Itās officially spooky season! š The first day of fall š and my birthday š both passed last week so it feels like the perfect time to share a few September favorites. Instead of spotlighting just one book, Iām highlighting a whole series I devoured this month along with the mani I loved most.
š Favorite Series I Read: Tattered & Torn by Catherine Cowles
This series has been sitting on my TBR for ages. I finally dove in after realizing I already owned the first two books (one of them signed!), and Iām so glad I did. Honestly, Iām kicking myself for waiting so long. Tattered & Torn might just be my favorite Catherine Cowles series yet, tied closely with Sparrow Falls.
Hereās how Iād rank the five books, from favorite to least favorite:
Tattered StarsĀ (Book 1)
Fractured SkyĀ (Book 5)
Shattered SeaĀ (Book 4)
Hidden WatersĀ (Book 3)
Falling EmbersĀ (Book 2)
If youāve enjoyed Catherine Cowlesā Sparrow Falls series or like romantic suspense that balances swoony romance with page-turning tension, the Tattered & Torn series is a must-read.
This month I was all about deep red manis. For my birthday, I decided to go with a red French tip using Lights Lacquer polishes. The base isĀ CluelessĀ and the tips areĀ Cherry Wine. I used the Lights Lacquer nail stamper to get the look. The tips were created easily though cleanup was trickier sinceĀ Cherry WineĀ is a bit more liquid than expected. Still, I love how it turned out and it felt so fitting for a birthday mani.
Fall is less than a week a way, spooky season is starting to creep in, and it’s my birthday month! With so much happening, it feels like the perfect time to dive into Septemberās popular Berkley romance releases. Thank you to Berkley Romance for the free books!
The Princess and the P.I. by Nikki Payne Pub Date: 9/16/25
Fiona Addai, a famed Reddit detective, finds herself accused of murder when her attempt to expose a ruthless corporation goes wrong. With P.I. Maurice Bennett reluctantly by her side, she has to clear her name while picking up some real detective skills and maybe catching unexpected sparks along the way.
When I heard that Nikki Payne had a new book coming out, I was so excited! I loved her modern Jane Austen retellings and couldnāt wait to see her take a different direction with The Princess & the P.I. I didnāt realize until after finishing the book that Maurice was the younger Bennett brother which made the cameo appearances from the Bennett family even more fun. Fiona was such a great FMC. I really enjoyed watching her character grow as she navigated her strained family relationships. The audiobook narration by Arissa Evans and Jaime Lincoln Smith was fantastic and they truly brought the story to life. The only part that didnāt quite work for me was the chemistry between Fiona and Maurice, but I still thought they made a great team as partners in solving the mystery. As for the mystery itself, Nikki Payne did a terrific job tying everything together with a satisfying ending. I canāt wait to see what she comes up with next!
The Heartbreak Hotel by Ellen O’Clover Pub Date: 9/23/25
Reeling from heartbreak and unable to afford her Colorado home after a breakup, Louisa Walsh convinces her landlord Henry to let her stay by turning it into a bed-and-breakfast for the heartbroken. As the Comeback Inn opens its doors, Lou and Henry are drawn together even as secrets threaten their fragile new beginning.
The Heartbreak Hotel is the first book Iāve read by Ellen OāClover. Unfortunately, this was a miss for me. The story started off strong, but by the midpoint the pacing slowed and the plot took an odd turn. I did enjoy the vivid Colorado setting and the cozy details of the house which gave the book some charm. The story is told entirely from Louās perspective. Her chemistry with Henry is nonexistent. Louās character growth is nonexistent which was frustrating. I wanted much more depth from Henry. The supporting characters and their personal journeys were the only aspects that held my interest. This book should also come with clear content warnings which were noticeably absent. Overall, this one is skippable.
Soul Searching by Lyla Sage Pub Date: 9/30/25
Collins Cartwright returns to Sweetwater Peak to help save her parentsā antique shop, but the ghosts she has always relied on have suddenly gone quiet. When she rents a room from newcomer Brady Cooper, their growing connection and a little push from the spirits make her wonder if home might be exactly where she belongs.
