I read How To Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin last year, and I loved it. It was a cozy mystery that had me hooked from start to finish. It reminded me a lot of Knives Out because of the setting and the big mansion where Frances lives. After I finished How To Solve Your Own Murder, I was made aware that it was going to be a series rather than a standalone book. How To Seal Your Own Fate is the second book in the series, and the third book is set to come out next year. While I think I liked How To Solve Your Own Murder better, How To Seal Your Own Fate still kept my interest from start to finish.

From the previous book, Annie inherited France’s estate and is getting used to life in Castle Knoll. As she gets settled, she meets Peony Lane, the fortune teller who gave Frances her fortune, indicating that she would be murdered. Peony is mysterious, and Annie is left confused by their encounter. Hours later, Annie discovers Peony’s dead body on the estate. Annie is seen as the prime suspect and has to clear her name. In 1967, Frances is investigating a car accident that killed members of the Gravesdown family. Frances ends up meeting both Peony Lane and Birdy, Emily’s older sister. Annie starts to see the relation between France’s investigation and Peony Lane’s murder.

I like Annie as the main character. She’s smart and seems to think outside the box when she’s putting everything together. I find that she seems several steps ahead, and I have to re-read some of these moments since she’s able to put things together quickly. In this book, Annie invites one of her friends to come and see her, so she gets pulled into a web of all the residents at Castle Knoll. Annie also has a flirtation going on with one of the local detectives. I like how this is a slow-burning romance versus them getting together right away. I wouldn’t be opposed if Annie dates someone else because while they have chemistry together, it’s not apparent that they like each other. One of the joys of reading this series is reading about Annie’s day-to-day life in this small village.

I’m curious to see where this series goes. It feels like there isn’t much more story to tell in future books since the people in the town are winding up dead or being implicated in crimes. I was a little surprised that Frances was front and center in this book since I had considered her story finished in the previous book. I think it would be interesting for Annie to find a journal from another one of the town residents and hear from their perspective.

How To Seal Your Own Fate was still a solid book in the series. I rated How To Seal Your Own Fate five stars on Goodreads.

As of writing this post, I have nine books on my Goodreads TBR (to-be-read) shelf. Since I started using Goodreads in 2014, I have never had this few books. I have shared this before, but my goal is to finish my TBR, and then restructure my reading differently going forward. I don’t want to add hundreds of books and have it take four years to finish them all. In August through October, I had a huge list of books I wanted to read. I’ll share how I did and then share what books I plan on reading this month.

My original list of books that I wanted to read in August through October was:

• Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff
• Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca
• The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden
• The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields
• One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
• The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
• The Crescent Moon Tearoom by Stacy Sivinski

The only book from this list that I read was Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca. Lovecraft Country, The Warm Hands of Ghosts, The Spellshop, and The Crescent Moon Tearoom were all books I DNFed —meaning I started reading but didn’t finish. I don’t have anything negative to say about these books; I simply couldn’t get into them.

Here’s what I ended up reading:

• The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner
• Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca
• The World of Critical Role by Liz Marsham
• The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley
• Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood
• Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon
• Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
• Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay
• Dating and Dragons by Kristy Boyce
• People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
• Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
• The Only One Left by Riley Sager

While I completely flip-flopped on the books I’d read, I ended up reading way more than I originally anticipated. Out of this list, I liked The Amalfi Curse, Haunted Ever After, Fourth Wing, and Yours Truly. Those were my standouts from what I read. My favorite audiobook I listened to was The Only One Left. It had been a hot minute since I last read a Riley Sager book. The Only One Left was interesting to listen to as an audiobook. I think I might start listening exclusively to Riley Sager’s books. The book I rated the lowest from this list was The Midnight Feast. It pains me to rate a Lucy Foley book one star, but this book was not it. It felt like I was reading a book that was written by someone else. I’m really hoping that book is a one-off.

With all that said, here are the two books that I’m planning on reading this month.

How To Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin

Annie Adams is getting adjusted to her new life in Castle Knoll. Since she solved her Great Aunt Francis’s murder, everything of hers was left to Annie. Annie meets Peony Lane, the same fortune teller who predicted Francis’s murder several years earlier. After receiving advice from Peony, Annie investigates only to discover that Peony was murdered shortly after meeting with Annie. Annie is thrust into another murder investigation with even more secrets being revealed about the town Annie lives in.

I read the first book in this series and loved it! I compared it to the movie Knives Out. I started it and so far I’m enjoying it.

Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca

Lulu Malone is invited by her cousin, Mitch, to come to the Renaissance Festival that he works at. From there, Lulu meets Dex MacLean, a guitarist for the performing act, The Dueling Kilts. Lulu travels with Dex as they perform at various shows. Dex is a flirt, but Lulu doesn’t seem to entertain him. Lulu is forced to think about what she wants out of life and if she is truly happy.

I had this book on my TBR for a long time. This book, I’m predicting, will be my least favorite of the series because Dex was always described as a flirt, so I’m curious if I will actually buy into this romance or not.

I am excited to get back to TBRs every month.

CW: Miscarriage – I will discuss a little bit of this, but not in graphic detail. In the book, this is detailed in the last thirty pages or so.

This year, I have read a lot of books that were simply okay. They weren’t bad, they weren’t great, they were okay. That is, until I read Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez. I’m biased when it comes to Abby Jimenez. She lives in Minnesota and owns a local bakery here, so I feel a personal connection to her and her books. I read Part of Your World last year, and I loved it. I bought Yours Truly soon after I read Part of Your World. Yours Truly was amazing and honestly what all five-star romance books should be like.

Dr. Briana Ortiz is going through a lot; her divorce is being finalized, her brother is battling renal failure, and waiting for a donor. When Dr. Jacob Maddox started at her hospital, their first run-in together did not go well. Briana immediately writes Jacob off. Jacob, feeling bad about it, writes her a letter. From their letters, Briana realizes that she immediately misjudged Jacob. Now, Jacob asks Briana for her help, pretending to be his girlfriend, so he can have a date for his ex-girlfriend’s wedding to his brother. Briana and Jacob put on a good show, except when it starts to feel real.

I loved Briana as a character. We get a glimpse of Briana in Part of Your World, but this book feels like her story. She’s been through a lot, and I love the level of petty she stoops to when she finds out her husband cheated on her with her best friend. She doesn’t put up with a lot, and she’s well respected amongst her peers. Jacob feels real. His social anxiety is something he struggles with, and some of the people in his life refused to work with him, which is really sad to me. I love how he writes Briana a letter, as it’s a way he can say what he wants to say without feeling overwhelmed. The letters take on a life of their own, and the exchange between Briana and Jacob through the letters was a highlight of the book.

I like how this book prioritizes Briana and Jacob’s relationship as they fall in love with each other. Having dual perspectives helped show both Briana and Jacob’s insecurities and how they felt about each other. It made the story feel more real to me. The other thing I’d add, Briana and Jacob don’t start hooking up until the last sixty pages, so the rest of the book is focused on them slowly falling in love with each other. If you’re someone who doesn’t like a lot of smut or detailed descriptions of sex in the romance you’re reading, I’d recommend this book.

The last thing I wanted to touch on was miscarriage. I won’t go into detail, but I was crying throughout the end of this book when this is revealed. The book ends happily, so I want to make that clear right away, but if miscarriage is something you want to avoid, feel free to skip the last few pages of the book. Leave it to Abby Jimenez to leave me crying over a book she writes.

Yours Truly is one of those books that will stay with me for a while. It’s a book I would re-read if I needed a reliable book to get me out of a reading slump. I rated Yours Truly five stars on Goodreads.

I started reading Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros when I rented a copy of the book from my local library. I enjoyed it so much that I returned the book and bought my own copy along with the sequel, Iron Flame. I started Fourth Wing based on the hype around the book. It’s interesting reading a popular book. There are some books where the hype doesn’t align with my feelings about the book. I am happy to say that Fourth Wing rocked, and I can’t wait to read the sequel.

Violet Sorrengail was meant to become a Scribe, but unfortunately for her, she didn’t have a choice. Violet’s mother is a military general, so she enrolls Violet to become a dragon rider. Violet is already at a disadvantage because of her mother’s reputation, but on top of that, Violet is weaker than the other students due to an illness from her childhood. Xaden Riorson wants Violet dead, as Violet’s mother was responsible for the death of his parents. Violet bonds with a dragon, and while she comes to terms with being a dragon rider, she is led to believe that Navarre is hiding darker secrets from both her and the other students she trains with.

I loved Fourth Wing. From the outset, I was drawn into Violet’s life and the training process of students who aspire to become dragon riders in Navarre. I thought it was fascinating to hear about the bonding process and how dragons choose their riders. I liked how Basgiath, the war college Violet studies at, was the background for most of the book. This book was ruthless at times with the number of people who died early on. It’s not often that I rent a book from the library, and a week later, I bought Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, so I could read both right away. I’m happy I did. The cliffhanger that Fourth Wing ended on, I was shocked! I’m curious to see how this cliffhanger impacts the rest of the series.

