February was a slightly slower reading month for me, but still a really good one. I finished five books and read a total of 1,646 pages, which I’m really happy with considering how full life has felt lately.
I mixed formats again this month — three audiobooks, one Kindle read and one physical book — which worked really well depending on my mood and how busy the day was. I Will Ruin You was also our book club pick, which always makes reading feel that little bit more intentional.
I had two five-star reads this month — Where the Crawdads Sing and I Will Ruin You — both completely different, but equally gripping in their own way. My least favourite was Sugar Baby, which landed at three stars for me.
In a House of Lies – Ian Rankin
When a long-missing private investigator’s car is discovered at the bottom of a loch, a cold case is reopened and past decisions are dragged back into the spotlight. As the investigation unfolds, questions around corruption, reputation and institutional failure begin to surface, drawing retired detective John Rebus back into familiar territory.
Find it here
Main tropes:
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Cold case reopened
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Retired detective pulled back in
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Police procedural
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Institutional corruption
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Moral ambiguity
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Past secrets resurfacing
My thoughts: 4/5 Stars
This is book 22 of the Rebus series and was originally a book club read that I didn’t manage to finish in time, cue 2 months later and I finally get around to finishing it. I’ve read a Rebus novel before so knew what to expect. They are heavy, highly detailed, very in-depth books, lots of story lines, lots of characters…but so well written. I really enjoyed this one, it just took a lot of brain power, time and focus to read. Dark, gritty, grimy Scottish crime story that really sucks you into the time and place.
Sugar Baby – Harley Madison
A broke college student is struggling to make ends meet when her roommate introduces her to a sugar dating app. What starts as an easy way to earn some quick money quickly escalates when she accepts an offer from four wealthy older men willing to pay a huge amount for one night together. As the arrangement unfolds, the lines between business, power and attraction start to blur.
Find it here
Main tropes:
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Reverse harem / why-choose romance
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Age gap relationships
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Sugar dating / transactional romance
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BDSM & power dynamics
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One night arrangement
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Dark romance
My thoughts: 3/5 Stars
I was looking for a quick read, a palette cleanser between all the heavy murders I have been reading recently, and this did the job nicely. This is a fairly standard dark spicy romance, with a reverse harem situation. It does skate on the darker side but it’s nothing too taboo. This is part of a series, but I didn’t love it enough to go pay for the rest of them (this one is a free ebook on Amazon Prime)
The Guest List – Lucy Foley
A glamorous wedding on a remote Irish island turns deadly when a body is discovered during the celebrations. As a storm cuts the guests off from the mainland, long-buried secrets and resentments begin to surface. Told through multiple perspectives, the tension builds steadily as the truth slowly comes to light.
Find it here
Main tropes:
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Locked-room mystery
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Remote island setting
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Multiple POVs
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Non-linear timeline
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Perfect event with cracks beneath the surface
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Old secrets resurfacing
My thoughts: 4/5 Stars
I’ve read a few Lucy Foley books now as I like the way she writes. I usually audio book them as I love the multi narrator aspect. This is an easy read, not too complicated, but with her typical twists and turns that you almost never see coming. This one feels very reminiscent of an Agatha Christie type of story. A wedding on a remote island, a past secret about a death at an all boys school, toxic male characters, a failing relationship and another death, the perfect weekend murder mystery!
Where the Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens
Set against the marshlands of North Carolina, this story follows Kya, a young girl abandoned by her family and forced to raise herself in isolation. As she grows up on the edge of a small, judgemental town, she finds solace in nature — until a mysterious death pulls her into a murder investigation that threatens everything she’s built for herself. It’s part coming-of-age, part love story, part courtroom drama.
Find it here
Main tropes:
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Isolated heroine
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Nature as sanctuary
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Small-town prejudice
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Coming-of-age story
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Love and betrayal
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Dual timeline
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Murder trial
My thoughts: 5/5 Stars
I’ll be honest and say I tried reading this when it first came out, but really couldn’t get into it. I found it way too slow, so I gave up. But after a few friends said I should try again and it was on one of the Goodreads challenges, I thought I would give it another go, but this time I chose the audio book, and that made all the difference. I really loved it! I loved the character of Kya, I love the description of the marsh, the nature, the way she grew in confidence and into herself over the course of the book. The audio book was beautifully done and I’m glad I gave it a second chance.
I Will Ruin You – Linwood Barclay
What starts as a simple act of kindness quickly spirals into something far more sinister for a high school teacher whose life begins to unravel. Accusations, secrets and escalating threats put his career, marriage and reputation at risk, and it becomes increasingly unclear who can be trusted. Fast-paced and tense, this one keeps tightening the screws chapter by chapter.
Find it here
Main tropes:
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Ordinary man in extraordinary trouble
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False accusation
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Reputation at risk
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Domestic life under threat
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Paranoia and manipulation
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Suburban secrets
My thoughts: 5/5 Stars
This was a book club read for the month. Again I have read a few Linwood Barclays so kinda knew what to expect. He is great at building a storyline in one direction then throwing you a curve ball or 2, and this book was no different. It’s very clever writing. I really enjoyed this one, but did feel there were sections the story could have done without, and I never rooted for any of the characters. I still gave it a 5 stars though as I would totally recommend it to others and I got fully into the story line and couldn’t wait to find out the ending.