October 2022 Reads
This was a slower reading month for me, y’all.
October came out swinging this year. I feel like it was a really long month that also went by in like 2 seconds lol. Between work and everything else going on, I just wasn’t always in the mood to read and couldn’t figure out which books I was in the mood for. I really was trying to read some mystery/thrillers, but ended up taking a quick right to one of my comfort genres - romance. So I didn’t get through as many books as usual this month, but I think it was still a solid month for reading.
Anyway, on a random note, I also cut seven inches off my hair this month and ya girl feels LIBERATED. Highly recommend giving it a try lol.
That’s about it.
Let’s get into everything I read in October!
*All summaries are taken/paraphrased from Goodreads.
The Whisper Man by Alex North
THE WHISPER MAN by Alex North
Rating: 4/5 stars
Summary: After the sudden death of his wife, Tom Kennedy believes a fresh start will help him and his young son Jake heal. A new beginning, a new house, a new town: Featherbank. But Featherbank has a dark past. Twenty years ago, a serial killer adbducted and murdered five residents. Until Frank Carter was finally caught, he was nicknamed “The Whisper Man,” for he would lure his victims out by whispering at their windows at night. Just as Tom and Jake settle into their new home, a young boy vanishes. His disappearance bears an unnerving resemblance to Frank Carter’s crimes, reigniting old rumors that he preyed with an accomplice. Now, detectives Amanda Beck and Pete Willis must find the boy before it is too late, even if that means Pete has to revisit his great foe in prison: The Whisper Man. And then Jake begins acting strangely. He hears a whispering at his window.
My Thoughts: This book has been on my peripherals for a while now because I always see people rate it really highly, but I’m also a bit scaredy lol. So when I saw the audiobook was available on Libby, I figured no better time than October to listen to something a little chilling. My friends, this book was creepy. Like I had to double check my locks a couple of times while listening to it lol. The start of the book was a little slow though, and I have to admit that I’m still not sure if I wasn’t listening closely enough and missed a key part of the beginning or what. Later in the story, there’s a plot point emphasized that made it seem like you should’ve picked up on this since the beginning (which is that hindsight feeling). However, I had zero memory of that plot point and the specific character it was highlighting lol. So I can’t confirm or deny if this was a “me” type of thing or a plot flaw, so if you read this let me know! I think the storyline in general was twisty and well thought out for sure. Basically, it was a pretty creepy story and I thought it served its purpose lol.
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas
A COURT OF SILVER FLAMES by Sarah J. Maas
Rating: 4/5 stars
Summary: Nesta Archeron has always been prickly-proud, swift to anger, and slow to forgive. And ever since being forced into the Cauldron and becoming High Fae against her will, she’s struggled to find a place for herself within the strange, deadly world she inhabits. Worse, she can’t seem to move past the horrors of the war with Hybern and all she lost in it. The one person who ignites her temper more than any other is Cassian, the battle-scarred warrior whose position in Rhysand and Feyre’s Night Court keeps him constantly in Nesta’s orbit. But her temper isn’t the only thing Cassian ignites. The fire between them is undeniable and only burns hotter as they are forced into close quarters with each other. Meanwhile, the treacherous human queens who returned to the Continent during the last war have forged a dangerous new alliance, threatening the fragile peace that has settled over the realms. And the key to halting them might very well rely on Cassian and Nesta facing their haunting pasts. Against the sweeping backdrop of a world seared by war and plagued with uncertainty, Nesta and Cassian battle monsters from within and without as they search for acceptance and healing in each other’s arms.
My Thoughts: Okay y’all. I have to be honest that I have mixed feelings about this book because it’s usually as effortless as breathing to fall into the rhythm of SJM’s writing - especially with series like ACOTAR. However, I feel like she was trying to appease the reader a little bit too much due to the demand for more smut in her books, so there was a slight disconnect in her writing for me. I’m not knocking the smut she included in this story - y’all know I love some quality smut - but it felt mildly forced at times. The first half of this book was like 3-3.5 stars at best for me. Aside from the slight disconnect in her writing, it seemed as though SJM was trying to get her footing with the POV from these specific characters (Nesta and Cassian) and just kept trying new things until the tone felt right. The second half was easily 4-5 stars though depending on the part. The Blood Rite chapters?? AMAZING. Although, yes, I loved watching Cassian’s and Nesta’s relationship grow, I think the bigger themes of found family/love through friendship sold me on this story. The emotional depth Nesta discovered with Gwyn and Emerie and the character development she experienced after befriending them was everything I wanted for her from the start. Girl Power, amiright? The writing in general smoothed out towards the second half of the book which also made the smutty scenes feel more natural. All in all, I ended the book feeling 4 stars about it. I’m honestly just looking forward to a book about Elaine, Lucien, and Azriel, so here’s to hoping that’s next on SJM’s agenda!
