The Books I Read in May 2020

May was a pretty good reading month for me! I didn’t read as much as I have in the past few months, but the books I read I thoroughly enjoyed! This month I gravitated more towards contemporary romance books that are great for warm weather days! If you’re looking for a book to add into your pool or beach bag, my favorites this month include Feels Like Falling & The Happy Ever After Playlist! I’m hoping to have a big reading month in June and fly through some of my anticipated summer reads since something tells me I’ll be a litttttle busy in July 😉

As always, you can see my latest reads on my bookstgram account @enw_reads (I share ALL things books there!) and on my Amazon Shop page! If you have any book recs, send them my way! I would love to hear what you have read recently in the comments. Thanks for stopping by!

FEELS LIKE FALLING by Kristy Woodson Harvey | It’s summertime on the North Carolina coast and the livin’ is easy. Unless, that is, you’ve just lost your mother to cancer, your sister to her extremist husband, and your husband to his executive assistant. Meet Gray Howard. Diana Harrington’s summer isn’t off to the greatest start either: Hours before losing her job, she broke up with her boyfriend and moved out of their shared house with only a worn-out Impala for a bed. Lucky for her, Gray has an empty guest house and a very guilty conscience. With Gray’s kindness, Diana’s tide begins to turn. But when her first love returns, every secret from her past seems to resurface all at once. And, as Gray begins to blaze a new trail, she discovers, with Diana’s help, that what she envisioned as her perfect life may not be what she wants at all. review: Kristy Woodson Harvey does it again with this southern fiction book that’s perfect for summer! I always love the author’s writing and I really appreciated how she wrote about friendships, forgiveness and love in this particular book. While the two main characters Gray and Diana come from completely different backgrounds, their unlikely friendship was one that I really enjoyed and I kept rooting for each of them until the last page! I personally related to the underlying theme of the right people coming into your life when you least expect it. If you’re looking for a lighthearted, but engaging read be sure to pick up this book! rating: 5 out of 5 ⭐️

BIG SUMMER by Jennifer Weiner | Six years after the fight that ended their friendship, Daphne Berg is shocked when Drue Cavanaugh walks back into her life, looking as lovely and successful as ever, wanting a favor. Daphne hasn’t spoken one word to Drue in all this time, so when Drue asks if she will be her maid-of-honor, Daphne is rightfully speechless. Daphne’s no longer the same self-effacing sidekick she was back in high school. She’s built a life that she loves, including a growing career as a plus-size Instagram influencer. Letting glamorous, seductive Drue back into her life is risky, but it comes with an invitation to spend a weekend in a waterfront Cape Cod mansion. Daphne finds herself powerless as ever to resist her. review: I loved Weiner’s book Mrs. Everything last year and I was anxious to read her latest novel, Big Summer. I really liked the premise and was excited to read about the complexities of female friendships, but this book missed the mark for me. Without giving too much away, I felt like I was reading two separate books and it felt a bit piecemeal. I wish there had actually been a bit more about the complexities of friendships and empowerment. Again, the ideas were good but I didn’t like them compiled into one book because it took away from what could have been. With that said, it did keep me turning the pages but it left me wanting more! rating: 3 out of 5 ⭐️

HELLO, SUMMER by Mary Kay Andrews | Conley Hawkins left her family’s small town newspaper, The Silver Bay Beacon, in the rearview mirror years ago. Now a star reporter for a big-city paper, Conley is exactly where she wants to be and is about to take a fancy new position in Washington, D.C. Or so she thinks. When the new job goes up in smoke, Conley finds herself right back where she started, working for The Silver Bay Beacon. Soon she is given the unenviable task of overseeing the local gossip column, “Hello, Summer.” Then Conley witnesses an accident that ends in the death of a local congressman—a beloved war hero with a shady past. The more she digs into the story, the more dangerous it gets. As an old heartbreaker causes trouble and a new flame ignites, it soon looks like their sleepy beach town is the most scandalous hotspot of the summer. review: When I think of quintessential summer reads, Mary Kay Andrews is one of the authors that immediately comes to mind! Her latest book packs a punch with every bit of family drama, mystery & a bit of romance too! I really loved the journalistic aspect of this book – I thought it was a great element and lent to telling the story well. I really enjoyed the characters in this book – they were all so relatable and real with their own issues. I can never pass up a boy-next-door romance either, so I loved it! This will definitely be the perfect read to get you in the mood for summer! rating: 4 out of 5 ⭐️

