Author: GoodeyReads

Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: July 2023

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SUMMER. And my biggest reading month ever.

**As a little reminder note. Reviews for these books come out over the following months. But consider anything on the Favorites list a must read from me!**

Favorites this month:

  • Windsong Manor
  • The Shards of Ophelia
  • Tower of Dawn
  • Upping the Ante
  • Dark Age
  • The Deal
  • One Kiss Alone
  • Safe Harbor
  • The Magic Of Lemon Drop Pie
  • The Wall of Winnipeg and Me
  • All Alone With You
  • Kingdom of Ash
  • The Bones of Benevolence
  • Glimmers of You
  • The Fake Out
  • Light Bringer
  • Glow of the Everflame

Least favorites:

  • Hideaway
  • House of Striking Oaths
  • Kingdom of Nomads
  • The Phoenix King
  • [Novella] Snapshot by Brandon Sanderson
  • Will They or Won’t They by Ava Wilder
  • [ARC] Windsong Manor by Julie Wright
  • [Graphic Novel] Dark One by Brandon Sanderson
  • Dark One: Forgotten by Brandon Sanderson
  • [ARC] The Shards of Ophelia (The Curse of Ophelia #2) by Nicole Platania
  • [Reread] Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass #6) by Sarah J. Maas
  • [Novella] Upping the Ante (Sheet Cake Love Stories) by Emma St. Clair
  • [Reread] Dark Age (Red Rising #5) by Pierce Brown
  • [ALC] The Honeymoon Crashers (The Unhoneymooners #1.5) by Christina Lauren
  • The Deal (Off-Campus #1) by Elle Kennedy
  • [ARC] One Kiss Alone (The Penn-Leiths of Thistle Muir #3) by Nichole Van
  • The Queen of Dawn (Shadows and Crowns #5) by S.M. Gaither
  • Safe Harbor (Scoops Series #1) by K. Sinko
  • Sing Me to Sleep (Sing Me to Sleep #1) by Gabi Burton
  • The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by Rachel Linden
  • [ARC] Immortal Longings (Flesh and False Gods #1) by Chloe Gong
  • [Reread] The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata
  • The Comeback Summer by Ali Brady
  • [ARC] First Impressions of You by Gabriela Graciosa Guedes
  • [ARC] All Alone With You by Amelia Diance Coombs
  • [Reread] Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #7) by Sarah J. Maas
  • Hideaway by Bekah Overbey
  • Garden of the Cursed (Garden of the Cursed #1) by Katy Rose Pool
  • House of Striking Oaths (The Kingdom of Crow #3) by Olivia Wildenstein
  • [Novella] Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee
  • Friends Don’t (Fall in Love #1) by Leah Dobrinska
  • A Lady’s Guide to Scandal (A Lady’s Guide #2) by Sophie Irwin
  • The Bones of Benevolence (Benevolence & Blood #1) by Lauren M. Leasure
  • [ALC] Glimmers of You (Lost & Found #3) by Catherine Cowles
  • Play for Me by Libby Hubscher
  • [ARC] The Scarlet Alchemist (The Scarlet Alchemist #1) by Kylie Lee Baker
  • Cupid’s Compass (The Soulmate Seeker Series #1) by Ashley Weiss
  • The Fake Out by Sharon M. Peterson
  • A Kingdom of Nomads (Outcast #2) by S.B. Nova
  • The Hardest Fall by Ella Maise
  • Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino
  • Coach (Treasure State Wildcats #1) by Devney Perry
  • The Bombshell Effect (Washington Wolves #1) by Karla Sorensen
  • [ARC] The Phoenix King (The Ravence Trilogy #1) by Aparna Verma
  • [Gifted] A Royal Competition (Royal Hearts #2) by Amanda Schimmoeller
  • Light Bringer (The Red Rising Saga #6) by Pierce Brown
  • Glow of the Everflame (Kindred’s Curse #2) by Penn Cole
  • Mile High (Windy City #1) by Liz Tomforde
  • Off to the Races (Gold Rush Ranch #1) by Elsie Silver

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ALC Book Review: Glimmers of You (Lost & Found #3) by Catherine Cowles

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Romantic Suspense
Length: 330 pages
Author: Catherine Cowles
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: August 1st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

He hadn’t always just been my brother’s best friend. There was a time when he was mine, too. Until he disappeared from our small town when I needed him the most.

Now, Caden’s back. With his cocky smirk and infuriating nicknames. And I’m struggling to ignore his presence.

When my ex refuses to leave me alone, Caden steps in, suggesting that it will get my ex and Caden’s calculating father off both our backs if we just pretend to be madly in love.

There’s just one problem… Nothing I feel for Caden Shaw is fake—even when I thought I hated him. And there’s no denying how the touch of his lips sparks a flame I’ll never be able to extinguish.

As those pretend moments start to turn oh so real, someone’s watching. They’re not happy about Caden’s new role in my life. And they’ll do anything to rip me away from him—even burn us all to the ground.

Thank you to Catherine Cowles for an ALC and eARC.

ANOTHER WINNER.

I am back with another great review for Catherine Cowles Lost & Found series. Quick audiobook notes: I LOVE listening to these on audio!! The narrators do a fantastic job and I am always here for dual POV narration.

