Everything I Read This Month: February 2024

Everything I Read in February 2024

February was a varied month for me when it comes to what I read. Starting out strong with the new Crescent City book and closing it out with a less-than-stellar ACOTAR audiobook production, the books in between spanned genres and interests. Bride by Ali Hazelwood was a standout favorite for me, since I just read my first book by the author last month. Similarly, Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage stands out as an entertaining read with strong ADHD representation, which I appreciated. I didn’t finish one book, but it was so boring it’s not worth mentioning here. Overall, I would recommend all of the books listed below for your TBR (with a caveat for the ACOTAR audiobook edition I listened to, which I describe below).

Of the twelve books I read this month, here are my top five favorites:

• House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas (Crescent City Book 3)
• When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker
• Bride by Ali Hazelwood
• Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage
• The Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score (Knockemout Book #1)

Table of Contents

P.S. to track my reading, I started using the StoryGraph website and app. This reading tracker is really cool and gives you all kinds of interesting stats about your reading style. Plus, the app gives great recommendations based on books you’ve previously read and loved. Check out everything I’m currently reading and add me on the app here!

February 2024 In Books

House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas (Crescent City Book 3)

5/5 Stars

This long-awaited Crescent City book just came out late January and the build up for it online was truly breathtaking to behold. It is all the bookstagram community online was talking about for weeks. Honestly, it felt a bit like the big midnight releases of the Harry Potter books in the early 2000s, and the excitement was palpable. With big releases like this, it is almost natural that many people were disappointed with the book — hyping something up so much in one’s mind makes it almost impossible for the thing to live up to. Because of all this, this review is getting more space in this reading journal than I normally offer.

(Spoilers ahead)

However, I truly enjoyed House of Flame and Shadow! It’s a behemoth of a book at almost 850 pages, and it is action packed from start to finish. The entire book takes place over a matter of days, basically, which adds to the chaotic nature of the plot (more on that below), but SJM managed to do each of the main storylines justice. Spanning different worlds in the SJM universe, this book was just so different from CC1 and CC2, focusing way less on Bryce and Hunt as a couple and more on the entire cast of characters’ mission to destroy the Asteri. This shift in focus is part of why I think it faced criticism online; I definitely missed the old Bryce and Hunt banter, and the condensed timeline, in my opinion, forced SJM to emphasis characters’ archetypes and offer super-concentrated glimpses of personality. The level of conflict between the characters (namely, Bryce and Hunt) was annoying, but also made sense when you consider it all takes place over like a week and the sheer levels of trauma each individual character experienced….

All that is to say, do I think the book was perfect? No. There was a lot of jumping around amongst different sub-plots that was a bit disorienting at times, and a lot of time spent building up storylines for future books (IE: Ithan Holstrom’s general rise to Prime of the Valbaran Wolves while also being the single most annoying and incompetent character in the book…second only to Tharion, but I digress).

If you accept that this book is just different than the first two in the series, then it’s greatness stands out. If you go into it expecting a continuation of the Bryce and Hunt romance, you’re going to be disappointed. The world jumping and multiverse lore that SJM brings into this book, though, makes me respect her talent as a writer even more than I already did. I loved the ACOTAR cameos (honestly, would have been happy with way more of those) and the references to the Throne of Glass series through Lidia Cervos. In all, it makes me even more excited to see where SJM takes these characters, even if we have a long wait till we see what is next.

House of Flame and Shadow is available from Amazon here.

P.S. read my full review of House of Flame and Shadow here!

The Stationary Shop by Marjan Kamali

5/5 Stars

A poignant story of lost love, The Stationary Shop follows a young Iranian woman, Roya, who falls in love with a boy, Bahman, who dreams of revolution. Class struggles and dysfunctional family dynamics challenge their relationship, and after a violent coup that helps split the couple up for good, Roya leaves for the United States to go to college in California with her younger sister. There, she meets another man and finds herself living a whole new life in New England. The novel follows her life and acclimation to the United States, and the struggles she faces as an immigrant in her new country. Happenstance brings her and Bahman back together, sixty years later, and Roya battles with competing desires for both closure and answers to why he left her so long ago. It sounds bleak, and a lot of the story is rather heart-wrenching, but it’s beautifully written and incredibly moving.

The Stationary Shop is available from Amazon here.

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

4/5 Stars

Lyrical, poignant, and engaging, Ariadne by Jennifer Saint is a great option for anyone who loves a good mythological retelling. I didn’t know the myth of Ariadne very well going into the novel, which I think made the highs and lows of the story even more emotional for me as a reader. That being said, it is not a happy-go-lucky book; in fact, Ariadne pretty much can’t catch a break from beginning to end. Still, Jennifer Saint’s writing style is beautiful, and the winding way the story pans out had me shirking responsibilities in favor of reading.

Ariadne is available from Amazon here.

When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker

5/5 Stars

First things first, I read this 600-plus page book in one evening. Not even one day — one evening. So, when you open the book to find a ridiculous number of pages with definitions and character names, remember that the book is actually really good and worth your time. I don’t know why they put this entire list of at the beginning — it’s overwhelming and almost made me stop reading myself, but I’m so glad I kept going. The start of a new fantasy series from Sarah A. Parker, When the Moon Hatched is a must-read for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Holly Renee, and adult fantasy in general.

When the Moon Hatched is available from Amazon here.

