LIFE'S A PEARL

While I’m not finishing a book a day like last month, I’ve still be reading a lot so far in June.

I was on track to complete my goodreads reading goal of 100 books within the first 6 months of this year.

100 books has been my standard goal for the past few years. I usually surpass it. It’s just a fun goal for me and I find keeping it reasonably attainable helps me stay motivated in my reading life.

For the first time ever I’m upping that goal – to 150 books!

This month, I’m happily chipping away at my summer tbr. So far I completed 10 of those 20 titles! I also had a blast discovering new romance authors on Kindle Unlimited.

I already completed my selections for my fable book clubs this June and those books were a success!

I’m bringing 11 books to my mid June reading recap with 9 reviews and 6 5-star reads!!!

This one is long folks! Grab your favorite drink and let’s get into it.

Mid June Reading Recap:

Indigo Ridge by Devney Perry

Rating: 4 stars

Steam Level: 2.5

Indigo Ridge was the June pick for A Dose of Romance Book Club. The romantic suspense element and small town setting appealed to me. It was also one of the titles on my summer tbr.

This was my first book by Devney Perry. As of this posting the series is available on Kindle Unlimited.

From goodreads:

“Winslow Covington believes in life, liberty and the letter of the law. As Quincy, Montana’s new chief of police, she’s determined to prove herself to the community and show them she didn’t earn her position because her grandfather is the mayor.

According to her pops, all she has to do is earn favor with the Edens. But winning over the town’s founding family might have been easier if not for her one-night stand with their oldest son. In her defense, it was her first night in town and she didn’t realize that the rugged and charming man who wooed her into bed was Quincy royalty.

Sleeping with Griffin Eden was a huge mistake, one she’s trying to forget. He’s insufferable, arrogant and keeps reminding everyone that she’s an outsider. Winslow does her best to avoid Griffin, but when a woman is found dead on Eden property, the two of them have no choice but to cross paths.

As clues to the murderer lead to one of Quincy’s own, Griffin realizes Winslow is more than he gave her credit for. Beautiful and intelligent, she proves hard to resist. For him. And the killer.”

My Thoughts

The first and second half of this story felt like different books.

The first part was just ok for me. The mystery of Indigo Ridge intrigued me.

The second half was when I really fell for this family and this town. I started to believe in Winn and Griff’s romance and eventually I could not put this book down. The story got wonderfully intense!

If the book had started in the same style it ended it would be a 5 star.

I adored the cast of characters. The family elements become so strong in this one, not just with the many Edens but with Pops (Winn’s grandfather) as well.

I wish I could visit this town of Quincy and the Eden ranch! The love for the land was strongly present throughout the story.

Winn was a smart, capable, and independent heroine. After a rough start, Griff won me over too. Not only with his possessive/protective side but also the subtle ways he understands and supports Winn.

I plan to continue reading this series. I think each book features a different Eden sibling and I can’t wait to discover their love stories!

Veronica’s Dragon by Ruby Dixon

Rating: 5 stars 6 stars!

Steam Level: 4

UPDATE: Upon further reflection and adding a 6th star to my rating system to designate favorites, I upped this one to a 6-star read! This is the book where I fell in love with this series.

This is the second book in Ruby Dixon’s Icehome series. I read the first book, Lauren’s Barbarian, before picking this one up, but this was my favorite of the series thus far so I’d rather talk about it.

As of this posting, the series is available on KU but I listened to the audiobook via Hoopla.

From goodreads:

“Resonance.

It’s a given on the ice planet, forced upon you by the parasitic symbiont called the ‘khui’. With resonance, a guy and a girl are paired up because they’ll make great babies. It’s a survival mechanism necessary for this sparsely-populated world we’re stranded on… and romantic, in a weird, alien way.

Everyone expects resonance to happen when twenty newcomers are dropped onto the frosty world. I doubt anyone expects the gorgeous, golden god named Ashtar to resonate to someone like me, though. He’s fierce. Flirty. Powerful. Disgustingly handsome.

