[10] Go as a River by Shelley Read
Fiction / Small Town & Rural, recommendation from Val, Kindle

Synopsis: Seventeen- year-old Victoria’s life is forever changed after she helps a stranger in her small Colorado town in the summer of 1948. She’s forced to grow up fast and make decisions she doesn’t completely understand.

Review: This is a character-driven coming-of-age story that is absolutely beautifully written, but also completely devastating and sad. I kept teasing Val (who recommended this to me) about how she was in her sad book phase and needs to read a romance.

Recommend? If you are in the mood for something heart-wrenching for some reason, yes

[11] A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
Fiction / Fantasy / Romance, part 2 after A Court of Thorns and Roses, Audio

Synopsis: (SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!): Feyre has survived the trials from Amarantha and has returned to the Spring Court but is completely traumatized by what she had to do to free Tamlin’s people. She lethargically prepares for her wedding to Tamlin and on the day of the actual event, sends a silent plea for anyone to save her from it. Rhysand, High Lord of the Night Court, uses that moment to enact their bargain and bring her to the Night Court, which she realizes is nothing like the terror she imagined, and neither is Rhysand. Oh, and there’s a lot of other bigger political humans vs faeries and different courts vs each other stuff going on that Feyre can use her powers to help with now (oh! Did I not mention? She was turned into a faerie at the end of the first book after she was killed and all the High Lords gave a little bit of her power to keep her alive and now she has SUPER POWER DUN DUN DUN WATCH OUT FOR FEYRE – she’s coming for you!).

Review: My snis told me this was her favorite book and I could see why – there were so many moments that got me right in my feels! GAH, especially one line in particular from the first book that was brought up again in the second book. And the ending had me so enraged when I was listening to it during my Denver long run. All in all to say, I really enjoyed it. There are parts that I didn’t 100% love – I am usually not a fan of “quest” books or movies, such as “we have to go here to get this thing” and there is quite a bit of that. But I got through it.

Recommend? Yes

[12] The Long Game by Elena Armas
Fiction / Romance / Multicultural & Interracial, saw on Kindle Unlimited, Kindle

Synopsis: Adalyn loses her s-word on the professional mascot of the soccer team she works for (that her dad owns) in Miami and is sent away to rural North Carolina to get out of the public eye. She’s shocked to run into Cameron Caldani, a former soccer professional there, coaching the girls’ soccer team she’s been sent to manage. Adalyn and Cameron have a horrible first encounter and can’t stand one another, but have to work together.

Review: Shame on me for being frustrated with the pacing of a book titled The Long Game. I mean, come on, Kim. I love the enemies-to-lovers trope, and Adalyn and Cameron have chemistry but the pacing KILLED me. And the backstory of the girls’ soccer team was really weak. As was most of the backstory. I finished this book and am still not sure why she took her anger out on that mascot.

Recommend? No