Spoilers for The Briar Club Below

The Briar Club was my friend’s book club book for this month. As usual, I waited till the last minute to read the book and read 200 pages the day before we met. I try hard not to do that, but something about having a deadline worked in this case. I had high hopes for The Briar Club since the average rating of this book is 4.31 stars, which is pretty high for a book on Goodreads. Suffice it to say, I will not be rating this book the same as average readers, and I’m excited to get into it.

Washington, D.C. 1954. Briarwood House has new energy when Grace March moves in. Grace has a way of getting the other residents to open up, and many of the women have grown to like her. Four years later, detectives are at Briarwood House investigating two murders. Who was responsible, and what secrets led up to the deaths of these two people?

When reading The Briar Club, I liked reading about the perspectives of those who lived at Briarwood House. If I had to pick my favorites, I loved Nora and Fliss’s points of view. Nora was in an abusive relationship, which caused distance from her family. Nora meets Xavier, a man with ties to organized crime. Xavier kills the man who hurt Nora and goes to prison for it. Nora breaks up with him in prison because she doesn’t want to be associated with him. I loved seeing Nora sticking up for herself. Fliss is a young mom, and her husband is overseas at the height of the Korean War. Fliss sees herself as a bad mom because she’s struggling, and when her husband brings up in a letter that he wants baby number #2, Fliss is stressed. Reading about Fliss’s struggles with motherhood felt authentic, especially with women in that period. I thought her perspective was genuine and something many would relate to.

The twist in this book was interesting. The twist relates to Grace March, the character everyone interacts with. It’s revealed that Grace was a Russian spy who defected when she moved to America. I didn’t expect the book to go in this direction, so I was pleasantly surprised. When this was revealed, I started to think about certain sections, and things made sense about how Grace acted. The murders are of Grace’s fake American husband, who was also a spy and a senator who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. While I think things wrapped up too neatly at the end, I can’t help but be enthralled with Grace’s back story.

While there were things I liked about The Briar Club, I HATED how this book was structured. Each perspective was one long chapter, and there were no chapter breaks. I read The Briar Club on my Kindle, and seeing my Kindle reminding me that it would take me an hour and a half to read the chapter, oh hell no. Why wouldn’t there be chapter breaks?? It would have been so easy to do. This book isn’t even that long, but it dragged on. I’m not sure if Kate Quinn’s books are like this, but if so, I’m not a fan.

The Briar Club was interesting, and I’m glad I read it. For the love of everything, please don’t have long chapters. Long chapters are the worst and are a book pet peeve of mine. I rated The Briar Club three stars on Goodreads.

March is a reading month where I normally don’t have a plan as to what I want to read. With that said, my friend’s book club book is The Briar Club by Kate Quinn. Since I’m already reading historical fiction, I figured I’d make it the theme for this entire month. Unlike last month, I will not read four books, as that was a lot. I’m picking three books, with two being higher in page count and the third being a short novella. I’m going to share what I hope to read and listen to this month.

In February, I read five books. They are as follows:

• A Thousand Miles by Bridget Morrissey 5/5 stars
• Love And Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe 5/5 stars
• Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan DNF
• The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson 4/5 stars
• Heroine by Mindy McGinnis Unrated

I read a lot of good books last month. A Thousand Miles surprised me because I thought I would enjoy it, but not as much as I expected. Do Your Worst was a book I thought I would like, but it wasn’t for me. It was odd because the main character is supposed to be a professional occultist, although it felt like the book didn’t have a lot of supernatural elements to it. I thought it cheapened the female main character because people thought she was a fraud. I would have liked the book more if it leaned into those supernatural elements instead of shying away from them. Heroine was a book I had on my Goodreads TBR for six years. I listened to it on audio, and this book was heart-wrenching. It’s a book about a high school athlete who gets addicted to heroin. It was a heavy book to listen to, but I’m glad I did.

Here are the three books I want to read this month:

The Briar Club by Kate Quinn

The Briar Club takes place in Washington, D.C., during the height of Communism and Joseph McCarthy’s accusations. The book follows a boarding house in D.C., where a young woman named Grace moves in. Grace has this allure to her, and she quickly befriends the other women in the house. Four years after Grace moves in, there’s a murder at the boarding house that the police are investigating. What happened, and was Grace involved?

I started reading The Briar Club, and I’m enjoying it so far. I’m not far into the book, but I like reading about the women in the house.

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Evie O’Neill is sent to live with her Uncle Will in NYC in 1926. Will has what Evie would call an unhealthy obsession with the Occult. Evie doesn’t make much of it until a girl is found murdered and the police consult Will. Evie is pulled into something she doesn’t fully understand, and maybe Will has knowledge about something dark coming to the surface.

