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Slow Start to the Year | January Wrap Up

Slow Start to the Year | January Wrap Up

February 5, 2019 Posted by angelreads Discussions, Monthly Wrap Up 2 Comments

January was a strange month for me. I went into a little reading slump – which wasn’t the way that I wanted to start the year, but by the end of the month, I was finally reading more again.

I read 13 books in January, and that is on the lower end for me. But like I said I’m getting back into the groove. I also read mostly contemporary, which didn’t surprise me at all. In summer, I always feel like reading more contemporary books. Anyway time for the wrap-up. 

Unearthly Cover - January Wrap UpUnearthly (Unearthly #1) by Cynthia Hand: I don’t know why I waited so long to pick this series up, but I adored it. Unearthly was a really great start to a new series. There wasn’t much info dumping, but the world building was spread throughout the novel. This really helped with the pacing of the book and just moved things along nicely. Plus the romance was amazing! 

Hallowed (Unearthly #2) by Cynthia Hand:  The tension between Clara and the Angel world is intensifying and that just adds to the novel so well. A really good middle book to a series. It didn’t suffer from being boring or not adding anything to the series, it just worked really well. 

Boundless (Unearthly #3) by Cynthia Hand: A fantastic way to finish this series. The world building was great, the romance was adorable, the characters engaging. I read this whole series in about 4 days and I have no regrets. You can check out my full series review as well. 

JanuaryReal Deal (Single Dads Club #1) by Piper Rayne: I couldn’t really decide what to read, so I thought a re-read would be nice. This is a good romance read, that doesn’t really wow me. But I needed just to go away for a little. I did enjoy the romance though. 

Dirty Talker (Single Dads Club #2) by Piper Rayne: This is probably my favourite of this trilogy. I think both the plot and the protagonist really capture me. I loved Ava’s relationship with not only Dane but also his daughter. 

Sexy Beast (Single Dads Club #3) by Piper Rayne: I have a love/hate relationship with this one. I love parts of the novel, but then there are some parts that I loathe. It’s a strange mix. It was a great way to finish this series though. Loved seeing all the men in the dads club finally happy. 

January wrap upEmergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi: This isn’t one of my favourite books out there. While I did struggle a lot reading the first half, I really enjoyed the second half. The protagonist became more real and I was able to connect with them a lot. The plot also started to move forward in the second half and things started to come together. I also really enjoy the slow-burning relationship of Penny and Sam. Throughout the whole novel, Sam and Penny were able to confide in each other and as the novel goes on their relationship changes. Emergency Contact explores the notion of finding yourself and those around it. It’s about family, friends and finding new paths | Full Review.

Full Measures (Flight & Glory #1) by Rebecca Yarros: I really needed to do a re-read of these books. Rebecca Yarros always makes me feel great and I love Full Measures so much. 

Eyes Turned Skyward (Flight & Glory #2) by Rebecca Yarros: This one gets me every time. It just makes me cry and smile and everything in between. The romance is amazing, the friendships are great and I just love reading about these boys. 

Overnight Sensation (Brooklyn Bruisers #5) by Sarina Bowen: I loved Overnight Sensation. Sarina knows how to write a fantastic sports romance that isn’t just about the sport or the romance. It’s about relationships, finding out who you are and learning about not only yourself but those around you. Jason and Heidi were fantastic, I couldn’t get enough of them. Alone there were pretty good, but together, they just blew up. Full Review 

Him (Him #1) by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy: I think I have talked about this book enough. I love this duo and I will re-read as many times as I can. 

Us (Him #2) by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy: This one gets me every time. I can’t read it without crying and wanting everything to be alright. If you love hockey romance and wanting a queer romance, then pick this up. It’s steamy and just breaks my heart. 

 

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer: I adored A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer. I was captivated by the characters, world, and the plot from the very first chapter. Rhen and Harper are fantastic characters on their own, with brilliant character arcs. But together they are like fire and it’s one that I want to keep on spreading. I loved that Harper’s disability wasn’t shoved aside, the reader is also able to see Rhen come to terms with the things that he has done when the monster. Full Review

 

 

 

And that is it for January! What are the books you read last month? What did you love and what did you hate? Did you read anything that I did? What was your favourite January read? Let’s Chat!  

