Mental Break February!

Hey! How are you today? Long time no blog, huh? 😅

After spending most of January working on a really extensive edit that almost broke my brain, I decided to take this month off.

So, what did I do? I spent most of my time reading. Yep. It's been a lot of fun choosing one book after another. No pattern, I just grabbed whatever book I felt like. I let the mood take me to my Paperwhite, Kobo or paperback. I ended up reading 13 books. Even though I didn't do it on purpose, every book I've read this year was written by a woman, and I enjoyed all of them.

If you want to find out what I read, all of my reviews are below. Or you can go to my 2026 Goodreads Reading Challenge page.

Although I didn't push myself to work on anything new, I did finish writing a story I started at the end of December. During the first draft, I initially thought it might end up being a novella. Then realised it would probably be a novelette. Ultimately, it ended up being a short story. LMAO.

I even revise it, and actually completed the final read-thru on Thursday night.

The first draft was over 7k words, but the more I revised, the more words I cut. So the final word count is: 6,170. It's also the first story I completed this year. Yay! 😁

Oh! Guess what? The other day I found out that my book FALLEN DESTINY has been nominated for a Small Spec Book Awards in the Fantasy category.

How exciting is that? My cozy urban fantasy novel didn't get too much attention when it was released in November, but I love Destiny's book. It's an occult detective tale. It's a friends to lovers horrormance. It's a road trip situation with two characters who don't get along. It's a found-family story. It's a book told in the POV of a displaced demon.

It's a lot of fun things and I'm very proud of it. It's fantastic that it's been nominated for an award.

Well, that's what I've been doing. A lot of reading, a bit of writing, a good dose of revision, and just enjoying the last dregs of summer. My husband actually has a two-week break, so I'm going to enjoy a bit of down time. We've got a few things to tick off our to-do list, but it's so cool to have a staycation.

Have an awesome weekend!!

EXIT STRATEGY by Martha Wells

Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love the Murderbot Diaries and in this installment we meet up with some familiar faces.

Murderbot might not care about humans, but when it finds out that Dr. Mensah has been taken, it tracks her down before the GrayCris Corporation can hurt her...

I have to admit that I'm hooked on this series, but I'm also making sure that I take my time so that it doesn't become a blur.

So, I enjoyed the hell out of this novella. It was such a blast to catch up with Mensah, Pin-Lee, Ratthi and Gurathin. It's also really cool to see that although Murderbot is awkwardly uncomfortable around humans and wants to stay away from complicated emotions, the friends its made along the way won't give up on it.

I always enjoy scenes between Murderbot and Mensah. She's so gentle with him and at the same time, very honest. She's such a great character and it's lovely to see Murderbot go out of its way to help her when she's taken.

The action is top-notch and kept me on the edge of my seat. I honestly thought Murderbot was going to meet its ultimate end a few times. 😣

I love the ending and can't wait to see where the story leads...

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Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory by Martha Wells
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I finished reading Exit Strategy last night and decided to get stuck into this shorty. It's in the POV of Dr. Mensah, so it's interesting to see Murderbot through the eyes of someone else. I always enjoy their interactions and love to see it settling in with this lovely group of friends.

Also, I love how the documentary idea is shaping up. Hope there's more of that in future installments.

I love this series.

 

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MIDNIGHT ROOMS by Donyae Coles

Midnight Rooms by Donyae Coles
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Here's another book that I've had my eye on for a while and finally decided to get stuck into.

Orabella Mumthrope is an outsider. A young woman living with her aunt and uncle, who are desperate to get rid of her. When Elias Blakersby asks her to be his wife to settle some of her uncle's debts, she accepts. But from the moment she arrives at Korringhill Manor, she starts to feel strange and weird things start happening...

Haunting. Delirious. Confusing. Mysterious.

I REALLY enjoyed this book. Wow. The Crimson Peak, Mexican Gothic, and Beauty and the Beast vibes are strong with this one. Yet, it's also very unique.

Reading this engrossing gothic tale is like slipping from one fever dream into another, while only stopping by for a reality check every now and then. It's so trippy. The family is absolutely terrifying, the house is like a decaying labyrinth, and the mystery at the heart of everything is chillingly gross.

Orabella is such a great character. One who, even though she's suffered a life of being put in her place or barely being tolerated because she's biracial, she still has the strength to push the limits. She listens to her husband's orders, but then breaks them. It's also interesting that although she mistrusts Elias, she's very much in lust with him because he's nice looking and shows her his kindest side. Most of the time.

