Photo credits: Marcela Bolívar (pixabay), Thành Nguyễn (pixabay) Edited by Vaishali What's in store for this Wrap Up: ➜ A bookish welcome to a new reading year ➜ Some recent books I bought ➜ RECENT releases (Romance & Fantasy!) ➜ My January/February selections for you Hello reading friends! Two months into a new year and I hope you've been taking the time to rest, renew, be kind to yourselves and of course, stock your kindles and reading devices with your most anticipated reads for a fresh year. Whether you've hit the ground resting, crawling, walking or strolling, may this new year brim with silver linings, golden reads and sterling selections. However and wherever you find yourself; your mind, your body, your energy, I hope you're full of compassion for yourself as we shift into 2024. Admittedly, I'm not the kind of reader to keep up with recent releases, nor maintaining a full awareness of what's trending in the heat of the moment. With a bounty of books, that date back to even a decade, I have far too many 'need to read' selections that I typically read by mood, preference and personal pace. What I'm drawn to? I pick it up, and that's likely how I'll tackle my reads for this year. As is the case with complex chronic health, slow, steady and brain/body-energy-manageable is the game. Reading on an actual kindle device has also been a relatively new experience for me. Until mid 2023 (approximately), I'd picked up the convenient (and terrible) habit of reading on my phone via the kindle app. All that time spent staring unmovingly at a small screen and I knew I was enabling the severity of my health conditions, my already dysfunctional eye and brain health most importantly. I finally purchased a kindle, and I have to say that it's definitely a new experience. I've grown to appreciate it more than I thought I would, and I'm reminded of a time when I couldn't even entertain the thought of reading anything other than a physical copy of a book. Once I surpassed that barrier, I couldn't possiblity think of reading on anything but my phone. And here we are, after that barrier, where I've finally got myself in order and enjoy reading on what I get to call my kindle. How has your kindle experience been? Silly question considering a kindle is often the 'go to' choice for your reading consumption but how do your experiences compare, and which way of reading enables you to get the most out of the book you're reading? I've realised that the change can take some adaptation but with some familiarity, I easily slip into comfortable territory. I typically take to maintaining some loose reading goal for a new year, but since I seldom meet those goals, I've taken my foot off of the proverbial pedal and have decided to consume without major thought, major worry or major expectation. It is truly a colossal inner challenge, wanting to read so many books and yet not having one's cognition amenable to the endeavour. That and sporting a personality prone to perfectionistic and idealistic outcomes, and to consequently feel sidelined by my actual ability to meet myself where I'm at each day. But I still enjoy what I read, and I'm grateful that I have the opportunity to. I'm excited for a new year of Fantasy Romance, Paranormal Romance and romance period! I've had some anticipated reads lined up for the initial two months of the year, and I hope you're eager and excited for your own. Scroll down for some book deals I bought, some highly-anticipated January and February recent releases (of both Fantasy and Romance) and my yet-to-come reviews for my own picks. Enjoy, and may your reads be rewarding, your lives be joyful and your health be your wealth. My January & February Reads...1) Fallen King by C.N. Crawford - Rating ★ ★ ★
To carry forth this series we have a new love interest, a Fae legend who burns like smoke, flame and ash with a disturbingly devious history, more prophesies and predictions, visions of world damnation, a very likely catastrophic pairing who could fall to either extremes and forbidden intimacy that shifts from enemies to lovers to I-still-may-have-to-kill you. An interesting, action-packed follow up but the lack of depth and reasoning can alienate a reader's experience. Content warning/Listing: general warnings for violence, conflict and blood. Some profanity. Mentions the (past) intentional killings of children as sacrifices. Depravity, Imprisonment, enslavements, mentions starved emaciated bodies. Smut scenes (imagined, hallucinated and one sex scene on page). You can read my FULL REVIEW of Fallen King here - 3 STARS to Fallen King 2) The One Month Boyfriend by Roxie Noir - Rating ★ ★ ★
