June Wrap-Up

Can you believe we're halfway through 2019? This year is absolutely flying by. I started June on vacation in Florida, and now it already feels like I've been home for three months, rather than three weeks! While I was on vacation, I read a ton ... and I haven't read too much since then.

2019 Mini Reviews: February - June

When 2019 started, I thought I'd try to do mini reviews each month—reviews of books that I'd purchased myself or borrowed, books that I didn't feel like doing a full-blown review for but still wanted to record my thoughts about. And I succeeded ... in January 🤣.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Summer TBR

Happy Tuesday! Can you believe it's almost July? Where has this year gone? (Of course, it now sounds like July in my neighborhood—today is the first day that it's legal to shoot off fireworks in my town, and some of my neighbors are taking full advantage.)

Today's Top Ten Tuesday post is one I couldn't resist: Books on my Summer TBR. I didn't do a Spring TBR post, but one of these was actually on my Winter TBR ... and a couple others made my monthly TBRs for March and April. Maybe NOW is the time to read it! (I wouldn't hold my breath 🤣)

Review: "More than Words Can Say" by Karen Witemeyer

If you've been around here very often, you know that marriage of convenience stories are my absolute favorite! You also know that I'm much more drawn to contemporary than historical novels ... but I will absolutely read just about any historical marriage of convenience novel, which is why I decided to pick up More than Words Can Say. It was a wise decision 🙂

Review: "The Number of Love" by Roseanna M. White

I'm so happy I discovered Roseanna M. White's books several years ago! Her latest release, The Number of Love, features a familiar face in Margot De Wilde, introduced in A Song Unheard (part of a previous series, but they all interconnect). Now an adult, Margot works for Room 40, a British intelligence organization.

Review: "Wooing Cadie McCaffrey" by Bethany Turner

Fans of romantic comedies, rejoice! Wooing Cadie McCaffrey is tailor-made for us!

Review: "Living Lies" by Natalie Walters

Living Lies is Natalie Walters' debut novel, and it's a good one! I'm already anticipating book two 😄

Review: "The Noble Guardian" by Michelle Griep

Michelle Griep's Bow Street Runners series concludes with The Noble Guardian.

Review: "Tate" by Susan May Warren

The Montana Marshalls are back, and this time middle brother Tate takes center stage.

Review: "Summer by the Tides" by Denise Hunter

I am always up for a Denise Hunter novel. It all started with The Convenient Groom back in 2008—I spied the book in a catalog (those were the days ...), bought it, and I've never looked back. I'm fairly certain I've read each book Hunter has released since then! So of course I had to get my hands on this book, which came out at the end of May.

Review: "Ornamental Graces" by Carolyn Astfalk

Every February, my library does a "blind date with a book," where books are all wrapped in brown paper and some hints about the book are written on the outside. While I've never participated, I've always been curious, so when I was given the opportunity to sign up for a blind tour through JustRead, I decided to do it.

Review: "Hope and Other Punch Lines" by Julie Buxbaum

Julie Buxbaum is one of my go-to YA fiction writers when I'm looking for something that has a little more depth. (Don't get me wrong—I enjoy a fluffy romance, obviously, but every once in a while I'm in the mood for something a little more serious.) She's also become an "auto get" for me, so when Hope and Other Punch Lines came up for review, I pounced 😉.

Review: "Whose Waves These Are" by Amanda Dykes

You know how some books aren't meant to be read quickly; they're meant to be savored? That's Whose Waves These Are. It took me more than a week to read, in bits and pieces, thinking about it during the in between times. And it was beautiful.

Review: "Now and Then and Always" by Melissa Tagg

I love every literary trip to Maple Valley, Iowa. I wish it was a real place—it's like the midwestern version of Stars Hollow! Now and Then and Always marks the first book in Melissa Tagg's new Maple Valley series, and it's a delightful return to the adorable small town she created.

Review: "On a Summer Tide" by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Suzanne Woods Fisher is my favorite writer of Amish fiction (hers is the only Amish fiction I'll read after getting burned out on the genre) ... so when I heard she had written a contemporary non-Amish romance, I was certainly intrigued!

Review: "A Reluctant Bride" by Jody Hedlund

You know a book is good when you read it late into the night. That's what happened to me while reading A Reluctant Bride. It's a good thing I'm on vacation and didn't need to get up in the morning, as I read until 1:30 a.m. in order to finish it!