This year, I’m really focused on saving money and reading books I already own. One of the ways I can resist buying new books is to simply put them on my future TBR list. This way, I won’t forget I was interested in these books, but I also don’t have any pressure to read them. This is similar to a wish list, but not quite. I’m reserving my wishlist for new books from my favorite authors as well as series continuations. It’s so easy to impulse buy every good book that comes around, but often my interest fades as soon as I receive it in the mail and it sits on my shelf collecting dust. I also find that my library is really good about getting new, popular books as well as approving request to acquire patron requested books. BOTM is a huge temptation for me, but the library almost always adds those books to the library asap, so now I just decide which of the books I would’ve selected and add them to my future TBR. If I want to go ahead and read one of them, I’ll just check the library to see if it’s in. I also prefer to stick with audio loans from the library since I can listen to them when I wouldn’t be able to sit down and read, so I don’t feel like I’m neglecting my physically owned books. So which book did I resist in the month of January, and where did I learn about them? (This post contains affiliate links.)
1. Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen
I saw this baby on BOTM for a January pick. The cover was so stinking cute, and it has diversity, which is always a plus. I totally would’ve bought it. But I stayed strong.
This sweet, enemies-to-lovers debut rom-com filled with Chinese astrology will undoubtedly prove to be a perfect match with readers of Helen Hoang, Jasmine Guillory, and Sarah Adams.
Always a matchmaker, never a match…
Olivia Huang Christenson is excited-slash-terrified to be taking over her grandmother’s matchmaking business. But when she learns that a new dating app has made her Pó Po’s traditional Chinese zodiac approach all about “animal attraction,” her emotions skew more toward furious-slash-outraged. Especially when L.A.’s most-eligible bachelor Bennett O’Brien is behind the app that could destroy her family’s legacy . . .
Liv knows better than to fall for any guy, let alone an infuriatingly handsome one who believes that traditions are meant to be broken. As the two businesses go head to head, Bennett and Liv make a deal: they’ll find a match for each other—and whoever falls in love loses. But Liv is dealing with someone who’s already adept at stealing business ideas . . . so what’s stopping him from stealing her heart too?
2. The Reunion by Kayla Olson
I read an arc of Kayla’s debut novel The Sandcastle Empire a few years ago and really enjoyed it. Leonardo DiCaprio optioned the film right before it was even released. but sadly the film was never made. She then published This Splintered Silence, which I never read. When I saw that this scifi author was stepping into romance, I was like I need to try this. I was also a January BOTM selection, and I’ve had really good luck enjoying their picks, so this one had to go onto my list.
When two former teen stars reconnect at the reunion for their hit TV show, they discover their feelings for one another were not merely scripted in this charming and heartwarming novel perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Sally Thorne.
Liv Latimer grew up on TV.
As the star of the popular teen drama Girl on the Verge, Liv spent her adolescence on the screen trying to be as picture perfect as her character in real life. But after the death of her father and the betrayal of her on-screen love interest and off-screen best friend Ransom Joel, Liv wanted nothing more than to retreat, living a mostly normal life aside from a few indie film roles. But now, twenty years after the show’s premiere, the cast is invited back for a reunion special, financed by a major streaming service.
Liv is happy to be back on set, especially once she discovers Ransom has only improved with age. And their chemistry is certainly still intact. They quickly fall into their old rhythms, rediscovering what had drawn them together decades before. But with new rivalries among the cast emerging and the specter of a reboot shadowing their shoot, Liv questions whether returning to the past is what she needs to finally get her own happy ending.
3. Misfit by Elle Kennedy
Boy was this one hard not to one click. I spotted this one on sale in one of my daily BookBub emails. I read The Deal last year, and it was so stinking good. My finger was hoovering on that buy button, but I backed out of Amazon, and low and behold the sucker was available to check out from Hoopla. Not only that, but they had at least half of her catalog, and mostly in audiobook format!!!
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Elle Kennedy comes an addictive new adult series set against the backdrop of an elite prep school where the only thing more dangerous than the powerful seniors who rule without consequences are the secrets they’re keeping.
Welcome to Sandover Prep, where the delinquents roam…and you can’t trust a soul.
Finding out your mom is marrying some rich guy you’ve never met is enough to make any eighteen-year-old’s head spin. And for RJ Shaw, it gets worse: he’s being sent to Sandover Prep for senior year. If there’s one place a misfit hacker like RJ doesn’t belong, it’s an ivy-covered all-boys boarding school for rich delinquents. There’s no point trying to get along with anyone. That is, until he meets Sloane Tresscott in the woods on the outskirts of campus. Gorgeous and sharp-tongued, Sloane is pure temptation. Except Sloane is the one girl he’s forbidden from touching.
The headmaster’s daughter.
