Reading Recap - September/October 2025

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

A dual re-cap for some 'ber months.

~~Books I Read in September~~

In September... read 4 books, and DNFed 2

DNF overview here

September was, as expected ... so busy with work that I was pretty burnt out and reading was lacking. 

~~Books I Read in October~~

In October... read 8 books.

I have so many review books and my TBR pile is overflowing... spooky vibes were vibing :) until xmas took over... looping back to more spooky now.

Feel free to share in the comments! I would love to know what you are reading! 

Blog Tour: Review -The Cornish Christmas Book Club by Angela Britnell

The Cornish Christmas Book Club by Angela Britnell

Series: Cornish Romances Book Club #2
Publisher: Choc Lit
Publication Date:  October 15, 2025

 

About the Book 

❄️Enemies-to-lovers 

❄️Christmas romance 

❄️Small town 

❄️Workplace romance 

❄️Forced proximity 

❄️Friend’s brother 

❄️Single parent 

 

’Tis the season for second chances — and unexpected chapters . . . 

 

Tamara Pascoe has spent years saving every penny and perfecting her baking in the hopes of opening her own café in the cosy Cornish village of Penworthal. But when she loses her job, her long-held dream is suddenly out of reach. 

 

To make matters worse, her perfect café location is snapped up by newcomer Gage Bennet — a brooding ex-Marine with plans to open a bookshop. 

 

Gage has no time for pleasantries, let alone Christmas spirit. But he didn’t count on Tamara — sharp, stubborn and full of festive cheer. 

 

Tamara is impossible to ignore, and when the village book club throws them together, Gage realises they might just be able to help one another. Tamara needs a job. He needs help connecting with the community. 

 

Striking a reluctant truce, Tamara and Gage’s frosty beginning starts to melt as they bond over their shared love of books. 

 

As snow begins to fall and the fairy lights go up, could a little Cornish book club help two opposites write their own happily ever after? 

Rating: 

Review: 

The Christmas Book Club is a cozy, second-chance holiday romance set in the charming Cornish village of Penworthal. While it’s technically the second in a series, it reads perfectly well as a standalone since each book focuses on different residents of the same delightful village.

This time we follow Tamara, a mother (although her son is an adult now) with dreams of opening her own café, and Gage, a former Marine new to town who’s opening a bookshop. Their paths cross easily in this small village, where gossip is always the best news, and while the first impression is meh, it slowly turns into friendship and then more. 

I’ll admit, the pacing felt very slow at times, and I didn’t quite connect with Tamara as much as I hoped. Gage, on the other hand, was a high point and I enjoyed watching him gradually open up and find his place in the community. I loved that he had a passion for history and books and was learning more and more about himself as the story progressed. If not for him, I probably would have given up. Tamara, is a strong and strong-willed independent woman and her guard is up a lot, so she comes off as rude a lot of the time... likely to keep herself safe. Sadly, that also just rubbed me the wrong way as I was reading her character at times too though.

The romance was sweet, if not especially swoony, and the festive holiday backdrop added a nice seasonal touch. I appreciated that the author took us through a few months of them learning about each other, so different from the insta-love of so many romance books right now. We see them flirting through Halloween, and working together through November, then on into Christmas. 

Overall, The Christmas Book Club is a gentle, heartwarming story perfect for readers who love small-town charm, second chances, and the comforting feel of a Hallmark-style holiday romance.

About the Author:

Angela grew up in Cornwall and returns frequently from her new home in Nashville, Tennessee to visit family and friends, drink tea and eat too many Cornish pasties! A lifelong love of reading turned into a passion for writing contemporary romance and her novels are usually set in the many places she's visited or lived on her extensive travels. Thanks to her wonderful American husband she's a huge fan of transatlantic romance and always makes sure her characters get their own happy-ever-after.

Find the Author

X | Instagram | Facebook

 

Building the Book Pile #507

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!

Happy Sunday

This week flew by. I had days full of work meetings, I am in the process of finding help for my office, getting everything I need together and squared away for a work trip in a few weeks, and just general household things. I feel like resting isn't an option right now. Also WHYYYYY is there always so much laundry?!

That said, I am finding time for reading - mostly before/in bed so I have also had a few late nights. I have to finish a book today for a blog tour that I am on next week (didn't realize I was on it), and prep some stuff for while I am away - if I can. 

