January Wrap Up: 37 Books Read

About: I’ve decided to shake things up this year by changing my monthly wrap-ups. In my January Wrap Up, I review all 37 books I read and get into the details of my reading challenges and the top three books on my want-to-read and upcoming releases lists.

Overview

Outline

January Reflection and Into March*

*Into March because I’m posting my January Wrap Up so late 😅.

The first month of 2023 is officially wrapped! I was kinda blown away by how many books I read in January – 37 books. I thought reading 450 books last year was an anomaly, so I set my Goodreads reading goal to 365 books. But who knows, maybe 2023 will be another big reading year.

January was a great reading month – my monthly average was 4.08-stars. I’m so happy to report that I read the highest number of books I owned in January – I read 11 books! I read a lot of romance this month but also managed to read some stellar fantasy books; the lowest I rated a fantasy book was 4.25-stars. I also discovered a great fantasy romance series, Blood Grace, by Vela Roth. The series should total ten books and is heavy on the plot. My favourite book of January, Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan, is also a fantasy (with a heavy dose of romance)!

In March, I’ll publish a post that goes over all my reading challenges and goals for 2023; my primary goal is to finally read all of my 2023 backlist (books I purchased pre-2023). I’m also posting my first-ever TBR on my blog this week so you can see the books I’m prioritizing in March! I’ve become more diligent about creating a monthly TBR (to-be-read list); I use Notion to plan the books I want to read for each challenge and to meet my monthly goals.

I’ve decided to change the format of my monthly wraps in 2023, making them more review focused than statistics-focused. I’d like to know if this new format is preferred, where you get a quick review of every book I read in the month (see below), or if you prefer the stats or something else. I’d really appreciate it if you’d complete the survey question below.

My January Wrap is long with the new format, mainly because I reviewed all 37 books. I recommend using the outline links to jump around to the content you want to read.

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 longer than 500 pages! My favourite book of January, Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lyn Tan, is on this list. The remaining two were from the same series, Blood Grace by Vela Roth: Blood Mercy and Blood Solace.

Monthly Goal #2: Read two nonfiction books

The two nonfiction books I read in January were also books I read for my TBR Knockout challenge: (1) Miss Memory Lane by Colton Haynes and (2) My Body by Emily Ratajowski.

Series Finished

1. Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
2. Miles Family by Claire Kingsley

Reading Challenges

Books I Read This Month

2-star Reads

Key: 🔁 re-read | 🤓 reviewed on this blog | 📜 from Up Next Shelf | 🥳 from 2023 Backlist

His Heart by Claire Kingsley
2.75-stars (Read from January 6 to January 7)
Brooke survives a car accident, but her fiancé doesn’t, and her life spins out of control as a result. Years later, she meets Sebastian, the man who recieved her fiancée’s heart and rediscovers a love she thought she had lost forever. My main issues with this book were that the author told rather than showed Brooke and Sebastian becoming friends and forming a deep bond, and how no one recognized how severely depressed Brooke was and brushed off her behaviour as “just selfish.” ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Enticing the Scrooge by Jessa Kane
2.5-stars (Read on January 8)
This book was my least favourite read in January. Read my full review here.

3-star Reads

Key: 🔁 re-read | 🤓 reviewed on this blog | 📜 from Up Next Shelf | 🥳 from 2023 Backlist

