My January Reads

Here’s a wrap-up of the books I read in January. The first part of this post is the list of all the books with the links to the complete reviews and it’s followed by quick reviews for each of them. Hope you’ll enjoy it!

Please find below all my readings for January:

1. Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco
2. For the Wolf by Hannah F. Whitten
3. Dunmoor by London Clarke
4. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco

Themes: Adult, fantasy, romance, witches

My rating: 5/5

Synopsis: Available here

Quick review: Do you know when you have the feeling that an author just took all your criticisms into account? That’s exactly what happened to me with this book, which is all I expected from the first one!

For the Wolf by Hannah F. Whitten

Themes: Adult, fantasy, romance, family, retelling

My rating: 4/5

Synopsis:

As the only Second Daughter born in centuries, Red has one purpose-to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wood in the hope he’ll return the world’s captured gods.

Red is almost relieved to go. Plagued by a dangerous power she can’t control, at least she knows that in the Wilderwood, she can’t hurt those she loves. Again.

But the legends lie. The Wolf is a man, not a monster. Her magic is a calling, not a curse. And if she doesn’t learn how to use it, the monsters the gods have become will swallow the Wilderwood-and her world-whole.

Quick review: a good fairytale-like reading for winter! I particularly enjoyed the relationship between the two sisters, which I found really touching. Now, I’m waiting for the sequel which is planned for the first half of 2022 🙂

Dunmoor by London Clarke

Themes: adult, historical fantasy, horror, mystery

My rating:3/5

Synopsis:

A lush gothic from bestselling author London Clarke set in the Regency era, Dunmoor is a tale of generational curses that threaten to destroy the most innocent and vulnerable.

England, 1818. Lady Helena Winters hasn’t seen her husband in over a year—not since he disappeared without a trace. Torn between seeking a new purpose for her life and longing for her husband to return, Helena travels with her father to Dunmoor House for a fundraising ball. Although the estate was once her husband’s ancestral home, it has recently been purchased by Luke Lennox, a gentleman planning to establish a foundling hospital.

Helena quickly finds herself battling memories of life with her husband and searching for answers to what might have happened to him. Even so, she is drawn to Luke Lennox and his dream of saving and educating children—a passion she shares.

But within Dunmoor’s decaying walls lies a long and sordid history, a legacy of evildoers perpetrating unspeakable acts of wickedness. Now, the corridors echo with voices. Vines grow inside the house, and shadowy figures plague the children at night.

And in the dark forest on the edge of the property, a terrible secret awaits, and what Luke and Helena uncover there will endanger both their lives. 

Quick review: I had to DNF this one because of the themes that were dealt with and that deeply unsettled me. But if you’re not easily disturbed and are looking for some horrific readings, this one is doing the job.

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Themes: YA, mystery

My rating: 5/5

Synopsis:

Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why–or even who Tobias Hawthorne is. To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man’s touch–and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes.

Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a con-woman, and he’s determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather’s last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.

Quick review: I couldn’t wait to read this one and I wasn’t disappointed! This book has all the elements I was waiting for: good characters, a complex mystery, and a mysterious mansion full of secrets and hidden passages!

Note: Most synopses are taken from Goodreads.