Book 57 of 2025 📖 One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune (4.5/5⭐️)
📚GENRE: Contemporary Romance
🗓PUBLISHED: 6 May 2025
Good things happen at the lake. That’s what Alice’s grandmother says, and it’s true. Alice spent just one summer there at a cottage with Nan when she was seventeen—it’s where she took that photo, the one of three grinning teenagers in a yellow speedboat, the image that changed her life.
Now Alice lives behind a lens. As a photographer, she’s most comfortable on the sidelines, letting other people shine. Lately though, she’s been itching for something more, and when Nan falls and breaks her hip, Alice comes up with a plan for them both: another summer in that magical place, Barry’s Bay. But as soon as they settle in, their peace is disrupted by the roar of a familiar yellow boat, and the man driving it.
Charlie Florek was nineteen when Alice took his photo from afar. Now he’s all grown up—a shameless flirt, who manages to make Nan laugh and Alice long to be seventeen again, when life was simpler, when taking pictures was just for fun. Sun-slanted days and warm nights out on the lake with Charlie are a balm for Alice’s soul, but when she looks up and sees his piercing green gaze directly on her, she begins to worry for her heart.
Because Alice sees people—that’s why she is so good at what she does—but she’s never met someone who looks and sees her right back.
Oh, I love these characters. I loved them in Every Summer After, and I still love them now. I received Fortune’s debut book for free and knew from the start I would be reading it everything she ever publishes. I was thrilled that she was bringing back the ESA characters!
This was a friends to lovers story, and though Charlie stressed me out (communicate, man! It’s not difficult!) I also really loved that these were grown-up characters. This was the perfect story to kick off my summer reading.
Book 58 of 2025 🎧 The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (3/5⭐️)
📚GENRE: Literary Mystery
🗓PUBLISHED: 2 July 2024
Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.
As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet.
I wanted to like this story so much more than I did. I’d seen it recommended often, so I reserved it from Libby. After a very long wait, I finally had my go at it!
The audio didn’t hold my attention very well, so I do wonder if I would have enjoyed it more had I read it rather than listened to it. There were a lot of characters to keep track of on multiple timelines. There were a lot of layers to the mystery, which I liked, but not a lot of layers to the characters.
Book 59 of 2025 📖 Things We Never Got Over (Knockemout #1) by Lucy Score (4/5⭐️)
📚GENRE: Contemporary Romance
🗓PUBLISHED: 13 January 2022
Relatable Quote 💠“I’d noticed the more stressed Naomi got, the cleaner she became.”
Naomi wasn’t just running away from her wedding. She was riding to the rescue of her estranged twin to Knockemout, Virginia, a rough-around-the-edges town where disputes are settled the old-fashioned way…with fists and beer. Usually in that order.
Too bad for Naomi her evil twin hasn’t changed at all. After helping herself to Naomi’s car and cash, Tina leaves her with something unexpected. The niece Naomi didn’t know she had. Now she’s stuck in town with no car, no job, no plan, and no home with an 11-year-old going on thirty to take care of.
There’s a reason Knox doesn’t do complications or high-maintenance women, especially not the romantic ones. But since Naomi’s life imploded right in front of him, the least he can do is help her out of her jam. And just as soon as she stops getting into new trouble he can leave her alone and get back to his peaceful, solitary life.
At least, that’s the plan until the trouble turns to real danger.
This was my first Lucy Score book, and I can safely say it won’t be my last. I’d seen these books pop up on Instagram and other socials, but never really looked into them. However, I was at our used book store with 2 free book coupons to use and when I saw the first two books of this series sitting on the shelf in perfect condition I knew it was my sign.
I was a little worried when I saw the thickness of this book. History has shown me that romances that are 400+ pages are usually unnecessarily drawn out. (Looking at you, Anna Todd 👀).
Now that I’ve finished book one, I’m not sure how I feel about it. I stayed up until nearly 1AM to finish it, so clearly I was into it, but there were some parts that definitely earned a brow furrow.
SPOILERS in the remainder of this: The “break up” came on super fast - like there was barely any suspense to it. That being said, it did make me want to cry. And it had a lot of drama following it, so I guess that made up for the out-of-the-blue of it.
I really disliked when Naomi was trying to move on and Knox wouldn’t leave her alone. Like when he picked her up when she was working and took her to his office, even though she clearly was not consenting. No means no, bruh.
Additionally, I felt like this went from love story with mild family drama and baggage to thriller involving a crime syndicate real fast. And, “She got her period she has to go to the bathroom” out of the blue? “You better not have left any of that period mess…” like what?
I read in the back that when Score started this story she had no idea where it was going, and that feels very obvious reading it. That being said, I’ve got books 2 and 3 ready to pick up as soon as I finish one of my current kindle reads.
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Book 60 of 2025 📱 By the Time You Read This (Raisa Susanto #3) by Brianna Labuskes (4/5⭐️)
📚GENRE: FBI Thriller/Police Procedural
🗓PUBLISHED: 27 May 2025
FBI forensic linguist Raisa Susanto thinks she’s through with the past now that her psychopathic serial killer sister, Isabel, is locked away forever. Then Raisa receives a letter from Isabel. It’s just a single message: By the time you read this, I’ll be dead.
