I’d grab yourself some snacks and a drink before you start reading my wrap up for January–it’s a long one. Possibly my longest. I don’t think I’ve ever read more than 15 books in one month before with most of them being proper full length reads.
It has taken me literally weeks to build the motivation to finish this post. For the first time in a while, this post was finished the day it was posted. Who would have thought reflecting back on 16 books would take so much effort?
Still Hung Up on You by Liz Maverick
Read: 1/1/25
Now that I’ve started using StoryGraph as my main challenge platform, I’ve been using the 0.25 increment reviews way more. So I’ve actually rated this 3.75 but I can’t show that with the star rating element.
I listened to this whole book in one sitting and it was such a fun read. I love these audio novellas that feel like you’re listening to a Hallmark film. The chemistry between the narrators was off the charts and there were moments that actually made me laugh out loud.
Synopsis: Hannah Gold never thought she’d speak to Ethan Reisner ever again. Getting dumped in high school will do that to you. But when she needs to find a beloved sweater in time for her parents’ 50th anniversary, she begins her search where she last saw it: Ethan’s childhood home.
She thought calling Ethan out of the blue would be the hardest part, but breaking fifteen years of silence was just the beginning. Why is Ethan being so friendly? And helpful? And funny? And is it possible for someone to be handsome over the phone?
As her feelings take her to unexpected places and her parents’ anniversary looms closer, Hannah will have to dig deep, find out what’s real, and decide exactly what she wants.
Surprisingly Us by Erin Hawkins
Read: 1/3/25 – 3/1/25
Over 500 pages for a contemporary romance is absurd but this didn’t actually feel that long. I adore childhood friends faking dating that turns into friends to lovers. That’s quite the mouthful and is quite specific, but this book was great. Both instalments I have read so far have been pretty good. They have a lot of mature content though so ones to avoid if that’s not your thing.
Synopsis: Colette
I’ve spent the last eighteen years of my life living and breathing dancing, there’s been no time for anything else. Now, as a seasoned member of The City Ballet, my goal of becoming a principal dancer is within reach. But in order to land a pivotal lead role, the choreographer wants more passion and emotion in my dancing. The problem? My lack of experience with relationships and love. The solution? I need to start dating, if only as research for the coveted role.
I’m used to drilling footwork. Repetition. Muscle-memory. But how can I practice dating?
I never imagined Rhys Spencer, my childhood friend and notorious ladies’ man, would be the answer.
Rhys
I’ve only come back to NYC to claim my trust fund, but being faced with losing control of my parents’ legacy foundation to my cousin and rival has me rethinking my plans. Though my reputation as a ladies’ man paints me in an unfavorable light with the foundation board and has me desperate to change my ways, if only temporarily.
My childhood friend, Colette Davenport, is the perfect fake girlfriend. She’s talented, gracious, and stunning. With her on my arm, I’ll have no problem convincing the board I’m the right man for the position. Everyone is shocked by the pairing of the sweet, yet determined ballet dancer and a tattooed bad boy with a BIG reputation.
When the competition intensifies, and I blindside Colette with a new proposal, things start to heat up. Soon, I’m on my knees for a different reason and I’m breaking all our rules.
With every kiss, every touch, I’m even more desperate to have her. To keep her for myself. I never want our arrangement to end, and no one is more surprised than me.
The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith
Read: 3/1/25 – 6/1/25
*I was sent an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*
My first five star read of the year! I’ve been desperately needing a five star read so shoutout to HarperCollins (Sparkpoint) for sending me such an amazing book. This is one of the few books featured in this post that I’ve already published the reviews for. So please check out the full review linked below.
ARC Review: The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith
Synopsis: Every citizen of England is granted one bargain from their immortal fae queen.
High society girls are expected to bargain for qualities that will win them suitors: a rare talent for piano in exchange for one’s happiest childhood memory. A perfect smile for one’s ability to taste.
But Ivy Benton’s debut season arrives with a shocking twist: a competition to secure the heart of the Queen’s fae son, Prince Bram. A prize that could save Ivy’s family from ruin… and free her sister from the bargain that destroyed her.
Yet every glittering fae deal has a rotting heart—and at the center of this contest is a dark plot that could destroy everything Ivy knows.
Maybe This Time by Cara Bastone
Read: 7/1/25 – 8/1/25
This audio novella has such a fun concept. Imagine your future self talking to someone from your past, trying to coach them on how to become your friend so they can stop you falling into a wormhole. It’s so wild but such a fun listen.
Synopsis: Romance can be a little complicated when you get sucked into a wormhole. Just ask high school English teacher June Flint. One little solar flare happens and suddenly you find yourself 85 years in the future. Eighty-five years from your dream job. Your ailing mother whose only companion in this world is you. Your favorite stuffed-crust pizza from DeLucia’s on Sunday nights.
