#June2024books

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Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books: A Novel by Kirsten Miller 

US pub date - 6/18/24

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As a human, a reader, and a mother banned books infuriate me immensely (however, since this is a book review and not an opinion piece on small frightened people who try to ban sources of knowledge so they can remain comfortable in their narrow and seemingly impenetrable mindsets; I’ll simply leave it at that). The title of this one immediately caught my interest. The synopsis caught it even more. And the stories themselves pulled me in immediately. 

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One small Georgia town that has banned many books, and one little lending library whose pages contain much more than the cover might have advertised (and far more than the owner of the little library ever intended). Ms Miller has woven together timely and engaging stories, believable characters, and how small adjustments can change an entire community. 

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I loved Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books ❤️ this one is an absolute recommendation. 

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Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the DRC

[bucolicbook]

Under a Rock: A Memoir by Chris Stein 

US pub date - 6/11/24

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I loved Blondie as a kid in the 80's and still do all these years later and was very excited to be able to read an advance copy of Chris Stein's memoir. 

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A life well lived is always fascinating to me, and Stein’s memory for small details is incredibly impressive. The writing is fantastic and lends itself to allowing the reader to really visualize the experiences. Not all parts are easy to read, but I appreciated his forthcomingness. 

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A veritable who’s who from music and art in New York, Under a Rock is wildly engaging. This is a  must read memoir that will keep readers turning the pages (I’m also confident that it will be excellent in audiobook form). 

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*Some of my own favorite Blondie songs include ‘Dreaming’, ‘Out in the Streets’, ‘Will Anything Happen’, ‘Atomic’, ‘Union CIty Blue’, and ‘Hanging on the Telephone’ (also, the very first 45 my husband picked out and got as a kid was ‘Heart of Glass’). 

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Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the DRC

[bucolicbook]

One Cursed Rose (Grimm Bargains, #1) by Rebecca Zanetti 

US pub date - 6/25/24

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While reading this, I was incapable of shutting off my rational brain which tells me that if whoever the incredibly wealthy and dangerous obsessed stalker MMC is wasn’t wildly rich, they’d simply be viewed as a creepy predator. I don’t enjoy this dichotomy. 

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I didn’t enjoy the writing, the characters all felt incomplete, and I wasn’t able to get into the story. And that knife scene? Yeah, absolutely not. 

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This one really wasn’t for me.

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Thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for the DRC 

[bucolicbook]

Horror Movie: A Novel by Paul Tremblay 

US pub date 6/11/24

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A cursed movie story, please. 

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But… while this was well written I was never invested in the story - the pretentiousness, the timeline changes grew confusing, the cursed movie aspect isn’t quite accurate - the backtracking and reexamining of plot removed that idea for me,  the slowburn buildup of the atmosphere was such that I was never able to feel any type of connection to the characters, and I found the abrupt ending a letdown. 

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This was my first time reading the author, and though Horror Movie didn’t work for me, it was well written enough that I will try more of the author’s work. 

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Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the DRC 

[bucolicbook]

Right Where We Left Us: A Novel by Jen Devon 

US pub date - 6/18/24

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I read and adored the author’s first book and had high hopes for this novel that brings us back for the first book’s MCs’ wedding (this is an interconnected series and I would suggest reading Bend Toward the Sun before attempting this). 

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Duncan was such a great character in the first book yet in this one, I barely recognized him from those earlier glimpses. Same for Temperance. Both MCs read as surprisingly immature for their ages. 

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For a second chance romance, I didn’t feel the chemistry between the two MCs, and spent the book feeling like we were told more than shown (80% in and they’re still not together). The pacing was slow and the connection between the two doesn’t read as authentic. 

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It took me a couple of months of putting it down and picking it back up to try again to work my way through this one. 

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I really wanted to love this and I’m sorry that I didn’t enjoy it more. Devon’s writing is, in places, engaging and wonderful - I will definitely read Mal’s story (if one is forthcoming). 

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Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the DRC 

[bucolicbook]

The Last Secret of Lily Adams: A Novel by Sara Blaydes 

US pub date - 6/4/24

2.5

A story told in a dual timeline, the description really interested me, the characters in both timelines were written well, but I found myself enjoying Lily’s story more. 

Some issues I had - stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age were absolutely more than capable of purchasing very large / grand homes. Even stars from the Silent Age were able to - so I didn’t understand why in the first chapter Lily’s granddaughter explains that her grandmother, “one of Hollywood’s brightest stars” and “a legendary actress” as described in the synopsis, couldn’t. While the granddaughter is correct that stars didn’t make the same money they do now, they were still compensated far better than most workers. 

Another, this regarding the writing for the 1940’s timeline - it wasn’t accurate, time-period wise, and that kept pulling me out of the story. 

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC 

[bucolicbook]

The Mistress Experience (Society of Sirens, #3) by Scarlett Peckham 

US pub date - 6/25/24

The cover reminded me of the paperback covers I’d see on drugstore paperbacks from my 80’s and 90’s youth, and the synopsis really appealed… I wasn’t disappointed. 

I appreciated Thais as a character - her kindness and caring, and that she was a sex worker, with an affirmative attitude toward sex was fantastic. 

Alistair was sweet, was quick to blush, and endearing. He cooked, taught Thais how to bake, and cared for her so sweetly while she was sick.

I enjoyed this one a lot - as the two fell in love, the development of both characters, and the underlying messages here. 

The “lessons” here are so positive and fun to read. 

This was my first book by the author - it definitely won’t be my last. I can’t wait to read more, and plan on reading the earlier titles of this series very soon 🙂

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the DRC 

[bucolicbook]

Meet Me on the Bridge by Sarah J. Harris US pub date - 6/1/24

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I really enjoy magical realism and time travel stories and the premise for this was great; I found it started well but went downhill - I found the characters lacked depth and the story was all over the place. 

