July 2026 Reading Wrap-Up

In July I finished up the two books I had started in June Twice Shy by Sophia Holloway (see my review here) and The Daughter by Jane Shemilt, which I ended up not liking all that much. I'll put my thoughts on it below. I enjoyed this reading month so much because I didn't overload myself on obligated reads and I was able to read some books that I've been wanting to read for months. This was the goal so I'm really happy. I ended up reading 10 complete books in July and I had one DNF.

 

 

The Daughter by Jane Shemilt

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Psychological Suspense
Content: Strong Language

 

This book did not work for me. I need at least one likable character and none of the characters were likable. The mother was so terribly annoying and stupid. She was at turns naive or happily ignorant about all sorts of things when it came to her family. I wouldn't want her coming anywhere near me as a doctor either. I diagnosed her patient that she misdiagnosed easily and I'm not a doctor. The father was also terrible, just in a different way, but I wasn't stuck in his thoughts for the whole book. 

The big reveal about what happened and why was absurd and disappointing, and the ending was unsatisfying. 

 

 

 

 

The Kingdom of Ruses (Ruses of Lenore #1) by Kate Stradling

Review to come.

 

 

 

  

I Think I Was Murdered by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Christian Fiction
Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Content: Nothing I can remember

 

This as an interesting premise with the AI. I enjoyed this but nothing about it surprised me. I saw all the twists and turns coming and even guessed who the perpetrator was. It looks like there are other books written by this duo and I wouldn't be opposed to reading another one. I've read a couple of other books by Colleen Coble, and had a lot of issues with one of them (see my review for that one here), but I feel like this coauthored book is better.

 

 

 

 

In This Moment (Timeless #2) by Gabrielle Meyer

Review to come.

 

 

First Degree (Cass Leary #7) by Robin James

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Content: Strong Language

 

This series started out mediocre for me. However, the last three books have been really good for the most part, despite the fact that at times I think they can be rather far-fetched. Unfortunately, this one ended up being too far-fetched for me. I'm still giving it 3 stars because I still liked some things about it. 

 

 

 

 

The Moonlight Child by Karen McQuestion

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Content: Strong Language

 

I've owned the audio of this one for a while. I got it on Chirp when they had a sale and I've been wanting to listen to it for a while. I had already read one other book by this author, 214 Palmer Street and liked it. I thought this one was on par with that one. I found the story engaging, and although not as mysterious as I initially thought it would be, I liked the way it played out anyway. The characters were also likable. I liked Sharon and Niki, and sympathized with the teenage boy that was caught up in things. If you're looking for a thriller with a lot of twists and turns, then look elsewhere. If you like stories that are more on the domestic drama side of things then you might like this.

 

 

 

  

A Sea View Christmas (On Devonshire Shores #4) by Julie Klassen

This has been on my priority read list all year and I'm so glad I finally got to read it. 

Review to come. 

 

 

 

 

For a Lifetime (Timeless #3) by Gabrielle Meyer 

Review to come.

 

 

 

  

Enchantment by Orson Scott Card

This was a DNF for me.  I don't have a lot to say about it because I didn't get all that far into it. I just got bored and I didn't care for the way the story was told. Although I've liked a couple of things I've read by Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow), I think overall I just don't enjoy Orson Scott Card as a storyteller. 

 

 

 

 

The Best-Kept Secrets (The Huntresses #3) by Sarah M. Eden 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Romance, Historical Romance
Content: Clean

I've had this book for a while and was so glad to finally have the time to read it. I enjoyed how the romance came about as friends in the beginning, and then as they talked and confided in each other their relationship grew into more. There was one part where one of them doesn't communicate something and that part could have ended up being dragged out for a lot longer, like in other books I've read, but I thought it was handled better here. I really enjoyed these characters and that the book revisited so many other characters from the previous books as well. I kind of wish I had read The Gents series before this one, instead of choosing to read the other way around, because there were some characters that I would have loved to have had the backstory on ahead of time. I'll get to that one eventually though. 

