The Best Books of the Summer

What a summer it has been! It's been a memorable time, especially regarding beach reads, but I’ve found myself being pickier than usual when choosing my "best reads" of the season. There was some stiff competition! Here are the books that stayed with me long after I finished reading them.

 

 One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

Under the Stars by Beatriz Williams

Spectacular Things by Beck Dorey-Stein

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

Elizabeth of East Hampton by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding

You can check out all my favorite beach reads from this year and years past at my beach read page, so be sure to stop by if you aren't ready to say goodbye to summer just yet. Also, I'd love to hear which books made your favorite beach reads of the summer list! Let me know in the comments below.

Blog Tour: If It Makes You Happy

It's September 4th, and you know what that means: cue the falling leaves, apple cider, flannels, pumpkin spice, small-town romances, and curling up under a blanket with your favorite book! I love diving into cozy fall reads and I am especially looking forward to Julie Olivia's new novel, If It Makes You Happy. Just look at that cover! I'm thrilled to be part of Berkley's blog tour for this debut, which I know you'll want to add to your fall TBR list immediately.

Learn More About the Book:

 

If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia

Pub. Date: September 2, 2025

 

Goodreads says, "My new next-door neighbor seems to have everything figured out. Small town golden boy? Check. Single dad extraordinaire? Check. Hot baker forearms? I didn’t notice them, I swear.

I, on the other hand, don’t–at all–have anything figured out.

Trust me, I didn’t think taking over my mom’s dream bed and breakfast in Copper Run Vermont was going to be easy. It should be a good place to heal after my divorce. But apparently my scones belong in the garbage with my small talk skills. As pointed out by none other than Cliff.

Cliff is inescapable. He knows exactly what people need–always. His charm, the way he wears flannel, and even his pastries, make not wanting to be friends with Cliff and his daughters pretty hard.

Friends? I can make friends. That’s safe.

Except I’m leaving in three months to pass the inn off to my little sister and get the promotion in Seattle I’ve been working towards.

So ask me why I’m thinking about kissing my hot neighbor."

 

You can purchase your own copy of If It Makes You Happy at Bookshop, Books A Million, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. Also, you can learn more about Julie Olivia by visiting her website and connecting with her Facebook and Instagram.

If It Makes You Happy is described as Gilmore Girls meets Pumpkin Spice Cafe, which sounds perfect for me! Let me know in the comments what you think and if you'll be adding this book to your fall TBR list.

 

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Live Big with Catch-M

I love inspirational picture books, and I'm excited to share a new one by Kat Kronenberg, Live Big with Catch-M. This heartwarming, award-winning book encourages readers to dream big, love deeply, and live life in an extraordinary way. If you're looking for an empowering picture book, your search ends here!

Learn More About the Book:

 

 

Live Big with Catch-M

by Kat Kronenberg

Illustrated by Jomike Tejido

Ages: 2-10 | 40 Pages

Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group Press (2025) | ISBN: 979-8-88645-341-6

 

"Celebrate the wonder of you and the gift of CATCH-M, too. Readers will see how CATCH-M helps them live big and grow love’s spark in their hearts, like a seed becoming a magnificent tree. Kat’s Live Big series implores readers to be the extraordinary star of their own story! And begin each day with a smile and say, “I am extraordinary!” “I love me.” “I can. I believe."

You can purchase your own copy of Live Big with Catch-M at Bookshop, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon. Also, you can learn more about Kat Kronenberg by visiting her website.  

 

The Giveaway:

Enter for a chance to win a complete hardcover set of all four books in Kat Kronenberg’s inspiring Live Big series! Good luck!

Live Big with Catch-M: Book Giveaway

 

 

12 Books to Read in September

 

Even though I am a summer person through and through, I've come to appreciate a cozy read in the fall. With the changing season comes a wave of thrillers, cozy romances, and suspenseful mysteries. There are so many promising titles releasing this month that I've included twelve, rather than just ten, on my list! Here are the September novels I've been keeping an eye on:

1. The Guest in Room 120 by Sara Ackerman

"A gripping novel inspired by one of America’s most mysterious deaths, that of Stanford University’s founder Jane Stanford."

 

2. If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia (9/2)

"Travel back in time to 1997 in this cozy, slow-burn romance set in the autumn glow of small-town Vermont."

 

 

3. The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes by Chanel Cleeton (9/30)

"A mysterious book with a legacy spanning from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present day unites three women."

 

 

4. Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross (9/2)

"A young goddess must forge a path for herself — and her heart — in this enchanting romantasy."

 

 

5. Wild Card by Elsie Silver (9/9)

"Elsie Silver makes her long-awaited return to Rose Hill — where the rules are made to be broken. Her latest romance is infused with forbidden longing, missed connections and page-turning chemistry."

 

 

6. The Primal of Blood and Bone by Jennifer Armentrout (9/23)

"In the thrilling penultimate chapter of Armentrout’s Blood and Ash series, Poppy and Casteel face their most perilous challenges yet as old enemies rise and ancient powers stir from their slumber."

 

7. The Academy by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham (9/16)

"Elin Hilderbrand teams up with her daughter, Shelby Cunningham, to deliver a dishy, page-turning novel following an intertwined cast of characters over the course of one drama-filled year at a New England boarding school."

 

 

8. Circle of Days by Ken Follett (9/23)

"From a bestselling author of epic fiction comes the deeply human story of one of the world’s greatest mysteries: the building of Stonehenge."

 

9. We Met Like This by Kasie West (9/16)

"A seductive adult rom-com debut about a hopeless romantic falling for the one man she never expected."

