January-February-March-April Wrap Up
I’ve debated back and forth about whether or not I should do a wrap-up of my reading from the first few months of this year. On one hand, there’s a few books that I completely fell in love with in the first four months of 2020, even one that is now an all-time favorite. On the other hand, there are many, many, MANY books that I feel completely apathetic towards or have absolutely nothing to say about. I feel like there’s too many books to do a comprehensive video on, yet I don’t have enough to say about my reading during certain months to do separate posts and videos per month. So this is post is my compromise.
Here, I have listed every single book I read from January to April, in sequential order, along with the star rating I gave them on Goodreads. At the end of each month’s section, I’ve listed a few sentences of my general feelings for the month or gushed about a book I loved. This way, I feel as though I’ve caught up on my wrap-ups but also, not wasted too much of your time.
Without further ado, here’s every book I read from the past four months…
January
1. This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald, 5 stars
2. A Match Made for Thanksgiving (Holidays with the Wongs #1) by Jackie Lau, 3 stars
3. The Third Best Thing (Fulton U #3) by Maya Hughes, 5 stars
4. The Awakening by Kate Chopin, 4 stars
5. A Second Chance Road Trip for Christmas (Holidays with the Wongs #2) by Jackie Lau, 4 stars
6. A Fake Girlfriend for Chinese New Year (Holidays with the Wongs #3) by Jackie Lau, 4 stars
# of Books Read: 6
Average Rating: 4.2 stars
During the month of January, Lisa (@remarkablylisa) and Lacey (@laceybooklovers) hosted a Chinese New Year Readathon and to participate, I read some of Jackie Lau’s books. They were cute and sweet and filled with delicious decriptions of food. Would recommend if you’re looking for a quick, fun read.
I also read The Third Best Thing by Maya Hughes. I’m a big fan of this series and when I received an eARC of it, I about died. I’ve been looking forward to Berk’s story for ages. Hughes did not disappoint. Here’s a blog post with my review.
The Awakening by Kate Chopin was read for my American lit class this past semester.
Finally, This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald was the first book I read of 2020 and if I’m being honest, I’ve thought about this story almost every day since I read it. It is the newest edition to my all-time favorites list and I will be doing a full review as to why I love this book so much soon(ish).
February
7. Layoverland by Gabby Noone, 3.5 stars
8. My Darling Duke (Sinful Wallflowers #1) by Stacy Reid, 5 stars
9. The Earl’s New Bride by Frances Fowlkes, 3 stars
10. Accidentally Compromising the Duke (Wedded by Scandal #1) by Stacy Reid, 4 stars
11. The Duke and I (Forever Yours Book 2) by Stacy Reid, 4 stars
12. The Marquess and I (Forever Yours Book 1) by Stacy Reid, 4 stars
13. The Viscount and I (Forever Yours Book 3) by Stacy Reid, 4 stars
14. Misadventures with the Duke (Forever Yours Book 4) by Stacy Reid, 4 stars
15. When the Earl was Wicked (Forever Yours Book 5) by Stacy Reid, 4 stars
16. Sins of Viscount Worsley (Forever Yours Book 8) by Stacy Reid, 4 stars
17. A Prince of my Own (Forever Yours Book 6) by Stacy Reid, 3 stars
18. Sophia and the Duke (Forever Yours Book 7) by Stacy Reid, 4 stars
19. Wicked in His Arms (Wedded by Scandal #2) by Stacy Reid, 5 stars
20. How to Marry a Marquess (Wedded by Scandal #3) by Stacy Reid, 5 stars
# of Books Read: 14
Average Rating: 4.04 stars
Obviously, this was the month that I discovered Stacy Reid and fell into a downward spiral of reading only historical romance (spoiler alert: that spiral continued into March). My Darling Duke was the first title I read from Reid. It’s also her newest and, in my humble opinion, her best work. If you enjoyed My Darling Duke, feel free to check out her backlist titles. I enjoyed all of them but the Wedded by Scandal series and her newest book were my favorites.
