Five Recent 5-Star Reads

The last few weeks have been full of planning, plotting, and daydreaming. I launched my podcast, This Might Be A Draft, last week, and I’m working hard to finish up edits on Strictly Business so I can get it out into the world next month (official announcement coming soon!) I’ve also been taking time to really think about what I want. I’ve been asking big questions about what I want life to look like. 

What’s working? 

What’s not working? 

Are the actions I’m taking right now, today, supporting the future I’m working towards? 

What *is* the future I’m working towards? 

Big questions, but I’m gaining clarity with each journaling session. 

With all of this going on, I’ve been escaping into the world of books whenever possible as a means of both rest and escapism. I’m on an incredible reading streak of multiple five star books right now, and thought I’d share some of those books with you. 

Here are five recent 5-star reads. 

Let’s Make A Scene by Laura Woods 

I had an ARC of Let’s Make A Scene and I cannot emphasize enough how the last 15% of it had me kicking my feet and squealing. This book has it all: second chance romance, enemies-to-lovers, chosen family, fake dating in Hollywood… Everything good and right in a romance novel. It’s also told in dual POV AND through dual timelines. 

Actress Cynthie Taylor is embroiled in a major Hollywood scandal and her reputation has never been worse (yes, it has Taylor Swift references coyly woven in!). Things only get worse when she’s dropped from her starring role in a huge action film. Her agent presents her with a new opportunity, however, one that could possibly save her career and her reputation: a sequel to her first-ever film that has recently had a resurgence in popularity thanks to streaming services. 

The problem? Jack Turner, her co-star. They hated one another, and she vowed to never work with him again. Except they both need this movie to work and to help things along, a fake PR relationship is needed. Cynthie reluctantly agrees – and sparks of all kinds fly. 

Jack is the most swoonworthy of leading men and Cynthie’s character growth from the young woman she was back when to present day is moving. This book also tackles the tough subject of being a woman in Hollywood. I loved it so much that I bought a physical copy and the first book in the interconnected standalone series, Under Your Spell, for my shelf. Pick this one up if you want to be pure giddy and swept off your feet by the end. 

Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig

I don’t foresee myself shutting up about The Shepherd King duology anytime soon. I loved One Dark Window, the first book in the series, but Two Twisted Crowns? Stunning. This is how you write a sequel. 

Two Twisted Crowns picks up where One Dark Window left off, and adds a POV from Elm who has his own story unfolding while Ravyn and Elsbeth are tracking down the Twin Adlers. Every character has a fantastic arc full of growth and the magic system remains one of the most unique ones I’ve read so far. Ravyn’s love for Elsbeth, Elsbeth’s connection to The Nightmare, and Elm’s conflicting feelings on his position as royalty, his disdain for his family, and his feelings for Ione were all so well done. The banter I loved from book one was still alive and well, as was the mystery and suspense of will they complete their tasks in time. I also wasn’t prepared for The Nightmare’s character, which I’ll leave at that so I don’t spoil anything. 

And that last line. THAT LAST LINE. I think about that last line daily, and that is not an exaggeration. It is absolute perfection. Perfection. 

Red Rising and Golden Son by Pierce Brown 

Let me tell you a brief history of my Red Rising reading journey. It started months ago when I saw Red Rising at the bookstore, picked it up because the title and cover were appealing, read the back blurb and, hand to Bible, decided it was a “boy book.” As in, dystopian space worlds didn’t appeal to me. Fast forward to someone commenting on how attractive Pierce Brown is, me scrolling his Instagram for a few minutes, agreeing with that assessment, but also being a sucker for an intelligent man, which he is, and I picked up Red Rising for myself. 

I am now fully locked in on all things Darrow and his Howlers. I’ve read Red Rising and Golden Son over the last couple of weeks and can only describe them as all gas, no brakes. The world building. The character development. The conflict. THE WRITING. The first page of Golden Son, the prologue, if you will, was so good that I read it, put the book down, and took a big breath because it was just so well written. I’m loving all of the influence of Roman/Greek mythology and the way Pierce pulls in fragments from “today” as part of this world hundreds of years in the future. I am living for Sevro’s scenes, and the only beef I have with the series at this point is that Cassius and Darrow are no longer friends. 

I’ll be starting Morning Star asap. 

More to come on this entire journey because again the writing. Wow. 

Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

If you only read one book on this list, as much as I hyped up Red Rising, it needs to be Atmosphere. I finished it a few days ago, and I’m still at a loss for words. Taylor Jenkins Reid outdid herself. I enjoyed Malibu Rising. Carrie Soto Is Back is one of my favorite books of all time. Atmosphere destroyed me and is now a top five all-time favorite book for me. Everything about it is pure perfection. The sheer amount of research TJR did to write this book is astounding. Every single character is layered and complex, even the ones that aren’t likeable. There are so many undercurrents to explore, like women in science and same-sex relationships and the perception of them in the late 70s, early 80s. I can’t begin to accurately put into words how much I loved this book. I’ve tried. I can’t do it. 

If you love historical fiction, love stories, and found family, this story is for you. The FMC, Joan, is so complex. The love story between her and Vanessa is absolutely beautiful. And their found family? My goodness. Get your tissues ready. You will cry. If you don’t, I’m not sure if you have a heart. 

Please. Read Atmosphere. Then DM or email me so we can talk about it. Because I can’t stop thinking about it, and I’ve exhausted the topic with my friend group. 

All of these recent 5-star reads have been almost back-to-back, so I’m on a bit of a reading high at the moment. I’m currently 25% of the way through Mother of Death & Dawn, the third book in Carrisa Broadbent’s The War of Lost Hearts trilogy, and the first two books were both five-star reads for me. Mother of Death & Dawn is shaping up to be yet another 5-star. Maxantarius Farlione remains my top book boyfriend. He is perfect, even in his current beaten-down state. His inner monologue? Top notch. I, too, am not made for this. 

I’ll be starting Remarkably Bright Creatures for August book club soon, and I’ve heard that Morning Star is going to be an absolute rollercoaster. Let’s keep the five-star reads going, shall we? 

Let me know what you’re reading – we know I love adding to my TBR list!