September 2025 Reads
Yaaasss, fall is finally here! Which means weekends dedicated to football, telling your friends and coworkers at least once a week “God, I really need to get out to X cider mill soon,” breaking out your favorite sweaters despite those lingering 80-degree days, pumpkin everything, and soaking up the changing leaves as a distraction from the grim reminder that winter is next… 🥲
Honestly, September was great. It’s the last full month of the year that I had something planned every single weekend. So although I enjoyed the festivities/activities I had in September, I can’t lie that I’m kind of glad it’s come and gone.
My reading this month was a total mixed bag, but some of my favorite books of the year made their way into September, so keep an eye out for those five-star reviews. That said, don’t sleep on the 3.5–4 star reads either. There were some fantastic books in there, too.
*All summaries are taken or paraphrased from Goodreads.
A Resistance of Witches by Morgan Ryan
A RESISTANCE OF WITCHES by Morgan Ryan
Rating: 3/5 stars
Summary: Stubborn, plainspoken, and from an unimpressive family, Lydia Polk never expected to be accepted into the Royal Academy of Witches. Now, with Hitler’s army rampaging across Europe, the witches of Britain have joined the war effort, and Lydia is key to the cause: she must use her magic to track down magical relics before Hitler and his sycophants can. Then a Nazi witch infiltrates the Academy with heart-breaking consequences, leaving the coven shaken, exposed, and divided. The elder British witches have no interest in further loss of coven life in service of a government that has forced them into hiding for generations. But with the discovery of the Grimorium Bellum, an ancient book that leaves a trail of death and destruction wherever it goes, Lydia knows her mission has never been more urgent. Alone and woefully outnumbered, Lydia makes her way to the heart of occupied France, where she finds allies in Rebecca Gagne, a fierce French resistance fighter with a secret, and Henry Boudreaux, a handsome Haitian American art historian with a little magic of his own. Together, they traverse the country, stalked by the natural and supernatural alike, in search of the grimoire. But, as Lydia soon discovers, finding the book is only half the battle; the Grimorium Bellum itself has a dark agenda. Lydia must subdue it before the witches of the Third Reich can use it—but she’ll have to survive the book herself first.
My Thoughts: When I saw this book is a mashup of my two favorite genres, I was freaking psyched. British witches going undercover to help win the war against the Nazis? Yes please! Now, I do have to admit that although the premise was super promising, the execution left something to be desired. The first third of the book had me hooked. We’re introduced to Lydia, her coven, and her mission to find the Grimorium Bellum, an ancient, powerful book that Hitler and the Nazis are also after. While all of that was set up well, I feel like there could’ve been more information provided about why the Grimorium Bellum wasn’t already being protected. The story is told from multiple POVs: Lydia, Henry, and Rebecca. Henry is the art curator at the museum where this book is being kept, and Rebecca is involved in the French rebellion. Both of these characters had enough emotional depth for me to get invested in them, but I also felt like they could’ve been utilized better. Besides serving as a love interest for Lydia, Henry has his own brand of magic where he can see spirits and communicate with them. Rebecca’s main perk as a character is that she has a car lol. She’s a bit of a spitfire, but otherwise, I feel like she was a token representation as a gay Jewish woman who watched her family dragged away by Nazis when she was younger. The plot was fine, but pretty predictable. I don’t know. This is the author’s debut novel and I liked it enough that if she writes another book, I’d probably read it. Also Grace Gray did a fantastic job as the audiobook narrator. However, unless you’re specifically looking for a book about witches getting involved in WWII, I don’t think there’s any urgency to read this.
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
NETTLE & BONE by T. Kingfisher
Rating: 4/5 stars
Summary: After years of seeing her sisters suffer at the hands of an abusive prince, Marra—the shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter—has finally realized that no one is coming to their rescue. No one, except for Marra herself. Seeking help from a powerful gravewitch, Marra is offered the tools to kill a prince—if she can complete three impossible tasks. But, as is the way in tales of princes, witches, and daughters, the impossible is only the beginning. On her quest, Marra is joined by the gravewitch, a reluctant fairy godmother, a strapping former knight, and a chicken possessed by a demon. Together, the five of them intend to be the hand that closes around the throat of the prince and frees Marra's family and their kingdom from its tyrannous ruler at last.
