Welcome back to another monthly reading wrap up!
Okay so where is the year going?! Because we swear we just posted our January reading wrap up! Also we created a Good Reads account if you wanted to follow along Little Sisters reading journey in real time.
In April little sister read 4 books and dnf’d 1 and big sister read 2. Every month we both have a good laugh at how very different our reading preferences are!!
As always, these are just our humble opinions! Reading is such a personal journey…each of us brings our own quirks and feelings to every story, and honestly? That’s what makes book chat so delightful. If you’ve read any of these books, we’d be absolutely thrilled to hear your thoughts in the comments. Love them? Hate them? Somewhere in the messy middle? We’re here for all of it! And if you have any recommendations for our TBR, drop them below! We’re always on the hunt for our next book obsession.
Little Sister
The Night We Met by Abbey Jimenez
Book 2 in the Say You’ll Remember Me Series
Rating: DNF at 52%
Oh my, what happened here?! This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and I did, in fact, DNF it. I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t connect with the characters, and I couldn’t get behind the whole “crushing on your lifelong best friend’s girlfriend” storyline. The FMC and MMC were forgettable, and I’m just so upset that it came to this. I love Abby Jimenez, Yours Truly is literally a god-tier book of mine, so to have DNF’d this book is genuinely disappointing. I know there are mixed opinions on DNFing a book, but let me be the one to tell you that life is too short to read a book you’re not enjoying…DNF it, it’s not that deep.
Fighting Chance by Mads Rafferty
Book 2 in The Ice Hawks Series
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A sports romance with emotional depth that made me cry on many occasions, with a pathetically down-bad man with trauma who just happens to be a single dad? And he’s cheeky and flirty? And a fiery redhead who wants nothing to do with him but is also his nanny? Yeah, sounds too good to be true—but here we are! Mads Rafferty completely delivered and then some with book 2 in The Ice Hawks series. I am genuinely stunned and speechless over this story. She handled conversations of long-term illness, abandonment, childhood trauma, and infertility with such genuine care and consideration—it was beautiful. Definitely not just another sports romance.
I’m still thinking about these characters and this story, and I think I will be for a while. Please, please, please start this interconnected standalone series—it is definitely worth your time, and it’s on Kindle Unlimited, an added bonus if you will!
Unbound by Peyton Corinne
Book 3 in The Undone Series
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
I was super excited for this book, but I don’t know, it kind of just fell flat for me. These characters deserve everything good in life, and my heart ached for their story, but it was just missing that spark I love so much in a romance book. This is a second-chance, dual-timeline, dual-POV story, and while I love a second-chance romance, the dual timeline in this book was confusing and I felt it lacked flow.
With that being said, this book handles topics of OCD compulsions, ADHD, autism, anxiety, and childhood sexual abuse gently and with immense care. Not my favourite in the series, but it sets up book 4 perfectly. I still recommend reading this series if you’re looking for an emotional sports romance.
A quote that has stuck with me…"Ask my daughter her favourite person, princess or magical creature…her mom, will be her answer for them all.”
*Just an FYI… the next book I actually picked up was The Conditions of Will by Jessa Hastings, I got about 10% through and wasn’t feeling it. I wouldn't say it was a DNF because I didn’t get far in but I just was not in the mood for it….and that’s totally okay. So I have put it back on the TBR list and will revisit it at a later stage.
Caught Up by Liz Tomforde
Book 3 in The Windy City Series (re read)
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I sensed a reading slump coming on, so I went back to a series I know and love. Nothing will cure a reading slump quite like Liz Tomforde. This was obviously still a 5-star read, and I am simply obsessed with this universe, this friend group, and these love stories. Because what do you mean these aren’t my close personal friends? Kai and Miller’s dynamic in this book is actually even better than I remembered. She is so sharp and quick with her comebacks—she makes me laugh out loud. And Kai? Well, he is just perfect, isn’t he?
I’ve said it once, twice, thrice: if you haven’t read this series, read it.
The Awakening by Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti
Book 1 in The Zodiac Academy Series
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
So, we needed to switch things up, and I had the sudden urge to jump into a fantasy/romance series—maybe because I’ve been rewatching The Vampire Diaries? Okay, so ummmm... why am I so late to this? An academy setting with different houses based on your powers? Yes, please! This follows Tory and Darcy Vega (Gemini twins) who are thrown into this alternate realm, Solaria, and now attend The Zodiac Academy. They figure out their powers, family history, friends, enemies, purpose, and love interests along the way. Can I just say Lance Orion and Darius Acrux are my newest obsession, yes they are both a bit morally grey…but I am here for it! Excited for what’s to come in this series!
Big Sister
Disney Adults: Exploring (And Falling In Love With) A Magical Subculture by AJ Wolfe
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
For someone like me who has been a Disney fan my entire life, this was such a fascinating insight into the world of adults who classify themselves as Disney super fans. I am by no means a Disney adult, but something about being immersed into the magic of Disney and revisiting some of my earlier Disney memories was so special. My first My favourite part of the book, was all of the interviews that the author sprinkled through the book with self professed “Disney Adults” from different backgrounds and walks of life. The thing that resonated with me the most was that their love of Disney, helped them find the the magic and whimsy in everyday life. That is something we can all learn from, no matter how serious or stressful our lives get we can always find the magic in something. I highly recommend this if you are a fan of anything Disney.
The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company by William Dalyrmple
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The author of this book, is the co-host of the Empire World History podcast which tracks the great empires of history. This book has been on by TBR for a while and I finally bit the bullet. It takes you from Tudor England, to the vast Indian subcontinent and tracks how the East India Company came to control most of it. This book is insightful and respectful of the nuances during this period of history. It provides both the British and Indian perspective, with an in-depth overview of a period of history I didn’t know much about. It was so well written and taught me so much, definitely on the list of one of my favourite historical non-fiction reads.
What did you read in April? Drop your favourite books in the comments below, and let us know if any of these are on your TBR. We’d love to hear what you thought if you’ve read any of them! Happy reading, and we’ll see you next month for May’s wrap-up! 📚
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