Hi everybody, and welcome to my December wrap-up! Also, how are we the final day of 2025 already? I feel like it just started like yesterday, but here we are. I hope you all had a great 2025, and that 2026 will be even better.
As I don’t think I’ll be finishing any more books today (even if I am in the middle of a few), I’m wrapping up my month now already. Wishing you all already a happy new year and see you next year 😉
Quicksilver by Callie Hart (Fae & Alchemy #1) (Re-Read)
I wanted to do a re-read of Quicksilver before diving into Brimstone (which I’m currently reading) and I actually liked this book even better the second time around! I feel like I had a better grasp on the characters and the world. 4 STARS
Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center
I saw the movie adaptation for this book back in November and ADORED it! So I wanted to pick up the book still and see if it could evoke the same feelings. And… it did and it didn’t. There were a few differences between the book and the movie and both had things I preferred over the other (the book had a bit more scenes between the main characters and built up the romance better – but the movie developed the secondary characters better). So overall, I have a slight preference for the movie, but probably only because I watched it first. 4 STARS
Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass #7) (Re-Read)
This series re-read has been one of the absolute highlights of my year and I am beyond grateful I did this. That said, this finale definitely put my feelings through the ringer again. Still one of my all-time favorite series for sure. 5 STARS
Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid (Game Changers #2)
And now the books that both saved me from the light reading slump I’d been having… and then put me back into another one because I am obsessed and unable to read or watch anything else. As you may know, the tv adaptation of this book has taken over the internet this month. I’d never heard of them before, but I saw the clips, became intrigued and decided I wanted to try the books first (and yes, I did skip straight to book 2 and then 6 in the series because I only wanted to read about Shane and Ilya, I’m sorry!) Conclusion: I am now certified OBSESSED. Shane and Ilya are amazing and I love their story so much. Thought it started a bit iffy for me, as this is definitely a case of lust before love (it’s a VERY spicy book) and I usually prefer slow-burn and pining and swooning. But after a bit, I got all the pining and swooning I could have asked for, which led me to love the book. 4,5 STARS
The Long Game by Rachel Reid (Game Changers #6)
THE SEQUEL IS EVEN BETTER! Yes, this was everything I could have asked for in a sequel to Shane and Ilya’s story. We see the two characters be together and in love and though they definitely go through some struggles as their relationship is still a secret and it’s weighing on them, we also see them go through it TOGETHER. They are strong, they are solid, and they are adorable. Still quite spicy, but with all the feels! And bonus points for all the mental health rep. 5+ STARS
Top Ten Tuesday
The Ten Last Books I Added To My TBR
Books Set in Snowy Places
Books On My Winter 2025-2026 To-Read List
My Bookish Wishes
Can’t Wait Wednesday
Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune {Can’t Wait Wednesday}
WWW Wednesday
WWW Wednesday: 3 December 2025
WWW Wednesday: 17 December 2025
Something Different Sunday
Harrison – All The Things She Said
When I said Heated Rivalry has taken over my life, that also applies to my playlist. Hence, why I became obsessed with this 3-year old remix of a 23-year old song and I have no regrets.
ALLDAY PROJECT – Famous
I only discovered this song, and this band, near the end of the year but it made a big impression. This is so catchy and fresh and I adore the band’s concept.
Wicked: For Good
Went to see this with the BFF and loved it! Though I have to say that some parts may be a bit confusing or unclear for those who are not yet aware of the story. I knew the story and the soundtrack already, so I knew what to expect, but my friend didn’t and wasn’t clear on some of the events happening in the final part.
Heated Rivalry
Yes, after reading the books I had to dive into the TV show as well. And wow, how BRILLIANT was this? One of the BEST adaptations ever. Not only did all the key parts from the books made it into the series, it was also amazingly acted, directed, edited and soundtracked. This really lifted up the source material and made it come alive. Like with the books, beware as this is very spicy, but it’s also so heartfelt and emotional and empowering and amazing so if spice is not your thing, please try to also see the heart behind it all. I can’t wait for season two and being able to see all my favorite scenes from The Long Game come to life.
THINGS THAT MADE ME HAPPY THIS MONTH:
- Had a day with my BFF spent going to see Wicked and having dinner together.
- Had another friend date with 2 friends as we went shopping together (I did not buy any books shockingly, but did get a new sweater and some make-up)
- Spotify Wrapped came out! My number one song was Dove Cameron’s Too Much.
- Had two weeks off from work for Christmas break (I’m still in week two) and it’s been nice to relax and spend time with family.
- Though I was gonna spend these two weeks off reading ALL the books and catching up on ALL the shows, thanks to Heated Rivalry I spent most of it reading and re-reading that ONE book (well, two), and watching that ONE show, and then browsing for clips, edits and reviews online instead of picking up something new, but hey, this made me HAPPY ok? ðŸ¤
THINGS I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH:
- The People We Meet on Vacation adaptation releasing on Netflix!
- A new season of Bridgerton starting at the end of January!
- A scheduled doggy playdate with a frolleague 🙂
How was your December? What did you read? What did you listen to and what did you watch? What are you looking forward to in January?
I have been trying to figure out if I wanted to read The Long Game. I definitely think I’m gonna pick it up now!
I think if you enjoyed Heated Rivalry, you’ll LOVE The Long Game. I thought it was even better! 🙂
I hope if you are looking for more Hockey romances, you read Role Model by Rachel Reid!
I want to read all the hockey romances in that series that I haven’t gotten to yet, but I’m most interested in Role Model indeed, it sounds so good!
My last few hockey romances were duds so I stopped reading them for a while. I’ll have to give these a shot! Quicksilver is also on my list. I hope you have a wonderful New Year!
PS: I just realized I wasn’t officially following you, but I am now. 🙂
Thank you! 😀
I hope these will be the hockey romances to change your bad streak then! 🙂 Happy 2026!
Never read a hockey romance in my life, but I did add Heated Rivalry to my TBR this in December…the FOMO is strong!
Haha I can imagine, the FOMO got me too 🙂 But I did end up loving it so I hope you will too!
I’m in the middle of reading Quicksilver for the first time right now! Can’t get ahold of Heated Rivalry, since the publisher’s doing a reprint and my library’s hold list is 300 people long (no joke). I’ll get there when I get there, I guess! LOL
Oh my, that is a long hold list indeed for Heated Rivalry! I hope you’ll get to read it soon though!
How were you able to watch Heated Rivalry???? I tried but I don’t find it in Belgium!
It’s indeed not yet available in Belgium right now, but you can watch it on HBO Max if you have a VPN connection. Hopefully you’ll get to watch it soon, Sophie!