2026 Reading - June!

June is the Summer of Love Month!  Romance for the win!  (To be followed by the Summer of series, the Summer of Standalones, and Fantasy Fall!)

Also, I've put myself on a new book buying ban because I'm overwhelmed with the number of books I own but haven't read yet.  Part of my theme month is to blast through as many books that I already own as I possibly can - and romance is a great genre to focus on because it reads very quickly!

Week 1: Contemporary Romance!

1.  Real Men Knit, 2.  Knot Again,  Kwana Jackson (audio) -  These are perfect audio for work - interesting and simple enough for me to follow along easily while attending to my more tedious tasks.  Lol, they were also short enough that I blasted through both in one day.  Books centered on special yarn shops were all the rage during the knitting boom about 20 years ago, and I really enjoyed revisiting that vibe.  While they aren't the deepest of romances, they were sweet and satisfying. 

3.  Nine Month Contract, 4.  Seven Year Itch, Amy Daws (Mountain Men Matchmaker) - Lol, the plot synopsis on the first felt really unhinged and silly.  But darn!  They were really fun!  And dang my stupid book buying ban....now I have to wait for the rest of the series.  Helping?  I long for the type of mountain living in these books!

5.  Count Your Lucky Stars, Alexandria Bellefleur - The spice was super hot, but the plot was not.  The general synopsis was a good plan - but the author just didn't quite pull it off.  The timeline didn't make sense, nor did the actions of any of the characters.  Big disappointment.

6.  The Happy Ever After Playlist, 7.  The Friend Zone, Abby Jimenez - And yes, I'm very aware of the fact that I read these out of order.  The Happy Ever After Playlist was way too insta-love for me, and both books were centered on trauma that was a bit much for a romance novel.  I still love Jimenez, but these are not my favorites.  Having said that, because of the acknowledgements I very much understand and appreciate these books.  

Slipping in something different: 

8.  King Sorrow, Joe Hill (audio) (wheel spin!) - Hill is his parents' child.  This reads like a King book, and I have a complicated history with King books.  I read a fair number of them back in the day, and found them to be easy to digest and compelling to read....but I never really liked them.  This was much the same - a really solid storyline, few likeable characters, felt tedious at times, overloaded with people doing bad things at all times, so over the top as to be eye-rolling (despite the fact that it's fantasy/horror and is supposed to be that way).  I did appreciate that the right people all kicked it, and that there was a good redemption arc.  I was actually suprised by several twists, which was nice...but I also really wished I could just DNF at times.  End of day, this really isn't my type of book, but Hill is talented and I understand why so many people love it.  

Week 2: Historical Romance! 

9.  Ne'er Duke Well, Alexandra Vasti (audio) (Belvoir's Library #1) - Super hot and super fun!  I'd recently read another in this series...and once again, maybe should have read them in order.  I absolutely adored Selina and Peter...they were just the right amount of turning the time period on its head!

10.  Lady Like, Mackenzi Lee - A bookseller friend recommended Lee's queer historical romances to me a few years back, and it was a treat to revisit her writing.  This was a silly book - complete with a cartoonish villian, secret parentage, a trip through the seedier aspects of the time frame, and a roll-the-eyes plot - and I ate it up! 

11.  The Spymaster's Lady, Joanna Bourne (audio) - Alix E. Harrow spent time talking about romance novels last year on her tour for Everlasting, and this is a book she recommended.  OMG.  I loved it so much.  I don't know at all what I expected, but what I got is the natural evolution from the Victoria Holt romances I read as a teen.  It was kind of crazy in all of the best ways.  

12.  The Duke Heist - Erica Ridley (The Wild Wynchesters #1) - I have no idea of where I got this recommendation, but I had so much fun with this book.  The best part of this book is the found family at the core, and the crazy things they get up to.  

13.  It Takes Two to Tumble, Cat Sebastian - Hmm..  Sebastian has clearly improved in her craft since writing this.  It wasn't bad, but it wasn't the quality I was expecting.  Characters all felt very flat.  

14.  The Viscount Made Me Do It, Diana Quincy - Again, no idea where I got the recommendation - I do not randomly add books to my tbr without some sort of research - but lol, it was also fun and a bit ridiculous.  Too bad the entire plot was telegraphed early on.  Would have been more fun if something had been a surprise! 

Finishing up something:

15.  The Red Winter, Cameron Sullivan (audio) -  I made it about half way through the first time I tried reading it, so I decided to go back and finish.  I really want to love this book, but once again the reading experience was dull.  I intellectually appreciated it...but...  This is so frustrating, especially since some of it was so good.  

Week 3: Romantasy! 

16.  Rhapsodic, Laura Thalassa (The Bargainer #1) (Siren and Fairy King) - I am super pissed that I read this book.  A BookTok rec/sale book, I was intrigued by the lighthearted/more unique synopsis.  I was somewhat willing to overlook the power differential (I do not do those tropes) because I really did love the FMC in both the present and past storylines - but I was horrified and sickened when the mass rape storyline took over in the last 50 pages or so.  (Rape as plot has been a hard line for me for decades.)  Yes, there were two hints in the synopsis, but the lighthearted tone combined with the lack of a trigger warning list made those easy to ignore/question.  Shame on the publisher and the author for misguiding readers.  I would have never read this book had I any idea of where it was going.  By the end I was thoroughly grossed out.  

