January 2025 will see the return of ARCs for me. I have at least two to read during the month. As I’ve been reading in December and not posting the reviews yet, that should mean I have time to fit in these ARCs and some longer reads. I’m excited to get reading some of the books I actually own again and this year I will actually cut down on the number of ARCs I read…maybe.
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
I started reading this a while back but couldn’t get into it for some reason. Usually I’d completely DNF a book for this reason, but I only got a couple of chapters in so I want to give this another chance. Cosy fantasy isn’t something I read very often but it seems like a good choice for January. I’ve also only heard great things about both books in this series so my expectations are fairly high.
Synopsis: After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.
The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.
If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won’t be able to go it alone.
But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.
Damsel by Evelyn Skye
I watched the film very recently and I loved it. So much so that I want to read the book. I think the book is based on the film, but I could be wrong. It feels quite rare for a film to be adapted into a book which is why I’m even more interested in reading this.
Synopsis: A damsel in distress takes on the dragon herself in this epic twist on classic fantasy—a groundbreaking collaboration between New York Times bestselling author Evelyn Skye and the team behind the upcoming Netflix film Damsel, starring Millie Bobby Brown.
Elodie never dreamed of a lavish palace or a handsome prince. Growing up in the famine-stricken realm of Inophe, her deepest wish was to help her people survive each winter. So when a representative from a rich, reclusive kingdom offers her family enough wealth to save Inophe in exchange for Elodie’s hand in marriage, she accepts without hesitation. Swept away to the glistening kingdom of Aurea, Elodie is quickly taken in by the beauty of the realm—and of her betrothed, Prince Henry.
But as Elodie undertakes the rituals to become an Aurean princess, doubts prick at her mind as cracks in the kingdom’s perfect veneer begin to show: A young woman who appears and vanishes from the castle tower. A parade of torches weaving through the mountains. Markings left behind in a mysterious “V.” Too late, she discovers that Aurea’s prosperity has been purchased at a heavy cost—each harvest season, the kingdom sacrifices its princesses to a hungry dragon. And Elodie is the next sacrifice.
This ancient arrangement has persisted for centuries, leading hundreds of women to their deaths. But the women who came before Elodie did not go quietly. Their blood pulses with power and memory, and their experiences hold the key to Elodie’s survival. Forced to fight for her life, this damsel must use her wits to defeat a dragon, uncover Aurea’s past, and save not only herself, but the future of her new kingdom as well.
The Sad Ghost Club, Vol. 2 by Lize Meddings
I’ve wanted to continue reading this series for a while and an email from Hachette offering me a copy of the non-fiction companion novel has finally pushed me to do so. So thank you Hachette for sending me a copy of the newest instalment.
The first volume was super easy reading, despite its topic, and I’m hoping to say the same for this one.
Synopsis: Ever felt anxious or alone? Like you don’t belong anywhere? Like you’re almost… invisible? Find your kindred spirits at The Sad Ghost Club. (You are not alone. Shhh. Pass it on.)
When two strangers meet at a party and realise they both feel different from everyone else there, they start the The Sad Ghost Club – a secret society for the anxious and alone, a club for people who think they don’t belong.
But when a third ghost wants to join the club, things get a bit more complicated. Can the two ghosts overcome their insecurities and uncertainties in their new friendship, and find a way to welcome new members to the club?
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