As I've said many times over the past few weeks, I've been in a huge reading slump. I have been trouble getting into the books I'm reading or have been overwhelmed by the choices in my personal library. I have so many ARCs from NetGalley, hardcovers from Book of the Month, eBooks that I continually buy on my Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook... it's just too much.

I think I need to look at more recommendations and to go along with the reading tides of my fellow book lovers. That's what really led me to crack open this new novel. 

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin was published on August 6th and I had an ARC just sitting on my Kindle. When I started seeing people talk about this book I knew I had to read it immediately. I was able to finish it within a week or so and it is hands down an incredible read, with a very unique and confusing plot. 

It's part psychological, part detective, part mystery and all round thrilling and exciting. 

It is finally the end of August which means we are on the cusp of the best time of the year. If you've been reading Royally Pink for the past 10 years you know that I am addicted to the fall. I am the epitome of a basic white girl during the next four months and I love every second of it.

However, this summer was a decent one. I had a lot going on, started a new job and was just social enough for my liking. I felt like my mental health was on the up and that I made some significant breakthroughs. Those are all positive things in my eye but yet, I'm still excited to say hello to Pumpkin Spice season.

August was the month of organization for me; I needed to get all my ducks in a row, start really putting my head down and paying attention to work, what direction I want my life to go in and just being a little more put together. I think all of my favorite items of the month definitely helped me do that. 

 When I got the email that Olive & June was releasing their fall nail color collection I immediately went to the website to see the shades. What I found was one of the best nail polish collections I've ever seen. The inspiration behind the collection is coffee and cheekily titled "Cafe O&J"... I love anything coffee inspired and these colors have not disappointed.

I immediately purchased four of the six shades without hesitation. I already know that I love the formula and the shades I chose are my exact vibe; the shades I got were:

• Tip Your Barista: beautiful, espresso brown
• Coffee Milk: light tan 
• Yogurt Parfait: dusty rose
• The Usual: lavender gray

I've never been so happy to see Friday. This was a long, crazy week at work and I haven't felt at peace since Sunday afternoon. I am very happy to see the weekend and have uninterrupted time to myself. My mind feels like a blank slate and I can't even really form a coherent sentence so I apologize if this post is a little all over the place.

That being said, lots of good things happened this week as well. I had a great weekend (last week) in the sun and pool with family, made a few lovely purchases that I can't wait to show you, planned my 30th birthday along with some other fall plans and I just can't wait for summer to be over. This fall is going to be a really good one! 

With not much else to say, let's just jump into the round up!

There are so many incredible thriller, mystery and suspense novels coming out and I've been lucky enough to get my hands on some ARCs, including this new novel from Sandie Jones, "The Blame Game". I've seen Sandie Jones' books around before but have never picked one up.

The Blame Game was a good one to start off with it! I've been in a bit of a reading slump and nothing has been grabbing my attention the way it should. It's taking me a really long time to get through books so I was really excited that this  only took me two days to read. The Blame Game was released on August 16th so only last week, and I highly recommend putting this on your TBR.

Let's get into the review... 

Over the years it has been my frivolous goal to collect every type of Louis Vuitton agenda. Yes, I am that materialistic. 

If you've been following me for some time you know how much I love agendas, planners and notebooks. They are some of my favorite items ever and it takes everything in me to not buy a new one everyday. There are just so many beautiful, special notebooks out there and I want them all.

Some of the most beautiful ones are from Louis Vuitton and when I discovered them, I had to have them. I purchased my first one, a Monogram PM Agenda years ago and since then have been trying to find planner peace. Whenever I would see a picture on Instagram or a Youtube video of a collection of LV planners, I would daydream about having them all stacked up next to each other and constantly switching them out.

 Happy Friday! This week went both fast and slow at the same time, and I can't believe that we're nearing the end of August. I have so many fun things planned for the fall and I can't wait. I've been looking at all the fall clothes and willing the cool weather to stick around New York.

I have an easy weekend planned, just some family things and I'm excited to just chill. I had such a busy summer it almost doesn't feel real so I will take every bit of peace I can get.

I don't have much else to say so let's dive right into the post.

 Taylor Jenkins Reid has quickly taken the world by storm and everyone is obsessed with her writing, including me. I cannot get enough of TJR and I think she is a mastermind; I put her in the same category as Taylor Swift because of the way she intertwines her characters and stories into one another. 

