The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell

I had a really hard time getting into and finishing this book – I’m not sure whether to chalk it up to a busy busy month of May or because I really didn’t like the book. I had high hopes for it from the first chapter, but then it dragged for me.

Lucrezia, a young duchess in 1550s Florence, is thrust into the limelight, when her older sister dies on the eve of her wedding to the ruler of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio. She must take her place to secure the future by providing an heir to the Ferranese dynasty. A Reese’s Book Club Pick!

cw: emotional abuse, murder

Identity by Nora Roberts

Nora Roberts is always a good read for me – it’s predictable enough where I don’t have to think too much, but all of her latest releases have a deeper storyline and are more involved. After a book that was hard for me to get through, this was a good way to get back in the swing of reading.

Morgan Albright has finally planted roots in a friendly neighborhood near Baltimore. Her friend and roommate Nina helps her make the mortgage payments, as does Morgan’s job as a bartender. But after she and Nina host their first dinner party—attended by Luke, the flirtatious IT guy who’d been chatting her up at the bar—her carefully built world is shattered. The back door glass is broken, cash and jewelry are missing, her car is gone, and Nina lies dead on the floor.

Soon, a horrific truth emerges: It was Morgan who let the monster in. “Luke” is actually a cold-hearted con artist named Gavin who targets a particular type of woman, steals her assets and identity, and then commits his ultimate goal: murder.

What the FBI tells Morgan is beyond chilling. Nina wasn’t his type. Morgan is. Nina was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. And Morgan’s nightmare is just beginning. Soon she has no choice but to flee to her mother’s home in Vermont. While she struggles to build something new, she meets another man, Miles Jameson. He isn’t flashy or flirtatious, and his family business has deep roots in town. But Gavin is still out there hunting new victims, and he hasn’t forgotten the one who got away.

cw: murder, identity theft, stalking

The Cuban Heiress by Chanel Cleeton

I love how Chanel Cleeton weaves Cuban culture, historical events, and romance into her novels. I enjoyed this one. If you haven’t read her other books, this one won’t make you feel like you are missing anything!

New York heiress Catherine Dohan seemingly has it all. There’s only one problem. It’s a lie. As soon as the Morro Castle leaves port, Catherine’s past returns with a vengeance and threatens her life. Joining forces with a charismatic jewel thief, Catherine must discover who wants her dead—and why.

Elena Palacio is a dead woman. Or so everyone thinks. After a devastating betrayal left her penniless and on the run, Elena’s journey on the Morro Castle is her last hope. Steeped in secrecy and a burning desire for revenge, her return to Havana is a chance to right the wrong that has been done to her—and her prey is on the ship.

As danger swirls aboard the Morro Castle and their fates intertwine, Elena and Catherine must risk everything to see justice served once and for all.

cw: attempted murder, drowning, boating accident

Dating You, Hating You by Christina Lauren

A cute romance novel by Christina Lauren. Perfect beach/summer read, I got through it pretty quickly.

Despite the odds against them from an embarrassing meet-awkward at a mutual friend’s Halloween party, Carter and Evie immediately hit it off. Even the realization that they’re both high-powered agents at competing firms in Hollywood isn’t enough to squash the fire.

But when their two agencies merge—causing the pair to vie for the same position—all bets are off. What could have been a beautiful, blossoming romance turns into an all-out war of sabotage. Carter and Evie are both thirtysomething professionals—so why can’t they act like it?

cw: explicit sexual content

Regretting You by Colleen Hoover

A Colleen Hoover read I had yet to pick up. It was available on Libby and I went for it. It was pretty emotional, as most of her books are. But it wrapped up nicely and I enjoyed it.

Morgan Grant and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Clara, would like nothing more than to be nothing alike.

Morgan is determined to prevent her daughter from making the same mistakes she did. By getting pregnant and married way too young, Morgan put her own dreams on hold. Clara doesn’t want to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Her predictable mother doesn’t have a spontaneous bone in her body.

With warring personalities and conflicting goals, Morgan and Clara find it increasingly difficult to coexist. The only person who can bring peace to the household is Chris—Morgan’s husband, Clara’s father, and the family anchor. But that peace is shattered when Chris is involved in a tragic and questionable accident. The heartbreaking and long-lasting consequences will reach far beyond just Morgan and Clara.

cw: infidelity, death of a spouse

Year of Yes by Shonda Rimes

I have been listening to the audiobook, narrated by Shonda herself, and I have loved listening to it. I don’t necessarily agree with everything she says, but she makes some really great points regarding saying yes to the things that are good for you and no to the ones that aren’t.

With three children at home and three hit television shows, it was easy for Shonda to say she was simply too busy. But in truth, she was also afraid. And then, over Thanksgiving dinner, her sister muttered something that was both a wake up and a call to arms: You never say yes to anything. Shonda knew she had to embrace the challenge: for one year, she would say YES to everything that scared her.

This poignant, intimate, and hilarious memoir explores Shonda’s life before her Year of Yes—from her nerdy, book-loving childhood to her devotion to creating television characters who reflected the world she saw around her. The book chronicles her life after her Year of Yes had begun—when Shonda forced herself out of the house and onto the stage; when she learned to explore, empower, applaud, and love her truest self. Yes.

xoxo,