April 2025 Reads

  April 2025 Reads 

This month, I read 18 books 

These books were 89% fiction

They were 6% physical, 22% digital, and 72% audio

The most popular genres were romance, contemporary, and LGBTQ+

My average rating was 4.17 stars

My longest reading day was May 1st

The Books

➽ Such a Bad Influence by Olivia Muenter

➽ The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (reread)

➽ Punt in the Dark by Ariana St. Claire

➽ Three Tainted Teas by Lynn Cahoon

➽ The Girlfriend Zone by Lauren Blakely

➽ Beneath the Hood by Emily McIntire

➽ Outdrawn by Deanna Grey

➽ Bridesmaid by Chance by Meghan Quinn

➽ When Ivy Met Adam by Jennifer J. Coldwater

➽ Heartbreak Beach by Bailey Thomas

➽ Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

➽ We Did Nothing Wrong by Hannah Jayne

➽ How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang

➽ All Signs Point to Malibu by Jennifer Snow

➽ However You Want Me by Amelia Wilde and Willow Winters

➽ Family Face-Off by Devon Glenn

➽ Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty

➽ Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams

This month, as part of the Magical Readathon by Book Roast, I had to read a few books outside of my comfort zone. As such, my average rating decreased a little bit as I didn't love the books I read. See you next month with hopefully even more great reads!

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Greatest of These

 

 Can't Wait Wednesday

This week's book is.... The Greatest of These

(sadly, I only have the ARC cover, so just know that banner will not be on the normal cover)

Author: Erin FitzGerald

Publisher: Erin FitzGerald

Release Date: May 6th

Series: Colson Creek

Blurb:

After twenty-four years of marriage, I'm starting over. A colorless condo and a cat I never wanted, an empty existence that reminds me of everything I've lost. Work keeps me tethered to reality, but it's the distance from my teenage boys that haunts me the most. Agreeing to keep a custody agreement out of the courts is a decision I regret every day, especially now, as I haven’t seen them in almost a year.

Enter Charlize Campbell.

She’s the last distraction I need, one my boys encourage. A tiny blonde with a mouth like a trucker, and a lifetime of hard-earned strength to back it up. I've known her family for years, but I’ve never truly seen her.

Until now.

The pull between us is undeniable. But when strange, menacing signs begin to appear, I can’t ignore the gut feeling that someone wants her gone—and I'm the only one who seems to take the threat seriously. The deeper I get into her world, the clearer it becomes: she’s tangled up in a dangerous turf war that could cost her everything. 

Explanation:

How can I not be super excited for the upcoming release of a best friend of mine? I was her reader first and became fast friends after many wonderful conversations! Truly, she's one of the sweetest people ever. Sadly, this is not another blog just worshipping her, so I digress. 

This series's first book was the wonderful feeling that I've come to know and love from Erin. I just know this one will be no exception. This series makes me laugh, smile, cry, and everything in between. If you are looking for a hard-hitting romance where the characters will end up with a permanent residence in your heart, this one will exceed that expectation!

I am also super excited to have the chance to read another beautiful story, I know will be at absolute minimum a 4-star read. Her work really is a comfort experience for me, so it's always super exciting when she blesses us with more! I also know you are reading this, Erin, so hello, I love you, and never stop writing my favorite books, please and thank you! 💙

See you next week for another Can't Wait Wednesday! (with a book I don't have the ARC for, I promise)

Sister Buddy Read: Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol

 Sister Buddy Read

Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol

Hello lovelies! My sister and I decided to do a buddy read of a graphic novel that was up both of our alleys! It was a ton of fun, and each of us wrote a mini review for the story.

Keep in mind my sister is only 12, and the book is age-appropriate for her. If you'd like to see us do more buddy reads on occasion, I'd love to make it happen!

Luna's Review

I love this book so much! I think that it is perfect for young readers who love a good adventurous graphic novel. As a scout myself, I love how the title is the motto "Be Prepared" for Scouting America. I'm not sure if this is on purpose or not. There are so many funny scenes in this book, too! Some of them had me cackling for days! Another thing I really like about this book is some of the scenes are very relatable.  The first time I went to scout camp, I was very nervous too! But just as the main character did in the book, I got over my fears and worries, too! This book is simply just amazing, and I think that a lot of you would like it too!

