August Book Haul & Wrap Up

It's the end of a month which means a quick recap on my reading goal and book haul. This was definitely one of my smallest book haul months, I guess I just lost track of time and never really got around to ordering anything. I guess I will just have to make up for it in September!

My reading goal for August was to read 5 books. I figured I should play it smart and keep it realistic since I've managed to average 5 books for the past few months. I ended up reading 6 books and I actually surpassed it this month by one. Yay!

Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer

The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes by Elissa R. Sloan

When We Were Vikings by Andrew David MacDonald

Gone Girl by Alisha Rai

Island Affair by Priscilla Oliveras

Alex & Eliza by Melissa de la Cruz

A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight

You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty

How did you do with your monthly reading goal? Did you hit it or fall short? What about your August book haul? Did you get anything really awesome?

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Review: Island Affair

 

Island Affair
(Keys to Love, #1)
by Priscilla Oliveras

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Publication Date: April 28 2020
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp.
Pages: 283
ISBN: 9781420150179
Genre: Adult Fiction | Romance | Contemporary
Source: Own

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Available for Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Synopsis: Sara has always felt like an outsider in her family. Both of her parents are huge successes in the medical field and her two older siblings followed in her parents' footsteps. Sara made her own path in life and is a social media influence with over 500,000 likes. Sara's brother and sister were teenagers when Sara was born, making it almost impossible for her to connect with them since they didn't form a strong sibling relationship as children. This, coupled with never feeling like enough or wanted by her parents, led Sara to suffer from a slew of anxiety problems that led to an eating disorder. Sara has been in recovery and doing great but her parents' constant worrying frustrates her.

Having recently finished chemo and being declared cancer-free, Sara's mom books a family vacation to Key West to help celebrate. Sara's father has left strict expectations for all of his children - make this vacation as stress-free as possible. Not wanting to feel like an outsider, Sara invites her boyfriend to go along with her but when he stands her up at the airport Sara has no choice but to make a drastic decision.

Sara convinces Cuban firefighter Luis Navarro to play the part of her boyfriend. Luis is hesitant at first because he is dealing with his own issues but he reluctantly agrees to play along on the condition that his family doesn't find out.

Review: First of all, this font is so horribly tiny and the spacing between lines is very minimal. I ended up having to read this on my kindle because the font hurt my eyes so bad. I actually almost chose not to read it at all since it was so bad. Which would have been a shame because I really quite enjoyed this read! I'm shocked by the low rating on Goodreads because this was such a lovely meet-cute.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. The relationship between Luis and Sara was really sweet and they were such a perfect couple. I loved all the steamy parts between them but was very disappointed that when they finally connected, the author skipped it and jumped to the after. That was disappointing. I loved the Navarro family dynamic. I could picture all of those things happening and I loved seeing their strong bond and relationship. I actually had a hard time connecting with Sara throughout the entire story. I really wanted to like her but I just couldn't relate to her and she seemed whiny. Parts of this book felt very rushed, and the ending wasn't spectacular - there was absolutely no closure! It's also been several years since I took Spanish so some of it went right over my head. I wish the author explained what some of those sayings meant, I ended up having to Google them.

“As long as we allow the past to negatively affect our present, it's impossible to build a positive future.”
― Priscilla Oliveras, Island Affair

I definitely recommend this to anyone who is interested in a quick, cute, steamy love story. It's the perfect summer read and the plot/setting makes you just want to be in Key West, laying on the beach with a cabana boy while you sip margaritas.

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Review: Alex & Eliza

 

Alex and Eliza
(Alex & Eliza. #1)
by Melissa de la Cruz

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Publication Date: April 11 2017
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Pages: 368
ISBN: 9781524739621
Genre: Young Adult | Historical Fiction | Romance
Source: Own

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Available for Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Synopsis: It's been a year since the Second Continental Congress declared their independence as the United States of America. The Schulyer family is dealing with the loss of their Saratoga home and on the brink of financial ruin. With their dire luck, it is imperative that the three oldest Schulyer children, Angelia, Eliza, and Peggy, marry as soon as possible. In order to speed up the process of marriage, Mrs. Shculyer hosts a grand ball.

When Eliza hears that Alexander Hamilton will be attending the ball, she can barely contain her excitement. She is curious about Alexander and has heard a lot about him. Alex in enthralled by Eliza's personality and beauty and their meeting sets off a two-year epic love story with Alexander trying to win over the heart of Eliza and the approval of the entire Schulyer clan.

Review: I don't read a lot of historical fiction, it's not a particular genre I am interested in. I came across the cover of this book a while ago and added it to my "want to read" list, not even knowing what the story was about (I didn't even read the synopsis). Then I saw a Bookstagram post that was showcasing this series along with other things from Hamilton and realized it was ahistorical fiction about Alex & Eliza - duh!

