Good Morning Everyone :)
I hope you're all having a great week so far!
It's officially May, and I have to be honest and say that I'm quite happy about that fact. April was one of the most stressful months I've had in a very long time, as my family dealt with so many emergencies during it, and I spent a lot of time in prayer, and trying not to stress.
I'm hopeful that May will be a much better month.
April was also a month where I didn't read quite as many books as normal, mainly because of everything else that was going on, and so this wrap up will hopefully be shorter than my normal ones are.
I've listed the books in either the order I finished them, or grouping books in a series together. They are not listed in either a best to worst or worst to best type order.
Mandie by Lois Gladys Leppard:
I continued on with my re-reading of the Mandie series by Lois Gladys Leppard in April, and I finished six more titles. My favorite was Mandie and the Midnight Journey, which was also one of my childhood favorites, and I gave it five out of five stars. All the additional titles I gave four out of five stars, and I'm very much enjoying reading these once again. I'd forgotten just how much I adore Mandie and Snowball, and the numerous friends they make along the way.
Love at Mistletoe Inn by Cindy Kirk:
I'm going to be completely honest and state that this particular title was my least favorite of all the Year of Wedding Novellas I've read so far. I didn't enjoy certain components of the main couple's relationship, and I found it extremely off putting. I only ended up rating it two out of five stars, and you can read my full review here.
It's Your Universe: You Have The Power To Make It Happen by Ashley Eckstein:
I adore Ashley Eckstein, and I had a feeling that I would really end up loving her autobiography. I was right; as this book is part fan girl diary, part disney tribute, part biography, and I really enjoyed it. It's very uplifting, and reminds you to believe in your dreams. The artwork is gorgeous, and fits perfectly with the message Ashley brings out in her book. I gave this one four out of five stars.
A Brush With Love by Rachel Hauck:
After my negative experience with the previous title in this novella collection, I was maybe a little hesitant going into this one. However, since it was Rachel Hauck's contribution, I was pretty sure I was going to end up enjoying it, and I was right. I loved the message of what beauty truly is, and how true healing can only come through God's never ending grace. I gave this one four out of five stars, and I would highly recommend it.
The Book Jumper by Mechthild Glaser:
This was a particular title that I fully intended to write a full review on. However, with everything that happened last month, I never ended up having the time to get to it unfortunately, and now it's been too long since I've read it for me to be able to write a proper review. I did really enjoy this one though; and thought the notion of being able to jump into beloved stories was a fantastic plot point. I enjoyed the setting, the romance, the fantasy elements, and most of the characters. I didn't love the ending though, and that was the main reason this got four stars from me instead of five.
Serving Up a Sweetheart by Cheryl Wyatt:
This wasn't my favorite of all the Year of Wedding Novellas, but I did think it was cute, and I enjoyed both main characters. I thought their relationship was written a little more juvenile than most of these novellas usually are, but it was overall an enjoyable read and I gave it three out of five stars.
My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows and Brodi Ashton:
I'd really been looking forward to reading this one after loooving My Lady Jane. I liked that it's a Jane Eyre retelling that has Charlotte Bronte as Jane's best friend. However, there was something about the comedic elements with this one that didn't work quite as well as it did with the first book, and it just wasn't quite as entertaining. I did still enjoy it though, and I gave it three out of five stars.
On a Summer Tide by Suzanne Woods Fisher:
This was my first experience with a Suzanne Woods Fisher novel, and I really adored it. I'm so glad this is going to be a series as I really can't wait to see where the author chooses to take each sister's story in future books. I gave this one four out of five stars, and you can read my full review here.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll:
In April I decided to re-read this beloved children's classic, and what can I possibly say other than it was just as amazing as always, and I gave it five out of five stars.
The Theory of Happily Ever After by Kristin Billebeck:
I was looking so forward to this one, and it ended up being one of my most disappointing reads of the month. I will be sharing a full review of it with you shortly, but for now I'll simply say that I rated it two out of five stars, and I won't personally be recommending it.
Heidi by Johanna Spyri:
Heidi is another one of my favorite childhood classics, and yet it had been forever since I'd last read it. I decided last month I definitely needed to change that fact, and it was as amazing as I'd remembered it. I love how faith plays such an important role, and I love the setting. It's another five out of five star read.
