Earlier this year I shared how I’ve recently gotten back into my love of reading. I’ve always been a bookworm at heart. But after years of only picking up a book for educational purposes, I fell off. It’s fine. Life happens. But I knew that I wanted to get back into it. I guess after I started in January I just couldn’t stop! I read 11 books between January and March 2021. For the months of April to June, I’ve checked 14* additional titles off of my list for the year (more on that asterisk later.)
You’ll find the titles from what I read in Q2 2021 are mainly romance novels- which explains how they’re read in such quick succession. However one of my favorite books from the list “Overthrow” is a non-fiction account about the role of The United States in international coups and guerrilla warfare so… don’t count me out just yet. 😉 It took me a solid 3 months to get through the entire thing and while it was super informative, it reminded me why I rarely read non-fiction novels.
Out of the fiction novels read within Q2, my favorite has to be “The Right Swipe.” I’ll expand below but a story that makes me feel like I’m watching a romantic comedy with my favorite A-list actors and witty dialogue is always a win. If you’ve read any of the books below, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Remember when I said I was giving up Bridgerton novels last quarter? Well, play that DJ Khaled video cause, “Congratulations, I played myself.” After the insistence of multiple followers to try one more book in the series, I decided to explore Colin Bridgerton’s love story. All I can say is, “WOW.” I’m not exactly sure how this novel was written by the same author who forced a selfish suitor with a geriatric age gap onto Eloise. Colin’s book gave us a true love story and character depth that found me rooting for them the entire time.
Perhaps it’s because the love interest, Penelope Featherington, was introduced to us earlier on. (No I don’t consider it a spoiler because her name is on the back of the book.) I’ve now read 4 of the 8 books, but will officially stop there as most readers say it’s the best of the bunch. Even from the ones I’ve completed I wholeheartedly agree. Now I can’t wait for their season to air! If you were just as obsessed with the Netflix show as I was I’d suggest only reading the first novel (Daphne) and this one. In all other instances, I’m just going to assume the show will be better about expanding on the love stories!
Another romance finds from what I read in Q2 2021, The Princess Trap is authored by the same woman who wrote the Brown sisters series I couldn’t stop raving about earlier this year. You could tell it was one of Talia Hibbert’s earlier works and she hadn’t really hit her stride yet as she did with “Take A Hint, Dani Brown.” It’s not your typical ‘prince finds average citizen and turns her into a princess’ love story. It’s filled with a hard look at familial trauma and abuse and a few too many kinky fetishes for my taste. Overall you could see she had a promising future as a romance novelist but if you’re curious about her works outside of the Brown series’, you can pass on this one.
I tried to mix up my lighthearted reads for a murder mystery thriller set in small-town Oregon. The Last Sister centers on the story of Emily Mills, the 30 something woman with a storied past that includes a father that was murdered 20 years ago. Recently, another murder happens in the exact same location and weapon that causes the FBI to come to town. The storyline was decent but it felt very much like a white woman writing about racism- which it was.
And the shock is supposed to be that there are all these secrets of racism coming out *even though they’re in Oregon*. If it was an attempt to appeal to her PNW community and educate them that racism can occur anywhere, then perhaps it works. However, for the average American, we’re already aware of that fact (especially after the last 4 years). As a Black woman, I just couldn’t accept it for that reason. 5/5 eyerolls, though.
Welcome to the “I’m going to buy Colleen Hoover’s entire body of work” section of the post. Verity (my favorite book of 2020) led me down this path in the hopes of stumbling upon a new love in 2021. However, I quickly learned it’s a standout novel in the sense that it’s completely different than anything she’s ever written.
Nonetheless, I decided to read Layla while on the beach in the Dominican Republic this spring. I finished it in a day! It’s a similar style to Verity because it’s a thriller with those hints of forbidden romance. But I wasn’t ready for the sci-fi twists (???) that I’m sure made it enjoyable to others. I will say it kept me guessing until the end, but a male protagonist that is as… complicated as Leeds discouraged me from extending any empathy as a reader. If you like a good page-turner with a twisty ending, by all means, check it out! I’d love to know your thoughts.
If you think my book reviews are harsh, especially for what I read in Q2 2021, I do apologize. Sort of. I approach them in the same way that I would text my thoughts to my best friend Allison once I turn the final page. Sometimes a book is so good but there are moments that just make you go…“You did this for WHAT?!” And that’s precisely how I feel about Colleen Hoover’s “Ugly Love.” The covers of her books always give clues to the secret plotlines you should be looking out for as you read, so I’m not sure why I was shocked. But there were a lot of unnecessary complications to the relationship that we discover in the book.
For example (A SMALL SPOILER) one of the main characters, Miles, is revealed to have had a secret relationship with his stepsister while they grew up together. Yes, you read that correctly. As for the story that follows, it could have been just as impactful if his previous romantic interest wasn’t pseudo-related to him. But I guess that’s part of the “ugly.” Regardless, I loved the chemistry between the two protagonists. And I felt like it provided a realistic depiction of how grief can seep into future relationships without realizing it. At this point, it’s my second favorite CoHo novel!
