Hello and welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday. This is a time when I share something on my mind and invite you to link up and do the same. On the first Thursday of the month, I share the books I read the previous month. So let's take a look at what I read in August ~
The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren was such a fun read! This charming romance has all the ingredients I love—great chemistry, plenty of humor, heartfelt moments, and characters you can’t help but root for. Christina Lauren always seems to know how to balance laugh-out-loud moments with just the right amount of emotion, and this one was no exception. It was light, entertaining, and easy to get swept up in—the kind of book that makes you happy to keep turning the pages. If you’re looking for a feel-good romance with plenty of heart, The Romance Revival is definitely worth adding to your TBR list!
Three years ago, scientist Emery Finch did something completely out of character: She got married. To Luca—the impossibly charming landscaper she met on one blistering night in Vegas who made her laugh, made he dance, made her feel.
But now, Emery is consumed by her top research, missing dinners, forgetting anniversaries, and promising herself Luca will understand once her cutting-edge discoveries come to light. Until the unthinkable happens: A tragic accident takes Luca from her.
Desperate not to lose him, Emery breaks every rule, using the classified technology she’s developed to bring him back to life. And Luca would probably thank her for it, if only he could remember her. Their first kiss, their Sunny Sundays at the beach, the life they built together…all of it is gone.
It may be a miracle of science, but for Emery it’s her one shot at a second chance. And this time, she won’t waste it—because true love is always worth reviving.
This book has plenty of twisty, fast-paced action that makes The Divorce a great thriller! One minute you think you have it all figured out, then the story takes a turn you didn't see coming. If you have Kindle Unlimited, it's included in your monthly fee.
Naomi was living the quintessential love story. Boy meets girl. They fall in love, get married, buy a dream house, start a family...
Then—he kicks her out, hires the city’s best divorce lawyers, drains their accounts, and takes up with a 20-something.
It’s a brutal end to the story. Naomi should accept defeat: move into a dingy apartment, get back into the workforce, and piece together the shattered remains of her life.
Except, why should she?
Instead, Naomi fixates on her husband’s new girlfriend. What begins as cynical curiosity soon twists into obsession—and then into something far darker. As Naomi uncovers secrets she never imagined, she realizes her own life may be in danger.
But if it keeps her perfect family intact, isn’t it worth it?
I read this one because it was our library book club pick last month. The book club was split on people who liked it and people who didn't. I have to admit, it had a lot of words! The story for me was interesting, but I do wish they would have summed it up quicker than they did.
In a compelling, richly researched novel that draws from thousands of letters and original sources, bestselling authors Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie tell the fascinating, untold story of Thomas Jefferson's eldest daughter, Martha "Patsy" Jefferson Randolph--a woman who kept the secrets of our most enigmatic founding father and shaped an American legacy.
From her earliest days, Patsy Jefferson knows that though her father loves his family dearly, his devotion to his country runs deeper still. As Thomas Jefferson's oldest daughter, she becomes his helpmate, protector, and constant companion in the wake of her mother's death, traveling with him when he becomes American minister to France.
It is in Paris, at the glittering court and among the first tumultuous days of revolution, that fifteen-year-old Patsy learns about her father's troubling liaison with Sally Hemings, a slave girl her own age. Meanwhile, Patsy has fallen in love--with her father's protégé William Short, a staunch abolitionist and ambitious diplomat. Torn between love, principles, and the bonds of family, Patsy questions whether she can choose a life as William's wife and still be a devoted daughter.
Her choice will follow her in the years to come, to Virginia farmland, Monticello, and even the White House. And as scandal, tragedy, and poverty threaten her family, Patsy must decide how much she will sacrifice to protect her father's reputation, in the process defining not just his political legacy, but that of the nation he founded.
It took a beat for me to get into this one, but then I was hooked! The story is relatable and heartfelt. There were several times I was shaking my head in agreement of things said in the book. If you have good friends, lost good friends, or want to have a good friend - this book is for you.
Friendship is the love story you can count on.
Remy is lucky. Her debut novel, based on her three best friends, became an instant bestseller when it was released, and her agent and publisher are clamoring for a follow-up. But just as Remy’s creative inspiration seems to leave her, so too do her friends: one moves to New York, one gets pregnant, and one gets back together with her (awful) boyfriend. After an ill-advised one-night stand complicates matters further, Remy is left deeply alone―and unable to find her next book idea.
Simone is successful. A Kindergarten teacher with a passion for kids, and a well-paying side hustle that affords her all the material comforts she desires, she doesn't have time for a robust social life. All Simone needs is her close-knit family―but after the true nature of her work is revealed, they cut her off, and she realizes for the first time just how isolated she is.
When Simone and Remy bump into each other (literally) in a bookstore, it isn’t exactly soulmates at first sight. Simone is guarded and prickly, Remy is insecure and heartbroken, and each woman is harboring a secret. And yet they might just be the missing piece the other has been searching for―if only they can let each other in.
Can Simone help Remy make one of the most important decisions of her life―and can Remy help Simone recover all that she’s lost? In Jessica George’s heartwarming, funny, and soulful second novel, she explores the restorative nature of female friendship and the life-changing power of platonic love.
Dolly All the Time was my selection to read on our beach getaway and it was such a charming, feel-good read! I loved the mix of humor, heart, and romance, and the story had that warm, comforting quality that made it easy to settle in and enjoy. The characters felt relatable, the relationships had plenty of heart, and there were moments that made me laugh right along with the more tender ones. It was the perfect lighter read for vacation!
Dolly Brick has never met a problem she couldn’t solve. Not when her mom left when she was twelve, and not at thirty-nine when she moves with her son back to Whitfield, Rhode Island, for the summer to keep her dad and brother from losing the family home.
So when she comes across Stewart Whitfield—annoyingly handsome scion of the Whitfield family—with a flat tire and at the wrong end of a very public, very humiliating breakup, it’s in her nature to help. But Stewart’s proposed arrangement ends up being more than either of them bargained for, because as public dinners and high-society benefits turn into sunset boat rides and kisses that hit her bloodstream like a ghost pepper, Dolly starts to feel something more than helpful. She’s never relied on anyone besides herself—can she really start now?
Now it's your turn. What are you thinking out loud about today? Link up and share!
