December Reading Wrap-Up

Tis’ the season to snuggle up with some cozy blankets and a mug of hot cocoa on the couch. The holiday season brought me some fantastic new additions to my shelf from friends, family and of course my Bad Bitch Book Club secret elf! I also had extra time off of work, so more time to read!

Since December and the holiday season can sometimes be stressful, I wanted to keep my reading light and fun. I started off the month with Anxious People, a book I’ve heard VERY mixed reviews about but I ended up loving. To keep it seasonal, I also checked This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens and We Met In December by Rosie Curtis off my TBR list. I also fit in one of two Taylor Jenkins Reid books I haven’t read yet, Forever, Interrupted which was fantastic but definitely brought down the happy vibe.

And of course, I always want to fit in a few NetGalley’s each month. I was able to snag an eARC of Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay which ended up being one of the best thrillers I’ve read this year - definitely pick up a copy of this one in March 2021! I also FINALLY got to Love Is A Revolution by Renee Watson, a cute YA about learning to love yourself which will be released in February 2021.

Read on for my full thoughts!

Anxious People

Before I even picked this one up I knew it had VERY mixed reviews. Some people were calling this the book of the year, while others absolutely hated it. I fell somewhere in between.

Anxious People is about a bank robber who accidentally holds eight strangers hostage. Except it’s not really about that at all. It’s about the secrets, lies, and everyday anxieties that this group of people face.

It’s really hard to describe how good this book is, but also how much deeper it is than it seems. The author is sarcastic and has an incredibly dark sense of humor. He touches on serious topics, such as suicide and depression but somehow makes it humorous.

Highly recommend this one for anyone looking for something different and out of their comfort zone!

Goodreads Summary:

Looking at real estate isn't usually a life-or-death situation, but an apartment open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes a group of strangers hostage. The captives include a recently retired couple who relentlessly hunt down fixer-uppers to avoid the painful truth that they can't fix up their own marriage. There's a wealthy banker who has been too busy making money to care about anyone else and a young couple who are about to have their first child but can't seem to agree on anything, from where they want to live to how they met in the first place. Add to the mix an eighty-seven-year-old woman who has lived long enough not to be afraid of someone waving a gun in her face, a flustered but still-ready-to-make-a-deal real estate agent, and a mystery man who has locked himself in the apartment's only bathroom, and you've got the worst group of hostages in the world.

Each of them carries a lifetime of grievances, hurts, secrets, and passions that are ready to boil over. None of them is entirely who they appear to be. And all of them—the bank robber included—desperately crave some sort of rescue. As the authorities and the media surround the premises, these reluctant allies will reveal surprising truths about themselves and set in a motion a chain of events so unexpected that even they can hardly explain what happens next.

Humorous, compassionate, and wise, Anxious People is an ingeniously constructed story about the enduring power of friendship, forgiveness, and hope—the things that save us, even in the most anxious of times.

This Time Next Year

What if your life could have been entirely different if you had just been born one minute earlier? Sounds silly, right? But not to Minnie Cooper and her family. If she had been born just a minute earlier her name would be Quinn, she’d have won the big cash prize for being the first baby born in London, and maybe she wouldn’t be so unlucky.

As fate would have it, she runs into the baby that was born first, won all that money, and has all of her good luck. And of course, has her name. Quinn Hamilton. But what she didn’t expect was to fall in love with him.

This Time Next Year is one of the cutest romance stories I’ve read this year. Told through the POVs of both Minnie and Quinn, the author does an amazing job of making you love these characters and helping you understand how the events on the night of their birth has really effected their lives every single day.

It’s definitely a slow-burn romance, and on the tamer side, but I enjoyed the will-they-won’t-they style much more than I usually would. I found the New Years baby storyline so unique and loved the way the author intertwined the flashbacks of the previous New Years run-ins that the characters had without knowing.

I would definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for a quick, lighthearted, feel-good romance!

Goodreads Summary:

Their lives began together, but their worlds couldn't be more different. After thirty years of missed connections, they're about to meet again...

Minnie Cooper knows two things with certainty: that her New Year's birthday is unlucky, and that it's all because of Quinn Hamilton, a man she's never met. Their mothers gave birth to them at the same hospital just after midnight on New Year's Day, but Quinn was given the cash prize for being the first baby born in London in 1990--and the name Minnie was meant to have, as well. With luck like that, it's no wonder each of her birthdays has been more of a disaster than the one before.

