⚠️ Long post alert 🚨

I may or may not have read a ton of books in a single month… I got stressed and inspired. But I found some books that I absolutely loved.

To save you from more reading, I’ll just get into the heart of the post and talk about said books.

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Authentically, Izzy by Pepper Basham

Ignoring the fact that this took me over 2 months to read… let’s talk about how this 5 star read is what all the dreams are about.

This would be just how my life would go down or how I’d picture it if it were a fictional story. I’m convinced my guy is non existent or he’s 676 miles away.

It is this book that inspires me to write, to keep loving books and to dream impossible (to my eyes) dreams because Izzy overcame fears and took risks that brought her to her dream job and her dream man.

I loved the writing style set in texts and emails the majority of the story. As someone who loves written communication over verbal (generally) this was actually a heart eyes moment for me even though I do also deeply enjoy the in the moment setting and dialogue that comes with a traditional writing of romance.

You’ll find me dreaming forever.

I just want it to be known that you will under no circumstances find me on a dating site though. I’m not desperate – even if Josephine had ideas for me too!

This is book one in the Skymar series and the next two books will be ordered soon.

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The Spice King by Elizabeth Camden

How fitting that I finished this on Independence Day. This book boasted patriotism and love of family. I loved it.

Early on in the book our main characters fell and were separated by deceit and impossible situations. I was so sad because I loved their chemistry. The rest of the book was filled with emotions and tension. I loved it all the same.

There was humor, however dry it was, and the sibling relationships were on point. I thoroughly enjoyed this on so many fronts. I can’t wait for the next two books that are just waiting for me right now!

This is book one in the Hope & Glory series.

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Upcycling my Rig-Pig Boss by J.P. Sterling

I wasn’t sure about this one at first because I’m not all green myself though I do support most efforts and I also work for the oil and gas industry, so the “rig-pig” – I was like 😅😅😅 I don’t know if that’s how this works. So it wasn’t that believable on some areas, but it was still good. I enjoyed the second half the most. 🙂

This is a stand alone and a pretty quick read! I did most of my reading right before bed or as a passenger in vehicles because what else does one do when you’re not the one driving???

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Hearts and Goals by Carolyn Miller

I thought I was going to finish this book in a week, but I got crazy and started a bunch of books in June so it ended up taking me a month to read.

I enjoyed this book!

It wasn’t anything spectacular, but it was a nice read about a quiet widow who lives with her also widowed mother who isn’t ready to get out of her comfort zone. I didn’t connect with the characters in this one as much as I would have liked. I felt more frustrated than anything I think. Still enjoyable.

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When in Rome by Sarah Adams

Well it wasn’t a Christian read… but it was okay. After further consideration, this book isn’t that bad compared to others I’ve only ever attempted.

I actually had to go get this one (I didn’t have to but, I felt compelled) so that I could read the second book in the series which is what sparked my true interest.

This was pretty hilarious during the first half because it was more light and fun, but the second half was meh and just more typical I guess. It’s one of those books that you just know what’s going to happen.

⚠️Toxic relationships and language in this one.

First book in the When in Rome series.

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The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH.

I related to Isadora in some ways and I hope I don’t have to go through this at age 30 😅

Her progression and reflection throughout this story was remarkable. I got teary eyed, I had to close the book and laugh my insides out, and then I felt the love between friends and more than friends. I’m not giving anything away!! I just loved this so much.

When I first knew this would release, I didn’t think I’d enjoy it. The premise wasn’t my cup of tea from the outside. But then I got it and read and it turned out to be one of my favorite books of all time. I thought that this deviated away from some of the other style of books Courtney Walsh writes. I was merely going to read and get through it for the sake of a favorite author, sadly. Little did I know that I would fall in love with this books and this diverse tribe of characters.

If you haven’t read this one yet, you should at least put it on your priority list!

It did not include the Christian perspective as I would have liked… but it was a great book otherwise with obvious development and growth throughout, plus the obvious romantic interest.

Side note: finished this in the am and by pm I was still fumbling around in the feels with this one.

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So That Happened by Katie Bailey

I rated this one as 4 stars out of 5 on GoodReads, but I think it’s closer to 5. This one was hilarious. I enjoyed this one more than I Think He Knows, which was book #2 – remember me reading these out of order???

There was never anything actually inappropriate happening, but the thought that there was and all the awkwardness was pretty funny. Again, I loved the sibling banter like the other book. I loved the person Liam was in this book and how he was easily embarrassed and how outgoing Annie was even though she couldn’t keep comments to herself most of the time. 😂

Read as an ebook on my Kindle app.

