I read 33 books in the month of September… It was a lot. I participated in two readathons, which is why there are some books that you will see here that are strange choices for me. Also, technically I read 34 books because I also read The Very Hungry Caterpillar, but I decided against counting that one towards my actual total even though Eric Carle is a brilliant illustrator. Anyway, September was overall a month of me trying to reset my nervous system after a very stressful August/first part of the month. The good news is, I feel like a person again! So there’s that. The bad news is that I actually read so much that this post is going to take me way too long to type up. So hopefully you have this by October 10th. That’s my goal. Let’s get started, shall we?
Books I Read Breakdown by Rating
5 Stars
I’m going to talk about my rereads all together even though I read the first as my very first book of the month and then the others came much later. House of Earth and Blood was supposed to be a reread in August, but I put it off and picked it up in September instead. I’d been dreading the Crescent City reread, but then I picked up this book and loved it all over again. I was literally driving to work sobbing at the end because it will never not get me apparently. Then I read Silver Silence, which is one of my favorites in Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling world and it remained a favorite. I love Silver and Valentin so much. The bears are also just fantastic. The Cornerstone was next up, which I loved as always, even though I really feel like I shouldn’t love it as much as I do? But here we are. Will and all of his toxic glory is perfect for Shannon and all of her controlling urges. And then the soft and sweet, Juniper Hill, which is just a perfect single mom book with the most perfect romance.
Dead Beat by Leigh Bardugo was literal actual perfection. I can’t believe this series is over. I am truly devastated that we aren’t getting the ten book series or whatever that Leigh originally envisioned because this book was so good.
Love Felt Like This by Julie Olivia was so good. Olivia is fantastic at setting and also of making me feel things. I received an ARC of this because of a Read Now thing that Berkley did but because I’m me and the worst, I actually just read the finished copy I bought on release day. Nevertheless, you’ll have a full ARC review posted… soon. I hope.
Free Falling by Lyla Sage was even better than Soul Searching in my opinion. I absolutely adored the mental health representation because it felt a lot like the way I’ve felt myself slide into this place where it feels overwhelming to exist and to have to try. It was just really well done in my opinion and reflected a lot of my personal experience back to me.
History Smashers: Salem Witch Trials is a book I picked up because we had a challenge to read a book about the Salem Witch Trials and I needed something quick. It turns out that the historical fiction I had also read about this subject was honestly fairly accurate, which is good to know. It reaffirmed that I passed by APUSH test because of my historical fiction reading as a child and not because of my actual teacher. Anyways, I really enjoyed this and think they would be great for kids and classrooms. I would read more books from this series in the future.
4.5 Stars
How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates was so much fun. I still can’t believe how much fun I had with this one. It really just was so delightful. I immediately requested the follow up on Netgalley so hopefully I’ll read that one in a much more timely fashion than I did this one. Anyway, it was an ARC read (okay, a listen on Spotify, but still) so I’ll have a review up soon, I hope.
Mourner for Hire by Caitlin Moss was a purchase that I think I made last year based on B? Or Jess? Someone in my reading circle for sure. Either way, I finally picked it up for a challenge to read a book that opens at a funeral or a wake and then I found myself so engrossed and having just the absolute best time. I really enjoyed this book. It wasn’t totally perfect, but it was pretty dang close.
Better Hate Than Never by Chloe Liese was so good for me that it rescued book one in the series from my unhaul pile. I picked it up for a challenge to read a book based on a William Shakespeare play and let me tell you, this was so much fun. I think I really just love Taming of the Shrew retellings. This is based mostly on my enjoyment of this book and 10 Things I Hate About You, but still.
Ocean Light is one of my least favorite books in the Psy Changeling world, or at least it was… I really did enjoy this one! Beau was way less annoying to me this time somehow. I really can’t explain that one.
Chase Me If You Can by Heather Frances was spectacular for a debut and I have my eyes peeled for book two to come out. The preview in the back of book one has me like, yes please! But truly, the forced proximity in this book worked for me really, really well.
4 Stars
The Black Bird Oracle was better for me than the last installment in this series and I really enjoyed the overall plot. My problem is, I think, that I would like Harkness to branch out from these characters and give me similar vibes but let me have a new romance to fall in love with. Perhaps that’s asking too much though considering I really didn’t love the Marcus and Phoebe book… Ah well. Anyway, this was really good and was one of the books that had quality Salem Witch Trials information.
The Matchmaker’s Cottage by Kat Sloane was an overdue ARC copy from August that is regrettably still awaiting a review… So to be brief here, I think I’m going to keep my eye out on Kat Sloane in the future, but unfortunately, I felt like I should be feeling things when reading this book, but I wasn’t actually feeling much of it. I did like the atmosphere and the plot and the overall writing though so I’m intrigued to see what she does in the future.
