September Reading Wrap-Up

September marks the start of my favorite time of year - Autumn! This month, I wanted to get through a few books that have been on my list for a while, a few Bad Bitch Book Club picks, and I really needed to get to some NetGalleys I had been approved for.

My extremely talented brother also came out with a book this month, The Dark Persists! It’s available through Amazon in a paperback version, and Kindle edition! It’s a compilation of 15 thrilling, scary and heart-stopping short stories that will not only maybe make you scared out of your mind for a bit, but also make you really think about the world. It’s perfect going into the Halloween season. Check it out here! I’ll have the full review for this one in October!

September included one big high for me, including The Girl With The Louding Voice which I am obsessed with and want to demand a follow-up from author Abi Dare because I loved Adunni and I am so invested in her journey. American Royals II: Majesty was released this month and I was excited to dive back into the world of the Washingtons, and I was able to get my hands on You Had Me At Hola (a BBBC sub-group pick) which has been highly praised. And I crossed two more NetGalley books off my list: Finlay Donovan Is Killing it and Make Up Break Up - both of which were extremely enjoyable.

The Girl With The Louding Voice

This book is definitely in my top 5 of 2020.

“I want more than just a voice, I want a louding voice. I want to enter a room and people will hear me even before I open my mouth to speak”

Told through the voice of Adunni, a 14yo girl growing up in Nigeria, the reader follows her on her journey to find her freedom and of course, her louding voice.

I loved every single page of this book. No matter what Adunni was facing in life, she continued to strive for her dreams, and never let herself be defeated. She is a bold and brilliant character. There was even some humorous moments thrown in there. I was so invested in her story I couldn’t put this book down.

I can’t wait to see what @abidare_author has for us next!

Goodreads Summary:

A powerful, emotional debut novel told in the unforgettable voice of a young Nigerian woman who is trapped in a life of servitude but determined to fight for her dreams and choose her own future.

Adunni is a fourteen-year-old Nigerian girl who knows what she wants: an education. This, her mother has told her, is the only way to get a “louding voice”—the ability to speak for herself and decide her own future. But instead, Adunni's father sells her to be the third wife of a local man who is eager for her to bear him a son and heir.

When Adunni runs away to the city, hoping to make a better life, she finds that the only other option before her is servitude to a wealthy family. As a yielding daughter, a subservient wife, and a powerless slave, Adunni is told, by words and deeds, that she is nothing.

But while misfortunes might muffle her voice for a time, they cannot mute it. And when she realizes that she must stand up not only for herself, but for other girls, for the ones who came before her and were lost, and for the next girls, who will inevitably follow; she finds the resolve to speak, however she can—in a whisper, in song, in broken English—until she is heard.

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It

This is an absolutely hilarious and clever mystery novel. Finlay Donovan is a struggling single mom who accidentally falls into the “contract killing” line of work.

It’s a fast-paced book that kept me hooked with its dark humor and an original storyline. I became so invested in all of the characters (except Steven because UGH). I can’t wait to find out what’s next for Finn, as the author, @ellecosimano seems to have set it up to be a series! 🤞🏼

This book is perfect for anyone who loves mysteries and comedy. Finlay Donovan Is Killing It will be released February 2, 2021!

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this arc in exchange for my honest review!

Goodreads Summary:

Edgar-Award nominee Elle Cosimano’s adult debut, Finlay Donovan Is Killing it is the first in a witty, fast-paced mystery series, following struggling suspense novelist and single mom Finlay Donovan, whose fiction treads dangerously close to the truth as she becomes tangled in real-life murder investigations….

American Royals II: Majesty

America’s favorite royal family is back in this sequel to American Royals.

** WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD** I normally don’t spoil in my reviews, but I have thoughts on this one.

The first book left us with major cliffhangers, so I was excited to dive back into this world to get the answers I needed. Will Bea follow through with her wedding to Teddy or will she skip town with Connor? Are Jeff and Nina going to get back together? Will Jeff EVER realize that Daphne is the WOAT of all time and just wants to be a princess? And is Himari going to wake up and ruin Daphne’s life?

Thankfully, we got all of those answers and more. BUT I’m not sure that was enough for me. I loved both Bea and Samantha’s storylines, but was disappointed when it came to Nina’s. She was my favorite narrator in the first book, but this time around I wanted to scream at the predictable path she was taking. And we received next to no answers when it comes to her and Jeff. I guess they’re just never going to talk to each other or be in the same room as each other for the rest of their lives despite sharing 13 years of history, a BFF in Sam, and declaring their love for one another. Sure.

And Daphne. Justice was not served when it comes to this she-devil disguised in her second-hand princess attire. It hurts my heart that the villain got everything she wanted and more. Himari DID wake up and just conveniently got over the fact that her best friend was responsible for putting her into a year long coma? And Jeff DID fall under her spell again, and surprise - basically proposed to her in the last chapter of the book?

Overall, I enjoyed this series and I love almost all of the characters. But, this was unfulfilling for me. Some storylines, like Daphne’s tied up way to conveniently with absurd things happening to tie things up nicely. And other storylines, like Nina and Jeff, didn’t really continue into this sequel after being built up so much in the first book? As of now, Majesty is supposed to be the wrap-up to the American Royals series but I have a feeling this is not the last we hear of the Washington family. If it is, I am going to be incredibly disappointed.