So yeah, first book of the Donovan Family series.

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A Royal Christmas Fairy Tale by Karen Schaler

I think this is the first Christmas story of the year! I’ll be adding this one to the Christmas Reads 2023 blog post I’ll be working on SOON!

I’m not much into royal stories, honestly. Give me a Rapunzel or Belle story any day, but typical royal family stories? Nah.

Though this was a royal story, I loved the fact that the family wasn’t uptight about how things ought to be – like a prince can’t marry a commoner, for example. The Prince was the most uptight one in the family, but he was understandably protective.

This was a cute story that is an easy read to breeze through to get you in the Christmas spirit and maybe give you ideas for Christmas traditions.

This is a stand alone novel, but Karen Schaler has other Christmas stories I’ve read and blogged about that I would also recommend!

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The Hope of Christmas Past by Stephenia H. McGee

This one took me about an hour and a half to read. A nice Christmas novella that is filled with hope and love.

Our teenage female character is feeling hopeless and still reeling from what she’s been dealt in life. In a time travel set of events, she’s offered hope and renewed vision of what can be with her God ordained family.

I think this story line could have been even longer, but the shortness of it didn’t take away from the message. A great Christmas read!

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The Roommate Situation by Katie Bailey

Okay, sooooo, I didn’t think I’d enjoy this because of the plot of them being roommates. But I actually loved this story. Conor was totally dreamy the whole way through and was so smitten and considerate of Jess’s history. The side characters were a total hoot!

And… I guess I read this one because I wanted to go to book number two which I will hopefully also get read soon!! That one will probably be hilarious too.

This featured characters that were from the Donovan Family series so this series actually came before that series and they’re interconnected.

Read as an ebook on my Kindle app.

This is book one in the Only in Atlanta series.

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Christmas Baggage by Deborah M. Hathaway

Can you say British accent, PLEASE. 😍

I would have read this all in one day if my reading multiple things right wasn’t so crazy.

This wasn’t a Christian fiction really, but totally clean and wonderful and swoony in all the perfectly respectable ways and DID I MENTION THE BRITISH ACCENT THAT I’VE NEVER FANGIRLED ABOUT BEFORE NOW.

Anywho… I found this quote from a little past the halfway point from Claire to Liam and it was just too good not to share here.

“Life will pass you by if you wait for the stars to align. Because stars don’t align for us. They live out their days in the same way we’re supposed to – on the path that will help us shine the most.”

Claire Frost from Christmas Baggage by Deborah M. Hathaway

Like!! Don’t wait for stars to align – live today like there’s no tomorrow. I’m a little convicted.

The storyline following Claire to London with her best friend because she didn’t have anyone to keep her in Colorado, not even family. In London she meets her friend’s cousin who is the definition of dreamy and the Mandalorian references throughout? I am in.

From the Christmas Escape series. Books can be read in any order but I’m reading them in order of publish date.

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The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks

I started this as an audiobook while I worked and then I got busy and stopped. Then I’d pick it up a little here and there in my physical copy… then I finally wanted an audiobook in July and picked it up again!

The story was okay. Nothing to write home about. Sparks other works I’ve read have been better – more suspenseful I guess.

I have a few other Nicholas Sparks books that I need to read eventually. 🙂

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Host for the Holidays by Martha Keyes

I’m loving this series. Not because they flow together, because they don’t – they’re totally separate.

350 pages and at first, I was like, thissssss is gonna be a lot to get through. It wasn’t though. I read almost 200 pages of this in one day. I didn’t want to put it down, fam.

The instant chemistry between Remy and Madi had me in permanent heart eyes the whole way through. Josh was a certified jerk the whole time, I lost hope for that guy after the first or second chapter.

This gave me Hallmark vibes but better because Remy was dreamy (Remy and dreamy are a few letters from being the same thing anyway).

Martha Keyes did a great job because I felt like I was in Paris and experiencing all that Madi and Remy did. I’ve never had an inkling to go to France so this was an experience for me because the book is good enough lol.

Also noting here that the French-ness within this story wasn’t as romantic or swoony as a Brit may have been in Christmas Baggage, but it was better than expected and showed up enough to score 5 stars from me with this new author as well.

Later, after I finished…

I was at Cane’s and probably still thinking about this book if I’m honest. (Who thinks about a book when they’re eating chicken??? Me, apparently.) I heard Safe and Sound by Capital Cities playing and I don’t know if it fits the story, but it made me feel it all over again. Yep, right there at the table eating chicken.

