Another month, come and gone! After a rough couple of reading month, I feel like I feel found my groove again with reading. July was my best reading month since January of this year as I ended up reading 12 books. That’s helped me get a bit of a lead on my reading goal of 100 books in 2022, which we love to see.
Additionally, I also feel like I have started to find the space to get back to my regular cadence of review. There is definitely some work to be done to get back to consistently reviewing 2-3 books per week, but I’ve got a schedule planned out for August that I’m hoping I can stick to as I am SO FAR behind in reviews. Seriously, there are books I read literally months ago on my to-be-reviewed list that I haven’t touched yet.
Anyways, let’s see what I read in July, shall we?
July 2022 Reads
Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann
I have some mixed feelings on Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann. There were things I really liked and something I really did not. I did appreciate seeing a biromantic asexual black lead female character navigating a turning point in her life, but I definitely had some issues with her so-called best friend. This is more YA which is not really a genre I read anymore, but I thought it was worth a read.
Eclipse the Moon (Starlight’s Shadow #2) by Jessie Mihalik
I adore all of Jessie Mihalik‘s books – we truly need more sci-fi, space opera romance novels! This was a fantastic sunshine/grump romance that perfectly balanced the romance with the action and political intrigue. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series as I’ve adored every book in the Starlight’s Shadow series.
Check out my full review of Eclipse the Moon by Jessie Mihalik.
A Study in Scarlet Women; A Conspiracy in Belgravia; and The Hollow of Fear by Sherry Thomas (Lady Charlotte Holmes 1-3)
First off, I ADORE THESE BOOKS. This was probably my fourth or fifth time rereading these books, but it was my first time doing them as audiobooks. And let me tell you – these audiobooks are FANTASTIC. Kate Reading is a truly fabulous audiobook narrator – she brings the character and story to life and made the whole thing feel free and new to me.
Of the three books, The Hollow of Fear continues to be my all-time favorite book in the series for REASONS (IYKYK). Ugh, it’s so good I listen to it all in one day.
I reread these for pure fun, not to review, but one day, I will try to get around to reviewing. But definitely pick them up if you want a smart, modern take on Sherlock Holmes and a great Lady Detective Fiction book.
Diamond Fire and Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews (Hidden Legacy #3.5 & 4)
In July, I continued my buddy read of the Hidden Legacy series with @meggatzabookclub! We’re now in the second phase of the series where the narrative shifts from Nevada to Catalina. I love this phase of the series just as much as the first. Ilona Andrews manages to make the series feel familiar but not repetitive. Catalina and Nevada are both their own characters, but you can see some similarities between them (which makes sense given how close the Baylor clan is)!
Check out my review of Diamond Fire by Ilona Andrews and Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews.
A Duchess by Midnight (Awakened by a Kiss #3) by Charis Michaels
A Duchess by Midnight closes out Charis Michaels‘ Awakened by a Kiss series! This was a fun spin on the Cinderella fairy tale, though it was not my favorite of the series (that goes to A Duchess a Day). However, despite some of the things that definitely fully click, I still enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it.
Check out my review of A Duchess by Midnight by Charis Michaels.
You, Again by Lauren Layne
Lauren Layne can do no wrong in my book. I was so excited to see she had a new release out this month and I devoured it in close to one day. I absolutely adore You, Again. The whole premise was so cute – swiping no on a guy on a dating app while he’s sitting next to you and seeing you reject him. This had so many tropes I love including enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity. Lauren Layne always writes the perfect contemporary romances, and this falls under the bucket.
Check out my review of You, Again by Lauren Layne.
Heartbreaker (Hell’s Bell #2) by Sarah MacLean
I’ve been a fan of Sarah MacLean since her debut, The Season, published back when I was a teenager. After loving Bombshell, Heartbreaker made its way up to the top of my most anticipated reads of 2022. I’m still trying to figure out my thoughts on this one. There were things I liked but felt it lost a little steam around the 60% mark.
Check out my review of Heartbreaker by Sarah MacLean.
A Caribbean Heiress in Paris (Las Léonas #1) by Adriana Herrera
Y’all this book made me want to sip a glass of whisky the entire time while reading it. This was my pool read for the last couple of weeks and I absolutely adored this one. I’m not usually a marriage of convenience fan, but this one worked perfectly. I loved both Evan and Luz so much and thought their romance was perfect. Plus, I loved how diverse the cast was and seeing that reflected in historical romance.
Keep an eye out for my review sometime soon.
Muses & Melodies (Hush Note #3) by Rebecca Yarros
One of my friends on Instagram recommended this book to me because I love Lead by Kylie Scott – and I can see why! This definitely had similar vibes to Lead with a hero with a lot of pain and hurt and a heroine who calls him on his BS and gets under his skin. I do think I enjoy Lead a little more, but I still enjoyed reading this one. This is the only book in the Hush Note series that I’ve read and I feel like I need to read the first two.
July 2022 Reviews
I started getting back into the review writing groove this month, writing 6 review in July.
If you missed any reviews, here’s what I reviewed in July:
- You Were Made to Be Mine (The Palace of Rogues #5) by Julie Anne Long
- Eclipse the Moon (Starlight’s Shadow #2) by Jessie Mihalik
- Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
- The Return of the Duke (Once Upon a Dukedom #3) by Lorraine Heath
- A Duchess By Midnight (Awakened by a Kiss #3) by Charis Michaels
- Burn for Me (Hidden Legacy #1) by Ilona Andrews
How many books did you read in July? Any new favorites?
Overflowing Shelf 