February 2017 Wrap Up

February was one of those months where I discovered some amazing books, and also, discovered some that I didn't end up enjoying at all.

However, part of the fun of a wrap up post is sharing the bad with all the good, and so here's all the books I finished last month, and my ratings, thoughts and opinions on each.

Sisterchicks Do The Hula by Robin Jones Gunn:

 This definitely wasn't my favorite of the Sisterchick series, but I gave it three out of five stars, and I did still enjoy it overall. This one focuses on two friends who take a big trip to Hawaii to celebrate both of their fortieth birthdays, and learn to draw closer to their faith, and each other in the process.


Up To This Pointe by Jennifer Longo: 

I actually quite surprised myself with how much I ended up enjoying this one. I rated it three out of five stars, and I really liked getting to read about Antarctica and the harsh climate associated with it, and the researcher's that brave the climate in the name of science.


Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover:

 I rated this one three out of five stars, but I was honestly disappointed in it compared to how much I loved Slammed. I thought Will's controlling tendencies were way more apparent in this one, and in particular, the scene where he disconnect's Lake's battery was not okay with me, and I had a hard time wanting to finish this book.


Waking In Time by Angie Stanton:

 I did a full review on this one on my blog earlier in February, and suffice to say that I loved it. I rated it four out of five stars, and I honestly can't recommend this one enough to anyone who's like me and enjoys time travel novels.


Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon:

 I gave this beautiful story four out of five stars, and it was without a doubt one of the best books I read last month. I can't wait to see the movie, and I really hope it does the book justice.


Eden's Wish by M. Tara Crowl:

 Genies have always been a topic I've loved, dating back to how much I loved Aladdin as a child, but I've never really seen it done well in a book before. This middle grade novel was exactly what I was looking for, and I gave it four out of five stars.



Daughters of the Bride by Susan Mallery:

 I gave this wedding themed novel three out of five stars, and it would have actually been four stars but I didn't like how Susan Mallery left one of the daughter's situation at the end.


Almost Perfect by Susan Mallery:

 I gave this one four out of five stars, and I completed loved it. After finding out a couple of days ago that the newest Fool's Gold novel is going to be a Hallmark channel original movie at Christmas, I'm now more determined than even to finish this series this year.



The Last Thing You Said by Sara Biren:

 I fully reviewed this one earlier in the month, but I gave it four out five stars and it's another one of my favorite books I read in February.

Taken by Storm by Jennifer Lynn Barnes:

 I was so excited to find out how Jennifer Lynn Barnes was going to end the Raised By Wolves series, but I ended up really disliking this book all in all, and I only gave it two our of five stars. I felt the ending made the whole series almost pointless, and this will definitely not ever be a reread for me.


Sister of the Bride by Susan Mallery:

 This is a cute novella in the Fool's Gold series, and I ended up rating it three out of five stars. Katie is in need of help when she's forced to attend her sister's wedding, which wouldn't be so bad on it's own, but her sister's marrying Katie's ex-boyfriend. A blind date arranged by her mother leads to unexpected circumstances, and maybe just maybe Katie will end up with her own happy ending. While this novella didn't really have a lot to do with the rest of the series, it was a really sweet read, and I'm glad I took the time to read it anyways.

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare: 

This was one was a highly anticipated read for me, but I ended up only rating it three stars. While I love the shadowhunter world, and I really enjoy Emma's character, as well as all of the Blackthorn family, and I loved the fact that this one brings a murder mystery element to her shadowhunter novels, I didn't like the darker elements this novel deals with it. While I obviously know that all of these novels deal in darker content, this one just went a step too far for my liking, and while I'll probably still continue on with the rest of the series, I don't expect to like it as much as I liked The Mortal Instruments or The Infernal Devices.

Take Three by Karen Kingsbury:

 I rated this one three out of five stars, and I've talked a bit lately on my blog about why I haven't been enjoying Karen's novels as much as I used to. While I love her writing style, and I admire the fact that she writes life changing, inspirational fiction, I don't like the fact that lately it seems all of her books have to be about the rich and the famous, and I've started understanding where so many other reviewers are coming from that say her books seem to promote the idea that money is the answer to so many problems. I'm planning on finishing the books associated with The Baxter Family, but after that I think I'll be taking a bit of a break from her books for awhile.



Twins for Christmas by Amanda Renee:

 I'm quite often a sucker for Harlequin novels that include kids. I've always loved reading romance novels that associate around a family element, and so this one sounded like the perfect holiday read for me. I did end up enjoying it, but I only gave it three stars as I didn't feel the chemistry between the main characters, and it felt way too much like a whirl wind romance in my opinion.



The Lonesome Young by Lucy Connors:

 I really loved this modern day Romeo and Juliet retelling, and I ended up rating it four out of five stars. I loved the way that Lucy Connors focused a star crossed lovers romance on the children of two feuding families on opposite sides of the tracks, and both caught up in the scandal of their town's drug trade. In fact, I liked this one so much that it would have been a five star read for me, but the ending left everything unresolved, and there's yet to be a second book. I'm hoping their will be a second book eventually, as otherwise, the ending of this one makes no sense and is just plain frustrating.