How has your week been?

Linking up this week with the Caffeinated Reviewer and her Sunday Post series.

xo steph

Coming up on the Blog

Blog Tour: The Cornish Christmas Book Club by Angela Britnell (Adult)

Monthly Re-Cap

Books Received Recently...  

 

For review consideration...

 

What's for Dinner? by Larysa Maliush - from the publisher  

Selma–The Story of a Stellar Spider by Tini Malina - from the publisher  

Have you missed anything lately?

Recent Reads: An Ancient Witch's Guide to Modern Dating by Cecilia Edward (Adult) - 4 stars

Recent Reads: Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife by Martin Edwards (Adult) -3 stars 

Donating Caffeine is greatly appreciated ... Donate on Ko-fi

What have you been reading?  How was your week? Feel free to leave a comment!

Happy Reading! 

Recent Reads: Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife by Martin Edwards

Source: From Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review. 

Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife by Martin Edwards
Publisher:  Head of Zeus -- an Aries Book
Publication Date:  September 11, 2025 

 

Format: Ebook

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

Six contestants. One chance at a new life. Who wouldn’t be tempted to cheat?

Six down-on-their-luck people with links to the world of crime writing have been invited to play a game this Christmas by the mysterious Midwinter Trust. The challenge seems simple but exciting: Solve the murder of a fictional crime writer in a remote but wonderfully atmospheric village in north Yorkshire to win a prize that will change your fortunes for good.

Six members of staff from the shadowy Trust are there to make sure everyone plays fair. The contestants have been meticulously vetted but you can never be too careful. And with the village about to be cut off by a snow storm, everyone needs to be extra vigilant. Midwinter can play tricks on people's minds.

The game is set - but playing fair isn't on everyone's Christmas list.

Review: 

If you’re looking for a cozy mystery to curl up with this winter, this one will be a great fit. It has all the right ingredients: a snowed-in Yorkshire village, a cast of down-on-their-luck contestants, and a game that promises to change their lives. But with that many secrets in one place, it was never going to stay cozy for long.

The story unfolds through journal entries from some of the contestants, each with their own motives and secrets. I liked getting inside their heads since everyone has lost their way within the publishing world and seems a little haunted by the outcomes. It makes for a surprisingly eerie and lonely atmosphere beneath the cozy holiday trimmings.

I also really enjoyed the game element, the puzzles, clues, and layers of mystery were well done and fun to participate in and try to solve. The book encourages you to “play along,” but honestly, as a murder mystery reader, isn’t that half the fun anyway? I found myself doing that naturally, scanning every scene for a hint of who might be cheating or lying.

There are quite a few characters to keep track of, but they’re well defined, and the tension among them builds nicely as the group starts to dwindle. The setting gave me The Shining vibes: isolated, snowbound, and just unsettling enough to make you want to keep the lights on.

Overall, it’s a decent murder mystery with a great wintry feel—equal parts cozy and creepy, perfect for a quiet night by the fire.

Recent Reads: An Ancient Witch's Guide to Modern Dating by Cecilia Edward

An Ancient Witch's Guide to Modern Dating by Cecilia Edward 
Publisher: S&S/Saga Press
Publication Date:  June 24, 2025

 

Format: Ebook
Source: Kindle Unlimited - Borrowed


Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

An ancient witch explores the thrills—and perils—of online dating with hilarity and heart in a charming rom-com perfect for fans of cozy fantasy and witchy romance.

Meet Thorn Scarhart, a thirty-nine-year-old witch who’s having trouble finding love in the 17th century. Despite the local matchmaker’s efforts and Thorn’s arsenal of powerful love potions, she has yet to fall in love. After the disappearance of her sister and the loss of her mother, Thorn was too caught up in…well, life, to focus on dating. Now, she fears she may have missed her chance.

But, when one of her potion brews backfires spectacularly, Thorn is hurled 350 years into the future, landing in a bustling city where her once-isolated cottage is now a historical museum. While this unexpected leap through time may seem daunting, modern life does have its perks: indoor plumbing, electric kettles, and the world of online dating. At thirty-nine, the odds may not be perfect, but at least they’re not impossible.

