2025 Books - August!

 1.  Wild Eyes, 2. Wild Side, Elsie Silver - Did I get a Kindle Unlimited trial subscription so that I wouldn't have to pay for these?  Yep.  Did I laugh because the spicy scenes in all three books of this series were remarkably similar?  Yep.  Did I roll my eyes a fair bit over silly/dumb plot choices?  Yep.  Did I have fun reading this series?  Yep.  Am I now a devoted Elsie Silver fan?  Eh.  Will I read the fourth book next month?  Probably.  

3.  Accomplice to the Villain, Hannah Nicole Maehrer - I was really looking forward to this because I very much enjoyed the first two books, but sadly this one didn't live up to them.  I think by this time the schtick is becoming a bit tedious, and I would love it if the series just wrapped up.  However, I don't think that's going to happen any time soon.  Other complaints - the plot felt too slow and it really didn't go anywhere.  The twist at the end was nice, though.     

4.  Promise Me Sunshine, Cara Bastone (audio) - This is yet another romance novel about grief, which is a subgenre that really speaks to me.  The dedication at the front really hit me in the feels before I even started the book.  It's justifyably received a lot of hype online - and I think I even found it through a major book recommendation list (although I can't remember where).  Glad I read it.  Will be thinking about it for quite some time.  

5.  Don't Let the Forest In, C.G. Drews (audio) - Yes, the language and writing were every bit as beautiful as I'd heard.  Eh.  I just wasn't into it, though, and I'm not really sure why.  Normally, this type of gothic horror novel is right up my alley.  Right book, wrong time, maybe?  

6.  Strange Beasts, Susan J. Morris - Now we're talking!  First book this month that I've absolutely loved! This is the type of spin on classic characters that I absolutely adore.  The daughters of Jonathan Harker and Moriarty team up on an investigation into the cryptid world.  (Ok, when I discovered my husband didn't know who Jonathan Harker was, I may have died a little bit inside.)  Found this through Bindery Press, which is doing really interesting things by hooking up new writers with book influencers, and so far I've not been disappointed by any of their books.  Was thrilled when I discovered a second book was coming out soon!  

7.  Love at First Sighting, Mallory Marlowe - Not quite as much fun as Marlowe's first book, Love and Other Conspiracies, but it was still really darn good.  This time around, we've got aliens and men in black...and an influencer who's rapidly burning out.  Great for some lighthearted fun!

8.  Alchemy and a Cup of Tea, Rebecca Thorne - Alas, this book was also a bit tedious because the concept is becoming old now that we are four books in.  (And may or may not continue?  Unsure because of how it ended.)  I did, however, find it pretty funny that a big part of the "conflict" (It is cozy fantasy, after all.) was caused by....wait for it....tourists.  Also, I wish Tomes and Tea was a real place.  

9.  Overruled, Lana Fergusun - Yep, Fergusun has become a must-buy author for me.  Her books are lighthearted and fun, and I totally get swept up in them.  Perfect for when I need an easy distraction from stress!  This rivals to lovers story about two lawyers was everything I wanted.  The plot and some of the characters were almost a little bit cartoonish, but you know what?  Sometimes that's perfectly ok.  

10.  This Summer Will Be Different, Carely Fortune - Another NPR Books We Love selection, and it was a delight!  NPR recommendations for romance novels are usually some of my favorite reads...and they are, after all, how I first dipped my toes into the genre.  Interestingly enough, this book left me a bit sad because I don't have the type of lifelong bestie that Lucy has.  Also, serendipity hit while I was reading.  I've been talking to my therapist about scheduling a solo vacation, and had been thinking  about where to go.  Well, I fell in love with the setting of the book, and because of that found a wonderful ArBnB that I'm now obsessed with.  Laughed so hard when I went back to NPR and read this in the review: It’s the perfect love letter to PEI, complete with Anne of Green Gables references. It will have you googling MacAusland wool blankets and planning a trip.  

11.  Fan Service, Rosie Danan (audio) - Sometimes you need something that's really kind of silly...and this is a really silly book.  Former star of an X-Filesish type of show who played a werewolf becomes a werewolf, and seeks out the help of the woman who used to run the biggest fan site.  Yeah, I kind of needed this right now.  

12.  The Raven Scholar, Antonia Hodgson (audio) - Oh lordy, I had so.  much.  fun! reading this book!  BUT AGAIN WITH THE FIRST BOOK IN A NEW SERIOUS PROBLEM!!!  (Honestly, I'm over it, and moving forward will be checking before I start new books.  I'm also going to be actively seeking out completed series.)  But back to this book.  1.  I absolutely loved our FMC, who really stands out as unique among fantasy FMCs.  She's kind of weird, in some ways like me, and I'm here for it.  2.  There was a twist towards the end that I truly didn't see coming and managed to shock the heck out of me.  3.  The love story is understated and is not the focus of this book.  4.  This satisfied my itch for full on fantasy in so many ways.  A gazillion characters, complicated plot, an interesting and unusual magic system...yes, please!  

13.  Swordheart, T. Kingfisher - I really like Kingfisher, although I don't consider myself a super fan by any means.  This particular book was getting a lot of love on BookTok, so I decided to go for it.  Please note, this is the sort of first book in an unfinished series that I don't mind. (see also Robert Bennet Jackson's Shadow of the Laviathon series and the first Harker and Moriarity book by Susan J. Morris that I read earlier this month.  These books are all unique stories that wrap up by the end, but also leave room for future adventures.)  The big kicker is that the MMC is literally a sword.  And the FMC is older (yay!).  It was on the lighter end of fantasy, bordering on cozy, and I really loved it.  

14.  Even Though I Knew the End, C.L. Polk (audio, novella, reread) - I came across this while browsing audiobooks, and was immediately taken back to memories of my first read.  It's been long enough that the details weren't as clear anymore, so I decided to reread.  It's perfect.  It's just perfect.  It's film noir with a magic twist, and so, so much love in more than form.  I've been anxiously waiting for news about C.L Polk's potential next book(s) for quite some time, and really hoping they publish something  new soon! 

15.  Out on a Limb, Hanna Bonam-Young - I've seen this one on BookTok quite a bit, so decided to give it a try!  Had been avoiding it, because I have some opinions on the baby trope in romance novels...but to my delight it did not send out any red flags and it did create a happily ever after that had me swooning.  In the last year, I've taken to reading all of the aknowledgments and author notes in a book (something I'm embarrassed to admit that I hadn't done before), and in this case it made what would ordinarily be a lighthearted romance novel turn into something special.  Turns out, the author has the same limb difference as the FMC, and so it was a very personal book for her to write.  I'm really impressed, and will absolutely read more of her books. 

16.  The Songbird and the Heart of Stone, Carissa Broadbent - Book 3 of the Crowns of Nyaxia!  I've had it for a while, but had been waiting for book 4 to be released.  (This is also a great way to do a series - three duologies in Crowns of Nyaxia, each focusing on different couple, so you can wait until each duology is done to read.)  I'm going to hold all thoughts until I finish the second one - which should be soon.  

17.  Between Friends and Lovers, Shirlene Obuobi - This was one of the Emily Henry recommendations I grabbed from Apple books earlier this year.  I'd been putting it off because it is billed as a love triangle, which is so not my thing.  Fortunately, it's not at all what I expected.  I ended up deeply invested, and by half way through was loudly declaring that if Jo didn't end up with the one I wanted, I was going to through the book out the window.  To my satisfaction, the ending was perfect - with a final conflict that felt very real and high stakes and a resolution I loved.