What I Read in April 2023 (Monthly Wrap Up)

"No Winter lasts forever, no Spring skips its turn. April is a promise that May is bound to keep."

-Hal Borland

And my birthday month has come to a close! April was an interesting month. It was filled with memorable moments, ridiculously warm weather, only to be followed by snow, and a lot of rain. April was also the month where two of my kids celebrated their birthdays. The school year is winding down, and I am in disbelief at how quickly it went.

Let's jump into some updates.

Life was quiet-ish. There were doctors appointments, new eyewear, IEP meetings, school events, and so much more. Of course April couldn't let us sneak out without an illness popping up. From two mental health days for one kid, to another getting the flu, to the hubby getting the flu, to the flu kid getting impetigo, it was just a lot. Thankfully all of that is in the rearview. Now I just need to get my butt to the DMV to renew my license. 

Spotify was frequently on. I am hooked on the Daily Mix 1 that is curated for me. It's the perfect mix of my favorites. Of course when Spotify isn't playing, Kool 108 is. I don't like silence. I need background noise.

When it comes to television, I watched The Masked Singer. That was pushing it to be honest. This is a show that I have loved since I found it back in season 2. Since they moved to this current format though I'm just not as invested. But I will still keep watching because I love the covers, the costumes, and finding out what celebs are under the mask. Speaking of things I watched though, we did go see The Super Mario Bros movie. I loved it so much. I am hoping they continue on with that franchise.

My book total for April was high as usual. Seriously.  In April I read 27 books. TWENTY SEVEN! As per usual my reading was filled with romances. I regret nothing. I love what I love, and I don't see myself branching out too much any time soon.  I had a good amount of ARCs this month. Of those 27 books that I read, 12 were ARCs. I am so thankful to receive these advanced copies, and I definitely prioritize them above backlog books. 

As for my blog, I slacked this month. Between getting hit with a minor reading slump, I also dealt with writers block. So it was more difficult to put out content. To be specific, I put out 11 posts. That's not ideal by any means. I am hopeful that May will have me returning in full force, but time will tell. Plus I'm not 100% certain that my writers block has been broken. I'm coming up with post ideas, and I hope to bring those ideas to life soon.

With social media I've just started posting my reviews to Facebook as well. It was something I wanted to try out, and I am liking it so far. So my goal is to continue with that. I am also trying to get my bookstagram back up and running. As I don't have a lot of physical books it makes it difficult to get the artistic photos that others take. The comparison game is strong, and not the best thing mentally. But I'm determined to give it my best effort.

Book stats for April are as follows:
Books Read: 27
Pages Read: 8701
Average Page Count: 322
5 Star Reads: 2
Physical Books: 0 
E-Books: 27

What was my favorite book of the month? This is a bit of a difficult pick this month. Yes there were two five star reads, and a handful of 4.5 stars. But some of those 4 star reads were fantastic as well. My choice though is going to be the first book I read, and that is Playboy Playmaker by Maren Moore. I just loved Hudson, and he continues to live rent free in my head. My second choice is Pucking Around by Emily Rath. That book gave me a major book hangover.

My favorite cover of the month goes to Break the Girl by Rachel Jonas and Nikki Thorne. I just love the design, and the colors used. When I Come Home by Maisie Myers is a close second. It just draws the eye, and has you pause to take another look.

I liked how I did things last month when it came to listing the books I read. So I'm going to carry that forward. Here is the breakdown by the week, and if there is a dedicated post to a title that will be linked.

Week One

Hardball by Lisa Suzanne
Playboy Playmaker by Maren Moore
Flawless by Elsie Silver
That One Night by Emily Rath

Week Two

Pucking Around by Emily Rath
Ravishing Reign by Aleatha Romig
Make You Mine by JH Croix

Week Three

Give Me More by Sara Cate
Beautiful Lies by Paula Dombrowiak
Praise by Sara Cate
Eyes On Me by Sara Cate
Mercy by Sara Cate
Highest Bidder by Sara Cate

Week Four

Saving the Single Dad by Ashley Munoz
Tempt Me by KA Tucker
Break Me by KA Tucker
Teach Me by KA Tucker
Surrender to Me by KA Tucker
Pucking Ever After v1 by Emily Rath
Wicked Fall by Sawyer Bennett
Excalibur by Anna Hackett

Week Five

Vow of Revenge by P Rayne
Break the Girl by Rachel Jonas & Nikki Thorne
When I Come Home by Maisie Myers
Iced Out by Veronica Eden
Lost to the Moon by Meg Anne & K Loraine

How was your reading in April? Any 5 star reads? Any misses? Any recommendations? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, tell me your thoughts on the various stories.

Happy Reading,
Laura

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Thank you!

Thank you to the authors who provided me with advanced copies of their books.