June 2025 reading round up

June was a pretty good reading month for me, as we're now officially more than halfway through the year I'm really pleased to also be halfway past my overall 2025 reading goal! Without further ado, here's everything I read in June with quickfire reviews and ratings...

Access All Awkward by Beth Garrod

I picked this up on a whim in the charity shop for a mere 50p; it's a YA and part of a series, none of which I'd read, and honestly it was fine but just SO cringe. It follows a friendship group finishing their A-levels, and focuses on one of the girls who is (obv) "super awkward". The girls go to a festival and get their exam results and have fall outs and run a protest and it's all just cute and sweet and fun but the language and dialogue is honestly an ick. It's not a bad book, and I generally do love YA, but I found this one more difficult to read than most! I gave this 3 stars.

Matched Up by Jenny Ireland

Another YA pick, and one I read as a NetGalley arc - this one was lovely, following a girl who plays (and loves) football as she navigates relationships, friendships, family drama, injury and more. Well paced with great character development and a really sweet plot. 4 stars from me.

Home Sweet Home by Ruth Irons

Another NetGalley arc, this thriller follows the fairly common trope of 'couple invite someone to live in their home and something terrible happens' - in this case, a woman keen to be the centre of attention at all times. She goes through quite a severe illness and finds community in this, but is everything as true as it should be? I liked this, nothing groundbreaking but a good thriller nevertheless although the characters were all rather irritating. 3.5 stars!

Murder High by Lauren Munoz

I loved the concept of this; it was another NetGalley arc, this time a YA thriller, and I really enjoyed it. It's set at a criminology school, who plan an annual murder mystery game - only this time, the body is real do they have an actual job to do trying to figure out who's responsible. It was just really fun and charming, with a great plot and plenty of drama. 4 stars from me!

Guilt Trip by Jo Furniss

This was another NetGalley arc (can you tell I was going through my requests?!) - a thriller which I had high hopes for. Ultimately it fell very flat for me; it's a dual POV following a mother and a daughter, the latter of which has been involved in an accident/kidnapping situation on her school minibus. We follow what's happening with her and her classmates, as well as what the parents are going through, and how everyone's past is coming back to bite them. It all felt super unrealistic and a lot of it just didn't make sense. Lots of questions. I gave this 3 stars in the end, but it's a low three...

The Tenant by Frieda McFadden

I don't love Frieda like many readers do, but I find her thrillers are decent enough audiobook reads when I'm working, cooking, cleaning or on one of my daily walks. This was one of her better ones, in my opinion, following Blake who has been let go from his job and takes in a tenant to make back some cash. There's that trope again! Of course, this turns into an absolute nightmare and has him questioning everything - the twist was brilliant, I really didn't see it coming. 4 stars!

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Wow. This was our book club read for June, and I read it on the plane on the way back from Italy - I was absolutely, wholeheartedly, blown away. It's not my typical genre, as I'm sure you can tell by my other reviews, but maybe I need to branch out more because this was honestly just brilliant. Following the story of a young wealthy Afghan boy and the son of his father's servant, it weaves through their childhood and the devastation taking place across Afghanistan. As their lives go very separate ways, we learn so much about this country, about power, about fatherhood and trauma and so much betrayal. It's safe to say this book completely gutted me; I felt bereft when I finished it, and I cried a LOT. 6 stars genuinely!!!!

Freeing the Wild by Paisley Hope

The Silver Pines series is definitely my favourite cowboy romance series (sorry Elsie) and this one has been my favourite in the series so far. Following country singer Cassie (sister of Ivy from book 2 if you've read that already) and Haden, who works on the ranch, the story is one of first impressions, incredible chemistry, raw emotion and overcoming personal issues, together. Plus spice. LOVED IT. 5 stars.

Wolf.e by Paisley Hope

Two Paisley Hope books in one reading round up come onnn! She really is fast becoming a favourite author of mine, and for good reason. Her books are bloody brilliant, always balancing spice with plot - and this one certainly delivered. This was my first foray into dark romance, a motorcycle club book, and while parts of it were definitely a bit shocking, the overall story and of course the smut (there's a lot) were both fantastic. It follows a girl who moves back home after a break up, and bumps into an old friend who's dating someone from an MC - at first she disapproves, but time changes everything... I gave this 4 stars!

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Have you ever tried scrubbing muddy paw prints out of the carpet? Or watched fur drift across your hardwood floor? Then, you must know that flooring choices really matter when you live with pets.

