I haven’t posted a book roundup since February, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been reading lately! (Although to be fair, I only read one book in March: Onyx Storm). I figured I would catch you all up on what I’ve read by doing a summer [so far!] round-up to encompass everything I’ve read from April to now!
I also made a little YouTube video recapping these books, so go give it a listen!:
Bride by Ali Hazelwood
This was my first Ali Hazelwood book and as you see in this post, it set off a series of events that I ended up reading FIVE Ali Hazelwood books this summer (so far!). I liked this one, it is not Ali Hazelwood’s normal genre, but I ate it up! I am generally not a huge fan of fantasy where there is modern technology, but I was able to look past it for the most part! [Had a hard time looking past the FMC’s name being Misery though]
4/5 stars
Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding by Lian Dolan
I have a whole post and Youtube video dedicated to this book, so I won’t rehash everything again, but this one is a light summer read– I think it would be a great read if you have children who are getting married!
4/5 stars
Deep End by Ali Hazelwood
This one was really popular on TikTok and was dubbed as very fun and smutty. College athlete romance if you’re into that kind of thing. It is definitely smutty- no doubt! It was fine, but not my favorite!
3.25/5 stars
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
This one is very short- only 70 pages, so a great read if you are trying to hit your read goal for the year! It is about unwed mother homes that existed in Ireland run by the catholic church. A lot of women were mistreated there and children taken from them. This is historical fiction about that topic and I found it to be very gripping!
4/5 stars
Fearless by Lauren Roberts
Unfortunately, this was not the conclusion to the Powerless trilogy that I hoped for. I really enjoyed Powerless when I read it last year, and Reckless was great too when I read it in October. I just didn’t love how things panned out and I think I just expected a more gripping conclusion to this trilogy.
3/5 stars
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
The Wedding People was so funny and witty. I really enjoyed reading this one and will recommend it to so many people! I read it while I was in Alaska and flew through it! [Do be warned that this book has a TW for suicidal ideation]
5/5 stars
The Handmaid’s Tale by Maragaret Atwood
I love the show on Hulu (although I haven’t watched the last season yet!), and was happily surprised that the show stayed true to so many elements of the book. There were a few things in the book that I was happy to see them NOT include in the show, but overall this was good! It is unsettling to read, but gripping nonetheless!
4/5 stars
In Deadly Company by L.S. Stratton
In Deadly Company is not set to be published until September 2nd, 2025, but the publisher sent me an advanced copy for me to review. If you enjoy Knives Out or White Lotus, this mystery-thriller may be up your alley! I liked the premise, but I did find the twists to be a bit predictable.
3.5/5 stars
Powerful by Lauren Roberts
I actually went backwards and read this book. It is considered book 1.5 in the Powerless trilogy– a novella that follows a different character and isn’t necessarily vital to reading any of the other books, but it does give some context! It takes place during book 1 though, and without giving any spoilers, I didn’t enjoy it because when you read it, you already know how it will end. It made it hard to get into because it puts kind of a dark cloud on the book.
2.75/5 stars
Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
WOWOWOW!!! LOVEDDDDD Love, Theoretically! Want to reread it again ASAP! This is Ali Hazelwood’s bread and butter: STEM romance. I was kicking my feet reading this one– I just loved the chemistry!
5/5 stars
Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood
Another STEM Romance! This one was more forbidden relationship, dual POV, and spicy! This one was really good too!
4/5 stars
Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak
This thriller is not too spooky, but it does have paranormal elements! It is about a girl who becomes a nanny for a young boy. The boy is drawing ominous pictures, talking about his invisible friend, and strange things start happening that makes the nanny suspicious about a potential murder in the guest house she is staying in. Really enjoyed this one and I didn’t see the twist coming!
4.75/5 stars
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Yet another STEM romance from Ali. This one is her most popular, and I enjoyed it! It is more of like a fake dating trope. But seriously Love, Theoretically is outstanding!
4.25/5 stars
The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan
I was hoping for this one to be like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, but I unfortunately found myself not caring about the characters of this book.
3/5 stars
Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
This one vaguely gave the vibes of Evelyn Hugo as well, but only in the sense that it is kind of like a historical fiction because the main character is interviewing a celebrity. It is part romance because she starts a relationship with another writer who is also interviewing the celebrity for a chance to write her biography. I liked that this book had so much more story to it than just a romance, but I loved the romance elements to it too!
4.75/5 stars
Perfect Fit by Clare Gilmore
This book was fine! It is about a fashion designer who hires a consultant who happens to be a fling from high school. It was kind of cute, but truthfully just kind of hard to follow Great Big Beautiful Life!
3/5 stars
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Really enjoyed the blend of emotional reads and fast-paced plots, your insights brought fresh perspective to trending titles. Thank you for sharing dear.
Thanks for reading! Glad you enjoyed!