My Thoughts: Wow, I loved this! Not only is the FMC (Marra) a 30-year-old, but the entire book felt like wrapping yourself in a cozy blanket and settling in for a whimsical story. Marra is on a quest to complete three impossible tasks that will give her the tools to kill a prince. Along the way, she’s joined by a wonderfully misfit group of companions including a powerful gravewitch, an exiled knight, a deceptively sweet fairy godmother, a demonic chicken, and a bone dog (IYKYK). Together, this eclectic crew helps Marra in her mission to free her sister and family from the control of a cruel, sadistic prince. Somehow, this story manages to be both incredibly endearing and delightfully grotesque at times. It’s a fresh twist on fairytales, with stunning world-building, vivid settings, and themes of found family, women’s resilience, privilege, and power woven throughout. Honestly, if you’re looking for a book that feels like you’re walking alongside the characters on one of the quirkiest, most heartfelt quests, you can’t go wrong with this one. This may have been my first T. Kingfisher book, but it definitely won’t be my last.
The Lover Haters by Katherine Center
THE LOVE HATERS by Katherine Center
Rating: 3/5 stars
Summary: Katie Vaughn has been burned by love in the past—now she may be lighting her career on fire. She has two choices: wait to get laid off from her job as a video producer or, at her coworker Cole’s request, take a career-making gig profiling Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West. The catch? Katie’s not exactly qualified. She can’t swim—but fakes it that she can. Plus: Cole is Hutch’s brother. And they don’t get along. Next stop paradise! But paradise is messier than it seems. As Katie gets entangled with Hutch (the most scientifically good looking man she has ever seen . . . but also a bit of a love hater), along with his colorful Aunt Rue and his rescue Great Dane, she gets trapped in a lie. Or two. Swim lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, drinking contests, hurricanes, and stolen kisses ensue—along with chances to tell the truth, to face old fears, and to be truly brave at last.
My Thoughts: This was cute. Not my favorite by Katherine Center by any means, but I enjoyed it overall. This book starts pretty strong with the set up of Katie Vaughn, what’s on the line for her right now, why she’s trying to escape her past, and how she’s received on her new assignment in Key West. I even really liked the slow burn building up between her and Hutch as they started spending more time together. However, as I got further into it, the plot just felt a little choppy and didn’t end up as smooth of a landing as I would’ve preferred. After spending a whole book working through the “will they/won’t they” tension pulling tautly between Katie and Hutch, I couldn’t even fully swoon because their love story felt unfinished and had a lot of holes in it. I don’t know. It had a good set up, but the overall execution wasn’t as strong as other Katherine Center books I’ve read.
Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren
BEAUTIFUL BASTARD by Christina Lauren
Rating: 2.75/5 stars
Summary: Whip-smart, hardworking, and on her way to an MBA, Chloe Mills has only one problem: her boss, Bennett Ryan. He's exacting, blunt, inconsiderate—and completely irresistible. A Beautiful Bastard. Bennett has returned to Chicago from France to take a vital role in his family's massive media business. He never expected that the assistant who'd been helping him from abroad was the gorgeous, innocently provocative—completely infuriating—creature he now has to see every day. Despite the rumors, he's never been one for a workplace hookup. But Chloe's so tempting he's willing to bend the rules—or outright smash them—if it means he can have her. All over the office. As their appetites for one another increase to a breaking point, Bennett and Chloe must decide exactly what they're willing to lose in order to win each other.
