What I Read in December 2024

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Hello, everyone! Happy holidays! Before I get into the 11 books I read in December, I wanted to make an announcement: this will be my last post. Maybe not ever, but for now. For a while. I've loved sharing my reading with all of you, but I don't see the joy in sharing it anymore. I'll probably post every once in a while, but not every single month like I've been doing for the past year and change. I've loved sharing all of my reading with you, and I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have. With all of this said, let's get into the books I read in December.

Crossroads by Devney Perry: I rated this book 3.5/5 stars and finished it on December 7th. This is the first book in the Haven River Ranch duet and follows Indya and West. I got this book back in July as a birthday gift and it's taken me five months to finally finish it. I think my biggest complaint about this book was how slow it felt. It felt like it was dragging on and on, which is probably why it took me five months to finish. I'd recommend her other stuff, but this one was a miss for me unfortunately.

"I met West Haven when I was eight years old. He taught me to play poker when I was nine, and we made paper airplanes together when I was eleven. He kissed me when I was sixteen. He was the best part about my family’s summer vacations to Montana. He was the boy who stole my heart. I was twenty-three when life ripped us apart. Years later, I’m breaking my vow and returning to the ranch, not as a guest but its new owner. West might want me gone, but even he has to admit the only way to save his family’s legacy is with my help. It’s not easy working side by side and facing those old memories. But this situation is only temporary. We’re at a crossroads. And as long as I don’t let myself fall in love with West Haven again, maybe this is our chance to put those ghosts to rest. Maybe this time we’ll finally be able to say goodbye."

Sunlight by Devney Perry: I rated this ebook 4/5 stars and finished it on December 7th. This is the second book in the Haven River Ranch duet and follows Sasha and Jax. I liked this one significantly more than the first one, maybe because I liked Sasha and Jax's relationship more? I'm not sure. I'd definitely recommend this one though.

"My first day in Montana, I got into a tug-of-war over a grocery store shopping cart. The most handsome man I’d ever seen broke up the scuffle before he asked me on a date. I was seconds away from accepting but then he told me his name. As an owner of the Haven River Ranch, Jax Haven wasn’t my boss. But he wasn’t not my boss either. Obviously, my only option was to turn him down, scurry away, then pretend like he was a stranger on my first day of work. And obviously, I could never, ever admit that he was my secret crush. For as hard as I work at my job, I work twice as hard to pretend Jax doesn’t exist. I don’t let myself think about his dazzling eyes or charming smile. I refuse to acknowledge how good he looks in a pair of faded Wrangler jeans. And as tempting as he is in a cowboy hat, Jax is a distraction I cannot afford. Everything was going according to plan until the annual holiday party. Until I drank one too many flutes of champagne and let him sweep me off my feet. After a night in his bed, there was no more ignoring Jax Haven. Not when I’m pregnant with his baby."

The Human Santapede by Adam Millard: I rated this ebook 1/5 stars and finished it on December 9th. Honestly, I have no idea why I read this. I don't know why I picked this up on Kindle Unlimited, My friends in my book club on Discord randomly found this one so I took one for the team and read it. I've read quite a few bad books this year, but this one was beyond bad. It was incredibly racist and just overall disgusting. Please don't read this. I wish I hadn't.

"Santa Claus is coming to town...at least, that was the plan, but now his elves have started going missing, kidnapped by some insidious figure in a black cloak, and despite the magic swirling about the place, the toys aren't going to put themselves together. So begins a terrifying game of cat and mouse as Kris Kringle searches The Land of Christmas for his abducted minions, unaware that he is to play an integral part in his foe's plans. Krampus is pissed at Santa after lending him his snowblower and never getting it back. His punishment? To build a Human Santapede long enough to stretch around The Land of Christmas, and at its helm, the jolly fat man himself. Can Santa - aided by his best foreman, Finklefoot - get his elves back, defeat Krampus, and save Christmas before it is too late, or will Krampus succeed in creating the ghastliest single-file organism the North Pole has ever seen? Ho-Ho-Holy Shit, things are about to get messy..."

Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood: I rated this audiobook 4/5 stars and finished it on December 11th. I thought it was great! It took me a while to finish it but I did thoroughly enjoy it. It was a nice change from her STEM romances. I'd definitely recommend it if you're an audiobook person.

