Backstabbing and betrayal galore! Some of my favorite things to read about. So many secrets between Billie and Cassie. Their relationship is toxic. I couldn‘t turn away.

I read 6 books this month, with Their Surprise Reunion and Her Amish Country Husband tied for favorites. Both of these brought forth my current obsession which are sweet Harlequin romances.

From NetGalley = 2
From my own shelf = 1
From library = 3

I was disappointed by all three non-Harlequin reads. I hated the ends of Sandwich and Year of Wonders. Also, I have full shelves but have read more library books in both Jan and Feb 2025.

#February25

Finished this puzzle while listening to the tagged book. The book is great so far, I‘m not quite 2/3 thru. I‘ve enjoyed this author‘s work in the past. Her characters are complicated and have such toxic relationships. They‘re so catty, I absolutely love it.

The puzzle is called “A Book Lover‘s Christmas” and it has holiday scenes from a bunch of classic books. I received it for a Christmas gift but am just getting around to it. #audiopuzzling

I‘m obsessed with Harlequin romance at the moment probably because both social media and the news are so divisive. These books are easy and fun, no drama, no politics, and they always have a HEA. Like my favorite kind of ice cream over and over.

This is the first HQN Heartwarming book that was published back in 2013. An enemies-to-more featuring a father and his four daughters who run a historic Victorian Inn together. So stress-free, I loved it.

A second-chance romance where Faith moves back home to run her late aunt‘s antique store along with her two sisters, only to find that her ex-husband Trent was hired by her aunt before her death to make repairs. They never got over one another. I love the way his Amish family and her English family all encourage them to listen to their hearts and find their way back to one another. Great subplots, great supporting cast, and I‘m…

A low pick because I had to work so hard for this one. It took about two weeks to read it, which is a long time for me, because the first 2/3 was so doggone slow. The last 1/3 was great though. I understand the drag in the beginning because Cutter was setting up these characters and The Big Event that would come toward the end. I can strongly see Stephen King‘s influence with certain word choices (palaver!) and a Western feel reminiscent…

I‘ve been reading this book for almost two weeks and I‘m finally about 1/4 thru it. I keep going because it‘s a Cutter book, but this one is much slower-going than the other two I‘ve read by him: The Troop and The Queen. I would love to finish it up this week. Hoping it picks up soon!

This was so great! I wanted something easy and fun, warm and fuzzy. This was perfect! Sean is a young widower raising his 6yr old son Jackson when newly divorced Kayla walks into their lives. Their romance progressed sweetly and little Jackson was a lot of fun to read. This author is wonderful and I love that baking played a part in the story.

Harlequin‘s Heartwarming line is 💯.

On sale 4/29. Many thanks to HQN and NetGalley for my review copy.

I wish I could have loved this one! I DID love the first 2/3 so much, where I found myself identifying SO HARD with the simultaneous exhaustion and joy of motherhood and the conflicting feelings of watching your kids grow up to be successful and great and then moving out.

But I was so disappointed by the last 1/3. All of Rocky‘s issues and feelings just got to be too much. In the end I found her unbearable and I felt sorry for her poor husband.

LOVED reading about the small village being ravaged by the plague and the difficult decision to close their gates and quarantine themselves from the rest of Derbyshire. The story is based on a real village Eyam and how they handled the Bubonic Plague in 1665-1666.

But oh how I hated the ending. The last 50 pages or so made me mad because they ruined an otherwise beautiful book.

Beginning=5 stars, Ending=2 stars. So overall a So-So from me.

I read 8 books this month with the tagged book being my favorite from the lot. But overall, I really enjoyed every one of these. January was a super good reading month for me.

From NetGalley = 3
From my own shelf = 1
From library = 4

A personal goal for myself in 2025 was to read more medieval stories, particularly those from my own shelf, so since I didn‘t do that in January, I want to get going on that goal during February.

#January25

This is a book about magic and who can/can‘t use it. The magic system is a lot of fun and so is the world. It was a ton of fun for me going into it without knowing anything about it at all except that it‘s one of my daughter‘s favorite books, and it was fun to talk to her about the characters and scenes as I read it. She warned me “Don‘t get attached to these characters” and she is so right! I would get attached, and Schwab would kill them off!

