I haven’t done one of these since March so we are way overdue! I read 18 books in these three months – mostly due to studying for the license and Jennifer L. Armentrout’s books being so freaking long! Overall some pretty good reading throughout these months and I am so excited to finally get to talk about them.

The Crown of Gilded Bones by Jennifer L. Armentrout – This is the 3rd book in the Blood and Ash series and the third overall in the reading order I chose (see it here). This book was nominated for a Goodreads award in 2021 and will be the next of Armentrout’s that gets traditionally published. With it being the third in the series, I can’t say much plot-wise but I loved the adventure aspect of this and how much the story developed. Only issue was the length, like this was the third book of what will be seven and I just felt some of it could have been cut. FOUR STARS!

This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune – Holy heck I loved this! This story is based on Prince Edward Island in Canada and felt so immersive. Another Goodreads award nominee, this time for 2024. Lucy and Felix were so easy to cheer for and I just loved their love for each other. This felt like a fun movie from start to finish and I loved every second! Four stars!

A Shadow in the Ember by Jennifer L. Armentrout – Finally made it to the point in the JLA universe where I got to switch to the prequel novels. In these we follow Seraphena, who was promised before her birth to the Primal of Death. Her kingdom is crumbling and is in danger of ruin should she not be able to “seduce” the Primal of Death. This was so full of adventure and definitely a great start to this series. Four stars!

The War of Two Queens by Jennifer L. Armentrout – Now back to the Blood & Ash world (my personal favorite!) – again can’t say much because of spoilers. We are back with Poppy and Casteel and there is of course chaos and adventure. Long series are always such a commitment of course but this was where I really started to fall in love with the characters and wasn’t having to overthink the magic system. Again – so long – but a fun read overall!

A Light in the Flame by Jennifer L. Armentrout – Now we flip back to Flesh & Fire (confused yet? check out my reading order here) with Seraphena. These books are definitely a bit confusing to me, which I think is on purpose. I just feel like there are a few core pieces of the world/magic system that I am missing. However, that honestly adds to the story because you are flying through the book waiting to get the missing pieces. Overall I really love the story, especially Seraphena and Jadis, though I prefer the Blood & Ash books.

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell – This has been on my radar forever now, so this year I added it to my 25 in 2025 (article here). I absolutely loved this! I never knew what was happening next and I had absolutely no predictions for the end. we follow Alix, a podcaster, and Josie, a strange woman who is developing an obsession with Alix. As they become friends-ish, Josie just keeps getting weirder. Everything was perfectly spooky and I had millions of theories going. This was not gory at all but still so suspenseful – perfect for me!

The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan – This was the January pick for Reese’s Book Club but I didn’t get it in from my library until May. I wrote all about it in my New Release Diaries post earlier this month (linked here). I have a goal to read all of the Reese’s Book Club picks this year and I am loving the challenge. It gets me out of my reading comfort zone for sure and has helped me discover lots of new authors. I would definitely recommend!

Face Off by Chelsea Curto – Face Off is the first of the D.C. Stars series, a professional hockey interconnected series that will end with seven books. In this book, we follow Maverick and Emmy. Maverick is the star player for the Stars and Emmy is the newest recruit to the team as well as the first female player in the NHL. This book tackled some heavy topics while still being funny and a sweet romance. Recommend!

Out of the Woods by Hannah Bonam-Young – This review is also featured in my New Release Diaries (linked here) but overall really liked this book! It was just such a unique plot and story and really had me thinking about my future relationship. I also loved getting to see the characters from Out on a Limb again because that book is one of my favorites.

Power Play by Chelsea Curto – I couldn’t stop thinking about the D.C. Stars series so I flew right back. This book follows Piper, a sports journalist, and Liam, the Stars’ goalie. This was such a cute grumpy-sunshine that again tackled women in male-dominated fields so well! Liam was so cute and definitely had the attitude of “touch her and you die” if that is a micro-trope you enjoy ha! I would so recommend this series just because I had so much fun! I could have finished this in a day and I really enjoy Curto’s writing.

Fearless by Lauren Roberts – Another one I wrote about in the New Releases Diaries (click here!) that I really did enjoy! This series is such a fun one that so many people read all at the same time, making it like a giant book club! I would recommend the series for sure but I don’t think I’ll be reading the sequel novellas.

King of Sloth by Ana Huang – The Kings of Sin series is one I would not say is “literature” or life changing, but it is always fun! Each book (we have 5 out so far) follows a billionaire who embodies one of the seven deadly sins. This was maybe my least favorite of the series so far, simply because the guy was just lazy AF, which I should have known from the title. This was fun and the girl was so no-nonsense, just didn’t obsess over their love story or even really them.

A Soul of Ash and Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout – THIS WAS SOOOO BORING! I don’t know what JLA was thinking here because this was nothing like the other books. Poppy is basically in a coma and Casteel is recounting the plot of the first book to her in his POV. Like ugh! 600+ pages for a book I already read! Honestly, you could skip everything and just read the first 5 and last 5 chapters – crazy cliffhanger ofc!

Deep End by Ali Hazelwood – Another one featured in the New Release Diaries! I give my full thoughts here but this was not a favorite haha. Just so different than normal Ali – cute one minute and then crazy the next! I also just think I am past the college romance era of my life. These people just had such minor problems in my eyes.

A Fire in the Flesh by Jennifer L. Armentrout – I ruined this for myself TBH. I just was so mad about A Soul of Ash and Blood and getting literally nothing, so I just did not want to switch to this series. This is the 3rd book in the Flesh & Fire series, so we were right back with Seraphena and Nyktos. I will say that you should check trigger warnings for this series as there were some themes and plot lines that could definitely ruin your reading experience. Overall, a great story but could be some sensitive topics!

Slap Shot by Chelsea Curto – This was such a cute one! We finally get Hudson’s story and he is in desperate need of a chef that makes healthy meals and isn’t a stalker. Piper (from Power Play) finds him Madeline, a single mom who has just been laid off from her dream job and needs a change of scenery. Madeline agrees to be his live-in chef and you know what happens next. I am so hit or miss on kids in books, but I loved this little girl. She was a perfect addition and really made their love more believable.

Hat Trick by Chelsea Curto – The most recent release of the D.C. Stars and featured in my New Release Diaries article. We follow Riley, an injured star player of the Stars, and Lexi, the physical therapist. This tackled some pretty rough stuff while still being a fun and smutty rom-com read! Definitely recommend the entire series and can’t wait for the next one!

The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young – Another 25 in 2025 read (article here)! I loved this book and I am so mad at myself for waiting so long to read it. This book starts out like a Hallmark movie with a girl living in a small town working on a flower farm and then slowly gets more and more crazy, with time travel and multiple love interests in the different time periods. Such a unique concept and I definitely want to read more of Young’s work.

Well that’s all for me today! July and August wrap up coming soon along with my fall TBR and new to Kindle Unlimited. Thanks for reading and see you soon!