Hi everyone! I’m so excited to talk about the 20 (!!) books I read this month, especially since I really enjoyed most of them. But before getting into the books I just wanted to share that I JOINED BOOKSTAGRAM!!!! It has been a little less than a month but I’m havig so much fun. If you have a booktagram account, let me know in the comments so I can follow you or follow me there so I can check out your account. My acocunt is Bookish Wanderess.
Now, without further ado, here is my August wrap up:
*Click on the title of the book to go to the Goodreads page + the amazon links are affiliate links which means I may get a small commission if you decide to use them, it doesn’t affect the price of books*
My Least Favorite Books of the Month
My least favorite books this month were a really disappointing romance book and a frustrating one.
20. Mangos and Mistletoe by Adriana Herrera: The characters are so hot and cold, towards each other, they switched from liking each other to being angry or mean to each other constantly. They really didn’t spend more than 5 consecutive pages without fighting in the entire book. And still, they ended up falling in love.
The writing as always with Adriana Herrera was really good, the sex scenes were very well written and I liked the way this book the different relationships that both main characters had with their culture. They were both Dominican but, while Kiskeya lived most of her life in the Dominican Republic, Sully lived in the States and that made their experiences and their feelings towards their culture very different. (Amazon)
19. Scoring the Player’s Baby by Naima Simone: The main characters in this book have a lot of chemistry and the sex scenes are steamy. But I was very frustrated with some of the hero’s comments in this book. He talks about losing his Man Card all the time and anytime he does something even remotely linked to femininity he “is acting like a p*ss*”. There were a lot of gender normative comments and I was annoyed. (Amazon)
The”Just Ok” Books
These can be books that 1) I had issues with, but I don’t have a strong negative opinion about them 2) had good elements but bored me or didn’t really impact me in any way, the meh books.
18. The Grownup by Gillian Flynn: the main character has a strong and clear voice that’s very captivating from the beginning. The start of the story – plot wise- is very meh, but then the twist happens and it’s so messed up but so cool! And then the ending happened and I’m not sure what to feel, it wasn’t disappointing but it was at the same time. (Amazon)
The “I Mostly Liked Them, But…” Books
These are books that I had significant issues with, but they had redeeming qualities that made me mostly enjoy them:
17. Most Eligable Bachelor by Annika Martin: This was ok. My issue with this book is that the change from we distrust and dislike each other to we are absolutely infatuated with each other was very abrupt and it made the relationship not feel entirely believable. Also, the dialogue was kind of cheesy and I think I noticed more because I listened to the audiobook and the narrators weren’t great. Nonetheless, the sex scenes were steamy, and overall this was a quick and entertaining book. (Amazon)
16. Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon: This was ok. It’s a very short book that covers basic topics about gender and specifically the gender binary. Its particular focus is refuting some of the misconceptions that a lot of people have. This book addresses the subjects it covers in a very superficial way and sometimes the author makes some comments that needed a bit more nuance. (Amazon)
15. Temporary Wife Temptation by Jayce Lee: The characters had chemistry, there were interesting side characters (which made me excited for book 2!) and I really loved the way that Garret’s family welcomed Natalie. My main issue with this book was that there were weird time jumps and I felt like important scenes were skipped and the book felt kind of choppy. Also, the real reason behind the third act conflict was silly and the ending felt rushed. (Amazon)
14. When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare: Very early on the main characters started to like and care for each other and I couldn’t see or understand why and that was my main issue with this book: I had trouble believing in the relationship between the main characters. I liked the second half of this book a lot more than the first, I think the relationship ended up being really sweet. (Amazon)
The Ones I Liked
The ones I liked are books that I had really small issues with, but after I finished them I had mainly positive feelings towards them:
13. Daugther of the Siren Queen by Tricia Levenseller: This series is entertaining and fun. Even when this book was a bit darker than the first one, it was still a lighthearted read overall. While the romance was a big part of the book, this sequel has a lot more plot than the first book and I enjoyed that about it. It’s very action-packed and fast-paced which makes it a quick read. (Amazon)
