All The Books I Read In 2021

 Who would have thought that 2021 would have been just as odd a year as 2020. I got pretty ambitious at the beginning of the year and decided to increase my Goodreads goal for the year from 50 books to 100, and while that was a bit too ambitious for me as I ended up lowering it to 75, I did manage to read 80. I had a good reading year overall and one of my favourite things is looking back at everything I read over the year.

January

- The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary - ★★★★

- Only When It's Us by Chloe Liese - ★★★★ 

- The Duke And I by Julia Quinn - ★★★ 

- Holding Up The Universe by Jennifer Niven - ★★★ 

- One To Watch by Kate Stayman-London - ★★★ 

- Inevitable Conclusions by Christina C Jones - ★★★★ 

- Dream A Little Dream by Giovanna Fletcher - ★★★ 

- Sounds Like Me: My Life (So Far) In Song by Sara Bareilles - ★★★★★ 

- Dear Ava by Ilsa Madden-Mills - ★★★ 

February

- Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevado - ★★★★ 

- Higher Love by Alexandria House - ★★★ 

- Set by Alexandria House - ★★★ 

- Eleanor & Grey by Brittainy C Cherry - ★★★★★ 

- The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory - ★★ 

- Worship by Jack Harbon - ★★★★ 

- The Babysitter by Jack Harbon - ★★★ 

- Year Of Yes by Shonda Rhimes - ★★★★ 

March

- Southern Storms by Brittainy C Cherry - ★★★★★ 

- Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone - ★★★ 

- Settling The Score by RS Grey - ★★ 

- Always Only You by Chloe Liese - ★★★★ 

- Don't Look Back by Jennifer L Armentrout - ★★★★ 

- What The Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast by Laura Vanderkam - ★★★ 

- The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn - ★★★★ 

- Good Girl by Piper Lawson - ★★★ 

April

- The Simple Wild by KA Tucker - ★★★★★ 

- Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey - ★★★ 

- The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice Of A Thirteen-Year-Old Boy With Autism by Naoki Higashida

