April Wrap Up: 25 Books Read

About: My April Wrap Up unpacks my best reading month yet, and includes a mini-review of the 25 books I read.

Overview

Outline

April Reflection

I’m aware that this wrap-up has been posted incredibly late. At this point, I feel that these posts are more for my records (of thought) than anything else. I like having a place where all my thoughts on the books I’ve read in a month are in one place. And hopefully, this post proves useful to someone considering reading any of these books.

I feel like every monthly wrap-up starts with “it was such a busy month,” but April was genuinely so busy with exams, end-of-semester events and socials with friends that it felt like I had no time to read. This feeling was actually reflected in the number of books I read – 25 total – which is the fewest I’ve read in a month at this point in the year.

April was also a very average reading month – I averaged a 3.76-star rating. There were quite a few anticipated reads that ended up being in the 2- or 3-star range. Quite a few of the books in the Sutter Lake series by Catherine Cowels, unfortunately, fell in this category. I’m reading more from the library, which has been great – I can expand my reading without the buyer’s regret if I end up not liking the book.

Reading Challenges and Goals Update

This section is more for my records since I’ve decided – as of April – I no longer want to be doubling books up on challenge prompts or reading goals. For instance, I want to read two nonfiction books outside of the ones that might fulfil the Buzzword Reading Challenge prompt for the month.

I review my goals and discuss the books I read to fulfil the prompt or whether I didn’t complete it and why.

Monthly Goal #1: Read two books longer than 500 pages

None this month.

Monthly Goal #2: Read two nonfiction books

Another month where I only read one nonfiction book (although that’s better than none). While I haven’t been hitting my nonfiction goal these past few months, I’m so happy that the ones I’ve read have been great reads!

In April, I read I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy, which I gave 4.5 stars. Jennette’s memoir explores the complexities of her toxic relationship with her mom and the dangers of being a child star in Hollywood. Incredibly moving and informative, I highly recommend*.

*Check the content warnings first!

Series Finished

1. Devil You Know* by Kerrigan Byrne
2. Girl Meets Duke by Tessa Dare
3. Sutter Lake by Catherine Cowles

*I decided to not continue with the rest of the series.

Reading Challenges

Books I Read This Month

Did Not Finish

Key: 🔁 re-read | 🤓 reviewed on this blog | 📜 from Up Next Shelf | 🥳 from 2023 Backlist

Gone Too Deep (Search and Rescue, #3) by Katie Ruggle
DNF @ 11% (on April 6)
Could not stand the Heroine. Came across as TSTL for a suspense novel. Hadn’t yet been introduced to the Hero besides him grunting at the Heroine. Also, wasn’t liking the writing.

Content Warning

Assault and attempted r@pe and the Heroine playing down what happened in her own head.

2-star Reads

Key: 🔁 re-read | 🤓 reviewed on this blog | 📜 from Up Next Shelf | 🥳 from 2023 Backlist

Stone Hearts (War of the Underhill, #1) by S.E. Wendel
2-stars (Read on April 2)
I thought this book would be a fun and flirty urban fantasy novella of two outsiders from different paranormal species falling in love (fated mates style). Instead, the scope of the story spun out of control, and the plot completely disappeared. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

The Prospector’s Only Prospect by Dani Collins
2-stars (Read on April 3)
This book was my least favourite read in April. Read my full review here.

Your Charming Dad by Sarah Blue
2-stars (Read on April 14)
While I found the mystery and romantic suspense aspects of this book intriguing, I didn’t love the romance. Also, the way the conflict between the Heroine, her new boyfriend, and her ex-boyfriend was handled felt very anti-climatic. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Beautifully Broken Spirit (Sutter Lake, #3) by Catherine Cowles
2-stars (Read on April 25)
I’m not a fan of second-chance romances – it’s my least favourite trope – and while this isn’t a second-chance romance, it had all the aspects of the trope I dislike. The Hero is lucky in love and is what the characters consider a player (he sleeps around a lot), whereas the Heroine is so unlucky in love the first guy she falls for after her lousy baby daddy is a serial killer. The kid also came across as annoying instead of cute – which, sure, might be more realistic, but who said I wanted realistic in a romance novel? Also, I wasn’t a fan of how everyone treated the Heroine like she couldn’t handle herself – there’s a fine line between caring and condescending, and this book didn’t straddle it. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

