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Everything I Read in February 2026

1. What Kind of Paradise

Not my usual thriller genre but I really loved this story. Jane grew up in an isolated cabin off the grid in Montana. She remembers very little about her childhood and the only remaining parent is her father who is very elusive about their past. Now that Jane is nearing adulthood, she is beginning to wonder more about her life and why her father doesn’t want them to be part of traditional society. After Jane becomes complicit in a horrific crime perpetrated by her father, she realizes she can’t continue living like this and runs away.

With nothing to her name and no idea where to go, she heads west to California based on the little information her dad gave her about their life before Montana. When she arrives in San Francisco, the internet is beginning to take off so she quickly gets a job working at a tech company. Once she gets settled, Jane decides that she must learn the truth about her past and why her father kept her so cut off from the rest of the world. The truth turns out to be more devastating than she imagined. Rating: 8.5

2. The Vanishing Place

I was so excited to read this book after seeing a ton of great reviews but sadly it was not a favorite. It was ok but dragged on at times. So it took me quite a bit to get through the entire story. Effie grew up in the New Zealand bush, cut off from the rest of the world and from civilization. Her childhood was traumatic which caused Effie to flee at age 16, finding refuge in Scotland with a family friend. It’s been nearly two decades since Effie escaped the bush. But after an urgent phone call from a childhood friend, Effie must return to New Zealand in order to help a little girl who is in danger just like she was as a child. Rating: 8

3. Forget Me Not

Good but not great is how I would describe this book. It’s a thriller but didn’t hook me like others in this list. There were some twists and turns but overall it felt somewhat lacking in depth. Claire is trying to carve out a life for herself in NYC but after years of climbing the investigative journalism ladder, she is feeling lost and unsure what is next. After an unexpected phone call from her father about her mother’s health, Claire heads back to her small town in South Carolina to be closer to family. This small town holds so many painful memories though because nearly 20 years ago, Claire’s sister went missing and authorities believed her to have been killed by an older man.

There are still so many unanswered questions surrounding her sister’s disappearance so while Claire is home, she visits the farm where her sister worked and spent her last days. As soon as Claire steps foot onto the property, she senses the family who owns it is hiding something. Using her skills as an investigative journalist, Claire decides to see if she can find out what this family may be hiding and how that relates to her sister’s death. Rating: 8

4. My Husband’s Wife

Alice Feeney has become one of my favorite authors when I want to read a book with an unbelievable and shocking twist. This is her newest book and it did not disappoint. Eden Fox goes out on her morning run like she does every day only to return home to a stranger at her front door. This stranger says SHE is Eden Fox and lives at the home Eden shares with her husband. Honestly, this is one of the wildest openings I’ve read. So I knew I would be in for a crazy ride with this book. There are so many loose ends in this book that it’s hard to comprehend how they will all weave together but by the end they do. And the biggest twist comes in the last few pages of the book – you will not see this one coming!!! Rating: 9

5. Annie Bot

This book has been on my TBR (to be read) list for nearly 3 years. I wasn’t sure I would like it since it was so different from anything I typically read. For the first quarter of the book, I was considering quitting it altogether but decided to stick with it. I ended up really enjoying it though it is hard to explain why I loved it. LOL The ending felt unfinished so that definitely let me down. But there was so much more depth in this book than I anticipated.

Annie is a customized AI robot designed to act like a real life girlfriend for her partner Doug. A tech company has created this lifelike robot model and sells them to the public. As expected, it became very popular with men looking for companions that they can essentially control. But Annie is different. Her knowledge and intellectual capability is developing more each day making her question if she really wants to live like this.

The entire book explores the concept of AI capability and if higher intelligence can really be possible with a robot. In Annie’s search for answers, she must come to terms with the idea of what it means to be human. I went through so many emotions reading this book and had so many conflicting thoughts surrounding this idea of AI robots living among us. Ultimately I really loved the book and enjoyed that it was such a departure from my regular genre. Rating: 8.5

6. Best Offer Wins

I was absolutely obsessed with this book from the very beginning! It had me hooked and took me on the craziest ride imaginable. Margo and her husband live in an apartment in DC though they are hoping to finally find their dream home in the near future. The housing market is crazy with all the best homes in the most desirable areas getting snatched up almost immediately. Margo is getting desperate to find something and catches wind of a new home hitting the market soon. She convinces her husband to drive to the home so they can scope it out and see if they would want to put in an offer.