 

 

 

  

Gather the Anarchists (Grace Designs #3) by Tilly Wallace 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Historical Mystery
Content: Clean

 

I enjoyed this book more than the second book in the series, but Grace is still kind of leading Frank on. Originally, I had thought this was a completed trilogy, but it feels unfinished. While the mystery in this was solved, the overarching story isn't complete. There's a hint of a romance brewing that would be nice to explore in future books. The thing is, I'm not sure there will be any future books because these were all written in 2023 and there haven't been any more written since. I guess time will tell. You can still read this and enjoy it as is though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me (Maggie the Undying #1) by Ilona Andrews

  

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Portal Fantasy
Content: Strong Language, Torture that is mildly descriptive

 

When Maggie wakes up cold, filthy, and naked in a gutter, it doesn't take her long to recognize Kair Toren, a city she knows intimately from the pages of the famously unfinished dark fantasy series she's been obsessively reading and re-reading while waiting years for the final novel.

Her only tools for navigating this gritty world of rival warlords, magic, and mayhem? Her encyclopedic knowledge of the plot, the setting, and the characters' ambitions and fates. But while she quickly discovers she cannot be killed (though many will try!), the same cannot be said for the living, breathing characters she's coming to love—a motley band that includes a former lady’s maid, a deadly assassin, various outrageous magical creatures, and a dangerously appealing soldier. Soon, instead of trying to get home, she finds herself enmeshed in the schemes—and attentions—of dueling princes, dukes, and villains, all while trying to save them and the kingdom of Rellas from the way she knows their stories will end: in a cataclysmic war. 

 

Portal Fantasy isn't usually my thing but this is Ilona Andrews so I was going to give it a try. I was actually pretty excited to read this book. I loved the blurbs I read and the cover is gorgeous. As soon as I started this I was sucked into the story instantly. I will say that this book has a whole lot of info dumping in it, but it makes sense for the kind of book it is. Maggie is constantly filling us in on the story-line of the book she's been somehow sucked into. It's necessary for us to understand the story and how things are supposed to unfold. Maggie is trying to change the way things end up in the book. 

There were a few times in the beginning when I wondered why the authors chose to write their story the way they did, as a portal fantasy, instead of just writing the story that their character gets trapped in. That being said, I'm not sure I would have the stomach for reading some of the horrible things mentioned by Maggie that happened in that book. 

*Minor spoiler here- There is one part in this book that I felt wasn't as convincing as it could have been, and that was the part when one of the characters is tortured. While I appreciated that most of it was glossed over (I really don't like reading those types of things), I felt like the character wasn't traumatized enough after the fact.  

In the end, I enjoyed this book immensely. I enjoyed the characters. Maggie is great as a lead character. She's smart and resourceful. The main male love interest is very Ilona Andrews. If you've read other Ilona Andrews books then you probably know what I mean. I like that there's a bit of a slow burn going there even though they are very attracted to each other. I'm looking forward to seeing where the story goes in the next book.

 

 

 

 

Twice Shy by Sophia Holloway

  

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Romance, Historical Romance
Content: Clean

 

Rejected by her bereaved father at thirteen and then jilted at nineteen, Elizabeth Ashling is deeply distrustful of men and has no wish to return to London Society. However, circumstances mean she must endure a Season, and there she meets Sir Lucius Radstock. He is as ardent a horse-lover as she is, although that is the only subject on which they appear to see eye to eye. He is initially irked by her coldness, and, in a moment of temper, gives her the nickname, 'The Unassailable'. To Elizabeth's horror, this encourages more unwelcome men to make a play for her, although she remains ignorant of who coined it. As Elizabeth thaws towards Sir Lucius all seems to be going well, until an old rival reveals that Sir Lucius has been as duplicitous as the rest of his gender. 

 

I love this author and was so excited to read this. I wasn't disappointed. I liked the slow pace of the romance. Although, I did feel like some elements were carried out a bit too long, especially the main characters hang-ups about men, and her fears of being betrayed and abandoned. Although they made sense considering what she had been through.

One thing I really enjoy about this author's works is the way she uses third person omniscient in her stories. I love how the narrator floats from person to person showing us what the different characters are doing and saying, from the main character down to the gossips at the ball. This doesn't work in all types of books but it works for me here. Oftentimes there is humor injected into these parts that will have me giggling. I also continue to get a kick out of some of the names the author comes up with.

Elements of this were very reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice. The assumptions made in this book could have been annoying, but worked for me here, for the most part anyway. The last one that ends up coming between the characters was annoying, because I felt like it was accepted as fact too easily, considering where it came from. 

