Author: tamaramorning

The Best Books I Read in July (2025)

In July, I read 17 books, bringing my total for the year to 145books read. I also DNFed four more books.

Most of those reads were just okay/solid reads, but three of them were really good.

Through an Open Window, by Pamela Terry. Pamela Terry’s books are really good, and I loved this one! Southern fiction is my favorite genre to read, and this hit all the right notes: a bit of family drama, quirky townspeople, a mystery, a ghost…it was just such a good read!

The Vanished Days, by Susanna Kearsley. The three books in this series were wonderful! Okay, the first one is my favorite, but I loved each of them. This one is straight historical fiction, without a present-day timeline, like the other two.

The Secret Book Society, by Madeline Martin. Martin writes wonderful historical fictions, and I really enjoyed this tale centered around female friendships and books. Such a lovely read!

What I Read in July (2025)

Books Read in July: 17
Books Read for the Year:  145/225
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
The Night Burns Bright, by Ross Barkan (audio): This was just kind of meh to me. It took me a long time to listen to it, because I wasn’t super into it.
Darkwater Lane, by Rachel Caine and Carrie Ryan (TBR): I really enjoyed this series! Sad that it’s over, and that Rachel Caine isn’t with us any longer—she was SO nice!—but I was glad this series got finished.
The Unquiet Bones, by Loreth Anne White (TBR): This did not turn out like I expected!
The Summer Guests, by Tess Gerritsen (TBR): I’m still enjoying these characters a lot.
The Vanished Days, by Susanna Kearsley (TBR): I’ve enjoyed all three Slains books.
Odds and Enemies, by Meghan Ciana Doidge (TBR): Still enjoying these.
The Whispering Room, by Dean Koontz (TBR): Another solid read.
Magic at the Gate, by Devon Monk (Re-read). Still loving this world and these characters!

For Review:

Woven From Clay, by Jenny Birch. I liked this read! I’ve never read anything where the protagonist was a golem—much less a modern YA read!

For the Record, by Emma Lord. This was such a cute read! I loved the second-chance, let’s-be-honest-this-time aspect of this, It was a lot of fun.

Friends to Lovers, by Sally Blakely. I love the friendships and the friend group in this! It was just such a fun read, and I love second-chance romances.

Through an Open Window, by Pamela Terry. So I guess I’m a huge Pamela Terry fan now. I realized I’d loved both of her other books, The Sweet Taste of Muscadines and When the Moon Turns Blue, and I loved this as well. She has an incredible voice, perfect for Southern fiction reads like this.

Wish You Were Her, by Elle McNicoll. I enjoyed this YA read.

Love is an Open Book, by Chandra Blumberg. This was a cute read from a solid author.

The Secret Book Society, by Madeline Martin. Oh, this was so good! I’m so horrified by how easy it was to have women institutionalized in the past.

Lauryn Harper Falls Apart, by Shauna Robinson. This was an okay read. I thought it was pretty depressing—and the town was really more than I can handle.

Just Because:

Wayward Souls, by Devon Monk. This was a quick, fun audiobook. I’m interested to read more.

Left Unfinished:

Rivals to Lovers, by Elise Wayland. Both the MC bored me.
Influenced, by Sarah Darer Littman and Cindy L. Otis. Both the MCs came across as self-absorbed and only vaguely acquainted with reality, so a no-go for me.

The Book of Heartbreak, by Ova Ceren. The beginning of this felt like it jumped around erratically and I just couldn’t make myself care about the MC.

Love Walked In, by Sarah Chamberlain. Look, I wasn’t sure I could stand the male MC for very long—or the female MC, for that matter—and this also had some content I wasn’t expecting.

A Guide to Falling off the Map, by Zanni L. Arnot. This felt too chaotic and jumbled. The random and unrelated headings that were a mix of lower and uppercase letters were hard to read.

Book Review: The Alchemy of Flowers, by Laura Resau

Image belongs to HarperCollins Focus/ Harper Muse.

Title: The Alchemy of Flowers
Author: Laura Resau       
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy    
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

“Here lie the bones of those who broke the rules . . .”

There are many rules those who wish to live and work behind the mysterious walled gardens of Le Château du Paradis must follow. One must not gossip. One must not leave their room during dusk.

And most importantly for the newest gardener, Eloise Bourne, children are forbidden.

