Winter Books That You Can Read By a Roaring Fire

Baby, it’s cold outside!

I love the cold weather. It doesn’t snow where I live, and I’m always longing every winter for a white Christmas. All of these books are set in the snow. They’re perfect for a cozy read snuggled up by a fire or under a soft, warm blanket.

There’s a little something for everyone…



Thriller/Mystery Ghost Story

From Goodreads: West Hall, Vermont, has always been a town of strange disappearances and old legends. The most mysterious is that of Sara Harrison Shea, who, in 1908, was found dead in the field behind her house just months after the tragic death of her daughter. Now, in present day, nineteen-year-old Ruthie lives in Sara’s farmhouse with her mother, Alice, and her younger sister. Alice has always insisted that they live off the grid, a decision that has weighty consequences when Ruthie wakes up one morning to find that Alice has vanished. In her search for clues, she is startled to find a copy of Sara Harrison Shea’s diary hidden beneath the floorboards of her mother’s bedroom. As Ruthie gets sucked into the historical mystery, she discovers that she’s not the only person looking for someone that they’ve lost. But she may be the only one who can stop history from repeating itself. 

YA Fantasy

From Goodreads: Rumored to be a witch, only Nora Walker knows the truth. She and the Walker women before her have always shared a special connection with the woods. And it’s this special connection that leads Nora to Oliver Huntsman—the same boy who disappeared from the Camp for Wayward Boys weeks ago—and in the middle of the worst snowstorm in years. He should be dead, but here he is alive, and left in the woods with no memory of the time he’d been missing. But Nora can feel an uneasy shift in the woods at Oliver’s presence. And it’s not too long after that Nora realizes she has no choice but to unearth the truth behind how the boy she has come to care so deeply about survived his time in the forest, and what led him there in the first place. What Nora doesn’t know, though, is that Oliver has secrets of his own—secrets he’ll do anything to keep buried, because as it turns out, he wasn’t the only one to have gone missing on that fateful night all those weeks ago.

YA Thriller

From Goodreads: When Mira flies home to spend Christmas with her mother in Pittsburgh, a record-breaking blizzard results in a cancelled layover. Desperate to get to her grief-ridden mother in the wake of a family death, Mira hitches a ride with a group of friendly college kids who were on her initial flight. As the drive progresses and weather conditions become more treacherous, Mira realizes that the four other passengers she’s stuck in the car with don’t actually know one another. Soon, they’re not just dealing with heavy snowfall and ice-slick roads, but the fact that somebody will stop at nothing to ensure their trip ends in a deadly disaster. 

Thriiler/Mystery Whodunnit

From Goodreads: During the languid days of the Christmas break, a group of thirtysomething friends from Oxford meet to welcome in the New Year together, a tradition they began as students ten years ago. For this vacation, they’ve chosen an idyllic and isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands—the perfect place to get away and unwind by themselves. They arrive on December 30th, just before a historic blizzard seals the lodge off from the outside world. Two days later, on New Year’s Day, one of them is dead. The trip began innocently enough: admiring the stunning if foreboding scenery, champagne in front of a crackling fire, and reminiscences about the past. But after a decade, the weight of secret resentments has grown too heavy for the group’s tenuous nostalgia to bear. Amid the boisterous revelry of New Year’s Eve, the cord holding them together snaps. Now one of them is dead . . . and another of them did it. Keep your friends close, the old adage goes. But just how close is too close? 

Middle Grade Mystery

From Goodreads: It’s wintertime at Greenglass House. The creaky smuggler’s inn is always quiet during this season, and twelve-year-old Milo, the innkeepers’ adopted son, plans to spend his holidays relaxing. But on the first icy night of vacation, out of nowhere, the guest bell rings. Then rings again. And again. Soon Milo’s home is bursting with odd, secretive guests, each one bearing a strange story that is somehow connected to the rambling old house. As objects go missing and tempers flare, Milo and Meddy, the cook’s daughter, must decipher clues and untangle the web of deepening mysteries to discover the truth about Greenglass House—and themselves. 

My Most Anticipated Next in a Series Books for 2021

I often find it overwhelming to keep up with a book series, so I often avoid them. It takes a storyline for which I can’t let go to keep me invested in worlds that go on for more than one book. But, when the right one comes along, it feels a little like magic.

