reading wrap up from last month.
July was a pretty good reading month for me. I read some pretty amazing titles, I took part in a readathon, and I actually finished quite a few books.
Here's the books I read in the order in which I finished them.
Midnight On The River Grey by Abigail Wilson:
This was the perfect read to start off July with. It was an amazing story that kept me guessing right until the end, and I gave it four out of five stars, Full review here.
Mandie and the Dangerous Imposters by Lois Gladys Leppard:
I always enjoyed the Mandie titles where she'd go to visit Uncle Ned, and this one was no exception. I gave it four out of five stars.
Finale by Stephanie Garber:
I was honestly disappointed with this one. The world building in this series is amazing, but the content just ruined it for me. I don't understand why so many fantasy novels have to have sexual undertones running throughout each and every plot point, and I didn't appreciate that fact. Also, when the plot point with the fates was introduced in the second book, I found that book's overall nature turned much darker, and that fact was made even more pronounced in this one. I gave it two out of five stars, and I don't foresee myself rereading this series in the future.
Cold Day In The Sun by Sara Biren:
If this book were clean, it would honestly be one of my favorites. I love the overall story so much, but the explicit language throughout just ruins it. I gave it three out of five stars, and you can read my full review here.
All Dressed Up In Love by Ruth Logan Herne:
Definitely a new favorite from this novella series, I adored this title from start to finish. I gave it four out of five stars, and you can read my full review here.
State of Lies by Siri Mitchell:
State of Lies was an amazing story overall, but I wish the faith element had played a much larger role. Overall though, I really enjoyed this one, and I gave it a rating of four out of five stars. Full review here.
In Tune With Love by Amy Matayo:
I will be sharing a full review of this one with you all shortly, but suffice to say that it was definitely not a favorite. I really didn't like how immature both of the main characters behave throughout the entire story, with little to no character growth from either by the end. Also, I really didn't enjoy the fact that the faith element is pretty much nonexistent, and this one only ended up getting a two star rating from me.
Never a Bridesmaid by Janice Thompson:
I was really looking forward to reading Janice Thompson's addition to the Year of Weddings novellas, and I'm happy to say it was everything I was hoping for. I adored Mari and Derrick and their various family and friends (with of course a notable exception), and I especially loved the emphasis on faith, family and friendship. Mari was such an endearing character who had a big heart for everyone and everything around her, and I truly adored her as the lead. I gave this one a rating of four out of five stars, and it's definitely one of my new favorites from this series.
Mandie and the Invisible Troublemaker by Lois Gladys Leppard:
This was one of the Mandie titles that I'd read a lot growing up, and yet I was quite surprised at just how much of the story I'd forgotten. As always, it was a nice treat to revisit Mandie and her adorable friends, and I gave this one a rating of three out of five stars.
The Killing Tide by Dani Pettrey:
It's no surprise that I was really looking forward to reading this one as I love Dani Pettrey's books. This one is almost released into the world, so you guys don't even have to wait much longer to read it! I really enjoyed this one, and its focus around the Coast Guard Investigative Services, and I loved the set up to the many amazing stories I'm sure will be following in the series. I gave it a rating of four out of five stars, and you can check out my full review here.
A Wreath of Snow by Liz Curtis Higgs:
This was such a charming, little holiday tale. I love how the title references how snow drifts are referred to by many of the Scottish people, and I really enjoyed how its set during Victorian times. I liked both main characters, the focus on healing and learning to move on from past hurts, and how strong the faith element was throughout. Unfortunately, I found it didn't hold my attention, which is strange for it being such a short novella, but I did still enjoy it overall. I gave it a rating of three out of five stars.
Mistletoe Cottage by Debbie Mason:
This one I was a little torn on after finishing it. I really enjoyed the story, the writing style, and most of the characters. However, I was hoping that this one was going to be more of a sweet romance along the lines of Debbie Macomber or Sheila Roberts, and instead it ended up reminding me more of a Susan Mallery book. As much as I enjoyed the story, I didn't enjoy the inclusion of sexual content and the like, and for that reason it got a rating of three out of five stars from me. Also, I was expecting this series to be written in more of a companion novel style, and that wasn't really the case. Now I'm basically wanting to read the entire series because of all the set up for further novels included in this one, and that hadn't been my original plan when I picked it up.
