Welcome to my August 2024 Favorite Books post! This monthly post is where I share the 5 star books I’ve read so far each month. I had a few 5 star reads this month that I am excited to share. You can see the first half of my August reading here and I will share the rest next week. At the time I’m writing this, there is still a chance I will have additional 5 star reads, so those will appear in next week’s post too. 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: Look In The Mirror
Author: Catherine Steadman
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Ballantine, 7/30/24
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
Having not been a fan of There’s Something In The Water by Catherine Steadman, I wasn’t sure if I’d like her subsequent books, but I loved Look In The Mirror! This is about two women who are brought to the Caribbean on different pretenses. Nina’s father dies and she inherits a house from him. She never knew about this house and she wants to learn more. Maria is a nanny and is awaiting her next job. She gets to the home before the family and they seem to be no shows. She is told to avoid the basement. Of course, she gets curious.
“Nina, still grieving from the loss of her father, discovers that she has inherited property in the British Virgin Islands—a vacation home she had no idea existed, until now. The house is extraordinary: state-of-the-art, all glass and marble. How did her sensible father come into enough money for this? Why did he keep it from her? And what else was he hiding? Maria, once an ambitious medical student, is a nanny for the super-rich. The money’s better, and so are the destinations where her work takes her. Just one more gig, and she’ll be set. Finally, she’ll be secure. But when her wards never show, Maria begins to make herself at home, spending her days luxuriating by the pool and in the sauna. There’s just one rule: Don’t go in the basement. That room is off-limits. But her curiosity might just get the better of her. And soon, she’ll wish her only worry was not getting paid.”
The house was so mysterious and creepy. I wanted to know what was happening! And how the two women connected. This was such a fun read!
Title: The Ex Vows
Author: Jessica Joyce
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Berkley, 7/16/24
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce is a second chance romance. I don’t love second chance romance but I really did love this sweet reunion story about Georgia and Eli. Exes Georgia and Eli reunite when their mutual best friend Adam needs them to rescue his wedding, which seems cursed with all the things that keep going wrong. We find out that the two broke up because of Eli’s struggle to succeed at work coupled with Georgia’s fear of losing people.
“Georgia Woodward lives by her lists, none more so than the one about her ex, Eli Mora. It’s full of the ironclad dos and don’ts they’ve been following since she returned to the Bay Area after their cataclysmic breakup five years ago. With the wedding of their mutual best friend, Adam, looming, and them about to step into their roles as best woman and man, Georgia’s never needed it more. She refuses to threaten their tight-knit friend group with her messy—and still very present—feelings. The rules on that list will keep her cool, calm, and compartmentalized. What’s not on her list? Eli arriving from New York with a new rule-breaking attitude or the all-inclusive venue burning to the ground, leaving the bride and groom in dire straits. Nor does she anticipate Adam asking her and Eli to help him make a miracle happen. Together. As Georgia and Eli rush up to Napa Valley to pull off the perfect wedding, their old chemistry comes back in technicolor. Somewhere between cake tastings gone wrong, disastrous DJ auditions, and Eli’s heated attention, Georgia starts recognizing the man she fell in love with before. And if she lets herself break her rules, she might find what they’re building isn’t the something old that ruined them—it’s a chance at something new.”
I could relate to Georgia feeling like her friends didn’t truly care about her and her fears of being alone. I really enjoyed reading this one.
Title: Silent Sister
Author: Megan Davidhizar
Genre: YA Thriller
Publisher: Delacorte, 8/6/24
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
I thought this YA thriller was really well done. This book is about sisters Grace and Maddy who go on a school retreat. Something happens on the trip and only one of the sisters comes back – the other is missing. The one who returns can’t remember what happened.
“Two sisters went missing on their class trip—Grace, the outgoing athlete who is friends with just about everyone, and Maddy, the wallflower wilting in her sister’s shadow who’d rather absorb herself in her journal than talk to her classmates. But when Grace is found—injured, with no memory of what happened—everybody thinks she’s lying. It’s hard not to look guilty with Maddy’s blood on her clothes. Desperate to save her sister—and prove her own innocence—Grace must piece together what happened on that school trip with the help of her sister’s notebook and classmates who may not be telling the police everything that about that tragic night. She will discover her sister’s secrets can’t stay quiet…but what if her own are the most terrifying of all?”
We get Grace’s viewpoint after the trip and Maddy’s viewpoint from the start of the trip, so we begin to understand what happened between them. There is a twist that I did not see coming – even though there were hints that it was coming! This book deals with grief, sibling rivalry, mental health, and therapy and also includes Maddy’s poetry after her chapters.
Title: You Will Never Be Me
Author: Jesse Q Sutanto
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Berkley, 8/20/24
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
You Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q Sutanto was such a fun thriller about influencers. Meredith and Aspen were best friends until they started competing as Mommy influencers. Meredith finds Aspen’s daughter’s iPad and discovers the truth behind Aspen’s perfectly curated life.