Yeah, this is an awesome and very dark gothic fairy tale. Loved it.


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THE ECHO WIFE by Sarah Gailey

The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the next book that caught my eye. It's actually one that I've been curious about for a while.

Evelyn Caldwell is an award-winning scientist in the field of cloning. So when she finds out her husband is having an affair with her clone, she's devastated. And when that clone reaches out to Evelyn after a violent encounter, everything changes...

Well, that turned out to be a very interesting tale that really digs deep and makes you think.

I love reading stories about robots and clones because they always skirt around the ethical debate of how humans can/should treat genetically enhanced or engineered life. I mean, if people use/abuse/disrespect fellow humans, how would our world take advantage of them?

Personally, I believe such creations could enhance our existence and would welcome them into our society. Unfortunately, the corporations who would delve into this type of science only wants to make slaves. Which ties into the story, because Evelyn's research centres around making dupes for politicians, etc. for nefarious reasons.

Anyway, back to Evelyn, who is sometimes a really hard character to relate to, but other times is quite sympathetic. She's very ambitious, which is fine, but she also refuses to apologise. Her personality seems to have been shaped by years of emotional abuse by her father, which is also done by her self-centred husband.

That facet of the story is quite sad, and explains a lot about her personality. The detachment she has towards others, and her disinterest in having children. It's just poetic that Evelyn spends countless hours inside a lab creating life from scratch. Love the contradiction in her ways.

Yeah, I really enjoyed following Evelyn as she deals with the end of her marriage, struggles with the reason, and then finds herself drawn back several times because of the unexpected turn of events.

One last thing, I think Martine is an amazing character.


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BLUE TICKET by Sophie Mackintosh

Blue Ticket by Sophie Mackintosh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

While browsing through my Kindle books this one caught my eye and I decided to check it out.

In Calla's world, when girls start bleeding they have to pick a ticket. A white ticket leads to marriage and children, a blue ticket means a career and freedom. But years later, while Calla is living her life of 'freedom', she has a change of heart that changes everything...

Sad. Haunting. Devastating.

I have to admit that this book is very disturbing. I always find stories where women are stripped of their right to chose their own paths absolute nightmare fuel. And living during this shaky timeline makes it even worse. Still, I enjoyed Calla's tale because it's original and written in a very unique way.

The narrative is intimately hers. We get snippets of the conversations she has with the people that come and go from her life, but the narrative is in her POV and the story unfolds in a journal/diary style full of her observations and rampant thoughts. Her fears and desires, ramblings.

Sometimes it's hard to be in her head because she can be selfish and awful, not very nice. But other times she's vulnerable and lost, alone in her quest to choose the opposite of what she was assigned.

Either way, I really felt for Calla. Especially after the twist of betrayal is revealed. Her story is bleak and lonely, but what else can it be in a world where women are forced to accept their fate without personal input?

The subject matter is deep and personal to many of us. I liked the way a fictional story about a woman's search for her own choice reveals what happens when you try to control people.


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CACKLE by Rachel Harrison

Cackle by Rachel Harrison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've had this book on my TBR pile for a while, so it was definitely time to check it out.

After Annie's longtime boyfriend breaks up with her, she leaves New York City and moves to a small town to teach in a nearby high school. Her apartment is lovely, the people are nice, and she even makes an interesting new friend...

Cozy. Witchy. Charming. Wonderful.

I really enjoyed this super fun book!

Annie is such a great character. A people pleaser at heart, someone who doesn't want to cause any friction, puts up with a lot from others, and struggles with the burden of a broken heart... which leads to many tears and yearning for someone who clearly doesn't deserve her attention.

Yeah, I disliked Sam quite a bit. He's one of those guys who wants the comfort of knowing his girlfriend is willing to go along with everything he wants, and then pulls the plug because he's bored. An insufferable little man.

Forget about him, let's get back to how awesome the story is. Sophie is another fantastic character because she's an independent, powerful woman trying to live her life, and some people just can't handle that. And what about Ralph? Absolutely adorable.

Also, I love how Annie evolved. Sometimes, the thing we need the most has always been there.


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HERE LIES A VENGEFUL BITCH by Codie Crowley

Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch by Codie Crowley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

With such a great title, and a brilliant cover with a very cool stepback, I couldn't wait to get stuck into this book.

