[31] The Perfect Marriage (Perfect #1) by Jeneva Rose
Fiction / Thrillers / Psychological, Ene told me about it, Audio

Synopsis: Sarah Morgan is a powerhouse defense attorney whose life is on track, unlike her husband Adam’s floundering writing career. When Adam’s affair with a woman at their lake house ends in her brutal murder, Sarah faces the ultimate test: defending her own husband against a charge that could destroy them both.

Review: This is some of the worst writing I’ve ever listened to. It was so bad, I thought maybe the big twist at the end would that the failing author husband wrote it? Nope!

I probably would have DNF’f this if reading with my eyes, but it was a great listen for driving around, running, and yard work. It was so dumb and unrealistic I had to see what happened.

Recommend? Actually, yes

[32] Cash (Lucky River Ranch #1) by Jessica Peterson
Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Saw on Kindle Unlimited, Kindle

Synopsis: When city girl Mollie Luck inherits her estranged father’s Texas cattle ranch, she must spend a year living and managing it to claim her inheritance – money she was counting on using for her small business. The last thing she expects is to fall for the gruff, annoyingly handsome foreman, Cash Rivers, who thought he’d inherit the ranch from Mollie’s father.

Review: Ahh, classic enemies-to-lovers with a cowboy twist – the book I didn’t know I needed in my life. Mollie and Cash are great characters. Mollie is sassy and confident, but still discovering who she is, and mourning her father. Cash is the oldest of five brothers and takes his responsibilities very seriously – and is also mourning the loss of Mollie’s father. I was thoroughly entertained, and really rooting for these two. And bonus – they actually communicated with one another. I love it when that happens.

Recommend? Yes

[33] Sky Daddy: A Novel by Kate Folk
Fiction / Literary, Green Light from Jamie on The Popcast, audio

Synopsis: By day, Linda moderates online comments and lives quietly in a rented garage. But once a month, she gives in to her true passion: boarding flights not for the destination, but to spend time with the planes themselves – her real objects of desire. Secretly obsessed and dreaming of eternal union (via a crash and death) with a soulmate aircraft, Linda’s carefully constructed life starts to unravel when an unexpected chance to realize her fantasy threatens to expose everything.

Review: Okay, when I heard this rec from Jamie I was like “what the AF?!” but damn IT JUST WORKS. It’s a dark humor character study of someone with deeply rooted mental issues who is self-aware enough to know they’re awkward but unable to do anything about it. It was so so entertaining and the writing was stellar. I especially enjoyed the audio narration and actually giggled at how completely ridiculous and delightful this is. But just so we’re clear – this is about a woman who wants an aircraft to choose her as his bride then crash into the ground. So if that’s not for you I get it. But I thought it was brilliant.

Recommend? Absolutely yes