A Cuppa Cosy Reads – February 2025

Wow…I mean when I said that I hoped January would set the bar for 2025 I think I might have jinxed myself. I went from reading 10 books in a month to barely making it through 5 books. To be fair, I had an incredibly busy February- that I couldn’t predict would have gone the way it did. Life really life-d this month, but I’m hopeful that it’s a one off and moving forward things will mellow and average out a bit more. As I said I read 5 books and gave an average 3.5 for the rating. Not terrible, but definitely not where we started. 

Let’s get into it, shall we?

The Striker by Ana Huang 2 Stars – This was just not for me- I think I enjoyed the concept more than the execution. It went on a bit too long, felt a bit recycled, and was boring for 2/3rds of the book. Once things happened, they seemed to happen all at once and were resolved a bit too quickly. 

Lore Olympus Volume Six by Rachel Smythe 3 Stars – This too was…fine. It continues the story on, but I think I’m going to pass on finishing the series. Not that I don’t enjoy the reading of them, but I think we need a bit more pushing the story along. It’s very stop and start and doesn’t feel as continuous as it should. 

Magnolia Parks The Long Way Home by Jessa Hastings 4.5 Stars My first win of the month came with the third book, and I should have known Magnolia would be that win for me! I LOVED this third book. We actually see some character growth and development, along with the conflict that we love to see. Where the first book of Magnolia’s story was toxic and you loved it for that feeling, this was matured, and you loved it for that. 

Daisy Haites and the Great Undoing by Jessa Hastings 4.5 Stars I loved this book. It was exactly what it needed to be, and I feel like, similarly to the Magnolia Parks I read this month, the character growth was top notch. While some of it feels very…” falling back into old habits”, I feel there was enough groundwork laid for Daisy that we could still see the growth there. As always though, the core of the book is toxicity and I eat it up. 

That’s S’more Like It by Justine F. Orun No Rating I think my online review for this (on the apps) says it all: “I read it and that’s all I can really contribute.”. I don’t really know what to say about this one except that I took smut to a new level, and I don’t need to continue haha. 

And that’s it! A much smaller month, but that’s ok- we’ll come back strong 🙂

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August 2024 Reading Wrap Up

I feel like posting a reading wrap up is a sure sign that we are back! Back in action! August was quite the reading month- I introduced a new series on my social media (IG, Facebook, Tik Tok all- @acuppacosy) where I pair a couple of books with a cocktail of a sort and then you get my thoughts on the cocktail, the books and if it worked out. I’ve filmed two episodes so far (posted one, another is coming very soon!) and I truly am enjoying it. I’ve also posted a “silent review” video to pair with this post. So, shameless plug if you’re not following me on social media, you’re possibly missing out haha! 

 Ok. Let’s get into books and thoughts and reviews, shall we? A little stat breakdown for you- I read a total of 7 books (and DNF’d 1), with an average rating of 3.12. My favorite was The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst, and my least favorite was Quicksilver by Callie Hart. See all my thoughts below! 

Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin 4 Stars I really enjoyed this story- it is simply a coming-of-age story, with a minor climatic event, but ultimately it is a story of friendship. It ambles around a little bit, but in a way that works, and the writing is wonderful. 

 Quicksilver by Callie Hart 1 Star This was not my jam…at all. I found the trope redundant; I wasn’t a fan of the characters. Not sure what else, but it just did not work for me.  

Born of Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout 4 Stars I really enjoyed this concluding novel to the series- and make no mistake, this is the superior series in the world that Jennifer Armentrout has created.  

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst 5 Stars This was easily one of my favorite books of the month, maybe even of the year. This was just a wholesome cozy fantasy romance. Very low stakes, I would almost just consider this a cozy romance, but there are some fantasy elements within. 

 Kill for Me, Kill for You by Steve Cavanaugh 3.5/4 Stars I’m not sure where this falls on the rating scale. I enjoyed this book, and the twist was spot on (both of them), but I also didn’t feel super strongly about “loving” it. It is a solid thriller.  

Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay 2 Stars Boy was this a disappointment. I liked the script, that was where Tremblay really shined, but when we went into the narrative of the book it lost me. I can understand the reasoning and where the jarring can work for the story, but instead for me it just pulled me out in a different way.  

***Quick interjection- when it comes to romance, I don’t typically have a lot to say, so you might see the next two reviews (and future romance ones) being a bit shorter. And yes, I’m reading romance, I started sometime in the New Year, and it has stuck haha.  

Drive Me Crazy by Carley Robyn 3 Stars This was a solid romance- a racing romance that I quite enjoyed. The spice level wasn’t the highest I’ve ever read, but it was a cute one that I enjoyed.  

The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson 3 Stars This was another solid romance- I might have preferred this one above Drive Me Crazy. A bit more spice and the third act was a bit more…a fight (?) rather than a miscommunication.   

That wraps up August! I will say- I am excited to get into the ‘Ber months, the more atmospheric reads, the darker novels. Happy Reading!

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