January Wrap-Up 2022

I’ve read 8 books in January, with a total of 2.973 pages. My average rating was 3.44 stars, which is low for my usual average. Here’s what I read in January:

     

Aurora’s End by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff – 3.5 stars. Check my review here.

Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco – 4 stars. Entertaining and pure enjoyment. There are some pacing issues with this one, but I enjoyed it a lot anyway. The atmosphere and the world are amazing. There isn’t a lot going on for a while but it kept me guessing. The revelation was very obvious from the start, but I still liked it when it came. I’ll definitely read the next one.

The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler – 3.5 stars. Check my review here.

The Legacy by Elle Kennedy – 4 stars. Check my review here.

    

Electric Idol by Katee Robert – 4 stars. Check my review here.

Twisted Love by Ana Huang – 2.5 stars. The plot was all over the place, the pacing was weird and honestly, I disliked Alex. He annoyed me a lot throughout the story, the way he talked to Ava… not my thing at all. It was too over the top and it didn’t flow well. Ava was ok, I enjoyed her personality and her friendship with Bridget, Jules, and Stella. The best part was the groveling but even that was ruined by the time jump. And the time jump didn’t make any sense at all! Why do that when the hero needed to make the heroine (and the readers) swoon? A very weird choice if you ask me.
I enjoyed the secondary characters and I might read the next book because it’s a bodyguard romance. Overall, it was an average read for me. Not bad, not good, just average.

Love at First Spite by Anna E. Collins – 3 stars. A sweet read. The first half of the book was really good and fast-paced. Dani was easy going and Wyatt was a great character. Their relationship started with a series of funny moments. But I didn’t get some of Dani’s choices. Her grudge against her ex took so much time. I think she could’ve gotten over it faster. I also wasn’t a fan that she didn’t come clean with Wyatt sooner. He was a sweetheart! Their chemistry was okay. Overall, it was sweet and entertaining.

The Royals Next Door by Karina Halle – 3 stars. A cute bodyguard romance. The royal aspect of the book, the royal neighbors, was interesting and intriguing but I don’t think it added anything special or different to the story. Piper was an introvert, almost a hermit, she had a romance podcast (loved that) and she loved reading. I liked her as a character. The struggles concerning mental health and her mom’s neurological issues added an interesting layer to this book. I didn’t connect much with Harrison. Didn’t quite feel the chemistry between them. The steam scenes were ok. I enjoyed the writing. I just wasn’t very invested in these characters and their relationship. Overall, it was an entertaining read. Not very memorable though.

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My January TBR wasn’t a failure but I read books that I wasn’t planning to read in January. The only book I didn’t read, that was in my TBR, was Little Thieves. I’ve been in a weird fantasy reading slump, so I’ve been mood reading. I was leaning toward romance or fantasy romance books during January.

Have you read any of these books? Share your thoughts with me in the comments.

Xoxo,

Andie