Twelve Slays of Christmas by Jacqueline Frost:
I'd read (and loved) the second book in this series last fall, and I'd always wanted to get around to reading the first book in the series. I ended up loving it just as much as I did the second book, and Jacqueline Frost is fast becoming one of my favorite cozy mystery authors. I will be sharing a full review of this one with you all shortly, but I loved it and rated it five out of five stars.
Legendary by Stephanie Garber:
I had enjoyed Caraval for the most part, and I did enjoy Legendary for the most part, however, I didn't like how deep some of the content dived into, particularly the parts surrounding the fates and souls. I found that part made me slightly uncomfortable, and I didn't enjoy how much darker this one was than the first. I still gave it a rating of three out of five stars, and I still plan on reading the last book in the trilogy.
The Forgotten Book by Mechthild Child:
I actually ended up enjoying this one even more than I did The Book Jumper. I loved that this is a fantasy Pride and Prejudice retelling, and I loved the setting, and the writing. I gave this a rating of four out of five stars, and I'll be sharing a full review with you all shortly.
There You'll Find Me by Jenny B Jones:
This without a doubt was my favorite book I read in the entire month of April. I adored Finley and Beckett's story so much, and I'm only sorry that it's taken me this long to read a Jenny B Jones novel for the first time. I rated this one five out of five stars, and I'll be sharing a full review in the weeks to come.
Sweet On You by Becky Wade:
Guys Becky's new novel came out yesterday, and let me tell you that you are all in a for a real treat! Britt and Zander's story is everything us readers could have hoped for and more, and I can't recommend it enough. I gave this one a five out of five star rating, and you can read my full review here.
Only Uni by Camy Tang:
I'm going to be honest and say that this was another book that didn't live up to the expectations I had for it. I really enjoyed Sushi For One, but this one just wasn't as good. I didn't love Trish's character, and I found the comedic elements were kind of on the ridiculous side. I also felt there wasn't a lot of build up to the romance element, and overall this one was a bit of a letdown. I gave it a rating of three out of five stars, and I'm hoping I'll have a better experience with the third book.
Adventure at Walt Disney World by Gabrielle Charbonnet:
I decided to finish off my month of reading with this childhood favorite. I read this so many times as a kid, as it takes place in Disney World, and I discovered it right before my very first trip to Disneyland. While it does seem a little cheesier and more unrealistic than it did when I was a kid, I continue to adore it, and I gave it a rating of five out of five stars.
Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)
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 owner.
I hope you're all having a great week so far!
It's officially May, and I have to be honest and say that I'm quite happy about that fact. April was one of the most stressful months I've had in a very long time, as my family dealt with so many emergencies during it, and I spent a lot of time in prayer, and trying not to stress.
I'm hopeful that May will be a much better month.
April was also a month where I didn't read quite as many books as normal, mainly because of everything else that was going on, and so this wrap up will hopefully be shorter than my normal ones are.
I've listed the books in either the order I finished them, or grouping books in a series together. They are not listed in either a best to worst or worst to best type order.
Mandie by Lois Gladys Leppard:
I continued on with my re-reading of the Mandie series by Lois Gladys Leppard in April, and I finished six more titles. My favorite was Mandie and the Midnight Journey, which was also one of my childhood favorites, and I gave it five out of five stars. All the additional titles I gave four out of five stars, and I'm very much enjoying reading these once again. I'd forgotten just how much I adore Mandie and Snowball, and the numerous friends they make along the way.
Love at Mistletoe Inn by Cindy Kirk:
I'm going to be completely honest and state that this particular title was my least favorite of all the Year of Wedding Novellas I've read so far. I didn't enjoy certain components of the main couple's relationship, and I found it extremely off putting. I only ended up rating it two out of five stars, and you can read my full review here.
It's Your Universe: You Have The Power To Make It Happen by Ashley Eckstein:
I adore Ashley Eckstein, and I had a feeling that I would really end up loving her autobiography. I was right; as this book is part fan girl diary, part disney tribute, part biography, and I really enjoyed it. It's very uplifting, and reminds you to believe in your dreams. The artwork is gorgeous, and fits perfectly with the message Ashley brings out in her book. I gave this one four out of five stars.
A Brush With Love by Rachel Hauck:
After my negative experience with the previous title in this novella collection, I was maybe a little hesitant going into this one. However, since it was Rachel Hauck's contribution, I was pretty sure I was going to end up enjoying it, and I was right. I loved the message of what beauty truly is, and how true healing can only come through God's never ending grace. I gave this one four out of five stars, and I would highly recommend it.
