Mini Book Reviews – January 2025: What To Read & What To Skip

Welcome to my regular round up of mini book reviews of what I’ve read this past month! The year is off to an amazing start with a wide variety of books I’ve enjoyed.

In my list of mini book reviews, I include everything I’ve read recently that I finished.  I like to share both my five star reads and any misses to help you get a better idea of what you should read or might want to skip.

As always, I love to hear if you agree or disagree with my ratings! Let me know in the comments what you thought of my January 2025 mini book reviews.

Beg, Borrow or Steal by Sarah Adams

Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey

I’ve adored the previous two sports romance books that Tessa Bailey wrote, so I knew this would be amazing too! It was a wild ride, full of intensity and spice! These two are a dynamic duo and I loved reading about them!

After Sig’s car breaks down one night, he ends up walking to the nearby posh country club to call a tow. He meets the rebellious and alluring Chloe and the two hit it off. After a kiss and a promise to see each other again, Sig can’t wait to see where this goes. Until Sig goes with his dad to meet his new girlfriend…and finds out it’s Chloe’s mom. And there’s news – his dad and her mom are getting married.

This changes everything, but Chloe is still trying to get out from under mom’s controlling thumb so Sig promises to teach her all about Boston and help her become more independent. They promise to keep things platonic…but will they be able to keep their hands off each other?! | Buy From Amazon | Buy Exclusive Edition From Target

The Family Man by M.R. Armitage

I randomly found this on my library’s shelves and the premise intrigued me! Twenty years after a string of horrific murders, another case pops up that is eerily similar. The killer supposedly died all those years ago, so it seems impossible that he’s back. 

British Detective John Drake worked the original case, but it came at a high cost to his personal life. With the possibility of a copycat, he’s back on the job trying to hunt down the killer. 

This was a high stakes mystery that I surprisingly enjoyed a lot! I was kept on my toes as Drake tried to figure out if the impossible was happening again, or if someone was merely trying to restart new horrors. | 4 Stars | Buy From Amazon 

As always, I recommend using Libro.fm if you’re an audiobook listener!! Libro.fm directly supports indie bookstores, but costs the same as Amazon’s Audible! You can get TWO audiobooks for only $15 with my link and code CHOOSEINDIE.

Out On A Limb by Hannah Bonham Carter

Normally I steer away from surprise pregnancy romances, but I’m so glad I gave this one a shot! It was charming and funny and had the one of the most likable male main characters I’ve ever read! The disability rep is so thoughtful and well written as well, drawing heavily on the author’s own personal experiences.

Win and Bo meet at a Halloween party where they’re both dressed up as pirates… attempting a humorous play on their respective disabilities. When a one night stand becomes a much bigger deal, they’re now thrust together facing a lifetime of new responsibilities.

Bo is determined to support Win in any way possible, but she’s reluctant to let him in. As the nine months go by though, they both realize this unexpected start could turn into a beautiful life as a family. | 4 Stars | Buy From Amazon | Buy From Target 

What Does It Feel Like by Sophie Kinsella

If you’re looking for a short novel that packs an emotional punch, this will do it! I’ve been a long time fan of Sophie Kinsella’s lighthearted romances, so I knew I had to read her latest story even though it’s quite different.

Sophie explores her own experience with brain cancer through a series of vignettes about a fictional author facing the same diagnosis and surgeries. At times witty and funny, while other times heartbreaking and hopeless, she manages to show all the highs and lows of a terminal illness.

I highly recommend taking the short amount of time to read through this moving novel! | 4.5 Stars | Buy From Amazon 

eBooks:

Run By Blake Crouch

I was surprised to see this new release from Blake Crouch a few months ago, but did some digging and realized it’s actually a re-release of his first novel. If you’ve read any of his more recent stories, this will feel completely different! You can see glimpses of his genius, but also some obvious flaws in the plotting.

Run is a straight up heart pounding, survival thriller. I literally read it in 24 hours because I was invested in what would happen. We follow a family of 4 fighting for lives in a situation where huge swaths of the population have become incredibly violent, for reasons unknown. 

They go on the run looking for a place they’ll be safe while the world falls apart around them. Over a few weeks, they struggle to find food and water and fight both the elements and the bands of violent strangers they come across. 3.5 Stars | Buy On Amazon

To See Even More Book Reviews from this past month, check out my video below!