I loved the Broadway show of Hamilton and Eliza seemed like such a strong female character so I couldn't wait to read this fictional account of their love story. I held off on reading it because the reviews weren't super high, and again - I generally don't like historical fiction. Ahh! I'm so glad I finally read this. I loooove how Melissa portrays Eliza and the Schuyler sisters. They are so sassy for the time period but still in a respectable way. When Alex and Eliza were finally together, their relationship was adorable to watch - total swoon!

“He scooped her into his arms once again, his doubts quelled. "I shall never be worthy of you, my angel," he said. "I know I shall disappoint you in a thousand ways before our time on earth is through. But I hope that you will always see the good in me and know that this unworthy heart of mine will always be yours, no matter what obstacles or failures I bring to your life.”
― Melissa de la Cruz, Alex and Eliza

Overall I really liked this story and I can't wait to finish the rest of the series. I wish the series showed more of Alex's relationship with Angelica but it skipped over that entirely. I did enjoy the fact that Peggy has a lot of notable scenes. She's often overlooked (and Peggy) so it was nice to see her and her beau a bit in this installment. I think the reason the review ratings were so low is because of the historical inaccuracies in this book. But who cares - it's historical fiction and definitely fan-fiction and even Melissa says it's a fictional account of their relationship and mostly fabricated.

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Review: Girl Gone Viral

 

Girl Gone Viral
(Modern Love, #2)
by Alisha Rai

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Publication Date: April 21 2020
Publisher: Avon
Pages: 400
ISBN: 9780062877888
Genre: Adult Fiction | Romance | Contemporary
Source: Own

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Available for Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Synopsis: Katrina King likes living a low-profile life, out of the public eye. After striking up a conversation with a cute guy in the local coffee shop, Katrina finds out that the entire encounter was live-tweeted by the girl at the table next to her. Now the internet is dying to find out who #CuteCafeGirl is and Katrina would do anything in her power to make sure no one knows her real identity.

Jas Singh, Katrina's bodyguard, and friend comes to her rescue and takes her up North to his family's farm. But being alone with Jas in a remote setting makes it that much harder for Katrina to hide her attraction to him. Does Jas feel the same way? What happens if Katrina tells him how she feels and ends up losing him forever?

Review: I read the first book in this series, The Right Swipe, and really liked it so I couldn't wait to get this book and read it. I was so excited to find out this book was about Katrina because I really liked her in The Right Swipe and hoped she would finally get her happy ever after.

I liked that the characters had real-life problems - Veteran with PTSD, parental and emotional abuse, and anxiety. They both had a lot going on in their personal lives (not just emotionally) and were very career-focused.

“Sometimes we think a person doesn't need to hear something because it's obvious because they know what's in our hearts. But that's not how the world works. We have to say the things.”
― Alisha Rai, Girl Gone Viral

Overall I liked this book, it was a fun read. I wish the romance scenes were a bit more steamy, especially since the entire book these two characters are pining for each other and have been for years, but it was still a good read. I loved that both characters were selfless and really kind. Both cared a lot about other people and seemed really genuine.

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Review: A Good Marriage

 

A Good Marriage
by Kimberly McCreight

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Publication Date: May 5 2020
Publisher: Harper
Pages: 400
ISBN: 9780062367686
Genre: Adult Fiction | Thriller | Mystery
Source: Library

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Synopsis: One night while working late at elite law firm Young & Crane, Lizzie Kitsakis receives a phone call from an inmate at Rikers asking for help. Lizzie wants nothing to do with the case even though her law school friend Zach Grayson is pleading with her to take it on. Zach's wife, Amanda, was found dead at the bottom of the stairs in their Park Slope brownstone and Zach is the primary suspect.

Lizzie finds herself being drawn into the investigation and the close-knit parent group of the private school in Park Slope. The more she gets dragged in, the more she realizes that neither Zach nor his wife Amanda is quite what they seem.

Review: This is my first read of Kimberly McCreight, and she definitely didn't disappoint! I found it to be very comparable to Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. A murder has taken place but who is the killer? It becomes evident that no one is quite like they seem and everyone is hiding their own secrets. I loved the alternating narrators and going along with the story, trying to figure out who really killed Amanda. Every character had their own secret and their lives were so intertwined with each other. I thought I had it all figured out and then realized I was completely wrong.

“That's the hardest part about marriage, isn't it?" Zach went on. "Somebody else's problems because your own. It doesn't always feel fair.”
― Kimberly McCreight, A Good Marriage

I definitely recommend this. It's a fast-paced thrilling read. I ended up reading the entire book in one day, it was that good and I couldn't put it down. I loved reading the different perspectives and learning the backstories of the characters. It's interesting to see into their past and the events that led them to be who they are and the choices they made. Fantastic writing and I can't wait to read more by this author.

