
Happy Friday, friends—and happy May! 🌸
Can you believe we’re almost halfway through the year already? Time is flying by!
May isn’t exactly my favorite month… thanks to my allergies 😭. This season has me curled up in bed, tissues in one hand and a book in the other (not as cute as it sounds, I promise 😂). I always hope to read a lot when I’m stuck inside, but between sneezing fits and itchy eyes, it’s not always easy.
In April, I managed to read 7 books and a novella! 📚 My average time to finish a book has been slowly creeping up, probably because I had a soft DNF in there. Right now, I think I’m averaging about 5 to 6 days per book. Not bad, but definitely room to improve!
As for ratings… let’s just say April wasn’t full of five stars. Here’s hoping May brings better reads, fewer sniffles, and more cozy bookish vibes! 💕✨
Deep end by Ali Hazelwood ⭐⭐⭐

Summary
Scarlett Vandermeer is swimming upstream. A Junior at Stanford and a student-athlete who specializes in platform diving, Scarlett prefers to keep her head down, concentrating on getting into med school and on recovering from the injury that almost ended her career. She has no time for relationships—at least, that’s what she tells herself.
Swim captain, world champion, all-around aquatics golden boy, Lukas Blomqvist thrives on discipline. It’s how he wins gold medals and breaks records: complete focus, with every stroke. On the surface, Lukas and Scarlett have nothing in common. Until a well-guarded secret slips out, and everything changes.
So they start an arrangement. And as the pressure leading to the Olympics heats up, so does their relationship. It was supposed to be just a temporary, mutually satisfying fling. But when staying away from Lukas becomes impossible, Scarlett realizes that her heart might be treading into dangerous water…
You can check my review and my mood board of the book!
A Harvest Of Hearts by Andrea Eames ⭐⭐✨

Summary
In the beloved tradition of Howl’s Moving Castle, a whimsical and unforgettable story of fantastic adventure, common sense, and the power of love to overcome the greatest of obstacles . . .
Before Foss Butcher was Snagged, she thought no more of the magic-users than did anyone else in her tiny village. Sometimes gorgeous women in impossible carriages rolled into town and took bits of people’s hearts. Everyone knew hearts fueled their magic. But Foss, plain, clumsy, and practical as a boot, never expected anyone would want hers.
True enough, when the only sorcerer in the kingdom stepped from his glossy carriage, he didn’t intend to hook Foss. Sylvester’s riot of black curls and perfectly etched cheekbones caught her eye a moment too long, that was all. Suddenly, Foss is cursed and finds herself stomping toward the grand City to keep his enchanted House, where her only friend is a talking cat and the walls themselves have moods.
But as Foss learns the ways of magic, she realizes she’s far from its only unwilling captive. Even Sylvester is hemmed in by spells and threats. It’s said this sorcery protects king, country, and order for thousands. If Foss wants to free herself—and, perhaps, Sylvester—she’ll have to confront it all . . . and uncover the blight nestled in the heart of the kingdom itself.
You can check my review of the book!
Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez ⭐⭐

Summary
There might be no such a thing as a perfect guy, but Xavier Rush comes disastrously close. A gorgeous veterinarian giving Greek god vibes—all while cuddling a tiny kitten? Immediately yes. That is until Xavier opens his mouth and proves that even sculpted gods can say the absolute wrong thing. Like, really wrong. Of course, there’s nothing Samantha loves more than proving an asshole wrong…
. . . unless, of course, he can admit he made a mistake. But after one incredible and seemingly endless date—possibly the best in living history—Samantha is forced to admit the truth, that her family is in crisis and any kind of relationship would be impossible. Samantha begs Xavier to forget her. To remember their night together as a perfect moment, as crushing as that may be.
Only no amount of distance or time is nearly enough to forget that something between them. And the only thing better than one single perfect memory is to make a life—and even a love—worth remembering.
You can check my review & my mood board of this book!
The Situationship by Abby Jimenez

