My 2022 Goodreads Reading Challenge: May - June

The Curfew by T.M. Logan

Andy and Laura are good parents. They tell their son Connor that he can go out with friends to celebrate completing his exams, but he must be home by midnight. When Connor misses his curfew, it sets off a series of events that will change the lives of five families forever. Because five teenagers went into the woods that night, but only four came out. And telling the truth might mean losing everything. What would you do?

I'm not entirely sure what to think of this. First of all, quite a few things weren't all that surprising. Even through there are several misdirections throughout the course of the book, the culprit was perhaps the only person that I was sure was guilty or at least heavily involved. There were also plot points that went nowhere. And for that reason, it felt a bit overly long. The ending (and ultimately where Emily had been) also felt like something I'd read or seen in a show before. I did like Harriet, even if she was ignored or shushed most of the way through. But I just didn't enjoy this as much I thought I would.

Those Three Little Words by Meghan Quinn

I knocked up my best friend's sister. I'm going to be a dad and my best friend/teammate is attempting to imprint my face with his fist. And then I was marched up to her apartment and forced to live with her so I could take care of her. Given how much I've pined for the girl, you would think that wouldn't be a hardship. Wrong. This is my one shot to win my teammate back. Pacey is the only family I've got, so hooking up with his sister isn't a mistake I can make twice. But I'm finding it harder and harder not to fall for my best friend's little sister.

Immediately I was drawn into this. The lusty evening between Eli and Penny starts the book off strong. But then it slows down a lot from there, where not a lot happens. Then they're practically having sex on every page. It just felt a bit stark to go from nothing to nothing other than that. I also get that Penny's hormones are all over the place but a lot of how she behaves isn't 'quirky'. It's just bizarre and immature. I've never read an accidental pregnancy romance before and I'm not sure if it's something I would pick up again, to be honest.

The House Across The Lake by Riley Sager

Casey, a recently widowed actress trying to escape a streak of bad press, has retreated to her family’s lake house. Armed with a pair of binoculars and several bottles of liquor, she passes the time watching the glamorous couple who live in the house across the lake. But the longer Casey watches it becomes clear that Katherine and Tom’s marriage is not as perfect and placid as it appears. When Katherine vanishes, Casey becomes consumed with finding out what happened to her. In the process, she uncovers eerie, darker truths and how looks can be very deceiving.

This built a world that had me hooked and gave me The Woman In The Window vibes. I was also really intrigued to see how it would go. I guessed that certain characters might be involved but it didn’t turn out that way, which is normally a good thing. However, the turn it took felt a bit silly to me. The whole *spoiler alert* possession storyline came out of nowhere and I just couldn’t take it seriously. I feel like the setting and the missing person idea had a lot of promise but it just fell short with the twist that it took.

Down The Rabbit Hole by Holly Madison

A spontaneous decision at age twenty-one transformed small-town Oregon girl Holly Sue Cullen into Holly Madison, Hugh Hefner’s #1 girlfriend. But like Alice in Wonderland after she plunged down the rabbit hole, what seemed like a fairytale life inside the Playboy Mansion quickly devolved into an oppressive routine of strict rules, manipulation and battles with ambitious, backstabbing bunnies. Losing her identity, sense of self-worth and hope for the future, Holly found herself sitting alone in a bathtub contemplating suicide. But instead of ending her life, Holly chose to take charge of it.

As someone who watched The Girls Next Door back in the early 2000s and the Secrets Of Playboy documentary more recently, this definitely gave a great insight into Holly's life at the Playboy mansion and more generally. She did not hold back from discussing intimate details or really laying everything out there. Did I keep having to Google who she could potentially be referring to with pseudonyms throughout? Yes. But it helped to put a face to a name. I also liked seeing what her life was like away from Playboy too.

Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

By the time Carrie Soto retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. But six years later, Carrie finds herself sitting in the stands of the US Open, watching her record be taken from her by a brutal, stunning, British player. At thirty-seven years old, Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record. Even if her body doesn't move as fast as it did. And even if it means swallowing her pride to train with a man she once almost opened her heart to. Like her, he has something to prove before he gives up the game forever.

Taylor Jenkins Reid truly is a master at creating characters and worlds which feel completely real. If you’re not a fan of tennis, you may not enjoy this quite as much as fans of the game. But for me, this felt like I was watching the matches with the added bonus of knowing what goes into a match and life as a tennis player. Carrie is someone who grows as the story develops. But her relationship with her father is what made this book for me. I also enjoyed seeing her open up to love and Bowe and how she went on to relate to and champion Nicki. The ending was a nice change from what I expected. But still felt true to what I'd read all along.

Publication date: 30th August 2022

The It Girl by Ruth Ware

Everyone wanted her life, Someone wanted her dead. It was Hannah who found April’s body ten years ago. It was Hannah who didn’t question what she saw that day. Did her testimony put an innocent man in prison? She needs to know the truth. Even if it means questioning her own friends. Even if it means putting her own life at risk. Because if the killer wasn’t a stranger, it's someone she knows.

This is one of those stories where almost anyone could have actually committed the murder. There is a reason why each and every character could have had a reason for killing April. I really liked the settings of the Oxford University campus and Edinburgh and the way that it switched from the before to the after chapters and back again. I kept changing my mind as to who was guilty but I didn't actually expect it to be who it was. So that was a pleasant surprise. I think fans of Ruth Ware, as well as those looking for a great beach/summer read, will enjoy this.