I’m… not any of those things. I’m bland. Boring. Clumsy.

But resonance seems to think we’d be great together. And Ashtar does, too…”

My Thoughts

I loved this book! I listened to it in a day because I couldn’t put it down!

This story takes place at the same time as the first book in the series and overlaps with a large part of the third.

I fell in love with this couple. Both of their perspectives were so funny! Especially Ashtar’s as he’s trying to make sense of this world and the concept of mates in the very beginning.

They both really grow as individuals through the story.

I love how Veronica becomes a badass new healer and challenges Ashtar constantly. Which as a dragon is exactly what he wants in his mate – it just isn’t in the physical battle way he expected.

The 4 arm aliens from the first book were a little bit odd to me, but I am definitely into the dragon shifters 🤣  I wound up loving the mental bond between them.

It was also fun to see from Veronica’s perspective what is actually going on during the khui healings.

I wish I’d read this one before Barbarian’s Beloved (book 16 in the Ice Planet Barbarians series).

Not only because the side characters would have made more sense but also to get to know Zolaya better before his story. He’s so funny and lovable in this one.

Other Books in the Series that I Read So Far this Month

• Lauren’s Barbarian (3.5 stars)
• Willa’s Beast (3 stars)

Ivan by Sophie Lark

Rating: 4 stars

Steam Level: 3

This was my first book by Sophie Lark. It’s the first book in her mafia romance series, Underworld.

As of this posting, it’s available to read on Kindle Unlimited.

From goodreads:

“She Tried To Kill Me…

She crept into my room with a syringe full of poison.

Now she’s my prisoner.

She refuses to tell me who sent her or why.

But I’ll get every last secret out of her. Through pleasure or through punishment.

I captured her and now she belongs to me…”

My Thoughts

This wasn’t the mafia romance I thought it was when I downloaded it from KU but it was still a fun premise.

It was a quick and entertaining read. It’s just over 200 pages.

The story was sexy, funny, and quite intense! With the length sometimes it felt a little too insta-lovey and a little rushed – especially at the end.

Overall though I bought their connection with one another.

I’m not sure if I’ll continue this series. The only side character who interested me was Dom, Ivan’s brother. However I would definitely read another book by Sophie Lark.

Meet Me in Paradise by Libby Hubscher

Rating: 3 stars

Steam Level: 1

This was one of the titles in the beach reads category on my summer tbr. I listened to the audio via Libby.

From goodreads:

“Ever since her journalist mother died on assignment, Marin has played it safe, refusing to set foot outside the state of Tennessee. Her wild-child younger sister, Sadie, has trotted the globe as a photographer, living off of art and adrenaline.

When Sadie returns from a tough assignment abroad and looks a little worse for wear, Marin reluctantly agrees to a sisters’ spa weekend on the tropical island of Saba. But her lifelong fear of travel is affirmed when Sadie misses the flight, Marin’s luggage gets mixed up with another passenger’s, and an episode of turbulence sends her hurtling into the lap of Lucas Tsai, the handsome stranger who stole her sister’s seat.

For the first time in a long time, Marin has to step outside of her comfort zone as she explores the island with Lucas and learns what she’s been missing out on. With each breathtaking new experience, Marin gets closer to her real self, the man she’s falling for, and the heart-wrenching truth about why she’s there in the first place.”

My Thoughts

The cover and the description of this one had me gearing up for a romantic comedy between strangers with beach vibes and tropical vacation.

That is not what this book is!!!

There is some slight romance to it but the main story winds up being about grief with loss, cancer, and death on the page. It’s an incredibly heavy and heartbreaking story.

The writing is really beautiful and the characters become so compelling. I think that’s why this book is still pretty highly rated even with the bait of the cover and story switch.

You do get foreshadowing for where the story is heading around a third of the way in.

