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Okay, so maybe my June reads may not be as exciting to anyone else. But I had a grand old time discovering a newfound obsession with fantasy romance. I also managed to squeeze in a couple extra books to make up for my lack of reading in April. So let’s chat!
Books I read in June:
- The Girls in the Garden by Lisa Jewell
- Beaches, Bungalows, and Burglaries by Tonya Kappes
- Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
- Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
- The Serpent and The Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
- Six Scorched Roses by Carissa Broadbent
- You Shouldn’t Have Come Here by Jeneva Rose
I read a lot more than I actually realized. So for the sake of not writing out a 10-page essay, let’s group them from least to most favorite.
Least Favorite Reads
- The Girls in the Garden by Lisa Jewell
- Beaches, Bungalows, and Burglaries by Tonya Kappes
- You Shouldn’t Have Come Here by Jeneva Rose
These three missed the mark for me entirely. I am a huge fan of Jeneva Rose and Lisa Jewell, so not enjoying these two really felt like a let down.
The Girls in the Garden and You Shouldn’t Have Come Here suffered the same drawbacks, where nothing made sense. Most of the characters motivations and the outcomes just lacked any real substance.
Beaches, Bungalows, and Burglaries was just a hot mess. For a short book, the whole thing felt incredibly drawn out and did I mention cringe?
So. Much. Cringe.
Neutral Reads
- Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
I think this book being a flop was more of an expectation problem on my behalf. Perhaps because I went into this book with very different ideas than what it was actually about.
I enjoyed the retelling and fantasy aspects, but it was definitely YA in terms of romance. The pacing of the story also felt weird.
And while I enjoyed the fantasy aspects, the romance aspects definitely fell short. This was probably due to the fact that it is a YA Fantasy, vs the smuttier adult fantasy I have been reading.
Favorite Reads
- Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
- The Serpent and The Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
- Six Scorched Roses by Carissa Broadbent
Oh man, for my first venture into fantasy romance, let me tell you I chose well.
Fourth Wing was recommended to me and I found The Serpent and The Wings of Night by searching for more fantasy romance novels to read.
I already wrote a review of Fourth Wing, but I did really love this book. The characters and the plot really brought me in. And of course the telepathic dragons.
However, the writing was a little immature and felt more like an early draft than a fully edited and revised version.
The Serpent and The Wings of Night and Six Scorched Roses are part of the Crowns of Nyaxia series and despite the romances involving vampires, I LOVE it.
I mean, I did not expect to be 30 and falling in love with fictional vampires again.
Also, Edward Cullen who?
I have a lot of reviews to write and I am beyond excited to get them posted.
If you have read any of these books, I’d love to read your thoughts!
You Might Also Like: May Reading Recap // March Reading Recap
