What I Read in October & Share Your Shelf #7

 Marilyn, Jennifer, Tanya, and I are so happy to be hosting this monthly link up (that goes live on the first Thursday of every month) dedicated solely to books and book reviews. Through this link up I've gotten lots of great ideas on what books to read next!


I'm kind of surprised I managed to read 9 books this month since I really struggled to sit and concentrate. I think audiobooks saved me though since you'll notice that I listened to 5 of the 9! 




1.  Bad Reputation by Emma Barry-- I enjoyed this one! Maggie Niven is trying to rebuild her life after having lost her job teaching when she was defending what some parents deemed an unacceptable play. She gets a job working as an intimacy coordinator on a a new season of the hit show Waverly. On set she meets Cole, who is nothing like Maggie expected. Stories of Cole paint him as an immature himbo but Cole has been working hard to change people's opinions of him. From the start the two feel a tug of mutual attraction but since both are trying to rebuild their reputations they refuse to act on it. 


2. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes-- I had no idea this was book 1 of 5 but I can't wait to listen to the others.  When Avery becomes an heir to the entire fortune of the Hawthorne family she is left reeling with tons of questions-- mainly why would a complete stranger leave her all his money. The rest of the Hawthorne family has no answers for her but lots of questions of their own. Caught between the 4 Hawthorne boys, Avery and the brothers are determined to solve the clues left in the man's letters to each of them and the ones in his will. It was a fun story with puzzles, twists, turns, attempted murder, & more. 



3. The Enemy by Sarah Adams-- June has spent the past 12 year imagining Ryan as ugly, fat, and unsuccessful but when he shows up for their best friends' weddings Ryan is anything but. Determined to win over June and put their silly feud behind them once and for all, Ryan realizes he has his work cut out for him. An adorable little rom-com that was entertaining. It didn't hurt that Ryan was a renowned chef and June a very successful baker-- I'm not sure why I enjoy reading books with chefs as main characters but I really do!


4. The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes-- In book #2, Avery and the 4 Hawthorne boys are all searching for a missing man who may hold the key to so many of their questions. With her lawyer trying to have her legally emancipated, her bodyguard trying to keep her under his surveillance at all times, and Avery's own questions about her paternity the book is filled with all kind of drama and intrigue. But once again someone is out to get Avery and the game turns deadly. Unsure of who to trust, Avery finds herself putting her life in danger more and more just by being with her so-called friends and family.  I enjoyed it just as much as the first book!


5. It Had to Be You by Mary Higgins Clark & Alafair Burke-- When identical twins Simon and Ethan are accused of murdering their parents, their lives change forever, each thinking the other brother must have committed the crime. However, since the police never had enough evidence to convict anyone the murder has gone unsolved for nearly a decade. Laurie, a TV producer for the show Under Suspicion, decides to look into their case. With the help of the boys' younger sister the production team get both twins and their families on board and start their own investigation into this cold case.  No one knows what will happen or who is really the killer. It was a fun little murder mystery! 



6. The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (book #3)-- In the first book, Avery feels more like a pawn in a game the old man left his heirs, in the second book Avery is helping the Hawthorne boys solve a puzzle their grandfather left for them, but in this book Avery has her very own puzzle left to her to solve. When a stranger comes to Hawthorne house seeking shelter and protection Avery isn't sure they can be trusted; after all it seems like everyone is out to get her and stop her from inheriting a literal fortune. Ultimately forced to play a game of chess with stakes so high Avery literally can not afford to lose. I felt like the series ended pretty neatly with this book so I was intrigued with where book 4 was going to start. 


7. The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (book #4)-- I was thrown to find that book 4 switches narrators and rather than being told from Avery's point of view it's told from the point of view of the brothers. In this 4th book of the series both Jameson and Grayson are being pulled in opposite directions from their fathers' and fathers' families. Grayson is looking out for his two step-sisters and Jameson offers to win back his father's family home. Still lots of fun puzzle solving, mystery, and intrigue and I'm assuming the series will continue with more than just the book of short stories slated to come as book 5 later this month. 



8. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore-- I really, really disliked the last Liz Moore book I read so I was hesitant to listen to this one but I saw it was getting rave reviews so I decided to give it a shot. The story centers around a camp in the Adirondack mountains and a missing 13 year old girl, Barbara Van Lar. But Barbara isn't just any camper; her family owns the camp and Barbara's own older brother vanished in these same woods 14 years ago and was never seen or heard from again. Told from all sorts of points of views and from different timelines it was sometimes just a tiny bit hard to keep everything straight while listening but I was intrigued. You just know that the family's money, power, and secrets have to have something to do with the disappearances but there are all sort of little side stories and background information on lots of the characters that keep you guessing. It was pretty good. 


9. The Love Shack by Lori Foster-- I had no idea this was book 3 of a 3 book series; it read just fine as a stand alone novel. Berkley opened The Love Shack animal shelter in the town of Cemetery, Indiana hoping to keep mostly to herself and put a horrible scandal from her past behind her. She's totally thrown when she discovers that her neighbor is none other than Lawson, a boy from her old hometown who also moved to Cemetery to start over. The two try to avoid one another but keep getting thrown together and when they do their attraction is quite palpable. Cautious and hesitant the two begin building something pretty special. There are other little side stories and fun quirky things like the mannequin the town dresses up and moves around the area for tourists to take photos with that made the town seem rather endearing. It was cute. 



