Hoohoo, friends of the blade!
How are you all? I hope August has treated you well and you had a wonderful start into September. Even though I don’t really like summer, August is still my favourite month of the year. I think it was the first year of my entire life that August wasn’t completely free of school/uni/work related things and it was weird, to say it kindly. But I guess I have to get used to it. Anyways, before I talk about that longer, let’s wrap this month up and have a look at what I did, read & blogged last month!
PERSONAL LIFE
August was relatively stressful in the beginning. I was working a lot, craving time for myself I couldn’t get. Then my boyfriend’s sister married and while it was very stressful, it was absolutely worth it. It was a wonderful party, truly. After some more working, I finally went back home to see friends and family again and to celebrate my birthday.
Even though I was at home for only a week, I had an amazing time and as everytime I wish I could have stayed longer. The time at home always feels like balm for my soul, I’m generally happy and content there. I already miss it. I loved seeing my family, visiting them and talking to them all and finding out things about my ancestors. I loved gaming night with the usual group, I loved photoshootings with my best friend and I loved just having long talks.
WHAT I READ
Love from Scratch by Kaitlyn Hill
This summer, Reese Camden is trading sweet tea and Southern hospitality for cold brew and crisp coastal air. She’s landed her dream marketing internship at Friends of Flavor, a wildly popular cooking channel in Seattle. The only problem? Benny Beneventi, the relentlessly charming, backwards-baseball-cap-wearing culinary intern–and her main competition for the fall job.
Reese’s plan to keep work a No Feelings Zone crumbles like a day-old muffin when she and Benny are thrown together for a video shoot that goes viral, making them the internet’s newest ship. Audiences are hungry for more, and their bosses at Friends of Flavor are happy to deliver. Soon Reese and Benny are in an all-out food war, churning homemade ice cream, twisting soft pretzels, breaking eggs in an omelet showdown–while hundreds of thousands of viewers watch.
Reese can’t deny the chemistry between her and Benny. But the more their rivalry heats up, the harder it is to keep love on the back burner…
I enjoyed this book a lot! I especially loved Benny who was such a sweet, caring and positive guy. I also really liked Reese and Benny’s differences but how it was those that made them fit together wonderfully. I also like the feministic aspect of the book and how much Reese learned thanks to the other people at Friends of Flavor, especially the older women and people of color. There is still a long way for her to go but she has such a great development! The food was of course another thing I thoroughly enjoyed. I just absolutely love reading about food and there is a vast variety of it in here!
Worlds Collide by Anabelle Stehl
Fiona hat es geschafft: Sie ist eine der erfolgreichsten Beauty-YouTuberinnen Englands, reist von Event zu Event und wird schon bald eine eigene Make-up-Linie herausbringen. Aber ihr Leben war nicht immer glamourös. Aufgewachsen in einer finanziell schwachen Familie nutzt sie ihre Reichweite, um anderen zu helfen. Ihr gutes Image gerät ins Wanken, als YouTuber Demian einen Skandal aufdeckt, in den Fiona unfreiwillig verwickelt ist. Bei einer Convention will sie ihren guten Ruf retten … doch dann sitzt bei einem Panel ausgerechnet Demian neben ihr.
Ich bin etwas zwiegespalten. Einerseits mochte ich Fiona sehr, andererseits konnte ich mit Demian leider nicht ganz so viel anfangen. Das Buch ist ein ziemliches Hin und Her und ein Wirrwarr an Gefühlen, sodass ich manchmal einfach keine Lust auf noch mehr Drama hatte, vor allem weil der third-act-breakup einfach zu offensichtlich für meinen Geschmack war.
Andererseits spricht das Buch einige spannende Themen an und dass die Geschichte sich um Influencer dreht war auch sehr interessant. Aber gerade was Armut und schwierige Familiensituationen angeht, ist die Geschichte wirklich super.
Something Wilder by Christina Lauren
Growing up the daughter of notorious treasure hunter and absentee father Duke Wilder left Lily without much patience for the profession…or much money in the bank. But Lily is nothing if not resourceful, and now uses Duke’s coveted hand-drawn maps to guide tourists on fake treasure hunts through the red rock canyons of Utah. It pays the bills but doesn’t leave enough to fulfill her dream of buying back the beloved ranch her father sold years ago, and definitely not enough to deal with the sight of the man she once loved walking back into her life with a motley crew of friends ready to hit the trails. Frankly, Lily would like to take him out into the wilderness—and leave him there.
