Happy January Book Review Day!!!

So glad to be back after a bit of a break. January has been CRAZY! Crazy fun and busy, but still CRAZY!

I am not sure how I read two books this month. I love to read . . . SO MUCH . . . but, this month was a bit of a blur. Reid’s brother got engaged over the holidays, so we seriously spent the first week of January celebrating. So fun, but no reading there. And, then, when the boys went back to school, I started cranking on one of my other jobs with our family-owned company. SO . .. my desire to read was definitely lacking and I had to throw myself into it again. And, OH, I am so thankful that I did.

Let me also say that our sweet little school does a reading fundraiser mid-January – early February each year. Harlan has to read 2,600 minutes to get a gold medal and Jackson has to read 3,500 minutes to get a gold medal. Yes, you read that correctly! LOTS of reading going on in my house right now because us Beuclers are a bit competitive with these types of things. So while I may have only read two books on my own, I could school all of you in the ways of the Boxcar Children (I think that we are currently on our 4th for this month) and The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic by Jennifer Trafton is a PRECIOUS book to read to your kids. If you need me this evening, I will be reading one of our family’s favorites while the boys do Lego sets . . . Deciding between The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis or The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Both GREAT books!

But . . . onto MY January Book Review . . . here we go!!!

Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory

Since starting these monthly book reviews, I have read three books by Jasmine Guillory and really enjoyed them! The Wedding Date, The Proposal, and The Wedding Party, were all fun, easy quick reads! Definitely a bit on the rated R side, but great chick-lit books!

Royal Holiday is Guillory’s most recent book. When I saw the title, I was immediately taken. I mean, take her writing style and add The Royal We? Yes please!

I have to say, unfortunately, that this book was just okay. Enjoyable to read, but nothing like her earlier books.

Viivian Forest is a social worker from San Francisco. She travels with her daughter to London over Christmas, and finds herself in a whirlwind romance among the monarchy.

Malcom Hunter, the private secretary to the Queen, runs into Vivian on her first full day in England and is immediately taken by her.

For the next ten days, Vivian and Malcom enjoy getting to know one another and diverting the issue that they live 5000 miles apart. How will it work out?

Cute love story, but I would have been fine if I had never read it. That sounds horrible to say. But true. This book took me a week to read because I just wasn’t drawn to it. Sweet characters that I was definitely rooting for. Just lacked something to keep me truly interested.

Have any of you read this? Do you agree or disagree? Click here to grab a copy for yourself!

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing

After a boring beginning to my 2020 reading, I chose to go in an ENTIRELY different direction with my second book.

Oh, y’all. This book! IT IS INSANE! This is SUCH a fun read, but IT IS INSANE!

I started this book while at a friend’s lake house, and after then 10th time I gasped out loud while reading, I promised to let her borrow after I was done. And, Reid LOVED me telling him about this book. That is basically how my sweet husband reads. I just tell him play by play of my suspenseful novels, and he loves it. I should start a one-act play series for non-readers. Reid would totally be up for that!

This book is centered around a family of four: mom, dad, fourteen year old son, and thirteen year old daughter. They live in an upscale country club community where the dad is a tennis pro at the country club and the mom is successful, local real estate agent. The parents have been married for 15 years. Everyone is happy.

Oh, and super quick, the husband and wife stalk and murder women and work to bring a serial killer back to life in order to keep their married life spicy. Like I said . . . THIS BOOK IS INSANE!

This was a super quick read that kept me coming back for more. I do feel like it was a bit longer than it needed it to be, but I had all of the closure by the end of the book.

From my understanding, this is Samantha Downing’s debut novel! I am a big fan, and will definitely be checking out her new releases in the future! Click here to grab a copy for yourself!

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That is it for January! My goal moving into next month is TIME MANAGEMENT! I have several balls in the air right now, but REALLY feel like reading is the mental break that I need from time to time. So, send me any recommendations that you have! XOXO