Yes, my lovelies, it’s My Favourite Reads time again. Despite it being winter, I’m not reading as much as have in previous months. I suspect it’s distraction caused by the current Covid outbreaks across the country. Concentration is not my strong point at the moment, and what little I do have I’m doing my best to channel into writing.
I’m going to be spoilsport this month and not choose an overall favourite. All my July reads made me happy, even the dark ones
Here they are.
.
Deity by Matt Wesolowski
If you’ve been following My Favourite Reads for a while then you’ll know how much I love Wesolowski’s Six Stories series. It’s brilliant. Now I’ve read them all and there doesn’t appear to be another up for pre-order and, OMG, I really need to breathe through this calamity!
Eh hem.
Deity was another fabulous read. This one unfolded so carefully I didn’t know what to think about the main character – in this case, a dead rock star. I think the only thing I guessed was who the final interviewee would be. What they said though… woah!
Anyway, if you’re a crime/mystery/thriller reader then I can’t recommend this series highly enough.
.
Find You First by Linwood Barclay
This thriller received some serious hype on release, with descriptions of it being Barclay’s biggest novel yet and a summer blockbuster (for the northern hemisphere). It was certainly a ride and very entertaining.
The premise of Find You First is a cracker – a dying tech millionaire wants to find the children he might have conceived from sperm he donated when young and in need of cash. But someone else is tracking them too, and eliminating them with fiendish precision.
Great momentum and a lot of fun. I wouldn’t mind reading Elevator Pitch. That one sounds cool. Terrifying, mind. But still cool.
.
Saltwater Song by Monique McDonell
I enjoyed this small-town romance enormously. Saltwater Song took the friends-to-lovers trope and ran with it beautifully. Kelsey was lovely, untouched by her fame, and sweet, but with a wonderful inner strength, while Parker made a gorgeous hero. The conflict was great – Parker was (or, rather, had been) Kelsey’s music manager and as such had made a promise to not cross the working relationship line. They were friends, and close, but that was all he’d allow, no matter what his feelings. A sigh-worthy setup.
Although a stand-alone story, Saltwater Song previews the other two books in the Marlin Shores series perfectly. I’ll definitely be reading them.
.
The Secret by the Lake by Louise Douglas
A nicely atmospheric mystery set in rural Somerset with a touch of ghostliness, which I always like, and a romance for some welcome warmth.
I enjoy the way Douglas brings settings alive and makes them almost a character on their own. The Secret by the Lake is set in the sixties, when there wasn’t as much social support and poverty, especially for women, was a justifiable fear and often a reality. Dismal weather and a crumbling, haunted home add to the heroine’s growing sense of danger and despair.
This went much darker than I imagined – not in the spooky sense but in terms of human failing. As a long-time crime, thriller and horror fan I do like things dark. Even so, I was very glad for the satisfying ending!
.
Gentleman Jim by Mimi Matthews
Ah, I do adore Mimi Matthew’s romances. They always hit the spot and Gentleman Jim was no exception.
This had so many things! Revenge, passion, romance, duels, swashbuckling rescues, a dastardly villain, and so much more. I raced through Maggie and Nick’s delicious romance and loved every moment.
It was interesting to read in the afterword that Matthews had based the story on The Count of Monte Christo. With that being one of my favourite classics, I’m not surprised I adored Gentleman Jim.
Her latest release, John Eyre, is already on my e-reader. Can’t wait!
.
Pregnant with His Majesty’s Heir by Annie West
Hooly-dooly, Annie West knows how to reel you in. She writes the most amazing opening pages. Pregnant with His Majesty’s Heir offered emotional hits from the first scene and didn’t let up.
I loved the Cinderella theme. Aurelie is a waitress working in a French village and nurturing dreams of a university degree. Then Lucien enters her restaurant – a man coming to grips with a sudden tragedy and whose world will never be the same. For one night they find solace and passion and go their separate ways. Or so they think!
A fabulous read.
.
What books have tickled your fancy lately?
.
Comments are closed