It's seriously hard to believe it's already April!
I mean does anyone else feel like Christmas was literally just here, and now it's already Easter?
Speaking of which though, I hope you all had a great Easter weekend with your friends and family. I definitely enjoyed the time Neil and I were able to spend with my family and with each other remembering the true reason behind the Easter holiday. Of course, part of the reason it doesn't feel like it's already April for me is that we have Christmas weather going on right now. We've literally had tons of snow, and freezing temperatures, and it does not feel the slightest bit like spring yet.
Anyways, long winded intro aside, today I'd like to share with you guys all the books I finished last month. During March I had the pleasure of reading my own books, public library books, church library books, and some really exciting arcs. So let's go ahead and get started with my March 2018 wrap up!
The books will be listed in the order in which I read them:
A March Bride by Rachel Hauck:
While I adore the Year of Weddings novellas, this one was especially exciting because it's the continuing story of Prince Nathaniel and Susanna from Once Upon a Prince. This was honestly the perfect read to kick off March with, and I rated this one five out of five stars. You can check out my full review here.
An April Bride by Lenora Worth:
I adore Lenora Worth, and so I had a feeling I was really going to enjoy her addition to the Year of Weddings novellas, and I was definitely right. I really enjoyed how this one focuses on PTSD, and the way it affects everyone touched by it, and I gave this one five out of five stars as well. You can read my full review here.
A May Bride by Meg Moseley:
I'm going to be completely honest and say that this one is definitely my least favorite in the Year of Weddings novellas, and it was probably one of my more disappointing reads of the month. I really did enjoy Ellie's character, but I had quite a few issues with her leading man, and the way certain situations are handled with him and with her family. I ended up rating this one three out of five stars, and you can read my full review here.
Waterfall by Lisa T Bergen:
I've talked so much about this one on my blog in the last couple of weeks that I'm sure I barely need to say anything else to let you guys know just how much I loved it. Time travel, swoon worthy romance, medieval Italy, strong female heroines, this one really has it all, and was one of my favorite books of the year. I rated this five out of five stars, and you can check out my full review here.
The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson:
I'd had Melanie Dickerson on my TBR list for quite some time, and last month I finally got around to read the first book in her Hagenheim series. I went into this expecting a clean fairy tale retelling with a small focus on the faith element, and let me tell you that I ended up being completely blown away by just how strong the faith element is throughout the story. The Healer's Apprentice is a very powerful novel, and I came away from it blown away, and anxious to pick up more of Melanie's books in the near future. I highly recommend this one, and I rated it five out of five stars.
Anomaly by Krista McGee:
I was really intrigued by Anomaly when I first found out about it, as I'm pretty sure I haven't read any Sci Fi dystopian inspirational novels before. I really enjoyed this one, and I thought it was really relevant to a lot going on in our world today, and I rated it four of five stars. You can read my full review here.
Cascade by Lisa T Bergen:
I'm sure everyone's getting tired of hearing me go on and on about Lisa T Bergen's River of Time series, but guys it's just that good! Cascade was an amazing follow up to Waterfall, and I could barely put this book down. I ended up rating it four of five stars, and you can read my full review of it here.
Torrent by Lisa T Bergen:
Torrent is the third book in the River of Time series, and I ended up being very happy where the author chose to take Marcello and Gabi's relationship in this one. I thought it was once again a great addition to the series, and I ended up rating it four out of five stars. You can read my full review here.
Dream Chaser by Angie Stanton:
Dream Chaser was probably one my least favorite books I read in March, and this was so saddening cause I've really enjoyed all the other Angie Stanton books I've read, and I was expecting this one to be no exception. Unfortunately for me, I found a lot of this book to be extremely unbelievable, especially the parts where Willow's character was cast in the lead of an off broadway style musical when she couldn't sing? Plus, the fact that she hadn't danced in a few years, and yet was chosen over girls who'd been dancing competitively that whole time just didn't add up to me. Plus, I found the relationship between her and Eli to be completely lackluster, and I really could have have cared less about whether they got together or not. And lastly, the start of the story hints at a huge reason why Willow walked away from dance in the first place, and then once the reason is revealed it really felt like a big build up for nothing. All in all, this one just didn't do it for me, and I only ended up rating it two out of five stars. I'll still continue to look forward to Angie's books in the future, but I most definitely will not be rereading this one.
Bourne by Lisa T Bergen:
Bourne actually surprised me by being one of my favorites in the River of Time series, even though it is a novella, rather than a full length novel. I gave it five out of five stars, and you can read my full review here.
