It’s time to look at the books I read in July!
The Whole Cat and Caboodle – Sofie Ryan
★★★★★
Sarah is the owner of Second Chance, a charming shop in the oceanfront town of North Harbor, Maine. The shop specializes in used items that have been refurbished and repurposed. She has been “adopted” by a smart black cat, Elvis. Elvis loves watching Jeopardy, riding in Sarah’s truck, and, of course, all of the attention he gets at the shop.
When one of Sarah’s grandmother’s elderly friends, Maddie, is accused of murder, Sarah, Elvis, and a group of her other elderly friends set out to prove Maddie’s innocence and to find the real killer.
We have a cat, an oceanfront town, a “refurbished” items shop, some detective work, and maybe even a little romance. This book has all of the things I love, all combined into a beautifully written mystery.
How to Find a Romance in a Bookshop – Poppy Alexander
★★★★★
Petra, a literary agent whose social media post goes terribly wrong, decides to “run away” from London after her boss suggests she “babysits” Capelthorne’s Bookshop in Portneath while the owners are away for six months. She doesn’t like books anymore and is stuck and miserable, surrounded by books that remind her of her failure.
Ross McCloud is struggling with his second novel after his highly successful debut five years ago. He also tries to be incognito. He doesn’t want anyone to know who he is.
Petra soon discovers Ross in the secondhand book section of the bookshop, and because misery loves company, they become friends. Soon, the bookshop starts enchanting Petra and breaks down the walls that Ross has put up, and their friendship becomes more. In addition to this new budding romance, the bookshop has become more successful, has started hosting a book club, and soon launches a Literary Book Festival.
Will Ross be able to finally start his second book, and will he become open about who he really is? Will Petra stay once the bookshop owners return, or will she return to London?
I feel like this book is the second in a series (the first is “The Battle of the Bookshops”) because Capelthorne’s owners and their story, and other characters, are also in this book, but this second book could also be read as a standalone. If you love romance, books, the English seaside, and a well-written book, this is the book for you!
The Phone Swap – Lia Louis
★★★★.5
Allie Lake is a scientist who has just finished her latest project and is headed home to live with her sister and to a nonexistent love life. Milo Ford is a celebrity movie star who wants to go home to a quiet, normal life, but is instead on his way to film in the Romanian mountains. They both end up on the same flight and are seated next to each other.
However, post-flight, they both discover that they do not have their own phones, but instead each other’s. They both need information from their phones, so they soon figure out a way to communicate. They make a plan to meet up and swap phones back, but Milo is stuck in a remote location for two weeks, and Allie needs her research info, like yesterday! They soon decide to trust each other and give their passcodes so that the information from the phones can be sent back and forth until the swap happens.
These two weeks of communication create a friendship, and soon… is this more than a friendship that’s beginning?
If you love a cute little romantic story, this is a really nice one 🙂
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