February Reads and Rapid Reviews
BOOKS
February Reads and Rapid Reviews
Not wasting any time here, so let’s dive on in!
- Remarkably Bright Creatures – Shelby Van Pelt
- Jar of Hearts – Jennifer Hillier
- Never Saw Me Coming – Vera Kurian
- Night Shift – Robin Cook
- The One – John Marrs
- My Darling Husband – Kimberly Belle
- Last Girl Ghosted – Lisa Unger
- Luckiest Girl Alive – Jessica Knoll
- Just The Nicest Couple – Mary Kubica
- Little Sister – Patricia MacDonald
- A Court of Thorns and Roses – Sarah J. Maas
- When She Returned – Lucinda Berry
- Lady in the Lake – Laura Lippman
- Top 3 Reads of February
- Monthly Giveaway
- SHOP ALL BOOKS
Remarkably Bright Creatures – Shelby Van Pelt
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 4.4 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Feel good stories
- Witty banter
- Loveable characters
What I loved: The audiobook narrators were amazing, especially Marcellus!
What I didn’t love: I don’t like fish at all so a few times I got creeped out, but I’m a freak so that’s my own trauma to deal with, ha!
Book Blurb
“After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.
Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors—until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.
Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late.
Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.“
My thoughts
Hear me out – I HATE fish so I was really nervous when there was SO much talk about aquatic animals in this book.
BUT!!!! I still loved it. It was SUCH a feel good story about friendship, family, and getting over one’s past to move forward to a better future.
I will say this was SO feel good that I felt I was fully ready to ready some dark and heavy stuff. My mind can only handle so much good at a time haha.
My rating
Jar of Hearts – Jennifer Hillier
*Available on Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 4.1 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Psychological suspense
- Dark thrillers
- Super fast paced
Content warnings: Sexual assault, child murder
What I loved: Fast paced, easy to follow with not a lot of characters, that ending was WILD
What I didn’t love: Child death is always hard to read
Book Blurb
“This is the story of three best friends: one who was murdered, one who went to prison, and one who’s been searching for the truth all these years . . .
When she was sixteen years old, Angela Wong―one of the most popular girls in school―disappeared without a trace. Nobody ever suspected that her best friend, Georgina Shaw, now an executive and rising star at her Seattle pharmaceutical company, was involved in any way. Certainly not Kaiser Brody, who was close with both girls back in high school.
But fourteen years later, Angela Wong’s remains are discovered in the woods near Geo’s childhood home. And Kaiser―now a detective with Seattle PD―finally learns the truth: Angela was a victim of Calvin James. The same Calvin James who murdered at least three other women.
To the authorities, Calvin is a serial killer. But to Geo, he’s something else entirely. Back in high school, Calvin was Geo’s first love. Turbulent and often volatile, their relationship bordered on obsession from the moment they met right up until the night Angela was killed.
For fourteen years, Geo knew what happened to Angela and told no one. For fourteen years, she carried the secret of Angela’s death until Geo was arrested and sent to prison.
While everyone thinks they finally know the truth, there are dark secrets buried deep. And what happened that fateful night is more complex and more chilling than anyone really knows. Now the obsessive past catches up with the deadly present when new bodies begin to turn up, killed in the exact same manner as Angela Wong.
How far will someone go to bury her secrets and hide her grief? How long can you get away with a lie? How long can you live with it? Find out in Jennifer Hillier’s Jar of Hearts.“
My thoughts
I have read both Little Secrets and Things We Do In the Dark and this was one I have been wanting to read for a LONG time.
Hillier just doesn’t miss.
She sucks you RIGHT in from the get go and keeps your heart rate up the entire time.
This has some super dark themes (still don’t think it’s as dark as Pretty Girls which is probably one of my all time favorite super dark books) but I’m 100% team “the darker the better” when it comes to my thrillers.
I loved every part of this.
My rating
Never Saw Me Coming – Vera Kurian
Amazon rating: 4 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.6 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Serial killer tropes
- Unreliable narrators
- Multiple POV
- Dark academia
- Fast paced
- Psychological thrillers
Content warning: Mention of sexual assault, but it’s not a graphic scene
What I loved: Bingeable, has one of my favorite audiobook narrators
What I didn’t love: The ending was a bit meh for me after the wild final scene
Book Blurb
“It would be easy to underestimate Chloe Sevre… She’s a freshman honor student, a legging-wearing hot girl next door, who also happens to be a psychopath. She spends her time on yogalates, frat parties and plotting to kill Will Bachman, a childhood friend who grievously wronged her.
