Hello! Well, Maycember is almost over. How was your month? This past week has been a blur of the end of the school year, my younger son Russ’s 10th birthday (he was the best birthday present I ever got, arriving one month early and three days before my own birthday) and a quick trip to Boston and Providence.

I went up to the east coast to attend the Brown Medical Alumni Awards ceremony (where I won an award!) and since there are no direct flights from Austin to Providence, I flew in to Boston to visit friends and soak up the Boston vibes, ha. It was great to various Weekend Moms, walk around some old haunts (including the hospital where, ten years ago, I had my little birthday baby) and check out the new romance bookstore Lovestruck Books in Harvard Square. Which brings me to… (drumroll)… romance novels!

I did a week on the cardiology co-management service this month (and learned a lot) and (no spoilers!) but there is some major cardiology in the new Carley Fortune book One Golden Summer. I asked for that book and the new Emily Henry book for Mother’s Day, and tore through both. Don’t make the same mistake I did! Savor them. S-A-V-O-R them. I had read some online grumblings that the new Emily Henry book was not great, too much story within a story, and, like, what? I thought it was one of her best. All this to say, I have broken the seal on the 2025 summer romance reads. Bustle had a funny article about how this it’s GTFO summer which sounds right to me.

These are some of the romance novels I’m looking forward to this summer. I just bought Along Came Amor and I’m so excited. If you haven’t read the other Alexis Daria books, you are in for a treat.

In other book news, did you see the cover reveal for More than a Million?

This is a picture book I wrote and illustrated and now it’s available for pre-order and comes out in January. I think you will enjoy it! It’s funny and it rhymes and I think it will be fun to read at bedtime.

I didn’t realize until after we finalized this cover that it borrows from a cover design I did in fourth grade (the bubbles). Anyway, I’m so excited about this book! There are lots of different caregivers (moms, dads, grannies, teachers, even a dog) featured and a good amount of kid hijinks and mischief. Have I piqued your interest?

Okay, I hope you have a lovely weekend. What books are you looking forward to this summer? Tell me!