Noble Love by Ella Goode
3.25-stars (Read on January 11)
An insta-love college romance that’s heavy on the erotica and light on the chemistry. Also, there’s an OTT alpha Hero and Soap Opera daddy issues. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Hidden Miles (Miles Family, #4) by Claire Kingsley
3.75-stars (Read from January 15 to January 16)
My second least favourite book in the Miles Family series; the romance between the Hero and Heroine was a bit bland. They first “meet” as gaming buddies, and the Heroine is in an abusive relationship. I also thought the Hero’s PTSD was treated glibly during certain plot points. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Gaining Miles (Miles Family, #5) by Claire Kingsley
3.25-stars (Read on January 16)
I was so excited about Ben and Shannon’s romance since the whole series is working up to them finally getting together. But, despite the main characters knowing each other for 20 years, their romance felt like insta-love (and not the acceptable kind), given Shannon’s resistance to dating again. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Letters to Emily by Stacy Reid
3.25-stars (Read from January 17 to January 18)
This book is a historical romance menage that didn’t quite land. I thought Emily had great chemistry with Maxwell and Marcellus. Still, I didn’t like how she had to be convinced to have a poly relationship. I get that it’s realistic – especially during the Gilded Age – but I’m not reading romances, let alone a menage romance, for its realism. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Against a Wall (Stonecut County, #2) by Cate C. Wells
3-stars (Read on January 20)
This book is so odd. It’s written well, and the main characters are sweet together. But I couldn’t understand why Glenna fell in love with Cash; he bullied her in high school because he didn’t like that she (seemed to have) rejected him and continued to make her life hell even though they’re now both in their 20s. I’ll admit that Cash was funny in a himbo way, but the chemistry was lacking—3-stars for the writing and Glenna. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Heavy (Steel Bones Motorcycle Club, #7) by Cate C. Wells
3-stars (Read on January 20)
This book is a motorcycle club romance that didn’t seem to know how much it wanted to lean into the motorcycle club genre. A few hardcore scenes are a bit more in line with the genre (sex – ahem, voyeurism – and murder), but the tone of romance felt out of place. It’s another book by Cate C. Wells where I didn’t understand why the characters would want to be together. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Gone for Good (Detective Annalisa Vega, #1) by Joanna Schaffhausen
3.25-stars (Read on January 21)
I eagerly looked forward to reading this book but decided to wait for my library hold to come in because why buy a book I’ll finish in 3 hours, right? While I liked Detective Annalisa’s character, I was frustrated by the love interests. On the one hand, you have her ex-husband, who pathologically cheated on her, and her high school boyfriend/one who got away, who ghosted her and never reached out again after the murder of his mom. I hated how the author took a revisionist approach to Annalisa’s history with them. The whodunnit mystery was also, unfortunately, predictable. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

The Liar’s Crown (Dominons, #1) by Abigail Owen
3.75-stars (Read from January 29 to January 30)
The fantasy series follows Meren, the secret twin to the crown princess, whose only job is to act as her sister’s body double during dangerous events. While doing her job, Meren is abducted by the shadow and must determine who is the threat to her sister and how to stop them. The book is a young adult fantasy romance with a great “love the villain” trope. While the beginning of the book was slow, once the story picked up and the stakes became clear, I was hooked. While the world-building needed expanding, and the romance leaned too much towards insta-love, the cliffhanger ending has me counting down the release to its sequel in May 2023. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi
3.5-stars (Read on January 30) 🥳
This book was so messy. The depictions of grief and how it comes and goes in waves felt realistic. However, the love triangle was a mess. I agree that Feyi doesn’t owe Nasir a relationship. But, Feyi knew that their whole “let’s see where this goes” was with the premise of starting a romantic relationship. So, at minimum, she should’ve immediately told him once she realized she didn’t see him romantically. Also, for the depth of emotional connection Feyi had with Alim, I was shocked how we were never shown and only told of their bonding. The only bonding scenes we read led to physical intimacy. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

4-star Reads

Key: 🔁 re-read | 🤓 reviewed on this blog | 📜 from Up Next Shelf | 🥳 from 2023 Backlist

Recipe for Love by Ann Malcom
4-stars (Read from January 2 to January 3)
Recipe for Love reminds me of a Kristen Ashley romance, just less sexist. I liked the opposites-attract romance, especially how the Hero’s been pining for the Heroine. Also, I thought the depiction of the Heroine’s anxiety was very realistic. However, I didn’t like the other woman drama – it felt unnecessary to the plot. The romance could’ve used a few more scenes showing them developing their emotional connection rather than all the external drama they had to work through. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Half a Soul (Regency Faerie Tales, #1) by Olivia Atwater
4.5-stars (Read on January 10) 🥳
WOW! I was expecting to like Half a Soul, but I wasn’t expecting it to be that good! The characters were fantastic, and the banter between Theoadora and her love interest, Elias, was top-tier. The romance had all the historical aspects I enjoy – balls and society – but the added fantasy elements created depth to the world-building and social commentary. The only reason it wasn’t 5-stars was that I wanted the ending to be more definitive. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