Here’s where we get into the previously mentioned asterisk territory. When I was younger, I assumed I had to read a book from start to finish, no matter how much you hated it. You know, cause momma didn’t raise a quitter. But instead of subjecting myself to a book that’s not entertaining (or tv show, movie, podcast, you name it.) I simply move along. It’s a game-changer, honestly. I don’t think you get extra brownie points from the universe for suffering through something just to say you did it. Who has the time?! Especially when there are so many mediums out there just waiting to be consumed.
It seems that a theme Colleen loves to revisit is the idea of repressed memories. And it’s kind of unfair to the readers to believe they’re reading a dark, teeny-bopper romance from the back of the book only to realize there’s a pretty heavy emphasis on dark and less romance. Because most of her books include 2-3 twists, the plot summaries can’t really provide an accurate description on what the story is about. I didn’t sign up for a heavier book (I leave that to tv shows and not something I’m reading before bed) so I stopped midway.
My suggestion if you do love her books is to rely on the first-hand account from friends and ask them to share their thoughts after reading vs. retailer reviews. The parts I did read from ‘Hopeless’ were intriguing and I ended up googling the ending. It’s yet another “shock and awe” twist where I can see why it was suggested, it’s just not for me.
The final chapter in my Hoover journey was fan favorite, “It Ends With Us.“ For the same reasons I mentioned above, I can’t share too much about the story without giving it away. So all I will say is this: This book is perfect for those who approach The Notebook as one of their favorite love stories.
It centers on storylines that don’t necessarily romanticize abuse, but I’m not sure if it fully condemns it either. I might be in the minority here because it’s considered one of her best. But hey, that’s what I took away from it. Unless someone tells me there’s a new Colleen Hoover book with 2 emotionally intelligent leads that doesn’t center on unnecessary trauma, this will probably be the last title I read from the author.
PHEW, Ok. You made it through guys. I figured it was better to put all of the painful ones in the middle, Ha. If you’re wondering if I even like romance novels anymore then let me introduce you to “The Right Swipe.” It’s the first of a 3-part modern love series by South Asian author, Alisha Rai. In the same way that I’ll use the Brown sisters series as the blueprint for light-hearted romance novels, I’d also suggest this particular book for those hoping to try out the genre for the very first time.
There’s depth to the diversity that goes further than describing a brown woman’s skin as chocolate-y and gives a solid look into the two protagonists’ careers I’m not sure I’ve seen in a romance novel before. Samson- a former NFL player who took a stand against concussion protocols and now works as an angel investor is one main character. The female lead is Rhiannon, kick-ass CEO in the male-dominated tech industry for a company that mimics Bumble. It also features interracial relationships without white people, a rarity in media I wasn’t really aware of until recently. (Though shout out to the cutest Netflix movie that was severely underrated, “Lovebirds”!!!)
It’s hilarious and way more intriguing than your average romance novel. It will be hard to beat this one this year as a favorite but it doesn’t mean I’m not open to testing that theory!
Sequel to The Right Swipe, Girl Gone Viral instead follows Rhiannon’s wealthy business partner Katrina King on her journey for love in the modern world. She battles anxiety after an attack made her fear for her safety. She is just getting comfortable leaving her house more regularly with her trusted (read: hunky) bodyguard, Jas Singh. Then she goes viral at a coffee shop after a meaningless interaction with a stranger is mistaken for the beginning of a Twitter love story. Basically, an introvert’s nightmare.
But the exchange made me view so many of these viral videos and photos of strangers while they’re simply just living their lives for what they really are- an invasion of privacy. Of course, the book shares the extreme version of what happens when someone who struggles with mental health issues and longs for anonymity is forced into the public eye. But shouldn’t it be everyone’s choice if they’d like to go viral and I don’t know, NOT be subject to millions of people commenting on every single detail of their appearance or lifestyle?
Obviously, this is not the point of this blog post but I think it’s a conversation worth having about shoving phones in people’s faces without their consent. Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed it for the same reasons as The Right Swipe! I just felt like the overall storyline was a bit stronger in book 1.
The first novel for what I read in Q2 2021 shares the fun of swiping for dates, the second of going viral, and the final book in the series highlights the perils of being catfished. I thought I would immediately fall in love with the story given my obsession with the other two. Jia, a family friend who lives with Rhiannon and Katrina, is a beauty influencer who falls a famous Indian actor, Dev Dixit.
Technically, was she catfished if the account did belong to the Bollywood star and he just wasn’t writing the DMs? Minor details, really. It’s the only other book of the quarter that I struggled to finish, but I ultimately let it go. I was a little over halfway through and still felt like there was little progression in the plot.