My Review

This was a fun middle-grade graphic novel heavily rooted in a true story. It was interesting to see a first-hand perspective of a Russian scouting camp in the US. It was a fascinating blend of a true story with embellishments. If you are a scout or know a scout, I highly recommend it. It's an easy and quick read.

I especially loved the beautifully limited color palette. The limited tones added to the cohesion of the story and gave the book an even more foresty vibe. I'd be happy to pick up another graphic novel in a similar style. 

I had a fantastic time buddy reading this book with Luna and would love to do more of this in the future. If you have any recommendations for us to read I am happy to hear them!

Friday Free For All: Magical Readathon Spring 2025

 Friday Free For All: Magical Readathon Spring 2025

How This Readathon Went for Me

Hello lovelies! Welcome to my first Friday Free For All. I made this series as basically a chance to ramble more about books and all things bookish that don't necessarily align with the content I am already doing. In this week's case, I wanna talk about the Magical Readathon created by G aka Book Roast. This is a fantasy-themed DND style readathon where you create a character and take "classes" that are completed by reading books that align with the prompts for the readathon. 

This year, G created an additional incentive for people to log the books they've read for the readathon, which seems to be working quite well. As "students" at Orillium Academy (the fake school for the readathon. As the participants reach more pages read milestones, dragons are unlocked! These dragons are all very unique, and your characters get to keep one at the end of the readathon. As of now, all of the milestones have been reached, but we are waiting on the final dragon reveal!

I completed all of my reading prompts for my calling (major) a week in advance of the end of the readathon. I am a Mind Mender. The classes I had to take are as follows: 

• Alchemy (all capitals in a book title)
• Spells and Incantiations (word from your last book title)
• Psionics and Divinations (book with witches or the occult)
• Restoration (book with a 4+ star average rating)
• Demonology (book with a missing person)

For alchemy, I chose All Signs Point to Malibu by Jennifer Snow. Turns out this book was a miss for me, and I ended up giving it 2.5 stars.

For spells and incantations, I chose How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang, which I liked a lot better, and I gave it 4.5 stars. 

For psionics and divination, I choose Three Tainted Teas by Lynn Cahoon. Witchy books will never be my thing, so I gave it 3 stars. 

For restoration, I chose Punt in the Dark by Ariana St. Claire. It was a nice, quick read I gave 4.25 stars. 

Lastly, for demonology, I chose Such a Bad Influence by Olivia Muenter. I was able to read this one entirely during the kick-off reading spirits and had a fantastic time. I gave it 4.5 stars. 

Overall, my actual ratings were a mixed bag, and that's okay. Readathons like this one get me out of my comfort zone, which is a good thing! I plan to do more readathons to keep up the fun and inspiration to branch out. In fact, keep your eyes peeled for an announcement about a readathon I want to create for June! I always go big for Pride, and this year is no exception. 

See you next Friday for more surprise ramblings!

What This Week March 31st - April 6th

 

What This Week: March 31st - April 6th

Now that I am out of the hell we all call March, I'm very excited to be fully back in the swing of things

What books I finished:

• 
  

What books I started:

• The P*ssy Next Door by Amy Award

What I'm listening to:

• My spring playlist (if anyone wants the link I will share it)

What I'm watching:

• Abbot Elementary season 2

What I'm playing:

• Business Cat

Can't Wait Wednesday: Destructively Mine

 

 Can't Wait Wednesday

This week's book is.... Destructively Mine

Author: Krista & Becca Ritchie

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: April 29th, 2025

Series: Webs We Weave

Blurb:

Ex-grifter Phoebe Graves’ new life threatens to come crashing down around her in the next unputdownable novel from the New York Times bestselling authors of the Addicted series.

