Book Review: Tropesick by Lauren Okie

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance / Magical Realism
Length: 416 pages
Author: Lauren Okie
Publisher: Avon Books
Release Date: June 16th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In this lush, slow-burning romance, two childhood neighbors, connected by a shared tragedy, unexpectedly reunite to ghostwrite a love story for a reclusive author. Spending the summer at her secluded Hamptons estate, they soon discover that dozens of classic romance tropes, including the ones they’re crafting on page, are mysteriously playing out in real life.

Katie Caruso is a completely normal twenty-five-year-old girl. At least, for the past eight years, she’s tried to be. She likes glitter and sequins and flirting with cute boys at New York City bars. She’s also a ghostwriter for Meredith Bradford, the bestselling romance novelist of all time. But then Tyler McNally walks back into Katie’s life, and that bedazzled facade crumbles at her platform-sneakered feet.

Katie and Tyler haven’t seen or spoken to each other since the overdose death of Katie’s older brother, a standout MLB pitching prospect. Tyler was her brother’s best friend, and Katie—naturally—was the girl next door. But now, Tyler is a sleeve-tattooed, Ivy League-educated aspiring literary fiction novelist, nine years sober . . . and Katie’s writing partner for the summer.

As genre conventions require, Katie and Tyler soon find themselves removed from Manhattan and instead writing their love story in “forced proximity” at Meredith’s isolated Southampton home. As the summer unfolds, the tropes Katie and Tyler have written into their novel begin to play out in their own lives. Call it destiny, fate, or magic It’s clear their love story is unfinished. This time, though, they’ll fight for their happy ending.

Heart-wrenching and tender, Tropesick is a love letter to the romance genre. With a wink and a nod, Okie has packed the novel with listeners’ favorite

Thank you to LibroFM for the gifted audiobook.

I DID NOT LIKE THIS BOOK.

Which sucks because I genuinely enjoyed Lauren Okie’s first book A BUNCH.

The magical realism and I did not bond well. Already a hard sell for my usual reading preferences (and to be fair, I did not know this book even had magical realism until I clocked in halfway through because I don’t usually read summaries).

And I also realized that the audiobook may have played into the downfall? I thought the narrators did a good job but the narrator who voiced the FMC made Katie sound like she always yelling. Or maybe Katie and Tyler were just arguing that often? Either way, nooooope. And the spice was a bit much, especially in the second half.

It was pretty clever to have the tropes pop up in the book as the story went on. And SOME of the angstyness was fine too.

This didn’t turn me off from reading the next book from Okie, but I’ll be eyeing that one more.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary romance/Magical realism
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: multiple open door
  • Violence: low
  • Content warnings: strained parent relationships, loss of a brother (recounted), side character with a drug addiction (recounted)

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: September 2026

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THE BER MONTHS. And what a good reading month for September! Made it through a lot and now I’m drowning in ARCs for October.

  • Ungodly Rich by Katharine McGee
  • Fossil Feud by Maggie North
  • Hawk & Sparrow by Ayana Gray
  • Catching Feelings (Varsity #2) by Emily Charlotte
  • [ALC] Fall Into Me by Juliana Smith
  • [ARC] Trust Fall by Lynn Painter
  • Steelborn (The Steelborn Saga #1) by Taylor J. LaRue
  • The Enigma Challenge by S.C. Godfrey
  • A Flame Among the Seas (Beyond the Tides #2) by Emilia Jae
  • Sea of Charms (Spellshop #3) by Sarah Beth Durst
  • [Graphic Novel] Rebel by Marie Lue
  • Our Strange Duet by Erin A. Craig
  • Further to Fall by Catherine Cowles
  • [Reread] House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City #2) by Sarah J. Maas
  • [Non-fiction] Spooky Lakes: 25 Strange and Mysterious Lakes that Dot Our Planet by Geo Rutherford
  • Runaway Rule (The Fugitive Files #1) by Jenessa Fayeth
  • The Gods Will Sing Our Song by Autumn Krause
  • [ARC/ALC] Empire (Heir Duology #2) by Sabaa Tahir
  • The Theory of Uncertain Things by Madysson David
  • Die for Me by Shirlene Obuobi
  • [Reread] The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
  • I Wish He Would (Sweeter Than Fiction #4) by Amanda Schimmoeller
  • The Winged Game by Sophie Kim
  • Resisting the Fall (Falling for Autumn) by Jess Heileman
  • Chasing the Rush (Football and Feels #2) by Lauren Rowe
  • [Non-fiction] Spooky Rivers (Haunted Hydrology) by Geo Rutherford
  • Alchemy of Souls by Adriana Mather
  • Story of My Life (Story Lake #1) by Lucy Score
  • Kobra (Inked Sap #1) by Cris G. Wells
  • [ARC/ALC] Guard My Heart by Sabrina Fedel
  • [ARC] Once, Again, Always by Amanda Gayle
  • Tempest (The Lyrian Sea #1) by Victoria Aveyard
  • Forget Me Knot (Happy in Honey Hill #1) by B.R. Goodwin
  • Threshing Day (The Empyrean #3.5) by Rebecca Yarros
  • Falling for Keeps (Falling for Autumn) by Kasey Stockton
  • [ARC/ALC] Falling Like Snow (Bramble Falls #2) by Misty Wilson

