Welcome again to another juicy edition of My Favourite Reads, the monthly blog where I share the books I’ve recently loved and feel the need to rave about and love it when you share yours too.

June was an up and down month book-wise. I read seven full-length novels, two short horror stories (that were disappointingly unhorror-y), and had three DNFs (did not finish).

The DNFs were saddening. One was a gothic historical I’d been looking forward to, while the second was the sequel to a fantasy I rated highly. The former proved not my cup of tea, but the latter didn’t seem to know what it was doing and kept going round in circles getting nowhere. The third DNF was… I don’t know. Dull is only descriptor I can think of.

A shame, but it did lead to me picking up other brilliant books from my pile.

Here are the ones I enjoyed most!

Bones in the Blackout by Emma Jameson

Oh, I ADORED this book! It was huge fun, with an interesting time period and wonderful characters I didn’t want to leave (and don’t have to because it’s a series. RAH!). Honestly, I can’t rave about it enough.

Bones in the Blackout is a cosy mystery set at the very breakout of World War II. Doctor Benjamin Jones is sent to the countryside to service a Cornish small town and surrounds, only for a hit-and-run to injure him badly and kill his wife. As he heals and comes to slowly know his community, Ben begins to suspect the hit-and-run may not have been an accident.

This was a joy from start to finish (though the above probably doesn’t make it sound that way—but it really was!). Even down to the most minor, every character was well drawn. Eccentric Lady Juliet provided plenty of laughs and Ben is such a decent, kind man. Very much my kind of hero. Then there’s the far-too-serious warden, the peculiar pharmacist and many other unique inhabitants of Ben’s new district.

With intrigue, community, mystery, even a touch of romance, and set against the outbreak of war, Bones in the Blackout is a clever, enjoyable read. Can’t recommend it enough.

Bones in the Manor House, here I come!

The Seven by Chris Hammer

Another first-class crime novel from Chris Hammer featuring Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan.

I loved the premise of this one: seven families founded the Yuwonderies irrigation district, and it made them rich and powerful. When one of their own is found dead, Ivan and Nell are sent to investigate, except someone doesn’t want them probing too deeply.

The Seven was fabulously twisty, and I liked the way it was told from different viewpoints and at different times. I particularly enjoyed the historical diary entries, and the eventual justice found there. It was nice to be back with Ivan and Nell too. As usual with a Hammer read, The Seven was full of tension and great characters, and a hookiness that had me finishing this in record time.

The Seven is up there with Hammer’s best. I’m keen to see if The Valley tops it now.

The View from the Balcony by Janette Paul

Wow, is all I have to say about The View from the Balcony. Women’s fiction is not normally my thing, although I do read and enjoy it from time to time, but I know the author *waves* and adored her previous novel The Summer Place and was curious to see how The View from the Balcony measured up.

Brilliantly, it turned out. This was a wonderful read about friendship, healing and female relationships. But it’s also about how women take on responsibility even at the expense of their own wellbeing. It’s about being taken for granted, sometimes to the point of exploitation. About women’s struggle in the workplace, and within families. Their sacrifices. In other words, it’s a serious book covering serious themes, which sounds dry but it’s far, far from that. This is warm and page turnery and compelling, and it’s fantastic.

The View from the Balcony is a beautiful, hopeful, and highly recommended read.

In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune

I’ve read a few TJ Klunes now and adored them, although I doubt anything could reach the heights of The House in the Cerulean Sea. That book was extraordinary (my thoughts on it here).

In the Lives of Puppets was both a charming adventure/quest fantasy and a story about what makes us human. The characters, almost all of whom are robots, were adorable. I’m not sure if my favourite was Rambo (a scaredy-cat, modified robot vacuum) or Nurse Ratched (a kind of medical sociopath) or any of the other remarkable imaginings from Klune’s mind. All were vivid and fun and wonderful.

This is a touching tale that will have you smiling in one chapter, feeling fearful in another and holding back tears in the next. It’s moving and funny and gorgeously imagined.

Return to Satterthwaite Court by Mimi Matthews

I’ve enjoyed every Mimi Matthews historical romance I’ve read (and I’ve read a few now) and Return to Satterthwaite Court was no different.

Kate and Charles have the cutest of meet-cutes when Charles charges after a stray dog intent on self-destruction. Kate is immediately intrigued by the disillusioned naval lieutenant. He’s handsome and brave, and when Kate sets her sights on someone, she doesn’t hold back.

All Charles seeks is peace after the trauma of war. Peace, a house in the countryside, and a compliant wife to bear him children. Easy! He’s a wealthy man, thanks to the prize money he’s earned fighting battles. Then he meets Kate and his world gets turned on its head.

An engaging romance and nice to catch up with characters from earlier books. I currently have three other Mimi Matthews titles on my to-be-read list. Must knuckle down to some more. They’re delightful!

Tempted by her Best Friend Billionaire by Michelle Douglas

Tempted by her Best Friend Billionaire is yet another sigh-worthy read from Michelle Douglas. One for fans of the friends-to-lovers trope, and those who enjoy a spot of armchair travelling.

Best friends since childhood, but having recently fallen out, Blake and Nina are the kind of people you’d like to know in real life. I particularly felt for Nina, whose life until recently revolved around caring for others. Straightlaced, by-the-book Blake had an unexpected vulnerability too.

Compelled by a letter from Blake’s late gran, Nina and Blake set off on a luxury holiday to spread her ashes across the Mediterranean. Except gran has additional tasks for the pair, setting challenges for them at each destination. And what fun they proved to be! Blake’s reaction to one of Nina’s was so prissy it had me laughing out loud. But it had the right effect, bringing the pair closer together, just as sneaky gran had known it would.

A fairytale, feel-good romance that will squeeze your heart. Watching these two find their new selves, and each other, was a delight. It also left me dire need of my own Mediterranean cruise!

What have you read lately that you want everyone to know about? Share away!

Cathryn Hein is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. I also use affiliate links for Apple Books, Kobo, Booktopia, and occasionally other resellers.