Chloe is one of seven students at her DC-based college who are part of an unusual clinical study of psychopaths—students like herself who lack empathy and can’t comprehend emotions like fear or guilt. The study, led by a renowned psychologist, requires them to wear smart watches that track their moods and movements.
When one of the students in the study is found murdered in the psychology building, a dangerous game of cat and mouse begins, and Chloe goes from hunter to prey. As she races to identify the killer and put her own plan for revenge into action, she’ll be forced to decide if she can trust any of her fellow psychopaths—and everybody knows you should never trust a psychopath.“
My thoughts
There were SO many mixed reviews on this, but I’m glad I didn’t let them steer me away. I was also a little nervous since the girl is in college and while it’s not YA, I have not been super impressed with the YA books I read in the past.
THIS is what I think of when I think dark academia.
I loved the plot and loved the psychological aspect of learning about the different characters and not knowing who to trust.
After the giant big twisty really good ending, the last chapter was kinda like meh to me, but other than that, this was really really good.
My rating
Night Shift – Robin Cook
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.8 stars
How I read it: Physical copy (borrowed from my local library)
Read if you like:
- Private Investigator/Cop thrillers
What I loved: The medical serial killer part of the plot
What I didn’t love: Entirely too slow paced for me, seemed to drag on, SO MANY characters to keep up with
Book Blurb
“Colleagues-turned-spouses Dr. Laurie Montgomery and Dr. Jack Stapleton already have their plates full with demanding forensic pathology work and family pressures. The last thing they need is the sudden death of a colleague. Yet when Laurie’s apparently vital and healthy longtime friend Dr. Sue Passero dies mysteriously in the hospital parking garage, an autopsy is required, and it falls uncomfortably under Laurie’s purview as the chief medical examiner. So when Laurie asks Jack to take special care with the case, he can hardly refuse.
With his curiosity sparked by an inconclusive autopsy, the indefatigable Jack is compelled to resolve the case at hand, and sets out to investigate on-site at Manhattan Memorial Hospital, even though it means blatantly defying the Office of Chief Medical Examiner’s rules. What started out as an inquiry into Sue’s tragic passing soon turns into a deadly and dangerous chess game between Jack and the clever and deranged killer, who might just administer another lethal blow if Jack isn’t careful.“
My thoughts
Ooooo this was SO close to a DNF for me.
My library had this on display and there were tons of good reviews on Amazon so I figured I would go for it.
THIS WAS SO BORING. And predictable (at least for me) and even the action packed scenes were still a snoozefest.
I do love the concept of a medical serial killer (it fascinates me), but this felt like you could have cut out 15 characters and 2/3 of the book and it could have been a great little novella, but great for a 300+ page book.
Not for me, dawg.
My rating
The One – John Marrs
*Available on Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 4.1 stars
How I read it: Physical copy (Purchased on clearance from Books a Million for $3!)
Read if you like:
- Psychological suspense
- Super fast paced
- VERY short chapters
- Multiple POV
What I loved: 2-3 page long chapters made this an INCREDIBLY fast paced easy read; the stories were SO compelling!
What I didn’t love: I seriously can’t think of a thing
Book Blurb
“A simple DNA test is all it takes. Just a quick mouth swab and soon you’ll be matched with your perfect partner—the one you’re genetically made for.
That’s the promise made by Match Your DNA. A decade ago, the company announced that they had found the gene that pairs each of us with our soul mate. Since then, millions of people around the world have been matched. But the discovery has its downsides: test results have led to the breakup of countless relationships and upended the traditional ideas of dating, romance and love.
Now five very different people have received the notification that they’ve been “Matched.” They’re each about to meet their one true love. But “happily ever after” isn’t guaranteed for everyone. Because even soul mates have secrets. And some are more shocking than others…
A word-of-mouth hit in the United Kingdom, The One is a fascinating novel that shows how even the simplest discoveries can have complicated consequences.“
My thoughts
I can NOT express to you the love that I have for this book.
It had EVERYTHING I look for in a novel – quit chapters (I’m talking so few over 3 pages), multiple story lines to keep the interest, hooks from the first chapter, and JAW DROPPING TWISTS.
