So many words. So little time.
Author: tamaramorning
I haven’t gotten much reading done this week, but Labor Day Weekend did give me time for reading and writing blog posts and book reviews: What I Read in August (2025), The Best Books I Read in August (2025), Charlie Quinn Lets Go, by Jamie Varon, Christmas People, by Iva-Marie Palmer, and Kitty St. Clair’s Last Dance, by Kate Robb.
Happy writing!
Title: The Book of Guilt
Author: Catherine Chidgey
Genre: historical fiction, fantasy
Rating: 3 out of 5
After a very different outcome to WWII than the one history recorded, 1979 England is a country ruled by a government whose aims have sinister underpinnings and alliances. In the Hampshire countryside, 13-year-old triplets Vincent, Lawrence and William are the last remaining residents at the Captain Scott Home for Boys, where every day they must take medicine to protect themselves from a mysterious illness to which many of their friends have succumbed. The lucky ones who recover are allowed to move to Margate, a seaside resort of mythical proportions.
In nearby Exeter, 13-year-old Nancy lives a secluded life with her parents, who dote on her but never let her leave the house. As the triplets’ lives begin to intersect with Nancy’s, bringing to light a horrifying truth about their origins and their likely fate, the children must unite to escape – and survive.
I found this book to be really messed up, frankly. The premise itself, once I finally figure out what was going on, was so horrible and sad, but the people’s reactions to what was going on were worse. I didn’t find any of the characters likable, and the narrative felt pretty monotonous, which actually makes sense given what the premise was. I basically kept reading to find out what the deal was with the boys, not because I actually cared about what was going to happen.
Catherine Chidgey lives in Cambridge. The Book of Guilt is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Grand Central Publishing | Cardinal in exchange for an honest review.)
Title: Lauryn Harper Falls Apart
Author: Shauna Robinson
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Lauryn Harper had a plan. A high achieving, perfectly constructed, five-year plan. But after a (totally blown out of proportion) mishap at work that plan is put to the test.
As punishment for her mistake she is transferred to the Ryser Charity Department, a branch of her corporation that just so happens to be located in the hometown she abandoned long ago – the same hometown that her powerful corporation is responsible for running into the ground. Horrified at the thought of returning and facing those she left behind (one in particular keeps coming to mind), Lauryn quickly comes up with a new impress her boss enough that she’s briskly whisked back to her big city life.
However, it soon becomes clear that sticking to plans isn’t that simple, especially when her ex-best friend enters the charity department demanding they help revitalize the town by throwing the famous Greenstead Fall Festival. Confronted by her past wrongs, Lauryn immediately agrees to host the festival on Ryser’s dime, but soon enough Lauryn is swept away in town hijinks, chaotic planning committees, and a second chance at a childhood friend that shows her why home isn’t necessarily a place she has to run from.
Lauryn kind of got on my nerves for 2/3rds of the book. Very selfish and self-centered, and she flatly refused any hints of self-awareness that tried to sneak in. Greenstead itself was like all my small-town nightmares come to life, so I can see why Lauryn originally wanted to get out of Dodge. I found the reasons all the misfits got shuttled off to the back of beyond to verge on the ridiculous, and the idea of the mustard accident seemed a farce, too. That being said, it was nice to read a novel strictly about second-chance friendship, with no hint of romance in sight, and the writing was soliod.
Shauna Robinson lives in Virginia. Lauryn Harper Falls Apart is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of SOURCEBOOKS Landmark | Sourcebooks Landmark in exchange for an honest review.)
In August, I read 21 books, bringing my total for the year to 166 books. Of those 21, most were solid reads, a couple were “meh,” and a handful were great reads.
A Dark and Deadly Journey, by Julia Kelly. This is the third book in this WWII-era spy series, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all three. The main characters are strong and intriguing, and it’s a lot of fun watching them solve the crimes in the stories. And of course, that’s my favorite era for historical fiction.
The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake, by Rachel Linden. I enjoyed this so much! The touch of magic, the second-chance romance, the family drama, the setting, the food…all of it worked so well together to make this such a great read.