Overall, I loved this book and I'm looking forward to the next book by this author.

 

Thanks to NetGalley and Allison & Busby for providing me a copy of this book.

 

 

 

 

 

Blindside (Planetside #5) by Michael Mammay

  

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Sci-fi
Content: Strong Language

 

Colonel Carl Butler charges back into the world of military crisis, corporate malfeasance, and intergalactic mystery in the action-packed fifth Planetside novel from science fiction master Michael Mammay.

Carl Butler has returned to his home planet from the moon Taug and is looking forward to some rest and relaxation. But following two mysterious deaths connected with the Taug mission, he realizes that the intruders that recently set off his home’s security system might be looking to add him to the death toll.

Having been Butler’s muscle on numerous missions, Mac is no stranger to getting involved with mysteries that should be none of his business. So when the daughter of one of his gym members goes missing, he offers to help. Mac assumes she’s a simple runaway, but the case turns out not to be so clear-cut. Wondering if these strange occurrences are somehow related, Butler—along with Mac, Ganos, and the rest of his small crew—once again finds himself neck deep in intrigue.

As the clues for the various cases begin to intertwine, Butler sees the hand of an old enemy at work, and…well…he’s never been one to sit back and wait for something to happen. Gathering the team, he heads off across the galaxy to confront his suspects head-on.

But this time, they’re waiting for him. 

I was glued to this book from the very beginning. I thoroughly enjoyed being back in this world with these characters. I can never get enough of Carl Butler, but I enjoyed getting to read Mac's point of view as well. The story was fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat. I love that the author included recaps of the other books at the beginning so I could refresh my memory. I wish all books had this. One thing I noticed is that all but one of these books has started off with a missing person. I hadn't really thought about until I read the recaps. I hope the author starts the next book off differently. 

This was the first book in the series I didn't listen to on audio and I feel like I enjoyed actually reading this more than listening to the audio. I think I'm going to eye read the rest of the series from now on. 

 

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for providing me with an ARC of this book. 

 

 

 

 

 

No Good Deed (The Scarsdale Fosters #6) by B.E. Baker

  

No Good Deed (The Scarsdale Fosters #6) by B.E. Baker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Romance, Contemporary Romance
Content: Clean

 

Her entire life, Ardath has wanted to do one save people in a way no one managed to save her mother. After growing up without any real family, she wants to spare others from the same fate. She’s come up with a brilliant plan to save even more lives, if only she can fund it.

Albert Devonshire the fourth—whose friends call him Ace—founded a successful gaming company that he loved running. . .until his dad got sick. When he takes over management of the family-owned chain of hospitals, he discovers his Dad’s been struggling with dementia for a while. The business is in shambles, and his mother’s spending isn’t helping anything.

When a young, beautiful doctor asks for funding to launch a program she’s clearly passionate about, he hates turning her down, but he has no choice. They’re one do-gooder program away from shutting down.

Ardath doesn’t take his refusal very well, and the more time Ace spends around Ardath, the more he hates being her enemy, but he can’t let the family empire collapse over yet another crush. Can Ardath and Ace make peace, or will their duties to their families set them irrevocably at odds. . .forever?

  

I enjoyed reading about Ardath. She's an interesting personality and the way her relationship evolved with Ace was fun to read. I liked that there was a nerd aspect to this book with the D&D and the gaming company, something I didn't expect. I wish we had gotten more of the D&D nights in the book, and more interactions between that group of friends. 

I thought Ardath was a little harsh with Trey after she found out something that I won't spoil here. For a minute there I almost wanted her to end up with him, especially after Ace was rude to him. I liked Ace but sometimes I thought he came off a little rude and full of himself. He improved as the book progressed though, and in the end I was rooting for them. 

Parts of this reminded me of Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez but only slightly. It was the whole hospital thing and the doctors. I found it refreshing that at one point where there could have been a third act break up, there wasn't. 

Thanks to the author or providing me with an ARC of this book.

 

 

 

 

 

July 2026 Reading List

I'm planning to read six books in July. 

