July 2021 Must-Reads

The Boys’ Club by Erica Katz

4 Out of 5 Stars

This novel gives us a peek behind the curtains of a high-powered law firm and the story of one woman who will risk it all to move up the ranks in the boys’ club at her job.

Alex accepts a dream offer to work for a prestigious Manhattan law firm and can’t wait to make her mark on the company.

What she discovers, though, is that this job requires entertaining clients at all hours of the night, that workdays never really end, and that she is expected to be available at the drop of a hat for just about anything.

She doesn’t believe she will have to compromise anything to have it all, but she soon discovers that it isn’t that easy, and the speed required to keep pace also requires drugs, alcohol, and turning a blind eye to bad behavior.

The spiral is swift, but Alex realizes just how high the cost is when she uncovers a very darkly kept secret held by her firm that compromises women’s safety.

This story is a train wreck journey watching Alex spiral as she tries to keep her head above water, and it asks the reader to consider just how far they might go for their success and what they would do when faced with these cringe-worthy situations.

I found this book difficult to put down and a fascinating glimpse into this world.

It’s the kind of book that could lead to a great book club discussion as it explores the double standards of women and men working their way up that corporate ladder.

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

5 Out of 5 Stars

I devoured Emily Henry’s “Beach Read” last summer and could not wait to dive into another summer read from this author.

This fun novel is about two best friends, ten summer trips together, and how their relationship evolves over these getaways.

Poppy and Alex are unlikely friends, and this banter and differences bring so much charm and laugh-out-loud humor to the story. The two live in different towns, but every summer, for a decade, they take a vacation together.

They vacationed together every year until about two years ago when they ruined everything and have not spoken since.

Poppy decides, though, that enough time has passed and that she wants to reach out to Alex to see if he will join her for one last trip where they can, hopefully, repair the damage that’s been done.

This novel is such a perfect summer read, and I loved the relationship that Henry built between these two.

I read many a passage aloud to my husband, who cracked up just as much as me.

I enjoyed seeing the evolution of this relationship and how Henry utilizes these flashback trips to help build deeper connections with these characters.

The House by the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

5 Out of 5 Stars

“The House by the Cerulean Sea” was selected as a MomAdvice Book Club pick, and I’m, once again, deeply grateful that our readers shared this selection with me.

If you are looking for an audiobook that you can enjoy as a whole family, I can’t recommend this one enough.

The audiobook narration was charming and had me completely swept away on the Cerulean Sea with these adorable characters.

This story follows Linus Baker, a caseworker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He is assigned an orphanage to determine whether these six magical children could be dangerous to society and if they could bring the end of the world.

The master of the orphanage, Arthur Parnassus, will do anything to ensure that he can keep these children safe, even if it means compromising his safety to make it happen.

Linus discovers that he never knew he was looking for a misfit family with which he feels an immediate connection.

The story explores big themes in beautiful ways like tolerance, acceptance, and finding love in unlikely places.

The messages in this one make it an impactful read that solidify it as a favorite book of 2021.

The Kindred Spirits Supper Club by Amy E. Reichert

4 Out of 5 Stars

Thank you to the publishing house for providing a review copy of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Midwestern food, a blossoming romance, and a little magical realism are just a few of the great themes you will find in this fun summer novel that deserves a little space in your beach tote this year.

Sabrina is forced to move back home and struggles with the same anxieties we all have about returning to our hometowns.

The thing is, Sabrina’s fears are multiplied because of her family’s curse and the ability to see spirits who come to them to deal with their unfinished business.

Ray is a new local restaurateur that is determined to revive a retro supper club where he can perfect foods inspired by the flavors of Wisconsin and bring back the nostalgia of old-fashioned cocktails and bites. 

As soon as he meets Sabrina, there is an immediate attraction, and the two find their paths crossing repeatedly.

Sabrina’s paranoia about the spirits that follow her, though, could prevent her from a lifetime of happiness, and Ray might be the one to help her get to that place of joy.

This is the sweetest little read and requires the reader to indulge in a cheese tray and an old-fashioned while reading about all these delicious dishes and watch this blossoming romance unfold.

The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley

4 Out of 5 Stars

Thank you to the publishing house for providing a review copy of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Want to get swept away in the island life? Well, I have got the perfect book for you. 

You will love heading to the fictional Frick Island, a remote town nestled in the Chesapeake Bay that embraces living in the moment and not getting too wrapped up in technology.

The town is relatively unknown until Anders Caldwell is assigned the annual Cake Walk fundraiser to cover a journalism piece.

While there, he realizes a much bigger story that is just the material he needs to breakout success in the podcast world.

You see, the entire town has been pretending that a resident’s husband, who died at sea, is still alive and that they all can see him. 

Everyone deals with grief differently, and Piper has chosen to embrace not letting her husband go.

Anders becomes captivated by Piper and her story, but the town doesn’t know that his podcast has become about Piper. 

As the two begin to find deep companionship with one another, Anders must make a difficult decision- fame or love.

