What I Read in June 2024

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Hello everyone! My goal for the month was to read 25 books, most of which would be early arcs I had gotten. June was a surprisingly busy month, so I only ended up reading 12 books and DNFing 2 books. With that said, let's talk about them!

Past Present Future by Rachel Lynn Solomon: I rated this ebook 6/5 stars and finished it on June 1st. This is the sequel to Today Tonight Tomorrow by her and somehow I loved it even more. This was ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL. I loved Rowan and Neil, and watching their relationship grow/change as they go through their first year at college doing a long-distance relationship. I laughed, I smiled, and I even shed a few tears. Watching Neil struggle after being diagnosed with depression was really heartbreaking to me, but it also had a beautiful mental health representation. Watching both of them struggle in their respective majors resonated really well with me as a college student who has felt those struggles identical to them. I loved reading about these characters again. It made my heart so full and so happy, and I'm forever grateful to NetGalley for gifting me an early arc of this book. Please do yourself a favor and get your hands on this when it comes out on June 4th!

"When longtime rivals Rowan Roth and Neil McNair confessed their feelings on the last day of senior year, they knew they’d only have a couple of months together before they left for college. Now summer is over, and they’re determined to make their relationship work as they begin school in different states. In Boston, Rowan is eager to be among other aspiring novelists, learning from a creative writing professor she adores. She’s just not sure why she suddenly can’t seem to find her voice. In New York, Neil embraces the chaos of the city, clicking with a new friend group more easily than he anticipated. But when his past refuses to leave him alone, he doesn’t know how to handle his rapidly changing mental health—or how to talk about it with the girl he loves. Over a year of late-night phone calls, weekend visits, and East Coast adventures, Rowan and Neil fall for each other again and again as they grapple with the uncertainty of their new lives. They’ve spent so many years at odds with each other—now that they’re finally on the same team, what does the future hold for them?"

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman: I rated this ebook 4/5 stars and finished it on June 3rd. Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an arc of this book! This was...a journey, to say the least. I thought the concept was cool and I liked the writing style a lot, but the end was super weird. I didn't like it at all. I'm sure I could enjoy more of his writing in the future, but the end of this one weirded me out in a way that completely confused me. I could recommend this one, but it wasn't for me. It comes out June 25th if you choose to get your hands on it.

"To eight-year-old Bela, her family is her world. There’s Mommy, Daddo, and Grandma Ruth. But there is also Other Mommy, a malevolent entity who asks her every day: “Can I go inside your heart?” When horrifying incidents around the house signal that Other Mommy is growing tired of asking Bela the same question, over and over . . . Bela understands that unless she says yes, soon her family must pay. Other Mommy is getting restless, stronger, bolder. Only the bonds of family can keep Bela safe but other incidents show cracks in her parents' marriage. The safety Bela relies on is on the brink of unraveling. But Other Mommy needs an answer. Incidents Around the House is a chilling, wholly unique tale of true horror told by the child Bela. A story about a family as haunted as their home."

Ricochet by Krista Ritchie: I rated this ebook 3.5/5 stars and finished it on June 4th. This is the second book in the Addicted Calloway series and follows Lily as she tries to stay celibate for three months while her boyfriend Loren is in rehab for his alcoholism. I read the first book over a year ago but reading this one was like jumping right back in where I had left off. I liked watching Lily grow and change through recovering as a sex addict. I can understand why it's necessary to the story too, and I liked how you could tell that both Lily and Lo had made progress when he came back from rehab. I'd recommend this one if you plan on reading on in the series.

"As a sex addict, Lily Calloway must do the impossible. Stay celibate for 90 days. Cravings and fantasies become her new routine, but while Loren Hale recovers from his alcohol addiction, Lily wonders if he’ll realize what a monster she really is. After all, her sexual compulsions begin to rule her life the longer she stays faithful to him. Progress. That’s what Lily’s striving for. But by trying to become closer to her family—people who aren’t aware of her addiction—she creates larger obstacles. When she spends time with her youngest sister, she learns more about her than she ever imagined and senses an unsettling connection between Daisy and Ryke Meadows. With Lily and Lo’s dysfunctional relationship teetering and unbalanced, they will need to find a way to reconnect from miles apart. But the inability to “touch” proves to be one of the hardest tests on their road to recovery. Some love brushes the surface. Some love is deeper than skin. Lily and Lo have three months to discover just how deep their love really goes."

