Books in Progress: What I’ve Been Reading Lately – March 2021

I don’t know if this is true in your part of the world, but East TN is in the beginning stages of spring. See, spring doesn’t come all at once here. We have a couple rounds of ‘practice spring’ before it gets here for real, but the 65-70 degree days are still nice, even if I know we will probably relapse into cold weather again at least once more.

I bring up the season because I’ve mentioned in previous posts that my reading habits can sometimes change depending on the time of year. In the fall I read moodier books and mysteries, in the summer time I reach for more adventures, and of course I read holiday books in the months leading up to Christmas.

But spring doesn’t seem to evoke any particular reading mood for me. I’m just reading a hodgepodge of genres and writing styles, reaching for whatever strikes my fancy. Last year in March I put together a list of middle grade books to read for #middlegrademarch, but I haven’t been intentional about doing that this year, much to my regret. With two weeks left in the month, though, I know it’s not too late, so send me your middle-grade must reads!

Maybe I can sneak in a couple of middle grade reads in the next few weeks, but in the meantime, here’s what I’ve been reading.

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Just Finished:

Braced for Love

Since I already wrote an entire review for this book I won’t belabor it, but the short version is that I am and always will be a Mary Connealy fan because her books are action-packed and full of sweet romances and humor. A historical fiction book that hits all those marks is a good choice for me, plus this book is about brother finding out their father had more than one secret family, which is a great setup. I can’t wait for the next book in July!

The Guest List

I have mixed feelings about this one. I know a lot of people loved it, and I did finish it and was surprised by several twists and the ending, but overall I wasn’t a fan of how dark and full of debauchery it was. The premise is that a group of people are isolated on an island for a destination wedding and somebody winds up dead, but that shouldn’t be surprising given the amount of drinking, drugs, and illicit relationships. So to sum up, great basic plot and ending, but the style wasn’t for me.

Missions of Mercy

This is a three-for-one special! Missions of Mercy is three books in one, and follows different members of a private security team as they go on missions and (shockingly) find love in the process. The last one was my favorite because I love a good case of mistaken identity, especially when it puts people in danger. I’m not sure what that statement says about me…

In Progress:

Reliquary

If you have been paying attention then you are probably rolling your eyes at the fact that this book has been on my list three months in a row. But hey, it’s in the ‘in progress’ category now instead of ‘up next’ so I think it’s safe to say it won’t be on here next month. I started it a couple of weeks ago and I’m enjoying the race to find a monster in the tunnels underneath New York as much as I thought I would. I just had to put it down for a week or two to finish up some library books that I couldn’t renew and book I had already agreed to review. Now that those are out of the way, I’m coming for you Reliquary!

The Ghost Map

If you saw my pandemic reading list last year then you probably already suspect that I like reading about diseases, and The Ghost Map is a delightful look at the London cholera epidemic in 1854. Okay, maybe ‘delightful’ isn’t the right word…but fascinating definitely is. I learned a lot about the disease itself and how the London sewer/water system (or lack thereof) at that time played a role in the epidemic. It’s always interesting to read historical accounts of illnesses and what people thought caused or would cure them — because most of the time they were very, very wrong.

The Cup-De-Sac War

When I read The Dating Charade last year, I knew I had found a new favorite author in Melissa Ferguson. This is her latest book and follows Bree and Chip, two competitive neighbors who are each bent on driving the other from the cut-de-sac. Would you be shocked to learn that it doesn’t take long for an unwanted attraction to form? I love her sense of humor and sweet romances.

Up Next:

The Survivors

The Survivors has been getting a lot of attention in the #bookstagram world, and I’ve been hearing about it on blogs and podcasts, too. My hold just came in so I plan to start it in the next few days, with fingers crossed that it lives up to the hype! This one is set in Australia and according to the description there is “a sunken wreck, a missing girl, and questions that have never washed away” plus at least one dead body, so it sounds promising.

Saving Grace

I know, this one was on my list last month too, but I’m going to read it this time, I promise! I was pushed aside with Reliquary for the same reasons, but now I’m ready to dive into this story of a young mom finding her way after a divorce as she helps people at a crisis pregnancy center. I expect it be very emotional but also filled with hope and grace, and Denise Hunter’s books tend to be.

Sweetbriar Cottage

Also coming up soon (because you know I can’t have just one Denise Hunter book on my list (why is she so prolific? It’s a blessing and a curse)), is Sweetbriar Cottage. This story is about a couple who discover they aren’t divorced like they thought, and how they are forced to confront each other and their mutual past. I think it has the makings of a sweet, funny romance which is like catnip for me.

Infinities’s Gateway

Bermuda Triangle. That was all I needed to hear when the email asking me to review this book came through. It’s about a Navy ship and crew investigating a weird event and finding themselves isolated in an unexpected and hostile environment. It sounds like something that will be outside my normal reading tastes but the premise is intriguing enough that I’m willing to take a chance on it.

What have you been reading lately? If you want even more books to add to your TBR, check Modern Mrs. Darcy’s monthly quick lit list, plus see what other bloggers are reading in the comments section.