July 2018 Wrap-Up

August 1, 2018August 1, 2018 karenjo467 Comments

monthlywrapupnew Hello wonderful bookish friends! How did you do with your reading goals in July? Hope you all had some really great reads.

As for me, well, I had a few slow days here and there and didn’t get to all the books I planned on reading. I also didn’t make that much progress on my Netgalley TBR like I wanted… but that’s because I joined blog tours and requested for more books. Then, there was this “reading bad luck” phase where I unfortunately read 3 books back to back that wasn’t my cup of tea. That has never happened before and it just really bummed me out. BUTTT, there are some good news folks! I managed to maintain my Netgalley feedback ratio at 56% so yay me! Also, I’m currently 2 books ahead my Goodreads challenge and ended the month reading a really AMAZING and HEARTWARMING book that I’m declaring right now as one of my favorite 2018 reads.

Here are some stats for you

Read 12 books total
Read 1 novella (a prequel)
DNF’ed 1 book
Read 3 not my cup of tea books
Read 1 book that’s definitely going on my top ten 2018 favorite reads

So, let’s take a look at all the books I read in JULY!

Remember to click the book titles to read my reviews and view the posts.

My Lullaby of You by Alia Rose

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A Delightfully Sweet and Heartwarming Story

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This was a fun, light, and lovely read. My Lullaby of You gently tugged at my heartstrings and I thought it was a wonderfully written story of about self-discovery, forgiveness, grief, love and second chances. If you’re in the mood for something sweet with plenty of sunshine, sand, and swoony love songs, then I suggest you pick this book up.

The Boyfriend Brackett by Kate Evangelista

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A lighthearted, delightfully sweet and charmingly cute story

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Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was easy to read, lighthearted and beautifully affecting. The unique and fun storyline, adorable characters, endearing relationships, and the heart-melting moments had me wanting more. And the ending… so pleasantly satisfying and left my heart full and bursting with so much happy. If you’re looking for a sweet and entertaining YA contemporary romance, then I recommend you check this out or add it on your TBR.

Kings of Rittenhouse by Maya Hughes

A Shameless King Prequel

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Intriguing Introduction That Sucked Me In

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I read this before starting book 1 and I think it’s a really great introduction. The writing was fast-paced, the characters were very intriguing, and the set-up for the series seems very promising.

Shameless King (Kings of Rittenhouse #1)

by Maya Hughes

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A must read guilty pleasure romance with plenty of humor, heart, and swoons

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Cue the giggles, laughs, spinetingling shivers, and waterworks! This book had it all and was such a deliciously swoony and charmingly entertaining read. I LOOOVEEEE enemies to lovers stories and this one definitely hit the spot. It was fun, steamy, angsty, and adorably romantic. I absolutely loved the tension, drama, all the lighthearted sweet moments and even the parts that had me desperately holding back tears. It didn’t work though and I shamelessly teared up/cried a few times.

The The Supervillain and Me by Danielle Banas

(Morriston Superheroes #1)

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Addictively Witty and Marvelously Entertaining Superhero Adventure

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This book is one of my favorite reads this summer. Danielle Banas delivered an amazingly entertaining superhero story with plenty of humor, fantastic action scenes, exciting mysteries, adorably cute romance, and sweet moments that touch the heart. I loved the characters, the storyline, the swoony kisses, and the life lessons weaved throughout the book. I absolutely cannot wait to read more from this series and see what happens next.

Kiss Me in New York by Catherine Rider

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3.75 – Short, Sweet, and Adorably Entertaining

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Kiss Me in New York was a quick short read, but it was also incredibly sweet, funny, and uplifting. It was lighthearted, fun, and entertaining. I loved the different adventures, mishaps, and heartwarming moments. The characters were likable and the romance was adorable. Kiss Me in New York was a quick short read, but it was also incredibly sweet, funny, and uplifting.

Rebel Heir (Rush Duet #1)

by Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland

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4.75 – The perfect summer read with all the imaginable FEELS

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This book had me hooked. Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward’s writing style was witty, heartfelt, and addictive. I loved the angst, drama, humor, the unexpected twist that tore me to pieces, and of course the swimmingly adorable and steamy romance. My emotions were completely all over the place, going from extreme highs to the most painful lows, but every dialogue meant something and every moment hit all the right FEELS. LOVE LOVE LOVE this book so much!

