My Thoughts: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

People We Meet on Vacation
by Emily Henry

Publication Date: May 11th 2021
Publisher: Berkley Books
Pages: 364
ISBN: 9781984806758
Genre: Adult Fiction / Contemporary / Romance
Source: Netgalley Review Copy / Own

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Two best friends. Ten summer trips. One last chance to fall in love.

Poppy and Alex. Alex and Poppy. They have nothing in common. She’s a wild child; he wears khakis. She has insatiable wanderlust; he prefers to stay home with a book. And somehow, ever since a fateful car share home from college many years ago, they are the very best of friends. For most of the year they live far apart—she’s in New York City, and he’s in their small hometown—but every summer, for a decade, they have taken one glorious week of vacation together.

Until two years ago, when they ruined everything. They haven’t spoken since.

Poppy has everything she should want, but she’s stuck in a rut. When someone asks when she was last truly happy, she knows, without a doubt, it was on that ill-fated, final trip with Alex. And so, she decides to convince her best friend to take one more vacation together—lay everything on the table, make it all right. Miraculously, he agrees.

Now she has a week to fix everything. If only she can get around the one big truth that has always stood quietly in the middle of their seemingly perfect relationship. What could possibly go wrong?

From the New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read, a sparkling new novel that will leave you with the warm, hazy afterglow usually reserved for the best vacations. (Goodreads)

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry was yet another of my most anticipated reads for this summer, and I was super curious to finally read the book. I read Beach Read last summer, and I was really interested to see how this new book would compare.

There are so many things that I really enjoyed about this book! One thing was the characters. The book has so many interesting characters... including the two main characters, Poppy and Alex. I undeniably related more to Alex in his love of books and not being very spontaneous, but I think we all want to be a little like Poppy and her freedom to wander. I am such a homebody, and I can’t even imagine what that’s like. But it was fun to see it through Poppy’s eyes! Also, some of the people that they met on vacation were awesome!

Another thing that I like about the book was the storyline. It totally made me want to travel more, and, as I mentioned above, I am certainly more of a homebody. All of the places that Poppy and Alex visited throughout the book sounded interesting, and they were so well described, I could almost imagine being there as well. (I love it when that happens!)

I’m really glad that I chose to read this book in the summer, as it definitely felt like a summer read to me. Oh and I listened to the audiobook as well, and the narrator, Julia Whelan, did such a great job with the voices! Julia also narrates the audiobook for Beach Read, and has read a few others that I have checked out this year! It’s so fun to listen to a familiar voice.

Overall; People We Meet on Vacation was a fun summer read! I’m very glad that I had it on my TBR this season, and I absolutely can’t wait to get my hands on Emily’s next book, Book Lovers, which is currently set to release May 2022, also from Berkley! It sounds fantastic as well, so if it’s not already on your TBR, go ahead and add it now. *grin*

My Thoughts: The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang

The Heart Principle
(The Kiss Quotient #3)
by Helen Hoang

Publication Date: August 31st 2021
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 320
ISBN: 9780451490841
Genre: Adult Fiction / Romance / Contemporary
Source: Netgalley Review Copy / Own

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When violinist Anna Sun accidentally achieves career success with a viral YouTube video, she finds herself incapacitated and burned out from her attempts to replicate that moment. And when her longtime boyfriend announces he wants an open relationship before making a final commitment, a hurt and angry Anna decides that if he wants an open relationship, then she does, too. Translation: She's going to embark on a string of one-night stands. The more unacceptable the men, the better.

That's where tattooed, motorcycle-riding Quan Diep comes in. Their first attempt at a one-night stand fails, as does their second, and their third, because being with Quan is more than sex: he accepts Anna on an unconditional level that she has just started to understand herself. However, when tragedy strikes Anna's family, she takes on a role she is ill-suited for, until the burden of expectations threatens to destroy her. Anna and Quan have to fight for their chance at love, but to do that, they also have to fight for themselves. (Goodreads)

The Heart Principle is the third book in the The Kiss Quotient series by Helen Hoang, and was also one of my most anticipated reads for this summer! I loved the first two books in this series, and I couldn’t wait to read this book … especially since it’s Quan’s story!