Addicted For Now by Krista Ritchie: I rated this ebook 4.5/5 stars and finished it on June 6th. This is the 3rd book in the Addicted Calloway series. I loved this one. I've enjoyed Lily and Loren's story a lot and seeing them both grow through their addictions. It really shows that their addictions don't define them and that they are capable of not enabling each other. I'd recommend this one if you like the series.

"He's addicted to booze. She's addicted to sex...staying sober is only half the battle. No. More. Sex. Those are the three words Lily Calloway fears the most. But Loren Hale is determined to be with Lily without enabling her dangerous compulsions. With their new living situation—sleeping in the same bed, for real, together—Lily has new battles. Like not jumping Lo’s bones every night. Not being consumed by sex and his body. Loren plans to stay sober, to right all of his wrongs. So when someone threatens to expose Lily’s secret to her family and the public, he promises that he’ll do anything to protect her. But with old enemies surfacing, Lo has more at stake than his sobriety. They will torment Lily until Lo breaks. And his worst fear isn’t relapsing. He hears the end. He sees it. The one thing that could change everything. Just three words. No. More. Us."

One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware: I rated this book 1/5 stars and finished it on June 8th. I'd like to preface this title by saying that I was really excited about it leading up to its release. I've liked everything I've read by her so far, and the concept of this one seemed cool, so believe me when I tell you, I was genuinely surprised when I disliked it this much. I spent the first half trying not to DNF it because I thought it would get better, or just less boring/bland. Spoiler, it did not. The twist was mediocre at best, and I wish I could go back in time and unread this book. I don't want to say I'm a Ruth Ware hater, but I'm definitely not a fan anymore. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.

"A high-tension and ingenious thriller following five couples trapped on a storm-swept island as a killer stalks among them. Lyla is in a bit of a rut. Her post-doctoral research has fizzled out, she’s pretty sure they won’t extend her contract, and things with her boyfriend, Nico, an aspiring actor, aren’t going great. When the opportunity arises for Nico to join the cast of a new reality TV show, The Perfect Couple, she decides to try out with him. A whirlwind audition process later, Lyla find herself whisked off to a tropical paradise with Nico, boating through the Indian Ocean towards Ever After Island, where the two of them will compete against four other couples—Bayer and Angel, Dan and Santana, Joel and Romi, and Conor and Zana—in order to win a cash prize. But not long after they arrive on the deserted island, things start to go wrong. After the first challenge leaves everyone rattled and angry, an overnight storm takes matters from bad to worse. Cut off from the mainland by miles of ocean, deprived of their phones, and unable to contact the crew that brought them there, the group must band together for survival. As tensions run high and fresh water runs low, Lyla finds that this game show is all too real—and the stakes are life or death."

Happily Never After by Lynn Painter: I rated this book 3/5 stars and finished it on June 11th. I'm sad it's taken me this long to read it since it came out in March. I think I'm also happy about that though, because maybe I would've felt more strongly if I had read it immediately when it came out (rather than a few months later). I've loved everything I've read from her so I was surprised when this disappointed me. There was nothing inherently wrong with Max and Sophie, I just didn't believe their love at all. His side of the love felt very instalove-y to me, and that's one of my least favorite tropes. I also just felt like for being how short it was, it was incredibly repetitive. I felt like objecting once or twice was fine, but doing it over and over again got old fast to me. I'm not gonna recommend this one either, sorry.

"Two love skeptics agree to work together as professional wedding disruptors. But fate has more romantic plans in mind for them... When Sophie finds out right before getting married that she’s been cheated on (again!) it’s time for drastic action. Instead of calling the wedding off, she hires a gorgeous stranger – Max – to interrupt the ceremony and confront her fiancé. It’s hardly the wedding she’d planned. But Sophie enjoys taking revenge. So, when Max asks if she’ll work with him to help others expose their cheating partners, Sophie agrees. When they’re hired by a man who’s marrying the girl that once broke Max’s heart, Sophie expects Max to revel in the job. But instead, he seems to be wrestling with his feelings for his ex. And worse than that, Sophie is jealous..."