But when June’s cell phone inexplicably picks up a signal, she’s able to call back to the present—more specifically, four weeks before she accidentally time traveled. Problem is, the phone can only call one number: her work nemesis, gym teacher Mikey Shannon.
Now future June must help Mikey befriend present-day June to keep her from disappearing. But present-day June doesn’t even want to be in the same room as Mikey, let alone become besties. And Mikey isn’t exactly…talkie. Yet he’s spending hours a day with future June on the phone, and even more time trying to befriend present-day June. Volunteering with June at school, check. Facing his fear of roller coasters to make June smile, check. Adopting a puppy and letting her name it. Check.
But what does succeeding in the present mean for future June, and for the serious feelings she and Mikey are starting to catch for one another? Stopping time travel is one thing—but can they stop themselves from falling in love?
Swipe Right for Murder by Polly Harris
Read: 7/1/25 – 8/1/25
I don’t have the energy to talk about why this book was bad again. It’s a boring dating simulator trying to hide within the thriller genre. I have actually published this review already so check it out below.
Book Review: Swipe Right for Murder by Polly Harris
Synopsis: DATING IS TOUGH. ESPECIALLY IF THE GUY YOU LIKE MIGHT BE A SERIAL KILLER.
After a devastating heartbreak and a string of short-lived, failed relationships, college student Georgie Itoyama has now decided to approach dating in the same way that she approaches everything else: methodically, logically, and efficiently.
Georgie downloads countless dating apps, determined to find the love of her life as easily as she orders jeans online. And while her love-at-first-sight aspirations don’t exactly come true, she does find someone she likes. Quite a lot.
There’s only one problem. Girls are going missing at Georgie’s university, and all the signs are pointing to . . . him?
But that’s ridiculous. What are the chances that she’s dating an actual serial killer?
Then she matches with Nate. Mysterious, intelligent, and oddly fixated on solving the local disappearances. As Georgie’s relationships deepen with each of her guys, she unwittingly finds herself caught up in the mess that is murder, intrigue, and the nightmare of online dating.
Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing: A Graphic Novel by Steve Barlow
Read: 9/1/24
This is such a fun and accessible way to read Shakespeare’s work. I tend to stay away from classics as I find the language hard to interpret sometimes, but this graphic novel explains everything so well. It gives you simple explanations for what’s going on and everything is just so clear. I’d highly recommend it if you’ve wanted to check out Shakespeare’s work but felt intimidated by the language.
Graphic Novel Review: Much Ado About Nothing by Steve Barlow
Synopsis: Classics in Much Ado About Nothing has been adapted into a graphic novel by expert authors, Steve Skidmore and Steve Barlow, with illustrations by Wendy Tan Shiau Wei. The famous battle of wits and misunderstandings reads like your favourite film on the page – as confusion abounds, compounds and finally untangles.
Classics in Graphics is a series of graphic novels for children aged 10 plus that has inclusion at its heart, flinging wide the doors of literature for everyone to enter and understand. Including dyslexia-friendly design on every page, and encouraging readers to relate to these iconic roles – casting spells, falling in love and winning duels.
Each graphic novel includes pitch-perfect illustrations for presenting the tragic, the romantic, the comedic, the magical, as well
– snappy simplified text presenting Shakespeare’s themes clearly
– introductory materials to help set the scene and context of each story
– heaps of extra material at the back to keep the learning and fun going, including an exploration of themes in the play, the language, Shakespeare’s inspirations, the publication and performance of the play in history, a timeline of Shakespeare’s life and works, and much more!
Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee
Read: 8/1/25 – 9/1/25
I don’t think I’ve ever disliked a main character more. He does get kinda ok by the end of the book but I still think he sucks. It’s hard to rate a book highly if you don’t like the main character, even if you do think the story was lovely.
Synopsis: Noah Ramirez thinks he’s an expert on romance. He has to be for his popular blog, the Meet Cute Diary, a collection of trans happily ever afters. There’s just one problem—all the stories are fake. What started as the fantasies of a trans boy afraid to step out of the closet has grown into a beacon of hope for trans readers across the globe.
When a troll exposes the blog as fiction, Noah’s world unravels. The only way to save the Diary is to convince everyone that the stories are true, but he doesn’t have any proof. Then Drew walks into Noah’s life, and the pieces fall into place: Drew is willing to fake-date Noah to save the Diary. But when Noah’s feelings grow beyond their staged romance, he realizes that dating in real life isn’t quite the same as finding love on the page.
