I got quite a few books read in January. I really enjoyed most of them too. Did you read any good books this month? What was your first five star of 2023?
Countdown to a Kiss by Piper Rayne
Three professional hockey players from the Florida Fury attend a New Year’s Eve party at the team owner’s mansion and spend time with three very different women. As the countdown to midnight begins, each of them is hoping to start the new year off right with a kiss. But if that happens, does it mean they’re destined to see these women again? A sneak peek into Piper Rayne’s series, Hockey Hotties!
I really liked this and want to read the rest of the books in this series now.
Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel
A page-turning adventure of a boy’s journey to the land of ghosts and back. Imagine Garth Hale’s surprise when he’s accidentally zapped to the spirit world by Frank Gallows, a washed-out ghost wrangler. Suddenly Garth finds he has powers the ghosts don’t have, and he’s stuck in a world run by the evil ruler of Ghostopolis, who would use Garth’s newfound abilities to rule the ghostly kingdom. When Garth meets Cecil, his grandfather’s ghost, the two search for a way to get Garth back home, and nearly lose hope until Frank Gallows shows up to fix his mistake.
This was so interesting. The art style was unique and I even teared up at the end of this.
Love, Life, and the List by Kasie West
Seventeen-year-old Abby Turner’s summer isn’t going the way she’d planned. She has a not-so-secret but definitely unrequited crush on her best friend, Cooper. She hasn’t been able to manage her mother’s growing issues with anxiety. And now she’s been rejected from an art show because her work “has no heart.” So when she gets another opportunity to show her paintings, Abby isn’t going to take any chances. Which is where the list comes in. Abby gives herself one month to do ten things, ranging from face a fear (#3) to learn a stranger’s story (#5) to fall in love (#8). She knows that if she can complete the list, she’ll become the kind of artist she’s always dreamed of being. But as the deadline approaches, Abby realizes that getting through the list isn’t as straightforward as it seems . . . and that maybe—just maybe—she can’t change her art if she isn’t first willing to change herself.
I loved this! I ended up bingeing the entire book in a night. So emotional and fun.
A Cowboy For All Seasons by Maisey Yates, Caitlin Crews, Nicole Helm, and Jackie Ashenden
June Gable left each of her four granddaughters a handwritten bequest—to spend a season at her beloved farmhouse in Jasper Creek, Oregon, before they sell it. These cousins were once as close as sisters, but time and family betrayals have pushed them apart… In spring, polished city girl Keira must find her country roots—and reconnect with an old flame. In the summer, tough tomboy JJ needs to tap into her softer side helping a single dad and his daughters. Cheerful dreamer Lila has to help coordinate the town craft fair in autumn, under the stern eye of the handsome cowboy she loved as a girl. And as winter falls, headstrong, independent Bella must learn to ask for help from the one man she believes she can never have. The four cousins will have to confront secrets from the past, deal with old wounds they’d rather hide, and tangle with their hardheaded cowboys before they can find love, healing and the true meaning of family…
This was so good! I loved all four stories and really liked how each girl got a different season. Great love stories with lots of emotion.
Kilala Princess Vol. 3 and 4 art by Nao Kodaka and story by Rika Tanaka
Meet Kilala, an ordinary girl who loves all the Disney Princesses. When she awakens a sleeping prince named Rei, she magically gains the power of the princesses! Rei is searching for the missing princess of his world, and has a magical tiara that will lead him to her. But before Kilala can help him find the missing princess and restore peace to his world, Kilala’s best friend, Erica, is kidnapped by mysterious men! So, with the help of the magical tiara and Rei, Kilala sets off on a quest to find her!
These are so cute! I love the adventure and the Disney aspect.
Confess by Colleen Hoover
Auburn Reed is determined to rebuild her shattered life and she has no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to become deeply attracted to the studio’s enigmatic artist, Owen Gentry. For once, Auburn takes a chance and puts her heart in control, only to discover that Owen is hiding a huge secret. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything Auburn loves most, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it—but can she do it?
I really liked this! I loved the plot in here and how everything played out. Owen is amazing!
Slasher Girls & Monster Boys anthology edited by April Genevieve Tucholke
A host of the smartest young adult authors come together in this collection of scary stories and psychological thrillers curated by Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea’s April Genevieve Tucholke. Each story draws from a classic tale or two—sometimes of the horror genre, sometimes not—to inspire something new and fresh and terrifying. There are no superficial scares here; these are stories that will make you think even as they keep you on the edge of your seat. From bloody horror to supernatural creatures to unsettling, all-too-possible realism, this collection has something for any reader looking for a thrill. Fans of TV’s The Walking Dead, True Blood, and American Horror Story will tear through tales by these talented authors: Stefan Bachmann, Leigh Bardugo, Kendare Blake, A. G. Howard, Jay Kristoff, Marie Lu, Jonathan Maberry, Danielle Paige, Carrie Ryan, Megan Shepherd, Nova Ren Suma, McCormick Templeman, April Genevieve Tucholke, Cat Winters
I liked some of these stories, but not most of them. This was definitely not my usual genre though.
Running Back to You by Bethany Monaco Smith
Stephanie Hawley is my greatest weakness.The red-haired hellion who both infuriates me and lights me on fire. She’s also my wife. One alcohol-fueled night in Vegas, we made a commitment, one she wasn’t ready for. Nothing like a marriage to destroy a relationship. Yet, I can’t quit her. Despite being broken up, whenever she knocks on my door, I let her in without question. But when she shows up looking for something else entirely—a date to her sister’s wedding—I take a chance. I’ll be her date, if she’ll be my wife—for real this time. Now we’re living in the same house, going home to her chaotic family, and trying to put the pieces of our relationship back together again. With everything on the line, I’m starting to wonder if we can rise above the pain of our tortured pasts or if our heartache will tear us apart for good. Can Mike and Steph learn to open their hearts and trust each other or will their relationship end up another painful memory? Find out in their steamy, emotional, second chance small-town romance.
