September 2024 Reads

 September 2024 Reads 

This month I read 19 books 

These books were 89% fiction

The most popular genres were romance, sports, and LGBTQ+

My average rating was 4.45 stars

The Books

➽ Mismatched by Anne Camlin

➽ Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams

➽ Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey

➽ More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

➽ Forward Progress by Lisa Suzanne

➽ Love in the Scottish Fall Forrest by Beatrice Bradshaw

➽ The House of Hidden Meanings by RuPaul

➽ Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

➽ How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis

➽ Something Saved by Erin FitzGerald

➽ Check and Mate by Ali Hazelwood

➽ The Noh Family by Grace K. Shim

➽ Puck Me All Night Long by Wynter Ryan

➽ Delayed Penalty by Teagan Hunter

➽ Field Goal by Lisa Suzanne

➽ Rookie Mistake by Maren Moore

➽ Silver Fox Billionaire Boss by Evie Sterling

➽ The Club by Ellery Llyod

➽ The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco by Michelle Chouinard

Love in the Scottish Fall Forest by Beatrice Bradshaw Review

* This review is spoiler-free *

4.5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Single dad

➮ Forced proximity

➮ Grumpy x sunshine

➮ Opposites attract

➮ Age gap

Synopsis

Gennie Rivers lives for the thrill, both on and off set. Her wildest stunt yet is a gig on a film set in Scotland. Nathan, hiding from a scandalous past as a pop star, is determined to protect his little daughter Abby from the spotlight at all costs. When financial troubles force the protective single dad to rent out his land, the last thing he needs is a daredevil disrupting his carefully constructed peace. Forced into close proximity at his rural estate, the grumpy Scot and the free spirit from LA can’t resist their magnetic attraction. With the ghosts of past hurt and betrayal lingering, they must decide if they’ll take the greatest leap of all – trusting each other. 

LGBTQ+ Representation

5/5 🌈

There were nice levels of inclusion of LGBTQ+ side characters. They are naturally woven into the story and being queer is a normal part of their identity just as any other trait would be. 

My Thoughts

This was definitely my favorite of the series. You can tell how Bradshaw has been honing her craft through the series and this is the beautiful result. It was a well-balanced story with enchanting characters. I quite enjoyed my time with it.

The one part of the book that wasn't my favorite is that there were almost too many beautiful descriptions. At times it felt a bit over-narrated. I'd love to see more moments of dialogue that are just purely the dialogue. 

I really appreciated how self-aware Gennie was throughout, especially at the beginning. It was refreshing to see a character who knows she needs character growth and knows how she feels in a clear way. Nathan is also pretty self-aware but not as strongly as she is. Also just having a strong FMC in general is something I will always appreciate. 

Speaking of lovely characters, this book definitely awakened a phase in me of enjoying funny/sweet children in books. Abby was such a delight and her unbridled optimism helped propel the plot when needed. Now I just want to read all of the single parent books I have (don't worry I am already getting this desire fulfilled). 

I want to applaud Bradshaw once again for including queer side characters in her stories. It is nice to see and is done in an artfully subtle way. As she mentioned to me, she doesn't want to appropriate stories but knows.

As always, the scenery throughout is so aptly described. It felt like I was there with the autumn leaves along with the characters (if only it were actually fall weather outside). This series has definitely made me want to plan a trip to Scotland to see the beauty for myself. 

Oh my gosh, the tension in this one was unmatched by the rest of the series. It had me absolutely eating it up! It was the perfect balance of will they won't they combined with moments of non-romantic bonding. 

I will keep this part brief to avoid spoilers but I need to note my favorite scene was by far when Gennie gave Daniel a piece of her mind. It was peak entertainment and wholeheartedly well-deserved. 

There is spice in this story so if that is not your thing, this is not the series for you. That said, the spice is much more artfully done than a lot of spice in romance books.  

I received this book as an arc from the author. My review is honest and voluntary

Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Small town

➮ Practice partners

➮ Grumpy x sunshine

➮ He falls first

Synopsis

Annie wants to find her perfect match. Finding her dream man may be harder than she imagined. Annie starts to think the problem might be her. Maybe she only needs a little practice . . . and Annie has the perfect person in mind to be her tutor: Will.

Will the bodyguard is temporarily back in Rome, providing security for Amelia Rose as excitement builds for her upcoming marriage to Noah Walker, Annie’s brother. He has one personal objective while on the job: stay away from Annie and other attachments to this sleepy town.

Amid steamy practice dates and strictly “educational” tutoring lessons, Annie discovers there are more layers to Will’s usual stoic attitude. Maybe her love life doesn’t need to be perfect, it just needs to be real.

Best Quote From the Book

“I am the quiet one in my family. The one with her nose always in a book because she prefers worlds where she doesn’t have to interact with other humans. It’s so much easier to read about relationships than to foster them. Less dangerous too."

My Thoughts

I quite enjoyed the first book in this series, When in Rome. You can find my review here. This one was even better which I didn't even know was possible! Both Annie and Will are just so perfect. We ALL need someone as supportive as Will in our lives. 

I have to give massive props to Adams for creating characters who always make each other grow and blossom into their best selves. It gives the essence of a real healthy relationship which is always refreshing to see. They felt like two flawed people who both had things to gain in the relationship. The way their character development was executed was particularly sweet and fantastically paced. There were also no stupid third-act breakups so that's a nice bonus. 

I am truly so in love with both Will and Annie. I absolutely would want to be friends with both of them because they seem like such genuinely nice and fun people to be around. They support each other's passions and feel nicely fleshed out. They both do small gestures that show how much they care. 

It was overall such an entertaining story. There were emotional moments, deep moments, steamy moments, funny moments, and ones that made readers smile. It strikes the perfect balance and hits all of the notes I want a romance book to hit. 

Also, I love that Annie and all of her sisters are romance reader girlies of different kinds. It was definitely a full-circle feeling that truly encompassed all that Annie had become. 

There are a few spicy scenes that contribute to character development so if you don't like spice this probably isn't the best book for you. If you do like spice, this spice was particularly fun!

Overall, I highly recommend this one! It was a well-balanced and entertaining read with many lovely elements. All of the characters are well-rounded and fun to read about.