Books Read in February: 26
Books Read for the Year: 48/250
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
The Hawthorne Legacy, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (TBR). Loved this!
The Mystery of the Shemitah, by Jonathan Cahn (spiritual). Some of the data in this made it hard to absorb the details.
What Happens When Women Say Yes to God, by Lysa TerKeurst (spiritual). Excellent read.
Everything You Need: 8 Essential Steps to a Life of Confidence in the Promises of God, by David Jeremiah (spiritual). I enjoyed this.
Where are the Missing People, by Jimmy Evans (spiritual). This was an interesting read.
Twisted Twenty-Six, by Janet Evanovich (TBR). I needed the laugh Stephanie Plum always provides. #TeamRanger
Quicksilver, by Dean Koontz (TBR). I liked this new release by a favorite author. It reminded me quite a bit of the Odd Thomas books.
For Review:
The Family You Make, by Jill Shalvis. This was a solid romance read. I liked the group of friends in the novel, but didn’t find it very unique.
The Night She Went Missing, by Kristen Bird. I enjoyed this suspense read—at least the first half of it. The rest was…too far-fetched for me.
The Lady of Galway Manor, by Jennifer Deibel. I liked this historical fiction read set in Ireland. Sweet and fun.
Beyond the Lavender Fields, by Arlem Hawks. This historical read was set during the French Revolution, and I enjoyed the politics and watching the characters change and grow.
The Bright Side Running Club, by Josie Lloyd. I LOVED this read about women dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis.
Love & Saffron, by Kim Fay. This short historical fiction is told entirely in letters between two women.
Good Girl Complex, by Elle Kennedy. This was…beyond predictable, and most of the characters were kind of horrible people.
Sword and Shadow, by Michelle Sagara. I love the Chronicles of Elantra series, and I’m enjoying this spin-off series as well. Getting to know more about my favorite background character is fascinating.
Last Duke Standing, by Julia London. This was a fun, fluffy read that made me laugh. I’ve read some of the other Westloria books, and I always enjoying seeing familiar characters in the background.
Full Flight, by Ashley Schumacher. I enjoyed this light and fun YA read…until tragedy occurred about 85% of the way through. This tragedy didn’t make sense and seemed pointless, as it accomplished nothing, plot-wise.
The Paradox Hotel, by Rob Hart. This was…not that great. The main character was a horrible person to everyone around her.
The Sultan’s Court, by R.A. Denny. This is a continuation of a time-travel with the Puritans adventure.
Come As You Are, by Jennifer Haupt (review forthcoming). This was a bit dark. It deals with depression and addiction in the Seattle grunge scene. The music is a bit of a flashback.
Edgewood, by Kristen Ciccarelli (review forthcoming). I thought this was pure magic from the very first scene. Loved it!
Daughter, by Kate McLaughlin (review forthcoming). This was a solid read. The things Scarlet and her mom go through because people don’t like her father are horrifying, but I enjoyed the read.
A Far Wilder Magic, by Allison Saft (review forthcoming). This was a decent read. An odd mix of present day cultures and cultures just a bit skewed, but it wasn’t enough to make me stop reading or anything.
The Suite Spot, by Trish Doller (review forthcoming). I loved this read! I enjoyed the first one, too, but I loved the body positivity and the sense of community in this book.
The Valet’s Secret, by Josi S. Kilpack (review forthcoming). This was a decent read, although it seemed a bit far-fetched to me (an earl’s heir and a maid?).
My Darling Husband, by Kimberly Belle (review forthcoming). This was a solid thriller read, although I didn’t care for Cam and all his secrets and lies.
Left Unfinished:
Clean Air, by Sarah Blake. I read about 15% of this, but it just didn’t hold my interest. I don’t read much scifi, and that’s probably why, as the POV and the action just felt too distant for me to enjoy.
The Last Grand Duchess, by Bryn Turnbull. I tried. I really did. I loved Turnbull’s previous book, The Woman Before Wallis, but this one felt so much slower. I made it about 50% of the way through before giving up because every page felt like it was in slow motion. Historical novels about the Romanov family usually fascinate me, so I kept on reading longer than I probably should have, but in the end, this just wasn’t a good fit for me right now. The glimpses of the cluelessness of Olga’s parents drove me crazy, and her own naivete about reality combined with the slow pace were just too much for me.
The Violence, by Delilah S. Dawson. This was…beyond far-fetched to me. The female characters all felt like cookie cutter versions of the same person, with very little knowledge of reality.
The Arc, by Tory Henwood Hoen. I made it 12% before giving up on this pretentious drivel.
The Harbor, by Katrine Engberg. I read 15% of this “thriller” and found myself bored with its leisurely pace and complete lack of urgency.
Red Burning Sky, by Tom Young. I’m very hit or miss with military fiction, so this just wasn’t a good fit for me.
The Lost Dreamer, by Lizz Huerta. I read 20% of this, but it was so slooow. Loved the culture, but the intricacies had me a bit lost, as there was nothing to give context.
Killing Time, by Brenna Ehrlich. Natalie acts like she’s about 12, not a person who just graduated high school. I read about 15% of this—I think—but I was just bored. Natalie’s mom comes across as a tyrant who wants to control every aspect of her daughter’s life without an explanation for why, but Natalie is just pointlessly rebellious in response, and again, childish. The “new boy” in town was borderline creepy. In the end, I just didn’t care enough about these characters to continue reading
The Tsarina’s Daughter, by Ellen Alpsten. I love well-done historical fiction. And this was well-written. I just could not get into it. Elizabeth came across as superficial and spoiled, and this started off so slowly that it lost my interest. Not a bad book, just not a good fit for me at this time.
Tomorrow Is Another Day 
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