In Quarter 3, I read 35 books and of those, 23 were ‘new to me’ authors. I’ve rounded up my top 6 recommendations for you to check out. I hope you’ll add them to your TBRs this year!
My #1 of this quarter is incredible author, Tracey Lange! We read Tracey’s latest novel ‘What Happened to the McCrays‘ for our Oregon book·cation book club. It was such a treat to have Tracey come in and chat with us about it, too. She is so sweet and we loved hearing about her writing process and how this book came to be.
If you love a book with family drama and a lot of heart, this book is for you! Tracey told us about how tough it was for her to write this story because she wanted to get it just right. Spoiler alert- I think she did. Grief can be a tricky topic, but she wrote about it so beautifully. I was honestly hooked from the first 3 chapters and found myself crying at the end.
I didn’t know what to expect with this book, but I was blown away by how much I loved it! ‘These Summer Storms‘ by Sarah MacLean is a family drama with old money coastal vibes and a romance that I fell in love with from the first chapter. I honestly wasn’t sure if this book leaned more ‘contemporary fiction’ or ‘romance.’ I think it’s a combo of both and I’m here for it! (I don’t know what it says about me that the first 2 books on this list are about family drama 😂 but here we are!)
Here’s the vibe: the patriarch of a very wealthy family dies and instead of a straightforward will, he makes each of his kids + his wife complete a challenge before they’ll be rewarded their inheritance. Let the chaos ensue, LOL!
I’m on the hunt for completed duologies + trilogies and this one was fantastic! (I love me some longer fantasy series, but I refuse to start unfinished ones. 🙅🏻♀️ I can’t keep doing that to myself!) LJ Andrews has written a LOT of books and most of them are intertwined. This book, for example, is the first book in a 4 book series. HOWEVER, the first two books- which make up this ‘duology’- focus on one couple and the other 2 books focus on other people/couples. PHEW, are you with me?! 🤪
If you are, ‘The Ever King’ is a pirate/Viking romantasy with tons of mythical beings (think fae, sirens, witches, etc) and is enemies to lovers done right! I’ve never read a pirate fantasy before and I was so pleasantly surprised. I loved this duology and am excited to read books 3 + 4 of this series as well as her others!
In addition to supporting indie authors in general, I also love supporting Midwestern indie authors! I learned about Rachel from Chicago romance author, Carly Robyn. They’re good friends and it made me excited to read this ARC. (ARC is an advanced reader copy.) It’s so fun to read books with references that make total sense to you so if you’re a Midwesterner girlie- I recommend!
‘What We Knew Then‘ is a college hockey romance with a forbidden romance between a player and the coach’s daughter. I was surprised by how relatable I felt the characters were and loved the mental health representation, too! Another surprise was the way she wrote about the hockey culture at the school. I don’t know if that’s what it’s normally like- I doubt it- but it felt very intentional and respectful. All hockey leauges should be run this way 😆
Another ARC (advanced reader copy) that I loved this quarter was ‘Enemies to Lawyers‘ by Letizia Lorini! Think rivals to lovers with fake dating, but add the vibes of the TV show ‘Suits’. It’s basically everything I love in a book! So naturally, I finished it in 24 hours, LOL. But honestly, I loved the banter, the spice, the lawyer with a secret heart of gold, the FMC’s love of rom-coms… it had everything I want. But in addition to that, it also had a lot of heart and character growth! 👏🏼 I look forward to reading more by Letizia!
This was a Reese’s Book Club pick and I don’t always love her choices, but this was definitely the exception! Though I felt it was a bit long, ‘Into The Blue‘ was totally worth it! It spans decades and follows two friends who feel the pull to be more, but secrets keep them from being together. Their love story is beautiful and had me in tears at the end (which takes a lot)! If you enjoy love stories about characters in film and television- think SNL, Hollywood, Comic-Cons- then this might be right up your alley. My advice: stick with it, even when it feels a bit long. It’s worth it!
If you love discovering new authors and sharing them with people who get it, you’d feel right at home at a book·cation weekend. It’s a reading retreat for people who want to get away for uninterrupted reading time + opportunities to connect with fellow book lovers. Come share your favorite authors and add more to your TBR 📚
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