Hello Readers! The beginning of April feels so long ago but at the same time the month seemed to fly by! I spent the month participating in Camp NaNoWriMo. I’ve been working on a previous Nano project, which I spent the month continuing to edit. I didn’t get as much accomplished as I’d hoped, but it did reignite my determination to finish it! But it means I couldn’t devote as much time to reading as I’d hoped…

If you look back at My April TBR, you’ll see I did read seven of the eight I’d hoped to read, bringing my total pages read to 2,321 pages, and I’m currently reading the eighth book. So… not bad—all but one. But I had also penciled in a few backlist books I’d hoped to read. Maybe I can get to them in May! My haul was so very small this month, I was able to combine it with my wrap-up. So yay for saving time!

Let’s see what I managed to read and add to my shelves!

Be sure to check out The Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction!

(Link to synopsis on Goodreads through the book title.)

February Wrap-Up

I started the month finishing up The Highland Fling by Meghan Quinn, a Kindle Unlimited selection I stared at the end of March. I didn’t expect this sweet romance to be so funny, but I found myself laughing out loud several times. I also shed a few tears, which is rare for me. 😉

My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Next, I finally picked up a YA selection I’d been excited to get to all year, This May End Badly by Samantha Markum! I adored this one. Strong characters, fun plot, loved the friendships and romance.

My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Review
Published April 4, 2022

I was super intrigued by the description of this romance set during the pandemic. I’ve been so anti-pandemic-reads, but when I read the plot for Just the Two of Us by Jo Wilde—a couple who find love again when they’re forced to isolate together as the pandemic starts—I was curious. And I’m happy to report it was (oddly) comforting, hopeful, and inspiring!

My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
My Review
Published April 12, 2022

Blame It on the Brontës by Annie Sereno was the fun bookish romance I didn’t know I needed. Lots of witty banter, a cozy setting in a cafe, and a second chance romance to cheer!

My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Review
Expected on May 3, 2022

Growing Up Biden by Valerie Biden Owens is the memoir by President Joe Biden’s sister and lifelong campaign manager. I enjoyed this quick read. Especially the historical aspects and the peek behind the political curtain.

My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Review
Published on April 12, 2022

Another book I’ve been anxious to get to all year was Every Summer After by Carley Fortune! My favorite read of the month, this romance tore my guts out and stitched them back together. Which sounds miserable, but it’s the kind of romance I like best. 😉

My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My Review
Expected May 10, 2022

And lastly, I finished the month with My Classics Club Spin Result: Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon. I knew this would be a heavy read and I wasn’t wrong, but it is beautifully written. I’m just happy to finally cross this one off my backlist.

My Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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I had one DNF this month, which is a rare thing for me. The author of Faking Ever After reached out to me on Instagram and invited me to read this first book in her new romance series. I jumped on Goodreads and saw it had several 4 and 5 star ratings so I thought I’d give it a try. I’m typically good at knowing what I’ll like, and I especially feel like I should finish a book when the author has invited me to read it. AND this is a very quick read, but I made it 50% in and couldn’t continue. It’s a promising story with interesting characters, but the writing wasn’t consistent. I think it could benefit from further editing.

Published on April 21, 2022

April Book Haul

It’s been a long time since I’ve had such a small haul, but it was quite nice. I only added three physical books and three eARCs this month, despite being inundated with invitations almost every day. Almost all of them were for May and June, and I had to force myself to be selective since I’m already maxed out for those months. But it’s so hard for me to say no! 🙂 I also did not have an Amazon First Reads selection this month. I can usually find at least one book I’m interested in from their choices, but I wasn’t interested in any of the ones for April. 🤷‍♀️ I did purchase a few books through Bookshop.org to celebrate Indie Bookstore Day on April 30th. They’ll be included with my haul next month!

My eARCs

Our Little World by Karen Winn seems to be generating some early buzz. I won’t get done with this one by the publishing date, but I’m excited to pick it up!

Synopsis:

I was intrigued by Our Little World from the chilling first paragraph. It’s a coming-of-age novel complicated by a tragic and untimely death, and it’s also a novel about two sisters you will never forget. I fell in love with the confidence of the writing and the colorful nostalgia of the mid-’80s details. Our Little World will transport and transfix you.–Elin Hilderbrand

July 1985. It’s a normal, sweltering New Jersey summer for soon-to-be seventh grader Bee Kocsis. Her thoughts center only on sunny days spent at Deer Chase Lake, evenings chasing fireflies around her cul-de-sac with the neighborhood kids, and Max, the boy who just moved in across the street. That and the burgeoning worry that she’ll never be as special as her younger sister, Audrina, who seems to effortlessly dazzle wherever she goes.

