·

A Long-Awaited Reading Wrap-Up

Well hello, this has been a long-awaited reading wrap-up! If you have read any of my previous blog posts or follow me on social media, you’ll know I haven’t been well and had surgery. I will say, that definitely can put a damper on your reading. It was weeks until I felt unfuzzy and managed to complete a book.

Nonetheless, let’s jump into the reviews…

This cover has a bright, summery theme with vibrant colors. It shows two women sitting on a beach blanket under a clear, sunny sky. One of them is wearing a red swimsuit, while the other is in a green outfit with a sun hat. There is a picnic basket beside them, and they appear to be enjoying a relaxing summer day. The title "The Summer Swap" is in large yellow letters at the top, while the author's name, "Sarah Morgan," is written in white above it. The tagline beneath reads: "It's never too late to start over again.

Summer Swap by Sarah Morgan

This was a new release that I couldn’t wait to pick up.

“Cecilia Lapthorne, escaping her 75th birthday festivities, finds herself unexpectedly sharing a secluded cottage with a struggling artist named Lily. Their unlikely friendship is tested when Cecilia’s grandson, Todd, arrives and secrets are revealed. As the summer unfolds, both women grapple with their pasts and consider the possibility of new beginnings.”

A perfect summer beach read, except I lay in my hammock in my garden. After reading The Christmas Book Club, I came to enjoy Sarah’s writing style. And how she builds and describes the relationship between the characters. Especially the female characters.

I’ve seen many people talk about reliving their “girlhood” and for me, this book gave me “girlhood” vibes even in more serious situations.

It reminded me that those feelings can be at any age or in any situation. We just come to experience them first, before 18.

Whether you are rediscovering yourself, changing your path, or coming to terms with a complex romantic relationship(s). This book is all the adult advice from those 90’s teen movies you ignored. Written in the most beautiful setting. 4.5 Stars.

The cover has a striking electric blue background with an illustration of a woman at the bottom holding a saw and cutting through the leg of an orange ladder. The title, "The Husbands," is written in bold white font, and beneath it, the author’s name, Holly Gramazio, is in turquoise. Above the title are two reviews, one by Gabrielle Zevin calling the book "a time-bending gem" and another by Marian Keyes stating, "the most fun I’ve had reading in the longest time." The tagline at the bottom reads, "You wait ages for The One… Then 203 come along at once.

Husbands by Holly Gramazio

I came across this book after hearing Kayla from BooksAndLala rave about it. I was glad to be able to get the version pictured on the right. At the moment, I’ve been loving the American covers of books, but this was a nice alternative.

“Lauren, a single woman, discovers a mysterious man in her flat claiming to be her husband. To her disbelief, he seems to be telling the truth. As she investigates, she realizes her attic is producing an endless supply of husbands. With so many options to choose from, Lauren struggles to determine the best match and wonders if she should settle for “good enough.”

Although the husbands we meet are sometimes typically written male characters we find in romance books. Where the lead female is dating a lot or trying to find the love of her life. To have them in this situation of already being married, all that getting to know you has been done but not being remembered. I was gripped. It is such an unusual premise.

Without spoiling, I enjoyed the twist in this book. I did not see it coming. I liked the setting of the various scenes with each husband. And I did thoroughly enjoy other characters in Laurens’s life. Like her best friend and sister.

For me though, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the ending. When discussing with friends, we decided that in this kind of story, it was the more realistic ending. But for me, I just wanted more husbands to appear! 4.5 stars.

Night Shift by Annie Crown: The cover has a warm, playful vibe, featuring two young adults in a colorful library setting. The female character is blonde, wearing casual clothes and holding a book, while the male character, with short brown hair, is holding a basketball and wearing a jacket. The backdrop consists of pastel-colored bookshelves. The title "Night Shift" is written in a bold, cursive style across the top, and the author’s name, "Annie Crown," is at the bottom.

Night Shift by Annie Crown

I picked this off my TBR when joining reading sprints with Steph Loves. She had just started it and was loving it. Then a few other people in the sprints decided to read it. So I joined in!