"Viola Bowen has the chance of a lifetime: to design a video game based on her all-time favorite book series. The only problem? Her co-lead is Jesse F-ing Andrews, a.k.a. her arch-nemesis. Jesse has made it abundantly clear over the years that he wants nothing to do with her–and Viola has no idea why. When their bosses insist a wintery retreat is the perfect team-building exercise, Viola can’t think of anything worse. Being freezing cold in a remote mountain lodge knowing Jesse is right next door? No, thank you. But as the snow piles on, Viola discovers there’s more to Jesse than she knew, and heat builds in more ways than one."

A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston: I rated this book 2/5 stars and DNF'd it on December 11th at about 30%. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement. If you've read my other posts, you'll remember that I LOVED The Seven Year Slip by this author. I cried! That's how much I loved it. This though? It's gonna be a no for me. It makes me sad to say that too because I was looking forward to it, and now I'm selling it on my Pango account. I wish I could say I recommend this one, but I don't...sorry.

"Eileen Merriweather loves to get lost in a good happily-ever-after. The fictional kind, anyway. Because at least imaginary men don’t leave you at the altar. She feels safe in a book. At home. Which might be why she’s so set on going to her annual book club retreat this year—she needs good friends, cheap wine, and grand romantic gestures—no matter what. But when her car unexpectedly breaks down on the way, she finds herself stranded in a quaint town that feels like it’s right out of a novel…Because it is. This place can’t be real, and yet… she’s here, in Eloraton, the town of her favorite romance series, where the candy store’s honey taffy is always sweet, the local bar’s burgers are always a little burnt, and rain always comes in the afternoon. It feels like home. It’s perfect—and perfectly frozen, trapped in the late author’s last unfinished story. Elsy is sure that’s why she must be here: to help bring the town to its storybook ending. Except there is a character in Eloraton that she can’t place—a grumpy bookstore owner with mint-green eyes, an irritatingly sexy mouth and impeccable taste in novels. And he does not want her finishing this book. Which is a problem because Elsy is beginning to think the town’s happily-ever-after might just be intertwined with her own."

Do You Remember? by Freida McFadden: I rated this audiobook 2/5 stars and finished it on December 12th. Thrillers were not my friend this month apparently, and this one was no different. It totally would've been a 4 if the twist hadn't felt so out of left field, but because it did, I gave it two stars. Ugh.

"Tess Strebel can’t recognize her own face. She can’t recognize her home. Her bedroom is unfamiliar. And she can’t remember the handsome stranger lying next to her in bed. A stranger who claims he’s her husband. Tess reads a letter in her own handwriting, composed during a rare lucid day, explaining her life as it now exists: She was in a terrible car accident one year ago. Every morning, she wakes up unable to remember most of the last decade. Including her own wedding. Tess has no choice but to accept her new life and hope her memory will return. After all, why should she doubt the letter she wrote to herself? Or the kind man from the wedding photos on her dresser who seems to genuinely care about her well-being? And then Tess receives a text message on her phone. One that changes everything: 'Don’t trust the man who calls himself your husband.'"

Nanny For The Neighbors by Lily Gold: I rated this ebook 4/5 stars and finished it on December 17th. I needed a good break from the bad books I had been reading and this was the perfect palate cleanser. Definitely recommend it, and intend on reading the other book by this author that I haven't read yet.

"‘To the boys in apartment 5A. Congratulations. You have a kid.’ That’s what the note attached to the abandoned baby carrier says. And now my three gorgeous neighbors are in deep trouble. None of them have a clue how to look after the baby that’s been left on their doorstep. Luckily, there’s a nanny in the building. I can barely believe my eyes when the sizzling boys next door come knocking for my help. The truth is, I’ve been secretly crushing on the guys in 5A for years—and now I finally have an excuse to meet them all. There’s Jack, the sweet, nerdy game designer with the infectious smile. Cyrus, the flirty dancer whose smooth moves melt my brain into goo. And Sebastian, the ripped businessman with the smoldering stare. Every day, I go to their apartment to take care of the baby. And every night, they take care of me. It doesn’t take long for our arrangement to get steamy. Soon, I’m falling for all three of them. It’s a dangerous game. These men are my bosses, not my boyfriends, and I’ve already told them that romance isn’t in the cards—but every molten look and stomach-fluttering kiss makes it harder for me to stay strong. And when work threatens to tear our fragile family apart, one thing becomes very clear: I’m sick of being the girl next door. It’s time this nanny got a promotion."

