2026 Holiday Reading Challenge | The Running Bibliophile

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Who doesn’t love a good challenge, especially when it pushes you to read outside your comfort zone or discover a new author? I’ve always wanted to join a reading challenge or reading bingo, but so many of them feel repetitive. So, I decided to create something a little different. It doesn’t mean a challenge like this isn’t out there; I just haven’t come across one myself. Introducing The Running Bibliophile’s 2026 Holiday Reading Challenge, a fun and unique way to expand your reading list while celebrating the spirit of the year. This challenge features 14 books of your choice, with one key twist: each book’s plot must revolve around the specific holiday mentioned. The challenge runs for January 1 through January 31, 2026. To keep things exciting, you may not duplicate any books on the list. By the time you've completed the challenge, you will have read 14 new books to diversify your reading list. To kick things off, the first prompt is simple: choose any holiday-themed book as l...
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Book Review: Heartbreak Bay (Stillhouse Lake, #5) by Rachel Caine

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book review heartbreak bay rachel caine

In Heartbreak Bay (Stillhouse Lake, #5) by Rachel Caine, a car is found submerged in a pond with twin girls still strapped in their car seats and their mother nowhere to be found. Detective Kezia Claremont of Norton requests the help of private investigator Gwen Proctor, who has recently moved to Knoxville, Tennessee. As the threats mount against both women, they know they have to fight to the end to save their families.

I absolutely loved this most recent installment in the Stillhouse Lake book series, and it makes me extremely sad that this is the last book since the author passed away from cancer late last year. With that being said, I wonder if she had help with writing Heartbreak Bay because there were a couple of times a sentence didn't quite sound like her writing style. However, even with those few lines, the writing still felt like Rachel Caine wrote it, so I guess it could have been the editing.

The character development with Laney, Connor, and Kezia was remarkable. Even Vee had some growth, which was nice to see. It's also gratifying to see a book series with several strong women characters, not just one. And, I love the fact that they're shown in a good light.

I tried to take my time reading the story instead of rushing through it like I did with the other books in the series. But it was so hard to do so because I was sitting on the edge of my seat the entire time. I kind of figured out who the bad guy was, but there was a twist with the identity that I didn't see coming, which is why I say I kind of figured out who it was. I won't say more as to not ruin it for everyone.

You can read this book as a stand alone, but I highly recommend reading the other books in the series first. I gave Heartbreak Bay (Stillhouse Lake, #5) by Rachel Caine five out of five stars.


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