Leo Grady knew mirages were a thing in the desert, but they’d barely left civilization when the silhouette of his greatest regret comes into focus in the flickering light of the campfire. Ready to leave the past behind him, Leo wants nothing more than to reconnect with his first and only love. Unfortunately, Lily Wilder is all business, drawing a clear line in the sand: it’s never going to happen.
But when the trip goes horribly and hilariously wrong, the group wonders if maybe the legend of the hidden treasure wasn’t a gimmick after all. There’s a chance to right the wrongs—of Duke’s past and their own—but only if Leo and Lily can confront their history and work together. Alone under the stars in the isolated and dangerous mazes of the Canyonlands, Leo and Lily must decide whether they’ll risk their lives and hearts on the adventure of a lifetime.
I… still don’t completely know what to think about this book and it’s been a few weeks since I read it. Was it good? No. Was it bad? Also no. Was it really wild? Yeah, I guess. I’m not sure what I expected from the “the trip goes horribly and hilariously wrong” part of the synopsis but it sure as hell wasn’t that. Pretty sure I said “what the fuck” out loud at several points of the story because it just got wilder and wilder. The plot truly was a masterpiece of dramatics, things going horribly wrong and people stumbling into hilarious situations. But then when it comes to the weapons mentioned during the book… I guess this is the US and my European ass just doesn’t understand what the hell is up with them. Just… don’t take them with you everywhere? My god.
Anyways. I read this for the romance and the romance only, I couldn’t bring myself to really care about the rest. The romance was great though. Second chance trope? Nice! Forced proximity? Also nice! Them talking-not-talking about their feelings and then sharing a tent? Delicious. Loved the chemistry between Leo and Lily!
Ravage the Dark by Tara Sim
Scavenge the Stars #2
For seven long years, while she was imprisoned on a debtor’s ship, Amaya Chandra had one plan: to survive. But now, survival is not enough. She has people counting on her; counting on her for protection, for leadership, for vengeance. And after escaping Moray by the skin of her teeth, she’s determined to track down the man who betrayed her and her friends.
Cayo Mercado has lost everything: his money, his father, his reputation. Everything except his beloved sister. But he’s well on his way to losing her, too, with no way to afford the treatment for her deadly illness. In a foreign empire also being consumed by ash fever, Cayo has no choice but to join Amaya in uncovering the mystery of the counterfeit currency, the fever, and how his father was involved in their creation. But Cayo still hasn’t forgiven Amaya for her earlier deception, and their complicated feelings for each other are getting harder and harder to ignore.
Through glittering galas, dazzling trickery, and thrilling heists, Cayo and Amaya will learn that the corruption in Moray goes far deeper than they know, and in the end the only people they can trust are each other.
I enjoyed this so, so much. This definitely wasn’t the last book by Tara Sim I read! I truly love the casual queerness and its acceptance, I love all the action scenes and the heists, I love the angst and possibilities of love and better destinies. I enjoyed all the twists so much and how the book wrapped up everything perfectly as well. All of the characters have come such a long way and I really loved to see how far they’ve come!
Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
Brown Sisters #2
Danika Brown knows what she wants: professional success, academic renown, and an occasional roll in the hay to relieve all that career-driven tension. But romance? Been there, done that, burned the T-shirt. Romantic partners, whatever their gender, are a distraction at best and a drain at worst. So Dani asks the universe for the perfect friend-with-benefits—someone who knows the score and knows their way around the bedroom.
When brooding security guard Zafir Ansari rescues Dani from a workplace fire drill gone wrong, it’s an obvious sign: PhD student Dani and ex-rugby player Zaf are destined to sleep together. But before she can explain that fact, a video of the heroic rescue goes viral. Now half the internet is shipping #DrRugbae—and Zaf is begging Dani to play along. Turns out, his sports charity for kids could really use the publicity. Lying to help children? Who on earth would refuse?
Dani’s plan is simple: fake a relationship in public, seduce Zaf behind the scenes. The trouble is, grumpy Zaf’s secretly a hopeless romantic—and he’s determined to corrupt Dani’s stone-cold realism. Before long, he’s tackling her fears into the dirt. But the former sports star has issues of his own, and the walls around his heart are as thick as his… um, thighs.
Suddenly, the easy lay Dani dreamed of is more complex than her thesis. Has her wish backfired? Is her focus being tested? Or is the universe just waiting for her to take a hint?