Rebel Heart (Rush Duet #2)

by Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland

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Smokin’, Swoony, Sweet and a Satisfyingly Wonderful Ending

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Rebel Heart was such a satisfyingly wonderful ending that had me holding my breath the entire time. I must have died a million times because the FEELS in this one got to me SOO BADDDD. With new twists and turns, drama and angst, and swoons and surprises, this book had me reeling in every way and clutching my heart. I experienced so many emotions throughout this story, heck the entire series, and felt so much for the characters. It was definitely an intense rollercoaster ride and when it was all over, I was sad, but also blissfully happy.

Magic of Winter by Martina Boone

(Celtic Legends #4)

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I don’t have my full review up for this yet since I’m still choosing which quotes to include. I’ll have it live this Friday, but here’s a mini review — I absolutely enjoyed the plot which was well-paced, engaging, and filled with heartbreaking and sweet tender moments. The romance was wonderfully slow burn and the swoons were plenty. I loved that even though this book wasn’t focused on the romance, there were still many scenes that melted my heart.

Rumor Has It by Jessica Lemmon

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2.75 – 3 Adorable and Fun Read

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Overall, this didn’t quite hit the spot for me, but it was an easy, light and somewhat enjoyable enemies to lovers story. The romance was sweet and had a few adorable moments that I loved. I thought the book wrapped up nicely and once I finished, I was quite satisfied with the ending.

Just Friends by Dyan Sheldon

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Light and Easy to Read, but Disappointingly Lackluster

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This book was sadly not for me. I actually speed read through about 75% of the book and I rarely do that. There were so just many things I didn’t like and maybe that distracted me. I really hate writing bad reviews, but just because I didn’t like this book, doesn’t mean it was horrible. There were a few fun moments and I liked some of the friendships. Oh and the cover’s really cute…

Thirsty by Mia Hopkins

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Too Dull and Dry for My Taste

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Thirsty could have been really amazing, but it just wasn’t executed that well for me. The writing was okay-ish and easy to read, but didn’t pull any emotion out of me. I honestly couldn’t connect with the story or the characters… I really wanted to though.

The Impossibility of Us by Katy Upperman

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A Remarkably Timeless, Touching and Achingly Beautiful Tale

About Family, Friendship, Love, Acceptance and Hope

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Katy Upperman’s debut novel, Kissing Max Holden, was one of my Top Ten Favorite Reads in 2017. It was deeply moving, deliciously swoony and so full of heart. I couldn’t wait to read The Impossibility of Us, and now that I have, I can honestly say that I’m a forever fan of Upperman’s gorgeous writing — breathtakingly emotional, amazingly realistic, and wonderfully affecting. To say that I loved this book is an understatement. The Impossibility of Us undeniably captured my heart, completely consumed my thoughts, and had me wiping away my tears... many many tears.

Hope you had fun reading my monthly wrap and found something to add to your TBR.

Have you read any of these books? Any book recommendations for me?

Let me know in the comments down below and I hope you all have a fantastic August reading month. Take care!

Upcoming Blog Tours and July TBR

July 2, 2018 karenjo462 Comments

Hello bookish friends! I just posted my May and June Monthly Wrap-Up and since I did so well with my reading, I decided to aim high and challenge myself this July. I really want to get ahead on my Goodreads Challenge and get to 60-65% feedback ratio on Netgalley.

Below are all my confirmed Blog Tours followed by the books I plan and want to read this month.

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MY LULLABY OF YOU

BLOG TOUR STOP – JULY 5

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Published June 16th 2018 by Plum Anchor Press

AMY
It’s the summer after high school. Amy can’t wait to leave her small hometown in North Carolina for the vibrant city of Chicago, where she plans to go to her dream college and hopes to build a stronger relationship with her father.

But as she deals with her mother’s resentment over her leaving and an intriguing yet provoking college student, Amy’s reminded of things she’s tried to forget and forced to face emotions she never expected.

SETH
It’s the summer before the last year of music school. Seth would rather be anywhere else than a small beach town in North Carolina, reopening wounds he thought he’d patched long ago and facing the father he hasn’t seen since his mother’s death.

While on his mission for answers, Seth is drawn to an observant and driven local he can’t seem to figure out.

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BLOG TOUR STOP – JULY 6

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Published June 19th 2018 by Swoon Reads

Stella has had a hopeless crush on Will, her older brother’s best friend FOREVER, but now that Cam and Will have graduated and are going off to college, this year is her chance to really strike out on her own. Without her overprotective brother and his sidekick around to distract her, she can focus on having all the typical high school experiences that she’s always dreamed of—starting with finding a boyfriend! With the help of her best friend Franklin, she comes up with the perfect plan to have a boyfriend by Christmas: The Boyfriend Bracket.

Or it seems like the perfect plan…right up until Will starts showing up again. How is she supposed to find the perfect boyfriend when none of her dates measure up to the one boy she can never have?