“Kendall, a bookworm and library worker, is unexpectedly drawn into a romance with Vincent, the captain of the basketball team. As they navigate their relationship, they learn that real-life love is more complex than the fictional stories Kendall loves.”

When I bought this, to me, it seemed to be the typical college nerd and jock trope, but I was wrong. There isn’t anything wrong with what I like to call “a quick-read romance”. That’s what I expected when I picked this up.

I underestimated Annie Crown and that’s my bad!

I did not expect the level of spice, character development or character communication. It is refreshing to see it done so well. I loved how they came to navigate communicating with each other and others around them. It is one of those books I wish I had available to read when I was at University. It isn’t a specifically set-out plot book. This is mainly about the two main characters, their relationship and their lives. It was a well-paced book and one that helped me get back into the swing of reading during my surgery recovery. 4.5 Stars.

A book cover with a large, ancient tree standing under a crescent moon. A red door is set into the tree's trunk, and a bird soars above. The title 'The Lost Story' is written in white, and the author's name, Meg Shaffer, is below.

The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer

Meg Shaffer’s debut novel ‘The Wishing Game‘ was a huge 5-star read for me. I, of course, was going to be picking this one up.

“Two boys, Rafe and Jeremy, vanished in the woods for six months before reappearing with no memory. Years later, Rafe is a reclusive artist and Jeremy is a renowned investigator. When a woman named Emilie seeks help finding her sister, who disappeared in the same woods, Jeremy reveals the magical realm they’d inhabited. Together, they must return to this enchanted world to find Emilie’s sister and uncover the truth behind their past.”

This was advertised as “for those who love the Chronicles of Narnia” and it did not disappoint. I love a fairytale-inspired story or retelling as it gives me all those nostalgic feelings of when I fell in love with reading as a child.

This book starts with a prologue set 15 years before. With books that link to flashbacks throughout, some prologues are too dense whereas this sets the reveals and gives more information at the perfect time throughout. It is honestly one of the best setups and dual timelines I’ve read in a while.

No character is too small or unforgettable. No corner of emotion is untouched. Although this comes with some darker themes, I love Meg Shaffer’s writing style and her imagination.

From The Wishing Game to The Lost Story, these are stories filled with magic. I cannot wait to see what she releases next. 5 Stars.

The book cover features a retro VHS cassette tape with the tape inside visibly cracked and splattered with blood. At the center is a paper insert with the title in bold, black lettering, "Home Is Where The Bodies Are," set against a gradient background of pink to beige. Blood splatters mark the corners. At the top, a review from Lisa Jewell reads: "An emotionally charged, twisty, and haunting thriller you won't soon forget." The author's name, Jeneva Rose, is printed in bold red at the bottom, with "New York Times bestselling author" above it.

Home Is Where The Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose

Another book I found through BookTube! I was watching GabbyReads newest vlog a few months ago and she had mentioned trying this author again.

I realised it was a book many book content creators had been picking up. Whether they liked the author, liked the cover or the premise of the book. I picked my copy up through Blackwells as I was able to get the cover pictured on the left. The UK cover is not only not as nice, but I also feel it doesn’t link to the plot well at all.

“Beth, struggling with her father’s disappearance and a strained relationship with her family, receives a shocking confession from her dying mother. After her sister is attacked, Beth discovers dark secrets from their childhood, including the disappearance of their neighbour, Emma Harper. As they confront the truth, Beth must question everything she thought she knew about her family.”

This is such an amazing thriller. I haven’t enjoyed a thriller as much since The Only One Left by Riley Sager. I want to be able to go back and re-read it for the first time.

In a thriller, crime or mystery book, some storylines can be predictable. This book gives you all the predictability. Meaning you don’t know how it is going to end. Or at least, that is how it felt for me and a few others I spoke to. Only one person I spoke to guessed the ending as a possibility.

The characters are well fleshed out and, you get to read so many different POVs throughout this book. The chapters are on the shorter side, which makes it quite fast-paced and perfect for this kind of storyline.

This is the epitome of “skeletons in your closet”. 5 Stars.

