February Wrap Up: 41 Books Read

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About: In my February Wrap Up, I review all 41 books I read and get into the details of the top three books on my want-to-read and upcoming releases lists.

Overview

February Blog UpdatesFebruary Bookish Updates
πŸ“– End of Year Book Survey: 2022
πŸ“– January Wrap Up: 37 Books Read
πŸ“š Review: Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

Outline

February Reflection and Into March

February was an unsatisfying reading month. I had some (superficial) successes but quite a few blunders with the books I read in February. Success #1: I read 41 books in the shortest month of the year. Reading 40+ books in a month is abnormal for me, let alone reading that many books in just 28 days. Success #2: I discovered two new romance authors whose works I’ll be prioritizing in the future (Abby Jimenez and Lily Gold).

My biggest blunder was that I failed to complete my February TBR Knockout challenge. I was unable to finish The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander, which I selected for the prompt “a book on a topic that affects the Black community.” I won’t be able to finish the book until mid-March at the earliest, so I’m unsure if it’ll count as successfully completing the prompt.

Despite having a very clear to-be-read list in February, I procrastinated all the books I needed to read this month until the last week, which, of course, coincided with so much schoolwork. I’m hoping in March to read the books I need to read for my challenges in the first two weeks. I started creating a rough reading schedule to help me break the non-fiction books into more manageable chunks.

My other blunder was determining my favourite book of the month. I had only one 5-star read that was not a re-read in February: Endings by K.M. Shea, the last book in a gender-bent, time travel, King Arthur retelling series. I gave this book five stars partly because of the nostalgia – I’ve been meaning to finish the series since high school (ten years ago) – but also because it blew away my expectations of how the series would end. Endings stayed true to the mythology of King Arthur while giving me the happy ending I wanted (sounds impossible, I know).

I had three runner-ups to my February Favourite: The Secrety History by Donna Tartt, Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez and Triple-Duty Bodyguard by Lily Gold. I rated each book 4.5-stars, but they all had at least one glaring issue, which made it impossible for me to give the book 5-stars and say it was my favourite of the month. For instance, The Secret History had lots of unchallenged racism and anti-semitism. I really didn’t like one of the Heroes in Triple-Duty Bodyguard, and the Heroine in Part of Your World needed to stop complaining about how incompatible her life was with the Hero and do something about it already.

So, for all these reasons, my favourite book of February is a feel-good, low angst, gender-bent King Arthur retelling.

My struggle to pick a favourite February read is reflective of how many middling books I read. Typically, I don’t rate that many books 1-star or 2-stars, but I had five books in the 2-star range and one 1-star read. Also, 18 books were in the 3-star range. Consequently, my average rating for February was 3.62-stars, a significant decrease from January’s 4.08-star average.

March is going to be very busy with final assignment deadlines approaching before exams. But I hope by being more intentional with my reading this month and using my reading planner, I’ll have a better reading month.

Reading Challenges and Goals Update

To be honest, this section is more for my records since I’ve decided – as of February – I no longer want to be doubling books up on challenge prompts or reading goals. For instance, I want to read two nonfiction books outside of the ones that might fulfil the Buzzword Reading Challenge prompt for the month.

I go over each of my goals and discuss the books I read to fulfil the prompt or whether I didn’t complete it and why.

Monthly Goal #1: Read two books longer than 500 pages

I read three books over 500 pages in February! I read Haven by S.E. Wendel in a day – I was so excited to finally finish the Broken Wings duet. It’s a forbidden romance between a knight and the prisoner of war she’s in charge of guarding. I also finished Order of Scorpians by Ivy Asher pretty quickly despite it being over 700 pages. While I liked the plot of the book and really enjoyed the Heroine, I didn’t get why the Heroine liked the Heroes, and I couldn’t get over how none of them ever apologized for how their indifference contributed to her being enslaved. Lastly, I finally finished The Secret History by Donna Tartt, which I had been reading since January. It was a slow start, but it picked up towards the end. While it was well-written, I thought there was a missed opportunity for the author to be a bit more critical of eurocentrism (and her character’s beliefs).

