Tuesday, May 14, 2019

May Reading: The Best Love Story Ever

Wow, I have somehow read 12 books since the last linkup and that time has included my birthday, barre instructor training and a housewarming party. I am shocked. If you get nothing from these reviews today except read Red, White and Royal Blue immediately, I'll be happy.


Also, feel free to follow along on Bookstagram where I post everything I'm reading in real-ish time with reviews :) All links are to Goodreads so you can read others' reviews and add to that ever growing TBR pile!

Verity // Colleen Hoover
Amazon Ebook 
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Thriller 
Challenge: N/A

I kept hearing about how twisted this book was and I just really needed to read it. I had a free trial of Kindle Unlimited and since this book is self published, you can only get it through Amazon but it was totally worth the read! Definitely dark and twisted and I stayed up way too late reading it! Highly recommend if you like thrillers.
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The Evidence of the Affair // Taylor Jenkins Reid
Amazon Ebook
Rating: 3/5
Genre: Short Story 
Challenge: Popsugar - a book with no chapters/ unusual chapter headings/ unconventionally numbered chapters

I also kept hearing about this one and I just wasn't blown away? It's told solely as letters between two individuals who find out their significant others are having an affair with each other. It just didn't end up going the way I thought and we spent a lot of time in the weeds. That's the best way to put it so as not to spoil it! It's a super quick read, though, since it's a short story and is also on Kindle Unlimited!
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The Proposal // Jasmine Guillory
Library Ebook 
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Romance
Challenge: Popsugar - book with a two-word title (I had another book here that I'm still planning to read but it fit, so why not check it off?) 

I loved The Wedding Date so I had high hopes for this one, too! If you've read The Wedding Date, you'll definitely recognize Carlos in this book. I loved Carlos so I was happy to join him on his love journey, too. If you want to be totally surprised when reading The Wedding Date, read that one first, because this one isn't a sequel, but you do find out how the other ends. Her next book, The Wedding Party, comes out this summer and I'm sure it'll be great, too. These are such feel good books! 
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Book of the Month Club 
Rating: 3/5
Genre: Thriller
Challenge: N/A

Not really my cup of tea. I waffled between a 2 and a 3 and ended up with a 3 star because there were some twists right at the end but overall, the book was slow. It's told in alternating points of view - which I do really enjoy, especially in thrillers - but you find out the "truth" pretty early in the book and the twist didn't do enough to save that, in my opinion.
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Scribd Ebook and Library Book 
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Nonfiction
Challenge: Erin's - book that was a Newberry Award winner (medal winner or honor book)

I ended up listening to most of this book via audiobook because I was short on time so maybe that was the reason I got a little lost on the names, but overall the story was heartbreaking. I am fascinated by WWII and Nazi Germany (I also HIGHLY recommend the Holocaust museum in DC) so this was heartbreaking to read about children who were used to carry out awful things for Hitler. 
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Rating: 4/5
Genre: Literary Fiction
Challenge: N/A

All of the cry face emojis for this book. I just cannot explain how great this book was. It tells the story of Annika and Jonathon who meet in college and then again 10 years later. The story alternates between them now in Chicago and meeting in college. Annika is on the spectrum but doesn't know or understand that so it's a brilliant story of her learning to thrive in life and also have this beautiful relationship with Jonathon. I cried a couple of times. Read it!
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Rating: 4/5
Genre: YA
Challenge: N/A

I read To All the Boys I've Loved Before after watching the Netflix movie (twice...) and finally got to finish these because the hold was so long at the library! They're just so dang cute and I relate to Lara Jean a lot. I was very over the top romantic and day dreamy in high school. But, I didn't get the hot guy until college LOL.
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Rating: 4/5
Genre: YA
Challenge: N/A

Again, so cute and adorable. I read the last one in less than two days. They're easy to read! They're also set in Charlottesville. And though they talked a lot about a SoulCycle that we for sure do not have, they did talk about my favorite bagel spot, Bodos so all is forgiven.
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Book of the Month Club 
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Thriller(ish)
Challenge: N/A

I put thriller(ish) because I thought it was a full blown thriller, but it also ended up being a story of growing up after trauma, rebuilding relationships and moving on. Yes, there's the whodunnit aspect of the murder but I was surprised by how much I liked this book even though it didn't focus on the twisty, gory aspects!
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Rating: 4/5
Genre: Thriller
Challenge: N/A

I have read a few Karin Slaughter books (and I googled her and it seems like this really is her name?!) and enjoyed them. They are GORY though, so you've been warned. This one wasn't the worst of hers I've read but the serial killer's signature is rough. I really enjoyed this kick off to her Will Trent series and while reading it, I even went to a used book store and bought the next two in the series. I'm not sure if they need to be read in order, but I'm doing it. I'm also from Georgia and all her stories so far have been set there, so it's kind of cool.
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Rating: 3/5
Genre: Mystery?
Challenge:N/A

