April 2026 reading round up

April got off to a bad start - I didn't read anything for the first week! But then we had a lovely long weekend and although mine was jam packed, I still managed to read a whole book and it was all go from there for the rest of the month. Here's all the books I read in April with my quickfire (ish) reviews and ratings...

Bourbon & Lies by Victoria Wilder

I got this book in a Wordy & Wild box one month and it's been sat patiently on my TBR ever since; I wanted a physical read for over the Easter weekend and ended up choosing this. I thought it was going to be a dark romance, but it's absolutely not - it's trying to be a bit of a cowboy romance, and follows Laney who has been dropped in Kentucky on Foxx land as part of the WITSEC program. Along with the romance between Laney and one of the Foxx brothers, Grant, we explore the reason she's in WITSEC as well as how this connects to where she is now. The 'crime' element was predictable but also lacking some detail, and honestly while the premise and plot were good I found the writing clunky and just a bit awkward. Overall, meh - 3 stars.

The Women by Kristen Hannah

This was our April book club pick, and I didn't know what to expect going in but I'd heard soooo many incredible things about this one, which follows Frankie as she heads to Vietnam during the war as a nurse, determined to do her bit and be a hero. We spend two tours in 'Nam with Frankie, witnessing the horrors and heartaches of war, the camaraderie and the day to day and the goodbyes - and then we see what it's like for Frankie to come home, not to a heroes' welcome but to a country who don't recognise the women of the war, and her life soon spirals out of control. This is beautifully written and I learnt an incredible amount; it's slow paced, but I think that's the nature of the story. I'm really glad I read this; 4.5 stars. 

More Like Enemigas by Stephanie Hope

This was a Netgalley ARC that had been on my TBR for a while and I'm so glad I finally read it! It's a sapphic enemies to lovers romance which follows Isabella, desperate to save her late father's restaurant, as she heads to a wedding with her estranged family members and tries to get to the bottom of a whole load of family secrets. Here she reconnects with a childhood friend-turned-enemy, who agrees to help her out... and the rest is history! A charming, no-spice romance which I gave 4 stars.

Death Write Large by Susie Dent

I read Susie Dent's first novel, and was pleased to get an ARC of the sequel; the plot isn't massively strong but it's incredibly well written, and really interesting - set against the backdrop of Oxford (which was nice for me as I visited Oxford for the first time last year!) it follows lexicographer Martha as she works to help the police uncover the story behind a string of murders which are linked to an Oxford linguistic cabal... the focus on language and the history of words in the book is brilliant, and the story is pretty good! 4 stars.

The Girls who Disappeared by Claire Douglas

This was a recommendation from my mum, and I really enjoyed it. It follows a journalist who heads to a small English town to make a podcast about a historic case missing persons case, and ends up getting completely embroiled in every aspect of it as the truth finally starts to come to light. It's a good thriller with a decent twist! 4 stars from me.

The Suitcase Swap by Lish McBride

What a fun read!!!!! I really enjoyed this one; it's a romance that starts with two people who mix up their luggage after getting off a flight to NYC, and meet up to exchange cases - one is a widower, one is divorced, and both are terrified at the thought of getting a second chance at love. The FMC is also a travel blogger which was super fun. This is just a very feel good, soft, nice romance read and I really liked it. 4.5 stars!

The Couple at No.9 by Claire Douglas

I spotted this in the charity shop shortly after finishing The Girls who Disappeared, so for 50p I couldn't leave it there! I really enjoyed this one - the plot is really strong and the mindblowing twists just kept coming. It follows Saffy, who has just moved into a cottage bestowed to her by her Gran, and during building work two bodies are found with a horrible connection to her family; there's a side plot which eventually connects to the main plot, and it's all just really well written. 5 stars from me.