I almost DNF’d this book at 50% and I’m glad I didn’t because I fell in love with Sadie. The real love story for me was between her and Felix but what we get on page is the sister love between Sadie and Marin.

Mismarketing this one does the book and the author a disservice. It is a powerful story but I think it would go over a lot better if the reader knew what they were signing up for.

I don’t (usually) read romance to wind up a bawling mess at the end. I’m in it for the HEA.

Bait by Jade West

Rating: 5 stars

Steam Level: 5

Jenn at The Book Refuge put this book on my radar. I can’t remember which recommendation video it was from but this is a dark romance featuring CNC and a hero with hardware.

As of this posting it’s available on Kindle Unlimited.

From goodreads:

“A stranger online. Dark hair and even darker eyes that knew my dirty desires before I did.
A fantasy that should never be spoken. But he pulled the confession from me.
And now he’s coming for me.
Rough. Dirty. Dangerous.
It’s supposed to be one night to get me off and make me forget.
He’ll make me his and I’ll pretend I don’t want him to.
I’ll run and he’ll chase.
Because I asked him for this.
I begged him for this.

Tonight, in the darkness, he’s the hunter.
And I’m the bait.”

My Thoughts

First off, that cover 😍

Ok this is my first erotic romance or at least the first I’m reviewing on the blog. I feel a little weird about it so FAMILY maybe SKIP READING this section.

I’m not a scholar of the genre but from what I’ve heard discussed, a romance is defined as an erotic romance if the sexual content can’t be removed from the book without the story line falling apart.

By that definition this book is definitely an erotic romance.

And I loved it!

That’s not to say this book is all smut with no plot. There’s actually a lot of past trauma, grief, character growth, and intense family dynamics at play in this one.

The way the ending comes together felt perfectly full circle.

Something I did find interesting while reading is how often the hero was referred to as a monster or beast.

At first that threw me off for a contemporary romance but I think the vibes are no different than a typical trope we would find in paranormal romance.

For instance in Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark series, the Lykae have a beast inside of them that often takes over during a full moon and there’s an entire claiming ritual with their mate that is a part of their culture.

The fantasy of that is very similar to this one, it’s just being played out in the real world.

Reckless by Elsie Silver

Rating: 5 stars 6 stars!

Steam Level: 4

UPDATE: Upon further reflection and adding a 6th star to my rating system to designate favorites, I upped this one to a 6-star read! Reckless is my favorite book of this series and remains my top book of 2023!

This is the fourth book in Elsie Silver’s Chestnut Springs series. It’s a series I only discovered last month but I’ve been eagerly awaiting this book’s release! I previously reviewed Flawless (5 stars), Heartless (5 stars), and Powerless (4.5 stars).

As of this posting the whole series is available on Kindle Unlimited.

Winter Valentine (soon to be Hamilton again) doesn’t really know what her next move is when she reaches out to her estranged sister, Summer, and is invited to a holiday dinner with the Eaton family. But she knows she needs a change to find happiness.

Theo Silva, bull rider and Rhett’s protege, attends the same dinner and after an unfortunate first meeting, the chemistry between these two cannot be denied.

A snowy night at the same hotel, shots of tequila, and a secret pact give them one night of passion. They agree to go their separate ways after but when the stick turns pink, it might not be that simple after all.

My Thoughts

I was a little nervous going into this one because I knew it contained one of my least favorite tropes – surprise baby (not a spoiler – it’s in the synopsis). I’ve learned to trust Elsie Silver and she delivered!

Theo and Winter met previously in the third book of the series but I did not mind reliving that scene from their POVs at the start of this book one bit!

Theo was everything! He’s definitely my favorite hero of this series so far and I freaking adore Elsie Silver’s heroes. A bull rider who watches Grey’s Anatomy even from the road so he can stay close to his mom? Yes!

His instant draw to Winter, his humor and charm, his drive to become a better man, his openness, and his unshakeable commitment to his girls had me swooning even before any bedroom scenes!

