Books Read
Favorite: One Golden Summer
Least Favorite: None
Stats
July
Books Read: 3
Pages Read: 1,184
Hours Listened: 33h 13m
Average Rating: 4.33
Year-to-Date
Books Read: 19
Pages Read: 6,739
Hours Listened: 189h 58m
Average Rating: 4.17
Title: The Paradise ProblemAuthor(s): Christina Lauren
Genre(s): Romance
Format(s): Audio
Pages: 352
Length: 11h 43m
Narrator(s): Patti Murin, Jon Root
Source: Owned
Reason(s): Book of the Month
Rating:
Spice:
My Thoughts
I enjoyed THE PARADISE PROBLEM a lot. I loved the banter and chemistry between Anna and Liam. I loved seeing their marriage of convenience turn into a real marriage.
I found myself laughing out loud and sniggering quite a bit while I listened to the audio. I loved the setting and wished I could be on the same island with them, minus the family drama of course. I loved the ending, especially the epilogue, and I loved that a certain narcissistic bastard got what he deserved.
Title: The UnhoneymoonersAuthor(s): Christina Lauren
Series: Unhoneymooners #1
Genre(s): Romance
Format(s): Audio
Pages: 432
Length: 9h 41m
Narrator(s): Cynthia Farrell, Deacon Lee
Source: Owned
Reason(s): None
Rating:
Spice:
My Thoughts
I really enjoyed reading THE UNHONEYMOONERS. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop. I loved the tension between Olive and Ethan. I loved watching them go from mutual dislike of each other to love. I especially loved their bantering and their nicknames for each other. It all made me smile, laugh, and swoon.
During my second read, I listened to the audiobook. I really liked the main reader except when she read Ethan’s parts. And, I super disliked the reader for Ethan during the epilogue. I still love the book, though, so I’ll read (instead of listening to) this one in the future.
Title: One Golden SummerAuthor(s): Carley Fortune
Series: Florek Brothers #2
Genre(s): Romance
Format(s): Audio
Pages: 400
Length: 11h 49m
Narrator(s): AJ Bridel
Source: Borrowed
Reason(s): None
Rating:
Spice:
My Thoughts
I discovered Carley Fortune when her debut came out in 2021. I instantly fell in love with EVERY SUMMER AFTER and each subsequent book since then.
ONE GOLDEN SUMMER is my favorite of Fortune’s novels. I adored Alice and Charlie. I loved their interactions and all the fun they had together at the lake during the summer. I loved that this story is a companion to EVERY SUMMER AFTER and that we get to finally see Charlie’s happily ever after. I loved revisiting the same lake and getting to see Percy, Sam, and Charlie again. It made this story that much more special.
Now that the year is halfway over, I thought I’d check-in on my progress with my 2025 reading goals. My goals for 2025 are to:
- Read at least 60 books.
- Read all of my book club books.
- Read all of my 2025 Book of the Month picks.
- Read 12 of the books on my Book of the Month backlist.
I’ve been keeping track of my progress on my 2025 Goals & Tracking page.
Yearly Goal
My goal for the year is to read 60 books and I’ve only read 16. Not reading anything in March and April really killed my progress.
So far, my favorite books are:
- Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
- Phantasma by Kaylie Smith
- First-Time Caller by BK Borison
Book Club
I made a goal to read all of my book club books this year. I’ve only read two out of six. I tried to read March’s and May’s books but ended up DNFing them.
Book of the Month
I made a goal to read all of my 2025 Book of the Month picks. I’ve only read three out of ten.
Book of the Month Backlist
I made a goal to read 12 of the books on my Book of the Month backlist. I’ve only read two so far.
Conclusion
I haven’t had quite an abysmal reading year as 16 books isn’t anything to laugh at. It does feel a little disappointing since I know I can read way more. Because there’s no way I’m going to accomplish any of my goals, I’ve decided to modify them a bit. I want to enjoy what I read instead of stressing about not reading enough. The changes to my goals for 2025 are:
- Read 36 books.
- Read half of my book club books.
- Read half of my 2025 Book of the Month books.
- Read six of the books on my Book of the Month backlist.