This month, I started off the year strong by reading the most books that I have read in a month in quite awhile. This month, I focused on reading one new release, as well as some other books which have been on my TBR. Overall, I would describe my reading month as average. While I didn’t have any one star books, I didn’t have any five star books either. Additionally, I found some books that I was really excited to read were too hyped up for me before I read them. Below, I included some of my monthly reading statistics:
Books Read: 6
Number of Pages Read: 2,222 pages
Average Rating: 3 stars
Now, onto the books! Any book with a review will be linked to the book’s title.
I was not a huge fan of the debut book by Elena Armas, The Spanish Love Deception, but I hoped to see a decrease in the amount of cringeworthy scenes and dialogue in comparison to the author’s first book. Unfortunately, many of the aspects which I did not enjoy from the first book which I read by Elena Armas also appeared in The American Roommate Experiment. I found the characters to be inconsistent, the plot to be repetitive, and the dialogue to be incredibly cringeworthy. I have The American Roommate Experiment 2.5 out of 5 stars.
- Love & Other Words by Christina Lauren
While Christina Lauren can be hit-or-miss for me, I went into Love & Other Words with high expectations because this book is extremely popular. While there were some elements that this story that I enjoyed, such as the dual timeline, the ending brought down my rating. At the end of the book, there is a major plot point which occurs, but then the story ends too quickly to process the emotional impact of that reveal. Since this event caused the two love interests to stop speaking for around a decade, I think this aspect of the plot needed more of a resolution. I gave Love & Other Words 3.5 out of 5 stars.
- Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade
I want to love books by Olivia Dade, but they often fall flat for me. Unfortunately, my experience with Ship Wrecked as similar to my experiences reading the first two books in the Spoiler Alert series. While I did enjoy the characters in this novel, particularly Maria, the female protagonist, there were several aspects which I did not enjoy. The pacing of this novel is off and would have benefitted from a different structure, such as a dual timeline, to keep up the energy throughout the story. Additionally, while I liked the characters, I didn’t fully believe in their relationship, which I need to be in order to enjoy a romance book. I gave Ship Wrecked 2.5 out of 5 stars.
I was a huge fan of The Cruel Prince series, so I was hopeful to enjoy The Stolen Heir. However, I was also wary because sometimes series continuation books can lack the magic of the original series. I think The Stolen Heir has the potential to have an interesting conclusion in the second book of the duology, but the first book wasn’t interesting enough on its own. The Cruel Prince is a character-driven story which focuses on court politics. Additionally, it possesses many twists and turns. The Stolen Heir, on the other hand, was primarily adventure-driven with one predictable twist at the end of the story. While it was a decent book, it didn’t live up to the original series for me. I gave The Stolen Heir 3 out of 5 stars.
I’m a huge fan of the Lore Olympus series so I enjoyed re-reading the first 25 episodes which are featured in the first published book of the series. For me, the major standout for Lore Olympus is the beautiful artwork which uses color beautifully. That being said, the story itself featured in the first book feels incomplete as it ends with many unfinished plot points. I give Lore Olympus, Volume One four out of five stars.
- Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
I was eager to read Every Summer After as I recently read Love & Other Words which often draw many comparisons from readers. Plot-wise and story structure-wise, I did find Every Summer After and Love & Other Words to have striking similarities, which I will detail in an upcoming Battle of the Books post. That being said, I did enjoy the realistic characters in Every Summer After as well as the writing style. However, I found the beginning to move slowly and I wasn’t a huge fan of the twist at the end of the novel, as it seemed very inconsistent with the characters inside the novel, despite the heavy foreshadowing. I give Every Summer After four out of five stars.
Favorite Book: Every Summer After
Least Favorite Book: The American Roommate Experiment / Ship Wrecked
What was the best book that you read in January?
Beauty and the Bean Boots 