The Lord Sorcier (Regency Faerie Tales, #0.5) by Olivia Atwater
4-stars (Read on January 10) 🥳
This short story shows Albert meeting his best friend, Elias (the love interest in Half a Soul). The novel explores their time during the war against France and how Elias becomes the Lord Sorcier of England. Elias’s blunt nature is hilarious. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

The Wicked in Me by Suzanne Wright
4.75-stars (Read on January 12)
This book was my most anticipated release of 2022, but then its release got pushed into January 2023. So, I knew I would buy and read The Wicked In Me on release day. I’m glad this book met my expectations, and I’m so excited that it’s the first of three books following the couple Wynter and Cain. The found family dynamics between Wynter and her new coven were hilarious; they’re all quite morally grey. I can’t wait to find out more about Wynter’s powers. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Fallen by Suzanne Wright
4.25-stars (Re-read from January 12 to January 14) 🔁
This was my first re-read of Fallen, and it was equally as entertaining and frustrating as the first time I read it. I loved the forbidden romance between Raini and Maddox and how there was no ex-drama. While I understood that Maddox had to put his people first as the leader of his lair, I really disliked how Raini was always in second place. Yet, Maddox expected her to trust him and put him first. Double standards are a big no for me and are why this book isn’t 5-stars. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
4.25-stars (Read on January 15) 🥳
This book has been on my Backlist for so long, so I was pumped when my book club picked it for our January read. The book follows 30-year-old Marra as she gathers an eclectic crew of people, including a gravewitch, a reluctant fairy godmother, a strapping former knight, and a chicken possessed by a demon, on her quest to kill a prince to rescue her sister. The dark fairytale vibes in this book were awesome, but Marra’s character development was flat. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Forbidden Miles (Miles Family, #2) by Claire Kingsley
4.25-stars (Read on January 15)
Forbidden Miles is a brother’s best friend romance. All the drama is grounded in the Heroine’s brother finding out about her relationship with his best friend. If you’re looking for a sweet and soft romance, this is the one! Although the last-minute ex-drama was silly. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Reckless Miles (Miles Family, #3) by Claire Kingsley
4.5-stars (Read on January 15)
This is my favourite book in the series because Cooper Miles was my favourite in the Miles Family – he’s absolutely hilarious. While I wouldn’t have put him with someone as innocent as Amelia, her naivety and joie de vivre actually complement Cooper really well. It wasn’t a 5-star read because I didn’t like the dramatic subplot regarding Cooper’s father or the third-act breakup. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

