The Catalog Vol. 1
The 10 books I read in June 2025
If you received this post via email and cannot read the entirety of it, no worries! Today’s post ended up being a little long for email but you can finish reading by clicking the “read in app” button or checking out the post on the web page here.
Hello friends,
After a draining spring semester, June was the first time in all of 2025 where I finally got out of my reading slump. Even though most of my ratings in June were 2 stars or below, I had so much fun reading each story because I was just so happy to be out of my slump and reading things that weren’t case law. I read 10 books and found a million others to add to my evergrowing TBR. Keep scrolling to check out my thoughts on all 10 books I read in June.
Disclaimer: these are all my own thoughts that I had while reading the book. Nothing is intended to be offensive and like everyone, I could be completely wrong and misinterpreting the book, but these are just my thoughts. Some links may be affiliate links which means I earn a small commission if you choose to purchase products using my links. Additionally, the book cover photos below are taken from Goodreads.com and are not my own.
Stats
5 Stars
Cash by Jessica Peterson (Lucky River Ranch #1)
Romance | Enemies to lovers
Picked this one up after seeing a clip from House of Maher and listening to Ilona raveeeee about this. I wholeheartedly love Ilona down so if she says it’s good, who am I to disagree? I immediately downloaded this on KU and realized it’s definitely going to be in my top reads of the year. Wow. Peterson wrote such a beautiful small town romance. As someone who loves small towns, I really appreciate when authors don’t solely focus on the main characters and they actually explore the community surrounding them. We got to meet so many interesting characters that make Hartville so great. My one little con is that we didn’t get much of the setting outside of the ranch. As much as I loved the vibe of The Rattler, I also wanted to learn if the town had a diner, bookshop, coffee shop, bakery… But clearly I’m just being nitpicky. The characters were both so loveable and getting to see their love bloom through both POV’s was magical. Their banter was insane, their growth was inspirational, their hatred morphed into love and support was the icing on the cake. Overall fantastic book and my favorite part…? He has four other brothers, each getting their own individual books!!!!
| Buy on BookShop.org | Add on Goodreads | Add on The Storygraph |
4 Stars
How to Win A Breakup by Farah Heron
Romance | Fake Dating
The FMC was kinda amazing??? I really enjoyed her even though some of her decisions were so annoying. I’ve always been a fan of the fake dating trope so this was a lot of fun for me. I definitely feel like I predicted almost the entirety of the book which can be frustrating at times but I didn’t mind it with this one. The way it was written made it worthwhile and the characters were also pretty loveable. I loved that we got a decent amount of background for almost all the characters and there was rarely a character mentioned that was just forgotten in the next couple of chapters. When you have a story with so many moving pieces there are some characters that get forgotten and you end up wondering why they were just in one scene. But I think this author did a great job of bringing everyone back and letting us know them and either dislike them or fully adore them. I will admit the story was kinda cheesy at times and a little young but it’s also one of those stories that can help you ease out of a slump.
| Buy on BookShop.org | Add on Goodreads | Add on The Storygraph |
2 Stars
Beneath the Stars by Emily McIntire (Sugarlake #1)
Romance | Second Chance
I think this is the first book where I heavily disliked the MMC. He was so annoying and such a red flag (which usually we can forgive in romances but he was ENTIRELY TOO MUCH). I don’t even think I liked the FMC. In the beginning I definitely liked her so much more. The younger version of her was kind and passionate, then her life really took a turn. The adult version of her was just… annoying? I felt like she was just doing and saying anything. I really found it annoying that she wouldn’t just get with the guy she clearly has waaaay more chemistry with and SPOILER ALERT … but it took absolutely nothing for her to forgive Chase which I found infuriating. There was no real yearning, no groveling. It was just a bunch of red flags. I also feel like the FMC and MMC had way more chemistry as children than they did as adults (but maybe I’m just crazy). It was hard to finish this, but it didn’t sway me away from this author (I read Hooked a couple years ago – 3 ⭐️) this one just wasn’t my cup of tea to be drinking 😉. I don’t know if I want to continue the rest of this series but I am curious about the characters in the next one. So we’ll see how I feel later.
