More Good Reads and Book Reviews!

 Last time, I chatted about my favorite recent good reads/reviews with you all, and your responses were amazing! I'm all about sharing my latest reads with you because, honestly, reading is my chill time and channels as a form of self-care being that it allows me to relax my brain and dive into a new little world. It lets me escape and get creative. Lately, I've been mixing things up by reading on the treadmill. It's a game-changer – time flies, steps rack up, and it's a workout. Win-win! If you're into easy ways to get moving, this is it!

So, here's the rundown on my recent faves. But enough about me – what about you? What's on your reading list? Let's trade recommendations!

Fiction: Romance, Historical, Psychological

Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Rating: 8/10

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Glitz, glamour, hollywood, and scandal!! This book is heartbreaking yet absolutely beautiful! A major plot twist towards the end that pulls at all of your emotions. I am going to keep it real with you all (always), this book had a slower start than most. It struggled to grab my attention for a handful of chapters in the beginning BUT after that slow start, you are packed with content that keeps you drawn in and aching to learn more and continue reading. You are pulled in so many directions of Evelyn's love life, which all come to the conclusion and wonder if this something that present day actresses go through in justifying sacrifices and what it takes to get to the top. All in all, I would read this book again!

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Rating: 7.5/10

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Gods, Kings, the human heart, and immortal fame! This book will take you back to ancient Greece during the age of heroes. The Song of Achilles is a different kind of love-story than I am used to but captivated me and had me fully invested before I knew it. It is also packed with action, adventure and war. I will say, it was slow to start and I definitely feel like there are/were a lot of "filler" pages. However, the pages that have good content, keep you engaged and will make you not want to put this book down. There is a plot twist towards the end that absolutely rips your heart out and stomps on it!

Happy Place by Emily Henry

Rating: 5/10

Link to buy

Definitely a book you want to grab while on your beach or summer trip, to pass time. Seriously, if you just have extra time on a road trip or need something to fill up some free time, read this. The reason I say that is because it is just very slow, no hook, very little captivating content. It has a cute and cheesy romance concept - a couple who broke up months ago yet pretend to be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their bestfriends. You literally go through all the cringe and awkward moments with them in this book. Maybe it just isn't for ME, but I have a few friends who also read this book and thought it was just mid. It's an ok read. There is definitely to much hype around it.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Rating: 9/10

Link to buy

Ah, this book touched my soul! I truly believe part of my high rating and love for this book is because I personally related so much to it. Malibu Rising focuses on one unforgettable party night in the life of a famous and high-class family. A night where they each have to keep secrets from each other, discover things about themselves, and figure out what they will leave behind. It has sparks of high, unexpected drama, which makes you want to keep reading. I personally will share why I loved it - the oldest sister, Nina, has settled for so much her entire life. She stays with a man who has done things behind her back, she stays in the same city just to take care of her siblings and never be to far from them, she stays in a house that she simply does not care for and she feels so much pressure to never put herself first, but instead, put everyone else around her, above her. I related heavily to this. Being the oldest, I felt every inch of this and I have even felt this in previous relationships I was in and previous cities I was in. If this even sounds like a hint of you, I promise you will love it because it almost feels like you are the main character and reading about yourself.

Fiction: Thriller, Suspense, Mystery

None Of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

Rating: 10/10

Link to buy

A MUST READ if you like psychological thrillers! This is a gloriously dark book with so many twists. From the very first page, you will be reeled in! In this one, a woman finds herself the subject of her own popular true crime podcast! In this book, you will quickly realize that no one is as they seem. With so many versions of events taking place in this book, you are challenged with figuring out and deciding which"truth" is the right truth. I promise you will love it, and I want to hear your thoughts after you read it! This one was so hard for me to put down. This is the first time I ever finished a book in 3 sittings, but I did, so that tells you a lot. Run, don't walk, and go get this book!

A Flicker In The Dark by Stacy Willingham

Rating: 11/10

Link to buy

My most recent read! Took me 5 days and 4 sittings to finish this book (well I would actually read it while walking on the treadmill for an hour and 20 mins). Easily the BEST book I have ever read. I could not put it down, I was at the edge of my seat. There are plot twists that you WILL NEVER see coming. With over 42,000 reviews and this being the author's debut novel, it is easily the best mystery I have read. I'm 100% sure that if I had the extra time, I would have finished it in one full sitting. This book follows Chloe Davis, and when she was twelve, six teenage girls went missing in her small Louisiana town. Her own father had confessed to the crimes and was put away for life, leaving Chloe and the rest of her family to grapple with the truth and try to move forward. Twenty years later, Chloe is a psychologist in Baton Rouge and getting ready for her wedding. While she finally has a fragile grasp on the happiness she’s worked so hard to achieve, she sometimes feels as out of control of her own life as the troubled teens who are her patients. When a local teen girl goes missing, and then another, she is paranoid from seeing parallels from her past and for the second time in her life, Chloe is about to unmask a killer.

Verity by Colleen Hoover

Rating: 10/10

Link to buy

The first mystery/thriller/romance I have ever read and this kickstarted my obsession with them! This book is also the first Colleen Hoover novel I have ever read and although I have heard very conflicting opnions on her, this book is apparently out of her usual style in the sense that this is her first mystery/thriller. Which strays away from her usual romance style. And she KILLED IT. This book is sublimey creepy and is completely riveting and unexpected! You will not put this one down! The book follows Lowen Ashleigh, who is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish. Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn’t expect to uncover is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Pages of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity's recollection of the night her family was forever altered. Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy. But as Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read it. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue loving her.

Personal Finance

I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi

Rating: 9.5/10

Link to buy

This book has taught me and continues to teach me so much about how to manage my financials, investments, stocks and retirement plans! I can wholeheartedly say that I now feel that I have a really good handle on my finances, thanks to this book. The main takeaway (at least, for me, a latte lover) is that YES you can afford that latte you love in the mornings. Just be smart about your money in all other aspects. This book serves as a 6-week personal finance program for 20-to-35-year-olds. A completely practical approach delivered with a nonjudgmental style that makes readers want to do what Sethi says, it is based around the four pillars of personal finance- banking, saving, budgeting, and investing-and the wealth-building ideas of personal entrepreneurship. If you're looking to learn more about finances and being guided in the right direction, this book is it!

Personal Career

Dotcom Secrets by Russell Brunson

Rating: 9.5/10

Link to buy

I have been searching for ways to dive deeper in marketing, communications, funnel hacks, and overall just learning more about what can help me in my career as a communications specialist, co-founder of multiple brands, and an author of my first children's book. I want to absord as much as I can in order to be successful in each path I take within my career field and ways to join the "2 comma" club at a young age. This book really unlocks so many useful secrets, tips and tricks to succeed in being an entrepreneur. I highly recommend this book if you are looking to start your own brand, need inspiration, and want to grow your business and attract more consumers. I definitely know what steps to take from here on out and I am currently reading more books by this author!

Thank you for reading my reviews! I hope they have been useful. If you do read any of these books, please let me know what you think and also share your own recommendations! I'm always searching for good reads! I will continue to bring you more book reviews as I cross more books off my "to be read" list! One day, I hope to create a virtual book club and I hope to have you join!

XOXO,

Tessie L.