Oh boy, I cannot believe we are already in May! April flew by and it was a very busy month for me. I didn’t read as much as I hoped and definitely didn’t review as much as I wanted as my work has been crazy and I had a wedding to go to nearly every other weekend. Busy, busy.

Despite all the craziness, I managed to read 8 books again this month. That seems to be my normal number of books to read recently as I read the same amount in March.

Here’s what I read: 

April 2022 Reads

Burn For Me and White Hot by Ilona Andrews (Hidden Legacy Series #1 & #2)

After talking about doing a buddy read of the Hidden Legacy series for what feels like ages, @meggatzabookclub and I finally got around to reading these books. This is mainly a reread for both of us as I’ve read Hidden Legacy multiple times as it’s one of the best urban fantasy/paranormal romances out there.

My love for Mad Rogan grows more and more on every reread. Nevada and her family are perfection and I care for these characters so much. Husband and wife writing duo Ilona Andrews knows how to perfectly blend the romance with the action. 

I haven’t gotten around to writing my review for this series, but don’t worry, I will! Especially as I have an ARC of the newest one, Ruby Fever, sitting on my iPad waiting for me to read and review.

Lead by Kylie Scott

I cannot tell you how many times I have reread this book. I swear I reread it once or twice every year. It’s my go-to comfort read as I know Lena and Jimmy will deliver on all the heart aching emotions every time. Despite knowing how it ends, I always stay up way too late reading this and feel all the emotions even though I know what’s coming next.

Personally, this is my favorite book in the Stage Dive series and one you can read without reading the other ones. I’ve never actually reviewed this but I highly recommend you pick this one up, especially if you like rockstar romances.

Famous in a Small Town by Kylie Scott

After gushing about Kylie Scott’s Lead, It pains me to say how much I did not enjoy her latest book Famous in a Small Town. This book is not part of the Stage Dive series, but it does feature a rockstar main character.

This book felt like a rough draft of a story versus a finished book. Everything felt underdeveloped and I was left wanting more. It didn’t help I read Lead right beforehand so I found myself constantly comparing the book to what it could be.

You can see my full thoughts in my review of Famous in a Small Town by Kylie Scott.

All the Duke I Need (Desperately Seeking Duke #3)

Oh man, this book! This book fully took me by surprise at just how much I enjoyed it. I’ve liked the Desperately Seeking Duke series, but I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite book series by Caroline Linden. 

However, I loved everything about this final book in the series. The romance was perfect and I loved how she wrapped up the overarching series plot. It was what I was expecting, but with a bit of a fun twist.

I highly recommend this one, but it would work best if you read the full series.

Check out my full thoughts in my review of All the Duke I Need by Caroline Linden.

Owned by Fate and Exposed by Fate by Tessa Bailey (Serve #1 & #2)

Let’s talk about these books for a second. I don’t intend to do a full review of them as I read these just for the fun of it. 

But, when I first read these years ago, I was ashamed of them. I never marked them as read on Goodreads and had them archived on my ereader in case anyone saw them.  The OG covers (which I’ve included here since they also now have “discreet covers”) were very sexy. The books are centered around a BDSM club and they’re heavy on the sex. They are more erotica than anything I used to read. And I was embarrassed if people saw that I read them and judged me for it.

Now, I honestly don’t care about it. These books are FUN. And you know what, sometimes you want to read a really sexy story! 

Tessa Bailey has exploded in popularity since her days writing these, but I was a fan of her earlier work (including this series that also features books from Katee Robert and a few others). So if you see me saying her current stuff (like the Bellinger Sisters series) isn’t as steamy as I expected, this is why.

Overall, these are really quick and sexy reads. There is a central romance plot that moves beyond the sex and the main coupe gets a happily ever after, but don’t expect a ton of plot or character development. I still really enjoy these and will be revisiting more of them when I’m in the mood for something sexier.

Shadow’s Claim (Immortals After Dark #12; The Dacians #1) by Kresley Cole

After waiting ages (and I mean AGES) for this library hold to come in, despite being next in line for two months, I finally got the next book in the Immortals After Dark series. I didn’t know what to expect from this book as it also kicks off the first in the Dacian series, a companion series that overlaps with Immortals After Dark. But I ended up really loving this one! 

The plot was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed the romance. Trehan was such a breath of fresh air after all the major alpha hole main characters. This man actually respected and listened to his mate. 

I’m behind on my Immortals After Dark reviews, but this is in the queue! 

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April 2022 Reviews

As I mentioned upfront, writing reviews was a bit of a struggle this month as I was very busy with a ton of other things going on. So I’m proud that I managed to get 6 reviews posted, even if that’s less than I would like.

If you missed any of the reviews, here’s what I reviewed in April:

• The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
• Demon from the Dark (Immortals After Dark #9) by Kresley Cole
• Electric Idol (Dark Olympus #2) by Katee Robert
• All the Duke I Need (Desperately Seeking Duke #3) by Caroline Linden
• One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
• Famous in a Small Town by Kylie Scott

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How many books did you read in April? Any new favorites?