Friday Favs for July 11th
Loving These Summer Storms, Summer Sales, and Summer Blankets
Good morning and happy Friday! I hope you’ve had a lovely week. It’s always hard easing back into the real world after a long weekend. I’ve read two books since we last talked: Don’t Let Him In & How Freaking Romantic. Honestly, I totally loved both of them. Don’t Let Him In is a slow-burn domestic thriller that was so well told and gripping, I flew right through it! How Freaking Romantic is a sexy enemies-to-lovers romance set in NYC that I couldn’t get enough of. You can find my reviews for both below!
While I have you here, do you prefer that I share my reviews on Instagram or on my website? The website is about to get a facelift (thank God!), and I know a lot of Substack users are off the ’gram. Let me know!
Now I’m on to These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean. Then I’m taking a solo flight for my cousin’s baby shower, and I intend to spend it reading Broken Country. I shared my TBR pile earlier this week, and the number of DMs I got imploring me to read Broken Country cannot be ignored! What a summer of great reading. As always, I’ll keep you in the loop!
What a doozy of a week for new releases! How lucky are we?!
There are a lot of big sales happening this week. As a former Nordstrom employee, I’m always excited about the Anniversary Sale (remember the curtain they used to put up for early access? The drama!). Here’s what I’m eyeing from the sale. Amazon is also having their big sale. I shared this on IG, but I bought three things from the sale last year (actually four, but my Loeffler Randall boots don’t seem to be part of it this year!), and I love them all so much I would buy them again today. My favorites are my coffee maker, my alarm clock, and this kid’s table. If you’re in the market for a Kindle, you can’t go wrong with the Paperwhite. If you’re a reading addict like me, you might love this baby Kindle as much as I do. I keep it in my purse at all times. The battery lasts forever, and the size is just a delight.
Ok, that’s all from me. Keep reading to see everything I’m loving this week!
This book is about a wildly wealthy family, the death of the father, and the game he creates for his children to gain access to their inheritance. It’s set in New England over Labor Day weekend, and I am absolutely loving it.
Here is the book on Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, Amazon, and Goodreads!
The Shopbop Sale
A bunch of items are on sale on Shopbop, and the standouts to me are this Cleobella dress I own and love (left), and this short sundress (right) that I wore in Sonoma and continue to wear again and again. Both are 25% off with code PRIME25 (though both still have diva price tags — I’m sorry!). Also, my husband’s favorite jeans are on sale. He calls them his “sexy jeans”… proceed with caution.
Chappywrap Blankets
Do you remember back in December when I did The Cozy Corner—a series where I asked creators for some of their favorite books and cozy items from the previous year? Well, 80% of the creators had Chappywrap blankets in their responses. I was totally floored and promptly ordered one to see what all the fuss was about. This was the beginning of winter in Chicago, so when the blanket arrived, I loved the size and print, but I felt like I needed to stick to my usual Barefoot Dreams to get through a Chicago winter.
Once spring arrived, I understood the beauty of the Chappywrap. It’s cozy yet not too heavy. I keep one by my back door for chilly summer nights, and I have fallen so in love that I’ve already gifted two as hostess gifts. They’re the perfect “thanks for having us to your lake house” gift. This is the one I own, in a new print I’m currently loving. This is a lightweight version for summer nights (same size, just less heavy), and this mini blanket is what I’m bringing to my cousin’s shower tomorrow (it can be personalized). KATIE20 gets you 20% off!
Chance Encounters
This podcast is all about people meeting by chance while traveling and falling in love or becoming best friends. The love stories sound like they’re ripped out of the pages of our romance novels, and I’ll be starting with this episode that takes place in Cinque Terre!
Listening! Thanks for the chappywrap code 💕Happy Friday!
I read none of this is true by Lisa Jewel and really enjoyed, so excited to read another book by her!