June 2018 Reading List + Reviews

Another month of great reading! Summer months tend to be my favorite in terms of reading because there are always SO many book releases (and many of them include my favorite authors). I’m a bit behind in reading some of the new releases, but it’s safe to say there’s no shortage of good summer reading books this season! It’s hard to pick a favorite from the books I read this month, but my top contenders are The Kiss Quotient, When Life Gives You Lululemons, and The Perfect Couple! All of those are worthy of being added to your beach bag 😉

As always, I would love to hear what you’re reading! I love adding new books to my “to read” list. I also include alllll the books I’ve read over the last few years on my Amazon shop page so be sure to check that out! THE PERFECT MOTHER BY AIMEE MOLLOY | Being a new mom can be hard but luckily for these new moms, the May Mothers group has been a place to get together to seek refuge, share their fears, and dish about being a new mom. The mothers decide to go out sans babies one night to let loose and have some fun. Winnie, a single mother, is a little apprehensive to leave her baby, but is assured by the group that everything will be fine… and it is until something goes horribly wrong. Winnie’s son goes missing while under the care of a babysitter. As they search to put the pieces together and find her son the moms realize they don’t know each other as well as they think. This was a Book of the Month pick and was a quick two day read. It reminded me of another BOTM pick “Not That I Could Tell” but was a little more fast-paced and gripping. I loved the twists this book took and the ending was one I didn’t expect. I did appreciate the real, honest storyline of differing moms and the pressures mothers feel. If you’re a new mom (or have a bit of anxiety with your child) I wouldn’t read this one, but otherwise I recommend it! P.S. This book is being turned into a movie with Kerry Washington as the star. CAN’T WAIT!

SOMETHING IN THE WATER BY CATHERINE STEADMAN | The story follows Erin and Mark, newlyweds who seem like the perfect couple with a happy, trusting relationship despite some red flags and financial troubles. While scuba diving on their honeymoon in Bora Bora, they stumble across something remarkable, yet curious, which threatens to change their entire lives and test their marriage even more. The situation really begs the question, “What would you do?” and also makes me think of the saying “if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.”  Throughout the book, Erin and Mark deal with numerous decisions regarding their jobs, their livelihood, and whether they are doing the right thing. While I didn’t relate to any of the characters, they were well-developed and I enjoyed following along with them. But at the same time I wanted to scream “WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?!?” at least once a chapter haha! Parts of the story were a bit farfetched or predictable, but overall I enjoyed this fast paced read.

THE KISS QUOTIENT BY HELEN HOANG | Stella Lane has Aspergers and struggles with social interactions, among other things. Needless to say her dating life is non-existent and even the thought of dating makes her want to hide underneath her desk. But Stella is determined. She wants to get better at sex so she can, hopefully, find a life partner and start the family her parents so very much want her to have. To get better at sex she hires Michael, an escort with a lot of debt and a few secrets but who is exactly the man she needs. This was one of those books that I was highly anticipating and it didn’t disappoint! This is such a fun read and it’s also quite original with the characters, but incredibly steamy! Stella is a really compelling protagonist and Hoang does a wonderful job of showing us who Stella is and how she negotiates a world that isn’t very welcoming to her. I, myself, have a sister with Aspergers, and it’s something that my family deals with on a daily basis, so it was a really interesting book for me to read from an older perspective. This is definitely a “must read” book for the summer!

HOW HARD CAN IT BE? BY ALLISON PEARSON |  Kate Reddy is about to turn the big 5-0 and she’s ready to re-enter the workforce. Her children are in their teens and her husband is having a mid-life crisis, so Kate takes it as an opportunity to throw herself back into her work. Nearing 50, Kate feels the pressure of jumping back into the workforce and she finds herself lying about her age on her resume in order to land a job! She’s back at the office where she worked almost fifteen years ago…but everything has changed. Everyone is noticeably younger, smarter, and far more tech savvy than Kate is. She can easily juggle her husband, her in-laws, her children, and the responsibilities of her work, right? Well it may prove to be harder than she originally thought. Although I am not yet a mother and I’m not close to my 50th birthday, I could still relate to Kate and her attempt to juggle all of her commitments while hitting roadblock after roadblock! This book is the follow-up to Allison Pearson’s debut novel I Don’t Know How She Does It,but it isn’t necessary to have read the first one to enjoy this book. I thought the characters were really well developed and I found myself laughing along as Kate got herself stuck in these highly hilarious situations while trying to remain young! This book takes on issues such as social media, age in the workplace, and real-life and turns them into witty situations that we can all relate to.SOCIAL CREATURE BY TARA ISABELLA BURTON | Social Creature follows part girl Lavinia Williams and her new “of the moment” bestie Louise Wilson. The two girls couldn’t be more different. Lavinia is extremely well off, has the best of the best, and lives for her social status. Louise, on the other hand, lives a very quiet life and is constantly wondering how she’s going to make ends meet. Lavinia takes Louise under her wing and soon Louise becomes infatuated with Lavinia’s lifestyle. But as most infatuations go, it doesn’t end well for either of the girls. This book is a mix of modern-day Gossip Girl with the age of social media and the glamour of The Great Gatsby. I devoured this book, mostly because it was so damn creepy that I couldn’t put it down. I loved the writing style and it kept me turning the pages because the story line was so intriguing (and rather f’ed up!!) I will say, this book is very dark and a bit disturbing, but a book I would recommend. Although I kinda feel weird recommending it because it’s so dark and crazy!

WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LULULEMONS BY LAURA WEISBERGER | If you were a fan of The Devil Wears Prada, get ready to devour this book. When Life Gives You Lululemons follows Emily Charlton, Miranda Priestly’s former assistant, Miriam, a New York attorney who has traded in her job for suburban mom life, and Karolina, a former VS model turned Senator’s wife. All three women find themselves living in Greenwich, CT for different reasons, yet their situations bond them together in a way. Emily feels like her career as a celebrity image consultant is failing, Miriam is still struggling to find herself in this new SoulCycle loving, Gin & Tonic drinking, Lululemon wearing suburb, and Karolina is working out the fact that she just got a DUI and has a failing marriage. This book is the perfect amount of snarky, witty, and real. I have been a fan of Laura Weisberger since The Devil Wears Prada, so I was thrilled to have some of the gang back in this entertaining book! This was a quick, easy read and would be the perfect book to pack in your beach bag this summer.

THE PERFECT COUPLE BY ELIN HILDERBRAND | You know summer is around the corner when Erin Hilderbrand has a new release! It’s summer and there’s no better place to be than Nantucket. The Otis and Winbury families are excited for the upcoming Nantucket wedding of their children Celeste Otis and Benji Winbury. As with most weddings, they bring out a bit of family drama and, in this case, some family secrets. The picture perfect weekend quickly gets turned upside down when the Maid of Honor, Merritt, is found dead on the morning of the wedding. As the investigation gets underway, secrets of the Winbury family come out and it leads to a lot of questions and not many answers. It quickly becomes apparent that no one is perfect. Reading this book was like being a fly on the wall of a well-off family that’s filled with drama. I absolutely devoured this book at the pool over the weekend. This book was a bit of a departure from her typical books, but I found it refreshing and still very much quintessential Elin Hilderbrand.

THE DEATH OF MRS. WESTAWAY BY RUTH WARE | Struggling tarot card reader, Hal, aka Harriet Westaway, finds herself in a bit of a quandary when she receives a letter naming her as a beneficiary in her grandmother’s will. She believes a mistake has been made as her grandparents died long before she was born. Even though she knows that what she is doing is wrong, she is so desperate for money that she decides to travel to the funeral and play the role of the rightful heir. Hal travels to the eerie  and crumbling Trepassen House, her “late grandmother’s” estate. She hopes that she inherits enough money to pay off her debts, but she soon learns that she has been left much more. At the estate, she meets her “uncles” and learns more about her so-called family who has resided at Trepassen over the years. While the estate creates more questions for Hal, she begins digging for more information that leads her to danger. The main character, Hal, is developed well and her observant demeanor kept me curious. I will say, this book is more of a slow-build and not a fast-paced read. If you haven’t read any books by Ruth Ware before, I think it’s important to note that she has a very detailed and descriptive writing style that tends to build on the storyline rather than a fast-paced thriller. It didn’t really pick up until about 75% in.

BRING ME BACK BY B.A. PARIS | Twelve years ago Finn’s girlfriend, Layla, disappeared from a rest stop on their way home from vacation. In his statement to police, he said that Layla was in the car when he stopped to use the restroom. When he got back she was nowhere to be found. His phone wasn’t getting a signal so he drove to the nearest gas station to ask for help. It was the truth, but not quite there whole truth… Twelve years have gone by and while Layla still hasn’t been found, Finn has found himself in love with Ellen, Layla’s sister. Their relationship is a bit rocky, she is Layla’s sister after all, but things take a turn when Finn proposes to Ellen. Layla returns. Without spoiling the book, I will say that this one is a page-turner! I enjoyed the story telling going between “then” and “now” as it gave a better understanding on what did happen with Layla and Finn! At times it was a bit far-fetched, but it kept me reading until the very twisty end!