My Thoughts: Okay this book did exactly what it needed to do: provide a fast-paced, extremely steamy workplace romance. I just feel like you have to keep in mind that it was published in 2013, so the overall vibes and approach to this story feel a TOUCH outdated. However, I appreciated that the sexual relationship that develops between Chloe and Bennett is clearly completely consensual even though he’s her boss. There definitely could’ve been some more development to the emotional depth of the romantic relationship they finally give into though. Neither character was necessarily super likable but I also didn’t dislike either of them lol. Each had a little personal growth by the end of the book, but I think Bennett’s was much more obvious than Chloe’s. For example, it was unexpected that he ended up being very straightforward with communicating what he wanted their relationship to look like. Whereas she kept second guessing what she wanted to say to him in case he didn’t feel the same way. Honestly, I enjoyed the book overall and didn’t rate it less than three stars because of anything particularly wrong with it. I just feel like there are newer smutty romances available that feel a bit fresher or more modern and might be more enjoyable. However, this was a quick read if you’re looking for something fast and dirty lol.
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE by Claire Keegan
Rating: 4/5 stars
Summary: It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man, faces his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church.
My Thoughts: For a book that’s just a bit over 100 pages, it sure had a lot to say. It has a transportive quality that plants you in a small Irish town at Christmastime, and while you’re floating through Bill Furlong’s story, the impact point of this book shows up abruptly and catches you by surprise. It’s honestly a feat that this author makes you feel so much in such a short amount of time. Her writing is more showing than telling and has a poignant feel to it that makes the experience honestly mesmerizing. If you’re looking for a short, somehow cozy read, I highly recommend trying this one.
A Family Matter by Claire Lynch
A FAMILY MATTER by Claire Lynch
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Summary: 1982. Dawn is a young mother, still adjusting to life with her husband, when Hazel lights up her world like a torch in the dark. Theirs is the kind of connection that’s impossible to resist, and suddenly life is more complicated, and more joyful, than Dawn ever expected. But she has responsibilities and commitments. She has a daughter. 2022. Heron has just received news from his doctor that turns everything upside down. He’s an older man, stuck in the habits of a quiet existence. Telling Maggie, his only child—the person around whom his life has revolved—seems impossible. Heron can’t tell her about his diagnosis, just as he can’t reveal all the other secrets he’s been keeping from her for so many years.
My Thoughts: The fact that this is a debut novel honestly shocked me because it’s so well done. It’s only 240 pages, but somehow it makes you feel so much through its character-driven plot. The story flips between two timelines and multiple POVs, and once you get into the rhythm, it’s so easy to get swept up in it. In 1982, Dawn is settling into life as a wife and mother when she meets Hazel. They become fast friends, but when their connection deepens, Dawn is forced to question everything now that she’s tasted a version of happiness she never expected. Then in 2022, Heron has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer and knows he needs to tell his daughter, Maggie, but doing so might unravel other secrets he’s kept buried for decades. The first couple of chapters were a little disorienting, but once I found my footing, I was completely hooked. The writing is beautiful, the characters are so well fleshed out, and the emotional depth really sneaks up on you. I especially appreciated how it shed light on the injustices queer women (especially mothers) faced during that time. By the time I finished, I would’ve happily read another 50–100 pages.
Severance by Ling Ma
SEVERANCE by Ling Ma
Rating: 4/5 stars
Summary: Candace Chen, a millennial drone self-sequestered in a Manhattan office tower, is devoted to routine. So she barely notices when a plague of biblical proportions sweeps New York. Then Shen Fever spreads. Families flee. Companies halt operations. The subways squeak to a halt. Soon entirely alone, still unfevered, she photographs the eerie, abandoned city as the anonymous blogger NY Ghost. Candace won’t be able to make it on her own forever, though. Enter a group of survivors, led by the power-hungry IT tech Bob. They’re traveling to a place called the Facility, where, Bob promises, they will have everything they need to start society anew. But Candace is carrying a secret she knows Bob will exploit. Should she escape from her rescuers?
