It’s time for My Favourite Reads again, coming to you a bit late this month. I’m on deadline with Serenity’s Song (working title) and those words must come first.

Ooh, where to start on my reading for this month? I loved every book I read but my favourite was…

Rock Bottom Girl by Lucy Score

Oh, I cannot express how much fun I had with this Rock Bottom Girl. It was a HOOT!

Funny, sexy and completely page-turnery, this small-town romance had me laughing, happy-sighing, occasionally sniffling, and whoop-whoop cheering.

I loved the eccentric characters. They were completely over the top but that’s what made them so brilliant. I adored the heroine Marley. She had hang-ups but she was tough and funny and nice, and smokin’ hot hero Jake was just delicious.

The moment I finished Rock Bottom Girl I went and bought Protecting What’s Mine. Can’t wait!

The Unquiet Bones by Mel Starr

The Unquiet Bones is the first in a medieval whodunnit series and a very good read.

Our hero Hugh de Singleton is the fourth son of a knight. Normally he’d be expected to take holy orders. Instead, Hugh decides to become a surgeon. Soon after starting up business he’s befriended by a local lord who asks him to investigate the death of a young girl.

This was a well-written, interesting and entertaining historical mystery, with plenty of twists and a lot of atmosphere. Most enjoyable.

The Christmas Party by Karen Swan

I picked this up after reading a review from online magazine Beauty and Lace, and thought it sounded smack in my zone. And it was!

A contemporary women’s fiction novel set in Ireland, The Christmas Party follows three sisters as they cope with the fall-out from their father’s death and their own secrets and mistakes. Subtle romances add extra zing too.

Highly recommended. I’m going to keep an eye out for Swan’s 2020 Christmas story when the time comes.

 The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

The Silent Patient has been a blockbuster release and sold a bazillion copies around the world. Naturally I had to find out why for myself!

Loved it. Great voice and wonderfully twisted and the ending? Faaaaabulous.

A very close contender for favourite read of the month but was pipped by Rock Bottom Girl because… romance!

The Maid, the Millionaire and the Baby by Michelle Douglas

So… my favourite Michelle Douglases so far have been A Baby in His In-Tray and The Million Pound Marriage Deal (my thoughts on both these books here) but I think The Maid, the Millionaire and the Baby has now taken the lead.

This book was simply gorgeous. Wonderful island setting, great heroine who was funny, sassy, capable and compassionate, and a gorgeous hero I wanted to hug to bits. I love it when alpha type heroes find themselves completely discombobulated. Warms my heart!

The Whisper of Silenced Voices by CJ Archer

Regular readers know what a CJ Archer fan I am. I’ve been gobbling down her books since I picked up and was hooked by The Last Necromancer.

This After the Rift series is my favourite so far. I just love it. It’s a bit grittier than the other series I think, and I’m a bit disappointed to learn that the series will be finishing soon. But that’s okay. I’m sure that whatever CJ releases next will be even better. Total fangirl, that’s me!

Anyway, The Whisper of Silenced Voices was as fab as I expected, and I look forward to seeing how Josie and Dane fare in The Temple of Forgotten Secrets.

Afraid by JA Konrath

Gawd, I love JA Konrath’s dark thrillers. They are such a blast. You can read my thoughts on his previous novels here.

Like the other Konrath novels I’ve read, the premise of Afraid is completely bonkers. A helicopter crashes outside a small isolated town and the killing starts soon after. The tag for the book reads: WELCOME TO SAFE HAVEN, POPULATION 907… 906… 905… I reckon that gives you the picture.

Loved it. Afraid may not be everyone’s thing but it’s absolutely mine. Next in my sights is Trapped.

Trouble in Nuala by Harriet Steel

I’m a sucker for a cosy mystery and Trouble in Nuala was lovely.

Set in Ceylon in the 1930s, Trouble in Nuala introduces us to Inspector Shanti de Silva, a local man married to a former English governess and who must balance the needs of his Ceylonese kinsmen with that of the country’s British administrators.

Nuala is a sleepy town but like Midsomer (from the famous Midsomer Murders series), there’s a lot more going on beneath the surface.

I really enjoyed this and have bought the next three in the series.

Ooh! Looks like you can pick up Trouble in Nuala for free right now. Go get ’em!

For the writerly…

The Secrets of Story by Matt Bird

This is now my favourite writing craft book. I cannot recommend it enough. It’s brilliant.

The Secrets of Story is not only full of practical advice, it’s also inspirational and the checklist at the back is a real bonus. Unlike a lot of the craft books I own, this won’t be stuck on a shelf and ignored. I plan to refer back to its wisdom often.

This is what my copy looks like – sticky notes and underlining everywhere.

Go buy The Secrets of Story. Seriously, you won’t regret it.

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What were your favourite reads of January? I’d love to hear!

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