Once Upon a Time by Elizabeth Beller
If you saw my read list last month you know I’ve done a deep dive into the life of JFK Jr and Carolyn Bassett. I’m not sure if I read it all in the other books or if this one just fell flat. But I gave this one three stars. It was a great depiction of their life and love story. I just felt like I didn’t get anything new from the prior books. THREE STARS.
The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick
This is the first time I’ve read anything from Nikki Erlick and this month I read two. The Poppy Fields is am analysis on grief. What would you do if you could erase the pain of losing someone you love? Would you erase the pain of loss? The poppy fields are a scientific experiment where grieving people go to sleep their grief away. There is one catch, they don’t remember the people they lost after the sleep. It is a social experiment and a look into life and loss. I walked away with a greater understanding of the powerful impact of grief and the power it gives in helping people live on after loss. I gave this book 3 stars.
The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore
These books are all over TikTok and were available to read when I ran out of my reserved books. Just a cheesy rom-com, city girl moves to a small town to help take over the cafe. Meets a local farmer and you can totally guess what will happen. It gave Gilmore Girls vibes but was too predictable and cheesy for me. I gave it 2 stars.
Never with You by Kortney Keisel
This was a cute enemy to lover story. Carly had one rule: never date a coworker again. When she moves jobs and meets an infuriatingly charming office rival Nate, her rule might be challenged. A work trip finds them both in the awkward position of impressing his family and making her ex jealous, so they pretend to date. The only problem is that pretending never works and they are in deep. Will they be able to remain just friends like her rule or will they become more than friends? I gave this book 3 stars.
One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Emma Blair marries her high school sweetheart in her twenties. They build a life together, travel the world, and remain far away from their hometown in Massachusetts. On their first wedding anniversary, Jessie is on a helicopter over the Pacific when it goes missing. Just like that Jessie is gone forever. Emma quits her job and moves home in order to put her life back together. Years later in her thirties, she runs into an old friend, Sam, and falls in love again. That is until Jessie is found. Will she remain engaged to Sam or choose Jessie? You’ll have to read it to find out. I gave this one 4 stars.
Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney
Think you know the person you married? Think again…When Adam and Amelia win a weekend away to Scotland, it might be just what their marriage needs. This is a mystery of twisted truths that will leave you guessing the whole way through. If you like thrillers, then this is one domestic thriller you won’t want to miss. I gave it 4 stars.
The Measure by Nikki Erlick
Would you choose to find out the length of your life? It seems like any other day, you wake up, get ready and head out but today when you open your door there is a small wooden box. The contents of the box tells you the exact number of years you will live. In an instant the world is in a frenzy. The Measure is a wonderful story that will make you think and live life a little differently. But would you want to know the length of your life? I don’t think I’d want to know but if I did, I wouldn’t live life any differently. I gave this book 4 stars.
Yellow Face by R. F. Kuang
This was a book that has been on my TBR list for a while. It came highly recommended on many peoples reading lists but I didn’t love it. Authors Juniper Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be rising stars. But Athena is a literary darling while June is a nobody. No one wants to read stories about basic white girls, June thinks. So when she witnesses Athena’s death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse, stealing Athena’s just written masterpiece about the Chinese laborers of World War I. Like every lie or hidden truth, they will eventually come to life. Read how June experienced fame and glamour through sharing her friends story. I think the dishonestly of the whole story got to me. I gave this one 3 stars.