Highland Games by Evie Alexander

This was a freebie on Stuff Your Kindle Day, and the books you tend to get this way can be a bit hit and miss - this one was definitely a hit, though! Despite having never been to Scotland, I just really seem to love romance books set there and this didn't disappoint; Zoe abandons her London life to live in her great uncle Willie's cabin in the highlands, much to the dismay of big burly Rory who wanted it for himself. Enemies to lovers vibes, spicy but also wholesome. Really enjoyed this one! 4 stars.

Too Fast to Fall by Karen Booth

As a certified F1 girlyyy I am always sceptical of F1/motorsport romances, but I got a Netgalley ARC of this one so I gave it a go - I read it over the space of one evening, as it was a really easy/quick read - it follows dog sitter and F1 fan Piper who jumps at the chance to take a 5-week job dog nannying for moody F1 driver Emilio and his dog, Gus. It's a typical instalove, grumpy x sunshine, will they/won't they kind of romance - a few of the racing parts fall a bit flat in terms of accuracy, and I could have done without the chapters from the dog's perspective, but it's fine! I gave it 3 stars.

So that's everything I read in April - I'm off on my honeymoon next week, so May might be a bit slower as we have a jam packed itinerary, but time will tell...

My pre-cruise to-do list: 2 weeks to go (and what is an eSIM?)

In case you can't tell, I'm SO excited for our cruise in two weeks time - it's our honeymoon, and will be my fifth cruise and my wife's first! It's also the first cruise I've booked myself, having always gone with my aunty & uncle previously, so it's safe to say I'm also a tiny bit nervous about everything going smoothly... Without further ado, here's everything on my cruise to-do list two weeks before we travel!

• Finish packing - most of our stuff is currently flung on top of the suitcases ready to be ironed, folded or rolled neatly and properly packed.
• Print luggage labels - ours are currently not showing as available on our Marella Cruise Control, so I'll keep checking and get them printed. We have clear plastic luggage label holders to attach to our cases too!
• Get my hair & brows done - I have a hair appointment booked for 5 days before we travel, and I'll be getting my eyebrows waxed and tinted the day before we go.
• Sort our electronics - I need to find our adaptor plugs, make sure my Kindle has new books downloaded, check my portable charger is working etc etc etc...
• Check in for flights - as we selected our seats (extra leg room of course!) we can check in 14 days in advance, so I'll be doing this asap.
• Last minute shopping - we don't need much else as we're quite organised, but I do need to pick up more suncream, deodorant, lash bond & seal, hypochlorous acid spray for my skin... yadda yadda!
• Gather all our documents - I want to make sure we have all of our relevant documents in one place, like our booking confirmations and travel insurance, so we can easily access them if need be.
• Pick up our dry cleaning/alterations - my wife's wedding suit is being dry cleaned and I'm having a dress taken up, both of which we'll be wearing on formal night!
• Do my nails & lashes - I will be doing my own lash extensions the day before we travel, and painting my toenails/doing my own press own nails too. Timing is everything with all of this, and the day before we go is set to be a busy one!
• Get an eSIM - while I'm not bothered about having internet access while we're out at sea, I do like to send plenty of photos to my family group chat and be able to check my emails where possible. 

What is an eSIM?

An eSIM is essentially a digital version of a sim card, and while they're not a big deal in the UK they are perfect for travelling if you don't have roaming included in your phone contract - like me. It would cost me £2.59 per day to use my data abroad, or I could pay £27.50 for a 12 day pass but I'd only be able to buy this after I land, if I sorted my roaming through EE. To keep things simpler, I've found that an eSIM works best for me!

You buy whichever sim package fits where you're heading, how long you're travelling for and how much data you'd be using - and setting it up is really easy. You do this before you go, while connected to WiFi, and then just before take off switch your primary cellular data line to your eSIM. Once you land, activate the new eSIM and turn on data roaming, then you're good to go! It sounds a bit complex but it's really not, and the instructions are always really helpful.

With this being a cruise, I'll be turning my phone to airplane mode whenever we're not docked or off the ship to avoid maritime roaming costs!

