I read 15 books in June. The books I read were:
1. The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy
2. After the Eclipse by Fran Dorricott
3. The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand
4. The Liar's Child by Carla Buckley
5. Summer of '69 by Elin Hilderbrand
6. The Better Sister by Alafair Burke
7. There's Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon
8. Meet Cute by Helena Hunting
9. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
10. Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan
11. The Last Time I Saw You by Liv Constantine
12. Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney
13. The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth
14. Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center
15. Her Daughter's Mother by Daniela Petrova
The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy - I was quickly engaged in this book within the first chapter. I enjoyed reading about all of the different characters. They all were likable and good characters with various secrets that they were hiding. I liked how we alternated perspectives and got insight into these various characters as they began motherhood for the first time.
After the Eclipse by Fran Dorricott - This was an amazing book that also hurt to read at times. While officially a mystery/thriller, it was also an emotional contemporary read. Every character was well-drawn and it delved deeply into their feelings. I cared greatly for so many of them, especially the main character Cassie. Throughout much of the book, the emotional pain that she felt was palpable, and she was a character that I really wanted to give a hug to. This was an emotionally poignant read that I highly recommend and can see myself rereading in the future.
The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand - This is my third Elin Hilderbrand book that I've read. She does a good job weaving the stories of many different characters together. I never would have guessed how many secrets the family members and members of this wedding party could possibly be hiding. I liked getting to know all of the various characters involved in this wedding.
The Liar's Child by Carla Buckley - This was an interesting book. I would have liked more closure at the end of the book since some ends were left loose. I didn't really like most of the characters in this book or feel any strong attachment to them. I would have liked to have cared about them more. But overall, it was still a fast-paced and interesting read.
Summer of '69 by Elin Hilderbrand - This is my 4th Elin Hilderbrand book and possibly my favorite of hers that I've read so far. This was a lovely story set in the summer of 1969 as you can guess from the title. I loved most of the characters and enjoyed following their various plotlines and uncovering any secrets that they were keeping.
The Better Sister by Alafair Burke - This was a stellar mystery with interesting character relationships that kept me guessing. I especially liked reading about the sister relationship. The premise of a sister who married her sister's ex-husband was a unique one definitely.
There's Something About Sweetie by Sandhya Menon - After enjoying both When Dimple Met Rishi and From Twinkle, With Love, I was excited to read Menon's next book. And this was just as cute as the first two, and possibly my favorite of her books so far, though I would have to revisit the others to be sure. Ashish and Sweetie were a really cute couple and I loved the development of their relationship and how supportive they were of each other.
Meet Cute by Helena Hunting - I loved this book a whole lot and sped through it in less than a day. This book had a lot of emotion and heart and was perhaps a bit more sad than I expected. I think my favorite part of the story, despite it also being an adorable romance, may have been the relationship that Dax had with his sister Emme and the relationship that Kailyn built with her too.
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren - This had a fun setup and was a cute read. I loved the idea of the maid of honor and best man who didn't like each other having to go on a fake honeymoon. It is the type of setup when you know the two characters will end up together, but the journey to getting there is fun. That being said, there was some stuff near the end that I didn't like, especially with some things Ethan's character said. But I still liked the book overall.
Hot Dog Girl by Jennifer Dugan - This book was cute and fun with some serious stuff sprinkled in. I felt a bit bad for Seeley who was always getting dragged into Elouise's schemes. Elouise made several questionable decisions but she is young and was learning how to be better at the end of the book so her decisions weren't enough to detract from the story.
The Last Time I Saw You by Liv Constantine - This was an engaging mystery/thriller. From the beginning, I was invested in both Kate and Blaire, and in finding out what happened to Kate's mom. There were several characters throughout that I didn't want to trust and it was interesting seeing how the entire mystery ended up unfolding.
Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney - If you are looking for a book with surprising twists and turns, this one is chock full of them, so don't hesitate to pick it up. I wasn't particularly attached to any of the characters in this, but the storyline was good enough to keep me invested and turning the pages.
The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth - I loved this story and the characters. I really appreciated that the relationship between Lucy and Diana was nuanced and not stereotypical. Diana may have been made out to be a villain in the synopsis of the book, but in reality, she was a complicated person trying to make the best decisions for her family. Everyone in this family was hiding something and it was interesting to see all of the various secrets come to light throughout the story.
Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center - This was my second book by Katherine Center that I've read (the first being How to Walk Away) and while I didn't love it quite as much as that one, I still did love it a lot. I was rooting for Helen and Jake from the beginning and I also appreciated Helen's development throughout. I'm excited to read my next Katherine Center book which is one of my BOTM picks next month. And I need to read more of her backlist as well.
Her Daughter's Mother by Daniela Petrova - This was a unique story, with the premise of someone meeting their egg donor who then goes missing. There were a lot of twisty plot threads to this story. It kept me engaged and reading. I enjoyed how it was told between a few different perspectives, mainly Katya and Lana and how it went between the present and the past.
