,

The Paradise Problem

The Paradise ProblemTitle: The Paradise Problem
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Romance
Format: Audio
Pages: 340
Length: 11h 43m
Narrator: Patti Murin, Jon Root
Source: Owned
Reason: Book of the Month
Rating:
Romance Rating: 3.5 Flames

My Thoughts

I enjoyed The Paradise Problem a lot. I loved the banter and chemistry between Anna and Liam. I loved seeing their marriage of convenience turn into a real marriage.

I found myself laughing out loud and sniggering quite a bit while I listened to the audio. I loved the setting and wished I could be on the same island with them, minus the family drama of course. I loved the ending, especially the epilogue, and I loved that a certain narcissistic bastard got what he deserved.

One Golden Summer

One Golden SummerTitle: One Golden Summer
Author: Carley Fortune
Series: Florek Brothers #2
Genre: Romance
Format: Audio
Pages: 382
Length: 11h 51m
Narrator: A.J. Bridel
Source: Borrowed
Reason: Just Because
Rating:
Romance Rating: 3 Flames

My Thoughts

I discovered Carley Fortune when her debut came out in 2021. I instantly fell in love with Every Summer After and each subsequent book since then. 

One Golden Summer is my favorite of Fortune’s novels. I adored Alice and Charlie. I loved their interactions and all the fun they had together at the lake during the summer. I loved that this story is a companion to Every Summer After and that we get to finally see Charlie’s happily ever after. I loved revisiting the same lake and getting to see Percy, Sam, and Charlie again. It made this story that much more special.

2025 Reading Goals Check-In

Now that the year is halfway over, I thought I’d check-in on my progress with my 2025 reading goals. My goals for 2025 are to:

  1. Read at least 60 books.
  2. Read all of my book club books.
  3. Read all of my 2025 Book of the Month picks.
  4. Read 15 of the books on my Book of the Month backlist.

I’ve been keeping track of my progress on my 2025 Goals & Tracking page.

Yearly Goal

My goal for the year is to read 60 books and I’ve only read 16. Not reading anything in March and April really killed my progress.

So far, my favorite books are:

  • Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
  • Phantasma by Kaylie Smith
  • First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison
Book Club

I made a goal to read all of my book club books this year. I’ve only read two out of six. I tried to read March’s and May’s books but ended up DNFing them.

Book of the Month

I made a goal to read all of my 2025 Book of the Month picks. I’ve only read three out of ten.

Book of the Month Backlist

I made a goal to read 12 of the books on my Book of the Month backlist. I’ve only read two so far.

Conclusion

I haven’t had quite an abysmal reading year as 16 books isn’t anything to laugh at. It does feel a little disappointing since I know I can read a lot more. Because there’s no way I’m going to accomplish any of my goals, I’ve decided to modify them a bit. I want to enjoy what I read instead of stressing about not reading enough. The changes to my goals for 2025 are:

  • Read 48 books.
  • Read 9 of my book club books.
  • Read 12 of my 2025 Book of the Month books.
  • Read 12 of the books on my Book of the Month backlist.

June 2025 Wrap-Up

Books Read

Favorite: First-Time Caller

Least Favorite: None

Stats
June

Books Read: 3

Rereads: 0

Pages Read: 1,131

Hours Listened: 33h 27m

Average Rating: 4.3

Year-to-Date

Books Read: 16

Rereads: 0

Pages Read: 5,511

Hours Listened: 166h 41m

Average Rating: 4.2