Hello Readers! October was a bit of a whirlwind, but I did manage to complete My Popsugar Reading Challenge, as well as read the last ARC I currently have for 2023—although I did pick up an ARC for very early January 2024 and should probably read that before the year ends. 😃 Finishing my ARCs early has me thinking I might have achieved one of my goals for the year: requesting less ARCs than last year. I’m waiting until the end of the year to find out for sure, though. I also spent the month drafting up future Top Ten Tuesday posts in preparation for Nanowrimo in November. All this busyness means I did a terrible job of blog hopping, something I’m hoping to do a better job of for the rest of the year. 🤞

I did also manage to read 7 books in October, for a total of 2,723 pages, including 5 ARCs and 2 backlist books! If you take a look back at My October TBR, you’ll see I did exchange my last ARC for one of the books I had planned. Hopefully I can get to that one in November.

I only added a few new books to my shelves, so I’ll be combining my Wrap-Up and Haul again this month.

🎉 Congratulations to my blogiversary giveaway winners! Thank you to all of you who continue to join me on my bookish wanderings. 🥰

Let’s see what I read and what I added to my TBR!

Be sure to check out The Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction!

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

October Wrap-Up

It took me a bit to settle in to A Winter in New York by Josie Silver, but once I did, I adored the characters and setting. This romance that references several beloved rom-coms, gave me major While You Were Sleeping vibes, which is a film I’ve watched multiple times.

➤My Rating: ★★★★½
➤My Review
➤Published on October 3, 2023

Next I picked up The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella. I always have fun with Kinsella’s romances, finding myself laughing out loud, but while I thought this one started and ended strong, the middle was a little weaker for me. I’d still recommend it though.

➤My Rating: ★★★½
➤My Review
➤Published on October 10, 2023

One of my most-anticipated, The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young, did not disappoint! I sped through this adult fantasy in one day, going into it almost blindly, and happy I did!

➤My Rating: ★★★★★
➤My Review
➤Published on October 17, 2023

My first backlist book of the month, I’ve had All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr waiting on my shelf for years. The upcoming release of the adaptation (and my daughter’s strong urging) finally got me to pick it up. It’s just as good as everyone says it is.

➤My Rating: ★★★★★

The Search for Us by Susan Azim Boyer is refreshingly honest, timely, and so full of heart! I adored this sweet story about two siblings who find each other through a DNA match.

➤My Rating: ★★★★½
➤My Review
➤Published on October 24, 2023

Another backlist book I wanted to read before the adaptation was released, Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann also fulfilled my final Popsugar prompt. It’s another astonishing and shocking part of history that has gone unmentioned.

➤My Rating: ★★★★★
➤Popsugar Reading Challenge Prompt: A book with a map

And finally, I decided to pick up my final ARC a little early, needing something lighter after finishing Killers of the Flower Moon. I ADORED The Good Part by Sophie Cousens, and I feel like it will end up among my favorite books of the year!

➤My Rating: ★★★★★
➤My Review
➤Publishes on November 7, 2023

October Book Haul

Another manageable haul in October! I added two eARCs, one physical ARC (an author invitation with a box of goodies!), and two Amazon First Read books.

---

My eARCs

I was invited to read A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft back in June but kept it on my ‘maybe’ list. After seeing so many good early reviews, I decided to accept the invite!

Synopsis:

In this romantic fantasy of manners from New York Times bestselling author Allison Saft, a magical dressmaker commissioned for a royal wedding finds herself embroiled in scandal when a gossip columnist draws attention to her undeniable chemistry with the groom.

Niamh Ó Conchobhair has never let herself long for more. The magic in her blood that lets her stitch emotions and memories into fabric is the same magic that will eventually kill her. Determined to spend the little time she has left guaranteeing a better life for her family, Niamh jumps at the chance to design the wardrobe for a royal wedding in the neighboring kingdom of Avaland. 

But Avaland is far from the fairytale that she imagined. While young nobles attend candlelit balls and elegant garden parties, unrest brews amid the working class. The groom himself, Kit Carmine, is prickly, abrasive, and begrudgingly being dragged to the altar as a political pawn. But when Niamh and Kit grow closer, an unlikely friendship blossoms into something more—until an anonymous columnist starts buzzing about their chemistry, promising to leave them alone only if Niamh helps to uncover the royal family’s secrets. The rot at the heart of Avaland runs deep, but exposing it could risk a future she never let herself dream of, and a love she never thought possible.

Transporting readers to a Regency England-inspired fantasy world, A Fragile Enchantment is a sweeping romance threaded with intrigue, unforgettable characters, and a love story for the ages.

Expected January 2, 2024

---

I’ve enjoyed three books by Erin Hahn, so I’m always excited to see an invitation to read her next book. And just check out the gorgeous cover on Even If It Breaks Your Heart!

Synopsis:

A heart-buckling ride of a romance by beloved author Erin Hahn, Even If It Breaks Your Heart is about two teens finding out that sometimes, the hardest part of discovering what you want is getting the courage to pursue it.

The only thing keeping nineteen-year-old Case Michaels together after the death of his best friend, Walker, is a list Walker left behind of things he wants Case to accomplish in his absence. So far, though, Case hasn’t even been able to continue riding bulls in the rodeo circuit, something he’s done his entire life, balking at the thought of competing without Walker by his side. But the list? Case is determined to follow it to the letter– and he follows it all the way to Winnie Sutton.

Eighteen-year-old Winnie Sutton just wants to keep her family together. She graduated high school early to work long shifts at the Michaels family ranch so she can support her younger siblings and a father who’s more than happy to let Winnie fill the responsible parent role. If she sometimes sneaks out to ride the horses herself and forget about life for a while– well, that’s no one else’s business– until the day she crashes headfirst into Case Michaels. Case sees her riding skills and immediately ropes her into competing for the ranch and becoming his friend.

Winnie and Case couldn’t be more different, but Case can’t help but be inspired by Winnie’s badly-hidden passion for riding and competition. And there’s something about Case that makes Winnie want to try grasping onto a dream for herself, whether that’s a shot at a rodeo trophy, the annoyingly handsome rancher’s son who won’t leave her alone, or maybe both.

Expected February 6, 2024

---

Author Invitation

When a personalized video invitation arrived in my inbox from Laurel Black inviting me to read her new debut fantasy novel Lost Kingdom, she definitely caught my attention. She also included the first few chapters, which is pretty much a must for me when it’s a new author. I started reading and didn’t want to stop, so I knew I’d be saying yes! Then my book arrived with so many goodies, and now I’m doubly excited to finish this one. Watch for that review soon!

---

Amazon First Reads

In October, Prime members got to choose two Amazon First Reads. I chose The Lover, a horror fantasy short story by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and The Village Healer’s Book of Cures, a gothic historical fiction fantasy book by Jennifer Sherman Roberts. Both sound perfect for this time of year. Maybe I can at least squeeze in the short story! 😃

Expected publication on November 1, 2023

How was your reading month? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Wandering!