Book 37 of 2025 📱 Snug in Iceland (Icelandic Romance #1) by Victoria Walker (3.5/5⭐️)
📚GENRE: Contemporary Romance
🗓PUBLISHED: 1 October 2021
Rachel Richards' life in London has lost its sparkle. Her boyfriend Adam is more interested in his job than in her, and her dreams of adventure have faded into a monotonous routine. When her company, Snug, offers her the chance to oversee a new store opening in Iceland, Rachel seizes the opportunity for escape.
Guided by charismatic Icelandic local, Jonas, Rachel discovers the breathtaking beauty of Reykjavik and the wild landscapes beyond. As geysers erupt and the snow falls, Rachel feels her heart awakening to a life she never knew she wanted.
With each passing day, Iceland's magic seeps into her soul, and Jonas becomes harder to resist. Will Rachel return to the comfort of her familiar life in London, or embrace the unknown and the promise of a love as fierce and untamed as Iceland itself?
💭 FAVORITE QUOTE: "I love that you take the time to notice everything even though you've seen it a hundred times before. You never get tired of the wonder. That's what life's all about, isn't it? And everyone just forgets until they come somewhere like this and then it's wonderful and you feel like you've been walking around your whole life with your eyes closed."
When I was in Alaska, I read a book that was set in Alaska, because I thought it would be cool to be experiencing the setting of the story while reading it (I was right). Because of that awesome experience, I went into one of the Iceland groups on Facebook to find a book to read while I was there. Two series were recommended - this was one of them.
Knowing that I wouldn’t be able to read 8 books during my 10 days in Iceland this summer, I figured I should get a head start so I could get amped up to go. (Not that I need the amping, this has been a bucket list trip for as long as I can remember!)
This was definitely an easy read, and not the most well-written romance I’ve read. I thought maybe it was due to translation, but the author seems to be from the UK, so I don’t think that’s it. That being said, I enjoy an easy read on occasion, and though this story wasn’t deep, I’ll definitely continue reading the series.
FREE on Kindle Unlimited!
Book 38 of 2025 🎧 The Other Mrs. By Mary Kubica (3.5/5⭐️)
📚GENRE: Thriller
🗓PUBLISHED: 11 August 2020
Sadie and Will Foust have only just moved their family from bustling Chicago to a coastal island in Maine when their neighbor Morgan Baines is found dead in her home. The murder rocks their tiny coastal island, but no one is more shaken than Sadie.
But it’s not just Morgan’s death that has Sadie on edge. And as the eyes of suspicion turn toward the new family in town, Sadie is drawn deeper into the mystery of what really happened that dark and deadly night. But Sadie must be careful, for the more she discovers about Mrs. Baines, the more she begins to realize just how much she has to lose if the truth ever comes to light.
The main character of this story was not likeable, yet I still found myself rooting for her. I didn’t know how I wanted this to end until it was ending in a way I didn’t want! I do think Kubica redeemed herself in the end though as the ending turned out even better than I had realized I’d wanted it to. This was a slow burn until the end when I swear I got whiplash from all the twists.
Book 39 of 2025 📖 The Night Fire by Michael Connelly (4/5⭐️)
📚GENRE: Police Procedural
🗓PUBLISHED: 22 October 2019
Back when Harry Bosch was just a rookie homicide detective, he had an inspiring mentor who taught him to take the work personally and light the fire of relentlessness for every case. Now that mentor, John Jack Thompson, is dead, and his widow gives Bosch a murder book, one that Thompson took with him when he left the LAPD twenty years before -- the unsolved killing of a troubled young man.
Bosch takes the murder book to Detective Renée Ballard and asks her to help him discover what about this crime lit Thompson's fire all those years ago. As she begins her inquiries -- while still working her own cases on the midnight shift -- Ballad finds aspects of the initial investigation that just don't add up.
The bond between Bosch and Ballard tightens as they become a formidable investigation team. And they soon arrive at a disturbing question: Did Thompson steal the murder book to work the case in retirement, or to make sure it never got solved?
I picked up a Michael Connolly book a couple months ago that I’d had on my shelf for a while, and now that I’ve read that one, I just want to read more. I’m having to limit myself to one of his books a month, otherwise that’s all I would be reading!