Publication date: 4th August 2022

How To Fake It In Hollywood by Ava Wilder

Grey is on a mission to save her career now that her long-running TV show is over. With the role of a lifetime on the line, she's desperate enough to agree to her publicist's scheme: fake a love affair with a disgraced Hollywood heartthrob, who just happens to also need the publicity boost. Ethan just wants to be left alone. Between his high-profile divorce, struggles with drinking and grief over the death of his best friend, he's slowly let himself fade into the background. But in this ruthless industry, are they both too used to faking it to open themselves up to the real thing?

I liked the banter back and forth between them and when they do finally get together it feels earned. The scenes in which we see them out and about as celebrities and part of a new celebrity couple were done really well. And the steamy scenes when they take their trip away were great too. For some reason I saw Grey as a character from One Tree Hill and it did remind me a little bit of A Star Is Born but in a good way. This also dealt with bigger issues such as addiction, loss and trauma and is a lot more than your typical beach/summer read. But it was still a quick and easy read.

This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub

On the eve of her 40th birthday, Alice's life isn't terrible. She likes her job, even if it isn't exactly the one she expected. She's happy with her apartment, her romantic status, her independence and she adores her lifelong best friend. But her father is ailing and it feels to her as if something is missing. When she wakes up the next morning she finds herself back in 1996, reliving her 16th birthday. But it isn't just her adolescent body that shocks her, it's her dad: the vital, charming, 40-something version of her father with whom she is reunited. Is there anything that she would change if she could? 

This has to be one of the most relatable books that I have ever read, even though it involves the notion of time travel. There were so many sentences that I wanted to highlight. In terms of the time travel, this is almost like 13 Going On 30 in reverse, as the novel itself even leans into and mentions. The relationships in this were what really set it above and beyond similar stories. Obviously you have Alice's relationship with her father. But I feel like her relationship with her best friend Sam was equally important, as was how she came to see Tommy as the story progressed. I also adored that this was set in New York City.

Love, Lists & Fancy Ships by Sarah Grunder Ruiz

For the last year, yacht stewardess Jo has been attempting to complete a bucket list of thirty things she wants to accomplish by her birthday. Jo is on track until a family tragedy turns her life upside down. But when her two nieces show up unannounced with plans to stay the summer, they discover her list and insist on helping Jo finish it. When she summons the courage to complete item number five - kiss a stranger - and meets Alex, all bets are off.

If you like Below Deck, definitely give this a read. The first couple of chapters felt like I'd been immersed in an episode. But this isn't your typical fluffy romance or what I was expecting. There is of course a romantic element to it, which is rather tame. But it deals with much more. I really liked the 30 before 30 list element and seeing Jo cross the items off in some unexpected ways. I also loved her BFF Nina and was very excited to learn that a second book is in the works revolving around Nina's life, which I will definitely be reading.

Run Time by Catherine Ryan Howard

Final Draft, a psychological horror, is being filmed at a house deep in the forest, miles from anywhere. Former soap star Adele has stepped in to replace the original actress at the very last minute. She can't help but hope that this opportunity will be her big break. And she knows she was lucky to get it, after what happened the last time she was on a set. When the strange goings-on in the script start to happen on set too, Adele begins to fear that the real horror lies off the page.

The tension that was created once things started to mirror the book that the movie is being based on was fantastic. It definitely gave me those creepy horror movie vibes. It also made it hard to put down. However, there were too many reveals/twists all going on at once towards the end. I also feel like when we find out who is behind everything it wasn't as interesting a person or reason as I thought it was going to be. The fact that several people are doing different things that result in what is happening to Adele, felt like a bit of a stretch. But I loved it when it felt like I was reading a horror movie playing out in real life.

Publication date: 11th August 2022

How To Be A Boss Bitch by Christine Quinn

Part prescriptive how-to, part manifesto, part tell-all, sex and money, fashion and fame, gossip and gratitude, confidence and consciousness are all covered. Quinn has been called everything from “the most-talked-about woman on TV” to “the villain 2020 needed.” And she isn’t shy about any of the qualities that got her the success she has today. By sharing details of her journey from high school dropout to self made millionaire, reality TV star and fashion and beauty entrepreneur, Quinn gives her readers the tools to define their own Boss Bitch style and manifest their own success. Without being held back by society’s terms.

Even though I should have realised from the name, this is more of a self help book/guide with personal stories sprinkled throughout, than a typical memoir. I enjoyed getting to know Christine more and what led her to where she is today. And I definitely read it in her voice. I did take quite a lot away from it, mainly knowing my value, knowing when to leave a job or situation that no longer serves me and dreaming big. Am I wholly convinced about manifestation? Probably not. And there were quite a few bits of repetition. But if you're a Christine stan like me, you'll no doubt enjoy it.

Before I Do by Sophie Cousens

Audrey is marrying steady, dependable Josh; the love of her life. But romance should be full of fireworks, and as the big day approaches, Audrey's found herself wondering if Josh really is 'the one'. So, when Josh's sister Miranda arrives at their rehearsal dinner with Fred - Audrey's 'What If?' guy, the man she met six years ago and had one amazing day with but never saw again - Audrey can't help but see it as a sign. And when everything that could go wrong with the wedding starts to go wrong, Audrey has to wonder: could fate be trying to stop her from making a huge mistake?

This story flowed really well and I liked the way that it jumped around timeline-wise. It did fall a bit short of perfect for me, maybe because I'm more of a Josh than an Audrey (I love a spreadsheet, alphabetise my DVD collection, etc.) so some of Audrey's chaotic ways or inability to decide what to do in life, didn't make me sympathise with her as much as I should have. There were also a few too many side characters, so much so that I had to remember who was who when certain names popped up. But I did race through it and couldn't put it down.

Publication date: 29th September 2022