Hello Readers! I’m currently on my first ever blogging hiatus, but I did schedule some posts for while I’m gone. And, of course, I’ll be blog hopping when I return in about two weeks! I’ll be keeping my July TBR very low pressure so I can hopefully enjoy some mood reading off my #20BooksOfSummer23 Challenge and My Popsugar Challenge while I’m on hiatus. And some of these will be books I didn’t get to in June. Hopefully I can get to them so they don’t appear on August’s TBR, as well. 😉 I do have some ARCs due this month, and I’ll be reading those for sure.

Here’s what I’m planning to read!

The Summer Girl by Elle Kennedy

This is my current read, which I’m enjoying so much. I always enjoy returning to the world of Avalon Bay, and this is the third book in the series, even though each one can be read as a standalone.

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.

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.

Goodreads
Expected July 18, 2023

---

The Love Proposal by Camilla Isley

Isley, whose self-published books I’ve enjoyed, has signed with Boldwood Books, so some of her books are getting re-released with edits, new titles, and new covers. The Love Proposal was originally released as You May Kiss the Bridesmaid, one of her books I haven’t read yet, so I was happy to be approved for the ARC!

Synopsis:

The moment you stop looking, that’s when Prince Charming will come knocking on your door!

Summer Knowles does not want a boyfriend. Relationships have caused enough problems in her life. As bridesmaid at her sister’s wedding, she’s going to avoid all things romantic – especially the brawny, hipster best-man who has commitment-phobe written all over him!

When Archie Hill meets Summer, he immediately thinks bridesmaid-and-best-man-with-benefits! They have one week together and may as well make the most of it. But what if one week just isn’t enough…

As wedding fever takes hold, can a sworn-off-men bridesmaid and a die-hard bachelor learn a thing or two about happy-ever-after?

A friends-with-benefits, wedding date rom-com, perfect for fans of Sarah Adams!

Please note that this title was originally published as You May Kiss the Bridesmaid.

Goodreads
Expected July 22, 2023

---

The Roommate Pact by Allison Ashley

I couldn’t resist saying yes to this friends-with-benefits romance! It will be my first book by the author.

Synopsis:

All of the fun, none of the heartache…as long as they stick to the agreement.

The proposition is simple: if ER nurse Claire Harper and her roommate, firefighter Graham Scott, are still single by the time they’re forty, they’ll take the proverbial plunge together…as friends with benefits. Maybe it’s the wine, but in the moment, Claire figures the pact is a safe-enough deal, considering she hasn’t had much luck in love and he’s in no rush to settle down. Like, at all. Besides, there’s no way she could ever really fall for Graham and his thrill-seeking ways. Not after what happened to her father…

Just as things begin to heat up way before the proposed deadline, Graham’s injured in a serious rock-climbing accident—and he needs Claire’s help to heal. She’ll do whatever it takes to nurse him back to health…even if it means moving into Graham’s bed and putting up with his little dog who hates her. But with this no-strings arrangement taking a complicated turn, keeping “for now” from turning into “forever” isn’t as easy as they’d planned.

Goodreads
Expected August 1, 2023

---

The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins

It’s been about ten years since I first read The Hunger Games and I’m hoping to reread the series before I pick up the prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. I’m hoping to get through as much of the series as I can this month, but at least the first and second books.

Synopsis:

Could you survive on your own in the wild, with every one out to make sure you don’t live to see the morning?

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weight survival against humanity and life against love.

Goodreads

Have you read any of these books yet? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Wandering!