May 2021 Reading List

Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala

I gobbled this book up! (Too cheesy for a book about a restaurant murder?) I absolutely loved this murder mystery and how it was revealed over the course of the book. the characters were so good (I want to move to this community right now), and I loved how they described all of the food. Also, based on the cover, it sounds like this is going to be a series! Basically, get this book now.

Because of Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

I was really missing Julia Quinn and the Bridgertons, so I decided that it was time to check out her prequel series, The Rokesby’s. The Rokesby’s are the family that lives right by the Bridgerton’s (the father’s generation) and they are VERY interwined with the Bridgerton’s. This is the first book in the series and I loved it. I couldn’t put it down.

The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband by Julia Quinn

As soon as I finished the first Rokesby’s book, I downloaded the second! This one takes place primarily in America where the second son is serving for the British during the Revolutionary war. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to get into it, but Julia Quinn pulls me in again.

Paris is Always a Good Idea by Jenn McKinlay

I realized that this book had been sitting on my Kindle for a bit and kept popping up on my goodreads list, so I decided to try it out. Well, I finished it in like two nights because I couldn’t put it down. I’ll be honest though, the premise of this book seemed a little cheesy: a woman traveling to Ireland, Paris, and Italy to revisit the former loves of her life and find love again? Oy. But I promise, the book itself was actually pretty enjoyable.

First Comes Like by Alisha Rai

So this is the third book in a series, but I’ll be honest, I skipped the second book in the series because I was so bored. This book however caught my attention and completely hooked me. The main characters were just so endearing and you could easily read this book without having read the first two books in the series.

Super Fake Love Song by David Yoon

I’ll be completely honest, I picked up and put this book down at least three times while reading it. Not because it wasn’t good (while I was reading I couldn’t stop), but because while I was reading it, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to read about teenagers problems right now. But, David Yoon is so good at creating a whole world of interesting characters and fandoms that I couldn’t help but want to finish the book.

The Windsor Knot by S.J. Bennett

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

What if Queen Elizabeth II secretly solved mysteries while attending to her regular duties? That’s the question that The Windsor Knot decides to tackle in this new series from S.J. Bennett and you know what? It works.

The Queen is at Windsor Castle right before her 90th birthday when a guest is found murdered in his bedroom. The case seems to be blundered at every turn and unhappy with how the police are handling it, the Queen decides to investigate. Turning to her Private Secretary, Rozie Oshodi, the Queen uses her help to question everything and everyone.

S.J. Bennett has managed to create a complicated (and intriguing) murder case that has everything one needs for a compelling murder case: sex, maybe drugs, and a potential Russian spy. Bennett has also managed to create the perfect circus of characters from the night of the murder to turn the murder case upside down and confuse everyone. In addition to the suspects, I also fell in love with the characters surrounding the queen. From Bennett’s portrayal of Prince Phillip to everyone on staff trying to “protect” Queen Elizabeth, I absolutely loved the world S.J. Bennett created in The Windsor Knot. Plus, since I listened to this on audio, the voices that were given to the characters made them that much better. I can’t wait for the next one!

Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin

Someone described this novel to me as a Pride and Prejudice remake and I can kind of see it…but not really. I think it may be a bit of a stretch honestly. That being said, I still completely enjoyed this book and it’s use of the “enemies to lovers” trope. It had a number of interesting twists and I can’t wait to read the next novel from Uzma Jalaluddin.

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand

After reading My Contrary Mary the other month, I decided I needed to go back and re-read My Lady Jane. (My Contrary Mary was in the same universe). I definitely did not appreciate My Lady Jane as much the first time around! These books were so well written and hilarious. I especially love them on audio because then you get to hear the sarcasm in the voices as they make the commentary. Now I need to read the rest of the novels in the “Jane” series.

Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn

I read this book for my book club and I had mixed feelings on it. It was definitely enjoyable and I loved how visual the book was. You couldn’t help but picture a lot of the scenes as Clayborn described them. However, The beginning of the book felt kind of forced. Once you get past that part it’s pretty good, but getting their is a little rough.

The Heiress by Molly Greeley

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

Another Pride and Prejudice adaptation for my May 2021 reading list or rather a “Pride and Prejudice Novel.” What’s the difference between an adaptation and a novel from the book? Well, in this case, The Heiress is the story of Anne de Bourgh, daughter of Catherine de Bourgh, the sponsor of Mr. Collins. We learn how Anne grew up as a sick child, a cousin of the Darcy’s, and betrothed to Fitzwilliam.

Over the course of The Heiress, the reader gets to see what the world of Pride and Prejudice would have looked like to an outsider, a cousin merely hearing about it. But this book is so much more than just that. The reader also gets to see what the world would have looked like for a child who may have been seen as sickly from a young ages, the effects of laudanum, and a young woman coming into her own.

The Heiress starts out at a slower pace, but as Anne starts to discover the world around her, the book begins to speed up with her.

The Path to Sunshine Cove by RaeAnne Thayne for May 2021 Reading List

Check out my review here!

Shipped by Angie Hockman

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

When it comes to a workplace “enemies to lovers” romance novel, I always get a little nervous. The idea of messing with someone’s job just makes me uncomfortable. But I need to push that idea away, because like with Shipped by Angie Hockman, it’s a romance novel, so everything will be okay in the end.

Was that a spoiler?

Definitely not, because you still don’t know how they got there. And “there” is such an interesting place.

Shipped manages to take an old trope and make it shiny and new by taking the co-workers and forcing them to go on a week long trip together. Whoever can come up with the best promotion for the trip afterwards will get the promotion that they’re both working towards. The only problem? Henley and Graeme realize they’re incredibly attracted to each other. They’re also caught in an epic ongoing office battle.

This book was a “can’t put down, read in one afternoon, it’s so good” book. From the Galapagos Islands to the hilarious characters on the boat, I just wanted to keep read. If that’s not a good endorsement, I don’t know what is.