Pages I'm Turning: September 2025
Just Shelved: Recent Reads
You Make it Feel Like Christmas by Sophie Sullivan - In this story, you follow Maisie and Nick spending the holiday season on a Christmas tree farm. I really enjoyed getting to know these characters and families, as well the anxiety and career dynamics. However, for being branded as closed door, this book had too many innuendos and allusions that made the relationship feel much too physical to me.
Content: frequent strong language, innuendos and allusions, open door scene (middle of chapter 18)
It’s Different This Time by Joss Richards - In this second chance romance, we follow June & Adam - roommates to friends to more to strangers - thrown back together after years of not speaking. I adored so many things about this romance - the second chance, the NYC brownstone setting, the fall timeline, the friends to lovers storyline, chasing your dreams, the theater / film piece, the chef / restaurant piece, then and now timelines, and the way they came back together. June and Adam were such fun and lovable characters to follow. Their chemistry was so palpable, and it was so obvious they were meant for each other.
Content - explicit language, allusions / fade to black (middle of chapter 25), open door scenes (towards the end of chapter 18 and chapter 26, end of chapter 23), LGBTQ side characters
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron - I finally finished this, and I absolutely loved my experience reading this book. I plan to share more about this in a video or newsletter, so make sure you are subscribed to my Youtube and newsletter so you don’t miss it!
On My Nightstand: Current Reads
Cover Story by Mhairi McFarlane - I got this as an ARC and am about to finish it! This is my first book by Mhairi McFarlane, and while it took me a little bit to get into, I am really enjoying it so far. I would describe it as women’s fiction but also romance and a bit of mystery / suspense. It has been so fun, and I can’t wait to see how everything wraps up.
Content: This has been no spice so far with only a few allusions / innuendos.
In the Queue: Upcoming Reads
The Second Story Bookshop by Denise Hunter - This is an enemies to lovers, second chance romance set in a lakeside bookshop that I think will be perfectly cozy for fall. I got an ARC and am so excited to pick it up this week. This book comes out October 7th! No spice.
Find Your People by Jennie Allen - I haven’t started a new non-fiction book yet since finishing The Artist’s Way. I have still been drawn towards building community, hosting, and putting on events, so I think this will be a good read for where I am in this season of life!
Thank you for reading No Spice Books!
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More to come, friends!
Caroline
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