Bride to Haven by Francince Rivers:
Bridge To Haven is kind of a hard one to talk about, as it was nothing like what I was expecting. I've had Francine Rivers on my authors-to-try list for quite some time, and it was this book in particular that I kept hearing great things about. However, it wasn't the amazing read I was expecting, and to be completely honest, I couldn't stand the main character. I also really didn't enjoy how many character's are mentioned throughout, and it got really difficult to keep track of who everyone was. I did appreciate the emphasis on God's healing grace, and the focus on how it's never to late to turn back to His unfailing love. However, I only ended up rating it three out of five stars, and I don't foresee this being a reread for me in the future. I still plan on trying out other Francine Rivers' titles, especially Redeeming Love.
Tributary by Lisa T Bergen:
Tributary is probably my least favorite of the River of Time series. However, that being said, I still gave it four out of five stars, and I still did enjoy it, just not as much as the other books. In particular, I wasn't a huge fan of the new character introduced in this one, but I'm hoping that if she appears in the last book in the series that she'll grow on me.
Unspoken by C.C. Hunter:
I've been reading the Shadow Falls series for quite a few years, but it's taken me quite awhile to get around to reading the last couple. I almost think that these After Dark novels about Della are even better than the original series, and this one was no exception. I loved how C.C. Hunter chose to wrap up Della's story, and I was actually quite happy with which guy Della chose, as she truly looked into herself to see who was the one that she actually loved. I gave it four out of five stars, and it definitely would have been a five star read if it didn't have quite so much objectionable content. The language and conversations in these books often contain things that I'm just not a fan of, and I think they'd be much better without that. I still really liked it though.
Fall for You by Cecilia Gray:
I adore modernized Jane Austen retellings, especially Young Adult ones as I haven't had the pleasure of reading too many of them. I really enjoyed this first novel in the Jane Austen Academy series, I just wish it had been longer so there'd have been more character and plot development. I gave it three out of five stars, and you can read my full review here.
Hiding Lies by Julie Cross:
Honestly what can I even say about this one? So much happens in this explosive follow up to Chasing Truth and you guys definitely need to pick this one up when it releases on April 17th. The plot twists will keep you guessing, and the romance is typical Julie Cross perfection. I rated it four out of five stars, and you can read my full review here.
Midnight Hour by C.C. Hunter:
I'm going to be honest and state outright that this is definitely my least favorite of all the Shadow Falls novels, and almost made me uncomfortable in some of the instances. It goes deeper into some supernatural things that just weren't for me, and it probably also has the filthiest content of any of the books so far. That being said, I did still enjoy one last visit to one of my favorite series, I enjoyed who Miranda chooses in her love triangle, and I enjoyed how the author chose to wrap everything up. I just wish there'd been less objectionable content in it, and as such, it only ended up being a three star read for me, which I'm pretty sure is the only instance of me rating a Shadow Falls novel less than four stars.
The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel:
I'd actually never heard of this one before, and then I heard someone mention it in a booktube video I was watching, and I was instantly intrigued. This was an amazing story, and such a unique world development for a dystopian, and I was hooked. As well, Ivy and Bishop were such amazing, three dimensional characters, and showed such maturity in the way they were trying to navigate their parent's world that they didn't necessarily agree with. All in all I rated this one four out of five stars, and I can't wait to read the sequel, hopefully this month.
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson:
I had mentioned this one in my 2018 Most Anticipated Releases post, as I love Young Adult mysteries, and I love dual timeline novels. However, I'd decided not to run out and buy it, and instead wait to get it from the library as I haven't been the hugest fan of the Maureen Johnson novels I've read in the past. I will say that it definitely had it's enjoyable moments, including the well developed mysteries happening in both timelines, and the amazing ending. However, I couldn't stand any of the character's, I didn't truly love the setting, or the writing style, and I found most of this book really dragged. I gave it three out of five stars, and I am still looking forward to reading the next book when it releases in 2019, even though this one was slightly underwhelming.
And the last book I finished in March 2018 was.......
Storm Front by Susan May Warren:
What an amazing book to end the month with guys! I don't want to say too too much about this one yet, as I will be posting my full review of it on Friday. I will say that it's my favorite of the series so far, and I gave it five out of five stars. I definitely recommend this series to anyone who's a fan of inspirational fiction and action romance!
And that's all the books I read in March 2018 guys! It was a pretty good reading month considering I only rated one book less than three stars.
I hope you all have a great rest of your day, and I look forward to seeing you all again on Wednesday.
This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The photos do not belong to me, and all rights to the respective owners.
