Books I've Read in January

January has been the perfect month to curl up with a good book, and I’ve made the most of it. From gripping thrillers to atmospheric mysteries, my reading list has been packed with stories that thankfully have kept me glued to the pages. This month, I dove into tales of secrets, lies, and unexpected twists that had me hooked until the very end. Here are the three books I've read in January.

Books I've Read in January

1. The Wrong Sister by Claire Douglas

Synopsis

Tasha has always felt in the shadow of her older sister, Alice. Their lifestyles couldn't be more different; Alice is married to wealthy entrepreneur Kyle and has a high-flying career, Tasha is married to her childhood sweetheart and lives in a Bristol suburb with their four-year-old twins.

When Alice realises that Tasha is struggling (with money, the kids, losing her identity) she suggests they do a life swap for a week. Alice and Kyle will come to stay at Tasha's terraced house to look after the twins, while Tasha and Harry spend the week in Alice and Kyle's Venice apartment.

But a few days in, it all goes terribly wrong. Tasha receives a phone call to say Alice is in hospital and Kyle is dead after an intruder broke into their house. They think it must have been a burglary gone wrong.

Until a note arrives through the letterbox saying It was supposed to be you...

What I Thought of The Wrong Sister

I was a bit nervous about starting this one as I'd recently read another Claire Douglas book which I thought was okay, but didn't really have that va-va-voom I was looking for. Fortunately however The Wrong Sister had me gripped from the beginning. I enjoyed how thrilling and suspenseful the book is right from the initial chapter. The story has a great pace and I very quickly became absorbed into the story. Chapters are short and snappy which I personally find much more engaging and easier to read. It also flits between different characters points of views which I enjoyed. The book took a turning point about half way through as things started ramping up and unfolding. I quite literally couldn't put it down! I thought I had it figured out, but Douglas had me tricked right until the very end.

Rating - 5 Stars

2. The Dream Home by T.M. Logan

Synopsis

Adam and Jess, along with their three children, move into a beautiful new home: a beautiful Victorian house in a quaint neighbourhood, right at the top of their price range. Then Adam discovers a door hidden behind a fitted wardrobe, concealing a secret room...

But like the house, Adam has his secrets too. And soon he will find himself setting in motion a series of events that will place his family in terrible danger!

What I thought of the dream house

The Dream Home is the first T.M. Logan book I've read, and spoiler alert - It won't be the last! It's an addictive and fast paced thriller which I managed to devour in just a few short days. The book captivates right from the beginning, enticing with little teasers of information from the very first chapter. Information is drip fed throughout the book which I found really engaging. And even though clues were laid out throughout the book, the ending was really unexpected! It's only the last couple of pages where everything becomes apparent - And I absolutely loved it! I feel like this one's a difficult book to review without giving away too much away. The main takeaway from this however is if you like thrillers, you're going to love this one!

Rating - 5 Stars

3. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Synopsis

At just seven years old, Libby Day’s testimony sent her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, to prison for a horrific crime.

Ever since, she has lived in the shadow of that tragedy, drifting through life. But when a group obsessed with proving Ben’s innocence reaches out to her, Libby is forced to confront questions she’s long avoided. Did she really hear her brother’s voice that night? Ben was an outcast in their small town, but was he truly capable of murder? Could the answers lie hidden in the ruins of their family farm, or is Libby simply chasing a past she wants to rewrite?

As she digs deeper, she realises that everyone in her family had secrets that night, especially Ben. Now, twenty-four years later, uncovering the truth will be more difficult than ever.

what I thought of dark places

This is the second Flynn book I've read, the first being Gone Girl which was a holiday read a few years ago for me. I knew how dark she can be with her words, but for some reason Dark Places didn't really hit the spot for me unfortunately. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it by any means. It took me the best part of the month to get through this book. Everything felt kind of long. Long sentences, long chapters. It wasn't an easy read for me sadly. With that being said, I enjoyed the story and how it was portrayed, flitting from character to character perspectives each chapter. I enjoyed how things pieced together the further I got through the book, as little secrets were drip fed through.

Rating - 3 Stars

To Conclude

January has been a great reading month for me. I set myself a goal for the year of reading 12 books, which feels more than doable if this month is anything to go by. I've really caught the reading bug over the last couple of months and I can't wait to get stuck in in February.

Have you read any of these books before?

What are you currently reading? Send your inspo my way!

For More Bookish Inspiration

• Books I've read in February
• Books I've read in March
• Books I've read in April