Wrapping Up 2022

What a year! At times it felt more “normal” but at other times it was a wild ride. I’ve finished three semesters of school (one more to go!) and went from part-time work to full-time work at the library. Tonks continues to be the best rabbit ever (though the old girl has had some health issues). I went to a book event IN PERSON again! And I’ve read a lot of really great books (and some…less great ones).

As of right now, the morning of December 31, I’ve finished 138 books with the 139th about halfway through (and the 140th a quarter through but that will have to be the first book of 2023!). I never set a real book goal for the year. I’ll read what I’m going to read and I don’t care if I hit a certain number (even though hitting a goal is so incredibly satisfying!)

To end the year, I thought it might be fun to list my top 22 books of 2022 (because we all know avid readers absolutely cannot pick just ONE favourite). I've organized them by month read. I hope you enjoy this recap! And please let me know which books YOU loved this year! Here’s to an amazing 2023!

1. The Maid by Nita Prose (Review)
2. Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall (Review)
3. The Suite Spot by Trish Doller (Review)
4. In a New York Minute by Kate Spencer (Review)
5. The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn (Review)
6. Bluebird by Genevieve Graham (Review)
7. The Honeybee Emeralds by Amy Tector (Review)
8. A Deceptive Devotion/A Match Made for Murder/Framed in Fire by Iona Whishaw (I read three in the Lane Winslow series and I refuse to choose favourites!) (Review of Framed in Fire)
9. The Last Summer by Karen Swan (Review)
10. The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray (Review)
11. The Vanished Days by Susanna Kearsley (Instagram review)
12. Every Summer After by Carley Fortune (Review)
13. Book Lovers by Emily Henry
14. Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison
15. Mad About You by Mhairi McFarlane (Instagram post)
16. One Good Thing by Alexandra Potter (Review)
17. Clanlands by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish
18. A Certain Appeal by Vanessa King
19. The Winners by Fredrik Backman (Review)
20. Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson (Review to come. Instagram post here)
21. Time’s Convert by Deborah Harkness
22. The Hustler Next Door by K.A. Tucker (Review to come. Instagram post here)

Review: Season of Love

‘Tis the season for holiday romances and I’ve been having so much fun reading all the rom coms that have come my way. This year, in particular, there have been a plethora of queer romances which has been great to see. Season of Love was so very enjoyable and a fairly impressive offering from first-time novelist Helena Greer.

Here’s the book’s description:

Miriam Blum has no choice but to face the past she thought she’d left behind when she inherits her great-aunt’s Christmas tree farm in this witty, glittering, heart-filled romcom.
Thanks to her thriving art career, Miriam Blum finally has her decoupaged glitter ducks in a row—until devastating news forces her to a very unwanted family reunion. Her beloved great-aunt Cass has passed and left Miriam part-owner of Carrigan’s, her (ironically) Jewish-run Christmas tree farm.
But Miriam’s plans to sit shiva, avoid her parents, then put Carrigan’s in her rearview mirror are spoiled when she learns the business is at risk of going under. To have any chance at turning things around, she’ll need to work with the farm’s grumpy manager—as long as the attraction sparking between them doesn’t set all their trees on fire first.
Noelle Northwood wants Miriam Blum gone—even if her ingenious ideas and sensitive soul keep showing Noelle there’s more to Cass’s niece than meets the eye. But saving Carrigan’s requires trust, love, and risking it all—for the chance to make their wildest dreams come true.

While this is a festive, holiday romance, there is a major content warning that readers should pay attention to. Miriam’s father was emotionally abusive, and Miriam was still dealing with (aka running away from) those issues when the book starts. I cannot speak about what it would be like to deal with such a traumatic upbringing, but I will speak about how it was written as a part of Miriam’s story and Season of Love overall. I think Greer should have revealed the abuse, and the one particular event that had Miriam cut off her family, much earlier than she did. I don’t think keeping it from any of the characters (or the reader) helped the story in any way. By the time it was all out in the open, I was no longer fully invested in the details. I just knew something major had happened to Miriam and wanted to move on to the rest of the story. That probably sounds callous, and I struggled with how to bring this up without seeming like a total asshole. Again, it’s not that I wish the trauma wasn’t included or that I didn’t believe Miriam had suffered or anything like that. It was just the choice of how the trauma was revealed in the story structure that I wish had been different. 