Soon after, Isabel is discovered dead in her cell, forcing Raisa back into her depraved orbit―one that includes a band of true-crime worshippers obsessed with Isabel, her killing spree, and those who survived it.
When a new victim is killed in the same manner that made Isabel notorious, Raisa and FBI forensic psychologist Callum Kilkenny aren’t just tasked with finding out who killed Isabel and why. They’re hunting for a protégé following in Isabel’s footsteps. Raisa must uncover the truth―whether or not she’s ready for it―before someone else dies.
After loving the first two books in this series (and many others by Labuskes) I was anxiously awaiting the publishing of this one! I love these characters and I liked the varied layers of the mystery. I was kept on my toes as I thought the story was going to twist one way only to find it go in another direction.
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Book 61 of 2025 📖 Things We Hide From the Light (Knockemout #2) by Lucy Score (4/5⭐️)
📚GENRE: Contemporary Romance
🗓PUBLISHED: 21 February 2023
Nash Morgan was always known as the good Morgan brother, with a smile and a wink for everyone. But now, this chief of police is recovering from being shot and his Southern charm has been overshadowed by panic attacks and nightmares. He feels like a broody shell of the man he once was. Nash isn't about to let anyone in his life know he's struggling. But his new next-door neighbor, smart and sexy Lina, sees his shadows. As a rule, she's not a fan of physical contact unless she initiates it, but for some reason Nash's touch is different. He feels it too. The physical connection between them is incendiary, grounding him and making her wonder if exploring it is worth the risk.
Too bad Lina's got secrets of her own, and if Nash finds out the real reason she's in town, he'll never forgive her. Besides, she doesn't do relationships. Ever. A hot, short-term fling with a local cop? Absolutely. Sign her up. A relationship with a man who expects her to plant roots? No freaking way. Once she gets what she's after, she has no intention of sticking around. But Knockemout has a way of getting under people's skin. And once Nash decides to make Lina his, he's not about to be dissuaded…even if it means facing the danger that nearly killed him.
I want to live here in this town with these people. I love the banter between them. I wish they were my friends 😩
I picture Mrs. Tweedy as someone who would be besties with Grandma Mazar from the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich.
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Book 62 of 2025 🎧 Nemesis (Orphan X #10) by Gregg Hurwitz (3/5⭐️)
📚GENRE: Action Thriller
🗓PUBLISHED: 11 February 2016
Evan Smoak is a highly trained former government assassin who has survived for years by keeping his circle to a few trusted confidants and a strict code he calls “The Ten Commandments.” But when Evan suddenly finds himself at odds with his oldest friend, all the rules he lives by shatter―and the consequences are murderous.
Tommy Stojack might be Evan's best friend in the world. He’s a gifted gunsmith who has created much of Evan's own weapons and combat gear. But now, he has apparently crossed one of Evan's hardest lines and their argument explodes into open warfare. Now Evan has no choice but to track and face down his only friend.
In the meantime, Tommy has left town in order to honor his own promise to help a dead friend's son. While Tommy is fighting to save the son with everything he’s got, Evan arrives with vengeance in mind.
But as deadly as the former Orphan X is, there is an even more dangerous threat about to arrive on the scene. The only question left is will any of them get out alive.
I this this will probably be the last Orphan X book I consume for awhile. The last few just haven’t held my attention like the series originally had. The writing is fine, and I'm still an Evan Smoak fan, but I won't make this series a priority any more.
Book 63 of 2025 📱 Ignited in Iceland (Icelandic Romance #4) by Victoria Walker (3/5⭐️)
📚GENRE: Contemporary Romance
🗓PUBLISHED: 5 November 2025
Iris, an English volcanologist, arrives in Iceland focused solely on her research. But when she meets Siggi, a charismatic local with a complicated past, his passion for showing her Iceland's geological wonders ignites unexpected feelings.
Cautious but drawn to each other, they embark on a short-term romance, promising to part ways when Iris's work is done, but their deepening connection challenges the boundaries they've carefully set.
When a volatile volcano suddenly threatens everything, they're forced to confront not only the unstable landscape but also their own hearts. In a country where the ground can shift at any moment, can Iris and Siggi find a way to stand firm together?
Set in the land of ice and fire, this is a compelling tale of love, risk, and finding the courage to trust again.
This was the final book in the series (thus far, at least). Everything I’ve said about the previous three applies to this story as well. It was another light-hearted romance. I really enjoyed the science aspects of this, as the volcanos are what I’m most excited to learn about when we go to Iceland next month. Also, I had a really hard time keeping this book separated from reality - I kept thinking there was a volcano that was erupting in real time. Funny this is, and the time of this posting there actually is volcanic activity. Science is so cool. My nerdy self is so excited to explore Iceland!
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(Summaries are from Amazon, but all thoughts about them are my own!)
Reading Challenge: 63/120 books read in 2025
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