The Rose Code by Kate Quinn ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I don't know what else to say about Kate Quinn that I haven't said before, but her dialogue, characters, and plot events are just second to none!
This is another one of her books that is LONG, so I was the first to check it out from the library about a year ago but I had to return it when I was just halfway through. So many books have happened for me between then and now, but as soon as I got back into this one and reread the first half to finish the second half, I don't know how I stayed away for so long! Her historical fiction takes "boring" topics so enticing and enjoyable to read about. Her word choice is unbelievably clever. This one touches on codebreakers, WW2, royalty, and so much more. It was pure lovely!
One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle ⭐⭐⭐
I loved this author's first recent book, couldn't get into her second one, and this one was a mix between the two! I did love that it was romantic but also magical and philosophical. Simply put, it was like a vacation in a book. (Prior to marrying Shane, I wasn't that into travel, but now we LOVE it and I've started to love getting a vacation anyway I can- even if that's through a book.) I used to just like reading for connection, but now I often love reading for escape too.
This author is amazing and taking magical concepts and making them believable through her writing. The plot of this was definitely unique, and I always surprise myself when I go back to my previous reviews for her because when reading, I always think her books remind me of Taylor Jenkin Reid's, and I see that I think/write that for every book of hers previously too. This one just lost that "it factor" for me about halfway or 3/4 of the way through, I found myself getting bored. I can't pinpoint exactly what I didn't like, but I was ready for something new by the end. I know I'm a super picky reader though!
Find Your People: Building Deep Community in a Lonely World by Jennie Allen ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Oh gosh, this is the first Christian book I've read all the way through, in a super quick timeframe, in a LONG time! I don't even know where to begin- besides my journal has about 20 pages of amazing quotes from this book that I intend to share on this blog at some point. Jennie does such a great job of breaking down the history of communities and super-close knit circles, explaining how/when/why that changed in history, outlining how much that differs from how the majority of Americans live today, and how we can choose to live in a better way. As a military wife in a new state, it definitely hit home...but I think it will relate to anyone in this life stage and especially after COVID. It was eye-opening, enlightening, motivating, and inspiring. This review is not doing it justice, but Jennie says it all so perfectly herself. I immediately texted my friend Rebecca about it and she bought it that day. GREAT stuff!
The Golden Couple by Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendricks ⭐⭐⭐🌟
I have LOVED some of these authors recent books, but I've also been pretty meh about some of them. I think I gave this one 4 stars on GoodReads, but over the last week or so, I've dropped it down to a 3.5 star rating. I loved the majority of the book and how parts of it were so truly out of the box while others are super realistic. Most of the book had me feeling so lost, in the dark, and so truly out of the loop. There are just so many pieces at play in this book! By time I got to the ending though, it was getting predictable, unsurprising, and just kind of had a let down of an ending.
Any must reads for this upcoming month? Hoping for just a FEW April rainy days full of reading!
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