This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you click and buy, I may receive a small commission (at zero cost to you). Please see my full disclosure policy for details..
March was a great month for reading, and I can’t wait to share all the books I picked up this month! Whether you’re looking for your next great read or just curious about what I loved (or didn’t love), this post has all the details. My goal for 2025 was to read one book a month, and I’ve already exceeded that goal! I’ll be sharing a brief summary, my personal thoughts, and a rating for each book. Plus, I’ll highlight my top recommendation at the end!
Book List Overview (with links to purchase)
- Plantains and Our Becoming: Poems by Melania Luisa Marte
- Church Girl: A Spicy Opposites Attract Single Dad Romance by Naima Simone
- The Love Simulation by Etta Easton
- The Strawberry Patch Pancake House by Laurie Gilmore
- Somebody’s Wife by Robbi Renee
Plantains and Our Becoming: Poems – Melania Luisa Marte
- Genre: Poetry
- Synopsis: This book contains a collection of poems and short stories detailing Marte’s life as a melanated Afro-Latina and her ancestors’ journeys to America.
- My Thoughts: This collection of poems started off strong, but as the book continued, I found there to be more short stories than poems. The short stories were not my favorite, so I did not thoroughly enjoy this pick.
- Favorite Quote: “Her silhouette, the standard. Her Afro, a wig they take on and off. Her melanin packaged and sold. Her culture, a billion-dollar commodity. Merengue. Bachata. Salsa. Dembow. Reggaeton. Palo. Rumba. Samba. Tango. Name a beat her hips ain’t formed. And twerked into baile. Into ritmo. Into música.”
- Rating:
(out of 5) - Would I recommend it? No-because I only enjoyed the first quarter of the book, I would not recommend it.
Church Girl: A Spicy Opposites Attract Single Dad Romance – Naima Simone
- Genre: Contemporary Romance
- Synopsis: Aaliyah ran away from her small-town, controlling parents…and her own wedding to move to Chicago and pursue her dreams of attending college and becoming an artist. Her Sunday school experience lands her a job as a nanny for single-dad and tattoo artist Von, who couldn’t be more different than Aaliyah. The more time she spends with this rough, aggressive, vulgar man, Aaliyah discovers that his hard exterior is really a cover-up for love, heartbreak, and secrets.
- My Thoughts: I could not put this book down! It is messy, EXTREMELY spicy, and super relatable. Von is my dream male main character, and I can definitely see parts of myself in Aaliyah. This love story has the perfect “enemies to lovers” and “grumpy x sunshine” tropes, while still keeping the traditional romance vibes. Love it!
- Favorite Quote: “Out of the blue, I’m reminded of one of my favorite scriptures, about God not being found in a wind or an earthquake or a fire. He was found in a quiet, small voice. That’s this kiss”.
- Rating: (out of 5)
- Would I recommend it? Yes! – If you enjoy spicy romance with deep plots (and dreamy tattoo artists), this one’s for you!
The Love Simulation – Etta Easton
- Genre: Contemporary Romance
- Synopsis: There’s only one thing standing between Vice Principal Brianna and her school’s dream library…a 6 week Mars simulation challenge with some of her teachers. Sounds easy enough, right? Brianna lives in the simulation, completes tasks with her team, and the money is all hers. What she doesn’t expect is that her secret nemesis Roman joins the team at the last minute. Now they have one summer together to win money for the school…as long as Roman doesn’t sabotage…and as long as his smile stops sending electricity through Brianna’s veins…
- My Thoughts: I read Easton’s The Kiss Countdown in February, and I instantly had to pre-order The Love Simulation. I was NOT disappointed, and this sequel is even better than the first! Easton’s writing style flows so easily, and she has truly mastered cute romances. I find Brianna extremely relatable, and her and Roman’s workplace romance is adorable. There is the forced proximity trope, which I enjoy, but overall, this is the perfect #BlackLove story!
- Favorite Quote: “I’m not falling for Roman–I’m flying”.
- Rating: (out of 5)
- Would I recommend it? Yes! – This story is just too cute to pass up! It’s a must-read for any romance fan!
The Strawberry Patch Pancake House – Laurie Gilmore
- Genre: Romance Novel
- Synopsis: After finding out he has a 5-year old daughter, Archer is leaving his chef position in Paris to work at a diner in the small, New England town of Dream Harbor. He hires Iris to be his daughter Olive’s live-in nanny, and although she’s never been committed to anything before, she promises to give Archer and Olive a full 6 months of care. But, lines get blurred when Archer likes to cook shirtless, Iris always smells of strawberries, and Olive’s big brown eyes make everyone promise to never leave. What happens when life makes Archer and Iris question everything they’ve ever wanted?
- My Thoughts: Laurie Gilmore and Dream Harbor have me in a chokehold! I read this entire novel in less than 24 hours, and it’s in close competition with The Cinnamon Bun Book Store as my top Dream Harbor story! I don’t want to spoil the unexpected ending, but this story does have a few good tropes: grumpy x sunshine, he falls first, and forced proximity. I have already pre-ordered The Ginger Bread Bakery, coming out this Fall!
- Rating: (out of 5)
- Would I recommend it? Yes! – If you love cute, small-town romances, I recommend the entire Dream Harbor series by Laurie Gilmore! It’s definitely one of my favorites!
Somebody’s Wife – Robbi Renee
- Genre: Contemporary Romance
- Synopsis: Dr. Jemma Holiday is intelligent, poised, beautiful, and easy to talk to–everything Ezekiel could dream of. The only problem? She’s somebody’s wife! Dr. Ezekiel Green listens, he has a million dollar smile, and since he lives in New York (far away from Missouri), he’s the perfect man for Jemma’s one night stand fantasy. The only problem? She’s somebody’s wife! But, when fate brings Ezekiel to Missouri and HUGE changes happen to Jemma’s marriage, it’s not as black and white as it seems…
- My Thoughts: This book is AMAZING! It’s messy, spicy, and romantic, and it has a “coming of age” vibe to it for a woman in her 30s/40s and still trying to find herself. Zeke is a smooth and dreamy MMC, and the spice of this novel doesn’t overpower the plot. I couldn’t put it down!
- Favorite Quote: “Don’t think. Don’t hesitate. Just come”.
- Rating: (out of 5)
- Would I recommend it? Yes! – Between the plot, the romance, and the spice, this book is the perfect balance of everything I love in a story! 100% recommend!
My Top Pick of the Month Is…
A three-way tie between Church Girl, The Strawberry Patch Pancake House, and Somebody’s Wife! I sat for hours trying to decide which was my favorite, but I couldn’t pick just one! All three of these books topped my list this month!
What’s TBR for April?
My goal for April is to read 4 books, but it may be a busy month! Here’s the list so far:
- The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon
- Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez
- Recipe for a Charmed Life by Rachel Linden
- The Worst Best Man by Lucy Score
That concludes my March reading wrap-up! I’m so excited that I’ve read 16 books so far this year, and I can’t wait to see what’s next! What did you read in March? Do you have any recommendations for me? Let’s chat in the comments!
If you enjoyed this post, share it with other book lovers!
