Book Round Up-Books I Read in the Month of April!

I know it’s the end of June, but don’t judge me, I wrote this in the middle of May and never published it. The books were too good not to share, so here we are. Work life has been on 10. Sometimes I feel like the only thing that I have to myself are my book friends. Even after one of the busiest work months I was excited to escape at the end of the day into books. I read some new authors this month and was blown away by some of these series.

Please note the links to the books are affiliate links and I receive a small commission for any links clicked or when a purchase is made. Thanks in Advance! Let’s get into it!

One Week (FANtasy #1) by Tiye Love

Complicated love

I was torn by this book because Nia just couldn't make a decision on her own. She was easily influenced by everyone in her life and it was irritating. She was over 30 and still looking for approval from her father. When she met Justin and they crossed paths, choosing to be with him seemed to be the only thing she was clear on. However, the lies...damn near a double life threw me. Justin was a famous singer and lived a high profile life and refused to deny the connection he felt with Nia. He was intense and she couldn't resist him. He had a temper and needed to work on his communication skills and Nia was a runner. The two of them together were a lot. Nia made her relationship decisions to appease her father instead of for love and realized that what she had with Justin is what she wanted. The journey back to each other was interesting and annoying, but definitely humanizing.

A Complicated Love (FANtasy #2) by Tiye Love

Rating[ 5 of 5 stars ]

Forbidden love

Listen!!! There was a lot going on in this book and I enjoyed every twist and turn. Destiny was an up and coming author that had received the opportunity of a lifetime writing the biography of superstar singer and actor Jacob Roberts. From the moment she met him she felt the spark, undeniable chemistry between them. It scared her because he was happily married, according to the tabloids, to one of America's sweethearts. Jacob also felt a spark so deep, he questioned the decisions he made in his life and one thing was certain he wanted Destiny. Destiny was so confused, conflicted even about the feelings she knew she shouldn't be feeling for Jacob. She did her best to keep clear of him, but their feelings refused to be denied. This story is obviously fictional and real life doesn't tend to end well, needless to say I enjoyed them navigating their way to a love neither of them had experienced before.

Saving Sunflower (The Sun) by Rae Lyse

Rating 5 of 5 stars

Love Triumphs

This book surprised me. I would say it's more on the urban side, but I enjoyed every minute of it. At first I couldn't stand Dominic, he just felt wild, irresponsible, aloof, and annoying. As the layers peeled back I realized he was just surviving the best way he knew how. He was definitely making some irresponsible decisions, trying to be responsible for those around him. In truth he was a stand up guy that didn't understand that he had other options. Along his journey into pursuing rap he inadvertently met a friend....Claudette. From the first day they met he realized she was a hustler, all legit though. She saved him from his own ignorance with knowledge she gained from one of her many hustles. After that he trusted her and had to keep her close. He was enamored with her, but tried to keep her at arms length because he didn't feel worthy of being with her. Sweet Claudette was so innocent, naïve, smart, beautiful inside and out. When Nic blew into her life like a hurricane she felt swept up in his storm. Instead of shielding herself from his storm, she was drawn to him just as he was to her and it meant everything to her. I ain't gone hold y'all like this is a fairy tale love because it was not. Nic was deep in the streets and did not know any other way. Clo helped him with his music and tried to help him be more professional, but his past kept interfering with their future. There were a few times I was thinking run away hard and fast Clo, but she was loyal. Their childhoods were different, but the commonalities between them made it easy to understand why they were drawn to each other. As this friendship...as this love unfolded it was not traditional. It was hard, challenging, but so beautiful. Definitely worth a read.

The Endgame : The Sun: Book Two by Rae Lyse

Rating[ 5 of 5 stars ]

Young, complicated love

Omg Jade and Josiah tried to take me out. It was so good and I honestly did not want to let them go. Jade was a single mother just doing her best to take care of her daughter and graduate college. Jo was a star football player that had one foot in college and one foot back home. Their paths crossed one night and both of their worlds were forever changed. Jo was enthralled with Jade and he loved everything about her. This story is hard to review because of the layers. My heart hurt for Jo because he was so young, yet he was responsible for the well being of so many people. His mother was there, but she was irresponsible and definitely not in tune with his educational needs. She didn't realize it but her actions negatively impacted Jo and Nic.
I understood why Jade was so conflicted because she did not want to add to his burden. I felt her side deeply. I think she definitely approached their relationship wrong, but the connection he had with her and her daughter was unmatched. It was beautiful and changed my perception of Jo. Jade was young, and was just trying to balance having a young life and bring a mother.
Jo was a street kid with a past that haunted him and he had the weight of the world on his shoulders trying to live out a dream for those around him. He found solace with Jade and Journey and although there was so much chaos to navigate, loving them was easy. I could easily read more books about this family.

Rae Lyse was one of the new author’s I read in April and these books had me emotionally invested. I was rooting for these characters and I truly wanted them to win in life. I enjoyed them so much that I went to see if Rae had more books only to find out that these were her only books. I am in awe, because these books were extremely well written. I look forward to reading many of her books in the future.

Face Down Fridays: Prelude (Crowne Legacy Book 1) by Sherelle Green

Rating[ 4 of 5 stars ]

Spicy read

Well this book was spicy. Jade and Nash had instant chemistry. Having met 15 yrs ago, but only communicated via letters their connection was untapped. Jade was uninhibited sexually and her confidence in who she was is what we all strive for. Nash was in love as soon as he saw her again. Swagger on 100 he was ready to finally claim his woman. This was a short story, but I wanted to know more about what kept him away. Also more about the Crowne family dynamics. It was a sexy story and worth the read.

