Hello friends!

How are you all doing? Can you believe it, here we are in 2025! I’m so excited to publish my first post of 2025 today and share with you all the books I read in December – yup, that’s how we’re starting the year!

December was a nice reading month because even though it was pretty busy with the holidays and with my 9 to 5, I was able to read a ton of books that I enjoyed. I threw my bookish rules out of the window and I decided to read random books I really wanted!

Funny enough, I didn’t read any holiday-themed books, so you won’t find any here. I’m usually not a seasonal reader, so there is no surprise there.

Ok, let’s take a look at the books, shall we?

This is the list I have to share with you today! Let’s take a closer look:

1. Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood: 4/5⭐

I don’t think I’ve ever read a story with a chess theme before, so this was a very interesting and fun read to me! I enjoyed this book for the most part: it was fast-paced, there were plenty of fun situations, and I liked the chess theme very much. I also enjoyed the romance, and the situations created by the author for them to keep meeting – that was one of my favorite things about this book. There were a few things about this book that I didn’t love and it’s not a perfect book by any means, but at the end of the day the story was entertaining and I had fun reading it. Who knew chess could be so fun? I probably wouldn’t recommend this to a younger audience like pre-teens (and younger) because there’s a lot of sex talk, I believe it is fine for older audiences.

Synopsis

“Mallory Greenleaf is done with chess. Every move counts nowadays. After the sport led to the destruction of her family four years earlier, Mallory’s focus is on her mom, her sisters, and the dead-end job that keeps the lights on. That is, until she begrudgingly agrees to play in one last charity tournament and inadvertently wipes the board with notorious “Kingkiller” Nolan Sawyer: current world champion and reigning bad boy of chess.
Nolan’s loss to an unknown rook-ie shocks everyone—especially Mallory. What’s even more confusing? His desire to cross pawns again. What kind of gambit is Nolan playing? The smart move would be to walk away. Resign. Game over. But Mallory’s victory opens the door to sorely needed cash prizes and, despite everything, she can’t help feeling drawn to the enigmatic strategist….
As she rockets up the ranks, Mallory struggles to keep her family safely separated from the game that wrecked it in the first place. And as her love for the sport she so desperately wanted to hate begins to rekindle, Mallory quickly realizes that the games aren’t only on the board, the spotlight is hotter than she imagined, and the competition can be fierce(-ly attractive. And intelligent…and infuriating…)”

2. Priest (Priest #1) by Sierra Simone: 3/5⭐

This was a little disappointing to me if I’m being honest – but maybe I had high hopes for it? I was expecting a little more from the plot because other than the taboo aspect… it doesn’t deliver much more. I’ve heard great things about the second book in the “Priest” series, so I’ll probably read that and decide afterwards if I’ll continue reading the series!

Synopsis

“There are many rules a priest can’t break: A priest cannot marry. A priest cannot abandon his flock. A priest cannot forsake his God.
I’ve always been good at following rules. Until she came. My name is Tyler Anselm Bell. I’m twenty-nine years old. Six months ago, I broke my vow of celibacy on the altar of my own church, and God help me, I would do it again. I am a priest and this is my confession.”

3. Lights Out (Into Darkness #1) by Navessa Allen: 4/5⭐

Another taboo romance! TikTok made me read this story, and I have to say I enjoyed it very much. I’m usually not very into social media-themed books (or taboo romances for that matter), but I had fun reading this and I didn’t mind it too much. I know the next book in the series will come out in 2025, so I think I’ll pick it up when I get it!

Synopsis

““I don’t need another kink.”
That thought pops into my head whenever I pull up my favorite social media app, but alas, every time I scroll, I learn something new about myself, and another one is born. And yes, I know I’m responsible for what the algorithm shows me, but I’m trying to ignore that fact.
Lately, my feed has been dominated by masked men. I’ve favorited videos with them dressed in full cosplay, decked out in futuristic military apparel, and wrapped up like ghouls.
But more than anything else, my FYP is filled with shirtless men wearing ghost masks. Bonus points if they’re heavily tattooed, wielding a knife, or covered in fake blood. At night, I dream about being chased by them, of them catching me and doing deliciously dark things to my more than willing body.
I never could have guessed that by sending one drunken text, those dreams would become my new reality.”

4. When He Was Wicked (Bridgertons #6) by Julia Quinn: 3/5⭐

Francesca’s story was a little underwhelming to me – and if I’m being honest I found her very annoying. I didn’t find her story interesting, and it’s probably one of my least favorites of the entire series. It wasn’t exactly bad, but it was boring and I didn’t care for any characters. At the end of the day, it was a meh book.

Synopsis

“In every life there is a turning point.
A moment so tremendous, so sharp and breathtaking, that one knows one’s life will never be the same. For Michael Stirling, London’s most infamous rake, that moment came the first time he laid eyes on Francesca Bridgerton.
After a lifetime of chasing women, of smiling slyly as they chased him, of allowing himself to be caught but never permitting his heart to become engaged, he took one look at Francesca Bridgerton and fell so fast and hard into love it was a wonder he managed to remain standing. Unfortunately for Michael, however, Francesca’s surname was to remain Bridgerton for only a mere thirty-six hours longer — the occasion of their meeting was, lamentably, a supper celebrating her imminent wedding to his cousin.But that was then… Now Michael is the earl and Francesca is free, but still she thinks of him as nothing other than her dear friend and confidant. Michael dares not speak to her of his love… until one dangerous night, when she steps innocently into his arms, and passion proves stronger than even the most wicked of secrets…”

5. The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager: 3/5⭐

If I’m being honest, this book was a little disappointing. I’ve been in a huge Riley Sager kick, so I’ve been reading his books whenever I have the chance. The thing that bothered me about this book is how it has a paranormal element. He has some books where he hints about paranormal events, but this is the first time I’ve seen him confirm the events. So… I don’t know about this one.

