The past three months have been weird in terms of my reading and so this list is a little eclectic and I know that some of these will for sure be on my favorites list at the end of the year whereas a couple of them were definitely my favorite reads in the last three months, but don’t compare to some of the books I read earlier in the year. But regardless, let’s not worry too much about having to rank my faves and let’s just dive into the ten books I want to gush about with you today.
A Dowry of Blood by S. T. Gibson is such a gorgeously written book and listening to it on audio was just phenomenal. However, at the end of the day, it is really not a Jenica book so whether or not it will wind up in my ultimate favorites at the end of the year? I can’t be sure yet. But I will say, I really loved the writing. So much. And the sapphic/poly representation was lovely.
Full Moon Over Freedom by Angelina M. Lopez is such a fantastic small town romance with strong paranormal elements that I just adored it. There was a small something (pacing/the ex husband plot line/the weird unnecessary deception) that kept it from really being a perfect book for me, but for the most part, I loved the messy feelings and angst and just… The whole book was great. I really adore this small town in Kansas that Lopez has brought to life and I’m excited to return to Freedom already.
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave had me absolutely gripped the entire time I read it and I loved it. Will it stick with me the way that Gone Girl has? Probably not. (Definitely not. I think about the cool girl speech all the time. Maybe that’s my Roman Empire.) But I really, really enjoyed this one and I need to continue watching the show ASAP.
The Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley and the companion novel, Warrior Girl Unearthed were both such fantastic reads that I really enjoyed. Something kept both of them from being true, unreserved five stars, but the further away I get from them the harder it is for me to identify what. And these two are books that I think about a lot. I’m not usually a mystery/thriller kind of girl (so of course, this is the quarter where two are on my favorites list), but the way this book ties romance and coming of age into the mystery really worked for me. It’s not a romance, by any stretch, but I enjoyed it. I will say that when I got to Warrior Girl Unearthed, I desperately wanted to have a whole book in the middle that tells me exactly what happened to Daunis between the two books because there was a lot going on apparently. I highly recommend both books!
Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score was a truly fantastic conclusion to this trilogy and I want to stay in Knockemout forever. I’m not really sure why it’s not a real place that I can go visit. When I finished it, I really felt like Sloane and Lucien’s book was everything I wanted and more, but the further away I get from it, I can acknowledge that there were real flaws. Or… I guess it depends on whether you consider the fact that though this book is allegedly a standalone, it absolutely cannot be read as one because of how much the other characters are present a flaw. I don’t really. But it probably didn’t need to be quite as long as it was. All in all though, I loved Lucien and Sloane so much. I just want to be a part of this friend group. I’m literally ready to move to this small town in Virginia with the kickass library so that I can live there too. Why are all of these small towns fictional? It’s so unfair. My small town library could ABSOLUTLEY use more resources. But whatever, I suppose.
The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter gave me life in the way that it really felt like I was watching that Sandra Bullock/Channing Tatum movie but in book form (despite having a completely different plot). I just love the romantic suspense with comedy and stuff concept. It’s so wonderful. I love this book so much and think it needs to hit the big screen like next year. I would watch in in a heartbeat.
The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren is about a TV show so sort of fun that I put it up next. I loved this book. It’s so meta and just joyous and fun and yet full of heart. Also, it has a little more steam than some of the other recent releases from the writing duo and I was appreciative of that too. I just love the way they write romantic and sexual tension when they aren’t curbing it for reasons I’m still not sure about.
The Long Game by Elena Armas had me kicking my feet and squealing while dealing with a family member’s medical emergency and if that doesn’t say everything you need to know about how fantastic I found this book, I’m not sure what more I could say. I loved this book with every fiber of my being. They gave me such joy and I feel so invested in their happiness but they are FICTIONAL characters, so that’s fun.
Knockout by Sarah MacLean has a cliffhanger style epilogue scene which has me sort of wondering if I loved the book so much it belongs on this list or if I love the way it had me literally screaming in my car because I am DYING for the next book in the series. Like, tell me more, Sarah!!! I need to know. But I really did love Tommy and Imogen, like enough that I remember both of their names. I’m so proud. Anyway, MacLean absolutely delivered again and I’m really looking forward to the finale of this series.
Inheritance by Nora Roberts is a book I finished the day before having to go to Knoxville for the family emergency situation and let me tell you, this book did not leave me alone. I was listening to A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel and probably something else too, but my mind kept drifting back to this book. I am obsessed. Like, will probably re-read this book about six times before the sequel drops obsessed. I don’t know what to tell you, but when Nora wants you to feel the atmosphere of a place, she makes you feel it. This book was perfect for me and has me on a bit of a Nora kick, at least as far as my purchases go.
Closing Thoughts
I know I normally include honorable mentions, but honestly, this last three months didn’t feel like HMs were necessary. Here’s hoping the next three months present me with even more five stars and I wish the same for you. Here’s to finding new favorites!
xx
firewhiskeyreader 