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Good premise but poorly executed. 

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This wasn’t for me. 

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Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC 

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Rules for Second Chances by Maggie North US pub date - 6/25/24

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Liz and Tobin are married, and have been. Liz feels invisible besides her husband and at work. Tired of feeling like this, she suggests a break and this novel is the not easy, smooth path to reconciliation that you might be expecting if you grew up on a steady diet of romance novels from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s like I did (Judith Krantz forever ❤️). It’s messy, and painful, and so so real. 

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I guess it's fairly obvious, but in case it's not, I really enjoyed this one. 

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Liz, ah Liz - I adored her as MFC - her personality was so me that I couldn't get over it. Unfortunately, Tobin didn’t feel as fleshed out to me a character as Liz was, hence the four star rating.

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I will definitely read the author's future work. 

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Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the DRC

[bucolicbook]

The Next Mrs Parrish (Mrs Parrish, #2) by Liv Constantine 

US pub date - 6/18/24

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As other reviewers have noted, be sure to read The First Shot by the authors, available on Kindle Unlimited. 

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Despite disliking every single character in the first book, when I saw this one, I requested it - if for no other reason than hoping that Jackson and / or Amber would get their just desserts. 

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Cons - 

*it’s wildly unrealistic and in reading this, your suspension of disbelief will get quite a workout 

*it’s predictable and didn’t really start moving until the midway point. 

*characters have no growth 

*and Daphne? I was so frustrated reading her parts and just wanted to shake some sense into her 

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Pros - 

*once the plot picked up, it’s very readable

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I’m an outlier in my opinion of this, as many other early reviews seemed to really enjoy this. 

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Thank you to Bantam and NetGalley for the DRC 

[bucolicbook]

Jackie: A Novel by Dawn Tripp 

US pub date - 6/18/24

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Take one of the most famous, iconic women in modern history and write about her life. A high reaching prospect, indeed, but one Ms Tripp manages admirably; Jackie is well researched, engagingly written, and manages to also be compulsively readable. Even readers who know much of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis’s life, this one is still an intriguing read, written in JBKO’s “voice”. It absolutely kept me turning the pages. 

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I think this will also make a stellar listen. 

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Recommended!

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Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the DRC

[bucolicbook]

The Captain and the Duchess (The Strongs of Shadowcrest, #4) by Alexa Aston

US pub date - 6/12/24

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A fun and quick reading novella, I enjoyed The Captain and Duchess and was able to read as a standalone (I haven’t read most of the titles in this series). 

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Dowager Duchess Dinah was married against her feelings to a man twenty five years her senior. A mother of four by the time she was 21, life seemed miserable for this woman, her daughters, and the two nieces she was raising. Dinah is still a younger woman (35ish) and after years of channeling her love solely to her daughter and nieces, she’s ready to learn about romance and passion. And who better with than a handsome captain who is close friends with her stepson? Bonus points for the two being instantly attracted to one another after an earlier one time meeting. 

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Both MC’s are likeable and I read this happily. 

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Thank you to Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC 

[bucolicbook]

The Salad Lab: Whisk, Toss, Enjoy! Recipes for Making Fabulous Salads Everyday (A Cookbook) By Darlene Schrijver

US pub date - 6/11/24

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TikTok isn’t to my personal preference, but for my own tastes, salads absolutely are. So, when I requested this book, it wasn’t about a favored social media personality but in the hopes of finding some tasty new salad suggestions and recipes. 

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A long time vegan, most of the recipes in this book unfortunately weren’t for me *** If you’re vegan, this isn’t one I’d recommend - while there are a handful of full vegan offerings,  many of the recipes call for (and are reliant on) a variety of meats/poultry/seafood as well as cheeses/dairy. 

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Even though I wasn’t able to partake in many of the recipes - there’s a lot in here and non-vegan salad lovers should find much to tempt their appetite. 

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Thank you to S&S/Simon Element and NetGalley for the DRC

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Daughter of Calamity by Rosalie M. Lin 

US pub date - 6/18/24

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This debut is transportive - its writing brought me into the story. 

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Magical realism mixed with Shanghai gangster historical fiction, beautifully atmospheric and gritty at the same time, the story’s vibrancy shines through. 

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I will look forward to reading Ms Lin’s upcoming works. 

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Recommended.

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Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the DRC 

[bucolicbook]

A Duke Makes a Deal (Gambling Peers, #1) by Matilda Madison

US pub date - 6/11/24

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I have a difficult time resisting the opportunity to read the first title in a historical romance series and I’m so glad that I didn’t resist when it came to this series starter. After beginning, I was so engaged by the story that by the time I put my kindle down, I noticed that there were 28 minutes left in the book. 

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Spice wise - I don’t know that this story knew exactly how it wanted to come across. As a result, the spice is more spoof, imo, but I still liked this. 

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Ms Madison is a new to me author and I will definitely be reading more of her work 🙂

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An enjoyable first title in a new series and I’m already looking forward to reading the next book.

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Thank you to Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC 

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A Rivalry of Hearts (Fae Flings and Corset Strings, #1) by Tessonja Odette 

US pub date - 6/12/24

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I received early access to this on 1 May, I finished it just earlier on 3 May. 

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*dual POV

*rivals to lovers 

*he falls first 

*oh-no-just-one-bed 

*cozy spice 

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My goodness, it was my first time reading the author and I wasn’t sure what entirely lay in store for me and I just fell in love with this - the characters are so wonderfully flawed and real - the sense of humor in the writing ❤️ and the romance here are fantastic. 

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I adored this book and will definitely be reading more of Ms Odette!

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Thank you to Tessonja Odette, Crystal Moon Press and Victory Editing and NetGalley for the DRC