Susan’s Book Blog

  Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo  // 5 💀 out of 5 // I picked this book up just to read the first couple pages, with no intention of continuing because I had an ARC to read next but this had me before the first chapter was even over. There was no putting it down and coming back to it later. I HAD to keep going, ARC be damned.  I am Janice from Friends right now: OH  👐🏼  MY  👐🏼  GAWD  👐🏼      I feel like there is no way anything I say can do justice to what’s in this book. I’m not even sure I have all that many coherent thoughts, just a series of feelings that I’m struggling to articulate.  I was so impressed with how immersive this book felt. It’s hugely experiential.    Mandelo’s descriptions make heavy use of sensory information, with lines like “the cold sank straight through the gagging constriction of his throat to the cavern of his chest, grasping at him from the inside out” and “Andrew… [stood] in the wash o...

Daniel Cabot Puts Down Roots  by Cat Sebastian  Pub date: November 15,  2022  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 stars out of 5 I’ve been looking forward to reading more Cabot stories since I finished the first two over a year ago, and it did not disappoint.  Daniel Cabot is a character study and a story about the gradual building of a relationship, filled with quiet moments that are both realistic and compelling. It always blows me away how Cat Sebastian can fit SO MUCH character development into so few pages. And you can always count on her to write incredibly unique, richly drawn people who you can’t help but fall in love with. There is a foundation of kindness in this story, as there has been in the previous two Cabot novellas (or, really, ALL her books I suppose) that I find so beautiful and hopeful. Daniel and Alex take care of one another and others - friends and strangers both - in so many little ways and without wanting anything in return. It’s a refreshingly uncynical displ...

I thought that with the passing of England’s Queen, this might be a good time to read this book that’s been sitting on my shelf for a few months. 🇬🇧  The Last Queen: Elizabeth II’s Seventy Year Battle to Save the House of Windsor by Clive Irving 👑 3.5 crowns out of 5 👑 Just based on the title and subtitle, one might presume the book would lay out all the ways the British monarchy has failed to evolve with the times and has tried to maintain the public’s goodwill. And yet. The book is equal parts “assessing the state of the monarchy” and anecdotes from Irving’s work life in the 50s and 60s. He mines his association with Lord Snowdon for filler an almost obsessive amount. And if you ever wanted a primer on London newspapers of that era, this is the book for you. These parts didn’t interest me as much as when he attended his main thesis directly. Eventually Irving gets around to explaining how the monarchy has weathered many existential crises over the past century and how it may ...

Roommate Arrangement  by Saxon James // 4.5 origami cranes out of 5 // Ahhhhhhh this was so good. Two cinnamon rolls + low angst + lots of yearning, sexy times & romance = right up my alley! (Me throughout most of this book:  🥹🥹🥹 ) Payne is getting divorced and moving back to his hometown. His brother suggests he move in - temporarily of course - with his BFF Beau. Payne and Beau knew each other in high school but haven’t seen much of each other since Payne left and got married. Now he’s back and Beau thinks letting Payne take his spare room will finally cure him of his lifelong crush on Payne. Sure Jan.  😏 The story is good and the characters are wonderful. I loved both Payne and Beau. Payne’s family are pretty adorable as well. Payne’s friend group, aka the Divorced Men’s Club, is super cute. They’re funny and supportive. I enjoyed their group chats and banter.  Watching Payne and Beau’s relationship grow and change over the course of the book was lovely. T...

The Scottish Boy   by Alex de Campi  published by Unbound in May 2020 🏰 5 stars out of 5 🏰  The story starts in 1333 and I wasn’t sure what to expect from a novel that takes place that long ago. But the style is simple and straightforward. (I’ve read medieval-era stories by other authors who tried to mimic antiquated language and it was extremely distracting.) I found the story compelling from the very beginning. The MC Harry is a pretty likable guy from the start. He is 19 and fresh off missing the battle of Halidon Hill due to the death of his mother. He has been itching to go to war to prove himself and avenge his father’s death at the battle of Bannockburn. Harry learns very quickly what war is really like when he’s taken on a raid and watches his fellow knights strike down unarmed citizens, struggling to understand the pointless brutality and cruelty. Being a knight isn’t at all what he thought it would be. Where’s the chivalry? The justice? He dislikes the way the...

  A Taste of Gold and Iron   by Alexandra Rowland Pub Date: Aug 30, 2022 🪙 4.5 stars out of 5 🪙  This book really hits the ground running. It introduces the main character and his complicated situation in a blazing info dump of a first chapter. It took me a while to get the hang of things, especially who was who among the cast members.  (But I’m not very used to reading fantasy.) This is one of those books that gets better and better as it goes on - the way the plot thickens and the romance develops, it was hard to put down. I really fell in love with the characters and they definitely kept me turning pages. I was surprised to discover so much humor in the book. It’s a serious tone for most of it but some of the characters are pretty funny - one in particular was especially enjoyable. It was far more character-driven than I’d expected. And the pace was surprisingly swift for such a long book. I liked Prince Kadou from the start. He’s sweet, sensitive, dutiful, and ...