As far as the characters, I liked Violet. She’s smart, and while she may be physically weaker than other students, she still excels in many ways. I wrote recently about how I’m seeing Romantasy leads being written as weak or being thin and small in other books. In Fourth Wing, I don’t have as much of a problem with Violet because she can fight for herself when she needs to. Xaden is fine, but I’m here for Violet and her story.

One of the reasons I rated Fourth Wing five stars is because of the pacing. Another book I enjoyed was The Serpent & The Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent. I loved that series too, but found it took a bit to get into it. With Fourth Wing, that was not the case. I found myself trying to find time to read a chapter or two here or there, especially when life got busy. This series was always on my mind, and I couldn’t wait to keep reading. In some Romantasy books, the plot can drag for a few chapters before picking up again, and I did not experience this at all with Fourth Wing.

I understand that while Fourth Wing is rated highly on Goodreads, some did not like this book. That’s okay, those opinions are valid. I wouldn’t say that the writing in Fourth Wing is the best I have ever read. For me, it’s the story that kept me engaged throughout the book. I hope to read Iron Flame this year and finish the series next year. As mentioned previously, I rated Fourth Wing five stars on Goodreads.

I’m reading Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, and I’m loving it so far. I rented Fourth Wing from my local library and ended up buying my own copy along with the sequel, Iron Flame. While reading Fourth Wing, Violet, the main character, is described as weaker due to an illness she contracted in childhood. It reminded me of A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, in which Feyre is described as being thin. It makes me wonder, why can’t we have female leads who are jacked? Why must the women be described as weak, especially when they are doing physically daunting tasks?

I’ll give Fourth Wing a pass since Violet’s physique is described as a result of an illness. I think it gives the reader a reason to root for Violet since she’s destined to fail. Additionally, Violet is pushed into dragon riding by her mother, which gives more to Violet’s story and why she is where she is. For Acotar, Feyre’s physique was constantly described. I understand some of Feyre’s trauma came from being physically ill, and while that may be realistic, why is there so much hyper focus on her being thin? I’m trying to remember if The Serpent & The Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent described Oraya that way. This could be the case, and my brain chose to ignore it. If that is the case, this would be another example of the women in these books being weak.

Women can be muscular and be feminine. Both my husband and I have been weightlifting for years. While I have muscle on my frame, I am not nearly as jacked as my husband is. I also wouldn’t classify myself as masculine even though I lift weights. I’m sure some naysayers might disagree, and that’s fine! All that matters is how I view my body. Anyway, I’d like to hope that these authors don’t make their characters this way because of the fear of them being seen as masculine. All I’m saying is let’s have women be strong and not physically weak all the time.

I must be reading the wrong books, but I’d love to read a book with a woman who is physically strong from the get-go. It’s something I have been noticing about the Romantasy genre lately, and I’d like to see some difference in the body types of the women in these books.

Ali Hazelwood is one of those authors that people either love or hate. I am the former; I can always rely on Ali Hazelwood’s books to pull me out of a reading slump. I went through a string of books that I ended up DNFing, so I immediately pulled Not In Love off my shelf to read. If, for whatever reason, I didn’t like this book, it wouldn’t matter because I would quickly read through it anyway. I was correct, and Not In Love captivated me from start to finish. This wasn’t my favorite Ali Hazelwood book I have read, but it did the job of putting me back on track with reading regularly.

Rue Siebert is a biotech engineer working her dream job. She finds out from Florence, her boss, that their company’s loan was bought out by Harkness. Rue meets Eli Killgore, one of the employees at Harkness, by accident. She doesn’t realize who he was originally, but finds that she has amazing chemistry with him. Eli is entranced by Rue from the get-go. Can they move past this, or will their professional entanglements be a barrier for them to their continuing their relationship?

Not In Love was no exception to other Ali Hazelwood books I have read. I liked reading about Rue and her research. Every character in Ali’s books seems to have a personal connection to the science they are studying, and Rue fits into that. I liked Rue’s friendship with Tisha and Nyota. It was easy to become invested in Rue’s life. Eli had that instant Golden Retriever / insta puppy love, and I loved it. Eli was the better half of their relationship by far.

