It was a light month of reading for me this month but 3 of the 4 come highly recommended. Happy Reading!

The People We Keep by Allison Larkin- I can say with certainty that this book will be in my top 5 favorite books of 2021. Sooooo good! April is a neglected teen that is living in a stationary motor home and fending for herself. She has a passion for music and playing her guitar that is not being met at her high school which she is carelessly failing out of. After an argument with her dad (who cares more about his current girlfriend than he does about April) she packs up and hits the road to find/make a better life for herself. We follow April as she skips from town to town. Just when we think she has found a new home where she is happy and fits in, she packs up and leaves always fearing that she will hurt the people she cares about and needs to leave before she does. Her journey is heartbreaking and hopeful. You’ll be disappointed in her and also so proud of her. She is as strong as she is weak and just 100% human. I just loved this book. The characters were all so real and charming. I was rooting for each of their success and happiness. Definitely read this book!
Side note- This book was read by Julia Whelan on Audible. I have never listened to a book narrated by her that I haven’t really enjoyed, so I feel like she chooses her jobs wisely. =)

Sally Thorne does it again with Second First Impressions and I think this is my favorite of her books. If you are a fan of the “friends to lovers” trope, this book is for you! This book is ADORABLE!!! Ruthie lives and works at a retirement community where she feels content with her simple life. She is comfortable with things scheduled and predictable at Providence and can see herself running the place when the boss retires. The problem—Ruthie is in her mid-twenties and relates more with the octogenarians that she helps manage than anyone that is even close to her own age. One day she is out getting gas for one of her favorite residents when she happens upon Teddy who has lost his wallet and is unable to pay for his gas. She spots him the money for gas and assumes that’s the last she will see of him. Buuuuut… obviously that is not that last she will see of him. The building of their relationship is adorable and both characters are far more complex than it would seem at first glance. Aside from Ruthie and Teddy you will love the Parloni Sisters, the turtles and Melanie. Loved every part of this book! Read it!

After recently reading (and loving) both Kiss My Cupcake and Meet Cute by Helena Hunting, I was excited to start The Good Luck Charm, also by Hunting. We are introduced to Lilah who is having a day of all days where nothing can go right. The cherry on top—as she is leaving work at the hospital, she notices a file for a patient that has just been admitted and it is her childhood neighbor who has been like a father to her. She walks by his room and there he is…Ethan, her high school flame, sitting beside his father’s bed. And so it begins…the second chance at love trope that I can normally get behind but this one fell short. One of the main characters (and narrators via audible) was so whiney that it was off-putting. I wanted to stop reading many times throughout the first half of the book, but I am not a quitter so I pressed on. I will say the last 3rd was enjoyable but it didn’t make up for the first two thirds. As I said, I am not a quitter, so I am not giving up on Hunting, but I would very much recommend the two of her books I read previously to this one.

Meet Me in Paradise by Libby Hubscher was my final book of September. I thought I was going into a romance novel and though there is romance, to me it was more about the bond of two sisters. Marin and Sadie are sisters that have gone through the same heartbreak (loss of their mother) but responded to it completely differently. Marin plays it safe. She stays home, takes zero risks, and is only completely content when her sister is home safe and sound. Sadie on the other hand, inherited their mother’s thrill seeking personality and believes she should live each day to it’s fullest. Sadie convinces Marin to take a “sister trip” with her. Marin would usually never agree to this but she thinks that this would be the perfect opportunity to convince Sadie to move home and have a more “normal” job that is safe. Well, things don’t go as planned for Marin. I don’t want to spoil anything but thisnbook will get you all in your feelings. Grab the tissue and set aside a good chunk of time because you won’t want to put it down.

That’s it! Share your thoughts in the comments!

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

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