We don't know about you, but we love on summer! It's all about warm weather, cool cocktails and fabulous fiction! So what are we reading this month? Check out the five books we couldn't put down. And if you leave a comment about what book you're excited to devour on your next trip to the shore, you'll be and be entered to win 5 mystery books for your own pool tote! We'll select the winner on Wednesday, June 19th after 3pm PST.) Happy Reading!
The scoop: Mackenzie "Max" Miller has a problem. Her parents have arrived in town for a surprise visit, and if they see her dyed hair, tattoos, and piercings, they just might disown her. Even worse, they’re expecting to meet a nice wholesome boyfriend, not a guy named Mace who has a neck tattoo and plays in a band. All her lies are about to come crashing down around her, but then she meets Cade.
Cade moved to Philadelphia to act and to leave his problems behind in Texas. So far though, he’s kept the problems and had very little opportunity to take the stage. When Max approaches him in a coffee shop with a crazy request to pretend to be her boyfriend, he agrees to play the part. But when Cade plays the role a little too well, they’re forced to keep the ruse going. And the more they fake the relationship, the more real it begins to feel.
Our thoughts: We love us some new adult! And this novel is so much fun!
The scoop: Almost a decade has passed since Andy Sachs quit the job “a million girls would die for” working for Miranda Priestly at Runway magazine—a dream that turned out to be a nightmare. Andy and Emily, her former nemesis and co-assistant, have since joined forces to start a highend bridal magazine. The Plunge has quickly become required reading for the young and stylish. Now they get to call all the shots: Andy writes and travels to her heart’s content; Emily plans parties and secures advertising like a seasoned pro. Even better, Andy has met the love of her life. Max Harrison, scion of a storied media family, is confident, successful, and drop-dead gorgeous. Their wedding will be splashed across all the society pages as their friends and family gather to toast the glowing couple. Andy Sachs is on top of the world. But karma’s a bitch. The morning of her wedding, Andy can’t shake the past. And when she discovers a secret letter with crushing implications, her wedding-day jitters turn to cold dread. Andy realizes that nothing—not her husband, nor her beloved career—is as it seems. She never suspected that her efforts to build a bright new life would lead her back to the darkness she barely escaped ten years ago—and directly into the path of the devil herself...
Our thoughts: Such a satisfying sequel!
Crazy Rich Asians is the outrageously funny debut novel about three super-rich, pedigreed Chinese families and the gossip, backbiting, and scheming that occurs when the heir to one of the most massive fortunes in Asia brings home his ABC (American-born Chinese) girlfriend to the wedding of the season.
When Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home, long drives to explore the island, and quality time with the man she might one day marry. What she doesn't know is that Nick's family home happens to look like a palace, that she'll ride in more private planes than cars, and that with one of Asia's most eligible bachelors on her arm, Rachel might as well have a target on her back. Initiated into a world of dynastic splendor beyond imagination, Rachel meets Astrid, the It Girl of Singapore society; Eddie, whose family practically lives in the pages of the Hong Kong socialite magazines; and Eleanor, Nick's formidable mother, a woman who has very strong feelings about who her son should--and should not--marry. Uproarious, addictive, and filled with jaw-dropping opulence, Crazy Rich Asians is an insider's look at the Asian JetSet; a perfect depiction of the clash between old money and new money; between Overseas Chinese and Mainland Chinese; and a fabulous novel about what it means to be young, in love, and gloriously, crazily rich.
Our thoughts: Sassy, smart and funny, it's all the good things you've heard and more.
The First Affair by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
Following college, Jamie McAllister wins a prestigious internship at the White House that she has no idea will irrevocably alter her life. An unexpected flirtation with the handsome and charismatic Gregory Rutland quickly leads to an emotional relationship she is ill equipped to handle at twenty-two. Each time she tries to extricate herself Greg is unable to find the strength to let her go. Meanwhile, the opposing party mobilizes to annihilate his presidency by any means necessary.
As Gregs conflicting desires drive her to the breaking point, Jamie cant help but reveal intimate details to those closest to her. But she must have unburdened herself to the wrong personbecause within a matter of weeks Jamie finds herself, and everyone she loves, facing highly calculated destruction at the hands of Gregs political enemies.
With her every mistake dragged out for the world to judge, Jamie has to endure an unprecedented trial in the court of public opinion with the fate of the President, his party, and the country at stake.
Now, years later, can the woman infamously known as the girl in the blue dress make sense of this affair, and the trauma it wrought, for the world and for herself?
Our thoughts: Such an engrossing story! OMG, you must read! (PS: We know this doesn't come out until August 27th, but we were lucky enough to get an advanced reader copy and just had to talk about it right now!)
The scoop: Life is a soap opera in All My Restless Life to Live, especially for Elle Miller, who writes for one. (Ellen dropped the “n” in her name in hopes of finding a better ending for herself.) When her laptop crashed, she borrowed her dead dad’s computer and got more than she bargained for. As Elle comes to terms with her father’s death, she’s busy unraveling mysterious communications from his computer. From dealing with her mom, who has decided to give Internet dating a try, to saving her career at I’d Rather Be Loved, with a storyline featuring a trip through Atlantis, to a trip to the Emmys, Elle also finds herself in the middle of a romance between a real doctor and a hunk who just plays one on TV. Friends, family, and clues from “the other side” all help Elle figure out the difference between living the good life and living a good life. Hint: The universe always gives us clues.
Our thoughts: We're big fans of Dee's books! And this is definitely our favorite yet.
Giveaway: TWO copies of Kissing My Old Life Au Revoir by Eliza Watson
The Scoop: Event planner Samantha Hunter is prepared for a few challenges when escorting a group of good ole boy beer distributors to Paris, the city of haute cuisine and fine wines. However, she doesn’t foresee being passed up for a promotion because she is too professional and doesn’t knock back beers with her clients. Her focus soon switches from landing the well-deserved promotion to finding her free-spirited sister, who lives in Paris and has disappeared, leaving behind family secrets to be uncovered. A sexy puppeteer helps Samantha search for clues to her sister’s whereabouts and teaches her to embrace her inner child. And a funeral-crashing psychic demonstrates the importance of living life to the fullest. It takes Samantha’s life spiraling out of control for her to finally get a life.