What do I mean by Eli being the better half of their relationship? Rue was probably my least favorite Ali Hazelwood character to date. While I understand that she had a rough upbringing, her demeanor was difficult for me to like. For one, she said she doesn’t like animals, and that was a turn-off for me. The second, she had a difficult time communicating her feelings to Eli, and it was hard to read. Eli adored her and never pushed her, but even I was rooting for him to leave if Rue couldn’t get her shit together. While Eli and Rue are a great couple at the end of the book, Rue struggled to say that she loved him and I get that it was hard for her, but c’mon. If you love him, just say that.

Before the story began, Ali writes that this book is different than other books she has written in the past. Now that I have finished Not In Love, I can attest to this. This book was smuttier than her previous books. Do I dare say that I felt it was too much? This book reminded me of reading a Tessa Bailey book, which is fine, but there needs to be a genuine romance building besides them sleeping together all the time. There were moments where Rue initiated sex with Eli, and I felt she wasn’t mentally in a good place at the time, so it took away from the scene itself. I wouldn’t say that I disliked this change from Ali’s books, but knowing what I know now, I know that this upcoming series will be what it is.

Not In Love was a much-needed breather for me, considering the other books I had DNFed a few weeks ago. Ali Hazelwood is a go-to author for me, and her books always keep me engaged. I rated Not In Love four stars on Goodreads.

When I was choosing the books I wanted to read these next few months, I wanted to include Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca. I was reading reviews, and everyone was describing this book as cozy. I love Jen DeLuca’s Well Met series, which is a romance series taking place at a Renaissance Festival. I can confirm that Haunted Ever After is cozy and a delightful first book in a new series.

Cassie Rutherford moves to Boneyard Key, a small town outside of Orlando. Most of her friends are having kids, and Cassie wanted a fresh start outside the city. Nick Royer has lived in Boneyard Key his whole life, and he loves it. He owns The Hallowed Grounds coffee shop and makes a living serving tourists. Cassie and Nick meet at Hallowed Grounds after Cassie’s laptop battery died, even though she had left her laptop charging all night. Nick knows that ghosts are real; can Cassie be convinced? There’s more that’s going on at Boneyard Key besides its cutesy Halloween theme.

There’s nothing that Jen DeLuca would write that I wouldn’t like. This book was no exception. Reading this in August, I immediately wanted to pull out my cardigans, turn on a heated blanket, and drink apple cider. It’s still too hot to do all of those things, unfortunately. I loved Boneyard Key as a setting. The beach, all the small businesses, and all the characters who pop up throughout the story. It’s fun to predict which character will get their own book next.

I loved Cassie and found her story relatable. She is struggling with her friends going in different places in their lives (mostly having kids), and she feels left out. I admire Cassie for taking charge of her life and doing something different. Nick had to grow on me. He is described as being rude to tourists, which is fine, I guess? I think it was supposed to make him come across as grumpy in a hot way, but that’s such a red flag to me when someone is rude. With that said, it’s clear Nick has strong feelings for Cassie, and he treats her well.

Haunted Ever After is a great book to set the mood for the upcoming season. I rated Haunted Ever After four and a half stars on Goodreads.

It seems fitting that I read The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner this year, as I went to Italy a few months ago. I have read a majority of Sarah Penner’s books, including her short novella The Conjurer’s Wife, which was meant to act as a link to The Amalfi Curse. Sarah Penner’s books are a combination of historical fiction and fantasy, and every time I read her books, I feel like I’m transported into whatever setting the book takes place in. The Amalfi Curse might be my favorite Sarah Penner book I have read thus far.

Haven Ambrose is a nautical archaeologist currently on site in Positano in Italy. She is investigating a ship wreck, and based on her father’s research, she believes there might be treasure there. Interwoven with Haven’s story, Mari DeLuca comes from a line of stregheria or sea witches. After a corrupt man kidnaps members of Mari’s family, Mari knows she has to use her powers to save and protect those she loves. Haven and Mari’s stories are connected as Haven reads about Mari’s story and what that means for her research in the present day.

When I read Haven’s story, it reminded me a lot of Lara Croft. The archaeological research Haven does and the relationship she has with her father were the first things I thought of when I read this book. Mari’s story was fascinating, and I liked reading about the relationship she has with her abilities and how it was different than that of her relatives and friends. Mari experiences more turbulence in her story than Haven does, but I feel like there are similarities between the two women’s struggles, even though their stories are two centuries apart.

The only thing I would have wished for is that this book had tied into The Conjurer’s Wife. If it did, it was subtle enough that I missed it. It would have been neat to see the two be related to each other in some way.

I liked The Amalfi Curse. The setting was pretty, and I liked the characters and reading their perspectives. I rated The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner four stars on Goodreads.

