Hello, lovelies!

Welcome to the November TBR! I am ready for winter to come. My mum has made me a warm blanket and a pillow, and my birthday is coming up on the 18th, so it’s a really exciting month for me already!

October was a pretty busy month, and even though I read a lot of books, I have a few that are going to have to move forward into this month. But I also have a lot of amazing things planned as well. Many readalongs and many blog tours, as well as some wild picks too, so stay tuned, because this birthday edition will be quite a treat!

You probably already know this, but just a reminder that I share my current reading updates on my Instagram posts and stories, so don’t forget to follow my Instagram to see what I am reading at any given time during this month. And this month, there will be a lot of surprises there as well, which you don’t want to miss.

And with that being said, let the November TBR raffle commence.

The November TBR Raffle

I am filming my TBRs on my Instagram Stories. Make sure to follow me on Instagram, and check out the “Monthly TBR” highlight at the beginning of each month!

My TBR Raffle game is simple: I have a number of prompts that I put in small papers, into a jar. I draw a prompt, and I fit in a book that matches my prompt. Here is a list of the current prompts I have. Feel free to leave any prompt suggestions in the comments. Once the paper is drawn, I put it back into the jar, so it has an equal chance to get drawn again. I draw a total of 6 prompts, which result in 6 books for the month. If I fail to read a book, it automatically goes into the next month.

My November TBR

✨ 1. Sent By Author

The author Jason Price kindly sent this book to me, and even though I wanted to include it into my October TBR, my book pile just didn’t let me do that. So when this prompt came up, I had to add it immediately.

Synopsis:

Welcome to Pleasant Grove, a quiet small town where neighbor helps neighbor and doors are left unlocked at night-an unspoiled paradise with one peculiar feature: It’s enclosed by a glass dome.

No one can leave.
No one can enter.
And no one can survive beyond the dome.

But then, a visitor arrives from the outside.

When 12-year-old Agnes Goodwin discovers a strange boy with no memory, she teams up with her best friends to unravel the mystery. Their extraordinary adventure will threaten everything they know…and everyone they love.

Purchase Links:
| Amazon UK |Amazon US |

✨ 2. One Word Title

Some people may say this is cheating, but I am choosing not to count the “The” from “The Searcher” by Tana French. I will be reading this book as part of the Penguin Random House Blog Tour, so expect my review on the 19th November.

Synopsis:

Retired detective Cal Hooper moves to a remote village in rural Ireland. His plans are to fix up the dilapidated cottage he’s bought, to walk the mountains, to put his old police instincts to bed forever.

Then a local boy appeals to him for help. His brother is missing, and no one in the village, least of all the police, seems to care. And once again, Cal feels that restless itch.

Something is wrong in this community, and he must find out what, even if it brings trouble to his door.

Purchase Links:
 | Amazon UK | Amazon US |

✨ 3. Mama Pick

This is the first time Mama pick came up since I added it on my TBR prompts list, and I was so happy and excited, even though I already knew what my mum would pick for me. She has introduced me to the novels written by Georgia Le Carre, and I loved every single one of them. They are very steamy and very quick reads, and I am looking forward to read this one. Crystal Jake, also called Eden I is the first book in the Eden series.

Synopsis:

Haunted by memories of her brother’s death, and searching for answers, Lily Hart embarks on a career that takes her into a seedy underworld, where she is exposed to wealth, greed, lust and the reign of gorgeous, powerful, and dangerous men—one man in particular wreaks havoc on her emotions.

At thirty Jake Eden has everything: looks to die for, money, power and a never-ending line of twisted, fucked-up women willing to do anything to get with him. Love? Love was for pussies…until a woman with the stage name of ‘Jewel’ arrives on the scene. She alone is different from all the others.

Oozing pure, unadulterated sex, strong, intelligent and independent, she is everything he should stay away from, but she makes him itch to tame her and keep her for himself.

Her lure is addictive and undeniable and soon he is hooked.

But when the line between betrayal and loyalty is put to test…

Will love be stronger than revenge?

Purchase Links:
| Amazon UK |Amazon US |

✨ 4. Borrowed

Last month, I read After by Anna Todd, and if you have read my review, you will know how much I enjoyed it and why. So when the borrowed prompt came up, I had to add the second book in the series, After We Collided, because my sister is lending me these books.

Synopsis:

Hardin has nothing to lose…except her. AFTER WE COLLIDED Life will never be the same. After a tumultuous beginning to their relationship, Tessa and Hardin were on the path to making things work. Tessa knew Hardin could be cruel, but when a bombshell revelation is dropped about the origins of their relationship – and Hardin’s mysterious past – Tessa is beside herself. Hardin will always be…Hardin.

