Book Reviews: My December Reads

I may have gone a little crazy this month, especially compared to last month. I find that when I am stressed I read more. I think social media stresses me out and being lost in a good story is so much better for my mental health, especially during finals. Once I got home for Christmas, I just really was working hard on my rotting time by upping my screen time and fitting in lots of library books. I had so many great reads this month, and I got plenty of books off my Goodreads and Kindle Library TBR. Just a win-win! If you are interested in real time updates on my reading, check out my Goodreads.

The Match by Sarah Adams – Sarah Adams has yet to disappoint me and I love her for that. This is the first in her Charlestown, SC duology of romances, and I loved it. Our main female character has epilepsy and works with a non-profit to help others get set up with service dogs like her own. Our main male character is a single dad with a kiddo with epilepsy and he is very much against the idea of getting a service pup. It was so Hallmark-movie-esque and just a fun read all around.

The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce – @saracarrolli had this as one of her top reads of the year, so I was pumped when my Libby hold came in. I sped through this rom-com so fast and I really liked it! Our main characters are best friends turned lovers turned exes with a rough breakup. However, the best friend that brought them together is getting married and needs their help with setup. They go back to the family farm wedding venue, where they first fell in love as teenagers, and slowly discover just how much they’ve missed each other.

Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – The first book’s ending left Cassie feeling like she could trust no one. On top of that, she’s somehow in a love triangle and still lying to her family about what exactly she is doing at this program. I have said it before and I’ll say it again, these books are the perfect amount of thrill for me without being scary. Just like Criminal Minds in a book. Only reason it wasn’t perfect is I hate love triangles personally.

All In by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – FIVE STARS. We get more back story on Sloane here, the teens adventure to Vegas, and now there’s more information in Cassie’s mom’s missing persons case. I loved the Vegas aspect and that the team got to actually have some fun for once. I also just felt like they were listened to more here and the mystery just felt urgent and unpredictable to me. I really can’t say much more without spoiling since it’s the third book in the series.

Bad Blood by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – FIVE STARS AGAIN. They half solved the last case and now it’s ramping up even more. Cassie’s mom and her case combined with a possible cult and the team’s parents asking too many questions all lead to chaos and lots of twists and turns. I just love Barnes and how we really understand the mind processes and motives of each character, even the villain. I just was so sad to leave this world.

12 (Novella) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – My copy of Bad Blood had this novella in the back, and of course I went right into it. We’re following the team years later with some in FBI Academy, Cassie as a civilian consult and caretaker, and an old case popping back up again. One of their first cases solved involved a young girl who is now threatening to jump off a lighthouse if the Naturals team does not come to talk to her. This was just the perfect wrap-up to ensure all our characters are doing well, and I loved that Barnes gave us this.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*** by Mark Manson – I really liked the message of this book but he just used cuss words almost as much as he used adjectives. Definitely a book for adults and the message really was good, all about caring enough but not to a level of where it keeps you from other things. Just so many cuss words. Probably my least favorite non-fiction read of the year.

Set the Record Straight by Hannah Bonham-Young – Just a cute little Christmas novella! It was on Kindle Unlimited and gave me the Christmas vibes I needed. It follows two best friends going home for Christmas and realizing they’re perfect for each other. Only problem was one of them just had no clue the other was obviously in love with them. It was super cute, but I definitely will not be thinking about it in the long-term.

Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood – Same with this one! I love Ali Hazelwood’s writing and this was such a fun Christmas-time story. Two ex-best friends turned more are stranded together in a snow storm and forced to rehash everything. This was the non-creepy version of “Baby, it’s Cold Outside” and I loved it! I would 100% recommend for a short Christmas read.

A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen – This was such a unique fantasy idea, drawing on Norse mythology and everyone’s favorite, a strong female character who has no idea she’s the most powerful person ever. I really like the Norse influence, the romance, and the overall storyline. I just can rarely give the first book in a fantasy series 5 stars because there’s so much intro. Otherwise, it felt like a great fantasy palate cleanser (nothing like any of the others) and I can’t wait for the next one in March.

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood – This was the final of the OG STEM Ali Hazelwood romances, and it was just as good as the others. Obviously, I’ve read Ali Hazelwood before, so I knew this would be good. We follow a graduate student that is fake dating a faculty member to convince her best friend that she is over her ex. It was so much fun, and I really liked our main female character. I will definitely be reading more by her!

Lost and Lassoed by Lyla Sage – I’ve been waiting for this one! Finally we get Gus and Teddy’s story in the Rebel Blue Ranch series and it’s a perfect single dad and nanny trope. I loved the romance and the slow burn, I only wish the communication had been better. There were just some spots that a simple conversation could have solved. Overall, it’s definitely worth a read.

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter – This was peak Hallmark movie, both in cringiness and awesomeness. At a few points, our main female character even says “Let’s make out” so definitely could have been some better dialogue. However, I did not guess the twists at all and I really did like our characters. Just a fun cozy mystery with a cute romance and an unpredictable rich lady. This was a perfect Christmas book for my lazy days before the Christmas craziness.

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren – This was like “Pretty Woman” in paradise. Our main character married someone years ago for family housing rent and thought they were long divorced. Now, he’s knocking on her door with his fancy credit card and saying that they are about to celebrate 5 years of marriage. So now she has a whole new wardrobe, a vacation to a private island, and the ability to pay off her crushing bills. I loved this story and would definitely recommend.

The Heat of the Everflame by Penn Cole – Ok so… I’m not technically finished with this book yet. However, it is taking me so freaking long because it’s over 1000 pages and I have just been so busy. I definitely feel like it’s a great book and I’m never bored, but I just wish it was split into two 500 page books. I just feel little motivation to read because 400 pages is not even 40%. I’m going to finish it for sure, so I’ll let you know my thoughts.

TBR FAILS:

40% success this month… could be worse! I had some library holds come in and then I really got in a Christmas-y mood with some novellas. I also started Heat of the Everflame and that is like the length of three different books. I’ll read these soon!

Read the December TBR here!

DNFs:

I RARELY quit on a book, so two in one month is crazy for me…

How My Neighbor Stole Christmas by Meghan Quinn – I have loved every other book I’ve read by her, but this one was like she was writing it drunk. It made no sense in some parts and then others were just ridiculously cringy. I quit at 150-ish pages.
Good to Great by James C. Collins – I got this audiobook from Libby and HATED it. I quit about 1.5 hours in because he was talking about companies that don’t even exist anymore when the whole point of the book is what makes a company successful long-term. Just a waste of my time personally!