10 books I read in July || Monthly Wrap-up

56 days Catherine Ryan Howard

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The first book I picked up this month was this twisty lockdown murder mystery.

The Story : Ciara and Oliver meet in a supermarket queue and start dating. 2 weeks later, Dublin goes into complete lockdown and Oliver suggests they move in together to build on their budding relationship without external interference. A month later one of them is dead.

My Thoughts : 56 days was a great psychological thriller that kept me guessing at every turn. I saw some of the twists coming but it still managed to surprise me. I very rarely get emotionally invested in the characters of thrillers. It’s usually the plot that gets me hooked. But this one managed to do both.

Well plotted, well paced and intriguing with plenty of twists, this lockdown thriller should definitely be on your tbrs!

Yes & I love you by Roni Loren

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I don’t know why but all of a sudden, I was seeing this book everywhere I turned and the hype got to me.

The Story : Yes & I love you is love story of Hollyn, who has Tourrette’s and social anxiety and Jasper a struggling artist. Hollyn’s job as a blogger and online reviewer demands her to get onboard with putting herself out there on video and she needs all the help she can get. Enter Jasper, improv artist, aspiring actor looking for a job. Sparks fly and romance ensues.

My Thoughts : I wanted to love this book but I didn’t. The characters and the premise were amazing. It taught me a lot about Tourrette’s which I loved. But, but, but… the romance was a let down. I wasn’t entirely convinced by it nor was the glow up from severe social anxiety to confident blogger realistic. It was heartwarming, sure but I couldn’t get invested in the relationship or the character development. So this one goes into the ok, not great pile.

Exposed by Kristen Callihan

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The Vip series by Kristen Callihan is one of my absolute favourite contemporary romance series and I have been looking forward to the fourth book in the series for quite some time. I grabbed the ebook as soon as it was released and devoured it in one sitting.

The Story : Brenna and Rye have been at loggerheads for as long as anyone remembers. Avoidance is the only way both of them can keep working together. But when Rye overhears a secret confession from Brenna, he can no longer ignore the raging chemistry between them.

My Thoughts : Rye and Brenna’s romance has been hinted at from the very first book in VIP series. I loved Brenna in all the previous books but Rye was a bit of an ass. Well, I stand corrected now. Rye Peterson is one of the best heroes ever written in romance and I loved him sooo much. I loved the characters, I loved the romance, I loved the angst, I loved everything about this book! Go add this series to your tbrs asap and thank me later 😉

The Missing American by Kwei Quartey

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After a series of romances, I was back in the mood for some thrillers and decided to pick up The Missing American by Kwei Quartey on Scribd.

The Story : When Emma Djan’s dream of following in her father’s footsteps to become a homicide detective is ruined, a sympathetic former colleague helps her to get hired in a private detective agency. Her first major case as a PI is one involving a missing American which will take her to the depths of internet scams and fetish priests in Ghana.

My Thoughts : It was refreshing to read a mystery set in Ghana. I could see a lot of similarities in the way a criminal investigation is handled in Ghana and India. The mystery itself was engaging and Emma was a character I could definitely get behind. The uneven pacing is my only complaint but that’s no reason to miss out on this engaging detective novel which is the first book in the Emma Djan Investigation series.

The Black Coast by Mike Brooks

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After bingeing on romances and mysteries, I needed a change and went to my favourite genre, fantasy.

The Story : Black Coast by Mike Brooks is the first book in the God King Chronicles. There are multiple storylines and narrators but we mainly follow the citizens of Black Keep. When the raiders of Iwernia clan land on the shores of Black Keep, the Naridans are determined not to give in to hopelessness. But the clans people are not here to raid. They come in search of a new home.

My Thoughts : Black Coast has plenty to offer fantasy buffs in the form of dragons, assasinations, princesses masquerading as criminal masterminds. But what I found unique and interesting is that this book focuses on two groups of people from contrasting cultures trying to find middle ground and avoiding war at all costs. I loved the concept and kept rooting for characters to succeed in their mission to amalgamate their cultures. I also enjoyed seeing a queernorm world which is also rare in fantasies.

I wasn’t fully into the other plotlines or narrators as they all kind of diverge in different directions without a common fulcrum. Hopefully the sequel would do a better job of bringing it all together.