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April and May have been busy months, so I did not get a lot of good books in! My goal for 2026 is 36 books in a year, and so far, I’ve read 17! These two months combined, I was only able to fit in 4 books and a few different genres. If you’re curious to know what I read, a summary, and my honest opinion, this post is for you. I’ll also share my top pick of the month and what’s TBR for June!
Book List Overview (with links to purchase)
- Ready or Not: A Slow Burn Novella from the Nape Series by Olive Winter
- When God Says “Wait”: Navigating Life’s Detours and Delays Without Losing Your Faith, Your Friends, or Your Mind by Elizabeth Laing Thompson
- The Perfect Divorce by Jeneva Rose
- The Daisy Chain Flower Shop by Laurie Gilmore
📖 Ready or Not – Olive Winter
- Genre: Contemporary Romance Novella
- Why did I read this? I saw the author, Olive Winter, posting on Threads about the type of books she writes, and it sounded right up my alley.
- Synopsis: Solene just broke up with her terrible boyfriend, and just needed a night out with the girls when she meets Desiderio. He’s smooth, Dominican, and extremely sexy. What starts off as a long night exploring New York ends up turning into something more. And can Solene and Desi both put their fears aside to find out what could be?
- Tropes/themes: Novella ( about 145 pages), whirlwind romance, strangers to lovers, Black/Latino romance
- My Thoughts: This books is very cute! Both of the characters and their trauma around falling in love is so relatable, and the MMC is top tier! Desi is fine, charming, and speaks Spanish…so dreamy! In this case, I wish the story was longer to include more yearning, but for a Novella, it was not too bad.
- Favorite Quote: “Fear can’t be your compass forever. At some point, you’ve got to sit with the uncomfortable and at least try to work through it.”
- Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (out of 5)
- Would I recommend it? Maybe–if you want a quick, short and sweet romance that’s not too deep and has some humor, you’ll love this one! If you want a real plot and depth, skip it!
📖 When God Says “Wait” – Elizabeth Laing Thompson
- Genre: Christian Literature
- Why did I read this? I’ve had this book on my shelf for a long time, and as someone in what feels like a perpetual waiting season, 2026 seemed like the year to pick it up. Yes–I’ve been reading/listening to this book on-and-off since January.
- Synopsis: The author uses biblical retellings and stories about her and her friends’ lives to encourage and inspire the reader in seasons of waiting.
- My Thoughts: I’ve read a few Christian “self-help” books over the years, especially about waiting, and this one was not my favorite. The biblical retellings were probably my favorite part, but the author’s own stories kind of stopped the flow for me. It also did not include humor and relatability, which is something I need to get through these types of books.
- Favorite Quote: “Praise reminds us of His power; gratitude reminds us of His goodness. Together praise and gratitude protect our hearts and restore our hope”.
- Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (out of 5)
- Would I recommend it? No–there are certainly better books and studies about waiting out there.
📖 The Perfect Divorce – Jeneva Rose
- Genre: Psychological Thriller
- Why did I read this? As soon as I read The Perfect Marriage, I ordered the paperback of The Perfect Divorce! Little did I know, the paperback hadn’t been released yet, so I had to wait. As soon as it arrived, I dropped EVERYTHING!
- Synopsis: 12 years after Sarah’s ex-husband Adam was convicted of the murder of his mistress, Sarah finds out her new husband Bob had an affair. She immediately files for divorce, but in the midst of it all, Adam’s case is reopened, threatening to reveal the secrets that held her and Bob together. Things heat up even more when Bob’s mistress disappears. Can Sarah get away with the perfect divorce and keep all of her secrets hidden?
- Tropes/themes: legal thriller, some spice, unreliable narrator, surprise ending, revenge, psychological warfare, many suspects
- My Thoughts: I could not put this book down! It had more twists and turns than a Fast & Furious movie. The main character, Sarah becomes so unhinged but holds it all together so well, and you’ll never guess the ending! AMAZING!
- Favorite Quote: “To me, trust is like glass. Once you break it, you can’t put it back together–and even if you tried, you’d end up cutting yourself in the process. So you may as well just throw it away”.
- Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (out of 5)
- Would I recommend it? Absolutely! But you have to read The Perfect Marriage first!
📖 The Daisy Chain Flower Shop – Laurie Gilmore
- Genre: Romance Novel
- Why did I read this? If you’ve read any of my book posts, you know that I’m OBSESSED with the Dream Harbor series by Laurie Gilmore! As soon as she announces another book, I pre-order it and just patiently wait for it to drop. And as soon as a had a free day, I sat and read The Daisy Chain Flower Shop. I read the entire novel in about 3.5 hours straight.
- Synopsis: Everyone in Dream Harbor thinks Daisy’s flower shop is cursed. It just so happens that when she provides flowers for weddings, the couples end up divorced. Not to mention, her own love life is a disaster. And when her smug ex-fiance shows up with his new bride-to-be, Daisy needs an escape plan. Nerdy architect Elliot is perfect! He can be her fake boyfriend to get the town and her ex-fiance off her back, and she can help his meddling mom calm down. But Daisy doesn’t know that Elliot has had a GIANT crush on her for a year! We all know how fake dating goes…right?
- Tropes/themes: small-town romance, fake dating, he falls first, some spicy scenes
- My Thoughts: What can I say? Laurie Gilmore has done it again! This book is just as cute and cozy as all the others, and it provides updates on the old characters while introducing some new ones. It’s so cutesy and sweet, and has all the small-town cozy vibes that makes these books so easy to read.
- Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (out of 5)
- Would I recommend it? Absolutely! The entire Dream Harbor series has my heart!
My Top Pick This Month Is…
A tie between The Perfect Divorce and The Daisy Chain Flower Shop! Since this post is technically two months of reading, it’s only right that I choose two favorites, right? And they couldn’t be more different! Both of these reads had my eyes glued to the pages, so I couldn’t pick just one!
What’s TBR for June?
With the school year ending and my birthday, June is a busy month, but here are the plans:
- Take a Shot on Me by Leigh Carron
- Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune
- Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray
That concludes April and May’s reading wrap-up! What did you read this month? What are you looking forward to reading in June? Let me know, and don’t forget to share this post with any book lovers you know!
