What I Read in September

a slow but thrilling month.

This is only the 2nd reading wrap up post and it’s late…but I wanted to still do it. I read 3 books in September, not my best month but they were all really great reads. There were even a few books I DNFed because I just couldn’t get into them so it’s good that these books made the cut.

I was in a thriller and witchy mood this month and that’s definitely reflected in the books I ended up following through on.

I Need You to Read This by Jessa Maxwell

I Need You to Read This by Jessa Maxwell has been sitting on my Kindle for a while. I received an ARC of it when it first came out last year and just never got around to it. After searching through my library for an easy but engaging thriller, I ended up with this.

Years ago, Alex Marks escaped to New York City for a fresh start. Now, aside from trips to her regular diner for coffee, she keeps to herself, gets her perfectly normal copywriting job done, and doesn’t date. Her quiet world is upended when her childhood hero, Francis Keen, is brutally murdered. Francis was the woman behind the famous advice column, Dear Constance, and her words helped Alex through some of her darkest times.

When Alex sees an advertisement searching for her replacement, she impulsively applies, never expecting to get the job. Against all odds, Alex is given the position but soon, she begins to receive strange, potentially threatening letters at the office. Francis’s murderer was never identified, turning everyone around her into a threat. Including her boss, editor-in-chief Howard Dimitri, who has a habit of staying late at the office and drinking too much.

As Alex is drawn into the details surrounding her predecessor’s murder, her own dark secrets begin to rise to the surface and she suddenly finds herself trapped in a dangerous game of cat and mouse that takes her all the way from the power centers of Manhattan to Francis Keen’s summer house, where her body was found and where the killer may just be waiting for her

The book alternated between the present where Alex becomes the advice columnist, and the past, where you’re reading a story about an unnamed women through letters to said advice columnist. At first, I wasn’t sure if it was actually the past and maybe these were letters being written to Alex but it becomes obvious at some point that the writer is Alex.

Most of the book is spent with Alex trying to figure out who is writing her letters, being skeptical about the new people in her life and ultimately,

It was creepy and I got spooked a few times and tried to avoid reading at night, and I’ll admit it was boring at times but once the story settled, I was hooked. It was a very unexpected villain reveal, unexpected twists and turns and a really beautiful, sweet ending that made me very happy for Alex.

If you are looking for a simple mystery novel to curl up with this fall, I think you’d like this one.

Such a Clever Girl by Darby Kane

This was another ARC I had in my Kindle library but won’t be released until January 20th, 2026. It is also my vote for what I think will be thriller of the year.

Such a Clever Girl by Darby Kane has truly such a clever, interesting plot that kept me hooked from the very first page. Told in the perspective of 4 women who are all intertwined because of a crime they witnessed, having to do with a very well known, messed up family, I was enthralled the entire time.

Fifteen years ago, the Tanner family vanished without a trace, leaving behind a chilling scene: half-eaten meals, a bloodstain by the door, and a smoldering fire consuming their business across town.

The once-vibrant home stands untouched, a haunting relic of the past. As rumors fade into local folklore, the mystery of their disappearance seems destined to remain unsolved—until Aubrey Tanner returns.

Now a hardened thirty-year-old, Aubrey arrives in town with secrets etched in her silence. Why did she come back? Was she a victim of the night that changed everything, or does she hold the truth of what happened to her family? The town is rife with theories, but three women share a dangerous bond: they know more than they’ve ever confessed.

As the past resurfaces, old alliances fray. A teacher, a café owner, and a psychologist are drawn together by memories they’d rather forget. Each holds a piece of the puzzle—and a dark secret of their own. When a new disappearance sends shock waves through the town, blackmail begins, and the stakes climb higher.

In a race against time, these women must confront the truth or risk becoming the next victims of a past they cannot escape. With tension rising and danger lurking, one thing is clear: someone is destined to kill again.

As I read, I really did not know where the story was going to go. There were so many suspects, so many wrong turns that could happen and so many different outcomes. When there’s that much going on in the story, it keeps you on your toes and makes everything more exciting. I could not stop reading until I knew what was going on.

The way Darby Kane writes is incredible — she is constantly leaving breadcrumbs to follow and then pulls the rug out from under you at the last minute. I can confidently say, I did not remotely guess who was responsible for the Tanner disappearance or anything else that happened in between the first and last pages.

This is one of those books that I could read over and over again to try to pick up on the clues left throughout. It was twisty, juicy, interesting, frustrating and left me on the edge of my seat with each turn of the page. Add this to your TBR!

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

I read Sangu’s first witchy novel The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches and adored it, so why I saw that she was publishing another witchy romance, I was sold. While the books are not in the same universe, they felt very similar.

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping was really powerful, fun, interesting and romantic. I loved every word I read.

Sera Swan used to be one of the most powerful witches in Britain. Then she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the (very recently) dead, lost most of her magic, befriended a semi-villainous talking fox, and was exiled from her Guild. Now she (slightly reluctantly and just a bit grumpily) helps Jasmine run an enchanted inn in Lancashire, where she deals with her quirky guests’ shenanigans, tries to keep said talking fox in check, and longs for the future that seems lost to her. But then she finds out about an old spell that could hold the key to restoring her power…

Enter Luke Larsen, handsome and icy magical historian, who arrives on a dark winter evening and just might know how to unlock the spell’s secrets. Luke has absolutely no interest in getting involved in the madcap goings-on of the inn and is definitely not about to let a certain bewitching innkeeper past his walls, so no one is more surprised than he is when he agrees to help Sera with her spell. Worse, he might actually be thawing.

Running an inn, reclaiming lost magic, and staying one step ahead of the watchful Guild is a lot for anyone, but Sera Swan is about to discover that she doesn’t have to do it alone...and that the weird, wonderful family she’s made might be the best magic of all.

As the book started, I was really upset that Sera was deeply betrayed by her best friend. I also was a little confused because it felt like I jumped into the book in the middle of the story. Things were explained and set right as the book continued but it definitely took a little while for me to grasp what was happening.

Then, we experienced a time jump which put things into perspective and started to understand what Sera was experiencing. Trying to protect her family, getting back her magic, and just getting through the day…it was admirable and relatable. I loved having her as the main character.

The book also alternated between Sera and Luke’s POV which I loved; being inside their heads really offered a nice change of pace and helped you understand why they were so perfect together.

How was Sera going to get her magic back? Would she defeat the Guild? Would Luke stick around? Would they finally fall in love? It was the ultimate cozy read that made you feel good and magical inside.

What did you read this month?