January 2026 Reading Wrapup + Writing Update

Photo by Danilo Acosta on Unsplash

January! We got not one, but two snow days. A record, I think, since I’ve been in Georgia. The first snow day was more of a freezing sleet day, creating dangerous driving conditions and a mad dash to the grocery store. And the second snow day, more of a traditional one, although the snow was super soft, and not snowman-making compatible, unfortunately. Either way, lots of fun, lots of gathering around the dinner table and hoping the power doesn’t go out (it didn’t, yay!) Also, lots of just staying home and, you guessed it, writing! So much writing. Hours upon hours of it. In my PJs, the way God intended. Happy sigh. 🙂

And what did I get done, you ask. I began and completed a social media adventure micro-drama script. And I began a friends-to-lovers romance, also meant for the micro-drama space. Though now, I’m in the process of editing it into more of a frenemies-to-lovers story, hoping to create more of a firecracker kind of drama that people flock to in the verticles space.

What else did I do while hunkering down in the cold? I read, of course! 11 books to be exact, 1 of which I DNF’d and 2 of which I rated 4 stars or higher. I’m also gonna highlight the ones I didn’t quite give 4 stars to, but I’m still planning on continuing in the series, because I’m curious to see where it goes. Let’s get into the reviews!

One For the Money (Book One of The Hughes series) by Skye Warren

I listened to this one on Audible. It was a pretty basic story, but I enjoyed that two broken rich characters found each other. I liked the little nuances between Finn and his little brother. The tragedy of their ailing father.

I didn’t really care about all of Eva’s siblings. There were too many to keep track of.

It was insta-lust. No real surprises. But I enjoyed their chemistry. And it was supposed to be fake dating, but it wasn’t. They dated the whole time. The ending felt a little rushed, but overall, it was well written. I will continue in this series.

3.75/5 stars

Captive Bride (Book One of the Secret Bride series) by Alta Hensley

I listened to this on Audible. Man! It may have had its flaws, but what a story, a villain, and a cliffhanger! It reminded me of the bad guy in Hunchback of Notre Dame, saying all of his evil-doings was done in the name of God.

I watched the two leads actually fall in love under duress. They were both prisoners, and captivity was all Ember knew. The bad guy was simply horrific. And that disgusting scarecrow friend? I wonder if he knew what was going on. I will definitely keep reading!

4.25/5 stars

No Such King (Book One of the Bloody Royals series) by Coralee June

I listened to this on Audible. I didn’t like the loser king guy, Augustus. Having it partially from his POV was annoying. All he cared about was sex. And no one seems to know what they wanted. The poor tortured Leo guy, who took what he could get from her, was okay. The alpha male criminal guy, Atticus, was my favorite. And he was supposed to be the best friend of Augustus? I didn’t feel that.

Why was everyone all about this girl? And she was so willy-nilly with all her three suitors’ emotions. For instance, she told Atticus, ‘I can’t see you.’ And then immediately went back on that.

And why does she like the man whore king guy? There was nothing likable about him, in my opinion. But I heard the second book might be better. Plus, it’s from Atticus’s POV, my favorite of the three guys, so I’m gonna give it a shot.

2.75/5 stars

Dark Notes by Pam Godwin

I listened to this on Audible. Pam Godwin is one of my favorite authors and I’d heard good things about this book, so I was excited to read it. Though it was incredibly well written, I found that the MMC, Emeric, who’s 27, was hard to love. The FMC, Ivory, is 17, in high school and Emeric’s student. He knew what he was doing was wrong and brought it up several times. But he allowed himself to fall for her anyway. It was gross, no matter how mature she may have seemed, considering the life she led.

Now, it’s fiction, whatever, but it still gave me the ick. The sexy scenes did not do it for me. I kept thinking, ‘She’s a child. And you’re gross.’

I really felt for the girl though and did not see some things coming.

When he decided he wanted her, even though she’d been raped many times and prostituted herself in virtually every sexual encounter, I’m not really sure why she was the one. Was it her body? Her looks? Her submissiveness, for the most part?

She’s been through so much at such a young age. And it wasn’t all wrapped up in a bow. What happened to her mother?

He didn’t trust people. But he sure knew how to blackmail.

Mixed feelings about this one. It was eloquently written, yes. Every sex scene was different. The age gap thing and her being underage kept bothering me. Made me think of him as a pedo. She turned 18 late in the book, but the damage was done.

Because the author has a way with words and knows how to tell a story, I rated it fairly high. Also, Emeric did save her from her miserable life. He ultimately was good for her, if you get past the age thing. I just have to remember, it’s fiction, guys!

3.75/5 stars

Game Changer (Book One of the Game Changers series) by Rachel Reid

Read the hard copy from the library. Like everyone and they mama, I wanted to read the books behind the ground-breaking series, “Heated Rivalry.” The show addressed some of the plot in this book, which I enjoyed, so I figured, why not?, let’s check it out.

Not much friction in this one. Not much of a villain, either. The villain, really, was the stress of coming out, keeping the secret, and the frustration with having to keep a huge part of your life a seperate and not share it with fans, friends, or family, and not being able to go out in public together.

Everything, their relationship, was very easy when it was just the two of them. For a minute, I thought I was reading strictly erotica, considering how much they did it. But they really did fall in love.

It was an easy, breezy beach read. A little boring at times, but still entertaining, overall.

3.75/5 stars

Hills of Shivers and Shadows (Book One of the Frozen Fate series) by Pam Godwin

I listened to this on, you guessed it, Audible!

The ending broke me. I think I cried a little. The horrors that happened in that abandoned cabin in the woods of Alaska? Unforgettable. That monster of a man, Denver. He was evil incarnate. There was no redeeming him. None. He was just a lost cause.

This was such a wild journey. There was so much mystery. The wolf attack. The loss of electricity. No way to escape. After Denver takes Frankie, I knew he knew Monty somehow. I just didn’t know how.

This is one of the darkest strories I’ve ever read. It certainly kept my interest, kept my heart racing in certain parts. Very well done. The ending. I’m still heartbroken.

4.5/5 stars

Thanks for reading!