This was a Bosch and Ballard book, same as the last I read, and I really like the stories that have them working together. I’m going to have to figure out which of the duos books I’ve read, and which are still on my list to be read. This one ended in a way that I knew another book would pick up on, so I’m going to have to find that title next.
There was a little twist in this one that I didn’t see coming, then once it happened, I felt like I should have. I enjoy the investigation happening by Bosch and by Ballard, and though it’s not super suspenseful, it still pulls me in and I don’t want to put the book down.
Book 40 of 2025 📱 Hideaway in Iceland (Iceland Romance #2) by Victoria Walker (3.5/5⭐️)
📚GENRE: Contemporary Romance
🗓PUBLISHED: 1 November 2022
Anna Mortimer, a high-flying PR executive, though she had it all, including the career-defining deal to showcase the wedding of the century in a top magazine. But when the dream wedding turns into a PR nightmare, her career goes up in flames. Suddenly adrift in a world she once commanded, Anna grasps at a lifeline – an invitation from her friend Rachel to escape to the beauty of Iceland.
Meanwhile, Ned Nokes, the breakout star of the world's hottest boy band, is suffocating under the spotlight. Yearning for a breath of fresh air and a chance to rediscover himself, he slips away to Iceland. Used to trusting only his bandmates, Ned is unprepared for the genuine connections he forges in Reykjavik's cosy cafes and bars.
Anna and Ned's paths intertwine against a backdrop of steaming lagoons and snow-capped mountains. Can the same Icelandic magic that transformed Rachel's life work its spell on them as they navigate their new realities, unexpected friendships, and the possibility of a love that could redefine their futures? Will they risk opening their hearts to the promise of a new beginning, or retreat to the familiar worlds they left behind?
I bought the whole series of these on Kindle with the intention of reading one a month, but as soon as I finished the first one I was eager to begin the second!
It is no literary masterpiece, but it is a fun, easy romance. It definitely lacked depth, which is fine, except sometimes it felt like things were glossed over that could have been explored a little more.
That all being said, I love the characters in this series, and Ned and Anna were especially fun to read about. I continuously look up the places mentioned in Apple Maps to get a feel for the place. Counting down the days to my Iceland trip!
FREE on Kindle Unlimited!
Book 41 of 2025 🎧 The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young (3/5⭐️)
📚GENRE: Fiction / Magical Realism
🗓PUBLISHED: 17 October 2023
In the small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow is waiting for fate to find her. The Farrow women are known for their thriving flower farm—and the mysterious curse that has plagued their family line. The whole town remembers the madness that led to Susanna Farrow’s disappearance, leaving June to be raised by her grandmother and haunted by rumors.
It’s been a year since June started seeing and hearing things that weren’t there. Faint wind chimes, a voice calling her name, and a mysterious door appearing out of nowhere—the signs of what June always knew was coming. But June is determined to end the curse once and for all, even if she must sacrifice finding love and having a family of her own.
After her grandmother’s death, June discovers a series of cryptic clues regarding her mother’sdecades-old disappearance, except they only lead to more questions. But could the door she once assumed was a hallucination be the answer she’s been searching for? The next time it appears, June realizes she can touch it and walk past the threshold. And when she does, she embarks on a journey that will not only change both the past and the future, but also uncover the lingering mysteries of her small town and entangle her heart in an epic star-crossed love.
I kept seeing this one highly recommended, so I put a hold on it on Libby. Took a while for me to get it, but I was excited when it appeared in my checkout list.
Despite the hype, I had a hard time getting into the sun. I think I restarted it like three times, and seriously contemplated DNFing it at least twice.
In the end, I’m glad I wasn’t a quitter. It won’t be one that I will ever re-read, but it was a sweet (also, bittersweet) story. I’d recommend a print/digital version over the audio. Nothing wrong with the performer, I just felt like I was easily distracted away from the story when listening to it.
Book 42 of 2025 📖 Book Lovers by Emily Henry (4/5⭐️)
📚GENRE: Contemporary Romance
🗓PUBLISHED: 3 May 2022
Nora Stephens' life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.
Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.
If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.
RELATABLE QUOTE💭: “ some books you don’t read so much as live, and finishing one of those always makes me think of ascending from a scuba dive. Like if I surface too fast, I might get the bends.”
I used to think I did not read romance, well, except in the month of February. It turns out that I do, in fact, read romance. Just a little more picky about it than I am about other genres that I consume.
I see Emily Henry books everywhere, but I had never read one before. I ended up spotting this at a thrift store, and since it was familiar as one that people liked, I decided to grab it.
My first question: Why is she wearing a sweater in August in the Carolina’s? And from there I was pretty sucked in. I can’t say I loved any of the characters, but I did enjoy the banter.
Book 43 of 2025 📖 The Women by Kristin Hannah (5/5🌟)
📚GENRE: Historical Fiction
🗓PUBLISHED: 6 February 2024
Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.
As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over-whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets―and becomes one of―the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost.
But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.
Oh, I just loved this one! I’ve only physically read one Kristin Hannah novel, and I loved it. That being said, I’ve read the descriptions of others, and never felt drawn to them - including this one. But I’d heard such good things that I gave it a go, and I’m so glad that I did!
I feel like I have a pretty decent grasp on most of American history, but the Vietnam war is something I’ve never known much about. I knew it was a point of contention for Americans, but I didn’t really know why, and I didn’t know how they showed it. I recognize that this is a work of fiction, but I did learn a lot about the war and that time. I am interested in learning more now.
This book brought forward so many emotions. Sadness, hope, horror, heartbreak. I loved every second of it!
Book 44 of 2025 🎧 Missing Parts by Lucinda Berry (3/5⭐️)
Growing up abandoned by her father and raised by a single mother, Celeste was determined to create the perfect family but even perfect families have secrets. Celeste’s days are filled with a rewarding career, a devoted husband, and her four-year-old daughter. Only Celeste knows the precarious house of cards her family is built upon until the day her daughter falls critically ill. Celeste’s world quickly spirals out of control as her secret threatens to destroy her marriage, family, reputation, and sanity. She’ll go to any lengths to protect her family—take any risk, break any law—anything except tell the truth.
📚GENRE: Thriller
🗓PUBLISHED: 20 September 2016
I enjoy Berry’s books because there tends to be an intriguing psychological aspect to them - though I will say in this one that bit wasn’t very strong.
I didn’t find this book to be bad, or boring, but it definitely could have been better. It was very fast-paced, and I feel like a deeper dive would have made this a better story. It wasn’t a long one, so there was definitely opportunity to slow it down.
My personal favorite part was that Kwik Trip was mentioned! 😝 I wasn’t sure if any of the characters would get their happy ending, but I ended up quite pleased with the resolution.
FREE on Kindle Unlimited!
Book 45 of 2025 🎧 The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf (4/5⭐️)
📚GENRE: Thriller
🗓PUBLISHED: 25 January 2022
True crime writer Wylie Lark doesn’t mind being snowed in at the isolated farmhouse where she’s retreated to write her new book. A cozy fire, complete silence. It would be perfect, if not for the fact that decades earlier, at this very house, two people were murdered in cold blood and a girl disappeared without a trace.
As the storm worsens, Wylie finds herself trapped inside the house, haunted by the secrets contained within its walls—haunted by secrets of her own. Then she discovers a small child in the snow just outside. After bringing the child inside for warmth and safety, she begins to search for answers. But soon it becomes clear that the farmhouse isn’t as isolated as she thought, and someone is willing to do anything to find them.
I have no idea where I saw this recommended, but it was a good one! There were two storylines going, and I feel like I should have seen how they’d connect, but I’m kind of glad it surprised me! There was plenty of suspense, and I flew through this in less than 24 hours.
FREE on Kindle Unlimited!
Book 46 of 2025 🎧 The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose (5/5🌟)
📚GENRE: Domestic Thriller
🗓PUBLISHED: 13 July 2020
Sarah Morgan is one of the best criminal defense attorneys in Washington, DC. With a perfect case record and having made named partner before the age of thirty-five, her life is going exactly as she planned.
