2026 SUMMER RECAP: Definitely, Maybe, Pass
Disclaimer: I read books based on preferences which take into account my faith and personal convictions. Please check any of my recommendations against your own convictions and read responsibly.
How’s it going, reader friends? I hope your summer reading season was much better than mine! Summer is usually one of my favorite times to read, but this year…it just didn’t hit the same. Some of that came from shifting convictions around my reading (you can read my last post for more on that), but honestly, a lot of it came down to the books I was picking up. So many stories just fell flat for me—which feels like an actual crime during summer reading season. As a result, I logged four DNFs, the most I’ve ever had in a single reading season, and naturally, that sent me into more than one major reading slump.
But don’t worry, all was redeemed by my Diamond Pick—my one and only five-star read of the summer! And while there were definitely some duds, it wasn’t all bad. I still found a handful of great stories, plus I branched into listening to thrillers on audiobook, and it did not disappoint!
That being said, I am looking forward to fall reading more than ever. I’m ready to dip back into my literary fiction bag, and I’m craving a good fantasy series like never before. The motto for fall? Rich stories. Give me layered characters, immersive worlds, emotional depth, and plots I can completely disappear into—basically everything I was desperately missing from so many of my summer picks.
But enough about my summer reading woes. Let’s get into the highs and all my summer Definitely, Maybe, Pass picks! Oh, and don’t forget to stick around through the end to see this season’s Diamond Pick!
MY SUMMER READING STATS
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“DEFINITELY”
4.75 ⭐️ PHOEBE BERMAN’S GONNA LOSE IT: by Brooke Averick
❤️🔥 SPICE: MINOR | 🔪 VIOLENCE: NONE | ❕CONENT WARNING: MINOR
This is my kind of rom-com to a T! There was so much to love—the characters, the central theme, the humor, the friend group, the messy romance, the chronic overthinking. It all came together nearly perfectly. Sure, there were a few beats I didn’t love and some repetitive moments that made me want to reach into the book and shake our FMC, but overall? This was such a fun read! It’s lighthearted, romantic, and built around such a unique premise that I’m honestly a little jealous I didn’t think of it first, ha! The humor is expertly sprinkled throughout, and I was legitimately LOL’ing multiple times. But the found family might be even better than the romance! This is one of those friend groups you can immediately picture yourself hanging out with and loving every second.
The multiple romantic possibilities were also so well constructed that I found myself genuinely invested in each one, which made the eventual outcome equally surprising and a little bittersweet. And then there’s Phoebe, who is easily one of the most likable and relatable FMCs I’ve read. Whether you’re single, dating, or married, there’s something about her overthinking, emotions, and experiences that almost anyone can see themselves in—and those are always my favorite kinds of characters. But what really makes this book work is how beautifully it marries humor and romance with genuine emotional depth. It’s funny without feeling shallow, heartfelt without becoming heavy, and romantic without the love story being the only thing worth caring about. 10/10 recommend with flying colors!
4.5 ⭐️ THE STRANGER IN THE MIRROR: by Liv Constantine
❤️🔥 SPICE: NONE | 🔪 VIOLENCE: MODERATE | ❕CONENT WARNING: MODERATE
This was super fast-paced and incredibly bingeable! I loved the unique plot and structure of this book, and the mystery genuinely kept me guessing until the final twist. Just when I thought I had a handle on where the story was going, it gave me another reason to question everything—which is exactly what I want from a thriller. The audiobook narration was fantastic, and honestly, I think audio may be the best way to experience this story, especially given the themes and structure of the plot. The characters are definitely morally gray, but somehow still incredibly likable. I especially loved Blythe, which I think was made even better by the narrator’s performance. This is easily high on my list of Liv Constantine favorites. It checks basically every box for my ideal thriller: twisty, fast-paced, unique, bingeable, and keeps you guessing until the very end. Definitely recommend!
