So, I've been on vacation for the last week, and the week prior was prepping for vacation / didn't have time to read. I spent the last week in the North Cascades National Park, enjoying nature by paddle boarding, eating smores, and reading by the fire.
I was able to knock out 5 of my TBR list, and finally went through my Goodreads account and updated "Read" dates for a ton of books and it turns out I'm actually 1 book ahead of my 100-book challenge reading schedule. Granted, the books I read this week while camping were maybe not my favorites...
The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand - (See Full Review as this is an eARC.)
Zodiac Academy (1 The Awakening) by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti -
Rating: 1 Star
Tiktok recommended this book to me, and I really, really need to stop listening to Tiktok's recs. The sell was "Steamy Harry Potter", and should have been "Harry Potter Expanded Universe Wattpad Story". Positives - very interesting universe and Fae and premise. Negatives - a lot, unfortunately. I'm so disappointed in this book. The two main characters, Darcy and Tory Vega (birth names are Roxanya and....something else that isn't brought up enough to even be memorable), they really seem like interesting characters at the start of the book. They hook you in...and then unfortunately the Solaria universe turns into an entirely sexually charged place, with a ton of non-consensual acts under the guise of "It's Solaria baby, once you know how to fend other Fae off then you can start saying no". Yuck. Also, so confused about the age of all of these people, it's stated that the twins are 18, but they're attending an academy that seems super high schoolish and weird. So many things just don't add up.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Rating: 2 Stars
This book was long and boring, and I'm giving this a bonus star because I don't think I'm the right audience for it. It's a raw, honest story but the pacing killed me. I can totally see this book becoming a required read in like 11th-grade lit and a ton of high schoolers hating the teacher for it, because that's what the book reads like.
Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score
Rating: 3.5 Stars (4 for Goodreads)
I've had this book in my TBR pile for like 3 months, and I finally stuck it in my bag and made myself read it. I like the little Knockemout Town, so vivid and lively. The trope was a grumpy millionaire neighbor to take care of a recently down-on-her-luck and single lady from out of town, who is required to take care of her 11-year-old niece whom she didn't know about at all. The 11-year-old is more grown up than the couple and seems to be more in touch with her emotions than they do too. Could I put this book down? No? Do I actually like the couple together? Honestly, no. Did I like the book? Yes. It was sweet and yes I want to read the next book.
Beach Read by Emily Henry
Rating: 3 Stars Warning: I have a personal vendetta against Michigan, so Michiganders, I apologize in advance.
Despite the setting being in Michigan, one of my least favorite places on the planet, the story of Unique Name Man-Augustus, and Unique Name Woman-January (all in good jest!) who are both writers in a small town in Michigan. Are most romance novels about writers? I feel like they are. Anyway, they make a writing bet against each other that Grumpy Augustus couldn't write a romance novel, and Sunshine January couldn't write a "serious fiction". Then they fall in love giving each other writer's workshops. It's cute. It's funny. It plays on all the tropes I love - sunshine/grump, neighbors. Fun.
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