July and August 2021 Reading Wrap-Up

Hiya friends! It’s time for another wrap-up post. Presenting to you a wrap-up for the books I read in July and August 2021. July was a good reading month for me as I read five books. However, August was stressful on the work front so, I could read just two books. Hopefully, September will be an improvement. Without further ado, let’s dive into the recap.

Monthly Wrap-Up: July and August 2021

The Mulberry Tree by Allison Rushby

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Ten-year old Immy relocates to Cambridgeshire, England with her family from Australia. They find a perfect thatched cottage with a beautiful garden to live in. The only problem is the dark, barren, menacing-looking mulberry tree in their backyard. Villagers say the tree steals girls who haven’t yet reached their eleventh birthday. Immy and her family does not believe in such superstitions. Until, Immy starts hearing a song in her head. Does the tree really steals girls? Is Immy going to suffer the same fate? 

This is a little gem of a book. It is a captivating middle-grade novel.

You can read the full review here.

Running Out of Road by Cath Staincliffe

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

A missing schoolgirl, a middle-aged recluse, an exploited teenager. Lives thrown into chaos and set on collision course. With the police in hot pursuit.

It is one hell of a police-procedural-cum-thriller. Don’t miss it.

You can read the full review here.

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Books I read in July and August 2021

Text in Show: It’s a Dog Text Dog World … by Whitney Dineen and Melanie Summers

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

After spending seven years in college, Autumn is unemployed. She can either work in her father’s store or stay with her sister, Helen, in New York to help her manage a crazy dog show. In turn, Helen will help her meet a professor from Columbia University where she wants to pursue her doctoral studies. Sounds like an easy choice. Nope, because Autumn can barely recognize her sister. She is now a snooty, rich woman who must uphold her status at all costs.

Enter Jack Campbell, the veterinarian whom the women in the Manhattan’s elite club love to visit (and ogle at). But Jack has eyes only for their over-pampered, spoilt four-legged companions. When he meets Autumn, he assumes she is one of those women. Can Autumn pull off a successful dog show, achieve her dreams, and find love in the process? Read Text in Show by Whitney Dineen and Melanie Summers to find out.

I found Text in Show to be a sweet, clean romance. Further, it was a hilarious ride throughout.

You can read the full review here.

The Invitation by Vi Keeland

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

The first time I met Hudson Rothschild was at a wedding. I’d received an unexpected invitation to one of the swankiest venues in the city.

Hudson was a groomsman and quite possibly the most gorgeous man I’d ever laid eyes on. He asked me to dance, and our chemistry was off the charts.

I knew it wasn’t a good idea to get involved with him, considering the wedding I was at. But our connection was intense, and I was having a great time.

Though the fun came to a screeching halt when Hudson figured out I wasn’t who I’d said I was. … Will Hudson and Stella’s romance blossom?

This was an excellent romance. I loved the emotional connection between Stella and Hudson as well as their banter. 

You can read the full review here.

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Books I read in July and August 2021

The Highlander’s Irish Bride by Vanessa Kelly

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Miss Kathleen Calvert may be the daughter of an Irish aristocrat, but she has no intention of acting like one. All she desires is to return to her family’s estate to raise horses and manage her father’s magnificent gardens. But when a scandal threatens her reputation, her parents order her to a remote Scottish estate, hoping she will finally learn to behave like a proper lady. To make matters worse, her escort is a handsome Highlander who just happens to be the most boring man in all of Scotland…

After a youth of dangerous and wild escapades, Grant Kendrick surprised his family—and himself—by becoming a successful businessman and the most respectable Kendrick brother. But does that matter, when the beautiful and free-spirited Kathleen deems him a stodgy bore? Luckily, he gets the chance to prove her wrong when their carriage is ambushed by thieves. But it will take all his ingenuity to protect the beautiful lass who has stormed her way into his heart—and to convince her that a life with him will be a love-filled adventure…

I loved The Highlander’s Irish Bride by Vanessa Kelly. If you are a lover of romance books, you can’t help but fall in love with this book.

You can read the full review here.

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

A kick-ass female detective helming the investigation into the murder of a secret brotherhood in an alternate-reality Cairo of 1912 where djinns and humans coexist is what attracted me to A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark.

I am pleased to say I loved it. This is a splendid detective fiction with an intricate plot.

You can read the full review here.

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Books I read in July and August 2021

Discerning Grace by Emma Lombard

Unwilling to accept a loveless marriage to a scoundrel imposed by her father, Grace flees to make her destiny and lands on a ship full of men. Disguised as a boy, she makes her place in the harsh conditions of a British Navy ship, only to blow off her disguise with her impulsiveness.

Grace must now win over the crew she betrayed with her secret, while managing her feelings towards her taciturn protector, whose obstinate chivalry stifles her new-found independence. But when Grace disregards Lieutenant Fitzwilliam’s warnings about the dangers of the unexplored archipelago, it costs a friend his life and she realizes she is not as free as she believes.

This is a brilliant piece of historical fiction that engrossed me till the wee hours of the night. Highly recommended for every fiction lover. Full review here.

let’s chat

Have you read any of the books above? What were your your views on it? If you haven’t read any, is any of the books on your TBR pile? Let me know in the comments below.