So much for doing a better job this month on posting regular updates. My work life is apparently my whole life these days, even though I still am prioritizing reading, I’ve simply struggled to sit down at the computer and write. However, I do have 2 recent read reviews to share here – one for a book that just released on Tuesday, May 26, and the other for a book I keep seeing at Target and other book stores too.

The first book I read was In Time With You by Kristen Dwyer. Though I received an arc from NetGalley, I ended up renting the audiobook for this title from my local library, and this review is based on the audiobook.

This is a magical realism book, where our main character Nieve gets thrown in a timeloop shortly following the drowning of her boyfriend, Carter. Beside herself with grief she tries to figure out how she can do anything in her power to make sure that Carter doesn’t die again in this “redo” opportunity.

In this second chance timeline, she starts to develop feelings for Max, Carter’s best friend. She is very conflicted as these feeling develop, because she feels like she is betraying Carter, even though he’s not her boyfriend anymore, and has no memory of ever being her boyfriend.

This book kept me intrigued the whole time, but there were quite a few times I scratched my head because it seemed like there were timeloops within the timeloop and that lost me a couple of times. I really enjoyed Nieve’s grandmother, and the spell binding with different colors of wool yarn. I also thought the characters were written very age-appropriate, though sex scenes between teens still gives me a little bit of an ick. Max’s character is truly wonderful – artsy, brooding, thoughtful. Nieve also stayed so loyal to Carter, even when she learned more about his true character, and that kind of bothered me. Overall this was a creative romance with depth, drama, and grief. Poor Nieve goes through it in this one. Solid 3.5 stars.

The other book I read was The Summer of Lost Things by Jenn Bennett. I was so excited when I got approved for this arc! I love Jenn Bennett’s YA novels (Alex, Approximately and Starry Eyes were two of my favorites by her). And this was pitched as Outerbanks meets The Goonies. Let’s go! Paige just finished her freshman year at Harvard. She goes back to the small lake beach town she grew up in to get her birth father to sign papers saying he is not financially responsible for her. However while she’s there she runs into her old best friend, Seb, and Jazmine and Benny, the other “Wags” (short for Scallywags). As they reunite, they also decide to try to find the treasure of Paige’s relatives.

The first half of the book I was here for this story. I was intrigued by the treasure hunt. And the friendships were fun. But then 60% to 75% felt a little meandering and I was bored. And then 75% to the end shit goes off the rails, feels far fetched but also wraps up in a very convenient bow. I give this 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.

I think I was disappointed because Paige is kind of stupid for being so smart at Harvard. It takes her forever to connect with her dad, which is the whole reason she’s there. Also she (and her friends) read more like 16 year olds than 19 year olds. The chemistry between Paige and Seb was also kind of off. I actually felt some major icks and too much insta love. I really wanted to enjoy this and it started off so promising but I just didn’t love it. But I do think I will remember this one, so… A solid mixed review.