I‘ve had a huge book hangover for about two weeks now and tried several books, but couldn‘t get into anything. I finally found a book that stuck! Halfway thru, and it‘s fun so far.

A library loan, and a beautiful cookbook, as all of ATK‘s are. I‘ve made three recipes from it, and enjoyed them all. But there is a ton of articles on history of Southern food with respect to specific people and restaurants, and because this takes up so much of the book, I am opting not to buy it for my shelves. I read it cover to cover. All of the recipes in here are included on the ATK app with my membership, so I‘ll just access them there.

I went in blind and was both shocked and delighted by the strange twists in this story. It‘s what I expect from Nick Cutter, although not quite as nauseating as The Troop (which I also really liked). There are themes of friendship and belonging nestled in among all of the craziness. So many insects in here! A pick!

My favorite way to #weekendreads 🐾☕️

Sidenote: This book is CRAZY. 🐜

5⭐️ It‘s hard to formulate words for this one in a small space. The horror elements are less about the witchcraft and more about the horrors these “wayward girls” had to endure. They had no bodily autonomy nor free will in decision-making. Hendrix did such good work here with generational and religious traumas. He also paid great care to the labor, delivery, and postpartum process (L&D nurse here). My thoughts are LARGE, it‘s so astoundingly good.

5⭐️ I *really* liked this. I read the pitch comparing it to Station Eleven, which is one of my all-time favorites and a book that completely changed the way I think of and interact with people. This one is very similar, where climate changes have forced a life that is unrecognizable. A slow story, beautifully written, with lots of emotion and longing in the pages. Toward the middle, it really started to pick up until I absolutely HAD to finish it.

A wonderful novella, just 2hrs long, taking place in Ireland, 1985. Bill Furlong is a kind, quiet man who was born to an unwed mother but shown kindness and care by his mother‘s employer. Now a successful adult with a good marriage, and five daughters of his own, he cannot help but contemplate compassion. He knows he is fortunate and always tries to pay it forward to others in need, even though his wife nags him about it. Bill stumbles upon…

Finished this morning before work ☕️🐾

Twisty with several POV‘s and a load of red herrings. An exotic, tropical setting and a group of women on vacation, celebrating a divorce in their group. It got crazier the further I read and the twists weren‘t entirely surprising, but I enjoyed every word. Something about a group of friends with a ton of secrets and betrayal always entertains me. I also have enjoyed this author‘s other work as CJ Cooke.

Not many things I love as much as reading with Beau asleep beside me. He‘s so warm!! And he‘s such a good reading buddy #dogsoflitsy

Enjoying the tagged book. Fast-paced and twisty! And set during the end of summer 🏖️🌊🍹

I loved this! I‘m a huge Josh Malerman fan and I think I definitely liked this one as much as Bird Box and Malorie. The 8yr old protagonist Bela is a great narrator. She‘s extremely perceptive about what‘s happening even as her young age means she doesn‘t always understand. This is a super creepy story, with a lot to say about the weight of secrets and how we can‘t run from them. A slow burn, then very intense! With an open ending.

A great third installment in the After Series featuring a community in the NC mountains that struggles to survive and thrive after an EMP attack back in the first book. A new US government has formed, but the characters from this series doubt its intentions and the Constitutionality of its actions. I gasped out loud several times in the second half. Gripping and thought-provoking, with crazy revelations. These characters have been thru so much.

I met my goal of 100 books on Christmas Day and haven‘t really wanted to read much since then. So we‘ve done holiday things and watched a lot of movies and football. I like a nice, round number, so I‘m setting my 2025 goal for 100 books again.

My February favorite was a title that I‘d had on my NetGalley backlog for a looong time. I expected to read something a little bit easy, breezy because of the cover, but NOPE! This one was intense and really packed an emotional punch. I remember enjoying the thought-provoking nature of the story, and I wished I hadn‘t waited so long to read it.

#12Booksof2024 @Andrew65

The Drift by CJ Tudor was my favorite read from January. I remember reading the bulk of it while my family was on a ski trip which was a great backdrop for such a dark, snowy horror thriller. It was also my first book by this author, and it made me want to read more of her backlist. Fast-paced, snowy, bloody, and dark with three POV‘s that were seemingly not connected-until they were. Such fun, this one!

