LIFE'S A PEARL

March was a big month for historical romance, audiobooks, and picking up new series!

I picked up 5 different series, read 3 book club picks, and enjoyed 1 buddy read. I read a total of 14 books, including all of my March hopefuls – there were only 4 – and 2 books from my spring tbr.

Overall my ratings were pretty high. I had 4 5-star reads! I also discovered a new-to-me author, diving right into her backlist. I picked up another of the authors on my 2023 reading life bucket list as well.

March Reading Wrap Up:

By the Season and Reading Format

Spring Reads

• Amari and the Night Brothers by B. B. Alston 🎧
• Scattered Showers by Rainbow Rowell 📖🎧

Book Club Picks

• My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares 🎧
• Good Inside by Dr. Becky Kennedy 📖
• Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean 📖

Just Because

• Something Wilder by Christina Lauren 🎧 (adventure romance rec)
• Destiny’s Captive by Beverly Jenkins 🎧 (adventure romance rec)

Reading Life Bucket List

• The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell 📖 (also a buddy read)

Next in Series

• Ten Ways to be Adored When Landing a Lord by Sarah MacLean 🎧📖
• Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke’s Heart by Sarah MacLean 🎧📖
• A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean 🎧📖
• One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean 🎧
• Amari and the Great Game by B. B. Alston 🎧
• The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell 📖

Recaps and Reviews

You can find my reviews for Amari and the Night Brothers (4 stars),  My Name is Memory (2.5 stars), Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake (5 stars), Ten Ways to be Adored When Landing a Lord (4 stars), and Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke’s Heart (5 stars) in my mid March Reading Recap.

A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean

Rating: 4.5 stars

Steam Level: 3

I hadn’t read Sarah MacLean before selecting her first book, Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake, as March’s A Dose of Romance Book Club pick. I finished that series earlier this month and continued my dive into MacLean’s backlist with A Rogue by Any Other Name.

10 years ago, the young Marquess of Bourne lost everything in a game of chance. Now he’s built himself back up to be one of London’s most powerful men and a partner in the city’s most exclusive gaming hell. He still wants his home back and his revenge!

Things get complicated when Lady Penelope Marbury, his childhood friend, has the Bourne family lands added onto her dowry. After a broken engagement and years of courtships that didn’t pan out, her father is now determined to see her married.

After a quick marriage, Bourne has his land back, but he struggles to keep his new wife away from his “wicked” activities. Can these two find their way back to the connection they once had and the possibility of more?

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed my hybrid read of this book though the audiobook narrator for this one was not my favorite. I didn’t like her male voice.

It was a great start to MacLean’s Rules of Scoundrels series. Each book features one of The Fallen Angel’s owners.

As you all know I’m a sucker for a second chance romance and I loved these two characters’ backstory as childhood playmates. It was also fun to catch up with Penelope who has a cameo appearance in Eleven Scandals.

Bourne was a delightful bad boy hero in a historical setting. I loved Penelope’s spirit and the way she stood right up to Bourne even though he’s one of the most feared men in London.

The chemistry between them was great from the very beginning of the story. There was plenty of adventure, spice, humor, and sweet moments.

Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be by Dr. Becky Kennedy

Rating: 5 stars

I first heard about Dr. Becky Kennedy’s work on the We Can Do Hard Things podcast where she was a guest for a few episodes. I appreciated her loving and kind approach to both ourselves and our children.

After listening to her own podcast on parenting, Good Inside, and then seeing her ideas gathered all in one place when her book published last September, I knew her message was one I wanted to check out. This was the March selection for my nonfiction book club over on Fable.

Dr. Becky throws out common parenting models that not only don’t work but also don’t feel good. Many of those models focus on correcting behavior at the expense of the parent-child relationship. They also don’t help children develop the skills they will need as adults or take their emotional needs into account.

Dr. Becky’s philosophy focuses on connecting with your child rather than correcting them with the intention of building confidence, resiliency, and the ability to self-regulate.

In Good Inside, she first shares her principles along with the data and reasoning that support them. Then she gets into actionable ways of applying various techniques and scripts to common parenting situations and struggles.

My Thoughts

The information in this book makes sense but also seems revolutionary!

The techniques that Dr. Becky shares instinctually feel good and that idea feels ground-breaking. Behavior can and should be separated from identity? You can hold boundaries with your kids but also offer empathy for their upset feelings? Two things can be true? Everyone is good inside?

Looking back so many of these things seem obvious but I was having light bulb moment after light bulb moment. I had so many highlights to share over on fable that my ebook copy got mad at me by the end.

I loved the tone of this book! Dr. Becky is gentle and loving with parents as well as kids. I appreciated the mantras to recount in hard moments, the techniques she offers for calming yourself, and the reminders that it is ok not to do it perfectly all the time. Whether you’re reading this book when your child is an infant or already a grandparent, it is never too late to repair.

