Well, today is the first day of a new month which means I’ll be telling you what I read in the last one! Today just so happens to be my late father’s birthday and Labor Day in the U.S.

While you may be busy relaxing and recharging on a day off, you know I will probably be reading. I’ve been pretty busy reading as well! It felt like a long month with the last week going by in a flash.

I tried to finish some loose ends on series and books I wanted to read, but that didn’t all get completed this month. There’s still time this year which is all I can hope for at this point! So many books release and I have to read them ASAP because of this thing called hype.

Enough chitchat! Let’s get into this recap!

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The Super Big Favor by Nuria Muñoz

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

This is one that was enjoyable – I loved the banter and the marriage of convenience aspects – but I didn’t fully connect with the characters. They were just kind of blah to me? I liked that he had always liked her, but I would have actually preferred more background on their friendship. I felt like the FMC had a better-than attitude, but maybe that’s just me. 🙂

Read as an ebook.

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The Love Comeback by Kristine W. Joy

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

Such a sweet story of second chances!!

Kade and Ella were together for years as teens, but then Kade broke up with her right before she went off to college. Now, years later, when they’re 27, she’s watching over her 10yo nephew, Colton, who kind of helps bring them closer together.

I loved so much of this book that I didn’t even make any more notes!!

This is book three in the Glacier Hockey series.

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Change of Heart by Courtney Walsh

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

This is one of those that I loved and not because it was a cute story or because it made me happy as I read it. It was just the redemption and growth of the characters and the ENDING. Ugh.

Evelyn’s life was so horrible. Let’s be real. At the beginning of the story she faces a marriage scandal and divorce comes.

Trevor has battled his feelings since he met Evelyn and has wrestled with God about it. I mean, she was married for part of that time.

Courtney Walsh dealt with the sin and real feelings between characters in this story. Evelyn’s husband was HORRIBLE. Like 😳😳😳 what in the world. And there’s people like him out in the world!!! Ugh!!!

BUT GOD.

If you read this one, be prepared to get teary and don’t expect a HEA until the very end. ❤️

This is book two in the Paper Hearts series of two. 🥲 Sad that this is all there is, but this was such a great couple of stories. Heavier than her newer books, but so rich.

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The Confidentiality Clause by Annah Conwell

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

Oh. My. Goodness.

One of my favorites!! The banter!! The heat!! All of it!!

I pre-order all her ebooks and end up getting them before the paperbacks now. Occasionally I get the paperback before the ebook, but lately it’s been the opposite way. So while I did obviously get the paperback, I read this one on my Kindle app, so I HIGHLIGHTED A TON.

Notes:

• Brock is 24 so I assume Ariel is as well
• Brock is a sports agent, Ariel is a realtor
• Best friend’s twin brother trope
• She kidnaps him (it’s fine 😂)
• He has medical issues related to his stress and over working himself
• He takes care of her (technically twice!! OR WAIT, maybe THREE TIMES!?! Whoa.)
• She takes care of him (by holding him accountable 🤪)
• DID I MENTION THE BANTER AND FLIRTING??? I need a fan. 🙂

I absolutely LOVED the way people showed up for Brock (obvi, especially Ariel). Brock grew so much throughout this book. I loved it. And THE ENDING?? 😍❤️

“It’s just like a man to not know how to handle me.” The words are a joke–mostly. I might be covering up the aching wound with a little humor.

Brock walks up to me, his brown eyes heated. “I could handle you.”

I swallow. “Is that so?”

He smirks. Leans in. “Only one way to find out.”

She’s the kind of woman that, under different circumstances, I’d drop to my knees and beg for a chance with. It’s natural that I’d be a little attracted to her. That doesn’t mean I have to do anything about it.

“I’ll admit you were right about everything if you admit you were jealous of another woman kissing me.”

I gape. “I-I was not.”

He raises a brow. “Come on, Duke.” He hovers his mouth above mine. My face heats. “Admit it. The thought of someone else kissing me kills you. The same way it does me when I think about you with another man.”

This is the last story in the More Than a Game series, but cameos will be in her next series coming out set at a University! Chess not Checkers will be out later this year and we cannot wait! 🫶🏻

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If All Else Sails by Emma St Clair

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️♾️

Rating explained:

This way too long for me to finish because of life. It had me cracking up from page one. Literally couldn’t love this heartfelt, funny and perfect read any more that I could love a book. Ugh.

If you’re looking for like the ultimate comedy with heart, look no further. THIS IS IT.