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  • Stephanie B
    · Reply

    February 8, 2019 at 3:40 PM

    I haven’t read the first Unearthly book yet but I do have it. I’m glad to hear that it’s good! I’ve kind of been in the mood for a good romance.

    A Curse So Dark and Lonely!!!!!! I really need to read that book ASAP! Right now I’m trying to get through The Ruin of Kings though!

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    • angelreads
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      February 13, 2019 at 9:32 PM

      I don’t know why it took me so long to pick the series up. I had it for years – and I mean years. So glad that I did though.

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I have a love-hate relationship with this series. I have a love-hate relationship with this series. But I ended up really enjoying this one. It’s best friends to fake dating to-lovers. It’s always been you, bad-boy/good-girl, and I loved that. While Save Your Breath has quite a few tropes, it really leads itself to it, and it works. 

Aleks and Mia have known each other for years now. Since they were teenagers, that angst has been building up this whole time. And you can tell right from the get-go, it’s fantastic. I even wanted more of it, because I love pain. When Aleks went to live with Mia’s family as a teenager, sparks flew, but for many reasons, they both put their feelings aside. And well, now they are not only going to be fake-dating, but they might as well be engaged, too. 

I really enjoyed seeing how both Aleks and Mia both tried to hide how they were feeling throughout the whole ‘fake-dating’ situation, but anyone could see it. They know each other as no one else does. Aleks has a lot going on, and while I do think this was brushed over a little too much, Mia is his centre. Mia is a massive music star and is a female in the industry, so yeah, people don’t respect her. Obvsiouly because why couldn’t a female star be badass and write about the things that she has gone through? Aleks and Mia get each other, and that is very clear from the start; they are both just trying to squash everything. We get to see them slowly start to show how they feel, and well, one night it all explodes. 

Overall, I enjoyed this one a lot; it’s not my favourite of the series, but I had a great time reading it. I liked Aleks and Mia a lot as characeters and while I think the mental health aspect could have been explored a whole lot more, I can see why it wasn’t. The romance was slow and spicy, the angst was great, and the payoff for these two was what they needed. 

Tropes
🏒Sports/Hockey Romance
🎤Fake Dating/Engagement
🏒Childhood Friends to Lovers
🎤Forced Proximity
🏒Athlete x Pop Star 
🎤Angsty Slow Burn 

Content Warnings
Mental Health Struggles 
Suicide Intention 
Family Deaths 
Alcohol Consumption
Violence on Ice

🏷️ 
#romancebooks #bookstagram  #angelreads #spicybooks #bookreview
Well February wasn’t the best reading month. I onl Well February wasn’t the best reading month. I only ended up reading 3 books in. 3 pretty fun books but one of my slowest readings months in a while. 

And I’m going to be honest here it’s because I’ve been constantly reading Heated Rivalry fanfics. 🤷‍♀️ I’m having the best time though. 

How was your reading in February? Any 5  star reads? 

🏷️ 
#romancebooks #bookstagram  #angelreads #spicybooks #februarywrapup
January was a really solid reading month. I read s January was a really solid reading month. I read some books that had been on my tbr for some time, reread a few things that peaked my interest. I also started a few new series. And just had a good time!

I just had a really good start to the year. While February is a little slow so far I’m looking forward to what I can pick up.

What did you read in January? Any 5-star reads? Let’s chat! 

🏷️ 
#romancebooks #bookstagram  #angelreads #spicybooks #januarywrapup
Can you believe that it’s already February? I know Can you believe that it’s already February? I know I can’t. But that means it’s a new month with more releases coming out! And that makes me excited. Some fantastic titles releasing this month and I cannot wait to read them. 📚

A couple of these are on my TBR already and some have just caught my eye and that makes me super excited to pick them up. 🖤

What are you looking forward to reading this month? Let’s chat! ✨

🏷️ 
#romancebooks #bookstagram  #angelreads #spicybooks #Februaryreleases2026
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