I mean does anyone else feel like Christmas was literally just here, and now it's already Easter?
Speaking of which though, I hope you all had a great Easter weekend with your friends and family. I definitely enjoyed the time Neil and I were able to spend with my family and with each other remembering the true reason behind the Easter holiday. Of course, part of the reason it doesn't feel like it's already April for me is that we have Christmas weather going on right now. We've literally had tons of snow, and freezing temperatures, and it does not feel the slightest bit like spring yet.
Anyways, long winded intro aside, today I'd like to share with you guys all the books I finished last month. During March I had the pleasure of reading my own books, public library books, church library books, and some really exciting arcs. So let's go ahead and get started with my March 2018 wrap up!
The books will be listed in the order in which I read them:
A March Bride by Rachel Hauck:
While I adore the Year of Weddings novellas, this one was especially exciting because it's the continuing story of Prince Nathaniel and Susanna from Once Upon a Prince. This was honestly the perfect read to kick off March with, and I rated this one five out of five stars. You can check out my full review here.
An April Bride by Lenora Worth:
I adore Lenora Worth, and so I had a feeling I was really going to enjoy her addition to the Year of Weddings novellas, and I was definitely right. I really enjoyed how this one focuses on PTSD, and the way it affects everyone touched by it, and I gave this one five out of five stars as well. You can read my full review here.
A May Bride by Meg Moseley:
I'm going to be completely honest and say that this one is definitely my least favorite in the Year of Weddings novellas, and it was probably one of my more disappointing reads of the month. I really did enjoy Ellie's character, but I had quite a few issues with her leading man, and the way certain situations are handled with him and with her family. I ended up rating this one three out of five stars, and you can read my full review here.
Waterfall by Lisa T Bergen:
I've talked so much about this one on my blog in the last couple of weeks that I'm sure I barely need to say anything else to let you guys know just how much I loved it. Time travel, swoon worthy romance, medieval Italy, strong female heroines, this one really has it all, and was one of my favorite books of the year. I rated this five out of five stars, and you can check out my full review here.
The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson:
I'd had Melanie Dickerson on my TBR list for quite some time, and last month I finally got around to read the first book in her Hagenheim series. I went into this expecting a clean fairy tale retelling with a small focus on the faith element, and let me tell you that I ended up being completely blown away by just how strong the faith element is throughout the story. The Healer's Apprentice is a very powerful novel, and I came away from it blown away, and anxious to pick up more of Melanie's books in the near future. I highly recommend this one, and I rated it five out of five stars.
Anomaly by Krista McGee:
I was really intrigued by Anomaly when I first found out about it, as I'm pretty sure I haven't read any Sci Fi dystopian inspirational novels before. I really enjoyed this one, and I thought it was really relevant to a lot going on in our world today, and I rated it four of five stars. You can read my full review here.
Cascade by Lisa T Bergen:
I'm sure everyone's getting tired of hearing me go on and on about Lisa T Bergen's River of Time series, but guys it's just that good! Cascade was an amazing follow up to Waterfall, and I could barely put this book down. I ended up rating it four of five stars, and you can read my full review of it here.
Torrent by Lisa T Bergen:
Torrent is the third book in the River of Time series, and I ended up being very happy where the author chose to take Marcello and Gabi's relationship in this one. I thought it was once again a great addition to the series, and I ended up rating it four out of five stars. You can read my full review here.
Dream Chaser by Angie Stanton:
Dream Chaser was probably one my least favorite books I read in March, and this was so saddening cause I've really enjoyed all the other Angie Stanton books I've read, and I was expecting this one to be no exception. Unfortunately for me, I found a lot of this book to be extremely unbelievable, especially the parts where Willow's character was cast in the lead of an off broadway style musical when she couldn't sing? Plus, the fact that she hadn't danced in a few years, and yet was chosen over girls who'd been dancing competitively that whole time just didn't add up to me. Plus, I found the relationship between her and Eli to be completely lackluster, and I really could have have cared less about whether they got together or not. And lastly, the start of the story hints at a huge reason why Willow walked away from dance in the first place, and then once the reason is revealed it really felt like a big build up for nothing. All in all, this one just didn't do it for me, and I only ended up rating it two out of five stars. I'll still continue to look forward to Angie's books in the future, but I most definitely will not be rereading this one.
Bourne by Lisa T Bergen:
Bourne actually surprised me by being one of my favorites in the River of Time series, even though it is a novella, rather than a full length novel. I gave it five out of five stars, and you can read my full review here.
