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While January always seems to last for 347 years, we have finally reached the end of the longest month ever and are well into February.
I posted about the reading challenge me and my mum are doing at the start of the year, so alongside my book reviews I will be posting an update on how we are getting on with that too.
Read more: January 2025 Book Reviews and Reading Challenge Update
First up – the challenge. I have listed all the prompts below and filled in what we have read in January.
The Prompts
- A book with a pink/yellow cover
- Autobiography
- Number in the title
- Made me laugh Anxious People by Fredrick Backman (Natalie)
- Re-read
- A book by one of your favourite authors
- Book has a dog/cat in
- Dystopian
- Family drama Message Deleted by K.L. Slater (Natalie) The Last Days of Joy by Anne Tiernan (Mum)
- Debut novel
- YA
- Serial killer
- Non-fiction
- A book in a series The Storm Sister by Lucinda Riley (Mum)
- Recommended by Happy Place Book Club
- Recommended by Reese Witherspoon
- TikTok made me read it Verity by Colleen Hoover (Natalie)
- Historical Fiction The Marriage Season by Jane Dunn (Mum)
- Has a character called the same name as a family member
- Christmas
So we each have three books to start of the year with and while I will still give my full reviews below, my Mum has also sent me her star ratings for her reads, so you have an idea of what she thought of them!
The Storm Sister by Lucinda Riley – 4*
The Marriage Season by Jane Dunn – 4*
The Last Days of Joy by Anne Tiernan – 4.5*
I recommended the Seven Sisters series to her by Lucinda Riley – it was a series I adored! Check out my review of The Storm Sister here. You can also purchase these books on my Amazon Storefront.
Anxious People
by Fredrik Backman
The Blurb
An instant #1 New York Times bestseller
The funny, touching and unpredictable novel from the 15 million copy internationally bestselling author of A Man Called Ove.
In a small town in Sweden it appears to be an ordinary day. But look more closely, and you’ll see a mysterious masked figure approaching a bank…
Two hours later, chaos has descended. A bungled attempted robbery has developed into a hostage situation – and the offender is refusing to communicate their demands to the police.
Within the building, fear quickly turns to irritation for the seven strangers trapped inside. If this is to be their last day on earth, shouldn’t it be a bit more dramatic?
But as the minutes tick by, they begin to suspect that the criminal mastermind holding them hostage might be more in need of rescuing than they are…
What I Thought
I came across this book on a YouTube video – I believe the creator was Jack Edwards who posts a lot about books and is worth a watch for some reading inspo! He was talking about the top 100 books that GoodReads had rated the best from the last 5 or 10 years (I forget the exact details) and talking about the ones he had read and if he would recommend them.
He mentioned this one and it just sounded a bit of something different – he said it was great and that was enough for me when looking for my next Audible listen a couple of weeks later.
The premise is that a group of people are attending an open house and are suddenly taken hostage by a bank robber attempting to evade the police. One of the twists I worked out quite early on, but this in no way spoilt the book at all, which I devoured. The action switches from inside the apartment to the police interviews after the situation has been deescalated.
I loved the realness of the characters Backman created in this story – the good, the bad and the ugly of real people, all on show in this crazy situation. I went through a whole range of emotions – laughing one minute and almost crying the next.
It was honest, comical, uncomfortable at times but an absolutely brilliant read (or listen) – although I think I would equally enjoy reading this book as I did listening to it. It was only after finishing reading it that I realised this was the author of A Man Called Ove which was the inspiration for A Man Called Otto – the film starring Tom Hanks. I have only just about forgiven my Mum for recommended it, as it made me laugh and absolutely sob throughout!
An author I will definitely be checking out more from and I highly recommend this one for those of you looking for something a bit different – with humour but also grit and for characters so well written, flaws, quirks and all.
Buy on Amazon
Message Deleted
by K.L. Slater
The Blurb
Saffy is waiting to go into a job interview when she receives a text message from her best friend, Leona:
Can’t speak . . . don’t text or call . . . please just come
As Saffy struggles to understand what is happening the phone screen changes:
This message was deleted.
Saffy races to Leona’s house, but when her friend answers the door, she insists everything’s fine. She doesn’t know anything about the message. Saffy can tell something’s not right, but after looking around the house, she can’t think of anything else she can do.
Six hours later, Saffy gets a knock on the door. It’s the police. Leona is missing, with her young child. There’s blood everywhere.
And Saffy was the last one to see them alive . . .
What I Thought
So this book popped up every time I finished a book on Audible as a recommendation but it wasn’t until I saw it on a book Instagram account I follow (@tixbrown) that I decided to give it a go.
This story has so many layers to it – family drama, domestic abuse, mental health problems, PTSD – these characters have a lot going on that all come to a head in this book.
It started off quite slowly but once you get into the middle of the book, it has you hooked and I couldn’t put it down. Plenty of twists and turns like any good thriller, all of which were well written and believable.
I wasn’t a fan of the policewoman in this story – how she treated Saffy was quite rude and um-empathetic at times – but I guess we all come across those types of people in life sometimes!
Not surprised it came highly recommended – once I was a third of the way in I was hooked and couldn’t put it down. A thriller I’d recommend for all fans of the genre!
Buy on Amazon
Verity
by Colleen Hoover
The Blurb
From the number-one New York Times best-selling and award-winning author Colleen Hoover comes “A stand-alone romantic thriller that is tragic, creepy, and brilliant!” (Mel Reader Reviews)
Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of best-selling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.
Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn’t expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity’s recollection of the night their family was forever altered.
Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife’s words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue to love her.
Sexy. Twisted. Consuming.
Due to graphic scenes and mature content, this book is recommended for listeners 18+.
What I Thought
Colleen Hoover is everywhere at the minute, especially since the film release of her book ‘It Ends With Us’. TikTok went mad for the books but it was a very split audience and it seems you either love or hate her books!
As far as a review goes, I really just don’t know where to start with this one! This was one of the Colleen Hoover books I had seen most people say they enjoyed so it seemed a good place to start. I didn’t expect the spicy content – I am no prude, it just took me by surprise as I didn’t know it was coming, so here is my warning to you!
I honestly couldn’t put it down – so I feel that is always a good indicator! Overall I thought there were maybe some plot holes – some big leaps to take to believe this could happen. Generally, a thriller will get me as it plays on that ‘it could happen to you’ feeling, whereas this didn’t feel like that.
There was some amazing writing in the book, the atmosphere created was very tense and kept me turning those pages for sure. As a mother, some of it was hard going and felt very uncomfortable, but an author who can create those physical feelings while someone is reading (I think) is a good one! .
I wasn’t as enamoured with the ending, the extra chapter felt rushed and I just don’t feel it was needed. Overall I would recommend this one to thriller fans but with a warning that you will feel uncomfortable reading it – and that makes me not want to recommend it! A real mixed review I know, but that’s definitely how I feel about this one. I may give some of her other books a go to see what they are like and I ‘d love to hear your thoughts if you have read any of her books in the comments!
Buy on Amazon
So what has been your favourite read of the year so far? Any recommendations for us? Pop them in the comments below and let us know if you would like to join us on our challenge – the more the merrier!
The Spoonie Mummy 
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