June 2025 Reads
The end of June means another monthly “What I Read” post! And, since we’re hanging out in CA, these blog posts are a lot easier to write in one go because my kids are occupied with something downstairs. Thank you, Nani!
All I do for these posts is copy/paste/edit my reviews from GoodReads. And as I’m sitting here re-reading these reviews, you can tell that I’m all over the place in style. Ha. Bookstagram will do that to you. Sometimes I just want to leave a 2-liner. And other times I feel compelled to include the entire plot. And my most recent one? Definitely modeled after a few favorite Bookstagrammers – quick and fun to read.
I DON’T KNOW WHAT MY BOOKSTAGRAM IDENTITY IS YET. All I know is that I like pausing for a few minutes after I finish a book to write a review. As a way to absorb what I read. Also: I definitely need to edit my overall blog to include a proper “Books” section. There’s way more reading than traveling happening in this season of life.
Anyway, here are my reviews for the month of June! Happy reading!
⭐️ 3 out of 5 stars
Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone:
I may be one of the few people who didn’t LOVE this book right now, but I DID read it immediately after reading EmHen’s new book so, perhaps it’s a little unfair as I was still in an EmHen book hangover.
There was a lot of focus on Lenny’s grief journey, but I found myself wanting more from Miles and his connection (or lack thereof) with Reese and Ainsley. It felt like the author was holding back, maybe to save those storylines for future books. If that’s not the case, I wish we’d gotten a deeper dive.
Anyway, it wasn’t BAD. It just wasn’t the story I needed right now. Maybe I need to pick this up again in a year or two and see if it hits differently.
⭐️ 4 out of 5 stars
Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall:
Broken Country follows Beth, whose quiet life with her husband, Frank, is disrupted when her first love, Gabriel, returns – this time with his son. The narrative jumps across three timelines: the “before” (Beth and Gabriel’s early romance), the “present day” (Beth, now married, facing old feelings), and the “trial” (where a mystery slowly unravels).
The book explores love, grief, loss, and the weight of past choices. It’s a quick read, helped by short chapters (which I love).
Beth isn’t particularly likable at first, but the trauma she’s endured gives her complexity. Frank, meanwhile, is almost too good. I meannnnn, do people like him even exist?!
Overall, I enjoyed the mix of love story and mystery. Strong writing, brisk pacing, and structure that keeps you turning pages. If you want something emotionally layered yet easy to move through, this one’s worth picking up.
⭐️ 5 out of 5 stars
Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley:
This book was a FREAKING DELIGHT.
Told from the perspectives of multiple train commuters, this is a heartwarming story about a group of strangers who, over the course of their daily rides, become unlikely friends.
In a world where we all bury ourselves in earbuds and phone screens, it felt so refreshing to read about people opening up to one another – just by sharing a commute.
Each character adds something different, and through friendship, they help each other grow, face fears, and feel a little less alone. It’s cheesy in the best way. Hopeful and uplifting.
“She’d miss moments like this if she stopped commuting. All those passing, but heartwarming, interactions with the myriad of people who made up her day. The barista at the station coffee shop, the office doorman, the Big Issue seller she chatted to every morning. They all made her feel connected to the world around her, part of something bigger.”
I adored EVERY single character and found myself fully invested in each of their arcs. Just an all-around happy, feel-good read.
⭐️ 3 out of 5 stars
The Love Haters by Katherine Center:
A perfectly solid rom-com—nothing groundbreaking, but it delivers what you’d expect. Katie Vaughn takes an assignment in Key West to save her job, tasked with filming her coworker’s estranged brother, Hutch (a very attractive Coast Guard rescue swimmer). One small hiccup: she lies about knowing how to swim.
Katie’s body image journey is front and center, and while I appreciated the effort at promoting body positivity, it felt a bit simplified. Most people don’t overcome lifelong insecurities in one conversation.
Still, there were fun moments—the tropical setting, good chemistry between Katie and Hutch—but some of the plot twists (especially involving Cole) felt far-fetched. The ending leaned a little too dramatic for me.
Overall, a light, beachy read with charm. Not a favorite, but it might be a good vacation pick..
⭐️ 4 out of 5 stars
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy:
This one drops you onto a chilly, remote island where the Salt family is crumbling while trying to protect a global seed bank. Then a mysterious woman named Rowan washes ashore during a storm—and everything shifts.
It’s eerie. Quiet. Atmospheric. Communication cuts out, the sea starts closing in, and secrets rise. Part mystery, part family drama, with a dash of climate anxiety.
And love, too—the messy, determined kind. A father’s love. A daughter’s. Love that tries to hold on even as the world unravels. Also: seals. Lots of seals.
⭐️ 4 out of 5 stars
Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood:
Ali. Freaking. Hazelwood. Does. It. Again.
Her words? Straight to the heart. 💘
Some lines made me pause, breathe, and feel—those tingly, goosebump-inducing moments we all read for.
At 23, Maya Killgore is still figuring life out.
One thing she can’t seem to move on from?
Conor Harkness: her older brother’s best friend and a 38-year-old biotech exec who’s closed off, emotionally unavailable, and… totally unforgettable.
Tropes I ate up:
💥 Friends to lovers
💥 Brother’s best friend
💥 Age gap
💥 Forbidden love
Everything starts to shift at her brother’s wedding (yes, the slow burn delivers 🔥).
At first, I was ready to scream at Conor—emotional whiplash, much??
But by the end, I understood him. The walls he built weren’t arrogance—they were armor. And once they came down?
💗 We. Love. Conor. 💗
If you love a romance that aches before it soars, Problematic Summer Romance is it. 10/10 would swoon again.
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And that’s a wrap on June’s reads!
I’ve been holding off on Carley Fortune’s new book so I can read Every Summer After FIRST. So those will be the first two books of July! Here’s to more stories (and more time to read!) this month! <3