- An Offer From A Gentleman by Julia Quinn -★★★.5

- We Are Inevitable by Gayle Forman - ★★ 

- Destination Anywhere by Sara Barnard - ★★★★★ 

- The Wreckage Of Us by Brittainy C Cherry - ★★★★ 

- Twice In A Blue Moon by Christina Lauren - ★★★ 

May

- The Roommate by Rosie Danan - ★★★★ 

- People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry - ★★★★★ 

- Wild At Heart by KA Tucker - ★★★★ 

- Make It Sweet by Kristen Callihan - ★★★ 

- Forever Wild by KA Tucker - ★★★★★ 

- Take Me Home Tonight by Morgan Matson - ★★ 

- The Secret Note by Lauren Rowe - ★★ 

- Love Her Or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey - ★★★★ 

June

- Shipped by Angie Hockman - ★★★ 

- Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn - ★★★★ 

- Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole - ★★★ 

- The Locker Room by Meghan Quinn - ★★★ 

- Like You Love Me by Adrianna Locke - ★★★ 

July

- Ever After Always by Chloe Liese - ★★★★ 

- Dating In The Dark by Alexandra Bishop - ★★ 

- From Lukov With Love by Mariana Zapata - ★★★★★ 

- Hollywood Roommates by Elizabeth Briggs - ★★★ 

- Being Hospitable by Meka James - ★★★ 

- Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas - ★★★★ 

- The Hating Game by Sally Thorne - ★★★.5

- The Last Summer Of The Garrett Girls by Jessica Spotswood - ★★★★ 

- To Sir Phillip, With Love by Julia Quinn - ★★★ 

August

- The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon - ★★★ 

- Until Friday Night by Abbi Glines - ★★★ 

September

- Hate Notes by Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward - ★★★ 

- Lessons In Corruption by Giana Darling - ★★★.5

- Dark by Penelope Bloom - ★★.5 

October

- The Guest List by Lucy Foley - ★★★★ 

- Pucked by Helena Hunting - ★★★ 

- Final Girls by Riley Sager - ★★★ 

- Rush by Kandi Steiner - ★★★ 

- The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler - ★★★.5

- Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh - ★★★★★ 

- Thicker Than Water by Tyler Shultz - ★★★ 

November

- Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery by Robert Kolker - ★★ 

- The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren - ★★★ 

- The Only Plane In The Sky: An Oral History Of 9/11 by Garrett M Graff - ★★★★★ 

- Fighting For Your Life by Lysa Walder - ★★★ 

- The Christmas Blanket by Kandi Steiner - ★★★★.5

- A Groom With A View by Sophie Ranald - ★★.5

December

- Falling For Christmas by Kate Hewitt - ★★★ 

- Underneath The Christmas Tree by Heidi Swain - ★★★.5

- Call Me Maybe by Cara Bastone - ★★★★

- Mince Pies And Mistletoe At The Christmas Market by Heidi Swain - ★★★★

- Sleigh Rides And Silver Bells At The Christmas Fair by Heidi Swain - ★★★★

- Snowflakes And Cinnamon Swirls At The Winter Wonderland by Heidi Swain - ★★★

- Christmas At Carly's Cupcakes by Jessica Redland - ★★★

There we have every single book I read in 2021. I read the most I have ever read in a year with 80 books in 2021, now I just have to top that this year. I will be sharing a lot more about my 2021 reading year over the coming days, including some statistics and my favourite books of the year. 

Did you read any of these books in 2021? What was your favourite?

Sophie :)

December 2021 Wrap Up

 And just like that, it's the end of 2021! December has been another crazy month to finish the year off with, as it always is. Despite having so much going on over the month, I still managed to read a total of 7 books in December. I read almost exclusively Christmas books, which was great, discovered a new author whose books I binged and, most importantly, really loved reading again. So let's chat about the final seven books I read in 2021.

Falling For Christmas by Kate Hewitt -

This is a Christmas novella about a woman who leaves a Christmas party after her ex brings his new girlfriend and ends up driving for miles with no destination in mind, when she ends up stranded and completely unprepared in a small town. She is rescued by the local carpenter and has no choice but to stay in his house with him over Christmas. This was a fun festive novella but really nothing particularly special. I enjoyed the small town setting and I like a snowed in together story, but the romance wasn't that well developed so I couldn't fall in love with it.

Rating: 3/5

Underneath The Christmas Tree by Heidi Swain - 

This is a cozy, festive read about a woman who returns to her late father's Christmas tree farm to spend one last Christmas before she sells her shares. This is not something I would typically pick up. It is much more women's fiction than romance, although does feature a romance, but turned out to be exactly what I wanted. The Christmas tree farm is the perfect setting for festive fun and I loved being immersed in this little community. It was lovely to get to know all of these characters as our main character does and just fall in love with the place along with her. The romance was a dull, which did affect my rating, but it wasn't the main aspect of the book. Overall, this was a lovely Christmas read and just what I needed at the time.

Rating: 3.5/5

Call Me Maybe by Cara Bastone -

Now that I have an Audible membership again, I have been wanting to try out the many Audible Originals. I had heard great things about this one so decided to pick it up. It follows a woman who sparks up a friendship with the customer service representative she ends up on the phone to for hours while trying to get her business website fixed. It seems like such an odd concept but I thought it worked so well. Vera and Cal end up getting to know each other through this phone call and the connection they have is so clear, even without them ever having me. It was such an adorable romance, with two really great characters that were such fun to follow. There is a bit of a twist at the end that I managed to work out pretty early on but it was still a lot of fun to read about. This was written for audio so the audiobook was a full production with sound effects and everything. It was the most fun and immersive audiobook that made for a great reading experience. I can't wait to listen to more like this.

Rating: 4/5

Mince Pies And Mistletoe At The Christmas Market by Heidi Swain -

I have gone down a Heidi Swain Christmas rabbit hole. I want to read every Christmas book she has written because they give me all of the cozy festive vibes. This one follows a woman who drops out of university and returns to her home town to run a market stall for her friends cafe over Christmas, but things get complicated when she discovers she is working next door to her ex-boyfriend. This one was just as festive as my first Heidi Swain as the stallholders all come together to make this the best Christmas ever and save their struggling small town market. It was just so sweet and I loved it. Again, this is more women's fiction but does involve a romance. The romance takes a definite backseat and while it was quite sweet, I wasn't all that bothered about it. What I really loved was getting to known all of the characters in this small town and experiencing the magic of Christmas alongside them. It seems that this is all I want this festive season.

