Hi everybody, and welcome to my June wrap up!

Honestly, June seemed to drag on and on and on for me. Don’t get me wrong, I got a lot of things done: I read 13 books, I watched 2 complete kdramas and I added a lot of new music to my playlists. But you know… this month just seemed to last forever. I think it’s the drag of being stuck at home for so long that’s been getting to me. And the painful news every day with all the racism and transphobia, though I’m glad to see more and more people standing up against it! Overall though, I can’t complain, though I’m happy July is finally here!

Also, I’ve been experiencing some bugs in my blog. Not all comments seem to come through and I think it had to do with the fact that I hadn’t yet updated to the new WordPress (I hate change…), but I did now so I hope that fixed it. Please do let me know through a quick message on social media if you still can’t comment on my posts. That way, I know something is still wrong and I can try to find the problem and hopefully fix it.

Also, what is up with this new WordPress? Am I the only one who is not finding it easy or intuitive at all? Maybe I need some more time to adjust to it though (like I said, I hate change…)

Anyway, here’s what I’ve been up to in June:

The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler

I enjoyed The Tourist Attraction. It was a fun rom-com with great banter, hilarious touristy situations and of course the setting was so much fun. However, I had some issues getting invested in the characters as they felt a bit too one-dimensional to me. That said, I am interested in picking up the next books set in Moose Falls, because I want to find out what happens to some of the secondary characters after this.

Rating: 3,5 stars

The Switch by Beth O’Leary

BETH O’LEARY DID IT AGAIN! The Flatshare was one of my favorite reads of 2019, and The Switch is one of my favorite reads of 2020. This is one of those books that is heartwarming and hopeful and will just make you feel good. It’s both light and fun and yet dealing with some heavy issues at the same time. I loved both Eileen and Leena and never wanted to skip any of their chapter because I was equally invested in both their stories. Though the romance is mostly only near the end, I still swooned and adored it. Basically, if you ever watched and loved The Holiday, I’m pretty sure you’ll love this as well.

Rating: 5 stars

Date Me, Bryson Keller by Kevin van Whye

This was such a cute story and I finished it in less than a day. And then I re-read it again. It’s an adorable story and it made me smile a lot. Kai was a sweet, awkward main character who reminded me of Simon Spier a bit (in terms of “I immediately loved him”) and Bryson is pretty much the perfect boyfriend. So why only 3,5 stars? Two reasons: though the romance was so, so sweet, it all happened a bit too quickly for me – 5 days is just too fast-paced for me to fully believe in a romance – and secondly, the book seemed to have forgotten bisexuality or pansexuality exist. It felt like the main character though people could be either gay or straight and it irked me a bit that it was hardly even mentioned there are other options.

Rating: 3,5 stars

Heartstopper Vol 1-3 by Alice Oseman

I still hadn’t read the third volume of Heartstopper, so I decided to re-read volumes one and two and immediately afterwards read volume three and it was the best decision ever. I love this little graphic novel. It’s just so pure and adorable and warms my heart. I love Nick and Charlie so much, and I love that in volume 2 and 3 we also get to know some of their friends more (Aled!). Oh, and the teachers in volume 3 are the cutest! I also love that it also deals with some tougher topics, while still being so light and wholesome overall.

Rating: 5 stars

Something To Talk About by Meryl Wilsner

I picked up Something To Talk About, because I was intrigued by the fact that it’s an adult F/F romance set in Hollywood.  And though I enjoyed the story overall, I was a little disappointed as well. I mainly had some issues with the character development – both main characters felt a bit one-dimensional to me and I felt like I never really got to know them. Also, though the romance is a really, really slow burn and I’m normally all for that, I missed some chemistry between the two main characters. I feel like we were TOLD throughout the entire story they had amazing chemistry, but apart from a few very short interactions, I never FELT that chemistry.

Rating: 3,5 stars

Written in Red by Anne Bishop

My fellow book bloggers have been kindly telling me to read this series for ages, and I kept procrastinating because it was one of those books that was a little intimidating to me. But I finally got myself together and started the book and well… I was hooked after just one chapter and finished in just 2-3 days. I love the world building and the found family trope and I need book two like now. Also, this slow burn romance will be the end of me, won’t it?

Rating: 5 stars

The Marriage Game by Sara Desai

I recently read The Marriage Game and highly enjoyed it! It’s such a fun and sexy romance that definitely deserves some more attention. It’s filled with hilarious scenes, amazing chemistry and strong family ties. Oh, and did I mention the delicious-sounding food descriptions that made me super hungry?
Also, check out the Book Blitz for this book I recently participated in.

Rating: 4 stars

Wasted Words by Staci Hart

This is the story about Cam and Tyler, who are roommates and also complete opposites: Cam is a short, quirky bookworm and Tyler is a tall and sporty former athlete. They become best friends and start to develop feelings for each other… but Cam is convinced they are too different and will never work. I picked this up because it sounded like something I’d love: friends-to-lovers and a bookworm character. But I was a little disappointed. The characters got together so fast that I didn’t get a chance to feel the chemistry or slow-burn or even why they were friends in the first place. And then the final 60% was repetitive and basically Cam sabotaging their relationship over and over and over again. I was not a fan. But on a positive note, I loved the bar ‘Wasted Words’ where Cam worked and which was a bar/bookshop. We need one like this in real life!