Monthly Goal #2: Read two nonfiction books

I didn’t finish any nonfiction books this month. However, I’m still reading The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander, which I started in February.

Series Finished

  1. King Arthur and Her Knights by K.M. Shea
  2. The Emperor’s Edge by Lindsay Broker (I read books 1-5 and decided I’m not going to finish the series)
  3. Court of Midnight by K.M. Shea
  4. Hall of Blood and Mercy by K.M. Shea

Reading Challenges

TBR Knockout Challenge: In Progress ⏳
Prompt #1: A book by a Black author
βœ… Wolf and the Wildflower by Stacy Reid
Prompt #2: A book on a topic affecting the Black community
⏳ The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
Book Club: Complete βœ…
Theme: Dark Academia
βœ… The Secret History by Donna Tartt
12 Books Written by African Authors: DNF ❌
Status: 1 of 12 prompts complete
❌ On Rotation by Shirlene Obuobi
52 Prompts in 52 Weeks: In Progress ⏳
Status: 10 of 52 prompts complete
Prompt: A book all about music or the arts
βœ… Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Prompt: A standalone
βœ… How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder
Prompt: A main character has a pet
βœ… Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez
Prompt: Horses
βœ… Endeavor by K.M. Shea
5-4-3-2-1 Challenge: Not Started ❌
Five horror novels
None this month.
Four thrillers
None this month.
Three historical fiction novels
None this month.
Two graphic novels
None this month.
One short story
None this month.
A-Z Challenge: In Progress ⏳
Status: 18 of 26 prompts complete
Note: I try to avoid using re-reads and books that start with “a” or “the”
Against a Wall
Blood Mercy
Conspiracy
Daughter of the Moon Goddess
Enticing the Scroodge
Finding Mayhem
Good Morning, Midnight
Half a Soul
I – ❌
J – ❌
K – ❌
Letters to Emily
Miss Memory Lane
Noble Love
One Dark Window
Part of Your World
Q – ❌
Recipe for Love
Sweetest Secret
T- ❌
Unblessed
V – ❌
Wrecked Palace
X – ❌
You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty
Z – ❌
StoryGraph Reads the World: Not Started ❌
A book set in and by an author from Cuba
None this month.
A book set in and by an author from Trinidad & Tobago
None this month.
A book set in and by an author from Colombia
None this month.
A book set in and by an author from Argentina
None this month.
A book set in and by an author from Nigeria
None this month.
A book set in and by an author from South Africa
None this month.
A book set in and by an author from Pakistan
None this month.
A book set in and by an author from Syria
None this month.
A book set in and by an author from Italy
None this month.
A book set in and by an author from Norway
None this month.
Diverse Reading BINGO: Not Started ❌
Status: 0 of 36 prompts complete

Books I Read This Month

Did Not Finish

Key: πŸ” re-read | πŸ€“ reviewed on this blog | πŸ“œ from Up Next Shelf | πŸ₯³ from 2023 Backlist

When the Farmer Met the City Girl by Jessa Kane
DNF @ 21%
(on February 4)
I recognize that Jessa Kane is a smut author, but I just couldn’t with how nonsensical the plot was. Also, the characters were very two-dimensional. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

The Scandal of a Perfect Kiss (The May Flowers, #3) by Jessa Kane
DNF @ 8% (on February 4)
I thought this book could be read as a standalone in the May Flowers series, but the book seemed to start right in the middle of the book – and the romance, to be honest. It was implied I should’ve known who all the characters were, and I wasn’t jiving with the writing style. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Making a Scene by Constance Wu
DNF @ 17%
(on February 16)
I didn’t love the writing style, but I might revisit this memoir in the summer. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

On Rotation by Shirelene Obuobi
DNF @ 30%
(on February 4)
I really enjoyed the Heroine but couldn’t get behind the romance since the Hero is a gaslighting cheater (he meets the Heroine when he’s dating someone and gaslights the Heroine into thinking he wasn’t hitting on her). ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

1-star Reads

Key: πŸ” re-read | πŸ€“ reviewed on this blog | πŸ“œ from Up Next Shelf | πŸ₯³ from 2023 Backlist

Only Mine (Honey Mountain, #5) by Laura Pavlov
1.5-stars (on February 12)
This book was my least favourite read in February. Read my full review here.

