April 2026 Reading Wrap Up

April Reading Wrap-Up

April was a stacked reading month—I ended up finishing 8 books, and honestly… the range of ratings in this wrap-up is kind of wild. We’ve got new favorites, rereads that hit just as hard (if not harder), and a couple that I’m still side-eyeing.

Let’s get into it 👇

🐺 Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher — ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was one of my favorite book club picks—and honestly, the memes alone made it a 5-star experience 😂

Set in 1899, the story follows Sonia Wilson, a struggling scientific illustrator who takes a job at a secluded North Carolina manor, illustrating insects for a reclusive doctor. Naturally, things start to feel… off. There are strange whispers in town, animals behaving oddly, and lingering questions about the doctor’s missing wife.

This is definitely cozy horror. It has unsettling elements (and yes, some very icky moments involving parasites), but it’s not actually scary. It’s more eerie and weird in a way that keeps you hooked without stressing you out.

What really made this stand out for me was the atmosphere—it’s dark and gothic, but still somehow cozy. And I loved experiencing this one with my book club. The bugs, the chickens… the memes?? Incredible. I was laughing just as much as I was cringing.

If you want something a little creepy, a little gross, but still fun and super readable, I highly recommend picking this up.

🖤 Kiss the Villain by Rina Kent — ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was a reread for me, and honestly? Still a full 5 stars.

I picked this up again to prepare for the next book, and it completely reminded me why Rina Kent is one of my favorite authors. Her dark romances are always intense, addictive, and just a little unhinged in the best way.

This one follows a seemingly perfect law student with a seriously dark side… whose past comes back to haunt him when his new professor walks in—someone he definitely recognizes. Yes, this is professor/student, enemies-to-lovers, and very much a power struggle where both characters are trying to come out on top.

The tension here is so good. It’s messy, toxic, and completely consuming—everything you want in a dark romance.

Also, this book features a lot of characters from the Legacy of Gods series, so I highly recommend reading those first if you want the full experience and all the connections.

If you love dark MM romance with high stakes, power plays, and complicated characters, this one absolutely delivers.

🔪 Hunt the Villain by Rina Kent — ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book had me in a full-blown identity crisis for a second because I genuinely thought it might replace my favorite Rina Kent book of all time.

And listen… it came dangerously close.

Thankfully, it landed in second place (because if I had to remove Niko from the top spot, I would not be okay 😅).

This story follows two heirs to rival mafia worlds who are basically doomed from the start. Yulian is chaotic, violent, and completely unhinged, while Vaughn is much more controlled—and the tension between them is immediate. What starts as hatred slowly turns into something a lot more complicated… and a lot more dangerous.

This is dark MM romance at its peak: high stakes, emotional damage, and characters who absolutely should not be together—but you need them to be anyway.

The chemistry? Insane.The angst? Through the roof.The emotional payoff? Worth every second.

Also, if you’ve read Kiss the Villain, this builds on that world even more, and I definitely recommend reading that first for the full experience.

If you love mafia romance, enemies-to-lovers, and relationships that toe the line between obsession and destruction… this one is so worth it.

🎶 Love Song by Elle Kennedy — ⭐⭐⭐

This one pains me a little because I love Elle Kennedy. She’s one of my favorite authors, and I’ve read all of her books… but this one just didn’t hit the same.

We follow Blake, who escapes to her family’s lake house after a rough breakup, only to run into Wyatt—the guy who crushed her years ago. What starts as tension and unresolved feelings turns into a summer of second chances, messy emotions, and a slow-burn romance.

Now… here’s the thing.

The main issue for me was the male love interest. He’s a smoker—which I know is a me problem—but it completely took me out of it. I just wasn’t into him, and that made it really hard to fully buy into the romance.

Also, the cameos? They carried this book. Every time characters from the Briar / Off-Campus world showed up, I was locked in. But when they weren’t there… it kind of dragged. If those familiar faces hadn’t been included, this probably would’ve been a 2-star read for me.

The spice was fine, nothing groundbreaking. There’s also a bit of a murder mystery subplot that sounds interesting but ended up being pretty boring.

