Recent Reads: January + February 2026

January and February were heavy on thrillers, with one romance mixed in for variety. My reading stack was full of dark secrets, twisted situations, and plenty of suspense, with several books pulling me in right from the start. A few landed more in the middle of the road for me, while others stood out with especially gripping twists. All in all, it was a solid start to the reading year (even if I haven't quite hit a five-star read just yet). 

📊Reading Stats

Books Read: 7
Genres: 

    Fiction (7): Thriller (6) ◦ Romance (1) 

    Nonfiction 0
Formats: Print (5) ◦ eBook (2)
Sources: Library (5) ◦ Netgalley (2)
Average Rating: 3.29 stars
Yearly Goal: 7 / 100

7%

📖Book Reviews

📘Room For Rent

Author: Noelle Ihli

Genre: Fiction ◦ Thriller

Publication: 2023

Format & Source: Print ◦ Library

Rating: ★★★☆☆

With one semester of college left, Nya answers an ad for a cheap off-campus room rental and moves into a rundown house she already regrets choosing. As unsettling things start happening around the house, she begins to suspect her strange roommate, Sidney, and realizes the situation may be far more dangerous than she thought.  

I’ve read a few of Noelle Ihli’s books now, and I’d place her in the category of solid but middle-of-the-road thriller writers for me. I generally enjoy her books enough that I plan to read them all, but they don’t usually blow me away. That ended up being the case with Room for Rent as well.

The premise was interesting and there were moments that pulled me in, but some of the situations and characters felt a little off. The pacing also leaned slow, and it wasn’t a book I found myself rushing to pick back up. That said, when I was reading it, it was engaging enough to keep me curious about where things were going.

If you’re looking to try this author, I’d actually recommend starting with Ask for Andrea, which is still my favorite of hers so far.

⚡ Quick Take: An interesting premise and a decent thriller, but not one of Ihli’s standout reads for me.

📘The Tenant

Author: Freida McFadden

Genre: Fiction ◦ Thriller

Publication: 2025

Format & Source: eBook ◦ Netgalley

Rating: ★★★☆☆

After losing his job, Blake Porter rents out a room in his brownstone to the seemingly perfect Whitney. Strange things begin happening in the house, and as Blake grows increasingly suspicious of his new tenant, his fiancée dismisses his concerns. Secrets surface, tension builds, and the situation spirals into a twist-filled psychological game.

I’m always excited to pick up a Freida McFadden book because I know exactly what I’m getting: a fast, clipped thriller that keeps the pages turning and usually delivers a few solid shocks along the way. The Tenant felt slightly different right away since it’s written from a male perspective, which we don’t often see from her, but the familiar McFadden rhythm still worked.

The chapters flew by, and it stayed in my head even when I wasn’t actively reading. The twists were genuinely surprising, although I did start to sense one of them coming before the reveal. A few moments stretched believability just enough to pull me out of the story, and overall it didn’t quite hit the level of her strongest books for me.

Even when a Freida book isn’t a personal favorite, it’s hard to deny how readable and addictive her writing is. This landed as a solid, entertaining thriller. It was easy to devour, just not a standout in her catalog.

⚡ Quick Take: A fast, addictive thriller with solid twists, but not one of McFadden's strongest or most believable.

📘His and Hers

Author: Alice Feeney

Genre: Fiction ◦ Thriller

Publication: 2020

Format & Source: Print ◦ Library

Rating: ★★★★☆

When a woman is murdered in the small town of Blackdown, journalist Anna Andrews is sent back to cover the story, in the same town where her ex-husband, Detective Jack Harper, is leading the investigation. Told from both of their perspectives, the case exposes buried secrets and shifting suspicions as the truth becomes harder and harder to pin down.

This was my first Alice Feeney novel, and I regret waiting this long. I actually started watching the Netflix adaptation of this first, and watched the opening episode before realizing it was based on this book. I immediately paused the show so I could read the story before continuing. Unfortunately, someone on Facebook spoiled the ending for me anyway, which was frustrating.

Even knowing the twist ahead of time, I still thoroughly enjoyed this. The first portion moved a little slowly, but once the second half kicked in, I couldn’t read it fast enough. The tension builds steadily, and the dual perspectives keep you questioning everything. Anna in particular felt fully developed and layered in a way that made the emotional undercurrent hit harder.

It’s dark, sharp, and packed with twists. Spoiler and all, it still worked... and that says a lot. I’m officially on board to read more from Feeney.

⚡ Quick Take: A dark, twist-heavy thriller that delivers even if you accidentally know the ending.

📘What Happened to Nina?

Author: Dervla McTiernan

Genre: Fiction ◦ Thriller

Publication: 2024

Format & Source: Print ◦ Library

Rating: ★★★★☆

After Nina disappears during a weekend getaway with her boyfriend Simon — who returns home alone — suspicion quickly turns toward him. As Nina’s devastated family clashes with Simon’s wealthy, protective parents, the case explodes into a media spectacle. Told against the backdrop of social media scrutiny and public obsession, the story unravels the truth behind Nina’s disappearance while examining how tragedy can blur into entertainment.

