The shortest month of the year has come and gone in the flash of an eye. Somehow it also turned into a really good reading month for me though, so I cannot complain! 

This month, I ended up reading 7 books, which was more than I expected, so go me! 

We also FINALLY got a resolution to the HarperCollins Strike this month, so I have a lot of fantastic HC books I’ve read over the last three months that I cannot wait to review and talk about here!

Here’s everything I read in February:

February 2023 Reads 

A Perilous Undertaking, A Treacherous Curse, and A Dangerous Collaboration by Deanna Raybourn (Veronica Speedwell #2, #3, #4)

The #VeronicaSpeedwellReadalong continued fulls team ahead in February as we finished up books 2, 3, and 4. 

This was my fifth or sixth time rereading these books as I absolutely adore this series. A Dangerous Collaboration continues to be my all-time favorite of the series because it’s just the perfect progression of Stoker and Veronica’s relationship, and the mystery is fantastic. 10/10, no notes! 

We decided to speed up the pace of the readalong to one book a week, so we’ll be finishing up the series, including the newest book (out March 7th), A Sinister Revenge, this month. 

If you missed out on any of my Veronica Speedwell reviews, you can find the full series reviewed here:

• A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn
• A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn
• A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn
• A Dangerous Collaboration by Deanna Raybourn
• A Murderous Relation by Deanna Raybourn
• An Unexpected Peril by Deanna Raybourn
• An Impossible Impostor by Deanna Raybourn
• A Sinister Revenge by Deanna Raybourn

Spare by Prince Harry

I don’t really do memoirs, but I felt like I needed to read this because of all the discussion and hype around it. My sister has also been a big royal fan since we were very young, so I also felt I needed to read it for her. As a result, I feel like I’m also a bit more in the know about the royals than the average American.

I won’t comment on the content of the book as I feel like everyone has their opinions on Harry and Meghan, and this book likely reinforced whatever you believe.

However, this book was LOOONG. It had so many chapters, most of which were very short, so the pacing was incredibly funky. It definitely dragged at times, and I felt like I was forcing myself to get through certain sections. I did this on audio which was nice as Harry narrated it, but it also really highlighted just how long the book was. I definitely think this could have been cut down by a few hours with editing to tell a tighter, concise story. Some of the anecdotes and stories didn’t really feel like they added anything to the broader narrative Harry was trying to tell, so it felt like there was room for shortening the book.

Beauty and the Baller by Ilsa Madden-Mills

I picked this up on a whim based on a recommendation I received from a friend on Instagram, and oh my god, I’m so glad I did. I devoured this book in 24 hours! It was exactly the type of story I was in the mood for. 

It’s got a football player, one night stand (no surprise pregnancy, thank god!), and small-town romance vibes all wrapped up into one. The chemistry between the leads was fantastic, and I could not put this book down!

I am planning a full review of this book (date TBD), but keep an eye out for it, as I highly recommend this. Plus, it’s on KU, so if you have that, definitely give it a shot!

I Wish You Were Mine (Oxford #2) by Lauren Layne

After finishing up Beauty and the Baller, I was in the mood for a sports romance with some heart-tugging feelings, so I decided to pick up one of my favorites – I Wish You Were Mine by Lauren Layne. 

Lauren Layne is one of my favorite contemporary romances, and this was one of the first books I read from her back in the day.

I adore this book so much as it’s got an ex-football star who is falling in love with his ex-wife’s sister, who has secretly pined for him for years. Plus, there is a bit of a minor age gap, so it’s all so delicious!

I highly recommend this, and you can read it as a standalone!

The League of Gentlewomen Witches (Dangerous Damsels #2) by India Holton

After loving The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels, I could not wait to pick up book 2 in the Dangerous Damsels series, and this book did not disappoint! This book is just as bonkers as the first and so, so, so much fun! 

I also adored the romance in this one between Alex and Charlotte – those two had chemistry that could jump off the page! The romance felt a bit more prominent in this book as well, which I really enjoyed.

I truly love India Holton’s writing style, as it’s so fresh, unique, and funny. I don’t know how she does it! She made me laugh many times while reading this, and now I’m even more excited for book 3, The Secret Service of Tea and Treason, after meeting the main characters of that in this book. 

Check back soon for my review of The League of Gentlewomen Witches! 

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February 2023 Reviews

I was trying to get back in the regular swing of reviewing in February after a hectic couple of months, and let me tell you – it’s hard! I really wanted to write 2-3 reviews each week, and that just didn’t happen. 

But, I feel like I started to find my stride again towards the end of the month, and it feels really good to get back to reviewing on a more regular cadence! 

I have a huge backlog of reviews to work through, and I feel like the pile of reviews I need to write keeps growing as I keep reading, but I’m slowly making a dent in them.

If you missed any of the reviews I posted this month, here they are: 

• The Worst Guy by Kate Canterbary
• The Astronaut and the Star by Jen Comfort
• The Counterfeit Scoundrel (The Chessmen: Masters of Seduction #1) by Lorraine Heath
• A Sinister Revenge (Veronica Speedwell #8) by Deanna Raybourn
• Lady Meets Earl (Love on Holiday #2) by Christy Carlyle

Hope you had a fantastic reading month in February! Read any new favorites?