Notes:

• Jacob is Jocie’s older brother (what a little schemer 🙂 )
• Jocie is an elementary school nurse
• Wyatt is a 6’4″ hockey player and 5-6 yrs older than Jocie
• Dr. Parminder – the physical therapist
• self-doubt
• injuries
• sailing
• murder cottage

I want more moments like this. In fact, I want nothing but these kinds of moments stretching out ahead of me for as long as possible. Quiet mornings and afternoons and evenings with Jocie telling me about things I only care about because they matter to her.

This is another book that’s a must read by Emma St Clair and there will be more where this came from!!!

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Molly: Nannies don’t fall for their single-father bosses by Sarah Monzon

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

This was so cute and I always fall for the books that have a single dad and a nanny!!! Why!!!

Notes:

• Ben is 27
• Molly is 24
• Ben’s a doctor and single father
• Molly just got fired from being a teacher’s assistant for explaining what a tampon was to a student 3-6yrs old

Molly always tells the truth – what was she supposed to do???

I liked how the story developed and the background of why she tells the truth no matter what came up. There was growth for them in this book that I appreciated.

This is book one in the Sewing in SoCal series.

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Closer Than Your Next Breath by Susie Larson

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

Shoutout to Bridget for being a fan of Susie Larson! 🙂

I hadn’t read anything by Susie before this book, but I get the hype! This was at Mardel one day so I picked it up and started reading it that day!

I loved reading this – her explanations of applying scripture and opening up discussions with her personal experiences were so relatable.

Not a fan of some of the quotes or the translations mentioned, but I have my own ESV and other trusted translations that I reference when reviewing scriptures, so not a huge deal.

Quotes:

There’s a common saying that we’re always only ten seconds away from an emotional ditch, but I’d say we’re only ten seconds away from mountain-moving faith. Encountering God changes everything.

Sometimes God brings us back to a memory so He can give us a more redemptive interpretation. And sometimes He provides new experiences that eclipse and help heal our painful memories. If you follow Jesus, if you enjoy His presence and respond to His voice, then you’re already on the path of healing and transformation.

You don’t let the storm shake you; you shake the storm because you’re anchored in Christ.

We complicate things when we expect God to talk to us the way He talks to others. Or we see someone who claims to hear Him in detail and we wonder why we don’t enjoy such clarity. But if we can learn to trust His love and enjoy His presence, we’ll eventually learn to rest in His care. We’ll go about our day, trusting that if we’re about to lose our way, the Holy Spirit will convict and correct us as needed. And if there’s something we need to know, God will make sure to let us know.

If you don’t know what belongs to you because of Jesus’ sacrifice, you won’t know what the Enemy has stolen from you because of his greed.

The premise and what I got out of this simply:

God is always speaking, but we’re not always listening. If God never gave you what you wanted, would you still praise Him?

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Jocelyn: City Girls don’t fall for Cowboys by Sarah Monzon

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

That moment you loved the book but only have one thing in your notes and two quotes. 🙂

Jocelyn is working in corporate America and their company retreat is going to a ranch – more specifically, Malachi’s ranch. Sparks fly between these two. As a white woman, I haven’t experienced what these two characters and their families of color have before, but I liked the insight and how gently things were handled for them.

Notes:

• Malachi is 28

Quotes:

I couldn’t let Jocelyn Dormus lasso my heart and take it with her.

His hold on me gentled. “I appreciate all you’ve done, paying for school and everything, but working with computers was never my dream. It was always only your vision for my life.”

“But it’s…safe.”

“There’s more to life than a false sense of security, JoJo.”

My neck snapped back. “What do you mean false?”

“I mean…” He turned his head and stared out the window. After a few seconds, he looked back at me.

“You can get all your ducks in a row, but that isn’t going to keep Elmer Fudd from taking shots at them.”

“What?” Same question, but this time it floated out of my mouth on a ripple of laughter.

He smirked. “All I’m saying is that you can order your life in a certain way, but you can’t stop bad things from happening or hardships from knocking on your door.”

This is book two in the Sewing in SoCal series.

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Rookie Season by Katie Bailey & Leah Brunner

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

A new SECOND GEN release! This is a trend in the book world I’m LOVING.

While I did love the overall story, I didn’t love the cussing and innuendo. I loved all the banter and their stories from the first generation meeting the second, but I just could have done without the other obviously.