My Thoughts: Wow this book was clever! I cannot believe it was written and published PRIOR to the COVID-19 pandemic. I almost feel like I don’t know how to write an eloquent enough review to suffice for the brilliance the author portrayed through her writing lol. This story is a heavy dose of satire mixed with cynicism, quirkiness, and so much more. The plot was absolutely gripping with commentary on capitalism, the immigrant experience, our society’s mindless consumption of both media and material things, and dares to ask the question why any of it matters. This is definitely a book you want to read alongside someone because there are so many moments that make you reflect on your own behaviors and could lead to some great discussions. If you’re into post-apocalyptic books or just love some very sharp writing, this book is a MUST!
The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno Garcia
THE BEWITCHING by Silvia-Moreno Garcia
Rating: 3.75/5 stars
Summary: “Back then, when I was a young woman, there were still witches”: That was how Nana Alba always began the stories she told her great-granddaughter Minerva—stories that have stayed with Minerva all her life. Perhaps that’s why Minerva has become a graduate student focused on the history of horror literature and is researching the life of Beatrice Tremblay, an obscure author of macabre tales. In the course of assembling her thesis, Minerva uncovers information that reveals that Tremblay’s most famous novel, The Vanishing, was inspired by a true story: Decades earlier, during the Great Depression, Tremblay attended the same university where Minerva is now studying and became obsessed with her beautiful and otherworldly roommate, who then disappeared under mysterious circumstances. As Minerva descends ever deeper into Tremblay’s manuscript, she begins to sense that the malign force that stalked Tremblay and the missing girl might still walk the halls of the campus. These disturbing events also echo the stories Nana Alba told about her girlhood in 1900s Mexico, where she had a terrifying encounter with a witch. Minerva suspects that the same shadow that darkened the lives of her great-grandmother and Beatrice Tremblay is now threatening her own in 1990s Massachusetts. An academic career can be a punishing pursuit, but it might turn outright deadly when witchcraft is involved.
My Thoughts: Silvia Moreno-Garcia has been one of my favorite authors ever since I read Mexican Gothic. When I heard she was writing another gothic horror book focused on witches, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. This book is perfect for the spooky season! It’s eerie, paranormal, and absolutely gripping. The story follows the lives of three women: Minerva - a grad student in 1990s Massachusetts, Beatrice (Betty) - a budding horror writer in the 1930s, and Alba - a 19-year-old in 1900s Mexico,. Minerva’s thesis is focused on the life of Beatrice whose most famous book was based on the true story of her college roommate Ginny’s mysterious disappearance. As Minerva starts reading through journals Beatrice kept throughout her life, she starts to uncover what might’ve really happened to Ginny all those years ago. The deeper she digs, the more she starts noticing similar, inexplicable situations she’s experiencing in the present. Reflecting on stories Minerva’s Grandma Alba used to tell her about witches in Mexico, she realizes there might be some dark magic shadowing her now. I loved the multiple timelines and the various POVs as the mystery into Ginny’s disappearance grew more complex. Alba was my favorite character of the three women, mainly because I felt like her character arc was the most complete by the time the story wrapped up. Now, onto the sticking points of this story. There is one side character who I felt was under-utilized and whose involvement in Minerva’s timeline could’ve added another dynamic layer to her search for the truth. There was another character who was obviously used as a blatant red herring, but that wasn’t really addressed by the end of it. He showed up at random times and then was forgotten about afterwards. The ending of the book also felt a TOUCH flat, but I guess I didn’t mind how it wrapped up overall. This book is extremely atmospheric and will definitely suck you in, so if you’re looking for something witchy to read in October, I recommend picking this up!
Bunny by Mona Awad
BUNNY by Mona Awad
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Summary: Samantha Heather Mackey couldn't be more of an outsider in her small, highly selective MFA program at New England's Warren University. A scholarship student who prefers the company of her dark imagination to that of most people, she is utterly repelled by the rest of her fiction writing cohort--a clique of unbearably twee rich girls who call each other Bunny, and seem to move and speak as one. But everything changes when Samantha receives an invitation to the Bunnies' fabled Smut Salon, and finds herself inexplicably drawn to their front door--ditching her only friend, Ava, in the process. As Samantha plunges deeper and deeper into the Bunnies' sinister yet saccharine world, beginning to take part in the ritualistic off-campus Workshop where they conjure their monstrous creations, the edges of reality begin to blur. Soon, her friendships with Ava and the Bunnies will be brought into deadly collision.
