Book of the Month is a monthly book subscription box. Each month, 5 curators pick out their favorite new hardcover books, and you can choose which one you want to receive on the first of the month. You can also add up to 2 additional books for only $9.99 each. (This box was named one of the best subscriptions under $15 by MSA readers in the 2020 Subscription Box Awards.)
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
Check out all of our reviews of Book Subscription Boxes for more options, too!
About this Box
The Subscription Box: Book of the Month
The Cost: $14.99 a month
The Product: Subscribers get to pick from a selection of hardcover books each month. Skip any month you aren't interested in. Add up to two additional books for $9.99 each.
Ships to: The U.S. for free
Book of the Month October 2020 Review
This month was my one year anniversary of receiving BOTM (12 boxes) and now I am considered a BFF, which means there are some perks! How cool is that?
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Some of the perks include a free add-on during your birthday month and your choice of one of the Book of the Year finalists every winter.
The first perk though is this awesome Book of the Month tote. It is a seriously nice tote, very sturdy construction and it has a zippered pocket inside with a book pocket on the front that even has a hidden magnetic closure in case you have something smaller to store inside.
How cute does my new book look inside the pocket? Now let's get to this month's books.
These are the five book choices for subscribers this month. I had a very tough time deciding but ultimately went with The Girl in the Mirror by Rose Carlyle!
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The Girl in the Mirror by Rose Carlyle - Retail Value $27.99 (found here for $25.19)
I was a little bit leery of this book when I saw the sexual content warning on this one (FYI! Some readers may find it upsetting), but once I got into this one, I couldn't put it down!
Iris has long lived in the shadow of her beautiful, caring (identical) twin sister, Summer; it seems mainly because she has put herself there as she comes across as introverted and more real and raw than her sister. As children of a very wealthy man, they are both in the running to win his fortune if they are to marry and be the first to produce a legitimate heir. While Summer has never cared about this, Iris has planned her life around it, even entering into a crummy marriage which has recently ended. Meanwhile, Summer has a perfect life; a handsome, doting husband who also comes with a child (he's widowed), and she has Bathsheba, their father's magnificent yacht, even though Iris is actually the competent sailor of the family. While Iris seems to covet Summer's life (and even her husband, leading to some inappropriate fantasies), she still loves her sister and all of this is made more clear to her when Summer disappears from the yacht while the two of them are sailing in the middle of the ocean. Iris is overwhelmed with emotion and she realizes that she has to do the unthinkable in order to save her father's fortune from their stepsister and her awful mother. As Iris inserts herself into Summer's life she begins to realize that things aren't quite as perfect as they seemed.
This book is intense, creative, and slightly disturbing and while at first, I didn't care much for Iris, once the book hit a certain point, it had me hooked! The suspense was captivating and I was eager to see this wild story unfold with all of its twists and turns. Some of which I found to be slightly predictable, but not in a disappointing way and the ending is one that I am still thinking about!
Book Summary from Amazon:
Twin sisters Iris and Summer are startlingly alike, but beyond what the eye can see lies a darkness that sets them apart. Cynical and insecure, Iris has long been envious of Summer’s seemingly never-ending good fortune, including her perfect husband Adam.
Called to Thailand to help her sister sail the family yacht to the Seychelles, Iris nurtures her own secret hopes for what might happen on the journey. But when she unexpectedly finds herself alone in the middle of the Indian Ocean, everything changes. When she makes it to land, Iris allows herself to be swept up by Adam, who assumes that she is Summer.
Iris recklessly goes along with his mistake. Not only does she finally have the golden life she’s always envied, with her sister gone, she’s one step closer to the hundred-million-dollar inheritance left by her manipulative father. All Iris has to do is be the first of his seven children to produce an heir.
Iris’s “new” life lurches between glamorous dream and paranoid nightmare. On the edge of being exposed, how far will she go to ensure no one discovers the truth?
And just what did happen to Summer on that yacht?
Only Iris knows . . .
Each month, Book of the Month includes a bookmark. This month mine is a special BFF version.
If you picked this book this month, please let me know what you think of it!
Verdict: My Book of the Month pick this month was a unique, suspenseful, well-crafted story that blew my mind at the end. In the beginning, it felt just a bit slow because I couldn't really connect with the character of Iris, but once the real suspense began, I couldn't put this book down. There are definitely some kinky sexual moments in the story, but overall, I thought this was a great read! I'm surprised at the mixed reviews on Amazon (maybe even insulted? Sheesh!), but I'd love to hear what you think if you read this one!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this book if you sign up today? Yes, but hurry! Today, October 20th is the LAST DAY to sign up for Book of the Month to receive the October selections – learn more about the options here. If you sign up after the 20th, you may be able to choose this book as an add-on.
Check out all of our Book of the Month reviews and see what other book subscriptions made our favorites list!
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What do you think of the Book of the Month subscription? Which book (or books) did you pick this month?
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