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Durability

If your dog treats the hallway like a racetrack, you already know durability matters. From the thud of playful paws to the occasional muddy surprise, your floors need to hold up under pressure.

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Air Quality

If you or someone in your household struggles with allergies, your flooring choice can make a real difference.

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Cost

Carpets are often easier on your budget. They also bring that soft, snuggly vibe that pets seem to adore. Of course, they need a little extra TLC to stay fresh, but regular vacuuming and the occasional deep clean can go a long way.

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Design

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Everything we did in Verona (June 2025)

During our recent trip to northern Italy, we based ourselves in Verona; as a huge Shakespeare fan, it's somewhere that's always been on my list so it was the perfect way to kick off my 30th birthday celebrations. The city is amazing with so much to offer, so I thought I'd pop together a list of all the best things to do in Verona!

Shakespeare in Verona

Of course, there is a lot of Shakespeare-related sites and activities in the city. If you didn't know, Romeo and Juliet is set here; the main attraction is definitely Juliet's balcony (and house). You can visit the courtyard and see the balcony for FREE, but to go inside and stand on the balcony itself you need a ticket. We paid around £25pp for skip the line tickets; at 10.30 on a Wednesday morning there actually was no line, and it was really quiet meaning we got to go on the balcony THREE times! However, as we left at around 11.30am it was significantly busier so it really is the luck of the draw. I loved it here; of course it's a "tourist trap" but it was just so much fun and it's a beautiful setting. There is plenty of artwork, costumes and more to see within the house, too.

Romeo's house is another Shakespeare landmark in Verona, but it's just the outside of a building - you can't go in. There is a plaque with a quote from the play, and you'll see a few of these across the city like at Juliet's house and the Portoni del Bra archway, where there is also a bust of Shakespeare.

We also visited Juliet's tomb - this is located at the Fresco Museum, and we paid to go into the museum for a wander round before visiting the tomb itself. The museum is incredible, with so many frescoes that have been carefully extracted and displayed here. It also had excellent (and much needed) air con. The tomb is just that, a tomb, but of course we had to tick it off the list of Shakespeare locations in Verona!

The tourist train

From the window of our hotel room we saw a little tourist train go past, and I immediately knew I wanted to ride it. Unfortunately information online was severely lacking, but we did manage to find it. The train leaves from the taxi rank at Piazza Bra, and it cost us 5euros per person - it's cash only, and there is a cash machine on the strip of restaurants in the piazza. The tourist train itself was great, we saw a lot of the city and there is a little voiceover sharing information about the churches, bridges, piazzas and more. However, it's a bumpy ride! Verona is a city of cobblestone streets, and we definitely felt them...

Giardino Giusti

I love nature and gardens and generally just being outdoors, so Giardino Giusti was definitely on my list of things to do in Verona. We walked here from Castelvecchio, which was quite a long walk, but it was so worth it; we paid 12euros each to get in, and spent around an hour or so here. It was so peaceful (we went around 10am on a Sunday) with not many other people there, and it was so nice to just wander through the gardens, admire the statues, see the terrapins playing in the fountain and explore the maze. We also walked right up to the top, where you have an amazing panoramic view of Verona. We were the only ones up here and it just felt so special.

Lomberti Tower

From our hotel window, we could see the Lomberti Tower - and I knew the views would be amazing. We paid around 6euros per person, and while they preferred cash you could pay on card. It's over 300 steps to get up to the top, but there is also a lift! I was right that the views were amazing; you don't need long here, but it's definitely worth ticking it off the list of the best things to do in Verona.

Castel San Pietro

We actually went to Castel San Pietro twice; the first time, we went the wrong way and ended up walking up A LOT of steps to get to the top. But it was worth it for the most amazing sunset, cocktails/mocktails, buskers and generally peaceful vibe up here. There is a bar here, as well as quite a nice restaurant. We stayed for a couple of drinks watching the sun go down, and it was stunning.

However, we had actually wanted to get the funicular up here - and we found it the following night. It's super cheap at 3euros per person for a return ride, and you can pay on card at the ticket machine. The funicular only takes a few minutes to get up and down, but it's much easier than the steps...

Castelvecchio area

Another part of Verona we loved was Castelvecchio; the grounds of the castle itself are stunning, and while we didn't go inside it was still nice to explore. The nearby Gavi Arch is lovely (and huge) with a lot of cool history behind it, and the Scaliger Bridge was great too with some brilliant views along the river.