As the daughter of a con artist, Phoebe Graves only knew a life of swindling the rich until her best friend and fellow grifter, Hailey Tinrock, proposed an idea to start a new, honest life in a wealthy college town of Connecticut. Once there, they decided to leave behind their deceitful tricks and be truthful for once. But you know what they say about best intentions...

While Phoebe is fake-dating Jake Waterford, the third-born son to an uber-wealthy and influential family, she’s actually dating and falling deeper in love with Brayden “Rocky” Tinrock—Hailey’s older brother. To make matters more complicated, Phoebe’s mother shows up out of the blue with conniving match-making designs of her own.

Her mother’s arrival threatens to unravel Phoebe’s plans. To keep her love, her friends, and her newfound happiness, Phoebe will have to return to her old games... and win.

Explanation:

To start off this week's explanation, I want to talk a bit about what the intention is for this blog series. This won't be every week like Top 5 Tuesday, instead it will be whenever I know of a book releasing in the future that I'm particularly excited about and want to discuss. 

I actually have an ARC (advanced reader copy) of this one, which I'm currently reading, and so far it's incredible. I won't discuss my thoughts more here, just wait for my review. 

I am so incredibly excited for this one because it is the sequel to my favorite book of 2024. Dishonestly Yours left such a mark on me, and you can read my thoughts on it here. I loved that the protagonists aren't morally redeemable and never claim to be. They are, in a way, a kind of Robin Hood group, which is one of my favorite tales. Getting the chance to see where their lives go from the cliffhanger at the end of book one is incredibly exciting!

It particularly delights me that we are staying in the same perspectives as book one. The chance to just dive back in after impatiently waiting since last July is incredible. If you like truly morally grey (non-murderous) characters and seeing a complicated web of right and wrong with incredibly dynamic characters, I highly recommend this series. It's also the perfect time to start this series!

  

Top 5 Tuesday: Green Books

Welcome back to Top 5 Tuesday! As it is Earth Day, I thought it would be fun to do something somewhat related

This week's prompt is..... green books

All of these books have green covers, that's it. I know it's not super related, but my brain is still fried from volunteering this weekend, so this is what we are working with. They are mostly in no particular order other than #1

1. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
2. Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol
3. Conflict Mediation by D.C. Emerson
4. Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison
5. Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic 😁

Hopefully I will be back next Tuesday, but no promises

 

Top 5 Tuesday: Books that Made Me Laugh

Welcome back to Top 5 Tuesday! As it is April Fool's Day, I thought it would be fun to do something somewhat realted

This week's prompt is..... books that made me laugh

All of these books are most definitely silly at times so if I laughed, the book counts. Without further ado, here are my picks!

1. The P*ssy Next Door by Amy Award
2. The Charlie Method by Elle Kennedy
3. Blind Date with a #HOCKEYBOY by Ariana St. Claire
4. We All Fall Down by Erin FitzGerald
5. On Loverose Lane by Samantha Young

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic 😁

See you all next Tuesday for another top 5!

March 2025 Reads

March 2025 Reads 

This month I read 15 books 

These books were 93% fiction

They were 13% physical, 47% digital, and 40% audio

The most popular genres were romance, contemporary, and LGBTQ+

My average rating was 4.28 stars

My longest reading day was the 28th

The Books

➽ The Charlie Method by Elle Kennedy

➽ Just Complicated by Evie Sterling

➽ Overturned by Lamar Giles

➽ A beta read (sorry can't discuss it)

➽ Pen Pal by J.T. Geissinger

➽ A Mark On My Soul by Jordon Greene

➽ Never Lie by Frieda McFadden

➽ Shot for Mercy by Shae Ruby (no review because this book is getting rewritten)

➽ Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol

➽ Hired By My Rich Highland Husband by Beatrice Bradshaw

➽ About That Kiss by Harper Bliss

➽ Again!! Volume 1 by Mitsurou Kubo

➽ Again!! Volume 2 by Mitsurou Kubo

➽ The Trouble with Love and Coaches by Harriet Ashford

➽ The P*ssy Next Door by Amy Award

What This Week: March 24th - 30th

What This Week: March 24th-30th

I'll be honest, March is always really difficult in my personal life every year for reasons I'm not going to share here. As a result, I read less, and that's okay. I'm still getting reading done and being sure to fill my time with love and relaxation whenever I can

