July 2016 Reads

Yay! It's book review time! I'm actually surprised that I get any comments on my book review posts, but as I say every month, this is one of my favorite posts to write and look back at later - it's hard to remember everything I read, and I love having it documented!

This was another busy reading month for me. 8 books! Of course 2 long plane rides helped with this. {grin} I read 2 sets of books by the same author, 2 by fave authors, 1 sequel, 1 by a quickly becoming fave author...a hodge podge month!

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah - After reading The Nightingale I wanted to read everything by Kristin Hannah. I think I made a mistake reading what is likely her best book first, ha. This book was about 2 best friends whose decades-long friendship is examined after a falling out. It was good but not Nightingale good. 

The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley - My sister recommended I read The Winter Sea last year, and it was great, and I knew I wanted to read more by this author. I'm not sure why I waited so long! Her books aren't deep but the stories suck you in and the writing is so good. The Shadowy Horses is about an archaeologist who is a part of a dig team largely due to strange circumstances {which I don't want to share because it's kind of a cool twist}. It's a little bit paranormal, a little bit of a love story, a little bit of history - all together great!

The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion - I read The Rosie Project last month and really enjoyed it. The Rosie Effect picks up right where The Rosie Project left off, but I found this story to be a little annoying. I still enjoyed it, but Don's quirks that were charming in the first book were a little over-the-top this time around. I think it was still a good read, but I might have enjoyed it better with a little break between the 2 stories.

Between Sisters by Kristin Hannah - Another Kristin Hannah book! I think I liked this story {of 2 estranged sisters trying to navigate their relationship} better than Firefly Lane, but they just both seem kind of cheesy. I think I'll keep reading Kristin's books, but I now have a much better idea of what to expect.

Three Fates by Nora Roberts - You guys know when I don't have something to read, my fallback is often a Nora Roberts book. I had several books on hold at the library but nothing that was ready, so Nora Roberts it was! This story involved an international search for a set of 3 figurines that started when the Lusitania sank in World War 1. It was a fun story and very typical of Nora. I enjoyed it as much as I do all of her books.

Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid - Okay y'all. Taylor Jenkins Reid is quickly becoming a favorite. I would put my newfound love for her up there with Liane Moriarty whose 5 books I devoured all last year. Last month I read Maybe in Another Life and immediately looked for more books by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Unfortunately the e-library doesn't have them all, but I was able to get on the list for Forever, Interrupted. Oh my was this good. Elsie and Ben have a whirlwind romance and get married a few months after meeting. 9 days later, Ben dies. Elsie meets Ben's mother for the first time at the hospital! This story goes back and forth from Ben and Elsie's courtship to the aftermath of Ben's death. I loved reading about their love story, and that made it so much harder to read about Elsie's life after his death. It was heartbreaking yet hopeful. It was especially bittersweet as a close friend lost her husband in June in a tragic accident, and reading this made me think of her so much. I am already on the waiting list for another one of her books and can't wait to get it. 

Cold-Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas - Another author that I can count on when I'm in a slump is Lisa Kleypas. She probably has written close to 40 - 45 books, and I think I've read them all. So when new one comes out, I devour! Most of her books are historical romances usually set in England - total Lords and Ladys and I love them. Devon has just inherited an earldom he doesn't want as the estate is crumbling and the previous earl {his cousin} had a wife and 3 sisters, Devon is now responsible for. Of course Devon falls in love with his cousin's widow and fun times {stereotypical drama} ensues. Total fluff, but I enjoyed it!

The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley - Once I finished The Shadowy Horses I had to find another Susanna Kearsley book to pick up {said as she kicks herself for not reading this author in a year}. The Rose Garden follows Eva as she goes home to Cornwall after her sister's death and is helping friends grow and repair their family's historic rose garden/business. Along the way she keeps slipping in and out of the present traveling back 300 years to the years before the first Jacobite rising {hello Outlander lovers - that alone should interest you} and, of course, falls in love in the past!

July was a big reading month, and I've got a lot on hold for August, can't wait!