Hello, everyone!

March went by super fast, and yet it feels like so much happened in that time! How are we already through the first quarter of 2026, though? (Looks like I’ll be needing to do the first quarterly posts too!)

March saw me busier than I had anticipated, and as we head into April, it’s even more so. This is often a busier season for me anyway, but hopefully I’ll be able to handle it better this time. I’m working on an Alpha read right now, and will also have a beta read starting soon, eep! Knowing this, those will be my main focus in the coming weeks. That way I can be sure to meet the deadlines. I do have some eARCs that I’m also excited for, but it’s still only a few, and I passed up a couple since I knew I wanted to keep working on catching up before focusing too much on new releases right now.

March was a crazy month and brought about some unexpected changes. A big prayer was answered, and we have been suddenly reunited with some friends we hadn’t seen in nearly two years. With that, our schedule is once more shifting as God leads the way and guides us into this new season. I also got poison ivy…and we planted some more pretty flowers! We’ve been slowly working on the yard, and while it’s a little early to plant some garden things, spring flowers and some earlier crops are ready to be planted. I’m loving the nice weather and the time outside, and am so thankful to God for the blessings along the way.

May the LORD go before me, and direct my path!

What I Read in March:

March Reads:

I finished reading six books in March. One was the beta read I had mentioned in February’s post, a re-read that I’d been slowly working through since September, a couple of review copies, and Southpaw!! I was really impressed by how much I enjoyed these stories, and am already enjoying my current reads as well! Perhaps it’s the extra sunshine, but I’m feeling more myself lately. March started out a bit rough, but in the last week or so, I’ve enjoyed the new routine and look forward to seeing what God has planned for the coming weeks.

My ReadMore app says I read 1.63k pages, which is a little more than last month, even though I read a few extra books this time, lol. It always fascinates me that some books seem to take so long for me to finish, while others fly by! Length matters, but that doesn’t always seem to be the defining characteristic, so it’s always interesting to look back and see how much time I actually spend on each story.

I took a bit of time off from posting recently, and I have a few posts planned, but I would love to finally get a bit of a plan or schedule worked out. I do have a slight outline I’ve been using, but it could definitely use some improvements to keep things fun and fresh from time to time.

Overdrive by Taylor S Newport (Beta Read) –

Since it’s a beta read, I can’t say much but this was a fun read, and I’m excited to see what’s next for these characters! I feel like we get a slight hint of what’s to come here, and I’m looking forward to reading more of this series! (I’m also excited to read this one again once it’s ready for reviews!)

Like Flames in the Night by Connilyn Cossette (Re-Read) –

I started re-reading this one last September, shortly after reading Gavi’s story, Splendor of the Land. I loved that one, and it reminded me of many of the things I had originally loved about this one when I read it a few years ago. Having recently caught up on reading through Cossette’s backlist, it seemed fitting as I had also just finished reading the previous Cities of Refuge books. So, coming full circle, I finished on the series I had started this journey on, and what a beautiful finale it was. I read this one originally, knowing it was the last in a series, but not sure if I wanted to dedicate time to the whole series, I went ahead and started here. God has a way of bringing things at the perfect time, and this story was one example of Him lovingly caring for His children. I cried (perhaps for the first time, or at least one of only a few times, in nearly a decade) while reading this wonderful tale, and while I didn’t cry this time, I still loved it so much! This read-through felt almost like coming home and having been away, but returning with no less love. Not as flashy, no need to insist, it’s a deep, known type of love now, and it seems all the more fitting after all the ways life has aged me in the last few years, that my love and bond with this story and these characters would have developed in such a similar and beautiful fashion.

TRoaK –

This was a review copy, and it’s a clear indicator that I’m no longer the reader I once was, haha. I stopped reading fantasy for a reason, and while perhaps I once would have loved this story, it felt like a painful chore to continue reading this one in places. It wasn’t the story, I’m pretty sure it’s just further evidence of the changes God has been working in me as He has carried me through the trials in the last several years.

It’s not a Christian story, simply an epic fantasy novella, so I’m not going to waste much time on talking about it or even post the cover. I won’t hide that I read it, but I am also not willing to promote it… This isn’t the worst (or most secular) book I’ve ever read, but also not the type I’d be willing to recommend anymore.

The Maiden and the Mountie by Denise Weimer –

This was a fun story. I didn’t end up loving it, but I did enjoy reading it while it lasted. The characters were entertaining, and I especially liked Gage, but the story itself just didn’t really work for me.

False Start by Maggie Bradford –

False Start is the second book in Maggie Bradford’s F1 Payroll series. This is a sweet sports romance about a F1 driver and his rushed scheme to win a championship. Along the way, quiet assistant Mary gets caught up in the excitement and ends up agreeing to be Romeo’s fake girlfriend… Things are about to get interesting! (Oh, and there’s cats!)

Southpaw by Tabby R.H. –

I want to share all the reasons I love this one, but then again… I don’t. Why? Because I’ve found that some books are best going in ‘blind’ or at least with as few details as possible beforehand. This one does include some potential triggers, including violence, death/murder, and abusive family dynamics… So, maybe don’t go in completely blind here, but there’s also a pretty big mystery aspect to the plot that is best left unknown until it’s revealed along the way.

(Each title listed is directly linked to the corresponding review post for that book)

I was on the launch team for False Start, the blog tour for The Maiden and The Mountie, and TRoaK was a review copy. I bought Southpaw recently in print, and have had a copy of Like Flames in the Night for a while now. Overdrive was a beta read, so it isn’t listed and rated here, but since the cover has been revealed previously, I did mention having read it above. I finished one of my post-February reads, False Start, and the others are still on my TBR. I’m really hoping to catch up on at least one of those soon, but we’ll see what happens first.

March Alpha/Beta Reads:

  • Overdrive by Taylor S Newport (This one was mentioned last month, but I finished beta reading it at the start of March, so I’m keeping it here for now.)
  • DD5 by Taylor S Newport (I was also asked if I would alpha read the next DD book, so that’s my current project.)

March Book Mail:

March Book Mail:

I didn’t buy any books this month, but did receive a few. Two I bought direct from the author in February, but they arrived in March, and another is a blog tour book. (Funnily enough, the author messaged me to invite me on her launch team, but I had already signed up for the blog tour! XD)

I’ve also gotten some swag from some of the launch teams I was recently with in the last few months, and need to show that off sometime soon. 🙂

Audiobooks:

This one’s a review request that I’m hoping to start on soon!

Have you read any of the books listed this month?
Are any of them on your TBR?
Or, tell me what your favorite book was in March?

Feel free to comment about them below!

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