My Thoughts: Let me start by saying, this book is not going to be for everybody. I found myself asking “wtf is happening?” multiple times throughout it. However, the writing is honestly so clever that I cannot deny I thoroughly enjoyed the weird ride. Listening to Samantha’s story felt incredibly claustrophobic and you kind of have to just sit in the discomfort of it. As the black sheep of her writing program, she’s the only one not included in a clique of women she refers to as the Bunnies. She has nicknames for all of them based on unique characteristics and loves talking about how unhinged they are with her best friend Ava. That is, until she’s given an invite to the Bunnies’ infamous Smut Salon. As Samantha starts falling down the rabbit hole (pun intended lol) of this mysterious group, things start getting hella creepy, and the ability to tell what’s real and what she might be imagining becomes nearly impossible. The ending took a real twist I didn’t see coming, but also probably could’ve predicted if I wasn’t so caught up in the chaos of it all. I highly recommend the audiobook for this one because the narrator is FANTASTIC, and I think it’s easier to keep up with what’s happening due to her inflections. The next book came out mid-September and it’s from the Bunnies’ perspective, so I’m thoroughly curious to get my hands on that one.
The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig
THE KNIGHT AND THE MOTH by Rachel Gillig
Rating: 5/5 stars
Summary: Sybil Delling has spent nine years dreaming of having no dreams at all. Like the other foundling girls who traded a decade of service for a home in the great cathedral, Sybil is a Diviner. In her dreams she receives visions from six unearthly figures known as Omens. From them, she can predict terrible things before they occur, and lords and common folk alike travel across the kingdom of Traum's windswept moors to learn their futures by her dreams. Just as she and her sister Diviners near the end of their service, a mysterious knight arrives at the cathedral. Rude, heretical, and devilishly handsome, the knight Rodrick has no respect for Sybil's visions. But when Sybil's fellow Diviners begin to vanish one by one, she has no choice but to seek his help in finding them. For the world outside the cathedral's cloister is wrought with peril. Only the gods have the answers she is seeking, and as much as she'd rather avoid Rodrick's dark eyes and sharp tongue, only a heretic can defeat a god.
My Thoughts: Okay bold statement, but I feel pretty confident in it: this is going to be my favorite fantasy book of the year. I don’t even know what to say that will do this story justice. It was detailed without being info-dumpy, dark, clever, incredibly funny at all the right times – Rachel Gillig really knocked it out of the park with this one. There weren’t any complicated maps to follow and the magic system is based on objects instead of some unseen power. I loved that Sybil never felt like the typical damsel “chosen one” for the quest to find and collect all six objects. Her strength was evident from the start, but this journey was just as much about her finding herself as it was about stopping the Omens. As for the romance… 😮💨 Buckle up for the slowest, hottest burn you’ve ever experienced. We are 200 pages in and they haven’t even held HANDS. I was thirsssstyyyyyy from their palpable longing. Yet, Rory is giving this “I will do anything for her even when she isn’t mine” energy that we fucking loooove to see. ALSO BARTHOLOMEW, DO NOT SLEEP ON THE GARGOYLE. OMG. That little stone beastie was the funniest character in this book. He just calls people out matter-of-factly on all their shit and then leaves them to sit in the mess of all the truths he just spat. I was so obsessed with him and squawk-laughed out loud multiple times. Honestly, the only issue I have with this book is that the wait for the second book is going to BRUTAL. 😭
Bride by Ali Hazelwood
BRIDE by Ali Hazelwood (REREAD)
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Summary: Misery Lark, the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman of the Southwest, is an outcast—again. Her days of living in anonymity among the Humans are over: she has been called upon to uphold a historic peacekeeping alliance between the Vampyres and their mortal enemies, the Weres, and she sees little choice but to surrender herself in the exchange—again… Weres are ruthless and unpredictable, and their Alpha, Lowe Moreland, is no exception. He rules his pack with absolute authority, but not without justice. And, unlike the Vampyre Council, not without feeling. It’s clear from the way he tracks Misery’s every movement that he doesn’t trust her. If only he knew how right he was…. Because Misery has her own reasons to agree to this marriage of convenience, reasons that have nothing to do with politics or alliances, and everything to do with the only thing she's ever cared about. And she is willing to do whatever it takes to get back what’s hers, even if it means a life alone in Were territory…alone with the wolf.
