The Books I Read in July

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Last month in addition to reading two Elin Hilderbrand novels, I also had a chance to meet her and have a book signed by her. I was thrilled!!! After coming off my high from reading 28 Summers, her latest release which came out earlier this summer, I couldn't wait to meet her. I was definitely fangirling. I attended the signing with my girlfriend Cathy, who is also a fan. It was a highlight in an otherwise strange and different summer.

OK, so now on to the books I read in July:

Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand
After I finished 28 Summers, I started 4 different books and shelved each of them without finishing. I just couldn't find a book that satisfied me the way 28 Summers did. I just really missed the characters and the setting and everything about it. So, I picked up another Hilderbrand book in hopes of finding similar magic. Barefoot was good, but it wasn't the same caliber as 28 Summers, but it did have great character development and interesting storylines, both of which are very typical of Hilderbrand.


28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand               5/5 stars
Although there are still a few weeks of summer left and several books on my list to read, I'm calling it: this is the best book I've read all summer. And probably the best book I've read all year. This book had me from word one, and I had a hard time tearing myself away from it. I finished it in 2 days, and almost read it a second time. I loved it that much. If you are a Hilderbrand fan, this is a must read!


Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse           5/5 stars
I love Holocaust historical fiction, and Girl in the Blue Coat did not disappoint. It was definitely a page-turner filled with rich characters and intriguing plot lines. It follows the life of Hanneke, a young Dutch woman in 1943 Amsterdam. By day, Hanneke secures goods on the black market for paying customers. Her life changes when she is asked by one of her regular customers to help her locate a Jewish girl she was hiding who up and disappeared. Hanneke and some friends who are part of the Dutch resistance help her try to track down the missing girl. How and where they find the girl are complete and utter surprises that I never saw coming.




The Perfect Girlfriend by Karen Hamilton                2/5 stars
The description of this book was so good that I couldn't resist downloading it. However, it never met my expectations and turned out to be a lot less thrilling than I thought it was going to be. I love a good edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller and this one promised to be one but fell short. Juliette and Nate have broken up, and Juliette is convinced that she and Nate will get back together again...at any cost. Juliette goes so far as to get a job as a flight attendant since Nate is a pilot. She lets herself into his apartment while he's on trips. For the most part, Juliette is harmless and innocuous. I would have loved to see more depth from her character and a more sinister side to her.


I am currently reading Ghosted by Rosie Walsh, and I have two more Elin Hilderbrand books on my list to read in August.

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