The Rebound by Leeanne Slade
Read: 8/1/25 – 11/1/25
This was such an entertaining audiobook. Probably mostly because it was narrated by Claudia Jessie, who did an incredible job, but it is a good story. I’ve actually listened to another Leeanne Slade audiobook since and they’re genuinely really good.
Synopsis: Kitty Harris has it all: cosily coupled up with boyfriend Archie, she’s putting in the hours at an ad agency to land her dream job. OK, so maybe they’ve become a bit too comfortable in their routine, with pizza night every Thursday, and maybe the agency isn’t so much up-and-coming as been-and-gone, but Kitty is happy.
Until one diamond ring sitting pretty in her pepperoni ruins everything. Kitty does NOT want to get married, not after being caught in the crosshairs of her parent’s destructive divorce. Desperate not to lose Archie altogether, Kitty suggests a summer-long break so she can turn her ‘I don’t’ into ‘I do’. Somehow.
Enter Leo Evans, Kitty’s impeccably dressed advertising nemesis who loves to appear at the very worst moment. Needing a distraction of his own, Leo claims to have the cure for Kitty’s cold feet: a no-strings rebound fling and a ten-date plan to face her marriage fears. Kitty shouldn’t really be fraternizing with the gorgeous enemy, not when they’re about to go head-to-head for the biggest pitch of their careers, but if it means getting her happily-ever-after with Archie, it’s a risk she’s willing to take.
This rebound is about to get complicated. Luckily, you can’t catch feelings when you’re still madly in love with someone else…right?
(S)Kin by Ibi Zoboi
Read: 10/1/25 – /12/1/25
*I was sent an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*
I really enjoyed the lore surrounding this book but I don’t think books written in verse are for me. Especially when it’s in an ARC format so the structure is a little all over the place. It’s a fairly quick read and poetry is beautiful, but I don’t think I’m the target audience for this book.
ARC Review: (S)Kin by Ibi Zoboi
Synopsis: Fifteen-year-old Marisol is the daughter of a soucouyant. Every new moon, she sheds her skin like the many women before her, shifting into a fireball witch who must fly into the night and slowly sip from the lives of others to sustain her own. But Brooklyn is no place for fireball witches with all its bright lights, shut windows, and bolt-locked doors.… While Marisol hoped they would leave their old traditions behind when they emigrated from the islands, she knows this will never happen while she remains ensnared by the one person who keeps her chained to her magical past—her mother.
Seventeen-year-old Genevieve is the daughter of a college professor and a newly minted older half sister of twins. Her worsening skin condition and the babies’ constant wailing keep her up at night, when she stares at the dark sky with a deep longing to inhale it all. She hopes to quench the hunger that gnaws at her, one that seems to reach for some memory of her estranged mother. When a new nanny arrives to help with the twins, a family secret connecting her to Marisol is revealed, and Gen begins to find answers to questions she hasn’t even thought to ask.
But the girls soon discover that the very skin keeping their flames locked beneath the surface may be more explosive to the relationships around them than any ancient magic.
Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra & Dhonielle Clayton
Read: 13/1/25
I’d never really had an interest in reading this book even though I did enjoy the TV show. However, I saw I could listen to it for free with Spotify so I thought ‘why not?’. It was actually a very entertaining read and I liked the different perspectives. It’s almost completely different from the show though.
Synopsis: Gigi, Bette, and June, three top students at an exclusive Manhattan ballet school, have seen their fair share of drama. Free-spirited new girl Gigi just wants to dance—but the very act might kill her. Privileged New Yorker Bette’s desire to escape the shadow of her ballet-star sister brings out a dangerous edge in her. And perfectionist June needs to land a lead role this year or her controlling mother will put an end to her dancing dreams forever.
When every dancer is both friend and foe, the girls will sacrifice, manipulate, and backstab to be the best of the best.
The Woods, Vol. 1 by James Tynion IV & Michael Dialynas
Read: 14/1/25
This was ok, not the best graphic novel I’ve ever read but also not the worst. I liked the art style but I did find it lacking at times. I’ll probably check out the next volume of this when I next have Kindle Unlimited.
Synopsis: On October 16, 2013, 437 students, 52 teachers, and 24 additional staff from Bay Point Preparatory High School in suburban Milwaukee, WI vanished without a trace. Countless light years away, far outside the bounds of the charted universe, 513 people find themselves in the middle of an ancient, primordial wilderness. Where are they? Why are they there? The answers will prove stranger than anyone could possibly imagine.
Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins: Fjord Stone by Chris Wyatt & Kevin Burke
Read: 17/1/25
Fjord has my whole heart, he’s so cute and the art style of this graphic novel made him even cuter. Learning even more about his backstory was great and the small glimpse of The Mighty Nein you get at the start and end is really cool.
