August Book Review

This blows my mind.  It also saddens me how few books I'll read in my lifetime.  I wish I would have started keeping track of the books I've read sooner than what I did; I officially started writing down books I read and the completion date starting in 2013.  This quote makes me want to up my reading game!  Now, onto this month's book review.

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

This was the assigned read for a book club I'm in and I'll admit, I was a little hesitant to read it.  I read Gone Girl earlier this year and was disappointed in it and found it very predictable.  This book however; whoa, totally not predictable.  Every time I thought I had it figured out, a new twist was thrown my way.  I couldn't get through the book fast enough and can't wait for the movie to come out!

Summerland by Elin Hilderbrand

Alright, Shay has been mentioning Elin Hilderbrand for the past couple months and now I'm wondering what took me so long to hop on the bandwagon.  A local bookstore sells library books for $1 and I found two of hers and quickly snatched them up without even reading what the books were about.  I read this book at the beach and fell in love with Hilderbrand and Nantucket -- where all of her books take place.

For the Right Reasons by Sean Lowe

As a HUGE Bachelor fan, I'm embarrassed to say I'm just now getting around to reading Sean's book and have yet to read Trista and Chris Harrison's books.  The book is an easy read and I really liked it.  I just wish we would have gotten more stories of Sean growing up and more behind the scenes details from filming, but I do know there are confidentiality contracts signed for the show.

Miss Match by Lindzee Armstrong

This book was the perfect beach read! I think I finished it in a day and a half ... maybe two days. I loved the book and couldn't read it fast enough. I was sent the book for free to review and can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed it.  The storyline is very sweet and wholesome. It's rare to find a book that doesn't have promiscuity or language, but this one doesn't and it's such a refreshing change! It would be a lie if I said I wasn't on the verge of tears or crying the last third of the book. I can't wait to read the next book in the series (due out in October!!). Lindzee Armstrong has found a new fan in me.

Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand

Remember how I told you I picked up two books at the bookstore?  I read the second one on vacation as well.  I think I might have loved this book even more than the first one.  If that's how it goes with Hilderbrand's books, I might explode after I read all of them.  This book takes place over a wedding weekend and not just any wedding -- a wedding that was planned by the bride's mother before her death, she left a notebook with instructions.  The story is really neat because it tells the story of the wedding without using the bride's point of view.  I can't wait to get my hands on some more of Hilderbrand's books.

My Week with Marilyn by Colin Clark

This book was thrown into the spotlight years ago with the release of the movie with the same title.  I refused to see the movie without reading the book.  Now years after the release, I can watch the movie.  I struggled to get through the book yet can't really pinpoint why.  It was just really slow moving and not what I was expecting.

First Love Second Choice by Lindzee Armstrong

Remember how I told you I'd been sent a book of Lindzee's to read and review?  Well, she was kind enough to send me another book to review and loved it, too!  Guys, I've even talked to Lindzee on Twitter some and she's so sweet!  Anyway, I had just finished reading My Week With Marilyn and really struggled through that book.  I needed something quick and easy to read to lift my spirits after my last read.  This was the perfect book for that.  A wedding planner who loves ice cream and trashy reality TV? Yes, please!! The story may be short, but it has plenty of ups and downs and comes full circle and ends with a bow on top -- or should I say a red balloon? ;)  My heart broke for the main character, Keslee, who is still grieving the loss of her twin sister when she sees an old high school crush. He doesn't know her twin has died and calls her by the twin's name. Keslee tries, but fails at telling him she isn't her twin and ends up going on a date pretending to be her sister. I'll leave it up to you to find out if Keslee gets herself out of this mess!

What books have you read this month?  I'm always up for suggestions!  Be sure to follow me on Goodreads to keep up with all my reads!