Swipe Up for More!: Inside the Unfiltered Lives of Influencers by Stephanie McNeal

3/5 Stars

If you have any interest in the influencer marketing world (aka: my world), then this is a great book to read. A fascinating and well-researched anthology of influencer culture, Swipe Up for More! has some great insights into the industry, especially regarding the tendency for influencing to be seen as something silly (aka: mostly female). In the book, Stephanie McNeal calls out pain points in the industry which are often overlooked, like the overwhelming grasp Instagram has on our lives, and the fact that signing off is all but impossible. Basically, reading about these burn out-adjacent issues really validated the struggles I’ve been dealing with in my own business. That being said, the book does gloss over some really problematic actions of one of the primary influencers discussed, which was disappointing. Overall, though, it’s a great read about an often misunderstood industry.

Swipe Up for More! is available from Amazon here.

Bride by Ali Hazelwood

5/5 Stars

My second book from the author, Bride by Ali Hazelwood just came out this month and overnight became a bookstagram favorite. Having stayed up into the early hours of the morning to finish the book myself…I can see why it’s been so popular. Ali Hazelwood’s writing is so engaging, written in a narrative form that just flows so well. A unique Vampyre/Werewolf romance with lots of witty banter, Bride is a must read for any of my fellow former-Twilight-girlies. Hazelwood does a great job establishing the fantasy part of the book’s world, and doesn’t weigh the story down with unnecessary details. She gives the reader what they need to know, and then lets the characters do their job. With a bitingly funny protagonist (who is also a Vampyre, and that pun was not intended I swear) who finds herself ensconced in the home of an Alpha Werewolf, there are lots of emotions in these pages that feel so human, you might forget it’s a fantasy world.

Bride is available from Amazon here.

Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage

5/5 Stars

Oh, I love an ADHD heroine! With realistic representation of a later-in-life ADHD diagnosis (it’s me, hi), Lyla Sage has crafted a heartwarming story about a twenty-something equestrian woman, Clementine, who returns to her family’s ranch after a bad fall from a horse. Facing a new fear of riding, Clementine has to figure out who she is without racing — and whether she wants to get back on a horse at all. It’s a sweet cowboy romance, with all the family drama you might imagine from such a plot, and it’s the start of a series, which is always a plus!

Done and Dusted is available from Amazon here.

The Irish Goodbye by Amy Ewing

4/5 Stars

A cute rom-com of a story, The Irish Goodbye follows a New York City photographer who spends three months on Inishmore island, ostensibly to care for the (rather hilarious) elderly relative of the town’s innkeeper. The town is a character in the novel, as much as any of the actual characters, as heroine Cordelia settles into life on the quiet island. After a disappointing meet cute with her love interest, the plot follows a forced proximity storyline that turns into love. A cute (albeit predicable) love story about finding one’s self and life post-heartbreak/loss, The Irish Goodbye is an enjoyable read that may make you want to pack up for the summer yourself. Oh, and there’s a dog (always a plus) (and the dog lives).

The Irish Goodbye is available for pre-order from Amazon here.

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

5/5 Stars

I have loved every Taylor Jenkins Reid book I’ve read, so it should be no surprise that I enjoyed Carrie Soto is Back. I’m not a big sports person, but I played tennis as a kid. Even still, I was a little worried about getting into the book since it’s so focused on the sport. However, Taylor Jenkins Reid wrote about the game in an incredibly accessible way. I listened to the audiobook, which I highly recommend, and enjoyed every minute of it!

Carrie Soto is Back is available from Amazon here.

The Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score (Knockemout Book #1)

5/5 Stars

This is the first book in Lucy Score’s three-part Knockemout series. This series works a bit like the Bridgerton books, with the whole cast of characters appearing throughout while each volume is dedicated to a specific couple. So, The Things We Never Got Over introduces a whole cast of characters, while also focusing on Knox and Naomi. Knox is a loner while Naomi is a runaway bride. It’s all very cute and predictable in the way you want a romance to be. But, every once in a while, Lucy Score peppers in a jaw dropping truth bomb that makes you stop and think.

The Things We Never Got Over is available from Amazon here.

The Things We Hide from the Light by Lucy Score (Knockemout Book #2)

5/5 Stars

Picking up where book one leaves off, The Things We Hide from the Light tells the story of Nnox’s brother Nash (I promise the names get less confusing as you read the books) and his sort-of-relationship with Lina, a no-nonsense, independent woman. Both Nash and Lina are dealing with some major trauma, which causes the bulk of the conflict, and I was impressed with how Lucy Score handled these parts of their stories.

The Things We Hide from the Light is available from Amazon here.

A Court of Thorns and Roses (Dramatized Adaptation) by Sarah J. Maas (ACOTAR Book #1)

2/5 Stars (for dramatized adaptation specifically)

If you’re in the same corners of the app as me, you may have heard clips of the dramatized adaptations of Sarah J. Maas’ ACOTAR series on TikTok. After reading House of Flame and Shadow earlier this month, I was interested in re-reading the ACOTAR series via audiobook, so I decided to give this special version a try.

In short, I wouldn’t recommend listening to these editions; go for the regular audiobook or the physical book/ebook instead. I mean, it was fine, but the voice actors got on my nerves, and I found the Feyre actress to be very breathy and grating. The first book in the series isn’t my favorite anyway, but I think I would have preferred the traditional audiobook instead.

A Court of Thorns and Roses (Dramatized Adaptation) is available from Amazon here.

Learn more about the ACOTAR series in my complete reader’s guide here!

Shop the Books Featured In This Post

What have you been reading lately?
Share your favorites in the comments so I can add them to my TBR pile!

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Still searching for your next favorite read?
Check out my top reads from 2023 here; there are plenty of great reads to add to your TBR!

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*Some of the novels featured here were gifted to me as part of various book review programs that Cats & Coffee is a part of. I was not required to post about the novel in exchange for getting a copy to read. All thoughts and opinions are my honest own.