I’m really really picky about my books and what thrills me, but this was just SO GOOD all around. I added every one of his other books to my TBH and they’re ALL on Kindle Unlimited which makes me SO happy I could cry.
My rating
My Darling Husband – Kimberly Belle
Amazon rating: 4 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.6 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Domestic thrillers
- Unreliable narrator
What I loved: Incredibly bingeable
What I didn’t love: High anxiety/suspense, but still felt a little slow paced, somewhat predictable
Book Blurb
“Jade and Cam Lasky are by all accounts a happily married couple with two adorable kids, a spacious home and a rapidly growing restaurant business. But their world is tipped upside down when Jade is confronted by a masked home invader. As Cam scrambles to gather the ransom money, Jade starts to wonder if they’re as financially secure as their lifestyle suggests, and what other secrets her husband is keeping from her.
Cam may be a good father, a celebrity chef and a darling husband, but there’s another side he’s kept hidden from Jade that has put their family in danger. Unbeknownst to Cam and Jade, the home invader has been watching them and is about to turn their family secrets into a public scandal.
With riveting twists and a breakneck pace, My Darling Husband is an utterly compelling thriller that once again showcases Kimberly Belle’s exceptional talent for domestic suspense.“
My thoughts
I honestly forgot what this was about and had to look it up.
Oops.
But I think part of that was because I really did binge this. It was a real easy listen on audiobook.
I will say that the story itself somewhat drug on in my opinion and it was kind of predictable.
To me, this felt like I was reading a script of a new Netflix drama, which can be both a good and bad thing. It was okay at best, but not super memorable.
My rating
Last Girl Ghosted – Lisa Unger
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.6 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Multiple timelines
- Multiple storylines
- Serial killer trope
- Cult/doomsday prepper storylines
What I loved: The pace felt right on track
What I didn’t love: The MC honestly
Book Blurb
“She met him through a dating app. An intriguing picture on a screen, a date at a downtown bar. What she thought might be just a quick hookup quickly became much more. She fell for him—hard. It happens sometimes, a powerful connection with a perfect stranger takes you by surprise. Could it be love?
But then, just as things were getting real, he stood her up. Then he disappeared—profiles deleted, phone disconnected. She was ghosted.
Maybe it was her fault. She shared too much, too fast. But isn’t that always what women think—that they’re the ones to blame? Soon she learns there were others. Girls who thought they were in love. Girls who later went missing. She had been looking for a connection, but now she’s looking for answers. Chasing a digital trail into his dark past—and hers—she finds herself on a dangerous hunt. And she’s not sure whether she’s the predator—or the prey.“
My thoughts
While I understand why the main character ticked in this book, I just kept finding myself wanting to slap some sense into her.
I still thought the story was good, but since I listened on audiobook, I found that it took me a second sometimes to figure out who the particular chapter was about.
I love a good actual cult story (like After We Were Stolen by Brooke Beyfuss) but this was a little different and not quite as good to me.
My rating
Luckiest Girl Alive – Jessica Knoll
Amazon rating: 4 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.5 stars
How I read it: Physical copy (borred from my local library)
Read if you like:
- Dark academia
- Revenge thrillers
- Inner emotional turmoil
Content warnings: Rape/sexual assault scenes, eating disorders, school shooting
What I loved: I loved this storyline and absolutely loved the ending
What I didn’t love: Long chapters
Book Blurb
“HER PERFECT LIFE IS A PERFECT LIE
As a teenager at the prestigious Bradley School, Ani FaNelli endured a shocking, public humiliation that left her desperate to reinvent herself. Now, with a glamorous job, expensive wardrobe, and handsome blue blood fiancé, she’s this close to living the perfect life she’s worked so hard to achieve.
But Ani has a secret.
There’s something else buried in her past that still haunts her, something private and painful that threatens to bubble to the surface and destroy everything.
With a singular voice and twists you won’t see coming, Luckiest Girl Alive explores the unbearable pressure that so many women feel to “have it all” and introduces a heroine whose sharp edges and cutthroat ambition have been protecting a scandalous truth, and a heart that’s bigger than it first appears.
The question remains: will breaking her silence destroy all that she has worked for—or, will it at long last, set Ani free?“
My thoughts
I feel like this book may be polarizing, but I really loved it.