Summary
Find out how Maddy and Doug met in this sweet and hilarious short story from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer.
Travel nurse Maddy doesn’t have time for a relationship, not even with the ruggedly handsome farmer who she feels a spark of attraction to.
Doug is a walking green flag. After a run in with Maddy thanks to the Wakan town mascot, Kevin Bacon the pig, he can’t help but feel the spark too.
Even though she doesn’t plan on staying in Minnesota forever, Maddy believes she and Doug can still have a fling… or maybe they’ll just find themselves in a situationship.
Wrath Of An Exile by Monty Jay ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Summary
n Ponderosa Springs, this version of Romeo and Juliet isn’t a tragedy. It’s war.
Jude Sinclair is West Trinity Falls’ favorite exiled loner.
Cocky. Insufferably hot. Family foe.
Raised across the tracks in a rival town, he reeks of trouble. Which is the one thing I’ve always had a problem avoiding and now that he’s just down the hall, it’s harder to resist the pull.
My father made one rule when Jude moved in, never trust a Sinclair.
The last thing I need is for my new foster brother to make me question my loyalty with his filthy smirks and poet tongue. But with every forbidden kiss and secret hookup, I quickly find myself faced with two options.
Betray my family? Or betray my heart?
You can check my review & my mood board of this book!
Wild Side by Elsie Silver ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Summary
I’d always dreamed of my wedding day. But not like this. Not looking into the eyes of the man who betrayed me.
But when my nephew’s guardianship is contested, I decide I’ll do whatever it takes to keep him in Rose Hill. Even if it means marrying the enemy.
Rhys Dupris.
A man who is secretive, broody, and completely infuriating. A man whose work takes him away for weeks on end and brings him back covered in mysterious bruises—ones he won’t talk about. In fact, we barely talk at all.
Which would be fine, except when he’s not talking, he’s staring. And the way he looks at me is borderline indecent.
The tension between us has always been palpable. But living under the same roof is a dangerous temptation.
I swore I would never forgive him. But that was before I knew the man behind the mask. The one who’s fierce and protective. The one who’s gentle and patient. The one who shows up for us when we need him most.
He’s not at all who I thought he was.
And that makes hating my husband so much harder… and loving him just a little too easy.
You can check my review & my mood board of this book!
Secret or Shutout by Leah Brunner ⭐⭐✨

Summary
A 6’5 NHL goalie walks into a bar and meets the love of his life…no, this isn’t the start of a bad joke.
I had a chance encounter in a dimly lit bar that led to an earth-shattering kiss with a beautiful stranger.
But then the next morning my world is rocked again–when I walk inside my team captain’s house and see her.
Farrah Remington isn’t a mysterious stranger after all, she’s the little sister of my captain and best friend. A woman firmly off limits to anyone on the D.C. Eagles.
Now, I have to pretend that kiss never happened. But the more I see Farrah, the hotter our chemistry burns, and the stronger our connection grows–until we can’t resist each other any longer.
Sneaking around isn’t ideal, but what my team captain doesn’t know won’t hurt him (or piss him off in the middle of the Stanley Cup playoffs).
I’m with my dream girl and my team is sailing through playoffs…until the truth comes out.
Now my team captain hates me, I can’t keep pucks out of my net to save my life, and the woman I love won’t speak to me.
Can I save my relationship, my friendship, and enough goals to help the D.C. Eagles finally win the Cup…or will I get shut out of Farrah’s life forever?
You can check my review of the book!
Original Sinner by Kait Ballenger ⭐✨

Summary
Seven deadly—and ultrarich—sins rule NYC, and though she came here to escape her past, one woman’s true path to freedom might be the devil’s bonds in this scorching hot romantasy from Kait Ballenger.
The seven deadly sins keep high profiles in the Big Lust runs brothels, Sloth’s a media streamer…you get the picture. Pride, though, he’s more mysterious. You might know him as Lucifer—temptation irresistibly embodied. The paparazzi are dying for some burning-hot gossip. So when someone publishes my scathing but private rant about him, they eat it up. And now my job is on the line. After all, he is my boss.
With his vicious siblings vying for his power, Lucifer needs to distract the press, so he reframes my tirade as a lovers’ spat, demanding I play the devil’s fiancée. I need to be a good girl, smile for the cameras, nothing more.
But cocky and cruel as he is, his darkness awakens something wicked in me. Sexy and in control, he might just be the cure—an extra dose of sin to heal me from a lifetime of shame and subservience.
You can check my review of the book!
These are the books I read in April! 📚
It was a bit of a mixed bag this month, two of my most anticipated releases ended up disappointing me (ugh, the pain 😩), but I also had two solid 4-star reads that I genuinely enjoyed. So overall, I’d say it wasn’t a bad reading month!
Looking ahead, I think May will be the month I focus more on my physical TBR instead of diving into ARCs. My physical TBR has officially hit 30+ books, and honestly… that’s a first for me 😅. I’m used to buying 3–4 books a month and reading them right away, so this backlog is overwhelming. I’m setting a goal to read at least half before buying any more. Ideally, I’d love to end the year with just 5–6 books left on my physical shelf, fingers crossed! 🤞📖
I know I don’t have a big audience reading my wrap-ups yet, but writing them brings me so much joy. If you’ve made it this far—thank you! 🫶
Let me know in the comments: what’s the best book you’ve read so far this year?
Until next time! 🫶
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