But is he really the deep, thoughtful guy Tessa fell madly in love with, despite his angry exterior, or has he been a stranger all along? She wishes she could just walk away, but it just isn’t that easy. Not with the memory of passionate nights wrapped in his arms…his electric touch…his hungry kisses…

Still, Tessa’s not sure she can endure one more broken promise. She put so much on hold for Hardin – University, friends, her relationship with her mother, a loving boyfriend, even her fledgling career. She needs to move on. Hardin knows he made a mistake, possibly the biggest one of his life, but he won’t be going down without a fight! But can he change…will he change…for love?

Purchase Links:
| Amazon UK |Amazon US |

✨ 5. Sent By Publisher

For this prompt, I am choosing Secrets She Kept by Cathy Gohlke. This book was kindly sent to me by Muddy Pearl Books to commemorate Armistice Day. I will be reading and posting this book before the 11th November, so stay tuned for my review.

Synopsis:

The secret a mother was forbidden to share . . . the consequences a daughter could not redeem—but will risk everything in her attempt.

All her life, Hannah Sterling longed for a close relationship with her estranged mother. Following Lieselotte’s death, Hannah unlocks secrets of her mother’s mysterious past, including the discovery of a grandfather living in Germany.

Thirty years earlier, Lieselotte’s father, ascending the ranks of the Nazi party, demands a marriage for his daughter to help advance his career. But Lieselotte is in love—and her beloved Lukas secretly works against the Reich. How far will her father go to achieve his goal?

Both Hannah’s and Lieselotte’s stories unfold as Hannah travels to Germany to meet her grandfather, who hides wartime secrets of his own. Longing for connection, yet shaken by all she uncovers, Hannah must decide if she can atone for her family’s tragic past, and how their legacy will shape her future.

Purchase Links:
| Amazon UK |Amazon US |

✨ 6. Short Read

The Silent Stars Go By written by Sally Nicholls is a book that I’ll be reading in November, because I’ll be part of the Instagram Book Tour hosted by Kaleidoscopic Tours. Huge thanks to Andersen Press for sending not only a copy of the book, but also plenty of surprise goodies, that I have to open once I reach a certain page milestone. I cannot wait to start this – look out for my Instagram Stories, where I will open the goodies as I read the book.

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Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Margot Allan was a respectable vicar’s daughter and madly in love with her fiance Harry. But when Harry was reported Missing in Action from the Western Front, and Margot realised she was expecting his child, there was only one solution she and her family could think of in order to keep that respectability. She gave up James, her baby son, to be adopted by her parents and brought up as her younger brother.

Now two years later the whole family is gathering at the Vicarage for Christmas. It’s heartbreaking for Margot being so close to James but unable to tell him who he really is. But on top of that, Harry is also back in the village. Released from captivity in Germany and recuperated from illness, he’s come home and wants answers. Why has Margot seemingly broken off their engagement and not replied to his letters? Margot knows she owes him an explanation. But can she really tell him the truth about James?

Purchase Links:
 Amazon UK

Extra Books I’ll Be Reading in November

✨ 7. October, October by Katya Balen, Illustrated by Angela Harding

I was originally planning to read October, October in (guess the word) – October. But life got in the way, and I’ll have to read it in November. I would ideally read it next October, just to match the theme, but I really want to read it and don’t think I’ll be able to wait that long.

Synopsis:

October and her dad live in the woods. They sleep in the house Dad built for them and eat the food they grow in the vegetable patches. They know the trees and the rocks and the lake and stars like best friends.

Furthermore, they read the books they buy in town again and again until the pages are soft and yellow – until next year’s town visit. They live in the woods and they are wild.

And that’s the way it is.

Until the year October turns eleven. That’s the year October rescues a baby owl. It’s the year Dad falls out of the biggest tree in their woods. The year the woman who calls herself October’s mother comes back. The year everything changes.

Purchase Links:
| Amazon UK |Amazon US |

✨ 8. Together by Christmas by Karen Swan

If you have been following me for a while, you’ll know I have read a few books by Karen Swan recently. I really loved The Hidden Beach and I also enjoyed The Greek Escape. And when the Tandem Collective team reached out to me for another readalong by her, I couldn’t say no. This is going to be a Christmas book set in Amsterdam, and I am here for it!

Synopsis:

When Lee first came to Amsterdam, it was with a newborn baby and a secret. Five years later, her life is approaching normal: her career as a celebrity photographer is flourishing, her son Jasper is growing up, and they are enjoying the run-up to Christmas with their tight circle of close friends.

But all this changes one morning when Lee finds a book in the basket of her bicycle – and scrawled inside it, a desperate message. Who left it for her, and why? Lee feels compelled to help and tracks down the book’s author, Sam. With an instant, undeniable connection it seems they might have a shot at a real future together.

Until her past comes calling. As the snow falls and ice thickens on the city’s canals, the secret Lee has never told resurfaces. Suddenly everything she holds dear hangs in the balance. Christmas is a time for being together – but what if the truth means she ends up alone?

Escape to the snow-covered streets of Amsterdam in this deeply romantic read, featuring twists, turns and characters you’ll fall in love with.

