Sophie Reads YA: August 2024

August Summary

11:00

Cutting it Neat for the Wedding
Series: The Glenbriar Series #9
Author: Margaret Amatt
Published July 31st 2024 by Leannan Press (eARC)
Read: July 31-August 1 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars

A Lady’s Fortune
Series: None
Author: Jane Dunn
Published August 5th 2024 by Boldwood Books (eARC)
Read: August 1-2 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars

But He's My Grumpy Neighbor
Series: But He's a Carter Brother #1
Author: Annah Conwell
Published August 6th 2024 by Dreamscape Media (eARC)
Read: August 4-5 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars

Look What You Made Me Do
Series: None
Author: Amy Andrews
Published September 5th 2024 by Boldwood Books (eARC)
Read: August 9 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars

Royal Rumble
Series: Love in Laandia #1
Author: Holly Kerr
Published February 6th 2024 by Three Birds Press (eARC)
Read: August 10-11 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars

Royal Retelling
Series: Love in Laandia #2
Author: Holly Kerr
Published May 14th 2024 by Three Birds Press (eARC)
Read: August 12 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars

Royal Rising
Series: Love in Laandia #3
Author: Holly Kerr
Published August 20th 2024 by Three Birds Press (eARC)
Read: August 13 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars

Playing the Field
Series: None
Author: Becky Ward
Published June 5th 2024 by Avon (eARC)
Read: August 14-18 2024
My Rating: 3 Stars

What the Lady Wants
Series: None
Author: Emma Orchard
Published September 5th 2024 by Boldwood Books (eARC)
Read: August 16-18 2024
My Rating: 3 Stars

Playmaker
Series: None
Author: Deanna Faison
Published October 22nd 2024 by W by Wattpad Books/Orion (eARC)
Read: August 21-22 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars

Heavy Hitter
Series: None
Author: Katie Cotugno
Published August 20th 2024 by Harper Perennial (eARC)
Read: August 23 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars

Daydream
Series: Maple Hills #3
Author: Hannah Grace
Published August 27th 2024 by Simon & Schuster UK
Read: August 27 2024
My Rating: 5 Stars

First Down
Series: Beyond the Play #1
Author: Grace Reilly
Published September 28th 2023 by Headline Eternal
Read: August 28 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars

Breakaway
Series: Beyond the Play #2
Author: Grace Reilly
Published September 28th 2023 by Headline Eternal
Read: August 29 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars

Stealing Home
Series: Beyond the Play #3
Author: Grace Reilly
Published September 28th 2023 by Headline Eternal
Read: August 30-31 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars

Summary:

I'm quite happy with this month, and I've found some new favourite authors for my future TBRs!

How have you done this month? Let me know below.

August

Stacking the Shelves: August 31st 2024

10:00

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, which showcases the books we've purchased, won, borrowed and received in the mail.

This week (August 25th-31st) I received:

For review (via NetGalley):

A Lady's Lesson in Scandal by Darcy McGuire
The Christmas You Found Me (Heart of the Wilderness #1) by Sarah Morgenthaler
Vilest Things (Flesh and False Gods #2) by Chloe Gong

Tempting the Duchess (Disgraceful Duchesses #2) by Sara Bennett
Secrets at Selwyn Castle (Beau Monde Secrets #1) by Anne Rollins
Bow Street Baron (The Castleburys #5) by Jennifer Seasons

A Little Bit of Hellion (Ladies Who Dare #4) by Tanya Wilde
The Scandalous Spinster (The Spinster Society #1) by Alyxandra Harvey
A Second Chance (The Chances #2) by Emily E.K. Murdoch

Love in Translation by Joss Wood
My Secret Vice by Alicia Wilder

Bought:

Throttled (Dirty Air #1) by Lauren Asher
Daydream (Maple Hills #3) by Hannah Grace
Off to the Races (Gold Rush Ranch #1) by Elsie Silver

What did you receive? Let me know.

3 Stars

ARC Review: The Pairing by Casey McQuiston

10:00

The Pairing
Series: None
Author: Casey McQuiston
Published August 6th 2024 by St. Martin's Griffin

Goodreads Synopsis
In #1 New York Times bestselling author Casey McQuiston's latest romantic comedy, two bisexual exes accidentally book the same European food and wine tour and challenge each other to a hookup competition to prove they're over each other—except they're definitely not.

