The further I get into 2026, the more conscious I am of how many unread books I have. I haven’t been reading at my usual pace and it feels like I’ll never catch up – we all know as readers that we’ll likely never read every single book we buy, but it’s starting to feel a little overwhelming. So overwhelming that I’m now only going to allow myself to buy the books that go on sale on my wishlists or if they’re by an author I already love. Even if I stopped buying books from this point onwards, if I was reading at my usual pace it would take me at least five years to read every unread book I own.
All of this is to say that I haven’t really bought many books this month. The only physical books I bought was a hardcover box set of all of the The Hunger Games books as I’m yet to read Sunrise on the Reaping as it doesn’t go with any of my other books in the series, hence buying them all in hardcover. At the time of writing this post I’m just under halfway through and loving it so far.
My new Top Kindle Deals posts are also somewhat limiting the books I can talk about in these posts and vice versa. Any Kindle book I talk about in these haul posts are never more than £2.99. In fact, all of the books in this month’s were just 99p each.
Unravelling by Janisha Boswell
I really enjoyed book one in this series, and while this one isn’t a sports romance, I’m excited to check it out. I’ve become a big fan of series of standalones with recurring characters – which I’m assuming will happen here. I’d love to say I remember whether Scarlett was in book one or not but I’ve read a lot of sports romances since, a couple of them being very similar to this with a figure skater and hockey player, so the details are a bit fuzzy.
I’m intrigued to see if some of the issues I had with the writing style (a lot of telling rather than showing) have been worked on in this next instalment.
Get your copy of Unravelling here:
*Kindle Ebook
*Paperback
Synopsis: Welcome to North University!
Scarlett Voss has always been in control. As the daughter of a fashion dynasty, she knows exactly what’s expected of her – but no matter how hard she works, she’s never taken seriously within the family business. The last thing she needs is being paired with Evan Branson – the infuriatingly handsome blond she loves to hate -for a class project.
Evan Branson has enough on his plate already, trying to figure out what he wants from his future while battling pressures no one else seems to notice.
Teaming up with Scarlett was supposed to be a distraction, but the more time he spends with her, the harder it is to ignore the woman beneath the polished exterior. And when she unexpectedly asks for his help, he jumps at the chance to prove he can be the support she’s never had.
But as their banter turns into something deeper, the two must decide: protect their hearts or risk everything for a chance at something real?
Love Song by Elle Kennedy
I had no idea until recently that this series was linked to the Off Campus books. A few of them are about the children of the original couples, which I love, and this one is one of them. Logan’s daughter and Garrett’s son sounds like an interesting pairing and I’ve heard there are cameos from the original characters so that’s really exciting.
I never look into reviews too much before buying a book, as a reviewer I don’t want to go in with any preconceived opinions, but the reviews of this don’t look too great – I’ve literally just looked as I was writing this post. However, I won’t be reading this for quite some time as I have a lot of Elle Kennedy books to catch up on before then, so I’ll definitely forget anything I’ve seen by then.
Get your copy of Love Song here:
*Kindle Ebook
*Paperback
*Audible audiobook
Synopsis: After a brutal breakup, college junior Blake Logan escapes to her family’s lake house in Tahoe, determined to shut out the world. Her plan is simple: no men, no drama. Until Wyatt Graham shows up. Four years older and far too good at getting under her skin, Wyatt is the living embodiment of a “bad idea,” and the guy who shattered her pride when she confessed her crush at sixteen.
With his music career stalled, Wyatt has come to Tahoe for inspiration. The last thing he expects is to find it with Blake. He’s spent years keeping his distance, convinced he’s all wrong for her, but she’s no longer the innocent girl he once knew. She’s confident, captivating, and impossible to ignore. And the slow-burning tension between them? It’s catching fire fast.
They both know this can’t last, but one reckless kiss turns into another, and soon they’re tangled in something that feels dangerously like more. Just as they finally give in to the pull, tragedy tears them apart, leaving their hearts in pieces.
But forgetting that one, nearly perfect summer? Not a chance. And when fate brings them together again, Blake and Wyatt must decide if this is a second chance…or the final verse.
Rootbound: A Tangled Novel by Margaret Owen
If the stunning cover of this didn’t instantly catch my attention (I’m like 90% sure it’s Charlie Bowater), the fact that it’s a Tangled book had me sold. Also, Margaret Owen is an instant-buy author for me. I haven’t read all of her books but the few that I have read have been great.
I love that this isn’t a retelling but it’s somewhat of a sequel. There’s always been a small part of me that wanted to know what the princesses would get up to once their films ended and now we get a look into Rapunzel and Eugene’s life together. I don’t know if this will be official ‘canon’ but I will enjoy it all the same.
Get your copy of Rootbound here:
*Kindle Ebook
*Paperback
*Audible audiobook
Synopsis: Rapunzel knows nothing about her neighboring kingdom, Astera – and not just because she only left her tower a month ago. The famously reclusive island has limited its contact with outsiders for decades. So when a suspicious invitation arrives welcoming Rapunzel to the Asteran princess’s coming of age ceremony, and offering her a chance to be useful for the first time since she lost her healing powers, Rapunzel accepts – and unwittingly plunges herself and her companion, Eugene, into a tangled knot of political intrigue and magical secrets.
Eugene is just happy to get one last adventure with Rapunzel before his criminal background catches up with him and prevents their happy ending. Yet as they’re drawn further into the country’s problems, they uncover truths about Eugene’s parentage that point to deeper unrest in Astera, and suddenly the fate of their own kingdom, not just their personal dreams, is at stake.
Thrust into a power struggle between Astera’s beloved princess, Verette, its domineering king, Enver, and a mysterious secret society, Rapunzel and Eugene race to protect their home from an unsettlingly familiar threat and discover that the past can either hold them back, or help them blossom.
A cunning king. A devious princess. Best. Week. Ever.
Check out Young Creative Press on all socials
You can also check out my StoryGraph here
*affiliate link