Now! Onto the festive cheer! Of which there was…a good amount but not really what I expected. I loved the Jewish rep in this novel (yes, Miriam’s aunt was Jewish and owned a Christmas tree farm – go figure) and the importance of holidays and other facets of the Jewish faith were included and explained in a way that felt natural. The fact that there has to be an explanation of these things and not, say, why Christmas trees are apparently important, is a whole other conversation. But I’m just here for the big guy in the red suit and all the gifts and treats. I don’t pay attention to any religious part of any holiday. Anywho. While this novel takes place at a Christmas tree farm and does occur over the holiday season, it lasts beyond Christmas and Hanukkah so know that going in if you’re looking for All Festive, All the Time.

Noelle and Miriam as a couple took me a little while to warm up to but I loved them both individually, somehow (they’re both super flawed but that’s part of their charm), so I was totally in for reading along as they moved past their prejudices (the first impressions in this one are not good. Think Darcy and Elizabeth levels of not good) and realized they definitely belonged together. I got frustrated with each of them but trusted they’d work out their issues enough to hook up and stay together forever.

Looking at Seasons of Love in separate parts, as one does when writing a review, isn’t quite fair to this romance. As a whole, though, Helena Greer’s debut novel was an absolute delight. Not perfect but engaging and entertaining enough that I was completely riveted and cannot wait to revisit the characters Greer has created.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Forever, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince

As soon as I heard the title of Timothy Janovsky’s latest novel, I was intrigued. How could I not be with a title like You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince? It just screams, “Pick me up and read me!” I didn’t know it was also telling me I was going to love it but that’s what happened. This might be my favourite Christmas read of the season!

Here’s the book’s description:

Bring a little joy to the world?
Not today, Santa.
Matthew Prince is young, rich, and thoroughly spoiled. So what if his parents barely remember he exists and the press is totally obsessed with him? He’s on top of the world. But one major PR misstep later, and Matthew is cut off and shipped away to spend the holidays in his grandparents’ charming small town hellscape. Population: who cares?
It’s bad enough he’s stuck in some festive winter wonderland—it’s even worse that he has to share space with Hector Martinez, an obnoxiously attractive local who’s unimpressed with anything and everything Matthew does.
Just when it looks like the holiday season is bringing nothing but heated squabbles, the charity gala loses its coordinator and Matthew steps in as a saintly act to get home early on good behavior…with Hector as his maddening plus-one. But even a Grinch can’t resist the unexpected joy of found family, and in the end, the forced proximity and infectious holiday cheer might be enough to make a lonely Prince’s heart grow three sizes this year.

Enemies to lovers romances are really tough for me but I keep giving them a try because everyone once and awhile a rom com like this comes along and I remember how excellent that trope can be. Neither character really dislikes the other, it’s the circumstances that have them all twisted up and once they move past that, well, then sparks can fly! And fly they did. *fans self*

I’m not going to be the first to compare this read to Schitt’s Creek and I likely won’t be the last, but I’ll do it anyway. If you loved that show, you’ll really enjoy this book. Matthew had so many David moments which resulted in a lot of cringing and laughing. Hector isn’t quite like Patrick but he’s a perfect match for Matthew. It’s not just the two main characters who gave off Schitt’s Creek vibes but the whole town. The name of the town has totally flown out of my head, naturally. It’s a more thriving town than Schitt’s Creek is with a successful college and there’s no motel, just a B&B that was all booked up – no room at the inn! But there’s a coffee shop with the best barista in town (and an all-around stand-up woman) and there’s a mix of wacky and loveable everywhere you look. Schitt’s Creek with a dash of Stars Hollow, perhaps.

Matthew and Hector are both quite young, so they act like you’d expect of young men – focused on the immediate needs and wants and not fully being able to see the big picture. Some may think the romance was a bit insta-lovey but I didn’t find that to bother me. It’s a Christmas rom com. What else would I have expected? It was because of their youthfulness, I think, that the third act break up played out the way it did. Personally, I was pissed at how it turned out and I was Very Angry at a certain character (neither Matthew nor Hector). I was reading a romance so I knew it would all work out in the end, but I found myself wondering how on earth things would get patched up. I was rewarded with a really lovely Happily Ever After, which pleased me greatly!