Let me start this by saying that if you’re looking for a lighthearted, fluffy read, that is not exactly what you’re going to get with this book. Yes, there are lots of cute moments and romance in the book, but it also deals with some heavy topics as well. I was warned of this before starting the book, so I was able to prepare, but it didn’t dissuade me from reading the story at all. This is still an enjoyable read, but it’s not all light and fluffy like some may suspect. Regardless, I was hooked, and flew through this book in just a day, which rarely happens lately!

I have been really excited to read Quan’s story since we met him earlier on in the series. He really was great for Anna, as she was for him, and I enjoyed watching their relationship grow as the book went along. Both had their issues, but they figured them out together, after a few rough patches, and it was nice to see that. They are both just really great characters, and I love them both so much!

The storyline for this book, as I mentioned above, was both cute and fluffy, but also dealt with some heavier topics as well, including the sickness and death of a family member, and how that affected the people caring for him. As a person that has helped with multiple sick family members, I could definitely relate to Anna and her family. It’s definitely hard, and I’m glad that she had Quan to lean on.

Overall; The Heart Principle was a great addition to this fantastic series! I really enjoyed reading the story, and finally getting to read Quan’s story as well! I don’t know if this is the final book in the series or if we will be seeing more, but if Helen wants to write more books in this series, I would totally read them! (And I think a re-read of the series is definitely due soon!)

Summer Reads: 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand

28 Summers
by Elin Hilderbrand
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Publication Date: June 16th 2020
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 432
ISBN: 9780316420044
Genre: Women's Fiction
Source: Library Borrow

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By the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Summer of '69: Their secret love affair has lasted for decades -- but this could be the summer that changes everything.

When Mallory Blessing's son, Link, receives deathbed instructions from his mother to call a number on a slip of paper in her desk drawer, he's not sure what to expect. But he certainly does not expect Jake McCloud to answer. It's the late spring of 2020 and Jake's wife, Ursula DeGournsey, is the frontrunner in the upcoming Presidential election.

There must be a mistake, Link thinks. How do Mallory and Jake know each other?

Flash back to the sweet summer of 1993: Mallory has just inherited a beachfront cottage on Nantucket from her aunt, and she agrees to host her brother's bachelor party. Cooper's friend from college, Jake McCloud, attends, and Jake and Mallory form a bond that will persevere -- through marriage, children, and Ursula's stratospheric political rise -- until Mallory learns she's dying.

Based on the classic film Same Time Next Year (which Mallory and Jake watch every summer), 28 Summers explores the agony and romance of a one-weekend-per-year affair and the dramatic ways this relationship complicates and enriches their lives, and the lives of the people they love. (Goodreads)

28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand was one of the books on my Summer TBR that I was most excited to read this year. I just started reading Elin’s books a few years ago, and they always make for the best summer reads. 28 Summers was no exception!

Summer-themed books that are set at the beach are my absolute most favorite books to read around this time of year, and even more so this year since we didn’t get to make it to the beach at all. (Thanks Covid.) I love beach settings, and the one in 28 Summers sounded amazing. The book also had a fantastic storyline that had me completely hooked. There were a lot of interesting characters as well, and I enjoyed reading the story through the two main characters’ different viewpoints. I also enjoyed the format of the book, where each year in the story gets its own chapter. It all made for such a good read.

This book was a library borrow for me and I also opted to listen to the audiobook as well. The narrator, Erin Bennett, is a familiar voice that I know not only from a few of Elin’s previous books that I listened to, and she also narrates a few other books coming up on my TBR as well. I very much enjoy listening to Erin as she reads the story to me, and I think she did a fantastic job with 28 Summers.

Overall; 28 Summers was another great read by Elin Hilderbrand, and I’m so thrilled to have had it on my Summer TBR this year! I am definitely going to keep this yearly tradition going of reading Elin’s books in the summer, but I also plan to check out her winter themed books this coming winter as well!

Summer Reads: Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner (Audiobook)

Big Summer
by Jennifer Weiner
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Publication Date: May 5th 2020
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 368
ISBN: 9781501133510
Genre: Womens Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery

Audio Narrated By: Danielle Macdonald
Audiobook Length: 10hr 54min
Audio ISBN: 9781797108407
Source: Scribd

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The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the “nothing short of brilliant” (People) Mrs. Everything returns with an unforgettable novel about friendship and forgiveness set during a disastrous wedding on picturesque Cape Cod.