Christmas With an Angel by Debbie Mason:
I ended up buying this novella from Amazon since my library didn't have it, and I assumed it was important to continuing on with the Harmony Harbor series after finishing Mistletoe Cottage. Unfortunately, at this point I really don't think this novella was necessary to understanding the rest of the series, and I really didn't end up enjoying it. I'm hoping it'll make more sense once I read Michael's full story later on, but for now I don't really recommend it, and I only gave it a rating of two out of five stars.
Love Finds You in Frost, Minnesota by Judy Baer:
I can honestly say this charming little holiday story was one of my favorites from the Christmas in July readathon I participated in. I loved Merry's character, I loved her relationship with Jack, I loved how strong the faith element was, and I loved the message of healing and letting yourself learn to truly live and love. I gave it a rating of four out of five stars, and you can check out my full review here.
The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan:
I ended up rating this one four out of five stars on goodreads, but in actuality it was probably more of a three and a half star read for me. I really enjoyed the story, the setting, the writing style, and its emphasis on family and friendship. However, I didn't love some of the content that was included, and the middle sister Beth really grated on my nerves for a large portion of the story. I'll be sharing a full review of it with you all shortly.
Mandie and Her Missing Kin by Lois Gladys Leppard:
This was another Mandie title that I'd read quite a few times growing up, and I really enjoyed how its one of very few titles that takes you back to where Mandie grew up, and also showcases more of Joe's home life with his parent's. It's a cute addition to the series, and I gave it a rating of three out of five stars.
One Day in December by Josie Silver:
I'm so disappointed with the fact that I had a one star read in July. Anyone who's read my blog for awhile knows that I try my hardest to not rate books one star. However, sometimes I end up reading books that I find have no redeeming qualities, and that's how I ended up feeling about this one. I didn't like that it's about insta love, that it promotes both emotional and physical cheating, and I really couldn't tolerate either Laurie or Jack as main characters. You can read my full review of this one here.
A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig:
I love middle grade. I love Christmas stories. I'd been anxiously awaiting reading this one. I'd heard great things about it. Taking all of those facts into consideration, I honestly expected to love this one. However, this ended up being one of my most disappointing reads of the entire month. The plot is weird, slow moving, and even downright disturbing at many points. I was definitely not a fan of all the immature humor that's thrown in throughout (like it being hilarious that a reindeer likes to pee on people that he's flying over top of). All in all, I gave this one a rating of two out of five stars, and I will most definitely not be continuing on with the rest of the series.
Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany by Jane Mount:
I really wanted to love this one, but alas, I didn't. While most of the art work is beautiful, and I appreciated a lot of the book facts thrown in for good measure, like the pages featuring the numerous famous bookstore pets around the world, I just felt as a whole that I didn't care about a lot of the stuff mentioned, and it never really held my interest. I wasn't really expecting this to be full of so much political type content, and whatnot and it just wasn't what I was expecting. I gave it a rating of two out of five stars.
The Queen's Rising by Rebecca Ross:
I've been in such a rut lately when it comes to the fantasy genre. None of the ones I've read recently have really stood out to me, and I'm so glad that this lovely book changed all of that for me. I completely loved this story from start to finish. The world building is amazing, the writing is intuitive and captivating, and I was so happy to read about a female protagonist that I actually felt inspired to cheer for and care about. This one got a perfect five star rating from me, and I'll be sharing a full review of it with you all shortly.
The Bull Rider's Secret by Jill Lynn:
This was literally the perfect book to finish off the month of July. I'd been waiting anxiously to read this one ever since I read the second book in the series in January. I'm so thankful that I got to advance read this one, as I don't think I could have waited to read it until its actual release. I will be sharing a full review of it with you all shortly, so I don't want to give too much away right now. However, I will say that Jill Lynn definitely gave Mackenzie the story she deserved, and I gave this amazing novel five out of five stars.
And that's all the books I ended up reading in July of 2019. Overall, I think it was actually a pretty good reading month. While I did have a one star read, and several two star reads, I also had a really large number of four and five star reads that helped balance everything out.
How did your reading go during the month of July? Leave a comment telling me what was your favorite or least favorite book you read during July.
Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)
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.
Can you believe it's already August?
I'm personally excited that fall is just around the corner, but I can definitely understand those that are sad to see summer come to an end as well.
