Hello Readers! It’s June, which means it’s time to look back at what I added to my physical and digital shelves in May. The month was heavy on Advanced Reader Copies, but they’re nicely spaced out over the next several months so I’m not panicking too much. 😉 I also picked up some new books and several free books, as well. You can also take a look at My May Wrap-Up if you’d like to see what I read last month.

Let’s see what I added!

(Link to synopsis on Goodreads through the book title.)

My eARCs

I couldn’t resist the invite to read Something More by Jackie Khalilieh, a unique YA debut about an autistic Palestinian-Canadian teen. I’ve already read and reviewed this one, and I adored it!
My Review

Synopsis:

A contemporary teen romance novel featuring a Palestinian-Canadian girl trying to hide her autism diagnosis while navigating her first year of high school, for fans of Jenny Han and Samira Ahmed.

Fifteen-year-old Jessie, a quirky loner obsessed with the nineties, is diagnosed as autistic just weeks before starting high school. Determined to make a fresh start and keep her diagnosis a secret, Jessie creates a list of goals that range from acquiring two distinct eyebrows to getting a magical first kiss and landing a spot in the school play. Within the halls of Holy Trinity High, she finds a world where things are no longer black and white and quickly learns that living in color is much more fun. But Jessie gets more than she bargained for when two very different boys steal her heart, forcing her to go off-script.

Expected June 6, 2023

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One of my favorite romance authors to read and review for, Camilla Isley, has signed with Boldwood Books, which means several of her previously published books are getting re-published with new edits, new titles, and new covers! The first one is The Love Theorem, previously titled To The Stars and Back. It just happened to be one I haven’t read yet, so I was happy to be approved for the ARC.

Synopsis:

Are a rocket scientist and Hollywood’s brightest star a match made in heaven or is it a catastrophe headed for a crash landing?

Lana loves four things: science, her cats, her friends, and her books. She’s on her way to earning her professorship when she finds out her long-term boyfriend has been sleeping with her best friend! That discovery has her hiding in the broom closet at a posh hotel.

Only, it turns out broom closets are the place to be these days. 

Christian Slade, America’s sexiest man alive (as voted by fans), in a desperate attempt to escape the paparazzi finds himself in a broom closet with one sobbing occupant. Unable to leave a damsel in distress, he offers help, only to realize she has no idea who he is! It’s like he’s been given a gift. A smart, beautiful woman, who isn’t after him for fame and fortune . . .

Soon Christian is buying a Tesla to impress his scientist with his eco credentials and taking her on dates where no one will recognize him. 

But as Christian falls in love he worries what will happen when Lana finds out who he is?

A STEMinist romance with an unforgettable meet-cute perfect for fans of Ali Hazelwood!

Please note that this title was originally published as To The Stars And Back.

Expected June 13, 2023

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I completely thought I’d already been approved for The Summer Girl by Elle Kennedy. It’s the third book in the Avalon Bay series, and I’ve read the ARCs for the first two books. So I had a moment of panic when I realized I hadn’t actually been invited or requested it yet on Netgalley. I quickly did that, and was relieved to be approved right away. Whew!

Synopsis:

College student Cassie Soul hasn’t spent an entire summer in Avalon Bay in years, not since her parents divorced and her mother spitefully whisked her away to Boston. Now that her grandmother is selling the boardwalk hotel that’s been in their family for five decades, Cassie returns to the quaint beach town to spend time with family, ring in her twenty-first birthday… and maybe find herself a summer fling.

On her first night in town, she finds the perfect candidate: Tate Bartlett, Avalon Bay’s fun-loving golden boy.

Tate, sailing instructor and lovable player, is no stranger to flings. In fact, he’s always down for a good time. But the moment he meets Cassie, he knows she’s not the girl you play games with. Cassie is gorgeous, hilarious, and, frankly, the coolest person he’s ever met. The last thing he wants to do is risk breaking her heart, and so he reluctantly puts her in the friend-zone… only to realize he made a huge mistake. Soon, his attraction to Cassie becomes impossible to ignore. He wants that fling now. Big-time.
As the duo’s neurodiverse connection grows, they learn that some of the best parts of life can’t be planned, and are forced to figure out what that means as their disastrously wonderful summer comes to an end.

And maybe even something more.

As Cassie and Tate walk the line between friends and lovers, they’re about to discover that their situation is the least complicated part of this equation. Because Avalon Bay is full of secrets—and their relationship might not survive when those secrets come to light.

Elle Kennedy’s next spicy and emotional romance in the blockbuster Avalon Bay series.

Expected July 18, 2023

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I’ve read and enjoyed a few of Kit Frick’s YA books so I couldn’t say no to this invitation to read her next book, The Reunion—especially when it’s being compared to The White Lotus, which I loved.