Piazzas and more

Of course, there are also beautiful piazzas to explore - full of things to see too. Piazza Delle Erbe has a daily market (except for Sundays) as well as the mysterious whale bone hanging from Arco della Costa. Piazza Bra is home to the arena - which we didn't visit inside, but is fantastic to see from the outside - as well as multiple restaurants and a small park area. Even just wandering the cobbled streets you'll see so much: the Scaliger Tombs, Porta Bosari (ancient Roman gates) statues, churches and loads more.

So that's pretty much everything we did in Verona - there is so much to see and do in this gorgeous Italian city, and you really don't need to spend a lot to see the highlights.

Truly Verona Delle Erbe Suites | Hotel Review, June 2025

When we were booking our accommodation in Verona for my 30th birthday trip, I really didn't know where to start - it's not a city I'd been to before, so I of course took to booking.com to try and scope out where we should stay. We ended up at the Truly Verona Delle Erbe Suites - full review below but spoiler alert, we loved it.

Truly Verona Delle Erbe Suites

We used Booking.com to book our hotel in Verona - meaning we could reserve the room and pay nearer the time, which was ideal for the way we like to save for our holidays and trips. The booking process was smooth, and the hotel messaged to ask if I'd like to choose which of the three suites we wanted. I had a quick look on the Truly Verona website and opted for the Toscana Suite, and I was over the moon with this choice when we arrived.

Communication with the hotel

Truly Verona sent us a couple of Whatsapp messages in the lead up to our trip, asking if there was anything specific we wanted or needed, as well as letting us know how to get to the accommodation itself. This was really handy considering we'd never been to Verona before, and it meant we could easily get a taxi to the suite and show the driver the address; a lot of Verona is quite pedestrianised, so we couldn't get dropped off at the door but it was only around a 20 second walk from where we were dropped off, so it wasn't a problem at all.

Petra, who I'd been messaging, met us there and checked us in; she also sent me the link to pay the tourist tax, and sent over recommendations for things to do, bars, restaurants and more. She was always on hand to answer any questions we had and offer further recommendations, and we really appreciated it.

Location of the Truly Verona Delle Erbe Suites

Honestly, the suites could not be better located - our view was of Piazza Delle Erbe itself, the 'main square' in Verona which is lined with restaurants and is home to the daily market as well as the Lomberti Tower. It was just gorgeous to sit in the window and people watch when it was too hot, and generally just enjoy being so close to the hustle & bustle of the city. It also meant we were within walking distance of essentially everything we wanted to do or see; Juliet's balcony was less than a 5 minute walk away, and it only took us a minute or so to get to a nice restaurant/cafe for breakfast each morning. 

The hotel is around a 30 minute walk from the train/bus station, but there are buses that go here from around a 10 minute walk away so for day trips from Verona you're not in a bad location either!

The suite itself

There are three Truly Verona Delle Erbe Suites at this location, and as mentioned I chose the Toscana Suite - definitely go for this one, for the view if nothing else! All three suites are on the third floor of the building; there are a few steps you need to go up inside and then a lift the rest of the way which takes you to the 'lobby' area for Truly Verona. Both the building door and the door to this lobby space (which has a bookcase, maps and so on) lock, as do the suites themselves, so it all felt very safe.

I won't harp on about the view much longer but honestly, it was incredible. As we overlooked the main square, we were worried it might be too noisy to sleep at times but with the windows shut we could barely hear anything outside! There is plenty of wardrobe space, a bathroom with toilet/sink/shower, a bed, TV, free WiFi, good air con, a coffee machine, fridge, table and chairs - and of course the view. Did I mention the view?

The bed was comfortable, the towels were actual human-sized pillows and not made for borrowers, and the coffee pods were replaced regularly - we got fresh towels as often as we needed them, the bed made each day if we wanted and so on. The room is traditionally decorated which is really lovely, it felt so peaceful and classic without being dated.

Would I recommend Truly Verona Delle Erbe Suites?

I think you know what I'm going to say - 100% yes! We paid just over £900 for 7 nights here in June, which is more than I would usually pay for self catered accommodation but it was summer, it was my 30th, and the location was so perfect. We really loved our time in Italy, and this beautiful central accommodation in Verona was the perfect base for us.