The Christmas aspect of this novel was present without being overwhelming and I had no problem with this story billing itself as a Christmas rom com. There’s a lot of festive spirit including a Christmas tree farm visit and an outdoor light festival. There was also an emphasis on the importance of family, whether that’s blood family or chosen family and that was a really nice touch too. Matthew already had a big heart, just one that he hid, but I’m sure it grew three sizes over the course of the novel. (OK, I just re-read the book's description and it makes the same Grinch reference so just pretend I made it first, alright?)

I really very much enjoyed You’re a Mean One, Matthew Prince and think others will have a lot of fun with Timothy Janovsky’s novel as well. It was full of laughs, heart, and Christmas spirit and I definitely recommend it!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.* 

Review: All I Want for Christmas

It pains me so very much to say this but…All I Want for Christmas was not a winner for me. It hurts because I love authors Karma Brown and Marissa Stapley who, together, make up Maggie Knox, the author of the holiday rom com in question. I know you can’t win ‘em all but this one? Not liking this one really hurt.

Here’s the book’s description:

True love wasn't on their holiday wish list.
When Sadie and Max are selected as contestants on the famed reality singing show Starmaker, each thinks they've finally gotten their big Nashville break. But then they're paired up for duet week and stun the world with their romantic onstage chemistry. With fans going wild for #Saxie the network demands that they remain a duo on and offstage, or exit the competition. Faking a relationship until their final performance in the Starmaker holiday special shouldn't be too hard, except for one small problem--Sadie and Max can't stand each other.
But with their dreams just within reach, they agree to the ruse. Will their fake relationship be exposed before they can win? Or will an unexpected trip to Banff spark real feelings by the Christmas finale?

My biggest problem with this book was I just could not buy Sadie and Max as a couple. At all. They didn’t have any chemistry and just kept being so incredibly awful to one another. I couldn’t buy Max’s “excuse” and he never did win me over as a suitable rom com hero. Enemies to lovers is a tricky trope for me so that may have been part of my aggravation, but I really couldn’t see why the two of them would have worked as a couple – even for the short term.

I also hated that Sadie kept details from Max. There was no reason for her to keep the info to herself, even allowing for other strong emotions. (I’m trying to be vague here so I don’t ruin a plot point so bear with me.) It was like she just couldn’t be bothered sharing any part of herself with Max and how does that make for a good relationship?

The story really did start off strong and I hoped I was in for a delightfully festive and cheesy read. The pacing quickly threw me off and things went downhill from there. I don’t think I loved the time jump from when the show wrapped up to a year later when we met back up with the characters. There had to be a lot of explaining about what went on during that year and I got a bit bored and lost. Not to mention, again, that there was no connection that I could see between the main characters.

I’m sure there are readers who will love All I Want for Christmas by Maggie Knox. I hope there are. It’s hard when you have really high hopes for a book and so many things let you down. Ah well. Onto the next read, right?

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Penguin Random House Canada, via Edelweiss in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.* 

Review: A Merry Little Meet Cute

I was so incredibly excited about Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone’s Christmas book, A Merry Little Meet Cute, that I actually read it really close to its publication date. Which was, um, September 20. And here we are in *checks calendar* December and I’m finally writing about it. Oops. I’ve been shouting about to everyone who will listen though (and even some who won’t…) because I found this holiday offering so entertaining!

Here's the book’s description:

Bee Hobbes (aka Bianca Von Honey) has a successful career as a plus-size adult film star. With a huge following and two supportive moms, Bee couldn’t ask for more. But when Bee’s favorite producer casts her to star in a Christmas movie he’s making for the squeaky-clean Hope Channel, Bee’s career is about to take a more family-friendly direction.
Forced to keep her work as Bianca under wraps, Bee quickly learns this is a task a lot easier said than done. Though it all becomes worthwhile when she discovers her co-star is none other than childhood crush Nolan Shaw, an ex-boy band member in desperate need of career rehab. Nolan’s promised his bulldog manager to keep it zipped up on set, and he will if it means he’ll be able to provide a more stable living situation for his sister and mom.
But things heat up quickly in Christmas Notch, Vermont, when Nolan recognizes his new co-star from her ClosedDoors account (oh yeah, he’s a member). Now Bee and Nolan are sneaking off for quickies on set, keeping their new relationship a secret from the Hope Channel’s execs. Things only get trickier when the reporter who torpedoed Nolan’s singing career comes snooping around—and takes an instant interest in mysterious newcomer Bee.
And if Bee and Nolan can’t keep their off-camera romance behind the scenes, then this merry little meet cute might end up on the cutting room floor.

