Summer Read Roundup
Okay, I’ll start by saying that over the summer I tend to read A LOT! As you can tell by the never-ending list below 😅 Yes, I’m more active outside but this is also prime time for reading while by the pool, on my balcony, on road trips, etc. I’ll find any excuse to be reading!
I will say though that not every book on this list was read in physical form. I listen to a lot of books while I work and on my walks. Lucky for me, I’m able to put my headphones in and drown out the world for 4+ hours while working so the majority of the time I’m actually being swept to a whole other world! I know some people don’t count audiobooks as “books read” but I think that’s silly. Whatever works for you and gets you reading!
These aren’t listed in any particular order, just by what popped up on my Goodreads!
The Ex-Talk - Rachel Solomon ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. So far I’ve loved anything written by Rachel! Her books are all based in the PNW (where she’s from) and are quick, light-hearted, rom-coms. I love how developed and unique each character is, the witty dialogue, and just how wholesome I felt reading this. It made me giddy and got me out of a reading slump!
A Perfect Vintage - Chelsea Fagan ⭐️ Oh boy. I was really excited about this one and waited forever from the library. The story seemed interesting and the cover was pretty. Welp, don’t judge a book by its cover I guess. I almost didn’t finish (I REALLYYYY had to push through). It was so slow, over half-way through and the plot started picking up. Half. Way. A lot of it just felt unnecessary. Also, the characters were a bit surface-level/petty which just felt bleh. Definitely was excited to be done with this!
Piece of Cake - Mary Hollis Huddleston ⭐️⭐️⭐️ A solid 3 stars! It was a really cute romance with characters that were quirky. The concept of filming weddings to turn into a docuseries was fun and felt realistic but not overdone! I liked that it really centered on the main gal and went deeper than just the romance. We love a main character who grows as an individual AND falls in love 👏 I listened to the audiobook and it took me a while to get used to the narrator’s voice, she had a southern accent since the characters were from Texas!
Once Upon a Broken Heart - Stephanie Garber ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The second series I’ve read from Stephanie and I’m just as obsessed as I was with the last! She does such an amazing job with developing characters and creating magical lands that aren’t too fantasy, they’re just magical. I honestly feel like I’m in the story and that’s my favorite type of book. I didn’t want to stop listening to this, the plot just kept on getting better and better. I will say that if you want to read this, make sure you read her other series, Caraval, first! The stories aren’t dependent on one another but there are parts that are intertwined that would spoil the Caraval series if you read these first.
The Ballad of Never After - Stephanie Garber ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The second book in the “Once Upon a Broken Heart” series. This one was another magical story. I didn’t love it as much as the first, mainly because there were times it felt more like a filler, and parts of the story were dragged on longer than they needed to be to get the point across. BUT it continued and developed the plot wonderfully. I CAN’T WAIT for the final book to come out in October!
The True Love Experiment - Christina Lauren ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ One of my favorite authors and I’m trying to read all of their books! I love a good enemies-to-lovers trope and my bachelor loving, nerd brain loved that the plot of this was a woman (basically “The Bachelorette”) was staring in a reality show where she would choose her “perfect match” that would later be confirmed by a DNA based dating service. I mean, how cool would that be?? It was interesting, cute, funny, and the narration of the characters in the audiobook was great!
The Glow - Jessie Gaynor ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I honestly had higher hopes for this one. I was intrigued by the main character being in PR, becoming fascinated by influencers - specifically in wellness. Because I’ve been in that space, I was interested in the deeper dive into the image portrayed vs. reality which I thought was written very well! The reality is never as glamorous as what we see on social media, it’s “content” for a reason. That part I really enjoyed. It was the writing and character development that made this iffy for me. There were A LOT of parts where I put the book down and said “wtf” or jumped around because dialogue jumped around or ran on. Overall, interesting but not a favorite!
One Night On The Island - Josie Silver ⭐️ Technically a DNF… I skipped a good chunk of it just to read the last chapter and get it over with 😅 I’ve read other Josie Silver books and heard great things about this one but just couldn’t get into it. It was so freaking slow and the characters weren’t interesting at all. Instead of a cute romance, it felt cliche and boring. Unpopular opinion but not even the ending made it worth it.
Findlay Donovan Jumps the Gun - Elle Cosimano ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I was SO excited for this after listening to the first two books in the series. I waited what felt like a veryy long time to borrow this from the library but the moment it was available, I dropped what I was reading and started listening! The third book in the series and it didn’t disappoint. The same characters are as funny, witty, and normal as ever. There were a few times I laughed out loud at one-liners! With a few unexpected turns, the chaos just continued in the best way and there’s no way the series is over yet. I’m keeping an eye out for the next book release!
Love Your Gut - Megan Rossi ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ One of my new favorites on one of my favorite topics… GUT HEALTH! Dr. Rossi is nicknamed the “Gut doctor” for a reason, she knows her stuff AND backs up all information with years of learning, research studies, client successes, etc. I know a lot about gut health (thanks IBD) but found myself writing things down in my notes app that I found super interesting or helpful. I learned a TON and have been applying some of the tips and principles in my lifestyle as well. The book also comes with some recipes that are colorful, full of fiber, and delicious!
Love, Theoretically - Ali Hazelwood ⭐️⭐️⭐️ My nerdy heart loves these STEM based romances! Ali writes such cute, wholesome, nerdy romances with a bit of spice which I can’t get enough of. Her books are usually my go-to if I’m in a reading rut and want something quick, easy, and enjoyable. The only reason I didn’t rate this one as high is because I felt like parts were dragged on a bit too much and could have been developed in a better way without feeling redundant. Overall though, I’ll always recommend these for a wholesome (ish hehe) read!
