Are you getting in any summer reading this season? I’m still on track with reading, but most of it comes in the form of listening to audio books.
Let’s dive into what I read in June. It’s time to share those book reviews and link us with Show Us Your Books.
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini
This was a fascinating read about why people say yes to request, sales, etc. Some of the principles apply and explain how some online influencers are so successful- we have a fear of missing out, we see the same items over and over and through familiarity think we need them too, social proof- others have it, do it, etc. Reciprocity- if someone does us a favor, we feel compelled to do for them, answer their request. These are just a few of the principles of persuasion Cialdini outlines. I read and listened via Scribd. 5 stars.
The Summer of Lost and Found (Beach House, #7) Mary Alice Monroe
I listened to the audio version. This one focuses mostly on how the younger generation of characters deal with COVID and the things they learned about themselves during quarantine, but also still included the older characters in the story. Linnea is laid off from her job, her boyfriend from England returns, as well as her ex-boyfriend John. Cara and David deal with a COVID scare and the beloved Flo faces life’s end. Full of emotion- laughs and tears. I love all the books in this series, but I thought it might have been a bit premature to write a COVID story. I still enjoyed it. 4 stars.
This was my first time reading Nora Roberts. I picked this up in hardback at the thrift store in 2019 and finally read it. I really enjoyed it and it’s one of those stories that leaves you thinking about the characters long after you finish the story, even though at times some of the characters are not the most likable.
“The sole survivor of a brutal crime, Reece Gilmore seeks refuge from the terror of the past in Angel’s Fist, Wyoming, only to become an eyewitness to a possible murder, but when all evidence of the crime vanishes, no one seems to believe her, except for Brody, a gruff loner who becomes her only hope of escaping a killer.” 4 stars
The Secret in Sandcastles (Poppy Creek, #3) by Rachael Bloome
This is another series I really like. I read via Kindle and listened on Audible. This edition focuses on Penny, thrift store owner and friend of Eliza and Cassie from the first two books in the series. Colt Davis, who was Penny’s childhood enemy, has returned to town and the two of them are thrown together in a town project to write a piece about what Poppy Creek has to offer younger tourists. Can Colt pull Penny from her shell of safety and get her to try more daring adventures? Can he get her to forgive him of their childhood and win her over to his romantic interest, even though many of their outings go so wrong? 4 stars
Feels like Family (The Sweet Magnolias #3) Sherryl Woods
I have a thing for series! And this is a good one. This book focuses on the third of the Sweet Magnolias, Helen, and her discovery of her desire to have a child, and her attempt to bypass the marriage and romance to have one before she gets too old. I listened via Scribd. 4 stars
A Borrowed Life: A Novel by Kerry Anne King
I have enjoyed every Kerry Anne King book I have read and this one doesn’t disappoint. The characters at times need a good smacking for their obstinance, but they all eventually work through their faults and fears. For years Liz was the perfect pastor’s wife. Wife to a pastor who believed in the errant approach that women were created to serve men and had no needs of their own. Liz’s husband passes away suddenly and she finds herself free to be herself again, but not with some resistance from her daughter who initially struggles to give up her learned assumptions and father’s teachings about how a woman should act. 4 stars
99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne
A cute romantic comedy about Darcy and her long time crush, Tom. Tom has been her twin brother’s best friend forever, but Darcy has had a crush just as long. Darcy’s grandmother leaves a cottage to her and her brother with instructions to renovate it and sell the property. Tom has started his own company and is the man for the job. A relationship develops as they attempt to renovate the cottage. My first thoughts were that this was going to be trashy, and a part or two was, but the book finally developed into something of substance. 3 stars
I do the majority of my reading and listening through Kindle Unlimited, Audible and Scribd.
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