Beneath the Stars: A Friends-to-Lovers Rockstar Romance (Falling Stars)

Rating[ 5 of 5 stars ]

Dream lovers

Another beautiful love story. A.L. Jackson does not disappoint. Sweet Maggie had been through way too much trauma, but this beautiful brave soul was ready to live life on her own terms. She was ready to make some wrongs right and she was not afraid. She had an amazing connection with Rhys, a man that was basically off limits. Rhys was a beautifully troubled soul. He was loving, loyal, fierce, and talented, but he had so many demons. It was extremely hard for him to move forward. Their connection was electric and no matter how hard they tried to fight it, it was growing strong daily. As obstacle after obstacle was thrown their way their love shone through. I will read any book she writes, because the WAY she develops these characters tugs at my heart.

This Love Hit Different (Kindle Edition) by Monica Walters & T. Key

Rating [ 3 of 5 stars ]

A basic read

This book just didn't do it for me. The storyline wasn't terrible, but I'm visual and it played out like one of those telenovelas. It felt disjointed and lacked flow. It was odd ...the story is moving then there are random devotions of love. Then Sheena callin him love got on my nerves. Sex and more sex which played out great, but where they got this all knowing connection was beyond me. The random President of the bank job.... Issues with the family. Saying you didn't want more baby mommas but still getting her pregnant before marriage is reckless It just was not clear what the authors were trying to get across. I still recommend Monica's books.

The Left of Love (Wayward Love #1) Love Belvin

Rating[ 5 of 5 stars ]

Cloudy....friends

Omg this book had my feelings all over the place. So many complex yet beautiful elements. I've read about Kenni and Young Lord in other stories and now I have more context to them. Kennedi was an innocent, caring, intelligent young woman. She was an athlete that never met a competition she wasn't down to try. She lived a privileged life with both of her parents. Issak aka Young Lord was a talented, intelligent, and somewhat troubled young man. They crossed paths at college and built a friendship of sorts. Everything about them screamed love....definitely more than friends, but they seemed unwilling to acknowledge it. Issak was clueless to the pain Kenni went through behind him and she didn't understand his weird....fake life he was leading. So many layers, I'm running to the next book.

The Low of Love (Wayward Love #2) by Love Belvin

Rating[ 5 of 5 stars ]

Beautifully Messy

Listen!!! This book had me all over the place emotionally. Kennedi and Isaak wore me out. The insecurities they both carried kept them from expressing their real emotions that only spoke loudly when they were intimate. Kennedi was a real one and the way she connected his children and handled business that he had no clue about was beautiful. Isaak was so caught up in his feelings that he didn't understand that her loyalty to his children was because she was longing for a connection to him. Until she created her own bond with them. It was clear that they were head over heels in love with each other, but Isaak was so scared to lose her or be rejected he refused to claim the woman that was for all intents and purposes HIS. Whew chile that last chapter had me in tears because there was so much to fight for. Yes it was messy, but it was real. It was beautiful. Ms. Belvin tugged on my heartstrings with this one. Hands down favorite book in the series.

The Right of Love (Wayward Love #3) by Love Belvin

Rating[ 5 of 5 stars ]

When real love gets real

I could barely read the beginning of this book. They had me heated making terrible decisions that did NOT have to be made. My husband thought I was crazy cuz I was yelling at the book. That's how you know I feel connected to these characters. Poor Kenni, my heroine from the 2nd book, was so lost in this one and felt like she was not deserving of a passionate love instead a tolerable situation. Her decisions were terrible, but she was trying to protect her heart from the one that actually loved her. She bossed up and didn't stop til she got her family back. Isaak, I was proud of him in this story. He learned from Kenni how to boss up and take care of his kids. He also protected them at every turn. He was head over heels for Kenni, I don't know how it wasn't clear to her that the door would always be open. He was so passionate with the way he treated her. This story was an imperfect love. It's crazy how the FEAR of a broken heart or rejection will keep you from properly communicating. I could read another story about the Beckwiths.

Lastly I would have handled that violinist no questions asked, even though she handled it right..I would have handled it all wrong because she had me messed up. You have to read the book to understand the context, but I had to let it be known I would have mopped the floor with her. No I’m not condoning violence but I said what I said.

Love Lost (Love's Improbable Possibility, #1) by Love Belvin

Rating [ 4 of 5 stars ]

Untapped feelings

I'm a fan of Ms. Belvin’s and I wanted to go back and read some of her older books. This book was good and I will continue reading the series, but the flow of the conversation is not as strong as to what I have come accustomed to.
Rayna had severe trust issues...to the point where it was extremely hard for her to believe people were not users and out to take from her. On the other side she was smart, beautiful, multifaceted, with a few hidden talents.
Azmir was....a damn dream. A seemingly complicated one. He was rich, cultured yet hood, caring, intelligent, and sexy.
His attraction to Rayna was clear. However, his intentions for her were not. He left her in limbo and because she had trust issues it was hard for her to accept everything he gave her.. on to the next.

Although April was rough I still managed to finish 11 books, which helps me stay on track to reach 125 books by the end of the year. I had about 5 days where I read very little. Going back to read my favorite author, Love Belvin’s earlier pieces of work really helped me have something to look forward to after hard days of work. A.L Jackson has tons of series and this edition of the Falling Stars series was so good. My new author bae Rae Lyse impressed me and I can’t wait to read more of her books. If you love adult fiction, romance and like to escape with beautifully layered characters these books are for you.