This month, I have read a few 5 star books that I’ve loved and I can’t wait to share them with you here today! Since my June reading isn’t over yet, there could be more 5 star books posted next week when I finish my June reading wrap up, but for now, these are my favorites that I’ve finished this month. The Amazon links to the books I’ve read are affiliate links and if you use them and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission.
Title: The Missing Treasures of Amy Ashton
Author: Eleanor Ray
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Gallery Books, 6/8/21
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review.
My Rating: 5 Stars
I read this book in a single day. Amy suffered a loss when her boyfriend and her best friend disappeared. She has never had closure and doesn’t know where they are. Because she feels that people can hurt you and things can’t, she has collections of things that she cares for deeply – mugs, bottles, clocks ashtrays, lighters, birds, cookbooks, planters, etc. Unfortunately, her house has filled up with her collections to the point where it isn’t safe for her. Through flashbacks, we learn why she has these collections and start to unravel the mystery of her past. With the help of her new neighbors, including some adorable children, she begins to heal.
“Amy Ashton once dreamed of becoming an artist—of creating beautiful objects. But now she simply collects them. Aquamarine bottles, bright yellow crockery, deep Tuscan red pots (and the odd slow-cooker) take up every available inch of space in her house. Having suffered a terrible tragedy—one she staunchly refuses to let herself think about, thank you very much—she’s decided that it’s easier to love things than people. Things are safe. Things will never leave you. But when a new family moves in next door with two young boys, one of whom has a collection of his own, Amy’s carefully managed life starts to unravel, prompting her to question why she began to close herself off in the first place. As Amy embarks on a journey back into her past, she has to contend with nosy neighbors, a meddlesome government worker, the inept police, and a little boy whose love of bulldozers might just let Amy open up her heart—and her home—again.”
I was very invested in the story and loved it overall. Amy isn’t old, but if you like the older curmudgeon meets child who changes them trope, I think you will like this one too.
Title: The Soulmate Equation
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Gallery Books, 5/18/21
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review.
My Rating: 5 Stars
I really enjoyed this story of Jess, who is a single mom to the most adorable young child, Juno. Jess takes a DNA test to appease her best friend Fizzy. This is no ordinary test though – it can match you with your soulmate.
“Single mom Jessica Davis is a data and statistics wizard, but no amount of number crunching can convince her to step back into the dating world. Raised by her grandparents—who now help raise her seven-year-old daughter, Juno—Jess has been left behind too often to feel comfortable letting anyone in. After all, her father was never around, her hard-partying mother disappeared when she was six, and her ex decided he wasn’t “father material” before Juno was even born. Jess holds her loved ones close, but working constantly to stay afloat is hard…and lonely. But then Jess hears about GeneticAlly, a buzzy new DNA-based matchmaking company that’s predicted to change dating forever. Finding a soulmate through DNA? The reliability of numbers: This Jess understands. At least she thought she did, until her test shows an unheard-of 98 percent compatibility with another subject in the database: one of GeneticAlly’s founders, Dr. River Peña. This is one number she can’t wrap her head around, because she already knows Dr. Peña. The stuck-up, stubborn man is without a doubt not her soulmate. But GeneticAlly has a proposition: Get to know him and we’ll pay you. Jess—who is barely making ends meet—is in no position to turn it down, despite her skepticism about the project and her dislike for River. As the pair are dragged from one event to the next as the ‘Diamond Match’ that could launch GeneticAlly’s valuation sky-high, Jess begins to realize that there might be more to the scientist—and the science behind a soulmate—than she thought.”
River wasn’t the perfect hero, and their conflict’s resolution was a little quick in my opinion, but the book overall made me happy and I loved reading it, so it’s a win for me!
Title: Very Sincerely Yours
Author: Kerry Winfrey
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Berkley, 6/15/21
Source: Publisher via Net Galley
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review.
My Rating: 5 Stars
I’m a big fan of the Muppets and Jim Henson, so I loved that in this book Everett has emulated Henson as well as Mr Rogers in becoming a puppeteer and creating a children’s television show. When Teddy sends an email to him as an adult fan of the show, the two begin a You’ve Got Mail type correspondence. When they eventually meet in real life, their romance is inevitable!
“Teddy Phillips never thought she would still be spending every day surrounded by toys at almost thirty years old. But working at a vintage toy store is pretty much all she has going on in her life after being unceremoniously dumped by her longtime boyfriend. The one joy that she has kept is her not-so-guilty pleasure: Everett’s Place, a local children’s show hosted by Everett St. James, a man whom Teddy finds very soothing . . . and, okay, cute. Teddy finds the courage to write to him, feeling slightly like one of the children who write to him on his show. He always gives sound advice and seems like he has everything figured out—and he pretty much does: Everett has a great support system, wonderful friends, and his dream job. But there is still that persistent feeling in the back of his mind that something is missing. When a woman named Theodora starts writing to Everett, he is drawn to her honesty and vulnerability. They continue writing to each other, all the while living their lives without meeting. When their worlds collide, however, they must both let go of their fears and figure out what they truly want—and if the future they want includes each other.”
While Everett has always known his passion and what he wanted to do with his life, Teddy has spent her life pleasing others and hasn’t yet discovered her “thing.” I really liked how the two complimented each other. Two quotes that I loved from this book was “All of us have a way we can best help the world,” and “Love doesn’t conquer all. But when it’s real, when both of you feel it, it can conquer a whole hell of a lot.”
Title: Instamom
Author: Chantel Guertin
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Kensington, 6/29/21
Source: PR for Author
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review.