 

 

10. The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown (9/9)

"The world’s most celebrated thriller writer returns with his most stunning novel yet—a propulsive, twisty, thought-provoking masterpiece that will entertain readers."

 

 

11. Play Nice by Rachel Harrison (9/9)

"A woman must confront the demons of her past when she attempts to fix up her childhood home in this devilishly clever take on the haunted house."

 

 

12. Buckeye by Patrick Ryan (9/2)

"This captivating epic weaves the intimate lives of two Midwestern families across generations, from World War II to the late twentieth century."

In the comments below, let me know what books are on your September TBR list.

Mini Reviews: The Last of the Beach Reads

I know you can read beach reads all year long if you want to and I may slip in a few here or there, but it doesn't hit the same, does it? Unless you are that lucky person who gets to take her vacation at the beach in September. Now that Labor Day is approaching, I wanted to share two more "beach reads" that will be perfect to end the summer season with.

 

Our Last Vineyard Summer by Brooke Lea Foster

Pages: 336

Genre: Adult Historical Fiction

Pub. Date: July 1, 2025

Publisher: Gallery

Source: Publisher for review

Other Books By Author: All the Summers in Between,

Summer Darlings, and On Gin Lane

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

Goodreads says, "After suffering through her first year of graduate school at Columbia following her senator father’s death, Betsy Whiting is hoping to spend the summer with her boyfriend…and hopefully end the summer as his fiancée. Instead, her mother—a longtime feminist and leader in the women’s movement—calls Betsy and her sisters back home to Martha’s Vineyard, announcing that they need to sell their beloved summer house to pay off their father’s debts.

When Betsy arrives on the island a week later, she must reckon with her strained familial relationships, a long-ago forbidden romance, and the complicated legacy of her parents, who divided the family even as they did good for the world.

Following a dual timeline between 1965 and 1978, and filled with the vibrant, sunlit nostalgia of the cherished New England vacation setting, Our Last Vineyard Summer poignantly captures two generations of women navigating love, loss, and womanhood while trying to find the courage to stand up for what they believe in—and the strength to decide if the home they once loved is worth saving."

 

 

Betsy Whiting is a graduate student at Columbia in the 1970s. It isn't easy; there's a lot of sexism to make her path even more difficult. After her senator father's untimely death, her mother asks Betsy and her sisters to return to their summer home at Martha's Vineyard. This is the last place Betsy wants to be after having independence in the city, but after the breakup with her professor boyfriend, she reluctantly returns to her family's home to help her mother. While there, Betsy must deal with her feminist mother and her sisters. She must deal with her memories of the past summers spent at the Vineyard. The story also includes flashbacks to Virgie, Betsy's mother, and her life as a senator's wife, and how that was difficult given her deeply rooted feminist beliefs. Our Last Vineyard Summer by Brooke Lea Foster is a nostalgic beach read about mothers, daughters, and female identity.

I like how Foster jumped from a 1965 timeline to 1978 to really paint a picture of the Whiting women. Even though there are many years between the story lines, a lot of the same themes run true. I really enjoyed the character of Virgie and following along with her struggles as a senator's wife, while also being a major feminist. There was more to her story than initially thought. I also appreciated Betsy's story and her return home to Martha's Vineyard. The setting of the Vineyard and the memories they have of summer's past make Our Last Vineyard Summer a good beach read for those who like stories about strong women.

Spectacular Things by Beck Dorey-Stein

Pages: 368

Genre: Adult Fiction/Audiobook

Pub. Date: July 1, 2025

Publisher: Random House

Source: Personal Copy

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 

Goodreads says, "Mia and Cricket have always been close. The gifted daughters of a young single mother, the “Lowe girls” are well-known in the small Maine town they call home. Each sister has a role to fill: The responsible and academically minded Mia assumes the position of caregiver far too young, while Cricket, a bouncing ball of energy and talent, seems born for soccer stardom. But the cost of achieving athletic greatness comes at a steep price.

As Mia and Cricket grow up, they must grapple with the legacy of their mother’s secret past while navigating their own precarious future. Can Mia allow herself to fall in love at the risk of repeating a terrible history? Will Cricket’s relentless chase of a lifelong goal drive her sister away? When does loyalty become self-sabotage?

A sharply observed and tender portrait of sisters, love, and ambition, Spectacular Things is a sweeping story about the impossible choices we’re forced to make in pursuit of our dreams."

 

 

Mia and Cricket are known as the Lowe girls around their small Maine town and are as thick as thieves. Raised by a very young single mother, Liz, life wasn't always easy, and they had to rely on one another. Mia has always been the responsible and reliable one, ready to step in when her mother couldn't, to make sure Cricket would succeed. Cricket is a ball of energy and a soccer phenom. They have high hopes for Cricket as the family often sacrifices for her dream of becoming a soccer star. Also, the story flashes back to Liz's life, the dreams she gave up, as well as what brought the family to this point. Spectacular Things by Beck Dorey-Stein is an outstanding audiobook for fans of sports stories as well as tales of sisterhood.

At first, based on the cover, I thought Spectacular Things was going to be a light beach read; however, it was much more than I expected. In fact, it reminded me of Carrie Soto is Back at times, and that is high praise. I love a good sports story, and Stein captured that, but the story was so much more- so much depth! I also thought it was going to be a story about Mia and Cricket's bond, but the plot also delves into Liz's past, and I really enjoyed her journey. It had me thinking about life, the sacrifices we make, and begs readers to ask the question: what we are willing to give up for family? Spectacular Things is such a smart and well-written book; it took me by surprise.

Have you read either book? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.