APRIL WRAP UP
Disclaimer: I read books based on preferences which take into account my faith and personal convictions. Please check any of my recommendations against your own convictions and read responsibly.
Hey reader friends! Spring is here and new releases are in the air! April was a fun month for me filled with a lot of my most anticipated reads of 2025—which is probably why I was motivated to finish over 10 books for the third month this year. Let’s check out my April reading stats!
My most-read genre in April was, once again, Romance—clearly the theme of 2025 for me, and I can’t say I’m mad about it. It’s been a refreshing change of pace from my usual thriller binges. This month, I devoured six brand-new releases, and let me tell you… we are being fed as readers this year! The real question is—did I love them all? Let’s find out it.
RATING: 5 ⭐️
2025 NEW RELEASE
VIOLENCE: SEVERE🔪🔪🔪🔪
One word: Wow. Now, this is a controversial book in the reading community, but I have to be honest, I loved it.
This book follows our female main character, Jane, as she navigates the loss of her father, turning to an online armchair sleuth community in an attempt to solve crimes—and, in her own way, process her grief. Even though the subject matter of this book is mirrored around true events, which some find to be distasteful, it was the prose and conversation around the online armchair community that made this such a compelling read in my opinion. The author’s exploration of society’s obsession with true crime—and how everyday people insert themselves into these cases, often at the expense of victims and their families—was eye-opening and sparked a conversation worth exploring.
I will say that the depictions of crime and murder in this book was more graphically descriptive than I would have preferred. However, I do recommend this book if you are someone who loves thrillers or true crime. It will make you stop and ask yourself: Why am I so invested in these stories? Is it grief? Curiosity? A need to make sense of the unknown? A yearning for justice? A connection to the victims—or even the perpetrators? Or am I just a little unhinged?
If you’re sensitive to severe violence, this probably isn’t the one for you. But if you’re fascinated by the deeper nuances of true crime and psychology, it just might be a must-read.
AGE RECOMMENTDATION: 21+
RATING: 3.25 ⭐️
2025 NEW RELEASE
SPICE: MODERATE ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
Oh, Abby Jimenez—I love you and yet, you leave me so frustrated half the time. This was definitely one of my most anticipated releases of the year but in some ways, it was kind of a letdown.
This story follows our female main character, Samantha, and male main character, Xavier. From their meet-cute in a vet’s office to the ups and downs of a long, drawn-out, long-distance relationship, where the lingering question is always: will they, or won’t they, end up together? Along the way, we get a lot of beautiful, albeit heartbreaking family dynamics from our FMC, Samantha.
Let’s start with what I loved: a lovable MMC, the perfect meet-cute and first date, and some really dynamic family relationships. But here’s where it lost me—and why it landed in the 3-star zone: constant miscommunication (ugh), the long-distance trope (not my fave), a severe family illness subplot, and a relationship situation that just felt way too drawn out.
Sadly, most of these are all typical Abby Jimenez elements and perhaps—I’m just over it? I still enjoyed this book overall, I just wish we could get more stories from Jimenez without a terminally ill character and an overdrawn out plot. I would still recommend this book. It just personally wasn’t my favorite by Jimenez.
AGE RECOMMENDATION: 21+
RATING: 4.5 ⭐️
We love a good Bachelor or Bachelorette memoir and this was actually one of my favorites! I say actually because Rachel Lindsay wasn’t necessarily one of my favorite Bachelorettes—I felt like I never resonated or connected with her while she was on the show. But that totally changed listening to her memoir!
I really appreciated her realness and authenticity in this book. It felt like listening to a girlfriend tell her story in a way that made you feel like—“yeah girl, me too”. Specifically, I found her depictions of growing up as a black girl in a predominately white environment all too relatable. I also enjoyed her opening up about the pressure to succeed in a career that didn’t always feel authentic to her—and how her time on The Bachelor/Bachelorette ultimately helped her break in to more authentic opportunities, like hosting and commentating. It was also refreshing to hear her talk about the darker side of reality TV without trying to please the producers or protect the franchise—just honest, real, and unafraid to call out the things that were truly messed up.
I definitely recommend this one for any fans of the show or just fans of cool, strong women.
AGE RECOMMENDATION: 18+
RATING: 4 ⭐️
SPICE: MILD ❤️🔥❤️🔥
VIOLENCE: LIGHT 🔪
I told myself I wasn’t going to get sucked into the ACOTAR world and yet—I couldn’t help myself. I had to know what all the hype was about. Was I blown away? Not intially. I spent the first half of this book thinking—“I don’t get the hype and I don’t know why I should care about this story or the characters”—but the second half delivered! My jaw dropped when I hit the plot twist and I realized, “Ohhh… I get it now. I’m all in!”
