And so June is over…when did that happen?!? It has been a busy month for little sis. Between setting up The Daily Main Character Instagram account, attending a romance book club, an author event, trying to create content and reading and reviewing not one, not two but three ARC’s…booked and busy to say the least.
Little sister powered through 6 books this month and big sis got through 1 (it is financial year end, a busy time for the finance girlies).
As always, these are just our humble opinions! Reading is such a personal journey…each of us brings our own quirks and feelings to every story, and honestly? That’s what makes book chat so delightful. If you’ve read any of these books, we’d be absolutely thrilled to hear your thoughts in the comments. Love them? Hate them? Somewhere in the messy middle? We’re here for all of it! And if you have any recommendations for our TBR, drop them below! We’re always on the hunt for our next book obsession.
Little Sister
The Other Brother by Tierney Page
Book One in The London Hearts Series
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐️
I need to start by saying I follow Tierney on Instagram and TikTok and I recently attended her book launch event, here in Sydney. I genuinely love her content and her recommendations never miss. Her first ever book The Other Brother has been on my TBR since it got released. The writing was excellent, the pacing created a seamless flow with no dull moments, and the spice? Well, it was spicy—maybe too spicy for me. But my issue was that I just couldn’t connect with the characters, story, or world. I felt a bit removed, and maybe that’s because of the whole ex-fiancé’s brother trope, but that is definitely a me problem and that’s totally okay. I did however, love the friend group, I thought they were the perfect depiction of what a girlhood is all about.
It’s important to note that this was different from my usual romances—these characters felt like normal, regular people with no billionaire or star athlete vibes. Just quickly: this follows April and James. April was engaged to Lucas, James’ older brother, until she discovers he’s not who she thought he was. As she grieves her broken engagement, she finds comfort in James, and I’m sure you can guess where this goes. I definitely will get around to reading the second and third books...stay tuned for updated.
Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5
An anticipated release for me! I was so excited to be back in the worlds that Carley Fortune builds. I am truly obsessed with the way she writes about small summer towns in Canada—watch this space, I might just up and leave for Tofino any second. Her writing is so easy to follow and get fully immersed in. I thought this story was just okay—not groundbreaking, but most definitely not terrible by any means. This follows Francesca and George in a childhood friends-to-lovers romance, where she was left at the altar and for him, it was always her. My biggest issue was with the FMC, Francesca. I found it hard to believe that she had no idea about George’s feelings towards her, which was frustrating as a reader because I knew from just a few pages in. With that being said, there are very mixed reviews out there, so I’ll say I still recommend reading it. You might just love what I found just okay!
The Reasons Why by Tanya Renee (ARC)
Book 1 in The Sons of Primrose Series
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
I was fortunate enough to receive this as an advanced reader copy. Here is the link to my full in-depth review.
Shadow Princess by Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti
Book 4 in The Zodiac Academy Series
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This series has me in a chokehold, and I am totally fine with it! There’s something about this world that keeps pulling me in, and so far, this has been my favourite book in the series!
Maybe it’s the high-stakes environment of it all. Maybe it’s the magic system, the academy setting, the sisters progressing with their powers and order forms. Or maybe it’s Lance Orion and Darius Acrux just being the completely down-bad MMCs we all love to read about. Whatever it is, I am so sat, and I will definitely be continuing.
Ruined by Em Hardy (ARC)
Book 1 in The Beaumont Ridge Series
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
I was fortunate enough to receive this as an advanced reader copy. Full review to be posted soon this Friday…stay tuned <3
The Body’s Betrayal by Violet E Roseberry (ARC)
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Changed things up from my usual genre of all things romance and read this deeply emotional and vulnerable anthology about living and navigating life with a chronic illness. I was lucky enough to connect with the author right on here on Substack and was fortunate enough to have been given an early copy of her debut work. A reminder to please take care of yourself and check the authors website for trigger warnings before jumping in as this a heavy one.
Violet E. Roseberry -Poet thank you so much the early copy of this one!!
Big Sister
Victoria by Daisy Goodwin
Book 1 in the Victoria Series
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is the companion novel to Season 1 of the 2016 TV series by the same name. It follows an eighteen year old Victoria as she navigates her first year of being Queen of England. Drawing inspiration from Queen Victoria’s personal diaries, this book takes you from the moments she becomes queen, to falling in love with Prince Albert (spoiler alert) and navigating court politics. This book also gives you an insight into the “downstairs” staff of Buckingham Palace, which feels a bit like Downtown Abbey (but just a little more royal!). The book is a great read if you are a fan of the historical fiction genre.
What did you read in June ? Drop your favourite books in the comments below, and let us know if any of these are on your TBR. We’d love to hear what you thought if you’ve read any of them! Happy reading, and we’ll see you next month for July’s wrap-up! 📚
June was also a slow reading month for me! I've only read Every Summer After by Carley Fortune, but I've heard I need to at least read Charlie's book. Any thoughts on this?? Also immediately followed your instagram and I love how it looks!!
🤩✨️