What I Read in December 2021

My reading was a little eclectic in December and I liked it! After reading several holidays books back to back to back in 2020 and burning out on them, I knew that this past holiday season I had balance the holiday reads with other books as well. So I read some holiday romances, I actually finished a series (can you believe it?!) and read a couple January 2022 releases.

THE HOLIDAY SWITCH BY TIF MARCELO* | 3.5 STARS

This was the first holiday book I read in December and it’s a cute one. It’s about a book blogger named Lila who works in the charming seasonal town of Holly, New York. She’s planning to work the holiday break to make some extra cash for college, but when she accidentally swaps phones with Teddy, the annoying nephew of her boss, it throws a wrench in her plans. I loved Lila’s family and how close they were, and the sweet relationship she had with her siblings. I’m not sure if the romance between Lila and Teddy made much sense to me, but overall, this was a cute read about family and finding your path. [Check out my full review here.]

THE HOLIDAY SWAP BY MAGGIE KNOX | 3.5 STARS

Another holiday read that sounded right up my alley! Twins Charlie and Cassie end up swapping places after Charlie has an accident at work. The question is, can they really pull off spending two weeks in the other person’s life? This book had me hooked from the start! I mean, we have twins swapping places, a reality baking show in the vein of The Great British Bake Off, and a snowy small town set in the mountains of California. Overall, this was a fun holiday read that explored the theme of reevaluating your life and living it the way that you want to. [Check out my full review here.]

A SEASON FOR SECOND CHANCES  BY JENNY BAYLISS | 4.5 STARS

The Twelve Dates of Christmas was my favorite holiday read in 2020 so I could not wait to pick up her next book. This one is about Annie, a forty something woman whose marriage unceremoniously comes to an end at the beginning of the book. Annie needs a fresh start, so she moves to the charming seaside town of Willow Bay to lick her wounds and figure out what’s next for her. This was just the most delightfully cozy read. I think Jenny Bayliss is a great writer and once again she’s making me want to move to a small town! This was such a great read for this season and it’s the perfect book to curl up under a blanket with. It’s heartwarming and fun and charming, and when I finished it, I was left with a contented smile on my face. [Check out my full review here.]

THE DUTCH HOUSE BY ANN PATCHETT | 3.5 STARS

This is my first Ann Patchett book and it’s one I’ve been meaning to read for a while. Let’s start with a random thought first- it felt a little strange reading a book narrated by a man! I realized that a majority of the books I read are centered on female characters, so I definitely took note of the male presence here. It’s a book about a brother and sister, Danny and Maeve, the house they grew up in, and their family dynamics. The house is such a looming character in this novel and I felt they were obsessed with it, both in the past and the present. I did struggle a little with this book. While Patchett does have that cleverly quiet writing style that I enjoy, this novel didn’t fully grab me the way I was hoping it would. 

MEET ME IN LONDON BY GEORGIA TOFFOLO* | 4 STARS

My final holiday read of December was a good one and I was pleasantly surprised! Our main character, Victoria, is a clothing designer and has dreams of one day opening up her own shop. When she first meets Oliver, the owner of the new department store down the road, she’s not impressed, but she ends up agreeing to a fake engagement with him to essentially get his parents off his back! As I was reading, I loved seeing Victoria and Oliver develop a really good emotional connection when they opened up to each other. I enjoyed both main characters in this story. Also, I thought the romance was a nice slow burn, but I like spice in my books, so I would have loved to see more details there! [Check out my full review here.]

TO PARADISE BY HANYA YANAGIHARA* | 3 STARS

Let’s just say that this was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022! I wrote a whole dedicated post where I poured out all my thoughts on this one (short version, it wasn’t my fave!), so I’d love for you to check out that post if you’re interested [Check out my full review here.]

GREENWICH PARK BY KATHERINE FAULKNER* | 4 STARS (out 1/25)

It had been a while since I’d read a thriller and I was hearing good things about this 2022 release. When Helen meets Rachel at a prenatal class, it doesn’t seem like they’d hit it off because of their differences. Rachel smokes, drinks, is loud, and just generally sticks out from Helen’s usual social circle. Helen is lonely however and wants a new friend, so Rachel starts to become more and more involved in Helen’s life. But as Rachel starts to exhibity some strange behavior, Helen can’t help but wonder, what exactly does Rachel want with her? The short, brisk chapters in this novel really propelled the story forward and I couldn’t stop turning the pages! This is a story about the past coming back to haunt you and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

THE HAND ON THE WALL BY MAUREEN JOHNSON | 4 STARS

Y’all, I can’t believe I actually finished a series in 2021! This is the third book in the Truly Devious series. Technically, there’s a fourth book, but I believe it’s a completely separate story as the mystery gets wrapped up in this book. Since it’s part of a series, I won’t tell you what it’s about to avoid spoilers. This book was fast-paced and I was just itching to see how it all came together. I thought it was a satisfying ending to this series, which I had a lot of fun reading. I would definitely recommend the series if you enjoy YA and mysteries!

Are any of these books on your TBR?

*Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

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