Saving 6 by Chloe Walsh: I rated this book 4/5 stars and finished it on December 18th. This is the third book in the Boys of Tommen series and the first book in Joey and Aoife's duet. It was pretty good! Not as good as Johnny and Shannon's in my opinion, but that might change when I read Redeeming 6 next month. I'd definitely recommend this series though, I've loved all the characters and learning about their lives.

"He’s about to meet his match. When teenagers from the same side of the tracks collide. The second born son in a broken marriage, Joey Lynch has spent a lifetime picking up the pieces of a family unraveling. When his older brother Darren skips town on his first day of secondary school, twelve year old Joey finds himself thrown into the role of protector to his younger siblings and mother. Plagued by self-loathing, and furious with the world, he grapples with teenage life, his unwavering sense of duty to his family, while balancing precariously close to a life of addiction that threatens to swallow him whole. The only light in his sea of darkness is his boss’s firecracker of a daughter who refuses to back down. A girl who just so happens to be his classmate. Aoife Molloy has never been backwards in coming forward. Her bubbly and self-assured nature has never led her astray. Until her first day of secondary school when she collides with a hotheaded boy who sparks a burning curiosity inside of her that only grows stronger by the day. Falling into a complicated friendship with her father’s apprentice, Aoife works to unravels the secrets around Joey Lynch’s life, while he desperately fights to keep her out."

Ward D by Freida McFadden: I rated this audiobook 3/5 stars and finished it on December 19th. This one...ugh. I was looking forward to it because it's one of her more popular thrillers, but somehow the end fell flat for me. Maybe I shouldn't do her books on audio anymore or something, but I'll have to figure it out in the new year because it's the second one in a row that's fallen flat from her for me. Maybe don't do it on audio if you want to enjoy it?

"Medical student Amy Brenner is spending the night on a locked psychiatric ward. Amy has been dreading her evening working on Ward D, the hospital’s inpatient mental health unit. There are very specific reasons why she never wanted to do this required overnight rotation. Reasons nobody can ever find out. And as the hours tick by, Amy grows increasingly convinced something terrible is happening within these tightly secured walls. When patients and staff start to vanish without a trace, it becomes clear that everyone on the unit is in grave danger. Amy’s worst nightmare was spending the night on Ward D. And now she might never escape."

The Housemaid's Wedding by Freida McFadden: I rated this ebook 4/5 stars and finished it on December 19th. This is a novella set to take place between the second and third Housemaid books. It's not necessary to read unless you like the story/characters, but I thought it was cute. I'd only recommend it if you really like Millie.

"Today is supposed to be the happiest day of my life. I'm engaged to the man of my dreams, and in a few short hours, I'm going to stand before a judge, who will declare us husband and wife, till death does us part. Despite some bumps in the road, this day is everything I dreamed it would be. There's only one problem: Someone out there doesn't want me to live long enough to say my vows. And if I'm not careful, they may very well get their wish."

The Housemaid is Watching by Freida McFadden: I rated this book 4/5 stars and finished it on December 26th. This is the third book in the Housemaid series. I thought it was good! Not nearly as good as the first two, but still good. I'd recommend it for sure.

"'You must be our new neighbors!' Mrs. Lowell gushes and waves across the picket fence. I clutch my daughter’s hand and smile back: but the second Mrs. Lowell sees my husband a strange expression crosses her face. In that moment I make a promise. We finally have a family home. My past is far, far behind us. And I’ll do anything to keep it that way…I used to clean other people’s houses—now, I can’t believe this home is actually mine. The charming kitchen, the quiet cul-de-sac, the huge yard where my kids can play. My husband and I saved for years to give our children the life they deserve. Even though I’m wary of our new neighbor Mrs. Lowell, when she invites us over for dinner it’s our chance to make friends. Her maid opens the door wearing a white apron, her hair in a tight bun. I know exactly what it’s like to be in her shoes. But her cold stare gives me chills…The Lowells’ maid isn’t the only strange thing on our street. I’m sure I see a shadowy figure watching us. My husband leaves the house late at night. And when I meet a woman who lives across the way, her words chill me to the bone: Be careful of your neighbors. Did I make a terrible mistake moving my family here? I thought I’d left my darkest secrets behind. But could this quiet suburban street be the most dangerous place of all?"

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That's it! Unfortunately, I was 10 books short of my 200 book goal for the year but that's okay. I've loved sharing my reading with you all over the last 15-16 months or so. I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas, and I hope everyone has a happy new year! Cheers to 2025!