Six years after the fight that ended their friendship, Daphne Berg is shocked when Drue Cavanaugh walks back into her life, looking as lovely and successful as ever, with a massive favor to ask. Daphne hasn’t spoken one word to Drue in all this time—she doesn’t even hate-follow her ex-best friend on social media—so when Drue asks if she will be her maid-of-honor at the society wedding of the summer, Daphne is rightfully speechless.

Drue was always the one who had everything—except the ability to hold onto friends. Meanwhile, Daphne’s no longer the same self-effacing sidekick she was back in high school. She’s built a life that she loves, including a growing career as a plus-size Instagram influencer. Letting glamorous, seductive Drue back into her life is risky, but it comes with an invitation to spend a weekend in a waterfront Cape Cod mansion. When Drue begs and pleads and dangles the prospect of cute single guys, Daphne finds herself powerless as ever to resist her friend’s siren song.

A sparkling novel about the complexities of female friendship, the pitfalls of living out loud and online, and the resilience of the human heart, Big Summer is a witty, moving story about family, friendship, and figuring out what matters most. (Goodreads)

Big Summer is the very first book I have ever read by Jennifer Weiner, (though I have had quite a few of her books on my tbr for the longest), and I’m so thrilled to have finally read something by her! This was just the quick read that I didn’t know I needed to get out of my own head for a while.

Let me get this started by saying that Big Summer was not at all what I expected. I went into this book expecting a fun, summer wedding read set at the beach. I totally did not expect the mystery part of the story, and that said mystery that would have me completely hooked. But it did, and I was!

There were a lot of things that I liked about the book. The characters were definitely interesting, even when I thought they all were a suspect. The main character, Daphne, is an Instagram Influencer, but she could definitely get a side gig as a private investigator because she was determined to figure out what happened. She also has really great parents. (I LOVE when there are great parents in a story!)

The setting for the story jumps around a lot, and while I was basically just here for the beach parts, I did enjoy reading about all the other places as well. The storyline for the book was definitely interesting. It was a little slow in a few places, mostly during the backstory parts, but the fast parts definitely made up for that.

Also, I opted to listen to the audio version of this book, and Danielle Macdonald did a fantastic job of narrating the story! I really enjoyed her voices for each of the characters, and she did a great job with the pacing of the story.

Overall; Big Summer may have been my very first read by Jennifer Weiner, but it definitely won’t be my last! I am very much looking forward to reading more books by her soon, and I do think Mrs. Everything will be my next pick. (I’m so excited!) If you’re looking for a fun summer read, do is a great book to add to your list.

My Thoughts: Beach Read by Emily Henry

Beach Read
by Emily Henry
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Publication Date: May 19th 2020
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 361
ISBN: 9781984806734
Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Women's Fiction
Source: Netgalley Review Copy / Own

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A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may just upend everything they believe about happily ever afters.

Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast.

They're polar opposites.

In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they're living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer's block.

Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She'll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he'll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no one will fall in love. Really. (Goodreads)

Beach Read by Emily Henry was at the very top of my list of books I wanted to read this summer. I am all about summer books, (even though summer is probably my least favorite season), and I am always on the lookout for new summer-themed books. As soon as I saw the cover for Beach Read, I knew I would have to check it out!

Let me start this by saying that I went into this expecting a cute, romantic, beach read, and that’s… not exactly what this book is. While the book did have a lot of cutesy moments, it definitely had a lot of darker moments as well. (i.e., death, cults, etc.) And while the setting was at the beach, there was not the type of beach reading that I was expecting. This did not put me off of reading the book, but it definitely wasn’t what I had anticipated going into this book, so I just wanted to put that out there for someone else that I may go into the books with similar expectations.

That being said, I did really enjoy this book. January and Gus were adorable, and I enjoyed watching their relationship grow over the course of the book. (Enemies-to-lovers trope here, which happens to be my fave!) Also, there were a lot of fun secondary characters as well. The storyline was interesting, with lots of cutesy moments and steamy romance. (I probably could have done without the cult parts of the book, but I get while they were in there.) And I loved the setting for the book. I am a sucker for books set at the beach. So fun!