4 ⭐️ THE DIVORCE: by Freida McFadden
❤️🔥 SPICE: NONE | 🔪 VIOLENCE: MINOR | ❕CONENT WARNING: MINOR
Now this was classic Freida—unhinged, unreliable characters who keep you on your toes until the very end. I will say, the first 60% dragged just a little for me while I waited for that first big twist to hit. But once it did? The rest of the book absolutely flew. I appreciated that there were multiple twists along the way—another Freida calling card—and while my spidey senses were tingling about the final reveal for most of the book, I still enjoyed watching everything unfold. I especially loved that the ending was left just open-ended enough that you don’t know the ultimate fate of one of the characters. It added a fun final layer of uncertainty to an already twisty story. The multiple narrators also made the audiobook such a great listening experience. Between this and a few of my other recent thrillers, I think I’ve officially been converted to Team Thriller Audiobook. There’s something about multiple narrators bringing all those unreliable, slightly unhinged characters to life that makes the mystery even more fun. As such, I definitely recommend the audiobook!
4 ⭐️ HEART OF GLASS: by Jennifer Hillier
❤️🔥 SPICE: MINOR | 🔪 VIOLENCE: MODERATE | ❕CONENT WARNING: MODERATE
This audiobook officially broke me out of my summer slump! The narration was easily one of my favorites this year! The different character voices worked so well together, and I loved the added documentary elements sprinkled throughout. I will say, part one was slow. There’s a lot of backstory, and I struggled to connect with that particular POV, but once part two hit, everything changed. From there, I was flying through it (at 2x speed, naturally). The characters were compelling, and I appreciated getting enough of their backstories to understand how they became the people they are. I especially loved the peek behind the curtain of reality TV, celebrity culture, social media, and fame—it added such a fun and relevant layer beyond the crime itself. And the mystery? So good. I genuinely wanted to keep listening and piece together the clues to figure out how all these seemingly separate storylines would eventually collide. Thankfully, the payoff worked! Everything connected in a satisfying way without getting ridiculously over-the-top or unrealistic.
One of my favorite things, though, was how thoughtfully the darker content was handled. As someone who has DNF’d my fair share of thrillers for going too far, I really appreciate an author who can create darkness, tension, and suspense without relying on unnecessarily graphic content. Knowing the author uses sensitivity readers made me appreciate that care even more. It may be a slow start, but once it gets going? Buckle up. This was exactly the kind of thriller I needed, and love to recommend!
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for granting me a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!
3.75 ⭐️ SCRAPPY LITTLE NOBODY: by Anna Kendrick
❤️🔥 SPICE: NONE | 🔪 VIOLENCE: NONE | ❕CONENT WARNING: MINOR
This was filled with hilarious short stories about Anna’s life and career. The audiobook is wildly entertaining, and honestly, her narration is what makes this one so worth listening to. I typically prefer a more reflective, life-story style memoir—I’ve actually DNF’d my fair share of essay-style memoirs—but Anna’s humor and natural ability to tell a good story kept me engaged the entire way. Her humor manages to be likable, emotional, and incredibly human, making even her very celebrity-specific experiences somehow feel relatable. This is the perfect audiobook for a no-pressure, on-the-go reading mood. It’s funny, easy to jump in and out of, and entertaining from beginning to end. If you pick this one up, I definitely recommend listening rather than reading!
3.5 ⭐️ THE SHAMPOO EFFECT: by Jenny Jackson
❤️🔥 SPICE: MODERATE | 🔪 VIOLENCE: NONE | ❕CONENT WARNING: MODERATE
This was a great literary fiction book! I absolutely loved the characters. Their storylines felt raw, honest, and full of human nuance. Sometimes humorous, sometimes heartbreaking, and sometimes a little cringey, each character is written in a way that allows you to feel the full complexity of their experiences and sympathize with them—even when their realities look nothing like your own. The first half is a little slow, and it takes some time for each character’s story to fully develop. But once you hit the second half, the drama and emotional depth really begin to build, making the slower setup feel much more worthwhile. This is exactly the kind of literary fiction I enjoy: thoughtful and character-driven without being overly dramatic, yet still compelling enough that it never feels inherently boring. A beautifully human story about complicated people simply trying to navigate life. Definitely worth picking up—especially if you love a character-driven story!