I like how The Diviners combines historical fiction with fantasy. I have had The Diviners on my Goodreads TBR since 2019, and it’s about time I read this.

Even Though I Knew The End by C.L. Polk

Even Though I Knew The End is about a magical detective in Chicago who investigates monsters. She is tasked to hunt a serial killer called The White City Vampire.

I read the premise of this book, and I couldn’t resist. I like how this book is shorter, as I think it will balance out the other two books I chose.

This is an interesting reading month as I’m reading all these books on my Kindle. That’s why I didn’t post a picture of my book stack like I normally do. It’s good to break out my Kindle every now and then. While I prefer reading physical books, I don’t feel as bad if I purchase a book on Kindle that I don’t end up liking.

I’m biased. I see a romance book featuring cryptids, and I’m intrigued. I discovered Love And Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe last year and specifically asked for this book for Christmas. Once I received my physical copy, I prioritized reading this book this month. Love And Other Conspiracies was such a lovely, heartwarming romance book. I am obsessed and cannot wait for the sequel to come out later this year.

Hallie Barrett is a producer for a popular website that produces short web series. After her relationship ends, she’s left without a show to produce. After stumbling upon Hayden Hargrove’s Cryptid Hunting docuseries, she asks Hayden to sign on and become the new star of the show she’s making. Hayden agrees but asks Hallie to step in as co-host. She’s never been a co-host before, especially because she’s always been behind the camera. As Hallie starts to get to know Hayden, she realizes how great a guy he is, and while they may not find Bigfoot running around, she finds love instead.

This was adorable. Hayden’s love for conspiracy theories and his show is genuine. Hayden even has a cat named Cthulhu. Once I read that, I knew this would be a five-star book. There was no way this book would let me down, not even a little bit. Hayden and Hallie were cute together. Hallie was clearly crushing on Hayden for a while before they got together. I was rooting for her to make the first move. In most of the romance books I rate highly, the characters have to be good together, or I have to believe they will be together after the book ends. I feel that way for them.

I liked the setting of this book. I could picture Hallie in LA, stuck in traffic, and rooming with her best friend. The production company she works for reminded me of Buzzfeed or Dropout. In the episodes that Hallie and Hayden filmed, they would film on-site. One of the scenes in the book features Hallie and Hayden in West Virginia at the Mothman statue. I went to see the Mothman statue several years ago, so it was fun to reminisce as they were there in the book.

There isn’t much else to say. Love And Other Conspiracies was cute, and I can’t wait to read the sequel. I rated Love And Other Conspiracies five stars on Goodreads.

A Thousand Miles by Bridget Morrissey wasn’t a book I included in my February TBR post. I have a list of audiobooks I want to listen to this month, but I didn’t want to set a firm goal regarding how many I would finish. A Thousand Miles has been on my TBR for way too long. This book was written for me, I mean, a romance taking place while the two main characters are on a road trip together, adorable. A Thousand Miles was so cute and was my favorite audiobook I listened to.

Dee Matthews is the cohost of the podcast Did I Forget To Tell You, which is primarily an interview show. She speaks with friends and family and frequently talks about her experiences, often referring to one person as Redacted. Redacted is known as Ben Porter, a science teacher who used to date Dee when they were in high school. While they dated, they buried a time capsule in Ben’s grandma’s backyard. Presently, Ben turns up at Dee’s door, asking her to come with him on a road trip to his grandma’s house to dig up the capsule. Dee agrees to accompany him because it’s not like anything would happen between them anyway. As the miles fly by, Ben and Dee quickly reignite their chemistry from all those years ago.

The road trip aspect of the book was so fun. As someone who has driven to Colorado several times, I could easily picture where Dee and Ben would stop on their adventures. The adventures they have are over-the-top, to say the least. I found myself looking forward to the moments when I could listen to this on my commute home or when I cleaned the house. I was glad I listened to the audiobook because the narration differs from Dee’s podcast transcripts to another audiobook narrator reading Ben’s point of view. It was easier to follow along as I listened to each chapter.

Ben is the best guy. He’s a science teacher and loves baseball. He adores Dee. While Ben is laid-back, Dee is the opposite. She’s opinionated, flirty, and stubborn. Out of the two, I felt Ben was more established, and Dee came off as immature. I didn’t mind that, though, since a core theme of the book was that Dee and Ben dated in high school. Throughout the book, I felt that Ben and Dee reuniting was meant to be.

A Thousand Miles was the road trip, baseball, rom-com I needed in a book. This was one of my favorite audiobooks I have listened to, and part of me wants to buy a copy of this book to have on my bookshelf. I rated A Thousand Miles five stars on Goodreads.

