What I Read // April 2021

April was a good month for reading. I started a new series (I never read series) and even read a five-star book. I don’t give out five-star reviews regularly, so when I do, you know I mean it.

And I suppose this begs the question what makes a five-star book? So glad you asked! A five-star book (that’s a perfect Goodreads score FYI) is one that’s really well done for its genre. It’s also one that I think about for a good while after finishing it.

The Girl Before by J.P. Delaney • ⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you’re a fan of domestic thrillers, pick this book up. The Girl Before trades off between Emma and Jane, two women that rented a smart home at different times. Both women moved into the house after undergoing trauma and both seem to have a lot in common.

It was a speedy book that I got through in less than a week. And while I did find it compelling and wanted to find out what happened, it’s definitely not for the faint of heart. I’d say there are a lot of triggers here, so please tread carefully.

This being said, you might like The Girl Before if you enjoy books by B.A. Paris.

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Before last year, I never really read a lot of rom-com-ish books. But after picking up The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living last year, I found these reads (and listens) really satisfying, especially during stressful times. I mean, I love a good thriller, but sometimes you want something to soothe and uplift instead of terrify.

Anyways, Hibbert’s title Act Your Age, Eve Brown was what initially attracted me to the series. However, since Eve’s story is part three of three, I figured I’d start at the beginning with Chloe.

Chloe is the oldest of the Brown sisters and is not looking for love. Of course, though, she meets a handsome but slightly aggravating neighbor. This read was quick, breezy and cute.

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

So quick, breezy and cute, in fact, that I instantly downloaded the second book in this three-part series.

Dani is the middle Brown sister and is also not looking for love. She’s a Ph.D student who is serious about achieving her goals but not serious about relationships. By some fluke, she and a coworker attract a lot of positive social media attention and are labeled as #couplegoals. The two stick together to take advantage of the fame all the while trying not to catch feels.

It’s cute. And yes, I do have the third book already downloaded.

The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox • ⭐️⭐️

What can I say? The idea of Hester Fox novels always seems better than the books themselves. Just like The Witch of Willow Hall, I found this book to be slow-moving and disappointing.

A minister moves to a small town in Maine (promising!) and finds that pretty much everyone in the town hates the widow who lives on the outskirts of town (cliche but I’m interested). And some spooky things start happening. But they never seemed that spooky. And they all seem contrived. Ooh the murderer is taking tips from Poe!

The characters were so bland! And it wasn’t spine-tingling. Maybe it’s time I take the other Hester Fox books off my to-be-read list.

Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

For me, a book is worthy of five stars if I can’t stop thinking about it after I’ve read it. That, to me, is the marker of a really well written, thoughtful book.

And that’s exactly what Yellow Wife was. This work of historical fiction is loosely based on the life of Mary Lumpkin, an enslaved woman who spent much of her life as the mistress of the jailer of Richmond Jail in Virginia.

In this book, Pheby Dolores Brown is born into slavery but with the promise of being educated and freed when she turns 18. Unfortunately (but predictably), this promise isn’t kept by the owners of the plantation where she lives. Instead, she is transferred to a jail in Richmond where enslaved people are punished and traded. There the jailer takes her as his favorite mistress or yellow wife. There she settles into an uncomfortable routine but manages to develop some warm relationships.

Yellow Wife is a challenging read because it doesn’t shy away from the heartbreaking and unsettling history of slavery. But it’s also a fantastic read because it’s wonderfully written and portrays Pheby’s really difficult story with compassion and understanding.