3.5 ⭐️ THE SHIPPERS: by Katherine Center
❤️🔥 SPICE: MINOR | 🔪 VIOLENCE: NONE | ❕CONENT WARNING: MINOR
Almost a maybe, but my overall enjoyment of the story pushed it into the definite category. I loved the direct first-person storytelling style in this book. Rather than simply reading the story from the FMC’s limited point of view, it genuinely feels like she’s sitting down and telling you the story herself, which gave the narration so much personality. That said, the best word I can use to describe this book is…random. Plot points felt random, character interactions felt random, relationship dynamics felt random. I initially had a hard time buying into Cooper’s character because we meet him so suddenly with very little context or backstory. And while Jojo herself has a quirky, somewhat random personality (so maybe that was intentional to the story's tone?), the constant jumps between scenes sometimes gave me plot whiplash. A few of the story devices also felt pretty far-fetched and pulled me out of the story at times. My other big struggle was the miscommunication. It drives so much of the plot that, without it, I’m not sure the story has much to stand on. There were multiple moments when I just wanted everyone to TALK TO EACH OTHER.
Even so, there are plenty of genuinely cute moments, and the love story between Cooper and Jojo definitely grew on me by the end. It’s not my favorite Katherine Center book, but if you’re in the mood for something quick, quirky, and playful, I still think it’s worth a read!
“MAYBE”
4.25 ⭐️THE ANNIVERSARY: by Alex Finlay
❤️🔥 SPICE: NONE | 🔪 VIOLENCE: MODERATE | ❕CONENT WARNING: MODERATE
As far as thrillers go, I really enjoyed this one! It lands in the maybe category for me simply because some of the content may not be a great fit for every reader. But story-wise? This was fast-paced, mysterious, and kept me hooked right up until the final page. I loved the dual timelines and the way the author slowly brought everything together in the end. There’s also a subtle undertone of romance woven throughout, which added a little sweetness and made the ending even more satisfying. And I especially loved the ’90s and early 2000s setting! The nostalgic references and descriptions gave the story such a fun, unique atmosphere that you don’t often get in thrillers.
This is the definition of a binge-in-one-day thriller!. It was quick, twisty, and incredibly easy to fly through. I definitely recommend the audiobook, too. The narrators were fantastic, with distinct voices that were easy and enjoyable to listen to. If the content works for you, this is a solid thriller to add to your list!
3.75 ⭐️ OUR PERFECT STORM: by Carley Fortune
❤️🔥 SPICE: MAJOR | 🔪 VIOLENCE: NONE | ❕CONENT WARNING: MODERATE
It’s not summer without a new Carley Fortune book! What shines in this book is 100% Carley Fortune’s writing. Her ability to create breathtaking imagery and immersive settings gets me every single time. There’s something about her prose that completely sweeps me up and leaves me longing to visit every place she describes. However, I didn’t love the characters in the first half of this book. I found George a tad insufferable as an MMC and Frankie a bit annoying, and there were also moments when the plot felt forced or a little flimsy. But Fortune’s writing slowly drew me into the characters and made me enjoy them more as the story developed. For me, the middle of this book is where everything worked best—the writing, pacing, characters, and plot all gelled beautifully.
But I have to say: why the graphic intimacy?! This is something I’ve definitely become more sensitive to this year, and I fully recognize it’s a personal reading preference. For some readers, those scenes make a romance feel more real and immersive. For me? They zap me out of a great story every. single. time. Unfortunately, the repetitive intimacy scenes eventually caused me to lose interest in the love story altogether in the final stretch. All in all, if you love friends-to-lovers, don’t mind spice, or are already a Carley Fortune fan, I’d say this is worth considering. But if none of those things appeal to you, you can probably skip this one.
3 ⭐️ PRETTY DEAD THINGS: by Kelsey Cox
❤️🔥 SPICE: NONE | 🔪 VIOLENCE: MINOR | ❕CONENT WARNING: MINOR
I picked this one up for the pageant premise, but it ended up being more of a side thread woven through the characters’ individual stories than the main focus I was hoping for. And speaking of the characters—there were so many POVs. I got confused multiple times about who was who, which ultimately took away from both the mystery and the story's impact. Granted, I listened to this on audio, so that may have made it harder to keep everyone straight, even with each character having a different narrator. The last 10% is easily the strongest part of the book. The suspense finally kicked into gear, and I became much more invested in how everything would come together—and the final plot twist was genuinely good! I did appreciate the short chapters, which made the story digestible and easy to move through despite my lack of investment at times. There’s enough here that I wouldn’t completely write it off, especially if the plot intrigues you, but it’s definitely a solid maybe rather than a must-read.