2-star Reads

Key: πŸ” re-read | πŸ€“ reviewed on this blog | πŸ“œ from Up Next Shelf | πŸ₯³ from 2023 Backlist

Order of Scorpions by Ivy Asher
2.5-stars (from February 5 to February 6)
This book was fast-past and had a really interesting plot. But, I couldn’t get over how the Heroes never apologized to the Heroine and even went out of their way to rationalize their actions which led to her enslavement. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

The Emperor’s Edge (Emperor’s Edge, #1) by Lindsay Buroker
2.75-stars (on February 10)
This book had so much potential, but the casual sexism from the supporting characters was very off-putting. I kept reading the series because the plot has a lot of potential. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Conspiracy (Emperpor’s Edge, #4) by Lindsay Buroker
2.75-stars (on February 11)
The plot of this book was fun, but I’m getting tired of the protagonist’s chaotic “leadership,” where she jumps headfirst into deadly situations and *hopes* everything works out. The only reason she and the rest of the team haven’t died is that they’re protected by the author. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Powerless (Chestnut Springs, #3) by Elsie Silver
2.25-stars (on February 11)
The highlight of this book was catching up with all the supporting characters from the previous books in the series! While I liked the Hero and Heroine as characters, I did not like them as a couple. Their chemistry felt non-existent, plus I loath childhood-unrequited-friends-to-lovers tropes. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Blood & Betrayal (Emperor’s Edge, #5) by Lindsay Buroker
2-stars (on February 15)
This is the book in the series that I realized I really don’t care about any of the characters. Even the romance was lacklustre (no chemistry). I stopped reading the series after this book. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

3-star Reads

Key: πŸ” re-read | πŸ€“ reviewed on this blog | πŸ“œ from Up Next Shelf | πŸ₯³ from 2023 Backlist

