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the HI reader

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bookish

29 for 29

My Favorite Washington Bookstores

Top 10 Romances of 2021

Favorite Rom-Coms of Summer 2021

4 Rom-Coms to Read While Social Distancing

@thehireader

29 books I read and loved between June 30, 2021 an

29 books I read and loved between June 30, 2021 and June 30, 2022 because I’m 29 today ✨ this was actually supposed to be a stack of 28 books I loved and read while 28 but I miscounted and didn’t realize I’d used 29 books until after I’d already taken the photos, put all the books away, edited the photos, etc., so now it’s a birthday stack. And yes, I was terrified this stack was going to topple over at any moment. See any of your favorites?⁣
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All five 🌟, all dear to me; from top to bottom:⁣
⁣
1. The Heiress Gets a Duke by Harper St. George⁣
2. The Long Game by Rachel Reid⁣
3. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë⁣
4. Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman (#gifted @randomhouse)⁣
5. To Have and to Hate by R.S. Grey⁣
6. Seven Days in June by Tia Williams (#gifted @grandcentralpub)⁣
7. It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey⁣
8. A Lot Like Adiós by Alexis Daria⁣
9. The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun (#gifted @atriabooks)⁣
10. Made in Manhattan by Lauren Layne (#gifted eARC @gallerybooks)⁣
11. To Sir, with Love by Lauren Layne⁣
12. You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle (#gifted @putnambooks)⁣
13. Lease on Love by Falon Ballard (#gifted eARC @putnambooks)⁣
14. Set on You by Amy Lea (#gifted eARC @berkleyromance)⁣
15. Isn’t it Bromantic? by Lyssa Kay Adams⁣
16. The Royals Next Door by Karina Halle⁣
17. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood⁣
18. The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan⁣
19. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune⁣
20. The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes⁣
21. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes⁣
22. Cultish by Amanda Montell⁣
23. Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado⁣
24. Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender⁣
25. Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson⁣
26. Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé⁣
27. Quiet by Susan Cain⁣
28. Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe (#gifted @randomhouse @delrey)⁣
29. Mythos by Stephen Fry⁣
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Thank you to the tagged publishers for the gifted copies!⁣
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[ID: a tall stack of the 29 books listed above stacked on a living room carpet in front of an open window. A grey couch, a lamp, and a house plant can be seen in the background, all out of focus]

I’m in the funkiest reading mood right now. I’

I’m in the funkiest reading mood right now. I’m still working my way through How to Fake it in Hollywood and really enjoying it, but despite enjoying it, I can’t seem to pick it back up right now. I keep reading books that aren’t my cup of tea, that I know will likely not be for me, and then I’m like “huh, bummer” when they obviously don’t work out for me. Because, yeah, that totally makes sense 🤦🏻‍♀️⁣
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Here’s hoping that y’all are having a more successful time than I am! What are y’all reading right now?⁣
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[ID: Sarah sits at a green picnic bench. A large tote bag with items and quotes from Red, White & Royal Blue from @peachesobviously is lying on the table, with an orange bookmark from @bookshelftees and a colorful set of tabs lying on top of the tote. An open book is on the table as well and Sarah is holding the book open in the middle with her fingers]

Hoping to get in at least one or two of these book

Hoping to get in at least one or two of these books before the end of the month 🫶🏻✨ tysm to my friends over at @epicreads for sending me copies of three books I’ve been super excited for—FLIP THE SCRIPT, THE LESBIANA’S GUIDE TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL, and CAFE CON LYCHEE—as part of their #EpicPride campaign! ⁣
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@epicreads has a whole bunch of recommendations, bookstore guides, and more on their website (link in bio)! ⁣
⁣
[ID: a photo of the three books mentioned above stacked on the corner of a white shelf. A vase of dried flowers and a blue and white checkered candle are on the left side of the stack, and two art prints are leaning against the wall behind the stack, out of focus]

Some new additions to my shelves ✨ thank you to

Some new additions to my shelves ✨ thank you to the tagged publishers for the gifted copies! See any titles that you’ve read or are excited for? Any I should move to the top of my TBR?⁣
⁣
[ID: a stack of books on top of a white comforter on Sarah’s bed. A lamp and walnut headboard are in the background. The stack contains (from top to bottom): The Godparent Trap; Seven Days in June; Home Field Advantage; Cult Classic; Cafe Con Lychee; The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School; and Flip the Script]

A LADY FOR A DUKE — ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ½⁣ ⁣ A

A LADY FOR A DUKE — ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ½⁣
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A LADY FOR A DUKE was charming and hilarious, as is to be expected from an Alexis Hall book, but also emotional and healing without ever feeling too overwhelming or dark. Hall did a fantastic job writing an emotional and resonant romance and capturing the pain and grief of the Duke, as well as Viola’s turmoil, while also ensuring that the story never felt too heavy; there was a perfect balance of reflective and poignant moments with sharply funny, witty banter.⁣
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The banter was excellent—Hall is truly a king of banter—and this story was so romantic. Where I struggled a bit was with respect to the conflict at the end and the entire situation with Miranda. Without giving away anything, it felt a bit convoluted and ridiculous at moments and seemed to detract from what was otherwise a well-paced and plotted story. That being said, the conflict was still entertaining, albeit distracting, and Hall gets major points for not utilizing the miscommunication trope which is often the go-to.⁣
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While A LADY FOR A DUKE is, ultimately, a love story, it is also a story of friendship. Viola and Gracewood’s friendship was lovely and I loved their dynamic, as Gracewood revealed things about himself, opened up to Viola, in a way he hadn’t ever done before.⁣
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Lovely, charming, swooningly romantic, hilarious—I could go on. Hall continues to be one of my go-to authors and I am so excited that this delivered. ⁣
⁣
Read this if:⁣
- You enjoy emotional romances that aren’t necessarily too heavy⁣
- You are looking for a historical romance with a slightly more modern feel and tone⁣
⁣
Thank you @readforeverpub for the gifted copy!⁣
⁣
[ID: a copy of A Lady For a Duke is stacked on top of another book that is out of focus, sitting on the edge of a white shelf. The focus is on the book cover but surrounding the book, all slightly out of focus, there is a blue-and-white checkered candle, a bouquet of dried flowers, the corner of an art print, and a snake plant in a rattan planter]

#currentlyreading and thoroughly enjoying How to F

#currentlyreading and thoroughly enjoying How to Fake it in Hollywood by @avawilderwrites (out 6/14/22) ✨ thank you @randomhouse for the gifted copy! Fake dating, forced proximity, age gap—it’s like this book was made for me. I’ve been having such a fun time with this one and have been trying to take my time reading this because I don’t want it to be over. Out next week, this is definitely one that should be on your radar!⁣
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What are you reading this weekend?⁣
⁣
[ID: Sarah holds an ARC copy of How to Fake it in Hollywood up in her living room. Dim Sum, a calico cat, sits on the grey chaise below, slightly out of focus. House plants and a floral living room rug are also in the background, also out of focus]

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