I always use airalo for e-sims when travelling abroad, and you can use my code KATY4231 to get £2.50 off your first e-sim.

I think that's everything, but I'm sure other things will crop up between now and then which will need to be added to my cruise to-do list. We are both so looking forward to this trip as a chance to celebrate our honeymoon, almost 7 months on from the wedding, and to spend some real quality time together.

March 2026 reading round up

March was actually a great reading month for me in terms of the volume of books I read, and some were really fantastic too. From our book club pick to ARCs, audiobooks and more, here's everything I read in March 2026 with quickfire reviews and ratings!

Six Years by Harlan Coben

I listened to this as an audiobook, and having read a few Harlan Coben books before I had high hopes but honestly, I was just bored the whole way through. It follows a man who is desperate to find his way back to his ex, and when he hears her husband has died he sets out to find her - but she seems to have vanished and it's up to him to get to the bottom of everything. Honestly it was just dull! Not one of his best by a long shot and I gave it 3 stars.

Extracurricular by Rachel Lynn Solomon

This was a Netgalley ARC and I absolutely ate it up; it follows a pop star who wants to retire from fame, and ends up going to college - where she has a really hot, recently divorced professor who she is determined to befriend... and more. It's funny, it's touching, it has some really important background topics and it's also nicely steamy. LOVED it. 5 stars.

Text Me Maybe by Matilda Madison

Another Netgalley ARC and sadly one that really fell short; it's a sports romance, centering around a football club in Manchester, and I thought the premise was interesting - the new marketing manager arrives and ends up texting a wrong number, who of course also turns out to be someone at the club. The texting (and sexting) was just a bit cringe, and I don't think the author did enough research into either football clubs, marketing jobs or Manchester/the UK. All the errors were jarring and really took away from what could have been a good story. 3 stars.

Highland Getaway by Amber Eve

This was another Netgalley ARC, following an "influencer" on a press trip to Scottish Highlands hotel - although it turns out the email went to the wrong person, and she's not an influencer after all, just a normal woman going through a bit of a life crisis. I thought this was heaps of fun; very low spice but felt like high stakes, and the setting was great. Nothing groundbreaking, but a great read and 4 stars from me.

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

This was our March book club pick, and I was so excited about it as I love an Em Hen. This felt super different to a lot of her other books, and I definitely did get Evelyn Hugo vibes, but I actually preferred this. Set on a Georgia island, it features two journalists who are both essentially auditioning to write the memoir of a now-reclusive former socialite. Professional enemies who just can't deny the spark between them - and peppered throughout, the history of an entire dynasty. I adored this and it was another 5 star read for me.

The Intruder by Freida McFadden

Another audiobook read, and I still don't know why I keep doing it to myself as I never rate her books highly - but they're easy popcorn thrillers and good to work to, I guess! This one is a split timeline, following a woman in a cabin in the woods during a storm, who gets an unwanted teenage visitor - and the second timeline, featuring a troubled teen living with a hoarder and wanting to do anything to change her life. The twist was good, as usual, but the writing was dull and the characters boring. 3 stars!

The New Neighbour by Valerie Keogh

This was a Netgalley ARC and my first read from this author, who I'd heard good things about - this was okay, but very slow paced with not a lot going on. The main character is fresh out of prison having served 5 years for drunk driving (and killing 4 people), and she is continuing to punish herself by living a tedious life when she starts to notice someone stalking her. The plot itself was good but it was tediously written, with repetitive descriptions and just not much substance. 3 stars.

The Long Haul by Hannah Doyle

I love a bit of magical realism - it might be my favourite sub-genre! This was another Netgalley ARC and it didn't disappoint; we're following our main character Nina on a flight to Australia, where she unexpectedly ends up sat next to her work nemesis AND spots her ex boyfriend (the one that got away) on the same flight. Then she wakes up - and it's the same day, over and over, with Nina caught in a time loop and trying to figure out what she needs to do differently to get out of this. It was a funny, charming, lovely slow burn romance and another 5 stars from me.