March
21. Wicked Deeds on a Winter Night by Stacy Reid, 3 stars
22. A Heart So Fierce and Broken (Cursebreakers #2) by Brigid Kemmerer, 5 stars
23. Tamed by a Duke (Wilful Wallflowers #1 note: that’s how the word “wilful” is spelled in the goodreads listing so that’s how I’m spelling it here even though it’s wrong lol) by Claudia Stone, 3 stars
24. A Lady By Chance by Cheryl Bolen, 3 stars
25. The Iron Earl (Valor of Vinehill #1) by K.J. Jackson, 3 stars
26. The Steel Rogue (Valor of Vinehill #3) by K.J. Jackson, 4 stars
27. The Wolf Duke (Valor of Vinehill #2) by K.J. Jackson, 4 stars
28. Worth of a Duke (Lords of Fate #1) by K.J. Jackson, 3 stars
29. Earl of Destiny (Lords of Fate #2) by K.J. Jackson, 4 stars
30. Marquess of Fortune (Lords of Fate #3) by K.J. Jackson, 3 stars
31. Vow (Lords of Action #1) by K.J. Jackson, 3 stars
32. Reborn Yesterday (Phenomenal Fate #1) by Tessa Bailey, 4 stars
33. Of Valor & Vice (Revelry’s Tempest #1) by K.J. Jackson, 3 stars
34. Disenchanted by Brianna Sugalski, 4.5 stars
35. Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson, 3 stars
36. In Bed with the Earl (Lost Lords of London #1), 3 stars
# of Books Read: 16
Average Rating: 3.5 stars
In March, my historical romance obsession transitioned from Stacy Reid to K.J. Jackson. I’m not sure if the stories were less interesting to me than Reid’s or if by this point I was beginning to burn myself out on historical romance, but there’s definitely more 3 stars during this month than prior.
I finally finished A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer in this month. It took me a while to care about our new main character Lia Mara, but once I did, I was off to the races with this read. So, so good. I loved it more than the first book and I cannot wait to see how this story progresses. Kemmerer never disappoints.
Shout-out to Reborn Yesterday by Tessa Bailey. I’ve loved vampire love stories since I was a freshman in high school and this one was no exception.
I was sent an eARC of Disenchanted by Brianna Sugalski and read it for review. I really enjoyed this debut novel about a capable and determined princess who would do anything for her people, including trek through a notoriously dangerous wood in order to find a cure for her curse. I loved the dynamic between Lilac, our princess, and Garin, our…well, no spoilers. The fantasy setting made for an excellent adventure while the story itself was ripe with nods to history. Very good and anticipating the sequel.
I also read Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson this month and my feelings were (and still are) mixed. Here is the review I posted to Goodreads. I’ve heard The Kind Worth Killing is Swanson’s best stuff, so maybe I’ll check that out soon.
April
37. Boss Man Bridegroom by Meghan Quinn, 3 stars
38. Inappropriate by Vi Keeland, 3 stars
39. Tweet Cute by Emma Lord, 4.5 stars
40. Right (Wrong #2) by Jana Aston, 3 stars
41. Wrong (Wrong #1) by Jana Aston, 3 stars
42. Trust (Wrong #3) by Jana Aston, 3 stars
43. How to Tame a Beastly Lord (Happy Ever Regency #2) by Bree Wolf, 4 stars
44. Lock Every Door by Riley Sager, 5 stars
45. Engaging Mr. Darcy by Rachel John, 3 stars
46. A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, 4 stars
47. Rock Chick (Rock Chick #1) by Kristen Ashley, 3.5 stars
48. Lords, Ladies and Babies: A Regency Romance Set with Little Consequences by Meara Platt and others, 4 stars
49. The Best Man by Winter Renshaw, 4 stars
50. The Cruelest Stranger by Winter Renshaw, 4 stars
51. Doctor Dearest by R. S. Grey, 3 stars
52. His Royal Highness by R.S. Grey, 4 stars
53. The Belle and the Biker (Fake It Till You Make It #2) by Kenzie Reed, 3 stars
54. Only When It’s Us (Bergman Brothers #1) by Chloe Liese, 4 stars
# of Books Read: 18
Average Rating: 3.6 stars
Thank goodness I finally tamed my historical romance reading during this month.
Lock Every Door by Riley Sager blew my mind in the month of April. I genuinely loved this story and it even creeped me out a few times. I’m chopping at the bit to overhaul my TBR plans and only read Sager until I’ve caught up on his backlist.
This was the month that Tweet Cute by Emma Lord killed be with its sweetness and I realized that I haven’t outgrown YA contemporary—I just only want to read good YA contemporary.
A Streetcar Named Desire was read for my American lit class. Enjoyed reading the play, but (and I believe many would agree with this sentiment) it’s better experienced if you just watch it performed.
Whew, we’re finally done. With 54 books completed in the first four months of the year, I have officially completed my 2020 Goodreads Reading Challenge. (Stuff it to anyone who says I should extend the amount on my challenge.) Hopefully, now that I’m caught up with this, I’ll be more consistent in my wrap-ups and stick to regular monthly posts about the books I’ve finished.
Thank you so much if you’ve made it this far. I’m hoping you have a fantastic day, and until next time…
-Skylar