But when Max’s little sister, Sally, goes missing at the lake, Bee’s long-held illusion of stability is shattered in an instant. As the families in her close-knit community turn inward, suspicious, and protective, things in Bee’s own home become increasingly strained, most of all with Audrina, when a shameful secret surfaces. With everything changed, Bee and Audrina’s already-fraught sisterhood is pushed to the limit as they grow up–and apart–in the wake of an innocence lost too soon.

Perfect for readers of Celeste Ng’s Everything I Never Told You, Our Little World is a powerful and lyrical coming-of-age story that examines the complicated bond of sisterhood, the corrosive power of envy, and how the traumas of our youths can shape our identities for a lifetime.

Expected May 3, 2022

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The Make-Up Test by Jenny L. Howe sounds super cute! Thankfully I was able to accept this ARC because it doesn’t publish until September, and I shockingly didn’t have any ARCs for that month yet.

Synopsis:

ONE TO WATCH meets BEACH READ in this smart, swoony, romantic comedy, in which two college exes find themselves battling against each other—and their unresolved feelings—for a spot in a prestigious literature Ph.D. program.

Allison Avery loves to win. After acing every academic challenge she’s come up against, she’s finally been accepted into her dream Ph.D. program at Claymore University, studying medieval literature under a professor she’s admired for years. Sure, grad school isn’t easy—the classes are intense, her best friend is drifting away, and her students would rather pull all-nighters than discuss The Knight’s Tale—but she’s got this. Until she discovers her ex-boyfriend has also been accepted. Colin Benjamin might be the only person who loves winning more than Allison does, and when they’re both assigned to TA for the same professor, the game is on.

What starts as a personal battle of wits (and lit) turns into all-out war when their professor announces a career-changing research trip opportunity—with one spot to fill. Competing with Colin is as natural as breathing, and after he shattered her heart two years ago, Allison refuses to let him come out on top. But when a family emergency and a late night road trip—plus a very sexy game of Scrabble—throw them together for a weekend, she starts to wonder if they could be stronger on the same team. And if they fall for each other all over again, Allison will have to choose between a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and what could be a twice-in-a-lifetime love.

Charmingly bookish and unequivocally fat positive, The Make-Up Test embraces the truth that people can sometimes change and grow, even when you least expect it.

Expected September 13, 2022

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It seems like I’ve been waiting forever for the ARC of West Side Love Story by Priscilla Oliveras to arrive in my inbox. It finally showed up and I’m so excited for this twist on the classic Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story romance. This is the first in a new series AND it’s set in Texas!

Synopsis:

A heart-stirring romance of star-crossed love, feuding familias, and the bonds of sisterhood by USA Today bestselling author Priscilla Oliveras.

Two familias in Texas, both alike in dignity, rivalries, and passion…

Having grown up in the nurturing household of Casa Capuleta, Mariana will do anything for familia. To solve her adoptive parents’ financial problems amid their rapidly changing San Antonio comunidad, Mariana and her younger sisters are determined to win the Battle of the Mariachi Bands. That means competing against Hugo Montero, their father’s archnemesis, and his band and escalating a decades-old feud. It also raises the stakes of Mariana’s forbidden attraction for a certain dark-eyed mariachi who sets her heart racing.

To Angelo Montero’s familia, Mariana is also strictly off-limits. But that doesn’t stop him from pursuing her. As their secret affair intensifies and the competition grows fierce, they’re swept up in a brewing storm of betrayals, rivalries, and broken ties. Against the odds, they vow to bring peace. But sacrifices must be made and consequences weighed for two star-crossed lovers to make beautiful music together.

Expected June 1, 2022

My Paperbackswap book

The One by John Marrs is a thriller about a DNA test that can match you with your soulmate. There’s also an adaptation available on Netflix. Let me know if you’ve read it and/or watched the adaptation!

Thrifted Finds

At the beginning of the month I visited a few thrift stores, but I only ended up with two books.

• Dubliners by James Joyce
• Restless Waters (Left Drowning, #2) by Jessica Park – I was quite excited about this find. I’ve already read the first book in this series, although it was years ago so I might need a reread.

How was your reading month? Have you read any of these books? Did you add any of them to your TBR? Let me know in the comments!

Happy Wandering!