March was a bit of a rough reading month.
It had a fantastic start with my first 6-star read of the year – Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan – but it was downhill from there and ended up being a mixed bag kind of month.
I did cross off three of the series on my spring TBR.
Last month I read a total of 12 books. I have four reviews to share in my March Wrap Up.
Some March stats from my reading notebook:
- My average star rating for the month was 3.85 stars. My ratings ran the gamut from 2.5 stars to 6 stars.
- My stats for new and revisited authors were almost identical to last month. I read 57% new to me authors and 43% writers I’d read before. My diverse author percentage was 57% – a new high – mostly thanks to reading for my spring TBR.
- In March, I really surpassed my new diverse reading goal! This time 75% of my reads were from a diverse author – again thanks to leaning into series reading for my spring TBR.
- I only read one nonfiction book (8%). Not unexpected since there wasn’t any nonfiction on my spring TBR.
- I’m still happy with my almost equal intake of ebooks and audiobooks.
- It felt like a big month for reading from Kindle Unlimited. 44% of my books came from there with library borrows still leading across my various apps at 56%. It was my first time using CloudLibrary this year.
Now onto the books!
March Reading Wrap Up:
By the Season and Reading Format
*ebook available on Kindle Unlimited
Spring Reads
- Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan* 🎧📖 (also a diverse author)
- Block Shot by Kennedy Ryan* 🎧📖
- Hook Shot by Kennedy Ryan* 🎧📖
- Knot My Type by Evie Mitchell 🎧 (also a diverse author)
- Hoops Shorts by Kennedy Ryan* 📖
- Love Flushed by Evie Mitchell 🎧
- The Friend Contract by Dria Andersen* 📖 (also a diverse author)
A Dose of Romance Book Club
- Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver 📖
Monthly NF Read
- The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie 🎧📖
Diverse Authors
- Something Fabulous by Alexis Hall* 🎧
- Something Spectacular by Alexis Hall* 🎧
Just Because
- Bride by Ali Hazelwood 📖🎧
Recaps and Reviews
You can find my review for Long Shot (6 stars), my ratings and thoughts on the rest of Kennedy Ryan’s Hoops series along with my reviews of Butcher & Blackbird (3.5 stars), Knot My Type (2.5 stars), and Love Flushed (3 stars) in my Mid March Reading Recap.
Something Fabulous by Alexis Hall
Rating: 4 stars
Steam Level: 3.5
I read my first book from Alexis Hall last year, A Lady for A Duke (4 stars), and really enjoyed my reading experience. When I saw this book available on KU with the read and listen feature, I added it to my January Edition of What’s in My Kindle Unlimited Library.
In need of an audiobook for my day, I started this one and had a hard time pausing it.
Book Blurb:
“Valentine Layton, the Duke of Malvern, has twin problems: literally.
It was always his father’s hope that Valentine would marry Miss Arabella Tarleton. But, unfortunately, too many novels at an impressionable age have caused her to grow up…romantic. So romantic that a marriage of convenience will not do and after Valentine’s proposal she flees into the night determined never to set eyes on him again.
Arabella’s twin brother, Mr. Bonaventure “Bonny” Tarleton, has also grown up…romantic. And fully expects Valentine to ride out after Arabella and prove to her that he’s not the cold-hearted cad he seems to be.
Despite copious misgivings, Valentine finds himself on a pell-mell chase to Dover with Bonny by his side. Bonny is unreasonable, overdramatic, annoying, and…beautiful? And being with him makes Valentine question everything he thought he knew. About himself. About love. Even about which Tarleton he should be pursuing.”
My Thoughts
I found these characters delightful. Especially their banter. The dialogue was witty and funny.
I love Alexis Hall’s historical romances! They’re fun, beautiful stories with a touch a whimsy and a perhaps creative twist to history.
I have seen some criticism that his HEAs aren’t historically plausible (in this case a duke publicly choosing to marry another man) but I love reading them anyway. His stories leave me happy and feeling optimistic.
I especially enjoyed Valentine’s journey in this book. Bonny introduced him to all these versions of love that he didn’t realize were even possible. A whole new world opened up for him. It felt like the reader was also being introduced to identities that may be different than their own as they followed Valentine’s awakening.
This story started off so strong for me but unfortunately I did have to pause it and wasn’t able to finish it in one day. Then due to a busy month, my reading life hit a bit of a slump and it was hard to get back into the book again.
I wound up listening to the second book, Something Spectacular, at the very end of March. It didn’t have the same magic for me as this one. I’m curious if there are more books coming in this series – some character arcs felt unresolved.
Other Books in the Series that I Read this Month:
- Something Spectacular (3.5 stars)
Questions to Consider for Your Own Reading Life: Do you read to experience identities different from your own? What titles have you read recently that offered you a diverse perspective? Do you have favorite characters who taught you something?
The Friend Contract by Dria Andersen
Rating: 2.5 stars
Steam Level: 2
This was a series from my spring TBR. Dria Andersen is a Black paranormal romance author I’ve been wanting to try since seeing her recommended by Heather at HEA Booktubes.
Book two in this series, The Alpha’s Affair, was featured in the January Edition of What’s in My Kindle Unlimited Library. Since I struggle to read series out of order I started with book 1 and that may have been a mistake.
Book Blurb:
“A fake, fake marriage? Desperate times call for desperate measures. Gabe is at the point where he’ll do anything to convince Naomi to give him a chance, even going so far as to hatch up a fake marriage plot. Though the plan is fiction, his love for her is very real.