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER by Holly Jackson
Rating: 5/5 stars
Summary: The case is closed. Five years ago, schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh. The police know he did it. Everyone in town knows he did it. But having grown up in the same small town that was consumed by the murder, Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn’t so sure. When she chooses the case as the topic for her final year project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden. And if the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from the truth?
My Thoughts: This book has been on my radar for a while and I’ve only ever heard great things about it, so I was eager to dive in. The beginning of this story is kind of a slow burn as the author not only sets you up for what’s to come, but dives into where these characters have been. The format helped the pacing, though, as it bounced between Pip’s written report on her investigation and real time happenings in her life. I loved how incredibly relatable Pip was, and the passion she has for this capstone project instantly sucked me into her investigation. Right away, her character showed through the pages as she approached Ravi, the brother of deceased alleged murderer Sal, with such compassion when everyone else in town treated his family like the plague. Her kindness caught him by surprise, but he instantly joined her search for the real killer to clear his brother’s name. Their friendship ended up being a bright light in this otherwise dark endeavor. The first part of this storyline that made me GASP is what happens to a character named Barney - I don’t want to give anything away, so I won’t go into detail, but fak that shot me in the heart. The plot twists in this book really hit when you least expect them and I could not for the life of me even try to guess who really killed Andie Bell. As I said before, the beginning of the book is a little bit of a slow burn, but by the end of it, we were SPEEDING through these pages. I highly recommend picking this up if you’re looking for a good murder mystery to get lost in that isn’t too gruesome.
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
IT ENDS WITH US by Colleen Hoover (REREAD)
Rating: 5/5 stars
Summary: Sometimes it’s the one who loves you that hurts you the most. Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up - she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true. Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place. As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do the thoughts of Atlas Corrigan - her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.
My Thoughts: Okay, so I binge-read this book back in 2019 and remembered absolutely NOTHING about it lol. However, It Starts With Us came out on October 18th, so I wanted to quickly reread this one before I dove into its follow up book which includes Atlas’s point of view. The last time I read this CoHo novel, I gave it five stars, and after reading it a second time, nothing has changed. Colleen Hoover has a way of articulating emotions on such a deep level that you can’t help but connect with the words. All while keeping it simplistic enough that you can easily empathize with the feelings each character is experiencing. The anguish, sorrow, grief, and sadness Lily felt after Ryle showed his true colors really hit my core, and although I wanted to hate Ryle, I couldn’t. Specifically because of Lily’s perspective as she processes this unexpected situation and sees how much his actions are hurting him too. It’s like you don’t know what you would do if you were in her shoes unless you’ve gone through something similar - which I think is one of the bigger messages of this book. Atlas, of course, had my heart in a chokehold from the beginning. I adored how gentle, yet protective he was over Lily in every stage of their lives. He gives her space and patience to sort through the recent messes of her life before he tries to pursue anything with her, and I just really respected that. Overall, this book sucked me in a second time just as easily as it did the first, and I definitely recommend giving it a try if you haven’t. Just please check trigger warnings because this story is based around domestic violence.
It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover
IT STARTS WITH US by Colleen Hoover
Rating: 5/5 stars
Summary: Lily and her ex-husband, Ryle, have just settled into a civil coparenting rhythm when she suddenly bumps into her first love, Atlas, again. After nearly two years separated, she is elated that for once, time is on their side, and she immediately says yes when Atlas asks her on a date. But her excitement is quickly hampered by the knowledge that, though they are no longer married, Ryle is still very much a part of her life - and Atlas Corrigan is the one man he will hate being in his ex-wife and daughter’s life. Switching between the perspectives of Lily and Atlas, It Starts With Us picks up right where the epilogue for It Ends with Us left off. Revealing more about Atlas’s past and following Lily as she embraces a second chance at true love while navigating a jealous ex-husband.
