August reads

Can’t believe it’s already September! Where did the summer go? Usually I’m ready for fall reads but I’m not yet, so we’ll see what September brings! Here are my August reads:

Favorites

The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel

A historical fiction about two mothers who have to make hard decisions while living through the German occupation in Paris, France. This was a very captivating read and at same time, heartbreaking! The book really explores a mother/daughter relationship and how mothers sacrifices themselves. I was glued to the read, the ‘twist’ was predictable for me but didn’t ruin the progress of reading/the ending. I would highly recommend this as well as another book of Harmel’s ‘The Winemaker’s Wife’.

Forever Home by Graham Norton

Graham Norton is one of my auto-buy authors so naturally when I saw that this book came out, I had to read it! This is very character-driven following Carol, a divorced teacher who had second chance love. Carol met a man, Declan, who has been surrounded by gossip of his recent ex-wife who had gone missing. Declan eventually gets ill and his kids push Carol out of the house. This fiction reads like a thriller, Carol has to find the answers. Norton’s storytelling is excellent with his Irish humor, I laughed through several parts of this book!

The Connelly’s of County Down by Tracey Lange

I was excited to see another book from the same author of ‘We Are the Brennans’. The main character, Tara had just been released from prison for a drug-related crime. It follows her journey of re-building her life and falling in love with someone very unexpectedly. The book has a strong theme of family and loyalty. The family dynamics felt so real, I found myself rooting for all of them. I tore through this book, it was written so good! Lange is officially now an auto-buy author.

Highly Recommend
Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center

Katherine Center is a favorite author, I have read a lot of her books. I had to read this one because Netflix adapted it into a movie, released this month. I like to read the book first, before watching! This book is about a divorced woman, Helen who does a wilderness survival course. Only to have her brother’s best friend sign up for the same course. They go on this adventure together. It was a cute romance read. I also appreciated how Center focused on Helen’s journey to strength herself as a person. A heartwarming read and I enjoyed the movie!

No Man’s Ghost by Jason Powell

A fiction book written by a FDNY firefighter, sign me up! The book is about a probationary firefighter, Charles, who just completed the academy and is working in the fire department. We are taken on the journey of his growth as a NYC firefighter, with the guidance of his co-workers. There is also a jealous un-stable man who is about to be divorced, he constantly reports fake fires at his ex-wife’s apartment. The drama makes this a thrilling read, the author did excellent job with the plot and story telling.

Liked

The Senator’s Wife by Liz Constantine

A thriller/mystery book about politicians always interests me! In this book, we meet Sloane who is a D.C. philanthropist and is married to a Senator. Sloane also battles with a lupus diagnosis. A recent surgery required her to hire an in-home health aide. Athena comes in and helps Sloane. Sloane begins to become suspicious of Athena and her ulterior motives when she takes a strong interest in Sloane’s foundation and her past. This was quick binge read, very fast paced.    

Lucky by Marissa Stapley

A fun, quick read about a woman named Lucky who is a con artist. Lucky grew up conning people with her father. She becomes a grifter who pulls off a million dollar heist with her boyfriend. She finds herself in a situation where she could go to prison so she confronts her past to explore truth and redemption. This book was an entertaining read, it is also short so I was able to finish it in one day.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

This book is highly raved about on bookstagram/BookTok. This book was also adapted into a movie that was released on Amazon Prime this month. In this fun romance read, we meet the First Son Alex (United States) who meets Prince Henry of England. They start out enemies-to-lovers. I was intrigued as someone who have strong interest with British royalty family. It wasn’t my favorite but it was entertaining enough to keep me interested to see what happened. Some parts dragged on so I had to skim over some parts.

Not for me

Three Holidays and a Wedding by Uzma Jalaluddin

Love, Lists & Fancy Ships by Sarah Grunder Ruiz

Little Monsters by Adrienne Brodeur