Synopsis: More than just an orcish face!
Growing up in an orphanage on the Menagerie Coast, Fjord Stone has never been comfortable with the assumptions people draw from his half-orc heritage. But his sweet, sensitive nature will do him no favors in Port Damali. Luckily, a chance encounter on the docks lands Fjord with a job, a mentor, and more adventure than he could ever dream of on the path that will eventually lead him to the rest of the Mighty Nein!
Where Shadows Bloom by Catherine Bakewell
Read: 13/1/25 – 19/1/25
*I was sent an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*
I’m a little sad to say I was pretty underwhelmed with this book. I was fully expecting to give it at least a four star rating, but the pace was just too slow. There are a lot of points I really liked about this but I think it would have benefitted from being split into a duology so certain aspects could have been explored more.
ARC Review: Where Shadows Bloom by Catherine Bakewell
Synopsis: Ofelia has lived her life dreaming of entering Le Château Enchanté—the mysterious court of the gods-blessed King Léo, where the shadow monsters that roam Ofelia’s home never trespass.
Lope has lived her life as a knight, defending Ofelia and her home from Shadows even as she dreams of escaping with Ofelia by her side.
When the Shadows venture too close, Lope and Ofelia are thrust into a journey that will lead them to the heart of the darkness haunting their home: the dazzling and deceptive Château Enchanté itself.
Dear Spencer by Danielle Keil
Read: 19/1/25 – 20/1/25
The Love Note series is so fun and wholesome. I’ve really enjoyed every instalment so far and I definitely plan to continue them when I get a Kindle Unlimited subscription again. It’s super obvious who the secret admirer is for this one, but it’s pretty cute so I didn’t mind.
Synopsis: Everyone at Ryder High knows what it means to have a teal envelope taped to their locker on the first day of the month.
Spencer Matthews assumes the Secret Admirers game is on pause, since it’s June and school is out for summer.
Then a teal envelope with her name on it arrives in the mail. Spencer is eager to play, but her Secret Admirer makes her work for her clues by playing a trivia game app he created.
Her spreadsheet of suspects is color coded, and Spencer is confident she knows who her admirer is after only the first two clues.
But something goes wrong, threatening the future of the game.
Will Spencer be able to continue playing?
And if so, will her guesses still be right?
Influencer by Adam Cesare
Read: 15/1/25 – 22/1/25
I’ve really been enjoying thriller audiobooks lately so when I saw this one, narrated by Chris Briney and Isabela Merced, I knew I had to check it out. Pretty much none of the characters are likeable but it is a pretty entertaining (and intense) read.
Synopsis: Aaron Fortin is new in town. He drives a brand-new Acura—a gift from his parents for uprooting him in the middle of senior year. Showing up on his first day at the local public school in that nice of a car? He knows he’ll never blend in, and he doesn’t care to try. The car, the new kid mystique, he can use all that…
Crystal Giordano carpools to the same school in her friend Trevor’s beat-up van. In the van along with Crystal and Trevor are Paul, Harmony, and Gayle. Crystal’s technically part of their misfit group, but most of the time, she feels like she’s the only one who doesn’tfit.
When Aaron Fortin sits at their lunch table, Crystal can see he’s not who he says he is. But how big of a fraud is Aaron Fortin? Crystal clumsily exposes Aaron and becomes his target, falling victim to his insidious campaign to erase her. Only then does she discover who he truly is—and it’s so much worse than she thought.
As her friends begin to follow him one by one, Crystal wonders if she can protect them or if his influence is just too strong.
Children of the Night by M.A. Bennett
Read: 21/1/25 – 24/1/25
*I was sent an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*
I found this instalment a much quicker read than the first, but I didn’t enjoy the story as much. The setting was great and I loved the development of the friendships but the creepy vibes weren’t as strong. I’d still highly recommend you check this out though, it’s a great read!
Synopsis: Filled with deadly secrets and the monsters you thought only existed in your mind …
You’ve heard of Jekyll and Hyde, you’ve heard of the Invisible Man, but have you heard of Castle Bran? Eve, Griffin, Hal and Ren are whisked away to Transylvania, to the supposed home of Dracula himself. Lured there by a desire to understand more about their true natures, our foursome are instead plunged into the midst of a deadly mystery.
Children are going missing, townspeople are being brutally killed and a suspicious stranger keeps appearing from the shadows. Meanwhile, Ren is trapped in Castle Bran, where his fate lies in the hands of a strange – yet oddly familiar – host.
With terrifying twists and turns around every corner, can the group uncover the answers they seek, or will this be the end of the Young Gothics?
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Like this post? Why not read this one too: ARC Review: Where Shadows Bloom by Catherine Bakewell
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