I’ve got 5 fun books for you this month! Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on these!

Mary Jane- I really enjoyed this book! It’s set in the 1970s in Baltimore where 14 year old Mary Jane lives with her strait-laced mother and father. Mary Jane’s life is rigid—she goes to church, sings in the choir, goes to the club, shadows her mother while she cooks and basically does whatever her parents demand of her. This summer, Mary Jane lands a babysitting gig for 5 year old Izzy Cone whose parents are otherwise occupied. Mary Jane is shocked when she meets this family and sees how they live (messy house, take-out every night, clutter and chaos, not to mention clothes that her mother would not consider proper). Her eyes are opened to a whole other way of living and that’s BEFORE a famous couple moves in with the Cones for the summer. Jimmy is being treated for addiction by Mr. Cone and his wife, Sheba, is the former star of a variety show. I loved Mary Jane and Izzy’s relationship. I found Izzy’s obsession with “the witch” in her house and Mary Jane’s obsessive thoughts relatable for anyone who has been a 5 or 14 year old girl. I also loved how Mary Jane starts to come into her own and realizes she can form her own opinions that may not parallel those of her parents. This is a great book! Highly recommend it!

Soulmate Equation- Ah! I flew through this on as I usually do with Christina Lauren books. Jess is a single mom who works tirelessly to make ends meet and is not even thinking about stepping back into the dating world. She has a tight knit family consisting of her daughter, her grandparents who raised her, and her best friend. She is content although lonely. After a depressing 30th birthday, she submits her spit sample to GeneticAlly, a new dating ap that is soon to launch and said to take all of the guesswork out of dating and let it all rely on DNA compatibility. She forgets about submitting her sample until the higher-ups at GeneticAlly call and ask her to come in for a meeting. She assumes that she messed up her sample, NOT that she has a match that is OFF THE CHARTS! Loved this one! Can’t wait to hear what you think!

Meet Cute- I’ve read some reviews on this one where readers thought the title was misleading. There is definitely tragedy, manipulation and heartache in this story, so it is not all “cute” but I didn’t feel deceived by the title. I actually thought it was a great summer read and really enjoyed it! Kailyn Flowers is headed to her first class of her law school career when she bumps (and falls) into Daxton Hughes—THE Daxton Hughes—-actor that she crushed on in her teen years! She totally fangirls and is mortified after the fact. Turns out, he is in her section in law school. Eek! Years later, their paths cross and some tragic circumstances put them back into each other’s lives professionally. But will that professional relationship spill over into a personal relationship? I bet you can guess! =)

People We Meet on Vacation- When I started this book, I wasn’t feeling it, but I pressed on and am so happy I did. I’m not sure why it took me a few chapters to become invested, but it did and then I could’t stop! Poppy and Alex meet when she goes to orientation before her freshman year of college. They don’t really have anything in common aside from being from the same town. Some months later they share a car ride home from college and their friendship blooms. They begin taking a trip together each summer. After college they continue the tradition and some years it is the only time they see each other all year long. Boyfriends and girlfriends come and go but their friendship remains intact UNTIL it all falls apart one summer. I loved Poppy and Alex’s friendship and their dynamic. I loved Poppy’s parents and Alex’s brothers. I wasn’t expecting Alex’s issues to be what they were, but it was completely understandable. In the end, I loved it!

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill- So, overall I really liked this book. We meet Nina Hill who works in a book store, has a few friends and a cat, competes in a trivia league, and is content (or so she thinks) with her quiet life. Nina was raised by a nanny—her mom is a successful photographer that has spent most of Nina’s life traveling for work and her father was never in the picture. But…Nina becomes aware of her father’s recent death and learns of her brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews. All of this was great. It was fun to read about and I plowed through the book quickly, but then it just ended. All of the sudden it wrapped up and I was left thinking, “Ok, so that’s that?” I wish the ending would not have been so abrupt, but other than that it was an enjoyable read. If anyone else has read this one, I would be interested in hearing what you thought.

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

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