It’s time for my first half of September book review! I am sharing what I read in September so far, although I am skipping a few 5 star reads to share later in the 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. If you’ve read any of these books or are interested in them, I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
Title: The Most Likely Club
Author: Elyssa Friedland
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Berkley, 9/6/22
Source: PR for author
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
This was a fun story about high school friends who realize that it’s not too late to find success even 25 years later.
“In 1997, grunge is king, Titanic is a blockbuster (and Blockbuster still exists), and Thursday nights are for Friends. In Bellport, Connecticut, four best friends and high school seniors are ready to light the world on fire. Melissa Levin, Priya Chowdhury, Tara Taylor, and Suki Hammer are going places. Their yearbook superlatives confirm it: Most Likely to Win the White House, Cure Cancer, Open a Michelin-Starred Restaurant, and Join the Forbes 400. Fast forward twenty-five years and nothing has gone according to plan as the women regroup at their dreaded high school reunion. When a forgotten classmate emerges at the reunion with a surprising announcement, the friends dig out the yearbook and rethink their younger selves. Is it too late to make their dreams come true? Fueled by nostalgia and one too many drinks, they form a pact to push through their middle-aged angst to bring their teenage aspirations to fruition, dubbing themselves the ‘Most Likely Girls.’ Through the ensuing highs and lows, they are reminded of the enduring bonds of friendship, the ways our childhood dreams both sustain and surprise us — and why it’s deeply uncool to peak in high school.”
Melissa is a single mom with a current high school senior. Priya is a doctor as well as a mom and her husband doesn’t do his share around the house. Tara is a chef who runs classes for kids. And Suki is a famous app creator who seems the most successful of the group. They attend their high school reunion and vow to get back to the goals they had for themselves back in high school. I am just one year older than the characters in this book so I loved that I could relate to them and their high school experience.
Title: The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen
Author: Isaac Blum
Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Teen, 9/13/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
I have to first tell you how exciting it is to see an obviously Orthodox teen on the cover of a book from a mainstream publisher. This is a coming of age story about Hoodie Rosen, whose religious community has found a new home in a town that is not all that excited about their new neighbors. When Hoodie meets and befriends Anna-Marie, the daughter of the mayor, his community isn’t happy with him either.
“Hoodie Rosen’s life isn’t that bad. Sure, his entire Orthodox Jewish community has just picked up and moved to the quiet, mostly non-Jewish town of Tregaron, but Hoodie’s world hasn’t changed that much. He’s got basketball to play, studies to avoid, and a supermarket full of delicious kosher snacks to eat. The people of Tregaron aren’t happy that so many Orthodox Jews are moving in at once, but that’s not Hoodie’s problem. That is, until he meets and falls for Anna-Marie Diaz-O’Leary—who happens to be the daughter of the obstinate mayor trying to keep Hoodie’s community out of the town. And things only get more complicated when Tregaron is struck by a series of antisemitic crimes that quickly escalate to deadly violence. As his community turns on him for siding with the enemy, Hoodie finds himself caught between his first love and the only world he’s ever known.”
This book addresses the antisemitism and hatred that occurs when groups are not familiar with each other and it all seemed very realistic. Even during hard times Hoodie was so funny and a great character to read about. I wondered if non Jewish readers would understand some of this book – if you decide to read it and you need translations I’m happy to help!
Title: Lizzie Blake’s Best Mistake
Author: Mazey Eddings
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin, 9/6/22
Source: Publisher via Net Galley
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
I really enjoyed A Brush With Love when I read it and this is the second book in the same series, although it can be read as a stand alone. It follows Lizzie, who has ADHD and feels that whatever she does, she makes mistakes and messes. Because of this, she avoids relationships. After a one (or two) night stand with Rake, her best “mistake” is revealed.
“Lizzie has made endless mistakes. Kitchen fires, pyramid schemes, bangs (of the hair and human variety), you name it, she’s done it… and made a mess of it too. One mistake she’s never made is letting anyone get closer to her than a single hook-up. But after losing yet another bakery job due to her uncontrolled ADHD, she breaks her cardinal rule and has a two-night-stand that changes everything. Once burned, twice shy, Rake has given up on relationships. And feelings. And any form of intimacy for that matter. Yet something about charming, chaotic Lizzie has him lowering his guard. For two nights, that is. Then it’s back home to Australia and far away from the pesky feelings Lizzie pulls from him. But when Lizzie tells him she’s got an unexpected bun in the oven, he’ll do whatever it takes to be a part of his child’s life… except be emotionally vulnerable, obviously. He’s never going to make that mistake again. Through a series of mishaps, totally ‘platonic’ single bed sharing, and an underground erotic baking scheme, Lizzie and Rake learn that even the biggest mistakes can have the most beautiful consequences.”
I found Lizzie to be funny and relatable and the author made ADHD and neurodivergence understandable. Rake proved able to love Lizzie as she is, unlike her difficult parents. There was a good deal of spicy scenes in this book. I don’t love the accidental pregnancy trope, but besides that, this was a great rom com overall.
