What I Read in April 2026

---

Hello! I was definitely in a slump this month for sure, since I only ended up reading 10 books, and one of them was a reread. Unfortunately, I ended up DNFing two books also. Let's get started!

Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi: I rated this book 4.5/5 stars and finished it on April 5th. This is the fourth book in the Shatter Me series, and I absolutely LOVED this. This tore me apart inside. This ripped up my heart, stomped on it, and put it back together. It was incredible, and the CLIFFHANGER??? I had to pick up Defy Me immediately. This series is perfect for fans of Divergent, I'd say.

"The girl with the power to kill with a single touch now has the world in the palm of her hand. Juliette Ferrars thought she’d won. She took over Sector 45, was named the new Supreme Commander of North America, and now has Warner by her side. But when tragedy strikes, she must confront the darkness that dwells both around and inside her. Who will she become in the face of adversity? Will she be able to control the power she wields, and use it for good?"

Shadow Me by Tahereh Mafi: I rated this ebook 4/5 stars and finished it on April 5th. This is a novella in the Shatter Me series, the first of two from Kenji's POV! I'm not gonna say anything about this because it is in the middle of the series, but I love being in Kenji's head. That is all.

"Juliette is still reeling from Warner's betrayal, and Kenji is trying to balance his friendship with her with his responsibilities as a leader of the resistance against the Reestablishment. Things get even more interesting when an unexpected person from Omega Point’s past surfaces."

The Dinner Party by Freida McFadden: I rated this ebook 2.5/5 stars and finished it on April 5th. This was like a "choose your own adventure" type thing, and it definitely fell flat for me. I don't even know what the point of releasing this was, actually.

"You're broke. You have no way to pay your rent and you're about to be evicted. Fortunately, your friend has offered you a job working as a waitress at a dinner party... at an isolated mansion way out on Peyton's Peak. The money will be enough to cover two months' rent and get you back on your feet. It's a golden opportunity that will solve all your problems. But the whole thing sounds really sketchy. The money is great, but there's got to be some sort of awful catch. You should probably turn it down. Right??? As it turns out, the choice is yours. YOU get to decide if you want to go to the creepy dinner party or stay home and read a book. YOU can decide if you want to pick up the disheveled hitchhiker on the side of the highway. YOU can choose to go left or right at the fork in the road. For once, the decision is entirely in your hands. So what are you going to do?????"

Death Row by Freida McFadden: I rated this ebook 3/5 stars and finished it on April 6th. This is the first book in the Alabis collection from Amazon. I did not like this. I mean, it was fine, but the end? Absolutely not. I think because the rest of this was strong enough for me to ignore how bad the ending was, it got a 3 instead of a 2.5 as it deserved. I wouldn't recommend this.

"Talia Kemper is on death row for murdering her husband. She had an alibi and no known motive, yet Talia’s unwavering protestations of innocence have always been ignored. Then one day in the visiting area, she sees a recognizable stranger she’s certain is her husband. It turns out the man she’s been convicted of killing may not be dead after all. But as the days tick away toward Talia’s execution, what will it take for her to be believed?"

Defy Me by Tahereh Mafi: I rated this book 4/5 stars and finished it on April 8th. This is the fifth book in the Shatter Me series. The ONLY thing I'm gonna say about this is that Aaron fell in love with Juliette EVERY SINGLE TIME. EVERY TIME. That is all. Go read this series.

"Juliette’s short tenure as the supreme commander of North America has been an utter disaster. When the children of the other world leaders show up on her doorstep, she wants nothing more than to turn to Warner for support and guidance. But he shatters her heart when he reveals that he’s been keeping secrets about her family and her identity from her—secrets that change everything. Juliette is devastated, and the darkness that’s always dwelled within her threatens to consume her. An explosive encounter with unexpected visitors might be enough to push her over the edge."

Play Along by Liz Tomforde: I rated this book 6/5 stars and finished it on April 15th. This is the fourth book in the Windy City series and follows Kennedy and Isaiah and you guys, this was a reread! I've read this three times now. I just love it. I need an Isaiah and Kennedy tattoo. I need this book tattooed on my forehead and in my heart. I just...ahhhhh!! I love it so much!

"Kennedy: I’m the only woman on staff for the Windy City Warriors, and after years of putting up with a sexist lead doctor, I’m desperate to land my dream job with a new team next year. All I have to do is maintain my professional reputation for my final season in Chicago. But a Las Vegas run-in with the team’s shortstop threatens it all, leaving me with a fuzzy memory and a ring on my left hand. Now, not only am I legally bound to the most persistent man I’ve ever met, but thanks to Isaiah’s scheme to save my job, I have to pretend the whole thing was a planned elopement and not a drunken mistake. Isaiah Rhodes is reckless, impulsive, and frustratingly charming. He’s also my brand-new husband. They got the saying wrong. What happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas… sometimes it follows you right back home.