I appreciated the real life examples of each chapter in part two and the various techniques she recommends trying. I thought the sample scripts were and will be the most helpful for me.

Much of this philosophy falls in line with Sarah Ockwell-Smith’s approach to Gentle Discipline, which I read in January. I recently bought a physical copy of both of these books so I can refer back to them as Mr. O grows and we enter new challenges. My husband wants to read these too.

Amari and the Great Game by B. B. Alston

Rating: 4.5 stars

This book picks up right after the events of the first. I don’t want to give anything away so check out my synopsis and review of the first book, Amari and the Night Brothers, to see what this series is about!

My Thoughts

I listened to this book on audio and loved it! I enjoyed book 2 even more than the first.

This story was so fun. I loved being back in this magical world that sits adjacent to our own! It was a treat to learn more about it though Amari’s journey.

I really enjoyed the development of Amari, Elsie (she’s my favorite), and even Laura!

This book ended on a bit of a cliffhanger (one of my pet peeves) but there was still some hope making it bearable. I can’t wait to see how Amari’s story wraps up in book 3, which is expected to publish later this year.

One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean

Rating: 4 stars

Steam Level: 2

This is the second book in MacLean’s Rules of Scoundrels series. In this story we follow Pippa also known as Lady Philippa Marbury, Penelope’s sister.

Pippa is the brainy, bespectacled, and odd Marbury sister, who prefers books and science to society’s balls. With her wedding looming and ever the scholar, she decides she needs more information about what goes on between husband and wife so she can be properly prepared. She knows just the man!

Bookkeeper for The Fallen Angel, Cross’s reputation with women is so legendary even Pippa has heard of it. He doesn’t quite know what to make of the woman who enters his office demanding his help with ruination. Even as he deals with his own past demons, he can’t get her out of his mind or out of his path.

My Thoughts

This book started out so strong and delightful! The opening scene was hilarious.

I adored Pippa for her brains, her love of dogs, and her persistence in getting the information she required! It was fun to get to know the easy-going Cross better. There’s more to him than his reputation. He has quite the past and a vendetta of his own to overcome.

This book featured the same narrator as the first and I didn’t enjoy her narration of Cross’s parts.

The strong start to this story tapered off by the last third for me. I have the next two books in this series but I’m wondering if I’d be better served to take a little break from them first.

Sometimes reading too many books in a row in the same genre or from the same author can feel formulaic.

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

Rating: 5 stars

Lisa Jewell is one of the authors from my reading life bucket list that I wanted to make a point of reading again this year.

I read The Night She Disappeared last November. It was my first read from her and a 5-star experience!

From goodreads:

“Soon after her twenty-fifth birthday, Libby Jones returns home from work to find the letter she’s been waiting for her entire life. She rips it open with one driving thought: I am finally going to know who I am.

She soon learns not only the identity of her birth parents, but also that she is the sole inheritor of their abandoned mansion on the banks of the Thames in London’s fashionable Chelsea neighborhood, worth millions. Everything in Libby’s life is about to change. But what she can’t possibly know is that others have been waiting for this day as well—and she is on a collision course to meet them.

Twenty-five years ago, police were called to 16 Cheyne Walk with reports of a baby crying. When they arrived, they found a healthy ten-month-old happily cooing in her crib in the bedroom. Downstairs in the kitchen lay three dead bodies, all dressed in black, next to a hastily scrawled note. And the four other children reported to live at Cheyne Walk were gone.

The can’t-look-away story of three entangled families living in a house with the darkest of secrets.”

My Thoughts

This was a buddy read with my bookish friend, Alisha, and I had so much fun reading it together!

It was fast and propulsive! The beginning was a little bit confusing with so many points of view to follow and various timelines but I really enjoyed reading each perspective equally.

I liked Libby as a person finding her way still in life and Lucy was powerful as both a mother and a survivor.

This book wasn’t as gut-wrenching as The Night She Disappeared. I was thankful for that although I did enjoy that book just a little bit more. Still I couldn’t put this book down or stop thinking about it afterward.

This book wrapped up very satisfyingly with no cliffhangers but there is a sequel. When I saw The Family Remains available immediately through my library, I picked it up hoping to get to it before the month was over.

Something Wilder by Christina Lauren

Rating: 3.5 stars

Steam Level: 2

After watching “The Lost City” with Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum for a movie night, I wondered why the adventure subgenre doesn’t seem to be a thing in romance and immediately went in search of recommendations.

I found an article on Book Riot “What the World Needs Now is Adventure Romance” asking the same thing and recommending this book plus the following one as a place to start.

Author duo Christina Lauren has worked well for me in the past – The Unhoneymooners (4 stars) Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating (4.5 stars) The Honey-Don’t List (3.5 stars) – so I immediately checked Something Wilder out.

