I read 7 complete books in December, had 1 DNF at over 80 percent, 5 short stories, and 1 book that I'm still reading. I didn't make any progress on the book I started last month, The Strength of the Few because it's a book I want to be able to give my full attention to, and I've been so busy with the holidays that I didn't think I would be able to. So that one is on hold until January. I'm looking forward to getting back to it.
Just His Secretary (Southern Roots Sweet Rom Com #1) by Elena Johnson aka Donna Jeffries
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Category: Adult
Genre: Romance, Romcom
Content: Clean
She's just his secretary…until he needs someone
on his arm to convince his mother that he can take over the family
business. Then Callie becomes Dawson's girlfriend—but just in his text
messages…but maybe she'll start to worm her way into his shriveled heart
too.
Callie:
Dawson Houser makes sure everyone who comes into the office knows I'm "just his secretary."
Heck,
I've even said it to suppliers and CEOs when they smile knowingly at
the two of us during business meetings. He scowls and grumps around the
office afterward, as if the two of us dating is the most ridiculous
thing on the planet.
Dawson can handle them. I can handle them—and him too, once they leave. And he's no picnic, let me tell you.
Who can't we handle?
His mother.
When
Lila Houser comes to town with her faux furs and fashion sunglasses,
she only has one question for her spoiled rotten son: When are you going
to get married, Dawson, darling?
I expect him to laugh and tell her he's never getting married. I mean, I've heard those exact words come out of his mouth.
Instead, he pulls me to his side and says, "Maybe sooner than you think, Mother."
Oh,
that Lila Houser can make a woman feel two inches tall with a simple
up-down look. I think I'm a pretty good catch...no matter what my last
three boyfriends say.
When Lila says, "I thought Callie was just your secretary," I suddenly want to prove her dead wrong...
Get
ready to laugh out loud in this hilarious, sweet workplace romantic
comedy! The romance is clean, the jokes witty, and the office grump
swoon-worthy.
Ever since I read The Relationtrip by this author I've wanted to find another book by her that I would enjoy just as much. Unfortunately, none of the ones I've picked up since then have been a hit with me. This is the third book I've read since then, and I just keep finding things about them that I don't care for. In this particular book I think the main character just didn't always make sense to me, and I didn't understand why she was hired, or took a job, as a secretary when she had the degree she had. I also didn't get why she would go into the office and work on a Saturday morning when she didn't have to. Plus the work was all stuff related to taking care of cleaning up after her boss, and sending his clothes that he left at the office to the cleaners, unbeknownst to him by the way. He really wasn't very observant. I just didn't understand why she was motivated to do that, especially when she thought he was a jerk. The constant reminders that the main character was "curvy" aka overweight, was annoying to me. It seemed like she wasn't really happy with her weight, but she did nothing to try to change it.
I have a few other books by this author on my list but I'm not sure if or when I'll get to them.
Magic Rises (Kate Daniels #6) by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Category: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Content: Strong Language, Violence, Sex
Mercenary Kate Daniels and her mate, Curran, the
Beast Lord, are struggling to solve a heartbreaking crisis. Unable to
control their beasts, many of the Pack’s shapeshifting children fail to
survive to adulthood. While there is a medicine that can help, the
secret to its making is closely guarded by the European packs, and
there’s little available in Atlanta.
Kate can’t bear to watch
innocents suffer, but the solution she and Curran have found threatens
to be even more painful. The European shapeshifters who once
outmaneuvered the Beast Lord have asked him to arbitrate a dispute—and
they’ll pay him in medicine. With the young people’s survival and the
Pack’s future at stake, Kate and Curran know they must accept the
offer—but they have little doubt that they’re heading straight into a
trap…
This was a reread with my husband. We're listening to the Graphic Audio versions of the books and I'm enjoying them all over again. I actually liked this book better on reread. Some story elements that irritated me before were less irritating the second time around. Overall, with this audio version, I like the voices that were chosen for the characters. They're pretty spot on for what I was picturing in my mind.
An Ill-Advised Rescue (Kate Daniels #5.8) by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Category: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Content: Strong Language
When Saiman is kidnapped, he calls Kate Daniels to come rescue him.
This short story is included in the Graphic Audio version of Magic Rises.
Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
DNF at 80%
Review to come.
An Independent Woman by Sophia Holloway
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Category: Adult
Genre: Historical Romance
Content: Clean
The newly widowed Lady Louisa Dembleby is
immensely thankful to be released from an awful marriage and vows that
she will never marry again. A quiet life of contented freedom with her
cherished daughter lies ahead, but her resolution falters when she meets
Major Benfield Barkby, recovering from serious wounds sustained
fighting in Spain.