3-star Reads

Key: 🔁 re-read | 🤓 reviewed on this blog | 📜 from Up Next Shelf | 🥳 from 2023 Backlist

Pick Love by Ella Goode
3.5-stars (Read on April 1)
Pick Love was a short and sweet erotica novella where the protagonists instantly fall in love (ahem, lust) on a Love Island-esque reality TV show. It was a fun read, but I always feel a bit dissatisfied by the end of these books since there’s a distinct lack of emotional depth (I know, it’s my problem for looking for emotional depth in an erotica novella). ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

R’jaal’s Resonance (Ice Planet Clones, #1) by Ruby Dixon
3-stars (Read on April 6)
I totally thought R’jaal’s Resonance was a novella like the many other books that came before it in the Ice Planet Barbarians and Icehome series. Which is probably why I kept feeling like, why is this book still going? Not a great thought you want to have when reading a highly anticipated release. I think, in the end, there just wasn’t enough substance to the plot to necessitate over 300 pages. That being said, I’m so happy R’jaal finally found his mate – although they weren’t my favourite couple. Rosalind’s characterization was very much a “what would happen if a normal girl finds herself on an alien ice planet,” which I’m kind of over. I want more characters like Liz in this world who grieve what they lost but take the world by storm. The big success of this book is that I’m actually excited for Tia’s book, and she’s been my (and everyone’s) least favourite character in this world for a while. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

All Scot and Bothered (Devil You Know, #2) by Kerrigan Byrne
3.25-stars (Read on April 8)
While I liked the romance between the protagonists, I wasn’t a fan of the Hero’s moral double standards. He thought of the Heroine and her aunt as villains for owning the gambling den – which facilitated sex workers – but refused to acknowledge how the dangers and criminality lay with the men, especially those who belonged to the upper class and were considered “unimpeachable.” Also, the surprise baby part of the plot could’ve been left alone. It didn’t add anything to the plot. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

The Wallflower Wager (Girl Meets Duke, #3) by Tessa Dare
3.75-stars (Read on April 16) 🔁
The Wallflower Wager was a surprise; I gave it a higher rating after reading it for the second time. I loved the opposites attract romance in this book and thought the Heroine’s sunshine personality contrasted nicely with the Hero’s grumpy and pessimistic perspective on life. It wasn’t quite 4-stars because I thought the third-act break-up was contrived – the Heroine had embraced so many other aspects of the Hero’s personality that didn’t gel with her optimism that I found it odd she was so hung up on him acting like a typical 19th-century man. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

A Curious Beginning (Veronica Speedwell, #1) by Deanna Raybourn
3-stars (Read on April 21)
My rating of A Curious Beginning is a victim of unmet high expectations. So many people that I follow recommended this book, and I was incredibly excited to dig into a nine-book historical mystery and slow-burn romance series. It was meant to be, apparently. While I finished the book fairly quickly, I didn’t love either Veronica or her partner-in-crime and eventual love interest, Stoker. Veronica felt a bit too much like the “not like other girls” stereotype, and there was nothing interesting or desirable about Stoker. I did like the conclusion of the mystery, which is why I gave it 3 stars. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Beautifully Broken Life (Sutter Lake, #2) by Catherine Cowles
3.5-stars (Read from April 22 to April 23)
Beautifully Broken Life follows Tessa and Liam, who are both running from their pasts. I loved how sweet the romance was, but this was one of the few books where the romance felt almost too sweet since not much was happening with the plot. Usually, the dynamic supporting cast helps push a book like this along, but that wasn’t the case here. The romantic suspense climax at the end of the book was compelling but felt too little too late. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Beautifully Broken Redemption (Sutter Lake, #5) by Catherine Cowles
3.75-stars (Read on April 26)
I loved the found family trope in Beautifully Broken Redemption between the Heroine, her niece and nephew, and the Hero. But I didn’t love the romance as much as I wanted to. Plus, the whole custody subplot was actually pretty stressful, given what the reader learns about the Heroine’s parents. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Phaedra by Laura Shepperson
3.25-stars (Read on April 30)
I eagerly anticipated the release of Phaedra and finally decided to read it through my library. The book is a feminist retelling of the Phaedra myth, and while the book felt incredibly realistic, I found it hard to connect with Phaedra. She’s frightfully ignorant, which is a symptom of her class, but she doesn’t actually grow that much as a person throughout the novel. I also felt like she was reacting to everything around her – she had no agency at court and no agency even within this feminist retelling. I found the chorus sections incredibly effective at voicing the experiences of women in the fortress and lent a semblance of class intersectionality to the plot. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

