The next installment of my reading wrap-up is here! After a first two successful months of reading, I contemplated what was next for me in March. Stick with re-reading books or delve into romance again? Dabble back into fantasy? A mixture of all?
Whichever way I went (spoiler alert: it was mostly romance), I knew I’d be reading less than January and February, considering how busy my March weekends were looking. Still, this was the month I made my twenty-five book reading goal on Goodreads. Don’t worry, I extended it to fifty books because clearly I underestimated how much I read. I also still managed to squeeze in eight books, with one at the last moment.
My rating style continues to vary on the general vibe, re-readability, and genre preference.
8. You Talk Too Much, So Just Shut It Already! by Shunpei Morita, illustrated by Aldehyde, translated by Jordan Taylor
Published March 4, 2025
Rating: 4 stars
Genres: School, Romance, Manga
Summary: A deaf student named Tsukino Hiiragi transfers to a new middle school and worries about what obstacles she might face. Instead of what she expects, she meets her classmate Taiyo Enomoto who never stops talking. He’s even convinced himself that he can know Japanese sign language through passion alone. With this comes many misunderstandings and shenanigans.
I finished this manga within an hour or so. It’s super quick and cute, definitely geared toward a younger audience with this first volume, which is a large reason why I only gave it four stars and left it towards the bottom of my list. The silly one-page panels at the end of each chapter were great, and the overall mood of the story is upbeat. It’s a pretty straightforward feel-good manga. I gave it a more in depth, albeit short, review here.
7. The Next Chapters by Haley Cass
Published September 10, 2024
Rating: 4.5 stars
Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Friends to Lovers, LGBTQ+, Lesbian, Sapphic, Adult
Summary: This On the Same Page novella continues Riley Beckett and Gianna Makinen’s lives together. After their confession, how do their adult lives pan out? What decisions do they make, how many kids do they have? They also get to confront their traumas together in sweet and powerful ways.
As much as I loved Riley and Gianna’s story, this novella would probably be the one I re-read last when it came to Cass’s other stories for March. I still think it was a cute continuation story, but it was slower to get into than Forever and a Day. I think the last few chapters were my favorites. Sometimes the ooey-gooey of romance stories can get to me a little, but I like that Cass writes the harder times in these novellas. It makes their stories more realistic. The constant reassurance and solid communication between these two is so admirable. I love, love, love how it ended with them confirming they were always each other’s though.
6. Forever and a Day by Haley Cass
Published August 21, 2020
Rating: 4.5 stars
Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Political, LGBTQ+, Lesbian, Sapphic, Adult
Summary: A Those Who Wait story, Cass’s novella hits on all major points of the continuing life of Sutton Spencer and Charlotte Thompson. From winning over family to proposal to children, these two face every challenge together with hands clasped.
This was a beautiful and perfect follow up to the main story Those Who Wait. I fell in love with the warmth and understanding between Sutton and Charlotte, so it was a real treat to see them go through life in these seven chapters. The conversation about children and the accomplishments they both achieved was realistic and sweet. I was happy to see them not have the absolute “perfect” relationship. They’re both real but optimistically unreal! If I could write my own sapphic love story, I’d definitely sprinkle in some of their success. I wish more authors did something similar to this since I’m always craving more of my favorite gay couples. Of course, reading the original story is essential, which is pretty much the only reason this is lower than it.
5. Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk
Published November 7, 2022
Rating: 4.5 stars
Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Noir, Mystery, LGBTQ+, Lesbian
Summary: A sapphic period piece following a magical detective as she jumps into Chicago’s monster scene (demons and angels and all that). She sold her soul to save her brother’s life and one last job could save her, and allow her to spend her life with the woman she loves. She must find the White City Vampire to earn her life.
A simplistic story ripe with charm, love, and magic. Act I thrusts the reader into the world, letting them pick up the pieces through Helen’s adventures. The noir way of speaking made me giggle a bit, and some of the flowery words were hard to grasp. Other than the “doll” speak and the constant cigarettes (the Chesterfields every 20 pages was a bit overkill), I either adjusted to the world and language or the severity lessened. Even though I knew the book was long, the ending still felt rushed. I would’ve loved another 50 pages at least to stretch out the twist and resolution. A few other things irritated me, but not enough to make the read bad. The ending was more sweet than bitter, but what can one say about buying more time in life? It’s worth it for the people you love. I struggled to find it’s place in this list, considering how different it was from the majority romance. Putting it around the middle felt safe for this quick, pleasant read.
