SMS: Long-time, No Stack :D

Hey what’s up hello!

It’s been a mighty minute since my last post so we’re keeping it simple with some RR&R - Reads, Reviews & Recommendations. I have read quite a bit since June and by that I mean at least 10 books so I may have my work cut out for me. Alas, let’s give the people what they want ; )

This summer has been heavy on the romance. Since May, I have read a whopping 22 romance books that range from shifter romances (The Fake Mate) to auto-buy author’s latest releases (Emily Henry, Carley Fortune, Katherine Center) to some new authors (Liana De La Rosa, Sonali Dev, Kwana Jacksom) courtesy of the Novel Neighbor’s new romance room Open Door Romance. This is my shameless plug for anyone and everyone to go and visit them since they just opened last month!

My summer reading has also included some historical fiction, mystery, family fiction, suspense and magical realism. Here are a few quick mini reviews of the 12 books I have picked out above!

• Ana Maria and the Fox - 5 stars, Regency Historical Romance, Mexican/African American Romance, series featuring three sisters, love letter to the oldest sister, great for fans of Bridgerton, Open Door Romance

• Recipe for Persuasion - 4 stars, Foodie Romance, Indian/Brazilian Romance, series featuring the Raje Family, Celebrity Food Show, Second Chance Romance, lots of family drama, Semi-Open Door Romance

• The Happy Ever After Playlist - 4 Stars, Happenstance Romance, Dog brings them together, Love after Loss of Fiancé, Celebrity Guy X Everyday Girl, Big heart and lots of miscommunication, Semi-Open Door Romance

• The Fake Mate - 4 Stars, Shifter Romance (Werewolves), Workplace Romance, Great banter, Great for Fans of Twilight, Very Open Door Romance

• Real Men Knit - 3 Stars, Childhood Crush turned Romance, Love after Loss, Cozy Knitting Shop in Harlem, Found Family/Brothers, Death of a Parent, Open Door Romance

• The Rom-Commers - 5 Stars, Workplace Romance, Forced Proximity, Cancer + Chronic Illness Reference, Death of a Parent, Hollywood Drama, Closed Door Romance

• The Summer Will be Different - 5 Stars!, One-Night Stand turns into falling in love with Best Friend’s Brother, Prince Edward Island, Anne of Green Gables Ref, Flower Shop Romance, Oyster Shucking, Open Door Romance

• Ruthless Vows - 5 stars, Magical Realism, Historical undertones of WWI, Gods & Goddesses, Magical Typewriters, Enemies to Lovers, Writers, Wartime Journalism, Second book in a series

• Flight of Dreams - 3 Stars, Historical Fiction, Dawn of WWII, Hindenburg Balloon Crash, Multiple POVs, German Politics, Journalism, Truth or Lies

• The God of the Woods - 5 Stars, Mystery/Triller, Summer Camp Setting, Family Drama, Adirondacks, Set in 1960s & 1970s

• Such a Bad Influence - 5 Stars, Child Social Media Star, Family Drama, Money Hungry, Sisters, Power of Social Media, Missing Person’s Case

• The Guncle Abroad - 4 Stars, Gay Uncle Takes Niece/Nephew Abroad, Big Family Themes, Dad’s Second Wedding, Second Chances, Mid-life Crisis, International Setting, Quirky/Great banter, Heartwarming

Now I know I mention a lot above so let me break down 3 of my 5 STAR reads —Such a Bad Influence, Ana Maria and The Fox and This Summer Will Be Different.

A debut novel written by the incredible Olivia Muenter, Such a Bad Influence takes a deep dive into influencer culture and child stardom. In the first few pages, we meet Hazel and her sister/child social media star, Evie. We immediately get the inside scoop on their family whose viral video launched them into stardom on YouTube and turned it into a “family” business of influencing. Hazel strived to stay out of the spotlight and that placed her sister Evie right into it. Years later, Evie is eighteen and disappears in a viral live stream video. This launches a spiral of events that explores the darker sides of social media and even her family.

When I say this book gripped me from the first page, I mean it. I listened to this as an audiobook over the course of a day of painting my house and I was SO HOOKED. The prose of the book was addicting but also so compelling. The characters were well developed, and so many twists and turns throughout the whole thing. Olivia, you are a genius and I cannot wait for more in the future!

Following my meeting Liana De La Rosa at a Novel Neighbor author event in May, I knew I had to enter her historical romance series set in London featuring the love stories of three Mexican sisters. Ana Maria and the Fox is the first in the series and it sets the scene for the turmoil they escaped in Mexico during the French occupation. Ana Maria and her sisters arrive in London to not only represent their family but also find some freedom in-between. Enter Gideon Fox, a new member of Parliament who strives to make a difference for a cause close to his heart, abolishing slave trading. They catch each other’s eye and when Ana Maria is caught between a nobleman with his own political agenda and taking the hand of Gideon for protection…where will her heart lie when its all over?

This was so fun to read after watching Season 3 of Bridgerton. This gave us another side of London society with great historical antidotes of Mexican culture and history during the 1800s. This was a true love letter to older sisters (which resonated a lot with me) and it set the scene for the rest of the sisters books. This series is great for those looking for something like Bridgerton but goes deeper into history and has a bit more diversity!

Ah, it has not been a true summer for me without a lakeside Carley Fortune book to accompany me on a family vacation. This year was no different — except for the fact that the book’s setting was actually on an island. The story centers around Lucy who ventures to Prince Edward Island with her best friend Bridget every summer. BUT on her first summer, she has a magical night with a handsome local who shucks oysters…unbeknownst to her that it was actually her best friend’s younger brother Felix. Over the years, they try to fight the chemistry but its hard to resist the person you may be meant to be with forever…even if your best friend said to “never fall in love with my brother”. However, when Bridget suddenly flees to the island before her wedding without any context — Lucy drops everything at her flower shop to help her through it and be forced to reconcile the past with Felix in the process.

This book is my TOP book of summer 2024 so far. I loved the setting on the island, Lucy’s flower shop in Toronto, the quaint qualities of the locals and of course the challenges Lucy and Felix overcome throughout the book. It was the perfect book to sink into a chair and get lost in during this mild summer. Highly recommend for anyone who has not read Carley’s books because it may just top her debut Every Summer After in my Goodreads.

And now, for three quick recommendations based on three things I am loving right now.

1. Laughter Permitted Podcast with Julie Foudy. This podcast is great for those who love and appreciate sports, good stories and a laugh with the hilarious trivia questions they do at the end. Bonus: the Erin Matson episode from last year is amazing. She’s 24, one of the most decorated field hockey players ever and is the head coach of reigning national champions University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

2. Summer Target mug. I mean the cherries are so cute, and they also have strawberries. Too cute and $5 is a hard price to beat. Their fall mugs are probably out by now, but I had to shout it out because its adorable.

3. Dogtown Doggy Dash. If you are a runner like me in St. Louis, my running club Dogtown Running Club is putting on a 5K in a month throughout the streets of Dogtown! Furry friends are also welcome to run or walk along with you. It’s coming up fast on Sunday, September 15. But sign ups are still open. ALSO if you love running and live near Dogtown — the Running Club meets every Wednesday from 6-7:30 for a 2 or 4 mile run in the lovely Forest Park! I have been going since June, and LOVE IT.

Like what you see or found a new book to read? Let me know! Or if you have recommendations for me, my inbox is always open :)