Although she’s locked inside the castle grounds and subjected to strange rules, Eloise’s new home enchants her with otherworldly lodging and magical flowers. Best of all, her co-workers–who are also retreating from the world–spark her to heal both body and soul. And she feels surprisingly drawn to the intriguing handyman, Raphaël.

But when she starts glimpsing a mysterious child in the trees, she reels. Is this a human girl? Or a woodsprite? Is it her imagination, or is this place truly enchanted?

As the summer unfolds, Eloise begins to fear the child is in danger. It’s not until she breaks the rules and risks her heart that Paradise becomes a prison. Eloise must unearth the gardens’ secrets, fight for her newfound family, and ultimately, claim a second chance at happiness.

Who wouldn’t want to run away to a peaceful, magical, hidden garden…and live in a treehouse? This book felt like magic, and I truly enjoyed it. Life there sounded so simple and, frankly, too good to be true. There was enough mystery throughout to keep me engaged, and the magical surroundings kept me reading. I enjoyed the characters and learning about their histories, while rooting for their futures!

Laura Resau is an award-winning author. The Alchemy of Flowers is her adult debut.

(Galley courtesy of HarperCollins Focus/ Harper Muse in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Road Trip with a Rogue, by Kate Bateman  

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title: Road Trip with a Rogue   
Author: Kate Bateman  
Genre: Romance   
Rating: 4 out of 5

Mistakenly holding up the coach of the man who broke her heart is bad enough, but having to endure his sinfully alluring company all the way to Scotland is Daisy Hamilton’s worst nightmare . . . and her most secret desire.

A midnight mishap.

Daisy Hamilton’s new mission for King & Co., London’s premier private investigation firm, is simple: stop heiress Violetta Brand from eloping. But her case is derailed when she mistakenly holds up the carriage of Lucien Vaughan, Duke of Cranford—cynical war hero, infamous libertine, and the very man who broke her heart five years ago.

A reluctant road trip.

Lucien’s determined to see his lovestruck nephew married to Miss Brand, but the unexpected appearance of Daisy— the one woman he’s never been able to forget—could ruin his plans. As they follow the runaway couple together, Lucien decides that delaying the headstrong Daisy by any means possible—including seduction—will be his absolute pleasure . . . and hers.

A dangerous desire.

After Daisy’s reputation is threatened, Lucien makes a scandalous claim, but when an unexpected enemy threatens her life, he realizes she’s the only woman for him. Their past encounters have made Daisy almost as jaded about love as Lucien himself, and it’s going to take action, not words, to convince this knife-wielding hellion to risk her heart on him again…

I’ve enjoyed the Her Majesty’s Rebels series, and this one was solid, too. Nothing out of the ordinary, but a good comfort read, for fans of this genre. Believable characters, some good banter, and a nice dose of adventure make this a fun read.

Kate Bateman is a bestselling author. Road Trip with a Rogue is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Give Me a Reason, by Jayci Lee

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title: Give Me a Reason   
Author: Jayci Lee      
Genre: Romance    
Rating: 4 out of 5   

For ten years, Anne Lee told herself that Frederick Nam was her past. In order to save her father from bankruptcy, she left Frederick for an acting career in Korea. This was the only way she could stop him from following her and ruining his future. It was the best way she could love him.

After Anne left, Frederick spent years loving her, missing her, and hating her until he decided to live his life for himself. He followed his dream and became a firefighter in Culver City. He didn’t need romance. He had his work and his friends.

When Anne returns to Los Angeles, she and Frederick are thrown together in the same wedding—she as her cousin’s bridesmaid and he as his friend’s groomsman. Even though he is angry and distant with her, Anne can no longer deny that she never got over him. Not even close.

With so much hurt and uncertainty between them, Anne and Frederick suffer their love in silence. But all it would take is a single leap of faith to bring them together…

This was such a sweet read! I loved how all the characters were just doing life together, a part of each other’s lives and just there for each other. Anne’s father and sister were the worst, so I liked that she had something of a found family to support her. I really enjoyed the second-chance aspect of this, and just found it to be a lovely read.

Jayci Lee lives in California. Give Me A Reason is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Sundays are for Writing #339

This week, like last week, was a slow writing week. I didn’t journal every day, and I only wrote one book review, Love is an Open Book, by Chandra Blumberg. It was a tough week. Hopefully next week will be better.

