April Reading Wrap-Up (Romance, Romantasy & Unexpected Favorites)

Some books completely pulled me in…
Others didn’t live up to the hype.

Here’s everything I read in March, what I loved, what surprised me, and what I wouldn’t recommend.

My Favourite Reads This Month

Standout Favorites, I would rate them about 4 stars.

Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score

Tropes: small town • grumpy x sunshine • found family • slow burn

A runaway bride ends up stranded in a small town and clashes with a grumpy barber, only to unexpectedly build a new life. This is the first book in the Knockemout series. I ate this up, it was so so good!

If you love small-town romance with emotional depth, check this on Amazon

Looking for a cozy but addictive slow burn? See this on Amazon

Things We Hide From the Light by Lucy Score

Tropes: small town • emotional healing • slow burn • protective MMC

A sheriff recovering from trauma struggles to move forward while a guarded heroine challenges his emotional walls. Book two in the Knockemout series is just as good as the first.

If you want emotional romance with a protective MMC, check this on Amazon

Looking for deeper character-driven romance? See this on Amazon

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert

Tropes: coming of age • female freedom • unconventional love • historical

A young woman navigates love, mistakes, and independence in 1940s New York theatre life.
This book surprised me. I started it without knowing anything about it, and I was hooked from page one.

If you love character-driven stories, check this on Amazon

Looking for a unique and immersive read? See this on Amazon

Anathema by Keri Lake

Tropes: dark romance • gothic • obsession • tension

A dark, atmospheric story filled with secrets, obsession, and dangerous attraction. This book lived up to the hype. I can not wait to read the next book in The Eating Woods duology.

If you love dark, atmospheric romance, check this on Amazon

Looking for intense and addictive tension? See this on Amazon

The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas

Tropes: assassin heroine • tragedy • emotional backstory • found family

A collection of prequel stories that reveal the past, relationships, and heartbreak shaping the main character. This book is essential when starting the Throne of Glass series. I have tried to read the Throne of Glass series before and DNFed it in the middle of book three, but I am giving it another try and doing it the right way this time. And the right way is to read this book first.

This book is for you if you want emotional fantasy with depth and character backstory.

If you want deeper insight into Throne of Glass, check this on Amazon

Looking for emotional fantasy stories? See this on Amazon

The Witch Collector by Charissa Weaks

Tropes: enemies to lovers • magic • slow burn • quest

A mute heroine sets out on a quest for revenge and is forced to work with the very man she hates. This is an exciting journey through a winter forest, and I loved every second of it.

This book is for you if you want slow burn romantasy with tension, magic, and emotional growth.

If you love slow burn romantasy, check this on Amazon

Looking for tension, magic, and romance? See this on Amazon

Broken Bonds and Savage Bonds by J. Bree

Tropes: reverse harem • enemies to lovers • power bonds • tension

A heroine with powerful bonds is forced to reunite with the group she ran from, leading to intense tension and complicated dynamics.

I ate the first two books up in just a few days. They are so good! The third book was still good but not as bingeble as the first two.

These books are for you if you want addictive, tension-filled romance with multiple love interests.

If you love addictive romantasy series, check this on Amazon

Looking for tension and multiple love interests? See this on Amazon

Books I LIKED (But Not Favorites)

Still very good books, about 3 stars.

The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent

Tropes: enemies to lovers • grief • forced proximity • power struggles • slow burn

A sequel that dives deeper into grief, power, and shifting alliances as the relationship is tested in a darker, more emotional setting. I think a common problem when the first book is all about trials is that the second book often doesn't know where it's going, and I think this is the problem with this book. It just felt a bit messy,

If you love emotional romantasy, check this on Amazon

Looking for high-stakes fantasy romance with tension? See this on Amazon

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Tropes: enemies to lovers • fae • political intrigue • morally grey characters • tension

A mortal girl fights for power in a cruel fae court, navigating manipulation, danger, and a complicated relationship with a dangerous prince. This book was not at all what I thought, although that did not mean it was better. Fine, but not for me, although a lot of people love this.