BLOG TOUR STOP – JULY 7

Spotlight ONLY Blog Tour. Not Reading or Reviewing at the moment

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High school student Chloe Snow chronicles another year in her life while she navigates the highs and lows of family, friendship, school, and love in her diary.

It’s Chloe Snow’s sophomore year of high school, and life has only grown more complicated.

Last year, Chloe was the star of the musical. This year, after an audition so disastrous she runs off the stage in tears, she’s cast as a lowly member of the ensemble. Will she be able to make it through the show knowing everyone’s either pitying her or reveling in her downfall?

Chloe’s best friend, Hannah, is no help: she’s been sucked into the orbit of Lex, the velvet-gloved, iron-fisted ruler of the sophomore class. Chloe’s dad is busy falling in love with Miss Murphy, and Chloe is no longer speaking to her mother, who is sending her increasingly desperate and unhinged emails from Mexico. As her parents’ divorce negotiations unravel, a custody battle looms.

If only Chloe could talk to Grady about it: his parents are divorced, and he’s easy to talk to. Or he was, until he declared his love for Chloe, and she turned him down because despite all her rational brain cells she can’t seem to get over Mac, and then Grady promptly started going out with Lex.

As the performance of the show approaches, Chloe must find a way to navigate all the messy elements of her life and make it through to the end of the year.

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BLOG TOUR STOP – JULY 11

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Expected publication: July 10th 2018 by Swoon Reads

Never trust a guy in spandex.

In Abby Hamilton’s world, superheroes do more than just stop crime and save cats stuck in trees—they also drink milk straight from the carton and hog the television remote. Abby’s older brother moonlights as the famous Red Comet, but without powers of her own, following in his footsteps has never crossed her mind.

That is, until the city’s newest vigilante comes bursting into her life.

After saving Abby from an attempted mugging, Morriston’s fledgling supervillain Iron Phantom convinces her that he’s not as evil as everyone says, and that their city is under a vicious new threat. As Abby follows him deeper into their city’s darkest secrets, she comes to learn that heroes can’t always be trusted, and sometimes it’s the good guys who wear black.

BLOG TOUR STOP – JULY 31

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Expected publication: July 31st 2018 by Swoon Reads

The last thing Elise wants is to start her senior year in a new town. But after her brother’s death in Afghanistan, she and her mother move from San Francisco to a sleepy coastal village.

When Elise meets Mati, they quickly discover how much they have in common. Mati is new to town too, visiting the U.S. with his family. Over the course of the summer, their relationship begins to blossom, and what starts out as a friendship becomes so much more.

But as Elise and Mati grow closer, her family becomes more and more uncomfortable with their relationship, and their concerns all center on one fact—Mati is Afghan.

Beautifully written, utterly compelling, and ultimately hopeful, THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF US asks—how brave can you be when your relationship is questioned by everyone you love?

BLOG TOUR STOP – AUGUST 15

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Published March 31st 2018

The Uprising Series tells the story of three freedom fighters and their friends in high — and low — places that come together to overthrow a vainglorious Emperor and his militaristic Cabal to restore the city, and the way of life, they once knew and loved.

In The Gathering, Jamie Ryan has defected from the Cabal and has joined his former brothers-in-arms — Basile Perrinault and Kanoa Shinomura — to form a collective known as The Uprising. When an explosion leads to him crossing paths with Evanora Cunningham — a product of Jamie’s past — he discovers that The Uprising is bigger, and more important, than he thought.

BLOG TOUR STOP – AUGUST 17

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Expected publication: August 14th 2018 by Swoon Reads

Seventeen-year-old Claire Collins has a plan: get into college and leave North Carolina behind. What she doesn’t have is an idea for how to get rid of the local football star and womanizer extraordinaire—Adam Meade, who she can’t even avoid (despite many efforts), because Claire’s dad is the high school football coach.

Seventeen-year-old Adam Meade never fails. He always gets what he wants… until he meets Claire, the new girl who leaves him unnerved, pissed off, and confused. But there’s something about her that he just can’t resist…

With the bite of lemon meringue pie and the sugar of sweet tea, Surviving Adam Meade is a sexy and compelling young adult novel about two strong-willed people who think they know what they want but have no idea what they need.

YAS, I really LIKE reading Swoon Reads Books.

I’ll probably end up reading books I didn’t even list here and/or add more since I always find other books I want to read and I just can’t help myself. Regardless, just wish me luck! Definitely going to need it.

Have you read any of these? Any of them on your TBR? Let me know in the comments.

As always, thanks for stopping by and reading. Have a great rest of the day loves!