I love the darker themes, and I love that we really get an inside look at Ani’s head. I feel like I resonated with her which is why I think I liked it so much.
If you can’t handle scenes of gang rape or have a sensitivity with eating disorders, this may not be the book for you so just be mindful of that.
This was a memorable one for me, though.
My rating
Just The Nicest Couple – Mary Kubica
Amazon rating: 4 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.6 stars
How I read it: Kindle
Read if you like:
- Fast paced
- Domestic thrillers
- Dual timelines
- Heart racing suspense
What I loved: This had my heartrate up almost the entire time, great twists and suspense
What I didn’t love: This was a bit predictable for me and I called the 2 big things in this
Book Blurb
“Jake Hayes is missing. This much is certain. At first, his wife, Nina, thinks he is blowing off steam at a friend’s house after their heated fight the night before. But then a day goes by. Two days. Five. And Jake is still nowhere to be found.
Lily Scott, Nina’s friend and coworker, thinks she may have been the last to see Jake before he went missing. After Lily confesses everything to her husband, Christian, the two decide that nobody can find out what happened leading up to Jake’s disappearance, especially not Nina. But Nina is out there looking for her husband, and she won’t stop until the truth is discovered.“
My thoughts
Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica was one of the first audiobooks I listened to and I was HOOKED. It was probably one of my favorite reads from 2022.
I don’t think I love this one as much as I loved Local Woman Missing, but I FLEW through this book. I absolutely did not want to put this one down at all.
I loved the dual timelines and I always love getting to see the same story from 2 different points of view which is exactly what this is.
This book has very mixed reviews, but for me, I seriously loved it and I wouldn’t be surprised if this ends up as one of my top reads for the year. And it’s only February.
I will say though, I *called it* about that one character who ended up doing the thing (if you read this you’ll understand my cryptic language lolz).
My rating
Little Sister – Patricia MacDonald
*Available on Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon rating: 4 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.9 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Domestic thrillers
- Family drama
What I loved: It was an easy listen
What I didn’t love: INCREDIBLY anti-climactic even in the ending
Book Blurb
“Two estranged sisters.
One obsessive boyfriend.
A dark secret that could destroy them all.
Beth has the perfect life. She’s the one who escaped her bleak hometown and now she’s got a successful business, a devoted boyfriend, and her dream home.
Then one phone call changes everything . . .
Her father is dead. And Beth must go home to Maine to take care of her fourteen-year-old little sister who she hasn’t seen in eight years.
Her little sister is dating a dangerous man. He’s too old for her. Obsessive and controlling.
And he’ll do anything to keep Beth’s little sister to himself.
An electrifying blend of high domestic suspense, heart-stopping tension — with a shattering final twist.“
My thoughts
With the description on that ending, I really was expecting something wild or twisty.
I guess I could say it was action packed, but these authors are really playing it fast and loose with the ter, “shattering final twist” because there was nothing twisty about it at all. The scene just…played itself out?
This fell super flat for me and while I was able to zip through it, it was super forgettable.
My rating
A Court of Thorns and Roses – Sarah J. Maas
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 4.2 stars
How I read it: Started on Kindle, finished on audiobook
Read if you like:
- Fantasy
- Romance
What I loved: Tons of descriptive language so you can get a feel for the surroundings
What I didn’t love: That whole worm scene thing, no thanks.
Book Blurb
“When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a terrifying creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not truly a beast, but one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world.
At least, he’s not a beast all the time.
As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin-and his world-forever.
From bestselling author Sarah J. Maas comes a seductive, breathtaking book that blends romance, adventure, and faerie lore into an unforgettable read.“
My thoughts
I’ll just come out and say it – I hated this.
I hated almost every second of it.
This was SO HARD for me to follow with the 281903842 different characters AND the fact that they couldn’t just spell names like a normal person (ALIS??? Why?) AND that it was based in a complete alternate reality with people as beasts and animals, I just couldn’t keep up.
This came SO hyped and so many of you kept telling me to just keep going, that the first book was a struggle, but the second book was just SO WORTH IT, but in my mind why on earth would I despise a first book and struggle through it JUST to read the second one?
Maybe my imagination is broken, but this book just was NOT it for me.
