The time has come to change the monthly reading wrap-up intro gifs and as mentioned last month I’m changing them to Buffy the Vampire Slayer (really Buffyverse) gifs.

I’m most excited about this, there will be a gif for everything!

January is usually a very sucky month but this year we took ourselves off to Bordeaux at the beginning and man it’s helped get me through the month. I think we need to do that every year.

I often reread a lot in January (because of the suck) but I did well this month. Finished up some series, had some brand new reads and then ended the month rereading because I was getting blue. Looks like the high of Bordeaux only lasted so long.

The total number of books for January was 24 books, 13 of which was rereading. All my rereads were Kristen Ashley, I was in a mood.

New books…

Forsaken Trail (Runaway #4) by Devney Perry – 4⭐

Starting the new year with finishing up an old series.

I feel very comforted by Devney Perry books and I needed comfort while dealing with the fact that I’m back to work tomorrow after a lovely two weeks off! 😂

Brody and Aria were fun, I enjoyed all the sexual tension, didn’t love the pregnancy trope BUT I was prepared for it, it was one of the reasons I’d put off reading this but it actually wasn’t that bad and the HEA made it worth it.

Dotted Lines (Runaway #5) by Devney Perry – 3⭐

This book was just not long enough. I know that doesn’t seem like a good reason to rate it that little bit lower but the potential was there for there to be a 5 star book but it felt so rushed. Now I loved how Karson said he wasn’t going to mess around but I’d have loved some more of their relationship once they got together and took a bit more time with getting Gus used to his mom in a new relationship. It just felt odd.

I loved the epilogue and would have liked that to be longer as well. For the end of a series this book was just too short!

Gypsy King (Clifton Forge #1) by Devney Perry – 3.5⭐

I really did like most of this but I didn’t like Bryce for about 60% of it. She was terribly unprofessional, like bordering on completely incompetent. I think the reason she didn’t make it big in TV news is that she was shit at her job!

Worst. Reporter. Ever.

Stick to the fluff pieces on locals going to Harvard Bryce!

I love a strong take no shit FMC but she came across super bitter about the choices she made. Her blurting out some traumatic news to Dash because she is terrible at being an investigative reporter was infuriating.

I’m still mad about it all to be honest but it did enjoy the ride.

Dash was the typical commitment-phobe until he realised he really wanted to get married and have a family. Basically because he had little choice about the family part. It was a little eye rolly but I won’t lie and say I didn’t lap it up because with the drama that happened and the sudden protectiveness, I did in fact lap it up! 😀

I will admit that until reading this one I’d forgotten that it’s Devney Perry who does all the surprise/secret pregnancy trope stuff and that’s something I don’t typically enjoy but some of her series I’ve LOVED, like The Eden series, some I kind of loath, like the Lark Cove series and then the ones that I just find enjoyable like her Runaway series. So far I think I could possibly enjoy Clifton Forge but I’m only on book one of six so don’t want to get too carried away.

Riven Knight (Clifton Forge #2) by Devney Perry – 3.5⭐

We first met Isaiah in Tragic and if you read my review you’ll see how much I truly hated that book!

Isaiah was kind of an irredeemable character in Tragic but we find out more about him and his demons in Riven King and honestly like him a lot more than Kaine and I for sure liked Genevieve more than Piper!

This was a super slow burn and it made it feel like they were both more emotionally equipped as a result. Both needed therapy though!

The Draven storyline absolutely floored me, jeebus I was not expecting it, very emotionally devastating.

Oh, and I also spent most of the book wishing I could deck Dash, I wouldn’t have forgiven him as quickly as Genevieve, she was a bit too nice to everyone if you ask me!

Stone Princess (Clifton Forge #3) by Devney Perry – 3⭐

I liked Pres and Shaw but their story was a bit meh and I found the conflict very silly!

I’m not sure how much I’m going to enjoy Scarlett’s story but at least Jeremiah won’t make an appearance because he was a tool and I actually lost a lot of respect for Pres for putting up with him for so long no matter the circumstances!

Noble Prince (Clifton Forge #4) by Devney Perry – 3⭐

It was okay, I did like Luke and Scarlett but it was a little boring.

I’ve read the reviews for Leo’s book and I might need to skip it as it sounds like it will just enrage me. He sounds like a right dickhead!

Might read the last book but for was the end of my Devney Perry binge. It was good fun!

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna – 5⭐

Utterly delightful!

Sangu Mandanna said in her acknowledgements that when she started writing this (during the pandemic) she wanted to write ‘a warm, cozy, romantic story about magic and family. A story that was, above all things, about love and human connections.’ and she was 100% successful!

This was such a pleasure to read, I adored all the characters, the precocious sisters, Circe, Ian and Ken, Lucie, Primrose and of course Mika and Jaime!