This book brought the suspense. I did not see many of these reveals coming! I had my eyes on certain characters, but once again, I was surprised by the final disclosure. I enjoy not trying to sleuth these out too much and savor the entire story as it comes.

I adored the relationship between Grae and Caden. The fake dating brought them together and the forced proximity brought the heat. I liked watching them find ways to reconnect and that Caden was able to apologize and work through some of his past trauma to find a place of healing with Grae. It’s sweet (and yes, a little spicy) and quick to fly through.

I am just a big time fan girl of Cowles books and can’t wait for the next two in this series!

Overall audience notes:

  • Romantic Suspense
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: 3-4 open; moderate explicit
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: gun violence, arson, attempted murder, physical violence, stalker, losing a sister to cancer (recounted)

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ARC Book Review: The Art of Love and Lies by Rebecca Anderson

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 288 pages
Author: Rebecca Anderson
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Release Date: August 1st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A free-spirited artist teams up with a no-nonsense detective to capture a thief who has stolen a priceless Michelangelo painting

Manchester, England, 1857 

Rosanna Hawkins is one of Manchester’s finest artists, even though no one knows her name. She reproduces “parlor versions” of classic masterpieces with near-perfect precision, which her employer then sells to the emerging upper-middle class families of Manchester.

When the largest art exhibition ever to be held in Manchester opens, Rosanna attends, excited by the chance to sketch such famous works. When she meets the handsome Detective Martin Harrison, who is head of security for the exhibition, she is immediately intrigued by his charm, confidence, and canvas-worthy good looks. The two spend many a flirtatious afternoon exploring the exhibition hall, discussing art and sharing their secret hopes. Rosanna dreams of painting something original and meaningful, and Martin hopes to one day shed the shadow of his father’s notorious past.

The couple’s blossoming summer romance takes a strange turn when Rosanna recognizes her own works on display in the exhibition hall. Someone is stealing paintings and replacing them with her parlor version reproductions. When the evidence casts suspicion on her, Rosanna must convince Detective Harrison of her innocence and proposes a plan to capture the real art thief.

It is a daring race to catch the criminal before he disappears with the most priceless piece in the collection—Michelangelo’s Manchester Madonna. If Rosanna and Detective Harrison fail, not only will the painting be lost forever but so will their chance to rekindle their romance and paint their own happily ever after.

Thank you to Shadow Mountain for the ARC.

NEEDED MORE.

The premise of this sounded truly promising. The execution? A bit lacking.

I think I really got off on the wrong foot with the insta-love. It didn’t work for me and when I clocked the percentage of the first kiss I was rather surprised. Rosanna and Martin DID grow on me and I think the core of their relationship was sweet. I just needed more of a burn to get there with them.

All of the facets about painting and artwork were interesting. I thought it was kind of cool to learn about different painting techniques and how reproductions were created and used in this time period.

In the end I really to have more from the plot. There was nothing surprising or enchanting about it. While I did like the main characters and I do think they exhibited some growth from the beginning of the book the plot itself was lacking in definition.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: brief assault, physical altercations, theft

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ALC Book Review: The Honeymoon Crashers (Unhoneymooners #1.5) by Christina Lauren

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: About 5 hours
Author: Christina Lauren
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio Originals
Release Date: August 1st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A perfectionist maid of honor and a carefree, surfer-bro best man team up to plan a wedding and end up finding a spark of their own in the first audio original from author duo Christina Lauren, a full-cast sequel to their New York Times bestseller The Unhoneymooners.

Ami is determined to break the Torres family wedding curse. Her own disaster of a reception ended with all the guests getting food poisoning, and she left her cheating husband soon after. But even though she’s still processing her own divorce, Ami won’t let her twin sister Olive’s day be anything but perfect. Olive may think she wants a private ceremony in Maui, where she and her fiancé Ethan first fell in love, but Ami knows better and secretly flies the whole Torres family out to surprise the couple. Now she and her meticulously organized binder have less than two weeks to get everything together for the big day, thousands of miles from home.

Enter Brody, Ethan’s best man, who happens to be living in Maui and insists on helping with the preparations. His playfully elaborate schemes and happy-go-lucky attitude are the last thing Ami needs. When sparks start to fly, could it derail all her carefully laid plans?

Equal parts hilarious and swoon-worthy, this full-cast production is your ticket to the ultimate destination wedding, bringing to life both a captivating couple and an unforgettable family. The Honeymoon Crashers is Christina Lauren at their charming, hilarious best.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Book Club Favorites for the gifted ALC.

IT WAS SWEET.

Audiobook notes: I loved the full cast! It’s becoming my new favorite thing in the audiobook world. I thought everyone did an excellent job on narrating and I think the book was really fun in this format. There were even some well placed sound effects that added to the whole flair.

I didn’t know what to expect when I picked this up and I thought it was a quick and great read for summertime. I loved being back in this world and seeing Ami get her happily ever after.

Brody was flat out adorable. I loved his energy and personality and how he and Ami really balanced each other out. Definitely an opposites attract vibe combined with wedding planning and I was smitten. I liked all of the little moments they got and it felt realistic while being swoony.

If you’re looking for a book to listen while at the beach, this is an easy pick.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance Novella
  • Language: a little strong
  • Romance: 1-2 open door; low-moderate explicit
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: mentions of divorce and cheating (Ami’s ex-husband)

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