Five Star Friday - August 2023

Five Star Friday is my version of the monthly wrap-up. On the first Friday of each month, I will share my five-star reads from the previous month. Fingers crossed, I have lots of books to tell you about.

This month, I was able to read 29 books, and I had  4 five-star reads. 

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Love, Holly by Emily Stone
Published by Dell on September 26, 2023
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction

Goodreads

A young woman tries to heal a rift in her elderly pen pal’s family in time for Christmas, all while falling in love—and maybe even reuniting with her own family—in this dazzling romance from the author of Always, in December and One Last Gift

Sometimes it takes a stranger to bring you back to yourself.

Ever since a car accident tore her family apart, Holly has been part of a lonely-hearts holiday letter–writing club. Each December, she writes to a stranger who is also spending Christmas alone, and receives a letter from another lonely person in return.

Usually, the letters go unanswered. That’s the point—the letters are anonymous, and the senders write whatever is in their heart. But this year, the letter Holly receives is different; not only is the letter full of a grief she knows all too well, but its writer, Emma, mentions a place that Holly has visited. When she realizes that she might actually be able to find the letter’s author, Holly becomes determined to reunite Emma with the estranged grandson, Jack, with whom Emma is desperate to reconnect.

When Holly finally tracks him down, she remembers that she’s met Jack once before . . . and the connection was electric. The spark between the two of them is still there—until a misunderstanding risks their burgeoning romance and his strained relationship with Emma, too. But Holly is determined; if she can fix Emma’s family, she might also be able to fix her own. Though as it turns out, Holly might have less time to put things right than she thought.

Emily Stone made me cry, again! This story was a bit more gentle than the other two, but still, very emotional. There was tragedy and loss, but what I really loved was the connections Holly made. She desperately needed Emma in her life, but Emma needed Holly just as much. It was wonderful the way the universe brought them together. And, then there was Jack. It was all really wonderful. There may be tears, but I can promise you laughter and joy as well. 

[review]

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The Roommate Pact by Allison Ashley
Published by MIRA on August 1, 2023
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

All of the fun, none of the heartache…as long as they stick to the agreement.

The proposition is simple: if ER nurse Claire Harper and her roommate, firefighter Graham Scott, are still single by the time they’re forty, they’ll take the proverbial plunge together…as friends with benefits. Maybe it’s the wine, but in the moment, Claire figures the pact is a safe-enough deal, considering she hasn’t had much luck in love and he’s in no rush to settle down. Like, at all. Besides, there’s no way she could ever really fall for Graham and his thrill-seeking ways. Not after what happened to her father…

Just as things begin to heat up way before the proposed deadline, Graham’s injured in a serious rock-climbing accident—and he needs Claire’s help to heal. She’ll do whatever it takes to nurse him back to health…even if it means moving into Graham’s bed and putting up with his little dog who hates her. But with this no-strings arrangement taking a complicated turn, keeping “for now” from turning into “forever” isn’t as easy as they’d planned.

I love Allison Ashley's books. Graham and Claire had such a fun friendship, why wouldn't I want them to be together? I totally understood Claire's reasons for not wanting to take things beyond friendship with Graham, but they were perfect together. The scenes where they interacted and bantered were all fantastic, but those emails Graham sent were perfection. This book was fun, emotional, and touching. Just perfect for me. 

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Faking Christmas by Kerry Windrey
Published by Berkley on September 26, 2023
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

Laurel Grant is playing house for the holidays--complete with a fake husband and kids--in this delightful, cozy rom-com by Kerry Winfrey.

Laurel Grant works as the social media manager for Buckeye State of Mind, an Ohio tourism magazine and website. She is most definitely not an owner of a farm...but one tiny misunderstanding leads her boss, Gilbert, to think she owns her twin sister Holly's farm just outside of Columbus. Laurel only handles the social media for the farm, but she's happy to keep her little white lie going if it means not getting fired.

And keep it going she must when Gilbert, recently dumped by his wife, invites himself over for the farm's big holiday dinner (as advertised on Meadow Rise Farm's Instagram, thanks to Laurel herself). Laurel immediately goes into panic mode to figure out how she can trick Gilbert into thinking she's basically the Martha Stewart of rural Ohio and keep her job in the process.

Laurel and Holly come up with a plan--all Laurel has to do is pretend to own the farm for one dinner. But when Laurel shows up at the farm, an unwelcome guest is there: Max Beckett, her nemesis since Holly's wedding. The annoyingly attractive man she hates will be posing as Laurel's husband just for the evening, but when a snowstorm traps them all for the entire weekend, Laurel is going to have to figure out how to survive with her job and dignity intact. Whatever the case, this promises to be the most eventful Christmas in ages...

Winfrey is a favorite because she always brings so much cute and fun to her stories. I loved the setting and the characters, and the premise was rom-com gold. I had no idea I would adore Max, but he won me over. It was obvious that Max was very fond of Laurel, and that there was some sort of misunderstanding between the two, but man, when he poured his heart out, I melted. Overall, I had a super-fun, holly-jolly holiday with this crew. 

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One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Published by Washington Square Press on June 7, 2016
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fiction

Goodreads

In her twenties, Emma Blair marries her high school sweetheart, Jesse. They build a life for themselves, far away from the expectations of their parents and the people of their hometown in Massachusetts. They travel the world together, living life to the fullest and seizing every opportunity for adventure.

On their first wedding anniversary, Jesse is on a helicopter over the Pacific when it goes missing. Just like that, Jesse is gone forever.

Emma quits her job and moves home in an effort to put her life back together. Years later, now in her thirties, Emma runs into an old friend, Sam, and finds herself falling in love again. When Emma and Sam get engaged, it feels like Emma’s second chance at happiness.

That is, until Jesse is found. He’s alive, and he’s been trying all these years to come home to her. With a husband and a fiancé, Emma has to now figure out who she is and what she wants, while trying to protect the ones she loves.

Who is her one true love? What does it mean to love truly?

Emma knows she has to listen to her heart. She’s just not sure what it’s saying.

I put this one off for years. The synopsis made me cry. What was I thinking? There was no way this book could be any less heart wrenching. I couldn't imagine how I would feel if I were in Emma's position. I commend Reid on the choices she made in this tale. She built a case for Emma's choice, and I was ok with it. I was rooting for the choice she made because it was the right one for her. Overall, this was a beautiful story of love and loss that touched my heart. 

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Honorable Mention

August was packed with great reading. Here are my honorable mention books. All earned 4.5 stars.

• Riggs by Sawyer Bennett
• Bright Lights, Big City by Mary Kay Andrews
• Vacationland by Meg Mitchell Moore
• One of Us is Back by Karen M. McManus
• Blonde Identity by Ally Carter
• The Connellys of County Down by Tracey Lange
• Tom Lake by Ann Pratchet
• Before I Go by Colleen Oakley
• How to Stop Time by Matt Haig

What were the best books you read last month?
Let us know in the comments!