READING CHALLENGE: ARC April – Wrap Up

HAHAHA
So as predicted, neither of us did an amazing job sticking to our TBRs! But it’s all about the effort anyways, right?? So, it’s been a busy month for both of us, and we each did decently for what we had going on this month. So, without further stalling, our recaps!

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Bree:

1. Girl Gone Viral by Alisha Rai
2. Late to the Party by Kelly Quindlen
3. This Is All Your Fault by Aminah Mae Safi
4. The Mall by Megan McCafferty
5. Lobizona by Romina Garber

HA. I DID SO TERRIBLE [at least on paper]. So, basically what happened is that at the end of March I started sewing masks for my friends and family, and then later on, set up a listing on my etsy shop. So instead of reading a ton of ARCs like I had set out to do, I ended up burning through 9 audiobooks, one of which was a massive 30 hrs. [Whew!] Anyways, I may have only read 1 ARC off my TBR, but I did end up reading 2 others this month. So, I don’t feel too bad about it. The other 2 ARCs I ended up reading were Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo and A Taste of Sage by Yaffa S. Santos. Here’s a few sentences on each because I already assembled the blurbs earlier this month, and I don’t plan on writing about any of these at length anywhere else.

Girl Gone Viral by Alisha Rai

4.5/5 stars
I loved Girl Gone Viral way more than I was expecting. I had thought that the relationship was going to be with the guy who Katherine went viral with, but it ended up being a much better match. I loved all the different interactions that Jas and Kat go through when they’re ‘in hiding,’ and I definitely enjoyed the secret pining on both sides. Also, Jas’ family was so vibrant and warm, especially once they took a shine to Katherine.

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

5/5 stars
Elizabeth Acevedo’s writing is so illustrative and relatable, especially when it’s written in verse. I always feel like she’s able to get across more meaning with less words. Anyways, Clap When You Land is about two sisters who find each other only after their worlds have simultaneously imploded, when their father dies in a tragic plane crash. One sister lives in New York. The other in the Dominican Republic. Neither knew the other existed. Now with their father’s double life out in the open, they must come together and discover what it means to be sisters and how to move past the hurt left by their father & his absence. Clap When You Land is a story of grief, sisterhood, and the ties that connect us all. Camino and Yahaira are both realistic characters that you really feel for. (I legit teared up near the end.) And as always, Acevedo paints beautiful visuals with her vivid descriptors. I especially enjoyed all of the island life chapters!

A Taste of Sage by Yaffa S. Santos

4/5 stars
A Taste of Sage is a fun, quick, steamy romance, if a little cheesy and insta-lovey at times. The restaurant kitchen setting was really fun to read and I loved that Lumi’s recipes are included at the end of each chapter. This book definitely went somewhere I was not expecting, and it helped keep the plot interesting. To say the least, I will definitely be reading more chef-romances in the future.

 

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Tree:

1. Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner
2. More Than Maybe by Erin Hahn
3. The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler
4. Chasing Lucky by Jenn Bennett
5. Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon

So I DNF’d one (The Tourist Attraction) from my original TBR, read two, and ignored the other two! At the last check in I had read two, but I read some more ARCs for a total of FIVE! So in the end I did read five, just not the five I set out to read which lets be honest, I did not expect to read all five of them. I read Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From by Jennifer De Leon, You Had Me At Hola by Alexis Daria, Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Soloman, The Switch by Beth O’Leary, and Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner.

Unfortunately I do not have the time to write reviews for all the books I read (yay end of the semester). I plan on writing full reviews for The Switch and Today Tonight Tomorrow so keep an eye out for those. You Had me at Hola was a fun Latinx romance with a bit more steam than I expected and the cover is truly a work of ART. Something to Talk About was good, but started slow and it is SUCH A SLOW BURN like there is no kissing until like after 80% which is…almost too slow? I will write about both of these in romance mini reviews coming soon. Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From was a YA book that deals with identity and undocumented immigrants. Overall, I enjoyed all of the ARCs I read this month and need to continue whittling down all of my eARC because I request them when I get stressed.

 

What did you read in April?

      xoxo, Bree & Tree

*Thank you to the publishers, NetGalley,  Edelweiss +, and Goodreads for  providing us with ARCs in exchange for honest reviews.*