I loved this so much, definitely my favourite book of the month! I really loved Dani, she’s so fierce and knows what she wants, she truly is a presence™ and I loved that for her. She’s such a confident woman who knows her way around the world but still is capable of learning and adapting if necessary. I also really liked Zaf, he’s such a grumpy sweetheart. And I loved them together as well, all the teasing and the tension, the frustration and the warmth and their care for each other. It was so much fun reading this book, I practically raced through it.
The spicy scenes were wonderfully written as well and I really liked seeing all the different sides to the characters. Can’t wait to read Eve Brown soon!
I’ll Be the One by Lyla Lee
Skye Shin has heard it all. Fat girls shouldn’t dance. Wear bright colors. Shouldn’t call attention to themselves. But Skye dreams of joining the glittering world of K-Pop, and to do that, she’s about to break all the rules that society, the media, and even her own mother, have set for girls like her.
She’ll challenge thousands of other performers in an internationally televised competition looking for the next K-pop star, and she’ll do it better than anyone else.
When Skye nails her audition, she’s immediately swept into a whirlwind of countless practices, shocking performances, and the drama that comes with reality TV. What she doesn’t count on are the highly fat-phobic beauty standards of the Korean pop entertainment industry, her sudden media fame and scrutiny, or the sparks that soon fly with her fellow competitor, Henry Cho.
But Skye has her sights on becoming the world’s first plus-sized K-pop star, and that means winning the competition—without losing herself.
This was a very quick and highly enjoyable read. Skye has my whole heart and I loved cheering for her. She’s so confident and believes in herself. She knows and accepts herself the way she is, even if others don’t. She still thinks about what others think of her but not when it comes to her being fat, bi and Asian because she is okay with how she looks and how and who she is. I loved seeing her accepting it and promoting that acceptance for hersef but others as well. She is such an inspiring, warm and kind character.
I probably wasn’t Henry’s biggest fan but I definitely liked the two of them together. They were such a great duo, bringing out each other’s best as well as challenging each other.
What I liked most were the friendships, though, and the unconditional support and love they brought with them. I truly enjoyed this book so much!
BOOK HAUL
Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen
Violet is a prophet and a liar, influencing the royal court with her cleverly phrased—and not always true—divinations. Honesty is for suckers, like the oh-so-not charming Prince Cyrus, who plans to strip Violet of her official role once he’s crowned at the end of the summer—unless Violet does something about it.
But when the king asks her to falsely prophesy Cyrus’s love story for an upcoming ball, Violet awakens a dreaded curse, one that will end in either damnation or salvation for the kingdom—all depending on the prince’s choice of future bride. Violet faces her own choice: Seize an opportunity to gain control of her own destiny, no matter the cost, or give in to the ill-fated attraction that’s growing between her and Cyrus.
Violet’s wits may protect her in the cutthroat court, but they can’t change her fate. And as the boundary between hatred and love grows ever thinner with the prince, Violet must untangle a wicked web of deceit in order to save herself and the kingdom—or doom them all.
A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall
When Viola Carroll was presumed dead at Waterloo she took the opportunity to live, at last, as herself. But freedom does not come without a price, and Viola paid for hers with the loss of her wealth, her title, and her closest companion, Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood.
Only when their families reconnect, years after the war, does Viola learn how deep that loss truly was. Shattered without her, Gracewood has retreated so far into grief that Viola barely recognises her old friend in the lonely, brooding man he has become.
As Viola strives to bring Gracewood back to himself, fresh desires give new names to old feelings. Feelings that would have been impossible once and may be impossible still, but which Viola cannot deny. Even if they cost her everything, all over again.
Husband Material by Alexis Hall
London Calling #2
In BOYFRIEND MATERIAL, Luc and Oliver met, pretended to fall in love, fell in love for real, dealt with heartbreak and disappointment and family and friends…and somehow figured out a way to make it work. Now it seems like everyone around them is getting married, and Luc’s feeling the social pressure to propose. But it’ll take more than four weddings, a funeral, and a bowl full of special curry to get these two from I don’t know what I’m doing to I do.
Good thing Oliver is such perfect HUSBAND MATERIAL.
Something Wilder by Christina Lauren
Growing up the daughter of notorious treasure hunter and absentee father Duke Wilder left Lily without much patience for the profession… or much money in the bank. But Lily is nothing if not resourceful, and now uses Duke’s coveted hand-drawn maps to guide tourists on fake treasure hunts through the red rock canyons of Utah. It pays the bills but doesn’t leave enough to fulfill her dream of buying back the beloved ranch her father sold years ago, and definitely not enough to deal with the sight of the man she once loved walking back into her life with a motley crew of friends ready to hit the trails. Frankly, Lily would like to take him out into the wilderness—and leave him there.
