March was jam-packed with school, personal things, & reading. While I’m not someone who wants to rush time and there were quite a few good moments this month, March dragged on for me and was stressful between school & my personal life. I will say that the warmer weather over the past two weeks has seriously brightened my mood and is getting me even more excited for my favorite stretch of the year, May through September aka beach season! I’m also feeling a tiny bit more hopeful this week because I received my covid vaccine yesterday!! I know there’s still a long way to go, but getting the vaccine makes me feel so excited about being out in the world & doing things this summer. I’ve been on spring break this week, so I’m looking forward to continuing to take some time to myself and READ as much as possible, of course.

I’m so happy with the fact that I read 11 books in March – maybe we’ll get to 12 by tonight with my current read, Our Italian Summer by Jennifer Probst. This was the most amount of books I’ve read in 1 month so far in 2021, and it’s making me crave summer even more, since I average anywhere from 11-16 books a month during beach reading season. I managed to read 11 books because I feel like I didn’t watch as much TV this month (ignore the two full seasons I binged and other shows below) and I dedicated hours to reading Friday-Sunday and would read anywhere from 1-2 books each weekend. This month was super stressful in almost every aspect of life, so I really looked forward to diving into a book whenever possible. 

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez | 3.5/5 Stars

I enjoyed the sarcasm and heart behind the romance in The Friend Zone and liked the unique premise, but I wasn’t in loveeee as much as other readers. 

You Have a Match by Emma Lord | 4.5/5 

You Have a Match was one of the books that I binge-read from Friday to Saturday. I could not let go of this YA contemporary about two sisters at summer camp. It SO solidified Emma Lord as one of my favorite authors!

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28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand | 4.5/5

Wow, 28 Summers was SO worth the hype! I loved the storytelling, and it made me want to book a trip to Nantucket ASAP. Definitely throw in your beach bag this summer if you’re like me and slept on picking this one up (also let me know of what other Elin Hilderbrand books to read this summer!).  

The Switch by Beth O’Leary | 5/5 

Another book completely worth the hype & more. The Switch was just so cozy, and I loved following Leena’s adventures in her grandma’s village & Eilleen’s take on London life. There was such a perfect balance of self-growth, family, and romance.  

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Unfollow by Megan Phelps-Roper | 4/5 

Unfollow was my non-fiction read for March. I knew nothing about Megan Phelps-Roper or Westboro Baptist Church, but it’s totally not necessary to read this book. Her memoir was so eye-opening and really thoughtful about her ultra-conservative religious background and perspective. Whether or not you pick up the book, I definitely recommend checking out her TED Talk. 

The Happy Ever After Playlist (The Friend Zone #2) by Abby Jimenez | 3/5.5 

Like The Friend Zone, The Happy Ever After Playlist was another case where I enjoyed the book & premise on a surface-level, but I felt like the plot and main conflicts were very dragged out. 

Float Plan by Trish Doller | 4.5/5 

Float Plan completely spoke to my wanderlust, as it follows Anna’s sailing trip from Fort Lauderdale to Puerto with a cute Irish sailor as a co-pilot. The balance between contemporary and romance was PERFECT in this book, as Anna and Keane are both dealing with loss in different ways.

Kisses and Croissants by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau (ARC) | 4.5/5 

If you are craving a cute & fluffy YA contemporary, Kisses & Croissants is the PERFECT read. This book gave me so many Anna and the French Kiss and Disney+’s On Pointe feels, following Mia’s summer at a ballet school in Paris. 

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From Blood & Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout | 4/5 

I finally got to From Blood & Ash this month and enjoyed it, but I’m not sure if I’ll be continuing on with the series. 

The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon | 5/5

As expected since Rachel Lynn Solomon is one of my all-time favorite authors, I LOVED The Ex Talk. There isn’t a thing I would change about this romance following two work enemies who host a radio show pretending to be exes. 

The Marvelous Mirza Girls by Sheba Karim (ARC) | 4.5/5 

The Marvelous Mirza Girls is another 2021 YA contemporary release not to miss! I ate this one up in less than 48 hours, following mom-and-daughther Ruby and Noreen’s time abroad in New Dehli after a recent loss in their family. I loved getting to explore India alongside Noreen’s love interest while dealing with heavier topics. 

Love Life (HBO Max) – Love Life was my first binge-watch this month – I think I watched all 10 episodes in less than two days. If you’re a rom-com or short story reader, I cannot recommend this romantic comedy anthology enough. The show follows Darby, played by Anna Kendrick, and her relationships throughout the years. Each episode follows a different love interest or relationship, so it was really interesting to grow up alongside Darby. I thought this show was so well-crafted and it was overall such a heart-warming and fun watch. The next season is going to follow a new lead, played by William Jackson Harper. 

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WandaVision S1 (Disney+) – I watched the WandaVision finale as soon as I got home on its premire day in early March. WandaVision is hands-down the best show I watched in March & this year so far! This show is the definition of ‘well-don’ and while I’m excited for the upcoming Marvel TV shows on Disney+ (more on that below), I could so use a second WandaVision season. If you’re a fan of the show & have finished watching, I highly recommend watching the first episode of Marvel Studios: Assembled (also on Disney+), which provides a behind-the-scenes look at the show. As a viewer, I knew so much detail had to go into the show, but it was truly admiring learning how much detail went into each era, from the theme songs to set designs.

Ted Lasso S1 (Apple TV+) – The hype finally got to me and I watched the first season of Ted Lasso last week. Even if you have doubts about its football/soccer premise, trust me and watch this one! The show made me laugh-out-loud every episode and it’s is so much more about soccer, as coach Ted Lasso helps his players, the owner of the team, and himself navigate their problems.

Marvel Watches & Rewatches: Captain America: The First Avenger and Captain Marvel – After loving WandaVision, I want to keep following along Disney+’s Marvel TV show lineup. However, while I really enjoy Marvel and the films I’ve watched, I’m here to admit I haven’t seen every single film and had my Marvel-loving sister often fill in any blanks I had about WandaVision. Before diving into the latest show, Falcon and the Winter Solider, my sister and I are going to rewatch all the Marvel films in timeline order. We’ve only gotten to the first Captain America and Captain Marvel (I forgot so much about this one, but still really like it) so far, and we plan on watching the first two Iron Man films and Thor later this week. 

What Else I Watched: Below Deck Sailing Yacht S2, The Bachelor S25 (overall such a meh season & meh ending), rewatched Star Wars: The Force Awakens, & rewatching Sex and the City (I’m mid season 3). 

Book Reviews

A Court of Silver Flames Review & Rambles 

SISTERS & SUMMER CAMP: You Have a Match Review 

DID THIS MEET THE HYPE? From Blood & Ash Review

RECENT CONTEMPORARY & NON-FICTION READS: March 2021 Mini Reviews 

A MARCH MUST-READ & MORE CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE: March 2021 Mini Reviews Round 2

POWERFUL SPRING READ: Infinite Country Review

When Were Infinite Review & Blog Tour

CONTEMPORARY, CONTEMPORARY: February 2021 Mini Reviews

Other Bookish Fun

Currently Reading, Mini Life Updates, & My Spring Break TBR 

Popular Books I Won’t Read: Anti-TBR Tag

Recent TBR Additions: March 2021 Edition

FINALLY GETTING TO THESE BOOKS: March 2021 TBR

What did you read and watch in March? Have you read any of the books I mentioned? Share in the comments!