This book is the first of a five book fantasy series following our female main character Feyre in the world of Prythian as she unpacks the history between the mortals and the faeries. At first, this plot gives modern day Beauty and the Beast vibes—hence why I wasn’t totally enamored. The first half is rather slow-paced and focused on world building and the slow burn romance.
But I have to honest—I could not get into the romance element between Feyre and Tamlin. Even after finishing, I’m still not that into it (call me Team Rhysand, I guess). The second half of this book is where the action and pace pick up, becoming much more exciting. If you pick up this book and struggle to get through the first half—keep going! I promise it’s worth it for that final plot twist!
Overall, I did end up loving this book. It was a good series opener. I can’t wait to continue the series and see where it goes from here—stay tuned!
AGE RECOMMENDATION: 21+
RATING: 4 ⭐️
SPICE: LIGHT ❤️🔥
This book is the perfect short and sweet romance! It was my first Annabel Monaghan book and it did not disappoint!
It follows our female male character, Nora, who is a writer and post divorcée, navigating a career project that leads to an unexpected romance. The setting and characters of this book were perfect at conjuring up visceral images throughout the book—making it the perfect spring or summer read. The romance was a sweet, almost innocent slow burn—perfectly delivering all the feels of falling in love when you least expect it.
I appreciated the unique plot of Nora using her divorce to write a movie script and how the filming of that movie opens up emotions that move her into not only finding love again—but also acceptance and healing. Also, the emphasis on motherhood added such real, emotional layers to the plot and romance. One of the best parts had to be the male main character, Leo, falling in love with Nora’s children and building those relationships—definitely a tear jerker!
This is a charming, emotional, funny romance—perfect for a quick trip, beach read, or afternoon in a coffee shop. It will have you smiling, laughing, and even shedding a happy tear or two.
AGE RECOMMENDATION: 18+
RATING: 4.25 ⭐️
All my 90’s and early 2000’s kids, this one’s for you! If you grew up enamored or obsessed with this iconic period of time on the Disney Channel—this is a must-read for you. Now I will say, sometimes these types of biography non-fictions can be hit or miss. It truly depends on the author, the research, and the way it’s tied together and presented—but Ashley Spencer did not miss with this one!
As someone who already knows a fair share of lore from these shows and the stars behind them, I was surprised by just how many new tidbits I picked up. What really stood out were the behind-the-scenes insights—stories and perspectives from network executives, showrunners, writers, and more. Those details added so much context, giving a more complete picture of those iconic moments and memories we all remember from our pre-teen days. Perhaps it’s because I’m an adult now in the workforce that I found all this information to be the most interesting—as I can now relate and put myself more in the shoes of show runners than the child stars. I appreciated how Ashley took a deep look into all the major moments from this time period—breaking each show or defining moment into their own respective chapters.
The only thing that lacked for me was a more defining resolution to how or what led to the tween empire’s downfall for the channel. It felt like the storytelling cut off abruptly and we didn’t actually get an analytical look into specifically where it all went wrong. Obviously there’s the internet boom and streaming—but I would have loved to go deeper than that.
All in all, I highly recommend this book to all my fellow millennials out there. Specifically the audiobook, as it’s narrated by non other than Miranda herself from Lizzie McGuire. IYKYK.
AGE RECOMMENDATION: 18+
RATING: 3 ⭐️
2025 NEW RELEASE
VIOLENCE: LIGHT 🔪
SPICE: LIGHT ❤️🔥
Ah… a new release thriller from Book of the Month is almost as good as Christmas morning. Although truthfully, this one was just mid—hence the 3 star rating. I didn’t hate it, but I didn't love it—I just mildly liked it—and sometimes that’s all I really ask for.
This book follows our female main character, Liz, a world class swindler of the rich, whose cat-fishing antics take her to a tropical Mexican resort where chaos ensues.
This book wasn’t overly enticing or thrilling. The plot twists were somewhat predictable, but it got the job done. I enjoyed the rich people drama, antics, and the slightly unreliable FMC. Also, we love a good bait and switch plot—if it’s done correctly—and this one was.
If you’re looking for a quick read and a low stakes thriller— this is the book for you! Pick it up and have a good time.
AGE RECOMMENDATION: 18+
RATING: 3.75 ⭐️
2025 NEW RELEASE
VIOLENCE: LIGHT 🔪
SPICE: MILD ❤️🔥❤️🔥
Let’s move on to one of my most anticipated thrillers of this year! This book is the sequel to “The Perfect Marriage—so make sure to read that first before picking this one up. “The Perfect Marriage” was a five star read for me. So, I went into this book with tempered expectations because most sequels hardly live up to a five star original. However, I did enjoy this one! I will say I found myself having to stop in the beginning to do a refresh of characters and plot points from the first book—as there’s multiple characters and references from the original in this sequel.