Good thing RJ doesn’t believe in rules. Sure, Sloane insists she’s swearing off boys this year, but he wants her bad, and he’s going to win her over if it kills him—unless her ex-boyfriend, the ruling king of Sandover, kills him first. Luckily, RJ’s unwittingly made some friends. His new stepbrother Fenn, a pretty boy with a self-destructive streak. Lawson, self-proclaimed agent of chaos. And Silas, the All-American good guy who can’t actually be as nice as he seems.
If RJ wants to survive prep school and win Sloane’s heart, he’ll need to figure out a way to use all the secrets hidden in the walls of Sandover.
4. The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz
I’ll be honest, the thriller aspect wasn’t what grabbed me, at was the writing retreat with her ex part that stood out to me. I’m all about romance, and I’m a writer myself, so I was sold. This is a February BOTM pick, and it’s not to late to grab it. I even have an affiliate link you can use to get your first hardback new release book for $9.99 or less, and the best part is, if you don’t like the book, you can call customer service and they will add a free add-on credit to your next box.
“Darkly satirical and action-packed….An absolutely splendid debut!” —Wendy Walker, nationally bestselling author of Don’t Look for Me
The Plot meets Please Join Us in this psychological suspense debut about a young author at an exclusive writer’s retreat that descends into a nightmare.
Alex has all but given up on her dreams of becoming a published author when she receives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: attend an exclusive, month-long writing retreat at the estate of feminist horror writer Roza Vallo. Even the knowledge that Wren, her former best friend and current rival, is attending doesn’t dampen her excitement.
But when the attendees arrive, Roza drops a bombshell—they must all complete an entire novel from scratch during the next month, and the author of the best one will receive a life-changing seven-figure publishing deal. Determined to win this seemingly impossible contest, Alex buckles down and tries to ignore the strange happenings at the estate, including Roza’s erratic behavior, Wren’s cruel mind games, and the alleged haunting of the mansion itself. But when one of the writers vanishes during a snowstorm, Alex realizes that something very sinister is afoot. With the clock running out, she’s desperate to discover the truth and save herself.
A claustrophobic and propulsive thriller exploring the dark side of female friendships and fame, The Writing Retreat is the unputdownable debut novel from a compelling new talent.
5. Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn
I’ll be honest, the cover got me and the fact that it was a BOTM pick was all I needed to know to add it to my list. I wouldn’t have necessarily picked it just off that, but it was enough to go on this list. I’m always looking for romance audiobooks to listen to, so I’ll be keeping an eye out for this one at the library.
“Magnetic, witty, and expansive. The world is going to fall hard for this deliciously whimsical and captivating story, and I cannot wait to see it!” —Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis
“Outright perfection!”—Christina Lauren, Kate Clayborn Fanclub Co-Presidents and Authors of The Soulmate Equation
“A sweet novel that reminds you going back is sometimes the best path forward . . . and that planning is never as rewarding as doing.” —Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author
Indie Next Pick| #1 Library Reads Pick | Goodreads Most Anticipated Romances of the Year | Bookish Highly Anticipated Reads | Bookpage Most Highly Anticipated Romance of the Year | Paste Magazine Most Anticipated Romances of the Year | Cosmopolitan UK Best Books of the Month | Bookriot Most Anticipated Books of the Year
The acclaimed author of Love Lettering weaves a wise and witty new novel that echoes with timely questions about love, career, reconciling with the past, and finding your path while knowing your true worth.
Longtime personal assistant Georgie Mulcahy has made a career out of putting others before herself. When an unexpected upheaval sends her away from her hectic job in L.A. and back to her hometown, Georgie must confront an uncomfortable truth: her own wants and needs have always been a disconcertingly blank page.
But then Georgie comes across a forgotten artifact—a “friendfic” diary she wrote as a teenager, filled with possibilities she once imagined. To an overwhelmed Georgie, the diary’s simple, small-scale ideas are a lifeline—a guidebook for getting started on a new path.
Georgie’s plans hit a snag when she comes face to face with an unexpected roommate—Levi Fanning, onetime town troublemaker and current town hermit. But this quiet, grouchy man is more than just his reputation, and he offers to help Georgie with her quest. As the two make their way through her wishlist, Georgie begins to realize that what she truly wants might not be in the pages of her diary after all, but right by her side—if only they can both find a way to let go of the pasts that hold them back.
Honest and deeply emotional, Georgie, All Along is a smart, tender must-read for everyone who’s ever wondered about the life that got away . . .
“Absolute perfection—this is the book you are looking for. Georgie All Along is a tour de force, beautifully written and full of charming characters, rich emotion, and delicious spice. With it, Kate Clayborn solidifies her place in romance royalty.” —Sarah MacLean, New York Times bestselling author
“A modern yet timeless love story.”—Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“Tender and sexy…features strong friendships and will appeal to fans of Emily Henry.” —Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
And there you have it. Those are the books I resisted this month and added to my future TBR. Be on the lookout for my upcoming post on books I didn’t have the will power to resist.
Heather Dowell 