With the help of the museum’s new curator—and her charming veterinarian brother—Thorn dives headfirst into the 21st-century dating scene. And as she searches for romance, she might also find herself along the way.

Review: 

This book was recommended to me by a friend and dubbed a 'cozy, cute, and funny little read'. She said it isn't too serious and it a funny one, so I immediately picked it up and actually read it right away.

This book was hilarious. Thorn is a witch in the 17th century and she is getting old and hasn't found a man. Despite her and a matchmakers attempts she is unable to secure a good one, so as a witch she turns to magic and potions to do the job for her. Then it all goes wrong and she time travels to modern times. Now in the 21st century, she has technology and online dating at her fingertips. 

This plot was so much fun, an old-world witch looking for love in a different time with lots of changes from her norms. I liked her in those awkward situations trying to figure things out for herself and sometimes failing. I thought that she was strong and determined and didn't know that things could go wrong. 

The romance was super cute, nothing spicy just lots of warm fuzzies. I liked all the characters and think that there could be more here with the sister - so maybe another book? I really needed Thorn right now - she as so much fun to read about and this book is a fun one for spooky season if you are looking for a romance on the gentler side. 

Building the Book Pile #506

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!

Happy Sunday

While the students were on a break this week it was still a bit busy at work getting ready for the coming weeks and making sure companies had their job posting in the system. I spent a fair amount of time slogging through emails from my week off as well. 

At home, the dogs are starting to be better. Charlie's back issue seems to be doing ok now (thankfully) but we are still on high alert around rougher play and jumping. Both dogs got into my chili last Sunday so the beginning of the week was also a lot of getting their bellies back to normal. 

It is starting to Frost here in New Hampshire, so the garden is fully done and luckily the garlic is in the new box until Spring. The chickens are starting to slow on the egg production but I also found them stashing eggs under their laying boxes yesterday so I need to keep checking. 

Reading has been moving along - I have been trying to alternate between review books and books on my TBR or recommendations from friends to keep things fresh. I think it is helping. I am reading a Christmas themed one right now though and it is taking all of my willpower not to pull our my Xmas decor... lol.

How was your week? anything fun happen, any great reads?

Linking up this week with the Caffeinated Reviewer and her Sunday Post series.

xo steph

Coming up on the Blog

Recent Reads: An Ancient Witch's Guide to Modern Dating by Cecilia Edward (Adult)

Recent Reads: Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife by Martin Edwards (Adult)

Books Received Recently...  

 

For review consideration...

The Curse of the Cole Women by Marielle Thompson - from the publisher

A Spell for Drowning by Rebecca Ferrier  - from the publisher

Heir of Illusion by Madeline Taylor - from the publisher/ Netgalley

Have you missed anything lately?

Recent Reads: The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley (Adult) -4 stars

Recent Reads: Song of the Hell Witch by Taylor Hartley (Adult) - 4 stars

Donating Caffeine is greatly appreciated ... Donate on Ko-fi

What have you been reading?  How was your week? Feel free to leave a comment!

Happy Reading! 

Recent Reads: Song of the Hell Witch by Taylor Hartley

Source: From the publisher for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.  

Song of the Hell Witch by Taylor Hartley 
Series: TBD
Publisher: Alcove Press
Publication Date:  September 9, 2025

 

Format: Ebook/ Paperback ARC


Rating:

Goodreads Synopsis: 

Rekindled romance spreads new wings in this atmospheric romantasy, where magic empowers women trapped inside an oppressive patriarchy.  

This striking novel is perfect for fans of the feminist ideals in When Women Were Dragons and the unique magic system in One Dark Window.

Once a vicious street rat, Prudence Merriweather has clawed her way to the top of society and now enjoys newfound power as the Duchess of Talonsbury. All she has to do to protect her fragile position is maintain the act of gentility, make her husband happy—and keep her monstrous magic a secret. 

Puck Reed, the Thief Lord of Talonsbury, once delighted in taking risks and humiliating the social elite at any cost, but now lives a quieter criminal lifestyle. With a daughter of his own to protect, Puck tries to lay low and stay safe for her benefit. His daughter, Bea, suffers from a mysterious illness bent on killing her, and Puck will stop at nothing to find a cure.

