February 2026 Reading Round Up – Book Reviews & Goals

The Faithful Dark by Cate Baumer

This had such good vibes and a brilliant setting, but I wasn’t entirely hooked on the plot.

Read my full review of The Faithful Dark by Cate Baumer here.

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer

Okay, so this book was truly terrifying in that perfect “is the house actually haunted or is she going crazy?!” kind of way, I absolutely devoured it.

Eve and her partner Charlie have just moved into a big house in the middle of nowhere in the mountains to renovate and flip it. Eve is home alone when there’s a knock on the door – a family stands there, and the dad says he used to live there and just wanted his family to see it. Eve is reluctant to let them in (rightly so as it’s way off the beaten track!) but eventually concedes. It’s all perfectly normal albeit it very odd and awkward, but gets even worse when the little girl runs off to hide in the unfinished, very creepy, basement. Fortunately Charlie arrives home and you think things are going to get better, but then the family gets snowed in, and super weird things start happening – noises, figures appearing on the basement stairs, and then, the next morning, Charlie is gone.

I read this book in a single afternoon-evening in 2 sittings – I couldn’t possibly go to sleep without finishing it. Not only because I needed to know what was happening, but also because I was terrified and I knew if I left it hanging, I’d be scared of what more there was to come!

I’d seen this book recommended everywhere and had in my head that it was a straight up thriller, but I’d say it’s more psychological horror – fortunately I love these type of books, but I have to limit my consumption of them otherwise I’d probably lose my mind! It was a random pick when I spotted it on the shelf in our library, and I’m so glad I grabbed it.

It was only when reading that I realised it’s written by an author who started off on Reddit’s No Sleep – a subreddit that I first started reading probably about 15 years ago! I couldn’t recall coming across this story or author on there, but I imagine I have at some point. Anyway, I can understand why people might not like this sort of “internet writer” kind of style, but honestly, it’s a style I grew up reading, so I personally love it.

The overall story was very well written in my opinion. The feeling of fear started very small and slowly crept up on you. I couldn’t put it down at that point, even if I wanted to! The story is interspersed with found documents, which gives that internet sleuth kind of vibe too, with little hidden codes and messages throughout. Even searching the codes and messages now gives you new information, which I personally love because it feels almost interactive and is very clever marketing (obviously, I enjoy that!).

The ending isn’t the most satisfying, but I feel if it was, I wouldn’t have liked the book so much – tying it up in a neat little bow just wouldn’t fit the vibe.

I highly recommend it, but I would set aside a good chunk of (day!)time to read it in one sitting if you can!

The Housemaid is Watching by Freida McFadden

As the third in a series (and I did note the little nod to that in the book!), it’s hard to review without spoiling some, but it also doesn’t hit as hard as the first in the series, understandably. Nevertheless, it was still an addictive, enthralling storyline that had me reading it in a couple of quick sittings – as always with a Freida McFadden book!

This book is set a good number of years after the last. Millie has just moved out of the city into a new home with her husband, Enzo, and two kids who are 9 and 11. Immediately their new neighbour, Suzette, jumps on them and invites them over, making eyes at Enzo and throwing backhanded compliments at Millie. Nevertheless, she accepts, but another neighbour (who, incidentally, keeps her child on a leash) warns her to be careful of them. Enzo starts to spend more time with Suzette, working in her yard to build his landscaping business from their new base, but Millie grows more suspicious and worries that she made a mistake moving them there, especially as one of the kids starts to act up and she notices small strange things happening around the house.

As with every Freida book, this was twisty and gripping. It doesn’t necessarily fit a standard formula, but, despite the twists, I find myself looking in the right direction to figure out what’s going on because, well, when you’ve read a few like this, you know you need to look in the least likely places!

I really enjoyed the read. The fast pacing makes it so easy to trip through, and the characters are, weirdly, relatable enough that you keep reading and rooting for them.

It’s not the best Freida book and it’s not a huge standout, but for an easy-read thriller, it’s a good solid read.

These Shattered Spires by Cassidy Ellis Salter

This was messy and chaotic in the best possible and most brilliant way – what a ride!

My full review will be on the blog in a couple of weeks, come back for it then!

The Pledge by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett

This was a gripping thriller that had me on the edge of my seat at times and anxious to come to the conclusion.

My full review will be on the blog in the last week of March, come back for it then!

Fragile Hopes by Lisina Coney

Absolutely obsessed with this gorgeous firefighter romance!

My full review will be up in April, I accidentally read this too early! Come back for it then!

Cupid is a Liar by Lexi Davis

This was a fun little spicy read.

Damian watches people – we know this immediately as we see him switch off from work and immediately tune into the cameras in his apartment building. And when he sees his favourite “channel” getting stood up by her date on Valentine’s Day, he jumps in to rescue her. Hannah, however, has no idea that she was being watched, and when she confronts the man who stood her up and all goes a bit wrong, Damian is there to protect her.

At under 100 pages, this is classed as a novella and I imagine the author published it as a way to get a taste of their writing in front of more eyes. It’s a great story for this, and you get a good feel for the characters. Although packed with trigger warnings at the beginning and classed as a dark romance, due to the stalking and obsession, the spice wasn’t overdone.

This is not a slow burn and a lot of action is packed into this short read!

I read this in a single sitting on Valentine’s Day which made it all the more fun. I’m now interested to read more of the author’s work.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publishers for an ARC of this book.