Personally, I’ve been describing this book as a sex-positive, fat-positive, holiday rom com with A LOT OF STEAM. It’s light on the actual Christmas celebrations and heavy on the sexy times. Prepare your reading mood appropriately.

Is this book perfect? Oh, definitely not. I didn’t get a good enough sense of Nolan and the two characters’ voices just didn’t quite seem distinct enough. The whole premise is laughable if you think about it too much (so I suggest you don’t – that’s part of the fun). But it’s so damn entertaining that you can’t help but love it, at least a little. That’s why I’ve been recommending it to so many people. It’s fun and a really great escape for a hectic time of year.

What also helped was I really liked both Bee and Nolan. They were great main characters, and I was deeply invested in their lives – both together and as separate people. Murphy and Simone created two people who were flawed, who had to fight against their circumstances, and were just such a joy to read about.

Anyone who enjoys festive-lite reads that are smart, funny, and sexy must pick up A Merry Little Meet Cute. Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone have created a novel that’s delightful and fun but also full of heart and important topics. The novel doesn’t take itself seriously but it’s not a joke, either. It’s so much fun and perfect for curling up with this holiday season.

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Librarian Spy

Dangle a World War II set novel, written by a woman, with “librarian” in the title in front of me and you better believe I’ll grab it. Immediately. With both hands. I was so excited to read The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin not just because of those three things but also because I very much enjoyed her debut, The Last Bookshop of London (review here). It was a really interesting – and enjoyable – read!

Here’s the book’s description:

Ava thought her job as a librarian at the Library of Congress would mean a quiet, routine existence. But an unexpected offer from the US military has brought her to Lisbon with a new mission: posing as a librarian while working undercover as a spy gathering intelligence.
Meanwhile, in occupied France, Elaine has begun an apprenticeship at a printing press run by members of the Resistance. It’s a job usually reserved for men, but in the war, those rules have been forgotten. Yet she knows that the Nazis are searching for the press and its printer in order to silence them.
As the battle in Europe rages, Ava and Elaine find themselves connecting through coded messages and discovering hope in the face of war.

Truthfully, the use of “librarian” in the title is a wee bit misleading. Ava isn’t at the Library of Congress for very long and I didn’t get the sense that she was very bookish (and if I’m misremembering, my apologies to both Ava and Martin!). BUT librarians (and other library staff) do a lot of different things and her knowledge of certain materials would have been intriguing and helpful to the government during war (how did they find these people?).

I found switching between Ava’s story in Portugal and Elaine’s in France to be a bit…I don’t want to say annoying because I wasn’t frustrated. It was more…like I was reading two different stories. I was certain they’d connect at some point, but it took an awfully long time for the two women’s stories to come together. They were both interesting, don’t get me wrong. Each woman was doing really important work to help end the war and I enjoyed learning the little bits of information Martin shared. But there have just been a lot of historical fiction novels like this that are either dual timeline or dual narrative and sometimes it just doesn’t make sense. I have to wonder if it’s done because authors don’t think they have a robust enough story to focus on just one aspect or if publishers somehow think this is all historical fiction readers want.

I really didn’t know much about Portugal’s role in WWII before reading this novel. Essentially, they were neutral throughout most of the war – although it seems they were quite helpful to the Allied forces. They were also one of the last escape routes out of Europe for those trying to flee the dangers of war. I’m definitely interested in learning more about this part of WWII that is new to me.

The Librarian Spy was one of those books that I had a great time reading but isn’t the best novel in the historical fiction genre. I expected a little better from Madeline Martin and this book doesn’t hold up to a scrutinizing review but I was entertained from start to finish and I’ll for sure be reading whatever Martin writes next.

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*