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Since I am officially on Summer Break, June has been a GREAT reading month! And let me tell you, I read some great books this month, and I can’t wait to share them with you! Whether you’re looking for your next great read or just curious about what I loved (or didn’t love), this post has all the details. My goal for 2025 was to read one book a month, and so far, I’ve more than DOUBLED that! I’ll be sharing a brief summary, my personal thoughts, and a rating for each book. Plus, I’ll highlight my top recommendation of the month at the end!
Book List Overview (with links to purchase)
- Take a Hike by Mimi Grace
- Curvy Girl Summer by Danielle Allen
- When in Rome by Sarah Adams
- Sweet Like Sundays by Danielle Brooks
- If Only for the Summer by Alexandra Warren
📖 Take a Hike – Mimi Grace
- Genre: Romance
- Synopsis: When Raven Coleman suddenly inherits an outdoor tour business in a small town, she takes on the adventure. But, grumpy manager Silas Reynolds is less than welcoming. They butt heads from day one, but as they continue to work together and navigate this new adventure, their attraction and banter grows, and maybe, some other feelings do, too.
- My Thoughts: Out of all of the books in the Lovestruck series, this one is my favorite! It is a sweet, funny small-town romance with a little bit of spice. I love both of the main characters, and they have just enough depth for a cute romance novel. This book does have the grumpy x sunshine and forced proximity tropes, which I also think makes for the perfect romance novel.
- Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (out of 5)
- Would I recommend it? Yes. Take a Hike is the perfect sweet romance, and it’s a great way to end this series!
📖 Curvy Girl Summer – Danielle Allen
- Genre: Contemporary Romance
- Synopsis: Aaliyah is determined to find a boyfriend to bring in her 30th birthday, but the dating pool is horrible! When her best friend suggests joining a dating app, Aaliyah reluctantly agrees. But, after an embarrassing first date, sweet but sassy bartender Ahmad agrees to help and protect Aaliyah. As the summer is ticking by and Aaliyah’s dates are not getting better, the depth of her friendship with Ahmad is growing. But that’s all it is…a friendship, right?
- My Thoughts: I have never read a more hilarious, laugh out loud book than this one! It’s a very spicy, slow burn, friends to lovers romance that was a lot deeper than I thought it would be. Some romances are all fluff, but Curvy Girl Summer has it all–spice, romance, humor, depth, grief, and plot twists! It’s like the Black Romance version of an Abby Jimenez novel. This book definitely caught me off guard, but in the best way possible!
- Favorite Quote: “They said the dating pool had pee in it, but I was convinced there was s**t in there, too. No chlorine–just s**t, algae, and bacteria.”
- Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (out of 5)
- Would I recommend it? Absolutely! If you like romance, humor, and lovable characters, you will love Curvy Girl Summer!
📖 When in Rome – Sarah Adams
- Genre: Romance Novel
- Synopsis: Amelia Rose was running away. It sounds crazy that a rich, famous pop star would want to run away from all of that, but Amelia was lonely, tired, and misunderstood. When her car breaks down, she ends up in the small town of Rome, Kentucky…right in grumpy baker Noah Walker’s front yard. Although he is annoyed by her presence, Noah agrees to let Amelia stay in his guest room until her car is fixed. As they spend time together, Noah starts to notice cute, charming things about Amelia. And Amelia realizes that Noah is mean, just jaded and guarded. As her time in this charming town comes to an end, they both realize that maybe they actually enjoy each other’s company more than they thought…
- My Thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and finished it in one day! Earlier this year, I picked up Beg, Borrow, or Steal, not realizing that it was part of a series, so I had to go back and start at book one, and let me tell you, I was not disappointed. This small-town romance had me feeling all the feels, and it has the same charm and depth as the Dream Harbor series by Laurie Gilmore. Some tropes include dual POV, opposites attract, grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity, and slow burn. There is no spice, but the emotional depth, backstory, and character development make this sweet story a five star read for me! I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!
- Favorite Quote: “Care is reckless because it doesn’t come with the seat belt that selfishness offers. Care has so much to lose, and almost always ends in heartbreak.”
- Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (out of 5)
- Would I recommend it?100%! This story has everything I love in a romance novel–emotion, humor, cute moments, loveable characters…you have to read it!
📖 Sweet Like Sundays – Danielle Brooks
- Genre: Romance Novella
- Synopsis: Sade has lived next door to her neighbor Ace for a year, and they’ve barely said a few words to each other. But, that all changes one Sunday in April. And after spending four Sundays together, their lives are changed forever.
- My Thoughts: This short story was only 66 pages long, and in my opinion, that is not enough pages to capture the budding romance between Sade and Ace. It takes a very seasoned, talented writer to unfold a love story in a short story, and this just wasn’t it! There was too much and too little at the same time forced within these few pages. This story lacked depth, humor, and back story, and it is not my favorite.
- Favorite Quote: “Life and love are fleeting. Don’t miss out on either one of them.”
- Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (out of 5)
- Would I recommend it? No–I am open to reading something else by this author though!
📖 If Only for the Summer – Alexandra Warren
- Genre: Romance
- Synopsis: First grade teacher Nova Grant is excited when her best friend invites her to stay at her luxury condo in Miami for the summer. What she doesn’t know, is her best friend’s husband also invited single dad Guy Thompson and his toddler Jaxson to stay at the condo as well. Even though there is an undeniable attraction between Nova and Guy, and she is in love with cute little Jax, they know nothing serious can happen because their days together are numbered. But, a lot of feelings can develop during one summer. They just need to figure out if it’s love or only lust…
- My Thoughts: I instantly fell in love with this book and could not put it down! I literally read it all in one day on the last day of June! Both of the characters are teachers, which is relatable to me, and it had the same funny, spicy romance vibe as Church Girl by Naima Simone, which I read earlier this year. This is a quick read if you like romance, and it does not have too many twists and turns, which makes for an easy read. I did not expect to like it as much as I did!
- Favorite Quote: “Then again, nothing about Nova really felt flingy, her presence more like a fixture, a foundation, something solid, something…familiar.”
- Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (out of 5)
- Would I recommend it? Yes! If you like spicy romance, and don’t mind a single dad trope, you’ll love this easy summer read!
My Top Pick This Month is…
Curvy Girl Summer by Danielle Allen! This book was so popular on Tik Tok, that I’m not surprised it was my favorite of the month! The way Allen combines depth, humor, romance, and relatability easily makes Curvy Girl Summer a book you can’t put down! I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!
What’s TBR for July?
Honestly, there are so many books I want to read for July, and I have no idea where I’ll start! You’ll have to wait for the next blog post to see what I read in July!
That concludes my June reading wrap-up! I’m so excited that I’ve read 29 books so far this year, and I can’t wait to see what’s next! What did you read in June? Do you have any recommendations for me? Let’s chat in the comments!
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