Synopsis

“Casey Fletcher, a recently widowed actress trying to escape a streak of bad press, has retreated to the peace and quiet of her family’s lake house in Vermont. Armed with a pair of binoculars and several bottles of liquor, she passes the time watching Tom and Katherine Royce, the glamorous couple who live in the house across the lake. They make for good viewing—a tech innovator, Tom is rich; and a former model, Katherine is gorgeous.
One day on the lake, Casey saves Katherine from drowning, and the two strike up a budding friendship. But the more they get to know each other—and the longer Casey watches—it becomes clear that Katherine and Tom’s marriage is not as perfect and placid as it appears. When Katherine suddenly vanishes, Casey becomes consumed with finding out what happened to her. In the process, she uncovers eerie, darker truths that turn a tale of voyeurism and suspicion into a story of guilt, obsession and how looks can be very deceiving.
With his trademark blend of sharp characters, psychological suspense, and gasp-worthy surprises, Riley Sager’s The House Across the Lake unveils more than one twist that will shock readers until the very last page.”

6. Misery by Stephen King: 4/5⭐

This book was really good! I don’t pick up Stephen King’s books very often, but ever since I started this a long time ago (but never finished it), I knew I wanted to read the entire thing one day. It’s such a creepy book! This gave me so much anxiety at times – for example, in that chapter when he sneaks out of the room but hears her car pulling into the driveway, so he has to rush back to the room in the wheelchair so she doesn’t catch him out of place. That scene was insane! It was a very enjoyable read that felt very real.

Synopsis

“Paul Sheldon is a bestselling novelist who has finally met his number one fan. Her name is Annie Wilkes, and she is more than a rabid reader—she is Paul’s nurse, tending his shattered body after an automobile accident. But she is also furious that the author has killed off her favorite character in his latest book. Annie becomes his captor, keeping him prisoner in her isolated house.
Annie wants Paul to write a book that brings Misery back to life—just for her. She has a lot of ways to spur him on. One is a needle. Another is an axe. And if they don’t work, she can get really nasty.”

7. I Hope This Doesn’t Find You by Ann Liang: 5/5⭐

Oh my gosh, I loved this a lot! It was a last minute read, because I finished all my audiobooks for the month, but I still wanted to listen to another one before the year was over, so I picked this one to end the year – it ended up not being the last book I read in 2024, but I thought it was at the time. Now I can’t believe I’ve wanted to read this numerous times before and never did. Now that I finally took the time to read it, I fell in love with it. This was a really nice YA contemporary romance—I needed a story like this.

Synopsis

“Snarky and romantic, I Hope This Doesn’t Find You is Never Have I Ever meets To All the Boys if Lara Jean wrote hate emails instead of love letters.
Sadie Wen is perfect on paper: school captain, valedictorian, and a “pleasure to have in class.” It’s not easy, but she has a trick to keep her model-student smile plastered on her face at all times: she channels all her frustrations into her email drafts. She’d never send them of course — she’d rather die than hurt anyone’s feelings — but it’s a relief to let loose on her power-hungry English teacher or a freeloading classmate taking credit for Sadie’s work.
All her most vehemently worded emails are directed at her infuriating cocaptain, Julius Gong, whose arrogance and competitive streak have irked Sadie since they were kids. “You’re attention starved and self-obsessed and unbearably vain… I really hope your comb breaks and you run out of whatever expensive hair products you’ve been using to make your hair appear deceptively soft…”
Sadie doesn’t have to hold back in her emails, because nobody will ever read them… that is, until they’re accidentally sent out.
Overnight, Sadie’s carefully crafted, conflict-free life is turned upside down. It’s her worst nightmare — now everyone at school knows what she really thinks of them, and they’re not afraid to tell her what they really think of her either. But amidst the chaos, there’s one person growing to appreciate the “real” Sadie — Julius, the only boy she’s sworn to hate…”

8. Made in Korea by Sarah Suk: 3.25/5⭐

The theme for this book was very interesting—a battle between the main characters over who sells more K-Beauty products. When I started this book, I knew it would be a romance, but I did not know about the premise. I admit I was surprised with the concept and the choice of the plot, but it was fun. I wasn’t super amazed with the story, but I’ve read worse.

Synopsis

“A romantic comedy about two entrepreneurial Korean American teens who butt heads—and maybe fall in love—while running competing Korean beauty businesses at their high school.
There’s nothing Valerie Kwon loves more than making a good sale. Together with her cousin Charlie, they run V&C K-BEAUTY, their school’s most successful student-run enterprise. With each sale, Valerie gets closer to taking her beloved and adventurous halmeoni to her dream city, Paris.
Enter the new kid in class, Wes Jung, who is determined to pursue music after graduation despite his parents’ major disapproval. When his classmates clamor to buy the K-pop branded beauty products his mom gave him to “make new friends,” he sees an opportunity—one that may be the key to help him pay for the music school tuition he knows his parents won’t cover…
What he doesn’t realize, though, is that he is now V&C K-BEAUTY’s biggest competitor.
Stakes are high as Valerie and Wes try to outsell each other, make the most money, and take the throne for the best business in school—all while trying to resist the undeniable spark that’s crackling between them. From hiring spies to all-or-nothing bets, the competition is much more than either of them bargained for.
But one thing is clear: only one Korean business can come out on top.”

As usual, I’ll be posting the reviews for these books soon.

What about you guys? How was your reading month? Let me know in the comments! Thank you for reading friends, I’ll catch you guys later!