The Daughter's June Reads

WOW - this month filled to the brim with reading and social activities! I have been getting a lot of reading done while flying, and really enjoying exploring new reading locations! I am having trouble finding those incredible 5 star reads though - so if you have suggestions, please leave them in the comments below.

Hope you're all doing lots of reading this month!

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Tana French can write a murder mystery better than anyone else I've ever read and she gets it right every single time!

Detectives Stephen Moran and Antoinette Conway have been waiting for their chance to crack a big case so when Detective Frank Mackey's kid Holly shows up with a photo of a dead private school kid, they both know it's their chance to prove their skills. But every time they try to solve this case, it leads them back to Holly and her close knit group of friends.

French's writing is lyrical and fresh as always and I loved the ominous overtones throughout. I gave this 4.5 stars out of 5!

This was charming but completely disjointed and confusing...I am still reeling thinking "what did I just read here?"

Cecilia Bassingthwaite is a thief and pirate, and takes after her grandmother by joining the Wisteria Society. Ned Lighbourne is the opposite of Cecilia's perfect Victorian portrait of a person. When his employer orders him to bring Cecilia to him so he can murder her, Ned finds himself in trouble as he falls in love with Cecilia.

The author's writing is abrupt at points, and contradictorily lengthy and overdone at other points. I like to push my boundaries reading, but this is not what I wanted or needed in my reading life. Sorry - 2 out of 5 stars!

Such a cute concept for a book and I liked the disability representation!

Gavin is a famous professional baseball player, and when his wife asks him for a divorce, he is heartbroken and giving up on his life. But his best friends ask him to join their Bromance Bookclub in order to get his marriage back on track...and they want him to read romance books in order to do this!

The author's writing is clear and easy, with a pretty standard romance novel read. I liked the accurate portrayal of the hard work that goes into making a marriage work! I found the wife to be annoying in this book so I gave the overall book 4 out of 5 stars.

I tried to read more romance these summer months...but after this book, I abandoned that goal! 2 out of 5 stars on this one!

Marnie wants a normal life but her soon-to-be husband's aunt, Blix, has different plans for Marnie's future. Blix gifts her Brooklyn apartment to Marnie after only meeting with her one time, and Blix wants Marnie to take over her matchmaking gifts.

I found the author's writing to be wordy, overwritten, and slogging. I have A LOT of trouble sticking with this book and probably should have just not finished it. Overall broken plot line, serious pacing issues, and just confusing ending.

You all know how much I love a good mythology retelling! Although I have read better retellings of Homer's The Iliad, I did still enjoy this book.

Briseis is taken by Achilles during her city's sacking, and now has to witness the fall of Tray from the Greek's war camp. Through her eyes, we see war, strife, rape, and unmatched brutality specifically targeting women. We also see Achilles through a different lens.

The author's writing is curt, gritty, and clear. I felt the book had a strong start but the ending fell short in my mind. The British slang thrown in throughout the book also took me by surprise! I gave this 4 out of 5 stars.

I really disliked this book on multiple levels and most definitely should have DNFed it...but somehow powered through to the end.

Henry, Jana, Brit, and Daniel are friends through their quartet. The group has a rocky start, experience struggles throughout the way, and pursue their careers together and apart.

The author's writing is wordy and dry. My rating is not a judgement to the author, and rather a statement of this book really not being for me personally. 1 star out of 5.

Cleo and Frank impulsively get married shortly after their first chance meeting on Halloween. This book explores the lives and marriage of frank and Cleo through the lens of their friends and family. Will their marriage last and how will addiction impact it?

Through multiple POVs, this book explores dysfunctional marriage between one person struggling with alcoholism and the other struggling the mental illness and suicidal ideations. It's definitely difficult subject matter and hard to read at points. I would have enjoyed the book more had the readers been able to sink deeper into Frank and Cleo, without the rambling and oftentimes incoherent perspectives of their friends/family.

This book has been on my TBR forever and when I was with The Mother at a bookstore, I knew I needed to purchase it!

Olivia Prior has been unsure of who she is since being left a a boarding school with only her mother's journal. Her mother's journal is full of entries with dark pictures she cannot decipher, but when a mysterious letter arrives for her, she has a chance to figure out what the journal really means and who she really is.

The author's writing is poetic and captivating. If you are a fan of the supernatural and ghosts, this one is for you! I loved the journal entries interspersed throughout. 4/5 stars!