A week in northern Italy: our itinerary

Northern Italy is an incredibly beautiful part of Europe, and recently I was lucky enough to spend a week in the area exploring new cities, eating incredible food and enjoying everything the region has to offer. I thought I would share our itinerary and a brief look at what we got up to!

Manchester - Verona

We flew from Manchester to Verona on a Tuesday morning, with Ryanair, which was absolutely fine - the flight ended up being less than 2 hours, which was dreamy. We then jumped in a taxi to our central apartment, which cost around 35euros.

We stayed at the Truly Verona Delle Erbe Suites, which are in the best possible location in Verona; I will have a full hotel review coming soon!

Our first afternoon and evening in Verona was spent just wandering and getting our bearings, and getting used to the muggy heat of the city in June, as well as eating pizza in the square. Again, I'll be sharing a full Verona food round up soon.

Verona: day one

Our first full day in Verona was a Wednesday, and we woke up incredibly early. Deciding to make the most of it, we headed out before 6am and explored the empty streets of central Verona - as well as heading to the arena, an area which is heaving during the day!

After going back to our apartment for a freshen up we were officially ready to get out and explore; our first stop was Juliet's house and balcony, which was AMAZING. We also visited Romeo's house, rode the small tourist train, went to the top of the Lamberti Tower and had lunch in Piazza Delle Erbe.

I'll be creating a more in depth blog post focusing on everything we did in Verona during our time there; this is just a brief insight into our itinerary!

Venice and the islands

On the Thursday we got the train to Venice, where we were booked onto a tour of Murano and Burano. We managed to cram in seeing all the Venice highlights like the bridges and St Mark's Square, but the boat tour to the islands was the real highlight. Murano and Burano are both stunning, peaceful islands rich in culture, and they were a joy to explore. We headed back to Verona after the tour and had an evening wander while enjoying a gelato.

The Dolomites

For the Friday we had booked a full day tour to the Dolomites; it was honestly a bit of a disaster, but we managed to see the mountains and the scenery was truly breathtaking. If you can drive, I'd highly recommend hiring a car and visiting the Dolomites from Verona as it's a gorgeous part of Italy with so much to offer. I will of course share a full review on our organised day trip, but if you can DIY it then it's probably a better option...

When we got back to Verona we had a few drinks with some people we'd met on the tour, then got ready for another gorgeous dinner in Piazza Delle Erbe.

A weekend in Verona

With two of our day trips out of the way, we had a weekend in Verona itself to explore more of this gorgeous Italian city. We really did fall in love with Verona and while you don't need a full week here (hence the day trips), there is plenty to see and do in the city. It's the perfect base for exploring northern Italy.

On the Saturday we headed to the fresco museum, also the location of Juliet's tomb - the museum was great and it has a beautiful courtyard, where someone was getting married! We also visited Castelvecchio and the Gavi Arch, had lunch down a little side street, explored more piazzas and bought fancy macarons. We had dinner out of the main square area, down towards the river, and it was overall a gorgeous day.

Sunday was a day of walking; I think we got close to 20,000 steps in. We headed back to the Castelvecchio area to cross the bridge here, which has stunning views, and from here we walked all the way along to the beautiful Giardino Giusti. These walled gardens are breathtaking, so well kept with a fabulous panoramic viewpoint. After walking back to Piazza Delle Erbe we had some drinks in the square, relaxing and people watching for the afternoon. That evening we visited Castel San Pietro, completely missing the sign for the funicular and instead walking up all the steps... the views up here are equally stunning, and watching the sunset at Castel San Pietro is a MUST in Verona.

From Verona to Lake Garda

On Monday it was time for another day trip, this time to Lake Garda. We got the bus to Sirmione, where we sat on the lake enjoying a drink before a 25 minute cruise around the lake itself - I also had the best gelato of my life in Sirmione, and we really enjoyed exploring the little streets and beautiful views around the town. It's a gorgeous part of northern Italy and while we did have some shuttle bus-related problems getting there, again it would be perfect if you have a hire car.

Monday evening, we had dinner in Piazza Bra overlooking the arena which was amazing; we then walked across the bridge and finally managed to get the funicular up to Castel San Pietro, which was only 3euros for a return journey. A few hours before sunset it was quiet and peaceful up there!

That was our week in northern Italy; Verona is an amazing city, and it was the perfect base for exploring Venice, the Dolomites and Lake Garda. I wouldn't change anything about our Italian itinerary and I'll be posting more in depth reviews of each place as well as what we got up to.