Once again, I find myself craving excitement. I had a plan to complete 100+ books this year. This month, the literary journey was a bit different. I let my friends choose 14 books for me. I damn forgot our taste doesn’t match 🙁 This was not for all books, but almost 7 of them were totally “EWWW.” Skipping them, we still have seven more to discuss. To give an idea for the top picks, whenever each page was turned, a delightful adventure awaited.
This time, I was focused on more interesting books. Some of you will start reading books from here on my behalf, so selecting masterpieces is crucial. Ah, January! It was really magical, but this month, it’s something more. As a bibliophile, I always search for something new, better, and unique—many things to cover today.
Best Reads of the Month:
It’s been a while since I read the books. It takes time to give my review and to write things here. I have tried some new authors like Sierra Greer and Alexandra Kiley.
We are going to cover:
- Romantic Comedy
- The Wishing Game
- Expiration Dates
- Fangirl
- I Hope This Doesn’t Find You
- Happily Never After
- Kilt Trip
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld:
Summary:
Romantic Comedy follows Sally Milz, who writes funny sketches for a late-night comedy show. She has decided love isn’t for her after some bad experiences. She’s happy with her career and her stepfather. Her friend Danny starts dating a famous actor named Annabel. Sally finds it funny because Annabel is super beautiful, and Danny is just average-looking. Sally even makes a joke about it in one of her sketches.
Then, a famous pop star named Noah Brewster comes on the show. He usually dates supermodels. But he seems interested in Sally. They work together on sketches, and Sally wonders if he likes her.
Sally isn’t sure if Noah could really like her. She is not like the girls he usually dates. Sally needs clarification on whether this is real life or just something from a romantic movie. The story is funny and sweet, making you think about love and how people see each other.
Thought:
Curtis Sittenfeld did it again. After her book “Prep,” this book crossed my expectations, and I have to say that this is her best book. The exploration of romance between a successful comedy writer and a charming rock star is a unique blend of writing. I found the writing beautiful and the characters thrilling. I don’t know why people criticize Curtis. Although she had some problems in her early books, everyone improved. We should give her a chance.
| Publisher | Random House |
| Published Date | First published April 4, 2023 |
| Language | English |
| Pages | 309 |
| Title | Romantic Comedy |
| Awards | Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Best Romance (2023) |
| ISBN-10 | 0399590943 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0399590948 |
Sally thinks that Noah only dates girls half her age; how silly it is. LoL! Their love was cute and witty. “Romantic Comedy” is filled with charm and depth. It is a huge achievement for the author to write such a masterpiece.
The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer:
Summary:
The story is about a woman named Lucy Hart. She grew up without her parent’s love. Instead, she found comfort in books, especially the Clock Island series by Jack Masterson. Now, Lucy is 26 years old and works as a teacher’s aide. She loves sharing her passion for reading with kids, especially Christopher Lamb. Christopher is a seven-year-old who lost his parents tragically.
Lucy wants to adopt Christopher, but she doesn’t have enough money or stability to do so. Then, something exciting happens. Jack Masterson, the author of Lucy’s favorite books, announces a contest. The prize is the only copy of his new book. Lucy is one of the lucky contestants chosen to compete for it.
Winning this contest could change everything for Lucy and Christopher. But it won’t be easy. She has to face tough competition from other contestants. She has to deal with sneaky book collectors and handle Hugo Reese. Hugo Reese is the grumpy illustrator of the Clock Island books.
Lucy’s dream of a better life might just come true, but she’ll have to overcome many challenges along the way.
Thoughts:
The themes of the novel are good and bad, both. Lucy is adopting a foster child named Christopher. She is struggling with her past traumas and financial limitations. She enters a contest to win the prize.
| Publisher | Ballantine Books |
| Published Date | First published May 30, 2023 |
| Language | English |
| Pages | 304 |
| Title | The Wishing Game |
| Characters | Lucy Hart, Jack Masterson, Hugo Reese, Christopher Lamb, Andre Watkins, Dustin Gardner |
| Awards | Book of the Month Book of the Year Award Nominee (2023) |
| ISBN-10 | 0593598830 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0593598832 |
I appreciate the themes of family, childhood, loss, and love. However, Lucy’s inappropriate behavior towards Christopher is a bit creepy. She hugs and kisses a 7-year-old, which is uncomfortable for every reader. Besides comfort, it’s an illegal-type scene. You can go with it if you are OK with that.
Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle:
Summary:
In this Magical Realism and Fantasy book, there’s a character named Daphne Bell. She is single and finding a permanent love partner. Daphne Bell thinks that the universe has a plan for her love life. Whenever she meets a new guy, she gets a piece of paper with his name and how long they’ll be together. For example, she got three days with Martin in Paris, five weeks with Noah in San Francisco, and three months with her ex, Hugo. This has been happening to her for over twenty years.
Then, one day, she meets a guy named Jake, and there’s no expiration date on the paper. As Daphne and Jake get closer, she wonders if those papers really mean anything. She is keeping secrets from Jake that could hurt him if he finds out. The story explores themes of love, commitment, and honesty. The story is a mix of sadness and happiness throughout.
Thoughts:
The theme, as well as the book, were magical. She receives notes for a temporary relationship every time, but in the end, someone committed reaches her. Although it was predictable that someone pure-hearted would come, it was enjoyable. While enjoying some emotional moments and the theme, there needed to be more chemistry between the protagonists. This made me give the book four stars.
| Publisher | Atria Books |
| Published Date | March 5, 2024 |
| Language | English |
| Pages | 272 |
| Title | Expiration Dates |
| Settings | Los Angeles, California (United States), California (United States) |
| ISBN-10 | 1982166843 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1982166847 |
Daphne’s struggle for an everlasting relationship is awesome and adds depth to the context. The fantasy elements and self-discovery topics made me read till the end. Umm… I guess everything was okay; Jake’s character could have been improved.
FanGirl Down by Tessa Bailey:
Summary:
Fangirl Down is a book about Josephine. She is the biggest fan of the golf star Wells. Wells made a huge start, and everyone thought he would be this game’s next champ. Not so long, his performance loses, and he starts getting hateful. Wells plans to quit golf forever. His cubs were closed, his fame was gone, and he was getting hate. His only fan, Josephine, also leaves him when he leaves golf. Then he realizes his mistake.
Time passes, and Josephine is in some financial crisis. She is diabetic and needs money to pay bills and eat. Wells reaches her and hires her. Wells plans to win together and distribute the money. With time, they started developing feelings for each other. Wells starts winning again. Wells wants to do nice things for her, like brush her hair and take baths together. The problem is that Wells is technically her boss, so their relationship is prohibited. However, they manage everything, and things start getting better.
Thoughts:
The connection between Wells and Josephine in this book is really well done, especially with how they’re so different but end up together. My friend Sarah was right to push me to read it. We both liked how the characters’ relationship was written.
| Publisher | Avon |
| Published Date | First published February 13, 2024 |
| Language | English |
| Pages | 384 |
| Series | Big Shots (#1) |
| Characters | John Logan, Grace Ivers |
| ISBN-10 | 0063308355 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0063308350 |
I don’t usually go for sports romance, but this one by Tessa Bailey kept me interested, just like ‘Icebreaker’ by Hannah Grace did. The romantic parts were written nicely by Bailey, though some parts were a bit too explicit for me, like the “ass-eating” thing. Sarah mentioned some parts felt a bit slow, but overall, it was a good story. Sarah’s recommendations are usually spot-on. Maybe we should ask her to join our blogging team!
I Hope This Doesn’t Find You by Ann Liang:
Summary:
“I Hope This Doesn’t Find You” is like mixing two popular stories: “Never Have I Ever” and “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.” But in this story, instead of writing love letters, the main character, Sadie, writes angry emails. Sadie seems perfect in school. She is the leader and topper of her class. Everyone likes her. But to cope with her frustrations, she writes mean emails that she never sends. She’s careful not to hurt anyone’s feelings, but it helps her feel better to write out her anger.
She especially writes harsh emails to her annoying co-captain, Julius, who has always bothered her with his arrogance. She says many mean things about him, thinking nobody will ever see them. But one day, all her unsent emails are accidentally sent to everyone at school. Now, everyone knows what Sadie really thinks about them, and they’re not happy about it. Sadie’s life becomes chaotic, but surprisingly, Julius starts to see her differently, understanding the “real” Sadie behind the angry emails.
