July is my favourite month of the year. Not only because it’s my birth month but the sun is out, the vibes are high and there are bbq’s galore. YUM!
That does however mean my calendar is full with outdoor activities, leaving limited room for my usual bedrot reading, so this is a shorter roundup than some months but its good to balance.
Without further ado, let’s wrap up:
8 books finished
1 DNF
2816 pages read
Average time to finish a book: 3 days
Average rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5 stars)
Here’s the complete roundup of everything I read in July, along with my thoughts on each book.
Five - Ilona Bannister
★★★★/5
I started this month with a thriller (Who Is She?!) and ended up enjoying it far more than I expected. What really made me enjoy it was how unique the premise and construction felt compared to anything I’d read before.
The story combines a countdown-style narrative with individual tales from each character, while an omnipresent narrator directly addresses you, the reader, throughout the unfolding events.
That combination completely hooked me. It didn’t quite make it to 5 stars (I explained why in my full review), but I’d still definitely recommend giving it a read.
The Lowe Job - Grace Alexander
★★★★/5
Next up was The Lowe Job, the subject of my most recent review. It was a complete 180 from Five, swapping psychological thrills for sharp satire and egos galore.
This is definitely a girls’ book club kind of read. The perfect book to debrief over a glass of wine. It’s light-hearted, funny, and super readable. Think of it as a cocktail in book form!
If you’re curious, check out my full review for all my thoughts.
Rose in Chains - Julie Soto
★★★/5
This was a difficult book to rate because at first, I enjoyed it. The world and politics felt distinct without being too overwhelming, and the opening hooked me, something fantasy books often fail to do. I was also super intrigued by the dual timeline.
However, this is an incredibly slow burn, with the plot feeling increasingly limited as the story progressed. My biggest issue was that there wasn’t really anyone to root for or against. After finding out this is another fanfiction reworked for publication, I couldn’t help but compare it to Alchemised (still my number one enemy if you’ve ever read my review).
Both books share the same dynamic, whereby the male main character is supposedly on the protagonist’s side, but they make that as unobvious as possible, all while he’s complicit in misogynistic and hostile behavior.
Overall, it landed around a 3-star read for me, with a very tentative “to be confirmed” on whether I’ll pick up the sequel.
I Make My Own Fun - Hannah Beer
★★★.5/5
This isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea. It’s messy and features perhaps the most unlikeable main character you’ll ever come across.
But if you take the novel with a pinch of salt, there’s plenty of enjoyment to be found in just how completely unhinged it is.
It’s a story about celebrity obsession, but in reverse. It follows a famous and adored actress who becomes infatuated with a bartender to the point of complete derangement.
If you’re even a little curious, I’d recommend giving it a chance. Just be prepared to absolutely despise the protagonist, Marina.
Rhapsodic - Laura Thalassa
Now we’ve reached my only DNF of the month, Rhapsodic, the first book in The Bargainer series.
I found the writing incredibly juvenile. For a fantasy novel, there was very little world-building. I understand it’s urban fantasy so it was always going to be less, but there wasn’t much in the way of politics, history, or information to make it anything. It was essentially just sirens and werewolves in LA.
Plot-wise, it reminded me a lot of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, but without the same sincerity. Actually its an almost identical premise, a young girl makes a deal with a devil-like figure who repeatedly reappears throughout her life, and she becomes infatuated.
Finally, the age gap between the two main characters just felt uncomfortable. It prevented me from becoming invested which I find essential.
By the time I reached 49%, I decided not to continue.
Conform - Ariel Sullivan
★★★★/5
In more positive fantasy news, I read Conform by Ariel Sullivan and really enjoyed it.
This story could have easily become overly complicated, but Sullivan does an excellent job of building the world and politics without making it too confusing. The premise took me right back to the era of Divergent, The Maze Runner, and The Giver, when dystopian YA dominated both bookshelves and the movie charts. I could easily see Conform working just as well as a film adaptation.
I will say love triangles aren’t my favourite trope, and I wish the author hadn’t leaned into it quite as much as it made it difficult in the second half to understand the FMC’s feelings.
That said, this is an accessible, entry-level dystopian fantasy that I’d happily recommend, and I’m very likely to continue with the series.
Wet Ink - Abigail Avis
★★★★/5
Next up is an ARC I was kindly gifted courtesy of NetGalley, and boy are you are in for a treat!!
The framing of this novel is so interesting and refreshingly original. Set in 1960s London, it follows housewife Mitzy as she becomes a Tupperware consultant in an attempt to make ends meet. Through her parties, she builds a community of like minded women, each with their own hidden desires and fantasies. What begins as conversations soon evolve into something bigger, as Mitzy starts writing and selling erotic stories, discreetly delivering them inside her Tupperware while dreaming of a different life.
This novel is due for publication in February 2027 and is definitely one to watch. Already it’s looking set for a TV adaptation and is being sold cross-continent. It blends satire, romance, and historical fiction, all while being told through a distinctly contemporary lens. A hugely exciting debut from a new author.
Beneath - Ariel Sullivan
★★★.5/5
My final book of the month was the prequel to earlier read, Conform. And whilst it’s a lower star rating I actually enjoyed reading this book more. Let me tell you why.
This novel feels more like a traditional fantasy. The dystopian factor of Conform still exists, but it is combined with much more familiar themes from warfare, to found family and the romance element is much more prominent.
The characters are more enjoyable and the pacing is really engaging, however the ending lets this novel down. To call it a prequel feels mislabelled, as nothing actually builds or ladders up to Conform. My understanding is this is a standalone however the ending felt very open, without the narrative option to close it in the remaining novel of the trilogy.
I’d still recommend but I was disappointed with the resolution.
I also stumbled upon Wet Ink by Abigail Avis. The premise looks super intriguing and it sounds fun! Could you give a slightly more in-depth review? Is it a fun, engaging read, or does it lean more heavily into literary fiction? Would love to know your thoughts!
Listening to Five now. I probably should have opted for the ebook.