March 2025 Reading Round Up
2025 GoodReads Reading Challenge: 14 Books Completed Out Of Goal of 50
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This is the month when I started to spend more time with audiobooks. I have become a big fan of listening to an audiobook when knitting or crocheting. The most shocking thing is that it has taken me this long to figure it out.
Stoked to have joined the Bonus Chapter Club via the Chapter 25 Book Club. This is only my first month, and unfortunately, I haven’t been able to join any of their events just yet. Sick doggie was more important, but now that she is well again, I’ve signed up for tickets for some exciting events in April.
This month, I read some amazing ARCs I was lucky enough to be given via NetGalley.
My Rating: 💜 💜 💜 💜 💜
A lovely ARC I was able to get my hands on via Net Galley.
I adored this book. It is beautifully paced, the story is intricately woven throughout every page and the characters are unforgettable. The entire book is a delight to read, and one that I will remember for a long time to come.
The story is told from the viewpoint of two different characters: Adelais de Wolf is a young girl at the start of the book, living with her parents in Flanders. Her mother is increasingly becoming more and more devout within her religion, and her father is turning to alcohol. The shining light in life is her Uncle and growing friendships with Sebastian and Saskia. At home, there are things that her parents are keeping from her. She knows they are protecting her, but she can't help wondering what they are hiding from her.
When her Uncle dies suddenly, she discovers that he has left her something in his will. It is a house in a remote area. Within the house with nine locks is the opportunity to turn her life around. But there is a great big catch.
The second character viewpoint is from Major de Smet, a relentless detective with the Federal Gendarmerie. He is investigating a string of forged bank notes, and will not stop until he has the culprit behind bars. Whatever it takes.
What joins these two stories together? Does Adelais take the opportunities presented to her in the house bequeathed by her Uncle? What links Adelais to the detective?
Do yourself a huge favour and grab a copy of this book. You won't regret it.
My Rating: 💜 💜 💜 💜 💜
This is my second ARC this month and my favourite book of the month.
This book is going to stay with me for a long time. It is inspiring, dark, heartbreaking, beautiful and sad. It shows women's raw strength and determination, and how much we can accomplish in our lives, even when we start out in challenging circumstances. It takes you on a whirlwind with every page. I love historical fiction, and I think this is the first one I have read set during the French Revolution.
The two main characters, Sofi and Lara, try to live their best lives in difficult and challenging circumstances. These two characters go on a fantastic journey through the book, from losing their Father tragically, having to move with their Mother from their home in Marseille to get work in a wallpaper factory outside Paris, to living apart while still working within the confines of the factory setting and then the devastating conclusion of the book,
The family who own the wallpaper factory, the Obersts, have endured their own tragedies with the loss of their wife and Mother in very suspicious circumstances. Her son, Josef, has been greatly affected by the loss of his Mother at such a young age, and he soon develops a friendship with Lara and Sofi, although his feelings toward Lara are much more intense. They are complicated when he is forced into a marriage with the selfish and unpleasant Hortense, who hates everything about her life at the factory, including her husband. The only thing she loves is her little dog Pepin. As the French Revolution rises to a boil, she is determined to escape France. At all costs.
The one thing that binds them all is the woman in the wallpaper. Their lives seem to be eerily mirrored in the wallpaper on some of the walls in the house. Will they share the same fate as the woman in the wallpaper??
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and am so impressed with the author, Lora Jones, especially given that this is her first book. I can't wait to read her books in the future.
My Rating: 💜 💜 💜 💜
It may be February, but I can’t help going back to this book series when I get the chance. Molly the Maid is one of my favourite book series, and this is a perfect addition. It’s a wee novella.
This is such an endearing and lovely novella. It's a lovely addition to the Molly the Maid series. Molly is happily living with her boyfriend, Juan Manuel, but there is a mystery to solve in the run-up to Christmas. Why is her boyfriend acting strangely? Why is her friend at the hotel telling her lies? All will be revealed in this adorable book. It makes me look forward to the next book in the series.
My Rating: 💜 💜 💜 💜
This is a wonderfully unique book. It is told in two storylines - the tale of Zelu, her path from unknown author to successful author, and her journey. It also includes her story, a beautiful science fiction tale of humanity and struggle. Zelu is a flawed yet strong and determined main character, and I was cheering for her success throughout, although there were times when she made that challenging. She comes from a very successful family and is seen as the black sheep and looked down on by some for her lack of success and her disability.
I think this book needs to be read a couple of times to take in the story to its fullest potential.
My Rating: 💜 💜 💜 💜 💜
Available on Kindle Unlimited
This is the second book I have read by Gemma Rogers, and she is rapidly becoming one of my favourite authors. This book was such a rollercoaster ride. It was relentless with the heart racing, edge of the seat storyline that had me riveted from start to finish. There were so many points when I thought the story was almost over, everything was going to be ok, and Nina was going to be safe and escape this nightmare night shift, but nope, my heart fell to my feet again when there was another twist in the story. Cannot recommend this book enough to any reader who loves to be taken on a nerve-racking journey.
The Retirement Plan, Written By Sue Hincenbergs - Published 6 May 2025 - 75% Read
My Current Rating: 💜 💜 💜 💜
After finishing the emotional rollercoaster The Night Shift ride, I needed something light and funny from my ARCs, and I found this. I am 75% finished, and I’m loving it. There are more twists and turns in this book than a country road. It is told from the POV of various characters throughout the book, which heightens the tension as you discover what some characters are thinking and doing that the other characters don’t know.