It’s the last Chronicle of the year. Are you ready for it? The year flew by. I feel like we just started talking about Chronicles 😂 and now I’ll have a new blog title for next year’s monthly recaps. Have I decided yet…? No, but I have a month technically.

I’ve read so many good books and some not so great, amongst all my reading during the holidays. I have quite a bit to talk about this month as usual… so we probably ought to get right into it.

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Holiday Hostilities by Katie Bailey

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

I enjoyed this story… but it was heavier on the cussing and innuendo I think which I think contributed to my taking a bit longer to read.

I liked the MMC more than the FMC because who doesn’t like the flirty type, LOL. He was amazing and wasn’t pushy and had always had feelings for her, but she just hated him for irrational reasons in my opinion.

This is second book in Cyclones Christmas series by Katie Bailey.

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The Run Option by Annah Conwell

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

Another great read by Annah that was over too soon.

I’m sure Willow wouldn’t call herself lucky, but I feel like I just got dealt an ace and a queen in a game of blackjack. The whole deck was stacked against me, but I beat the odds when she said yes.

This is a marriage of convenience sort of. It is, but he has feelings for her and is patient while she comes around to the idea, all while hoping she stays forever. Uh, swoon.

I don’t want to have to make an example out of someone, but one thing’s for sure: no one is going to hurt my wife and get away with it.

This is book three in the More Than a Game series by Annah Conwell. I can’t wait for the final installment!!

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The Rebound Play by Kate O’Keeffe

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

The hockey trope for this series made me think they were Christmas for some reason, LOL. But either way, a great series and I loved this book! Full of second chances after a misunderstanding and poor decisions. Everything always works out in the end. 🙂

This is book 2 in the Love on Thin Ice multi-author series.

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We’ll Always Have Christmas by Jenny Hale

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

Alright! I had never read a book by Jenny Hale, but this book made me a fan. I put more of her books in my cart that I hope to get and read later!

I was gifted this as a Christmas gift (early, I know) and normally, I’m not a fan of getting books as gifts unless I’ve shared a wish list or something and it’s something I’m wanting. And mostly just because of past experience of not liking them… when people don’t know what I like or even what books I already have because I don’t even know what I have at times!

This turned out to be a great gift! 🙂

I loved the family dynamics that were worked out in the story and how the characters grew. It was also interesting to see how they valued family in different ways and their lineage. So many good things in the story!

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Kissing Beck Thomas by MJ Padgett

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

I read the leading novella that starts off this series months ago, and I finally got the ebooks for this series so I could read that way – they were free one way or another, LOL.

I enjoyed this book – I was invested from the beginning because from the synopsis we’re told she kisses the wrong brother, LOL.

It might be too young for some people since this is a “new adult” book where the characters are in college or around college aged. It was borderline for me. I find the older I get, the less I can stand to read YA books. Just a personal preference or tragedy.

The ending was perfect though! I also liked the sneak peek into some of the other characters stories and not necessarily just the next book in series!

Book one of the Life with the Thomas Brothers series.

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Married Before Christmas by Hannah Foster

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

Another free ebook I scored and enjoyed. There were pieces of it I didn’t find totally believable, but even then. A great book around marriage of convenience for the sake of inheritance and finding love in the process. There were some threats to the characters and uneasiness of what would happen next so may not be for all readers.

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Open and Unafraid by W David O Taylor

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

WOW. This was a great read!! He explored a lot of the emotion behind the psalms and responding to emotions. Through his own testimony at times, Taylor talked about how we can be encouraged through the psalms and their imperfect authors. Even though we should be cautious of leaning on emotions, he points us to God, how the psalmists did and giving him our feelings to work out. Is this from my flesh or is this from God? How do I respond in a biblical and righteous way?

I highlighted and sticky-noted a lot in this book and one I will surely come back to in the future! He also includes discussion questions for personal reflection or you may answer them probably in a group, but I took them as more personal. He also included activities to help with your personal reflection as well.

I’m not sure of his theology, based on his background, but I didn’t find in this book anything of material to be concerned with and I would recommend this to anyone looking for further commentary and explanations of psalms as a whole.

