My April Reading List: What to Read & What to Skip
Discover the best romance books worth reading and those romance novels you should quite frankly skip! Every month I share mini reviews of the romance books on my reading list to help you find the best romance books to read.
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Mini Reviews to Save You From Mediocre Books
It’s my goal here at She Reads Romance Books to help fellow romance book lovers find the best romance books worth reading.
There is no shortage of romance books available, so why waste your time (and money) reading a mediocre book?
That’s why every month I share with you my reading list with my recommendations for those romance books worth reading and which romance books you should skip.
My April Reads
This month I either loved it or didn’t. There really wasn’t too much in between. Surprisingly, a lot of books bored me.
I also only ended up reading one billionaire romance novel which was the theme for the April Romance Book Reading Challenge.
For the second month in a row I also read a book that made my best romance novels of all time list! Make that TWO that made that list – Whoot whoot! I hope that trend continues.
Below you’ll find my mini reviews of each book I read this past month to give you a quick look at what I thought about it. If you want to know more about what I loved (or didn’t), click the review link below each book description.
*Kindle Unlimited Alert: If you’re a member of Kindle Unlimited, many of the titles on this month’s reading list are available to you!
If you’re not yet a Kindle Unlimited member, consider signing up today for a free trial to read some of my recommendations.
Check out my entire reading list to see which romance books I recommend you read and which I recommend you skip, then share your favorite book for the month in the comments below!
My April 2021 Reading List: What to Read & What to Skip
Favorite Books of the Month:
From Blood and Ash
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Published March 2020
A Must Read Fantasy Romance
5 stars
Poppy’s life has never been her own. As the Maiden, the future of the kingdom rests on her shoulders, and she is to remain untouched, in solitary, until the day of her Ascension.
But when Hawke takes up the post as her Royal Guard, she begins to question her duty and her desire that he has awoken.
As tensions among the Descenters rise and attacks on the kingdom increase, Poppy is at risk of failing the gods, denying her destiny and possibly losing her life or her heart.
I wholeheartedly agree that this book was worthy as the best romance book title according to the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards!
I was so taken with this story and these characters, but especially the slow burn romance.
Poppy is such a strong heroine and I find her life path as the Maiden fascinating and can’t wait to see what happens next. I loved everything about this story and highly recommend it!
Related: Best Fantasy Romance Books
Amazon | Goodreads | My Review
A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Published September 2020
A Fantasy Romance I Couldn’t Put Down
5 stars
Everything Poppy has ever believed in is a lie, including the man she was falling in love with.
Casteel, The Dark Prince, is the only way for her to get what she wants—to find her brother Ian and see for herself if he has become a soulless Ascended. Working with Casteel instead of against him however presents its own risks.
I instantly started this book once I finished From Blood and Ash because I need more of this incredible story. It’s such a treat when a second book in a series may even be better than the first! Gah! This book was so amazing.
I loved the push and pull between Poppy and Casteel though the storyline itself is so intriguing that I couldn’t put this book down. Now onto book 3 that just released!
Related: Best Fantasy Romance Books
Amazon | Goodreads
More Romance Books To Read and Those to Skip:
Radiance
by Grace Draven
Published January 2015
A Unique, Opposites Attract Love Story
4 stars
Brishen Khaskem, prince of the Kai, has been the heir to spare in his Kai kingdom, which is why his only worth is to wed a human to secure a political alliance between kingdoms.
Ildiko is the niece to the Gauri king and has resigned herself to her fate of marrying the young Kai prince. Both Brishen and Ildiko see the other just as ugly in appearance as they expected on their wedding day and yet through a new-found friendship, they come to find each other more beautiful than either could imagine.
I found this book to be a wonderful, marriage of convenience story that was the perfect slow burn romance.
Both of these characters had me hooked from their meet cute moment.
As far as fantasy goes, there was barely any “magic” but the best part is two unique characters from different kingdoms that look beyond appearance and find true love within. I really enjoyed it!
Related: Best Fantasy Romance Books
Amazon | Goodreads | My Review
Replay
by Amy Daws
Published April 2021
Kindle Unlimited
*ARC received
A Second Chance Romance in a Must Read Series
4 stars
Five years ago Tilly Logan was consumed by a hot love affair with Santino Rossi, the football club lawyer of her brother’s team. Now she’s back and finds herself reunited with the hot lawyer while trapped in an elevator.
Tilly knows she shouldn’t replay past mistakes but if they can keep their relationship a secret, it might just be worth it.
Amy Daws delivered again with this sweet, second chance romance.
This book was a bit different where Tilly and Santino are a bit more somber (at least in their backstories) than other characters in this series, but that is not a bad thing.
They may provide less laugh out loud moments than I’ve come to enjoy with this series but they still have great banter and this cool, raw directness to their interactions. Plus you get more Freya who I adored in Blindsided. Check this one out!