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Book Review: Threshing Day (The Empyrean #3.5) by Rebecca Yarros

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Novella
Length: 208 pages
Author: Rebecca Yarros
Publisher: Red Tower
Release Date: September 29th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Welcome to Threshing Day, the brutal, high-stakes trial where would-be riders at Basgiath War College fight to earn the bond of a dragon or die trying. Amid ruthless competition and dragon fire, these thirteen cadets must survive a battlefield where desperate rivals will do anything to gain an advantage and dragons decide one’s ultimate fate―and where a single choice can forge a rider…or destroy them.

Xaden Riorson, the powerful leader. Rhiannon Matthias, the clever friend. Dain Aetos, the dutiful rule-follower. Liam Mairi, the kindhearted protector. Ridoc Gamlyn, the jokester. Sawyer Henrick, the underdog. Garrick Tavis, the dependable aide. Imogen Cardulo, the impulsive fighter. Bodhi Durran, the second-in-command. Mira Sorrengail, the fearless rider. Brennan Sorrengail, the brilliant tactician. Aaric Graycastle, the restless royal. Sloane Mairi, the determined sister.

On Threshing Day, there’s only one rule: don’t die.

TIS GOOD.

I don’t have a lot of thoughts but I did like this novella. It had some interesting tidbits and a few of the stories stood out as maybe important for book four? This mostly came across as filler for me but I might change my thoughts on that on my eventual reread + book four.

I haven’t reread these books recently so admittedly not every facet or character was fresh in my mind so I had a hard time figuring out how worth it the information was to the series. I think knowing the character line up before going in would be more helpful.

Definitely recommend going with the audiobook with different narrators for the different stories. I liked it a lot!

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Novella
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: none(?) I think
  • Violence: moderate

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Book Review: The Sound of Summer (The House on Harrison Blvd #1) by Meagan Williamson

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Rating: ★★★.5
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 360 pages
Author: Meagan Williamson
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: July 15th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Some sounds are impossible to ignore…

From the time he was a child, Everett Dawson has known he was different. But under his carefully curated persona as a successful country music artist, no one else in the world ever would. That all changes the night of his Nashville show when he loses control onstage for everyone to see. A mistake that has him fleeing the nearest exit and stumbling upon a woman breaking into his venue.

Trapped in the middle of her own mid-life crisis, Summer Rogers is convinced she makes nothing but impulsive decisions. Including the one where she offers to nanny for the newfound single dad with a career he’s desperate to salvage.

Accepting help goes against everything Everett believes in. But with a tour on the line, it’s his only option. He needs childcare. She needs financial freedom. It’s strictly professional… until secrets spill, boundaries blur, and sparks fly.

I’M NOT SURE.

I’ve really enjoyed Williamson’s previous two books but something went awry in this one. I think the focus on the physical aspects of the relationship over anything else kept taking me out of the story. It was spicier than I was expecting (not over the top, but didn’t flow well with the plot).

I sort of liked the characters? I did see the growth and acceptance woven into multiple storylines and that was nice to see. And I didn’t have issues with the writing style (aka I’ll continue to read Williamson’s books). There’s some sweet moments and good conversations at least.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemoprary Romance
  • Language: mild+
  • Romance: 3ish open doors
  • Violence: low
  • Content warnings: loss of a partner (recounted), discussion of learning disabilities

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