Jasper Vale (The Edens, #4) by Devney Perry
3.75-stars (on February 4)
This romance was a fun accidentally-married-in-Vegas romp. I loved revisiting the small town of Quincy in The Edens series, and while I really enjoyed the romance between Eloise and Jasper, there was so much angst. First, there’s drama between Eloise and her sister when her sister tries to ask Jasper out after he’s married to Eloise, and second, Jasper is still in touch with his very toxic ex-wife. Of course, Eloise is also experiencing extreme imposter syndrome about owning her family hotel, which is exacerbated by her helicopter parents. Basically, I loved the romance but could’ve gone without all this angst. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Demon Lover by Heather Guerre
3.5-stars (from February 4 to February 5)
I was pleasantly surprised by Demon Lover! I thought it would be a quick paranormal romance, heavy on the erotica – which it was – but the magic actually had biblical origins, and there was some order to the magic system. It was also cute how the couple grew to really enjoy just spending time together and exploring the human world. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Sweetest Secret by Lucy Darling
3.5-stars (on February 5)
I’m such a sucker for these quick sweet romances. I actually liked the brother’s best friend and little sister set-up; it was obvious that both were completely into each other, but misunderstandings kept them apart. The part that kept this romance from a 4-star was the long separation and random mom drama that occurred at 90% into the novel. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
3.5-stars (from February 4 to February 7) πŸ₯³
I loved the interview style of this book and thought it was a very clever way of highlighting the different perspectives on the same events. This book wasn’t a big hit for me because I didn’t like Billy and could not understand why everyone was obsessed with him – well, everyone except Eddie. I loved how character-driven the book was, but because I wasn’t that invested in the love triangle, the “what happened” wasn’t that shocking to me. Also, the twist at the end felt sloppy and was done better in one of TJR’s other books. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder
3.5-stars (on February 10) πŸ₯³
This romance felt like two very different books. You have the cute and flirty fake dating to help out both protagonists’ careers, and then you have the very serious depression, grief, guilt and alcoholism the Hero is struggling with and how that impacts everyone around him. I really enjoyed the fake dating portion of the book – I’m a sucker for the event side of Hollywood books (i.e. attending red carpet events). But, the emotional connection between the main characters was lacking, and the third act conflict – and resulting separation – needed way more time for the characters to resolve their issues. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Dark Currents (Emperor’s Edge, #2) by Lindsay Buroker
3-stars (from February 10 to February 11)
I liked this book more than the first in the series – I continued with the series because I bought a bundle of the first three books. The plot was very action-oriented, which was fun! I still didn’t like the casual sexism in this series, and the protagonist, Amaranthe, had a strong not-like-other-girls vibe. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Deadly Games (Emperor’s Edge, #3) by Lindsay Buroker
3-stars (on February 11)
The plot of this book was also fun! I also enjoyed Bas’s secondary perspective since his discoveries in the last book put the camaraderie of the team in jeopardy in this book. The banter between Amaranthe and the assassin, Sicarius, was fun, but I still feel like there needs to be more development to convincingly convey they both have feelings for each other. Whereas, right now, it feels like Amaranthe is projecting a lot of feelings on Sicarius. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Hello Stranger (The Ravenels, #) by Lisa Kleypas
3.5-stars (on February 12)
I love this series so much – it’s a quirky historical romance series about a family, the Ravenels, that’s superior to the Bridgerton series. I finally decided it was time to read this book despite not loving either character in the previous books. The romantic suspense plot was a lot of fun, and I adored how the Heroine, Dr. Garrett Gibson, is pushing patriarchal boundaries through her medical practice. But, I didn’t love the Hero’s characterization as a romantic; it felt incongruous with his character in previous books. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Forever My Valentine by Lucy Darling
3-stars (on February 14)
A short and sweet romance that blends the childhood love trope with an age-gap romance. While I liked the couple, the drama felt contrived and over-the-top. It’s yet another misunderstanding trope where the Heroine runs away rather than demanding answers. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Endeavor (King Arthur and Her Knights, #) by Author
3.5-stars (on February 16) πŸ₯³
I reviewed the whole series! Read my review of Endeavor here. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Three Swedish Mountain Men by Lily Gold
3.5-stars (on February 19)
I had high hopes for this reverse harem romance since I loved another of Lily Gold’s. However, two of the men had a lot of baggage that made their participation in the harem unconvincing. I really didn’t like how their angst with their ex-girlfriend was projected into their current relationship with the Heroine. It led to the most dramatic separation, resulting in a near-death experience. Overall, the book was enjoyable, but I didn’t like Cole, and Riven let me down. Eli and the Heroine’s chemistry was awesome, though. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

The King’s Captive (Gates of Myth and Power, #1) by K.M. Shea
3.5-stars (on February 19)
This was a funny, urban fantasy with a slow-burn romance between a misunderstood housecat shifter, Chloe, and an Elven king. The scenes where Chloe was stuck pretending to be a real housecat (because the Elven king thought he had adopted a cat) were hilarious. I also really enjoyed the crime-solving plot. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Crown of Shadows (Court of Midnight and Deception, #1) by K.M. Shea
3.5-stars (on February 22)
Another first book in an urban fantasy trilogy I read in April, Crown of Shadows, follows the tribulations of Leila after she’s unwillingly crowned queen of the Night Court. The plot is a great combination of court intrigue and crime-solving plot as it becomes evident there’s a cabal looking to cause instability in the paranormal world. I also loved the slow-burn romance between Leila and the assassin who was hired to kill her. Their banter is top-notch. I didn’t rate the book 4 stars because the story dragged with how much Leila was committed to rejecting her fae side; she’s half human and half fae, and her fae-phobia got really tired by the end of the book. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Magic Forged (Hall of Blood and Mercy, #1) by K.M. Shea
3.25-stars (on February 23)
This is the first trilogy in the Magiford Supernatural City world created by K.M. Shea – I’m working my way backward through the trilogies. This book is another urban fantasy with a slow-burn romance between the Heroine, Hazel, who’s a wizard, and a vampire Hero. I liked that the plot focused on Hazel becoming stronger to reclaim her family House and rescue her coven. However, the world-building was underdeveloped, and I didn’t really understand why Hazel and Kane were interested in each other. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Magic Redeemed (Hall of Blood and Mercy, #2) by K.M. Shea
3.5-stars (on February 23)
I loved the banter between Hazel and Kane in this book! Also, the discovery that there’s more to Hazel’s lack of magic than meets the eye was great. My biggest qualm about this series was Hazel’s lack of self-confidence, and I didn’t appreciate how Kane decides to push her into finding it at the end of this book. But the plot was a lot of fun in this book. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Magic Unleashed (Hall of Blood and Mercy, #3) by K.M. Shea
3.5-stars (on February 23)
The best part of this book was Hazel training her coven to practice offensive magic in a coordinated attack. I wished that Kane had apologized at the beginning of this book and that his tension with Hazel wasn’t as drawn out. But I loved how Hazel stood up for herself. I enjoyed the opposites-attract relationship between Hazel and Kane, but the plot was kind of a letdown in this book. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Reckless Refuge (Wrecked, #4) by Catherine Cowles
3-stars (on February 24)
This romance was cute, but the romantic suspense plot felt very nonsensical. We have the Heroine who is hiding from her psychotic brother, who murdered their parents when the Heroine was 12 and he was 10. The Hero is also starting fresh after someone uses his paintings to stage his serial murders. There were too many red herrings and coincidences that ended up dragging down the story instead of adding intrigue. Also, I didn’t love the romance – it felt very insta-love (and not in a good way). ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

