I know this post is a little late, but I really wanted to share it, partly to hold myself accountable and have something to look back on and reflect on, and partly to share my thoughts on these books with y’all. Overall, it wasn’t a bad month for reading.
This Summer Will Be Different by Carly Fortune – 4/5
I absolutely devoured this book. I saw the hype everywhere and finally bit the bullet and got the audiobook. I listened to it on my way to and from work, at the gym, while folding laundry, doing dishes—basically anytime I could squeeze in a couple of minutes. I was hooked from the start.
The story is about Lucy falling for her best friend Bridget’s brother—and that’s all I’m going to say because that’s literally the gist of it, and I don’t want to spoil anything. There’s some spice in the novel, but it doesn’t overpower the story; it actually adds to the plot. The timeline jumps between the present and the past, but it’s not too hard to follow. By the end, I found myself wondering, how long is too long to keep a secret like hooking up with your best friend’s brother? Five days, five months, five years? Lol.
Hawke by Jescie Hall– 1.5/5
Oh man, Hawke was a tough one to get through. I picked it up for a book club, and honestly, I was skimming through most of it. There was some potential here, but the inner monologues of the main character were exhausting, and the villain? Totally underdeveloped. The story is about a girl who settles for her boyfriend, and then their new roommate shows up—a guy with a messy history with her boyfriend that she knows nothing about. Instead of talking things out, she starts cheating on her boyfriend with the new roommate and falls for him in less than six weeks. The book has some spicy scenes, but not enough to keep you hooked. Overall, I wasn’t a fan and wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re really into the cheating trope.
The Ever King & The Ever Queen by L. J Andrews 3/5
I found The Ever King and The Ever Queen on Kindle Unlimited when they were ranked pretty high, so I decided to dive in without knowing much about them, other than that they were fantasy novels. Both books are decent reads, but The Ever King is definitely the standout. It sets up the story well and really pulls you in. The Ever Queen… not so much. It got a bit repetitive and dragged in parts. That said, I did enjoy how detailed the author was in describing the different kingdoms and the roles everyone plays. The main character stayed interesting, even in the second book, which isn’t always easy to pull off. They are both a quick read, with just a hint of spice—tastefully done.