Release Date 2.16.21
Book 4
A Court of Thorn and Roses
YA Fantasy
Release Date 1.12.21
Book 2.5
The Hazel Wood
YA Fantasy
Release Date 4.20.21
Book 3
Blood and Ash
Fantasy

Release Date 8.17.21
Book 3
The Kiss Quotient
Romance
Release Date 1.12.21
Book 6
Wayward Children
YA Fantasy

I know that there are a few more that I’m interested in that are being released throughout next, but some of them haven’t had a cover release yet. I’ll just have to post a part two later.

Also, I must admit, I haven’t started the Wayward Series yet, but it is a top priority for me to read them all in 2021!

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue {Review}

Thank You to Tor for the advance review copy

Addie makes a deal with the devil to live forever and suffers the consequences of no one remembering her. Until 300 years later, a guy in a book store remembers her.

I can see why this book has gotten so much hype. It’s beautifully written and has such a unique plot.

The dual timelines and perspectives worked well to keep the story fresh as it unfolded. As soon as I felt like the plot was getting a bit stale, there would be a shift or a moment that would elevate the pace. That being said, there were parts that felt a bit repetitive when discussing Addie’s past. The book could have probably been shorter and had the same affect.

Be careful what you wish for is the stand out theme of this book. And even though they often had to suffer for their poor choices, they are also rewarded in ways that left me a bit head scratchy. What I mean to say is, the devil in this book feels unrealistically lenient. In turn, he was a less believable Prince of Darkness.

Even though it was a bit fluff, I did enjoy the ending. I liked that it didn’t leave the reader with unanswered questions, but it still had an open ended feel to it.

Even though this is classified as Adult, it feels more YA in my opinion.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to readers who enjoy reading magical realism and fantasy.

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Book Review

Thank you NetGalley and Dutton Books for the advance digital copy of Lock Every Door in exchange for an honest review.

Jules takes on a job apartment sitting at the swanky and mysterious Bartholomew. She soon befriends another apartment sitter and is happy to have someone to hang out with. But, this new friend soon goes missing. Jules begins to discover that the creepy stories about the Bartholomew could be more than just stories.

Riley Sager can tell a story. I could not put this book down. It is so fast paced and readable. I enjoy a book with a cast of characters. I actually wish there had been a little more interaction with them. But, having read the entirety of the book, I see why there wasn’t.

The red herring is kind of fun and a bit of a nod to the 80’s.

The atmosphere of the hotel, with its Gothic features and old money luxury, kept me engrossed in the suspenseful mood of the story.

And with all good thrillers, there is a satisfying end that I did not see coming!

I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good thriller!

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Book Review

Thank you William Morrow and Harper Collins for the advance reader copy of Never Have I Ever in exchange for an honest review.

A neighborhood book club gets bogarted by a newcomer. The book club meeting turns into a drunken game of Never Have I Ever. As you can imagine – shit starts hitting the proverbial fan.

Trigger Warnings: Eating disorder, sexual assault of a minor

I was thrilled when I received my early review copy of Never Have I Ever. It was one of my most anticipated summer reads! I started reading it ahead of some of my other prioritized books because I just couldn’t wait to read it. Although it didn’t exactly live up to my hype, it wasn’t a bad read either. This is a tough one for me to review.

The book starts with a bang. In the first few chapters I was giddy with excitement about where this book was going to take me. But, after the initial chapters, it started to slow down. Like, way down. It started to feel a bit sluggish and bogged down with over explanations. But, then I would get to a twist, and it would keep me reading.

Amy, the main character, is dynamic and well written. But, our protagonist, Roux? That’s another story. I was not buying it with Roux. Some of her motives and behavior were too outlandish to make her a believable character. She didn’t seem capable of the things she was doing or had done. I think she may have been a bit weakly written.

I enjoyed reading about scuba diving, as well. It was evident that the author had done her research. The parts of the story with the scuba are detailed and it made the journey with the characters feel so vivid.

I enjoyed the writing style of Never Have I Ever. It has wit and heart and twists. But, I wish it had been a bit more edited down.

Overall, I would recommend it to anyone whose reading life isn’t over saturated with domestic thrillers and doesn’t mind a lot of extra details in the writing.

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐/5

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Book Review

Thank you to Little Bird Publicity and Amazon Publishing for the finished copy of False Step.

Three year old, Tanner Holcomb has been missing for days. Personal trainer, Johnny Bradley, finds him on a hiking trail while out on a daily jog. Johnny becomes an instant hero. It’s soon revealed that Tanner’s disappearance was more than just a kid getting lost in the woods. Johnny’s wife, Veronica, is uncomfortable with his new fame. She is also about to discover that there are even more secrets in her marriage than she suspected.