Synopsis:

From the author of I Killed Zoe Spanos comes a YA thriller in the vein of The White Lotusand Karen M. McManus’s The Cousins following a doomed family reunion gone wrong at a posh Caribbean resort, where old grudges and dangerous secrets culminate in murder.

Eleven Mayweathers went on vacation. Ten came home.

It’s been years since the fragmented Mayweather clan was all in one place, but the engagement of Addison and Mason’s mom to the dad of their future stepbrother, Theo, brings the whole family to sunny Cancún, Mexico, for winter break. Add cousin Natalia to the mix, and it doesn’t take long for tempers to fray and tensions to rise. A week of forced family “fun” reveals that everyone has something to hide, and as secrets bubble to the surface, no one is safe from the fallout. By the end of the week, one member of the reunion party will be dead—and everyone’s a suspect:
The peacekeeper: Addison needs a better hiding place.
The outsider: Theo just wants to mend fences.
The romantic: Natalia doesn’t want to talk about the past.
The hothead: Mason needs to keep his temper under control.

It started as a week in paradise meant to bring them together. But the Mayweathers are about to learn the hard way that family bonding can be deadly.

Expected August 29, 2023

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I’ve read and enjoyed Emily Stone’s previous two books, so of course I jumped at the chance to read her next one, Love, Holly!

Synopsis:

A young woman tries to heal a rift in her elderly pen pal’s family in time for Christmas, all while falling in love—and maybe even reuniting with her own family—in this dazzling romance from the author of Always, in December and One Last Gift

Sometimes it takes a stranger to bring you back to yourself.

Ever since a car accident tore her family apart, Holly has been part of a lonely-hearts holiday letter–writing club. Each December, she writes to a stranger who is also spending Christmas alone, and receives a letter from another lonely person in return. 

Usually, the letters go unanswered. That’s the point—the letters are anonymous, and the senders write whatever is in their heart. But this year, the letter Holly receives is different; not only is the letter full of a grief she knows all too well, but its writer, Emma, mentions a place that Holly has visited. When she realizes that she might actually be able to find the letter’s author, Holly becomes determined to reunite Emma with the estranged grandson, Jack, with whom Emma is desperate to reconnect.

When Holly finally tracks him down, she remembers that she’s met Jack once before . . . and the connection was electric. The spark between the two of them is still there—until a misunderstanding risks their burgeoning romance and his strained relationship with Emma, too. But Holly is determined; if she can fix Emma’s family, she might also be able to fix her own. Though as it turns out, Holly might have less time to put things right than she thought.

Expected September 26, 2023

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I also couldn’t resist this holiday romance being promoted for fans of The Hating Game, The Christmas Wager by Holly Cassidy!

Synopsis:

From a bestselling Canadian author comes a delightful enemies-to-lovers holiday rom-com set in the quaint town of Maple Falls, about a city girl and a small-town boy who compete in the town’s annual holiday games in order to win the right price for a Christmas shop, perfect for fans of The Hating Game and One Day in December.

One rivalry. Eight days until Christmas. Let the holiday games begin.

When LA-based real estate developer Bella Ross arrives in the sleepy, mountain town of Maple Falls, she has one mission: to acquire the local failing Christmas shop, Always Noelle, securing the promotion of her dreams. Nothing can get in her way. Except the shop owner’s stubborn grandson, Jesse Harrison.

Both refuse to budge, until an unlikely wager is struck: Bella and Jesse will compete in the Maple Falls Holiday Games, an annual tradition of eccentric feats of strength and skills. Winner decides the selling price. They’ll give each other a run for their money, but as the competition heats up, Bella and Jesse’s icy feelings toward each other begin to thaw. It’ll take a Christmas miracle for them to admit there’s a spark, but what if it’s just another game?

Expected September 26, 2023

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Indie Bookstore Purchase

I finally caved and picked up a copy of The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren at my local Half Price Books. I’ve already read and enjoyed Fizzy’s story!

Barnes & Noble Purchase

I’d preordered a copy of Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune through Barnes & Noble so I could get the bonus materials. I’ve already read and reviewed this one, as well!

Free Books

A friend knew I read the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich and gave me a copy of Twisted Twenty-Six and Game On: Tempting Twenty-Eight! Now I just need to get caught up. 🙂

Free eBooks

• My Billionaire Grump by Camilla Isley (free novella)
• Love or Hate by Camilla Isley (free novella)
• Laws of Physics (Hypothesis, #4-6) by Penny Reid

Amazon First Reads Selection

I didn’t really love any of the Amazon First Read Selections for May, but I ended up going with Golden Hills, a short story by Jennifer Weiner. I’ve read and enjoyed some of Weiner’s previous books, so I felt safe with that choice. I’ve already read it, and I thought it was written well, but pretty forgettable.

Published on June 1, 2023

Have you read any of these books? Did you add any of them to your TBR? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Wandering!