My Thoughts: One word: obsessed. This book picks up right where the epilogue left off in the last book and I could not read it quickly enough. Just the fact that it flips between Lily’s and Atlas’s POVs made me addicted because we only had Lily’s perspective in IEWU. So this time around, we got to see how everything happening is affecting both of them. We also get to know Atlas so much better as we’re finally given information about his past that we only got a taste of initially. If Atlas isn’t the definition of a book boyfriend, I don’t know who is. He’s kind, caring, compassionate, patient, and the instant protectiveness he feels over a younger brother he never knew he had was so incredibly heartwarming. Also, how he handles everything during a confrontation with Ryle is *chef’s kiss.* We love a mature, emotionally-developed man, do we not? Don’t even get me STARTED on all of the letters he writes to Lily in this book… I was a puddle of SWOON. I loved that Lily’s character development was evident compared to IEWU, while the overall essence of who she is as a person never changed. She’s such a likable character in general, but it’s clear enough how her previous experiences have affected her. I need to give a shoutout to some of the new and returning side characters including Josh, Theo, Marshall, and of course, Allyssa. They all add such tenderness to the storyline as well as comedic relief when necessary. There’s a lot of Finding Nemo jokes in here that had me laughing every time (IYKYK). This book was not as emotionally wringing as It Ends with Us, but I think that was exactly what I needed. We experienced a lot of grief and pain through Lily and Atlas’s story in the previous book whereas this sequel just OOZED hope and love. Honestly, if you read and loved the first book then I don’t see how It Starts with Us could possibly let you down. <3
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
THE ROSE CODE by Kate Quinn
Rating: 5/5 stars
Summary: 1940. As England prepares to fight the Nazis, three very different women answer the call to mysterious country estate Bletchley Park, where the best minds in Britain train to break German military codes. Vivacious debutante Osla is the girl who has everything - beauty, wealth, and the dashing Prince Philip of Greece sending her roses - but she burns to prove herself as more than a society girl, and puts her fluent German to use as a translator of decoded enemy secrets. Imperious self-made Mab, product of East-End London poverty, works the legendary code-breaking machines as she conceals old wounds and looks for a socially advantageous husband. Both Mab and Osla are quick to see the potential in local village spinster Beth, whose shyness conceals a brilliant facility with puzzles, and soon Beth spreads her wings as one of the Park’s few female cryptanalysts. But war, loss, and impossible pressure of secrecy will tear the three apart. 1947. As the royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip whips post-war Britain into a fever, three friends-turned-enemies are reunited by a mysterious encrypted letter - the key to which lies buried in the long-ago betrayal that destroyed their friendship and left one of them confined to an asylum. A mysterious traitor has emerged from the shadows of their Bletchley Park past, and now Osla, Mab, and Beth must resurrect their old alliance and crack one last code together. But each petal they remove from the rose code brings danger - and their true enemy - closer…
My Thoughts: Hands down, this is one of my top three favorite historical fiction books that I’ve read this year. Kate Quinn really delivers with her writing and I am yet to be disappointed. I listened to this book on Libby and the narrator does a phenomenal job giving each individual character a distinctly different voice which makes it easy to fall into it. Not to mention, I was instantly obsessed with Osla, Mab, and Beth. Each of them individually are a force to be reckoned with, and I loved the found family storyline surrounding the friendship they developed. Kate Quinn always writes strong female MCs and we (clap) are (clap) here (clap) FOR IT. The plotline was also just a freaking work of art. I remember getting 50% of the way through the audiobook and thinking holy shit, SO MUCH has already happened. What else could possibly be coming in the next half that could match everything we just went through? Well, my friends. I quickly learned never to underestimate KQ. You have GOT to make sure you read (or listen to) the author’s note at the back of the book as well because she talks about the research that went into this book, and it is incredible how much she made historically accurate. Like I was in awe. Anyway, if you can’t already tell, I think you should read this book lol.
Confess by Colleen Hoover
CONFESS by Colleen Hoover
Rating: 3/5 stars
Summary: Auburn Reed is determined to rebuild her shattered life and she has no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to become deeply attracted to the studio’s enigmatic artist, Owen Gentry. For once, Auburn takes a chance and puts her heart in control, only to discover that Owen is hiding a huge secret. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything Auburn loves most, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it - but can she do it?
My Thoughts: THAT PROLOGUE THO. CoHo came out SWINGING in this book and landed a one-two punch right in my feels within literally the first 10 pages. If you’ve read any of her other YA romances, this book had the quintessential CoHo writing style. It was easy to get immersed into the story and the way she strokes your emotions throughout felt so familiar. That said though, the plot of this specific book was obviously imaginative, but it was not completely hole-free. For example, there’s a catalyst moment towards the end of the book and I know it was supposed to feel impactful to the overall story, but it kind of felt more improvisational. Also, this specific moment was an INCREDIBLY convenient solution to the problem of the main characters, but like it was NEVER mentioned before. So it fell a little flat for me. Auburn and Owen were good characters for this story, but I didn’t love either of them. They were fine and likable for the most part, but there wasn’t anything significant about their personalities that made me grow super connected. Overall, this was a good book, but it didn’t blow me away.
