June reads
Here are some of my June reads:
What Happened to the Bennetts [4/5]
A thriller read! Right away, the beginning was intense with a family of 4 driving home from a sporting event when they had two men tailgating them. They got into an incident that became violent. Later that night, the FBI visits the family and informs them that the men were part of a cartel, making them dangerous. The family must go in the witness protection program. It is an intense read, from emotional to action packed. I throughly enjoyed this read!
Summer on Blackberry Beach [4/5]
A perfect read with the upcoming summer break. A teacher bumps into her childhood crush, who is a Navy SEAL. He returns to their hometown in Maine after being injured overseas. They decide to fake their relationship to put end to the town gossip. I loved how the setting was in a small town on the Maine coastline. The characters felt real with their flaws and all. Especially the Navy SEAL’s PTSD - which I appreciate that the author didn’t make it magically disappeared by the end of the book, but showed how he was getting the necessary help. This book was second of a series, but I didn’t read the first. It easily could be stand alone, as it was easy to understand the storyline without the background of the first book.
Reimagining Blue [5/5]
A captivating memoir by the first female police chief of her department. It is an interesting perspective to read, as we don’t really hear much from the law enforcement’s side. This is a mix of her personal and professional stories from her journey to becoming the Chief. She is very aware of the flaws within her profession but she remains positive through her ‘Be Better’ mantra. This book would be a good read for those considering a career in the law enforcement, especially those who hopes to be in a leadership role.
Brazen [3.5/5]
I binge watched ‘My Unorthodox Life’ on Netflix and was fascinated. So naturally, I had to read this book that Julia Haart wrote about her life. It was very informative, there is a lot of explanation about the ultra orthodox Judaism culture. Although some of it may be confusing to someone who is not familiar with it, as the author occasionally wrote in Hebrew/Yiddish. This book was a long and heavy read, some parts were good but also cringeworthy. I appreciate her vulnerability, exploring the secular world on her own. I was bummed that the book ended with her meeting her second husband, as I hoped to hear more about their story. Maybe a second book is forthcoming?
The Brighter the Light [5/5]
I LOVED this book, it was one of my most favorite that I read this summer, so far. It is a love story between characters that are based on JFK Jr and his wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. The character of Joe Kingsley Jr, is a wealthy boy who falls in love with a girl, Cate. Cate has a troubled past, having grown up in a single-mother household. I was just drawn to how they were trying to make their relationship a reality. I also might be biased, but I like any books about American (or even British) royalty, especially the Kennedys. The book was very readable, captivating and I DEVOURED this book!
Unfortunately there’s a few books that were DNF (Did Not Finish). I really tried to like those books but couldn’t be interested enough to continue reading:
Summer on the Bluffs
While Justice Sleeps
Rock Paper Scissors
The Summer of Broken Rules
Also read in June, a blog is forthcoming:
The Bodyguard [5/5] UPCOMING BLOG July 15th.
Mr. Perfect on Paper [5/5] UPCOMING BLOG July 29th.