I always think that I will have a slow reading month but then I finish and am always shocked by just how many books I was able to get in! Here the books I read and what I rated them. I always like to know if something isn’t worth my time!
Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist
After I finished “Let Them” by Mel Robbins, a friend suggested I read this book. It was a quick read and really complimented the other book so well. Sometimes we focus so much on showing up perfectly for other people that we so up imperfectly for the people who matter most. She teaches strategies and examples for making life’s load a lot lighter to hold. It is a great little self help, you’ve got this kind of read.
To Con a Gentleman by Sarah Adams
Do you ever finish a book from an author and immediately dive into everything she’s ever written? That was the case with me! I finished “Beg, Borrow, or Steal” by Sarah Adams and loved it! I found two books, totally different era than her other book but both were free on Audible. So I read “To Con a Gentleman” and “To Catch a Suitor.” Both are period dramas and good but I liked her first book better. I have a few others on my wishlist from her but jumped right into other books.
The Frozen River by Clare Flynn
This was a total misread by me. There is another book titled “The Frozen River” by Ariel Lawhon which was on many people’s favorites for 2024. I was thinking I read this book and the whole time wondered why it was on the top of people’s lists. Silly me! It wasn’t a bad book but not as engaging as I would have liked. After I finished it I realized it was the third book in the series. I wasn’t lost reading it but also maybe had I read the other two, I might have enjoyed it better. It was a free read from Hoopla, so I didn’t waste any money on it but still, next time I’ll be more careful.
Breaking the Ice by Amy Andrews
If you’ve ever read any hockey romance books, you know they tend to be some of the dirtiest books. This one however, was very clean. When NHL star Nick Hawke has 4 months to recover from an injury, he jumps in to keep his grandmother’s second hand romance bookshop a float after her passing. Little did he know that Samantha Evans would make that time pass a little quick. Watch how their friendship grows into a little romance as they work together to get Samantha dating again. It is darling and broke all of my cautions for hockey books.
If you Only Knew by Kristan Higgins
One of my favorite reads from 2024 was “Pack up the Moon” by Kristan Higgins, so when I saw this book, I knew I had to read it! Wedding dress designer Jenny Tate moves out of the city after a divorce from her husband. Watch how she learns to set boundaries, make friendships and help others see patterns of infidelity. It is a book about connections, sisterhood and finding love after loss.
Daughter of the Reich by Louise Fein
If you liked The Nightingale and All the Light We Cannot See, you’ll love this book about the impossible love during the Nazi regime. Hetty Heinrich, daughter of Nazi leader finds herself in an impossible friendship with a Jew. Learn what happens as she aide him and secretly connects during the war. What lengths would you go to keep your loved ones safe? Find out by reading “Daughter of the Reich.”
The Unsolicited Journals of Emma M. Lyon by Beth Brower
This was another TOP recommended series of 2024 from many. I searched for an audio version but no luck! The only place I’ve found them is Amazon. So I bit the bullet and bought the first two books. I will say the first book took a bit to get into with the setup of the storyline but once I got past that, I couldn’t put it down. They are quite short journals from Emma M. Lyon, living in London during 1883. Emma is a complete joy to get to know. She is brave, bold and resilient. In fact she reminds me so much of my little Alice, I just giggle the whole time I’m reading. Learn about her life, her loss and all of the adventures she gets herself into. Definitely not the typical period read. You’ll fly right through them and wish to start again! You can get them all right here!