Rating: 4/5

Sleigh Rides And Silver Bells At The Christmas Fair by Heidi Swain - 

Yet another Heidi Swain Christmas book! This is in the same series as the previous book and follows Anna who takes a job at Wynthorpe Hall in an attempt to avoid Christmas. However, when the Christmas plans at the hall change, Anna finds herself thrust into the festivities she has tried so hard to avoid for many years. This is a really adorable found family story featuring a great cast of characters who all bring so much to the story. Anna has had a really tough past and the characters in this sweet little town all help her to move on from that and look to the future. There is also some change and uncertainty at Wynthorpe Hall involving the owner's youngest son, Jamie, who has an instant connection with Anna. This was another fun and heartwarming Christmas story from Heidi Swain, with an adorable romance and lots of festive spirit. It was another perfect read to get me in the Christmas mood.

Rating: 4/5

Snowflakes And Cinnamon Swirls At The Winter Wonderland by Heidi Swain - 

When I say I fell down a Heidi Swain rabbit hole, I mean I really fell down a Heidi Swain rabbit hole. This was my fourth and final Heidi Swain Christmas book of the month and it takes us back to Wynthorpe Hall for more festive fun. This follows Hayley, the Wynthorpe Hall housekeeper who we met in the previous book, after her engagement has ended dramatically and she has moved into the Hall with others. Also moving to the Hall for this Christmas season is Gabe, a friend of Jamie who has come to work in the grounds and has baggage of his own. This has all of the heart, mayhem and festive fun I have come to expect from these books and it was great to spend another Christmas season in Wynthorpe Hall with the characters we met in the previous book. I didn't love this one quite as much as the others I have read this month, which I think is a lot to do with the romance. Hayley has just ended her engagement when she meets and feels a connection to Gabe, which is fine and I would have enjoyed a nice slow burn romance between them. What we actually got was a lot of angst followed by everything moving very fast. I also felt as though Gabe's past wasn't explored as much as it could be. I enjoyed the festive activities and the side characters just as much as I knew I would, but the rest fell a bit flat for me.

Rating: 3/5

Christmas At Carly's Cupcakes by Jessica Redland - 

I moved on from Heidi Swain to something with similar vibes. This is another women's fiction-y Christmas book with a bit of a romance thrown in. This follows Carly who own a small town bakery and has given a job to her struggling younger sister, despite her lack of skills in the baking department. She is also discovering her long held feelings for her childhood best friend who is coming home on leave from the Army over Christmas. This was a little all over the place for me and didn't quite hit the mark. I liked the small town bakery setting and loved seeing how all of the business owners worked together and became good friends. I liked the family aspect and how Carly was trying to help out her sister. I also liked the idea of the childhood friends to lovers romance. However, all of these aspects of the story felt half done and could have all been executed better. I constantly felt while reading that Carly's sisters storyline would have been better told from Bethany's point of view as it felt like the main focus of the story and took away from Carly's own storyline. The romance was really poorly executed, in my opinion, as Liam, the love interest, didn't appear until the last quarter of the book meaning we had such little time to see the couple together that is was difficult to be invested in them. It also meant that everything moved very quickly and felt rushed. This could have been great but ended up being pretty average.

Rating: 3/5

Those are the very last 7 books I read in 2021. I would say a load of Christmas books and a Heidi Swain marathon was a pretty good way to end my reading year. As I said, I have really fallen back in love with reading in December, which I am hoping will continue into the new year. I have also been getting back into blogging and I'm ready to jump back into things with the end of year content in January!

What was the best book you read in December?

Sophie :)

Five Christmas Reads At The Top Of My TBR

 I am all about the Christmas romance in the month of December and my list of Christmas books I want to read is pretty extensive. I thought I would share the five that I really hope to get to before the end of the month, mainly to help me not forget about them among the mountain of other books on my TBR. 

1. The Boss Who Stole Christmas by Jana Aston - This was on my list last year but I never got to it. This is the first in a series of Christmas novellas and features an employee-boss workplace romance.

2. Mistletoe And Mr Right by Sarah Morgenthaler - This is the second book in the Moose Springs, Alaska series that I started a couple of months ago. This follows the best friend of the heroine from book one and has the typical Christmas movie/book storyline of the rich person buying the small town.

