Just Shelved: Recent Reads

No Spice

• The Summer I Turned Pretty Series by Jenny Han - This is a young adult series that follows Belly, her brother, and two boys she grows up going to the beach with every summer. Jenny Han is so good at writing teenagers - relationships, fears, decisions. I flew through this series so quickly, and it is perfect for summer! These books have no spice or language, but the show is a little different so just keep that in mind if you decide to watch!

• If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair - This book releases on August 5, but I am so thankful to have gotten an ARC to read early! It is a brother’s best friend story that follows Josie and Wyatt as they sail down the intracoastal waterway together. Wyatt is from the Appies series if you have read that! I cannot wait for you all to read this next month - it was so good!

• Oakley Island Series by Emma St. Clair and Jenny Proctor - This is one of my new favorite no spice romance series. The community and family in this is SO good! There are three books that follow three sisters, and then there is a Christmas novella that follows a couple of their kids! I still can’t decide if Merritt’s second chance story or Sadie’s billionaire mixed with a little suspense story was my favorite, but I loved them all! This is the perfect summer series, and it will have you wanting to pack up and move to coastal Georgia!

Low Spice

• Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez - This books follows Samantha and Xavier as they navigate a relationship with tons of unique and difficult challenges. You might want to check trigger warnings for this one, as this story is deeply emotional, but I found it so inspiring and beautiful the way they fought for their relationship from the beginning. Reading this book left me feeling so grateful for the people and the memories I have in my own life. This book does have language and one vague open door scene on pages 211-212.

• Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry - This book follows Alice and Hayden, authors who are competing to write the story of an older woman named Margaret who disappeared from the public eye years ago. The book is split between chapters following Margaret’s story and chapters following the romance between Hayden and Alice. I feel like because of this, it was harder for me to get into either part. I did enjoy the twists and turns in Margaret’s story, but for me the romance side felt a little too spice heavy and a little rushed. This book does have language and open door scenes on pages 201-203, 261-263, 298-299, and 356-359.

• The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce - This book follows Eli and Georgia, exes coming together for their best friend’s wedding. I loved the second chance and the wedding setting in this story, but ultimately, I just didn’t connect to the story or the characters as much as I thought I would. It was still a good read - just not a favorite! There is language and open door scenes on pages 164-168, 202-210, 228, and 257-261 with allusions throughout.

Non-Fiction

• Sacred Pathways by Gary Thomas - In this book, the author proposes the idea of spiritual temperaments. It is kind of like a personality test for how you connect best with God. This was a really helpful read for me, and I would recommend!

On My Nightstand: Current Reads

• The Summer of You and Me by Denise Hunter - I just started this book last night, but it hooked me so fast! It follows Maggie who is spending her summer back in Seabrook where her and her husband first fell in love. She is there to try to say goodbye and move on because it has now been five years since her husband died in Pakistan in an explosion. But when she sees someone who looks exactly like him at the carnival at the start of summer, it has her questioning everything. This is a little bit mystery with some women’s fiction and romance, and I am really enjoying it so far!

• The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron - This book is a 12 week course in rediscovering and reawakening your creativity. I have heard such good things about this book and am already learning so many things I know I will take with me. I plan to write more about this in the upcoming weeks, either here or in my personal newsletter!

In the Queue: Upcoming Reads

• Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan - This is the only book I have not read by Annabel Monaghan, and I am determined to pick it up before summer ends. I got a physical copy from the library, but lately I have really preferred reading on my Kindle. I am waiting for my libby hold to come in so I can start it!

• My Friends by Fredrik Backman - I loved Anxious People, and I DNFed Beartown, so I am anxious to see what I think of this one. I got a libby hold and have about 13 more days to read it, so I hope to pick it up very soon!

More to come, friends!

Caroline