We’re following our female main character, Sarah, as she navigates filing for her new divorce alongside some new discoveries from the crime of the original book. Even now, it’s hard to pinpoint why this book fell a little short for me in the end. I think it’s because we know from the first book that our FMC can’t be trusted, so it makes some of the scenarios in this book that are supposed to be mysterious—ultimately predictable? It’s like we’re waiting for that one big final moment that turns us on our heads but once we get there it was like —“Well, duh of course that happened.”
However, what set this book apart from the original—and keeps you on the edge of your seat—was the cat and mouse game between the FMC Sarah and MMC Bob. In my opinion, what carried this book was the constant challenge of figuring out who was really playing whom, which side you wanted to see come out on top, and who deserved to end up dead or in jail. If you’re a thriller fan, this is definitely worth the read!
AGE RECOMMENDATION: 21+
RATING: 3.5 ⭐️
2025 NEW RELEASE
SPICE: LIGHT ❤️🔥
VIOLENCE: LIGHT 🔪
Oh boy… where do I even begin? This was one of my top three most anticipated releases of 2025. Did this book live up to my expectations? Yes and no. Did this series end how I wanted it to? Yes and no. Did the author take creative liberties that absolutely infuriated me? Yes.. yes she did. Did it leave me utterly conflicted on how I feel about this book overall? Abso-freaking-lutely. It took me over a week to rate this book because I just could not decide how I felt—but let’s break it down.
This is the third book in the Powerless trilogy which was the first fantasy series I got into in my adult reading era—although it is a young adult book. Last year, I read both “Powerless” and “Reckless” within a week and was counting down the days until this release. This series follows our female main character, Paedyn, and male main character, Kai, in a high stakes enemies to lovers romance within the political, familial dynamics in the kingdom of Illya. It also follows our secondary male main character, Kitt, in his becoming of power within the kingdom.
Here’s what I loved: Kai and Paedyn (obviously), the return of trials and games, deeper exploration of the kingdom and its cities, the addition of a new POV that brings intrigue, the layered mystery within the family, and Kai’s struggle between loyalty to his lover and his bloodline—even with its various cringe moments.
But what it really comes down to are the things I despised — spoilers ahead. The final trial was a mess of lies and unnecessary dramatics we didn’t need. The "Paedyn, I am your father" reveal? It tore a gaping hole in Edric’s character arc and unraveled plot threads from the earlier books. Then there was the outright destruction of one of the series’ most beloved characters—outrageous and completely unearned. The marriage? Knowing what we find out later, it felt like unintentional layers we absolutely could’ve done without. And finally, the naming of the child at the end—it came off as deeply insensitive to Adena, especially after watching Paedyn grieve her the entire book. Ultimately, my gripes with this book really pointed at the authors use of twists for pure shock value and not for the comprehensive storytelling of the series.
All in all, I loved the first half of the book and wanted to rip it apart the second half—yet, I still think this is one of the best series altogether. I definitely do recommend reading all three books—then let’s go get coffee and chat all about it.
AGE RECOMMENDATION: 16+
RATING: 4.25 ⭐️
This memoir was very well done! I listened to the audiobook and I highly recommend that format. It includes elements with music plus Will Smith performing various parts in song—which made it so different and cool. He is such an engaging storyteller making it such an entertaining listen. I learned so much more about him, and I loved getting a glimpse into his journey as a rapper—and how he chased that dream long before acting was ever on the table. The pacing was great and it stayed on a linear track of storytelling which can be make or break for me in a memoir.
The only thing that kept this from being a five-star read for me was the way Will’s narration often carried a sense of ego that overshadowed parts of his story. He shows good self-reflection, ownership, and ability to learn from mistakes but it’s in a way that ultimately leads back to subtly being about how great he is.
Still, I would still definitely recommend this memoir for everyone! It’s filled with great stories and a strong ending that tied everything together perfectly.
AGE RECOMMENDATION: 18+
RATING: 3.75 ⭐️
2025 NEW RELEASE
SPICE: MILD ❤️🔥❤️🔥
There’s nothing better than sitting down to read an Emily Henry book for the first time—and this one did not disappoint! The story follows our female main character, Alice, and male main character, Hayden, as they compete for authorship of a famous socialite’s biography. This octogenarian, former socialite is our secondary female main character, named Margaret Ives.
This book differs from previous Emily Henry books because it contains a story within the story, along with some mystery and more contemporary fiction elements. I actually appreciated the nuances of this book and still really enjoyed the forced proximity, grumpy sunshine romance between the two main characters.
However, there was a certain point of this book—about 3/4 through—where things started to fall a little flat for me. The romance kind of tempered out and the telling of Margaret’s story kind of lost me. Even then—you just can’t beat Emily Henry’s descriptive writing and emotional storytelling. She truly has a way of writing the most lovable characters and memorable romances. In comparison to her other books, this was one of my least favorite Emily Henry books—but I would still recommend it to everyone!
AGE RECOMMENDATION: 21+
