Truly, how is it already March? This year has been flying by, and I can’t believe we’re already two months into 2026.
This past month, I tacked on another five books to my reading total and, because it was February, I definitely leaned into my romances. Really, though, is there a better month to do so? As for the stats, my reads were split between romances and books read for class. I also got through 1490 pages, and read two books physically and three on my Kindle. Let’s get into it!
*Note: Although a few books this month I read were given to me early through the publisher, all my reviews contain my honest thoughts.
- In Your Dreams by Sarah Adams
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Adams’s last book, Beg, Borrow, or Steal, was one of my only two five-star reads last year, so I knew I had to read the final book in her Rome, Kentucky, series. In this novel, we follow Madison, the youngest of the four siblings, who returns home from New York to start a restaurant on her brother’s best friend James’ farm. These books can sometimes feel like a Hallmark movie (which includes the cheesiness), but I still enjoy them every time, and this was no exception.
Do I recommend it? Yes, it’s not life-changing, but so sweet!
- Civilization and Its Discontents by Sigmund Freud
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Well, I promised I would mention every book I read in this column. If you can’t tell from my typical reading habits, this made its way into my reading due to a class and not my personal choice. I do think there are some interesting points brought up throughout the book, which made for good class discussion, but wow, was Freud a little crazy.
Do I recommend it? No, (unless you also have to read it for a class).
- The Bridge Back to You by Riss M. Neilson
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Another chef romance, I guess I was really hungry this month! If you love angst, you will absolutely enjoy this. The story follows Olivia, who, after her childhood ex-boyfriend’s mother passes away, gets left with a partial share of the restaurant she grew up in. The other owner? Said ex-boyfriend from her past, Carmello, whom she hasn’t seen in 10 years.
While this is a romance, it’s also a story about second chances, identity, handling grief, food, and, maybe most importantly, how a place and its people can change your life. Part of me wishes I hadn’t read this so sporadically due to my busy schedule, because I probably would’ve liked it more, but life happens, and I still enjoyed it!
Do I recommend it? Yes, such a good mix of angst while also feeling so heartwarming.
- Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
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I’m not going to lie, this was a bit of a struggle to get through. I enjoy Woolf’s writing, but since it’s so stream-of-consciousness and lacking any chapter breaks, my reading pace slowed down a lot.
I decided to tandem-read this, reading physically while also listening to the audiobook, which helped a lot. If you have any harder-to-read novels for class like this one, I’d highly recommend this tactic! As for the book itself, I think it was good for discussion, but it didn’t do a lot for me personally.
Do I recommend it? Maybe? Just know you’re getting into some dense literature.
- And Now, Back to You by B.K. Borison
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Yes, another romance (I’m not doing great on my 2026 goal lol). But come on, what’s more perfect than reading about two competing meteorologists in a snowstorm while you’re literally surviving a blizzard? I read the first book in this series, First-Time Caller, last February and really liked it, but somehow loved this one even more! Jackson and Delilah are the sweetest.
The series is inspired by classic rom-com movies (this novel in particular takes inspiration from When Harry Met Sally), and they truly feel like your favorite rom-coms. Borison does such a great job at balancing the absurdity and humor of some of the situations (in a way that usually could only happen in a movie, i.e., showing up to a meeting in a turtle costume) with the depth of characters that feel authentic.
Do I recommend it? Yes!! (If you couldn’t tell from me pretty much waxing poetic about this book, I definitely recommend) But also, maybe save it for the winter?
With classes back in full swing, and recruitment taking up pretty much a week and a half of my life, I spent more of my page-time reading books I didn’t choose than not, but they were a nice balance with the amount of romance I was reading!
I’m still searching for my first five-star read of the year, so if you have any recommendations, send them my way! If you’re interested in seeing real-time updates, friend me on Goodreads! I’ll be back to share my March reads soon.
What did you read last month?
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