4-star Reads

Key: 🔁 re-read | 🤓 reviewed on this blog | 📜 from Up Next Shelf | 🥳 from 2023 Backlist

Love Me (WITSEC, #3) by Ashley N. Rostek
4.5-stars (Read on April 1) 🔁
The penultimate book in a reverse harem romantic suspense series, Love Me, continues to follow Shiloh and her boyfriends Colt, Creed, Keelan, and Knox, as they weather small-town minds and the trauma of Shiloh’s past. I loved how the romantic suspense element has slowly ramped up in each book throughout this series! I’m expecting big things – a la Criminal Minds – in the last book considering the cliffhanger this one ended on. I also loved how this book really solidified the romance between Shiloh and Knox. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Secretly Yours (A Vine Mess, #1) by Tessa Bailey
4-stars (Read on April 3) 📜
To enjoy Secretly Yours, you can’t take it too seriously! This book is fun and very silly, but that’s what made it an enjoyable book. I loved the romance and opposites attract set-up between the protagonists. It’s not 5 stars because I thought the drama and third-act breakup were incredibly contrived. The idiocy that there’s “other person” drama because the Hero is unaware that the girl he’s falling for in real life is the same girl he’s connected to as a pen pal was unreal. This book is yet another Tessa Bailey romance where I needed an ending with more closure – give me the definitive HEA, please! ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Whiskey Chaser (Bootleg Springs, #1) by Lucy Score
4-stars (Read from April 9 to April 10) 🔁
Speaking of small-town settings and opposites-attract romances, Whiskey Chaser is a golden standard. While I originally gave it 4 stars, every time I re-read it, I’m tempted to raise my rating. I love the quirky small town, the mess that is the Heroine and her brothers, and the compelling mystery that underpins each book in the series. The romance between Scarlett and Devlin is top-tier since neither is looking for a serious relationship, yet once they’ve decided on each other, they’re not willing to let go. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Not Part of the Plan (Blue Moon, #4) by Lucy Score
4.25-stars (Read on April 13)
I’m not typically a fan of the reformed player trope, but I had a lot of fun with Not Part of the Plan. I liked that the Heroine was living her dream life – she was in the town she wanted to be with her family and had her dream job. Because their lives are on such different paths, they decide to be “just friends.” Of course, this line is eventually crossed, and I really enjoyed their relationship. I just didn’t like the reason for the third-act breakup or how it was resolved. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

The Governess Game (Girl Meets Duke, #2) by Tessa Dare
4.75-stars (Read from April 15 to April 16)
Yet another romance with a womanizing Hero who becomes reformed throughout the book. The Governess Game was a shockingly near-perfect read! The Hero’s nieces were hilarious, and it was incredibly sweet seeing him grow attached after pushing everyone away for so long. I also loved the banter between the protagonists and how the Hero supported the Heroine’s dream of discovering an unknown comet. Not quite five stars because the Hero was brutal when he pushed the Heroine away. Brutal. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Beautifully Broken Pieces (Sutter Lake, #1) by Catherine Cowles
4-stars (Read on April 22)
Beautifully Broken Pieces was another small-town romance that was incredibly sweet. I liked that it had an internal subplot for both main characters – both were navigating the complexities of grief. The Heroine’s mother had just died, and the Hero is working on a case that reminds him of the murder of his high school sweetheart. The romantic suspense elements added a bit of extra tension to the plot, which I enjoyed. However, once again, I really didn’t like the third-act breakup and how nonsensical and cruel it was (no cheating, don’t worry). ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Beautifully Broken Control (Sutter Lake, #4) by Catherine Cowles
4.25-stars (Read on April 25)
Beautifully Broken Control was my favourite book in the Sutter Lake series. I really enjoyed the age gap romance – there’s a 10-year age gap, I think –  but the age gap wasn’t a focus of the book. Both protagonists are trying to reconcile with their pasts and move on. I loved how the relationship between the main characters showed them leaning on each other and compromising. The romantic suspense element was kind of random and OTT, but it was also entertaining. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