This story is one of found family and acceptance and it’s basically a hug in a book. Really looking forward to Sangu Mandanna’s next book although I’ll probably save it like I did this one. It’s always nice having a book you know you’ll love waiting for you!

The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever (Bevelstoke #1) by Julia Quinn – 4⭐

A very fun Julia Quinn!

Miranda was very likable and I enjoyed that she was very forthright and good at communication, unlike Turner who was a bit of a knob to be honest. I mean I was rooting for them both but he really was a fan of wallowing!

I also wasn’t a fan of the nickname ‘puss’ to be honest and what annoyed me more was that I got all ‘aww shucks’ about it when he called his daughter that.

I wish there was an extra epilogue like for the Bridgerton books but unfortunately not!

What Happens in London (Bevelstoke #2) by Julia Quinn – 5⭐

Lovely!!

Olivia was delightful in The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever and she was even more delightful in this.

A very nebulous enemies to lovers story. The enemies part is very fleeting and it feels like they just liked each other from the get go but didn’t know how to deal with that.

Once they got going though? They were sweet and hilarious and a joy to read. I do like the lack of outright ‘conflict’ in this. I think Olivia is too practical to be upset by Harry not sharing about his job.

A good amount of hilarity in this came from Sebastian Grey and it’s making me very excited to read Ten Things I Love About You, I thought Winston would get a book but appears not and I’d take Seb over Winston for sure!

Ten Things I Love About You (Bevelstoke #3) by Julia Quinn – 4⭐

This was enjoyable, super dark given the Newbury storyline super bummed he didn’t die!

I adored Sebastian and I would have liked for him to be vindicated in relation to how his family (Olivia) thought him a bit of a waster when he was in fact suffering from PTSD and dealing with that by turning his insomnia into an income. I felt like his author storyline could have gone much further.

He and Annabel were adorable though and they made me laugh out loud a lot. Annabel’s grandmother had me dying! What a legend!

Problem Child (The Wolfverse #2) by Sam Hall – 2⭐

I do like this series but it can be a little repetitive (Lily was SUPER repetitive) and it was all a bit too focused on the kid, I mean it’s called Problem Child and the synopsis tells us there is an unexpected pregnancy, so it shouldn’t have been a surprise but it was A LOT and the kid wasn’t that likable and the dynamics felt weird and Lily really took everything as a criticism in regard to her parenting rather than the fact that she had an alpha who was a girl so it was new territory for everyone, it annoyed me the way she got so freaking defensive about EVERY SINGLE THING but I’m not a parent so what do I know.

And because of all that I really didn’t care that much about the relationships between the Alpha’s and Lily and that’s a shame because they did have potential, Reed especially!

I would have said I like Sam Hall but I dunno, parts of this really bothered me and felt incredibly preachy or something, lots of assumptions about how women feel as mothers. Not everyone can be or indeed want to be mothers. It’s likely I’m triggered though so grain of salt and all that.

Stupid Cupid by Maeve Black – 2⭐

Didn’t enjoy this at all. I feel like I should have but it felt very rushed with very little character development. How did Pyro go from being almost anti relationship to pursuing Val with abandon after almost a year of being apart? It was odd how ‘in love’ he was.

I also really disliked Val. Val is covered in tattoos and has piercing’s in all the places. I should have LOVED Val but he was a truly unlikable character. Pyro asked for very little in the beginning and the number one was communication and Val shit all over that, in my opinion that’s enough to walk away and never look back. So many mixed signals, it was frustrating and annoying!

Rereads – because of the last two books…

Probably unfair to blame the rereading on those two books as I’ll take any opportunity to reread, truth be told I just needed some KA. My reviews for all these books are most likely here somewhere or on my Goodreads.

The Will (Magdalene #1) by Kristen Ashley – 5⭐, Soaring (Magdalene #2) by Kristen Ashley – 5⭐, The Time in Between (Magdalene #3) by Kristen Ashley – 5⭐, For You (The ‘Burg #1) by Kristen Ashley – 5⭐, At Peace (The ‘Burg #2) by Kristen Ashley – 5⭐, Golden Trail (The ‘Burg #3) by Kristen Ashley – 4.5⭐, Games of the Heart (The ‘Burg #4) by Kristen Ashley – 3⭐, The Promise (The ‘Burg #5) by Kristen Ashley – 4⭐, Hold On (The ‘Burg #6) by Kristen Ashley – 5⭐, Complicated by Kristen Ashley – 5⭐, The Hookup (Moonlight and Motor Oil #1) by Kristen Ashley – 5⭐, Heaven and Hell (Heaven and Hell #1) by Kristen Ashley – 5⭐