Glorious Rivals, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I cleared my reading schedule for the weekend when this came out, so I could just enjoy what a fun read this was! I’m not smart enough to have survived more than three minutes of the game, but I really love all the characters and their messes.
Books Read in August: 21
Books Read for the Year: 166/225
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
House Immortal, by Devon Monk (audio): I love Monk’s writing, but I’m on the fence about reading more of this series, because Matilda sometimes got on my very last nerve.
Instincts and Imposters, by Meghan Ciana Doidge (TBR): Solid read.
The Crooked Staircase, by Dean Koontz (TBR): Man, this had some creepy moments.
Magic on the Hunt, by Devon Monk (Re-read): Loved this!
The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi, by Kathie Lee Gifford and Jason Soble (Spiritual): I enjoyed this read. An easy-to-read style made the material accessible.
A Tarnished Canvas, by Anna Lee Huber (TBR): Still thoroughly enjoying this series.
A Tribute of Fire, by Sariah Wilson (TBR): Eh. Do not recommend.
The Letters We Keep, by Nisha Sharma (TBR): Don’t recommend this one, either.
For Review:
The Book of Guilt, by Catherine Chidgey. I can’t say I’d recommend this. It was full of some pretty dark things.
The Second Chance Bus Stop, by Ally Zetterberg. This ended up being a good but kind of sad read.
Thief of Night, by Holly Black. I’d definitely recommend reading the first book, which I did not do, but this was an intriguing world with an MC that wasn’t terribly likable (for me).
You Make It Feel like Christmas, by Sophie Sullivan. Cute romance, although their families made it quite enjoyable.
The Sisterhood, by Tasha Alexander. I hadn’t read any of this series, but that wasn’t a problem. A decent historical mystery. Would I read more? Probably not—because it felt too slow-paced.
The Guest in Room 120, by Sara Ackerman. I loved the present-day characters. The MC in the past…not so much. She was pretty terrible.
A Dark and Deadly Journey, by Julia Kelly. I enjoyed this mystery, although I figured out the killer before the reveal. The MCs are solid, and I’m enjoying both getting to know them, and the time the series is set in.
The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake, by Rachel Linden. This was such a good read! Highly recommend it.
Charlie Quinn Let’s Go, by Jamie Varon. The family dynamics in this one were a lot. I didn’t care for the MC at first, but she grew on me.
Christmas People, by Iva-Marie Palmer. This was an okay read for me. I finished i, so there’s that, but it didn’t do much for me.
Kitty St. Clair’s Last Dance, by Kate Robb. Not sure how I ended up reading three books back-to-back that had a touch of magical realism in it, but I did. I really enjoyed this read. Loved the MC and her struggle to do the right thing, and I liked the scenes in the past, too.
Just Because:
Glorious Rivals, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. This was such a fun read! And also, I’m not smart enough to have survived the first three minutes of this contest.
Infinity Bell, by Devon Monk (Audio). Still on the fence about the MC.
Left Unfinished:
How to Break My Heart, by Kat T. Masen. I didn’t like the characters.
The Minor Fall, by Kayla M. Martell. This just wasn’t to my taste. I loved the premise, but the characters felt a bit too much like caricatures to be believable or likable. Roe had too much self-pity going on for me to like her, and Tye was such a bad-Western cowpoke (from Ireland?) that I just couldn’t deal with it. And I barely met Bryn before DNFing. Too much jumping around to add things that came out of nowhere, and it just didn’t work for me.
Moonsick, by Tom O’Donnell. I could barely read 10 pages of Heidi. There’s no way I could finish an entire book of a character that annoying.
The Sleepless, by Jen Williams. This started off strong. I loved the beginning, but when we got to Elver in the wild, well, any connection I felt was lost by my general confusion over the world and the (lack of) set-up.
I only wrote one book review this week, The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake, by Rachel Linden. This was such a good read! I also DNFed two reads. Hopefully, next week will be better.
Happy writing!
Title: The Secret Book Society
Author: Madeline Martin
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
You are cordially invited to the Secret Book Society…
London, 1895: Trapped by oppressive marriages and societal expectations, three women receive a mysterious invitation to an afternoon tea at the home of the reclusive Lady Duxbury. Beneath the genteel facade of the gathering lies a secret book club—a sanctuary where they can discover freedom, sisterhood, and the courage to rewrite their stories.