Leo Grady knew mirages were a thing in the desert, but they’d barely left civilization when the silhouette of his greatest regret comes into focus in the flickering light of the campfire. Ready to leave the past behind him, Leo wants nothing more than to reconnect with his first and only love. Unfortunately, Lily Wilder is all business, drawing a clear line in the sand: it’s never going to happen.
But when the trip goes horribly and hilariously wrong, the group wonders if maybe the legend of the hidden treasure wasn’t a gimmick after all. There’s a chance to right the wrongs—of Duke’s past and their own—but only if Leo and Lily can confront their history and work together. Alone under the stars in the isolated and dangerous mazes of the Canyonlands, Leo and Lily must decide whether they’ll risk their lives and hearts on the adventure of a lifetime.
To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters
Five years ago, Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley met, fell in love, and got married. Four years ago, they had a fight to end all fights, and have barely spoken since.
Their once-passionate love match has been reduced to one of cold, detached politeness. But when Violet receives a letter that James has been thrown from his horse and rendered unconscious at their country estate, she races to be by his side—only to discover him alive and well at a tavern, and completely unaware of her concern. She’s outraged. He’s confused. And the distance between them has never been more apparent.
Wanting to teach her estranged husband a lesson, Violet decides to feign an illness of her own. James quickly sees through it, but he decides to play along in an ever-escalating game of manipulation, featuring actors masquerading as doctors, threats of Swiss sanitariums, faux mistresses—and a lot of flirtation between a husband and wife who might not hate each other as much as they thought. Will the two be able to overcome four years of hurt or will they continue to deny the spark between them?
Elektra by Jennifer Saint
The House of Atreus is cursed. A bloodline tainted by a generational cycle of violence and vengeance. This is the story of three women, their fates inextricably tied to this curse, and the fickle nature of men and gods.
Clytemnestra
The sister of Helen, wife of Agamemnon – her hopes of averting the curse are dashed when her sister is taken to Troy by the feckless Paris. Her husband raises a great army against them, and determines to win, whatever the cost.
Cassandra
Princess of Troy, and cursed by Apollo to see the future but never to be believed when she speaks of it. She is powerless in her knowledge that the city will fall.
Elektra
The youngest daughter of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon, Elektra is horrified by the bloodletting of her kin. But, can she escape the curse, or is her own destiny also bound by violence?
I’ll Be the One by Lyla Lee
Skye Shin has heard it all. Fat girls shouldn’t dance. Wear bright colors. Shouldn’t call attention to themselves. But Skye dreams of joining the glittering world of K-Pop, and to do that, she’s about to break all the rules that society, the media, and even her own mother, have set for girls like her.
She’ll challenge thousands of other performers in an internationally televised competition looking for the next K-pop star, and she’ll do it better than anyone else.
When Skye nails her audition, she’s immediately swept into a whirlwind of countless practices, shocking performances, and the drama that comes with reality TV. What she doesn’t count on are the highly fat-phobic beauty standards of the Korean pop entertainment industry, her sudden media fame and scrutiny, or the sparks that soon fly with her fellow competitor, Henry Cho.
But Skye has her sights on becoming the world’s first plus-sized K-pop star, and that means winning the competition—without losing herself.
XOXO by Axie Oh
Cello prodigy Jenny has one goal: to get into a prestigious music conservatory. When she meets mysterious, handsome Jaewoo in her uncle’s Los Angeles karaoke bar, it’s clear he’s the kind of boy who would uproot her careful plans. But in a moment of spontaneity, she allows him to pull her out of her comfort zone for one unforgettable night of adventure… before he disappears without a word.
Three months later, when Jenny and her mother arrive in South Korea to take care of her ailing grandmother, she’s shocked to discover that Jaewoo is a student at the same elite arts academy where she’s enrolled for the semester. And he’s not just any student. He’s a member of one of the biggest K-pop bands in the world—and he’s strictly forbidden from dating.
When a relationship means throwing Jenny’s life off the path she’s spent years mapping out, she’ll have to decide once and for all just how much she’s willing to risk for love.
The Dragon’s Promise by Elizabeth Lim
Six Crimson Cranes #2
Princess Shiori made a deathbed promise to return the dragon’s pearl to its rightful owner, but keeping that promise is more dangerous than she ever imagined.