Lily Wilder is the daughter of well-known treasure hunter, Duke Wilder, and has no patience for the riddles and quests her father used to test her with. It’s ironic that after a twist of fate she now makes her livelihood guiding tourists on fake treasure hunts in the wilderness of Utah.

Leo Grady never expected his buddy to book them for a week on a trail riding excursion, let alone for it to be led by Lily Wilder, the one he never got over.

Leo and Lily have very different recollections of how things ended years ago and a week in the wilderness plus the adventure and dangers of a potential real life treasure hunt will give them plenty of opportunities to hash it out.

My Thoughts

I liked this book ok but it wasn’t a love. The audio narration was great! I definitely prefer when there are dual narrators like this one.

This was another book that started out really fun and then tapered off.

The middle didn’t really work for me. The characters and their backstories didn’t develop to a point where I felt invested in any of them. The romance was just so-so.

I enjoyed the adventure part even though it was massively unbelievable (just like the movies). The setting was written beautifully and my former horse-obsessed girl loved the inclusion of horses in this story.

Destiny’s Captive by Beverly Jenkins

Rating: 4 stars

Steam Level: 2

I picked this one up because it was another adventure romance recommendations. I previously really enjoyed Forbidden (4 stars). This was my second Beverly Jenkins read.

From goodreads:

“Noah Yates fully believes in the joys of a happy family and a good wife. But that’s not the life for him. No, he would much rather sail the wild seas in search of adventure, not tied down. But then the unthinkable happens . . . he finds himself literally tied down. To a bed. By a woman.

And Pilar isn’t just an ordinary woman. She’s descended from pirates. And after giving him one of the worst nights of his life, she steals his ship! Now Noah is on the hunt, and he’ll stop at nothing to find this extraordinary woman . . . and make her his.”

My Thoughts

This book featured such a fun premise! A lady pirate who steals the hero’s ship and literally takes him prisoner in his own cabin? Sign me up!

I felt the story delivered on that and then some going in an unexpected and delightful direction. It definitely has a wonderful sense of adventure to it and two very passionate main characters!

Pilar was a badass and completely unconventional! I loved her strength, bravery, and independence.

Noah was swoon worthy in the way that he admired and appreciated that quality in her and never tried to quash it. He is dealing with more past trauma than we realize from the synopsis. This book deals with some heavy topics – check your trigger warnings if needed.

This is the third book in the series and I might go back to read the first two after meeting the Yates brothers and their families in this one.

I always support reading stand alone romances out of order but with this one I was a little bit confused. There was a lot of information given on various side characters. I’m not sure if they played larger roles in the previous books or if they’re featured in a different series by Beverly Jenkins that ties into this one

I’ll be doing more investigating because I love that sort of thing in my romances!

Scattered Showers by Rainbow Rowell

Rating: 4 stars

Scattered Showers is a collection of nine short love stories from Rainbow Rowell.

Many are young adult, some are fantasy, some are set around the holidays, and a few revisit popular characters from previously published novels!

My Thoughts

I read this as a hybrid experience but tandem might be a better way of describing it. I followed along in my ebook copy while listening to the audiobook so it felt a bit like being read to which was a fun way to experience this short story collection from one of my favorite authors!

The first story featured “Midnights” was one I’d already read. It’s part of the young adult holiday anthology, My True Love Gave to Me, one of my favorite holiday reads! I adored my reread experience.

Many of the short stories revisit characters from her other novels. That was so fun! I loved catching up with Reagan from Fangirl (a book that made my top three challenge recently and I’ve reread many times), Beth and Jennifer from Attachments, and even Simon and Baz though I haven’t read past the first book in her fantasy trilogy.

I loved the original character stories too! “Winter Songs for Summer” was amazing and “In Waiting” was so creative. It gave me hope that Rowell is working on another contemporary adult novel where we will see Anna and James once more!

I also need to shout out the illustrated covers for each short story because they were so beautiful!

The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell

Rating: 4.5 stars

This book is the sequel to The Family Upstairs. It picks up shortly after the conclusion of the first book.

I don’t want to give spoilers for that book. Check out my review above for an idea of what this story entails.

My Thoughts

I’m glad I dove into this book right after reading the first. It kind of felt like now or never when it came to reading this one.

Jewell does recap enough of the previous book though that I think you can pick book 2 up without a recent reread.

It took me a moment to settle into this one. There are even more perspectives and timelines to keep track of than in the first book.

It was a relatively quick and engaging read!

Rachel’s perspective really stole the show for me in this book. I felt most invested in her character and was eager to get back to her storyline when reading chapters from other characters’ viewpoints. Her story felt much more intense than the others so I wasn’t equally content to be in everyone else’s heads.

I also missed having Libby’s point of view but it makes sense that she’s not a main perspective in this book.

I’m not sure this book was really necessary but I did enjoy spending more time with Lucy. It was fun to further explore the aftermath of this family!

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What was your favorite read in March?