The One Month Boyfriend is thoughtful, talented, textured, well scripted and very slice of life in a manner that speaks to its authenticity. The characters (central and supporting) are complex, troubled, imperfect and intense in their own respective ways but still have a connective camaraderie that speaks to the tight dynamic of a group of people who care acutely about each other. I did struggle with a few elements of this read but the mental health content in regards to traumatic service, PTSD, anxiety in its various forms, social anxiety, fear-based spiralling, catastrophism, and negatively-primed inner and outer discontent was very well rendered through Kat. Content Warning/Listing: On-page anxiety, on page episodes of panic/panic attacks. Conversations, memories, recalls and recollections pertaining to trauma, anxiety and overwhelming situations. Catastrohphising. Anxiety spirals. Profanity. Smut scenes. PTSD-related episodes and attitudes. An scene that depicts a micro aggression. Infidelity during a past relationship (the heroine's ex boyfriend). The heroine mentions being tormented in high school. Some alcohol consumption. Mentions alcohol abuse pertaining to a side character and a subsequent suicide post service. Main side character with an alcoholic addiction (who's been sober for going on 3 years). Ideas/suggestions of self harm and suicidal contemplation born from the aftermath of PTSD related military service. You can read my FULL REVIEW of The One Month Boyfriend here - 3/3.5 STARS to The One Month Boyfriend 3) Puck Shy by Teagan Hunter - Rating ★ ★ ★ ★
A fresh series of sexy sportsmen, lighthearted standalone romantic pairings, fun raillery, the continued thread of 'textual' interrelations, and Puck Shy becomes a continuation of Hunter's familiar favouritism for rom com fiction. And of course, complete with characters prone to food-serious hunger spikes and a win-him-over (very public) 'I'm sorry' and this easily settled itself among my row of Hunter favourites. Content Warning/Listing: Swearing. Mentions the death of a parent. Mentions infidelity within a parent's marriage. Parent death. Mentions a pivotal side character (friend to the hero) who sports a facial disfigurement. Mentions the past homophobic assault of someone. Mentions the abandonment of a dog (who finds a happy ending in a shelter). On ice brawling. You can read my FULL REVIEW of Puck Shy here - 3.5/4 STARS to Puck Shy 4) Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas - Rating ★ ★ ★ ★ I hope you've enjoyed my opening reads of 2024 but more than that, I truly hope you've enjoyed your own. Stay safe and well reader friends. I love interacting with fellow readers and hearing about reader opinion, so if you'd like to talk books or about your own recent reads, get in touch and comment below! H A P P Y R E A D I N G ___________________________ M Y R A T I N G S Y S T E M: ★ - 1 star: I did not like the book ★★ - 2 stars: The book was okay ★★★ - 3 stars: It was a good, solid read ★★★★ - 4 stars: A great book ★★★★★ - 5: A phenomenal read ___________________________ _________________________________________ R E L A T E D P O S T S: ● November/December Reading Wrap Up 2023 ● 4 Month Bundle Reading Wrap Up #2 ● 4 Month Bundle Reading Wrap Up #1 ● January/February Reading Wrap Up 2023 ● November/December Reading Wrap Up 2022 ● September/October Reading Wrap Up 2022 ● July/August Reading Wrap Up 2022 ● May/June Reading Wrap Up 2022 ● March/April Reading Wrap Up 2022 ● January/February Reading Wrap Up 2022 ● November/December Reading Wrap Up 2021 ● September/October Reading Wrap Up 2021 ● July/August Reading Wrap Up 2021 ● May/June Reading Wrap Up 2021 ● March/April Reading Wrap Up 2021 ● January/February Reading Wrap Up 2021 ● November/December Reading Wrap Up 2020 ● September Reading Wrap Up 2020 __________________________________________ SHARE ON FACEBOOK Leave a comment and let's talk...
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