Another month, another four books!!! Yay!

I started the month with the Sarah Finds a Deal book club pick, The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary. I am so happy about this pick and I hope you all enjoyed it too! Tiffy finds herself without a place to live after her controlling, manipulative and generally awful boyfriend dumps her once again. Leon works nights and is strapped for cash so decides to sublet his flat to help ends meet. Tiffy sees Leon’s ad in the paper and decides to give it a go. If things go as planned, the two will never even cross paths—-their communication is limited to sticky notes. As you can guess, they do end up meeting face to face and developing a friendship and I was cheering on the inside that this wasn’t another insta-love story. I loved the notes and how they evolved from very minimal to sharing info that they didn’t HAVE to share. I also appreciated that there was some meat woven into the plot. Tiffy was struggling with leaving an abusive relationship behind and Leon was consumed with trying to help his brother who he thinks was wrongfully accused and serving time in jail. Neither was looking for or even wanting a relationship. This was a gem of a book and I can hardly believe it is O’Leary’s debut novel! I really, really enjoyed it!

I like to listen to books on long runs but they have to be pretty eventful and fast paced to hold my attention. This month I listed to The Layover by Lacie Waldon and it kept me entertained! Recently engaged, Ava Greene, is preparing for her last trip as a flight attendant after ten years in the business. Ava’s parents never really put down roots so Ava is excited about her future in one place with one man. Or at least, she thinks this is what she wants. As she embarks on her last trip, she is annoyed that it can’t be enjoyed to the fullest because Jack Stone, a fellow attendant (who she hates) is working the same trip. As luck would have it, the plane needs maintenance so they are forced to spend an extra night in Belize. This is precisely why Ava’s fiancé is happy that she is resigning and will be in one place (ie home) from here on out. But is that what Ava really wants for herself? It’s funny how sometimes what you think you’ve always wanted might not actually be fulfilling when you have it. This would make a great beach read. Grab it and let me know what you think!!!

I’d read lots of great reviews about I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson but I was hesitant to grab it because it is classified as a Young Adult novel so I was worried the content would be too immature. I was wrong. I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH and am so glad I gave it a chance. The book toggles between points of view of twins, Noah and Jude. Noah is an unpopular outcast that tries his best to fly under the radar while discovering his sexuality. Jude is his polar opposite being bubbly, carefree and daring but the sibling love is strong with these two. Both are interested in art and considering applying to a local art school for high school. I really loved the way Noah’s love for art was in his bones. Each time he met someone new or was thrown into a new situation, he would imagine the colors he would use and the title of the painting he would make of the person or situation. A bit into the book, a tragedy occurs and the twins each respond to it differently. Their relationship struggles and they begin to disconnect with each other. There is so much to think and talk about with this book that I almost wish I would have chosen it for the virtual book club! Without risking telling too much, I’l just say that this story will have your emotions all over the place. There is love, there is betrayal, there is self loathing, there is protection, there is guilt and there is art. Gah….such a good book! I truly can’t wait to hear what you all think of this one!

Next up was In a New York Minute by Kate Spencer. This book was just ok for me. There wasn’t really anything that bothered me about it but it was just an average rom-com…nothing I need everyone else to read so that we can all gush about it together. The book starts with Franny having an epically bad day. One where she gets laid off at work, her dress gets stuck in the subway door, ripping right down the back, while she unknowingly flashes everyone in view. Luckily hunky businessman, Hayes, swoops in and offers her his suit jacket. The incident quickly goes viral thanks to a fellow passenger documenting and posting it without Franny or Hayes’s knowledge. So much potential, right??? I do like a good NYC setting so that was fun and I really liked Franny’s relationship with her 2 besties as well as Hayes’s with his cousin. Again…there was nothing wrong with the book, it just paled in comparison to some of the rom-coms I’ve read lately. From looking at the reviews, I seem to be in the minority with this view, so maybe you would like it. Let me know your thoughts either way! I’d love to hear them!

I wrapped up the month with The Off Limits Rule by Sarah Adams. Such an adorable story! Ok, so this was an insta-love story but it had such great character development and complexity outside the main relationship that I fell for it! Lucy is a young single mother that moved away to try to make it on her own only to realize she really needs her family. She moves in with her older brother for a while as she sorts things out. He has finally had it with all of her moping around and forces her to go out on the boat with him. He brings along his swoon-worthy friend who he has told to stay away from his sister. Of course Lucy and Cooper are immediately attracted to each but neither is sure that the feeling is mutual and they both respect Drew (Lucy’s older brother) so try not to overstep the boundary that he has set. But that’s DIFFICULT with this kind of attraction! I love how quirky Lucy is and how she always says exactly what is on her mind. I also love how adorable Cooper thinks Lucy’s impulsive behavior is. This book is a winner! Scoop it up ASAP!

What are you reading now? Have you read any of these? What should I read next? Sound off in comments!!!

See all of the books I’ve read in 2022 here, 2021 here and those I read in 2020 here!

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