Heat Wave by TJ Klune Released July 19, 2022 TorTeen 🔥 5 stars out of 5 🔥  Heat Wave is the third and final book in the series and I don’t think I have a single complaint about it. It was perfect. It was exciting, dramatic, tense, sweet, tender, romantic, riveting, and completely hilarious.  It was so good to see Nick and Seth again. Nick is every bit as funny and adorable and in love with Seth as he’s always been. I loved seeing more of Nick & Seth’s relationship in this. They’ve definitely grown a bit as people and their relationship has as well. They are so sweet and deserve all the best things in the world. Two cinnamon rolls who have been by each other’s side for so long that, even though they’re teenagers, you still have a good feeling about them being together for the long haul.  The plot was excellent. I liked where it went and how it developed. There was confusion and intrigue and mystery and I loved every minute of trying to guess what was going on. I thou...

  The Bodyguard by Katherine Center pub date: July 19, 2022 🌺 4.5 Stars out of 5 🌺 She’s got his back. Hannah Brooks looks more like a kindergarten teacher than somebody who could kill you with a wine bottle opener. But the truth is, she’s an Executive Protection Agent (aka "bodyguard"), and she just got hired to protect superstar actor Jack Stapleton from his middle-aged, corgi-breeding stalker. He’s got her heart. Jack Stapleton’s a household name—captured by paparazzi on beaches the world over, famous for, among other things, rising out of the waves in all manner of clingy board shorts and glistening like a Roman deity. But a few years back, in the wake of a family tragedy, he dropped from the public eye and went off the grid. They’ve got a secret. When Jack’s mom gets sick, he comes home to the family’s Texas ranch to help out. Only one catch: He doesn’t want his family to know about his stalker. Or the bodyguard thing. And so Hannah—against her will and her better judg...

  See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon Publishing May 17, 2022 3.5 stars out of 5 From the author of Today Tonight Tomorrow comes a magical romance in the vein of Groundhog Day about a girl forced to relive her disastrous first day of college—only to discover that her nemesis is stuck in the time loop with her. ⌛⌛⌛ This could be called Barrett Bloom and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. It’s her first day at college and… everything has gone wrong. Not just wrong. Epically, disastrously bad. The day culminates in her nearly burning a frat house down. But luckily (or not) when she wakes up the next day, it’s not the next day. It’s the same day as before. She gets a do over. But Barrett needs a redo for more than just her first day of college. She’s kind of running from her past, which adds an extra element of interest to the story and some emotional weight. Barrett is smart and witty but her brusk demeanor eventually got on my nerves a bit. She tends to be somewhat h...

  Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez Published April 19, 2022 by Forever/Grand Central Publishing 5 stars out of 5 After a wild bet, gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich, and cuddle with a baby goat, Alexis Montgomery has had her world turned upside down. The cause: Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s ten years younger than her and as casual as they come—the complete opposite of sophisticated city-girl Alexis. And yet their chemistry is undeniable. While her ultra-wealthy parents want her to carry on the family legacy of world-renowned surgeons, Alexis doesn’t need glory or fame. She’s fine with being a “mere” ER doctor. And every minute she spends with Daniel and the tight-knit town where he lives, she’s discovering just what’s really important. Yet letting their relationship become anything more than a short-term fling would mean turning her back on her family and giving up the opportunity to help thousands of people. Bringing Daniel into her world is impossible, and yet ...

 As of right now, I have 6 ARCs waiting to be reviewed on NetGalley, all with release dates in May, June, and July, so I thought I would give you a heads up on what you can look forward to seeing here in the near future.  Each book is pictured below with its tentative release date so expect to see its review here sometime in the 4 weeks prior to that date.  Are there any here you’re particularly excited about?

  Until We Meet by Camille Di Maio Pub date: March 1, 2022 // 5 stars out of 5 // A poignant and page-turning story of three women whose lives are forever changed by war… Brooklyn, 1943 Can one small act change the course of a life?  Margaret ’s job at the Navy Yard brings her freedoms she never dared imagine, but she wants to do something more personal to help the war effort. Knitting socks for soldiers is a way to occupy her quiet nights and provide comfort to the boys abroad. But when a note she tucks inside one of her socks sparks a relationship with a long-distance pen pal, she finds herself drawn to a man she’s never even met. Can a woman hold on to her independence if she gives away her heart?  Gladys  has been waiting her whole life for the kinds of opportunities available to her now that so many men are fighting overseas. She’s not going to waste a single one. And she’s not going to let her two best friends waste them either. Then she meets someone who...

  Season’s Change by Cait Nary Published February 1, 2022 Olly Järvinen has a long way to go. He’s got a fresh start playing for a new team but getting his hockey career back on track is going to take more than a change of scenery. He’s got to shut his past out and focus. On the game, not on his rookie roommate and his annoyingly sunny disposition—and annoyingly distracting good looks. All Benji Bryzinski ever wanted was to play in the big leagues, and he’s not going to waste one single second of his rookie season. Yoga, kale smoothies and guided meditation help keep his head in the game. But his roommate keeps knocking him off track. Maybe it’s just that Olly is a grumpy bastard. Or maybe it’s something else, something Benji doesn’t have a name for yet. Olly and Benji spend all their time together—on the ice, in the locker room, in their apartment—and ignoring their unspoken feelings isn’t making them go away. Acting on attraction is one thing but turning a season’s flin...