A Very Lucky Girl

This fall line-up was straight FIRE, y'all! I read a couple more that didn't make the cut for this post because I'm not here to waste your time with mediocre literature. Add these to your Christmas list, cozy up to your Christmas tree, and get your read on! The Day We Met by Rowan Coleman 4 stars This is a heart-wrencher! The main character is learning how to navigate the diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer's. Her relationships with her own mother, her daughters, and her husband take center stage as she struggles with knowing her own identity. A sweet read the whole way through.  That's What Frenemies are For by Lauren Gershell 4 stars Wealthy Julia has it all: perfect husband, kids, and house in NYC (complete with a housekeeper, of course). She also has the Midas touch when it comes to catapulting places and people to Upper East Side fame. Gossip Girl meets Big Little Lies in this sizzler about keeping up appearances in this Instagram age. 

Remember when I wrote monthly book reviews? Oops. Between Bachelorette recaps, trying to keep up with Blake’s Stagecoach conquests on Bachelor in Paradise, and having to come up with something to make for dinner 5 nights a week -- I fell behind. I have every intention of getting back on track with these in the fall, but I finished some amazing books this summer so I’m laying out my top-rated so you can finish off your year on a high note!  Before diving in, allow me to explain my personal rating system. I adhere pretty closely to Goodreads star standards with some variation:  Goodreads 1 star - “did not like it”  My 1 star: I hated this book and I’m really annoyed that I selected it. Thought about quitting partially through multiple times.  Goodreads 2 stars - “it was ok ” My 2 stars: I would not recommend this book to anyone and likely powered through. Did anyone proofread this text?  Goodreads 3 stars - “liked it” My 3 stars: This book kept my attention

We’ve been trapped on Alabama Hannah’s roller coaster of a season for weeks on end, but the denouement is in sight. Just a couple more stomach-dropping plunges and loops stand in the way of us and Bachelor in Paradise! Dapper Chris Harrison welcomes his audience back to the studio. Despite working overtime this week, Harrison is impeccably dressed as usual. He wastes no time alluding to the lies, betrayal, and even a cringe worthy proposal we are about to view.  Footage of Engagement Day in Greece graces the big-screens. Hannah lounges in bed with her coffee and her Bible. She has no doubt that both Jed and Tyler have seen the good and bad parts of her. She ponders her growth and the validation she no longer requires. She doesn’t need a man, but she wants one to experience all of life with.  Hannah primps in the mirror and pretends to curl her own hair -- though we all know her styling team was waiting just outside the camera angle. Tyler gazes at the ocean and Jed jour