3. The Fake Santa Apology Tour by Julie Olivia - A heroine who only dates fake Santas ends up snowed in with her grinchy santa-lookalike enemy in a small town. This sounds like a lot of fun.

4. A Cross-Country Christmas by Courtney Walsh - A Christmas road trip with her brother's best friend, who she also happens to have had a crush on for years, this definitely sounds like my kind of thing.

5. Kiss The Girl by Melanie Jacobson - This is a small-town, fake dating romance following our heroine who has returned to her hometown temporarily and has vowed never to fall for a small-town guy.

Those are five of the Christmas romances on my TBR this year that I am most interested in at the moment. I am really excited for all of these and I'm hoping I can get to at least a few of these before the end of the month.

What is your favourite Christmas book?

Sophie :)

November 2021 Wrap Up

 Well, 2021 is almost over! I know I say this every month but it really is crazy how fast this year is flying in. November was another busy month that caused me to put blogging to the bottom of my priority list. Despite being on holiday from work for some of the month, thing in my personal life took a challenging turn and my priorities had to change a lot. This is likely to be the case for the foreseeable future, however I am hoping to get more organised with blogging and bookstagram in the New Year which should help.

Back to November though, I read a total of 5 books, three of which were non-fiction for Nonfiction November. They covered pretty much the whole rating scale, one being a stand out favourite that will most likely make my favourites of the year list.

Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery by Robert Kolker -

This was my first read for nonfiction November, a true crime novel detailing the case of the online escorts who became victims of the long island serial killer. This is a case I had never heard anything about so thought it would be a good first true crime nonfiction read as I would be super interested in learning about something totally new. Unfortunately, I really didn't enjoy this book. It focused much more on the lives of the girls than the mystery itself, which is an interesting idea and makes a point of humanising people who may have been seen as simply victims previously. However, I don't feel it was done particularly well. The way it was written is incredibly jarring and confusing as the reader is introduced to so many different people in a very short period of time, all of whom have quite similar stories, and then continuously flips between each girl's story. I found it very hard to keep track of who was who. This book also focuses so much on the issues in these girls' lives and the family drama. I found this really took away from the fact this was a real crime that is still yet to be solved and made it into some kind of soap opera. Overall, this was a disappointing read and after reading a 400+ page book about this mystery I still don't know anything about it.

Rating: 2/5

The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren -

After discovering Christina Lauren last year and really enjoying a lot of their work, this was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. It follows a single mother who, on a total whim, signs up to a new app that promises to find your soulmate based on DNA. When her results come back as an unprecedented 98% match with the app's founder, the pair agree to fake date in order to gain publicity for the app ahead of it's official launch. I really like the premise of this as it sounds like a much more light-hearted and romantic version of The One by John Marrs, which I read and enjoyed but definitely had a different vibe. I also love a fake dating trope, especially when it is also enemies to lovers as this is, and I typically like single parent romance. This really should have ticked all my boxes, but ended up being a bit of a disappointment. I was bored for a lot of it and considered DNFing as it has such a slow start. I struggled to find the desire to keep reading but found my enjoyment of the relationship developing helped me get through it. While there were aspects I enjoyed, such as the relationship and our heroine's daughter, they just weren't enough for me to love it. I expected more from this author duo but this one just wasn't for me.

Rating: 3/5

The Only Plane In The Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M Graff -

This was my absolute stand out of the month. Another nonfiction November read, this is an account of all of the events of September 11th told by the people who experienced it first hand. This is probably the most comprehensive account of that day, and the days following, that you could ask for. It has accounts from those inside the Towers at the time of the attacks and family members of those who died both in the Towers and on planes, those inside the Pentagon and family member of those who lost their lives in that attack, family members of the passengers on Flight 93, air traffic controllers and those working in the airports, first responders involved in all three attacks, government officials and those who worked with them, and so many more that I can't list without being here forever. It was incredibly informative but also emotive and intense. It was such a powerful read and as someone who is too young to remember that day in anymore than very faint memories, it gave an idea of just how horrific that day was for those all over the world. 