Since we are already into August, I thought today would be a fun day to share with you all my reading wrap up from last month.
July was a pretty good reading month for me. I read some pretty amazing titles, I took part in a readathon, and I actually finished quite a few books.
Here's the books I read in the order in which I finished them.
Midnight On The River Grey by Abigail Wilson:
This was the perfect read to start off July with. It was an amazing story that kept me guessing right until the end, and I gave it four out of five stars, Full review here.
Mandie and the Dangerous Imposters by Lois Gladys Leppard:
I always enjoyed the Mandie titles where she'd go to visit Uncle Ned, and this one was no exception. I gave it four out of five stars.
Finale by Stephanie Garber:
I was honestly disappointed with this one. The world building in this series is amazing, but the content just ruined it for me. I don't understand why so many fantasy novels have to have sexual undertones running throughout each and every plot point, and I didn't appreciate that fact. Also, when the plot point with the fates was introduced in the second book, I found that book's overall nature turned much darker, and that fact was made even more pronounced in this one. I gave it two out of five stars, and I don't foresee myself rereading this series in the future.
Cold Day In The Sun by Sara Biren:
If this book were clean, it would honestly be one of my favorites. I love the overall story so much, but the explicit language throughout just ruins it. I gave it three out of five stars, and you can read my full review here.
All Dressed Up In Love by Ruth Logan Herne:
Definitely a new favorite from this novella series, I adored this title from start to finish. I gave it four out of five stars, and you can read my full review here.
State of Lies by Siri Mitchell:
State of Lies was an amazing story overall, but I wish the faith element had played a much larger role. Overall though, I really enjoyed this one, and I gave it a rating of four out of five stars. Full review here.
In Tune With Love by Amy Matayo:
I will be sharing a full review of this one with you all shortly, but suffice to say that it was definitely not a favorite. I really didn't like how immature both of the main characters behave throughout the entire story, with little to no character growth from either by the end. Also, I really didn't enjoy the fact that the faith element is pretty much nonexistent, and this one only ended up getting a two star rating from me.
Never a Bridesmaid by Janice Thompson:
I was really looking forward to reading Janice Thompson's addition to the Year of Weddings novellas, and I'm happy to say it was everything I was hoping for. I adored Mari and Derrick and their various family and friends (with of course a notable exception), and I especially loved the emphasis on faith, family and friendship. Mari was such an endearing character who had a big heart for everyone and everything around her, and I truly adored her as the lead. I gave this one a rating of four out of five stars, and it's definitely one of my new favorites from this series.
Mandie and the Invisible Troublemaker by Lois Gladys Leppard:
This was one of the Mandie titles that I'd read a lot growing up, and yet I was quite surprised at just how much of the story I'd forgotten. As always, it was a nice treat to revisit Mandie and her adorable friends, and I gave this one a rating of three out of five stars.
The Killing Tide by Dani Pettrey:
It's no surprise that I was really looking forward to reading this one as I love Dani Pettrey's books. This one is almost released into the world, so you guys don't even have to wait much longer to read it! I really enjoyed this one, and its focus around the Coast Guard Investigative Services, and I loved the set up to the many amazing stories I'm sure will be following in the series. I gave it a rating of four out of five stars, and you can check out my full review here.
A Wreath of Snow by Liz Curtis Higgs:
This was such a charming, little holiday tale. I love how the title references how snow drifts are referred to by many of the Scottish people, and I really enjoyed how its set during Victorian times. I liked both main characters, the focus on healing and learning to move on from past hurts, and how strong the faith element was throughout. Unfortunately, I found it didn't hold my attention, which is strange for it being such a short novella, but I did still enjoy it overall. I gave it a rating of three out of five stars.
Mistletoe Cottage by Debbie Mason:
This one I was a little torn on after finishing it. I really enjoyed the story, the writing style, and most of the characters. However, I was hoping that this one was going to be more of a sweet romance along the lines of Debbie Macomber or Sheila Roberts, and instead it ended up reminding me more of a Susan Mallery book. As much as I enjoyed the story, I didn't enjoy the inclusion of sexual content and the like, and for that reason it got a rating of three out of five stars from me. Also, I was expecting this series to be written in more of a companion novel style, and that wasn't really the case. Now I'm basically wanting to read the entire series because of all the set up for further novels included in this one, and that hadn't been my original plan when I picked it up.