While August is still technically summer, I long for fall. I can’t wait to drink apple cider, go to a pumpkin patch or haunted house, and I love going on walks. During these months, I try to read darker thrillers, horror, fall-themed romances, or any other book that relates to the upcoming season. Instead of writing a TBR post for August, September, and October, I’m going to simply list which books I want to read for these months. On average, I read two physical books a month, so this list will have seven books spread out over three months. If I read more than that, good for me! I wanted to make this list manageable. Here is everything I want to read in the next few months.

• Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff
• Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca
• The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden
• The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields
• One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
• The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
• The Crescent Moon Tearoom by Stacy Sivinski

Lovecraft Country is the book I have had on my TBR shelf for the longest, so this is the book I’m starting with. The Lovecraft Country show is amazing, so I wanted to go back and read the source material. Haunted Ever After is a romance written by Jen DeLuca, who writes the Renaissance romance series I adore. Haunted Ever After is a romance set in a small town in Florida that prides itself on the ghost tourism the town attracts. The Warm Hands of Ghosts is a historical fiction ghost story taking place in World War I. The Honey Witch, The Spellshop, and The Crescent Moon Tearoom are cozy fantasy books that I think will be a joy to read when fall arrives. Finally, One Dark Window is a gothic, dark fantasy book. I have seen everyone online raving about One Dark Window, so I’m intrigued to see what it’s about.

Normally, I don’t share which audiobooks I’m listening to, but I will make an exception in this case. I have five audiobooks on hold, with two of them fitting the theme for these months. The first is The Only One Left by Riley Sager. I have read two Riley Sager books and enjoyed them. I skipped past Riley Sager books due to reading some negative reviews, but I wanted to try to get back into his books. In The Only One Left, Kit McDeere is taking care of Lenora Hope in the 1980s. Lenora was accused of murdering her family in 1929. Lenora denies any involvement, and Kit is determined to figure out the truth. The second audiobook I have on hold is Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix. Grady Hendrix has been a hit or a miss for me. While I loved Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, I wasn’t a fan of We Sold Our Souls. Grady’s book premises always intrigue me, and this book is no exception. Witchcraft for Wayward Girls takes place in a house for girls who grew up too fast in the 1970s. One of the girls arrives at the house as she is pregnant. The girls discover that they may be able to perform witchcraft. This is the first Grady Hendrix novel I will read as an audiobook. My queue positions for both of these books are quite long, so, likely, I won’t read them in time, but with that said, I will listen to them eventually.

I am looking forward to reading or listening to these books! I think there’s enough variety to keep me interested throughout the months.

Six Scorched Roses by Carissa Broadbent is a short novella that takes place in the Crown of Nyaxia / Obitraes world. Obitraes is the main setting of the Crown of Nyaxia series, which is a series that I love. It’s vampires with wings, what is there not to love? With the Crown of Nyaxia books and romantacy books in particular, they tend to be hundreds of pages. Six Scorched Roses is 187 pages and takes place between Serpent & The Wings of Night and The Ashes & The Star Cursed King. For being less than 200 pages, Six Scorched Roses has no business being as good as it is.

Lilith is dying. Her town of Adcova was stricken with a plague by Vitarus, the god of abundance and famine. Lilith is desperately trying to find a cure for the plague to save her sister, Mina. Lilith stumbles upon Vale, a vampire from the House of Night. He agrees to give her his blood, and Lilith provides him with roses in return. Vale is intrigued by Lilith and eventually agrees to loan her his research and other academic books. Lilith faces a challenging concept: she knows how dangerous Vale is, but she needs him, and Vale comes to terms with the fact that he needs her, too.

I flew through this book. I felt the pacing was fast, and everything was set up quick. Lilith and her disease, meeting Vale, asking for Vale’s help, moments where Lilith and Vale started to fall for each other, Lilith and Vale hooking up, and eventually, Lilith risking everything to save her sister. This book didn’t waste any time, and everything was succinct. For Lilith and Vale, I thought they had great chemistry together. I didn’t find the story to be rushed; instead, any extra scenes were cut, and it showed only what was needed to. I liked Lilith as a character. She’s a scientist by heart and dedicated to her cause. Vale was moody and lonely, and Lilith brought out things in Vale that he had long since buried. I wouldn’t mind reading other novellas starring Lilith and Vale throughout the moments of the Obitraes books.

I have no notes; this book was everything I needed it to be. I’d love to see more authors writing shorter novellas set in their fantasy worlds. Not everyone has the time to read hundreds of pages. I rated Six Scorched Roses by Carissa Broadbent five stars on Goodreads.