This is a sweetly satisfying read that does a great job making each townsperson its great standalone character that adds to the charm of Frick Island. 

I loved this unique concept for a story and found it to be just the kind of summer book you can escape with.

Other People’s Children by R.J. Hoffman

4 Out of 5 Stars

Anyone who has gone through infertility and miscarriage understands the excruciating and never-ending heartbreaks that come along the journey. 

Hoffman explores this theme through the story of three mothers and one baby that changes all of their lives.

After a series of miscarriages, Gail and Jon turn to adoption to try to expand their family.

Carli is a pregnant teenager who has decided to put her child up for adoption and chooses Gail and Jon to raise her baby.

The problem is that her mother, Marla, has very different plans for her grandbaby.

Honestly, what unfolds is entirely unexpected, and the desperation escalates to levels that I was not expecting as a reader. The plot went somewhere unexpected is a bit of an understatement and made the story much more compelling.

This is meaty enough for a book club chat, but I would not advise adding this to your stack if you face fertility struggles.

As someone who has been through my share of fertility struggles, Hoffman writes these chapters with such raw honesty that this, honestly, pulled at my heartstrings.

Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland

4 Out of 5 Stars

I became a fan of Elyssa Friedland’s writing after reading “The Floating Feldmans” and couldn’t wait to dig into her latest summer novel.

With a setting like the Catskills and a giant dose of family dysfunction, this is just the kind of book I love to read.

In this novel, The Golden Hotel is a family-owned Catskills resort that hasn’t weathered well.

For more than sixty years, the Goldman and Weingold families- best friends and business partners- have entertained many guests and celebrities over their years.

When they receive an offer to purchase The Golden Hotel, they decide to bring the families together to determine whether they should revive the property or sell it off to be turned into a casino.

The grandchildren begin to scheme how they can revive the old hotel, and the more senior family members find themselves reflecting on all the nostalgia of the good old days at the hotel.

This difficult decision is why they have come together one last time, and it’s family dysfunction at its best.

This book is adorable, and I enjoyed this just as much as I enjoyed her first book.

If you can’t afford a trip to the Catskills, you can do it via this fun novel for the summer.

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth

4 Out of 5 Stars

I’m sure we can all agree that there is nothing better than a thriller that you can devour in a day, and “The Good Sister” is just that kind of story.

Rose is protective of her twin sister, Fern, especially because Fern struggles with things that might not bother other people. She must keep a consistent routine and avoid crowds, bright lights, and loud noises to create as much peace for herself as possible. 

Rose has always been her protector and helps maintain that environment because she knows how dangerous Rose can be if things don’t remain consistent.

When Rose finds out she can’t get pregnant; Fern realizes that she has the chance to finally pay back her sister because she can give Rose the baby she always wanted.

But, lucky for her, she finds a guy very quickly, and this “transaction” soon blossoms into a relationship that Fern didn’t bank on.

Not only that, but this new situation could disrupt the careful balance between these twin sisters in some shocking ways.

This was a solid mystery with some great twists and solidified Hepworth as a dependable go-to thriller writer when I need to add one to my stack.

Ties That Tether by Jane Igharo

4 Out of 5 Stars

Azere promised her dying father that she would marry a Nigerian man, even after their family has immigrated to Canada, to preserve their family’s culture.

Her mother has worked tirelessly as a matchmaker, but Azere has yet to meet the man that could capture her heart.

After another lousy date, Azere ends up in a bar and meets Rafael Castellano, and they share a drink…and then a bed.

She could never expect Rafael to be her new coworker and that their lives will be forever intertwined after one night together. 

Azere knows it will never work, though, because Rafael is white and someone her Nigerian mother will never accept.

This novel explores big themes of culture, identity, and family in some beautiful ways. 

This is a perfect little romance that offers some added depth with the explorations of compromise and culture in our modern ways of finding love.

The Hunting Wives by May Cobb

4 Out of 5 Stars

I want to begin with, every character in this thriller is morally bankrupt, so this was a guilty-pleasure read for my stack.

Sophie has left behind a stressful career to become a blogger learning to pursue the simple things in life and a slowed-down pace.

The problem is that this new lifestyle is leaving her quite bored.

When she meets Margot Banks, she is immediately attracted to her and her group of friends. It is why it is such an honor to be included on a group invite to one of their secret meetings of the “Hunting Wives.”

In this elite club, they do a little target practice shooting (while drunk) and then continue the party for their hunting portion to find men to flirt and hook up with.

As the evenings become more dangerous and more layered, Sophie finds that these meetings begin to destroy her life slowly, but she could never expect the lengths it will go to and what could be at stake, mainly when a local girl was shot to death.

Were these people terrible?

Yes.

Was I here for every minute of the awfulness?

You bet.

I finished this one in a day, and it fulfilled all the reality television cravings I needed, just in book format.

Read With Me This Year

January 2021 Must-Reads

March 2021 Must-Reads

April 2021 Must-Reads

May 2021 Must-Reads

June 2021 Must-Reads

Best Books of 2020

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