Theo and Kit have been a lot of things: childhood best friends, crushes, in love, and now estranged exes. After a brutal breakup on the transatlantic flight to their dream European food and wine tour, they exited each other's lives once and for all.

Time apart has done them good. Theo has found confidence as a hustling bartender by night and aspiring sommelier by day, with a long roster of casual lovers. Kit, who never returned to America, graduated as the reigning sex god of his pastry school class and now bakes at one of the finest restaurants in Paris. Sure, nothing really compares to what they had, and life stretches out long and lonely ahead of them, but—yeah. It's in the past.

All that remains is the unused voucher for the European tour that never happened, good for 48 months after its original date and about to expire. Four years later, it seems like a great idea to finally take the trip. Solo. Separately.

It's not until they board the tour bus that they discover they've both accidentally had the exact same idea, and now they're trapped with each other for three weeks of stunning views, luscious flavors, and the most romantic cities of France, Spain, and Italy. It's fine. There's nothing left between them. So much nothing that, when Theo suggests a friendly wager to see who can sleep with their hot Italian tour guide first, Kit is totally game. And why stop there? Why not a full-on European hookup competition?

But sometimes a taste of everything only makes you crave what you can't have.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Finally going on the trip of a lifetime, Theo never expects to find the person who broke her heart - and who she was supposed to go on the original trip with - sat next to the only available seat on the bus. Kit had been her best friend, and partner, and broke her heart. Now trapped for three weeks on a romantic European wine and food tour, they have to make the best of a bad situation, and try and come out the other side with their hearts intact.

I've been putting off writing this review for so long. Like the rest of the world, I loved Red, White and Royal Blue, and found I Kissed Shara Wheeler enjoyable too. So I was expecting that The Paiing would be as good too, but I found I was forcing myself to finish the book, and was just pushing myself to the end so I didn't have to DNF it. I mean, the book wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either, at least in my opinion. I found this book so frustrating. It was the biggest case of miscommunication and dramatic actions that I've read in a long time, and both Theo and Kit were characters I found lacking, and I wasn't engaging with them. I found myself not bothered about their love story, or even if they got together in the end. Not something I would expect from this author, and I'm not wary on reading another of her books in the future.

Dates Read:
July 24-30 2024

Rating
3 Stars

Daydream

Waiting On Wednesday: Daydream (Maple Hills #3) by Hannah Grace

10:00

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pick is:

Daydream
Series: Maple Hills #3
Author: Hannah Grace
Published August 27th 2024 by Simon & Schuster UK

Goodreads Synopsis
When procrastination lands him in a difficult class with his least favorite professor, Henry Turner knows he’s going to have to work extra hard to survive his junior year of college. And now with his new role as ice hockey captain – which he didn’t even want – Henry absolutely cannot fail. Enter Halle Jacobs, a fellow junior who finds herself befriended by Henry when he accidentally crashes her book club.

Halle may not have the romantic pursuits of her favorite fictional leads, but she’s an academic superstar, and when she hears about Henry’s problems with his class reading material, she offers to help. But being a private tutor isn’t exactly ideal given her own studies, job and the novel she’s trying to write. New experiences are the key to beating her writer’s block, though, and Henry’s promising to be the one to give them to her.

They just need to stick to their rulebook. Oh, and not fall in love.
Goodreads

Why I'm waiting:

This series is phenomenal, and I can't wait to see Henry get his happy ending!

Are you waiting for this book? Have you already read it? Let me know :)

August

Stacking the Shelves: August 24th 2024

10:00

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews, which showcases the books we've purchased, won, borrowed and received in the mail.

This week (August 18th-24th) I received:

For review (via Edelweiss):

Obsession Falls (The Haven Brothers #1) by Claire Kingsley
Wrecked (Dirty Air #3) by Lauren Asher

Frigid (Frigid #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Scorched (Frigid #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

For review (via NetGalley):

Romancing Lady Augusta (The Welwyn Marriage Wager #4) by Jenna Jaxon
One Night with the Duchess (Widows of West End #1) by Maggie Weston
PS: I Hate You by Lauren Connolly

Out of Focus (Love in LA #3) by Cristina Santos
Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder by Bellamy Rose
Let's Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan

Fall Into You (Seasons of Love #1) by Caroline Frank
Sweet Escape (Hawthorne Vines #2) by Meredith Wild & Jillian Liota
Not Your Biggest Fan by Sara Ney