However, the same cannot be said for her husband, Adam, a failed author, who's grown to resent his wife's meteoric success as he feels it's come at the expense of their relationship.
For almost two years, Adam has kept his affair with Kelly Summers a secret, but everything changes when her body is discovered at the couple's lake house and Adam is arrested on suspicion of murder.
Sarah now finds herself facing her most challenging case yet when she vows to defend her husband--a man accused of murdering his mistress.
While Adam is certainly guilty of sleeping with Kelly, the question remains: Is he guilty of killing her too?
This one was actually a reread. I started reading The Perfect Divorce, but realized it had been so long since I’d read The Perfect Marriage, that I should do a quick reread before fully diving into the sequel.
The first time I read this story, I gave it 5/5 stars. I’m going to have to keep that rating, even though it was not as exciting to me the second time around. I’d start to remember things and also since I’ve started the sequel, I knew what was gonna happen anyway. That all being said, I found this to be a great thriller, I listened to the whole thing in a 24 hour period. Now I’m excited because I can go continue book 2!
FREE on Kindle Unlimited!
Book 47 of 2025 📖 The Perfect Divorce by Jeneva Rose (4/5⭐️)
📚GENRE: Thriller
🗓PUBLISHED: 15 April 2025
It's been eleven years since high-powered attorney Sarah Morgan defended her husband, Adam, against the charge of murdering his mistress. Sarah has long since moved on, starting a family with her new husband, Bob Miller, and changing careers. Her life is back to being exactly how she always wanted ... or is it?
After discovering Bob engaged in a one-night stand, Sarah wastes no time filing for divorce. However, amid their ugly separation, new DNA evidence is uncovered in the case against Adam, forcing the police to reopen the investigation and putting Sarah right back in the spotlight. Everyone wants to know what really happened, most of all former Deputy Hudson, who is hell-bent on finding the truth.
But when the woman Bob slept with is reported missing, he and Sarah start to fight dirty, and a high-stakes game of cat and mouse ensues. Filled with page-turning suspense and Jeneva Rose's signature twists and turns, this book will have readers wondering: Can Bob and Sarah achieve the perfect divorce? Or will it be "'til death do us part"?
I really liked this one, but I found it more predictable than the first book. You COULD read this book without reading the first, but I wouldn’t recommend it. In fact after I started this book I paused for a quick re-read of its predecessor and I’m glad I did.
There were twists, but I feel like I knew most of them were coming. I kept rooting for Sarah, even though I know she’s practically a psychopath, so the author did well there!
Book 48 of 2025 📱 Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall (4/5⭐️)
📚GENRE: Literary Fiction
🗓PUBLISHED: 4 March 2025
Beth and her gentle, kind husband Frank are happily married, but their relationship relies on the past staying buried. But when Beth’s brother-in-law shoots a dog going after their sheep, Beth doesn’t realize that the gunshot will alter the course of their lives. For the dog belonged to none other than Gabriel Wolfe, the man Beth loved as a teenager—the man who broke her heart years ago. Gabriel has returned to the village with his young son Leo, a boy who reminds Beth very much of her own son, who died in a tragic accident.
As Beth is pulled back into Gabriel’s life, tensions around the village rise and dangerous secrets and jealousies from the past resurface, this time with deadly consequences. Beth is forced to make a choice between the woman she once was, and the woman she has become.
A sweeping love story with the pace and twists of a thriller, Broken Country is a novel of simmering passion, impossible choices, and explosive consequences that toggles between the past and present to explore the far-reaching legacy of first love.
🗣️ MEMORABLE WORDS: They call a “garage sale” a “jumble sale” and I love that.
Oh, my heart. My poor shattered, pieced-back-together-just-to-be-shattered-again heart.
This book was fairly outside of the scope of books I normally read, but I saw it mentioned enough I thought I’d give it a shot. I had to remind myself that this wasn’t a suspense mystery, and I needed to just let the story flow and not think too much.
Once I began the book, I flew through it. Though there wasn’t suspense or thrill, there was still mystery and surprises. This book was definitely worth the read.
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(Summaries are from Amazon, but all thoughts about them are my own!)
Reading Challenge: 48/100 books read in 2025
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