Eleanor Clarke, a devoted mother suffocating under the tyranny of her husband. Rose Wharton, a transplanted American dollar princess struggling to fit the mold of an aristocratic wife. Lavinia Cavendish, an artistic young woman haunted by a dangerous family secret. All are drawn to the enigmatic Lady Duxbury, a thrice-widowed countess whose husbands’ untimely deaths have sparked whispers of murder.
As the women form deep, heartwarming friendships, they uncover secrets about their marriages, their pasts, and the risks they face. Their courage is their only weapon in the oppressive world that has kept them silent, but when secrets are deadly, one misstep could cost them everything.
This was such a good read! I loved the stories of all these women and found them so inspiring! The growing friendship between the three women was well-done and made me feel like I was part of their book club. Their excitement over the books made me want to read (or re-read) some of their selections!
Madeline Martin is a bestselling author. The Secret Book Society is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Harlequin Trade Publishing | Hanover Square Press in exchange for an honest review.)
Title: Wish You Were Her
Author: Elle McNicoll
Genre: YA
Rating: 4 out of 5
18-year-old Allegra Brooks has skyrocketed to fame after starring in a hit television show, and she’s the overnight success that everyone’s talking about. They just don’t know she’s autistic. Now, all she wants is a normal teenage summer.
Her destination for escape is the remote Lake Pristine and its annual Book Festival, organized by the dedicated but unfriendly senior bookseller, Jonah Thorne.
In small towns like Lake Pristine, misunderstandings abound, and before long the two are drawn into high-profile hostility that’s a far cry from the drama-free holiday Allegra was craving. Thank goodness for her saving the increasingly personal emails she’s been sharing with a charming and anonymous bookseller who is definitely not Jonah Thorne . . .
I enjoyed this read. I mean, I enjoy most books centered around bookstore (not all), so it had that going for it, but I liked Allegra and Jonah, too. I’ll say I did not care for Allegra’s dad at all, and her mom was barely in the story, so it wasn’t just because her dad was still pining over that lost relationship. He was just kind of a jerk, and I never really understood why. I liked how we saw so much of Allegra and Jonah’s struggles separately, as that gave me a much better glimpse into their minds and lives—and what it can be like for neurodivergent people.
Elle McNicoll lives in London. Wish You Were Her is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press | Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.)
This was an okay writing week. I wrote two book reviews, The Guest in Room 120, by Sara Ackerman and A Dark and Deadly Journey, by Julia Kelly. Both are solid historical fiction reads. And I DNFed The Minor Fall and Moonsick.
Happy writing!
Title: Through an Open Window
Author: Pamela Terry
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5
In the small Southern town of Wesleyan, Georgia, where the air smells of red clay and sea salt, Margaret Elliot has lived a seemingly charmed life—until the recent loss of her beloved husband. Since then, Margaret has been seeing visions of her aunt Edith, the indomitable woman who raised her after her parents died when she was a baby. As these mysterious and undeniable visitations continue, Margaret becomes convinced that Aunt Edith is trying to tell her something important. As she follows the clues that almost magically present themselves, it becomes clear there is a secret from Margaret’s past waiting to be uncovered.
As Margaret grapples with each new revelation, she also worries about her three grown children. Her stoic and inscrutable eldest daughter, Mouse, continues to struggle with the grief of losing her father. Her son Lawrie, always his mother’s favorite, faces life-altering changes that he both longs for and fears—while Tom, Lawrie’s twin, must wrestle with the consequences of a work decision that has blown up his entire life. Despite the tensions among the siblings as they argue about how best to support their mother, the whole family is soon embroiled in uncovering the truth the ghost of Aunt Edith is striving to expose.
I loved this book! The characters are so vivid and realistic—down to the chihuahua in a bowtie. Lots of family dynamics on display here, to go with the small-town drama, and it was so well-written I half forgot I was reading about these people instead of watching them in real life. Such a good read!
Pamela Terry lives in Georgia. Through an Open Window is her newest novel.
(Galley courtesy of Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine | Ballantine Books in exchange for an honest review.)
Tomorrow Is Another Day 