Thoughts:
This book is mainly for the people who always try to make others happy. It’s about a girl named Sadie who pushes herself to be perfect in everything. On the other side, there is a boy named Julius who seems cold but actually cares deeply for her. They start as rivals but end up falling in love. The story is full of tension and obsession between them.
| Publisher | Scholastic Press |
| Published Date | First published February 6, 2024 |
| Language | English |
| Pages | 320 |
| Title | I Hope This Doesn’t Find You |
| ISBN-10 | 1338827154 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1338827156 |
My friends and I wanted more depth in Julius’ character, and he was really awesome. Ann Liang’s writing is simple and engaging. She made me experience the full novel. This book was a delightful and fast-paced read. I particularly enjoyed the dynamic between Julius and Sadie as they challenged each other throughout the story. But overall, the book was a cute and enjoyable February read.
Happily Never After by Lynn Painter:
Summary:
The story starts with Sophie Steinbeck. She is about to get married. Everything was going great, but she found out her fiancé had cheated on her again. She wants to cancel the wedding, but her fiancé’s dad is her dad’s tough boss. She is quiet so that the boss doesn’t fire her dad. Luckily, she meets Max. He is a guy who is professional at objecting at weddings. He helps people who shouldn’t get married stop before it’s too late. Sophie thinks Max is a hero and wants to join him.
They start working together, going to weddings and stopping them if needed. Sophie enjoys it a lot, and she and Max become friends. But they both believe love is a myth. They hatch up a few times, thinking it’s just fun and not about love. Everything changes when a guy asks Sophie to object to his wedding, but Max’s ex-girlfriend is the bride. Max doesn’t know if he can hurt her, and Sophie realizes she might be in love with Max.
Thoughts:
If I were to describe the book simply, it is a cute and fast read with an intriguing storyline. The hiring objectors for weddings was somehow funny. She could solve the issue herself, but doing it this way would be no fun. I personally praise the character Max. There were some problems with Sophie’s behavior. She was overdramatic.
| Publisher | Berkley |
| Published Date | First published March 12, 2024 |
| Language | English |
| Pages | 384 |
| Title | Happily Never After |
| ISBN-10 | 0593638018 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0593638019 |
Despite enjoying the chemistry between Sophie and Max, I wish for more character development. Some certain repetitions made the plot a bit predictable. Overall, the unique job of being an objector is enjoyable, but I consider it my least favorite book by the author Lynn Painter. The author has the potential to do much better.
Kilt Trip by Alexandra Kiley:
Summary:
In Alexandra Kiley’s first book, we meet Addie Macrae. She is a travel consultant who always moves, except when it comes to Scotland. She loves exploring the world but avoids her homeland. That is until she’s assigned to help a struggling tour company there to save her job. On the other side, there’s Logan. He is a proud Scot who enjoys sharing Scotland’s beauty. He’s not thrilled about Addie’s arrival, fearing she’ll promote tourist traps and myths without truly experiencing the country.
As tensions rise, Logan uncovers Addie’s ties to Scotland through old photos of her late mother. Hoping to show Addie the real Scotland, he plans a trip for her. Despite their differences, there is an attraction between them. But with Addie’s job in danger, they must focus. Here comes the romantic journey of the two protagonists. Both don’t know how close they are going to be.
Thoughts:
“Kilt Trip” is Alexandra Kiley’s first novel. First, performing this well in your first book is much more difficult. I have been reading stories for more than five years but still can’t gather the energy to write my own. I always appreciate everyone who starts his literary career. The scene was set in Scotland. The novel created a magical atmosphere that drew into the heart of Edinburgh and the enchanting Highlands. Alexandra Kiley’s exceptional writing brought the story and characters to life.
| Publisher | Canary Street Press |
| Published Date | First published March 5, 2024 |
| Language | English |
| Pages | 348 |
| Title | Kilt Trip |
| ISBN-10 | 1335009299 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1335009296 |
The characters Addie and Logan are well-developed and seem a cute couple. Their relationship was spicy and romantic. The male character lacked depth, and it was difficult to connect emotionally with him. Something was missing in the chemistry between the characters. Overall, “Kilt Trip” is most likely due to its authenticity, storytelling, and memorable characters. Believe me, she will mark her name in the literary world.
Conclusion:
Closing the chapter on February, where I read eight fantastic books, was a blast! My reading buddies also had a blast. New writers shook things up, giving the oldies a run for their money. Mixing romance with fiction, mysteries, and even mythology was super fun. Each book now holds a special place in my heart. Overall, February rocked, thanks to these amazing reads. Catch you later. Until next time, stay happy!