This was so good and emotional! I cried so much. I love the characters and the relationship they all have.
Snowed Under by Mary Feliz
When professional organizer Maggie McDonald finds a body in a snowdrift outside her friend’s ski cabin, she must plow through the clues to find a cold-blooded killer . . . Lake Tahoe in February is beautiful, but Maggie can’t see a thing as she drives through a blinding blizzard with her friend Tess Olmos and their dogs, golden retriever Belle and German shepherd Mozart.Maggie has offered her professional decluttering skills to help Tess tidy up her late husband’s cabin in preparation to sell. She also plans to get in some skiing when her husband Max and their boys join them later in the week. What she doesn’t plan on is finding a boot in a snowdrift attached to a corpse. The frozen stiff turns out to be Tess’s neighbor, Dev Bailey, who disappeared two months ago. His widow Leslie expresses grief, but Maggie can’t help but wonder if it’s a snow job. As more suspects start to pile up, things go downhill fast, and Maggie must keep her cool to solve the murder before the killer takes a powder . . .
This was okay. It was a bit slow for me. I was not able to figure out the killer though.
Can’t Catch My Breath by Sarah Sutton
Addy Arden lives in a land called denial. After losing her dad in a car accident, she’d rather pretend things were okay than be crushed by grief and guilt. Her friends buy the fake smiles and her mom doesn’t seem to notice…or care.And Addy is doing great until she’s paired with Vincent Castello, the most intimidating senior at Greenville High, for a class project. Interview a random classmate and write a report on them. Should be easy, right? Not by a longshot. Because the car accident that killed Addy’s dad? It left Vincent’s father paralyzed. Talk about an awkward ice-breaker. As the two grow closer, can Addy face her grief and guilt head-on and put her past behind her, or will she let it consume her, and lose the guy who truly takes her breath away?
I loved this so much! So emotional and filled with characters that I want more of. This was the last book of Sarah’s that I needed to read and it was perfect!
A Stroke of Luck by Jill Shalvis
AT LAST: When Amy Michaels takes a wrong turn on a weekend hike, she finds herself up close and personal with forest ranger Matt Bowers. And even though she’s tempted to kiss that sexy smile right off his face, she won’t make the mistake of getting involved with the town heartthrob. But after a hot night under a starry sky, neither can deny their attraction–or the stirrings of something more. But will Matt be able to help Amy see the future they could build together? FOREVER AND A DAY: Single dad and ER doctor Josh Scott has no item for anything outside of his clinic and family–Until Grace Brooks arrives in town, looking to start a new life. Soon she’s become nanny to his rambunctious son and is turning his life inside out. Josh and Grace don’t know if what they have can last. But in a town like Lucky Harbor, a lifetime of love starts with just one kiss.
I started this book last year and never got around to reading the second story. I finally did this month. Both were good and really cute.
The Morganville Vampires vol. 2: Midnight Alley and Feast of Fools by Rachel Caine
During the day, Morganville is just a small college town in the heart of Texas. But after dark, students like Claire Danvers know that studying can take a backseat to staying alive. Now together in one bloodthirsty volume, the second two books of the Morganville Vampires series show why underestimating a vampire can be deadly….
I really enjoyed both books in here and I can’t wait to see what happens next!
You’re Not Special by Meghan Rienks
As an only child raised in a town of less than 8,000 people and without a Starbucks in sight, Meghan Rienks has always been pretty good at entertaining herself. Then one day—cue the dramatic voiceover—her life changed forever. In 2010, Meghan was diagnosed with mononucleosis. Mono is basically just a really bad case of the flu, right? Wrong. To a party crazed sixteen-year-old, mono is social suicide. More than anything, it’s just plain boring. So, Meghan opened up her MacBook, used the webcam for something other than a bad Andy Warhol–style photobooth session, and recorded her first YouTube video. Since then, Meghan has shared the ups and downs of her life with the internet, documenting her teenage years for the whole world to see. Now that she’s (mostly) through her awkward stage, Meghan’s here to tell you that it gets better. You’re not alone in the thoughts you think. Sometimes a bad hair day feels worse than a punch in the gut and asking a boy out seems about as difficult as achieving that perfect dewy glow. But despite what you’ve been told, your problems are not unique, and somebody else has felt the way you feel right at this very moment. You’re not special. But you’re also not alone on the bumpy road to adulthood.
I really enjoyed this. I don’t read a ton of non-fiction but I got through this one pretty quickly. I loved the humor in here and there was a lot of relatable topics in here.
The Book Boyfriend by Jeanna Louise Skinner
Emmeline always dreamed of being an author, finding comfort in words and between the pages of her beloved romance novels, but a mental health diagnosis leaves her blocked and unable to write. Then she inherits a crumbling, second-hand bookshop from a mysterious old friend and Emmy discovers that magic is real and maybe her fantasies about the heroes in her favourite historical romances aren’t so far-fetched after all. A handsome stranger–wielding a sword as dangerous as his Tudor past–appears in Emmy’s bookshop asking for help. Together they must race against time itself to lift the curse imprisoning him in an ancient book. But when growing threats to her safety are proved real and not another symptom of her illness, Emmy must learn to trust her own voice again. Can she find the words to save Jonathan and her shop before tragedy strikes on the fateful final page? Romance-addict Emmy may be, but this damsel is about to kick distress into the Ever After.
I really enjoyed this. The writing style was a bit different but I quickly got into it. I loved the characters and the plot twists were crazy. I never could have imagined the ending. Such a great debut and I can’t wait to see what the author comes out with next!
Those are all the books I read in January! Hope you enjoyed! Until next time.