Christine Kelly Reads and Writes

This month was a tough one. But thankfully I managed to find the time to read to escape some hardships. As you can tell, that mostly meant romances. Romance stories help me escape the world and calm my anxiety because there is a HEA (happily ever after) or HFN (happy for now). So it’s no wonder I gravitate to those books as I 1. curl up in a ball from Norovirus, 2. have the most scary drive of my life, or 3. avoid the real world.

What is typically your comfort genre?

January Reads

First up was EARL CRUSH by Alexandra Vasti. While I think I technically read most of this in December, I finished it around the first of the month and gosh yall, Alexandra reminds me why I LOVE historical romance. There was so much that made me squeal in this book, and as always, I love a man who is down bad first.

Next I listened to WILDFIRE, by Hannah Grace. This book hung out with me while I curled up, praying I would stop throwing up. Yea…I may have been delirious, but who doesn’t love listening to smut as a distraction from feeling sick? I think it sort of worked in making is less awful? Maybe?

Listen, I love a Sarah Adams novel. BEG, BORROW, OR STEAL, was no different. It was light, easy and fun. She does characterization so well that it really helps me root for the characters. This was was a delight!

PS I HATE YOU, by Lauren Connelly was amazing! Not only that, but the MC shares a birthday with me, so I feel extra connected to this book. This book is a great example of how one can break a rule well. Typically it’s suggested not to start a book with grief, but Lauren does it SO well by making Maddie’s grief active by adding other elements to Maddie’s character. I really enjoyed this one! And the smut was 10/10 hehe.

I listened to ONE LAST SUMMER, by Kate Spencer. This one too I listened to over time so while I finished in January, it was a group effort from November and December. There’s something healing about listening to a book about a summer camp when it’s -15 degrees outside. It really made me nostalgic in a way I don’t have true nostalgia since I didn’t have a summer camp growing up. Or maybe it was just my longing for weather above zero!

UNROMANCE, by Erin Connor is a book that will stick with me forever and ever and ever. Yes, it is deliciously good. But beyond that, I listened to this in one day as I drove through the WORST weather I have ever driven through. Like I am telling you, I needed 5-7 business days to really feel okay driving again. I went 25 MPH for HOURS in a row. And had to coordinate leaving my dog in my running car during my Uncle’s funeral….I digress. This book came to me in a time when I needed some of this fun tropey romance it provide. Espeically a famous/normal person romance. So thank you, Erin.

Last I read NEVER GAMBLE YOUR HEART by Lindsay Lovise. The thing I LOVE about historical romance is that you can still really make a a statement with feminism and politically through using history (wow, it’s almost as if we can learn from our mistakes). Is this book overtly political? No. But does it have amazing themes of women being forced into marriage, choice, and A WOMAN WHO IS SMARTER THAN MEN?! You bet!!!!

2025 is off to a solid start of reads. Have you read any of these? What did you think!?