Rating: 5/5

Fighting For Your Life by Lysa Walder -

My third and final nonfiction read of the month was, of course, some form of medical memoir. This is a memoir of a London paramedic, in which Lysa Walder shares just some of the most memorable jobs she has had within her role. I have read a lot of books like this so I am pretty critical but I didn't particularly enjoy this book. This was very much an account of the most shocking calls the author has been to and seemed to be much more about the shock factor than human emotion. I started to wonder at one point if any of the stories were going to involve the patient actually living in the end. While this may be more exciting to read about for some, as someone with experience in this area this definitely gives a very inaccurate view of the job. Though much of the role of a paramedic does involve really shocking calls with life threatening emergencies, so much of the job is about being caring and compassionate individuals, which was not something that came across at all in this book. In fact, some of the language used made the author seem not very caring or compassionate at all at points. Overall, this did have it's interesting parts but did not showcase the role of a paramedic well in my opinion.

Rating: 3/5

The Christmas Blanket by Kandi Steiner -

I was planning to save my Christmas reads until December but I just couldn't wait that long. This is a short novella following a woman who gets stuck in a blizzard on her way home for the first time in four years to see her family for Christmas. However, when she is rescued by her ex-husband things get awkward as the two are stuck in his cabin together through the storm. I absolutely loved this novella. It was such a sweet second-chance romance, with the chemistry between the main characters being apparent from the beginning. It was a very cozy, festive read and my only complaint is that I wish it had been longer. I could have read a full length novel of these characters. 

Rating: 4.5/5

A Groom With A View by Sophie Ranald - 

My last read of the month was one that I have owned in my ebook library for far too many years but never got around to picking up. It follow a woman who has been in a long term relationship for years with no plans to get married until one drunken night the pair end up engaged. While she has very little interest in the wedding plans, her husband-to-be becomes wrapped up in planning the perfect, extravagant wedding, with the help of his mother, who does not think she is good enough for his son. I knew nothing about this going into it so didn't realise that this is really not my kind of book. It's definitely more Women's Fiction than romance, which isn't usually my thing, and I hate the meddling mother-in-law that makes the life of her son's significant other absolute hell. Despite not being my kind of book, this was fine and I enjoyed it enough, until something happened at the end that I wasn't a fan of. I probably should have DNFed this when I realised it wasn't my cup of tea.

Rating: 2.5/5

Those are all of the books I read in November. A bit of a mixed bag, both in terms of genre and enjoyment, but a couple of really great reads in there. I am so excited to get to all of the Christmas romance in December, so definitely leave me some good recommendations.

What was the best book you read in November?

Sophie :)

October 2021 Wrap Up

 How in the world are we at the end of October already? I genuinely cannot comprehend that 2021 is nearly over! We are getting to my favourite time of year, which is obviously great, but it has come around far to fast. 

After a very slumpy past few months, I have finally started to get back into reading in the month of October. I read a total of 7 books in October, including quite a few that have been on my radar for years now. I have been trying to prioritise the books I already own, either physically or as an ebook, and managed to get 3 books off of my ebook TBR and 2 off of my physical TBR, so I'm very happy about that. I also got a surprise 5 star read this month for the first time since July! This was definitely a much better reading month, so let's get into the books.

The Guest List by Lucy Foley -

This is a book that has been on countless TBR lists over the past year and I finally got around to reading it in October for my 'reading three popular thrillers' post. It takes place on a secluded Irish island during a wedding and we follow the wedding party both in the lead up to the wedding, and on the wedding night when someone turns up dead. I shared more of my thoughts in that three thrillers post, but I ended up really enjoying this book. The setting was so creepy and atmospheric, the characters were a really mixed bunch that were all interesting to read about and for the most part had unique voices. I think the flipping between the past timeline in the lead up to the wedding and the present timeline of the wedding night worked well for this story as it kept the suspense building and the reader hooked. The thing that worked the best for me with this book, however, was the various points of view. This story was told from multiple different perspectives and that made for a really fast paced read, but also helped the reader find out more about the characters and made you question who you could trust. The ending was full of twists that kept me hooked and despite managing to guess who was responsible I still thought the reveal and how everything wrapped up was very well done. I would definitely pick up more from Lucy Foley in the future.