As soon as Margo sets eyes on this house, she knows it has to be hers. She even tries to sneak around back to see more of the home and backyard. When the homeowner catches her snooping around, Margo tries to play it off like she was running in the area and lost her way. After she gets home, Margo decides to research everything about the home owners in order to increase her chances of getting her dream home. Things take a very dark turn when the owners get spooked by Margo’s aggressive tactics and she must find other ways to convince them to sell her the home. This story will take you on the wildest ride in the best way! Rating: 9

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Everything I Read in January 2026

1. The Butcher

Good but not great. Also, there is a warning in the beginning of the book for VERY bigoted language by the main character. Thankfully it wasn’t too egregious but it’s worth noting. Edward Shank is the retired chief of police with his most notable achievement being his identifying and ultimate killing of the area’s infamous serial killer “The Butcher”. Decades later, it seems like there is a copycat killer emerging and young women begin to go missing again. Could it be that they go the wrong guy? Edward’s grandson stumbles upon the answer unknowingly and must decide if he should keep this information to himself or risk destroying the only family he has left. The reader discovers who the killer is very early on in the book so most of the story is the race for everyone to finally put the clues together. The story is entertaining but definitely not a favorite from this month. Rating: 8

2. By Any Other Name

I LOVE Jodi Picoult books but this one was a big flop unfortunately. It was soooooo slow and took me forever to get through. The story oscillates between the past and present nicely but I had a hard time keeping focused on how drawn out each chapter became. Melina is a playwright living in NYC trying to work odd jobs in order to support her dream of one day selling a play. Her most recent work is inspired by one of her ancestors, Emilia who many was the true author of various Shakespeare plays. The author does a great job of intertwining the two timelines but ultimately it was not a story that really got me invested. Rating: 7

3. Not Quite Dead Yet

An easy to get through mystery but the premise of the book is sorta ridiculous. If you can get back that, the story is entertaining. Since I listen to all my books on audio, I rarely am bothered by a narrator but the narrator of this book was by far the worst I’ve ever heard. If you plan to get this book, read it instead of listening! Jet is the daughter of a wealthy Vermont family with ties to the entire community in which they live. Jet is somewhat of a black sheep and is back home to try and rebuild her life after some recent stumbles and failures. After the annual Halloween fair in town, Jet returns back to her parents’ home where she is attacked and left for dead. When Jet wakes up in the hospital, she learns how serious her injuries are and must make some devastating decisions. Going against her family’s wishes, Jet decides to spend her remaining days trying to solve her own murder. There are lots of twists and turns but the overall idea of the book is somewhat unrealistic in a way that brings down the value of the story. Rating: 7

4. Wild Dark Shore

I am beginning to think that any of the books from Reese Witherspoon’s book club are not for me. I have read a few recently and disliked every single one – this book included. It dragged on so slowly as a story but the dynamics of the characters seemed to move too quickly. Dominic and his children live on a remote island near Antarctica which is home to the world’s largest seed bank. No one ever visits because it’s so far from civilization so the family is shocked when a woman washes up on the island’s shore. The family helps nurse the woman back to health while trying to understand what she was doing so close to the island. Both the woman and Dominic’s family have secrets that they are keeping from everyone. So time will tell if these secrets can be safely revealed. If I’m being honest, the secrets are pretty anticlimactic so it didn’t add much to the story. Rating: 6

5. The Carpool Detectives

The most enthralling part of this book is that it’s a TRUE STORY! Four moms decide to investigate a 15 year old cold case and solve it! It’s a really interesting read because it shows their processes and how in depth their research went. Even though I knew that they did in fact solve the case, I truly kept doubting my understanding of the book because they hit so many dead ends throughout their research. The intuitive power of women is on full display in this book and it’s incredibly awe-inspiring to see. Rating: 8.5

6. Next of Kin

This book has some INSANE twists that had my jaw on the floor all the way until the very end of the book. Leila and her sister, Yasmin, had a difficult childhood that left them orphaned before they were 18. This greatly impacted the trajectory of their lives but both managed to find a way out and live successful lives. Yasmin has a 3 year old son named Max who Leila helps with from time to time. On one summer morning, Leila receives a call from Yasmin’s husband, Andrew, asking if she can take Max to school on her way to work. Leila happily agrees but what transpires next will forever change their lives. A trial ensues and family bonds are tested to the limit. Just when you think you have this story figured out, you realize you don’t and a twist comes. Rating: 8.5

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