Happy Tuesday, friends! And . . . HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! I hope that all of you had a relaxing and enjoying holiday!

The boys are back in school today, and I am finally sending out a very belated (okay, only 4 days belated) December Book Review!

I am working on my Best of 2022 Book Review, so be on the lookout for that in the coming few days!

Our December was full of travel, fun, family, and holiday cheer. All good things. HOWEVER, my book reading was subpar. I managed three books this month, but I am not sure if we can even count one. Bless it.

Here we go . . .

Jingle Wars by R. Holmes and Veronica Eden

Ok, wow. I read this book while on an early December couples’ trip, and I had totally forgotten all about it. In fact, I was searching through my house for the “other book I read last month” because I hadn’t taken any notes and it was utterly forgettable. In fact, I remember telling Reid that if we hadn’t been on a plane, I never would have stuck with this one. And, y’all know that I RARELY stop a book.

Jingle Wars is about a sweet little town in Montana. Finn Mayberry has lived there all his life and is doing everything in his power to keep Mayberry Inn, the family business, running and profitable. Freya Anderson has come to town to make a name for herself in her family business by running the new and shiny Alpine, a direct competitor and next-door neighbor to the Mayberry Inn. In an effort to boost marketing and sales, both Finn and Freya join the town’s annual Jingle Wars competition in an effort to win some serious cash. Finn and Freya become mortal enemies until that Hallmark movie magic glitter is poured over them.

Here is the deal . . . the town and all of the people that live there are PRECIOUS. Finn and Freya are adorable both together and at each other’s throats. There were parts of this book that made me smile and laugh, and there were others where my eyes were almost stuck because I rolled them so severely. This is not a well-written book (I am SO sorry!) and it is so rated R that I was sitting in a strange sideways position on the plane, so no one would read over my shoulder and report me to the authorities. I was really hoping for a sweet Christmas-inspired book to start off my December. Again . . . if this book had been written better, I probably would have enjoyed it more. Sorry y’all . . . you know I don’t like to give bad reviews!

Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore

This book is another example of how holiday crazy I was during December and completely clueless as to what I was reading. I did not read the back of the book before starting, and from a half-read review I saw, I truly thought this was historical fiction. HAHAHAHAHAHA! I seriously believed that until it turned into the book version of Bridgerton halfway through. Y’all. What was wrong with me last month?

Bringing Down the Duke is based in 1879 and follows Annabelle Archer as she is one of the first female students at Oxford University. As part of her scholarship and stipend, she joins a group of women and champions the rising women’s suffrage movement. In her drive to continue the fight, she comes head-to-head with the Duke of Montgomery and their battle of wits ensues. Their association with different societal rankings in 1879 makes for an interesting situation as they both are incredibly educated, ambitious, and stubborn.

I am a huge history nerd. Especially history from the royal families of England. Love the stuff. I found this book well-written and the continual intellectual discussions on literature fascinating. Total nerd stuff. Needless to say, I was shocked when it became a bit naughty! HA! If I had actually read the back of the book, I would not have been surprised. Definitely rated R, so know that even if you don’t read another review. LOOOOOOOOOVE the main characters. Both determined, yet flawed. Both trapped in a box that society had placed them in. If you loved Bridgerton, definitely check this out. Totally worth it.

Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica

This was my FAVORITE book of the month!!!! YEAH!!!!! I have lost count of the number of people I have told to read this book since I put it down. This needs to be made a movie ASAP!

Local Woman Missing is an amazing thriller that I just couldn’t put down! Shelby goes missing first, one night out on a run. Then Meredith and her six-year-old daughter, Delilah, go missing. Are they related? Shelby and Meredith are found dead, but Delilah never returns. Eleven years pass with only pain and heartbreak, and then one day Delilah shows up. Now a seventeen-year-old girl, she has quite an interesting story to tell.

This book is told by Meredith (from eleven years ago), their neighbor Kate (from eleven years ago), and Delilah’s brother, Leo (from present time). It goes back and forth, so the story keeps moving and pieces are being filled in along the way. This book was SOOOOOO good! If you love a good thriller that is enjoyable and doesn’t give you any anxiety or nightmares . . . this is it! Check it out!

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That’s it for today! Check back for my Best of post coming soon! And, in the meantime, send me your recommendations and thoughts! XO