Spring Wrap Up

Books I Read During March, April and May 2023

I began typing this post up at the end of March for my March reading wrap up, and then everything that could go wrong in April did. My family was sick most of the month, my house flooded, literally just the worst month overall, and then I was on vacation most of May. So here we are now, in June, writing my spring reading wrap up. I did end up reading quite a bit, not as much as I'd like, but I definitely read some great books that I want to highlight below. 

Since there's so many here, I'll try to keep my thoughts on each one short and sweet. These are in order of when I read them, so the ones at the bottom I finished more recently than the ones at the top (and are therefore fresher in my mind). 

All Downhill With You by Julie Olivia - 5 stars

I loved everything about this book. The setting was probably one of my absolute favorites in the world. I love the bee themed amusement park. The enemies to lovers are beautiful. Out of this entire series, Emory and Lorelei are my favorite couple. 

The Fiction Between Us by Julie Olivia - 4 stars

This one did not stack up to the first one (as I didn't enjoy the couple as much) but I still loved every moment of it. 

Our Ride to Forever by Julie Olivia - 5 stars

Marriage of convenience. I had so much fun reading Orson and Theo's story. I loved how they were living with each other and kept their fake marriage a secret from everyone. And the smut was to die for. I cannot wait for the last couple's book in a few weeks. 

The Tea Dragon Society & The Tea Dragon Festival by K. O'Neill - 5 stars

These graphic novels are super cute and such light, fluffy reads. I read them on KU but need copies for my shelf because of how gorgeous the art was. 

The Witch and the Vampire by Francesca Flores - 2 stars

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher. This was a book I was looking forward to, but it ended up being so disappointing. I was not a fan of either of the main characters. Nothing felt justified and could have been resolved if people just talked to each other. The writing seemed juvenile. There was so much potential, but I'm annoyed I wasted time reading this book. You can read my full review here. 

To Ashes and Dust by Luna Laurier - 5 stars

I received an ARC of this from the author. I read book one last August and could not wait to keep up with the story. I still haven't been able to fully compile my thoughts in a full review, but I loved this one so much more. I felt so many things and literally cried while reading it. This world is so immersive and I need book three now. 

Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White - 5 stars

This book made me feel the same way as when I read The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang, aka really messed up. It's an amazing and brilliant book, and I am so glad I read it, but wow, was it a hard read. I had to put it down quite a bit because of how messed up the majority of the plot is. I do recommend this book, but please check the trigger warnings before you do and take care of yourself. 

Always the Almost by Edward Underhill - 4 stars

This was another read for the #TransRightsReadathon for me. I quite enjoyed the plot and the romance. It wasn't my favorite, but it was a sweet read and I'm glad I took the time to read it for the readathon. 

Babel by R.F. Kuang - 5 stars

I will literally read everything by R.F. Kuang and be utterly destroyed. Babel is long and messed up, but so very worth it. 

Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee - 4 stars

I read this one for a blog tour, so you can check out my full thoughts here, but this one was sweet. 

When We Had Summer by Jennifer Castle - 4 stars

I read this one for a blog tour and it one made my heart hurt. I loved the friendships of When We Had Summer, and while the characters were on the younger side, I loved seeing how they grew and evolved over the course of the summer after their best friends death. 

The Liar's Crown by Abigail Owen - 4 stars

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I basically enjoyed everything about The Liar's Crown. Reven is so handsome, and I loved his character. The shadow powers and basically instant kidnapping led to an interesting read I could not put down. I also loved the concept of the twin queens. 

Happy Place by Emily Henry - 3 stars

Emily Henry is a romance goddess. I love her work but Happy Place disappointed me. I was not a fan of the couple and did not enjoy the messaging at the end where Harriet basically gave up everything for a man. It didn't feel like a healthy relationship to me, and I didn't swoon as much as her other books. This one fell flat for me. 

The Stolen Throne by Abigail Owen - 4 stars

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an eARC! The Stolen Throne was another fun read, but I was annoyed by the lack of smut overall. After book one, I thought Meren and Reven would have more of a relationship but it felt like another New-Moon-situation, like I'm not good for you so I'm going to make both of us be in pain while we stare longingly at each other from across the room. I did enjoy it but I was wanting more romance. I am excited to see how the plot progresses in book three. 

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros - 5 stars

I know everyone and their sister has been talking about Fourth Wing, and yes, I am a massive fan. I loved the plot, the characters, the disability representation, everything. I have not read a book that made me feel this way in a while, like this takes me back to my dystopian-loving roots. I cannot wait for book two to release later this year (in NOVEMBER), especially after reading that cliff-hanger ending. I highly recommend everyone read this book and decide for themselves. Yes, it's hyped up a lot but I really enjoyed getting immersed in this world with the dragons and also Xaden. 

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang - 5 stars

I literally read this in one day while on vacation. Talk about messed up. I loved it. The main character, June, was so creepy seeing her thoughts and how she justified her actions. I could not put Yellowface down. Everything was so messed up. This has just cemented Kuang being an absolute mastermind of a writer.  

The Savior's Book Cafe Story in Another World Vol. 5 (Manga) - 5 stars

I love this manga series so much, but I was a little disappointed in the ending. It wasn't as satisfying as the rest of the series, and while it ended on a high note, I wish there would have been more substance. 

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins - 3 stars 

I finally decided to pick this one up because the Hunger Games is resurfacing and this sounded like fun. I really enjoyed it early on because there was a lot of background and history to the games and Panem that was incredibly interesting. I didn't even mind Snow as a main character. Then, the last third of the book happened and immediately dropped my opinion. I felt like the flow was off completely and didn't match the beginning of the book. And then the ending happened, which I absolutely hated. I know it's Snow but I felt like the character progression didn't add up. Reading this book was completely worthless. It didn't give anything. I was not a fan. 

Whew! That was a long wrap up. I'm super excited to be back to posting. I've been reading a lot of fun books lately and am super excited to gush about them.