Everything I Read in January (2021)

It's finally 2021 and I'm excited for a new Goodreads Reading Challenge! Below is everything I read in January (in the order of when I read them), my rating (out of 5 stars) and thoughts on what I read (100% honest reviews from a bookworm).

Happy Reading!

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

My first du Maurier and it did not disappoint! This book is a classic thriller (not my usual genre at all). However, the characters are well developed, the plot is suspenseful and the writing is beautiful.

Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

The Bright Side of Disaster by Katherine Center

A great read for a new mom as the book provided a perfect depiction of the chaos of having a newborn. The plot was pretty predictable though, and if I was not a mom or thinking about having children in the future I would 100% skip this book.

Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

The Duke and I (Bridgertons #1) by Julia Quinn

After binging the new Netflix show, I decided to read the first book in the series to see if there were any differences. There are, but I think the show did a pretty good job of capturing the essence of the book. I'm jumping on the historical romance train and continued with Book #2 (see review below)!

Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

I still don't know how I feel about this book. I did enjoy the plot. which was inspired by the 1996 Japanese Embassy Hostage Crisis in Lima, Peru. However, it was VERY slow to get into, and I didn't really care about the characters until about 2/3 into the book. The story is a romanticized account of a terrorist attack, and in the end, I don't think it sat well with me.

Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Love & Luck (Love & Gelato #2) by Jenna Evans Welch

To be honest, I didn't have high hopes for this book because I only gave Love & Gelato Book #1 three stars. This book failed to get me excited about any of the characters and the writing was pretty weak. I did love the descriptive scenic tour of Ireland though, since travel is not an option these days. However, will I read Love & Olives (Love & Gelato #3)? Ugh....probably...

Rating: ⭐ ⭐

The Viscount Who Loved Me (Brigdertons #2) by Julia Quinn

Book 2 in the Bridgerton series follows Anthony, the oldest son. Just as fun as the first book, I loved the main character Kate and her spunky, untraditional attitude. All hail strong women who break conventional norms!

Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

An Offer from a Gentleman (Bridgertons #3) by Julia Quinn

I’m in a series binge mood and went on to read Book 3 and 4 this month. Book 3 has been my favorite in the Bridgerton series so far! It starts off as a Cinderella retelling but has some fun twists and turns once you get past the first few chapters. I found Bennedict and Sophie’s love story the most romantic and believable of the Bridgerton siblings. Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐⭐️

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

This might be an unpopular opinion but this story just didn’t wow me. I imagined so much more magic and whimsy based on the description and very high Goodreads rating. This story about a bunch of magical misfits living in an orphanage is very cute, but there wasn’t much of a climax. It was mostly just descriptions of the characters and small challenges they overcome, which I found a bit underwhelming. I can imagine this would be really cute as a children’s tv show, but the story itself just didn’t do it for me.

Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Bridgertons #4) by Julia Quinn

I don't think this book in the series was bad, but it definitely wasn't my favorite. I did enjoy following Penelope and her love story, but found myself really disliking Colin, This series is frivolous fun, and I plan to keep reading on to Book 5, but I did find Book 4 a bit disappointing. However, a lot of juicy things DO happen in this book (especially in the last few chapters!) so it is a must read if you are committing to the series!

Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What did you read this month? Are there any 2021 book releases you are excited about? Comment below!