Happy writing!

Book Review: The Sandy Page Bookshop, by Hannah McKinnon

Image belongs to Atria/Emily Bestler Books.

Title: The Sandy Page Bookshop  
Author: Hannah McKinnon       
Genre: Fiction  
Rating: 4 out of 5

After her publishing career and engagement fell apart in Boston, Leah Powell has no choice but to return to her sleepy coastal hometown on Cape Cod. Feeling lost and discouraged, she stumbles upon a once prominent historic sea captain’s home that now looks as dilapidated as she feels. Suddenly inspired, Leah decides to transform it into a bookstore and café she will call The Sandy Page.

Luke Nicholson, a life-long local and contractor, remembers Leah even if she doesn’t remember him. Intrigued by her return and her project, he agrees to help her bring the old captain’s house back to life. As they work together, The Sandy Page slowly becomes the town’s go-to gathering spot for locals, tourists, and anyone who is feeling adrift during this long, sweet summer. It’s a home for second chances. But will it be enough for Leah and Luke?

I thought this was a sweet, solid read. I loved the bookstore, and the secondary characters were great, too. Leah and Luke were good characters; I just liked the quirky secondary characters more. This would be a good weekend binge-read.

Hannah McKinnon was born in the UK and raised in Switzerland. The Sandy Page Bookshop is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Atria/Emily Bestler Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review and Blog Tour: Friends to Lovers, by Sally Blakely

Image belongs to Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press.

Title: Friends to Lovers
Author: Sally Blakely
Genre: Romance   
Rating: 4 out of 5

Best friends Joni and Ren have been inseparable since childhood. So when Joni moves across the country for her job, the two devise a creative way to stay in touch: they’ll be each other’s plus-ones every year for wedding season, no matter what else is happening in their lives.

It’s a tradition that works, until a line is crossed and the friendship they once thought was forever is ruined.

Now Joni is back at their families’ shared summer home for her sister’s wedding, and she’s determined to make the week perfect, even if it means faking a friendship with Ren—and avoiding the truth of why they have to fake it in the first place. How hard can it be to pretend to be friends with the person who once knew you best?

But as sunny beach days together turn into starry nights, Joni begins to question what her life is without Ren in it. And when the wedding arrives, bringing past heartaches to the surface, she’ll be forced to decide if loving Ren means letting him go, or if theirs is a love story worth fighting for.

This was a cute read! I love the friendship between these two families and all the intermingled relationships. The varied friendships were my favorite part of this read, actually. I liked the scenes in the past and the glimpses we got of how Joni and Ren got to where they are. Their friendship was great, and I loved their interactions and little inside jokes and stories. Definitely recommend this read!

Sally Blakely is from Montana. Friends to Lovers is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press in exchange for an honest review.)

 

Sundays are for Writing #338

I was super busy this week, so I didn’t get much reading or writing done this week. One book review, Wish You Were Her, by Elle McNicoll, and I didn’t even journal every day. Hopefully next week will be better.

Happy writing!

Book Review: Fire Mountain, by Dana Mentink

Image belongs to Revell.

Title: Fire Mountain   
Author: Dana Mentink
Genre: Christian, mystery/thriller    
Rating: 4 out of 5

In the shadow of a threatening volcano, long-haul trucker Kit Garrido wakes up in her crashed big rig, unable to recall what happened or why she’s suddenly in possession of someone’s baby. Fiercely independent, she has to admit that perhaps this time she could use a little help.

As the threat of eruption grows, former cop Cullen Landry refuses to leave his cabin in the evacuation area, which is why he’s the only one left who can help Kit escape the crumpled cab of her truck. He doesn’t want to get tangled up in the mystery of the beautiful woman with an abandoned infant, but when he sees the bullet hole in the windshield and the bloody handprint on the interior, he realizes that he’s in this thing, like it or not.

When two armed men with ill intent approach, the race is on to stay alive, discover the truth, and find the baby’s missing mother–all while a deadly mountain rains fire from above.

The imminently erupting volcano certainly added a sense of urgency to this read! I thought this was a solid thriller, and I enjoyed it. Kit and Cullen were both good characters, and their growing relationship keep me invested—almost as much as the threat of the volcano!

Dana Mentink is a USA Today bestselling author. Fire Mountain is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Revell in exchange for an honest review.)