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Review: You Are Not Alone

 

You Are Not Alone
by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

Greer: Website | Twitter | Instagram
Sarah: Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: March 3 2020
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pages: 343
ISBN: 9781250202031
Genre: Adult Fiction | Thriller | Mystery
Source: Library

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Synopsis: Shay Miller lives a mundane and ordinary life. Having recently been let go from her job, she finds herself bouncing around from temp job to temp job, in search of a new permanent position. She has no friends and no love life. She secretly pines for her roommate but he is dating someone else, much to Shay's dismay. One morning Shay finds herself a witness to a suicide. Rattled by the event, Shay can't get the woman out of her mind. She tracks down the woman's info online and finds herself delivering flowers to her apartment and attending her memorial service. That's where Shay meet's the Moore sisters, Cassandra and Jane. The Moore sisters live a life of perfection and glamour and Shay finds herself being sucked into their circle.

Shay's friendship with the Moore sisters is everything she has always dreamed of. But what Shay doesn't know is that it's too good to be true and that her life may be in danger.

Review: This was such a dark and twisty read! I wanted so badly to like the characters, or at least one of the characters, and it was impossible. None of these characters are likable, I didn't trust any of them and I was trying the entire time to figure out what their motives were. I knew something would happen but I couldn't figure out what it was, and then I was completely blindsided by the twist. How did I not figure it out?!

Everything was a mind game, right from the first chapter until the very end. Before reading this, I really hoped it would live up to my expectations. I have read Greer & Sarah's other two co-authored books and really enjoyed them. This one definitely didn't disappoint at all! I also really enjoyed the short chapters of this book and the bouncing back and forth between narratives. I loved this book so much that I read it in two days because I couldn't put it down and I NEEDED to know what the heck was going on.

“Some people contend there are two primal fears. The first and most basic is the end of our existence. The second is isolation; we all have a deep need to belong to something greater than ourselves.”
― Greer Hendricks, You Are Not Alone

I definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good thriller and mystery. It was exciting, with strong and smart female characters. The storyline is riveting and entertaining. Well worth the read!

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Review: One to Watch

 

One to Watch
by Kate Stayman-London

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Publication Date: July 7 2020
Publisher: Dial Press
Pages: 432
ISBN: 9780525510444
Genre: Adult Fiction | Romance | Contemporary
Source: Book of the Month Club

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Available for Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Synopsis: Bea Schumacher is a plus-size fashion blogger with thousands of Instagram followers. Bea loves to watch her favorite guilty pleasure, Main Squeeze, a reality dating show, but she's fed up with the lack of diversity on the show. Frustrated by the outcome of the show, Bea blogs about how being a size zero shouldn't be a prerequisite for getting engaged on the show. Then Bea gets an interesting phone call, the producers want Bea to be the next Main Squeeze, surrounded by men who are all vying for attention.

Bea has no interest in joining the show, she is not a size zero and she is not looking for love. But the producer of the show pushes her to say yes, claiming it will be great publicity for her blog and lead to more future opportunities. Bea decides to give it a go, but there is no way she is actually going to find true love, or even anyone interested in dating her.

Once the cameras begin rolling, Bea finds herself in a whirlwind of sexy suitors but wonders if they are really interested in her or just using her to get ahead. Bea needs to start trusting herself and trusting them in order for her to find her happily ever after.

Review: I don't watch a lot of reality dating shows but the premise of this book sounded intriguing enough that I wanted to give it a go. It was such a fun quick read and I found it difficult to put down because I wanted to know what would happen next. I loved Bea's character and found her to be very relatable. This book is definitely a roller-coaster of emotions. There are so many good parts but then so many heartbreaking parts. I hated to see how some of the men treated Bea and the awful, hurtful things they said to her. My heart really broke for her.

I read this book with zero expectations and was pleasantly shocked. While the premise of the book is Bea's journey to find love, it's also centered around her inner journey to realize that she deserves to be loved and cared for, that she is worthy. I feel like that's an inner battle most women have at some point in their lives.

“No, Beatrice, it's the hardest thing in the world. To have been that hurt, to feel that afraid, and to know that the only way you can be really, fully happy is to risk going through it all again.”
― Kate Stayman-London, One to Watch

I definitely recommend this book. It was such a fun and cute read. There are some really notable moments in the book and readers can't help but root for Bea. The dating parts were kind of lack-luster and superficial, and some parts really felt rushed while others seemed drawn-out. Despite all of those things, it's still worth a read!

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August 2020 TBR

Happy first day of August, bookworms!

Did you have a good reading month in July? My goal was to read 5 books and I knew that was a pretty realistic goal for me. I ended up finishing the month by reading 6 books. Not bad!

This month I have another small TBR picked out, mostly because I know not to overreach with my goals. Being back at work is leaving me with less time to read and even when I am home, I feel so exhausted and sometimes fall asleep in the middle of reading. Anyway, I am hoping to read 5 books this month which is my average.

Here's what I'm reading this month:

Girl Gone Viral by Alisha Rai

Island Affair by Priscilla Oliveras

Alex & Eliza by Melissa de la Cruz

The Empire of Gold by S. A. Chakraborty

You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

Here's to hoping for a great reading month! What about you? What are you reading this month?

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