The things that made me love the other books (strong character descriptions and diversity) made this one a chore to read. Example: Rosalia Lopez left her casita on her way to the little puebla to go see her sweet Abuelita while listening to her favorite song from Carnival as a child, “El cancion de azul.” It’s great to get little descriptors of culture towards the beginning of the story but once I have to read sentences like that over and over it gets tedious. And it can come off as trying too hard to be representative of different groups. It reminded me of when I was in college trying to write midterm papers the night before and struggling to hit the page limit.
Super slow start, but don’t let this book stop you from trying the other two! You don’t have to read them in a specific order.
This romance novel was suggested to me by a few followers after I shared my reading list in March. And it was super cute! The Kiss Quotient is about a young mathematician’s approach to finding love. Stella Lane, the protagonist, fears her Asperger’s and lack of experience will put her at a disadvantage if she wants to start dating again- so she hires some “help” from Michael Phan. While it’s important to showcase the rare love stories from neurodivergent people, it wasn’t the sole reason I fell in love with this book. It’s extremely witty, offers a glimpse into Asian-American cultures, and I appreciated how it’s like a reverse Pretty Woman!
The Kiss Quotient is a fun read that’s perfect to pack for your next beach getaway. There are two additional books in this series and I’m interested to see how the writer expands the story in the future!
It takes a lot for me to get flustered or raise my eyebrows reading romance novels now, especially for what I read in Q2 2021. But I’d say The Roommate definitely succeeded in that department. Honestly, it’s on me. If I had taken more than 10 seconds to read the plot description I would’ve realized the famous and unexpected roommate that Clara is forced to live with for a summer in LA is NOT a hotshot movie producer. Instead, it’s Josh Darling, up and coming adult film actor.
Once I understood that was his occupation, I almost put the book down. But I’m glad I didn’t judge the plot solely on his career choices. What I thought would be just an excuse to write every scandalous word in the English language, turned out to be a stimulating discussion about the exploitation of people in the sex work industry and the need for more feminist-centered media. Don’t get me wrong.
They still put in a lot of situations that are just as ridiculous as you may think. But I thought it did a great job shining a light on how people can be sold unrealistic dreams of success and trapped by manipulative men in the entertainment industry. My only critique is that they didn’t share how the working conditions could be even worse for people of color or LGBTQIA+ performers.
I’ve heard the sequel fails in comparison, so I will not be adding it to my list. But let’s hope this stirs conversations about how we can protect ALL workers in the future.
This is another beach read to add to your list. You have your basic friends ‘will they won’t they’ trope, but the characters make it a lot more charming. They describe a half-night stand as hooking up but not staying the night. I’ve always been under the impression that it’s still a one-night stand regardless? Let me know your thoughts on the matter.
An upcoming guest lecture by President Obama and subsequent ball forces a group of academics to scurry and find dates using an app. Friends for years, Reid and Millie, decide to hook up just once before they date other people seriously. What happens afterward include jealousy, friendly competition, and a bit of catfishing. The latter is my only complaint about the book. It’s a cute read and with nothing too serious allows you to enjoy a nice romance novel for what it is: easy fun.
Since I can’t really classify “Overthrow” as a favorite in comparison to books read for entertainment, you’ll notice the lack of rating. After feeling frustrated about how much we’re missing from the American history books, this and Killing Hope were suggested to me through an informational Twitter thread. And I know that I’m not alone. If it wasn’t for Twitter (or social media in general tbh) there’d be a lot of things I’d be learning about for the first time in 2020/2021. Historical events like the Tulsa Massacre, Green Book, Juneteenth, and Fred Hampton’s death were mysteriously put on the back burner at my predominantly white and conservative institutions. And those are just the things happening on American soil.
If you didn’t know, there were a lot of commentaries made after January 6th alluding to the fact that “if our political leaders viewed this event in another country, they’d send in the troops.” This instantly made me curious to read more. It can sound a bit conspiracy theorist but the book was thoroughly fact-checked with legal documents verified by the federal agencies themselves.
Overthrow carefully chronicles how the U.S. has had a hand in over 50 foreign government’s political processes. It’s chilling. Heartbreaking. And can shatter your previously held beliefs. But it’s also enlightening. If you’ve taken this past year to educate yourself on dismantling racism and oppression in this country, I’d encourage you to read this as well.
If you made it to this point of my what I read in Q2 2021, I seriously congratulate you. Please let me know if you add any of these picks to your summer reading list!
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i really enjoyed this! i have to say i don’t really enjoy romance books too much but I think I might try a few of your recommendations. I read so much last year but I’m definitely struggling with university to read the same amout. I’m reading Obama’s book at the moment and it’s taking a while
Hi Helena, thank you for reading through this! Haha. I felt the same way with reading in school so give yourself some grace. And autobiographies are always a LOT to get through. But no shade, I loved Michelle Obama’s book a lot more!
I was hoping It ends with Us (my first book of Colleen’s after Verity) would be, well more like Verity, ha! I may need to check out Debacle. I still think you need to read The Kind Worth Killing, I think you’d love it!!
xo Jessica
an indigo day
Have you read Hopeless? You might find it slightly more like it. But I think my Coho journey stops here. lol