DNF THE MASH UP: by Laura Marie Meyers
❤️🔥 SPICE: N/A | 🔪 VIOLENCE: N/A | ❕CONENT WARNING: N/A
I was so sad to DNF this one because the premise is SO clever. Waking up inside your childhood MASH game?! I mean, every millennial girl's dream—or nightmare, haha. Unfortunately, I only made it about 15% before realizing this just wasn't going to work for me. My biggest struggle was the FMC. For a 35-year-old character, her inner dialogue felt surprisingly immature—almost like she was still stuck in the mindset of a 13-year-old in the early 2000s. And while I understand leaning into nostalgia given the plot, the constant pop culture references, metaphors, and lengthy descriptions became overwhelming and started overshadowing the actual story. There were definitely moments where "show, don't tell" would have served the writing better. The characters also felt fairly one-dimensional, and the developing dynamic between Penn and Ruby felt clunky rather than natural. Granted, I didn't read far enough to see how much everything eventually develops, but there wasn't enough early on to make me want to stick around and find out. Such a fun concept with so much potential, but unfortunately, the execution just didn't pull me in. Personally, it was a pass—but you might want to try it if the premise fits your taste.
DNF REASONS TO BE LOVED BY YOU: by Hannah Brown
❤️🔥 SPICE: N/A | 🔪 VIOLENCE: N/A | ❕CONENT WARNING: N/A
This book started off fun, but unfortunately, I just got bored and DNF’d around 20%. The characters quickly began to feel immature, and the family dynamics came across as less fun and chaotic and more blindly toxic, which made it hard for me to care about where the story was going. I do think the premise had potential, especially with elements of the plot mirroring the author’s real-life experiences, but the execution just wasn’t entertaining enough to keep me invested. Sadly, this is now my second DNF from this author, so I think it’s safe to say her books just aren’t for me. However, they may be worth a shot for you!
“PASS”
2.5 ⭐️ THE SEASON OF SINKING: by Daphne Woolsoncroft
❤️🔥 SPICE: MODERATE | 🔪 VIOLENCE: MODERATE | ❕CONENT WARNING: MODERATE
A definite pass considering I finished this book despite itself. It started out strong with a suspenseful underlying mystery, but a little over halfway through, it completely lost me. The structure became confusing as two separate storylines began converging, and instead of making the mystery more intriguing, it honestly just disoriented me. Granted, I listened to this on audio, which may have made it harder to follow which storyline we were in. Unfortunately, the content also shifted in a direction I didn’t enjoy, and that ultimately made me disengage from the story altogether. By the time I was mentally ready to DNF, I only had about 10% left—so I stubbornly finished it. I do think reading a physical copy may have helped with some of the structural confusion, but the content still would have turned me off. Enough so that, by the end, I simply didn’t care how the mystery was resolved. Definitely a disappointing finish to a story that started with a lot of potential.
2 ⭐️ IT COULD HAVE BEEN HER: by Lisa Jewell
❤️🔥 SPICE: MODERATE | 🔪 VIOLENCE: MAJOR | ❕CONENT WARNING: MAJOR
No. Just no. Where do I even begin with how disappointed and honestly, put off I was by this entire story? Was it mysterious? Yes. Dark? Absolutely. Did it keep me guessing? Without a doubt. But ultimately... for what? The payoff was practically nonexistent compared to the absolute mind warp this book takes you on. I kept turning the pages convinced some massive, jaw-dropping twist was coming that would suddenly make everything click. Instead, I finished it scratching my head, thinking, “Really? That’s it?” The final twist felt dull and surprisingly predictable, while the ending itself didn’t feel cohesive with everything the story had spent so much time building. For a book that asks you to follow it down so many bizarre and winding paths, I needed a much stronger destination.
