Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Book Club: January 2022

A new year, a fresh start, and a bunch of new books for us to review!  Every time we start a book we wonder if it will make our top three at the end of the year and it is funny that often times we know right away if it will be one of our favorites that year.  So here we go again...January Book Club day. Who knows, maybe one of these will make the top of our lists at the end of the year! 




WHAT WE READ...

CARRIE BETH

It was a good month of good books for me!  


I started with The Hating Game by Sally Thorne and LOVED it.  It was such a cute story of an office romance that started off as an office rivalry.  The back and forth between the two main characters and their quick witted banter was so fun. The hate slowly turned into attraction and then ultimately love. I actually ended up listening to this book and at first I thought the narrator's voice was going to annoy me, but I came to look forward to listening to her. After finishing this I learned it had been turned into a movie and I can't wait to watch it.  I definitely recommend this one! 


Next up for me was No Words by Meg Cabot and y'all won't believe it, but I actually read this one.  I knew I'd be on a few plane rides when I went to Indianapolis last month so asked Jen if she had something I could take with me to read.  This was such a cute and easy read.  It follows a children's author who has a bad case of writer's block as she goes to an author's conference only to find out it is being hosted by one of her rivals.  She takes her experiences from this trip to break through her block and the misunderstanding they had a while back come back into play.  It's fun, light-hearted, and a sweet story if that is what you are looking for. 


I think I have read all of Colleen Hoover's books and she is one of my very favorite authors.  All of her books hook me from the beginning, have great character development and they all make the readers experience a lot of emotion, which I love in a book.  When I found out she had a new title I couldn't wait to listen to it. Reminders of Him did not disappoint. It follows a young woman who has just been released from jail after serving a sentence for a terrible accident she caused.  She finds herself back in the town where it all happened in the hopes of finally being able to meet her daughter. Her daughter who was born while she was in prison and who she has never seen since the day she was born.  This one tugs on your heartstrings and makes you wonder what you would do if you were in some of these character's shoes. If you want to feel all the feels and like emotional books with a little bit of romance, this one is for you! 


JEN

I told myself this year I would read some things outside of my normal go-to genres. Well like most new year's resolutions, I quickly threw that mentality to the wayside and went with old habits. And I'm not mad about it one bit because I enjoyed everything I read in January! 

First up...


 Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins. 

This cover is giving me all the beachy vibes I'm craving right now (I hate winter!). And the story does nothing to curb that desire. Well...except for all the creepy deserted island, missing people and murders. But other than that, sign me up for a yacht vacation to a gorgeous tropical island. 

Reckless Girls is a thriller set on the island of Meroe, a seemingly private tropical paradise in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Six people embark to the island for different reasons, but quickly bond in the intrigue of it all. Things are going well until a lone boater drops anchor, and tries to join the group. Secrets emerge, major dramas unfold and the glamour of the trip quickly fades when the group learns danger lurks around every corner. I wasn't able to put this one down, but at the same time felt like it took a little long to get to the peek of the story. There were very few characters that were likable to me, and as the story unfolded they made decisions that made me like them less. There were several times I thought to myself, "If I was the main character of this book, I would leave all these crazies on the island and take the boat for myself." 

If you enjoy a slow burn thriller/whodunit add this one to your reading list.



Next up was It Happened One Summer. I saw this book everywhere last Summer, and tons of people recommended it to us. For whatever reason I just never grabbed it out of my reading pile. I am so glad I finally did though. It was such a fun read! 

A rich influencer is banished to a small coastal town by her step-father after a party mishap gone wrong. With her supportive sister as her side kick they return to their hometown with little cash and owners of a "no name" bar that was left to them by their late father. The pair have to learn to stand on their own two feet. 

But they aren't without support for long because in walks a handsome sea captain and his good looking first mate, a long lost granny, and a town full of lovable locals. This story followers Piper and the captain, but after reading the steamy pages of this one, I can't wait to follow along with Hannah's story for the second book in the series coming out soon. 

If you enjoy rom-coms then snag this one. You will instantly fall in love.



Right off the bat, I realized The Arc was going to be a quirky, quieter rom-com. Set in New York, the author constantly pokes fun at the trendy health kicks or lengths people will go to be unique in a sea of millions. 

We are introduced to Ursula and Rafael - two individuals looking for love after hearts of heartbreak and loneliness. But not just any love. The love of their life. They both join The Arc (think high end match making service), which promises to match you with your life partner. I appreciated that these characters were complex, experienced and not in their early 20’s. You got a sense that they truly wanted to be in that next phase of life and ready to settle down. 

Ultimately the story follows their relationship journey over the course of the year. Parts of it I loved and parts of it are a little slow, but in the end I loved the message the author was trying to convey. 

If you enjoy romance novels with a little more depth and a sprinkle of satire - snag this one.


Now for my favorite book of the month...


I think out of all the books I've purchased lately, Colleen Hoover's Reminders of Him is the one I was most anticipating. A few friends read it right as it came out and said it was SO GOOD! And like Carrie Beth stated above, we are happy to report it lives up to the hype. When I read the premise behind the story I wasn't sure what to expect. But it gave me all the angsty CoHo feels I've come to enjoy in her novels. 

A mother is doing everything she can to meet the daughter she gave birth to five years ago, but has yet to lay eyes on her. Intriguing right?! Throw in a prison stint, grief, heartbreak, and an unlikely love interest. 

From start to finish I LOVED this story and the characters I followed throughout the pages. It was heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time. Kudos to CoHo for all her amazing talent she shares with us!



WHAT'S UP NEXT...

CARRIE BETH

I've been waiting for the 4th book in the Crave series to come out for a few months now.  I named this series in my top three of books I read last year. 
Court was originally scheduled to be released last fall, but got pushed back February 1st...and it has been written on my calendar for months. I've already downloaded this to my Audible app and will probably be done with it VERY soon. 




JEN
Oh this is tough because there are several books I want to read that are coming out right now. Like Carrie Beth, Court is one that tops the list. Also, the second in the Findlay Donovan series. I love love loved the first book in the series last year. 




Follow along with us on Goodreads!

HAPPY READING! 


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