"Isaiah: As the shortstop for Chicago’s professional baseball team, I’ve had my fair share of fun. But that all ended the day Kennedy Kay became a single woman. I’ve crushed on the team’s athletic trainer for years. I’ve flirted to no avail, so imagine my surprise when I woke up in Sin City with a ring on my finger and my favorite redhead in my bed. We agree to stay married for one baseball season, just long enough to keep her job safe, but in my mind, I’m using our time together to prove to her I’m husband material. Kennedy might be reluctant to join in on our game, but it’s one I refuse to lose. So come on, wife… play along."

Five Brothers by Penelope Douglas: I DNF'd this book at 25% on April 22nd. It took me so long to make the decision to DNF this. I thought it would be as easy to get through as Credence, but that wasn't the case. I didn't like this, and I wouldn't recommend.

"One woman learns the secrets of the five Jaeger brothers. On the other side of town, in the dark glades, under the rain…Macon is the oldest. Thirty-one. Ex-Marine. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile. Army is twenty-eight. A single dad with the most beautiful green eyes. He has no idea who he is, if not a Jaeger brother. Iron will be in prison soon. You’d never think it to meet him. He’s a nice guy, actually. But he can’t stop reacting to everything. Dallas is the one I hate. Twenty-one, cruel, and selfish. He takes and then throws away whatever’s left. And Trace is mine. Or he was for about two seconds. No one can tame him for long. Not that I ever wanted to. It was fun, but now I need to go home. Back to my side of the tracks. Away from the swamps and these men. To my parents’ big house. On my clean street. Where I’m never dirty or messy or hot. And I will. I’ll leave first thing tomorrow morning. I just want to crash on the couch tonight. Their house is dark and quiet, everyone else is asleep. Except for one. He sees me crying and comes at me from behind. I let him wrap his arms around my body and hold me tightly. His breath is on my neck, his fingers are in my hair, and he doesn’t stop there. I don’t think it was Trace."

Imagine Me by Tahereh Mafi: I rated this book 5/5 stars and finished it on April 26th. This is the sixth and final book in the Shatter Me series, and lemme tell you. This book SHATTERED ME. I love Ella. I love Aaron. I love Kenji. What am I gonna do without them living in my head rent-free? I do not know. What I do know is, if you haven't read this series, PLEASE go read it. It's...it's incredible.

"Juliette Ferrars. Ella Sommers. Which is the truth and which is the lie? Now that Ella knows who Juliette is and what she was created for, things have only become more complicated. As she struggles to understand the past that haunts her and looks to a future more uncertain than ever, the lines between right and wrong—between Ella and Juliette—blur. And with old enemies looming, her destiny may not be her own to control. The day of reckoning for the Reestablishment is coming. But she may not get to choose what side she fights on."

What Am I, A Deer by Polly Barton: I DNF'd this book at 30% on April 26th. Oh gosh, this book. This was the Offset choice in April for Book of the Month, and I thought I could handle it. I fear I could not. It was too wacky and too "out there" for me. I think there's people who would love this, but those people are not me.

"What does it mean to lose yourself – and is that something you should be aiming for? A young woman with little interest in games takes up a job in Frankfurt at a famous gaming company, naively set on reinvention. On her morning commute, in the familiar clutches of tedium and self-loathing, she encounters a nice-eyed stranger who returns her forgotten umbrella and finds herself catapulted into a dizzying, year-long whirlwind of obsession – not just with this endlessly attractive spectre, but also with the feverish karaoke trips from which she draws the ultimate solace."

The Wife Upstairs by Freida McFadden: I rated this ebook 4/5 stars and finished it on April 26th. I wasn't sure what to expect from this since every review is calling this "Verity 2.0" or "Temu version of Verity". First of all, this came out BEFORE Verity; this came out in March 2020, while Verity came out in October 2021. Anyways, back to my review. I thought this was great! I guessed the one twist, but it went in a different direction after that that completely caught me off guard. This is one of her underrated ones for sure!

"Victoria Barnett has it all. A great career. A handsome and loving husband. A beautiful home in the suburbs and a plan to fill it with children. Life is perfect—or so it seems. Then she’s in a terrible accident… and everything falls apart. Now Victoria is unable to walk. She can’t feed or dress herself. She can’t even speak. She is confined to the top floor of her house with twenty-four-hour care. Sylvia Robinson is hired by Victoria’s husband to help care for her. But it turns out Victoria isn’t as impaired as Sylvia was led to believe. There’s a story Victoria desperately wants to tell... if only she could get out the words. Then Sylvia discovers Victoria’s diary hidden away in a drawer. And what’s inside is shocking."

---

So, that's it! That's all I read in April. Not many bangers, unfortunately. I have higher hopes for May, though, so we'll see. See you next month!