Overall; Beach Read was not at all what I expected, but was an interesting read none-the-less. It’s the second book I have read so far by Emily Henry, but I am definitely curious to check out some of her other books soon!

My Thoughts: Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert (Audiobook)

Take a Hint, Dani Brown
(The Brown Sisters #2)
by Talia Hibbert
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Publication Date: June 23rd 2020
Publisher: Avon Books / Harper Audio
Pages: 361
ISBN: 9780062941237
Genre: Romance

Narrated By: Ione Butler
Audio Length: 10 hours
ISBN: 9780062941268
Source: Own

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Talia Hibbert returns with another charming romantic comedy about a young woman who agrees to fake date her friend after a video of him “rescuing” her from their office building goes viral...

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? (Goodreads)

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert was at the top of my list of most anticipated reads to check out this summer, and I, of course, dropped everything and started reading the book the moment it was in my hands. I have absolutely no regrets – this book was fantastic!

I was admittedly super late to the party when it came to reading Get a Life, Chloe Brown, the first book in the Brown Sisters trilogy, but once I finally read it, I was HOOKED, and I knew this was a book series that I was going to love. I adored Chloe and Red from the first book, and I was so excited to get started on Dani and Zafir’s story!

There are so many things that I loved about this book, but one of the main things were the characters. Dani is brilliant, and confident, and curvy, and SO much fun! (She’s also a vegetarian, like me, AND struggles with anxiety, also like me!) And then there’s Zafir, the romance reading, audiobook listening, emotions feeling Zafir. (Yes friends, he’s super dreamy.) Zafir has definitely earned a spot of my favorite fictional men list. When you put Dani and Zafir together, wonderful things happen!

I also really, really loved the storyline for the book as well. It’s the fake dating trope, and I don’t read nearly enough of those! Dani and Zafir are *really* good at fake dating, you’ll have a hard time believing that it’s fake. (Seriously, adorable!) I definitely need to read more books with this kind of storyline!

And while I own the physical copy of the book, I opted to listen to the audiobook for Take a Hint, Dani Brown, since I listened to the first book on audio. Both audiobooks are fantastic! The narrator for this book, Ione Butler, has a beautiful voice! Not only was her accent completely charming, but her voices for the characters were fabulous as well! I could definitely listen to her narrate books all day long, and I will for sure be checking out more audiobooks narrated by her soon!

Overall; If you couldn’t tell by this super gushy review above, I really, REALLY loved Take a Hint, Dani Brown! The characters were so much fun, and the storyline completely captivating, and I loved every minute of it. Now I will be over here patiently waiting for the third, (and final), book in this sister series, Act Your Age, Eve Brown, which is currently set to release March 2021. I am so excited for Eve’s story!

12 Beach Books To Read On Your Summer Staycation

Summer is right around the corner, (one more month!), and when I think of summer, I think of the beach reads! Thanks to Covid19, our family will sadly not be making our beach trip this year, so that means no reading on the beach for me... BUT that doesn't mean I can't enjoy these books during my summer staycation, right?!

I absolutely love books that are set at the beach or the lake, or just set during summertime. I'm always on the lookout for book lists that have these themed books on them, but can never find a list with books I'm actually interested in, so I decided to make my own. I can't wait to read these books while I sit by the pool and pretend it's the ocean. lol!

Here are a whole bunch of brand new 2020 beach reads to check out if you're on a summer staycation like I am!

Beach Read by Emily Henry
(I am actually reading this book now, and it is SO good!)

Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner
(This is my first read EVER by Jennifer Weiner, and I'm so excited to read it.)



Hello, Summer by Mary Kay Andrews
(I started reading Mary's books a few summers ago, and I just enjoy them so much. I have more of hers on my summer tbr that I'm hoping to get to as well.)

Summer Longing by Jamie Brenner
(This was actually the first book to kick off my summer reading, and I loved it!)



The Friendship List by Susan Mallery
(I have been a huge fan of Susan's books for YEARS! I can't wait to read this newest book.)

Girls of Summer by Nancy Thayer
(I have only read one book by Nancy so far, but I'm excited to check out this book as well.)



28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand
(Elin is another favorite author of summer-themed books, and I can't wait to dive into this year's release.)

