The Book Nook Chronicles

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Hi, lovely people of the Internet. I read somewhere recently (likely a Facebook or Instagram post) that May is the summer version of December. It feels like everything happened all at once and suddenly the month is over.

The fact that I read any books in May at all completely and totally goes to Libby and Spotify audiobooks. A.J. Pearce had me in a pretty intense choke hold after I accidentally read the third installation of her Emmy Lake series back in April (for my review of this book, check out my April 2025 Book Review Round-Up). I read books one and two as soon as I finished it and fell into a bunch of girlie feel-good listens after I finished them.

I took a left turn in the middle of the month by listening to Robert Louis Stevenson’s Kidnapped (reasoning explained in my review, I promise). This book got me a little out of my audio book rhythm, which I’m still trying to fully get myself back into–even in July. Regardless, May was a good reading month.

Dear Mrs. Bird Review

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4.5 on StoryGraph

Genre: Historical Fiction

Author: A. J. Pearce

Page Count: 281

Publication Date: July 3, 2018

As mentioned in the opening of this post, this is book 1 of 3 in A.J. Pearce’s Emmy Lake series. It’ll soon be book 1 of 4, with the series final installation Dear Miss Lake coming out in August.

The main character Emmy Lake gives me so much nostalgia. She is what I expect an older British version of Molly McIntire would be. Since Molly was my favorite American Girl doll, bar none, it comes as no surprise that I’m in love with these books.

A.J. Pearce really gives you a taste of the small joys in life that still occur during war time, from adventures with friends to workplace drama (and maybe even a little romance). Falling in love with her characters is easy which makes it even harder when tragedy does strike (it is WW2 after all).

This series should be read in order, so don’t pull a me and read book 3 first. Start here and start now.

5 on StoryGraph

I think Yours Cheerfully has to be my favorite Emmy Lake book out of the first three installments. It’s gritty and tough, diving into the darker side of wartime efforts that took place in England during WW2.

Main character Emmy Lake continues her writing career with Woman’s Friend magazine and finds herself interviewing women working in wartime factories. She’s faced with the sobering reality that the women are being mistreated and overworked with little to no childcare available for them as they try and do their part for their boys on the front. The worst part of it all? The government is trying to cover it up.

I loved this novel but also found myself frustrated with the parallels that the story had with women in the workplace today. It can be disheartening to know we are still fighting the same fight for working mothers in 2025.

For its relatability and continued lightheartedness, I highly recommend this novel.

3.75 on StoryGraph

Am I in Stars Hallow? Luke? Lorelai? Is that you? With the very clear parallels to our favorite New England-set sitcom (cue Carole King) it shouldn’t be surprising that the pen name for the author of this cozy romance is Laurie Gilmore.

It’s clear The Pumpkin Spice Café is an attempt at transporting us back to the cozy, gossipy world of Gilmore Girls, minus the teenage pregnancy. The more romance novels I read, the more I realize I’m a sucker for the grumpy/sunshine trope (probably due to my love for Luke and Lorelai, ironically), so I was a big fan of that aspect of the novel.

I found it really hard to believe that main characters Jeanie and Logan would fall for each other as quickly as they seemed to in this book. I’m sure their relationship continues to develop as this is only book one in a six book series, but I find romance novels that are too quick or too slow a little hard to get into. I need somewhere in between a slow burn and a quickly lit match, if you know what I mean.

This book was cute, and exactly what I needed after reading some heavier novels at the beginning of the year, but I’m not sure I’ll go back for book 2.

If you are an Outlander fan, but are more here for the adventure than the romance, I highly recommend giving Kidnapped a read. It was reminiscent of the 20 years Jamie spends in 18th century Scotland without Claire or their nephew Ian’s storyline. While not as memorable as Stevenson’s iconic Treasure Island, if family betrayal, hijinks on the high seas, and beautiful Scottish scenery is up your alley, you should give this classic a try.

Gabbie, Maya, and Delali are three extremely unique main characters which I find to be a feat for many authors to write. They remind me of the Powerpuff Girls with Gabbie as Bubbles, Delali as Blossom, and Maya as Buttercup. But if you give this novel a read, you’ll soon figure out their coven is even more powerful than Cartoon Network’s beloved trio.

With steamy, sweet affairs sprinkled throughout (LGBTQIA+ representation included), this book is a great balance of urban life, romance, and adventure anyone can enjoy. Be warned that the story ends on a huge cliffhanger and Akumiah has teased a sequel or two, so this journey doesn’t end on page 437.