Rating: 4/5

Pucked by Helena Hunting -

From a nice surprise to a bit of a disappointment, this one did not live up to the hype for me. It is a book I have heard such great things about over the years so finally decided to pick it up when I was in the mood for a sports romance. It follows Violet who has sworn off hockey players having seen the player behaviour of her professional hockey player stepbrother. However, when she meets his new teammate Alex and the two have a connection, she starts to question that decision. I love sports romances, no matter the sport I am here for it. This one, though, was not for me. It was an instalove romance, which I don't always hate but I couldn't see much of a connection between these characters in the beginning, and it had no plot. This book was entirely sexy times and discussions about each others genital area, things I can enjoy in moderation when there's some plot mixed in but that wasn't the case with this book. Don't get me wrong, the steamy scenes were great and very well written, but it was just a bit much. I also found Violet to be an incredibly annoying heroine and thought her reaction surrounding the conflict in the story was completely over the top. I definitely had some issues with this book but I didn't hate it, it was just fine. I'm still undecided about whether I want to continue with this series.

Rating: 3/5

Final Girls by Riley Sager -

This is another book I have had on my shelves for a while and finally picked up for the reading popular thrillers post. This follows Quincy who is known to the media as a 'final girl' after she was the sole survivor of a massacre. When one of only two other 'final girls' is found dead, the remaining two are brought together. However, things are not what they seem. This is another book that has been pretty hyped since it's release and didn't totally live up to my expectations. Again, I share more of my thoughts in that reading popular thrillers post. This was hard for me to get into as I found the first half to be really slow. I struggled to care about these characters much to begin with and just wasn't interested in the story much at all. However, when things started to pick up in the second half I did start to enjoy it a bit more. It did get quite intense, this is definitely a darker read and not for the faint hearted. While a lot did happen towards the end, I didn't find much of it particularly shocking and had guessed a lot of the twists quite early on so they didn't make as much of an impact on me. I did really enjoy Riley Sager's writing, though, so would read more from him in the future.

Rating: 3/5

Rush by Kandi Steiner -

After a pretty intense read, I decided to pick this up on a complete whim as it seemed like the perfect lighter read. This is the first book in a NA series following a group of college students as they navigate both Greek life and life in general. This was a lot of fun and exactly what I needed as a bit of a palette cleanser. It is told almost in the form of a TV show in episodes. This first book is comprised of six episodes and we follow seven different characters and all of the drama that they are involved in. It is very dramatic and it reminded me a lot of shows like Gossip Girl, which I love. It's nothing that will blow your mind but it is a lot of fun and a super quick read. I will definitely be picking up the rest of this series.

Rating: 3/5

The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler -

This is the first book in a series of companion novels set in a small town in Alaska and it has been on my radar ever since I fell in love with The Simple Wild by KA Tucker. I know that I love an Alaska setting, I know that I love a small town grump, this sounded like exactly my kind of book. It didn't quite live up to the very high bar set by The Simple Wild, but it was a fun read. It follows Graham, the grumpy diner owner in this small town who hates tourists, and Zoey, a big city girl who is on her dream trip. The pair meet and have an instant connection. This was very much instalove and was another instance in which I just couldn't see why they were so obsessed with each other so quickly. I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much had it not been set in Alaska as the plot wasn't anything special. It was made clear that Zoey was 'not like other girls', which is something that annoys me in book, especially as all that really seemed different about her was the fact she wasn't rich. Overall, this was a fun read made a bit better by the Alaska setting but didn't blow me away. I will probably continue on with this series at some point.

Rating: 3.5/5

Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh -

This was the third book I read for the reading popular thrillers post and was the biggest surprise of them all. It is a legal thriller following the high profile murder trial in which an actor is being accused of murdering his wife and head of security. The book is told from two perspectives, one the lawyer who has become involved in the case and the other the serial killer who has made his way on to the jury. This was unlike anything I have ever read before and I loved every second of it. It was intense and graphic at times, we are seeing into the very twisted mind of a serial killer who is not afraid to do what he needs to do to get his way. I found the trial from the perspective of the lawyer really interesting and enjoyed following his investigation. This was full of twists, none of which I saw coming, and it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. It was such a cleverly written, well crafted book that I couldn't put down. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

Rating: 5/5

Thicker Than Water by Tyler Shultz -

I have recently started another Audible free trial, after cancelling my membership years ago, so wanted to try out some of the Audible originals that come with the membership. This is a short non-fiction audiobook, that felt more like a podcast, detailing the Theranos scandal from Tyler Shultz perspective a the whistleblower in the case. I had never heard anything about this so it was interesting to learn something new. It felt very informal and more like a chat, which threw me off a bit as I was not expecting more of a podcast vibe. It was interesting enough but as someone who knew nothing about this situation going into it, I found some points hard to follow and could have done with a bit more explanation. 