The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas
THE AMERICAN ROOMMATE EXPERIMENT by Elena Armas
Rating: 4/5 stars
Summary: Rosie Graham has a problem. A few, actually. She just quit her well paid job to focus on her secret career as a romance writer. She hasn’t told her family and now has terrible writer’s block. Then, the ceiling of her New York apartment literally crumbles on her. Luckily she has her best friend Lina’s spare key while she’s out of town. But Rosie doesn’t know that Lina has already lent her apartment to her cousin Lucas, who Rosie has been stalking - for lack of a better word - on Instagram for the last few months. Lucas seems intent on coming to her rescue like a Spanish knight in shining armor. Only this one strolls around the place in a towel, has a distracting grin, and an irresistible accent. Oh, and he cooks. Lucas offers to let Rosie stay with him, at least until she can find some affordable temporary housing. And then he proposes an outrageous experience to bring back her literary muse and meet her deadline: He’ll take her on a series of experimental dates meant to jump-start her romantic inspiration. Rosie has nothing to lose. Her silly, online crush is totally under control - but Lucas’s time in New York has an expiration date, and six weeks may not be enough, for either her or her deadline.
My Thoughts: Okay, so I remembered nothing about Spanish Love Deception before reading this book, and although I really couldn’t remember who these characters were in that book, I followed along just fine. Meaning you probably could read this as a standalone book if you really didn’t want to read Spanish Love Deception first. Anywho, this book was super cute. It was kind of a rocky start for me because I was mildly annoyed with the “omg I social media stalked you because I have a crush” storyline the book was trying to give at first. Then once that wasn’t such a huge focus, it got better. To get this out of the way, I was OBSESSED with Lucas lol. We LOVE an “acts of service” king, do we not? He was out here cooking for Rosie, taking care of her during writing streaks, helping her get her mojo back AND looking super fine. Swoon, my friends. Also, as much as I love a fake dating trope, my other small beef with this book is the fact that they leaned so far into the “oh I have to remember this is just an experiment and not real life” storyline that I couldn’t help but notice every time it came up. Overall though, this was a super cute story and I liked it! So if you’ve read Spanish Love Deception, I think you’d enjoy continuing onto this book.
Faking With Benefits by Lily Gold
FAKING WITH BENEFITS by Lily Gold
Rating: 3.75/5 stars
Summary: WANTED: Three fake boyfriends. Must be tall, ripped, and willing to teach me how to kiss. My name is Layla Thompson and I am undateable. Seriously. I’m 28 and have never had a boyfriend. And with my thirties rapidly approaching, I’m starting to lose patience. Lucky for me, I have three overprotective best friends who are all-too-eager to help hone my dating skills. There’s Zack, the huge rugby player with the cheeky grin and rippling biceps. Josh, the boy-next-door with the sculpted jaw and calculating stare. And Luke, the silver-haired divorcee… who also happens to be my old professor. After a bad date leaves me crying on their shoulders, the three men are determined to help me find a guy. Together, they agree to be my “practice boyfriends,” and come up with a lesson plan packed with fake dates, make out sessions, and classes on flirty texting. In return, I just have to make an appearance on their relationship advice podcast once a week. Easy. But as the lessons become more and more intense, we soon find ourselves getting in too deep. Every butterfly-inducing touch lingers a little too long, and every molten kiss ends in fireworks. It’s not long before I realize their friendship isn’t enough for me anymore. I want more. The guys have been teaching me how to get a boyfriend, and now it’s time I put their lessons to the test. Three times over.
My Thoughts: Imma be really honest here. This book is not for my sweet pearl clutchers who love a “fade to black” moment when things start getting steamy in a romance novel. I wouldn’t even say this is for my beginner smut enthusiasts. This book, my dear friends, is for the seasoned smut fans who have read some really raunchy shit before and then proceeded to peruse through Kindle Unlimited for more directly after lol. It was SPICY. Not just spicy though, reverse harem spicy. So take that in stride going into this. I will also say, I could not decide for probably the first 50 pages whether or not I liked the author’s writing style. It felt very erratic to me. Once the plot kicked in though and the characters’ true forms came to life, I think I got too distracted by the actual story to notice the writing patterns anymore lol. This was a super cute book! You just can’t go into it hoping for a romantic tale about a monogamous, one-bed relationship because that’s nooot what you’re gonna find here. Don’t be fooled by the cute illustrated cover. Anywho, all in all, I definitely enjoyed this and am interested in reading some of Lily Gold’s other books. Also Josh was my favorite guy lol.
All righty! That’s it for October.
No telling where my reading mood will be come November, but I’m hoping I can incorporate some holiday-themed books because tis the szn. Yanno?
Okay cool. :)
2022 Book Count: 168
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YOUR TURN! What’s your favorite holiday-themed book?