Just The Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica: I rated this book 4.5/5 stars and finished it on June 12th. I was looking forward to this one after the monstrosity that was the Ruth Ware one and thankfully, I was not disappointed. This was my first Mary Kubica book and it won't be my last. The only reason why this wasn't a 5-star was because of the twist at the end; I didn't feel it was believable and/or it felt too far-fetched. Other than that, it was great, and I plan on reading more by her in the future. I'd recommend this one for sure.

"Two couples, two close friends, one missing husband…Jake Hayes is missing. This much is certain. At first, his wife, Nina, thinks he is blowing off steam at a friend’s house after their heated fight the night before. But then a day goes by. Two days. Five. And Jake is still nowhere to be found. Lily Scott, Nina’s friend and coworker, thinks she may have been the last to see Jake before he went missing. After Lily confesses everything to her husband, Christian, the two decide that nobody can find out what happened leading up to Jake’s disappearance, especially not Nina. But Nina is out there looking for her husband, and she won’t stop until the truth is discovered."

Kiss The Sky by Krista Ritchie: I rated this ebook 2/5 stars and DNFd it on June 14th at around 20%. This is the fourth book in the Addicted Calloway series. This was...I don't even know what this was. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I picked this up on Libby on my phone, maybe that it would be as good (if not better) than Lily and Loren's books, and boy was I wrong. One, I despise Rose. I never liked her in Lily/Lo's books, so I'm not sure why I thought reading a book with half the chapters in her POV would be a good idea. It wasn't. The way she's written with her OCD made her come off as pretentious to me. In addition, Connor was there too. Not only did I feel like I was in the brain of a narcissist during his POV chapters, but sometimes I also felt like he was just an AI character and his dialogue was being generated by ChatGPT. With that being said, I wouldn't recommend this one at all. The series itself is great, but I wouldn't read this one specifically.

"A virgin "ice queen" heiress & the arrogant god who wants to melt her...Rose Calloway thought she had everything under control. At twenty-three, she's a Princeton graduate, an Academic Bowl champion, a fashion designer and the daughter of a Fortune 500 mogul. But not everything comes easy. When Rose's fashion line is in peril, she plans an unconventional solution to save it. Making matters more intense, she agrees to be in a relationship with her "godly" college rival, Connor Cobalt. At twenty-four, Connor Cobalt bulldozes weak men. Confident and smart-as-hell, Connor vows to help Rose outside of the bedroom and inside. But melting this ice queen is a challenge no one has been able to succeed at. And now they're living together."

Thrive by Krista Ritchie: I rated this ebook 5/5 stars and finished it on June 17th. This is the 6th book in the Addicted Calloway series. I thought this was fantastic. I've loved reading Lily and Loren's story from the beginning though so I'm not entirely surprised that I loved this. It was beautifully written and I felt like every character had a significant amount of growth in them. I've loved it and I can't wait to finish Lily and Lo's story soon. I'd recommend this one, and just the series a whole (excluding Rose and Connor's book of course).

"Two years will change them forever. When rumors spread like wildfire—like having three-ways with her boyfriend’s rock climbing brother—Lily Calloway spirals into a dark place. Her bedroom. Loren Hale is more confident and determined to keep their sex life private, even from their friends, and he helps Lily in the only way he knows how. But how much love is too much? Their lives are filmed, watched, and criticized. And through it all, Lily and Loren have to face enemies they never thought they’d see, demons they don’t know if they should bury, and setbacks they didn’t think they’d meet. Not this soon. And one rumor could be too much for them to handle. It will test their greatest limitations, and if they don’t hold onto each other, someone is going to drown."

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager: I rated this book 5/5 stars and finished it on June 22nd. I've read four of his books so far and this one was my favorite. I absolutely loved it! I felt like it was slow in the beginning because it was feeding you information and going back and forth with the timeline, but I really enjoyed it. The twist kept twisting and turning too which was my favorite part, I love it when books constantly keep me on my toes with the main twists. I feel like this is his best work yet, and you should absolutely positively go read it. This was a standout for the month, 1,000%.

