Rating
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ½

Genre
Fiction – Contemporary

Goodreads Summary

At school Connell and Marianne pretend not to know each other. He’s popular and well-adjusted, star of the school soccer team while she is lonely, proud, and intensely private. But when Connell comes to pick his mother up from her housekeeping job at Marianne’s house, a strange and indelible connection grows between the two teenagers—one they are determined to conceal.

A year later, they’re both studying at Trinity College in Dublin. Marianne has found her feet in a new social world while Connell hangs at the sidelines, shy and uncertain. Throughout their years in college, Marianne and Connell circle one another, straying toward other people and possibilities but always magnetically, irresistibly drawn back together. Then, as she veers into self-destruction and he begins to search for meaning elsewhere, each must confront how far they are willing to go to save the other.

Sally Rooney brings her brilliant psychological acuity and perfectly spare prose to a story that explores the subtleties of class, the electricity of first love, and the complex entanglements of family and friendship.

Review

This book was completely different than what I usually read. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it! You may think that means I’ll branch of out of my usual more often now but you’d be wrong. 😛

Sally Rooney has a unique way of writing. While at first I wasn’t sure about there not being quotations around conversations, I ended up finding it to work very well with the story. I went into this book knowing basically nothing about it other than that a #bookstagram friend of mine (@kaylagetsread) absolutely loved it. I think it’s best to go into this one with low expectations, personally. It is not filled with action or anything too jaw-dropping crazy. What it is is a beautifully written story that delves into relationship dynamics and the topics of mental illness, social class, and self-awareness.

I highly suggest this book! I’m planning to read Sally’s other book Conversations with Friends and look forward to her future book releases.

Have you read anything by this author? If so, what were your thoughts? Let’s chat!

Author Sally Rooney

Rating
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Genre
Fiction – Thriller

Goodreads Summary

But it’s the lies that keep you safe. 

Single mother Lee has the daily routine down to a science: shower in six minutes. Cut food into perfect squares. Never leave her on-the-spectrum son Mason in someone else’s care. She’ll do anything—anything—to keep his carefully constructed world from falling apart. Do anything to keep him safe.

But when her best friend Grace convinces her she needs a small break from motherhood to recharge her batteries, Lee gives in to a weekend trip. Surely a long weekend away from home won’t hurt?
Noah, Mason’s handsome, bright, charismatic tutor—the first man in ages Lee’s even noticed—is more than happy to stay with him.

Forty-eight hours later, someone is dead.

But not all is as it seems. Noah may be more than who he claims to be. Grace has a secret—one that will destroy Lee. Lee has secrets of her own that she will do anything to keep hidden.
As the dominoes begin to fall and the past comes to light, perhaps it’s no mystery someone is gone after all…

Because You’re Mine is a breathtaking novel of domestic drama and suspense. 

Prepare to stay up all night.

Review

This was such a unique and interesting thriller! First of all, I love that this wasn’t purely thriller but also weaved in family drama and dynamics. Through the storytelling, the reader gets to really know and understand the characters and their struggles. I appreciated this aspect that made it feel a bit deeper than a classic thriller.

The first quarter or so had me anticipating what was coming. I knew something was on the horizon but was on the edge wondering when and what it would be! I had many different theories as to what was going on but, as per usual, I was way off. The twists were well done and left me surprised. This book was equal parts heartbreaking and intense.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the first half or so, the middle lost my attention for quite a while. The ending did pick up for me, but the whole book felt a little longer than it needed to be.

Overall, this was a great thriller that I think many people are going to absolutely love! I’ve already been seeing exceptional reviews for Because You’re Mine. I will definitely read more from Rea Frey!

Available August 6^th!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin for my Advance Reader Copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Author Rea Frey’s website

Rating
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ½

Genre
Fiction – Romance

Goodreads Summary

Life is a mixed bag for Piper Calloway.

On the one hand, she’s a twenty-nine-year-old VP at her dad’s multibillion-dollar real estate development firm, and living the high single life with her two best friends in a swanky downtown penthouse. On the other hand, she’s considered a pair of sexy legs in a male-dominated world and constantly has to prove her worth. Plus, she’s stuck seeing her narcissistic ex-fiancé—a fellow VP—on the other side of her glass office wall every day.

Things get exponentially more complicated for Piper when she runs into Kyle Miller—the handsome new security guard at Calloway Group Industries, and coincidentally the first love of her life.

The guy she hasn’t seen or heard from since they were summer camp counsellors together. The guy from the wrong side of the tracks. The guy who apparently doesn’t even remember her name.

Piper may be a high-powered businesswoman now, but she soon realizes that her schoolgirl crush is not only alive but stronger than ever, and crippling her concentration. What’s more, despite Kyle’s distant attitude, she’s convinced their reunion isn’t at all coincidental, and that his feelings for her still run deep. And she’s determined to make him admit to them, no matter the consequences.

Review

I’ve heard amazing things about K.A. Tucker’s books so I was excited to read my first book of hers! Say You Still Love Me was a wonderfully written love story that captured my heart big time.

The more I read, I more I fall in love with the contemporary romance genre. I’ve read so many great books that fall into that category this year and this adds another.

Piper and Kyle first met at summer camp and were quickly enamored with one another. Their enthrallment is completely relatable to anyone who ever fell head over heels for someone as a teenager. Can you remember those feelings of just not being able to get enough of one another and feeling like it’s the two of you against the world?

This book switches back and forth between the past and present as it weaves together the story of Piper and Kyle then and now. Once I got into this one, I was invested and couldn’t wait to see how it turned out. The characters are flawed and likable. The writing is well done and easy to read and follow along with. And this one didn’t wrap up exactly how I was expecting it to, leaving me surprised by some things that ended up happening.

I highly recommend this book! I already have some of K.A. Tucker’s other books on my TBR list and will be bumping them up to make them more of a priority.

I hope you love this one as much as I did!

Available August 6^th!

Thank you to Atria Books for my Advance Reader Copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Author K.A. Tucker’s website