This post is also going to include two DNFs, which is quite unfortunate, but at the same time, I’m really glad that I’m making progress of my old ARCs because I do want my Netgalley percentage to eventually get up to (and stay at) 80% instead of where I hover around 75-76%. Anyway, the great news is that you can already read Love Interest by Clare Gilmore, The Summer Girl by Elle Kennedy, and The Secret Crush Book Club by Karmen Lee and I hope these reviews may help you decide if you want to if you haven’t already!
Love Interest by Clare Gilmore
Love Interest follows Casey, who finds out that the hot guy she just met in the elevator got the job that she’d applied for and she’s extremely resentful, especially when she determines that it was a nepotism hire. But Alex stays in her life because of work and the two of them are pretty continually pushed together and slowly her resentment turns to intrigue and eventually into more. But Casey is determined to move to London just as soon as she can and Alex hasn’t put down roots for basically his entire life. They’re meant for the short term, not the long term, even if they both feel more for one another than they should.
This review is going to be short and sweet because I truly do not have a ton to say about this book. It was Gilmore’s debut and I think I am definitely willing to try more from her, but my overall opinion about Love Interest is that it was fine! The characters felt fully fleshed out and the conflict was genuine. It lost me a couple of times because it maybe went too in the weeds with the plot, but mostly I enjoyed and would recommend. The friendship and the love interests banter were definitely some shining spots and I also loved the dynamic between Casey and her dads. There was something about it that made me feel a level removed from the characters (maybe it was their choices, I don’t know) and I like when I’m really feeling the same way a character is. Regardless, definitely going to pick up more from Gilmore in the future.
The Summer Girl by Elle Kennedy
Y’all, I had a blast reading this! I didn’t love book two in the series so I had put this off for ages, but The Summer Girl really delivered so much that I really adore. First, we had excellent banter. Second, we had truly great character growth. And third, we get to know and interact with a full cast of characters. I just thought it was so fun. There is some over the top family drama but of the rich people are messy variety so I was fine. That said, content warning for narcissistic parent and emotional abuse related to said narcissism.
Essentially, The Summer Girl follows Cassie, who is in Avalon Bay for the summer, spending time with her grandmother. She is determined to find a summer fling and to lose her virginity. Somehow, despite that being the premise, I never felt like there was too much about the losing her virginity aspect so that it took over the book, which I think is a risk of that premise. It also follows Tate, a sailing instructor at the country club and also he works for his dad’s dealership thing, who is also house sitting the house beside Cassie’s grandmother. The two of them run into one another several times and have such fun banter and I was so intrigued by their relationship. Also going on in the background are that Cassie’s family dynamics are wild. Her parents are divorced (normal), but her mother is awful and her father seems to be so focused on his new twin daughters who share her birthday that she feels like he barely even cares about her. I love the way these family dynamics are explored throughout the book. Tate’s family dynamics are much more healthy, but he is kind of trying to figure out what he wants in life. I’d say the book is more about Cassie than Tate, but it is dual perspective and I definitely appreciated both of their perspectives.
The audiobook was so engaging. I think the narrators did a great job. I just loved this book so much I feel like I want to pick up more of Elle Kennedy again, even though it’s been years since the last time I’d picked up one of her books. I’m so grateful that I decided to read this one finally!
The Secret Crush Book Club
by Karmen Lee
Dani is divorced and her ex-husband is kind of… frustrating. She’s the main parent in their son’s life and he happens to be in this EA Sports Club that takes place at the library with the very pretty librarian, Zoey. Dani doesn’t know if she’s interested in women, but she does know that she really wants to get to know Zoey better. And so she does…. And it turns out, she’s at the very least interested in Zoey. She joins Zoey’s book club too, which is really cute.
I don’t really have a ton to say about this book, because it was good! It just stayed sort of one note of being good. It’s set in a small town and that was cute. I like the family relationships throughout this book. I liked the friendship. I like a lot about it, honestly, but at the end of the day, I didn’t get intense feelings about the book and that’s what I need to really love a book.
DNF’s
Double Apex by Josie Juniper
Here’s the thing, I don’t think it’s fair that FMCs are held to a higher standard than MMCs in literature. And so maybe I’m the problem, because chances are you can find a book I was able to finish with a man who acted as atrociously as the FMC during the first 40% of the book. Unfortunately though, there was no part of me that felt emotionally capable of continuing to read the extremely toxic dynamic between the FMC and the MMC in this book. She needs to be in therapy and yet, 40% into the book, despite having lost control of her temper in a really concerning way multiple times, there didn’t seem to be any inclination to go that direction. Admittedly, I called it quits mid-scene of her getting physically violent with the MMC so maybe it comes after that. Anyway, all of this to say, I think Juniper’s writing was really engaging and maybe I wouldn’t bounce off of the sequel as aggressively as I did Double Apex, but I’m a little hesitant to try.
Ms. V’s Hot Girl Summer
by A.H. Cunningham
This book is 100% an it’s not you, it’s me book. I don’t know what has happened, but I am in a stage in my life where getting into a book that starts with a physical relationship is borderline impossible for me. It’s a barrier that I just cannot quite get past and I’m not sure why. This book starts with a lot of talk about the physical aspect of relationships and despite trying multiple times, I could not get into it. If you’re a person who wants your books to be spicy, I would recommend you pick this up! I think it’s probably fantastic, but a book can be fantastic and still not for you. So that’s where I landed. Hopefully one day my mood will shift again, but for now, this is where I’m at.
Closing Thoughts
I hope these reviews are helpful for you! If you’ve read any of these, I would love to know what your thoughts were.
xx
firewhiskeyreader 