"The worst thing to ever happen on Hemlock Circle occurred in Ethan Marsh’s backyard. One July night, ten-year-old Ethan and his best friend and neighbor, Billy, fell asleep in a tent set up on a manicured lawn in a quiet, quaint New Jersey cul de sac. In the morning, Ethan woke up alone. During the night, someone had sliced the tent open with a knife and taken Billy. He was never seen again. Thirty years later, Ethan has reluctantly returned to his childhood home. Plagued by bad dreams and insomnia, he begins to notice strange things happening in the middle of the night. Someone seems to be roaming the cul de sac at odd hours, and signs of Billy’s presence keep appearing in Ethan’s backyard. Is someone playing a cruel prank? Or has Billy, long thought to be dead, somehow returned to Hemlock Circle? The mysterious occurrences prompt Ethan to investigate what really happened that night, a quest that reunites him with former friends and neighbors and leads him into the woods that surround Hemlock Circle. Woods where Billy claimed monsters roamed and where a mysterious institute does clandestine research on a crumbling estate. The closer Ethan gets to the truth, the more he realizes that no place—be it quiet forest or suburban street—is completely safe. And that the past has a way of haunting the present."

The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley: I rated this book 2/5 stars and DNFd it on June 27th at around 20%. I was excited about this release because I loved The Guest List but hated The Paris Apartment so this was like a deciding moment for me. Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of her writing anymore, and this didn't do it for me. It was very boring and very slow, I felt like I was forcing myself through it which was a bad sign. Also, birds. Lots of birds. Anyway, I wouldn't recommend this one. It was a letdown for sure.

"It’s the opening night of The Manor, and no expense, small or large, has been spared. The infinity pool sparkles; crystal pouches for guests’ healing have been placed in the Seaside Cottages and Woodland Hutches; the “Manor Mule” cocktail (grapefruit, ginger, vodka, and a dash of CBD oil) is being poured with a heavy hand. Everyone is wearing linen. But under the burning midsummer sun, darkness stirs. Old friends and enemies circulate among the guests. Just outside the Manor’s immaculately kept grounds, an ancient forest bristles with secrets. And the Sunday morning of opening weekend, the local police are called. Something’s not right with the guests. There’s been a fire. A body’s been discovered. THE FOUNDER! THE HUSBAND! THE MYSTERY GUEST! THE KITCHEN HELP! It all began with a secret, fifteen years ago. Now the past has crashed the party. And it’ll end in murder at… The Midnight Feast."

Leather and Lark by Brynne Weaver: I rated this book 5/5 stars and finished it on June 29th. This is the second book in the Ruinous Love trilogy and somehow it was better than the first one. While I'm also giving this one five stars (I gave the first book five stars back in February), it's for different reasons. Enemies-to-lovers is one of my favorite tropes and I think this was done perfectly. Lachlan and Lark despise each other, only getting married so Lachlan doesn't get killed by someone. I liked that it was a contract killer and a serial killer falling in love rather than two serial killers because I felt like it was cleaner somehow. They didn't have a lot of good banter (because they hated each other) but had insane chemistry regardless. I also liked the spice more in this one. I'd recommend this one if you're new to dark romance, as it's not super heavy and I think could be enjoyed by most people. I can't wait for the final book in February next year!

"Contract killer Lachlan Kane wants a quiet life working in his leather studio and forgetting all about his traumatic past. But when he botches a job for his boss’s biggest client, Lachlan knows he’ll never claw his way out of the underworld. At least, not until songbird Lark Montague offers him a deal: use his skills to hunt down a killer and she’ll find a way to secure his freedom. The catch? He has to marry her first. And they can’t stand each other. Indie singer-songwriter Lark is the sunshine and glitter that burns through every cloud and clings to every crevice that Lachlan Kane tries to hide inside. The surly older brother of her best friend’s soulmate, Lachlan thinks she’s just a privileged princess, but Lark has plenty of secrets hiding in the shadows of her bright light. With her formidable family in a tailspin and her best friend’s happiness on the line, she’s willing to make a vow to the man she’s determined to hate, no matter how tempting the broody assassin might be. As Lachlan and Lark navigate the dark world that binds them together, it becomes impossible to discern their fake marriage from a real one. But it’s not just familiar dangers that haunt them. There’s another phantom lurking on their doorstep. And this one has come for blood."

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That's it! I know 12 books isn't a lot. June definitely took me by surprise at how busy it ended up being. I got a new job and am still doing college online full-time, but I guess I thought I'd have more time this month. July is gonna be a bigger month, as it's my birthday month, so maybe I'll get to read more. With that said, I'll see you next month!