Book Wrap - May, June, and July 2025
Things have been busy so I'm rather behind in posting book wrap-ups, having last posted an April report. Because I have so much to catch up, we'll be doing things a little differently this time, focusing on how I rated each with some information on the sub-genres and characters. Quick and simple to get things up-to-date.
3.5 ⭐️
- The Prisoner’s Kay - CJ Archer (Series, magical realism/fantasy, romance, mystery)
3.75 ⭐️
- I Think They Love You - Julian Winters (enemies to lovers, second-chance romance, Black characters)
- Book Boyfriend - Kris Ripper (LGBTQ romance, friends to lovers, romance book author narrator)
4.0 ⭐️
- Gross Misconduct - AJ Truman (LGBTQ+ romance, age-gap romance)
- Big Gay Wedding - Bryon Lane (LGBTQ+ romance-ish, Mom learning to accept son, rural setting)
- Back After This - Linda Holmes (romance, podcaster, dating life made public, Black life/romance coach)
- Apprentice to the Villain - Hannah Cole Maehrer (series, historical, fantasy, romance, what makes a villain?)
- The Flatshare - Beth O’Leary (start of series, romance, modern day, roommates to lovers, left sticky notes as communication method, hospice nurse
- Nine Month Contract - Amy Daws (start of series, romance, city girl vs rural guy, pregnancy surrogate and single dad-to-be, lots of brothers, all the animals)
4.25 ⭐️
- The Village Library Demon Hunting Society - CM Waggoner (light-hearted, magical realism, grumpy teenager who is really a sweetheart)
- A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer - Maxie Dara
- I Might Be in Trouble - Daniel Allan (light-hearted thriller, author with agent who will do anything for him, LGBTQ romance, some spice at the beginning)
- Summer in the City - Alex Aster (romance, strangers-to-lovers, NYC focused)
4.5 ⭐️
- Say You’ll Remember Me - Abby Jimenez (strangers to friends to lovers, long-distance, cute vet, deus ex machine)
- Wrong Place, Wrong Time - Gillian McAllister (magical realism, time travel, parent’s intense love for child)
- The One - John Marks (dystopian fantasy, day after tomorrow, algorithms gone wrong, romance, messy relationships)
4.75 ⭐️
- The Survivor Wants to Die in the End - Adam Silver (series, dystopian? Fantasy, LGBTQ romance, rich kid vs poor kid)
Others:
- Knitting in the City Series - Penny Reid (various romance tropes, neurodivergent and disability representation, drama for drama’s sake, light knitting content) - anywhere from 3.5 to 4.25 ⭐️
- Re-Read of Bergman Brothers series - Chloe Liese (various romance tropes, Swedish-American family, all the feels, cozy but also spicy) - originally rated these 4.25 to 4.5 ⭐️ which I fully agree with. Have a feeling I may re-read these each summer as they make so happy
What have ya'll been reading the last few months? Any books I must check out?