The Wolf and the Wildflower by Stacy Reid
3.25-stars (on February 27)
This historical romance is the definition of over the top. The Hero has spent a decade lost in the wilds of northern Canada and, as a result, has developed a heightened sense of smell … meaning he can smell that the Heroine is a woman despite her being out in society as a man. The Heroine was raised as a boy so that her mom could avoid having another child – it was thought she’d die if she gave birth again, and her husband was determined to have a son. The Heroine realized she wasn’t a boy at twelve, and that’s when she was convinced by her mom to continue the lie. While the romance between the main characters was cute – I loved how the Hero was completely willing to continue their romance if Jules decided to continue being out as a man – how Jules’ identity was handled felt sloppy. This wasn’t a simple case of a girl dressing as a boy to join the army. For the first twelve years of Jules’ life, she thought she was a boy, and she seemed pretty determined throughout the book to continue her life as a boy. Basically, I wish the author had dedicated at least one internal scene where Jules establishes to the reader her identity – did she just want the privileges afforded to men, or did she identify as a man? ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

4-star Reads

Key: πŸ” re-read | πŸ€“ reviewed on this blog | πŸ“œ from Up Next Shelf | πŸ₯³ from 2023 Backlist

Haven (Broken Wings, #2) by S.E. Wendel
4-stars (on February 3)
This was the final book in the Broken Wings Duet and an anticipated 2023 release of mine! While I loved the sweet forbidden romance between the main characters, I was a bit let down by their lack of welcome from the Hero’s own people. I had wanted the cast to find a place to call home – and perhaps expand their found family in this book – but, instead, they felt even more like outsiders. The plot wrapped up quite cleverly, but it was a bit abrupt, with a lot happening at the end of the book. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez
4.5-stars (on February 4) πŸ₯³
This was such an amazing romance! It had all the great things people love about Hallmark movies – city girl finds herself in a welcoming small town and falls for the small-town guy – but with a feminist twist. I appreciated that the Heroine is a city doctor from a prestigious medical family and leads a very sophisticated life. And she doesn’t give up her job for the guy! This romance even had a reverse age gap, with the Heroine being almost ten years older than the Hero. Speaking of the Hero, I loved how into the Heroine he was. But, this leads to my one point of contention that made it impossible for me to give this book 5 stars: the Heroine spent wayyy too much of this book pushing the Hero away. She has so much privilege that I wish she had spent more time looking for a solution so they could be together instead of moaning about how “impossible” it was. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Enthroned (King Arthur and Her Knights, #1) by K.M. Shea
4-stars (on February 12) πŸ” πŸ€“
I reviewed the whole series! Read my review of Enthroned here. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Enchanted (King Arthur and Her Knights, #2) by K.M. Shea
4-stars (from February 12 to February 13) πŸ” πŸ€“
I reviewed the whole series! Read my review of Enchanted here. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Embittered (King Arthur and Her Knights, #3) by K.M. Shea
4-stars (from February 13 to February 14) πŸ” πŸ€“
I reviewed the whole series! Read my review of Embittered here. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Embark (King Arthur and Her Knights, #4) by K.M. Shea
4-stars (on February 14) πŸ” πŸ€“
I reviewed the whole series! Read my review of Embark here. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Enlighten (King Arthur and Her Knights, #5) by K.M. Shea
4-stars (on February 15) πŸ” πŸ€“
I reviewed the whole series! Read my review of Enlighten here. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Triple-Duty Bodyguards by Lily Gold
4.5-stars (on February 18)
I haven’t read a reverse harem romance in a while, but this book reminded me why they’re so fun! This book was sexy, but there was a lot of emotional intimacy and growth throughout the novel. I enjoyed how this book explored how the media portrays (and society perceives) women as “bitches” when all they’re doing is calling people out, setting boundaries and standing up for themselves. I couldn’t rate this book 5 stars because one of the heroes was unsufferable and projected his trauma onto the Heroine for way too long. There’s a great epilogue, though. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

