April wasn’t a good reading month for me. I’m guessing it’s because I officially launched my reading TikTok channel, which took time that I would normally have spent reading. Regardless of the reason, I only read 10 books in April, so I’ve got some catching up to do.
My Favorite Books of April
Of the 10 books I read in April, I gave three thrillers perfect grades. Here are my reviews of my favorite books of April.
Playing Jenna
Kiersten Modglin has done it again! Playing Jenna may just be my favorite book of hers yet.
Monroe Perry’s life shatters when her husband leaves her for a mysterious woman named Jenna. But as Monroe digs deeper, she uncovers secrets that make her question everything she thought she knew.
I had some ideas about where this book was going, but the queen of the plot twist still had me surprised.
The entire time I was reading this book, I couldn’t help but think about the terrible things we do to women. Then, we blame their responses on them.
For example, back in the 19th Century, researchers called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder hysteria, and they thought it was a woman’s issue and was related to their uterus. They later discovered that these women, whom they thought were just nuts, were actually having severe trauma as a result of widespread sexual abuse by everyone from family members to clergy they were taken to to help heal them.
I guess Jenna’s problems aren’t so new at all.
Check this book out, but read the description first, just in case you’ll find it triggering.
The Business Trip
Do you randomly talk to people in public? Like when you’re standing in line or maybe on a plane? This type of casual conversation is super common here in Oklahoma. And I do it around here, but I don’t like talking to people on planes.
The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia gave me all the more reason to stick to my silence during travel.
Stephanie, a dedicated news director, and Jasmine, a woman escaping an abusive relationship, cross paths on a flight to Denver.
Days later, both text their friends about meeting an “amazing guy” named Trent McCarthy.
Then, both women seem to vanish.
There was a pretty big plot hole in this book, but the book was just so dang good that I forgave it. I was into the storyline right from the beginning.
You Killed Me First
Do you ever read a book and the whole time you’re reading, you think, “This is just ok for me. I’ll probably give it four stars.” Then, it just leaves your jaw on the floor at the end?
That’s what happened to me with John Marrs’s book, You Killed Me First.
The book starts when a woman awakens bound and gagged inside a bonfire, moments before it’s lit. Then, we spend the rest of the book wondering who the heck it was and why she was there.
The story is told through three neighbors and “friends” — Margot, Anna, and Liv. And each of these women has a ton of secrets, even from each other.
What got me a little confused about the book is when it went back in time. For whatever reason, I had a difficult time weaving that narrative into the current-day aspects of the book.
But when it all comes together in the end, you wonder which of these women is the worst.
Happy Reading!
There they are! My favorite books of April. If you’re into thrillers, you’d love any of these books. Either way, I hope you find something to read and love.
As always, Happy Reading!