 

Reading for NetGalley-

 

Twice Shy by Sophia Holloway

 

Rejected by her bereaved father at thirteen and then jilted at nineteen, Elizabeth Ashling is deeply distrustful of men and has no wish to return to London Society. However, circumstances mean she must endure a Season, and there she meets Sir Lucius Radstock. He is as ardent a horse-lover as she is, although that is the only subject on which they appear to see eye to eye. He is initially irked by her coldness, and, in a moment of temper, gives her the nickname, 'The Unassailable'. To Elizabeth's horror, this encourages more unwelcome men to make a play for her, although she remains ignorant of who coined it. As Elizabeth thaws towards Sir Lucius all seems to be going well, until an old rival reveals that Sir Lucius has been as duplicitous as the rest of his gender. 

 

 

 

Reading for Book Club-

 

Enchantment by Orson Scott Card

 

Enchantment is the story of a Ukraine-born, American grad student who finds himself transported to the ninth century to play the prince in a Russian version of Sleeping Beauty. Early in the story, he muses that in a French or English retelling of the tale, the prince and princess would live happily ever after. But, "only a fool would want to live through the Russian version of any fairy tale." Although his fears turn out to be warranted, as he and his cursed princess contend with the diabolical witch Baba Yaga--easily Russia's best pre-Khrushchev villain--to save the princess's kingdom. 

 

 

 

Reading with the Mystery Book Club- 

 

First Degree (Cass Leary #7) by Robin James

 

This lawyer is her client’s last hope, and her town’s worst nightmare.

When a popular cheerleader winds up dead in a ditch, the case lands in defense attorney Cass Leary’s own backyard. Her niece’s boyfriend Cole is charged with first degree murder and the whole Leary family jumps to his defense. The evidence against him is as thin as the ice on Finn Lake. But an overzealous prosecutor and a rookie detective seem determined to see Cole go down for this no matter what.

Just as she’s about to crack the case, new evidence emerges that convinces Cass her client’s being framed. Cass’s dogged determination to defend him could upend the police department and ruin careers. But if she doesn’t uncover the truth, the real killer could strike again.

Can Cass bust open this conspiracy before another innocent girl dies?

 

 

 

Gather the Anarchists (Grace Designs #3) by Tilly Wallace

 

This royal visit is going to end with a bang…

Edward, the Prince of Wales, is about to step foot on Kiwi soil, and Grace is frantically finishing gowns for her wealthy clients to wear at the balls thrown in his honour. But then a horrible accident and a dying man’s last moments draw her into a conspiracy to harm the prince.

As Grace follows the strands of a last memory, she discovers there is a patchwork of conspirators all with grudges against England and the royal family. This plot has unravelled beyond her group of friends, and if she’s going to hem in the anarchists and save the prince, she needs help. There’s only one person she can turn to... Detective Archer.

Can Grace discard her differences to confide in the policeman with their common goal of saving the prince, or will there be an explosive end to the royal visit?  

 

 

 

I Think I Was Murdered by Collen Coble and Rick Acker

 

A grieving young widow. The AI program that allows her to continue to "talk" to him. And a message she never expected: "I think I was murdered."

Just a year ago, Katrina Berg was at the pinnacle of her career. She was a rising star in the AI chatbot start-up everyone was talking about, married with an adoring husband, and had more money than she knew how to spend. Then her world combusted. Her husband, Jason, was killed in a fiery car crash. Her CEO was indicted and, as the company's legal counsel, Katrina faces tough questions as the Feds take over and lock her out of her office. The final blow is the passing of her beloved grandmother.

Her most prized possession is the beta prototype for a new, ultra-sophisticated chatbot loaded onto her phone. The contents of Jason's email, social media backups, pictures, and every bit of data she could find were loaded into the bot, and Katrina has "talked" to him every day for the past six months. She has been amazed at how well it works. Even the syntax and words the bot uses sound like Jason. Sometimes, she imagines he isn't really dead and is right there beside her. She knows it's slowing her grief recovery, but she can't stop pretending.

On a particularly bad day, she taps out: Tell me something I don't know. The cursor blinks for several moments and seems frozen before the reply flashes quickly onto the screen: I think I was murdered.

Distraught, Katrina returns to her cozy Norwegian-flavored hometown in the northern California redwoods and enlists the help of Seb Wallace, local restaurateur and longtime acquaintance, to try to parse out the truth of what really happened. They must navigate the complicated paths of grief, family dynamics, and second chances, as well as the complex questions of how much control technology has. And staying alive long enough to do that is far more difficult than either of them dreamed.
 