Rating: 2,5 stars

Sinner by Lana Pecherczyk

I came across Lana Pecherczyk in the blogosphere and was intrigued by her fantasy romance books. I subscribed to her newsletter, which got me 3 of her books for free so this was an awesome way to discover her writing! I read the novella Sinner, which was the prequel to her Deadly Seven series, in which a group of 7 children were genetically engineered to embody the seven deadly sins – each one of them can sense one of the deadly sins and fight it to help save the world. It did it’s work – I’m intrigued and want to read the rest of the series!

Rating: 3 stars

Reborn Yesterday by Tessa Bailey

Reborn Yesterday was mostly a cover buy. That and the fact that it was an adult fantasy romance about vampires and I don’t know how it happened (maybe it’s been all the Midnight Sun hype lately), but I was super craving a vampire romance. And Reborn Yesterday delivered. It’s the story about Ginny, a funeral home director who one night meets a young and handsome man – except it’s a bit weird since he was laying on her embalming table and she thought he was dead just minutes earlier. The two are immediately drawn to each other despite their love being forbidden. I really enjoyed this story, but it is quite insta-lovey. There is a reason for that, which may not be everybody’s cup of tea either (mates…) but though it annoyed me a little bit, I still highly enjoyed the story overall. Don’t expect amazing worldbuilding, but if you’re looking for some romance, some smut and sexy vampires, this book has got you covered.

Rating: 3 stars

This Time Tomorrow by Tessa Bailey

This Time Tomorrow takes place in the same world as Reborn Yesterday, but this time it features Roksana the vampire slayer and Elias the brooding vampire, two characters we already met in the previous book. It can be read as a standalone, though I think you’ll miss out on some of the backstory if you don’t read Reborn Yesterday first. Basically, this story is more of the same. I liked it, but the things that didn’t annoy me that much in Reborn Yesterday were starting to annoy me more in this book. Enough with the mates now, please and thank you. But still, a nice, easy and sexy read if you’re looking for it.

Rating: 3 stars

Top Ten Tuesday

Quote It Wednesday

Pride Month Special Posts

Something Different Sunday

Honestly, in June I pretty much listened to three albums on repeat. Monsta X’s Fantasia X (of which I already featured the main single in my wrap up last month), Lady Gaga’s Chromatica and Stray Kids’ Go Live:

Stray Kids – God’s Menu

How come Go Live is only Stray Kids’ first full album? They already have such a big and solid repertoire! Anyway, I love God’s Menu, and I love pretty much every other song on this album, though is this really still a surprise?

Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande – Rain On Me

Lady Gaga is back! Though I wasn’t a huge fan of Stupid Love, I do love Rain On Me and most songs on Chromatica!

Seventeen – Left & Right

I think this will probably go on to become my 2020 summer anthem. It’s so catchy and happy and feel-good.

BlackPink – How You Like That

Am I the only one who is a little disappointed by this comeback? I like everything about this song, EXCEPT for the chorus. Sure it’s catchy, but I was expecting some more lyrics, some more depth, some more MORE. That said, I still listened to this song on repeat and I’m glad these girls finally got another comeback.

I watched a few things this month that I really enjoyed:

Clean With Passion For Now

Clean With Passion For Now is a rom-com about a severely germaphobic man who started his own cleaning company and the girl who starts working for him who is kind of a slob. Their differences are huge but of course they still slowly connect and start to fall for each other. This was a fun show and I really enjoyed it. However, the humor is the kind that makes you cringe in embarassment and just a little over the top for me.

Romance Is A Bonus Book (re-watch)

THIS IS MY FAVORITE KDRAMA EVER! Okay, now that that’s off my chest, let’s continue. After Cleaning With Passion For Now, I was in the mood for another kdrama, but I didn’t want to start anything new either, so I decided to rewatch Romance Is A Bonus Book. I first watched this last year and I loved it so much and I’m happy to report I still love it just as much on rewatch. The soft friends-to-lovers romance, the inspirational main character, THE LOVE OF BOOKS… This is just so good. In fact, I love this show so much, I even wrote a lenghty review/rave on it!

Last month I said that I’m still at home, still technically unemployed, and well, that hasn’t changed yet. And it will be the same for at least another month. But I’m keeping busy and trying to enjoy this time at home rather than wallow in self-pity. I’m not saying it’s working all the time, but it’s helping a lot of the time 🙂

Things that made me happy this month:

• I got to see my family again after 3 months!
• The Stray Kids comeback
• OH, DID YOU NOTICE MY NEW BLOG THEME? After 4,5 years of blogging, the time came for an updated lay-out and I have to say, I’m pretty happy about it. It feels more clean, less cluttered and just more elegant. What do you think?

THINGS I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH:

• Honestly, the months are pretty much all blurring together at this point. I hope the pandemic will get better and I hope we will not get a second wave.
• Uhh, Loveless by Alice Oseman is finally releasing in July!
• Oh, oh, oh, and the second season of The Umbrella Academy!
• And of course, the newest book in the Guild Codex: Spellbound series by Annette Marie is coming in July as well!

How was your June? What did you read? What did you listen to and what did you watch? What are your plans for July?

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