When Prudence’s magic betrays her, she has no choice but to flee—and who better to smuggle her out of the city than her childhood best friend and former sweetheart, Puck Reed? With the help of old friends and new allies, they learn about Stormlash, a safe haven miles beyond the city walls where women and their magic can flourish beyond the oppressive eye of Leora’s religious fanatics. Stormlash may also hold the key to curing Bea’s illness. The challenge? Keep her alive long enough to get there. 

With Bea’s illness claiming more of her strength, Puck and Pru must work together to reach Stormlash and, in the process, confront a growing evil threatening to devour the country they call home.

Perfect for fans of Carissa Broadbent and Hannah Whitten, this second-chance romantic fantasy features monstrous women stepping into their full power, a father who will do anything to save his daughter, and the rekindled flame of an old, enduring love.

Review: 

Just in time for spooky season, a book about witches! 

This one was pretty unique and it was a pleasure to read. Prudence is a Hell Witch, a woman with magical powers to transform into a beast. In her case it is a winged vulture-like thing. she has wings, talons, and a beak.  Hell Witches can be lamia, banshees, succubae, any many other things, and it is a change brought on by deep despair and trauma, not all women become one and not many are left. As witches they are heavily persecuted and burnt at the stake. 

This story follows Pru as a politically and religiously charged group is after her for being a Hell Witch in hiding. She joins old their friends to escape her home and gets pulled into more drama along the way - an ex who is her only hope. There is a lot of fear and oppression of women in the underlaying themes of this one.

I liked the magical dynamics in this one. They were very cool and I think that there is so much more here to dive into. I wasn't sure at first if this was the start to a series but the cliffhanger ending confirmed it, so a blessing I guess to hopefully get more of these chaotic and amazing women. That said, this ending felt very rushed and so anticlimactic in some ways. I wanted more here. and at 80% I knew it wasn't going to round out all of the things I wanted it to. 

It was a heck of a ride until then. Pru, Puck and his daughter Bea, running from creepy religious men, lots of tension between Pru and Puck and just this overall sense of there being so much more to learn about this world and the magic had me devouring it. 

If you are looking to start a new witchy series and like a religiously-charged dark fantasy/ feminist/ romance this could be for you. 

[I have not had a chance to look at the final edition, but I would have also liked a map to help with their journey].

Recent Reads: The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley 

Series: Dearly Beloathed #1
Publisher: Orbit Books
Publication Date:  July 8, 2025

 

Format: Hardback
Source: Borrowed from the Library

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

Loyalties are tested in this enemies-to-lovers romantasy set in an alternate England following an assassin and a healer forced to work together to cure a fatal disease, all while resisting the urge to kill each other—or worse, fall in love.

When Osric Mordaunt, member of the Fyren Order of assassins, falls ill, he realises he needs the expertise of a very specific healer. As fate would have it, that healer belongs to an enemy faction, the Haelan Order.

Aurienne Fairhrim and her fellow Haelan are inundated by sick children suffering from an outbreak of a long-forgotten Pox. Unable to get the funding needed to launch an immunisation programme, the Haelan Order is desperate for money – so desperate that, when Osric breaks into their headquarters to bribe Aurienne to heal him, she is forced to accept.

As Osric and Aurienne work together to solve not only his illness but the mysterious reoccurrence of the Pox, they find themselves ardently denying an attraction which only fuels the tension between them.

Review: 

I was so excited to hear that Brigitte was releasing a traditionally published book...especially one that might include some of the same elements that made her fan-fiction so addictive. I grabbed The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy from the library, and it turned out to be a really fun read, especially for spooky season.

While not a direct copy of her earlier work, this story carries over many of the tropes I loved: the “he falls first” arc, the delicious enemies-to-something tension, and plenty of forced proximity. I thoroughly enjoyed all of it.

The story follows Aurienne, a healer, and Osric, an assassin, who are reluctantly thrown together to cure a disease that’s disrupting Osric’s magic. Aurienne despises his Order and thinks he is the scum of the Earth, but her superiors force her hand when his payment could fund the research to help treatment of many sick children.

I loved the banter, the snark, and the slow burn between them, especially since I’m a sucker for the 'emo villain who hates everyone but her' dynamic. The chemistry and tension were exactly what I was hoping for.