The Mind-Gut Connection - Emeran Mayer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Can you tell what the summer health topic was?? I geek out on the brain-gut connection because not only is it fascinating to me but as I’ve become more aware and learn, I notice such a difference in my own health when I’m more conscientious and supportive of this connection. Something simple as deep belly breathing before meals can make a HUGE impact on digestion during and after! Dr. Mayer does an amazing job of simplifying the science in a way that’s understandable. He takes years of experience, both personal + with clients, to map out lifestyle changes you can make to support your body. Tangible, not overwhelming! Another recent health favorite!
The Do-Over - Lynn Painter ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ These YA romance books are another that I pick up when I’m in a reading rut and need something quick to get me going again. With it being YA, all of the stories revolve around high schoolers (which I feel so far removed from now lol) but it makes me nostalgic for the feelings of wholesomeness, ease, and comfort in just being a kid having a crush. Most of Lynn’s books involve time travel or time disturbance of some sort which is so interesting. Even with the same disturbance, she does a great job of making each book and story unique!
Nora Goes Off Script - Annabel Monaghan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ One I found on a summer reading list and I’m glad I picked it up! She’s a new author to me but I really enjoyed her writing style, characters, and storyline. Another Rom-Com that felt realistic and so freaking cute at times. Great for a quick read or something light to switch things up! I liked that the adults were older, with established lives, and children were heavily involved - I could easily see this being made into a movie. It had Emily Henry vibes!
Emma of 83rd Street - Audrey Bellezza, Emily Harding ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Think Clueless, Jane Austen’s Emma, meets Gossip Girl in Upper East Side. That’s the best way I can sum up this book. I love the storyline and components of all three so it was nice to already be familiar with the major plot. But at the same time, it felt like I had already read this before (in a way I have) which is partially why I didn’t rate it as high. If you love any of the books/movies I mentioned above, give this a try!
Once More with Feeling - Elissa Sussman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I read Elissa’s other book and loved it so I was excited when she came out with this new one! It was definitely hyped up and talked about a lot but turns out that was for good reason. I loved the different perspectives of two perspectives of past and present with the two main characters - showing how the relationship began and where it was developing in the present. Plus both being performers and involved in theater held a special place in my heart! That’s honestly one reason I loved it so much, I just felt like I could relate to a lot of what the characters were feeling at various moments. I almost read this in one sitting, I couldn’t put it down. It was a really cute, quick read!
Legendary, Stephanie Garber ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The second book in the Caraval series (which I read in the Spring and took a break since I had to wait to get this from the library). I had the physical book of this but struggled to get into it every time I tried so I ordered the audiobook and then devoured it! Sometimes with fantasy books, I find it easier to have someone else narrating for me, it makes it play like more of a movie in my head. I loved how the story continued in this. I rated it lower because it took me so long to get into it, almost half way, but then it picked up and I was making any excuse to listen! Definitely more magical and descriptive than the first book which I appreciated!
Finale - Stephanie Garber ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I thought the second book was magical and painted a picture, this one just became more magical with each chapter! I was giddy excited to listen to this while working, going on a walk, cleaning around the house, literally anything. I didn’t want the story to end but wanted to find out what happened. Stephanie did an amazing job of making you fall in love with the characters and become so invested in their roles in the story! There were a lot of twists that were unexpected, I literally gasped out loud, but it ended in the best way. She’s become one of my favorite YA authors!
Eat, Pray, #FML - Gabrielle Stone ⭐️⭐️⭐️ This one was recommended to me by my sister-in-law, just as a good autobiography/fun/light read. I listened to it in between books and waited for ones from the library to be available. It was one that I listened to whenever I went on walks! I wasn’t super familiar with Gabrielle or her work as an actress but I liked the concept of Eat, Pray, Love applied to someone else’s life in their own unique way. After a messy divorce and needing to find herself again, Gabrielle went on a trip that unexpectedly helped her grow, evolve, and reflect on the person she was vs. who she wanted to be. I mean, if I had to do that type of work too I’d rather do it roaming around Europe than at home 🤷♀️. The stories (which were all VERY real) felt too crazy to have actually happened at times, they had me laughing or in shock. I don’t usually read autobiographies so it was fun to switch it up with something that felt like a reality show!
Dating You, Hating You - Christina Lauren ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Ah, another enemy-to-lovers trope. What can I say, I’m a sucker for them apparently! The two main characters start off meeting, hitting it off, and dating only to come into conflicts with work where they quickly become enemies. This gave me similar vibes to The Hating Game (another favorite) but with different points and plot turns woven in. Not one of my favorite books by Christina Lauren but it was still cute to read!
Bad Summer People - Emma Rosenblum ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I had never heard of this before and randomly came across it on my library app so I downloaded it to listen to on my walks! The plot reminds me a lot of Big Little Lies (Liane Moriarty is one of my top 10 authors). A small, wealthy community with members who have been and are currently very privileged and have a lot of lies being covered up. There’s a murder that a number of people could be included in based on various motives but the storyline does a really good job of keeping you guessing what actually happened. I liked that each chapter was told from a different character’s point of view but their stories were all closely intertwined! Definitely an interesting, quick read.
Romantic Comedy - Curtis Sittenfeld ⭐️⭐️ Okay, I had really high hopes for this one because I feel like everyone has been mentioning it this summer. But I was really disappointed and wasn’t really a fan. The main character writes skits for what is very similar to SNL, I would imagine the writing/choosing skit process is pretty similar which was interesting. But the characters themselves weren’t great and neither was the romance. I felt like it was a slow burn and then quickly fizzled out. A bit anti-climactic really!
I had a lot of great reads this summer and am excited to see what I get into the rest of the year! Feel free to add me as a friend on Goodreads so we can get more book recs (because it’s not like the TBR list is ever too short right?).
Did you have a favorite book you read/listened to this summer?