New year, new you, new reading list 😉 There are some amazing January book releases, and I can’t wait to share them with you! I set a reading goal of 70 books for 2023, which is the same goal I set for 2022… However, I did fall short with 64 books! Committed to getting that 70 this year!! These must-read January book releases will help!
January Book Releases
What Lies in the Woods
This title is available January 17!
I received an ARC for review via NetGalley.
What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall immediately had my attention. The opening was so intense/dramatic and I was HOOKED. I was also immediately suspicious of everyone, which I loved. A+ character development.
3 friends go into the woods, and two come out covered in blood. Their friend was just attacked by a serial killer. To everyone’s surprise, the little 11 year old girl survived the attack, and her testimony is the one that put the serial killer away (and this was all in the first chapter, guys!)
Fast forward to the girls being adults, and hearing the news the serial killer had died in jail. Seems as good a reason as any for the 3 girls to get together. But that’s when their secrets from that summer start to unravel. It’s a tangled web, and one that could have deadly consequences.
Who was really in the woods that day, that summer? And who can Naomi trust? Can she trust her own memory?
What Lies in the Woods was packed with some extra disturbing twists 👏🏻 add this to your reading list immediately. I gave it 5 stars!!
The Girls Who Disappeared
I received an ARC for review via NetGalley.
Claire Douglas’ The Girls Who Disappeared is a delightfully complex story – and one I couldn’t put down!
The Girls Who Disappeared tells the story of the fallout from an accident that will change one girls’ life forever.
Olivia crashes her car on a rainy night, and her 3 friends mysteriously vanish by the time Olivia regains consciousness. It’s been 20 years with no leads, when journalist Jenna arrives in town to create a true-crime podcast. Never did Jenna anticipate she’d be in the middle of the whole thing when the truth came out!
There were so many red herrings and mini twists in The Girls Who Disappeared! I also loved the Thailand subplot – and loved figuring out how that fit into the present-day storyline!
The Villa
I received an ARC for review via Net Galley.
Wow. Let me just start by saying: I love Rachel Hawkins. I read Reckless Girls in one afternoon last year, and have been waiting not-so-patiently for a new title from Hawkins!
The Villa tells the story of two best friends/frienemies who travel on vacation to Italy. The home they’re staying at is the same home a famous musician was brutally murdered in, in the 70s. Despite that, the villa is gorgeous, and a dreamy summer unfolds — despite a super competitive friendship between Chess and Em.
What I LOVED was the story within the story. Throughout The Villa, we bounce to Mari’s perspective and her writing, and excerpts from magazines/articles – which was SUCH a fun addition to the read!
Without giving ANYTHING away, the twists within The Villa (and yes, that’s plural) were so well-placed — making The Villa a must read for your 2023 reading list!
Have you read any of these new book releases yet? Find more book reviews in this blog post!