September Wrap-Up
Happy September! After a couple of months away, it feels so good to be writing about books again. It was a solid month in my book world, with three five star reads. Please remember that there is a reader for every book and what works for me might not work for you.
What was your favorite book this month?
“Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead” by Emily Austin
Genre: Literary Fiction
Rating: Four Stars
When an atheist lesbian living with debilitating anxiety follows an ad for therapy, she accidentally lands a job at a Catholic church and must do what she can to look the part, include attend mass, help with church events, and date a parishioner’s brother-in-law. Oh, and she finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. This story is written in a very relatable stream-of-consciousness style, which can be a little overwhelming if you don’t also struggle with anxiety. We are subject to every thought Gilda has, no matter how morbid. I really enjoyed this story of the nuances of humanity. It won’t be the right fit for everyone, but I really liked it.
“Always Only You” by Chloe Liese
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: Five Stars
This second installment of the Bergman Brothers series follows Ren, a professional hockey player, and his coworker crush, Frankie, who runs the socials for his team. Liese creates the most robust, vivid characters and her commitment to accurately displaying neurodiversity and disability is commendable. I fell in love with Ren (nice catch, Frankie) and loved the dynamic between the two characters. If you love romance, please check out Chloe Liese’s work. It’s phenomenal!
"The Make-Up Test" by Jenny L. Howe
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: Three Stars
This is a great piece of fat representation in romance perfect for fans of Olivia Dade. We follow Allison Avery as she enters into a prestigious PhD program in medieval literature. She is a book nerd who is proud of her body, so I felt especially represented in her character. When she arrives to her program, she discovers her ex-boyfriend and academic rival from undergrad has joined her in the same program and, wouldn't you know, the same focus.
This book can feel a bit dense at times for people who are not experts in medieval lit, but it is so fun to see an author incorporate her own passions into her work. I really respected the way the author handled the complication of setting body-related boundaries with family.
Overall, this was a fun read and it's great to see fat representation becoming more mainstream. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC!
TW: fat shaming, death of a parent, and terminal illness.
“A Highlander for Hannah” by Mary Warren
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: DNF
“A Highlander for Hannah” had everything I could ever dream of in a book. The main character is an unapologetic fat woman. It’s a reverse Outlander story. It’s set in a beautiful place. But this fell so flat for me. The story needed another round or two of editing because it did not feel believable that a man could time travel two hundred years into the future and assimilate as well as Graham seemed to. The writing lacked polish and felt juvenile. I was really bummed that I didn’t love this.
“Portrait of a Scotsman” by Evie Dunmore
Genre: Historical Romance
Rating: Four Stars
Evie Dunmore writes really intelligent, complex historical romance, and this third installment of the A League of Extraordinary Woman series is no exception. We follow Hattie, whose father marries her off as part of a lucrative business venture to Lucian Blackstone, the most notorious man of the dark streets of London. When he steals his new wife away on an unexpected journey to Scotland, they learn more about each other and how they might have a future together. Evie Dunmore’s work is highly political, so it takes a bit longer to read through, but the slow burn between our two characters feels really well thought-out and definitely worth the wait.
“Ever After Always” by Chloe Liese
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: Five Stars
The third installment of the Bergman Brothers series follows Freya, the oldest Bergman, and her failing marriage to Aiden. When the whole Bergman clan decides to fly to Hawaii to celebrate their parents’ anniversary, they must put on a brave face as they navigate the painful fractures of what was once a vibrant, passionate love affair. I loved both the plus sized representation in Freya and Aiden’s anxiety. Liese did a great job of explaining the nuanced struggles of both identities without trivializing them. This book was hard to read because both characters were in so much pain, but it was a beautiful, complex read nonetheless.
“Meet Me Under the Mistletoe” by Jenny Bayliss
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: Three Stars
If you are looking for a new Christmas read, Jenny Bayliss is an expert at creating beautiful, atmospheric stories centering human connection and love. This story follows Nory Noel, who lives in London and owns a cozy secondhand bookstore that you immediately want to visit. When her old school friends plan their wedding in the castle near their boarding school, Nory heads home and back into the fray of her school days. What she doesn’t expect is Isaac, son of the head gardener from her school days and the feelings that come rushing back being in such a familiar place.
This is a beautiful slice of life story, albeit a little long-winded. I think the story could have been cut down by 75-100 pages and this would have increased the impact of Nory’s story. I also found the writing to be slightly juvenile in places and not believable for the internal monologue of a thirty something year old. If you want to feel warm and fuzzy for the holidays, pick up any of Jenny Bayliss’s work. Thanks to NetGalley for this early copy, it is now on sale!
TW: suicide, alcoholism, divorce
“Stone Heart" by Katee Robert
Genre: Erotica
Rating: Three Stars
This novella is the prequel to the Dark Olympus series, following Medusa and Calypso. Medusa is ordered to complete the hit on Calypso, Odysseus’s mistress, but once she sees her, she can’t bring herself to take Calypso out. This is a quick, steamy read that doesn’t add much to the Dark Olympus series, but was a nice reprieve from other more emotional reads. I always enjoy Katee’s work and love her attention to detail in this series. This novella is currently free on Katee's website!
“With You Forever” by Chloe Liese
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: Four Stars
The fourth installment of the Bergman Brothers series follows Rooney, Willa’s best friend from the first book, and Axel, the eldest brother, both of whom have been pining after each other for two years. This slow burn marriage of convenience story was beautiful and I once again loved the representation of chronic illness and neurodiversity. The miscommunication trope felt a little out of place in this story and there wasn’t as much interaction with the rest of the family, which is my favorite part of this series, so I couldn’t give it a five star, but I still really enjoyed this installment of the series.
Edited by Tarana Burke and Brene Brown
Genre: Non-fiction, essay collection
Rating: Five Stars
This stunning essay collection was easily my favorite book of the book. Curated and edited by Taran Burke and Brene Brown, these essays range from reflections on how poverty keeps women and children indoctrinated to violence, mixed-media collections exploring Black family archive preservation, and raising Black children to embrace their joy. I particularly enjoyed Sonya Renee Taylor and Tarana Burke’s essays, as I am already familiar with their work and love getting to read more of it. This essay collection felt very intentional, and while it did deal with some very heavy topics, you could tell every contributor was very thoughtful in what they wrote about and that they were excited to share their joy. It felt like an honor to read these essays, and I highly suggest picking up a copy for yourself.
Most links will take you to bookshop.org, supporting indie bookstores across the country. A few books this month were only available via other retailers.
Find my bookshop.org wishlist here.
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