FIVE Favorite FIVE Star Reads from February 2026

February was a pretty good reading month for me, full of romance books. We were sick for a lot of the month, which allowed me more reading time as we rested (as well as less reading time when I was so sick I just wanted to veg).

In February, I read 18 books and 4,875 pages, for an average of 270 pages per book. I read 15 books by female authors and 3 by male authors. I read 4 physical books, 7 eBooks, and 7 audiobooks. I borrowed 7 of the books I read and owned 11 of them. I read 5 middle grade books, 3 YA books, and 10 adult books, with 5 read alouds with my kids. Of the books I read, 2 were rereads and 16 were new reads and 3 were new releases. I read 5 books that are part of a series, starting 1 series, finishing 1 series, and reading 10 stand alone books. I read 3 books on my 2026 TBR list (now having read 6 of 33). I read 9 five star reads, 8 four star reads, 1 three star reads, and 0 two or one star reads.

Here are my FIVE favorite books from February:

A Proper Scandal by Esther Hatch

A Proper Scandal is a regency romance following Grace, who has been shuttled from place to place until arriving with her aunt, who gives her two weeks to find a husband before being kicked out. She has a sizable dowry and is beautiful, so she needs to be careful to avoid unscrupulous men in her search, but with such a short amount of time, she might have to put someone in a compromising position herself. I loved the plot of the book, with how often people are trying to entrap someone else. I also loved the romance, the two main characters were great for each other and it was fun to watch them overcome all the obstacles they faced to come together.

Tailored Realities by Brandon Sanderson

Tailored Realities is a new release by Brandon Sanderson. It is a collection of short science fiction stories he's written over the last ten years, with a new "short story" titled Moment Zero (it's pretty long for a short story) as the centerpiece of the collection. I loved listening to it! I really enjoyed revisiting the stories I'd already read and it was fun to see the new ones (there were some shorter ones that I'd never come across before that were older) and Moment Zero was a very enjoyable read for me. I also really loved Brandon Sanderson's postscripts for each story.

Romeo and Juliet for Kids by Louis Burdett

Romeo and Juliet for Kids was a really fun read for the kids and I. It incorporated a lot of the original wording, but put it into a poem that was more understandable. The illustrations are all drawn by other kids and made my kids laugh. I still helped my kids understand some of what was going on as we read the story, but they were invested in the characters (I warned them it was a sad ending). I loved being able to visit the story in a way that was more accessible for them but kept the spirit of the original.

The Cowboy's Game by Cindy Steel

The Cowboy's Game was my favorite romance read of the month. I have to admit, I teared up multiple times. It had that light hearted rom com feel to it, with lots of banter and funny moments, but it also had some depth to it as the characters worked through their past and were able to be there for each other. I loved the main character's sweet little girl and the role she played in everything and the ending was just perfect.

The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh

The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley was such a fun read! I loved Isadora's character, even with all her flaws at the beginning of the book. She met such great friends and it was so fun to watch their relationships grow and change her as a person. The romance was so sweet and her character arc was very well done.

Bonus: My favorite reread!

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

You know I love to include a bonus book in these post--my favorite reread, as I don't count rereads in my list of favorite books each month. This month, my favorite reread was Book of a Thousand Days. I remember loving this book as a teenager and rereading it now, I still love it! I love Dashti's character and the romance in it. I also love the way Saren grows, and the role Dashti plays in that growth. This reread was extra fun because my 11 year old daughter was reading the book at the same time and loving it. We kept comparing what day we were on. It is so fun to share things like this with your kids!

Those were my favorite reads from the month of February! What were your favorite books from last month? What is a book you've read recently and loved?