Anyway….

A part of the Christmas Escape series.

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The Neighbor War by Katie Bailey

I was really excited for this book. Was the first half a let down? Yes. 😞 Here’s why.

The whole backstory of the neighbor was really wasn’t much of a war to me because it was one sided. Courtney just made assumptions and hated Aiden. Aiden didn’t ever really do anything and if he did, it was just to ruffle her feathers.

The rest of the book was actually okay! The last maybe 10 chapters I really enjoyed because they had learned so much about each other and life. That was the best part of the story!

Here’s a quote from the book – from Aiden’s mom to him.

“Love isn’t just about finding the right person, Aiden. It’s about being the best you can be for that person, choosing them every single day when you wake up. Love isn’t just a feeling, it’s a decision. Your father and I decided long ago to love each other better, every day.”

Read as an ebook on my Kindle app.

Book two of the Only in Atlanta series.

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Faking Christmas by Cindy Steel

THIS HAD ME ROLLING. -me, like 4 chapters in, but also me at chapter 1-21 before the tears came. Then the ending was beautiful and heartwarming.

Here’s why.

This was not some out of country escape like the previous two, but this was a getaway to some cabins in Vermont.

I had no idea what exactly to expect because any expectations I had of this book were low on the bar compared to where this book left me. I was almost not super excited about this tbh… I just wasn’t sure. I was blown away and so glad I read it.

The banter and obvious feelings that Miles has for Olive was adorable and I was rooting for him the entire time because hello, lumberjack…

They both learned about each other throughout this whole thing amid all the swoony moments and the charade.

I don’t want to ruin the story or the ending 👀, but it was SO WELL DONE.

If Olive were real, and sometimes it’s hard to not believe these characters are real, I would be fighting some serious jealousy right about now. Let’s be real.

Humor. Romance. Enemies to lovers. Pretty sure be fell first!! And of course, just cute and heartwarming.

A great read for Christmas. It’s Summer approved. ❤️

A part of the Christmas Escape series.

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Pretending to Wed by Melissa Jagears

Well this took an embarrassingly long time to finish. I actually thought it was longer than two months so not that bad, I guess.

I started this at the end of May and wasn’t feeling the plot at first, but I think I set the book down too soon because I picked it up a week ago again and this time couldn’t put it down.

Didn’t hurt that I got on a kick of finishing some books I’ve started before starting new stuff. My in progress stack was getting a little overwhelming.

Back to this book though…

I enjoyed the marriage of convenience trope after a quarter of the book. I always like when they always come to realize how much they really care and love one another.

It’s one of those that you hate how it starts, hate that there’s issues, but know that at the end, everyone’s happy.

This is book 2 in the Frontier Vows series.

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Depending on You by Melissa Jagears

A 100-ish page read for an evening. Great book on forgiveness and the testing of a marriage.

Set at Christmas-time, too, so it kind of fell into my Christmas in July vibes.

Book 3 in the Frontier Vows series. (I read book 4 over a year ago so that’s cool.)

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Tacos For Two by Betsy St. Amant

I don’t remember yet reading anything by Betsy St. Amant before, but I was at Mardel on the 29th… I know… AGAIN. I saw it sitting there on the bargain shelf and I had to pick it up. Hello? Tacos. Then before I left the store I had read the prologue and couldn’t put it down the rest of the weekend.

This one part was hilarious:

“But your truck says nachos.” Cody pointed.

Alton must have put him up to that. Funny. “Soft or crunchy?”

“Four soft. No rice. Extra beans.”

“And that’s why you’re single.” Jude ignored Cody’s protest as he turned to call to Alton. “Customer thirty-two wants four!”

Straight-faced, Alton shook his head. “He’s forty-nine.”

“I most certainly am not.” Cody feigned offense. Or maybe he meant it.

Jude stilled a laugh. “Fine. Customer thirty-five wants four.”

“You realize we’re the same age.”

“But do we look it?” Jude gestures between them as Alton began prepping Cody’s order.

Cody grunted. “Maybe quit the comedy routine and stick to your new taco situation here.”

There’s just something about online dating and then meeting them in person a different way that gets me hooked every time. Lol

Anyway, a great read! 😁

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You can count on all the Christmas books being added to my Christmas Reads post this year. 🥰

Let me know what you read in the month of July in the comments!

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This month put me up to 68 out of my current 75 book goal for the year. (because one book I read earlier this year isn’t on GoodReads and I’m a noob that can’t add it)

Don’t forget to follow this journey over on GoodReads as well.

Summer on GoodReads