How to Be a Wallflower (Would-Be Wallflowers, #1) by Eloisa James
4.5-stars (Re-read from January 18 to January 19) 🔁
This was my first re-read, and it will definitely be the book I gravitate toward when I want to read a historical romance with a powerful Heroine. The book follows Cleopatra, heiress to the technology that creates the first flushing toilet. Her love interest is the dashing Jake, a businessman whose acquisition Cleopatra torpedoed. Their banter and chemistry were top-notch. However, this wasn’t a 5-star read because I didn’t like the third-act drama. I felt like Jake didn’t properly address how his inaction indirectly hurt Cleopatra. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Unblessed by R.L. Olvitt
4-stars (Read on January 20)
This was a sweet slow-burn romance between a human woman, Naomi, and an alien, R’visth. They meet over a dating app, yet neither realizes they’re catfishing the other. This causes some drama when the time comes for R’visth to travel to Earth and finally meet Naomi. I loved how the book showed the main characters working through their miscommunication and cultural differences. R’visth’s devotion to Naomi was also really sweet. The book also has a suspenseful subplot which helped increase the pace a bit, but I would’ve liked the plot to be faster-paced. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Miss Memory Lane by Colton Haynes
4.5-stars (Read on January 22) 🥳
I bought this memoir when it came out; I’m a fan of Colton Haynes’ work on Arrow and was curious about his story. This book covers very heavy topics (please look at the content warnings before reading) throughout Colton’s childhood and complicated family life, trying to make it in Hollywood and feeling numb once he’s finally made it. Colton also explores how he was comfortably out as gay in high school but how Hollywood forced him into the closet to make him more “marketable.” My favourite passage was towards the end, showing Colton’s talent as a writer. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Sorcery of Thorns (Sorcery of Thorns, #1) by Margaret Rogerson
4.75-stars (Re-read from January 21 to January 22) 🔁
If you love the thought of magical libraries, read this book! Sorcery of Thorns follows Elisabeth, who is training to be a warden to the Great Libraries who guard and protect the kingdom’s dangerous grimoires. One night, Elisabeth finds herself unknowingly in the centre of a conspiracy. Scapegoated for the murder of her mentor, Elisabeth must rely on the mysterious sorcerer, Nathaniel Thorn, if she wants to save the kingdom. The romance is slow-burn, there’s lots of action, where the girl wields the sword, and there’s a strong found family trope. It wasn’t 5 stars because of its mild cliffhanger, but that’s resolved in the new novella that just released. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Mysteries of Thorn Manor (Sorcery of Thorns, #1.5) by Margaret Rogerson
4.75-stars (Read on January 23) 🥳
This was the perfect follow-up to follow Sorcery of Thorns. It answered all the questions I was dying to know and gave some much-needed on-page relationship development between Elisabeth and Nathaniel. However, my favourite part was how much Elisabeth and Silas bonded in this book. The joke is that I still couldn’t give the book 5 stars because of how Elisabeth and Nathaniel’s relationship progress (don’t worry, they’re together, super lovey-dovey, and I’m just being very picky about the details). The last scene in Silas’s POV was perfection, though. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

No Exit by Taylor Adams
4-stars (Read on January 23) 🥳
I’m so proud that I finally read this book! I bought it towards the end of its hype on Instagram but kept putting it off because I didn’t want the hype to raise my expectations too high. The suspense and action in this book are unreal; it reads just like a movie. The atmosphere and isolation of the winter storm added another level of creepiness to the plot. While some of the plot twists were predictable, there were more that made my jaw drop. This book was a thrill, and I loved how the character development was excellent despite being such an action-oriented read. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Blood Mercy (Blood Grace, #1) by Vela Roth
4-stars (Read from January 26 to January 27)
If you want a fantasy romance that’s (very) slow-burn and has a complex political plot, I recommend Blood Mercy. The romance straddles the line between a forbidden romance trope and friends-to-lovers since Cassia doesn’t trust anyone but has reasons for approaching Lio, a Hesperine diplomat. The author’s subversion of vampirism was clever; while the Hesperines drink blood and are nocturnal and immortal, they’re also pacifists. The romance is also sweet; Lio’s a very soft Hero who’s more a fan of the pen than the sword. The magic and how religion is built into the magic systems of the humans (Cassia’s kingdom) and the Hesperines were interesting. Not 5 stars because I wanted more character development, which often felt ignored because of the heavy plot. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Blood Solace (Blood Grace, #2) by Vela Roth
4-stars (Read on January 27)
After the last book’s cliffhanger, I immediately jumped into Blood Solace. The world-building expands in this book; we finally see Orthos (the capital of the Hesperians) and meet Lio’s friends and family. This book’s stakes were high, and I loved how Cassia became a more active political agent. Of course, the romance is what made me continue reading. While the series is very plot-heavy, Cassia and Lio’s forbidden romance is the anchor. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Blood Sanctuary: Part One (Blood Grace, #3) by Vela Roth
4-stars (Read on January 27)
Cassia and Lio are still trying to create a peace treaty between her kingdom and the Hesperians. This book is heavy on politics and espionage. The world expands again by introducing a new type of (dark) magic. We also got to delve a bit into the history of the last war the Hesperians fought and see how that history affects the present. The supporting characters became more fleshed out in this book which helped create some nuance and depth to the novel’s stakes. I liked how the author avoided the two-dimension “good” vs. “evil” trope when discussing the potential war. I love how Lio’s friends and family accept Cassia; the main characters feel like a unit who know each other’s deepest secrets and most ambitious dreams. Although, the ex-drama was so annoying and could’ve been avoided with one conversation. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Blood Sanctuary: Part Two (Blood Grace, #4) by Vela Roth
4-stars (Read from January 28 to January 29)
The stakes become even higher for Cassia and Lio to forge an alliance between their people in this book. The romance is stellar and leans into the angst as Cassia struggles to get her people to support peace with the Hesperians. A great plot twist that expands the scope of the conflict, which will set the trajectory for the rest of the series (the following six books). ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

