Friday Favorites #75.

It's Friday, friends, and you know what that means!  

FRIDAY FAVORITES!

As always, I'm linking up with Erika, Narci and Andrea to share my favorites from this week and I'm starting with a mini September book review.

Last month, I was a TOTAL slacker in the book department.  I blame it on Parks & Recreation because I binge watched it for the 3rd time.  

(Sidenote:  How perfect was the conclusion of that series by the way?  They did that show right.  It's one of those shows I go back and re-watch all the time because I MISS the characters if I don't see them for awhile.  That's the mark of a great show, in my opinion.)

It was also the start of all the new fall shows so I was watching those while I worked during the day instead of listening to audiobooks.  It's all TV's fault.  #steviethetv #namethatshow ;)

Annnyyyywayyy, I did manage to finish 2 books and they were both great so I wanted to make sure to mention them.

GOOD LUCK WITH THAT

I am a huge Kristan Higgins fan and Good Luck with That is her latest release.  And once again, she nailed it.  This book had a little bit of a different feel though.  It was deeper and not just a light-hearted, romantic comedy.  Although there were still funny parts and romance.

Here's the official summary:

Emerson, Georgia, and Marley have been best friends ever since they met at a weight-loss camp as teens. When Emerson tragically passes away, she leaves one final wish for her best friends: to conquer the fears they still carry as adults.

For each of them, that means something different. For Marley, it's coming to terms with the survivor's guilt she's carried around since her twin sister's death, which has left her blind to the real chance for romance in her life. For Georgia, it's about learning to stop trying to live up to her mother's and brother's ridiculous standards, and learning to accept the love her ex-husband has tried to give her.

But as Marley and Georgia grow stronger, the real meaning of Emerson's dying wish becomes truly clear: more than anything, she wanted her friends to love themselves.

See what I mean by deeper?  When Emerson passes away due to complications from her weight, she leaves behind a note for Georgia and Marley that has a list of things they were going to do when they finally lost all the weight.  Things like "Get a piggyback ride from a guy" and "Eat dessert in public".  Emerson and Georgia are determined to do the things on this list despite their current weight.  They start LIVING instead of waiting to live.

This is an emotional read for sure and I didn't feel the romantic chemistry between the couples in the way I have with her other books.  I did, however, want to give Georgia's brother a swift punch to the throat.  But I give the book a solid 4 stars.

If you are new to Kristan Higgins though then you MUST start out with If You Only Knew and then go to On Second Thought.  They are hands-down the best Higgins books and will make you laugh so hard and feel #allthefeels.  Also, if you are an audiobook-er then all of Higgins' books have great narration, so no worries there!

MATCHMAKING FOR BEGINNERS

I'm still loving my Kindle Unlimited membership!  Matchmaking for Beginners was one of the books that was available with the KU membership, had an audiobook option and it had great reviews.  Plus, that cover is CUTE!  ;)  So that was my second (and final) read of the month.

(Pssst:  You can try Kindle Unlimited for free for a month to see how you like it!  Sign up HERE.)

Here's the official summary for this one:

Marnie MacGraw wants an ordinary life—a husband, kids, and a minivan in the suburbs. Now that she’s marrying the man of her dreams, she’s sure this is the life she’ll get. Then Marnie meets Blix Holliday, her fiancé’s irascible matchmaking great-aunt who’s dying, and everything changes—just as Blix told her it would.

When her marriage ends after two miserable weeks, Marnie is understandably shocked. She’s even more astonished to find that she’s inherited Blix’s Brooklyn brownstone along with all of Blix’s unfinished “projects”: the heartbroken, oddball friends and neighbors running from happiness. Marnie doesn’t believe she’s anything special, but Blix somehow knew she was the perfect person to follow in her matchmaker footsteps.

And Blix was also right about some things Marnie must learn the hard way: love is hard to recognize, and the ones who push love away often are the ones who need it most.

I gave this one another 4 stars.  Marnie is a bit of a mess and seemed to make an awful lot of bad choices (marrying some guy who was trying as hard as he could to stand her up on her wedding day for one).  But she redeems herself in the end and Blix is just plain lovable.  There's also a bit of magic and enchantment throughout the book which makes it stand out from your basic chick-lit novel.

I quick and fun read but not one I'll listen to again.  Those are only reserved for my 5-star books.  ;)

Jane is always my fave.  And if you aren't in my Daily Deals Facebook Group yet, then you probably missed out on these!  (This is your official invitation to join us, by the way.  winkwink)

Yesterday, I ordered one (or three) of these cute tops because they have GLOWING reviews and are just perfect for fall! They are also only $22!

 I love solid colored tops because they work so well with a long necklace or a funky scarf. These were selling out quickly yesterday so if you want one, you better get your booty on over HERE right now and grab one!  (Or three...)   

Also super cute...and also $22...are these polka dot tops.

I also said this yesterday in the group but I am a HUGE fan of this new sherpa pullover trend.  These are on Jane right now but there are only a handful left as I type this.  You will never want to take it off.

You can also find a ton of these on Amazon!  Check out the options HERE!  

I got this one on Jane a couple of months ago (also available on Amazon) and have been slipping it on whenever I get cold in the house.  I can't remember if I've shared it here before or not but regardless, I'm a firm believer that everyone needs a sherpa pullover in their closet this year!  

So I KNOW I shared my fall wreath last year but it's back in stock so I'm sharing it again.  This is from this Etsy shop and they have THE BEST WREATHS.  Seriously.  So well done, so colorful, so big and full.

This is the one I got last year and it's my FAVORITE fall decor piece.

I am also already looking for a new Christmas wreath because the one I've had for years is finally starting to look a little faded and weather-beaten.

I've got my eye on this one...

And this one...

Of course, it's the most expensive one.  Ugh.  But #ohmygoodness.  Is it not the cutest thing ever!?!  I don't go crazy for fall but I go all in at Christmas.  These wreaths will last for years if you take care of them (and bring them inside during bad weather) so I will most likely bite the bullet at some point and get a new one.  

And this was a last minute addition because I keep forgetting to share it but how ADORABLE is this fall mug?!  You can grab it HERE right now for just $12.95 with free prime shipping!  Dishwasher and microwave safe!  No brainer!!  Perfect gift idea as well.

That's it for today here on the blog but be sure to take a peek at the FB group today for all the Lightning Deals, Daily Deals and coupon codes that I'm not even aware of yet as I type this. ;) 

Have a great weekend, friends!