 

 

Pick it for me book-

 

Kingdom of Ruses (Ruses of Lenore #1) by Kate Stradling 

Viola Moreland’s life is a well-orchestrated lie. For generations her family has fabricated the existence of the Eternal Prince, a mysterious and powerful protector who watches over the small kingdom of Lenore.

This practiced deception cracks, however, when a nameless stranger stumbles across the truth and promptly assumes the Prince’s identity. Unable to produce the genuine figurehead, the Moreland family—and Viola in particular—must cater to the impostor’s whims or risk having the web of carefully constructed ruses crumble to pieces.

Of course, as with any good lie, nothing really is as it seems. Contrary to Viola’s desires, this false Prince with his cryptic agenda may well be the only thing that stands between the true magic of Lenore and certain destruction. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 2026 Reading Wrap-up

In June I read 6 full length novels, 2 novellas, and a short story. I've also started two that I haven't finished. I didn't end up getting to An Ordinary Sort of Evil by Kelley Armstrong, and honestly I don't feel like reading it right now, so that one is being pushed to an unknown future date. I did end up reading the novella that is set before it.

 

 

Kirkyards & Kindness (A Rip Through Time 4.5) by Kelley Armstrong 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery
Content: Strong Language

 

 

 

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me (Maggie the Undying #1) by Ilona Andrews

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Portal Fantasy
Content: Strong Language, Torture that is mildly descriptive, 

 

I finally made time for this book and I loved it.

Review to come. 

 

 

 

  

The Ether Witch: The Casting Call (He Ether Witch #1) by Delemhach

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Content: Strong Language

This is one of the sequel series to The House Witch. I liked it but not as much as the other two series. 

 

 

 

 

Battletech Legends: Decision at Thunder Rift (The Gray Death Legion #1) by William H. Keith

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Sci-fi, Space Opera
Content: Sex is alluded to but nothing is shown on page.

 

Review to come.

 

 

 

 

Backstitched and Stabbed (Grace Designs #2) by Tilly Wallace

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Cozy Mystery
Content: Clean

 

I liked the first book in this series quite a bit. I thought it was a nice light read and I enjoyed the characters. However,  I found while reading this book that the main character got on my nerves with the way she sent mixed signals to her brother-in-law. Her husband was killed in the war and her brother-in-law wants a romantic relationship with her. She doesn't really feel that way about him, even though she's still attracted to him in some ways. She kind of goes back and forth about her feelings for him but she doesn't seem to have any real intention of getting into a relationship with him. She should just be straight with him. I'm tired of the wishy-washy stuff. Especially when it's obvious that she's going to end up with someone else anyway.

The other thing that I didn't care for was one part where the characters were supposed to be investigating something on the down low, but they ended up putting a target on themselves by not dressing and acting the part.

There's only one more book, so I'm going to finish the series even though some aspects of it were a little annoying.

 

 

 

 

Imminent Harm (Cass Leary #6) by Robin James

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Legal Thriller
Content: Strong Language, Domestic Abuse

 

So far, I think this is the best book in the series. I liked how the author changed up the formula for the story in this one. Most of these have the same formula where Cass gets a client and then there's a trial where she defends the client, and they look guilty as sin, even though we know they aren't gong to be. I suspected the killer in this one, so I wasn't too surprised by the twists in this book, but it was still a really good one. I also liked that Cass's family played a much smaller role in this one, and when they were around they weren't annoying.

 

 

 

 

No Good Deed (The Scarsdale Fosters #6) by B.E. Baker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Clean Romance
Content: Clean

 

Review to come. 

 

 

 

 

Blindside (Planetside #5) by Michael Mammay 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Sci-fi
Content: Strong Language

 

Review to come. 

 

 

 

 

The Situationship (Part of Your World 3.5) by Abby Jimenez

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Romance

 

This is a short story that shows how Maddy and Doug meet.  I liked it but wished it had been a little longer.

 

 

 

 

The Daughter by Jane Shemilt

I'm reading this one for my monthly reading challenge for June, which is to read something that's been on my to-read list for 10 plus years. 

 

 

 

 

Twice Shy by Sophia Holloway

I started this one a little early. It's on my July reading list.