People on the internet love this book. I am on the fence. While I, again, thought it was more of a thriller, it was not. It's a story about a family and how they grow and relate to each other told in alternating perspectives and times. It switches between the daughter in law and mother in law from the moment they met, until the mother in law was possibly murdered. So yes, there's a mystery, but it focuses much more on relationships. Which is totally fine but I feel like there were so many "things" in this book (highlight if you don't care about seeing what they were) - ALS, infertility, refugees, money troubles, suicide, murder, infidelity and more. It was just a lot of "hot topic" issues thrown at one family that just seemed too far fetched for this type of story. 
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NetGalley eARC 
Rating: 5/5
Genre: Romance 
Challenge: Booksparks SRC 2019

YAY FOR THIS BOOK! It's being published today and you absolutely must read it! I can't believe I'm rating a romance book 5 stars but here. we. are. This book has it all - politics, scandal, and most of all, a beautiful love story between the First Son of the United States (his mom is the president) and the Prince of England.

I have never read an LGBTQIA love story and I regret that choice immensely but I am trying hard to read more books and not just thrillers so this was high on my list and I'm so glad I was able to get it early! This book warmed my soul, made me laugh, cry and get chill bumps in the final chapters. I just... I want this to be the real America (it's set in the 2019/2020 election cycle) - so warm, welcoming, diverse and a freaking badass woman president who still has the same challenges of a mom! 

Ugh, just read this. Please. 
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Currently Reading: 

Find Her // Lisa Gardner
The Women // S.E. Lynes (eARC) 

Currently Checked Out from the Library: 

Find Her // Lisa Gardner
The Other Woman // Sandie Jones 


May's Book Club: 

Educated // Tara Westover

As always, linking up with Jana and Steph!

18 comments:

Lauren said...

I'm still in the beginning of Red, White, and Royal Blue - haven't had much time to read lately - but I already love it, and I'm so glad that you enjoyed it too. I love LGBT+ fiction so I hope you find more reads in that genre.

-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net

Kristen @ See You In A Porridge said...

glad you liked verity! and the proposal, so cute. i have the ARC of the wedding party and i am hoping it is as good as the first 2. i need to finish the PS books, i was also very day dreamy in high school but did not get the hot guy either lol. lucky lara jean. the movie was so cute!

Monica L said...

I loved Verity, The Proposal is on forever holds with the library for me! I have been thinking about reading a Jenny Han book but wasn't sure, I might just do it. I love Karin Slaughter!

Julie said...

I'm dying to read Verity since it seems like everyone else has but I cant get my hands on it yet. One day!

SMD @ lifeaccordingtosteph said...

The Mother in Law is not really a thriller. I liked it a lot though.

Loved Verity and liked The Winter Sister and Before She Knew Him just fine.

I enjoyed Evidence of the Affair but like nearly all short stories, I want it to be longer.

Kay R. said...

evidence of the affair was really good but I so wanted it to be longer. If only.

Loved the lara jean books though the first was my favourite of the three

Carly said...

I liked The Wedding Date just okay so I didn't ever add The Proposal to my tbr, but now that some time has passed I'm feeling like I might want to read it. I think I have Red White and Royal Blue from Netgalley, so now I'm excited to read it after your review.

Jana @ Jana Says said...

I will read anything TJR writes, and Evidence of the Affair was great but I wished it was longer.

I need to read the Will Trent series. I like her one-off books too much not to.

Confuzzled Bev said...

I usually like Karen Slaughter but yeah, her books are definitely not for the faint hearted!

Tanya @ A Mindful Migration said...

Okay, first up I see that you're reading Find Her and I sincerely hope that you love that book as much as I do. It wasn't an easy read because it was graphic in a way that made me feel like I was a part of the story. But I love Flora Dane. If you like Flora, she continues to make appearances in the DD Warren series (which other than the books with Flora I have not read). Now on to what you HAVE read. :D I read Verity last month too and overall enjoyed it. It was definitely messed up. I read The Wedding Date but haven't read The Proposal yet. And it's been long enough that I'm struggling to remember Carlos ... was he the best buddy of the male love interest (whose name I also cannot recall, yikes!)? It sounds like a good, light read for the beach, so definitely adding it to my TBR and assuming all the dots will connect again when I read it.

Kristin said...

Thanks for saying that Evidence of the Affair is on Kindle Unlimited! I just grabbed it!
I read Verity last week and yeah, very twisted.

Brittany Always said...

Hepworth's book is on my TBR, but I have read her books before and like her overall style of writing. Different strokes for different folks :)

Audrey Louise said...

Man... Red, White, & Royal Blue is getting all the rave reviews. Clearly I need to read it! Lol! I need to read The Wedding Date and The Proposal, too. I've heard nothing but good things. I enjoyed Evidence of the Affair. It was simple and surface level, but I thought it was enjoyable for a short story :)

Tanya said...

I'm just starting Mother in Law...hopefully I will like it! Thanks for the recommendations. Tanya - The Other Side of the Road

Days of a Wife said...

I have heard so many good things about The Girl He Used to Know and I seriously cannot wait to read it!

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