Big Bad Cowboy by Carly Bloom was fun for me. It takes the hook (a hook up at a party where neither individual figures out who the other is at the time) and then lets the plot unfold from there in a way that is mostly delightful and also, it’s essentially a single dad (guardian) romance, which you know I love.
Superfan by Sarina Bowen is far from my favorite Bowen, but it was a really good time and had a couple of chapters set on an island, which meant I got to check off that particular box in my #FallInLoveBingo challenge. This one is a pop star x hockey player, but they met before either of them were famous. I liked the way this one played out, but also, I really wish violence against women just didn’t exist and I prefer for my books to let me live in that world.
The Fall of Bradley Reed by Morgan Elizabeth was an entirely ridiculous plot based essentially on the idea of what if there really was an FBI agent reading all of your calls and text messages (keeping in mind that very technically, they can get a wire tap warrant for your phone, but also that those don’t happen very often) and he decided to stop you from murdering (accidentally on purpose) your ex-fiancé who left you at the altar because if you were in jail for doing that, his white collar crime case against said ex-fiancé would be in jeopardy. It was really fun and also really ridiculous, but I had a great time.
Tanked by Mia Hopkins wrapped up a trilogy and it was a spicy good time. I really like Hopkins writing and would definitely recommend the series if you’re searching for an angsty trilogy with some very hot reformed bad boys. Caveat, this book deals heavily with Covid and that was a little bit of a struggle for me.
Wreck My Plans by Jillian Meadows was fun. I love (sometimes) the forbidden element of a brother’s best friend trope, but I was also so annoyed by it at the same time because stop being so dramatic. However, I would also be mad at this man so I understood our FMC and I got why he was so attached to her family that he wasn’t willing to risk it. Anyway, great book from Meadows and another win from her.
You’re the Earl that I Want by Kelly Bowen is a super fun historical romance suspense and I love the way Bowen writes these books. I’m glad I still have one left of her backlist on my physical shelves because this really reminded me that I love her books. I know she’s written a historical fiction book since these, but I haven’t kept up with her much in recent years, so I’m looking forward to catching up.
The Anatomy of Magic by Alexis L. Menard was really good, but also a little confusing for me. I think I will probably have to reread this one before the sequel comes out, so it’s a good thing I’m definitely willing to do so. I did receive an ARC copy and then proceeded to buy the physical and audiobook final copies so expect a review to come soon.
3.5 Stars
If Not You was an ARC, but I read the finished copy I purchased via BOTM. I really enjoyed the beginning of it so much and then my anxiety kicked in because it turns out reading rivals in the workplace stresses me out. So that was fun to find out. I do think this book was well done, but O’Clover’s first book was my favorite of the two by far.
I Did Something Bad by Pyae Moe Thet War was also an ARC that I read. This book was definitely good and it’s different, but again, it stressed me out to read it. Admittedly, this time that makes sense considering it was essentially dealing with the fact that the love interests accidentally killed this man and are trying to get away with it. And then the end?? It was… very convenient. But the romance itself, I really liked!
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy has gorgeous writing, but was very not for me. However, right around the time I was about ready to sit it down and not pick it back up, the plot took off in a way that I really, really appreciated. But then the end. WHAT WAS THAT? I am just really a romance reader for a reason. Just saying.
3 Stars
I truly have so many thoughts about Rebecca and they are mostly centered around how the hell Taylor Swift wrote “Tolerate It” after having read this book… That just… was not my takeaway. At all. Anyway, I had a lot of thoughts while reading this book, but I’m not particularly capable in this moment of succinctly summing my thoughts up.
Always Her Cowboy by Addison Fox was a book I have an ARC of, though I read this via an audiobook I purchased myself. It was… Fine. Unfortunately I just really didn’t connect with it at all. I had hoped to like it so much more than I wound up enjoying it.
Gnomeo and Juliet is a book I read for the bit, but then I never did get around to watching the actual movie. I did appreciate the retelling for what it was though. I Walk in Dread was so much more boring than I remember these books feeling to childhood me. My tastes have truly changed so much.
Love at 350 may actually be a 3.5, but for now I’ll leave it here. I mostly enjoyed this book, but I do always struggle just slightly with books where characters are willing to risk their entire job over a person that they’ve just met. You know, I really think my anxiety gets in the way of me enjoying a lot of books if you bring up the wrong thing too much. And the wrong thing is just whatever I’m worried about. But the baking competition part of this book was really fun and I enjoyed that content quite a bit.
2.5 – 2
I just truly didn’t like either of these. Seven Year Itch is fun, it really is, but also, it just was not fun for me. Twin Games in Music City in contrast was like actually not good. There’s a lot of unnecessary repetition and the relationship moves at lightning speed and nothing felt earned.
Closing Thoughts
This was about as short as I could make it, but I hope it helped in some way! Please feel free to share your thoughts about any of these books because I would love to know.
xx