That said, I do wish there had been a bit more world-building and explanation of how the magic and the rival Orders work. I was also curious if there were people with no magic and if they knew about those with it. Those elements felt like they could have been developed further to really enrich the setting.

Overall, though, this was a fun, laugh-out-loud romantasy with great banter and emotional pull. I’m already looking forward to the next installment. (A little sad to wait... but understand I guess).

Building the Book Pile #505

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!

Happy Sunday

Back home from a day in Portland Maine, it was a lovely day and we ate amazing food while there. I even grabbed a few Christmas gifts in some of the little shops.

Charlie has been doing better this week, the steroids and keeping him and Emma more tame with each other has helped I think. The are A LOT together though - it is hard at times and I feel like I need a break from them, but they are cute. 

While I was productive with pet watching, ripping out the garden (down to all dirt), and getting a few other boxes in to plant garlic - I was not productive on the reading front. I only finished a book. Hoping to get some more reading in this weekend before I am back to work on Monday.

Re: Garden - it got so away from me this year. I fully weeded (read as pulled grass out of all 5 beds) twice, and it still got overrun. So we decided that it isn't sustainable that way anymore and we ripped all the beds out and removed all the weed-block/ rocks and it is a plot of dirt for the winter. We plan to do raised beds with a path through the middle  all on pavers to help prevent the grass/ weed issues. Here is the mock up I built in Garden Planner.

Linking up this week with the Caffeinated Reviewer and her Sunday Post series.

xo steph

Coming up on the Blog

Recent Reads: The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley (Adult)

TBD

Books Received Recently...  

 

Bought

 

Mate by Ali Hazelwood (Bride #2) 

Katabasis by RF Kuang 

Have you missed anything lately?

Early Reader Review:  Rainbow Fish and the Great Escape by Marcus Pfister (Youth) -3 stars

Blog Tour: Review - Suddenly Mine by Kate Evergreen (Adult) -4 stars

Early Reader Review: The Little Ghost that Was a Quilt by Reil Nason (Youth) -5 stars

Donating Caffeine is greatly appreciated ... Donate on Ko-fi

What have you been reading?  How was your week? Feel free to leave a comment!

Happy Reading! 

Early Reader Review: The Little Ghost who was a Quilt by Riel Nason

Source: From LibraryThing Early Reviewer Program and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review. 

The Little Ghost who was a Quilt by Riel Nason 
Series: A Little Ghost Quilt Book
Publisher: Tundra Books
Publication Date:   July 1, 2025

 

Format: Gift Edition Hardback
Source: From LibraryThing Early Reviewer Program and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review. 

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

When you're a quilt instead of a sheet, being a ghost is hard! An adorable picture book for fans of Stumpkin and How to Make Friends with a Ghost.

Ghosts are supposed to be sheets, light as air and able to whirl and twirl and float and soar. But the little ghost who is a quilt can't whirl or twirl at all, and when he flies, he gets very hot.

He doesn't know why he's a quilt. His parents are both sheets, and so are all of his friends. (His great-grandmother was a lace curtain, but that doesn't really help cheer him up.) He feels sad and left out when his friends are zooming around and he can't keep up.

But one Halloween, everything changes. The little ghost who was a quilt has an experience that no other ghost could have, an experience that only happens because he's a quilt . . . and he realizes that it's OK to be different.

Review: 

This gift edition of The Little Ghost Who Was A Quilt is so pretty. With a beautiful hard binding, no dust jacket, gold sprayed edges and a gold foiled title and accents - this would be a lovely gift for all ages around the spooky season.

The book is about a little ghost that is a quilt instead of the normal plain sheet, and he has a hard time being a ghost because of it. It is colorful and heavy and he is slow and can't swoop away like the others. But he realizes that because he is more than a sheet he can interact with the humans more and does. 

This is a lovely story about acceptance of self and that differences can oftentimes make you special. I think parents and kids will love it. 

The overall book has a whimsical yet spooky vibe, set in dark pages and grey scale art except for some pops of orange, blue and pink. The illustrations are full page spreads that really capture the mood of the images well. 

I really loved this book. The story was great and cute and easy to read and the illustration was gorgeous. Others will surely enjoy it as a spooky season read or year round to reinforce that sometimes your differences are what make you unique and special.