Goodreads Summary:

Is America ready for its first queen?

Power is intoxicating. Like first love, it can leave you breathless. Princess Beatrice was born with it. Princess Samantha was born with less. Some, like Nina Gonzalez, are pulled into it. And a few will claw their way in. Ahem, we're looking at you Daphne Deighton.

As America adjusts to the idea of a queen on the throne, Beatrice grapples with everything she lost when she gained the ultimate crown. Samantha is busy living up to her "party princess" persona...and maybe adding a party prince by her side. Nina is trying to avoid the palace--and Prince Jefferson--at all costs. And a dangerous secret threatens to undo all of Daphne's carefully laid "marry Prince Jefferson" plans.

A new reign has begun....

You Had Me At Hola

After going through a public and messy breakup, Jasmine is ready to focus in her career and become a leading lady in the entertainment industry. But, then she meets her newest telenovela co-star, Ashton.

From there, you can probably guess where this is going - a will they, won’t they steamy romance story.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I loved the focus this story had on representation of LatinX in Hollywood, consent (in regards to not only sex but all forms of physical touch), and the horrible reality of tabloid media (especially towards females).

But I also found myself frustrated a lot with Jasmine and Ashtons relationship. I’m all for a will they, won’t they romance story but at times I was rolling my eyes at how immature their conflicts were 🙄.

But, still hoping this one is turned into an actual Netflix show sometime in the future. It would definitely make for a binge worthy series.

Goodreads Summary:

Leading Ladies do not end up on tabloid covers. 

After a messy public breakup, soap opera darling Jasmine Lin Rodriguez finds her face splashed across the tabloids. When she returns to her hometown of New York City to film the starring role in a bilingual romantic comedy for the number one streaming service in the country, Jasmine figures her new “Leading Lady Plan” should be easy enough to follow—until a casting shake-up pairs her with telenovela hunk Ashton Suárez. 

Leading Ladies don’t need a man to be happy. 

After his last telenovela character was killed off, Ashton is worried his career is dead as well. Joining this new cast as a last-minute addition will give him the chance to show off his acting chops to American audiences and ping the radar of Hollywood casting agents. To make it work, he’ll need to generate smoking-hot on-screen chemistry with Jasmine. Easier said than done, especially when a disastrous first impression smothers the embers of whatever sexual heat they might have had. 

Leading Ladies do not rebound with their new costars. 

With their careers on the line, Jasmine and Ashton agree to rehearse in private. But rehearsal leads to kissing, and kissing leads to a behind-the-scenes romance worthy of a soap opera. While their on-screen performance improves, the media spotlight on Jasmine soon threatens to destroy her new image and expose Ashton’s most closely guarded secret.

Make Up Break Up

Make Up Break Up is a steamy romance novel about two app developers who have a love/hate/love relationship. After meeting in Vegas at a conference, and having a week-long love affair, Annika and Hudson go their separate ways. Until Hudson and his incredibly successful app (an app that Annika swears he stole her idea for) show up next door to Annika's office.

It took me about 25% of the book before I was really hooked. The beginning of the book really focused on Annikas hate for Hudson and felt slightly repetitive. But, once I was further into the story, and was able to see the connection grow, I couldn't stop flipping the pages and rooting for these two. I found myself screaming JUST KISS ALREADY.

Overall, this book is a cute romcom story that I would recommend to anyone who loves a good romance story, or who is looking for a light read!

Thanks to NetGalley & St.Martins Press/St.Martins Griffin for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for my honest review. Make Up Break Up will be available in February 2021!

Goodreads Summary:

High efficiency break-ups, flashy start-ups, penthouses, fast cars…these are the things Hudson Craft believes in. His app, Break Up, is known as the “Uber for break-ups.” It’s wildly successful—and anathema to Annika’s life philosophy.

Which wouldn’t be a problem if they’d gone their separate ways after that summer fling in Las Vegas, never to see each other again. Unfortunately for Annika, Hudson’s moving not just into her office building, but into the office right next to hers. And he’ll be competing at the prestigious EPIC investment pitch contest: A contest Annika needs to win if she wants to keep Make Up afloat. As if it’s not bad enough seeing his irritatingly perfect face on magazine covers when her own business is failing. As if knowing he stole her idea and twisted it into something vile—and monumentally more successful—didn’t already make her stomach churn.

As the two rival app developers clash again and again—and again—Annika finds herself drawn into Hudson Craft’s fast-paced, high velocity, utterly shallow world. Only, from up close, he doesn’t seem all that shallow. Could it be that everything she thought about Hudson is completely wrong? Could the creator of Break Up teach her what true love’s really about?

Follow Me!

Every month I share my reviews, ratings and recommendations for some of the books I’ve been reading. Check out all of my past reviews on my read page, and make sure to come back often for all my future recs!

I get a lot of my choices from BOTM club (click here if you’re interested in signing up), all of my recommendations can be bought from Bookshop (click here) and I always log my reads in my Goodreads account so make sure to follow me there!

And of course, Instagram is the best place to see what I’m reading and recommending in real time.