12. Engagement and Espionage by Penny Reid: I enjoyed this mainly because I love Cletus and Jenn and I loved getting more of them and their relationship. Also, seeing the rest of the Winstons was lovely. Nonetheless, I wasn’t a big fan of the mystery aspect of the book, I mean it was ok but I wasn’t wowed. I feel like the mystery was a bit forced and a lot of convenient things happened. Still, I will obviously continue with the series. (Amazon)
11. The Black Flamingo by Dean Etta: This is a story told in verse about identity and belonging. I think this covers a lot of different and important topics in a powerful and beautiful way, but also a bit superficially. There’s so much the book tries to cover and it’s such a short, quick read that there’s no time to explore any subject very deeply. I enjoyed this a lot, I think I just wish there was more of it. (Amazon)
10. Finding Joy by Adriana Herrera: This was cute and low angst. I really liked the romance between the two main characters, Elias was adorable and Desta was just chaotic. (Review + Amazon)
9. Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews: This was my first Iliona Andrews book and I really enjoyed it. I loved the main character, the world and magic system are fascinating and complex and the mystery was really engaging. My issue with this was the romance, it felt like Alessandro was pretending or acting the entire time and even Catalina mentions it at some point. We only got to see very small glimpses of the real him and it wasn’t enough for me, I need more to really get on board with him as a character but also with the romance in the book. (Amazon)
The Ones I Really Liked
I consider books I really liked the ones that stay with me and that I recommend all the time, but they are not new all-time favorites:
8. The Land of the Cranes by Aida Salazar: This book tells a powerful and heartbreaking story and I had a lump in my throat the entire time I was reading it. The poetry in the book is so evocative and the fact that it’s a little girl, who doesn’t entirely understand what’s happening, the one that tells the story of deportation and family separation makes it even more effective in transmitting how devastating the whole situation is. (Amazon)
7. Category Five by Ann Davila Cardinal: the characters were very complex and layered, which I really enjoyed, and the different relationships between them were compelling. The mystery was intriguing and I really liked the way the author integrated what has happened in Puerto Rico since Hurricane Maria. (Review + Amazon)
6. Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory: I really liked this one! the characters were great, flawed but likable, and I could see why they liked each other. I really enjoyed that we actually got to see them get to know each other and fall in love. My issue with this book is that it did drag a little for me once they went public with their relationship, but overall it was still really enjoyable (Review + Amazon)
5. The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite: This was cute and interesting and the romance was just SO SOFT! The plot revolves around sexism in STEM back in 1816 and I was so invested!!! (Review + Amazon)
4. The Switch by Beth O’Leary: I enjoyed this books a lot. I loved the journeys each main character goes on and the changes they both experience. I think the way this book addresses grief was very realistic. The secondary characters were captivating and adorable. I really liked the romances even if they were a bit rushed. (Review + Amazon)
3. Headliners by Lucy Parker: Sabrina and Nick were adorable together and the best part about this book is that they both acted like adults, who TALK to their significant other. There is no miscommunication in this book, and even more, the opposite of that trope is in this book. Also, Lucy Parker does something so refreshing with the ending! (Review + Amazon)
2. Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall: the two main characters go through so much character development in this book and I loved it. Luc and Oliver’s romance has just the right amount of angst and seeing them be there for each other and slowly fall in love is so heartwarming. They are adorable together. (Review + Amazon)
My Favorite Book of the Month
My favorite books of the month can have different ratings depending on how good a particular reading month was. This month I read an amazing roamnce book that quickly became one of my favorite romance books of the year:
1. You Had Me At Hola by Alexis Daria: I LOVED THIS! It’s so rare for me to like both main characters in a book equally, but Jasmine and Ashton were both amazing and they had so much chemistry! I liked that they also had a strong emotional connection. (Review + Amazon)
Bookish Wanderess 