The Honeymoon Suite by Rebecca Taylor McKay

This is a really interesting domestic-style thriller, set against the beautiful backdrop of the Amalfi Coast in the 60s, following a couple on their honeymoon - but all is not as it seems, as the wife is incredibly melancholic and senses a brewing secret between her husband and their new friends... It's quite slow paced but really well written and enjoyable. I gave this one 4 stars.

In Her Own League by Liz Tomforde

My final read of the month as I've honestly not been drawn towards anything since finishing this, which is a spin-off of Liz Tomforde's Windy City series. It's a dual POV sports romance which follows the new baseball team owner Reese as she steps into the role, and the wonderful coach Emmett who we've seen in previous books in the series. I loved seeing the snippets of previous characters' lives, I loved the portrayal of such a strong woman in sports, and I loved their blossoming relationship. Honestly, despite the mixed reviews, I really adored this book. 5 stars of course!

I'm now 26 books into the year, which means I'm 2 books ahead of schedule to hit 100 books read this year. I've already had some great 5 stars reads which is so exciting, and I see a fair few more in my future...

February 2026 reading round up

February was a really slow reading month for me; I had a lot going on so I just didn't get around to reading as many books as I would have liked. However, that's not to say there's no books to review! Without further ado, here's all of the books I read in February 2026...

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

I mentioned this one in my 26 books on my 2026 TBR post, and it was our February book club pick. There is so much hype around this book, and at first I really struggled to get into the way it was written - this is translated, and I'm not sure if that's the reason. Regardless, when I *did* get into the book I absolutely loved it. This is the story of a small hockey town, absolutely rocked by scandal and tragedy; you get to know the entire town before the incident happens, which is so clever because you're left feeling as though you're part of the town, going through it too. This book shows the very worst of powerful men, of hockey, of boys being told they can do whatever they want to do. It's expertly done and I would highly recommend. 5 stars!

My Husband's Wife by Alice Feeney

I really enjoy Alice Feeney's thrillers, and I listened to this as an audiobook on my walks and while working. We start with a woman who gets home from a run to discover another woman in her house, claiming to be her - and it only gets so much more twisted from there. Ultimately, this is a book about revenge and heartache, and a little bit of (maybe) murder. I really enjoyed it and again, this is one I'd recommend. 4 stars.

Chasing the Fire by Paisley Hope

I wasn't ready to let go of Silver Pines - Liv and Asher's story is the final one in the series, and it was just gorgeous as always. Hot fire chief with a tortured past x clumsy, sweet girl... this was just a really soft, lovely "cowboy" romance with a fake dating element and some good spice (but not too much) and that amazing found-family aspect too. Liv's kitchen goes up in flame and it's Asher to the rescue, and the 'protector' vibes were so well done. Loved this, 5 stars of course.

The Do-Over by Lynn Painter

Sometimes you just need a little YA palette cleanser, and Lynn Painter is great for that. I read this around Valentine's Day, as it's a gorgeous time-loop novel set on Valentine's Day itself - our FMC Em keeps waking up on V Day, after having a really disastrous one, and tries to essentially make the day perfect in the hopes of getting it to stop repeating. It's a really fun and sweet story that I enjoyed immensely! I gave this one 4 stars.

Game, Set, Match by Jennifer Iacopelli 

This was a netgalley ARC and honestly, I found it disappointing. It's a sports romance that seems to be confused about who the main character is; the ending is incredibly abrupt, but not in the sort of way that feels like it's setting you up for a second book. I had only just started to connect with the various characters when it ended which was a shame. All in all, a bit of a let down - 3 stars from me.