Purchase Links:
| Amazon UK |Amazon US |

✨ 9. Return To Virgin River by Robyn Carr

I remember how much I enjoyed Virgin River by Robyn Carr. When Mills & Boon let me know another book is coming, at the same time as Season 2 of the Netflix TV Show, I was so hyped! This follows another character with their own story, but based at the same small town that we all know and love!

Synopsis:

Struggling with grief after the death of her mother, successful author Kaylee Sloan needs a distraction, to come to terms with life and meet her looming deadline.

With Christmas approaching, Kaylee rents a cabin in Virgin River. She knows the isolation will help her writing and as she drives north through the mountains she immediately feels inspired. Until she arrives at a building that has just gone up in flames. Devastated, she heads to Jack’s Bar to plan her next steps. The local bar is the heart of the town and once she crosses the threshold, she’s surprised to be embraced by people who are more than willing to help a stranger in need.

Welcomed by those in Virgin River, Kaylee starts to see her life in a new light. And as she becomes more involved in the town and the people in it, especially local artist and dog trainer Landry Moore, Kaylee realises she may have found her peace. As Christmas approaches, Kaylee’s dread turns to wonder. Because there’s no better place to mend a broken heart than Virgin River.

Purchase Links:
| Amazon UK |Amazon US |

✨ 10. Starve Acre by Andrew Michael Hurley

I am so happy to be part of a bookstagram readalong, hosted by Tandem Collective UK and John Murray Press, starting on the 1st November and finishing on the 5th November. Thanks to the above teams, I am also able to host a UK giveaway as well, where you can win a paperback edition of Starve Acre, as well as a tote bag and a pin. Just head over to my Instagram page to find out more!

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Synopsis:

The worst thing possible has happened. Richard and Juliette Willoughby’s son, Ewan, has died suddenly at the age of five. Starve Acre, their house by the moors, was to be full of life, but is now a haunted place.

Juliette, convinced Ewan still lives there in some form, seeks the help of the Beacons, a seemingly benevolent group of occultists. Richard, to try and keep the boy out of his mind, has turned his attention to the field opposite the house, where he patiently digs the barren dirt in search of a legendary oak tree.

Starve Acre is a devastating new novel by the author of the prize-winning bestseller The Loney. It is a novel about the way in which grief splits the world in two and how, in searching for hope, we can so easily unearth horror. 

Purchase Links:
| Amazon UK |Amazon US |

Books From the October TBR moving into the November TBR

✨ 11. New Author

My mum had an impact on this choice, as she was in our living room while we were having our fun. And she’s also been trying to get me to read this title for a very long time now. So she chose The Love Letter by Lucinda Riley.

When Sir James Harrison, one the greatest actors of his generation, passes away at the age of ninety-five he leaves behind not just a heartbroken family and a wealth of memorabilia from his long career but also a secret so shocking, so devastating that it could change everything…

Joanna Haslam is an ambitious young journalist, assigned to cover the legendary actor’s funeral. The great and the good of the celebrity world will be there. But Joanna stumbles on something dark beneath the glamour: the mention of a letter Harrison has left behind, the contents of which he was desperate to conceal. As she gets closer to tracking down the source, she realises that there are other very interested parties. And they’ll stop at nothing to reach the letter before she does.

Purchase Links:
| Amazon UK |Amazon US |

✨ 12. Highest Rated

It’s amazing that we have both a Lowest Rated and a Highest Rated prompt in the same month for October TBR. I really love these. My current highest rated book is All About Amy by James J. Caterino. All About Amy has been on my TBR for a while now, and I remember winning it in a giveaway from Goodreads, a very long time ago.

Meet Troy Carter Brown, a man living a life of quiet desperation. One day, a mysterious woman from California shows up on his doorstep claiming to be a walk-in, the transmigrated soul of Amy Ellis, his long lost girlfriend who died in a tragic boating accident nearly twenty years ago. Is she merely playing him in some sort of an elaborate con game, or has the soul of Amy really returned to Troy in the form of this alluring stranger named Julie Saxton. Only in the end, as Troy and Julie end up on the run together fleeing for their lives from local gangsters, will the dramatic truth be revealed.

Purchase Links:
 Amazon UK

✨ 13. Classic

For my classic read, my sister chose Emma by Jane Austen. Emma has been on my TBR for a very long time, and I am really looking forward to finally reading it for the October TBR.

Emma Woodhouse is one of Austen’s most captivating and vivid characters. Beautiful, spoilt, vain and irrepressibly witty, Emma organizes the lives of the inhabitants of her sleepy little village and plays matchmaker with devastating effect.

Purchase Links:
| Amazon UK |Amazon US |

And that’s my November TBR. Fun fact, my TBR contains a total of 4367 pages, which means I need to read 145 pages per day to meet this goal. Wish me luck! <3
Make sure to follow me on Instagram, so you can stay up to date with my current updates during the month.
What are you planning to read this month? Let me know in the comments!

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