Monthly Book Recs | September 2024
Three books, three very different vibes.
After a disappointing August, September releases delivered. We’ve got some racetrack action, a dreamy, far-flung destination, and fated love — very diverse vibes. I personally love switching up the vibe book to book; if I’m reading something heavy on the angst, I’ll make sure to read something funny and lighthearted immediately after. I find this helps sustain my interest and keeps me from feeling burned out. These three books would be great to read back to back to back!
Fast & Reckless by Amanda Weaver
★★★★☆
September 10
I almost didn’t read this book, but decided to give it a try — a couple of F1 romances have been popping up this year and I wanted to see how one would hold up. To my pleasant surprise, I was hooked from beginning to end. I looked forward to reading every single chapter and finished it quickly. I had never heard of this author, but upon further investigation, she’s an industry veteran, which tracks since this book was incredibly well-paced, highly engaging, and tightly written (there was nothing that didn’t need to be there). You know how some sport romances gloss over describing the characters actually engaging with the sport? That was not this book — the sections when the hero is racing are described in such vivid detail, you really feel as if you’re in the car with him. My husband was amused by my sudden interest in all things F1.
The story follows a woman who returns to the world of F1 as an assistant in a racing team after a previous scandal. On her first day, she meets the team’s newest and most promising driver, who immediately starts pursuing her. There’s insta-lust, but it’s a bit of a slow burn as they spend time together on the racing circuit.
Adam & Evie’s Matchmaking Tour by Nora Nguyen
★★★★☆
September 24
As soon as I was pitched this book, about two strangers finding love as they embark on a sweeping matchmaking tour through Vietnam, I knew I’d be reading it — especially consider I’m visiting Vietnam myself for the first time later this year! I’m partial to romance stories with a travel hook, and the beautifully descriptive prose about the sights, sounds, and scents of the country really shine. The romantic tension between the two characters as they go from hate to love is executed well, with some really memorable spicy scenes, too. I wouldn’t necessarily categorize this as insta-love, but in case you’re particular about that trope, note that they do fall head over heels for each other within a span of three weeks.
There was a hint of a Crazy Rich Asians vibe with this one, which I love — an American woman must journey to Vietnam and join an elite matchmaking tour in order to receive an inheritance from her aunt. On the tour, she immediately butts heads with the company’s grumpy CMO. She’s just trying to enjoy her time in her family’s homeland. He’s struggling to prove himself to his wealthy family. The last thing they need is to give in to their crazy attraction.
Stay tuned for my conversation with Nora — the pen name for author
— later this month!Goodbye Again by Caitlin Moss
★★★★☆
September 3
If you like those love stories in which the characters orbit each other for years with an irresistible magnetic pull but the timing or circumstances are never quite right, this book is for you. It’s an emotional rollercoaster in the best way, with so much yearning and angst. I do think some of the dialogue could have been polished and the plot felt manufactured at times in order to get the characters back in touch, but overall, I still really love the story.
When a woman meets a charming man on a flight, the connection is instant. They spend a day together and decide to leave it up to fate to reunite them for a second chance. That second chance — and multiple others — come over the course of five years, as the two cross paths again and again, but never quite seem to get it right.
I do my best to read the work of debut romance authors when they come across my radar, but it’s not often one will receive four stars from me right off the bat. The Slowest Burn by Sarah Chamberlain came close but ultimately didn’t quite get there. True to its title, the build up of tension is good, but after the characters get together, the last third reads like a totally different book; the dialogue was suddenly cheesy, emotions felt rushed in glaring contrast to the slow burn, and I wasn’t invested in the story anymore.