This month I met and passed my 50 book reading goal I set for myself via GoodReads!

I also read quite a bit despite being busy (once again 😩), at least not too busy with work… How did I do it? No idea.

I read a lot of fiction… that you’ll soon find out WHAT exactly.

A week or so into the month I started this blog post to prepare because I could tell it was going to be a lot of books read. In total, I read eight books. I don’t know if that’s the most…. I’d have to go back and check. I thought the most was 11 but I could be wrong, as I typically am. Eight is still quite a lot for an average person to read in a month, right? I feel pretty accomplished considering these were all read and not audible.

Now, let’s get into the details!

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The Goodbye Bride by Denise Hunter

Well this was funny…

Of course, the book had it’s humor, but the finishing of the book was the most humorous for me, I think.

I love Denise Hunter, have for years. I don’t have as many of her books as I’d like, to be honest. I can look over at my shelves and I count 11 (now). Perhaps that is a lot now that I think about… 🤣 but anyway…

As I finished this book up, I marked it on GoodReads as “I finished this book!” and then proceeded to place it on my shelf alongside the other Denise Hunter books. What did I find??

😬😬😬

I ALREADY HAD THIS BOOK.

At some point, I must have read it.

The audacity.

This is the book that I ordered from Amazon not long ago that I had to send back and get replaced because it was all jacked, remember? Ugh. How did I not look at my shelves before ordering? 🙃

At least it was a Denise Hunter book. I can live with it.

Also, in putting this blog post together and looking into (and ordering…) more books, I realized that this is not the first book in the series. HOW DARE I DO SUCH A THING AGAIN. So just letting you know, the other books in this Summer Harbor series have now been ordered or are on my list to pick up at the store.

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The morning of October 5th, I received an email that Denise Hunter’s releasing a new book for a new series on October 19th! I went to my Barnes and Noble app and checked the price of that Julie Klassen book and it was a dollar more than Amazon so… I pre-ordered both from Amazon right then and there. 😎

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Breakfast at the Honey Creek Cafe by Jodi Thomas

This was a cute novel! I’d like to maybe read more of Jodi Thomas, but honestly, not one of my favorite authors. It was a fun lighthearted read – at times too lighthearted (is that a thing? It’s a thing). It wasn’t believable to me and it wasn’t a contemporary fiction I’m used to. Also, more secular than Christian… not that she’s a Christian author anyway, but I have standards. Haha

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Poppy Petals by Rachael Bloome

This is a special ebook that’s only available for those who subscribe to Rachael Bloome’s website/blog.

I signed up after I’ve completed all her series of books so far. This was a cute read!!

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Puzzle Pieces by Rachael Bloome

Another special ebook for those subscribers!

I read this whole novella while waiting in the doctors office all day with my mom (she was having some issues so we were at urgent care ON HER BIRTHDAY NO LESS).

Also, just a tip! If you happen to be interested in Rachael Bloome’s stories like I am, to download these special ebooks, you can download them multiple ways and I think even to a Kindle account? I don’t have anything so I got this “funnel” app and it’s been really handy. I don’t know how to use it to the fullest, but if she produces any more specials stories like this, that’s what I would use.

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A Reluctant Bride by Jody Hedlund

Have you read anything by Jody Hedlund??

It’s been a while since I’ve read anything by her and this may actually be the only book I own of hers. I can’t find the others, I have too many books (no I don’t… I don’t say that…) so they’re kind of blocked by a large frame that I have leaning up against my book case that now has shelves full of double rows of books… anyway, let’s just go with if I have more of her books, they’re not easily accessible!

The last book(s) I read by her were about a lighthouse and a man with memory loss. I checked the book or books (since that’s the only book I remember) out from the library years ago. I love her writing so I don’t know why I didn’t ever read more. Perhaps that was due to my infatuation with all the other authors on my list!!

Seriously, though, if you haven’t read her work and you’re a fan of authors I’ve talked about before, add her to your list! You won’t be disappointed.

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Riverbend Gap by Denise Hunter

THIS IS THE BOOK. This is the book I ordered that I talked about up above! LOL

Another great series opener by a favorite author. Have a mentioned I love Denise Hunter yet?

This was actually kind of funny (as most of her work has touches of humor…) and awkward. The fact that he didn’t know his brothers girlfriend at the time was just sad and unfortunate! I really felt for him. You’ll just have to read the book for the details, I guess. LOL

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Sweetbriar Cottage by Denise Hunter

This was a page turner! It was just an intriguing plot. I was routing for them the whole way.

I’m not revealing anything! Lol

Obviously it was good enough to finish in pretty much a day… just saying!

I did read this series (The Blue Ridge series) out of order though… this one is really a stand alone (or can be!) so it wasn’t a huge deal. This was entered as “#0” in the series because it’s the first book, but it’s not really like… immersed in the plot with the others I guess that you couldn’t read it AFTERWARD. I didn’t know this existed until after I read the others so here I am. I think I liked reading it after the others more though. If this was the beginning of the series, I don’t know how I’d feel after… but i don’t know what that would be like considering that didn’t happen. Does that make sense??? LOL

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Let It Be Me by Becky Wade

This is book 2 of the Misty River Romance series by ONE OF MY FAVORITE AUTHORS EVER.

I have a lot of favorite authors… ten months into these posts, I’m sure you know… I should stop reiterating it. LOL

Picked this one up on my last trip to Mardel! Meant to read it when it first came out, but never got around to it. #sadness

I was 100 or so pages away from finishing this book on October 29th. I was tired and just couldn’t keep my eyes open. I’ll just shut my eyes for 30 minutes. A power nap is just what I need to get me through….

Hours later I woke up and looked at the time. 5:30am. Cool. So tired still.

I was going to fall back asleep, but the need to finish this book… I figured I’d read just a few pages and fall back asleep – I was that tired.

A few… tens of pages in I became wide awake. no sleep in sight.

By 8:00am I shut the book. Finished. Also, by that time, I couldn’t simply just go to sleep and catch up on that nap. I had obligations to get ready for. Plus it’s hard to sleep past 8:00am.

That’s my story of reading this amazing book.

Why so amazing?

It was about these really nerdy, a little social awkward maybe peeps and it totally had me hooked. I dreamed about the book when I wasn’t reading it. Is that weird? No. Not at all.

A pediatric surgeon and a math nerd (teacher, but a genius!). What better combination could you have???

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I tried to finish another book before the end of October 31st… but it just didn’t happen. November will be a good month again – I think!!

Thank you for reading and don’t forget to share your great reads of the month with me in the comments! 🙂