17.  We Who Will Die, Stacia Stark (audio) (Empire of Blood #1) - This was my first Caffeine and Legends Romantasy book box, and I was very curious because it received a lot of attention online.  First up, if they are heading towards a love triangle, that's a heavy eye-roll from me.  Having said that, I enjoyed the Roman-based world/plot inspiration a whole lot more than I expected, enjoyed the characters, and I'm curious about where the series will go.  I do not think it quite lives up to the hype...but it was still fun.  (Couple of weeks later, it's a maybe as to whether I'll continue the series.)

18. Warrior Princess Assassin, Brigid Kemmerer (Braided Fate #1) - First up, the title is terrible, but this isn't the first time I've enjoyed a book with that problem.  Honestly, this is mostly a character-based book, with the plot and worldbuilding being very shallow, and the characters sometimes didn't quite feel grounded or realistic.  It's not winning any awards, but it was a good time.  

19.  The Serpent and the Wolf, Rebecca Robinson (audio) (Dark Inheritance #1) - Well...I'm an idiot.  I bought this book about a year ago, but in the midst of my frustration over too many ongoing series I gave it away.  Lol.  Then I picked up a digital copy when it went on sale, and the audio when it also went on sale.  (Who knows why.)  Then I finally read it....and I absolutely loved it.  Our two main characters are really interesting, I adored the way the book started, there was a lot more political intrigue than I expected, and I was shocked with how emotionally invested I became!  I may have cheated on my book buying ban to get the second book.  

20.  The Entanglement of Rival Wizards, Sara Raasch (audio) - Seriously fun!  Reminded me a bit of Rainbow Rowel's Simon Snow books.  Loved that it went deep - exploring family trauma - while still remaining an overall lighthearted book. 

21.  When the Tides Held the Moon, Vanessa Vida Kelley (print and audio) - This is an achingly beautiful book, and I regret not reading it sooner! Bonus!  It has beautiful illustrations!  I loved the historical setting, the found family, the queer love story, and the immigrant story.  

Week 4: Random! 

22.  Tourist Season, Brynne Weaver - Yeah....  While I ended up really enjoying Weaver's previous series, this one was too dark for me.  I do still appreciate Weaver's writing style and her sense of humor, but a lot of it felt uncomfortable.  Will not be continuing the series. 

23.  Swift and Saddled, Lyla Sage - Grabbed this on sale because I was curious about the series.  I get why this series is popular, but wow...it's very shallow writing.  The author made an attempt to deepen the characters, but it was just that...and attempt.  Also, I've always hated the 'gives up her dreams to settle with her man' trope.  Pisses me off.  

24.  Forget Me Not, Julie Soto - Another book I picked up on sale because I was curious about the writer.  So glad I did that!  Loved that it was based around wedding planning and flowers, loved the couple, loved the cartoon villain and the character depth (enough to count, but still a lighthearted book).  Fun read indeed!  Also, the FMC got to keep her dreams and find wild success.  

25.  Wild Reverence, Rebecca Ross (audio and print) - So I skimmed the last 40% and confirmed with an online summary.  I think the audio just truly killed this for me, which is really sad.  As I told a friend, I'm not a Ross superfan, but I usually have much better experiences with her books - and this particular book is beloved by readers.  I just never connected with the characters, though, which made it tedious.  I 100% will try rereading this at some point to see if it hits differently.  

26.  Our Perfect Storm, Carley Fortune (audio) - I love, love, Love Carley Fortune.  And I always want to travel to Canada after reading her books!  This may be my favorite, because it's a friends to lovers...and as I've said before, my own love story is my favorite.  My husband got extra snuggles after I finished this!  

27.  Fury Bound, Sable Sorensen (audio and print) (The Wolves of Ruin #2) - What they are all saying is true, this was better than the first book in the series! When I read the first, I could clearly see all of the inspiration behind the concept and many of the scenes.  I enjoyed it as a vibe book, and was relieved that the author managed to turn it away from the sources in the end.  This time aound, it feels like she's come completely into her own.  Can't wait for the final book!  

28.  Seven Days in June, Tia Williams - Such a beautiful book, about two imperfect, damaged people coming into their own and meeting each other where they are at.  Loved having a FMC with an invisible disability, loved that they both found grace for troubled pasts, loved the set up as writers, and was frequently annoyed at the daughter.  

29.  Violet Thistlewaite is Not a Villain Anymore, Emily Krempholtz (audio) - This is where I could truly tell that my tolerance for lighthearted romance was over.  I usually enjoy cozy fantasy romances, and any book with plant magic is my thing.  At any other time, I would really have enjoyed it! But...yeah, I'm ready to move on!  

A Palate Cleanser: 

30.  The Infinite Sadness of Small Appliances, Glenn Dixon - My heart sister Carrie put this into my hands, so I knew it was going to be good.  For all that the beginning was so very sweet, I didn't expect to end up feeling so anxious as the plot played out.  There was a lot that was upsetting - all of it related to current trends in tech and AI.  Overall, though, this is a book about what it is to be human, even if more than half of the characters are appliances, and its heart is immense.  It's a slim book filled with big ideas, and I can't recommend it strongly enough.  

DNF

1.  The Ending Writes Itself, Evelyn Clarke (audio and print) - This truly pains me more than I can say.  I attended an event on the book tour, 1/2 of the writing duo is one of my favorites....and yet.  First up, I'm not a mystery reader, so it was already a tough sell for me.  Second, a trusted reading friend hated it.  Finally, I tried twice, and I just couldn't care less.