You know what they say … better late than never?? I know we are already a few days into March BUUUUT here I finally am with my February 2024 reading recap!

This month felt a like a slower reading month for me and I only ended up reading 4 books total.

bad summer people

Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum was the first book that I read this month. It didn’t really fit the “vibe of the times”, as it’s DEFINITELY more of a fun summer book (take it for your spring break trip!) but I still really enjoyed it and gave it 3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars!

FROM AMAZON:

None of them would claim to be a particularly good person. But who among them is actually capable of murder?

Jen Weinstein and Lauren Parker rule the town of Salcombe, Fire Island every summer. They hold sway on the beach and the tennis court, and are adept at manipulating people to get what they want. Their husbands, Sam and Jason, have summered together on the island since childhood, despite lifelong grudges and numerous secrets. Their one single friend, Rachel Woolf, is looking to meet her match, whether he’s the tennis pro―or someone else’s husband. But even with plenty to gossip about, this season starts out as quietly as any other.

Until a body is discovered, face down, off the side of the boardwalk.

Stylish, subversive, and darkly comedic, this is a story of what’s lurking under the surface of picture-perfect lives in a place where everyone has something to hide.

This was a light murder mystery and I LOVED having the different perspectives of all the different characters. The characters also felt like the moms in my own community that I live in so it all felt very relatable … you never know what’s going on behind closed doors in other people’s homes and lives!

first lie wins

My second read of the month was also another hit with First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston. I gave this one 4 solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!

FROM AMAZON:

Evie Porter has everything a nice, Southern girl could want: a perfect, doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence and a garden, a fancy group of friends. The only catch: Evie Porter doesn’t exist.

The identity comes first: Evie Porter. Once she’s given a name and location by her mysterious boss Mr. Smith, she learns everything there is to know about the town and the people in it. Then the mark: Ryan Sumner. The last piece of the puzzle is the job.

Evie isn’t privy to Mr. Smith’s real identity, but she knows this job will be different. Ryan has gotten under her skin, and she’s starting to envision a different sort of life for herself. But Evie can’t make any mistakes–especially after what happened last time.

Because the one thing she’s worked her entire life to keep clean, the one identity she could always go back to—her real identity—just walked right into this town. Evie Porter must stay one step ahead of her past while making sure there’s still a future in front of her. The stakes couldn’t be higher–but then, Evie has always liked a challenge…

I so badly want this book to be made into a movie!! And if it does (there’s a good chance it could be since it’s a Reese’s Book Club pick), I will DEF be going to watch it! This was the perfect heist-y, crime junkie-ish story. I loved how there were so many different moving pieces and you never knew how it was going to land but in the end it all somehow fit together. Ugh, it was SO SATISFYING!! If you loved Oceans 11, you’ll definitely love this book!

the fragile threads of power

The third book I read was The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab and I have a LOT to say about this book. I will start off by saying it was AT THE MINIMUM a 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ book for me… maybe even higher – I’ll explain more below after the Amazon summary …

FROM AMAZON:

A new door opens…

Once there were four worlds, nestled like pages in a book, each pulsing with fantastical power and connected by a single city: London.

After a desperate attempt to prevent corruption and ruin in the four Londons, there are only three:
● Grey London, thriving but barely able to remember its magical heritage
● Red London, ruled lately by the Maresh family, flourishing and powerful
● White London, left to brutality and decay

Now the worlds are going to collide anew―brought to a dangerous precipice by the discoveries of three remarkable magicians.

There’s Kosika, the child queen of White London, who has nourished her city on blood and dreams―and whose growing devotion to both is leading her down a dangerous path.

Then there’s Delilah Bard, born a thief in Grey London, who crossed the worlds to become a legend far from there. She’s an infamous magician, a devious heroine, and a risk-taking rogue, all rolled into one unforgettable package. Having disappeared to seek new adventure, an old favor now calls Lila back to a dangerous port, to join some old friends who need more help than they realize.

Last there is Tes, a young runaway with an unusual and powerful ability, hiding out in Red London while trying to stay out of the limelight.

Tes is the only one who can keep all the worlds from unraveling―if she manages to stay alive first.

So when I finished this book, the only thing I wrote in my Notes app was “WOW. Just wow.” 😂!! I was already a fan of V.E. Schwab having read and loved The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. When I saw that this book came out last fall, I stupidly assumed it was just another standalone like Addie LaRue. I did see in reviews that this book was “set in the world” of a previous series she’d written but after having read it, I think it’s more accurate to say that this book is a continuation of that series (The Shades of Magic series, FYI). Reading this book felt like I dropped into the middle of a story and I had to spend some time playing context catchup, trying to understand who characters were, what certain settings were, etc. Because of that, this book had a slowwwww start for me; I won’t lie, I struggled a bit because I could just tell there were certain references that I was already supposed to understand, that I didn’t. Once I got into the swing of the “world”, though, the story was fast moving and I could not put this book down. However! I would recommend reading the Shades of Magic trilogy FIRST so that you can get maximum enjoyment from this book. Technically this one is the start of another offshoot series so I’m super excited to read the next one she writes for this series but had I read the original trilogy first, I think I could have given this first book a 4.5 or 5 star rating. This author excels at world building and also has super compelling characters … this book felt very reminiscent of Sarah J. Maas’ Throne of Glass series (except like if I’d started in book 4 rather than book 1, hence my recommendation to start with the Shades of Magic trilogy first)! If you love fantasy/magic, you’ll really enjoy this book!

the burnout

The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella was my fourth and final book for the month of February. It landed right at 2.5-3 ⭐️⭐️ for me personally.

FROM AMAZON:

She can do anything . . . just not everything.

Sasha has had it. She cannot bring herself to respond to another inane, “urgent” (but obviously not at all urgent) email or participate in the corporate employee joyfulness program. She hasn’t seen her friends in months. Sex? Seems like a lot of effort. Even cooking dinner takes far too much planning. Sasha has hit a wall.

Armed with good intentions to drink kale smoothies, try yoga, and find peace, she heads to the seaside resort she loved as a child. But it’s the off season, the hotel is in a dilapidated shambles, and she has to share the beach with the only other occupant: a grumpy guy named Finn, who seems as stressed as Sasha. How can she commune with nature when he’s sitting on her favorite rock, watching her? Nor can they agree on how best to alleviate their burnout (Sasha: manifesting, wild swimming; Finn: drinking whisky, getting pizza delivered to the beach).

When curious messages, seemingly addressed to Sasha and Finn, begin to appear on the beach, the two are forced to talk—about everything. How did they get so burned out? Can either of them remember something they used to love? (Answer: surfing!) And the question they try and fail to ignore: what does the energy between them—flaring even in the face of their bone-deep exhaustion—signify?

So…. this book was just OK for me. Listen, I love me a Sophie Kinsella style light, fluffy, beach read. I was OBSESSED with her Shopaholic series when I was in college. Buuuut I read this book right off the heels of The Fragile Threads of Power and everything just felt trite in comparison 😅 The writing, the plot, the characters, all of it. It has the usual Sophie Kinsella formula and while I have NOTHING against a formulaic storyline, this one just didn’t really do it for me. The entire time reading this book, I couldn’t stop thinking about the last book I read, and for that reason I probably won’t recommend this one. There are so many other Sophie Kinsella books that have a similar fluffy, light, vibe but that are written better than this one.