Title: Love In The Time of Serial Killers
Author: Alicia Thompson
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Penguin Audio, 8/16/22
Source: Publisher Audio
Why I Read It: Buddy Read and it sounded good
My Rating: 4 Stars
This was a cute rom com about Phoebe, who is a true crime fan and PhD student on the subject of serial killers. She moves in to her childhood home after her father passes away and begins to suspect that her next door neighbor may be a serial killer.
“PhD candidate Phoebe Walsh has always been obsessed with true crime. She’s even analyzing the genre in her dissertation—if she can manage to finish writing it. It’s hard to find the time while she spends the summer in Florida, cleaning out her childhood home, dealing with her obnoxiously good-natured younger brother, and grappling with the complicated feelings of mourning a father she hadn’t had a relationship with for years. It doesn’t help that she’s low-key convinced that her new neighbor, Sam Dennings, is a serial killer (he may dress business casual by day, but at night he’s clearly up to something). It’s not long before Phoebe realizes that Sam might be something much scarier—a genuinely nice guy who can pierce her armor to reach her vulnerable heart.”
If this book has a trope, it’s sunshine and grump, with Phoebe being the grump. Phoebe is dealing with grief after having been estranged from her father before his passing. I enjoyed the side characters of Phoebe’s brother, his girlfriend, Phoebe’s former best friend, and the cat that she finds and adopts. I also enjoyed her relationship with Sam and this was a cute rom com overall.
Title: Imposter
Author: Bradeigh Godfrey
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing, 9/13/22
Source: Publisher via Net Galley
Why I Read It: I know the author from Instagram
My Rating: 4 Stars
Lilian and Rosie were always close sisters growing up together. However, an estrangement has separated them and after they are in a car accident, Rosie is left with a traumatic brain injury. She also has a fear of abandonment after her parents died, Lilian left for college, and now she doesn’t know where the real Lilian has gone.
“Lilian and Rosie were once the closest of sisters, but the untimely death of their parents pulled them apart. Now, three years on, Rosie has reached out to her big sister, asking to meet. Driving on an icy road in the middle of a snowstorm, Rosie admits that she has something important to tell Lilian―a secret she describes as a matter of life and death. But before she has a chance to tell Lilian, a car careens into theirs, with devastating consequences. Lilian survives unscathed, but Rosie is left with a traumatic brain injury, unable to communicate. Lilian is convinced that someone deliberately rammed Rosie’s car. But why? As Lilian begins to explore her sister’s past, she uncovers disturbing secrets that make her question if she ever really knew Rosie. The closer Lilian comes to the truth, the more danger she and Rosie find themselves in. But Lilian is certain of one thing: she abandoned her little sister once before and will never do so again. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”
There were a lot of twists and I was questioning what to believe. The ending was great as all the lose ends were perfectly tied together! This book contains depictions of postpartum anxiety and domestic partner abuse.
Title: Do You Take This Man
Author: Denise Williams
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Berkley, 9/6/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 3.5 Stars (Rounded down to 3)
I don’t think Denise Williams is the author for me because I haven’t really liked the two books of hers I’ve read recently. In this one, RJ is a lawyer and a wedding officiant on the side. She meets Lear, who is a wedding planner. I went back on forth on which of these characters I liked the least. The chapters were told in alternating viewpoints, though both were in 1st person and I couldn’t tell the two voices apart! Their named didn’t help, because I kept forgetting that RJ was the female character!
“Divorce attorney RJ would never describe herself as romantic. But when she ends up officiating an unplanned wedding for a newly engaged couple in a park, her life is turned upside down. The video of the ceremony goes viral, and she finds herself in the unlikely position of being a sought-after local wedding officiant. Spending her free time overseeing “I dos” isn’t her most strategic career move, but she enjoys it, except for the type A dude-bro wedding planner she’s forced to work with. Former pro-football event manager Lear is a people person, but after his longtime girlfriend betrayed him, he isn’t looking for love. He knows how to execute events and likes being in control, so working with an opinionated and inflexible officiant who can’t stand him is not high on his list. He’s never had trouble winning people over, but RJ seems immune to his charms. Surrounded by love at every turn, their physical attraction pulls them together despite their best efforts to stay an arm’s length apart. Lear refuses to get hurt again. RJ refuses to let herself be vulnerable to anyone. But when it comes to happily ever after, their clients might not be the only ones saying ‘I do.'”
Both of the characters had been hurt in the past and were therefore on guard with one another. They went from hate to lust to hate again. Overall, I wasn’t a big fan of this one.
Title: All Good People Here
Author: Ashley Flowers
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Bantam, 8/16/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
This is a thriller that deals with the deaths of children. It focuses on the Jacobs family, whose daughter January was killed when she was 6. Margot was a neighbor and friend of January’s and now she is an investigative reporter. So when she returns to town to take care of her uncle who has early onset dementia, and another local child goes missing, she begins to look into both cases.
