April Wrap Up + May TBR – Favorite Reads & A Let Down

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April was a pretty good month of reading! I was so excited at the beginning of the month and was not completely disappointed by the end of the month. 

So without wasting anymore time, let’s dive right in! 

Swordheart by T. Kingfisher

Goodreads / Storygraph

Summary

When a practical widow finds herself trapped by unwanted relatives, her life takes an unexpected turn after accidentally freeing a sword-bound warrior.

Together, they embark on a quirky, danger-filled journey across a vividly imagined world, with humor, heart, and a touch of romance guiding them.

My Thoughts

Swordheart was a good read. I enjoyed it quite a bit, but it definitely felt lacking in some areas. 

I really loved that Halla is an older FMC. The story itself was a nice, low-stakes and easy read. 

The world-building needed a little more work and the love interest, Sarkis, felt a bit too one dimensional for my tastes. 

However, the slow burn was slow burning, and the plot was strong enough to keep my attention. 

I’m gonna give Swordheart 3.75 stars out of 5 stars. 

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Goodreads / Storygraph

Summary

Battling grief and grappling with her true identity, Celaena Sardothien travels to a distant land to unlock her hidden power.

As darkness stirs across kingdoms, new alliances are forged and old wounds resurface, setting the stage for an epic fight for survival and destiny.

My Thoughts

Heir of Fire introduces us to many new characters and is told through multiple POVs. 

Something that I wasn’t a huge fan of at first, but over time came to really enjoy.

Celaena goes through probably one of her biggest transformations yet in this book, and I am here for it.

Dorian, my poor Dorian. His POV had me yawning but quickly acknowledged that I should be paying attention because we are getting his POV for a reason.

Choal ended up back on my good side in this book. 

We also are introduced to Manon (who I absolutely am OBSESSED with) and Rowan. Rowan took a minute to grow on me, but by the end of the book, I was smitten. 

We also meet Queen Maeve, and she was a bit of a let down. She was hyped up to be far darker than she was.

Overall though, definitely one of my favorites so far in the series, but I still have four more books to go, so can’t say for sure yet!

A solid 5 stars out of 5 stars for Heir of Fire. 

Enchantra by Kaylie Smith

Goodreads / Storygraph

Summary

Genevieve Grimm has felt adrift ever since her sister became the head of the family. So when a mysterious friend of their mother’s invites her to Italy, she accepts. 

She doesn’t expect the owner’s ruthlessly handsome son to slam the door in her face. Rowin Silver is tall, dark, and exceptionally rude, and invitation or not, he demands Genevieve leave and never come back. 

But Genevieve follows nobody’s orders, especially those of arrogant rich boys. She slips inside—and immediately discovers her mistake.

Rowin and his family are caught in an insidious game of hide and seek, where only one can win. The rest will be trapped in Hell… until the competition begins again.

My Thoughts

There are no words to explain how much I LOVE this book. 

I thought Ophelia and Blackwell were cute? Well Genevieve and Rowin are on absolute fire. 

I read this book in under 24 hours and I plan to do another re-read in the very near future. 

Genevieve is very different from Ophelia, but I love them both.

Rowin on the other hand was the man of the hour. I am not ashamed to admit that I still love “Shadow Daddies”. 

I feel like most people are over them, but I am not. And Rowin is possibly my favorite of all them all. 

We do get a bit of Ophelia and Blackwell in this book but both (Phantasma the first book & this one) are meant to be stand-alones. 

So you don’t have to read Phantasma first, but I would definitely recommend it! 

The hide and seek games felt a bit repetitive as the book went on, but honestly it wasn’t the games I was reading for anyways. 

6 stars out of 5 stars for Enchantra! Definitely one of my favorite reads of 2025 so far. 

The Perfect Divorce by Jeneva Rose

Goodreads / Storygraph

Summary

Two high-powered divorce lawyers, each determined to win at any cost, find their worlds turned upside down when a simple case spirals into chaos. 

Witty banter, unexpected chemistry, and sharp twists make this a lively exploration of love, ambition, and second chances.

My Thoughts

This one is definitely my let down read of the month. I grabbed an audiobook copy from my library and thoroughly disliked it. 

The narrators, to the plot, to the characters, to everything that happened in this book. 

The Perfect Divorce picks up around a decade after The Perfect Marriage, and Sarah has finally met someone even more unhinged than her. 

Considering I didn’t really like The Perfect Marriage all that much, I could’ve skipped this one. 

I also read that the author wants to make this into a trilogy? 

No thanks. 

2.5 stars out of 5 stars for The Perfect Divorce. 

My review of The Perfect Marriage here. 

May TBR + Currently Reading

In April, I started A Crown So Silver by Lyra Selene and decided to just read it slowly. I am hoping to finish this book by June. 

I also started Queen of Shadows! Though, I am really enjoying taking my time through the Throne of Glass series. When I read ACOTAR I flew through the series so fast, part of me wishes I could go back and slow down. 

I also FINALLY started The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen. So I am very excited to share my thoughts next month. 

For my May TBR, I’d like to read:

Quicksilver by Callie Hart. This is one that finally wore me down. I (surprisingly) have managed to avoid spoilers, so I think this one I’m either going to love it or hate it. 

A Curse Carved in Bone by Danielle L. Jensen comes out on May 13th and has the same narrator as A Fate Inked In Blood! So you can bet I will be snagging an audiobook copy on publishing day. I am still unwell from the cliffhanger in the first book. 

The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig feels like the perfect birthday present! This book publishes on my birthday and I am so excited to grab a copy and round out my May reading with this book. 

Final Thoughts

April was a good month of reading. I was hoping to read more but alas I am a slow reader with a full-time job. 

May is shaping up to be just as exciting as April was and I can’t wait to dive into my TBR!

Luckily, I plan to start out the month with some thicker books. So by the time A Curse Carved in Bone and The Knight and The Moth publish, I should have time to round out the month with them. 

I’ve also been able to keep perfectly on track with my reading goal. So that’s exciting. How are your reading goals going so far?