January 2021 Reading Recap

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It was a month for romance and for series!

I discovered, and fell in love with, Chloe Liese and Jenny Holiday. I revisited old favorites, tried a sophomore novel by a favorite author, devoured an underrated/undermentioned book that burrowed deep in my heart, and read a book I strongly disliked in a very visceral way.

Here’s the rundown:

Firefly Lane and Fly Away by Kristin Hannah- I read both of these novels YEARS ago and I wanted to re-read them in advance of the series coming out on Netflix. I got to pre-screen the first two episodes and attend a Q&A with the cast (super cool, Katherine Heigl is stunning in person and I’m still obsessed with Sarah Chalke) and I wanted to be prepared.

I found that I really liked Firefly Lane (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) much more when I read it in my 40’s. So much of Kate’s story resonated with me in a way that I just could not have understood at 30. Fly Away (⭐️⭐️⭐️) was good as well, just a bit too depressing for me.

The Matchmaker Bay Series by Jenny Holiday – If you love cozy and comforting hallmark romance type novels with some serious steam 🔥 , grab the Matchmaker Bay series by Jenny Holiday. Jenny is the queen of amazing swoony chemistry and witty banter and just sort of ….making you fall in love with her characters. And those love scenes…WHEW. The second novel in the series Paradise Cove is my favorite. Sweet and romantic and swoony but it packs a serious emotional punch and I even shed a few tears.

The Lost Love Song by Minnie Darke-

The Lost Love Song is so very special. It is the kind of story that stays in your heart for a long time. I thought the way that everything and everyone was intertwined was just beautiful.

By the time I finished the last line, I was in love with each and every character and I didn’t want their stories to end.

When I finished the last word, I just sat for a moment with my eyes closed. This novel is tender, bittersweet, gentle, and absolutely lovely. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Better Luck Next Time by Julia Claiborne Johnson – Be Frank with Me, Johnson’s first novel, is one of my all time faves…so I was excited to pick this one up. Julia Claiborne Johnson’s novels are quirky in the most fantastic way. I really enjoyed learning about divorce dude ranches in Reno. The cast of characters was vibrant and memorable and endearing. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The first two books of the Bergman Brothers Series by Chloe Liese-

Only When It’s Us -A kind, feminist, gentle lumbersexual hard of hearing male lead ? A tough but tender fierce soccer playing female lead? Yes, please. I fell in love with Willa and Ryder but I also fell in love with their families. Chloe Liese wrote them all so tenderly and beautifully. And did I forget to mention the chemistry and STEAM??? Whewwwww. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Always Only You – “Because I know that having arthritis, being autistic, does not make me less whole or human. It doesn’t make me wrong or broken. It makes some things in my life more challenging in ways, yes, and maybe I don’t represent the “norm,” but I can be someone who surmounts obstacles without it meaning there’s something fundamentally lacking in my makeup.”

“Don’t feel yourself falling deeper when you see him demonstrate that strength lies not in an assertion of power but in acts of service.”

Swoon swoon swoon SWOON. This is the swooniest book I’ve read in a good long while.A gentle giant, feminist, Shakespeare-loving redheaded Viking hockey player falls in love with an autistic, badass, strong-willed but vulnerable Italian with an autoimmune disorder? YES. Y’all. It’s perfect. These two are perfect. I read a few of the passages through teary eyes because their love was just so PURE. Frankie and Soren are just…magic.

And listen. This book is HOT too. The buildup to the true steam is almost unbearable because the tension is PALPABLE. Chloe Liese knows how to write agonizing chemistry. And the payoff is WHEW…SPICY.

Bottom line? I’m obsessed with the Bergman family. Elin and Dr. B need their own book because these two raised incredible humans! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

People Like Her by Ellery Lloyd- This just made me feel icky. Yuck. The main characters are horrible, sociopathic people who made me even more wary of influencer culture. The violent act at the end was unnecessary and made me ill. Kind of wish I wouldn’t have finished it. ⭐️💫