| Buy on BookShop.org | Add on Goodreads | Add on The Storygraph |
The Thrashers by Julie Soto
Young Adult | Mystery | Thriller
As low as this rating is, I actually really enjoyed this book. I’ve noticed whenever I hit a reading slump or get so busy with school that I neglect to read for months, I always gravitate towards a fun little YA high school drama type book. As I’ve gotten older I don’t enjoy them as much as I did once upon a time but they’re definitely a good way to beat the reading slump and ease your way into reading again. This was a fun little thing but I feel certain aspects definitely missed the mark. The whole haunting storyline felt out of place and I could’ve done without it. If the story just followed the police investigation and the secrets being revealed, I would’ve rated it a lot higher. But the whole trying to be paranormal thing just wasn’t it. The characters were great. I enjoyed the friend dynamic and Jodi struggling to figure out whether she actually belonged in the group. It would’ve been great to see her explore those feelings a little bit more instead of recognizing them and then not doing much about them. It was also interesting to see the romance brewing and I wanted soooo much more of it. So maybe Soto can follow up with a romantic sequel. Is that a thing?? I don’t know. But I’d sooo read a romance about those 2 characters (I won’t reveal the names so you have to read to find out!)
| Buy on BookShop.org | Add on Goodreads | Add on The Storygraph |
Alibis Collection
Every once in a while I like to check out some of the Amazon short story collections. This is kinda like a series for Amazon where they combine 5-6 authors in the same genre and have them write a short story which then gets published as a collection. I love reading these because not only are they great for when you’re not necessarily in the mood to read but they also give me a sample of some authors I haven’t read before. This time around I picked up the Alibis collection. These six stories follow different people who are suspected of committing a crime but they all have alibis.
Death Row by Freida McFadden
2.5 ⭐️
This book felt so rushed. Towards the end I could see what MacFadden was trying to do and it would’ve been great but I was so lost with how rushed she was making these reveals. Maybe if the book was longer and gave us a little more time to get into the flow of things, I would’ve rated this higher but I just can’t get passed feeling like I was missing important parts of the story. The ending was also so confusing that I can’t even explain how this ended (because nothing really happened???)
The Ex-Wives Club
3 ⭐️
This was fun. It was short and sweet with just the right amount of mystery. I love when books are written in alternating timelines (when it’s executed well). For a very short story we got a lot of insight into the characters and their dynamics. I think because we got to learn so much, it felt like a full fledged book instead of a short story. I also didn’t feel like the reveal or twists were rushed.
False Note by David Lagercrantz
2 ⭐️
I have nothing to say about this one other than I was bored and didn’t care for the story. That’s not to say that it wasn’t an interesting storyline… I can see people enjoying this one, but for me it just felt there… I felt like I was reading an article if that makes sense and by the time I got to the end I turned off my Kindle and went about my business.
The Skydivers by Chris Bohjalian
1 ⭐️
This was another one where I didn’t understand what was happening and didn’t care to. I felt like the ending was all speculative and geared towards making us think certain things were happening yet nothing in the story ever led us to believe that it was.
Good Neighbors by Chad Zunker
4.5 ⭐️
This was definitely my favorite in the whole bunch. Nosy neighbors and beautifully executed twists. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the next shoe to drop. I just couldn’t get enough. I definitely predicted the ending before it even happened but I enjoyed this writing so much that I just didn’t care. I also didn’t feel like I needed this to be longer. I felt like we got everything we needed in these 45 pages.
Small Things by Wanda M. Morris
2.75 ⭐️
This was okay to me. I didn’t love it but I also didn’t dislike it. The ending was predictable but it’s a nice short story to pass the time.
| Add on Goodreads | Add on The Storygraph |
Reading Progress
Goodreads challenge: 13/25
(maybe I’ll hit 25 in July ☺️)
What was the best book you read in June?
With love & a cup of coffee,
P.s to shop all the books on this post check out my shelves on Bookshop.org
For collaborations, sponsorships and/or book reviews, please don’t hesitate to reach out by email: tathyscozynook@gmail.com or by responding to this newsletter! If we aren’t already connected, feel free to check out my Goodreads, Storygraph, or Letterboxd!
If you enjoyed this months newsletter and would love to support this publication, please consider sharing it with your friends, parents or anyone you believe would enjoy The Cozy Brew.
Have a happy & safe month!
P.S. some links are affiliate links which means that at no extra cost to you, I make a small commission if you choose to make a purchase via one of my links. I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org — a platform that sells from Independent Bookstores.