share your shelf: the books I read in June

 

Happy Independence Day, Thursday, and bonus blog post day! I'm talking more about independence day on my Thankful Thursday post that is under this one, so if you'd like to read it, keep scrolling. 

First up was this much-talked-about book, First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston. 

I feel like what I'm about to say will be very controversial, since everyone and their brother is talking about this book right now; and maybe that's part of my problem. Or maybe it's the season of beach reads, and this was too dark and twisty? Maybe I'd have liked it more in the fall or winter? I don't know, but in this book of crazy twists and turns, nobody is who they say they are. Is Evie Porter really even Evie Porter? But whoever she is or is not, Evie seems to have it all: southern girl background, cute and doting boyfriend Ryan, a house with a white picket fence, fancy friends...but is Ryan really who he says he is? How can she really know and trust him? Can he really trust her? 

First she's given her new identity: Evie Porter. Next she's given her assignment: Ryan Sumner. Once her boss, the mysterious Mr. Smith, has given her all the information and her new mark (Ryan), she is ready to accomplish her assignment. But this time it's different, and she starts to feel things for Ryan that she shouldn't, and it could put them both in real danger. The stakes are too high for her this time, and she can't mess up like she did on the last assignment.

As good as all this sounds (and it was, don't get me wrong), I didn't love the book. I felt like I couldn't keep up with the characters and who they were, because there were so many! The beginning and middle parts of the book were just meh to me, and the good stuff didn't happen until the end. It just surprised me that I didn't love it, as much as people have been talking about it the last few months. 

Next up was Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan.

This is way more my speed for a summer read! I've loved all of Annabel Monaghan's books, and this one was no different. 

Ali Morris is a professional organizer; even though she does that for other people, her own life is a mess. Her mom died two years ago, and she still misses her like crazy, and now her husband has left her and wants a divorce. All she can seem to do these days is survive, and she does so while wearing only soft pants (pants with no zipper). One day when she takes her dog to the dog park, imagine her surprise when the dog "claims" someone for her; not just anyone, but a handsome stranger named Ethan. Only, Ethan turns out to be someone from her past who unexpectedly showed up in their hometown. But what about her ex husband? Will they ever finalize their divorce? What about her kids; what will they think? And her best friend? Will she be able to stomach the thought of Ali and her brother Ethan together? 

Friends, I could not put this book down! I love that Monaghan's books are clean; they also grab you from page one, and the characters are always known for their chemistry. All of those things make for a great book!

My third book of June was The Little Italian Hotel by Phaedra Patrick. 

Radio talk show host and relationship advice extraordinaire Ginny is shocked to find out that her husband wants to leave. What Adrian didn't know was that Ginny had booked a three week trip to Italy for this big milestone anniversary coming up; but when she can't get a refund on the trip, she decides to go anyway, and she invites a few of her listeners to join her. 

I'm stopping right there, because I think you need to read this book. There are a lot of characters, but I loved all of them even more than the one before; the book is told in each of their points of view, and their stories are deep and engaging. Have you read this yet? 

Next up was this book on Audible, Sandwich by Catherine Newman. 

For decades, Rocky and her family have traveled to Cape Cod for family vacation. Their favorite rental might be shaggy and run down, but that's part of its charm. She's feeling extra reminiscent this summer as she's caught between adult kids and aging parents; add in bouts of raging menopause, and you can guess how things go over the course of their week. 

I follow Elin Hildebrand on Instagram, and she recommended this book a couple of weekends ago. When I saw that I had an Audible credit and that I could read it for free, I did. I didn't love the book, honestly, because it painted a terrible picture of the life of middle aged women going through menopause as all bad times and nothing good. I also didn't love some of the topics and life choices made by the characters. And ultimately, as much as this sounded like a light and funny summer read, it was more deep that I'd thought it would be. I'm at a point in life that I need light and fluffy, and if I can laugh, all the better. 

After a rough week, reading became hard for me, so I started to listening to more books on Audible. First up was Home is Where My People Are by Sophie Hudson. 

I love the tag line of this book: the roads that lead us to where we belong. I loved hearing Sophie narrate this book about her childhood home, her family, and tales of old as I laughed and cried my way through this book. This is on sale (the paperback version) for $5 right now, so click on the title if you're interested and you'll be redirected to a separate Amazon link. 

Lastly, and I know that I mentioned this one last month, but I started it all over again this month; it's Still Standing: How to Live in God's Light While Wrestling with the Dark. Blogger won't let me link it, but you can use the Google. 

What did you read that you loved in June? I can't wait to read your posts! Thanks for reading my blog today, friends, and thank you for your encouragement and your prayers. I covet them, so keep on praying for me, please! Love to all. 

Jenn 🖤

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