The King’s Shadow (Gates of Myth and Power, #2) by K.M. Shea
4-stars (on February 19)
I loved the direction of the story in this addition to the trilogy. Noctus finally knows that Chloe is “his” housecat and decides to help her train once they discover she’s (perhaps) the last of her kind. I also liked how Chloe became part of the crime-fighting squad – the found family trope was very much evident in this book. But I wasn’t a fan of the ending. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Crown of Moonlight (Court of Midnight and Deception, #2) by K.M. Shea
4-stars (on February 22)
The plot and slow-burn romance was so fun in this book! Leila is discovering more about fae politics now that she’s established her reign as queen of the Night Court. We learn more about the other courts and the threat that’s looking to topple the supernatural governments. I really enjoyed Leila’s relationship with her husband, Rigel, in this book. While their marriage was out of convenience, their banter was so fun and showed how they were slowly starting to fall for each other. Rigel is the perfect grumpy Hero. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

The Queen’s Crown (Court of Midnight and Deception, #3) by K.M. Shea
4-stars (on February 22)
I enjoyed how the series wrapped up. The whodunnit was who I thought, but there was a good twist. My one frustration was the separation between Leila and Rigel and the misunderstanding between Leila and her father. The book opens with a lot of angst that isn’t immediately resolved because of Leila’s stubbornness (and jumping to conclusions). ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

The Secret History by Donna Tartt
4.5-stars (from January 23 to February 24) πŸ₯³
I decided to finally read The Secret History because I was planning on reading Babel by R.F. Kuang, which the author marketed as a thematic response to The Secret History. This book is a character-driven, dark academia that interrogates class and privilege and how both can lead to murder through the eyes of a poor protagonist. While it took me a while to get into the book, after the first third, I was hooked. I enjoyed that the reader gets to also “attend” the protagonist’s lectures; it helped flesh out how the rich see the world. I couldn’t rate the book 5 stars because the author completely fails to interrogate and challenge the xenophobia, racism and homophobia exhibited by her characters. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Defy the Night (Defy the Night, #1) by Brigid Kemmerer
4.5-stars (from February 26 to February 27) πŸ₯³
This book is a young adult fantasy romance that follows apothecary apprentice Tessa Cade as she subverts the king by stealing rare Moonflowers to distribute the only – and expensive – cure to the magical plague that has ravaged the kingdom. I loved how the author explored the complicated politics of a poor kingdom at the mercy of its wealthy lords who control the production of Moonflowers. The romance was also a genuine enemies-to-lovers, which created a lot of great angst-filled moments. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

5-star Reads

Key: πŸ” re-read | πŸ€“ reviewed on this blog | πŸ“œ from Up Next Shelf | πŸ₯³ from 2023 Backlist

A Sorceress of His Own (The Gifted Ones, #1) by Dianne Duvall
5-stars (on February 8) πŸ”
This is the fourth time I’ve read this book! Read my full review here.