Christmas With an Angel by Debbie Mason:
I ended up buying this novella from Amazon since my library didn't have it, and I assumed it was important to continuing on with the Harmony Harbor series after finishing Mistletoe Cottage. Unfortunately, at this point I really don't think this novella was necessary to understanding the rest of the series, and I really didn't end up enjoying it. I'm hoping it'll make more sense once I read Michael's full story later on, but for now I don't really recommend it, and I only gave it a rating of two out of five stars.
Love Finds You in Frost, Minnesota by Judy Baer:
I can honestly say this charming little holiday story was one of my favorites from the Christmas in July readathon I participated in. I loved Merry's character, I loved her relationship with Jack, I loved how strong the faith element was, and I loved the message of healing and letting yourself learn to truly live and love. I gave it a rating of four out of five stars, and you can check out my full review here.
The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan:
I ended up rating this one four out of five stars on goodreads, but in actuality it was probably more of a three and a half star read for me. I really enjoyed the story, the setting, the writing style, and its emphasis on family and friendship. However, I didn't love some of the content that was included, and the middle sister Beth really grated on my nerves for a large portion of the story. I'll be sharing a full review of it with you all shortly.
Mandie and Her Missing Kin by Lois Gladys Leppard:
This was another Mandie title that I'd read quite a few times growing up, and I really enjoyed how its one of very few titles that takes you back to where Mandie grew up, and also showcases more of Joe's home life with his parent's. It's a cute addition to the series, and I gave it a rating of three out of five stars.
One Day in December by Josie Silver:
I'm so disappointed with the fact that I had a one star read in July. Anyone who's read my blog for awhile knows that I try my hardest to not rate books one star. However, sometimes I end up reading books that I find have no redeeming qualities, and that's how I ended up feeling about this one. I didn't like that it's about insta love, that it promotes both emotional and physical cheating, and I really couldn't tolerate either Laurie or Jack as main characters. You can read my full review of this one here.
A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig:
I love middle grade. I love Christmas stories. I'd been anxiously awaiting reading this one. I'd heard great things about it. Taking all of those facts into consideration, I honestly expected to love this one. However, this ended up being one of my most disappointing reads of the entire month. The plot is weird, slow moving, and even downright disturbing at many points. I was definitely not a fan of all the immature humor that's thrown in throughout (like it being hilarious that a reindeer likes to pee on people that he's flying over top of). All in all, I gave this one a rating of two out of five stars, and I will most definitely not be continuing on with the rest of the series.
Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany by Jane Mount:
I really wanted to love this one, but alas, I didn't. While most of the art work is beautiful, and I appreciated a lot of the book facts thrown in for good measure, like the pages featuring the numerous famous bookstore pets around the world, I just felt as a whole that I didn't care about a lot of the stuff mentioned, and it never really held my interest. I wasn't really expecting this to be full of so much political type content, and whatnot and it just wasn't what I was expecting. I gave it a rating of two out of five stars.
The Queen's Rising by Rebecca Ross:
I've been in such a rut lately when it comes to the fantasy genre. None of the ones I've read recently have really stood out to me, and I'm so glad that this lovely book changed all of that for me. I completely loved this story from start to finish. The world building is amazing, the writing is intuitive and captivating, and I was so happy to read about a female protagonist that I actually felt inspired to cheer for and care about. This one got a perfect five star rating from me, and I'll be sharing a full review of it with you all shortly.
The Bull Rider's Secret by Jill Lynn:
This was literally the perfect book to finish off the month of July. I'd been waiting anxiously to read this one ever since I read the second book in the series in January. I'm so thankful that I got to advance read this one, as I don't think I could have waited to read it until its actual release. I will be sharing a full review of it with you all shortly, so I don't want to give too much away right now. However, I will say that Jill Lynn definitely gave Mackenzie the story she deserved, and I gave this amazing novel five out of five stars.
And that's all the books I ended up reading in July of 2019. Overall, I think it was actually a pretty good reading month. While I did have a one star read, and several two star reads, I also had a really large number of four and five star reads that helped balance everything out.
How did your reading go during the month of July? Leave a comment telling me what was your favorite or least favorite book you read during July.
Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)
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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