April Wrap Up 2020

After reading five books between January and March, I somehow managed to read nine books in April alone! I think its safe to safe that I’m coming out the other side of my reading slump? I also haven’t posted one of these since erm… November. Oops. This post is going to be long enough as it is without me wittering on here, so let’s get right into my April Wrap Up!

Hideous Beauty by William Hussey

I got my hands on an advanced copy of the LGBTQ+ mystery-esque romance after a competition at YALC and I was really excited to read it. Right at the start of the book the author includes detailed content warnings and there is also lots of support at the back which I was super happy to see. Hideous Beauty isn’t overly graphic but I would definitely class this as ‘older YA’, if not new adult, given some of the topics dealt with. Dealing with coming out, classism, homophobia, suicide and drug abuse to name a few of the sensitive matters in this book, it definitely wasn’t always a happy read. But, it was very moving and powerful. 3/5 stars

Heartstopper Volume 3 by Alice Oseman

The latest instalment in Alice’s comic series. I loved 1 and 2 but felt that this was much more complex. From the introduction of new settings (a school trip to Paris!) to the inclusion of so many different ethnicities, sexualities and genders to dealing with serious topics such as self harm, eating disorders and coming out to family and friends. Despite these serious subjects this was of course super cute and fluffy and I loved it! 4/5 stars

Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon

This is a diverse retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in a boarding school for the elite. It was sweet and a little cheesy, predictable but kept my interest piqued. I finished it in a day! There were discussions of thought provoking topics such as white and male privilege, religion and feminism which added another layer to the story. It wasn’t my favourite from this author but a nice read. 3.5/5 stars

House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas

Fuck me why did I wait so long to read this?! The first 30% was pretty heavy and I did have re-read paragraphs a couple of times, but as soon as the story got going I was hooked. This was much more mature and complex than Sarah’s previous work but had our fave tropes like swoon worthy love interests, cocky males, kick ass and cunning female characters that you want to be best friends with and super cute companions! The characters were so well developed and their relationships and interactions were just amazing. The last 200 pages were a ROLLERCOASTER; I honestly couldn’t cope with what I was reading. NEED MORE. Read some more of my thoughts here. 5/5 stars

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I’d seen some major hype for this new adult paranormal fantasy romance in the wake of House of Earth and Blood so obviously I had to read it. It was enjoyable enough with the typical tropes such a brooding male character (who kinda reminded me of The Darkling). This also gave me Red Queen vibes for some reason? It was a bit too info dumpy for me and I didn’t really connect with the characters though I enjoyed the romance and tension. I could also see the plot twist coming a mile off but it was an enjoyable enough read. 3.5/5 stars.

Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

I had this on my Kindle for a little while as I’d heard some great things but after seeing Imi’s rave reviews I decided to finally pick it up. Oh my god I am so glad I did because it was exactly what I needed! A diverse adult romance with chronic pain, anxiety and fat rep; I fell in love in two chapters. Not only was this book super romantic and sweet, phewwwww this was hot. Chloe and Red were so well developed and unique characters who really made this story. I raced through it and was so invested; I can’t wait for more of Talia’s books! 5/5 books

Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

After loving Aurora Rising last year, I was so excited to receive an ARC of this and to no surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed this one too! Super fast paced and action packed with some serious laugh out loud moments. I love these characters and the dyanmic between them all and can’t wait for the next book. Full review to come. THAT ENDING! 5/5 stars

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

After Get A Life, Chloe Brown I was seriously in the mood for adult romance and this definitely ticked all my boxes. Content warnings for cancer but also there was autism and Aspergers rep and a Vietnamese American MC which I loved! It was seriously smutty (more so than I expected), super hot but soft. I loved the dynamic between Michael and Stella, they made such such a fab couple. The strong family ties were so lovely to read about and it included one of my fave tropes – fake dating! 4.5/5 stars

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

So firstly why did I wait so long to pick up this series?! I loved The Mortal Instruments around a decade ago but never finished the last book. I just couldn’t commit to a re-read right now so decided to dive into The Infernal Devices right away. Straight off, I much prefer the characters and the setting in this story! I really enjoyed how the story was set up and I’m excited to see where it goes as I’ve heard some great things. It did feel a little ‘young’ at times, especially when I remember the characters are only 16 or 17, but it didn’t mean that I enjoyed it less. Oh and I love Will and Jem. I am ready to get my heart broken. 4.5/5 stars

Phew, thanks for sticking around for my April wrap up – that was a long one! Considering I’d had a pretty crappy start to the reading year, I guess the fact that I got through so many books this month means that one good thing has come out of lockdown in the UK? Also I have to give credit to Kate’s Easter Readathon as three of these were read over the bank holiday weekend!

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