Rendezvous with Yesterday (The Gifted Ones, #2) by Dianne Duvall
5-stars (on February 8) πŸ”
I’ve read this book many times throughout the years and still love it! Rendezvous with Yesterday follows bounty hunter Beth as she gets transported back to the 12th century and meets Robert, lord of the closest settlement. I loved the slow-burn romance between Beth and Robert, especially how the author gave their relationship a foundation in friendship. A significant portion of the book is also Beth realizing she’s woken up in the past and becoming acclimated to her new reality. My favourite scenes are Beth defying the sexist standards of the time and seeing the couple from the first book in The Gifted Ones series. This book also offers a perfect transition into the author’s contemporary paranormal romance series, Immortal Guardians. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Ride Wild (Raven Riders, #) by Laura Kaye
5-stars (from February 8 to February 9) πŸ”
Another favourite re-read, Ride Wild, is a comfort single-dad and motorcycle club romance by one of my favourite romantic suspense authors Laura Kaye. The romance includes two popular tropes, including a widowed Hero and a nanny Heroine. I loved that the relationship between Cora and the Hero’s two sons was significant in the novel. There’s also a romantic suspense subplot that has a greater impact on the motorcycle club as a whole. And, while there was a bit of an age gap between the main characters, their chemistry was *chef’s kisses*. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Endings (King Arthur and Her Knights, #7) by K.M. Shea
5-stars (on February 17)
This book was my favourite read in February! Read my full review here.

February Stats

Favourite and Least Favourite Reads

Most Favourite: Endings by K.M. Shea. See why here.

Least Favourite: Only Mine by Laura Pavlov. See why here.

Quick Facts

  • Most books (19) were from Kindle Unlimited.
  • Most books (18) were 3-star reads.
  • Most books (9) were Historical Fantasy.
  • My most-read author was K.M. Shea, with 15 books.
OriginNumber of Books
Re-reads8
Instant reads22
Up Next (2023 purchase)3
Backlist (pre-2023 purchase)6
Library Hold2

Longest and Shortest Reads

Longest Book: Order of Scorpions by Ivy Asher ~ 761 pages

Shortest Book: Forever My Valentine by Lucy Darling ~ 80 pages

Top of My Want-to-Read List

I’ve never been someone who’s drawn to pirate fantasy, but I decided to buy it once I found out that The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty has strong feminist themes. I’m excited about the book interrogating how society treats and history frames women who hold positions typically held by men.

I want to read The Davenports by Krystal Marquis because it’s giving Bridgerton vibes! Also, the plot looks so interesting. It follows the two Davenport daughters, a childhood friend turned maid to the daughters and the eldest daughter’s best friend, as the all grapple with society’s expectations and their own dreams.

Valley of the Birdtail by Andrew Stobo Sniderman and Douglas Sanderson is a nonfiction book that explores anti-Indigenous racism and reconciliation through the history of two neighbouring settlements: the (white) town of Rossburn and the Waywayseecappo Indian reserve. I’m excited to see how the author’s histography of the town and reserve connect to the ongoing reconciliation conversation in Canada.

Anticipated March Releases

I love the current trend of authors writing feminist retellings of Greek mythology. Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood is inspired by a small section of The Odyssey where twelve maidens are killed to satisfy the vengeful Poseidon in Ithaca. Leto, the protagonist, after being killed, finds herself on a mysterious island, tasked with killing the prince of Ithaca to save thousands of lives. The book also features a sapphic romance.

Amidst Secrets and Shadows by Stacy Jones and Harper Wylde was one of my most anticipated releases of 2023! It’s a continuation of their fantasy reverse harem, A Court of Gilt and Shadow series that follows the long-lost fae Queen as she finds her mates and journeys to master her power and save the fae realm from its dictators. The end of the last book made so excited to see how the harem would grow.

March To-Be-Read

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You Should See Me in a Crown
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
I Hope I Join the Band: Narrative, Affiliation, and Antiraciset Rhetoric


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