“Influencer Meredith Lee didn’t teach Aspen Palmer how to blossom on social media just to be ditched as soon as Aspen became big. So can anyone really blame Mer for doing a little stalking? Nothing serious, more like Stalking Lite. Then, Mer gets lucky; she finds one of Aspen’s kids’ iPads and swipes it. Now, she has access to everything: the family calendar and Aspen’s social media accounts. Would anyone else be able to resist tweaking things a little here and there, showing up in Aspen’s place for meetings with potential sponsors? Mer’s only taking back what she deserves—what should have been hers. Meanwhile, Aspen doesn’t understand why her perfectly filtered life is falling apart. Sponsors are dropping her, fellow influencers are ghosting her, and even her own husband seems to find her repulsive. If she doesn’t find out who’s behind everything, she might just lose it all. What everyone seems to forget is that Aspen didn’t become one of TikTok’s biggest momfluencers by being naive. When Meredith suddenly goes missing, Aspen’s world is upended and mysterious threats begin to arrive—but she won’t let anything get in the way of her perfect life again.”
There were plenty of unlikeable characters in this and lots of fun twists! I had a very hard time putting this one down.
Title: Magical Meet Cute
Author: Jean Meltzer
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Mira, 8/27/24
Source: Author
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
Jean Meltzer writes some lovely, Jewish rom coms full of Jewish joy. While this one contains some of the joy, plus Jewish mysticism, it also focuses on antisemitism in a Jewish community and is very current with its look at being Jewish today. This is about Faye, who is a ceramist and creates a golem out of clay. The next day, she meets a man who appears to be perfect and just like the golem she created. Greg has amnesia, so the question of who he really is (a man or a golem?) is a big part of the story as well.
“Faye Kaplan used to be engaged. She also used to have a successful legal practice. But she much prefers her new life as a potter in Woodstock, New York. The only thing missing is the perfect guy. Not that she needs one. She’s definitely happy alone. That is, until she finds her town papered with antisemitic flyers after yet another failed singles event at the synagogue. Desperate for comfort, Faye drunkenly turns to the only thing guaranteed to soothe her—pottery. A golem protector is just what her town needs…and adding all the little details to make him her ideal man can’t hurt, right? When a seriously hot stranger mysteriously turns up the next day, Greg seems too good to be true—if you ignore the fact that Faye hit him with her bike. And that he subsequently lost his memory…But otherwise, the man checks Every. Single. Box. Causing Faye to wonder if Greg’s sudden and spicy appearance might be anything but a coincidence.”
Along with Greg’s identity, the other mystery in the book is as to who is behind the antisemitism in town. What Faye experiences is very raw to read, especially in light of current world events. Having experienced childhood trauma, she is retraumatized as well. You can feel the author’s anger and sadness about everything that has been happening. You also get a feel for the author’s lovely sense of humor and love of Jewish mysticism! I absolutely loved the side characters, especially Nelly and Hillel the dog!
Title: The Summer Pact
Author: Emily Giffin
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Ballantine Books, 7/9/24
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
I’ve been ready Emily Giffin’s books for a long time and this one sort of reminded me of her earlier ones that I loved. It is about a friend group from college, a group of 4 who are left reeling when one of them dies by suicide just before graduation. The remaining three make a pact to always be there for each other when they need each other in the future.
“Four freshmen arrive at college from completely different worlds: Lainey, a California party girl with a flair for drama; Tyson, a brilliant scholar and aspiring lawyer from Washington, D.C.; Summer, an ambitious, recruited athlete from the Midwest; and Hannah, a mild-mannered southerner who is content to quietly round out the circle of big personalities. Soon after arriving on campus, they strike up a conversation in their shared dorm, and the seeds of friendship are planted. As their college years fly by, their bond intensifies and the four become inseparable. But as graduation nears, their lives are forever changed after a desperate act leads to tragic consequences. Stunned and heartbroken, they make a pact, promising to always be there for one another, no matter how separated they may become by circumstances or distance. Ten years later, Hannah is anticipating what should be one of the happiest moments of her life when everything is suddenly turned upside down. Calling on her closest friends, it soon becomes clear that they are all facing their own crossroads. True to their promise, they agree to take a time out from lives headed in wrong directions and embark on a shared journey of self-discovery, forgiveness, and acceptance.”
I expected this to be a summer book based on the title, but I quickly realized that Summer was a character, not a season, and the pact is named after her. When Hannah needs Lainey and Tyson, they gather and support one another while they find themselves. The main characters were interesting and while I didn’t love each of them at times, I did care about them and the writing kept me turning the pages. I know not everyone will love this one, but I found it moving and worth the read.
Come back next week for the rest of my August reads!
Do you have a favorite book you’ve read this month?