February Reads: Romances and Book Clubs

Another great month! I was able to really work on some of my reading goals while also reading a fun hockey romance series on Kindle Unlimited. I read a total of 11 books and DNF’d one. My overall breakdown was two fantasies, seven romances, one dystopian, and one thriller. I had lots of fun and had an average rating of a 3.6 – can’t wait to see what March holds!

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare – So of course I had to get back to the Shadowhunters world ASAP. City of Ashes picks up right where that ridiculous plot twist of City of Bones left off – IYKYK. These books just feel so nostalgic and were so comforting in the gross weather of February. I obviously can’t say much because its the second book in the series, but I felt like this book just hooked me and got me so excited for the rest of the series. If you are looking for a fantasy world to get sucked into and really fall in love with a cast of characters, this is definitely a great one!

The Heir Apparent by Rebecca Armitage – I loved this story so much! It felt like a grown up Princess Diaries in a sense. Our main character, Lexi, is a 20-something in her medical school residency in Australia, loving life, pinching pennies, and never getting enough sleep. Except she is actually a British princess, third in line for the throne, and when her father and brother pass in a tragic plane accident, she is in a spot she never expected or wanted. This was such a well-written battle of “what I should do” vs “what I actually want”. I felt that the author really dove into the struggles that so many young women face (family vs self, career vs love, right choice vs easy choice) in a way that I really appreciated.

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman – Wow. I Who Have Never Known Men was a rollercoaster of a novel from start to finish. This story is told all in one go, with no breaks or chapters. Our main character’s name is never given to us even though we follow her life from childhood to death. Our all-female cast of characters is trapped in an underground bunker, guarded by a group of male soldiers. They receive food and water regularly, nothing else, until one day an alarm goes off, the soldiers disappear, and the door is left wide open. This story was haunting honestly and I really couldn’t put this book down.

Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino – This was the December 2025 pick for GMA’s book club and a debut I was hearing great things about! I feel like debut authors have really been showing up and showing out lately. Our main character, Margo, is slowly losing it. The apartment that her and her husband were only in “for a short time” has now been their home for over eighteen months. They are house-hunting, unsuccessfully, and with each lost bidding war, Margo goes a bit crazier. This book was absolutely nuts from start to finish, yet never too bloody, which is my kind of thriller.

Once Upon A Time in Dollywood by Ashley Jordan – This was yet another debut novel and the August Reese’s Book club pick! This was such a “normal person” romance in the best way. We follow Eve, a woman thriving professionally but falling apart personally, and Jamie, a newly single dad coming out of the worst custody battle. I felt like the book really did a wonderful job with the feeling of “this could be the right person but I don’t know if I’m ready” and also just being so honest about how family, mental health, and even kids impact all kinds of relationships. Definitely looking forward to reading more from this author!

Our Vicious Oaths by N.E. Davenport – I really pushed myself out of my comfort zone this month and joined a local in-person book club! I felt mediocre about this one to be honest. Our main character Kadeesha was such a girl boss and I loved how she was constantly standing up for herself. On the other hand, I felt like the story didn’t really flow. The romance was so randomly thrown in and then they would go back to hating each other and then all of the sudden they loved each other. I think that this was a fun Kindle Unlimited read but just not my favorite.

Behind the Net by Stephanie Archer – This is an interconnected standalone series of hockey romances on Kindle Unlimited that I have been wanting to read forever! I finally started off with Behind the Net in February to beat the winter blues, and then quickly fell down the rabbit hole and read all of them. This first book follows Pippa, a newly single and unemployed woman in Vancouver desperately looking for a job, and Jamie, a NHL player looking for an assistant. This was such a cute rom-com that I read in under a day.

The Fake Out by Stephanie Archer – Just had to pick up the second one after the kinda-cliffhanger IYKYK. This was the perfect fake dating story for me. We follow Rory and Hazel, an NHL player and the girl he has always been obsessed with. When Hazel’s ex is suddenly the newest player on the team and even gets assigned to her physical therapy rotation, she can’t help but blurt out that Rory is her new fling, just to make her ex back off. Another one that I read in under 24 hours and was counting down the minutes until I could sit and read!

The Wingman by Stephanie Archer – I would have to say this was my least favorite of the Vancouver Storm series but still a fun read! We are finally getting Hayden’s story with his best friend Darcy. This book was one of the “dating coach” tropes and it just was honestly a bit cringy at times. I was so excited to see best friends to lovers, especially since Hayden was so down-bad the first two books, but this just felt like they were sometimes best friends and sometimes shy middle schoolers scared to talk to each other.

Gloves Off by Stephanie Archer – I feel like most Kindle Unlimited interconnected standalone romance series have like a set list of tropes they can choose from. This was the “fake marriage/marriage of convenience” one, and I actually really liked it! We follow Alexei, who is worried about his Canadian citizenship situation, and Georgia, who needs to get married to get her inheritance. They can’t stand each other (for valid reasons) and make no sense as a couple, until they do. This was so good and I flew through it! I love the fighting, the teasing, and just how they really got to know each other as humans rather than out of romantic interest.

The Wild Card by Stephanie Archer – Finally we get Coach Tate and Jordan’s story! Jordan is the grumpy bartender/owner of the team’s favorite after-game spot and Tate is the single dad who has slowly become the best coach in the league. What no one knows is that Jordan’s dad owns the Vancouver Storm and wants to sell the team, unless Jordan agrees to come work for the team. This was such a mature romance where they really were friends first and cared about each other. I also loved how we really got a wrap-up of all the other characters included too!

Katabasis by R.F. Kuang – My second DNF of the year! Looks like I’m DNF’ing one a month at this rate which I never do. If this is a book you love, I completely understand. I thought it was an incredibly unique premise and the writing was so well done. Our main character Alice is so freaking close to getting the recommendation from her professor may have just killed him. Her only idea of a solution is to journey to Hell to bring him back. I simply just felt like I was dragging through and like the book was too smart for me if that makes sense. I think this may be one I pick back up at another time but I just really wasn’t loving it in the moment.

That is all for this fashionably late wrap-up! I am planning to crank through March and April wrap-ups so I can get caught up. Please let me know if you’ve read any of these and your thoughts! See you soon!