“Everyone from Wakarusa, Indiana, remembers the infamous case of January Jacobs, who was discovered in a ditch hours after her family awoke to find her gone. Margot Davies was six at the time, the same age as January—and they were next-door neighbors. In the twenty years since, Margot has grown up, moved away, and become a big-city journalist. But she’s always been haunted by the feeling that it could’ve been her. And the worst part is, January’s killer has never been brought to justice. When Margot returns home to help care for her uncle after he is diagnosed with early-onset dementia, she feels like she’s walked into a time capsule. Wakarusa is exactly how she remembers—genial, stifled, secretive. Then news breaks about five-year-old Natalie Clark from the next town over, who’s gone missing under circumstances eerily similar to January’s. With all the old feelings rushing back, Margot vows to find Natalie and to solve January’s murder once and for all. But the police, Natalie’s family, the townspeople—they all seem to be hiding something. And the deeper Margot digs into Natalie’s disappearance, the more resistance she encounters, and the colder January’s case feels. Could January’s killer still be out there? Is it the same person who took Natalie? And what will it cost to finally discover what truly happened that night twenty years ago?”
Parts of the story are told from Margot’s viewpoint and other parts are told from January’s mom Krissy’s viewpoint, bringing us back to the the time period when January was killed. The story is twisty and was quick and compelling. The ending was a bit abrupt and without closure. This book has been said to be inspired by the Jonbenet Ramsey case and some say it is exactly the same. It isn’t. There are some similarities but there are a lot of different details. It is possible that it is the same as some of the theories about that case, because this does seek to answer what happened to January.
Title: The American Roommate Experiment
Author: Elena Armas
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Atria, 9/6/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
Elena Armas wrote The Spanish Love Deception which apparently went viral on TikTok and allowed her to be picked up by a mainstream publisher for this second novel. In The American Roommate Experiment, Rosie is also a romance writer who is working on her second novel – and she is dealing with writer’s block. When she ends up sharing an apartment with Lucas, her best friend’s cousin, they agree to go on experimental dates to help her with ideas for her writing.
“Rosie Graham has a problem. A few, actually. She just quit her well paid job to focus on her secret career as a romance writer. She hasn’t told her family and now has terrible writer’s block. Then, the ceiling of her New York apartment literally crumbles on her. Luckily she has her best friend Lina’s spare key while she’s out of town. But Rosie doesn’t know that Lina has already lent her apartment to her cousin Lucas, who Rosie has been stalking—for lack of a better word—on Instagram for the last few months. Lucas seems intent on coming to her rescue like a Spanish knight in shining armor. Only this one strolls around the place in a towel, has a distracting grin, and an irresistible accent. Oh, and he cooks. Lucas offers to let Rosie stay with him, at least until she can find some affordable temporary housing. And then he proposes an outrageous experiment to bring back her literary muse and meet her deadline: He’ll take her on a series of experimental dates meant to jump-start her romantic inspiration. Rosie has nothing to lose. Her silly, online crush is totally under control—but Lucas’s time in New York has an expiration date, and six weeks may not be enough, for either her or her deadline.”
This was quite a slow burn for such a fast romance! The book is a little too long, and I really think it could have been made a lot shorter if the characters didn’t say each other’s names in every sentence! I did enjoy this book and the story overall.
Title: The Charmed List
Author: Julie Abe
Genre: YA Rom Com
Publisher: Wednesday Books, 7/5/22
Source: Once Upon a Book Club Box
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
This book was so cute! I received it from Once Upon a Book Club which is a book box program where you can get books along with wrapped gifts having to do with the book that you open as you read. It is so fun! The Charmed List is about Ellie, who is part of a secret magical community and can create charms to help people and make things better. She creates a list to help her stop being a wallflower and one thing on her list is to get back at her ex friend Jack, who randomly stopped talking to her a few years back. Her revenge prank goes wrong and causes her best friend Lia to learn about magic when she is not supposed to be magic aware. As a punishment, Ellie and Jack have to road trip together to a magic convention.
“Ellie Kobata has spent most of high school on the sidelines, keeping her art Instagram private and shying away from the world. She can’t even tell her only friend, Lia, who she really is: Ellie is part of a secret magical community, and no one outside of it can know it exists. The only person Ellie could fully relate to was Jack Yasuda – her childhood friend who mysteriously started to snub her a few years ago. But before senior year, Ellie is ready to take some risks and have a life-changing summer, starting with her Anti-Wallflower List – thirteen items she’s going to check off one by one. With this list, she hopes to finally come out of her shell; even though she can’t share her full self with the world. But when number four on Ellie’s list goes horribly wrong―revenge on Jack Yasuda―she’s certain her summer is cursed. Instead of spending her summer with Lia, Ellie finds herself stuck in a car with Jack driving to a magical convention. But as Ellie and Jack travel down the coast of California, number thirteen on her list―fall in love―may be happening without her realizing it.”
I loved the magical details of this book like the magical village and cottage that Ellie and Jack stopped at. Overall this was a very cute YA rom com! By the way, if you want to order a Once Upon a Book Club Box, you can get 10% off with my code, NOTINJERSEY.
There you have it – 9 of the books I read this month. Of these books, 6 were print, 1 was audio, and 2 were ebooks. 7 were adult books and 2 were YA. Genres included thriller, rom com, and contemporary.
Have you read any of these books or do you want to? What have you been reading lately?