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While You Were Campaigning by Jes Drew

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

This is a new to me author that I found just because I was interested in this unique “Love on the Ballot” series that’s a conservative election themed series that had a couple authors in it that I follow.

It was a quick read (obviously) and I enjoyed the story, but it wasn’t a favorite. At times things felt forced and awkward, but that’s just me.

This is the first book in the Love on the Ballot multi-author series of stand alone novellas.

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Catch Yourself a Snowmance by Savannah Scott

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

I love this one! Maybe not as much as the first, but the first had such high expectations, haha. It was still a great, fun and enjoyable quick read.

If you’re looking for a quick Christmas romance, this is it. 🙂

Second novella in the Have Yourself a Merry Little Romance series by Savannah Scott

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Positively, Penelope by Pepper Basham

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

This one had more mystery to it than the first book in the series! That was a nice surprise. I still love the banter that Luke brings when he speaks to his sisters, LOL.

Penelope and Matt were adorable and I loved how they both opened up to possibilities.

A cute read and I actually highly recommend the audiobook for this series because they’re so intriguing and really make the story come alive.

This is book two in the Skymar series by Pepper Basham.

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A Christmas Duet by Debbie Macomber

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

I was going to hold off on reading this til maybe 2025, but here we are because my cousin came over on Christmas Eve and told me how great it was. I could have read this in a day because it was so short and sweet, but life.

A great Christmas story and very Hallmark-y. There wasn’t as much growth from our FMC as many would have liked, but I think it was still enjoyable and garnered 5-stars from me.

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If I Run by Terri Blackstock

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

I recommend reading this via audiobook. I’m sure its just as captivating as reading, but I found it was a lot like a true crime podcast being narrated when I listened to it on Spotify so I will probably listen to the next two books as well.

Man! I’ve been interested in this Christian suspense series for years and I finally got all three books (because I wanted all three before I started so I could binge possibly).

What an intriguing plot! I didn’t know why she would run at the beginning, but the further in you go, you understand why Casey felt she had to. Very suspenseful and keeps you on the edge of your seat. You also see Dylan who’s trying to help find her for the parent’s of the victim and he’s finding out some shady stuff going on.

These are best read back to back because it will leave you on a cliff hanger because it’s basically one story split into three novels.

This is book one of the If I Run series.

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Miss Newbury’s List by Megan Walker

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

I. Loved. This. I am so glad to be nearing the end of the year with this to dream about. Ugh, I wanted to finish this so badly, but at the same time, just let time stop and be catapulted into this world and stay. It was so clean and beautiful.

It was a little like Rosalind was just playing with fire sometimes, LOL. This is a single POV novel that follows Rosalind’s POV and you may know that I’m usually on the fence until I finish and then love the story…. like this one. I loved that we didn’t have Charlie’s side and it slowly unfolded throughout the story. Man, the looks he gave her. I want to say we all need a Charlie, but I don’t know if everyone is interested in a reformed bad boy from the regency era. He was such a cinnamon roll.

OKay, enough fan-girling. I loved this. You might too.

This did included some physical fighting and danger that may not be everyone’s cup of hot chocolate. It was almost too much for my sensitive brain at one point, but I got through because I wanted to get to the swoony romance.

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Kiss Me at Christmas by Sarah Monzon

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rating explained:

Such a great read!! I love Sarah Monzon and how real life her writing is. She writes about real issues people face and how people react to them. As an aunt to a kid with ADHD, I understand how challenging it can be.

Kaitlyn was about to let others in and open up with Liam, her son, while also allowing room in their lives for Beckett. His patience and understanding was everything and he was all any woman would want. How he was single so long is beyond me!! lol, he’s fictional 🤣

I highly recommend. This was a timely read for me and something I needed.

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Books read this month: 14

Books read this year: 142

Book goal for the year: 75

We’re closing out the year with some rookie numbers! LOL I actually read less than last year by about 10. I didn’t think I’d even make it to 140 for a while there. I was struggling with getting things read because I couldn’t stay focused and started a lot of books all within a few days.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you find some recs for the new year!!

If you’ve read anything this past month you’d like to share, feel free to do so in the comments.

Happy New Year!! ♥