Hi everyone! How is it already April?! I have been reading a lot more than I thought I would this year! I’ve already read 24 books, and I’m just like “How? When have I had the time?”. I think I need to update my reading goal on Goodreads, as I set it to 50 books. If I keep reading at this rate, I’ll hit it by July! Anyway, I read 9 books this month. Two were short stories I read on my Kindle, four were books I borrowed from the library, and most of them were romance books! They were mostly great reads and then there are three that I won’t stop talking about!! That being said I’m going to review four of the books I read this month! I hope you enjoy my March Mini Review!

Synopsis: “After everything that the citizens of Beartown have gone through, they are struck yet another blow when they hear that their beloved local hockey team will soon be disbanded. What makes it worse is the obvious satisfaction that all the former Beartown players, who now play for a rival team in Hed, take in that fact. Amidst the mounting tension between the two rivals, a surprising newcomer is handpicked to be Beartown’s new hockey coach. Soon a new team starts to take shape around Amat, the fastest player you’ll ever see; Benji, the intense lone wolf; and Vidar, a born-to-be-bad troublemaker. But bringing this team together proves to be a challenge as old bonds are broken, new ones are formed, and the enmity with Hed grows more and more acute. As the big match approaches, the not-so-innocent pranks and incidents between the communities pile up and their mutual contempt grows deeper. By the time the last game is finally played, a resident of Beartown will be dead, and the people of both towns will be forced to wonder if, after all they’ve been through, the game they love can ever return to something simple and innocent.” (goodreads.com)

This is the second book in the Beartown series and it was just as good as the first book! This whole series is heart-wrenching and it has just completely sucked me in. I’m currently reading the last book and I just know it’s going to wreck me. Us Against You is a great continuation of the story picking up soon after the end of the first book. I did have to take a little breather after finishing the first book because it is a heavy storyline. However, I couldn’t put it off for long because I needed to know what happened next. There were many times in this book I thought it was going one way and then it went a completely different direction. I did cry a few times, and as I’ve said in the past I’m a very emotional person, but it takes a lot for me to cry when reading. I highly recommend this book, but read Beartown first!

Playlist listened to on Spotify: beartown by fredrik backman

Synopsis: “Dr. Briana Ortiz’s life is seriously flatlining. Her divorce is just about finalized, her brother’s running out of time to find a kidney donor, and that promotion she wants? Oh, that’s probably going to the new man-doctor who’s already registering eighty-friggin’-seven on Briana’s “pain in my ass” scale. But just when all systems are set to hate, Dr. Jacob Maddox completely flips the game… by sending Briana a letter. And it’s a really good letter. Like the kind that proves that Jacob isn’t actually Satan. Worse, he might be this fantastically funny and subversively likable guy who’s terrible at first impressions. Because suddenly he and Bri are exchanging letters, sharing lunch dates in her “sob closet,” and discussing the merits of freakishly tiny horses. But when Jacob decides to give Briana the best gift imaginable—a kidney for her brother—she wonders just how she can resist this quietly sexy new doctor… especially when he calls in a favor she can’t refuse.” (goodreads.com)

This book! It had me smiling through most of it! You can see my reaction when I finished the book in this Instagram post. It was such a heartwarming cute romance novel! I was honestly sad when it was over. I loved the fake dating storyline and both of the main characters! Also, the letter writing just made me so happy. I know there was a reason why I gave it 4.5 stars over 5 stars, but as I write this, I honestly don’t remember why. This is a continuation of characters from Part of Your World, but it’s not a series. I do think you could read either book first. However, I would read Yours Truly second since the couple from the other book is a part of this storyline. I am now a big Abby Jimenez fan and will be reading all of her books! I’ve only read two of her books, but highly recommend them for a cute romance!

Playlist listened to on Spotify: briana & jacob: yours truly

Synopsis: “Sometimes, the worst day of your life happens, and you have to figure out how to live after it. So Clementine forms a plan to keep her heart safe: stay busy, work hard, find someone decent to love, and try to remember to chase the moon. The last one is silly and obviously metaphorical, but her aunt always told her that you needed at least one big dream to keep going. And for the last year, that plan has gone off without a hitch. Mostly. The love part is hard because she doesn’t want to get too close to anyone—she isn’t sure her heart can take it. And then she finds a strange man standing in the kitchen of her late aunt’s apartment. A man with kind eyes and a Southern drawl and a taste for lemon pies. The kind of man that, before it all, she would’ve fallen head-over-heels for. And she might again. Except, he exists in the past. Seven years ago, to be exact. And she, quite literally, lives seven years in his future. Her aunt always said the apartment was a pinch in time, a place where moments blended together like watercolors. And Clementine knows that if she lets her heart fall, she’ll be doomed. After all, love is never a matter of time—but a matter of timing.” (goodreads.com)

I loved this book! This is the second book I’ve read by Ashley Poston and I love her magical realism storylines! I thought it was such an interesting concept and I really enjoyed seeing how everything played out. I can’t wait to read her next book! If you’re looking for a time traveling, magical romance, centered around food and publishing, this is the book for you!

Playlist listened to on Spotify: the seven year slip

Synopsis: “France, 1939: In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says good-bye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France…but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When a German captain requisitions Vianne’s home, she and her daughter must live with the enemy or lose everything. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates all around them, she is forced to make one impossible choice after another to keep her family alive. Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets Gaëtan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can…completely. But when he betrays her, Isabelle joins the Resistance and never looks back, risking her life time and again to save others.” (goodreads.com)

Oh my gosh, this book! I’m kicking myself for not reading it sooner! To everyone who kept telling me to read this, you were right, and I’m sorry it took me so long to read it! It did take me a little time to get into the story, but then I got sucked in and could not put it down! I enjoyed the dual point of view between the two sisters and the two different timelines. Often, I don’t read the reading group guides in the back of books, but I did for this one! I enjoyed the Q&A between the author, which then led me to look up the history of the women of World War ll. If you’re looking for a historical fiction novel set during World War ll, I highly, highly recommend this book! It is heavy at times, so take that into account before you dive in.

Playlist listened to on Spotify: The Nightingale | Kristin Hannah

I hope you enjoyed my March Mini Review! Leave me a comment below if you’ve read any of these books! What did you read in March? Check out the Books category on my home page for more book reviews and recommendations. Please give me a follow on Instagram or Facebook to stay updated about when I post! As always, thank you for your continued support!

Take care and stay safe,

Renée