Overall, it was just… meh. Not bad, but definitely not one I’ll be thinking about long-term.

🎮 Game On by Navessa Allen — ⭐⭐⭐ (but… maybe ⭐⭐)

The more I sit with this one, the more I’m convinced it’s actually a 2-star read.

I did not like this book.

Was it better than Caught Up? Yes. But that is not a high bar—and also, a parrot cannot carry an entire book. I’m sorry, it just can’t.

This is an enemies-to-lovers dark romance with fake dating adjacent vibes, blackmail, revenge, and all the morally gray chaos you’d expect. Tyler is out for revenge and fully willing to manipulate Stella to get it, and Stella immediately hates him… which, honestly, same.

There were moments where the banter was funny, I’ll give it that. But it wasn’t anywhere near as sharp or entertaining as Lights Out.

And I’m just going to say it: Lights Out should have been a standalone. I said what I said.

The romance didn’t fully land for me, the dynamic felt more frustrating than compelling, and overall I just wasn’t invested. By the end, I was kind of just ready for it to be over.

⛸️ From Lukov with Love by Mariana Zapata — ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

OMG. If there were an award for Best New Adult Banter… this book would win easily.

I have never in my life read a book with better banter than this one. Every interaction had me smiling, laughing, or fully kicking my feet. It was that good.

This follows Jasmine, a competitive figure skater who’s running out of time to make her dreams happen—until she gets the opportunity of a lifetime… which just happens to involve Ivan Lukov. Aka the guy she’s spent years loving to hate.

And Ivan?? ELITE book boyfriend. I loved him so much. The arrogance, the humor, the layers underneath it all—perfect.

This is an excellent slow burn—the kind that builds so well you genuinely don’t want it to end. Mariana Zapata really is the queen of that.

Now… the spice? 0 stars. As usual 😅

But honestly, it doesn’t even matter here because the tension, the banter, and the payoff carry everything.

This is officially my new favorite Zapata book and honestly… an absolute masterpiece.

🌙 House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas — ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

OMG… I loved this book.

This is urban fantasy at its absolute best. We follow Bryce Quinlan, whose life is completely shattered after a brutal demon attack takes everything from her. When similar murders start happening again, she gets pulled into the investigation alongside Hunt Athalar—a fallen angel with his own complicated past.

And from there?? It’s chaos in the best way.

The world-building was incredible. I loved the modern, urban setting mixed with all the magical creatures—and yes, the otters that deliver mail?? Obsessed. It had everything I expect from Sarah J. Maas: amazing tension, banter, action, and spice.

Also, if you’ve read Throne of Glass or A Court of Thorns and Roses, there are subtle nods that make this even more fun.

That said—I highly recommend reading those series first. This is definitely not an intro to SJM, and you’ll get so much more out of it if you’re already familiar with her worlds.

The emotional depth really hit too. There’s grief, friendship, revenge, and healing woven throughout, which made it feel so much more than just a fantasy story.

And of course… that ending?? The cliffhanger was insane.

If you’re looking for a fantasy with strong characters, a gripping mystery, and a romance that builds alongside the action, this is 100% worth the hype.

🔥 God of Fury by Rina Kent — ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (but really… ⭐ x 1,000,000)

My 4th reread… and my first time on audiobook—and somehow it got even better??

I genuinely did not think that was possible.

This is easily in my top 3 favorite books of all time, and I’ve read over 1,000 books. I’m completely obsessed with Rina Kent, this series, and these characters.

The story follows a quiet, controlled artist whose life gets completely turned upside down when he crosses paths with Nikolai Sokolov—a chaotic, dangerous mafia heir who immediately decides he wants him. And once Nikolai sets his sights on something… it’s game over.

The tension, the obsession, the emotional damage?? Unreal.

But I have to talk about the audiobook—because Teddy Hamilton absolutely knocks this out of the park. His performance added so much depth and intensity to the story that it honestly felt like experiencing it for the first time all over again.

If you’ve already read this and haven’t listened to the audiobook yet—please do. You’re missing out.

This book owns a permanent spot in my favorites, no question.

Make sure to check out my May TBR video on YouTube to see what I’m planning to read next!