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For the Love of Austen Series

For the Love of Austen is a series of Austen retellings by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding. There are currently three books; I don’t know if more are planned. I think these are such a fun take on Austen, and it is especially clever how they weave the books together by having the characters know each other in various ways.

  • Emma of 83rd Street puts Emma on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and follows her during her final year of grad school.
  • In Elizabeth of East Hampton, we see Elizabeth Bennet as a Hampton native and Will Darcy as a rich summer visitor.
  • In Anne of Avenue A, Anne Elliot finds Freddie Wentworth renting out her childhood apartment after her father is forced to give it up due to his financial circumstances. 

My favorite far and away was Anne of Avenue A. I loved the spins they put on the story, and I was so drawn to the characters. Another thing I appreciate about all three books is that we get to experience the perspective of both main characters; I think it adds a lot to the retellings.

If you are an Austen fan, I would definitely recommend this series!

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Puzzle Cafe

Puzzle Cafe is a 1000-piece puzzle from Magnolia, and the artist is Shanya Bharti. I got to do this as a traveling puzzle and I loved it! 💗

I was a little nervous about all of the pink, but I didn’t need to be. Each area had a different pattern or shade, so that part wasn’t bad at all.

There were a lot of fun sections in the puzzle, but my favorite part was doing the puzzles that are hanging inside the cafe windows. I learned from someone on Instagram that the puzzle pictured are actually by the same artist that created this puzzle. So meta! 🧩

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Very Hygge Holiday Series

I’m not sure how I came across the two-book series Very Hygge Holiday by Natalie Normann, but I am really glad I did. Normann is a prolific Norwegian author, with over 60 historical romance books published. This series is her first foray into books written in English.

In Summer Island, we meet Londoner Jack Greene, who comes to the island off the coast of Norway after inheriting a farm there. His plan is to sell it as fast as he can, but after experiencing life on the island and meeting Ninni Toft, he has to decide what he wants his future to be.

In Christmas Island, Jack’s sister Holly Greene comes to the island to get away from London while her future as a doctor is being decided. Upon arriving, she meets Tor, a grouchy, bearded recluse, and she is welcomed into the island’s holiday celebrations by the island’s other inhabitants.

I thoroughly enjoyed these books and would definitely recommend checking them out!

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Rainbow Buttons

Rainbow Buttons is a 750-piece puzzle from Ceaco, and the artist is Lars Stewart. I always love a good rainbow puzzle, and this one did not disappoint! I did this over two nights, starting with the red, pink, and orange the first night. Then I finished up the rest of the colors going left to right the second night. So fun!

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Week in Review: July 5, 2026

Yay for a long weekend! Although due to a severe storm in our area, many people lost power, including me. I was taking a nap on Saturday afternoon and woke up in the early evening to find a serious storm taking place outside and the power out. I was on my sectional with the recliner fully reclined and, since it is electric, was unable to put it down. I didn’t want to break it by climbing over the end, so I had to crawl out sideways!

My phone was at pretty low power and our power banks were not charged, but luckily a friend who I texted recommended charging my phone in my car. So I went out and sat in my car for a couple of hours to charge my phone as well as one of the power banks. By 10 pm, I had gotten up to 40%, so I went inside. Thankfully, my power came back on at 2:30 am.

This morning, I went to Brunch Church, which is an annual combined service at our church where we sit around tables and eat brunch during the service. I really enjoyed it, although it got a bit loud and I was a little worn out mentally by the end of it because of all the noise. I had been planning to go the puzzling group at a local library this afternoon, but a large tree came down near them and I don’t know if they have power or not, but they did close for today.

I hope everyone else has had a good holiday weekend and that anyone who lost power will get it back very soon.

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Houses in the Valley

Houses in the Valley is a 1000-piece puzzle from JaCaRou, and the artist is Anie Maltais. This one was on my wishlist at Puzzle Warehouse for quite a while, but it recently came back in stock and I grabbed a copy.

I enjoyed this one a lot. The quality was good, and I love the rich, bold colors. Buildings are one of my favorite things in puzzle, so this was right up my alley.

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Black Cat

Black Cat is a 500-piece puzzle from Fred, and the artist is Karen Obuhanych. This is a super cute puzzle that was lent to me for free from Completing the Puzzle.

Completing the Puzzle is a subscription service that is very easy to use and is great for people who want to try different brands and not worry about having to store puzzles they have done. The puzzles come in a prepaid mailer that includes a pouch with the pieces and a laminated image. When you finish the puzzle, you just stick on the label, pop it in the mail, and they will send you your next puzzle. 

They recently approached me about becoming an affiliate. If anyone is interested in trying them out, they can use my code PUZZLINGBOOKWORM to get 20% off their first month.

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What I’m Reading – July 2026

What I’m Reading Now

Elizabeth of East Hampton by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding (For the Love of Austen #2) – I really enjoyed their first book, which was a retelling of Emma. This one is a retelling of Pride & Prejudice, and I like it so far.

What I Recently Finished

  • The Midnight Train by Matt Haig (The Midnight World #2)
  • The Final Target by Nora Roberts
  • The Secrets of Love Story Bridge by Phaedra Patrick
  • Summer Island by Natalie Normann (Very Hygge Holiday #1)
  • Christmas Island by Natalie Normann (Very Hygge Holiday #2)

What I Added to my TBR

  • Live Laugh Love: The Secret History of White Christian Women and the World They Made by Kristin Kobes Du Mez
  • Never Worry About Money Again: By Answering One Question by Jesse Mecham
  • Worse Than Strangers by Kyleigh Leddy

TBR Stats/Goal Updates

  • I currently have 174 books on my TBR. Of these, 10 are nonfiction and 164 are fiction.
  • I have read 36 books so far in 2026. My original goal was 100, but there is no way I am reaching that at this point, so I have changed it to 50. My reading ebbs and flows depending on my mood and circumstances, so I’m fine with making that change.
  • I have not finished any nonfiction books so far in 2026. My goal is 6.
  • Here are some more stats from StoryGraph:
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Rabbit Hole Town

Rabbit Hole Town is a 500-piece puzzle from HUADADA. I came across this puzzle randomly on Amazon and just loved how cute it was. It makes me think of Peter Rabbit if he was all grown up. I love the little bedrooms and the concert hall, but my favorite space is the store near the top. 

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Bees & Honey

Bees & Honey is a 1000-piece puzzle from Cavallini & Co. This is my third puzzle from this brand and I really enjoyed it. The image features vintage-style illustrations of honey bees, beehives, and pollinator-friendly plants. Piecing together the beehives, the flowers, and the banner at the top was quite pleasant. The larger insects were easy enough but kind of creepy.

I got a bit stuck when it came to all the small bees and the plain colored pieces. Luckily a friend came over and helped me with them. It was much more fun working on those tedious pieces with someone else.