As the cold weather approaches, I enjoy reading outside, wearing a warm sweater and drinking hot tea. There are plenty of books out there that can give out “fall vibes,” but I have picked four books that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Unwanted by Mia Sheridan
When wilderness guide Harper Ward is called to the small town sheriff’s office in Montana to provide assistance on a case, she is shocked to find that their only suspect in the double murder investigation is a man described as a “savage.” The longer Harper watches the man known as Lucas on a surveillance camera, the more intrigued she becomes. Who is he? And how is it possible that he’s lived alone in the woods since he was a small child?
As secrets begin to emerge, Harper is thrown into something bigger than she ever could have imagined. Right at the center of it all is Lucas. But is he truly the wild man he appears to be?
I liked that the plot of this book is more mystery/suspense than romance but there’s such a beautiful, slow burn and love story intertwined throughout that’s full of heart and soul. While reading this book, it felt like I was in a different version of ‘The Hunger Games.’ The flashback chapters were really interesting to me and it made more sense as I was reading the present story. Overall, this book was good but definitely not on the top of my list for mystery/thriller genre.
The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston
Clementine forms a plan to keep her heart safe: work hard, find someone decent to love, and try to have at least one big dream to keep going. And for the last year, that plan has gone off without a problem so far. The love part is hard because she doesn’t want to get too close to anyone, but then she finds a strange man standing in the kitchen of her late aunt’s apartment– the kind of man she would’ve fallen head-over-heels for– except he exists in the past. So, Clementine quite literally lives seven years in his future.
This book is the perfect fall romance book to read. While reading, I enjoyed Clementine’s growth as a person and her struggles with her identity and purpose felt relatable to me, and I think it would deeply resonate with many people. I really liked Clementine’s relationship with her aunt. This is one of the reads where I truly felt more connected to a relationship outside of the romance aspect. Overall, the pacing of the book was good and I really enjoyed the setting and location of where the story took place.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
This story takes place in France, 1714. Addie LaRue makes a bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. Across history and time, Addie LaRue learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world. But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a man named Henry in a bookstore and he remembers her name. The two of them become a couple, until Addie realizes Henry only has 35 days left to live, per the conditions of his deal that he made.
This book is definitely one of my favorites of this year. The book is more driven by characters and emotions rather than plot, but I enjoyed it. I like how the author alternated between the timelines, past and present, and how she told Addie’s story. Toward the end, I was crying just a little bit, despite predicting some parts of it. I liked how Addie’s thumbprints of inspiration over the years came together and I adored Henry’s “final gift” to Addie. Both Addie and Henry had great chemistry and I enjoyed reading all the adventures and different things that they got to do together.
Wildfire by Hannah Grace
This is book two of the Maple Hills series. Students Russ Callaghan and Aurora Roberts cross paths at a party celebrating the end of the school year, where a drinking game results in them having a one-night stand, but Aurora slips away before Russ has the chance to ask for her name. Imagine their surprise when they bump into each other on the first day of the summer camp where they are both counselors. Russ hopes if he gets far enough away from home, he can avoid dealing with the repercussions of his father’s gambling addiction, while Aurora is tired of craving attention from everyone around her. Russ knows breaking the camp’s “no staff fraternizing” rule will have him heading back home before the summer is over, but unfortunately for him, Aurora has never been very good at caring about the rules.
I enjoyed reading this book, but it wasn’t my favorite. I liked the “found family” aspect of all the original hockey players from Graces’ other book ‘Icebreaker’ and the new friendships between the counselors at the summer camp. I also appreciate that this book has a lot of depth. Aurora and Russ have family issues that they had to work on individually and together in this book. Also, I enjoyed the personal growth of all the characters as they navigated their way through everything going on in their lives. This book has made me excited for future books in this series.
