I cannot believe we’re over halfway done with 2018 (obviously, since I totally forgot to put this topic into the calendar and had to swap it out for the freebie that was originally scheduled for today). It feels like just yesterday I was packing up the Christmas decorations on a dreary January morning. Now it’s blisteringly hot outside and I’m  itching for fall weather to blow in and cool us off again. And then it’ll be 2019 before we know it! There’s still lots of reading to be done, but today let’s talk about the best of the best that we’ve read this year!

I Temporarily Do by Ellie Cahill
This marriage of convenience story is seriously so heartwarming and wonderful. It’s also filled with swoons! Emmy is conned out of a place to live on campus (as well as all of her money), and recently dumped Beckett remembers that his apartment is in married student housing. Rather than drop out of school, Emmy and Beckett decide to get married and share the apartment. They have to play the part of a newlywed couple for all their new friends, and I loved watching them convince themselves that they’re great together as well.

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch
Love & Gelato was everything I had hoped for and more. I love stories set in Italy, and this one was pure perfection. Read my review for more info!

Love & Luck by Jenna Evans Welch
The bulk of Love & Luck takes place on a road trip across Ireland in dilapidated old car, passing castles and historic sites and tons of beautiful scenery. It’s seriously such a fun story, and Jenna’s writing is wonderful.

Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett
I loved Starry Eyes. It’s swoony and deep and angsty and full of so much reality, set against the love-hate relationship between two best-friends-turned-enemies as they traverse the elements and depend on one another to survive the literal wilderness, as well as their own wild, untamed lives. Read my full review!

Roomies by Christina Lauren
I love marriages of convenience and fake/sham romances, books set in New York, stories surrounding the theme of music, and hot Irish men. This one did not disappoint! Read my full review.

The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves
Anyone who knows me knows I’m a Tracey fangirl and have been following her since the very beginning of her writing career when she self-published On the Island. TGHUtK is her first plunge into women’s fiction, and I loved it! It features a heroine on the Autism spectrum, a romance from the past, lots of feelings, and characters who find themselves in each other. I don’t want to talk too much about i because it comes out in April of 2019, but keep your eyes peeled for more on this one in the coming months!

Roman Crazy by Alice Clayton & Nina Bocci
Here’s another Italy romance! A chance encounter with the sexy Italian man who got away years ago brings lots of romantic moments and feelings.

Save the Date by Morgan Matson
I’m SO glad I finally jumped on the Morgan Matson train! I hope her others are just as wonderful for me as this one was. I loved the family dynamics, the wedding craziness, and all heart and feeling that swirled around it all. Read my full review.

The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron
I REALLY love the audio for this one. It is amazingly well done. And the steampunk historical fiction mixed with a little suspense/intrigue and hints of romance made this a very unique and enjoyable read.

Which books have you read and loved this year so far?

Since 4th of July is tomorrow here in the United States of America, I thought it would be fun to showcase book covers that have country colors on them today! I love learning where my fellow book nerds live. If you live in another country, I hope you’ve chosen book covers with the colors from your country’s flag! If you decided to helped me celebrate the 4th of July, though, and chose red, white, and blue covers then that’s also awesome.

My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan
Study abroad at Oxford and romance!

Freshmen by Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison
A funny look at Freshman year at college.

Red Girl, Blue Boy by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Her dad is the Republican nominee for President of the USA, which his mom is he Democratic nominee. This could be interesting.

Prince in Disguise by Stephanie Kate Strohm
Scotland, for one thing. And there’s a prince in disguise!!

The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
I’ve been wanting to read this Kate Middleton/Prince William-inspired romance for a LONG time.

Enchantée by Gita Trelease
1789 Paris. A double life. Magic. Blackmail. Marie Antoinette.

Girl on a Plane by Cassandra O’Leary
A flight attendant falls for the sexy Australian in First Class on a flight from Melbourne to London. There’s also an unexpected landing in Singapore.