Winter was also amazing! I loved getting to be inside her head, getting to know her better, and watching her grow. She’s so strong and such an amazing mama!

I loved how she and Summer grew close and repaired their relationship. It was beautiful seeing how Winter fit in with all of the Eatons and how they embraced both her and Vivi.

Also a shout out to Pete the rescue Chihuahua and how even Winter could see the similarities in their personalities 😂 Theo loves his strays.

I loved how Elsie Silver worked Winter and Theo’s original night together back into the story. That way we didn’t miss it entirely because it was scorching!

The whole book balances early parenthood with sex appeal in a way that might only be possible in romance but it felt believable and so swoony!

The only thing I didn’t like about this one was Winter’s age. It just didn’t line up with what we know of her and Summer’s history – if she’s only 2 years older than Summer it’s unlikely she’d remember Summer’s birth so well or the sweet nanny from back then.

Those references kept drawing me out of the story because they just didn’t make sense.

I hope we get at least a novella one day for Harvey and his blossoming love interest! I’m also shipping Loretta and Kip. Next up though is Hopeless, Beau’s story, and I cannot wait!

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

Rating: 5 stars

Steam Level: 2

Abby Jimenez is one of my favorite romance authors! I have read all of her books – there are only 5 – and every one has been a 5 star! I’ve previously reviewed Life’s Too Short and Part of Your World.

This was one of the audiobooks I preordered earlier this year when I had audible credits to use or lose. It was also on my summer tbr as an anticipated new release.

From goodreads:

“Dr. Briana Ortiz’s life is seriously flatlining. Her divorce is just about finalized, her brother’s running out of time to find a kidney donor, and that promotion she wants? Oh, that’s probably going to the new man-doctor who’s already registering eighty-friggin’-seven on Briana’s “pain in my ass” scale. But just when all systems are set to hate, Dr. Jacob Maddox completely flips the game . . . by sending Briana a letter.

And it’s a really good letter. Like the kind that proves that Jacob isn’t actually Satan. Worse, he might be this fantastically funny and subversively likeable guy who’s terrible at first impressions. Because suddenly he and Bri are exchanging letters, sharing lunch dates in her “sob closet,” and discussing the merits of freakishly tiny horses. But when Jacob decides to give Briana the best gift imaginable—a kidney for her brother—she wonders just how she can resist this quietly sexy new doctor . . . especially when he calls in a favor she can’t refuse.”

My Thoughts

I found this one to be just as addictive as all of Abby Jimenez’s previous works.

It shouldn’t surprise me how I hard fell for Bri and Jacob, but I honestly wasn’t that excited about these characters going into the book.

We met Bri in Part of Your World and while she was a great friend, the setting of this one and the letter writing elements weren’t exciting to me.

Obviously that quickly changed after I began listening!

I adored both Bri and Jacob but Jacob was who I really related to.

I’ve never been diagnosed with an anxiety condition myself but I felt so seen in the way Jacob experienced certain events and replayed interactions over and over in his mind. Bri’s understanding of that and defense of him was swoon worthy!

Several parts of this books made me laugh out loud. The balance of emotions that Abby Jimenez can write is truly amazing!

This is a powerful story dealing with intense past trauma and emotional struggles but it never felt too heavy. Always check your trigger warnings. But personally I felt the hard parts were paced so beautifully with light funny moments and a ton of love.

Also that authors note at the end – wow!

My friend Ashley at A Seed for the Soul read this back in April when it released and gave it 5 hearts if not 5 stars. Check out her review!

Happy Place by Emily Henry

Rating: 5 stars

Steam Level: 2

Book Lovers by Emily Henry was a 5-star romance for me last summer. I previously reviewed Beach Read (4 stars) and I didn’t really like People We Meet on Vacation. So while I had high hopes for this one, I never quite know where her books will land.

