June 2021 Reading List

Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto

It’s a murder mystery that’s not a mystery at all, more like a murder cover up, after Meddelin Chan accidentally murders her blind date. Now she and her aunties have to figure out how to hide the body while working one of their biggest weddings. This book was completely hilarious and I highly recommend it if you want an entertaining read.

The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan

Did you read The Roommate? Are you ready for the sequel? I hope so, because we got it before anyone was ready. Honestly, I’m still recovering from The Roommate. The Intimacy Experiment was just as good, but in a completely different way. While The Roommate was a 10 on the racy scale, the book might have been closer to a 6, but that didn’t take away anything from it. Go read it!

People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry

I literally read this book on vacation on the beach (for the two days of my crazy traveling where I was actually on vacation). This book was so good, but by the end of it, I was literally in tears on the beach. Whoops?

Last Tang Standing by Lauren Ho

I wanted to like this book, I really did. It was compared to Crazy Rich Asians, so I knew that I had to try it. Well, when it was also compared to Bridget Jones’s Diary, I should have known to put it down. Basically, you’re watching Andrea Tang, be successful lawyer, but kind of flip flop around in her personal life. Honestly, I feel like a mess enough in my own life that I don’t really have a desire to read books about people around my age who are hot messes. This is a no go for me.

The Dating Dare by Jayci Lee

Note: I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I read “A Sweet Mess” by Jayci Lee, I fell in love almost instantly. But I also knew that I wanted to know more about Tara, the best friend. My wish was granted with The Dating Dare.

The Dating Dare lets us get to know Tara, whose walls are up so high around her that no one could get through. Luckily, Seth Kim is leaving at the end of the month and a no strings attached fling with Tara seems like the perfect idea.

The Dating Dare allowed us to dig deep into Tara and Seth’s lives and it made me fall in love with both of the characters even more. Lee also managed to create the perfect little tiny town in Washington state with the perfect cast of supporting characters. I can only hope for more books in the future to bring me back there.

The Dating Dare comes out on August 3, 2021.

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

I read this for my book club, and I felt like I was solidly in the middle for this book. The main character was kind of the worst for a lot of the book and I think that the book went on for a little too long. That

The Other Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

Continuing my way through all of the Julia Quinn novels! This is book three of the Rokesby series and I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this one. The majority of the book takes place on a boat and while I could typically do without sailor/pirate books, this one flew by so quickly! I enjoyed it and I think it speaks well to how good of a write Quinn is.

First Comes Scandal by Julia Quinn

The final Rokesby book and way a way to end the series. In my opinion, this book seemed to eschew the typical plot structure, but it completely worked. I loved the main characters and it was so much fun to see the glimpse of Anthony and Benedict as children and little baby Colin.

Well-Behaved Indian Women by Saumya Dave

This was definitely another mixed feelings book. Actually, wait, that’s a lie. I liked the story, I liked the main characters, but I think the book could have been edited down a little more. It felt like things were a little more drawn out than they needed to be.

Anna K Away by Jenny Lee

Since Anna K was based off of Anna Karenina, I was really curious to see how the sequel, Anna K Away, would work. Well, Jenny Lee is an excellent writer because I didn’t want to put this book down. It brings back all of the characters from the first book and it really does feel like you’re catching up with old friends.

Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne

You know what I loved the most about this book? The main female character at one point shouted at the male that she was not his “manic pixie dream girl” and there to rescue him. Well, after hearing that, how could you not fall in love with a love story about 20-somethings working (and living) at a retirement home. This book was so good and I’ll be happy to read it over and over.

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

Note: I received this audiobook as an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve heard this book declared one of THE books of the summer and I can totally see why. It’s a fun romance that manages to perfectly encapsulate the “small town girl moving to New York City” story that everyone wants to have. There’s the eclectic cast of lovable characters, the perfect diner, and of course, getting your coffee spilled on you.

What really makes this book stand out though is the relationship between August (our girl who has moved to New York) and Jane, the magical stranger she’s met on the train. From the moment they begin speaking to each other, you ship them. When you realize that time travel has is going to come in and mess with their relationship, you start rooting for them event harder.

The only downside to this book is that there were a few times that I thought, “wait, is this book still going?” McQuiston had a lot of ground that she wanted to cover in this novel and she covered all of it. Could some of it be edited down? Potentially, but I don’t know if it would have taken away from the plot or not.

If you’re into audiobooks, this is a great audio option. The voices truly brought each character to life so much, especially Jane. I’m actually even more impressed that there was only one narrator, because if you had asked me, I would have thought there were at least three.

One Last Stop is available now wherever you like to purchase your books.