Hello and happy Friday friends! I hope your month is off to a great start and you are looking forward to a fun weekend ahead. We've got a few plans this weekend which are going to be so fun. Plus, I get to sleep in both days which is great - I feel like I could use a good sleep.
Today I'm doing a recap of all the books I completed in the month of April. All of the books were book club reads and I am happy to say that my lowest review this month was a 4.5 stars - so I would have to say it was a good reading month.
If you want to get any of these books for yourself, click on the picture or the name of the book below and it will take you to Amazon where you can buy the book for yourself. Heads up: I am an Amazon Associate so if you purchase with my link I could make a small commission.
So without further adieu...here's my May 2025 book review.
So without further adieu...here's my May 2025 book review.
Synopsis:
A whirlwind romance.
When Theodora Scott met Connor—wealthy, charming, and a member of the powerful Dalton family—she fell in love in an instant. Six months later, he’s brought her to Idlewood, his family’s isolated winter retreat, to win over his skeptical relatives.
Stay away from Connor Dalton.
Theo has tried to ignore the threatening messages on her phone, but she can’t ignore the footprints in the snow outside the cabin window or the strange sense of familiarity she has about this place. Then, in a disused cabin, Theo finds something impossible: a photo of herself as a child. A photo taken at Idlewood.
I’ve been here before.
Theo has almost no recollection of her earliest years, but now she begins to piece together the fragments of her memories. Someone here has a shocking secret that they will do anything to keep hidden, and Theo is in terrible danger. Because the Daltons do not lose, and discovering what happened at Idlewood may cost Theo everything.
My Thoughts:
Overall, I gave this book 4 stars. The story captured me fairly quickly and kept my attention for a while. I actually started this book a long time ago for a book club and left it like 60% done because I kept having to move onto new books. I would recommend this book for those that like a murder mystery with family drama.
Synopsis:
With all hope of an appeal fading away, the fate of a condemned murderess takes a shocking turn in a breathtaking short story by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Housemaid.
Talia Kemper is on death row for murdering her husband. She had an alibi and no known motive, yet Talia’s unwavering protestations of innocence have always been ignored. Then one day in the visiting area, she sees a recognizable stranger she’s certain is her husband. It turns out the man she’s been convicted of killing may not be dead after all. But as the days tick away toward Talia’s execution, what will it take for her to be believed?
Freida McFadden’s Death Row is part of Alibis, a collection of stories about lies, truth, and deception. It’s just a matter of what you can get away with. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.
My Thoughts:
This was a little novella that was very quick to read and very interesting. I actually wish that Frieda McFadden would expound on this story more because the whole premise was very interesting.
I found out my husband of three years had cheated on me and his mistress is the one who told me—because he didn’t have the balls to do it himself.
I move out and get a new apartment, a job as a bartender, and try to move on with a broken heart. I wonder where it all went wrong, if I hadn’t been enough for him, if I’d been stupid for marrying him in the first place.
I’m at work one night when he walks inside—the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen. He sits at the bar and a forest fire burns between us. I was depressed the moment before he entered, but the second I look at his blue eyes, I forget the dumpster fire that my life has become. I invite him back to my place and it’s the most passionate night of my life. I expect to never see him again.
I just want him as an anti-depressant—but he wants me all to himself. I just got my heart ripped out of my chest so I want something easy and no-strings-attached, but he wants all the strings because he’s hooked.
I don’t get much of a say in the matter, and that’s not surprising when I learn why—because he’s the Butcher. The crime lord of all crime lords, the boss that overshadows all of Paris, that makes everyone abide by his rules—or pay.
And now I’m his.
My Thoughts:
I.... am not sure what to think about this one. I've mentioned before that I am not a huge dark romance reader so I went into this one a bit apprehensive. And I think I was right to be. I felt like the characters did not show much growth and there was a lot of gaps in the story. That being said, if you read dark romance for not the story, I would recommend this one.
Synopsis:
Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: to write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years—or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the twentieth century.
When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story, there are three things keeping Alice’s head in the game.
One: Alice genuinely likes people, which means people usually like Alice—and she has a whole month to win the legendary woman over.
Two: She’s ready for this job and the chance to impress her perennially unimpressed family with a Serious Publication.
Three: Hayden Anderson, who should have no reason to be concerned about losing this book, is glowering at her in a shaken-to-the core way that suggests he sees her as competition.
But the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.
And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad . . . depending on who’s telling it.
My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book. It is a bit different than her normal stories, but I would happily recommend this to a friend. The characters show a lot of growth and there is a twist that I was actually not prepared for at the end.
Synopsis:
They said the Choosing was a gift.
They never told me I was playing a deadly game.
Four rulers. Monsters cloaked in crowns.
They’re not just powerful—they’re primal.
And now, they want me.
I wasn’t supposed to be part of the Choosing.
I forged my way in, wearing a stranger’s face, chasing whispers of my lost sister.
I planned to seduce. To manipulate. To survive.
But I didn’t plan on them.
The way they watch me like prey.
The way their magic coils around mine like a promise.
The way they say my name like they already own it.
Each man wants to break me in his own way. Take me in his own way. Together? They might unmake me entirely.
My Thoughts
This book is a "why choose" book and I am not sure how I feel about this one. The concept of the whole story was very interesting and I wish Jade Presley had spent more time focusing on the story versus the relationships between the main characters and the four princes. BUT, I appreciated how each prince had a different story and relationship with her and their relationships were very interesting.