My rating
When She Returned – Lucinda Berry
*Available on Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon rating: 4.5 stars
Goodreads rating: 4 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Cults
- Family drama
- Psychological suspense
What I loved: Really easy listen, super bingeable
What I didn’t love: The ending felt super abrupt
Book Blurb
“Kate Bennett vanished from a parking lot eleven years ago, leaving behind her husband and young daughter. When she shows up at a Montana gas station, clutching an infant and screaming for help, investigators believe she may have been abducted by a cult.
Kate’s return flips her family’s world upside down—her husband is remarried, and her daughter barely remembers her. Kate herself doesn’t look or act like she did before.
While the family tries to help Kate reintegrate into society, they discover truths they’ve been hiding from each other about their own relationships. But they aren’t the only ones with secrets. As the family unravels what happened to Kate, a series of shocking revelations shows that Kate’s return is more sinister than any of them could have imagined.“
My thoughts
I flew through this while I was painting the trim in his room in preparation for his new big boy room refresh and it was perfect for this.
I’m weird about the culty books that I like. The weird sex ones (lookin at you The Last Housewife) aren’t my vibe, but when you get to learn how cults work, how they’re able to manipulate and what they do to people in the aftermath, that fascinates me.
This book was exactly that and without giving too much away, I wouldn’t say it was a total smash, but I really did enjoy listening to this one.
My rating
Lady in the Lake – Laura Lippman
Amazon rating: 4 stars
Goodreads rating: 3.5 stars
How I read it: Audiobook
Read if you like:
- Racial issues/tension
- Historical fiction
- Solving a murder
- Multiple POV
What I loved: The female main character’s first person POV; gets you hooked from the beginning
What I didn’t love: Maddie was somewhat unlikeable/obtuse (but she was written that way)
Book Blurb
“In 1966, Baltimore is a city of secrets that everyone seems to know—everyone, that is, except Madeline “Maddie” Schwartz. Last year, she was a happy, even pampered housewife. This year, she’s bolted from her marriage of almost twenty years, determined to make good on her youthful ambitions to live a passionate, meaningful life.
Maddie wants to matter, to leave her mark on a swiftly changing world. Drawing on her own secrets, she helps Baltimore police find a murdered girl—assistance that leads to a job at the city’s afternoon newspaper, the Star. Working at the newspaper offers Maddie the opportunity to make her name, and she has found just the story to do it: Cleo Sherwood, a missing woman whose body was discovered in the fountain of a city park lake.
If Cleo were white, every reporter in Baltimore would be clamoring to tell her story. Instead, her mysterious death receives only cursory mention in the daily newspapers, and no one cares when Maddie starts poking around in a young Black woman’s life—except for Cleo’s ghost, who is determined to keep her secrets and her dignity. Cleo scolds the ambitious Maddie: You’re interested in my death, not my life. They’re not the same thing.
Maddie’s investigation brings her into contact with people that used to be on the periphery of her life—a jewelry store clerk, a waitress, a rising star on the Baltimore Orioles, a patrol cop, a hardened female reporter, a lonely man in a movie theater. But for all her ambition and drive, Maddie often fails to see the people right in front of her. Her inability to look beyond her own needs will lead to tragedy and turmoil for all sorts of people—including Ferdie, the man who shares her bed, a police officer who is risking far more than Maddie can understand.“
My thoughts
I binged a good bit of audiobooks with projects this month and this one was great too.
The first chapter hooked you right in, but the pace of the book seemed to slow down as you go on.
There are a LOOOOOOT of POVs in this book which could make it hard to follow if you’re listening on audiobook and not paying attention so if that’s tough for you, it may be better if you read this rather than listen.
The story was good, but not the absolute best around.
My rating
Top 3 Reads of February
I like to give my top 3 so that if you can’t read as much, here are the ones to definitely add to your list!
3 – Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica
2 – Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier
Monthly Giveaway
I like to give away books to help support my local used bookstore as often as I can.
THIS MONTH’S BOOK IS…..
I read one of Kimberly’s books in January and it was super fast paced and bingeable so when I saw this in my little library bookstore, I had to get it!
As you guys on my Book Buddies email list already know, you have to do NOTHING to be entered! It’s just as a thank you for being here and I’ll let you know via email if you’ve won!
SHOP ALL BOOKS
CLICK BELOW TO SHOP OR ADD TO YOUR TBR!