My Rating: 5 Stars
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book that I had not heard of before I received it in the mail. It was a very sweet story about Kit, who has made her living as an influencer for the child-free by choice community. However, her behind the scenes life isn’t as perfect as her Instagram makes it seem. She hooks up with Will very quickly in the book, but when she finds out he has a daughter, she tries to avoid him for awhile.
“In this #funny, #wise, #emotionally compelling look at modern love and finding your true path, a proudly kid-free influencer meets the ultimate #dealbreaker . . .It’s the influencer’s golden rule: know your niche. Kit Kidding has found hers on Instagram, where she gets paid to promote brands and share expertly curated posts about her fun, fabulous, child-free life. Kit likes kids just fine, but she passionately believes that women who choose not to become mothers shouldn’t have to face guilt. Or judgement. Or really hot chefs who turn out to be single dads. Will MacGregor is aggravating, sexy, persistent, averse to social media, and definitely a bad idea. As soon as Kit learns his parenting status, she vows to put their scorching one-night stand behind her and move on. But Will and Kit are thrown together on an Instagram campaign, and the more time she spends with him—and his whip-smart, eight-year-old daughter, Addie—the more difficult it is to stay away, much less sustain what Will so cleverly calls her ‘Resting Beach Face.’ Kit’s picture-perfect career path is suddenly clashing with the possibility of a different future—messy, complicated, and real. Which life does she truly want? Will she have to re-invent herself? And will love still be waiting by the time she figures it out?”
I think the conflict for couples when one wants a child and the other doesn’t is one of those really difficult ones to navigate. If this topic is sensitive for you, you might not like the book. Although Kit did not hate children as many people assumed, I thought Will put her in a parenting position way too quickly and without her permission. He actually said to Kit that she can’t be Addie’s friend, she has to be her parent. Um, no, HE’S her parent! Excusing Will for putting his daughter first, the other parents in the book certainly helped reinforce Kit’s feelings on not becoming a mom herself! However, after spending time with Addie, she definitely ends up falling for her as well as for her father and therefore has to figure out what she really wants in her life. Also – Kit is a reader and book lover and I loved the bits about her bookstagram account!
Title: The Secret Bridesmaid
Author: Katy Birchall
Genre: Contemporary / Rom Com
Publisher: Macmillan Audio, 5/4/21
Source: Audio Publisher
Why I Read It: Sounded good / buddy read.
My Rating: 5 Stars
I loved listening to this fun, funny, and cute book about a professional bridesmaid who with a very difficult client. More than a rom com, this was a hate to love friendship story between Sophie and Cordelia.
“Sophie Breeze is a brilliant bridesmaid. So brilliant, in fact, that she’s made it her full-time job. As a professional bridesmaid, Sophie is hired by London brides to be their right-hand woman, posing as a friend but working behind the scenes to help plan the perfect wedding and ensure their big day goes off without a hitch. When she’s hired by Lady Victoria Swann––a former model and ‘It Girl’ of 1970’s London; now the Marchioness of Meade––for the society wedding of the year, it should be a chance for Sophie to prove just how talented she is. Of course, it’s not ideal that the bride, Lady Victoria’s daughter, Cordelia, is an absolute diva and determined to make Sophie’s life a nightmare. It’s also a bit inconvenient that Sophie finds herself drawn to Cordelia’s posh older brother, who is absolutely off limits. But when a rival society wedding is announced for the very same day, things start to get…well, complicated. Can Sophie pull off the biggest challenge of her career––execute a high-profile gala for four hundred and fifty guests in record time, win over a reluctant bride, and catch the eye of handsome Lord Swann––all while keeping her true identity a secret, and her dignity intact?”
The narrator for this audio book did a great job with all sorts of voices, even including swan caws and Wookiee screams! I had such a fun time listening to this one and I really appreciated the inserted emails and communications between Sophie and her clients! This is a great summer read, though the main wedding in the story takes place on New Year’s Eve, so it would also be great to read later this year!
Title: Skye Falling
Author: Mia McKenzie
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Random House, 6/22/21
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review.
My Rating: 5 Stars
I knew this was going to be a 5 star read from when I started it – Skye has this hilarious voice which made her inner thoughts so fun to read.
“When she was twenty-six and broke, Skye didn’t think twice before selling her eggs and happily pocketing the cash. Now approaching forty, Skye still moves through life entirely—and unrepentantly—on her own terms, living out of a suitcase and avoiding all manner of serious relationships. Maybe her junior high classmates weren’t wrong when they voted her ‘Most Likely to Be Single’ instead of ‘Most Ride-or-Die Homie,’ but at least she’s always been free to do as she pleases. Then a twelve-year-old girl tracks Skye down during one of her brief visits to her hometown of Philadelphia and informs Skye that she’s ‘her egg.’ Skye’s life is thrown into sharp relief and she decides that it might be time to actually try to have a meaningful relationship with another human being. Spoiler alert: It’s not easy. Things get even more complicated when Skye realizes that the woman she tried and failed to pick up the other day is the girl’s aunt, and now it’s awkward. All the while, her brother is trying to get in touch, her mother is being bewilderingly kind, and the West Philly pool halls and hoagie shops of her youth have been replaced by hipster cafés. With its endearingly prickly narrator and a cast of characters willing to both challenge her and catch her when she falls, this novel is a clever, moving portrait of a woman and the relationships she thought she could live without.”
This is another that falls into the curmudgeon finds someone to care about genre with Skye being grumpy and Vicky bringing out the best in her. While funny and light hearted, this book also covers serious themes including gentrification, racism, police brutality, and more. I thought this was all done in an accessible way, by showing how these things effect the characters in the book, and I loved everything about the story overall.
I will be back next week to share the rest of the books I read in June! Do you have a favorite book you read this month?