When I read Malibu Rising last year it quickly became one of my favorites of the year and that still stands. It's definitely in my top favorite books ever so when I saw that TJR was releasing her next novel, Carrie Soto is Back, this summer I was over the moon.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Carrie Soto is Back and devoured the book within a few days. It was a slow start and there's a learning curve when it comes to understanding the world of tennis, which is what the book is about. Thankfully, I've read a few books where tennis is the main focus (strange flex but I digress) so I understand the sport more than I used to. But once you get used to the sport and past the slow part, you will be golden.

If you love TJR and have enjoyed her other books, you are going to love Carrie Soto is Back. 

This was a weirdly long and short week at the same time. I had a nice, long 4 day weekend and was able to be social but also rest. I got a lot of work done this week as well and it wasn't too stressful so I'm hoping it remains that way for the foreseeable future.

This weekend is going to be dedicated to me: I plan on doing a little shopping, self-care, reading, and writing. I need a good reset after the busy summer I've had and I'm ready to kick back, relax and look ahead to fall. 

I don't have much else to say other than my allergies are really bad, Pretty Little Liars Original Sin is an excellent show and I desperately want a new handbag.

Ok, let's get into the post.

 I read The Family Upstairs back in 2019 before it was released and loved it. When I found out that Lisa Jewell was writing a sequel to the story, I was immediately sold. I didn't know where the story could go since The Family Upstairs was so enticing and really told the whole back story, but I knew I trusted Lisa Jewell and I was going to read The Family Remains.

Lucky for me I was able to receive an ARC from Net Galley and immediately started reading. I was not disappointed in the slightest and you pick up right where Jewell left us last.

I will admit that I had a hard time remembering what happened in the first book since it had been two years since I last read it so if you've been wanting to read The Family Upstairs I recommend reading these back to back so the story is fresh in your mind.

Despite that, I really enjoyed this book and felt it added a nice wrap-up to the original story.

 My nail polish saga continues. It seems that no matter what I put on my nails I dislike it. I think I'm just ready for Angora Cardi and my other fall favorites. I wasn't feeling bright colors this summer, probably because I've had so many parties on the weekend that I wanted neutral nails. 

While trying to figure out my nail polish color on a weekly basis I discovered something new, not only in color but in formula and finish. When Olive & June released their Spring 2022 collection, I picked up two shades: You're Invited and The Queen Takes Her Tea with Milk. I immediately fell in love with the purple hue of You're Invited but was hesitant to wear sheer polish, which 'The Queen' shade is.

In the past, I've only ever really responded well to traditional cream finishes and formulas so I was slightly hesitant to try something really outside my comfort zone. I also wasn't sure if I wanted such 'naked' nails. 

Oh, this was a weird week. It started off with me purchasing a Bluehost subscription and trying to transfer my domain to WordPress and ended with me obsessing over the fact that my blog was nonexistent.

I didn't lose everything but you were not able to publicly access my blog and it freaked me out. I have 10 years of content on this domain and it was terrifying to have it be gone. That means 10 years' worth of social media posts, SEO, and links. For all of that to be gone was difficult to digest and I felt paralyzed by not knowing how to fix it.

It consumed me for 48 hours and I finally found a little workaround, thanks to someone on Fiver. My content calendar has been nixed for the week but we'll be back on schedule next week. By no means do I make my income from this blog but it is a huge part of my life and to be without it for even just a day or two was difficult. It consumed me. 

That brings me to another issue which is my need to be impulsive. I've realized that as much as I am careful, I am equally impulsive. That corresponds to my shopping problem, my inability to stick to social plans, and so much else in my life. It is a real problem and I need to fix it. If I wasn't so impulsive, I would've done my research and migrated my site properly instead of doing it on a whim, with no real thought or care. It's just another lesson learned.

Aside from that, the week was a bore & it went by pretty quickly which I am grateful for. I have a four-day weekend, and two parties to attend so it'll be equal parts busy & slow, which I can't wait for! 

Let's get into the roundup!

It has been eight months since my last little love's post and so much has changed... for that, I am grateful. I plan my blog content out about a month in advance and aside from the weekly wrap-ups, I don't write a ton of frivolous, random, noninformative posts. These little loves posts are that piece of frivolity for me to just chat and also, they are an easy post to put together when I don't feel like writing anything of substance.

It's been one month since I started my new job as the Global Social Media Manager at the Estee Lauder brand. That's right, I've gone home to the mothership of the beauty industry and I couldn't be more excited. It has been a dream the past month but it's also been a lot of adjusting. 

I have a new routine, in a new place, with a new commute and a new way of working. It's been hard, combined with personal struggles and lots of social events, I haven't had a chance to catch my breath. That is my way of explaining why posts have been decreased for the past month or so and why you are getting the bare minimum of a Little Loves post.

But enough babbling and overexplaining... let's get into what I've been up to.