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus

I went into this thinking it was the next book in the One of us is Lying series but it isn't, so when my confusion was cleared up I really enjoyed this! YA thrillers are just a lot of fun in general; this one follows Ellery and her twin brother who have moved to small town Echo Ridge - a town embroiled in its own history of popular young girls going missing, which seems to be repeating itself. As Ellery and her new friends try to figure out what's happening, it gets messy! 4 stars.

The Cousins by Karen M. McManus

Clearly I was on a YA hype in February - makes sense because it was a busy, stressful month and YA books are of course easier and quicker to read. Anyway, I enjoyed this one too - it definitely gave me we were liars vibes! Three cousins who haven't seen each other since they were little are invited to their estranged grandmother's island to work over the summer, and between them they try to get to the bottom of their family's many secrets and lies... quite slow paced but good nevertheless. 4 stars again.

So that's everything I read in February - not as many books as I would have liked, but there we are! Onto the next month...

How I follow a zero based budget

I love talking about money, as I think it's something we don't really learn about in school and unless your parents or family are particularly savvy with money (like mine!) you just really might not know where to start. There are so many people on TikTok who are on debt journeys, and while I'm thankful to not be in debt (except for my student loan...) I am also someone who sticks to a budget every single month.

What is zero based budgeting?

In particular, I use 'zero based budgeting'. According to NerdWallet, "zero based budgeting is a method that has you allocate all of your money to expenses for needs and wants, as well as short- and long-term savings and debt payments. The goal is that your income minus your expenditures equals zero by the end of the month.

The difference between zero-based budgeting and living paycheck to paycheck is that all of your financial needs are met. You can repeat expense categories and amounts every month, or mix it up.

If you come in under budget in a certain category at the end of the month, add the remaining amount to next month’s budget, or move it to another category, such as your emergency fund.

It’s the same concept as the envelope system, which involves distributing money (cash) for different expense categories into envelopes."

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How do I work out my zero based budget?

I use Monzo to budget my monthly income and most of my spending/saving. So when my salary drops into my bank on the last working day of each month, I spend 10 minutes allocating it all to where it needs to be. Currently, this looks a bit like this...

• Gifting - I put around £75 per month into a pot for birthday and Christmas gifts
• Subscriptions - I put the exact amount I need per month into a pot for my personal bills like my phone bill, Spotify, Canva and so on
• Weekly spending - I put a set amount into this pot which covers anything we need to buy throughout the week, like food shops, random Home Bargains trips, nights in the pub etc
• Bills - I put my half of our bills away in our bills account
• Other savings - depending on what we're saving for (usually a holiday) I put a really good chunk into our different savings pots, rather than all into one savings account. Currently we're renovating our bedroom and saving for spending money on our cruise, so I'm putting some in each pot
• Beauty - I typically put a standard £50 in here and keep it for when I want my hair, nails, brows etc done
• Miscellaneous - when I've moved all of this money around, I put whatever is left into a random pot for if I want to treat myself to new clothes or books or whatever 

After everything is in the pot it needs to be in, my bank account says a big fat ZERO. Then I move one week's worth of the allocated 'weekly spending money' back in to my current account to spend over the next 7 days.

How does it help?

Before I started using a zero based budgeting system, I found myself spending whatever I'd spend across the month - then it would come to the last week of the month and we'd be limiting ourselves so we could move *something* into savings before the next payday. Now, I know that everything is covered, we're able to meet our savings goals, and we have a set amount of money to spend every single week. For me, it's helped to relieve anxiety around money and I never feel like I'm living "payday to payday".

What we're saving for

As I mentioned, we're usually saving for a holiday - currently a cruise, a trip to Paris and a relaxing holiday to Turkey. But we're also obsessed with home reno and conscious of emergencies, so we have a 'House' pot too. The money here is ready for anything from a new oven to CCTV and alarm installation should we need it; we recently had to get a new fridge freezer, and it was so nice to know we didn't have to panic about where the money was coming from.

Anyone can do zero based budgeting, and it really is super simple. If you have a bank account that allows you to easily move money between 'pots' (like Monzo) then it's even easier!