4. Those Who Wait by Haley Cass
Published March 31, 2020
Rating: 4.5 stars
Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Political, LGBTQ+, Lesbian, Sapphic, Adult
Summary: Sutton Spencer desperately wants to figure out how to talk to women after discovering her bisexuality, while also deciding what’s next after graduate school. Charlotte Thompson knows exactly what her plan is in her political career but has no time for romance, only a physical, fleeting connection. When they match on a dating app (perhaps with some intervening from Sutton’s best friend Regan), there’s a clear connection… is it friendship or more?
Cass’s sapphic romance novel was the first I read when I started my Kindle Unlimited 30-day free trial. After the Bright Falls books and other sapphic stories in January, I wanted to read something that gave a similar feeling. Those Who Wait was the perfect find. I love both the surprise and predictability that goes into the romance genre, knowing the big picture but not all the details of getting there. If I’m honest, I went into the read without looking at the summary, so I didn’t know the political angle. Yet, I loved it. The slow build of chemistry between Sutton and Charlotte was good, the intimacy scenes were great, and that third act breakup then makeup was perfect. Despite it being long already, I wished some of the background and minor characters got more fleshed out, especially the villain Naomi Scott. I wouldn’t have traded the scenes we did get of the lovely couple though. This was the book that made me seek out more of Cass’s writing.
3. On the Same Page by Haley Cass
Published October 24, 2023
Rating: 5 stars
Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Friends to Lovers, LGBTQ+, Lesbian, Sapphic, Adult
Summary: Riley Beckett and Gianna Makinen have very close best friends for over a decade, when they met in college as freshmen roommates. Out of anyone in their lives, they know each other best and can lean on each other at any moment. They see each other multiple times a week, including their “laundry dates.” When a holiday-gift mix-up occurs, Riley is left searching who Gianna really is to her and whether romance is part of their extreme closeness.
When I started this book, I thought it was too close to the first one I read from this author. Once it split off and became deeper, with its own twists and turns, I realized it was similar but also so, so different. Dare I say, I loved this one even more. The main characters have so much care to them, the side characters were well fleshed out, and I happily figured out where it was going. It had the friends to lovers, she fell first she fell harder trope that I absolutely love. I also found it funny that their early friendship mirrored one from my high school best friend, before we realized we were low-key dating. I didn’t marry her though, but still. I understand the characters better because of that personal situation. I especially loved seeing Gianna’s perspective from college, building up that attraction. It felt very fresh!
2. Secure Attachment by Ami Spencer
Publishing April 8, 2025
Rating: 5 stars
Genres: Romance, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Sapphic, Adult
Summary: An amazing person and worker, Sienna Daly struggles with insecurity in her every day life. That is until Debs Brannigan, a savvy businesswoman who is insanely attractive but also crazy kind-hearted. She’s newly divorced but has a thriving business, a good relationship with her ex, and two beautiful children. When the two work on a fundraiser together, their connection soars. Even though Sienna tries to pull back, Debs is not a woman to give up.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a review and man, am I glad I did! It starts slow and keeps a steady uphill pace for a majority of the novel. For a little bit, I was content to give it a solid 4 or 4 and a half stars, until the plot twist sent it to 5. I was especially happy with how realistic the communication between Sienna and Debs was. I loved that it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows the whole way through, as Sienna struggled through her trauma with Debs as a strong force beside her. Their constant check-ins with each only get more common as the book goes on and it was sweet during intimacy scenes. Plus, the LGBTQ+ representation was great, the kids being easily accepting nice, and the romance well-written. My only gripe was the time jumps between chapters, but either way I enjoyed the story.
1. Find Her by Lisa Gardner
Published February 9, 2016
Rating: 5 stars
Genres: Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Crime, Adult
Summary: Flora Dane was kidnapped seven years ago and was kept for 472 days, surviving in any way possible. After her return to “normal life,” she spends five years trying to adjust and finding herself unable to. Instead, she turns to other missing persons and terrible people to drown in. Detective D.D. Warren is called to a scene with a possible vigilante Flora involved. When Flora disappears again, D.D. must piece together what happened to her and others.
Please be aware that this thriller contains trigger warnings.
I started Find Her at the tail end of February, but didn’t wrap it up until the beginning of March. It was a remnant of my re-read month and a welcome one at that. This is one of my favorite Lisa Gardner novels, though I find myself struggling to articulate why. It’s good, so good that I itched to keep reading even if I remembered the biggest plot points. The little details still had me hooked after many years of leaving the book to the top shelf of my bookcase. Flora is a survivor of severe abuse and trauma who is likable and understandable. Detective D.D. Warren’s chapters are good too, moving the action along while giving more of an edge to the mystery. She even goes through her own triumphant small arc. Every reveal is calculated, well drawn out, and perfect.
