Book Summary

We picked Verity by Colleen Hoover on a recommendation from my sister-in-law Melanie—and wow, it did not disappoint. The suspense, twists, and turns made it one of those books we couldn’t wait to come back and talk about each week. We read it from late April through mid-June 2023.

Since we knew Lindsey had picked out our next book, Luminous: The Story of a Radium Girl by Samantha Wilcoxson, told the true story of the Radium Dial Company workers in Ottawa, we decided to combine both books into one unforgettable trip (July 7–9, 2023).

While in Ottawa, we explored sites mostly connected to Luminous but of course added our own BOM Squad flair—hiking through sunflower fields and visiting Matthiessen State Park to capture those Verity-style water views.

On kicked Sunday we kicked things off in Utica and made our way back to the Quad Cities with a pub crawl that turned into one of our all-time favorite adventures. Somewhere along the way, while snapping photos, a biker and his girlfriend asked us about a “secret bar.” We told him we had no idea—but if he found it, to come back and let us know. Sure enough, he did… and that’s how we ended up discovering an amazing hidden spot with the band Three on the Tree playing. We’ve been fans ever since!

Another unforgettable BOM Squad trip—full of books, laughs, and a little unexpected magic along the way.