What books I finished:

• Shot For Mercy by Shae Ruby
• Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol
• Hired By My Rich Highland Husband by Beatrice Bradshaw
• The Trouble with Love and Coaches by Harriet Ashford
• About That Kiss by Harper Bliss
• Again!! (volume 1 & 2) by Mitsurou Kubo

What books I started:

• The P*ssy Next Door by Amy Award
• 
  

What I'm listening to:

• My spring playlist (if anyone wants the link I will share it)

What I'm watching:

• Abbot Elementary season 1 & 2
• No Hard Feelings

What I'm playing:

• Traveler's Rest
• Business Cat
• Genshin Impact

The Trouble with Love and Coaches by Harriet Ashford Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

4/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Sports romance

➮ Romcom

➮ Secret relationship

➮ Found family

➮ Forced proximity

Blurb

April Baird is determined to finish an Ironman—even if it is 140.6 miles of misery in the form of swimming, cycling, and running. The distance would be daunting enough, but April is certain she has an Ironman curse. What else could explain the events that have caused her to DNF the last three years? Now, her coach has even bailed.

When Gabriel Torres discovers his rival, April’s former coach, has dropped her mid-season, he has a choice to make: stick with the plan and a team that’s sure to win or add April to his roster. She’s a risk—one that may cost him his chance at making the dream team of his coaching company, and yet, he sees a spark in her—something he’d pay good money to bottle and add to his other athletes’ electrolytes.

As training heats up, their relationship slips from professional to casual to something else entirely, and they soon realize there is more at stake than just a race.

Best Quote From the Book

“Years of evolutionary coding told me to jump him and continue the bloodline."

My Thoughts

    I already knew from the first page this was going to be a 5-star and I was so right! I don't know what magic you dump into your stories Harriet, but never stop because I will read and love every single one. 

    This paragraph is solely dedicated to appreciating the magesty of Harriet and her writing. This is her second published book. You read that correctly; she's only published one book before this. I can truly say that I have never read such a talented author who doesn't have a large back catalogue. Both books are absolutely perfect, zero complaints. She is just that good, y'all. A bonus thank you because she is also one of the sweetest people I have ever met. She shows so much gratitude to her street team (Team Trouble) to go as far as weaving in a nod to us in this book. Even with the shout-out, I wouldn't lie about liking this book; that's not the reviewer I am. 

    Now, back to the review. Okay I will admit I do have one complaint. I wanted even more of the adorable pup, Johnson. You cannot introduce such an adorable character and not include him on nearly every page. In all seriousness, he is wonderful, and better find his way into other books in this series. 

    Harriet did a fantastic job of implementing the concept of wandering minds. The characters' internal tangents felt very realistic and naturally propelled the story. Seeing them try too hard to control their thoughts and utterly fail was relatable in an endearing and entertaining way. 

    She also tackled grief beautifully. April is still grieving over her mother, as grief isn't linear. I loved how it shaped her character arc but didn't take it over entirely. As someone who has dealt with grief (as I am sure most of us have), this portrayal felt like a warm hug telling me it would all be okay. April doesn't succeed in spite of her grief; she succeeds because of how much she cares about who she lost. I cannot convey how much that seemingly subtle difference means. 

    Oh man, the ending of this book brought me to tears for sure. For good reasons, I promise. That said, I will not elaborate to avoid spoilers, just know that it will make you feel. You will feel sad, proud, and elated all at once if your experience is at all similar to mine.

    This book does have open-door spicy scenes. If that is not your thing, I do not recommend this series. 

    I created a playlist for both books in this series. You can find book 1 here. You can find this book's playlist here. If you want an immersive reading experience or just want to relive the magic of these books, I highly recommend. 

    I received this book as part of Harriet's street team. My review is honest and voluntary

What This Week March 17th - 23rd

 

 What This Week: March 17th-23rd

Welcome back to What This Week! Did you miss me? I certainly missed all of y'all! I took a break from these because I wasn't really consuming anything due to some personal life circumstances. This week I've consumed enough that it feels worth discussing. 

