Sorry this Q2 newsletter is late but I’ve been busy reading…

Speaking of TV shows that have consumed my every thought — Should I read the “Off Campus” series? If you haven’t binged the Amazon show yet, I do recommend. There’s a lot of over exposition and corny dialogue sure, but the cast is hot and we haven’t seen a show soundtrack with this much power since the likes of The O.C. Let me know if you liked the books!

Books I read in April, May and June

The Alice Network - Kate Quinn ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A World War I spy meets a modern socialite who’s searching for her lost cousin. It’s a daring spy novel that spans generations and highlights the sacrifices made by women during wartime. I have yet to read a Kate Quinn novel I haven’t liked.

Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte ⭐️⭐️

Does anyone else feel like you have to read a book just because it’s considered a classic? And that you should like it? I’m here to tell you that that is patently false. Sometime you don’t like the classics. Sometimes you want to kill every character in the book.

The God of the Woods - Liz Moore ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Absolutely loved this one. Generational trauma, summer camp gossip, rich people drama and a missing persons case all wrapped up into a middle-of-nowhere mystery. The writing is tight but masterfully manages to avoid falling into horror.

Heart the Lover - Lily King ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A really lovely portrait of young love and regret. The card game referenced in the title reminds me of one that only my family plays, and truly makes zero sense to outsiders. It’s those little details that make the story stick.

Say You’ll Remember Me - Abby Jimenez ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What happens when you meet someone who might be The One, but the circumstances of life get in the way? Work, family obligations and distance all are working against the main characters in this playful, emotional romance.

The Guilt Trip - Sandie Jones ⭐️⭐️⭐️

A social thriller in a gorgeous setting. Unfortunately the plot feels a bit like an HBO mini-series I’ve seen before.

The Charm Offensive - Alison Cochrun ⭐️⭐️

A producer on a The Bachelor-type show falls in love with the lead. Even with the gender queer flip, it lacked creativity. On the heels of the icky recent news about Pilot Pete and his producer, but I would skip this one.

The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The rise and fall of Achilles, according to his lover Patroclus who regretfully follows him into battle in the Trojan War. It’s a love story wrapped in a Greek war epic.

And Now, Back to You - B.K. Borison ⭐️⭐️⭐️

You may remember me loving the first book in the “Heartstrings “ series, so I had high hopes for this follow-up. It follows Jackson, the exacting radio weather reporter as falls for his counterpart at the TV station across the street. It relies a little too heavily on the one bed trope for my liking but it’s an easy read.

PS: I Hate You - Lauren Connolly ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The deceased sends his sister and best friend on a mission to visit the rest of the 50 states he couldn’t check off his list before dying of cancer. A quick, cute read about childhood crushes brought back together by shared grief.

The Academy - Elin Hilderbrand ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Elin (and her daughter!) pivot away from the Nantucket beach read and instead go back to high school. “The Academy” follows the students, teachers and administrators at a New England boarding school. Think “Prep” meets Gossip Girl.