April 2025 reading is a wrap! How is your reading year progressing? Did you have a favorite April read?
April 2025 Reading Wrap Up
April Summary: The quantity is good! Thankfully, there was one stand-out! Out of 20 books completed, I experienced one 5-star read, four 4-star reads, eleven 3.5-4-star reads, three 3-star reads, and one 2.5-star read. No DNFs this month.
My most engaging and memorable read in April was a compelling historical fiction, One Good Thing by Georgia Hunter.
My Captivating Character for April is Lili from One Good Thing. Join the Link Party for #CaptivatingCharacters25 hosted by yours truly…details and review in this post. Check it out!
***This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
Titles are Amazon affiliate links or my linked reviews.
ARC=Advanced Readers Copy (complimentary copy for review before pub date)
One Good Thing by Georgia Hunter
5 Stars. Historical Fiction (WWII), Friendship, Survival, Italy. The main character, Lili, is also my most resilient and captivating character of the month.
Dear Miss Lake by A.J. Pearce (ARC)
4 Stars (ARC) Historical Fiction (WWII Home Front), Friendship, Series, London. Review on Pub Date: 8/5/2025
The Lawyer and the Laundress by Christine Hill Suntz (ARC)
4 Stars. (ARC) Historical Fiction (1837), Classism, Marriage of Convenience, Toronto. Review on Pub Date: 6/10/2025
Reports of His Death Have Been Highly Exaggerated by James Goodhand (ARC)
4 Stars. (ARC) Contemporary Fiction, Quirky Character, Mistaken Identity. Review on Pub Date: 7/1/2025
A Wager With the Matchmaker by Jody Hedlund (ARC)
4 Stars. (ARC) Historical Fiction, Historical Romance (closed door), Classism, St. Louis. Review on Pub Date: 4/17/2025.
The Rushworth Family Plot by Claudia Gray (ARC)
3.5-4 Stars. (ARC) Historical Fiction. Austenesque, Cozy Mystery, Putting the SLOW in Slow-burn Romance, England. Review coming on Pub Date: 6/17/2025
Dear Writer by Maggie Smith (ARC)
3.5-4 Stars.(ARC) Nonfiction, Essays, Writing, Poetry. Review coming soon.
Three Days in June by Anne Tyler
3.5-4 Stars. Contemporary Fiction, Novella, Marriage. Family Life. Not yet reviewed.
Heaven’s Cove 8 Book Series by Liz Eeles
3.5-4 Stars. Contemporary Women’s Fiction, Family Drama, Family Life, (firmly) Closed-door and Slow-burn Romance, Coastal England. Yes…I did binge-read an eight-book series over the last two months! I’ve reviewed Installment #1 and Installment #4.
The Measure of My Days by Florida Scott-Maxwell
3 Stars. Nonfiction, Classic, Aging. Meh. Not reviewed.
Passion Project by London Sperry
3 Stars. Contemporary Fiction, Finding happiness. Interesting premise. Not yet reviewed.
The Dangerous Love of a Rogue by Jane Lark (ARC)
3 Stars. (ARC) Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Open-door and Steamy (ala Bridgerton) which is not to my taste. Unlikable male main character (yes, he’s a rogue), I skipped over the steam. Many instances of women being treated badly (in keeping with the times). After I accepted the arc, I was surprised to find out that it was first published in 2015. Not yet reviewed.
The Fall Risk by Abby Jimenez
2.5 Stars. Contemporary women’s fiction, short story, (insta-love) romance, profanity. Impulse read because it was free with Amazon Prime. Not reviewed.
QOTD:
Did we read any of the same books?
Did you have a favorite April read?
April Blog Posts
The Widow’s Irish Secret
10 Favorite One-word Book Titles
Captivating Characters of April (One Good Thing review)
The Cuban Heiress Review
(free) Book Club Kit: The Boys of Riverside
The Resistance Girls Review
Reading Firsts of 2025
Ordinary Time Review
What Happened to the McCrays? Review
Atlas of the Heart Review
Unpopular Bookish Opinions
The Book of Kindness Review
A Year at Marshywood Review
Flowers on the Cover
Unclaimed Baggage Review
Leah’s Faith Review
And There Was Light Review
Marriage or Relationship of Convenience Trope
Happy Reading Book Friends!
“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke
“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes
“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection! Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text
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Wow! Good month. I’m so anxious for Dear Miss Lake
A Lake series installment is always heartwarming. Off topic….I’m right in the middle of The Correspondent which I think you might enjoy!
Thanks!
Congratulations on such a good reading month. I’ve not yet decided if I like Ann Tyler’s novels
They are hit or miss for me! I made it all the way through this one which is a win! 🫣 off topic….I’m reading The Correspondent which you might enjoy if you like epistolary.
That’s a lot of reading! Glad you enjoyed (most) of them.
I’m always glad to have one standout among the bunch! I’m ready to predict that I’m already reading my best book of May!! Will definitely be on my best of year list..,The Correspondent.
Your long list makes my head spin. I didn’t get to read one single novel in April, and I don’t think I did in March. I miss my pre-Trump life.
I’m reading a book now that is unputdownable and poignant..,The Corespondent 5 stars so far and will be on my best of year list!
Thank you for the book recommendation, Carol. I just got on the waitlist for it at the library. I’m number 30 for 5 copies in the system. The blurb sounds good. I apologize for taking this long to respond to you. Our internet service has been out more than it’s been up for eight days now. I jump on it when I see there’s not a red light on the modem. I actually finished reading a book Sunday night since I couldn’t get on the internet for hours, so that’s the silver lining to computer problems!
Happy reading!
It looks like you’ve had another great month, Carol. I’m currently reading Dear Writer, which has reignited my long dormant love of poetry. I am also getting a lot out of it writing-wise. I’ll watch for your review. 💖📚
I don’t write poetry so it wasn’t as meaningful for me as it will be for you! I enjoyed Bird By Bird more for what I write. Hope you continue to enjoy it!
I don’t write poetry either, but have rediscovered my love of reading it. I found there’s a lot in there that is relevant to every type of writing and got some good tips from it. 💖📚
I enjoyed several portions.
I’m currently reading Dear writer, Carol. It has reignited my long dormant love of poetry and writing-wise, I’m learning a lot that I can apply. 💖📚
I’m glad! 🙌
Nice! Looks like a good month.
If I can score one 5 star read out of a month I’m satisfied!
I enjoy the Heaven’s Cove series and am looking forward to the newest one. I just purchased the audiobook, We Were The Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter, and now will have to add One Good Thing to my TBR. I hope May is a good month with more than one 5 star read.
Both Georgia Hunter Books are great reads!