My Body by Emily Ratajkowsi
4.75-stars (Read from January 25 to January 31) 🥳
This memoir is a compilation of essays where Emily reflects on moments that shaped her by influencing how she perceives herself and others. I enjoyed how Emily explored the complexities of feminism, especially as someone who made money through modelling and felt empowered in her image yet whose image was also cultivated for/by men. I didn’t rate it 5 stars because I thought the memoir could’ve flowed better; I guess I wanted a stronger overarching theme(s) connecting the essays to give it a more finished “the end” feel. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Wrecked Palace by Catherine Cowles
4-stars (Read on January 31)
I’ve slowly been going through Catherine Cowles’s backlist and had my library hold of Wrecked Palace come in on January 31. It’s a testament to how much I enjoy her romances that this book is included in my January Wrap instead of my February Wrap; I read it so fast. I loved the family aspect of this book; after Caelyn’s parents abandoned her younger siblings, she left college early and moved back home to raise them. The scenes that showed Caelyn’s siblings bonding with Griffin, the love interest, were adorable. Caelyn and Griffin were cute together. Their fast relationship makes sense once you realize they’ve been flirting and kind of friends for the series’ past two books. While it wasn’t too hard to figure out the bad guy in the suspenseful subplot, I liked how it added some drama to the story and pushed Griffin to confront his fears of losing another family. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

5-star Reads

Key: 🔁 re-read | 🤓 reviewed on this blog | 📜 from Up Next Shelf | 🥳 from 2023 Backlist

A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin
5-stars (Re-read on January 1) 🔁
After her father dies, Kitty travels to London to participate in the season to marry a wealthy man, hoping to save herself and her sisters from destitution. This book is such a great example of a non-fantasy enemies-to-lovers romance. The banter is top-tier, and I loved how the Heroine goes toe-to-toe with the Hero at every level, despite her having no socio-economic power in comparison. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Finding Mayhem by Layla Frost
5-stars (Read on January 4)
Mac is pregnant and starting over, but she never planned on her neighbour, Hollywood, a member of a local motorcycle club, to upend what she thought her future looked like. This book is the kind of slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance that I enjoy. I loved how domestic and sweet this is, yet the plot touches on serious topics, including domestic violence. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Daughter of the Moon Goddess (The Celestial Kingdom, #1) by Sue Lynn Tan
5-stars (Read from January 2 to January 4) 🥳
This book was my favourite read in January! Read my full review here.

