October 2023 Reads

This October I finished four books, but I was also busy starting promotion for my novel, "Home For Just The Holidays". I wanted to share about the books I read to maybe help someone else find something new to add to their TBR.

Queen Charlotte by Julia Quinn and Shonda Rhimes: This Bridgerton series prequel follows Charlotte and her arranged marriage to King George of England. Charlotte is not happy about the move and marriage, but once she meets George, she thinks she might actually enjoy it. Until he starts avoiding her, and she suspects there's a secret that's being kept from her.

This book follows closely to the story in the show "Queen Charlotte" on Netflix. The main difference is that the show alternates between two time periods, while the book focuses on Charlotte when she first moves to England, with only a short flash-forward at the end. The book is fairly interesting, but as I watched the show first, it felt a little repetitive. It's a good read if you are a fan of the Bridgerton novels or are interested in historical romances.

Icebreaker by Hannah Grace: Stassie has goals of Olympic gold, but something seems to be standing in her way: Nate Hawkins (and his hockey team). But Stassie seems to find herself with Nate time and time again, and her dislike for him is harder and harder to keep up.

This book had some interesting characters, funny scenes, and an overall light, rom-com feel. Stassie was stubborn to the point of irritation somtimes, but she was a strong and complex character that really added to the story. I did think the plot was a little over the place, but as a fun read, the book is a good choice.

Wildfire by Hannah Grace: The second book in the Maple Hill series follows Russ and Aurora who, after a one-night stand, find themselves as co-workers at a summer camp. They agree to work amicably as coworkers, and maybe even friends, as they both need their jobs as they work through personal issues. But as the summer goes on and they find themselves growing closer, will their agreement to a platonic relationship stay in tact?

I think that overall this was a good second book in the series. Summer camps just have this nostalgic feel, even for people who didn't go to summer camp. And I like that characters from the first book were involved, but it didn't feel like it was too reliant on previous characters. Rory was a bit annoying, but I think that was the point, at least at the beginning of the book, so she could grow. I was a little less interested in the plot of this story overall, but a good option for those summer-time romance feels.

Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey: Melody and Beat are the children of a famous former rock duo that split up at the height of their popularity. They're approached by a producer with a pitch for a live show trying to reunite the band for a Christmas Eve concert. The show is out of their comfort zones and a reunion is far-fetched, but Melody needs a change and Beat (secretly) needs money. They quickly realize their feelings towards each other, but will a secret come between the reunion and their new connection?

I think readers who regularly like Tessa Bailey will like this book. I liked that while Mel and Beat were the main story, there were also a lot of sub-stories like with the Steel Birds, Beat's secret, and Danielle and Joseph. But I did not feel like the story was really a holiday story, except for the fact that it took place near Christmas. I was just expecting more holiday feels with the description and cover. So, overall an interesting story but just not a festive holiday one.

What are you reading? What's next on your TBR?