Naomi would do anything for her best friend, including going along with a fake marriage to help him out of a bind. The heat between them was unexpected, the feelings she started to develop, surprising…scary. They needed boundaries…a contract to keep careful control of the lust flaring between them.”
My Thoughts
I really wanted to like this book but it just was not for me.
I felt lost in this world like I’d missed other books in the series. It read like we were already supposed to know how the shifter world worked and previously met all of the characters. Any info given felt randomly thrown in like we should know their backstories already and how they tie in with this couple.
I wanted more development all around – of the world, the characters, and the relationship.
For being a fated mates story, it also featured a lot of tropes I don’t love. Gabe knew they were mates and shared that with Naomi but she just decided to ignore it – for the whole book. That’s the conflict. The reasons behind certain decisions seemed weak too.
I know people liked the second book better but at this point my reading life is already feeling a little slumpy, so I’m not sure I’ll continue the series.
Questions to Consider for Your Own Reading Life: Do you recognize when you’re about to hit reading slump territory? How do you avoid it? How do you get out of a reading slump?
Bride by Ali Hazelwood
Rating: 3.5 stars
Steam Level: 2.5
I didn’t think Ali Hazelwood’s writing was for me but paranormal is a new genre for her. After seeing this title work for several people who felt similar to me about her previous books, I wanted to give it a try.
Plus it’s a buzzy new release and I always like to see where those land for me.
Book Blurb:
“A dangerous alliance between a Vampyre bride and an Alpha Werewolf becomes a love deep enough to sink your teeth into in this new paranormal romance.
Misery Lark, the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman of the Southwest, is an outcast—again. Her days of living in anonymity among the Humans are over: she has been called upon to uphold a historic peacekeeping alliance between the Vampyres and their mortal enemies, the Weres, and she sees little choice but to surrender herself in the exchange—again…
Weres are ruthless and unpredictable, and their Alpha, Lowe Moreland, is no exception. He rules his pack with absolute authority, but not without justice. And, unlike the Vampyre Council, not without feeling. It’s clear from the way he tracks Misery’s every movement that he doesn’t trust her. If only he knew how right he was….
Because Misery has her own reasons to agree to this marriage of convenience, reasons that have nothing to do with politics or alliances, and everything to do with the only thing she’s ever cared about. And she is willing to do whatever it takes to get back what’s hers, even if it means a life alone in Were territory…alone with the wolf.”
My Thoughts
I didn’t love it but I also didn’t hate it.
I’m honestly a little surprised by how much I enjoyed it, given how slow the story was and my reading mood last month.
I started reading the ebook first but around 30%, my hold for the audiobook came in too so I tandem read the rest which might have helped with the slowness.
I really like Misery’s character. Especially her dark snarky humor. I was intrigued by this world with the different species, the history of conflicts, and the tentative alliances.
The last 20% was pretty action packed. It was fun and exciting and I wish it had kicked in a little sooner to help with the pacing.
I also wish we’d gotten dual POV. I’m intrigued for the set up of the next book after that epilogue. I’m curious if that story will feature dual POV.
Also I knew nothing of the omegaverse and after reading this I still know nothing so I don’t think this book was as omegaverse as some people may expect.
Questions to Consider for Your Own Reading Life: Do you prefer reading new releases or backlist titles? Why?
The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie
Rating: 4 stars
This was my nonfiction read for March.
This title had been on my radar for awhile. Since Mr. O was born we’ve had a storytime tradition every night as part of bedtime. I’m always curious about other family’s read aloud traditions and wonder how ours may evolve as he gets older.
Book Blurb:
“Connecting deeply with our kids can be difficult in our busy, technology-driven lives. Reading aloud offers us a chance to be fully present with our children. It also increases our kids’ academic success, inspires compassion, and fortifies them with the inner strength they need to face life’s challenges. As Sarah Mackenzie has found with her own six children, reading aloud long after kids are able to read to themselves can deepen relationships in a powerful way.
Founder of the immensely popular Read-Aloud Revival podcast, Sarah knows first-hand how reading can change a child’s life. In The Read-Aloud Family, she offers the inspiration and age-appropriate book lists you need to start a read-aloud movement in your own home. From a toddler’s wonder to a teenager’s resistance, Sarah details practical strategies to make reading aloud a meaningful family ritual. Reading aloud not only has the power to change a family—it has the power to change the world.”
My Thoughts
This book was very inspiring for creating or continuing a read aloud habit as a family tradition. I loved the emphasis that to instill a love of reading, you have to keep reading fun – and that also means enjoyable for you.
There was a lot of interesting information when it came how reading aloud can impact learning style, vocabulary building, and preparing kids for school. While some of the book was a bit too heavy on the Christian religion for me, I did appreciate looking at the role of story in developing values.
I loved the book lists by age group at the back! The last chapters that get into why Mackenzie selected each book and what other titles might be right for your family if your child enjoys that one. I also loved the questions for engaging your kids in conversation and her emphasis not to use them all or turn reading into test.
I was very happy to know that audiobooks hold the same benefits if you’re listening as a family. You don’t always have to be the one reading aloud.
It sent me down a small rabbit hole to check out Rebecca Bellingham’s TEDx Talk, Why we should all be reading aloud to children. I still want to give Sarah Mackenzie’s Read-Aloud Revival podcast a try. I also think the original book, The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease, which inspired Mackenzie’s journey would be interesting to check out.
Questions to Consider for Your Own Reading Life: What read aloud traditions were part of your childhood? Are you continuing them or planning to start any new ones with your own family?
What was your favorite read in March?