#12Booksof2024 @Andrew65

I finished this one while having coffee from my Grabdmother‘s Christmas china ♥️☕️

This was cute! It drew my attention because it has a food-centric story where Emma is a culinary instructor trying to move her business to an industrial kitchen space. She falls for a professor who is really the crown prince of a fictional European country. I loved all of the food and cooking, Emma and Michel were cute, and I adored all of the supporting cast.

Noooo nope nope. Make it stop 🤢 I can never unhear this.

This was so cute!! At 2 hours, it was a perfect listen for my drive time today. The story is a forced proximity story between two childhood friends-to-lovers. The tropes are all fantastic and even though this is a quick read, it didn‘t feel too short. This is my 4th novella by Hazelwood and I think she does a great job making shorter-length stories feel pretty developed. The narrator, Vivienne LaRue, did a wonderful job.

I thought the first book (tagged👇🏻) was great, but this sequel is even better. Fast paced, tons of action, and the stakes are incredibly high for the characters that I‘ve come to appreciate. Events like those in this story could happen to us, which made for a much more intense reading experience. The fact that the setting is in my own state of NC made it feel personal. The story is: can the US come back after a global EMP attack? And how?

Another cute romcom novella! A quick read at just 67 pgs and available on KU. The MC‘s are in their 40‘s and 50‘s, and I love reading characters in this age range. They have a fun meetcute: Abraham is trying to spread Christmas cheer by decorating Annette‘s house while she is out of town. She comes home early and thinks he is a thief! This story is tied into this author‘s Romancing The Spy series. So cute, I loved it. 🛷❄️🎅

Cute Christmas novellette coming in at a fun-sized 51 pages and available on KU.

Victor is a young Christmas tree farm owner and Adelaide has a homemade Christmas ornament business. The two are business partners with big dreams and big crushes on one another. It‘s set in the 1970‘s and I loved the nods to the great 70‘s music and life before cellphones. It‘s a short read but so cute and there is plenty of Christmas in it with all of the trees🎄

The second novella in King‘s Four Past Midnight collection, another story by King about a writer going mad. It started off very promising, dragged a little in the middle, and ended with a bang. I liked it! And I liked the MC Mort Rainey. There was a very specific place in the story, after something unexpected happened, that I sat up straight and thought “This is getting good!” King writes the descension into madness so well! #readingStephenKing

So cute! Noelle and Jack both have their own reasons for avoiding Christmas, but they come together when they team up to give Jack‘s young nephew a Christmas he won‘t forget. There are a lot of fun Christmas experiences in here and Noelle‘s family are all wonderful. Jack is Noelle‘s boss so there is good discussion in here about whether having a relationship like that is ethical or not, and the resulting power differential.

The first novella in the Four Past Midnight collection is absolutely crazy. How does King come up with this stuff? There is a time rip and people missing from the plane and suspicion of bad, hungry, monsters called “langoliers.” It‘s a long buildup until the langoliers finally land on the page and WHOA once they do. The idea of this happening is horrifying, but I could not look away. This reads sort of like sci-fi horror lite. #readingStephenKing

Bear is snoring and it‘s a perfect time to start the next book on my #readingStephenKing list 🐾☕️🎄

I liked it, especially when things finally started coming together toward the end. Multiple POV‘s, multiple timelines, and a lot of redirecting meant it took me a while to get my bearings. I had a suspicion about halfway thru that ended up being correct! The characters were not easy to like, they were all fairly unbearable actually. But I was kept entertained thru a particularly busy workweek, which worked well for me.

I liked this. Most of the story takes place in the year following an EMP attack. It‘s how a rural mountain community is able to gather and ration what they have and work as hard as possible to survive impossible conditions. Many don‘t survive and there is a lot of violence. Not the most polished writing, but the story is thought-provoking and engaging. And bleak, especially near the end. It inspired some great conversations with my family.

