One Golden Summer

One Golden SummerTitle: One Golden Summer
Author(s): Carley Fortune
Series: Florek Brothers #2
Genre: Romance
Spice Level: 3 / 5
Format: Audio
Pages: 382
Length: 11h 51m
Narrator(s): A.J. Bridel
Source: Borrowed
Reason: Just Because
Rating:

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.

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Dark Corners

Dark CornersTitle: Dark Corners
Author(s): Megan Goldin
Series: Rachel Krall #2
Genre: Thriller
Format: Audio
Pages: 341
Length: 10h 46m
Narrator(s): January LaVoy, Samantha Desz, André Santana
Source: Owned
Reason: BotM Backlist
Rating:

Also in This Series: The Night Swim
My Thoughts

I thought DARK CORNERS was very interesting. I liked the little bit of romance between Rachel and Special Agent Martinez.

DARK CORNERS definitely felt much more thriller-y than THE NIGHT SWIM. I thought the mystery and thriller were fun to figure out and kept me guessing about certain aspects until the end. I’ll definitely read another installment if there are any in the future.

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The Night Swim

The Night SwimTitle: The Night Swim
Author(s): Megan Goldin
Series: Rachel Krall #1
Genre: Thriller
Format: Audio
Pages: 344
Length: 10h 25m
Narrator(s): January LaVoy, Samantha Desz, Bailey Carr
Source: Library
Reason: Just Because
Rating:

Also in This Series: Dark Corners
My Thoughts

I thought THE NIGHT SWIM was an interesting look at the United States justice system in regard to sexual assault cases. The story felt very real, and the characters and situations seemed believable. I also thought the connection between the current case and the 25-year-old cold case was interesting.

Even though the book is billed as a thriller, I thought it was more of a mystery as I didn’t get that edge-of-my-seat feeling like I do with thrillers. I wanted to keep reading. I needed to know if the perpetrators were convicted and the victims received justice.

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First-Time Caller

First-Time CallerTitle: First-Time Caller
Author(s): B.K. Borison
Series: Heartstrings #1
Genre: Romance
Spice Level: 3 / 5
Format: Audio
Pages: 437
Length: 11h 55m
Narrator(s): Hathaway Lee, E.J. Bingham
Source: Owned
Reason: Book of the Month
Rating:

My Thoughts

FIRST-TIME CALLER was such a cute Sleepless in Seattle type romance. I adored everything about it. I loved both Lucie and Aiden, and Lucie’s make-shift family. I loved the banter, the spice, and even the parts where I cried. I’m so glad I chose this as my February Book of the Month pick.

I listened to the audiobook, even though I have the physical book. I loved the audio! E.J. Bingham, who voices Aiden, sounds so much like Neil Patrick Harris.

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Not in Love

Not in LoveTitle: Not in Love
Author(s): Ali Hazelwood
Series: Not in Love #1
Genre: Romance
Spice Level: 4 / 5
Format: Audio
Pages: 379
Length: 11h 55m
Narrator(s): Callie Dalton, Jason Clarke
Source: Library
Reason: Just Because
Rating:

My Thoughts

I think NOT IN LOVE is my favorite Ali Hazelwood book. I loved the characters, especially Rue and Eli. I loved their story, chemistry, and banter. I loved the premise of the story.

Even though it’s a rom-com in the sense of enemies-to-lovers and a happily ever after, the story deals with a lot of hard issues. I thought the hard issues gave some meat to an otherwise fluffy, extremely spicy, story.