Rating: 3/5

Those are the seven books I read in October. My reading was a bit mixed this month, with a few different genres thrown in there. I think I was starting to get a little burnt out on romance and that was causing me to be slumpy. I found that when I was breaking up my reading with different genres I could enjoy what I was reading a bit more.

I'm really excited for my reading in November, so hopefully that means I can read all of the books! 

What was the best book you read in October?

Sophie :)

Reading Three Popular Thrillers

 Before I started reading predominantly romance, I used to read a decent amount of thrillers. Whether they were YA or Adult, I found myself reaching for them regularly but started to get annoyed with them being so hit or miss. I have only read a handful of thrillers over the past couple of years so I thought, given the time of year, I would give a few popular thrillers a go. I decided to pick up three books that I have heard a lot of great things about and see if I could find the book to make me fall in love with thrillers again. I decided it might be interesting to share my thoughts before, during and after reading to see how my feelings changed throughout.

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

Initial Thoughts: This is a thriller that has been so hyped in the book community, both by thriller readers and those who don’t typically read this genre, so I’ve been a bit scared to pick it up. I have had it on so many TBRs but just kept putting it off. It takes place on a secluded island during a wedding where someone is found dead. I love the idea of a wedding party on a secluded island, it has the potential to be so atmospheric and intense. This is probably the one I’m most excited about. 

50% Thoughts: I am completely hooked. This book sucked me in straight away with the atmospheric setting and flipping between the wedding night and the days before. I really enjoy the various POVs, I think it makes for such a fast read. The mystery is still so unknown at this point, we don’t really know much about what has happened yet. I like that as I can’t make any guesses, which is usually what ruins a mystery/thriller for me if I manage to guess correctly. I’m really enjoying this so far and I just hope nothing happens to change my thoughts. 

Final Thoughts: I am happy to say that this is a thriller that was worth the hype for me. It was full of twists that kept me reading on and I just loved the way it was written. We are following the bride, groom, various members of the wedding party and the wedding planner in the days leading up to the wedding and the wedding night. The multiple POVs made for such a fast paced read and kept the mystery going as you didn’t know who you could trust, as did the jumping between past and present timelines. I enjoyed how the ending was set up as even though I did manage to guess who the killer was, the journey to get to the reveal was still so intense and intriguing. This was exactly the kind of thriller for me and I will definitely be looking for more like this in the future.

Rating: ★★★★

Final Girls by Riley Sager

Initial Thoughts: This has been on my TBR for the longest time! I remember seeing the synopsis for this book and being instantly interested. It follows a group of women who are all the sole survivors of horrific events. When one is found dead, the others’ lives start to get more complicated. This just sounds like such an interesting premise and I’ve heard that it gets really intense. 

50% Thoughts: The first half of this book was boring. I hate to say that as it was not what I was expecting from this. All I have heard is how thrilling and intense this book is but I haven’t felt any of that so far. Despite the slow start, the characters are interesting and the plot still has potential so I am hoping it picks up a bit from this point. I’m pretty sure I’ve guessed the twist though, I hope I’m wrong. 

Final Thoughts: I wasn’t wrong. I guessed the twist the second a character was introduced. It doesn’t bother me too much when I guess the twist if getting to it is exciting and the reveal is worth it. Sadly, this was a bit disappointing. It wasn’t a bad book, it just didn’t live up to the hype for me. It did pick up a bit in the second half and things got more exciting and intense but never enough for me to be all that invested. As I said before, the characters were interesting and just as twisted as I like to see in my thrillers. While the pacing was slightly off, the plot itself wasn’t bad. It was a unique concept and the author did a great job of throwing in red herrings and keeping you guessing; It’s just a shame that I made a good guess early on. Although this one was a bit of a disappointment for me, I would be interested in reading more from Riley Sager now as I did enjoy the writing.

Rating: ★★★

Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh

Initial Thoughts: I would probably say this is the book out of the three that I am most unsure about. I picked this one up before I had heard anything about it because the tagline ‘the serial killer isn’t on trial...he’s on the jury’ had me hooked when I read it. I then saw a lot of people rave about it but just never got around to reading it. I think this is more of a legal thriller, which I don’t think I’ve ever read before. I have no idea what to expect going into this one.