YOU ME AND US by Alison Hammer | Alexis Gold knows how to put the “work” in working mom. It’s the “mom” part that she’s been struggling with lately. Alexis has all but given up on finding a good work/life balance. Instead, she’s handed over the household reins to her supportive, loving partner, Tommy. Their world changes in an instant when Tommy receives a terminal cancer diagnosis, and Alexis realizes everything she’s worked relentlessly for doesn’t matter without him.  But Alexis and Tommy aren’t the only ones whose lives have been turned inside out. In addition to dealing with the normal ups and downs that come with being a teenager, CeCe is also forced to confront her feelings about Tommy’s illness—and what will happen when the one person who’s always been there for her is gone. When the magic of first love brings a bright spot to her summer, CeCe is determined not to let her mother ruin that for her, too. Alexis realizes the only thing harder for her than losing Tommy will be convincing CeCe to give her one more chance. review: I don’t typically start books without reading the synopsis first, but I did with this one and it wrecked me in the best way possible. This family took me on a heart wrenching ride and I wasn’t quite ready for it to end. Alexis and CeCe’s mother-daughter relationship really resonated with me – as a teenager my mom and I had a rocky relationship and as I read this it took me back to those hard days where we butted heads over everything. Although I have not dealt with loss in the way these two characters have, I thought the author did a fantastic portraying grief, the different stages & the ways people grieve differently. This was such an engaging read that I highly recommend – just make sure you have tissues on hand! rating: 4 out of 5 ⭐️

THE HAPPY EVER AFTER PLAYLIST by Abby Jimenez | Two years after losing her fiancé, Sloan Monroe still can’t seem to get her life back on track. But one trouble-making pup with a “take me home” look in his eyes is about to change everything. With her new pet by her side, Sloan finally starts to feel more like herself. Then, after weeks of unanswered texts, Tucker’s owner reaches out. He’s a musician on tour in Australia. And bottom line: He wants Tucker back. Well, Sloan’s not about to give up her dog without a fight. But what if this Jason guy really loves Tucker? As their flirty texts turn into long calls, Sloan can’t deny a connection. Jason is hot and nice and funny. There’s no telling what could happen when they meet in person. The question is: With his music career on the rise, how long will Jason really stick around? And is it possible for Sloan to survive another heartbreak? review: I read The Friend Zone last year and absolutely loved it and couldn’t wait for Sloan’s story to be published! I enjoyed this sequel so much and found myself smiling and rooting for Sloan the entire time. The author does a great job of writing a light, heartwarming book and mixing it with deeper issues of loss and mental health. Similar to The Friend Zone, the characters were relatable, flaws and all. The dialogue between Kristen and Sloan had me audibly giggling numerous times throughout the book. I also couldn’t get enough of Sloan and Jason’s relationship. Their road to happily ever after definitely had some bumps in the road, but the journey getting there was so fun! I could have done without the epilogue – it made everything come together almost too nicely, but other than that I thoroughly enjoyed this book! If you’re looking for a good rom-com, be sure to grab this one! rating: 4.5 out of 5 ⭐️

A GOOD MARRIAGE by Kimberly McCreight | Lizzie Kitsakis is working late when she gets the call. Grueling hours are standard at elite law firms like Young & Crane, but they’d be easier to swallow if Lizzie was there voluntarily. The last thing Lizzie needs right now is a call from an inmate at Rikers asking for help—even if Zach Grayson is an old friend. But Zach is desperate: his wife, Amanda, has been found dead at the bottom of the stairs in their Brooklyn brownstone. And Zach’s the primary suspect.  As Lizzie is drawn in she learns that Zach and Amanda weren’t what they seemed—and that their friends might be protecting troubling secrets of their own. In the end, she’s left wondering not only whether her own marriage can be saved, but what it means to have a good marriage in the first place. review: I chose this as one of my May Book of the Month picks because I have been on a suspense kick. Admittedly, it didn’t grab me at first so I decided to put it down and restart it at a later time! it definitely sucked me in the second time around and I ended up enjoying it. The pacing of the first half of the book was a bit slow as you’re being introduced to a large cast of characters, but the second half kept me up late trying to finish it! In this book you have a mix of mystery, trial testimony, and a cast of unreliable characters. These three things end up making a great psychological thriller. I kept trying to guess what was going to happen and I was proven wrong every single time! rating: 3.5 out of 5 ⭐️

THE BRIGHT SIDE OF GOING DARK by Kelly Harms | As one of the most popular influencers on social media, Mia Bell has lived her life online for years. But off-camera, her world is far from picture perfect. After being jilted by her fiancé and faking her nuptials to please her sponsors, Mia finally has had enough. She heaves her phone off a cliff, ready to live—and maybe find love—offline for a change. Mia’s sudden absence doesn’t go unnoticed, especially by techie loner Paige Miller, who hacks Mia’s account and begins impersonating the internet celebrity. Paige has her reasons. Creating a like-worthy life is more fun than Paige expected. But when she grows too bold and is caught in the act, a fiasco ensues that could forever change Mia, Paige, and the people who love them. Because somewhere amid the chaos is an invaluable lesson—one that only real life can teach. review: As an influencer I really related to the main character, Mia, and really enjoyed this book. I thought the author did a great job of presenting social media in a realistic way. The author really shined a light on the concept of “things not always being as they seem” on social media. The book is the perfect combination of a lighthearted read mixed with deeper topics of depression and anxiety. The story is told in from the perspectives of Mia and Paige and I thought they were both well-developed and unique in their own ways. In the age of social media, I found this to be very thought-provoking and interesting. rating: 4 out of 5 ⭐️

shop the books I read in May