January turned out to be a really good reading month for me. I finished six books, read a total of 2,382 pages, and ended up with a proper mix of genres — cosy romances, psychological thrillers, historical fiction and a very hyped fantasy read.
This month I split my reading evenly between Kindle and audiobooks (three of each), which worked really well alongside normal life ticking along. Two of the books — Beautiful Ugly and Shrines of Gaiety — were book club picks (2 different book clubs), which always makes me read a little more thoughtfully and outside of my comfort zone..
I had one clear five-star read this month (Beautiful Ugly), while my least favourite was The Gingerbread Bakery, which landed at three stars for me. Below is a quick summary of each book along with the main tropes — I’ll be adding my own mini reviews and thoughts under each one separately.
Winter Nights at the Bay Bookshop – Jessica Redland
This is a cosy, wintery romance set in a small town, centred around the Bay Bookshop. The story follows Lily as she works in her beloved bookshop during the colder months and unexpectedly reconnects with someone from her past. Old hurts resurface, but so do feelings she thought she’d left behind, all wrapped up in a warm, festive, bookish setting.
Find it here
Main tropes:
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Second-chance romance
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Friends-to-lovers
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Small town
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Bookshop setting
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Winter / seasonal vibes
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Healing from past hurt
My thoughts: 4/5 Stars
This was the perfect easy winter themed romance read to start my year, a gentle move on from the Christmas period and into a new year. I really loved the setting of this story, the Bay Bookshop sounds magical and somewhere I myself would love to spend a few hours. Lily and Lars are both lovely sweet characters that I found myself rooting for from the very beginning! I adored the mixing of Icelandic traditions with British traditions over the Christmas period.
Fourth Wing – Rebecca Yarros
Fourth Wing is a fantasy romance set at a brutal military academy where dragon riders are trained — and many don’t survive. Violet is physically weaker than most of her peers but far sharper than anyone gives her credit for. Between deadly trials, political tension and a very slow-burn romance, this one is high-stakes from start to finish.
Find it here
Main tropes:
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Enemies-to-lovers
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Dragon riders
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Military training academy
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Underdog heroine
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Slow-burn romance
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Forced proximity
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Fantasy romance (romantasy)
My thoughts: 4/5 Stars
This has received so much hype that it actually put me off reading it. Fantasy isn’t my usual genre of choice, but I thought I would give it a go, and choose to try the audio book. I’m very glad I did choose the audio book as it was very well produced and I did enjoy it in the end. I found the start a little slow and only really started enjoying it when the battle started, which was well over half way through, I did find it all very predicable though. I did warm to Violet in the end and will most likely look for book number 2.
Beautiful Ugly – Alice Feeney
This was my standout read of the month. The story follows Grady after his wife disappears, leading him to a remote Scottish island where nothing feels quite right. As the story unfolds, reality becomes increasingly unreliable, and the tension builds in that very Alice Feeney way — unsettling, clever and impossible to put down.
Find it here
Main tropes:
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Unreliable narrator
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Missing person mystery
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Psychological thriller
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Isolated setting
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Obsession and grief
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Reality vs illusion
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Twist ending
My thoughts: 5/5 Stars
This was a book club pick and I blitzed through it in just 3 days. If you’ve read Rock, Paper, Scissors this has a very similar vibe to start with. The isolated and eerie Scottish island is the perfect location for secrets, betrayal and revenge. Nothing is quite as it seems. I did predict a few of the twists but as always Alice Feeney is a master of the reality twist! Part of me wishes the end was slightly different but I still found it an addictive read. It led to some really interesting discussions at the bookclub I attended.
The Impossible Fortune – Richard Osman
(The Thursday Murder Club, Book 5)
The Thursday Murder Club return for another mystery, and this one feels darker and more emotional than some of the earlier books. A case rooted in the past resurfaces, pulling the gang into real danger while still keeping the warmth, humour and friendship that make this series such a comfort read.
Find it here
Main tropes:
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Cosy mystery with higher stakes
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Unlikely (elderly) detectives
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Cold case resurfacing
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Found family
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Secrets from the past
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Humour alongside danger
My thoughts: 4/5 Stars
If you’re a fan of the first books in the series this one won’t disappointed. I again listened to this as an audiobook, as I have done with all of this series, and totally loved them being read by Fiona Shaw. This one feels a little darker than the previous ones, you feel there is more real threat to the characters. I really love all of the Thursday Murder Club characters and enjoy the mix of crime and humour in the books.
The Gingerbread Bakery – Jessica Redland
Annie runs the town’s beloved gingerbread bakery, pouring her heart into her pastries — but her love life is nonexistent. Across the street, Mac Sullivan, the cheerful bar owner, keeps appearing at all the wrong (and right) moments. With festive town events and a wedding bringing everyone together, Annie might just realise the man she loves to argue with could be the one. Cozy, charming, and full of Christmas magic.
Find it here
Main tropes:
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Fresh start
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Small-town cosy setting
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Baking as therapy
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Slow-burn romance
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Found community
My thoughts: 3/5 Stars
Having read all of the other books in this series, sadly I would say this is the weakest of the set. Don’t get me wrong I still enjoyed it, I love the setting of Dream Harbour and the group of friends these stories follow I just didn’t enjoy it as much as the others. This story follows the will-they-won’t-they romance between baker Annie and bar man Mac. This time we get a flash back to their teenage years and find out why Annie dislikes Mac so much. This is a super easy read and only took me a few days, it’s the perfect fluffy rom com style book. The spice level is lower than the others in the series.
Shrines of Gaiety – Kate Atkinson
Set in 1920s London, Shrines of Gaiety explores the glittering nightlife of Soho and the much darker reality beneath it. With missing girls, criminal empires and deeply flawed characters, this is a layered, atmospheric read that blends historical fiction with crime and mystery.
Find it here
Main tropes:
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Jazz Age glamour vs dark underbelly
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Criminal underworld
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Corruption and power
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Missing women
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Moral ambiguity
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Multiple points of view
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London as a character
My thoughts: 4/5 Stars
This was another bookclub read and I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. Usually I don’t read historical stories but I found this one very compelling. I liked the interconnected mysteries and the gritty look at the dark side of London nightlife. None of the characters were loveable but I did end up feeling sorry for a few of them, it showed how quickly your fate can change and the tables can turn.