Book #6: Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli
A WITCH...
Rune Winters is on the run. Ever since the boy she loved, Gideon Sharpe, revealed who she was and delivered her into enemy hands, everyone wants her dead. If Rune hopes to survive, she must ally herself with the cruel and dangerous Cressida Roseblood, who’s planning to take back the Republic and reinstate a Reign of Witches—something Cressida needs Rune to accomplish.
A WITCH HUNTER...
Apparently it wasn’t enough for Rune to deceive Gideon; she’s now betrayed him by joining forces with the witch who made his life a living hell. Gideon won’t allow the Republic to fall to the witches and be plunged back into the nightmares of the past. In order to protect this new world he fought for, every last witch must die—especially Rune Winters.
AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE...
When Rune makes Gideon an offer he can’t refuse, the two must pair up to accomplish dangerous goals. The more they’re forced into each other’s company, the more Gideon realizes the feelings he had for Rune aren’t as dead and buried as he thought. Now he’s faced with a terrible choice: sacrifice the girl he loves to stop a monster taking back power, or let Rune live and watch the world he fought so hard for burn.
In Kristen Ciccarelli's Rebel Witch, the exciting conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology, love has never been so deadly.
My Thoughts:
I really, really, liked this one. I know a lot of people were disappointed in the story, but over all I enjoyed the read. I felt like there was a lot happening and the story kept my attention from beginning to end. I kind of wish there was more to the series because I really enjoyed the story.
When a secret message turns up hidden in a book in the Cinnamon Bun Bookstore, Hazel can't understand it. As more secret codes appear between the pages, she decides to follow the trail of clues… she just needs someone to help her out.
Gorgeous and outgoing fisherman, Noah, is always up for an adventure. And a scavenger hunt sounds like a lot of fun. Even better that the cute bookseller he's been crushing on for months is the one who wants his help!
Hazel didn’t go looking for romance, but as the treasure hunt leads her and Noah around Dream Harbor, their undeniable chemistry might be just as hot as the fresh-out-of-the-oven cinnamon buns the bookstore sells…
My Thoughts:
So far, this has been my favorite in the series. I really liked the concept of the main character receiving hints in the books at her book store and the whole premise that she was looking to be more adventurous in her life. I could relate to that very much. I'm excited to read the rest of the series.
Book #8: Best for Last by Baleigh Jayne
Synopsis:
Charlie Cade has spent his life on the ice, but with his contract up for renewal with the New York Rangers, the one thing he’s not prepared for is the spotlight. After years in the shadows, his agent insists he needs a picture-perfect relationship to keep his place on the team. Enter Cami Slate, his sister's best friend and the last person he ever imagined as his solution.
Cami’s life is in constant motion: always changing, always in flux. Whether it's shoes, men, or her latest obsession, commitment isn't her strong suit. When her mom corners her about her love life and constantly asks if she's bringing a date to her sister’s wedding, Cami needs a quick fix. So, when Charlie asks her to fake-date him, it seems like the perfect (if not completely ridiculous) solution to their problems.
But as the two of them navigate the world of fake romance, they start discovering a few things they didn’t expect: like how much they’ve always meant to each other, how much they want to mean to each other, and how hard it is to pretend when the chemistry is all too real.
Will Charlie and Cami’s love survive the pressure of pretending, or will they find that the real thing was right in front of them all along?
My Thoughts:
I received this book as an ARC and really enjoyed the story. It's a childhood bestfriends to lovers sports romance and it ticked all the boxes for me. Oh and did I mention fake dating? I definitely enjoyed reading the story and want to get a physical copy of both books to add to my collection.
Synopsis:
Five years ago, my fiancé disappeared. He left me with a wedding dress I’d never wear. Left me with the kind of scars that can’t be healed. The man I built my future on vanished like a ghost. All that remained were my broken heart and a million unanswered questions.
Until a mysterious stranger arrives in town.
Tall, dark, and dangerous, Kage is as full of secrets as he is sex appeal. Though I know he’s hiding something, I’m drawn to him like a moth to flame. Heat crackles between us with every look, desire flares into passion, and I fall hard, helpless to resist.
But then I discover he’s been sent to collect on an unpaid debt from my missing fiancé....
And that debt is me.
My Thoughts:
Okay so I know I said I didn't really enjoy dark romance novels, but this one was very good! I really enjoyed the writing, the story and the relationship between the main characters. Plus, there was a twist at the end which was very fun. I've already purchased the rest of the books because I'm very interested in them.
Book #10: Hunted by Meagan Spooner
Synopsis:
Beauty knows the Beast's forest in her bones—and in her blood. After all, her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering its secrets.
So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters out of their comfortable home among the aristocracy and back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there’s no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas…or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman.
But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance. The Beast.
Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange creature back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of magical creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin, or salvation.
Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?
My Thoughts:
I quickly identified this book as a Beauty and the Beast story, but I have to give Meagan Spooner credit that it was a different telling than I had heard before. For me, this one sat at about 3.5/3.75 stars because it was a bit slow at times and lacked something. That being said, if you like fairytale retelling stories, I would recommend this one.
Well that's all for today's book review! I hope you found a new book to add to your reading list for the future.
Okay what should I read next? I'm always on the hunt for book recommendations and am fairly open to all stories.
Have a wonderful day,
Jackie
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