Related: Series to Binge Read
Amazon | Goodreads | My Review
To Love and To Loathe
by Martha Waters
Published April 2021
*ARC received
A Historical Romance that Failed to Deliver
2.5 stars
The widowed Diana, Lady Templeton and Jeremy, Marquess of are well known in high for their bickering and flirtation. One evening, an argument at a ball turns into a serious wager: Jeremy will marry within the year or Diana will forfeit one hundred pounds.
Shortly after, Jeremy poses a new arrangement to Diana – a brief affair between the two for Diana to evaluate his skills in the bedroom which have been called into question. Taking him up on this suggestion may get Diana closer to winning their wager or closer to losing her heart.
While I loved the set up of this book, it failed to deliver as expected.
I adore “relationship coach” books as I call them when one character needs some guidance on what to do within the sheets but there was hardly any of this coaching in the book.
If there was more to this plot line I think it could have been good, but too many other things grated on me to love it or recommend it.
Amazon | Goodreads | My Review
Flipcup
by Kim Hartfield
Published April 2021
Kindle Unlimited
Just Pass On This One – Trust Me
1 star
Chelsea has made a vow that’s she’s over men. Tara made a vow that when she sees a beautiful woman, she’ll make her attraction known.
While Chelsea appreciates Tara’s flirtatious compliments, she may have also found a loophole in her vow.
I DNF at 18% this one and I’m surprised I made it that long. I just couldn’t read more and was definitely disappointed.
Chelsea is way too immature and the writing reads that way too. I also found Tara’s flirty to be creepy. I was interested in it for the FF angle but this one’s a no for me. At only 188 pages, it’s still a skip in my book.
Amazon | Goodreads
Pin this for later:
The Marriage Bargain
by Jennifer Probst
Published August 2012
Kindle Unlimited
An OK Billionaire Romance
3.5 stars
Billionaire Nicholas Ryan doesn’t believe in marriage, but in order to inherit his father’s corporation, he needs a wife and needs one fast. When he discovers his sister’s childhood friend is in dire financial straits, he offers Alexa a bold proposition.
This was my pick for the April 2021 Romance Book Reading Challenge which was to read one billionaire romance book this month.
This was good but something was off for me. I think it was Nick because I didn’t like his forceful actions at the beginning and couldn’t warm up to him.
But other than that I’d say it was well written. The story was predictable, not that that’s a bad thing, but I wasn’t wowed because of it.
I’d still recommend it if you love marriage of convenience stories.
Amazon | Goodreads
Nanny With Benefits
by Cassie Cole
Published August 2020
Kindle Unlimited
A Quick Read That Bored
2.5 stars
It was only supposed to be a part-time nanny job, then the pandemic hit. Now I’m quarantined with three guys at their secluded lake house.
I picked this up as a quick escape read, plus I wanted to see how this author used the pandemic as a storyline.
While the writing was good and the beginning decent, there really wasn’t anything original (beyond the pandemic playing out in the background) to this story (nor was it really all that steamy) which made it become kind of boring.
Amazon | Goodreads
The Queen and the Cure
by Amy Harmon
Published May 2017
Kindle Unlimited
A Fantasy That Failed Expectations
2.5 stars
Kjell of Jeru never wanted to be king, nor did he want to be a Healer, one of the Gifted.
Called upon to rid the country of the last of the Volgar, Kjell stumbles upon a woman who has troubling glimpses of the future and no memory of the past. Armed with his unwanted gift and haunted by regret, Kjell becomes a reluctant savior, beset by old enemies and new expectations.
With the woman by his side, Kjell embarks upon a journey where the greatest test may be finding the man she believes him to be.
I admit this one disappointed me.
I adored The Bird and the Sword but this one was lacking which pains me because it’s Amy Harmon! But I probably only finished it because she wrote it and I love her writing.
I loved Kjell in the last book and enjoy a brooding character, but there just isn’t much to their love story but there sure was a lot of travel which got very boring. I wanted a lot more to this story.
Amazon | Goodreads
King
by T.M. Frazier
Published June 2015
Kindle Unlimited
A Bad Boy Romance
4 stars
Doe has no memories of who she is after she’s found in an alleyway. Hungry and desperate to get off the streets, she’s ready to sell herself at the biker party until she walks in on King.
King just got out of the big house and he has one goal in mind, only now his sights are on Doe and he intends to make her his.
I actually liked this one if you can get over the fact that “offing” someone has no repercussions. I liked Doe and King together but it is a bit of instalove and hate to love given why she’s with him but still. The way he opens up to her is awesome.
There is some drama at the end and story twists that doesn’t have me wanting to grab the next book to finish the story (since this ends on a cliffhanger) but I enjoyed it all the same.
Amazon | Goodreads
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