Hi everyone—Happy first week of March!
It feels like January lasted forever, while February flew by in the blink of an eye. But what a month February was for reading! A big part of that was my vacation, which gave me hours of uninterrupted reading time on flights—something that’s rare back home. On top of that, the books I picked up were fantastic, and I’d highly recommend most of them.
Let’s dive in!
Ask for Andrea by Noelle W. Ihli
I had heard so many great things about Noelle Ihli’s books, but I was a bit let down by Gray After Dark. Still, I decided to give her work another try. Naturally, I picked the book with my name in the title—and I’m so glad I did! It didn’t disappoint. I loved how fast-paced the story was, and the perspective was so unique—telling the tale from the victims’ point of view, after they’re dead. I’ve never come across anything like it before and highly recommend it!
I stumbled upon Black Coral when I visited my local library, and I’m so glad I did! It’s the second book in a series, though I hadn’t read the first one, and it still works really well as a standalone. The main character is a female badass, which made it easy to get behind her from start to finish. While it was frustrating that her superiors consistently ignored her and made some questionable decisions, it didn’t take away from the overall enjoyment of the book. Definitely an entertaining read!
This book has received mixed reviews, though the overall rating is pretty solid. Many readers feel that the story is too far-fetched and unrealistic for their tastes. While some plot points do stretch the limits of believability, it didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the book. I’m a fan of those wild, unpredictable reads now and then, so if you’re looking for something that will take you on a wild ride, this one’s for you!
The Swimmer by Loreth Anne White
The Swimmer was one of my favorite reads this month! It’s fast-paced from start to finish, making it hard to put down. The book features several complex relationships, and the ending is incredibly intense. One of the things I really enjoyed was the different POVs, along with the podcast transcript of events woven into the story. I’ll definitely be picking up more books by Loreth Anne White!
When You Are Mine by Michael Robotham
This one was definitely the “dud” of the month for me. It wasn’t a terrible book, and I know a lot of people really enjoyed it, but it felt too slow and had too many different storylines happening at once. The ending was also pretty predictable, so it didn’t have the same impact I usually look for in a thriller. I’d recommend skipping this one.
Every Moment Since by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen
This book was deeply emotional, but it was told in such a compelling way. It was another one that wasn’t on my radar initially, but I stumbled upon it on the “new books” shelf at my local library. I noticed that the author loosely based this fiction book over events inspired by real-life missing children cases, one of which involved Jacob Wetterling—a major case in Minnesota. Every Moment Since is the memoir written by the brother of the missing boy, offering a powerful and insightful perspective on what families go through after such a heartbreaking tragedy.
If you’ve read any of these titles, I would love to hear your thoughts! If you have any great books you’ve been reading, I would love recommendations to add to my TBR list.
Stay hungry my friends!