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager: The cover has a dark, eerie atmosphere. It shows a suburban neighborhood at night with two houses in the background, one of which has a car parked outside. The sky is clouded, creating a spooky, unsettling tone. The large green title "MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT" is centered across the cover, with the author's name, "Riley Sager," in matching green at the bottom. The tagline at the top reads, "Riley Sager at his very best," with a quote attributed to Lee Child.

Middle Of The Night by Riley Sager

I pre-ordered this as soon as it was announced on Waterstones.

“Ethan, haunted by the disappearance of his best friend Billy, returns to his childhood home decades later. Strange occurrences in the neighbourhood keep him awake, raising suspicions about what happened to Billy and who might be involved.”

I mentioned in a previous blog post how Riley Sager is seen among the book community as a marmite author. You could love one book and dislike another by him.

This, for me, was one of those books that I didn’t love as much. I thought with a storyline like this, I’d be devouring it in one sitting. This took a few days and I felt it was such a slog to get into.

There were elements of the main character, Ethan, that I didn’t gel with. There were so many unanswered questions. Overall, I found the criminal investigative elements of the missing child, Billy, to be unrealistic at times.

I did enjoy the setting for this storyline and, as always, there were some twists that I didn’t see coming. Riley Sager is great at blending the different timelines into the plot.

I just found it underwhelming and disliked the ending. 3.5 Stars.

A book cover featuring a charming street scene with a bookstore and cafe. The title 'The Summer Book Club' is written in a whimsical font, and the subtitle 'Sometimes you have to find your own happy ending' is below. Cherry blossoms are blooming overhead, and the author's name, Susan Mallery, is at the bottom.

The Summer Book Club by Susan Mallery

This was a TikTok shop purchase through HarperCollins. I’d keep an eye on them if you are looking for book deals. They have some great sales!

“Laurel, Cassie, and Paris struggling with their personal lives, form a book club focused on happy endings. As they delve into their favourite stories, the women find inspiration to take risks and find happiness in their own lives.”

I had never read anything by Susan Mallery before, but when shopping for some summer reads, this was, of course, a no-brainer.

This book is such a lovely, gentle read. Even though the 3 main characters are dealing with some stressful and upsetting situations, it is a story of the strength of women and in women. I enjoyed the character dynamics and how their friendship worked. I loved the book club element and how they got together to just ‘put the world to rights’. As my grandmother would have said.

I also found that the different stages that each woman was in, in their life, blended well. I feel a lot of books, TV shows and movies show mums with their mum friends and single friends with other single friends. When In fact, friendship groups are more mixed than that. And this was a great example.

A new author to delve more into. 4 Stars.

This bright and cheerful cover has a yellow background with pink and turquoise text. The title, "The Holiday Escape," is written in turquoise cursive, while the author’s name, Heidi Swain, is in large pink letters at the top. Below the title, there's a tagline: "She's escaping the country. He's escaping the city." The illustration features a woman carrying shopping bags walking out of a door that opens to a city scene, while a man opens a door leading to a serene beach. The windows beside them show similar contrasting views of a city and a beach.

The Holiday Escape by Heidi Swain

I love a Heidi Swain book and this was such a bargain when shopping in Asda’s 2 for £9 offer.

“Ally, a woman longing for a glamorous city life, runs a creative retreat with her dad. While on a vacation, she meets Logan, the perfect escape. When Logan unexpectedly shows up at her retreat, Ally’s carefully planned life is disrupted, forcing her to confront her desires and the reality of her dreams.”

I love a book like this, where it makes you realise how much there is to offer in your back garden. It’s a reminder of our roots and how we can plant our own. Whatever path we take.

Full of family love, strong friendships and community spirit. The romantic side of the plot is very realistic, in my opinion. There were sweet moments, but it wasn’t an “everything is perfect” kind of story. Far from it at times. Their developing relationship just fits in well with everyday life. As you would expect it too.

I also have to give an honourable mention to Kasuku. He stole the scene on more than one occasion! 4 Stars.

And that is another wrap-up. Have you read any of these books? What were your thoughts? Is there anything you’ve read recently you’d recommend?

Comment your thoughts below, or find me on Facebook, Twitter / X, Instagram or Pinterest.

As always, thanks for reading…

Hannah Marie x