Welcome to my January Wrap Up!
In January, I read a total of 12 books, six consisting of ebooks and six physical books! This month was filled with romance, mystery, murder, and poetry. Overall, I have no complaints about the books I read and cannot wait to review them! On with the reviews:
Ebook reviews:
Murder at the Bookclub (Barrett & Palmer, #1) by Betsy Reavley
3 of 5 stars
As this is the first ebook that I have had the pleasure of reading, I was excited to have a murder mystery to figure out. Barrett and Palmers are the lead detectives on the death of two members of a book club in England. There were twists and turns in every direction as the two investigate the deaths of two women, and even I was surprised by the outcome!
This is the first novel by Betsy Reavley that I have read and I was not disappointed! Such a fun read to get into, I cannot wait to read the rest of this series!
2. Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
3 of 5 stars
This was an anticipated read from the moment it was published! I was lucky to snatch this up on my Nook! I love this book, the plot is enjoyable and I was rooting for the main character to the very end.
Last Night at the Telegraph Club is not only a queer romance, but it is about discovering identities and first love. Lily Hu is a young teenager of Chinese immigrants who begins to explore her sexuality. Absolutely recommend!
3. Murder at the Manor (Tommy & Evelyn Christie #1) by Catherine Coles
5 of 5 stars
Ahhh, go read this book! Absolutely no idea who had committed the murder until the very end! And I was shocked. This is a cozy murder mystery, but Evelyn is easily my new favorite amateur detective. With a husband as a former police officer, Evelyn has learned a few tricks to solve a murder.
Catherine Coles is a genius when it comes to writing murder mysteries. I have found a new favorite type of mystery. Go read this!
4. Fleeting Time by L. Aquila
4 of 5 stars
L. Aquila wrote an interesting novel on a character that is missing seven years of her life. Seven years of her children's life. Seven years were lost and Lexi can't remember a single moment of it. Lost to her consciousness, she must now pick up the pieces of her life and move on. Her husband has clearly moved on and Lexi feels that she must as well.
There are possible trigger warnings in this book such as sexual assault, kidnapping, assault.
5. The Lies Layla Was Told by L. Aquila
4 of 5 stars
Finished in one sitting! Had to know what happened next! Layla’s life turns upside down when her parents are tragically murdered on Christmas morning. Layla is forced to move in with her aunt, where she meets Cade Teller. Layla’s aunt was hated by her mother - and she wants to know why. As she begins to unravel the mystery, things begin to happen.
Another good read for those who like mystery and romance!
Trigger Warnings: Human Trafficking, Sexual Assault, Foul Language
6. Fading into the Dark: Finding Myself Again (The Layla Duet Book 2) by L. Aquila
4 of 5 stars
Layla Crawford’s life was going well until tragedy strikes again and she is forced to face her past. She meets her former lover, Cade, and tries to shove all feelings aside for him. As she faces her past, she comes to realize she is more than what happened to her.
Dark mystery romance that concludes what happened in Layla’s life. I was so excited to read this to learn of what happened and was not disappointed.
Physical Books:
7. New Year's Kiss by Lee Matthews
3 of 5 stars
A cozy read to curl up to during the winter. Set on New Year's Eve, Tess meets Christopher at the lodge she and her sister are forced to stay at. Upon meeting him, they immediately hit it off and create a bucket list of things to accomplish before the new year strikes.
Lee Matthews creates a cute, romantic read that anyone can enjoy. Loved this as my first read!
8. Trouble at the Brownstone (A Nero Wolfe Mystery # 16) by Robert Goldsborough
4 of 5 stars
First time reading this series but I was not disappointed. Archie goes undercover in this novel as the gardener is beaten within an inch of his life. Archie must unravel the mystery as the plot thickens. I don't want to give too much away as this was a short novel, but it was sooo good!
9. Archie Goes Home (A Nero Wolfe Mystery) by Robert Goldsborough
4 of 5 stars
Archie heads home to find out who killed the banker. Leaving Manhattan for the Midwest, Archie must find out who the murderer is as his Aunt Edna tries to lure him away from Nero and the brownstone. Another delightful series I hope to read more of.
10. Blindside by James Patterson & James O. Born
4 of 5 stars
Overall, this is a quick and easy murder mystery to read in one sitting. James Patterson writes a lot of novels and to find a rare book that is well done is a miracle. This one is good! I was unsure of what direction the investigation was going and didn't know what would happen until the end.
Final read of January, 11: The Sun Will Rise and So Will We by Jennae Cecelia
4 of 5 stars
For the final read of January, I chose poetry. This was a good build-up for self-confidence and takes on the challenge of addressing our insecurities. It is an excellent book to read a few pages every night.
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Now, onto February. Happy reading!
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Thanks for reading,
Riss Reviews
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