What books I finished:

• Pen Pal by J.T. Gessinger
• A Mark on My Soul by Jordon Greene
• Never Lie by Frieda McFadden

What books I started:

• Shot For Mercy by Shae Ruby
• Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol

What I'm listening to:

• A lot of Chase Atlantic

What I'm watching:

• Fire Country
• The White Lotus

What I'm playing:

• Traveler's Rest
• Business Cat

Top 5 Tuesday: LGBTQ+ Romances

Top 5 Tuesday: Books Want to Reread Someday

Welcome back to Top 5 Tuesday! I'm here and feeling queer so let's bring that beautiful energy to this week's prompt. 

This week's prompt is..... LGBTQ+ romances

All different kinds of LGBTQ+ representation are here. These are all books I have read this year. I will outline what representation each one has so if you are looking for a specific identity, you can find it. Just keep in mind while the MCs in all of these are queer, some of the listed representations are side characters.

#1 has gay, pansexual, lesbian, and drag queen

#2 has gay, trans, and pansexual

#3 has gay and lesbian

#4 has gay and bisexual

#5 has gay

1. Recommended Reading by Paul Coccia
2. Conflict Mediation by DC Emerson
3. Runnin' No More by GT Dipe
4. Cross My Heart by Shae Ruby
5. When Haru Was Here by Dustin Thao

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic 😁

See you all next Tuesday for another (admittedly less queer) top 5!

February 2025 Reads

  February 2025 Reads

This month I read 15 books 

These books were 80% fiction

They were 0% physical, 40% digital, and 60% audio

The most popular genres were romance, contemporary, and LGBTQ+

My average rating was 4.1 stars

My longest reading day was February 2nd

The Books

➽ Will the Drama Ever End? by Karyl McBride

➽ Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle

➽ Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? by Caitlin Doughty

➽ It Started With a Kiss by Clare Lydon

➽ Runnin' No More by G.T. Dípè

➽ The Wiener Across the Way by Amy Award

➽ Unthinkable by Dani Galliaro

➽ The Party by Natasha Peterson

➽ On Loverose Lane by Samantha Young

➽ Scythe & Sparrow by Brynne Weaver

➽ We All Fall Down by Erin FitzGerald

➽ Cross My Heart by Shae Ruby

➽ The Anaconda Downstairs by Amy Award

➽ The Resilience Project by Hugh Van Cuylenburg

➽ Blind Date with a #HOCKEYBOY by Ariana St. Claire

What This Week: February 24 - March 2

 What This Week: February 24 - March 2

How has another week passed already? I truly do not know but welcome back! I'm happy to have you here. I was able to accomplish a bit more this week, but I can't say the same for next week, so enjoy the long list for this time!

What books I finished:

• We All Fall Down by Erin FitzGerald
• Cross My Heart by Shae Ruby
• The Anaconda Downstairs by Amy Award
• The Resilience Project by Hugh Van Cuylenburg
• Blind Date with a #HOCKEYBOY by Ariana St. Claire
• The Charlie Method by Elle Kennedy

What books I started:

• Scoring Grey by L.A Fero
• Overturned by Lamar Giles
• 
  

What I'm listening to:

• A lot of random new-to-me songs
• Rotten Mango podcast
• So Close to What by Tate McRae album

What I'm watching:

• Secondhand Lions
• Paddington 3 (in a theater with only my partner and I, it was so cool! I also highly recommend all of the Paddington movies for a delight)
• Sixteen Candles
• Little
• The Secret of N.I.H.M.