Matchmaker by S. E. Lynes

A great fast-paced thriller with a few twists to keep you on your toes.

My full review will be on the blog in a couple of weeks, come back for it then!

Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross

This was a gorgeous sequel in a heartfelt YA duology.

When I pick up the second in the series of some fantasy books, I’m TOTALLY lost. For example, Two Twisted Crows, which I was listening to as an audiobook at the same time as reading this, had me completely flummoxed – I couldn’t remember half the characters or what had happened in the scenes proceeding.

However Ruthless Vows gave you an introduction back into the storyline and the world, but without feeling like it was recapping – just enough to reacquaint you and give you little prompts. It felt like a second book rather than just the first that’s been split into parts because it was too long, if that makes sense!

I always find it hard to give a blurb for a second in a series for fear of giving spoilers, but I think I can say that in this book, war reporters Roman and Iris have been torn apart by the war. Iris has returned home, but Roman is stuck behind enemy lines with no memory. He feels a strange draw to a typewriter though, and when a mysterious letter appears under his wardrobe door, he responds.

The gods were an odd part of this story. We had a lot of alluding to them in the first book, but they seemed like gods often do – distant and unreachable, orchestrating war from afar. In this one, they’re more real and human, but feel very vulnerable somehow. They feel human feelings seemingly, but don’t care about the humans that are dying in their wars. I have Wild Reverence on my list to read next which is set in the same world but I think might give more context to the gods, so I’m looking forward to reading that to understand more.

The relationship between Roman and Iris, how they rebuilt it as you feel like they would a thousand times, is gorgeous. The time they’re apart is terrifying as you just wish they could find their way back together, and even when they do, that time feels so limited and almost borrowed. As a YA novel, a lot of the romance is behind closed doors, but it doesn’t need to be shown to be believed.

The pacing was good, and I enjoyed seeing more of other characters too in this book, such as Tobias and Attie.

I think I actually enjoyed this one more than book 1. I was just diving back into fantasy when I read the first and I think I was expecting more magic from it, whereas in this book, I understood that it was just a touch of magic, and the real magic was in the small things.

Roomies by Sara Zarr & Tara Altebrando

This was a very realistic and nostalgic look at a vulnerable transition time in two girls’ lives.

Elizabeth and Lauren are teenage girls in that weird gap between high school graduation and college. They receive an email sharing each other’s contact details as they’re going to be roommates, so Elizabeth gets in touch to say hi and to plan a few packing basics, like mini fridges and microwaves. This sparks an ongoing discussion over the summer as they navigate a whole new stage in life, through strained and changing friendships and relationships, family issues and work.

It’s such a simple premise, but this book was so touching. I read it just over a decade after its publication, but it’s strange as it already feels of its time, giving it a gorgeous nostalgic feel. I was a similar age to the girls, just a little older, at the time it was written and I know I would have enjoyed it then, but reading it now brings something a little extra special to it. Remembering that time in life when everything felt so different and you didn’t know your place in the world.

Both girls live different lives, and they worry that they’ll be too different from one another to be friends as roommates. However it’s those differences that bring them together and get them to consider how others might live.

It’s well written as it feels very realistic. I can imagine writing those words and feeling those big feelings at that age. Things often feel very dramatic, and that’s handled well. Also handled well are things like an interracial relationship, that feeling of homesickness before it’s even happened, and the feeling of drifting from old friendships.

It wasn’t a blow your head off amazing kind of book, but it was quietly touching. It was a quick and easy read, told in dual POVs that meshed together well. I’d recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publishers for an ARC of this book (even though I’m reviewing it so late!).

Your Data is F**ked by Mark McKenzie

This was a good insightful read that, while some of it went above what I need to know, gave me plenty of tips and little pieces of knowledge and wisdom to make some better decisions to enhance my work.

As an agency digital marketer, there were sections that weren’t all that relevant to me, such as data security (at least, for my role). I found the reporting section the most useful, but even in other chapters where it at times went over my head, I still found chunks of interesting information.

The predictions section at the end was very interesting! I got this book a few years ago on a Stuff Your Kindle day which means that, with how quickly the digital world moves, some of these predictions were coming true!

This is a good read if you’re serious about enhancing the way you and your business handle data.

The Twilight Wife by A. J. Banner

A great memory loss thriller that flowed well and kept me reading.

Kyra is living on an island with a small, close knit community off the coast of Seattle, recovering from memory loss after a diving incident with her husband. As Jacob patiently nurses her back to health, Kyra tries to put together the pieces of memory that occasionally flash back to her, while living basically off grid. It’s only when she starts to have memories that don’t fit in with the story that she has been led to believe about her accident and her life before it that she starts to question herself and those around her.

This was a thriller in the vein of Gone Girl or Before I Go To Sleep. It was a good story, although not quite so believable in parts (how did he control the internet?!), but it kept me engaged and pushing forward to find out the truth. The pacing was good and I didn’t ever struggle to keep reading. It certainly kept you intrigued all the way through to the big reveal.

I loved the setting around Seattle – it’s an area I’ve absolutely loved visiting in the past and it gave real life to the book. Same with the diving – I love a book that goes into detail on something that the characters are passionate about, and this gave it additional depth.

The characters were good, and I definitely had a feeling about one of them from the beginning so I believe they were written well. Whether or not that’s because I’ve read these types of books before so I was expecting something along those lines, I’m not sure, but it wasn’t a huge surprise at the big twist.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publishers for an ARC of this book.