The View From Here by Hannah McKinnon
(I've only read one of Hannah's books so far, but this new book sounds awesome, and I can't wait for it to arrive.)



East Coast Girls by Kerry Kletter
(My first read by this author, but I'm excited to get started on it.)

Feels Like Falling by Kristy Woodson Harvey
(This book drew me in by its gorgeous cover!)



One Perfect Summer by Brenda Novak
(This will be my first read by Brenda as well!)

The Somerset Girls by Lori Foster
(First read by this author as well!)

•   •   •

Do these books look awesome, or what? I am not sure if they are all summer or beach/lake themed, but the covers really grabbed me, and I am super excited to check them out!

I also have a list of previously released beach books that I am hoping to tackle this year as well, and I will share a post with this later in the Spring.

Are there any beach books that you're planning to read this summer?? If so, feel free to share in the comments so I can check them out as well!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books With *Summer* Setting

August 16: Top Ten Books With X Setting

I decided to go with a Summer theme again this week,
as we still have a little bit left of summer to go, and I need something
to psych me up to finish my summer reading list!!

The Unexpected Everything & Since You've Been Gone
by Morgan Matson

These two books are the only two books I've read so far by Morgan Matson,
but they definitely won't be the last! I read The Unexpected Everything
early this year, and Since You've Been Gone the year before last
and both have excellent summer settings!

Open Road Summer by Emery Lord
This summer road trip book is the PERFECT summer read!
I loved the road trip storyline, and of course, the summer setting. ;)

Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn
I'm usually not a fan of drama, but the drama in these books are completely
addictive!! And they are set in the summer, double win!

My Life Next Door & What I Thought Was True
by Huntley Fitzpatrick

All of the books I've read by Huntley Fitzpatrick have had a summer setting,
and they've all been just really great reads. I love that even the covers
make me think of summer!

City Love by Susane Colasanti
Set in the summer before college, this book is full of fun and drama,
and everything you'd expect from a fun summer read!

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
This whole series takes place during Belly's teenage summers,
and the books are seriously addictive!

That Summer by Sarah Dessen
Amy & Rogers Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Ok, so these are actually two books with a summer theme that I HAVEN'T read yet..
both are on my wish list, and Morgan Matson has already proved to be GREAT
with Summer themed books, and summer just isn't summer without a
Sarah Dessen novel to read, so I know I will devour both of these, and SOON!!

That's all for my list!!

Top Ten Tuesday REWIND: Books on my Summer TBR (That I STILL haven't read yet.)

August 9th: Top Ten Rewind - Books on my Summer TBR
(That I STILL haven't read yet.)

1. Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson - I've had this book on my TBR for way too long. I had planned to finally read it this summer, so I need to get on it ASAP!!

2. Amy & Rogers Epic Detour by Morgan Matson - Yep, another Morgan Matson book on my list! I love the cover for this book, and the story sounds awesome. I hope to read it soon!


3. That Summer by Sarah Dessen - Summer just isn't summer without reading a Sarah Dessen book! I've almost read ALL the books that I own by her, so I'm trying to read the last few slowly, so that I can savor them!

4. Hearts, Fingers and Other Things to Cross by Katie Finn - This series is SO addictive! I still need to read this last book in the series, and I need to get started on it soon!


5. Summer Days and Summer Nights by Stephanie Perkins (& more!) - Stephanie Perkins, y'all! I loved My True Love Gave to Me, and I can't wait to dive into Summer Days and Summer Nights as well!

6. Moonglass by Jessi Kirby - This book has been on my TBR for the longest, for a couple of years at least, and it's definitely on my MUST READ THIS SUMMER list!


7. Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols - Ah,  yet another book that has been sitting on my bookshelf forever. I am really looking forward to finally starting this one!

8. The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares - I read the first book in this series with my book club, and I really enjoyed the story, AND the movie as well! I need to finish this series already!!


9. All Summer Long by Dorothea Benton Frant - This is a book that I probably wouldn't normally pick up, but I've seen it around a lot on Instagram and Twitter, and the story sounds awesome, so I thought I'd give it a try!

10. The Island House by Nancy Thayer - Same with this one! I love the covers for both of these books, and they both sound like really awesome reads!


So, that's my list...