The Paid Companion by Amanda Quick
4.75-stars (Read on April 26) 🔁
Despite how old-fashioned the Heroine’s characterization is, The Paid Companion is a go-to reread for me when I’m craving a historical romance. I love how confident and trusting the Heroine is in the Hero. The romance uses the fake engagement trope to allow the protagonists to search London for the murderer of the Hero’s uncle. There’s, of course, other drama that has to do with the ton and supporting characters. Overall, it’s a lot of fun. This book has one of my favourite epilogues by Amanda Quick – she’s yet another romance author that typically fails to include a definitive HEA in her romances. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
4.5-stars (Read from April 24 to April 26) 🥳
The one nonfiction book I read this month was I’m Glad My Mom Died. This memoir is a harrowing read as the toxic relationship between Jennette and her mom becomes evident. There’s also a lot of commentary about being a child actor in Hollywood – how this makes kids vulnerable to abuse. This memoir does a really good job of showing how difficult it was for Jennette to separate herself from her mother and how other aspects of their family life condoned or normalized her mother’s behaviour. This was an incredibly vulnerable and impactful memoir that left a lasting impression about the importance of self-determination. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

5-star Reads

Key: 🔁 re-read | 🤓 reviewed on this blog | 📜 from Up Next Shelf | 🥳 from 2023 Backlist

Forever Your Rogue by Erin Langston
5-stars (Read on April 12) 🔁
I loved Forever Your Rogue so much that I decided to re-read it only a month later! This was a delightfully romantic single parent and fake engagement romance. The Heroine needs a fiancé to lend herself credibility as she plans to sue her evil in-laws for custody of her children. This subplot was hard-hitting and touched upon the reality that even women of the ton had very few rights when it came to raising their children. The scenes where the Hero bonded with the children were adorable and heartbreaking. And the romance was top tier. The third-act breakup was frustrating since it occurred as a result of jumping to conclusions. Speaking of great epilogues, this book has one of the best romance epilogues I’ve read! ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Weyward by Emilia Hart
5-stars (Read from April 13 to April 21)
This book was my favourite read in April! Read my full review here.

Deception by Amanda Quick
5-stars (Read on April 27) 🔁
Another tried-and-true historical romance by Amanda Quick that’s a go-to reread. Deception blends the bluestocking and single-parent tropes with a dash of adventure as the protagonists work against an unseen enemy to find a long-buried treasure. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

Mystique by Amanda Quick
5-stars (Read on April 27) 🔁
This book is one of the few historical romances by Amanda Quick I’ve read that is set in medieval history as opposed to the Regency era. Mystique follows an arranged marriage between the feared knight Hugh and Lady Alice – both have strong personalities, and I especially loved how component Alice was. There’s, of course, mystery and murder as Hugh seeks to establish his rule over his keep and outlying town. ❃ Add on Goodreads or The StoryGraph ❃

April Stats

Favourite and Least Favourite Reads

Most Favourite: Weyward by Emilia Hart. See why here.

Least Favourite: The Prospector’s Only Prospect by Dani Collins. See why here.

Quick Facts

• Tie of books (8) were from Kindle Unlimited and Libby.
• Most books (9) were 4-star reads.
• Most books (8) were historical romances.
• My most-read author was Catherine Cowles, with 5 books.

Longest and Shortest Reads

Longest Book: The Paid Companion by Amanda Quick ~ 444 pages

Shortest Book: Pick Love by Ella Goode ~ 105 pages

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