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
5-stars (Read from January 5 to January 6) 🥳
Elspeth is one of the infected, hiding her magic – the being she calls Nightmare, who possesses her – from the king and his men. At the king’s annual Equinox ball, Elspeth gets pulled into a dangerous quest to cure her land of infectious magic. But, it’s more likely Elspeth will be hanged for treason than solve the riddles of history to save her kingdom. The gothic atmosphere and dark magic system in this book were terrific. The romance was sweet, but the complex characters made the book a 5-star read. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton
5-stars (Read from January 8 to January 9) 🥳
The world has ended. Augustine, a world-renowned astrologist, is alone at his post in the Arctic until he discovers a mysterious child, forgotten during the mass exodus. Mission Specialist Sullivan is aboard the Aether, returning with her fellow astronauts from their mission to Jupiter. Mid-mission, they discover Earth has gone silent. This book is slow-paced and character-driven, asking the reader the meaning of a life’s work and even life after the end of the world. While some of the characters are unlikeable, I found this book beautiful. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Ravished by Amanda Quick
5-stars (Re-read from January 16 to January 17) 🔁
This book was my favourite read in 2022. It’s one of the best Beauty and the Beast historical romances I’ve read. I love how ardently the Heroine defends the Hero. Also, the Heroine is a bit of a dumb smart person (her priorities are always her fossils which she studies), which makes for a few funny scenes. The mystery was also compelling. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

January Stats

Favourite and Least Favourite Reads

Most Favourite: Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan. See why here.

Least Favourite: Enticing the Scrooge by Jessa Kane. See why here.

Quick Facts

• Most books (17) were from Kindle Unlimited.
• Most books (9) were 4-star reads.
• Most books (8) were Contemporary Romances.
• My most-read author was Claire Kingsley, with five books.

Longest and Shortest Reads

Longest Book: Blood Mercy by Vela Roth ~ 767 pages

Shorted Book: The Lord Sorcier by Olivia Atwater ~ 33 pages

Top of My Want-to-Read List

I came across Fayne by Ann-Marie MacDonald late last year during my historical romance era. It’s set on an estate that borders England and Scotland in 1885 and follows the complex relationship between 12-year-old Charlotte and her father. Charlotte has grown up isolated on this estate with a mysterious condition and in the shadow of her deceased mother and brother.

This book is one of those that you can’t pin down the plot without spoilers. Fayne is at the top of my want-to-read list because of the many reviews that espouse its beautiful writing and character development. Also, it will help fulfil one of my goals in 2023: to read more books longer than 500 pages.

I wasn’t interested when Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr was released in 2021. But after watching a YouTube video by MelReads [2:58], I was convinced to move this book to the top of my want-to-read list. The premise that multiple timelines, spanning 1453 in Constantinople, 2020 in Idaho, and sometime somewhere in the future, are all connected by an ancient text is compelling. Mostly, the promise of rich characterizations and character development drew me in. I’ve also noted a new interest of mine in books that explore the meaning of life through end-of-the-world events.

Phaedra by Laura Shepperson appears to be a controversial book to have at the top of my want-to-read list since it’s recieved so many low or middling reviews (its average on Goodreads is a low 3.29 stars). However, the plot is everything I want to read in a feminist Greek mythology retelling: Laura Shepperson flips the mythology of Phaedra by having her publicly accuse her stepson of assaulting her. The novel explores the pursuit of justice in a system not even built to recognize women as people.

Anticipated February Releases

In every post this year, I’ve mentioned the second book in the Broken Wings Duet, Haven by S.E. Wendel. I was so excited to finish this series that I read Haven on release day, which is actually very rare for me.

The Broken Wings Duet is a fantasy romance that incorporates knights, romance and a war between humans and avian people (they have wings). The story follows a forbidden romance between a knight and the new warden of a prison which guards her kingdom’s most valued prisoner-of-war. The found family in this book is awesome, and it features a soft Hero!

I was so excited about the release of Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey that I bought a physical copy of the book. After learning that the Target edition has a bonus chapter from Bailey’s It Happened One Summer, I had to use my connections (lol) to get a copy.

Secretly Yours promises to be a hilarious opposites-attract, grumpy-sunshine romance! The book’s premise sounds so fun, with lots of mutual pining. I’ve been putting off reading this book until March because it will fulfil my March Buzzword Reading Challenge prompt: read a book with “secret” in the title.

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