may 2022
the unsinkable greta james by jennifer e. smith
alex’s rating: 9.8/10
we eased into may with a light & heartwarming read! greta james is a rock star in a bit of a rocky rut if we’re being honest. her mother recently passed, she tanked a big show and now she’s spending a week with her father (whom she doesn’t always get along with) on a ship in alaska. it was supposed to be an anniversary trip for her parents. on board greta mets ben, a nerdy professor who’s giving lectures about jack london. sparks fly (as they normally do) and the two get cozy pretty quick. i won’t spoil the ending for you but this was just a good book, plain and simple.
verity by colleen hoover
alex’s rating: 10/10
whew. YOU GUYS. this book was a thrilling rollercoaster and i am well aware i’m late to the game on this one. verity crawford is an award winning author of a successful series who is left unable to finish the series after a terrible car accident. enter lowen ashley, a writer with a similar style who is brought in to co-write the books. lowen travels up to vermont, where verity is recuperating with her young son and handsome husband, to research + read verity’s notes. the more lowen begins to learn about verity, the less she feels comfortable in the house. this book was extremely difficult to read in some parts and so steamy in others — it’s a whole mess of emotions and the ending is so damn shocking. the only thing i didn’t like was the audiobook format. for some reason i’m just not able to get behind audiobooks, i find the narrators distracting. however, if you read this, let me know, i need to discuss.
part of your world by abby jimenez
alex’s rating: 10/10
call me a sap but i love a romantic comedy. the chase, the banter, the comfortability with knowing the guy gets the girl. part of your world is a fantastic, easy read about two people who just aren’t meant to fall in love but do. alexis is a surgeon with a complicated family and ex. she loves what she does but sometimes the pressure to achieve is crushing. daniel is an innkeeper, carpenter, honorary mayor — he’s a jack of all trades and wears many, many hats. when a silly bet leads into a whirlwind romance, alexis is all but certain this is just a fling and will not lead anywhere. but he is handsome and caring and oh my god is she falling for him. this is a butterflies in your stomach + head in the clouds type read.
the good left undone by adriana trigiani
alex’s rating: 8/10
you know i never pass up a historical fiction, especially one set during the war. in the good left undone, you’ll learn about the tough as nails cabrelli family and the stubborn matriarch matelda. as the name suggests, the cabrelli’s live on italy’s coast in a town called viareggio. trigiani describes matelda in a way that makes her feel like your own grandmother — she’s honest (even when you don’t want to hear it) and headstrong (in a way that all grandmothers can be). the book takes you from italy to france to scotland to england (and back) during a very tumultuous time in the world. it’s a longer book (430 pages) and sometimes the details felt like you got into the weeds, but it’s a very well written story. i cried at the end!
what was your favorite book this month?
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