The Book Jumper by Mechthild Glaser:
Serving Up a Sweetheart by Cheryl Wyatt:
This wasn't my favorite of all the Year of Wedding Novellas, but I did think it was cute, and I enjoyed both main characters. I thought their relationship was written a little more juvenile than most of these novellas usually are, but it was overall an enjoyable read and I gave it three out of five stars.
My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows and Brodi Ashton:
I'd really been looking forward to reading this one after loooving My Lady Jane. I liked that it's a Jane Eyre retelling that has Charlotte Bronte as Jane's best friend. However, there was something about the comedic elements with this one that didn't work quite as well as it did with the first book, and it just wasn't quite as entertaining. I did still enjoy it though, and I gave it three out of five stars.
On a Summer Tide by Suzanne Woods Fisher:
This was my first experience with a Suzanne Woods Fisher novel, and I really adored it. I'm so glad this is going to be a series as I really can't wait to see where the author chooses to take each sister's story in future books. I gave this one four out of five stars, and you can read my full review here.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll:
In April I decided to re-read this beloved children's classic, and what can I possibly say other than it was just as amazing as always, and I gave it five out of five stars.
The Theory of Happily Ever After by Kristin Billebeck:
I was looking so forward to this one, and it ended up being one of my most disappointing reads of the month. I will be sharing a full review of it with you shortly, but for now I'll simply say that I rated it two out of five stars, and I won't personally be recommending it.
Heidi by Johanna Spyri:
Heidi is another one of my favorite childhood classics, and yet it had been forever since I'd last read it. I decided last month I definitely needed to change that fact, and it was as amazing as I'd remembered it. I love how faith plays such an important role, and I love the setting. It's another five out of five star read.
Twelve Slays of Christmas by Jacqueline Frost:
I'd read (and loved) the second book in this series last fall, and I'd always wanted to get around to reading the first book in the series. I ended up loving it just as much as I did the second book, and Jacqueline Frost is fast becoming one of my favorite cozy mystery authors. I will be sharing a full review of this one with you all shortly, but I loved it and rated it five out of five stars.
Legendary by Stephanie Garber:
I had enjoyed Caraval for the most part, and I did enjoy Legendary for the most part, however, I didn't like how deep some of the content dived into, particularly the parts surrounding the fates and souls. I found that part made me slightly uncomfortable, and I didn't enjoy how much darker this one was than the first. I still gave it a rating of three out of five stars, and I still plan on reading the last book in the trilogy.
The Forgotten Book by Mechthild Child:
I actually ended up enjoying this one even more than I did The Book Jumper. I loved that this is a fantasy Pride and Prejudice retelling, and I loved the setting, and the writing. I gave this a rating of four out of five stars, and I'll be sharing a full review with you all shortly.
There You'll Find Me by Jenny B Jones:
This without a doubt was my favorite book I read in the entire month of April. I adored Finley and Beckett's story so much, and I'm only sorry that it's taken me this long to read a Jenny B Jones novel for the first time. I rated this one five out of five stars, and I'll be sharing a full review in the weeks to come.
Sweet On You by Becky Wade:
Guys Becky's new novel came out yesterday, and let me tell you that you are all in a for a real treat! Britt and Zander's story is everything us readers could have hoped for and more, and I can't recommend it enough. I gave this one a five out of five star rating, and you can read my full review here.
Only Uni by Camy Tang:
I'm going to be honest and say that this was another book that didn't live up to the expectations I had for it. I really enjoyed Sushi For One, but this one just wasn't as good. I didn't love Trish's character, and I found the comedic elements were kind of on the ridiculous side. I also felt there wasn't a lot of build up to the romance element, and overall this one was a bit of a letdown. I gave it a rating of three out of five stars, and I'm hoping I'll have a better experience with the third book.
Adventure at Walt Disney World by Gabrielle Charbonnet:
I decided to finish off my month of reading with this childhood favorite. I read this so many times as a kid, as it takes place in Disney World, and I discovered it right before my very first trip to Disneyland. While it does seem a little cheesier and more unrealistic than it did when I was a kid, I continue to adore it, and I gave it a rating of five out of five stars.
Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)
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 owner.
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