There also seemed to be a larger message about confronting and processing trauma, which could have added incredible depth to a thriller, but unfortunately, it never landed with the emotional weight I think it was intended to have. And can we talk about the sheer number of POVs? Why?! Rather than adding layers to the mystery, they made an already complicated story feel even more convoluted. And then there were the typos. Don't even get me started. I've generally enjoyed Lisa Jewell's previous books, which made this one even more disappointing. After reading the acknowledgments and seeing her own comments about the research and errors, some of my frustrations made a little more sense—but that certainly didn't make it any better. This was a whole lot of buildup for very little payoff. Save yourself the time. I wish I had.
1.5 ⭐️ S’MORE OF YOU: by Tessa Bailey
❤️🔥 SPICE: MAJOR | 🔪 VIOLENCE: NONE |❕CONENT WARNING: MINOR
This had some genuinely cute moments, but for a book that's only 75 pages, the amount of spice completely overshadowed them. And it wasn't necessarily the fact that there was spice—it was the nature of it. The romance went from zero to sixty with absolutely no chill, and the sudden switch felt completely out of character for the MMC we were introduced to at the beginning. Instead of feeling romantic, it honestly just gave me the ick.
The bigger disappointment is that the characters and premise actually had potential, but the plot never felt fully developed—even for a short story. So much of the focus was placed on the physical attraction that there wasn't enough room left to make me genuinely invested in the relationship. Maybe I'm biased because I went in wanting a simple, cute romance, but instead I walked away with major smut fatigue. Sadly, I'd tell you to pass on this one.
DNF TROPESICK: by Lauren Okie
❤️🔥 SPICE: MODERATE | 🔪 VIOLENCE: N/A | ❕CONENT WARNING: N/A
Ugh, another one I'm so bummed to say I just couldn't finish because this started off SO WELL. I was laughing, I was invested, I loved the characters and the premise... and then it started to drag. And drag. And drag. Unfortunately, the longer it went on, the more the characters started to grate on me and the less emotionally invested I became. By the time I DNF'd around 45%, my favorite moments involved Meredith—not either of our main characters. Actually, scratch that. My favorite was the cat, Pino. While I was curious about the mystery and tension surrounding the characters' past, the present-day storyline wasn't compelling enough to make finding out feel worth it. I will say, the audiobook's dual narration made for a fun listening experience, and using classic romance tropes to guide the story was a clever concept. Unfortunately, the execution just didn't deliver enough to keep me reading until the end, and after seeing the spoilers online, I think I made the right choice.
DNF HEATHER: by Caitlin Mullen
❤️🔥 SPICE: N/A | 🔪 VIOLENCE: MODERATE | ❕CONENT WARNING: MODERATE
Unfortunately, I chose to DNF this one at the 33% mark. A few elements of the content simply weren’t for me, and as the story progressed, I could tell they'd play a significant role in the overall plot. That said, I still enjoyed several things. The audiobook narration was well done, the pacing kept the story moving, and the central mystery was intriguing enough to keep me engaged. Ultimately, I went into this book completely blind and didn't check the content warnings beforehand, which I would definitely recommend doing before picking this one up. While it wasn’t the right fit for me personally, readers who are comfortable with the subject matter may have a very different experience.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for granting me a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!
“MY DIAMOND PICK”
💎 THE BURNING SIDE : by Sarah Damoff
❤️🔥 SPICE: MINOR | 🔪 VIOLENCE: NONE | ❕CONENT WARNING: MINOR
I mean, I have no notes! I smiled, I wept, I grieved, I hoped. I felt every second of this book. The characters are real and raw, the writing is sublime, and the storytelling is everything I want a literary fiction to be. The themes are deeply painful, yet handled with so much authenticity and humanity. Damoff’s ability to explore the complexities of family, parenting, marriage, divorce, disease, and the timing of life is truly remarkable. I wept so many tears over Deb and Billy’s beautiful storyline and felt every ounce of anguish and hope alongside April and Leo. Not a single page felt wasted. Every character, emotion, and moment served a purpose. I can confidently say I’ve found a new favorite author in Sarah Damoff. Her ability to make her characters’ emotions and circumstances feel palpable on the page—and to capture the complicated, messy nuances of being human—is an absolute gift. I cannot wait to read her other book! Get this book and read it asap!!