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Comments

  1. It´s always great to discover a series and new authors that you like! It sounds like you´ve read some good books!

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  2. Thank you so much for sharing- adding a few to my queue!

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  3. I've had The God of The Woods on my list but haven't gotten to it. The series sounds good...it sounds like you have to read all 5 to get to solve the mystery? I will check it out.

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    1. You don't have to read each book but at the very end of each book another mystery crops up so I did feel sort of compelled to keep going!

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  4. God of the Woods is on my library reserve list!

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  5. I really liked The God of the Woods. I read the first two Hawthorne books but I kept getting the brothers mixed up!

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    1. I had to make up little nicknames for them based on their first names so I could keep them straight! Like Grayson the Great (heir apparent), Jamie the Junkie (the thrill seeker), Nash the Nomad (the oldest that prefers to stay away from the family), Xander the X-perimentor (the human Rube Goldberg machine that likes to tinker and build).

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  6. I really need to find a Sarah Adams book to read as I see so many suggestions online. This one you mentioned sounds cute!

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    1. She has very cute kinda Hallmark-y feeling books.

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  7. You've read some good books. I love Mary Higgins Clark and I'll have to read that book you recommeded.

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    1. I love her books too but I don't always think to go looking for them.

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  8. Loved The Enemy.
    www.rsrue.blogspot.com

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  9. I'm listening to The God of the Woods now. But I'd rather be reading than listening since they change timelines so often. Maybe my library hold will become available soon!

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    1. I did find it a bit confusing at first with all the timelines and the side stories and tangents... but I didn't find myself getting lost or anything.

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  10. I've heard really good things about The God of the Woods! I already have it on my wish list!

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    1. I liked it but I can't say it was a favorite.

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  11. Well done! I only read two book last month and still haven't done a post. Since October isn't going much better so far, maybe I'll do an October/November post!

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  12. Jodie's Touch of StyleNovember 7, 2024 at 12:28 PM

    We've been listening to more and more books, and you get a whole different perspective that way.
    XOXO
    Jodie

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  13. Mary Higgins Clark is one of my very favorite authors. I was so sad when she passed but I have enjoyed all of her stories!
    xo,
    Kellyann

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  14. These all sound good! I love to read, but only get through 1-2 books a month. I am going to add a couple of these to my Goodreads 'to read' list!

    Carrie
    curlycraftymom.com

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    1. I listen a lot while cooking dinner, cleaning the house, driving in the car (since I'm pretty much alone when I drive now that all the boys drive themselves) so I can get through a lot more than just physically reading.

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  15. I haven't read any of these! It had to be you has been on my library list.Thanks for sharing!

    Jill - Doused in Pink

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  16. I did enjoy the Hawthorne series. I wasn't quite prepared for all the twists and turns each book takes, but they do keep your interest!

    https://marshainthemiddle.com/

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    1. I wasn't either but it definitely kept my interest!

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  17. That Hawthorne series looks excellent - isn't it fun when you enjoy a book and find out it's a whole series! Especially when the rest of the series is good too. I've added that one to my TBR to get to someday. Thanks for hosting!

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    1. I love when I discover a book I liked is part of a series.

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  18. Hi Joanne. I'll definitely be putting The Inheritance Games on my list. I haven't read any of these books so will look into them also. I can't believe that I didn't know you were hosting a book linky. I will link my Nov #WOYBS

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  19. Great list of books as always. It always amazes me how much you read.

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  20. You've done really well with your reading again. I started off well in October, but had so much going on, I'm only just picking up my books again!

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  21. It sounds like you've had a good reading month. Audiobooks very often save me when I can't focus on reading a physical book. I haven't read a Mary Higgins Clark for a long time but that one sounds really good, I do like a good thriller. #MMBC

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  22. The God of the Woods has been on my radar and was on the consideration list a couple months ago for the book club's August or September read?? Not sure which. I am not big on thrillers but this one sounded interesting.

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    1. It didn't really feel like a thriller though; a mystery sure but I wasn't really in suspense over what happened...

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  23. Bad Reputation sounds like an interesting read! I've heard lots of great things about God of the Woods but haven't had a chance to read it yet. It's on my list though!

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  24. I used to read a lot of Mary Higgins Clark but have never read any of her collabs. She died a few years back, if my memory serves me correctly. Thanks for linking up.

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  25. Hi Joanne, thanks for sharing your latest reads on #WOYBS? I don't think I've ever read Mary Higgins Clarke although I have seen her books over the years. I also enjoy getting into 'series' and your Hawthorne series sounds like a good read. Have a lovely weekend. x

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  26. Hi, Joanne - Reading 9 books this month is fantastic. I haven't yet read any of the books on your list but I greatly enjoyed your reviews (as always). <3

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  27. Thanks for joining us for our linkup Joanne. Your latest reads all sound good and I do love getting into a series.

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  28. I'm off to google Mary Higgens Clark. I didn't realise she was still writing. That's been a LONG career - over 50 years!

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    1. She did pass away in 2020 but this was one of her newer books.

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  29. Nine books is good! I can usually manage only 4 or 5 in a good month!

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