some great books I've read lately!

It's been a hot minute since we've talked books on this little blog of mine. I had a slumpy period from April to June but I'm back baby, and loving alllll the juicy thrillers! Here is what I read from March to June. 

Radiance was a really sweet fantasy friends to lovers romance story. Super sweet, swoony, and overall enjoyable. It was a good break from the darker books I had been reading. 

Shortly after Radiance, I went on a historical romance kick. I love that genre because it is almost like a fantasy story to me. They are a great escape from the day to day bullshit we all deal with. 

Temptations of a Wallflower was about a female erotic author who writes under a psuedonym and a vicar who secretly reads her work, unaware of who the author really is. They meet and fall in love. So cute. 

Again the Magic was a second chance romance about a woman and man in two different social classes, and how they overcome their past and societal expectations to be together. I loved this one. Lisa Kleypas never disappoints. 

When He Was Wicked is book 6 I believe of the Bridgertons. I wanted to read it because it features grief of losing a loved one, miscarriage and infertility. I think it did a fairly good job broaching those topics, how it feels to "move on"- AKA- live your life- after losing someone you loved dearly and the feelings of guilt and confusion that come along with that. 

The Viscount and the Vixen was probably my favorite of the HR picks I went through. It had the perfect balance of steam, fun, and complicated backstories that kept me turning the pages. It's not about the ending, we all know they end up together- it's the journey. And this was a good one. 

The Secret was a sweet, innocent Scottish highlander romance. I enjoyed it but didn't feel like it was anything special. I appreciate however the significance of this book and author, and Julie Garwood is a prolific historical romance author. 

The House in the Cerulean Sea is probably my favorite book of the entire year. It tells the story of a social worker who is in charge of overseeing orphanages for magical creatures. He is assigned to check in on the home of "most dangerous" magical children- including the antichrist Lucifer (AKA Lucy)- and the story goes from there. I laughed out loud, cried, and smiled the entire way through this book. 

If You Tell is a true crime story about Shelly Knotec. Shelly tortured and killed three people and also severely abused her children. The book chronicles the life and demise of Shelly and her husband through the eyes of her daughters and how they eventuall freed themselves from her. This was the most intense story I have ever read. It was fascinating and terrifying all at the same time. I couldn't believe it was based on a true story. 

Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica was a delight, as all of her thrillers are. A woman goes missing then a few weeks later, another woman and her 6-year-old daughter also go missing. The daughter comes back 11 years later, and the truth about what happened that summer starts to unfold. UGH THIS WAS SO GOOD. Suspenseful, well-written, and told from multiple perspectives in alternating timelines, which I love in my thrillers. I highly recommend it, it's a great beach read for the summer!

They Never Learn is about a female serial killer that kills men who rape and/or abuse women. She is a badass and I loved this story. It was a wild ride. I love me a good revenge thriller and this one did not disappoint.

Phew that was a lot to go through! Like I said before, I read all of these from March to June. I have caught the book bug again and I'm stoked! Perfect for deck reading!