LIFE'S A PEARL

That’s a wrap on my summer reading!

Mr. Nobody by Catherine Steadman was my final book to cross off my Summer 2023 TBR.

I’m trying something new today and taking a moment to tally up my star ratings.

At this point, I’ve officially shared reviews for each of these 20 books. Below I have a list of links sharing all my summer book reviews in one place.

I also reflect on how my summer reading went, what I’ve learned about my reading life, and include a few shout outs to new favorite authors and series!

Summer 2023 TBR Wrap Up:

My Ratings Tally:

• 5⭐️ – 3
• 4.5⭐️ – 2
• 4⭐️ – 3
• 3.5⭐️ – 3
• 3⭐️- 5
• 2.5⭐️- 2
• 2⭐️ – 2

My ratings are all over the place with this tbr. There’s an unfortunate and unusual number of 2 and 2.5 star reviews. But overall it was a positive experience!

Where to Find Reviews

If you want to know my specific thoughts on any of these books I have links to the recap or wrap up where their review is posted.

New Releases

• The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth (4.5 stars)
• Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez (5 stars)
• Happy Place by Emily Henry (5 stars)
• Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune (2 stars)
• Once More with Feeling by Elissa Sussman (3 stars)
• Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan (2 stars)
• Hello Stranger by Katherine Center (4 stars)

Romance Series for Potential Rabbit Holes

• Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh (3.5 stars)
• Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon (3 stars)
• Puck Me Secretly by Odette Stone (4.5 stars)

Thriller Palette Cleansers

• Mr. Nobody by Catherine Steadman (3 stars)
• Stay Awake by Megan Goldin (4 stars)
• Birthday Girl by Niko Wolf (2.5 stars)

Kindle Unlimited

• That Second Chance by Meghan Quinn (3.5 stars)
• Flawless by Elsie Silver (5 stars)
• Mile High by Liz Tomforde (3 stars)

Beach Reads

• Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren (2 stars)
• The Pool Boy by Nikki Sloane (3.5 stars)
• Lovewrecked by Karina Halle (2.5 stars)
• Meet Me in Paradise by Libby Hubscher (3 stars)

Reflections and Shout Outs

This was such a fun tbr!

Through it I discovered a new favorite author – Elsie Silver! Her Chestnut Springs series (available on KU) has been one of my top reading experiences this year.

I gushed in my Mid Year Book Freak Out that the most recent book, Reckless, is my favorite book of the year so far. We will see if anything tops it!

I also devoured Odette Stone’s Vancouver Wolves Hockey series after reading Puck Me Secretly. That entire series is also available on Kindle Unlimited.

I loved having a Kindle Unlimited category on this tbr! It really helped spark my love affair with that subscription service.

Even some of the 3-star books led me to series I fell in love with!

I may not have been the biggest fan of the first book in Ruby Dixon’s Ice Planet Barbarian series, but I went on to read all 19 books in the series, plus the novellas and short stories. And I’m currently on the last book in the crossover Icehome series (another 16 books!)

After reading Nalini Singh’s Slave to Sensation, I went on to read the next 4 books in the Psy-Changeling series and plan to continue it.

So my Romance Series for Potential Rabbit Holes category paid off!

Karina Halle is an author I gave a second chance to. Lovewrecked didn’t work for me but One Hot Italian Summer did! That one would make a great summer read.

While I didn’t have the best luck with some of the new releases I used my audible credits on, it was fun to be “up-to-date” and contribute to the conversation soon after these books published. Skipping the hold line I would usually be in at my library was nice too.

What I Learned from my Summer 2023 TBR:

Some things I learned about my reading life this summer:

• I should read for me, not necessarily for new releases.
• I really don’t like books where every character is unlikable – I need someone to root for. 
• If an author accidentally writes a sexual assault scene into their book and never addresses it, I’m going to rant. 
• I’ve narrowed down my recommendation sources in this season of my reading life. I’m leaning heavily into romance and I’m totally happy with that!
• Kindle Unlimited is a good fit for my reading life right now. I love trying new-to-me indie romance authors.

Fall TBR Coming Soon!

My Fall TBR is in the works. I’m just narrowing down a few choices before announcing it. I was trying to keep it to 25 books but on last count it had 40!

If you happen to be on instagram, I’m doing a Countdown to Fall story series where you can help me choose my Autumn reading list.

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What are some of your favorite books read this summer?