50% Thoughts: This one has been a bit of a surprise for me because so far I am really enjoying it! It is unlike anything I have read before and has me completely hooked. This is following a high profile murder trial of a movie star following the murder of his actress wife and their head of security and is told from two perspectives. The first is of the lawyer who becomes involved in the case, the second is that of the killer who has gotten himself on the jury. I am so in awe of how cleverly written this is. Maybe it is just because I don't read a lot of books like this but I don't think I have ever been this hooked when reading a thriller. It is intense and pretty graphic and gory, which are not things I really love to read, but it is all just so intriguing. The twists keep on coming, I have no idea where this is going and I can't stop reading. I really am loving this so far!

Final Thoughts: In a surprising turn of events, this was my favourite of the three and probably the best book I have read in months. I loved it! I am now questioning my reading tastes; am I actually a romance reader or should I now be reading legal thrillers and crime novels? My final thoughts are pretty much the same as my thoughts from the half way point. This book just continued to keep me interested and shock me with the twists it took. I never knew what would come next, it was so cleverly written. It was intense and gripping, I was completely immersed in this story and couldn't put the book down. I'm a lover of true crime documentaries and this read in a similar way, to me at least. I will definitely be reading more from this author and I might have to start asking my family for some book recommendations as they are all big crime readers. 

Rating: ★★★★★

This was something a little different for me as I have been reading so much romance this year. Even though I love romance, I was starting to get a little burnt out and found myself getting slumpy and rating everything around the 3 star mark. This has definitely gotten me out of my reading slump and I even found a new five star book. 

If you have any thriller recommendations based on my thoughts on these three books, please let me know so I can find some more new favourites.

What is your favourite type of thriller?

Sophie :)

Five Books That Give Me Autumn Vibes

 Now that we are officially into Autumn/Fall/Spooky Season, I am feeling all of the Autumn vibes. I just want to wear oversized jumper and drink hot chocolate while I curl up under a blanket and read. This is the time of year where my reading taste get a bit all over the place. I go from reading almost entirely contemporary romance to reading a little bit of everything. So I thought I would share five books, from various genres, that give me autumn vibes.

 

1. The Simple Wild by KA Tucker - If I remember correctly this is technically set in the summer, but the Alaska setting just gives me the autumn vibes. This is a hate to love romance following Calla, who travels to Alaska to spend time with her estranged father after finding out he has cancer and meets grumpy pilot Jonah. This is one of my favourite books of the year, I can't recommend this book enough.

2. Verity by Colleen Hoover - If you're not into scary but want a bit of creepy this time of year, this is the book you need. This book took me on a ride! It follows a woman who is hired to complete the book series of a bestselling author. She goes to stay in the authors home with her family and discovers some secrets. I went into it knowing nothing and enjoyed every intensely creepy second of it.

3. Eleanor & Grey by Brittainy C Cherry - This is another one that probably takes place in the summer but gave me all the cozy, autumnal vibes. This is romance following two teenagers who form an unlikely friendship to help each other through some rough times, which of course develops into more. It then jumps into the future when the two have lost touch but Eleanor ends up becoming the nanny to Greyson's children after the death of his wife. I would recommend this one if you want to shatter your heart and spend your autumn sobbing.

4. Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire - This is a great book if you're not a fantasy reader but want something just a little fantastical around this time of year. It takes place in a home for children who have returned from other worlds (think Narnia) and are having a difficult time readjusting. There is a bit of a mystery element to it, which gives some creepy undertones as well. It's very unique and a great quick read for this time of year.

5. Only When It's Us by Chloe Liese - I'm pretty sure this only gives me autumn vibes because of the colours on the cover but I will take any opportunity to talk about this series so I'm going with it. This is a romance between a college soccer star and the grumpy guy in her class who the professor tells her to get help from, but he just keeps ignoring her. After she discovers he not actually ignoring her but is deaf, the two have the cutest frenemies to lovers romance ever. 

Those are five books that give me very autumnal vibes. My reasoning for that might not always be completely solid, but they are all great books that I would definitely recommend picking up sometime soon. 

What book always gives you autumn vibes?

Sophie :)