When Annie Lane wakes up submerged in the river, she's dead-set on figuring out how she got there and why. But ends up finding out a hell of a lot more than she expected...

I was hooked instantly! The more I read, the deeper I got into the narrative and couldn't wait to find out more.

Annie's story is dark and, unfortunately, too familiar: a teenage girl murdered and dumped in the water. But what I love the most about her tale is how the storyline barrels past every expectation and throws the reader into a revenge plot that also introduces some really cool spectral situations.

The mystery at the heart of everything is what happened to Annie. Who killed her? Why? And where is her best friend? A true-crime situation about the victim trying to solve her own murder. But it's also packed with a hell of a LOT more. I like the subtle nature of the worldbuilding because the details are explained in casual conversation, or when things happen. In some cases, the reader can easily figure things out. The character connections, friendships, and complications also provide a few twists and turns along the way.

But most of all, I think Annie is a great character. She's flawed, makes mistakes, doesn't care what people think, follows her own path. You know? All the things society doesn't want girls and women to pursue. Watching her story unfold is very entertaining, and tense.

Loved it.


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HEMLOCK ISLAND by Kelley Armstrong

Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Kelley Armstrong writes great books, so I was excited about getting stuck into this one.

After her divorce, Laney Kilpatrick has to rent out the house on Hemlock Island because it's too expensive to run on her own. But when renters tell her about some strange tokens in their rooms and blood found inside the house, she decides to check it out with her niece. A quick trip turns into something a lot more serious when other people from her past arrive on the island...

I really enjoyed this!

At it's core, this is a horror story set on a private island. But it's also about the people who get stuck on the island.

Not only do they have to deal with the mystery of what's going on around them, but there's also the relationship problems between Laney and Kit. The friendship troubles between Laney and Jayla. The uncomfortable connection Laney barely has with Sadie. Laney trying to be a worthy guardian. And the secret they all share that threatens to destroy everything.

Yeah, there's a lot packed into this book and I enjoyed the way everything is revealed. The creepy vibes were great and kept me turning the page. Not to mention that Hemlock Island really leaps off the page as well.


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THE NOTHING MAN by Catherine Ryan Howard

The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

While going through my Kindle books I stumbled on this one and decided to check it out. Except, I couldn't stop reading.

Eve Black was twelve when her family was killed by a serial attacker/killer named the Nothing Man. Now an adult, she publishes a book about her experience. Jim Doyle is a security guard who stumbles across Eve's true-crime memoir. The more he reads, the more Jim realises he has to find her. Before she finds him...

Great story, and I really like the format!

This is a book inside a book, told in two perspectives: Jim Doyle's POV, as an old man, reading the memoir from the survivor of one of his crimes, and Eve's actual memoir. It's like we're reading Eve's book along with the killer, while also getting insight into his miserable life.

I disliked Jim as soon as he hit the page. There's something really off-putting about him. He's a despicable piece of shit. His presence made my skin crawl, and when the story begins to unravel, I hated him even more. His obsession with the book is another thing that made me sick because he actually enjoys the trip down Memory Lane littered with his atrocious crimes.

This is a fictional true-crime story that's very well written. It's creepy and dread hangs over the narrative all the way through, during both perspectives. And there are a few killer twists.

It also reminds us that the victims are the ones we should remember, not the serial killers who are always useless, nothing men.


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WE LIVE HERE NOW by Sarah Pinborough

We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love reading Sarah Pinborough's books because she writes very addictive thriller/horror stories.

After a terrible accident and months in hospital, Emily arrives at her new house in the country with her husband, Freddie. Larkin Lodge is a lovely house in the middle of nowhere, but as soon as she gets there, Emily gets a bad feeling about the place...

O.M.F.G. Yikes! 😳

I was hooked from the beginning and got lost in the unstable lives of the married couple who move to the country after a tragic accident.

Although I was initially fascinated with the isolated house, it was the introduction of Emily and Freddie that totally grabbed me. Their marriage outwardly appears to be a happy one, and now that Emily is out of hospital, they can get back on track. But reading their individual inner thoughts reveals the complete opposite.

This couple has a lot of problems, resentments, and secrets. Not to mention how awful and selfish they are, or that so many of their decisions and actions are questionable. Honestly, it feels like they're constantly competing with each other. And lying.

Still, no matter how awful Emily and Freddie are to each other and everyone else, I really enjoyed figuring out the mystery as Emily investigates the history of Larkin Lodge.

The ending is perfect. For so many reasons.

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