My Thoughts: I read this book last fall and was absolutely obsessed with it (OG review here). Since the next book, Mate, comes out in early October, I wanted to give it a quick reread as a refresher. Y’all. The second time through did NOT disappoint. I loved revisiting this world riddled with complicated politics between the Weres, Vampyres, and humans, Misery remains one of the funniest romance characters I’ve encountered in a while, and I LOVED seeing the relationship between her and Lowe develop from the perspective of already knowing what was going to happen. Needless to say, if you’re looking for something spicy and swoony that’s perfect for spooky szn, Bride will not disappoint!
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
ATMOSPHERE by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Rating: 5/5 stars
Summary: Joan Goodwin has been obsessed with the stars for as long as she can remember. Thoughtful and reserved, Joan is content with her life as a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University and as aunt to her precocious niece, Frances. That is, until she comes across an advertisement seeking the first women scientists to join NASA’s space shuttle program. Suddenly, Joan burns to be one of the few people to go to space. Selected from a pool of thousands of applicants in the summer of 1980, Joan begins training at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, alongside an exceptional group of fellow candidates: Top Gun pilot Hank Redmond and scientist John Griffin, who are kind and easygoing even when the stakes are highest; mission specialist Lydia Danes, who has worked too hard to play nice; warmhearted Donna Fitzgerald, who is navigating her own secrets; and Vanessa Ford, the magnetic and mysterious aeronautical engineer, who can fix any engine and fly any plane. As the new astronauts become unlikely friends and prepare for their first flights, Joan finds a passion and a love she never imagined. In this new light, Joan begins to question everything she thinks she knows about her place in the observable universe. Then, in December of 1984, on mission STS-LR9, it all changes in an instant.
My Thoughts: Not me ugly crying on my couch in the middle of a Thursday afternoon because I thought I could casually finish listening to the audiobook while working… 🤡 Seriously though, the rumors are true: this book is ten thousand percent worth the emotional turmoil it puts you through and definitely lives up to the hype. TJR put her whole heart into this one. The book starts in December of 1984 when Joan Goodwin is working as the ground-based astronaut in Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center in Houston while the rest of her crew is up in space. After a malfunction occurs, the mission is flipped on its head and the only one left conscious on the ship is Vanessa Ford. From there, the format jumps between the present as Joan and Vanessa talk through the intense situation at hand so that they can get the crew safely back to earth, and the last four years as they became one of the first classes of astronauts that allowed women to train. This story really did have everything you could want: strong female characters challenging the status quo in a male-dominated field, well-developed side characters that added the perfect amount of complexity, themes of found family and self acceptance, technical space talk that took you deeper into the world of NASA without getting confusing, chef’s-kiss-level character development, perfect pacing, quotes that will stick with you long after you’ve closed the book, and just the right amount of gut-wrenching scenes that will have you fanning your freshly-applied mascara because of-fucking-course the exact moment Joan calls her niece before Thanksgiving (IYKYK) is the exact moment you’re getting ready for work… My ONLY complaint is the AUDACITY of TJR to not give us an epilogue???? Like after that ending? Ruthless. Anywho, if it’s not obvious, I do highly recommend this book lol.
