Category: Monthly Wrap Up

Hello 👋🏼 I’m still around, although as you can probably tell, blogging has not been on the forefront of my mind. I’ve been reading a lot more lately and starting to find myself reaching for more books so I’m happy I’m getting out of that months-long slump. I really hope that by reading more, I’ll also find the motivation to also get back into blogging because I DO really miss writing posts and reviews, I just can never find the energy or inspiration to actually sit down and blog.

PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION: Emily Henry has clearly found her niche in writing adult contemporary romance because wow. This has the same heartwarming, entertaining, and emotional quality found in Beach Read. The characters were smart, relatable, and delightful. The romance completely delivered on the opposites attract and friends-to-lovers tropes. ARC provided by Berkley through NetGalley.  ★★★★★  [review]

THE CROWN OF GILDED BONES: The fact that I had to DNF this makes it the biggest disappointment of this year. When I realized that the thought of reading another chapter filled me with dread, I knew I had to quit. There was absolutely no plot and the book dragged horribly. I read nearly half the book and absolutely nothing happened. I really care about the characters but cannot see myself reading the rest of this book, let alone the rest of the series. I usually love JLA books so I was not expecting this at all.  DNF @ 42%

LIFE’S TOO SHORT: This book was breathtaking. As with her other two books, this is more than simply a romance book: it has depth, emotional complexity, and touches on heavy issues. This is my absolute favorite of her books and I cannot recommend it enough. The chemistry between Vanessa and Adrian was off the charts. The yearning and sexual tension was palpable through the pages. I couldn’t have hoped for a better book and Abby Jimenez has definitely become an auto-add author.  ★★★★★

THE WOLF AND THE WOODSMAN: A dark, woodsy read? Adult fantasy? Magic? Enemies-to-romance? The word “wolf” in the title? I’m pretty sure this book checked all my boxes, and then some. I was seriously impressed by this debut fantasy novel by Ava Reid! From the excellent writing, to the slow-burn romance and bucketloads of angst, to the atmospheric setting this was such a tremendous story and I can’t wait for it to be out in the world for everyone else to enjoy and gush over!  ARC provided by Harper Voyager through NetGalley.  ★★★★

THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW: While I enjoy reading thrillers, I feel like a majority follow the same basic formula that I’ve read ten times before with thrillers. The chapters were short and sweet and the writing was simple so I was able to fly through this book, which was a huge advantage. Sometimes with thrillers, they seem to drag since a lot of the conflict tends to be internal. I have to give props where they are due, however, and note that I absolutely did not see the reveal at the end coming. That character was not on my radar at all so I was very pleasantly surprised!  ★★★½

ANXIOUS PEOPLE: This seems to be such a big hit with other people and I see it on a lot of “favorites” lists, so I think the probably stands more with me than the book. I did not connect with the writing at all. I struggled with the writing and the only way I can describe it is that it felt like it was trying too hard to be both poignant and comical. I also found every single character idiotically stupid, which I think was the point, but their dialogue were so over-the-top silly that became annoying very fast.  ★★

WIILDE CHILD: Each book in this series has gotten better and better, but this one truly stole the show. It was pure perfection. With historical romance, a lot of conflict centers around the protagonist and the love interest getting together (don’t get me wrong, I love some good angst), but that’s not the case here. From the beginning, there is no playing games: Joan and Thaddeus make it very clear that they are into each other. The conflict comes from other issues in which the two of them have to work together to succeed and it was so refreshing!  ★★★★

Hello friends! My February reading began really well but slowly diminished as the weeks went on because….I moved! Moving into an apartment has sucked what little energy I have left after being back on night shift, and sadly my reading has suffered. I’m really excited about my new place (of course my bookshelves and books were the first to be unpacked and put away 😅) and I can’t wait for everything to be settled so I can have some much needed time to myself!

SMALL GREAT THINGS: The way this book is written is both powerful and provocative. The story centers around racism, internal biases, and privilege. Picoult’s books always leave a lasting impression with me and this was no exception. engaging, thought-provoking book by Jodi Picoult that will leaving a lasting impact on me and my actions. This was an engaging, page-turning story that kept me on the edge of my seat.  ★★★★★  [review]

NAMESAKE: Unfortunately, this was very dull and underwhelming compared to Fable, lacking all the magic that made the first one so enjoyable. Most of the plot felt contrived, the pacing was tedious, and interactions with the Marigold crew were missing throughout a majority of the book. A good sequel for wrapping up loose ends, but other than that this really did nothing for the duology.  ARC provided by Wednesday Books through NetGalley.  ★★★½  [review]

DUSTBORN: I’ve been itching to read a good dystopian/post-apocalyptic story for a while and Erin Bowman knocked it out of the park! For some reason I’m always more critical when reading these kinds of stories but I was so entertained and drawn completely into the story. From the characters, to the plot, to the amazing world-building, this was such a well-written story from beginning to end. I’m hoping to have a full review soon!  ARC provide by HMH Books for Young Readers through NetGalley.  ★★★★

A TASTE FOR LOVE: My first DNF of the year. There was really nothing wrong with this book, it just wasn’t for me for the simple reason that I think I’m beginning to outgrow YA contemporary books (and most YA books for that matter). The plot as a loose Pride and Prejudice retelling aspect that interested me, but unfortunately the rest didn’t compel me enough to continue. I think other readers, especially a younger audience, would enjoy this!  DNF @ 36%

THE GIRL FROM SHADOW SPRINGS: After reading Dustborn, I was really excited for another dystopian type story, but unfortunately this really fell flat. The beginning of the book was promising: plucky heroine, interesting world-building, intriguing plot, but the second half of the book had a strange twist of events and I’m still not a hundred percent certain what the heck I even read. There were elements towards the end that felt very out of place with the tone of the rest of the book and in my opinion, should have been left out.  ★★½

THE ROGUE NOT TAKEN: There is no better feeling in the world than rereading a favorite and realizing it was just as delightful and extraordinary as the first time! All the hype surrounding Bridgerton has got me feeling nostalgic for my favorite HR books and after rereading The Viscount Who Loved Me, I knew I was going to read this one again very soon. If you enjoy hate-to-love, fake relationships, slow-burn feelings, and witty banter and you’re looking for your romance fix, add this to your TBR!!  ★★★★★

OTHER

#SixforSunday: Authors I’ll Always Read | Top Ten Tuesday: Books with ‘Love’ in the Title | Let’s Talk Bookish: Cliches and Tropes