A very cute novella featuring single Dad Grant, his daughter Casey, and chocolate shop owner Emma, who is new to town and desperately wishes for a family of her own. Grant‘s family is warm and inviting, and they fold Emma in easily. There is plenty of Christmas in this story and it was a nice quick and refreshing holiday read after finishing a darker Stephen King story. Next in this series is a Valentine‘s novella which I will read soon.

I went into this book completely blind and really liked it! Unlike most of King‘s other work, I feel like it started off with a bang and maintained its pace throughout the entire story. I love the supporting cast here, especially Sheriff Alan Pangborn, and I think the concept of the story is a pretty great one. The ending was a bit lackluster, though, and all of the birds completely creeped me out.

Next up #readingStephenKing: Four Past Midnight!

It has been such a long week. This is my busy season at work. I worked extra long days Monday thru Thursday, so I‘m taking today off to catch up around my house and hang out with my doggos. But first, coffee and a few pages of my current read ☕️ #readingStephenKing

This was a super cute novella featuring Tanzy, who runs a shelter and dog-grooming business, and her friend Jake, who is new to town, handsome, kind, and a little mysterious. It was a great length to read along with my coffee over two mornings before work. Not a lot of Thanksgiving in here, sadly, but there were a bunch of dogs! 🐾 There‘s also a lite mystery and one storyline that is quite heart-wrenching (but doesn‘t involve the dogs). Loved it!

This was great! It took a long time to get into it and I considered DNFing. I‘m so glad I didn‘t! There are a lot of twists and I didn‘t predict the end. I loved Lucy‘s grandmother so much! I‘ve never listened to a true crime podcast, so that whole angle was foreign to me. There is subtle feminism in here along with some very frustrating situations happening toward some of the female characters, but overall I think Tintera‘s points are effective.

Second-chance romance-lite where Hollywood actress Tallula has retreated home after the humiliation of a scandal. She reacquaints with Jesse, a reformed bad boy-now-cop who she shared a kiss with many years ago. This is extremely easy reading from the Coffee Loft collection, featuring a chain of coffee store locations. The story isn‘t developed enough for its 215-page length, but it was fine to wind down with a chapter or two nightly before bed.

I liked it more than I thought I would! But it‘s nowhere near my favorite by King. Started and finished strong, dragged throughout the middle. Loved the nods to his other books & characters, IT & Firestarter especially. King is THE MASTER at taking inanimate objects and making them killers. A Coke vending machine, an Electrolux vacuum cleaner, a lawn edger-these things were out for blood!

Next in my #readingStephenKing challenge: The Dark Half!

Eliza is on her way home to Vermont to surprise her parents for Christmas-during a blizzard. When her car skids off the road, the only person close enough to help is her ex-husband River. She has to stay at his cabin to ride out the storm. From there, it‘s a forced proximity second-chance romance. Nothing especially new, but I enjoyed it. I adore seasonal novellas and this fit the bill while my husband and I watched football last night.
🏈🎄❄️

I loved this nearly as much as I did the (tagged) previous book. The Bergman family is fantastic! Ren js a pro hockey player who is secretly in love with Frankie, the team‘s social media manager. She is on the autism spectrum and doesn‘t pick up on the clues that he is into her. Ren is gentlemanly, respectful, and obsessed with Shakespeare. I adore him! A little steamy for my taste (usually) but I love this family so much that I didn‘t even care.

Ev Hillman from The Tommyknockers left Haven, Maine when the town started creeping him out. He went to Derry, Maine, where other things creeped him out. !!!!!!!!!

#iykyk #readingStephenKing

p. 201/747: There is a point in each of King‘s books where the slow, descriptive foundation has finally been set and I feel like I finally know the characters well. Then things really start to pick up for me. From that point on, I can‘t stand to put the book down. I‘m totally there now. Still not a huge sci-fi fan, but King has my attention and I wish I didn‘t have to stop reading to “adult” (aka work) for a little while.

#readingStephenKing

I have SO loved this novella series. I wish there were more published so I could keep reading. There is no drama, and the characters all get along well and care for one another. There is a found family aspect, and I adore the author‘s love for animals and cooking/baking, which comes thru wonderfully in these stories. I hope she continues writing these.

I always love the chance to sit in my chair with my best reading buddy, Beau!

#dogsoflitsy