I read so many books that I shudder at the thought of creating individual posts reviewing them, but I though a quick weekly recap might be a fun idea.
The Holiday Swap
The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox was recommended a lot on BookTube and Bookstagram. I actually bought it last Christmas, but it arrived well after the holiday, so I saved it for this year. It was cute and predictable. I kept picturing characters from The Princess Switch instead of the characters from the book because there were so many common elements, but it was an enjoyable and cozy Christmas story, hair color aside.
Noel Street
Noel Street by Richard Paul Evans is the third book in The Noel Collection. I read the first two and the fourth last Christmas. Since Netflix released the first book as a movie this Christmas season, I was prompted to finish the series. The first book in the series was my favorite. This one was not very Christmassy, which was a disappointment. However, it was not as predictable as I originally thought, and I liked the ending.
Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop of Dreams Series
The Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop of Dreams Series by Jenny Colgan is a cute series about how life sometimes just happens to you and keeps on going, for better or worse. In Rosie's case, it was mostly for the better. Rosie may seem like she is a victim of the tides, but she can definitely hold her own. Through the interconnectedness of a small town and the realities of human biology, these books are often a beautiful mess of life, love, heartbreak, and the family that we create.
Steeped to Death
Steeped to Death by Gretchen Rue just came out this past autumn and promises to be just the first in a series. It was technically a cozy mystery, but the fantastical flair that was handled pleasantly casually made it a little different from other cozy mysteries. The cat, though a small character, in both size and presence, lent quite a lot of warmth to the story. The teas had my mouth watering. And, finally, the bookstore made me want a bookstore of my own, as these books always do. I recommend this read and look forward to more books in the series!
The Northern Lights Lodge
The Northern Lights Lodge by Julie Caplin is the fourth in the Romantic Escapes series and my favorite so far, a cozy winter romance. It did end up having one graphic sex scene, but that’s way less than most of the romances I’ve read recently. (Apparently there is no longer any separation between romance and "romance," which has made for some interesting library finds.) It was different from the others in the series. It started out slow but picked up quickly and became one of the more enjoyable ones. It’s boisterous - I was laughing out loud. At one point, there was a detailed description of the women getting ready for the hot springs and how the lack of modesty, for lack of a better word, in the culture shocked the main character. It was hilarious. I highly recommend this book if you want a cozy winter romance because it was very entertaining and had a lot going on, but was not a heavy book. You can tell the author enjoyed writing it. This one takes place in October or November to December. It’s not a Christmas book, which was perfect for reading after Christmas because it’s wintry but not Christmassy.
If you'd like to see everything I'm reading, you can find me on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/ktlasers
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