When Minnie unexpectedly runs into Quinn at a New Year's party on their mutual thirtieth birthday, she sees only more evidence that fortune has continued to favor him. The gorgeous, charming business owner truly seems to have it all--while Minnie's on the brink of losing her pie-making company and her home. But if Quinn and Minnie are from different worlds, why do they keep bumping into each other? And why is it that each fraught encounter leaves them both wanting more?

A moving, joyful love story, This Time Next Year explores the way fate leads us to the people we least expect--no matter what the odds.

We Met In December

What better time to read We Met In December than... in December.

The story starts off with Jess, a 20-something year old leaving behind her cushy live in Bournemouth to start over at a publishing company in London. She’s lucky enough to move in with her friend, who inherited a beautiful, big flat in Notting Hill and is offering very low rent.

That’s where Jess meets Alex, another 20-something year old who is also making some big changes in his life. Jess and Alex catch each others eye immediately but of course, life gives them plenty of challenges before they can have their happy ever after.

I thought this story was cute, and a perfect read around Christmas time. However, I felt myself getting annoyed often at some of the characters. For instance, the owner of the flat, Becky, has a strict no-relationships rule (weird?), that Alex is willing to break for a friends with benefits situation with another flatmate, Emma, but not for Jess who he actually has real feelings for?

I also felt like the story moved a little slow. There were certain parts that even felt repetitive and I just wanted the romance portion of the story to light up a little faster than it did.

Overall, I enjoyed this book but it wouldn’t be a top recommendation from me. It’s good for those who like a more tame romance story.

Goodreads Summary:

Following a year in the life of a twenty-something British woman who falls hard for her London flat mate, this clever, fun, and unforgettable romantic comedy is the perfect feel-good holiday read.

Two people. One house. A year that changes everything.

Twenty-nine-year-old Jess is following her dream and moving to London. It’s December, and she’s taking a room in a crumbling, but grand, Notting Hill house-share with four virtual strangers. On her first night, Jess meets Alex, the guy sharing her floor, at a Christmas dinner hosted by her landlord. They don’t kiss, but as far as Jess is concerned the connection is clear. She starts planning how they will knock down the wall between them to spend more time together.

But when Jess returns from a two-week Christmas holiday, she finds Alex has started dating someone else—beautiful Emma, who lives on the floor above them. Now Jess faces a year of bumping into (hell, sharing a bathroom with) the man of her dreams…and the woman of his.

Every Last Fear

I’m a huge lover of thrillers/mysteries and Every Last Fear did not disappoint.

The story starts out with Matt Pine, a college student at NYU, being informed that his family had passed away while on a vacation in Mexico due to an apparent gas leak. A tragedy that becomes much more interesting when we learn that Matt’s brother is a convicted murderer and that all may not be as it seems.

From there, the story is so twisty and turny, I couldn’t put it down. The story is filled with a memorable cast of characters that were so well developed it felt like you really knew them, even the characters with smaller roles in the story.

Alex Finlay does an amazing job of keeping the reader guessing, I did not see the ending coming!

I highly recommend this one for anyone looking for a fast-paced, mystery.

Thanks to Alex Finlay, NetGalley and St.Martins Press for the eArc in exchange for my honest review. Every Last Fear will be available in March 2021!

Goodreads Summary:

In one of the year’s most anticipated debut psychological thrillers, a family made infamous by a true crime documentary is found dead, leaving their surviving son to uncover the truth about their final days.

“They found the bodies on a Tuesday.” So begins this twisty and breathtaking novel that traces the fate of the Pine family, a thriller that will both leave you on the edge of your seat and move you to tears.

After a late night of partying, NYU student Matt Pine returns to his dorm room to devastating news: nearly his entire family—his mom, his dad, his little brother and sister—have been found dead from an apparent gas leak while vacationing in Mexico. The local police claim it was an accident, but the FBI and State Department seem far less certain—and they won’t tell Matt why.

The tragedy makes headlines everywhere because this isn’t the first time the Pine family has been thrust into the media spotlight. Matt’s older brother, Danny—currently serving a life sentence for the murder of his teenage girlfriend Charlotte—was the subject of a viral true crime documentary suggesting that Danny was wrongfully convicted. Though the country has rallied behind Danny, Matt holds a secret about his brother that he’s never told anyone: the night Charlotte was killed Matt saw something that makes him believe his brother is guilty of the crime.