This was also one of the audiobooks I preordered earlier this year. It was on my summer tbr as an anticipated new release.

From goodreads:

“Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college—they go together like salt and pepper, honey and tea, lobster and rolls. Except, now—for reasons they’re still not discussing—they don’t.

They broke up six months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends.

Which is how they find themselves sharing the largest bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual respite from the world, where for one vibrant, blue week they leave behind their daily lives; have copious amounts of cheese, wine, and seafood; and soak up the salty coastal air with the people who understand them most.

Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They can’t stand to break their friends’ hearts, and so they’ll play their parts. Harriet will be the driven surgical resident who never starts a fight, and Wyn will be the laid-back charmer who never lets the cracks show. It’s a flawless plan (if you look at it from a great distance and through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses). After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week… in front of those who know you best?”

My Thoughts

It took a little while for me to get into the story but once I was invested I was in it for the long haul!

This is definitely on the line of women’s fiction and romance. That tends to be Emily Henry’s style.

The book is only told from Harriet’s perspective and there’s a lot going on with her, not just her break up with Wyn.

Told in dual timeline, a significant part of the story is spent on this friend group – their past, their bond, and what’s gone wrong in the current timeline. The story contains a romance but equal time is spent on those other developments.

I fell for these friends. They had me cracking up throughout the story!

While Henry’s writing is beautiful, I was concerned it was going to be a bit too flowery for my current reading taste.

The way she makes her descriptions come to life whether it’s a setting, a person’s face, a feeling, or a piece of furniture is really amazing. Too much of those details can bog down the story for me though.

I loved the way she built up the chemistry between Wyn and Harriet in both timelines. There’s such a sense of anticipation! The whole time I was just like what could possibly have gone so wrong for these two?

At times I worried the plot developments would be too predictable but Emily Henry kept surprising me!

It ended sweet and satisfying although I was kept guessing how things would resolve until almost the last chapter. I loved how it came full circle for Harriet not only with her friend but also her family.

Eight Dates: Essential Conversations for a Lifetime of Love by John Gottman, PhD and Julie Schwartz Gottman, PhD

Rating: 5 stars

This was the June selection for my nonfiction book club over on Fable – Pearls of Wisdom.

I read The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by John Gottman years ago before my husband and I got married. We actually both read it and found it full of useful information.

Marriage and relationships remain an interest of mine in nonfiction and after the past two months’ intense read, I needed something that was short and likely to be to the point.

The ultimate message of this book is to give your relationship the priority it deserves by making time to connect with your partner. When you stay curious, ask open-ended questions, and truly listen, amazing things can happen. This is their recipe for a lifetime of love.

The book is split into 8 different dates exploring a topic that is a common source of conflict. Each chapter begins with stories of real life couples unpacking their history around each topic and learning to connect with one another despite their differences. There are bits of data and research sprinkled in.

Most chapters contain exercises to help you better understand your own feelings and stories surrounding the discussion topic. Every chapter ends with instructions for the date night, conversation questions, and a positive affirmation.

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this book. It accomplishes exactly what it set out to from the introduction.

Nothing was necessarily ground-breaking information for me but I appreciated the small refresher on facts from that original book and the research that goes on at the Love Lab.

I think anything that shakes up everyday life to help you see your partner in a new light, remember that you don’t know everything about one another, and shows how to make room for continued learning is great!

The book was easy to read, very conversational in itself. The information was concise, to the point, with a well organized format that my tired brain appreciated.

Most chapters were a quick read.

Some of the topics appealed to me more than others but I saw the value in them all.

I thought the exercises for understanding yourself better were really helpful especially when it came to more abstract topics like growth and meaning.

Many of the chapters were inspiring like the dreams date.

The family focused one was eye opening and fascinating! It made me wish that I had read their book, And Baby Makes Three, before we had Mr. O.

What a way to end this recap! With 5 5-star reads in a row!

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What’s on your mid June reading recap? What was your last 5-star read?