The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore
THE PUMPKIN SPICE CAFÉ by Laurie Gilmore (Dream Harbor #1)
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Summary: When Jeanie's aunt gifts her the beloved Pumpkin Spice Café in the small town of Dream Harbor, Jeanie jumps at the chance for a fresh start away from her very dull desk job. Logan is a local farmer who avoids Dream Harbor's gossip at all costs. But Jeanie's arrival disrupts Logan's routine and he wants nothing to do with the irritatingly upbeat new girl, except that he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her. Will Jeanie's happy-go-lucky attitude win over the grumpy-but-gorgeous Logan, or has this city girl found the one person in town who won't fall for her charm, or her pumpkin spice lattes…
My Thoughts: Mmmm. I’m not sure what to say here. Like it wasn’t BAD by any means. It just felt like it embodied its title a little too hard and was as bland as a Pumpkin Spice Latte. There’s also a slight instant-love trope, and although it doesn’t totally commit to the usual feel of instant-love, that’s still my least favorite trope. So we were already starting off on a rough note there. Jeanie and Logan were both fine as characters, but they lacked the depth that would’ve made me really connect with them. Jeanie, in particular, gave off some airheaded, naïve vibes that just didn’t do it for me. Honestly, I found myself way more invested in the pack of misfit side characters and curious about what’s next for them instead. That said, I did love the cozy, atmospheric setting of Dream Harbor. It was giving Stars Hollow energy, but like your favorite home décor store threw up its entire fall line across town. There are spicy scenes, yes, but they felt a little too vanilla, which was disappointing considering the first 60% of the book is a slow burn. By the time they finally acted on their feelings, I was hoping for something a little less… mild. If you’re looking for a cozy, fall romance that’s character-driven and easy to follow, this would be a good pick. But otherwise? I’d say you can skip it.
Nobody in Particular by Sophie Gonzales
NOBODY IN PARTICULAR by Sophie Gonzales
Rating: 2.75/5 stars
Summary: Princess Rosemary of Henland can’t afford distractions. She’s working tirelessly to repair her image following a scandal that lost the trust of both her country and her best friend. Unfortunately, when a beautiful and funny new student joins her boarding school, Rose finds herself quite distracted indeed. Attending Bramppath College on a music scholarship, talented pianist Danni expects to be an outcast amongst the wealthy children of the elite, but she is pleasantly surprised to be taken in by the ex-best friend of the princess. The more Danni gets to know her new classmates, the more intrigued she becomes by Rose. When somebody sees something they shouldn’t and rumors circulate throughout Henland, Rose and Danni must either find a way to deflect the ever-increasing eyes on their relationship, or end it altogether. Because one thing is clear: if Rose’s fragile reputation takes any more hits, the palace will do whatever they must to separate Rose and Danni. Forever.
My Thoughts: I went back and forth on what to rate this one. It felt like a low three-star but closer to a high two, so here we are. Overall, it was super cute. I loved the premise and was long overdue for a YA royal romance storyline. Danni has just moved to Henland with her mom and stepdad and becomes the only American enrolled at Bramppath Boarding School. Despite her less-than-ideal history with new schools, she quickly befriends one of the popular girls, Molly, who also happens to be best friends with Princess Rosemary. After a recent scandal leaves Rose’s public image in shambles, she and her PR consultant work to clean things up, including hiding her sexuality from the majority-Catholic country. But as Rose and Danni grow closer, their connection deepens, and keeping their relationship (and Rose’s secret) becomes harder by the day. I really liked this audiobook overall, and I’ve heard great things about Sophie Gonzales’s writing. Still, there were a few areas where it fell flat for me. The pacing felt off, and there were multiple times I checked my progress only to be shocked by how much was left. The plot felt a bit disjointed at times, and while I appreciated that the author tackled heavier topics like grief and coming out, I wish there had been more follow-through. Some of the character reactions also felt a little over the top. I get that they’re 16 or 17 and everything feels monumental at that age, but it still read like one dramatic blowup after another. All that said, if you’re looking for a light YA romance with royal tropes and some sweet moments, this definitely delivers that vibe, it just wouldn’t be my first recommendation.
That’s it for September!
I’m hoping to incorporate some more spooky szn reads into October, but we’ll see where that gets us lol.
2025 Book Count: 115
Add me on Goodreads if you haven’t already.
YOUR TURN! What is one read you’re looking forward to this fall?