When Matt returns to his small hometown to bury his parents and siblings, he’s faced with a hostile community that was villainized by the documentary, a frenzied media, and memories he’d hoped to leave behind forever. Now, as the deaths in Mexico appear increasingly suspicious and connected to Danny’s case, Matt must unearth the truth behind the crime that sent his brother to prison—putting his own life in peril—and forcing him to confront his every last fear.

Forever, Interrupted

If there is one person that we can always depend on for a great story, it’s Taylor Jenkins Reid. Forever, Interrupted is no exception to that rule.

Elsie Porter is having a whirlwind year. In January, she meets the love of her life, Ben Ross. By May, they’ve eloped and are happier than ever. By June, he’s dead. Now, Elsie needs to relearn how to live life without Ben, a task that seems impossible. Especially when she also needs to navigate a new relationship in her life - Ben’s mother, who doesn’t even know who Elsie is.

Forever, Interrupted is a story of grief and learning how to live with loss.

I’ve read almost all of TJR’s other books, so I was worried that this debut wouldn’t live up to the standard she has set with her other books: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones & The Six, and Maybe In Another Life. But of course, she did not disappoint. However, this is one of the saddest books I’ve read, so you will definitely need to have a box of tissues nearby. You might even need to take tiny breaks every so often to decompress from all of the sad vibes. I know I needed to.

Goodreads Summary:

Have you ever heard of supernovas? They shine brighter than anything else in the sky and then fade out really quickly, a short burst of extraordinary energy. I like to think you and Ben were like that . . . in that short time, you had more passion than some people have in a lifetime.

Elsie Porter is an average twentysomething and yet what happens to her is anything but ordinary. On a rainy New Year's Day, she heads out to pick up a pizza for one. She isn't expecting to see anyone else in the shop, much less the adorable and charming Ben Ross. Their chemistry is instant and electric. Ben cannot even wait twenty-four hours before asking to see her again. Within weeks, the two are head over heels in love. By May, they've eloped.

Only nine days later, Ben is out riding his bike when he is hit by a truck and killed on impact. Elsie hears the sirens outside her apartment, but by the time she gets downstairs, he has already been whisked off to the emergency room. At the hospital, she must face Susan, the mother-in-law she has never met and who doesn't even know Elsie exists.

Interweaving Elsie and Ben's charmed romance with Elsie and Susan's healing process, Forever, Interrupted will remind you that there's more than one way to find a happy ending.

Love Is A Revolution

Love is a Revolution is a cute, young adult story about learning to love yourself.

When Nala attends her cousin-sister-friends activist event, she meets Tye. Tye is very involved with his community, is a vegetarian, and cares about saving the environment, while Nala is more interested in binge watching Netflix and spending time with her friends. But Nala wants to impress Tye, so she lies and tells him she volunteers at her grandmothers elderly community and is also a vegetarian. From there, her lies spiral and Nala is on a journey to figure out how to love herself for who she is instead of who she thinks people want her to be.

This book is YA and is definitely written with that audience in mind. There are strong messages about body positivity and the beauty of being a black woman - which is a much needed message!

There were a few things I disliked about this book. The first being the predictability. You knew from the moment the lie left Nala’s lips that it would be what comes back to haunt her.

I also disliked the conflict between Nala and Imani. I felt like having these cousin-sister-friends at odd’s over jealousy and competitiveness pushed an idea of tearing other woman down when something positive happens to them.

And speaking of outdated, I really hated the idea behind Nala lying to a guy to get him to like her.

Overall, I did enjoy the book. It was a quick read and had a feel good vibe about it. I would probably not recommend it to my friends but I do acknowledge that I am definitely not a part of the audience this book and its message is meant for.

Thanks to Renee Watson, NetGalley and Bloomsbury YA for the eArc in exchange for my honest review. Love Is A Revolution will be released in February 2021.

Goodreads Summary:

When Nala Robertson reluctantly agrees to attend an open mic night for her cousin-sister-friend Imani's birthday, she finds herself falling in instant love with Tye Brown, the MC. He's perfect, except . . . Tye is an activist and is spending the summer putting on events for the community when Nala would rather watch movies and try out the new seasonal flavors at the local creamery. In order to impress Tye, Nala tells a few tiny lies to have enough in common with him. As they spend more time together, sharing more of themselves, some of those lies get harder to keep up. As Nala falls deeper into keeping up her lies and into love, she'll learn all the ways love is hard, and how self-love is revolutionary.

In Love Is a Revolution, plus size girls are beautiful and get the attention of the hot guys, the popular girl clique is not shallow but has strong convictions and substance, and the ultimate love story is not only about romance but about how to show radical love to the people in your life, including to yourself.