If you love fae politics and tension, check this on Amazon

Looking for enemies to lovers with real stakes? See this on Amazon

The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen

Tropes: enemies to lovers • arranged marriage • political intrigue • betrayal • slow burn

A princess raised as a weapon is sent to marry a rival king and destroy his kingdom, but nothing is as simple as it seems. I liked this book, but I want my romantasy with more magic, and this book is about humans without any of it.

If you love political fantasy romance, check this on Amazon

Looking for slow burn with betrayal and tension? See this on Amazon

Court of Blood and Bindings by Lisette Marshall

Tropes: enemies to lovers • fae • slow burn • hidden magic • forced alliance

A woman with forbidden magic is forced into an uneasy alliance with a powerful fae, leading to tension, secrets, and growing attraction. I liked this book, and especially the MMC that doesn't talk at all.

If you love fae romantasy, check this on Amazon

Looking for slow burn with tension and magic? See this on Amazon

The Predator by RuNyx

Tropes: mafia romance • enemies to lovers • power dynamics • dark romance • obsession

A high-stakes mafia romance where power, control, and danger define the relationship. I ate this book up in 24 hours and was surprised that the story was as complex as it was.

If you love dark romance with tension, check this on Amazon

Looking for intense and dangerous dynamics? See this on Amazon

The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen

Tropes: trials • gods • competition • survival • fantasy

A fantasy story where characters are forced into deadly trials controlled by gods, testing power and survival. You need to meet Hades in this story. This was again, not what I thought it was going to be, but I really liked it.

If you love competition-based fantasy, check this on Amazon

Looking for trials and high stakes? See this on Amazon

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Tropes: assassin heroine • trials • competition • found family • fantasy

A deadly assassin is forced to compete for her freedom in a royal competition filled with danger and secrets. This is the second time I read this book, and although I liked it better than the first time, it´s still just fine for me, and I am going to keep reading this time around. The last time I DNFed in the middle of the third book.

If you love strong heroines, check this on Amazon

Looking for a bingeable fantasy series? See this on Amazon

Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood

Tropes: summer romance • workplace • tension • opposites attract • light romance

A light and fun romance set over a summer, filled with humor, chemistry, and tension. Not my favorite Hazelwood book, but still good.

If you want a fun, easy romance, check this on Amazon

Looking for a quick summer read? See this on Amazon

Books That Weren’t My Favorites (But You Might Like)

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Tropes: dystopian fantasy • royal court • power imbalance • rebellion • hidden abilities

A girl from the lower class discovers she has powers she shouldn’t have, forcing her into a dangerous royal world built on lies. This was not for me, but it did remind me of Lauren Roberts Powerless, so if you liked that series, then try this.

If you love fast-paced dystopian fantasy, check this on Amazon

Looking for political intrigue and rebellion? See this on Amazon

Twisted Hate by Ana Huang

Tropes: enemies to lovers • forced proximity • workplace • tension • opposites attract

Two characters who can’t stand each other are forced into close proximity, leading to intense chemistry and conflict. Ana Huang just isn't for me. This is the second book of hers that I have tried reading, and it's just not for me.

If you love enemies to lovers romance, check this on Amazon

Looking for tension-filled contemporary romance? See this on Amazon

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

Tropes: gothic romance • mystery • death personified • slow burn • supernatural

A gothic mystery where a girl who can see Death gets pulled into a deadly investigation filled with secrets and hidden truths. This was really not for me.

If you love gothic romance with mystery, check this on Amazon

Looking for atmospheric and unique fantasy? See this on Amazon

Final Thoughts

Since getting back into reading, I am constantly being surprised by what books are popular, and influencers say are the best books they have ever read, and then I read them myself, and they are not worth even a second of time. Then I start the books that I just heard someone mention at one time or another, and they are the ones that I eat up in hours. This month was like this, the books I did not like at all, like Belladonna and Twisted Hate, I keep seeing as books that people rise to the skyes.

Save this post for later, and let me know what you read this month.

Looking for your next read? Check out my other book lists for more recommendations