False Step is a fast, witty, dark read.

It’s told from Veronica’s perspective. And love her or hate her, Veronica is real. She’s flawed. She’s funny. She’s got problems. But, she teetered on like able and unlike able the entire read for me and I really enjoyed how complex she is.

This book feels cinematic. When I was reading, I could see the scenes in my mind as if they were being played out on a movie screen. I also like how the characters feel very real. They are just every day people who get put into bad situations or make bad decisions.

There isn’t any big reveal in this thriller. But, it doesn’t need it. The content throughout keeps evolving, so there is a sense of satisfaction once you reach the end.

It felt like a podcast that I would have listened to. I really enjoyed it.

I would definitely recommend it to all the true crime lovers and thriller readers.

This is my first Victoria Helen Stone book. I look forward to reading more of her work.

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5











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Book Review

Couples attend The Harmony Resort in hopes of repairing their struggling marriages. Owners of the resort, Drs. Miles and Grace Markell, are leaders in their field and offer couples a chance at rekindling their love in a gorgeous resort setting. But, truths are about to be revealed. On top of it all, a major storm is headed toward the resort with no way out. The couples at The Harmony Resort are about to get more than they ever expected.

Trigger Warnings: domestic abuse, loss of a child, sexual assault

This is a real page turner. Even though it is set in a beautiful location, the novel is mostly character driven. The characters are raw with emotion. You can feel the tension between the couples. You feel the presence that Miles has, and how he can use his power to manipulate people. Everyone in the story is flawed and real and layered.

Only in the end do we find the people in the story fighting against nature. The storm puts them all at risk and comes to a climax at a point where we find Miles at his most volatile. The two forces came together. Miles feels almost like an extension of the storm.

I thought that the ending was well done. There are no cliffhangers and everyone involved had a resolution. It always feels nice to have and ending all wrapped up. It makes for a really satisfying read.

I would recommend it to anyone who likes reading domestic thrillers and to anyone who enjoys stories that involve cults and cult behavior and how they affect people.

This is a great summer read.


My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5


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Book Review

Thank you Celadon Books for the advance reader copy of The Whisper Man in exchange for an honest review.

Frank Carter, “This Whisper Man”, has long been imprisoned for the serial killing of five residents in the town of Featherbank. Interested in a fresh start, Tom Kennedy moves to Featherbank with his young son after the death of his wife. A young boy has now recently vanished in Featherbank, and detectives are searching for him as Tom and Jake are just settling in. And soon, Jake starts to behave strangely. He begins to hear someone whispering near his window.

This book is an edge of your seat thriller. It is a hide under your covers kind of scare that leaves you chilled to the bone. Every page is quality. I flipped pages late into the night, loving the suspense!

The Whisper Man is smart. It grabbed a hold of me from page one. The characters are layered and the story is told in consistent, passive reveals.

This is one of my top thriller reads this year. I would recommend it to anyone who likes a good scare and an even better story.

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Book Review

Whisper Network

Thank you to Netgalley and Flatiron for the digital galley of Whisper Network in exchange for an honest review.

Four Women are faced with the decision to speak up about wrongdoings within their office after learning that one of their fellow co workers is being promoted as the new CEO of the company.

This book and me. It’s complicated. I started the book almost angry at how whiny the women were. I soon started to feel like I was being knocked over the head repeatedly with the same information. At some point, I almost dnf’d it. The story felt all over the place, the characters were borderline unlikable, The point of view shifted willy nilly and I could never grasp who was even talking in the first place. It was dry, bland, on the verge of boring me to skim. I felt like I already knew what was going to happen. And Then…..

I reached the 80% mark in Whisper Network, Yes, 80%, and it soon turned into something that felt worth reading. I’m glad that I stuck with it. I started to feel something. There was a shift in the tone. The women came alive, The fight got stronger, the demand for being heard, more insistent. The end was satisfying.

I wish that the approach had been better, because I see where the author is trying to go, but I just kept feeling like it was missing the mark. Despite this, the moments of momhood and parenting resonated with me. I was also completely invested in the fight these women were putting up in the face of the me too era we find ourselves in.

I guess my advice would be, if you choose to read this one – fight the urge to dnf it. You’ll be fulfilled by the end.

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐/5



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