Bride to Haven by Francince Rivers:
Bridge To Haven is kind of a hard one to talk about, as it was nothing like what I was expecting. I've had Francine Rivers on my authors-to-try list for quite some time, and it was this book in particular that I kept hearing great things about. However, it wasn't the amazing read I was expecting, and to be completely honest, I couldn't stand the main character. I also really didn't enjoy how many character's are mentioned throughout, and it got really difficult to keep track of who everyone was. I did appreciate the emphasis on God's healing grace, and the focus on how it's never to late to turn back to His unfailing love. However, I only ended up rating it three out of five stars, and I don't foresee this being a reread for me in the future. I still plan on trying out other Francine Rivers' titles, especially Redeeming Love.
Tributary by Lisa T Bergen:
Tributary is probably my least favorite of the River of Time series. However, that being said, I still gave it four out of five stars, and I still did enjoy it, just not as much as the other books. In particular, I wasn't a huge fan of the new character introduced in this one, but I'm hoping that if she appears in the last book in the series that she'll grow on me.
Unspoken by C.C. Hunter:
I've been reading the Shadow Falls series for quite a few years, but it's taken me quite awhile to get around to reading the last couple. I almost think that these After Dark novels about Della are even better than the original series, and this one was no exception. I loved how C.C. Hunter chose to wrap up Della's story, and I was actually quite happy with which guy Della chose, as she truly looked into herself to see who was the one that she actually loved. I gave it four out of five stars, and it definitely would have been a five star read if it didn't have quite so much objectionable content. The language and conversations in these books often contain things that I'm just not a fan of, and I think they'd be much better without that. I still really liked it though.
Fall for You by Cecilia Gray:
I adore modernized Jane Austen retellings, especially Young Adult ones as I haven't had the pleasure of reading too many of them. I really enjoyed this first novel in the Jane Austen Academy series, I just wish it had been longer so there'd have been more character and plot development. I gave it three out of five stars, and you can read my full review here.
Hiding Lies by Julie Cross:
Honestly what can I even say about this one? So much happens in this explosive follow up to Chasing Truth and you guys definitely need to pick this one up when it releases on April 17th. The plot twists will keep you guessing, and the romance is typical Julie Cross perfection. I rated it four out of five stars, and you can read my full review here.
Midnight Hour by C.C. Hunter:
I'm going to be honest and state outright that this is definitely my least favorite of all the Shadow Falls novels, and almost made me uncomfortable in some of the instances. It goes deeper into some supernatural things that just weren't for me, and it probably also has the filthiest content of any of the books so far. That being said, I did still enjoy one last visit to one of my favorite series, I enjoyed who Miranda chooses in her love triangle, and I enjoyed how the author chose to wrap everything up. I just wish there'd been less objectionable content in it, and as such, it only ended up being a three star read for me, which I'm pretty sure is the only instance of me rating a Shadow Falls novel less than four stars.
The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel:
I'd actually never heard of this one before, and then I heard someone mention it in a booktube video I was watching, and I was instantly intrigued. This was an amazing story, and such a unique world development for a dystopian, and I was hooked. As well, Ivy and Bishop were such amazing, three dimensional characters, and showed such maturity in the way they were trying to navigate their parent's world that they didn't necessarily agree with. All in all I rated this one four out of five stars, and I can't wait to read the sequel, hopefully this month.
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson:
I had mentioned this one in my 2018 Most Anticipated Releases post, as I love Young Adult mysteries, and I love dual timeline novels. However, I'd decided not to run out and buy it, and instead wait to get it from the library as I haven't been the hugest fan of the Maureen Johnson novels I've read in the past. I will say that it definitely had it's enjoyable moments, including the well developed mysteries happening in both timelines, and the amazing ending. However, I couldn't stand any of the character's, I didn't truly love the setting, or the writing style, and I found most of this book really dragged. I gave it three out of five stars, and I am still looking forward to reading the next book when it releases in 2019, even though this one was slightly underwhelming.
And the last book I finished in March 2018 was.......
Storm Front by Susan May Warren:
What an amazing book to end the month with guys! I don't want to say too too much about this one yet, as I will be posting my full review of it on Friday. I will say that it's my favorite of the series so far, and I gave it five out of five stars. I definitely recommend this series to anyone who's a fan of inspirational fiction and action romance!
And that's all the books I read in March 2018 guys! It was a pretty good reading month considering I only rated one book less than three stars.
I hope you all have a great rest of your day, and I look forward to seeing you all again on Wednesday.
This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The photos do not belong to me, and all rights to the respective owners.
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