It’s February, which means it’s my annual romance reading month. I have big reading goals for this month as I’m going to attempt to read four books in a month, plus audiobooks on top of that. It’s ambitious for sure, but I think it can be done. The books I have chosen for this month are roughly 350 pages each, so they aren’t long books. I have to aim to read a book a week, and if I’m good with my time management, I can achieve this. I’m going to summarize what I read last month and what romance books I will read this month.

In January, I wanted to read three thriller books. In total, I read four books and listened to two audiobooks. They are as follows:

• The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James 2/5 stars
• The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley 5/5 stars
• Critical Role: Bells Hells – What Doesn’t Break by Cassandra Khaw 3.5/5 stars
• What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall 4/5 stars
• All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson. Unrated
• Nurture: A Modern Guide to Pregnancy, Birth, Early Motherhood – And Trusting Yourself and Your Body by Erica Chidi. Unrated.

The two books that stood out to me from last month were The Hunting Party and All Boys Aren’t Blue. I love Lucy Foley, and while The Hunting Party is my least favorite thriller she’s written, I still enjoyed it. All Boys Aren’t Blue was an interesting memoir. I like it when authors read their own audiobooks. I found it engaging to listen to.

Here are the four books I’m going to try to read this month:

Love And Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe

Hallie Barrett is a producer working for a company similar to BuzzFeed. Hallie is tasked with producing a new web series that will gain popularity online. Hallie finds Hayden Hargrove’s podcast, which is dedicated to conspiracy theories and cryptids. Hayden agrees to partner with Hallie to turn his podcast into a live show. After several stays at haunted locations throughout California, Hallie and Hayden may not find Bigfoot, but they do find that they have feelings for each other.

I started this book already, and I’m obsessed. Hayden has a pet cat named Cthulhu. How cute is that? Is this book cheesy? Yes. Am I loving every bit of this book? Also yes.

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

Stella Lane builds algorithms to predict how customers will spend their money. While Stella has had success in her professional life, dating has not been working well. Stella is on the Autism Spectrum, and she decides to hire an escort to help her find a date. Michael Phan is smitten with Stella from the get-go, and she pays well, so he has nothing to lose by helping her. While their partnership is innocent at first, once they learn more about each other, are they compatible together?

This is a re-read as I read The Kiss Quotient several years ago. I have been trying to re-read more books from my collection, and I remember loving this book when I originally read it several years ago. I rated The Kiss Quotient four stars, which feels too low. This book has stuck with me, and I tend to compare the romance books I have read to this one. It wouldn’t surprise me if I were to re-read this and bump up my rating.

Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan

Do Your Worst follows Riley Rhodes, an occult expert, who is hired to investigate a curse at a Scottish castle. She meets Clark Edgeware, an archaeologist, who has had some career bumps. Clark doesn’t want Riley stealing his thunder, but he also has no right to chase her away from the castle. Riley and Clark are forced to work together to break this curse.

Do Your Worst has a 3.48 average rating on Goodreads, which feels low. However, I can’t pass on the premise of this book. I don’t need every book I read to be a masterpiece.

The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson

Daphne Brink loves baseball, and it’s been a good distraction as she finalizes her divorce. Daphne heckles baseball player Chris Kepler during a game. Feeling bad, she reaches out to Chris to apologize, although she fails to mention that she was the one to heckle him in the first place. Chris responds and finds that she’s easy to talk to. Daphne feels bad for not telling Chris the truth. There’s no way that Chris won’t find out about this, right?

I listened to With Love, From Cold World by Alicia Thompson last year, and I liked it a lot! The audiobook narration was cringy, so I wanted to physically read Alicia’s other books. I’m looking forward to reading this one; it looks cute.

Am I going to be able to read all four of these books? It will be a lot of reading, but I’m sure that I will manage.

CW: SA, using sex as a coping method for trauma

When I finished reading What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall, I thought to myself that I should watch an animated movie after this. I don’t mind darker thrillers, but this was heavy to read. This book was a rollercoaster because I wasn’t sure if I liked the way this book was written, and then I ended up reading 250 pages in a day. That’s how thrillers can be sometimes. I enjoyed this book, and I will look into reading Kate Alice Marshall’s other books.

Naomi Shaw is a survivor. When she was young, she was stabbed seventeen times by a serial killer. Her friends were witnesses, and Naomi was rescued. Her testimony put a serial killer in prison. Several years later, this serial killer dies, so Naomi visits her small town to reunite with Cassidy and Olivia. As they talk, it’s clear that lies bind them, and what they said on the stand is not what played out. Is it worth digging up what happened all those years ago? Or should things stay as they were?

