July 2024 Reading Recap

This was a really good reading month. Didn’t get as many books read as I wanted but the books I did read were amazing.

It was Jenkins July! That meant I was definitely going to read some books by Beverly Jenkins. Ms. Bev’s books always bring me joy. This month was no different.

The Old West Series by Beverly Jenkins
Forbidden
Breathless
Tempest
Eddy, Portia, and Regan were amazing characters. Eddy was a cook looking to get away west so that she could start her own restaurant. Portia and Regan were her nieces. Each story had me captivated. Rhine saved Eddy’s life and she turned his upside down. Kent came back into Portia’s life and showed her what she had been willing to give up on. Regan decided to be a mail order bride and ended up shooting Colton, he future husband, in the shoulder. This entire series had me squealing in glee.

Belle by Beverly Jenkins
Belle was an escaped slave running from slave catchers when she got separated from her father. Daniel and his younger sister found her and brought her home. Belle is smitten with Daniel from the moment she laid eyes on him but he is planning on marrying someone else and she needs to focus on her new freedom, as well as finding her father. This was such a sweet story. I enjoyed it a lot.

Prisoner of Love by Beverly Jenkins
Elizabeth was abandoned by her husband. She needed to marry to keep her land and turn a profit. Jordan was a wrongfully convicted felon who needed to marry as a condition of his parole. She was cautious of him but they pretty much hit it off right away. This book was short but everything I needed in a story.

You Sang To Me by Beverly Jenkins
Jamal walked in on Reggie singing while she was cleaning his hotel room. He instantly knew the even if just for professional reasons he had to get to know her. She was reluctant because she had been taken advantage of in the past. Jamal was persistent. Didn’t take him long to realize he wanted her for personal reasons as well. Such a good story.

Hawaii Magic by Beverly Jenkins
Anita was forced on a vacation by her boss just as she was trying to make partner at the firm. Then her fiancé breaks up with her via text message. She has a not so cute first meeting with pilot Steve. He thinks she is too frosty for his taste but still can’t help but admire her. They end up in a helicopter together that crashes due to bad weather. Stranded together, their attraction to each other grows very quickly. I enjoyed this story but I thought the happily ever after came too fast.

I read a lot of books outside of Ms. Bev books in July.

The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton
Amerie met Vincent in a café. She spilled coffee on him accidentally. Then she needs him to be her fake boyfriend so that her ex and his new girl don’t think she is pathetic. Then Vincent needs her to be his fake girlfriend to get his mother and sister off his back. Their romance grows from there.
This was the first book I read in July and it started my month off in such a good way. Really enjoyed this story.

My Sugar in Sugar Land by Dee Osah
Ibelema and Silas’s story was very interesting. He is an actor and she is an aspiring film producer and writer. I enjoyed this story a lot. Check out my review here.

Deuces Wild by Christina C Jones
This was the last book in the High Stakes series. I looked forward to Ace and Cree’s story. They had so much tension and chemistry in the first book. This book gave me a lot of background on the Roses. Ace was an amazing, kick ass character. Cree was the kind of cop that I could tolerate in a story. I enjoyed this story a lot.

Roses & Thorns Series by Christina C Jones
The Rose That Got Away
The Unbroken Rose
I started this series a while ago and just got back to it. Reading Ace’s story made me want to finish it. Tamra and Dacia were great characters. I enjoyed seeing these two women find their way in life.

The Book Club Series by Rochelle Alers
The Seaside Café
The Beach House
Along The Shore
Kayana, Leah, and Cherie met at Kayana’s family café. Kayana and Leah decided to form a book club. Leah invited Cherie. Watching each of these women fall in love over the three books was a joy. I also enjoyed watching their friendship grow and the women grow as well. This was such a good series.

Ampersand Love Series by Riya Iyer
& Then They Met
& Then They Wed
I got into this series because I signed up to review the second book, not knowing there was a first book. I’m so glad that I discovered it. I adore Indian Romance. Kaya and Aditi’s stories were wonderful. Kaya and Arjun’s story took me on a ride. I can’t wait for the third book. Check out my review of Aditi’s story here.

Family Found by Turtleberry
My latest release. I’m really excited for this book. It is more young women’s fiction than romance, but there is plenty of romance in it. I enjoyed telling Kaylin’s story.

That’s it for July. Not sure if I’m going to get as many books read in August as I want to. I am definitely going to try balancing work, writing, and reading as best I can. I enjoy escaping into the worlds of characters not written by me. Stay tuned to see what books I get into.