She must journey to the kingdom of dragons, navigate political intrigue among humans and dragons alike, fend off thieves who covet the pearl for themselves and will go to any lengths to get it, all while cultivating the appearance of a perfect princess to dissuade those who would see her burned at the stake for the magic that runs in her blood.
The pearl itself is no ordinary cargo; it thrums with malevolent power, jumping to Shiori’s aid one minute, and betraying her the next—threatening to shatter her family and sever the thread of fate that binds her to her true love, Takkan. It will take every ounce of strength Shiori can muster to defend the life and the love she’s fought so hard to win.
Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
Like an avenging, purple-haired Jedi bringing balance to the mansplained universe, Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do? If NASA offered her the lead on a neuroengineering project-a literal dream come true after years scraping by on the crumbs of academia-Marie would accept without hesitation. Duh. But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward.
Sure, Levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way. And sure, he caught her in his powerfully corded arms like a romance novel hero when she accidentally damseled in distress on her first day in the lab. But Levi made his feelings toward Bee very clear in grad school–archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away.
Now, her equipment is missing, the staff is ignoring her, and Bee finds her floundering career in somewhat of a pickle. Perhaps it’s her occipital cortex playing tricks on her, but Bee could swear she can see Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas…devouring her with those eyes. And the possibilities have all her neurons firing. But when it comes time to actually make a move and put her heart on the line, there’s only one question that matters: What will Bee Königswasser do?
Anne of Manhattan by Brina Starler
After an idyllic girlhood in Avonlea, Long Island, Anne has packed up her trunk, said goodbye to her foster parents, Marilla and Matthew, and moved to the isle of Manhattan for grad school. Together with her best friend, Diana Barry, she’s ready to take on the world and find her voice as a writer.When her long-time archrival Gilbert Blythe shows up at Redmond College for their final year, Anne gets the shock of her life. Gil has been in California for the last five years—since he kissed her during a beach bonfire, and she ghosted him. Now the handsome brunette is flashing his dimples at her like he hasn’t a care in the world and she isn’t buying it.
Paired with the same professor for their thesis, the two former competitors come to a grudging peace that turns into something so much deeper…and sexier than either intended. But when Gil seemingly betrays her to get ahead, Anne realizes she was right all along—she should never have trusted Gilbert Blythe.
While Gil must prove to Anne that they’re meant to be together, she must come to terms with her old fears if she wants a happily-ever-after with the boy she’s always (secretly) loved.
WHAT I BLOGGED
- Books Not Set in the UK Or US
- 26 Books That Shaped My Life – I Turned 26
- Tall White Tenement Cover Reveal
BLOG VISITS
posts by other bloggers I enjoyed reading this month
Reviews:
- The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth by Jo @ Once Upon A Bookcase
- Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren by Tiffany @ Read by Tiffany
- Babel by R.F. Kuang by Lili @ Utopia State of Mind
- The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi by Neelam @ The Tsundoku Chronicles
Other:
- YA Books to Read Based on Your Favourite Romance Trope by Marie @ Drizzle and Hurricane Books
- How to Manage ARC-Stress by Kal @ Reader Voracious
- Unpopular Opinions Book Tag by Suhani @ Random Reader’s Rambles
- Kate’s Filipino Favourites: Top Filipino YA Books by Kate @ Your Tita Kate
- 10 YA Books To Read Based On Your Favourite Aesthetic by Marie @ Drizzle and Hurricane Books
- I Read Romance Books Now by Hollie @ Hollieblog
- If you liked this book… you’ll like this book by Ellyn @ allonsythornraxxbooks
- Der Einfluss von TikTok auf die Buchbranche by Yvonne @ Seitenglück
- Interview with Saara El-Arifi by Lili @ Utopia State of Mind
- Interview with Olivie Blake by Kate @ Your Tita Kate
And that’s my August wrap up! I read quite a lot, got some new books, was very stressed but also had some wonderful times at home.
What did you read during August? Which was your favourite read of the month? What was a thing that made you happy?
Until next time,
Ahh I’ve been meaning to read I’ll be the one for so long, glad to hear you enjoyed it!!! Thank you SO MUCH for mentioning my post!! Loved this! <3
I hope you’ll enjoy it when you pick it up!! <3
of course! thank you 🙂 <3
I also loved Take a Hint, Dani Brown! The Brown Sisters books just deliver 🥰 I also hauled A Lady for a Duke this year and I really need to read it (same with Husband Material)!
I haven’t read them yet either… I’m just waiting for the right mood 😀
And yes! I’m really excited to read Eve Brown when I’m back home 🙂