(A) means I listened to it.
(RR) means I re-read it.
(P) means I read it on paper.
I link titles to Powell’s Books if they carry them. I will often link to an edition other than the one I read. If Powell’s doesn’t have it, I will link to the author’s website or another source before I resort to Amazon. These are not affiliate links.
I also log my reading on StoryGraph. I’m KarenD there. Feel free to friend (or follow) me. Once in a while I add spoilers to my reviews there in addition to what I write on this page (using spoiler tags there, of course).
January 1, 2026 to Now: (latest finished on top)
A Gamble at Sunset, Vanessa Riley
Took me a couple months to get through this. It made me worry about my brain … at first I was very confused by which of the men was the MMC and which of them had Russian ancestry, and even how many characters there were as I couldn’t remember the names so when a character I’d put in memory with their first name got called by his last name I thought it was a different dude. The dialogue didn’t always make sense to me, and the ending seemed impractical … not unusual for a romance but odd given how much the FMC focused on practical matters. I did appreciate the notes at the end about the actual history of this time period in England.
Natural Born Charmer, Susan Elizabeth Phillips
There are at least two too many side plots here, one of which I am not anywhere near at peace with as the FMC, and some of the MMC’s actions are iffy. That said, I did enjoy this once I decided that just must be how famous people are.
Where’d You Go, Bernadette, Maria Semple (P)
I found this engaging and surprising and sometimes infuriating.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Marie Kondo (P)
Finally read this. The approach and method appeal to me, but I don’t think I can do it any time soon. All my stuff isn’t even going to be in one place for months, for starters. But maybe I can incorporate a few small things mentioned and still get some benefit.
It Happened One Summer, Tessa Bailey
Overall I liked this, though some of the language and details hit my brain wrong, such as a sprinkling of misogyny, a mysteriously disappearing hat, a truck turning into a car mid-drive, ass play without explicit consent. I think I will read the next book in the series, just go in knowing that the flow might be interrupted by rough edges my brain catches on.
The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics, Olivia Waite
Loved this. Don’t care how historically accurate it is.
Christmas in Spite of You, K.C. Mills
I was intending to finish this on my Christmas vacation but it didn’t compel me to do so. I think it was a “not for me” problem, as my brain kept catching on some quirks in the writing (a lot of descriptions of how the FMC was sitting, word choices that felt off to me, like a “chunk” of pancakes, and at least one sex scene where I got distracted trying to figure out how the FMC was positioned). It was a cute story, and I could believe the 3rd act breakup, so that’s good.
The Earl Takes All, Lorraine Heath
Hard to accept that I’d never read this before as often as I’ve heard about it on the Fated Mates podcast. Even having heard a lot about it, I was still surprised at some twists and turns in the story.
The Club, Jennifer Dasal
Didn’t finish this in time for the 2025 challenge I chose it for, but that’s okay. I didn’t know anything about the hordes of American art students who made their way to Paris in this time. It was interesting.
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