The Geek’s Guide to Unrequited Love by Sarvenaz Tash
If the title alone isn’t enough to get you, then I don’t know what to tell you.

The Heir and the Spare by Emily Albright
This sounds very Prince and Me/Princess Diaries, and I am here for it.

My Lady’s Choosing: An Interactive Romance Novel by Kitty Curran and Larissa Zageris
A choose your own adventure romance novel! Yes please!

Which country do you call home?
If you’re in the USA, what are your 4th of July plans?

I don’t know about you, but it’s really hard to keep series books straight. I have to really love a book and the characters and/or the world that the author has created to be willing to invest the time and memory space required to stick with a trilogy or series for its entire run. Today’s topic is technically about the series or trilogies I don’t plan to finish, but as I was writing up my list I came across so many series I’ve kind of abandoned but really want to finish someday (also, I did a similar TTT topic years ago and don’t have many new series to add to it)! So I decided to tweak the topic a bit to suit my needs. These are all series I appear to have quit, even though I loved what I read, but would actually really love to continue on with.

1. A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas (I’ve read books 1 & 2)
2. Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas (I’ve read books 1 & 2)
3. Rebel of the Sands trilogy by Alwyn Hamilton (I’ve read book 1)
4. Gideon’s Cove trilogy by Kristan Higgins (I’ve read book 1 & 3)
5. Boomerang trilogy by Noelle August (I’ve read books 1 & 2)
6. Frost Chronicles by Kate Avery Ellison (I’ve read books 1 & 2)
7. The Conspiracy of Us trilogy by Maggie Hall (I’ve read book 1)
8. Firebird trilogy by Claudia Gray (I’ve read book 1)
9. Heist Society series by Ally Carter (I’ve read books 1 & 2)
10. The Winner’s Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski (I’ve read book 1)

Which series should I prioritize?
Which do you recommend I not worry about?

 

Today’s topic is beach reads! Or you could have chosen to feature your summer TBR list. I tend to not do a summer TBR because I like to give myself the opportunity to make my reading choices in the moment rather than sticking to a schedule this time of year. So I chose beach reads!

When I hear “beach read” my mind immediately jumps to light and fun contemporary romances that I can read a little at a time or in one big binge session. I absolutely love these kinds of books because they give me warm fuzzies and goofy smiles. I’ve selected some older and newer releases, along with new adult/adult titles and YA titles. All of them are wonderful, and books I wholeheartedly recommend.

 

New Adult/Adult

On the Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves
Roman Crazy by Alice Clayton & Nina Bocci
I Temporarily Do by Ellie Cahill
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Roomies by Christina Lauren

 

Young Adult

From What I Remember… by Stacy Kramer & Valerie Thomas
Golden by Jessi Kirby
The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller
Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett
The Summer My Life Began by Shannon Greenland

Which beach reads would you recommend I try?
And if you chose to do your summer TBR for today’s topic,
which books are you hoping to read this summer?

Don’t worry! You’re in the right spot! I unveiled my new blog design today, and I’m pretty much in love with it. Things needed to change! I’m still working out some little kinks, but I wanted to make sure it was live and working in time for TTT!

Books with travel aspects (or that just make me want to pack my suitcase and jet set somewhere amazing) are my absolute favorite kind of books! I especially love books that take place in places I’ve been to before because it’s a cheap way to go back for a visit. lol. So today’s topic highlights 13 of my very favorite books that awaken the travel bug in me!

 

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch (Florence and Rome, Italy)
This book takes place in Florence and Rome, Italy and it is amazing. Lina moves to Italy after her mother’s death, and learns all about who she is, who her mother was, and that she’s not as alone as she thought.

Love, Lucy by April Lindner (Florence, Italy)
This book is actually a modern YA retelling of A Room With a View by E.M. Forster. I can’t really comment on the retelling aspects of the story because I’ve never read A Room With a View, but I really loved Love, Lucy. It’s the perfect summer love story that blossoms while Lucy is backpacking through Florence and drinking in everything from the food to the architecture. She falls for a street musician, and I pretty much fell for him too!

Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae (Rome and Cinque Terre, Italy)
BAH. This book is one of my greatest loves! Pippa is off to Florence for art school, but ditches that plan to explore instead. She finds herself traveling solo through Italy and ends up in the beautiful Cinque Terre, living with the cashier from a coffee shop and her family. She goes on long walks, explores ruins, eats a lot, souvenir shops, goes on train rides, swims in the Mediterranean Sea, works in a restaurant, and goes sightseeing.

Instructions for a Broken Heart by Kim Culbertson (Italy)
A few days before a class trip to Italy, Jessa discovers that her boyfriend has been cheating on her. Before she leaves, her best friend equips her with a list called “Top Twenty Reasons He’s a Slimy Jerk Bastard”. She also gives her instructions to do one thing out of her comfort zone each day she’s gone in the hopes of getting her through the heartbreak.

Just One Day by Gayle Forman (Paris, France)
I love Paris. I could picture Allyson and Willem on the train, walking the streets of Paris, eating crepes, gazing over the river, even walking past all the street vendors. I loved that they did not do the typical touristy things, though. They experienced Paris in a way that most people who only have one day there don’t. I want to do what they did, and I want to find a guy like Willem to be right there next to me.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (Paris, France)
This is just SUCH a cute boarding school story set in Paris, with a pretty cute boy. Paris is described so perfectly, and brings the entire city to life.

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard (Central America, namely Belize)
Artsy Bria goes on this crazy adventure through Central America. Along the way, she learns so much about herself and gains a lot of life experience. Plus, she sees amazing places, experiences new things, meets cool people, and falls in love.

Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill (London, England)
A class trip to London results in a really cute love story. The author paints a really great picture of the city, and I felt like I was there, wandering the museums, running in the rain, and soaking in an old fashioned bath tub after a long day of walking.

Love & Luck by Jenna Evans Welch (Ireland)
Addie, her brother, and her brother’s swoony online friend drive all over the Irish countryside in a tiny dilapidated car, looking for important sites that are tied to a popular band. It’s both funny and romantic.

Austenland by Shannon Hale (England)
Jane is obsessed with Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Seriously obsessed. After her great aunt’s death, Jane’s learns that she left her an all-inclusive, all expenses paid trip to Pembrook Park to experience what it’s like to have your very own Mr. Darcy. It’s fun and fluffy, and I loved it.

Unbreak My Heart by Melissa C. Walker (Summer on a sailboat)
Clem and her family spend the summer aboard a sailboat, spending time together, eating disgusting meals made only from canned foods, eating s’mores by blow torch, star gazing, sunbathing, laughing, and bonding. Clem, Olive, and red spend many hours hanging out trying to catch fish, perfecting their Little Mermaid moves, giggling, and teasing each other.

Carrie Goes Off the Map by Phillipa Ashley (Road trip through the English countryside)
Carrie’s fiancé comes home from a stag party and tells her he can’t marry her anymore. Her best friend, Rowena, decides the two of them need to go on a road trip to Italy and beyond. But then Rowena gets a job on a soap opera and has to back out of the trip the morning of. She mischievously calls on Dr. Matt Landor, an old friend from college, to go with Carrie instead. Carrie is mortified at this change in plans, but Matt finally talks her into going on a trip with him. They spend just over a month traveling around the English countryside meeting new people, and getting to know each other far better than they expected. Love blossoms among several different sets of characters. There’s even a bit of a scary twist that makes you worry for the characters!

Girl At Sea by Maureen Johnson (Summer aboard a luxury yacht in the Mediterranean Sea)
Luxury yacht in the Med, guys. And the book has history, mystery, adventure, suspense, romance, and humor. It’s the complete package, and I LOVED it.