Finding Perfect by Susan Mallery:

 I can't say too much about this one without spoiling the first few books in the Fool's Gold series, but I really loved it and ended up rating it four out of five stars. I really loved the chemistry between Pia and Raoul, and they are definitely one of my favorite couples from this series so far.

Bad Romeo by Leisa Rayven: 

This one has been on my TBR list forever, and I only wanted to read it even more after meeting Leisa Rayven, and seeing what an amazing person she is. However, I ended up only rating this one two out of five stars, as I couldn't tolerate either of the main characters, and I thought their relationship was unhealthy and destructive to each other and everyone around them.

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover:

 This was my only five star read from this month, and I can't even begin to describe how much this book affected me. While I can't really say anything about it without spoiling it, I can say that everyone needs to read this book, even if you haven't been a fan of Colleen Hoover's previous books.

Take the Key and Lock Her Up by Ally Carter:

 I gave this one four out of five stars, and overall I was really happy with how Ally Carter chose to end this series. I still don't like it nearly as much as Gallagher Girls or Heist Society, but it was definitely still a great read that kept me guessing right up to the end.



Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas: 

This one was overall not what I was expecting. I really enjoyed Liz's other novel, Top Ten Clues You're Clueless, but this one I found really confusing the way it jumped back and forth between scenarios, and I found it pretty juvenile, and that it didn't hold my attention. I gave it two out of five stars, and it won't be a reread for me personally.



Sisterchicks in Sombreros by Robin Jones Gunn: 

This is personally my least favorite so far in this series, and I gave it three out of five stars. I love Robin's writing style, and the way these books always focus on a closer relationship forming between two "sisterchicks" and their relationship with their heavenly Father, but this one I had trouble with because of the scary situations the sisters seemed to keep getting themselves into with no thought for their own safety. It's still a good book, and this one was actually a reread for me, but I just prefer the other books in the series more. 


The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon:

 After being completely blown away by Nicola's debut novel, Everything Everything, I couldn't wait to start on this one. On top of it featuring an interracial couple (which I love seeing in YA novels), I knew it also dealt with immigration, and that's a cause that's near and dear to my heart. Throughout my many years at my job, I've had the pleasure of working with people that have immigrated from many different countries, and it's been heart breaking hearing the stories of what they went through to get here. I knew that this would be an issue that Nicola Yoon could definitely bring justice to, and so it was with eager anticipation that I started this one. Unfortunately, I found myself not loving it, and I only ended up rating it three out of five stars. While I liked Daniel and Natasha's character; I didn't like how their whole relationship screamed of insta-love, and I couldn't get into the chemistry between them. As well, while I understood the reason for having various chapters told from many minor characters' points of view, some of it just seemed unnecessary and confusing to the main plot line. It was still an okay read, but definitely wasn't what I was expecting.

This Girl by Colleen Hoover:

 I'm happy to say that I liked this book way more than the previous one, and Will's character was slightly redeemed in my eyes. I loved how this book gave the reader a look into so many situations from the first novel, from an entirely different perspective, and it was interesting to see how Gavin already knew about Will and Layken, and the various scenes that Julia was involved in that Lake had no idea about it. I rated it four out of five stars, and I really thought it was a great ending to the trilogy.


Alex Finch: Monster Hunter by Cate Dean:

 I had got some swag advertising this book while we were at RT Booklovers, and I finally decided to give it a chance. It was free on Ibooks, and I ended up loving it and rating it four stars. Alex is a teenage social outcast, who stumbled onto the most popular guy in school's secret, and is blown away when she discovers there's a whole paranormal side to her town she never would have expected. On top of loving the story line, the characters, and the chemistry between Alex and Sam, I also loved how Cate Dean shied away from typical teenage stereotypes, and I can't wait to continue on with this series.


When Joss Met Matt by Ellie Cahill:

 My rating for this one was two out of five stars, and it was probably my least favorite book I read this month. If I regularly believed in dnfing on books, I definitely would have done this here as I didn't like Joss or Matt and I found their whole "friends with benefits" arrangement slightly obnoxious.


Take Four by Karen Kingsbury: 

I rated this one three out of five stars, and it ended pretty much exactly how I expected it too. I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm not going to like how she chooses to end Bailey and Cody's story, and if I'm right, I'm going to be highly disappointed as those two are the main reason I've continued on with this series in the first place.


Only Mine by Susan Mallery:

I didn't expect to like this installment of the Fool's Gold series, as I knew going into it that it focused primarily on a reality tv show filming in the town, and I'm not a reality tv fan in the slightest. However, I ended up being pleasantly surprised with this one, as I loved Dakota's character and that the reason for her emotional breakdown in a previous novel had nothing to do with a man; like everyone seemed to expect. I ended up rating it four out of five stars, and I'm looking forward to reading the other triplets' stories in March.


And those are all the amazing books I was lucky enough to get to read in February. Thanks so much for reading guys, and I'll see you in my next post.


This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own. The photos do not belong to me, and all rights to the respective owners.