What Lies in the Woods was interesting in the way the story unfolded. It’s clear that something happened in the woods all those years ago, and Naomi is lying about something. Olivia is the first to mention a woman named Persephone, but she isn’t explained initially. I found that frustrating. As the reader, I was being left in the dark. Additionally, flashbacks of the three girls are in the same chapter as present-day events, which was a little confusing. If the flashbacks were separate chapters, I would have liked that better. With all of that said, once I was a third of the way through the book and Persephone was revealed, I was invested in learning about what Naomi went through.

Diving into the characters, I couldn’t stand Naomi at first. There is a moment in the book where Naomi tries to seduce a married man. Naomi uses sex to make herself feel better and not be trapped with her thoughts. I felt bad for her, but it doesn’t excuse her actions. As the book went on, I think Naomi recognized this and grew as a character. By the end of the book, I didn’t mind Naomi and could understand why she was the way she was. Cassidy, who goes by Cass, is mean. The way she treats Naomi is deplorable, which Naomi pushes off as that’s how Cass has always been. Olivia, going by Liv, processes her trauma quietly and seems to be with her thoughts. This friendship is fascinating to read because I don’t believe their friendship would have lasted if they had not endured this together.

The only grievance I have with this book that I wanted to mention is Naomi. The way sex was described in this book made me uncomfortable. I think it can be realistic that, instead of drowning your sorrows or trauma in alcohol, using sex can be a coping mechanism. As a reader, I was uncomfortable reading these portions of the book. I don’t think it was wrong to include this, but I felt the book would have proceeded the same without it.

I liked this book a lot! It was dark, but a page-turner, which is exactly what I was looking for. I rated What Lies in the Woods four 1/2 stars on Goodreads.

Lucy Foley has written four thrillers, and I have read three of them. I save her books to read every January because it kicks off my reading year with a bang. The book I started this year with was The Hunting Party. The Hunting Party reminded me of This is Our Story by Ashley Elston, a YA version of this book. Both books focus on a murder that happens with hunting as the background to the setting. While I liked The Hunting Party, I think it was Lucy Foley’s weakest book out of the ones I have read.

For a New Year’s Eve trip, several friends rent a lodge in the middle of the wilderness. Emma, Mark, Samira, Gilles, Nick, Bo, Miranda, Julien, and Katie reunite to reminisce about their days attending Oxford together. A few days later, one of them is found dead. Meanwhile, Heather and Doug, who work at The Lodge, are trying to find the missing guest. The Hunting Party is told from both the past and the present before converging into the pinnacle reveal of who killed whom.

I described The Hunting Party as Lucy Foley’s training wheels book. This is the first thriller she released before The Guest List and The Paris Apartment. The Hunting Party walked, so The Guest List could run. This book felt slower than her other books. It wasn’t until page 200 that secrets started to drop that I was invested in this mystery. The Hunting Party had more red herrings and dropped plot points, which left me feeling disappointed as a reader. In case it’s needed, a red herring is a clue, story point, or information written in a book that is meant to be distracting, so the reader thinks it’s important when it might not be. I won’t go into those since it would spoil the entire book.

Besides the story, this friend group was awful, and I was here for it. The story is told from the perspective of five characters, three of whom were a part of the friend group. There’s Meredith, who’s meant to be the attractive, bubbly friend whom everyone is jealous of. There’s Emma, the newest to the friend group, as she started dating Mark, one of the original friends. Finally, there’s Katie, the introvert and quiet friend in the group. One of these friends needs to be put in friend jail because the betrayal is obscene. With thrillers, I don’t mind reading books where I hate everybody. It’s nice to root for someone, but I’m okay with being invested in the drama. This friend group was in chaos, and to see it dissolve as the book unfolded was interesting to read. There were plenty of motives amongst the friend group as to who would have the motive to kill someone else. I felt there was enough going on where I didn’t put two and two together until closer to the end, which was a nice surprise.

This was my least favorite Lucy Foley book I have read. That doesn’t mean I didn’t like it. It still kept my interest, which is what I want with a thriller. It wasn’t on the same level as The Guest List and The Paris Apartment. I rated The Hunting Party five stars on Goodreads.

I’m starting 2025 off strong by finishing my first book of the year. In January, I usually read thrillers. Thrillers are quick reads for me, and I find it ramps up my reading year. I had wanted to read The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James for a while. I fully went into this book thinking it would be a new favorite of mine. On top of that, I added some of Simone St. James’s other books to my reading list as well. The Book of Cold Cases had so much potential, but ultimately, this book didn’t work for me.