Against the backdrop of the social season in
Bath, gossip, grandmamas and a climatic duel look set to complicate any
chance of a happy ever after.
I love this author's books and this one was no exception. I do think this one lacked a little bit of the humor that I love in these, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. I'm looking forward to the next book my this author.
Seasonable Doubt (Cass Leary) by Robin James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Legal drama
Content: Strong language
This was a standalone novel in the Cass Leary series. We will be reading this series in 2026, I think starting in January. I don't know where this novel fits into the timeline of the series but it was a good standalone with very little spoilers for the rest of the series. There were some spoilers involving relationships but as far as I could tell that was it. It let me wanting to read more of the series, which is always a good thing. I enjoyed reading the Christmas theme at Christmas time. The courtroom drama was little too Hollywood and not quite realistic enough, but that didn't bother me enough to matter too much. Though I hope that won't be a regular occurrence. I didn't care for the narrator of the audio but will probably keep listening to these on audio instead of eye reading anyway. This is the genre I enjoy listening to the most, and I need some audio books to listen to while I work around the house.
The Creaky Old Barn (The Irish Escape #2) by B.E. Baker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Category: Adult
Genre: Women's Fiction, Romance
Content: Clean
Review to come.
Taken in the Cold (Agent Tori Hunter #7) by Roger Stelljes
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Content: Strong Language, A sex scene
I swear half the book was listening to the narrator say the sounds of the weapons. Bang, bang, bang! Pow, pow pow! Bap, bap, bap! Ping, ping, ping! Boom, boom, boom! Pop, pop, pop! Lol. Every book in this series has this but this one seemed like it had a lot more of it. I've never read another series that includes so much of this. Despite that, this was pretty good but I didn't like it as much as the two previous books in the series.
The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim (Hercule Poirot Short Story) by Agatha Christie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Content: Clean
Mr. Davenheim, a wealthy financier, leaves his home to mail a letter, then fails to return. The story fills the newspapers and intrigues Hercule Poirot, who challenges Inspector Japp with the claim that he can solve the case before the police, and without leaving his flat.
This one was ok. My mind wandered a little bit while listening to it.
The Plymouth Express (Hercule Poirot Short Story) by Agatha Christie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Content: Clean
When the body of Ebenezer Halliday's daughter, Flossie, is found stuffed underneath a train seat, the wealthy American industrialist hires Hercule Poirot to locate the murderer and over one hundred thousand dollars' worth of jewels which have disappeared at the same time.
This story reminded me of Christie's The Mystery of the Blue Train, and after listening to this one I found out that it is the basis for that full length novel.
The Western Star (Hercule Poirot Short Story) by Agatha Christie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Content: Clean
Poirot investigates the case of a missing diamond, “The Star of the East”, belonging to Lady Yardly. But what is the connection between it and a similar diamond owned by the famous American film actress Mary Marvell? And why does a Chinese man want it returned?
I enjoyed this one and found parts of it amusing.
The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor (Hercule Poirot Short Story) by Agatha Christie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Content: Clean
Poirot investigates the case of a middle-aged man who died under suspicious circumstances just weeks after insuring his life for fifty thousand pounds. Could the man, who was in financial straits, have killed himself to benefit his beautiful young wife?
Another good one with some amusing parts.
The Mother's Secret by Karen Clarke
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Content: Strong Language
Kate and her husband are
expecting their first child. Even though it was a surprise, Kate is
thrilled and so is her mother, Helen. Kate just needs Helen’s anxieties
to ease and for Dan to be on board.
Dan is
struggling – he loves Kate, but he is not ready to be a father. With
relations between them feeling hostile, the attractive lead singer in
Dan’s band offers him a tantalizing escape.
Two weeks before the
due date, Kate heads off for an overnight stay at a guesthouse she is
designing. When suddenly neither Helen nor Dan can reach her, Helen
discloses a dark secret from their past. One that leaves them wondering,
has something terrible happened to Kate and the baby?
I've really enjoyed some of this author's other books but this one was just so unbelievable with very little suspense. Everything was pretty obvious from the beginning, and while I found the other books by this author easy to predict, they were still enjoyable with characters I liked. This book had a main character who was too stupid to live, with a husband who was floundering and not very supportive. The very ending of the book involved a huge coincidence that was disappointing.
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Still reading this so no rating yet. I will say that so far I'm not loving it.
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