What I'm playing:

• Genshin Impact
• Office Cat
• A lot of word puzzles

What This Week February 17-23

 

 What This Week: February 17 - 23

Welcome to the second What This Week. It was a bit of a big week in my personal life so I haven't been consuming quite as much (I got a new job). That said, I truly love what I have been consuming

What books I finished:

• On Loverose Lane by Samantha Young
• Scythe & Sparrow by Brynne Weaver

What books I started:

• We All Fall Down by Erin FitzGerald
• The Charlie Method by Elle Kennedy
• The Resilience Project by Hugh Van Cuylenburg

What I'm listening to:

• Even more of Short n' Sweet (Deluxe) by Sabrina Carpenter

What I'm watching:

• Genshin Impact content

What I'm playing:

• Genshin Impact
• Office Cat

Top 5 Tuesday: Books I Want to Reread Someday

 

 Top 5 Tuesday: Books Want to Reread Someday

Welcome back to Top 5 Tuesday. Everyone be proud, I'm here two weeks in a row. Even if it is pretty late, I got y'all

This week's prompt is..... books I want to reread someday

Some books are just so obvious that it will be a great time again in the future. My hope with all rereads is that I would gain something new by rereading it.

Let's break down the why for each of these...

#1 is the only thriller I thought could be cool to reread. I feel like it would be a very different but worthwhile experience to read it again a while down the line while having the context of what everyone in the story actually did. 

#2 is the start of a series that is written by possibly one of my favorite humans ever. That is one big reason I wanna go back to the beginning someday and experience the magic once again. I also find the MMC to be very similar to my partner in some ways so it would be fun to read it with that in mind.

#3 is chock full of helpful advice that is gonna be relevant throughout my life. I think it would be good to circle back whenever my life circumstances change a good bit to prioritize the advice that will help me at the time. 

With #4 I just really want to annotate it because I didn't the first time and kinda regret that.

#5 on the list is actually a book I would be reading for the 4th time because it is just that impactful for me. It was the series that got me back into reading for fun so I gotta give it some love every few years.

1. The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
2. Something Lost by Erin FitzGerald
3. How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis
4. Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
5. The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic 😁

See you all next Tuesday for another top 5!

January 2025 Reads

 January 2025 Reads

This month I read 15 books 

These books were 80 % fiction (my lowest ever)

They were 0% physical, 33% digital, and 67% audio

The most popular genres were romance, contemporary, and LGBTQ+

My average rating was 4.1 stars

My longest reading day was January 3rd

The Books

➽ Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica

➽  The Fiancé Dilemma by Elena Armas

➽ Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren

➽ Good Lookin' Cookin' by Dolly Parton and Rachel Parton George

➽ Streams and Schemes by Rebecca Kinkade

➽ When Haru Was Here by Dustin Thao

➽ Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

➽ Recommended Reading by Paul Coccia

➽ So You Want a #BOOKBOYFRIEND? by Ariana St. Claire

➽ The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

➽ Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeny

➽ Unapologetically ADHD by Peter D. Wright & Nikki Kinzer

➽ Bunny Season by Bindi Kennedy

➽ The Manicurist's Daughter by Susan Lieu

➽ Conflict Mediation by D.C. Emerson

 Top 5 Tuesday: Books I Never Reviewed

Welcome to Top 5 Tuesday, a new series I hope to start here on my blog. I've seen it floating around and thought it would be a lot of fun to give something other than wrap-ups and reviews.

This week's prompt is..... books I never reviewed

An important caveat to this is that these are books I didn't review on social media as I do post reviews on Storygraph and Goodreads for every book I read. Without further ado... here's my list

1. Leather & Lark by Brynne Weaver
2. Hexed by Emily McIntire
3. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Holang
4. Lies & Weddings by Kevin Kwan
5. Kill Joy by Holly Jackson

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic 😁

See you all next Tuesday for another top 5!

What This Week February 10 - 16

 What This Week: February 10 - 16

Welcome to the first ever What This Week. This will be my chance to keep you all updated on what I'm consuming. Perhaps we have some things in common?

What books I finished:

• The Wiener Across the Way by Amy Award
• Unthinkable by Dani Galliaro
• The Party by Natasha Peterson

What books I started:

• On Loverose Lane by Samantha Young

What I'm listening to:

• Short n' Sweet (Deluxe) by Sabrina Carpenter

What I'm watching:

• Ghost in the Shell 2.0
• Paddington 2