I’m always drawn to a missing persons story, and this one absolutely delivered. The premise felt reminiscent of the real-life Gabby Petito case, which added an extra layer of tension and familiarity. The family dynamics and media frenzy were particularly compelling.

The story is told from multiple perspectives, which adds depth and lets you see the situation unfold from every side. That structure worked especially well in the second half, when the pacing really picked up and became hard to put down. It was fast, gripping, and kept me fully invested until the final reveal.

⚡ Quick Take: A timely, addictive missing persons thriller that pulls you in and doesn’t let go.

📘Deep Cuts

Author: Sera Elly

Genre: Fiction ◦ Romance

Publication: 2026

Format & Source: eBook ◦ Netgalley

Rating: ★★★☆☆

After a drunken Vegas wedding to her brother’s best friend, Dani Cassidy’s life unravels following a tragic accident the next day. A year later, she’s still legally married to Ellis Foley and hasn’t spoken to him since. When they’re forced to reunite for a duet at her comeback festival, their chemistry reignites and sends them back on tour together. As the spotlight returns, they must decide whether their secret marriage was a mistake... or the start of something real.

This was a fun romance with more emotional depth than I expected. Beneath the secret marriage and rockstar chemistry, the story explores grief and healing in a way that felt grounded rather than overly dramatic. I also appreciated the neurodivergent representation, which added texture to the characters instead of feeling like an afterthought.

Dani and Ellis were well developed and interesting to follow. Their dynamic carried the story, especially as their history slowly resurfaced and complicated their second chance.

My only minor complaint is that while this is marketed as a standalone, it’s the third in a series. Having not read the first two books, I sometimes felt like I was missing context for side characters who had clearly been established earlier. A bit more backstory would have helped.

Overall, though, I enjoyed this one and would absolutely consider going back to read the earlier books in the series.

⚡ Quick Take: A layered, second-chance rockstar romance that balances grief and chemistry well.

📘Revelation

Author: Carter Wilson

Genre: Fiction ◦ Thriller

Publication: 2016

Format & Source: Print ◦ Library

Rating: ★★★★☆

When college student Harden Campbell wakes up beaten and trapped in a dirt-floor cell beside the body of his friend, he finds only one clue: a typewriter with a single instruction: “Tell me a story.” To survive, he must write about the past year at his university, where a charismatic and manipulative classmate began building a campus “religion” that slowly spiraled into something far darker and more dangerous. 

This was my second Carter Wilson book, and I’m officially a fan. The story grabbed me immediately and never really let go. I flew through it.

What made this one especially interesting for me is that it combines two things I’ve always found fascinating: cults and kidnapping. The story follows a wild but incredibly charismatic college student who starts a so-called religion on campus. Watching how quickly people get pulled in — and how things escalate from there — was both disturbing and completely compelling.

As the story unfolds, the events become increasingly bonkers, with kidnappings and manipulation pushing everything into darker territory. Beyond the thriller elements, the book really digs into the psychology behind cults and brainwashing, which made it even more fascinating to read.

I’ll definitely be picking up more of Wilson’s books after this.

⚡ Quick Take: A gripping psychological thriller about cult mentality and manipulation that’s impossible to put down.

📘You Shouldn't Have Come Here

Author: Jeneva Rose

Genre: Fiction ◦ Thriller

Publication: 2023

Format & Source: Print ◦ Library

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

When New York social media manager Grace Evans books a remote Wyoming ranch stay through an online rental site, she’s hoping for a quiet escape. Instead, she finds herself drawn to her mysterious host, Calvin Wells. As their connection deepens, strange things begin happening around the isolated property, and Grace starts to wonder whether she can trust the man she’s staying with... or if she made a dangerous mistake by coming at all.

I first read Jeneva Rose when The Perfect Marriage blew up a few years ago, and it was a definite standout for me. Since then, I’ve been looking forward to reading more of her books. Unfortunately, this one ended up being a bit of a flop.

The story leaned much more heavily into romance than I expected, which was disappointing since I went in anticipating a thriller. The relationship between the two main characters felt strange and rushed, with an instant-love dynamic that never really worked for me.

Beyond that, the overall vibe of the book just felt… off. The characters didn’t feel believable, and several events that happened throughout the story didn’t make much sense. It’s hard to fully explain, but the whole thing never quite came together in a way that worked.

Given how much I liked The Perfect Marriage, this one was a letdown.

⚡ Quick Take: A strange thriller-romance that never quite finds its footing.

🎖️Favorite Book of the Month

Revelation by Carter Wilson

That’s a wrap on this month’s reads — here’s to another great chapter! 📚