It’s BOOK REVIEW DAY!!!! Woohoo!

This month I read FIVE books! Three of which I read while in Vail or on the way home from Vail, so LOTS of reading has been done this month!!

Since we were traveling and getting ready for school to start back, I decided to go easy on myself and mostly read authors that I am familiar with and already love. The only “new” author was my last book of the month. *insert heart eye emoji here!

All different genres here! One was okay, three were great, and one was fantastic!

Here we go! YEAH!

One Way or Another by Colleen Coleman

This summer, we have been watching a ton of Food Network in our house. You know that feeling where you throw on Chopped or Guy’s Grocery Games, and just kind of veg out and glaze over while watching people cook? Yeah, well, that is the feeling I got when I read this book.

One Way or Another is basically one, long food competition. Like, the entire book is based upon chefs competing to win the position of the executive chef at a famous restaurant in London.

Katie and Ben met in culinary school, fell in love, and started their lives together. Until Ben left London for a chef position that he couldn’t pass up. Now years later, they are both competing against each other for the opportunity to work along side a famous chef/restaurateur. Who will win? Will they work through their differences while competing for a chance of a lifetime?

I read another Colleen Coleman book – For Once In My Life – in April of 2019, and I really loved it! You can read that review here. SUPER CUTE! So, I was really excited to try out another of Coleman’s books. And, let me say that it was cute. It was. I read most of it while sitting in an airport and while on a plane, and it was a good book to just kind of glaze over and get through. I’ll definitely read another Coleman book in the future. Easy read and cute for times where you don’t need to think much and just lay back and relax. Is this sounding rude? Not meaning it to. Just a “meh” version of cute.

Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory

I love Jasmine Guillory! Over the last couple of years, I have read and reviewed The Wedding Date, The Proposal, The Wedding Party, and Royal Holiday. The only one I wasn’t a huge fan of was Royal Holiday, but I LOVED the other three. So, I was super excited to find that she had a new one out this summer!

Party of Two is book 5 of “The Wedding Date” series, and I just love how Guillory keeps all of the main characters from each of her books intertwined within each story. Such a fun way to keep up with your favorite characters!

Olivia has just relocated back to California to open up a law firm with her best friend. Max is the state senator that catches her eye after a long day’s work. Both work a ton, both are in need of a friend, and both have so much to lose if things don’t go perfectly.

REALLY sweet book. Loved these two characters, and the message that your past doesn’t always predict your future. Where you come from has nothing to do with who you are and who you can become. PRECIOUS! I highly recommend this entire series. Easy reads that will make you smile. Oh, and FYI, on the rated R side if you like to know those things.

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

In keeping with my theme of reading authors that I love, I picked up the newly released Lisa Jewell book, The Family Upstairs.

In the last year and a half, I have read Then She Was Gone, Watching You, and The Third Wife. I REAAAAALLLLLY enjoyed the first two, but was super bummed when I didn’t like The Third Wife.

Well, let me just say that Lisa Jewell is back baby! The Family Upstairs ROCKS! And, it is super creepy. Not like “gives me nightmares” creepy, but just gives me the ooogies.

Libby Jones was adopted as a baby. She knew her birth parents had died, but didn’t know any other details of their lives before their death. On her twenty-fifth birthday, she receives a letter from their attorney stating that as their sole heir, she is to receive their very large estate. Her life changes in that moment.

As she starts to explore her past and that of her parents, she discovers some very dark things that happened in the very house that she now owns.

This book has you guessing all along, and the plot takes some crazy twists and turns. I really had no idea what the heck was going on until the very end! The very best kind of book! Loved this. Have you read it?!?!?

Kiss My Cupcake by Helen Hunting

Helena Hunting writes super cute chick-lit books that make you both laugh out loud and then blush uncontrollably with the rated R scenes.

Last year, I read Meet Cute and Good Luck Charm. Both were precious, and hit all of the chick lit marks in my book . . . loveable main characters that you cheer for, hysterical supporting cast, and witty back and forth between all involved. Just loved both of these.

Kiss My Cupcake, Hunting’s newest release, does NOT disappoint. I think that this may be my very favorite of her books so far! Is it cheesy? Yes. Are there rated R scenes? Yes But, it made me laugh out loud, smile like a crazy person, and had me reaching for the book any free moment that I had!

Blaire Calloway decided to forego the financial support of her crazy family (like soap opera crazy – hilarious!), and go make something of herself. Her dream finally comes to fruition when she opens Booze & Buttercream, a precious bakery that serves alcohol. Let me just say that I would like to visit this establishment because it sounds right up my alley!

Ronan Knight has followed in his family’s footsteps, and re-opened The Knight Cap next door to Blaire’s new business. The Knight Cap is a dark bar with an axe-throwing area . . . super different from Booze & Buttercream.

Blaire and Ronan find themselves in competition every step of the way, and IT IS SOOOO CUTE!! I just can’t even explain it without giving anything away. If you like chick lit books, a book having closure, and being happy . . . then get this book.

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

This book is the only book I read this month where I didn’t know the author, and I had zero clue as to what I was getting myself into.

I feel like this book has been everywhere lately, doesn’t it? It wasn’t until the amazing Cristina Alger (The Banker’s Wife, Girls Like Us) posted about how amazing this was on her Instagram that I decided I needed to read it.

The Vanishing Half. Wow!

Stella and Desiree are twins from a tiny town in Louisiana. When they are sixteen years old, they run away together in an effort to create better lives for themselves. After a year in New Orleans, Stella disappears after only leaving a note behind. Years later, their daughters meet and start to put pieces together. Pieces behind where Stella went, and how everyone can move on.

This book spans decades, and we are able to see the characters grow, struggle, and succeed. The main characters are loveable women, even though you may not agree with their decisions and why they chose a certain path.

I will say that this story deals heavily with racial tension and the injustices that were prevalent in the 60s and 70s, and really into the 90s. As a white woman, some of this was hard for me to not just read, but for me to let sink in and really experience through the beautiful writing of Brit Bennett.

I really, really loved this book. It is one that I will remember for months to come. Beautifully written.

Have any of you read this one? This is one that I want to talk all about, so let me know your thoughts!!

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Whew! That was a lot! Love book review days so much! As always, I love to hear from you in the comments, email, text, anything! Let me know if you have loved any of these, and let me know your favorite books as well! XO