I LOVED how Noah was so protective and sweet with Ally. All the guys were sweet with her and gave her space, treating her like their little sister. Ugh. If all guy’s could be like that! Haha.

Ally is 20, moving across the country after dropping out of school after a scandal that was actually her being assaulted – no one believed her. Noah is 22 in his rookie season with his three NHL roommates.

“Noah. It’s going to be okay.” Fisher cuts me off. “She’s going to be okay. Ally has us now.”

These emotions are complicated to wrestle with. The knowledge that the worst things that happen to us can open doors that lead to the best things.

Ally chuckles. “But as much as I like my roommates, sometimes I prefer to hang out in my room with Harry

Styles.”

Paige’s jaw drops. “You know Harry Styles?”

Ally winks at her, and it does something weird to my stomach. “Harry Styles- officially Harry Styles the third —is my cat.”

My nieces go wild.

Harlow’s little hands fist in the air. “Oh my gosh! A kitty!

I want to meet him!”

“I get to meet him first; I’m older,” Laini tells her.

“Only one year older!” Harlow defends herself.

“Calm down girls,” Mitch says in his gruff, dad voice.

These little girls have him wrapped around their fingers, but he tries not to let it show. “I’m sure you can all meet the cat sometime.”

Ally leans in, cupping her hands over her mouth like she’s telling a secret. My nieces instantly quiet down to listen, all three of them enamored by her. “Harry Styles sleeps with your Uncle Noah every night.”

My sister’s head falls back as she’s overcome with laugh-ter. Mitch chokes on his burger and pounds at his chest, coughing a few times before taking a gulp of his water.

Paige eyes me. “Really?”

“He won’t stay out of my room,” I admit, then bite a large chunk out of my burger so I don’t have to partake in this conversation any longer.

Alicia, who I follow on Instagram, made a great post outlining all the things, so I’m sharing that here!!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Alicia (@aliciasalwaysreading)

This is book one in the new Hockey Boys of Loft 3B!! Excited for the other stories for Penn and Fisher (Fishy 😂).

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Nicole: Strong Girls Don’t Fall for their Enemy by Sarah Monzon

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

Nicole could be over the top (as a single woman and a mom), but I absolutely loved this one. She and Dr. Bauer had insane chemistry she couldn’t fight forever (and we all know she’d try). I loved all their run ins and shenanigans. Such a cute and enjoyable read!!

Notes:

• (Dr.) Andrew (Drew) Bauer
• Nicole
• Sierra
• When Drew gets in the father’s face
• THE OPENING LINE

Said opening line:

It is a truth universally unacknowledged that not every woman who is single is in want of a husband.

Molly says to the girl group of friends:

Words are like toothpaste, you know. Once they come out of the tube, you can’t put them back in again.

This is book three in the Sewing in SoCal series.

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Amanda: Smart Girls Don’t Fall for Their Famous Exes by Sarah Monzon

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

I didn’t love this one. I loved Peter, but I didn’t love Amanda until the very end, which is too long for me. Maybe that was just me, but I just didn’t see much in Amanda other than her pride. I stayed with this one for Peter. I can’t say enough about Peter!!

Amanda and Peter dated many moons ago and years later, she’s now his PR person to get him more engaged with his online presence on socials. He’s on a mission to get her to give them a second chance and be there for her while she deals with her autoimmune disease that she’s been hiding from everyone, including her best friends. Which isn’t really what I have a problem with, but it was just her attitude about it.

ANYWAY.

This is book four in the Sewing in SoCal series.

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Checking the Facts by Faith Carter

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

This was a debut novel for Faith Carter I stumbled upon. I didn’t love it but there’s hope for the next one!

I don’t typically enjoy a book with a reporter, and this was one of those times. I didn’t really like Izzy most of the book and I didn’t really get gripped into the plot like I would have hoped. I also didn’t understand Ethan’s dramatic reaction to the reports.

This is book one in the Seattle Firebirds series.

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If you’re fortunate to be off today for the U.S. holiday, I hope it’s a great time off for you!

Feel free to comment what you read in August, I’d love to know!

Have a great week!

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Books read this month: 12

Books read this year: 121

Book goal for year: 100

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I added more books for sale online this month as I go through my inventory!! Someone buy these books 😂

You can check out my bookstore here:

https://pangobooks.com/bookstore/notyourseason

Follow me on GoodReads here:

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/131896341-summer

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https://www.instagram.com/notyourseason?igsh=MW5kMnltOXJocTEyOQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

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