Category: book review

The Best Books I Read in August (2025)

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.

What I Read in August (2025)

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.

Sundays are for Writing #334

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!

Book Review: The Secret Book Society, by Madeline Martin

Image belongs to Harlequin Trade Publishing | Hanover Square Press.

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.)

Book Review: Wish You Were Her, by Elle McNicoll

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press | Wednesday Books.

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.)

 

Sundays are for Writing #333

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!

Book Review: Through an Open Window, by Pamela Terry

Image belongs to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine | Ballantine Books.

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.)

Book Review and Blog Tour: The Second Chance Bus Stop, by Ally Zetterberg

Image belongs to Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA.

Title: The Second Chance Bus Stop  
Author: Ally Zetterberg      
Genre: Fiction   
Rating: 4 out of 5

They say life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.

Edith has Alzheimer’s. The idea that she will someday forget her son, her life, even her self, plagues her constantly. So there is something important she must do before the disease robs her of her she has to find Sven, the love of her life she was supposed to meet on a bus bench twenty-seven years ago and run off with, but he never showed.

Her son, Blade, is struggling to keep an eye on her. His mother’s full-time caregiver, he resents the fact, if he’s being honest, that he gave up his career and most of his life to look after her. But what wouldn’t he do for his mother? Track down her decades-old flame so that she has a chance to finally understand why he never showed all those years ago, before her mind fails her? Sure, he can do that.

Sophia is fiercely working to keep her business afloat. Her uncle left his flower shop to her and her brothers after he died, but she seems to be the only one interested in keeping it running. She needs to land a big enough client to show her family that not only is the business worth saving but she’s the one to do it. So when an opportunity comes along that takes her all over Sweden, she can’t say no.

While Edith is desperately trying to hold on to her memories, she discovers friendship with a young woman who sits with her daily at the bus stop. While Blade is out looking for Sven, he learns to embrace his relationship with his mother more fully. While Sophia is fighting to keep her dream alive, she comes to terms with the way her parents treated her as a child and the therapies that were forced upon her in response to her autism diagnosis. Life is happening all around them, and much like with life, there’s so much good to be found in these pages.   

At first, I wasn’t sure I’d like this, but I ended up enjoying it a lot. Sophia’s family was…really difficult to like. In her memories, they were pretty horrible to her, but I liked how eventually she was able to explain herself to them and they started trying to understand her behavior, even if they weren’t good at understanding. Sophie herself was a little hard to connect to, but I liked her sheer determination and courage.

Blade was a bit of a wet blanket to me. He seemed exceedingly passive and content to just drift along, buffeted by events and people around him without putting much actual effort out himself.

I have a family history of Alzheimer’s, so reading Edith’s point-of-view was really heartbreaking to me. That she knew she was losing bits of herself was just so sad to me, but I think the author captured it beautifully.

Ally Zetterberg is British/Swedish. The Second Chance Bust Stop is her newest novel.

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

Sundays are for Writing #342

This was a solid writing week, and a crazy week at work, but I managed to write three book reviews: Thief of Night, by Holly Black, You Make It Feel like Christmas, by Sophie Sullivan, and The Sisterhood, by Tasha Alexander. I also DNFed How to Break My Heart, by Kat T. Masen.

Happy writing!

Book Review: Love is an Open Book, by Chandra Blumberg

Image belongs to Harlequin Trade Publishing | Canary Street Press.

Title: Love is an Open Book  
Author: Chandra Blumberg     
Genre: Romance    
Rating: 4 out of 5

Mia Brady never imagined her romance novels would become bestsellers, much less inspire a hit TV show. However, after signing a deal to write the final book of the series, she’s struck by a serious case of writer’s block. Her fans are clamoring for a passionate payoff, but Mia’s own experience with heartbreak—and current lack of real-life romance—is getting in the way. Do friends who become lovers ever truly have a happy ending?

Gavin Lane would like to think so. As Mia’s ride-or-die BFF, he’s been by her side through it all and convinced himself his crush on her is a thing of the past. He’s not about to let his feelings ruin their friendship, and never will. But that doesn’t stop him from pitching a bold idea to help save Mia’s testing out tried-and-true love story tropes…together.

From workplace romance to fish-out-of-water, Mia and Gavin embark on a series of “dates” to spark a little creativity—but are not prepared for the flame that ignites between them. Does their friendship even stand a chance when pure fantasy suddenly becomes a little too real?

This was a cute read. Nothing unexpected, but a fun story. From Mia’s always-gotta-have-a-plan ways to Gavin’s more laidback approach, seeing these two look at each other through new eyes was enjoyable. Add in trying to keep it a secret from everyone who knows them, and a litter of adorable kittens, and this is a perfect summer binge-read.

Chandra Blumberg lives in the Chicago area. Love is an Open Book is her newest novel.

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