Soul Searching is the first book in the Sweetwater Peak series. When Lyla mentioned that this would take place in a neighboring town to Rebel Blue Ranch and include paranormal elements, I was super excited. I loved how she kept the familiar charm of a western small town while also expanding her writing style in new ways. The duet narration by Jason Clarke and Samantha Brentmoor was fantastic and really brought the story to life. Collins and her family were fascinating. I enjoyed seeing the world through her perspective. I just wish there had been more interaction with the ghosts and more depth in that aspect. It was also fun to see cameo appearances from some of the Wilder family. I was glad to get Bradyās perspective, but his character felt underdeveloped and his chapters did not land as strongly for me. I was craving more insight into his personality. While the natural chemistry between Collins and Brady was sweet, the tension I was hoping for was missing. Overall, I would rate this 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars on Goodreads. I am excited for the next book in the series and really hope it features Collinsā twin sister, Clarke.
As August slips away, weāre still in the middle of a heatwave as September begins, which comes as no surprise. Iāve already got fall on my mind and just need the weather to catch up. Here are two standouts from the past month that brought me joy: a gripping first book in a brand new series by thriller queen Karin Slaughter, and a dazzling Lights Lacquer polish that has me craving fall more than ever.
š Favorite book I read: We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter
Thank you William Morrow for the free advanced copy of We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter.
In the small town of North Falls, the disappearance of two teenage girls during the fireworks proves that no one truly knows each other. Officer Emmy Clifton, burdened by guilt, is determined to find them and uncover the secrets the town has been hiding.
Karin Slaughter is an auto-read author for me so it was no surprise that her latest book, We Are All Guilty Here (the first in the North Falls series), is a 5-star read! This is one of those books you should go into without knowing too many details so you can experience every surprise. This slow-burn police procedural had me on my toes until the very end. I thought I had it all figured out, but twist after twist kept me guessing and I could not put it down. The emotional, deeply flawed characters hit me to my core. Slaughter did an incredible job weaving together two timelines with enough clarity to keep me fully invested. There were moments that felt heavy where I truly sympathized with Emmy or Jude and moments that left me completely shell-shocked. Highly recommend picking this one up. Now I canāt wait for the next book in the series!
š Favorite Manicure: Lights Lacquer Saddle Up
Saddle Up is part of the Lights Lacquer Headed West fall collection. Iām actually surprised that I chose another red as my favorite given that I donāt really wear red manis that much. Iām obsessed with how this specific shade reminds me of fall. I love how opaque and creamy it is. This will definitely be a repeat mani this upcoming season!
Fall may not be here yet, but my TBR and polish picks are already there.
Reading is a great hobby to pick up at any age, but buying books can get expensive. If youāre on a budget or looking for ways to save on books, here are tips to check out:
What are other ways you try to save on books? Share in the comments below.
This year I decided to switch up how Iād present reading year in review. Iāve read some amazing books this year and decided to split them up by categories. Enjoy!
A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum – This was such a powerful, emotional, and heartbreaking read. I love that this book shed light on a culture that isnāt discussed much in fiction. I was glad to hear when this was one 2019 BOTY finalists.
Recursionby Blake Crouch – Iām typically not into sci-fi, but I really loved this one! This book really makes you think about the power of memories, time, and to what extent are we willing to break our moral compass. This book was also selected as a 2019 BOTY finalist which I most definitely voted for!
The Great Unexpected by Dan Mooney – This deeply emotional and dark humorous contemporary novel brings up important topics that arenāt widely discussed, i.e. loneliness in senior citizens, living in a nursing home, the feeling of losing your freedom/independence once you live in a nursing home/dependent on caretakers, and grief. This was also our November #OCBooksandBrunch pick. We had a great insightful conversation about this. Miracle Creekby Angie Kim – I throughly enjoyed reading this legal thriller. I also had the chance to not only meet Angie Kim in person, but she also spoke to #OCBooksandBrunch when we selected her book as our October pick. I really liked this book because it explores how far people would go to push the bounds of familial relationships and friendships, and parenthood.
Before She Was Foundby Heather Gundenkauf – This is a great mystery thriller which truly makes you think about how much community, friendship, betrayal can take on with children, parents, and their relationships with each other.
