What I Read In January 2024 + My February TBR
Happy New Year! I can’t believe it’s already been three months … OH WAIT, it hasn’t. It’s only felt like it’s been months because January has literally felt like months. I’m on the East Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region, where we had 6-7 inches of snow. With that, and the fact that this is the hibernation month, I got a lot of reading in.
And I do mean a lot. Like, more than usual. I read 12 (!!!!) books this month. I look back and wonder how in the heck did I do it, and honestly, it’s just because I devoted more time to reading. I turned off the TV, or didn’t even turn it on some days, and read my book in complete silence. It was weird at first, especially reading in silence, but after a couple of days, it was glorious. I wonder what it’s like to read with roommates or your partner. For those who do have roommates or a partner, do you read when they’re in the room with you, most likely watching TV or playing video games? Let me know in the comments below!
Anyway, let’s dive into what I read this month! Plus, stay tuned to see what’s on my February TBR! (Spoiler: I’m tuning into #FantasyFebruary!)
What I Read In January
Done & Dusted (Rebel Blue Ranch, 1) by Lyla Sage
What a great book to kick off the new year with. I loved this cowboy rancher romance so much! I love the brother’s best friend trope—it’s one of my favorite tropes in romance books! Emmy and Luke are one of my favorite book couples. Their chemistry was very clearly described on the page. They had me kicking my feet and giggling throughout the entire book! That one scene where Luke made dinner for Emmy and then danced with her in the kitchen? Wrecked me. I loved this book so much and would highly recommend.
Rating: 5/5
Heartless (Chestnut Springs, 2) by Elsie Silver
Once again, in my cowboy romance era! I started this in 2023 but picked it up again the first week of 2024. I liked it! Tbh, I didn’t really connect as much with the story as the rest of bookstagram did. It was entertaining, and Cade is super hot, but there wasn’t much more to that. I liked Cade’s character development. At times, I felt like there was no conflict? Like they were just vibing together and there was nothing holding them back from being together. I think we could’ve had more from Willa’s past, specifically with her family and how she was raised. Overall, this book was good and I’d recommend!
Rating: 3.5/5
Queen of Shadows (ToG, 4) by Sarah J. Maas
Great worldbuilding! I thought this was a phenomenal gateway into what’s to come in the ToG universe. There were so many POVs, which I actually loved. I feel like favorite characters really solidified why I chose them as my favorites. (My favorites are: Aelin, Chaol, Manon, and Elide—as of this book!) I like Rowan, but I still don’t feel like I know him enough at this current spot in the series. Overall, loved this book all around!
Rating: 4.5/5
Powerless (Chestnut Springs, 3) by Elsie Silver
I am POWERLESS for Jasper and Sloane. I loved this book so much. Not only was it spicy, I really enjoyed the overall plot and story behind this friends-to-lovers romance. Sloane is one of those badass female main characters who I love. Jasper … is hot. So protective. Love this romance!
Rating: 5/5
The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon
I’m not the biggest fan of workplace romances, but I really liked the characters in this book! It followed Daniel and Samiah, two employees at a tech company in Austin, TX. But unbeknownst to Samiah and the rest of the employees, Daniel is an undercover agent investigating fintech crimes. While he’s investigating the company him and Samiah work at, him and Samiah grow closer. I liked Daniel and the whole investigation happening—it gave a mystery element to the overall plot. That’s what kept me hooked, tbh. I wasn’t really following along with “the boyfriend project” that Samiah and her friends were adhering to. But still, I love it and would very much recommend!
Rating: 4/5
A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum
Where do I begin with this book? I loved the multiple POVs, dual timelines, and how they intersected. The mother/daughter relationships were described and illustrated perfectly. I also liked how the author showed the reality of being a Palestinian woman not only in Palestine, but also in America in both the 1990s and 2008.
Rating: 4.5/5
Maame by Jessica George
This may be the best book I’ve read all year (and it’s only January). Tbh, it may be one of the best books I read ever. I love Maddie (her real name is Maame) and her character development so much. This is a beautiful coming of age story, of a girl in her mid-20s who is only now, at age 25, starting to live her life in London. I love how the author used one big significant event to continue her character development and the overall plot, and how that didn’t stop her, but only continued the character into who she is supposed to be. This book is fun and enjoyable, just like how life in your 20s is “supposed” to be, and also covers important themes like grief, but it’s also a beautiful illustration evolving into your own person and continuing to work on yourself.
Rating: 5/5
Act Your Age, Eve Brown (The Brown Sisters, 3) by Talia Hibbert
This was a cute romance! I liked Eve and Jacob a lot. The book was fast-paced, but at some parts, it was a little too fast. Maybe I read it a little too fast, and I could’ve slowed my reading speed down at times. Loved the Chloe and Red/Dani and Zaf cameos.
Rating: 3.5/5
Drop, Cover, and Hold On (The Improbable Meet Cute, 4) by Jasmine Guillory
This was a cute short story! This was a part of an eight-part short story series presented by Audible and authored by several romance authors. I will read anything that Jasmine Guillory writers, so I downloaded this audiobook. It was very short—only an hour long! I really liked it. A handsome bakery owner? Sign me up.
Rating: 4/5
The Exception to the Rule (The Improbable Meet Cute, 1) by Christina Lauren
This was SO good. This was the cheesiest, most delightful rom-com short story/novella that I have ever read. I loved Callum and Terra. The first half of the book was mainly emails between the two without them knowing the other in real life (like You’ve Got Mail!). And then by the second half, I was giggling and kicking my feet up in the air. Such a good quick read! I downloaded this audiobook, like the other book in the series that I read, and it was such a delight. If you’ve been looking for a good romance book/short story, this one is for you!
Rating: 5/5
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
An incredible moving story about addiction, depression, and grief. The main character talks about her struggle with faith and religion but in the present day, she also longs for the childhood faith she had while also simultaneously trying to find the scientific reasons for her suffering and her family’s suffering. I loved the main character’s thought-provoking questions she asked on faith, science, religion, and love. I would highly, highly recommend this book!
Rating: 5/5
The Dating Plan by Sara Desai
Okay, technically this was the first book I started in the new year. However, I ran out of my Spotify Premium audiobook hours and they just got renewed yesterday so I hurried to finish the remaining chapters so I could include this in my January reading wrap-up! Overall, I LOVED this book. I knew this was a five-star romance read at the beginning of the book when I knew the MMC is the brother’s best friend. I’m always a sucker for that trope. But the more we got to know Liam (the MMC) and Daisy (the FMC) and their romantic connection, I fell in love with them. I always love the fake dating, but with this one, it wasn’t just a fake dating scheme—it was a marriage/engagement of convenience. I loved each character for their individual character development, but I also really loved their connection and how they came together. I also really liked Daisy’s nerdy self! Overall, I loved it and would definitely recommend! I’m excited to read more of this author’s books.
Rating: 5/5