In 1977, Beth Greer was tried and acquitted for the murder of two men. Beth continued to live in Claire Lake, Oregon, where the crimes occurred. Currently, Shea Collins is a blogger for her own True Crime website. She’s written extensively about the Lady Killer case, which Beth was linked to. After meeting Beth in a chance encounter, Shea asks her for an interview and is surprised when Beth says yes. Will Shea finally solve this infamous case, and did Beth do it?

I was under the impression that The Book of Cold Cases was a thriller. This book is a thriller, but also a ghost story. When Shea interviews Beth, she notices some odd occurrences at the house. It’s revealed to the reader that there are ghosts in Beth’s house. I will be honest, I was not a fan of the supernatural element to the story. I am fine with ghost stories if I’m reading a horror book. I had expectations for what I wanted this book to be, so when it wasn’t what I had originally wanted to read, I was disappointed.

Regarding the characters, Shea was a dull character to follow. She had a traumatic event happen to her as a child, which is supposed to explain why she writes her blog. I would have loved to read more character development from Shea. What’s the goal of her blog? Does she want to solve these crimes? Does she want to be an author? Instead, she isolates herself, but that’s all I know about her. It would have been more interesting to hear about her blog and what motivates her to continue writing. The Book of Cold Cases is story-driven, but arguably not character-driven, which is fine. However, I like to care about the characters I’m reading about, and I didn’t feel that way about Shea.

Leading into the story, it was okay. Towards the middle of the book, it’s revealed who the true killer is. I didn’t find the reveal to be particularly interesting. On top of that, once the killer was revealed, I stopped caring about the book. In my eyes, the book was finished, and all Shea had to do was write the story of what happened all those years ago. Instead, the final climax of the book features Shea trying to escape a ghost.

The Book of Cold Cases boils down to personal preference. I like thrillers and horror, but I didn’t need both in this book. I don’t think this author is for me. I read the premise of her other books, and they follow a similar format of thrillers mixed with supernatural elements. I removed them from my reading list. For those who liked this book, I’m happy for you! This book wasn’t for me. I rated The Book of Cold Cases two stars on Goodreads.

For the holidays, a few family members asked me for gift ideas of what I would want for Christmas. After some thought, I decided to send a long list of different books I wanted. I like providing books as gift ideas because books are relatively inexpensive, and it sets me up to have a great reading year. I wanted to share all the books I got for Christmas, and hopefully, when I make the time to read them.

A Wizard’s Guide To Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher

I have wanted to read a book by T. Kingfisher for a long time. The various book bloggers I follow have raved about her books, and I was feeling left out of the loop. A Wizard’s Guide To Defensive Baking is about a young wizard named Mona who doesn’t have the same magical powers as everyone else. Her magic only works when she’s baking bread. When a dead body is found at her bakery, she’s pulled into a conspiracy she didn’t want to be a part of. This premise reminds me of Legends & Lattes, so I’m curious if this is going to be a cozy fantasy book.

A Perilous Undertaking: A Veronica Speedwell Mystery by Deanna Raybourn

This is the second book in the Veronica Speedwell series. This series takes place in London in the late 1800s. Veronica has rejected societal norms in which she is supposed to be married. She has teamed up with Stoker, who has helped her solve various mysteries. In this book, Veronica is asked to help save an art patron before he’s executed for murder. I read the first book in this series while in Europe, and I enjoyed it, so I wanted to continue reading the series.

Love And Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe

Love and Other Conspiracies is a romance between a web producer and a cryptid expert who also hosts a podcast. I don’t know about you, but I love cryptid conspiracy theories. I went to see The Mothman statue in West Virginia several years ago, and now I’m a fan. I think the premise of this sounds too cute, and most of the reviews have been positive. I hope to read this during February, which is when I usually read romance exclusively.

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

I loved Part of Your World when I read it last year. As a reading goal, I want to read more from authors that I have read before. Yours Truly takes off where Part of Your World left off. Yours Truly focuses on Alexis’s best friend, Briana, and her romance with a doctor. I loved Alexis’s friendship with Briana, so I’m looking forward to reading this.

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

I own the original cover of Legends & Lattes, but I don’t own this edition. The artwork is stunning, and I love the image on the spine with the sword through the coffee cup. I’m not normally someone who collects special editions of books, but happy to make an exception as Legends & Lattes is a book I adore.

The Ashes & The Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent

The Ashes & The Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent is the second book in the Crowns of Nyaxia series. I read the first book last year, and I enjoyed it. I described the first book as Hunger Games with vampires. The second book builds off the climactic ending from the first book, and I’m curious to see what Oraya will do.

It’s a good feeling to have something new to read.