The Wivesby Tarryn Fisher – I have a soft spot for domestic thrillers / suspense. What set this book apart from the others is the way the author was able to bring out the emotion and Tarryn Fisher says it perfectly: ā…how women emotionally bankrupt themselves for whom they love.āThe Unhoneymoonersby Christina Lauren – This year Iāve discovered that Iām a huge fan of enemies turned lovers trope. This was my all-time favorite CLo book! It had all the things I wanted and more: lighthearted, hilarious, and full of romantic scenes. I also had a chance to meet Christina and Lauren back in July which was amazing!
Girl Gone Viralby Alisha Rai – This Book doesnāt release till 2020, but Iām counting it towards the year I read it. This romance read has been my all-time from Alisha Rai so far! Iām grateful that Iāve been able to meet Alisha twice this year āŗļø I love that Alisha incorporates a diverse set of characters in her book with complex backgrounds. I also love the way she incorporates supporting characters from previous books sheās written. What I loved about Girl Gone Viral the most was the main characters and the building of their emotional intimacy is captured so well.
Regretting You by Colleen Hoover – Colleen Hoover really knows how to tear your heart out and give it back to you. This has become one of my favorite CoHo novels to date. I love the strained mother-daughter relationship Colleen captures in here. I canāt wait for Colleen to come to LA for her Regretting You book tour in January!Maybe You Should Talk To Someoneby Lori Gottlieb – I had the chance of meeting the author earlier this year. However, when I met her, I havenāt read her book before. This is one my favorite nonfiction books this year because it really opened my eye to what therapy is all about and how it could truly help a person. Reading about the authorās experience through therapy and her going through sessions with her own patients helped bring perspective.
Bad Blood by John Carreyrou– This was my first read of 2019. Bad Blood initially piqued my interest as it was one of the top 5 books Bill Gates loved in 2018. I really liked how this nonfiction book read as a story so it kept my interest throughout. The author did an excellent job throughly researching. This book was one of the reasons I got into nonfiction this year.
A False Report : A True Story of Rape In America by T. Christian Miller & Ken Armstrong – I heard that show Netflix show, Unbelievable, is based off of this book. I wasnāt sure I would be able to watch the show so I opted to read the book instead. This nonfiction book was very fascinating and very eye opening for me. It really made me question about how rape cases are handled and false accusations. Us Against Youby Fredrik Backman – This is by far my ultimate favorite Backman novel. I canāt believe it took me till this year to discover him. I read all his books this year and he is such a talented writer. Us Against You is all-time favorite for several reasons. First, itās the first time I ever LOVED a sequel of a book. I didnāt even think it was possible that the first and sequel could BOTH be 5 star reads. Second, I really loved how he took the story from Beartown into a more complex level and was able to eloquently bring up heavy issues.
Conversations With Friends by Sally Rooney- Iām pleasantly surprised that this made it to my top 3 considering that I thought Normal People was mediocre. Iām glad I took a chance on this as the novel really stood out on resonating emotions. The complexities of emotional availability and self perception really stood out.
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover– Not only was this my first CoHo book I read, but it was so beautifully written. This is not your typical romance novel. The emotions that Colleen captures in here is insane and makes you really think. I love the way she captures strength and kindness in this novel.
Have you read any of these books? What were your favorite reads in 2019?
Disclaimer: I received a free advanced digital copy of this book from Atria Books via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. This has no effect on my opinion, review or rating.
Review: This is the second book from Lisa Jewell that I have read. I had high expectations on this novel since I loved Then She Was Gone. Lisa Jewellās newest thriller follows a group of neighbors who live in this nice posh little area, but something isnāt right. The head school teacher, Tom Fitzwilliam, is loved and adored by everyone, but there are a few people who question his character. Overall, this was a mediocre book. The plot was intriguing, however, I wasnāt a fan of the writing style. The first half of the book was extremely slow. Some of the characters were outright irritating and I didnāt really care to know more about them. The ending was pretty good even though I felt like it was a bit predictable. I wouldnāt recommend reading this novel as there are so many other great thrillers out there.
Asha Reads 