Books Review February + March

Books I’ve read in February+ March

1. Leave it up to love

2. Great big beautiful life

3. As long as the lemon trees grows

4. It’s a love story

5. The only one left

6. Alaskan holiday

7. The price of honey

8. The man in brown suit

9. Every summer after

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1. Leave it up to love :

Amazon bonus read - February

As a "February Bonus" for Amazon First Reads, this short story offers a cozy premise: an author whose debut novel failed to set the world alight is offered a career-changing opportunity. With her publisher rejecting her new ideas, she is tasked with ghostwriting for her favorite famous author, who has been struggling with writer's block since the death of her husband.

While the concept of a writer learning

to love her craft again is sweet, the execution feels a bit thin. The story is a quick read—easily finished in under an hour—but it lacks the depth needed to make the characters truly memorable. Neither woman felt particularly distinct, and the added romance element was unfortunately unconvincing, making the emotional stakes feel lower than they should have been.

Ultimately, this was nice way to spend a Sunday evening, but it wasn't especially memorable either.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

2. Great big beautiful life

I went into this one expecting a sweet, lighthearted romcom — the kind of Emily Henry book that just makes you smile. A few chapters in, I realized it was anything but that. Was I disappointed? Slightly. But only because I associate Henry with romcoms that leave you feeling warm and fuzzy. This one tugged on the heartstrings in ways I didn’t see coming.

Not Her Best Romance — But Maybe Her Best Story. Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still chasing her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer and, in Alice’s words, a human thundercloud. They’re both on Little Crescent Island — a tiny, balmy island off the coast of Georgia — competing for the chance to write the biography of Margaret Ives, a reclusive heiress no one has seen in years. Margaret proposes a one-month trial for both writers, after which she’ll decide who tells her story. The catch? NDAs. A small island. And two people who really can’t help running into each other. If you’re an Emily Henry fan, I recommend this one — even if it takes you a little while to find your footing. It’s much different from her previous releases, and it’s not the romcom you might be expecting. But the overall story, the writing, and the characters are wonderful. This is genre-bending Emily Henry, and honestly? I hope she keeps going in this direction. It’s working.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars — Not her best romance. Her best story.

3. As long as the lemon trees grows

I’ll be honest —I hesitated for months to read this book . I’m so glad I finally gave it a chance, because this is one of the most profound and affecting books I have ever read.

The Story

Set in Syria during the war, the book follows Salama Kassab, an eighteen-year-old surgeon saving lives while quietly drowning in guilt every time she can’t. She faces an impossible choice — leave the homeland she loves or stay and risk everything. Then Kenan enters her life, having already lost everyone else to the war, challenging her resolve in ways she never expected. It is a story of love, loss, resilience, and what it truly means to hold onto hope when everything around you has collapsed.

The Weight of It

What makes this book extraordinary is that it never lets you forget these events were real. I sobbed every few pages — not from sentimentality, but from raw, helpless empathy. When a young boy says, “I will tell God everything,” you stop reading because you know that line came from real life, not imagination. That realization hits differently.

This book made me confront how much I take for granted — safety, food, shelter, simply breathing without fear. These are things so many of us never think twice about. This book made me think about them constantly.

Final Thoughts

The mark of truly important storytelling — it doesn’t just move you, it changes you.

This is not a comfortable read, but it is an essential one. It will cost you something emotionally, and it is absolutely worth it.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

As long as the lemon trees grow, there is still hope. Read this book.

4 . It’s a love story

As a first introduction to Annabel Monaghan, It’s a Love Story left me curious enough to explore her backlist — particularly Nora Goes Off Script, which seems to be the fan favourite. Monaghan is known for her charming, funny novels, and this latest checks both boxes  — at least for the better part of the reading experience. The writing is warm, the characters are likeable, and the Hollywood-meets-small-town setting is a lot of fun. I just wish the second half had matched the energy of the first.

A promising introduction to an author I’ll definitely be reading again — with slightly adjusted expectations next time.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

5 . The only one left

I couldn’t keep this book down. This was my first Riley sagar book and I must tell you that it was amazing. I was surprised how quickly I was hooked on the plot . His writing is exceptional leaving reader feeling ‘ eerie ‘ which is the whole idea of the suspense thriller genre. I recommend this book who want to read creepy , thrilling book with great twists .

Rating 4.5 /5

6.Alaskan Holiday

Debbie Macomber book Alaskan Holiday was a sweet simple read . It gave me hallmark movie vibes - that I love . I read it after as the lemon tree grows which was perfect because I needed something light hearted Romance to unwind myself and Alaskan holiday story soon turned into a pleasure read .

Rating 4 out 5

7.The price of honey

Amazon bonus read - March

It’s a short 34 page that you can read in one sitting. It was a good read —- the story take off with a widow attending her husband’s funeral who is a tech genius and his  ex - wives are also part of the funeral. The end twist leave your jaw drop … which makes reader wants more of the story. the only thing I couldnt get was the title of the book …  “the price of honey”

Rating 3.5 out of 5

8.The man in brown suit

Published in 1924, this novel marks the debut of Colonel Race, one of Agatha Christie’s more enigmatic recurring characters — a man of quiet authority whose true allegiances always seem to hover just beyond the reader’s grasp.

Rather than following the traditional detective novel format, the story leans decisively into the territory of the crime thriller, built around breathless momentum rather than methodical deduction. At its heart is Anne Bedingfield, a young woman of modest means but considerable nerve, whose life is upended by a chance encounter on the London Underground. What begins as an unsettling incident on a busy tube platform quickly snowballs into something far more dangerous, pulling Anne into a web of murder and intrigue she could never have anticipated.

From the fog of London to the open seas of a cruise ship, and finally to the sweeping landscapes of South Africa, the novel carries its heroine — and its reader — across a vivid and expansive backdrop. Anne herself is one of Christie’s more appealing protagonists: spirited, quick-witted, and refreshingly unafraid to throw herself headlong into danger. She drives the narrative with an infectious energy that makes her easy to root for.

Overall, this is a thoroughly enjoyable entry from the golden era of crime fiction — perhaps not Christie at her most intricately plotted, but certainly Christie at her most adventurous.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Rating : 4 out of 5

1. Every summer after

I want to say that it was Carley Fortune  debut book that gave it bonus points . Otherwise , this book didn’t click with me . The first few chapters did grasp my interest but later the story fell flat . Thought was an easy read but the storyline lost it .

Rating 2 out of  5