The second quarter of the year brought a mix of surprises! From swoony sapphic romance to slow-burn fantasy and emotionally charged mysteries, here’s a look at what I read these past few months. Grab a cup of coffee, because we’re diving in.
April 2025
As We Fall is a beautifully written book with a richly diverse cast and a fascinating, immersive setting. Anya Wildt’s prose flows effortlessly, and the worldbuilding is intriguing enough to keep the pages turning.
That said, the pacing didn’t quite work for me. The entire book felt like an extended prologue, building up to a betrayal that I could see coming from the very first chapter—but that didn’t actually happen until the very end. By the time it came, the payoff felt delayed rather than impactful, and I found myself getting frustrated waiting for the real story to begin.
There’s a lot of potential here, and I’d be curious to see where the series goes—but I wish this installment had gotten to the heart of the plot sooner.
¡Qué maravilla de novela! Me la he leído en un suspiro, y aunque tiene más de 400 páginas me he quedado con muchísimas ganas de más. Se trata de un “retelling” del poema épico clásico de Homero, la Odisea, en el que una capitana pirata con corazón de oro surca los mares en busca de un tesoro legendario que le permita casarse con su gran amor, la princesa de Naos.
Una de las primeras cosas que me atrajo fue la portada, que es preciosa, pero luego al leer también me encantó comprobar cuánto mimo ha puesto la autora al maquetar la obra. Desde los encabezados ilustrados de los capítulos hasta el mapa, cada detalle está muy cuidado. Se nota que esta historia está escrita con amor.
Durante la novela hay varios giros de la trama que me han dejado sin aliento, y la verdad es que he terminado cogiéndoles un cariño infinito a todos los tripulantes del barco de Layah, el “Nambi”. No puedo decir nada sobre el final, tendréis que leer la novela para vivirlo en tiempo real, pero ¡puf! ¡Me he quedado boquiabierta! ¡Necesito la secuela ya mismo, por favor!
Una novela de fantasía épica diversa, perfecta para público adolescente y joven adulto, que recomiendo muchísimo como lectura de verano. Aventuras, acción, personajes muy complejos… ¡Lo tiene todo!
May 2025
This book gave me all the Jane Austen vibes in the best possible way. It felt like reading a modern, sapphic Emma—full of longing glances, social expectations, and slow-burn tension.
The chemistry between the girls was absolutely beautiful, tender and electric at the same time. Their connection felt genuine and heartfelt, and I found myself completely invested in their relationship.
If you’re a fan of historical romance with a queer twist, this one is a lovely, emotionally satisfying read.
Mandy C. Rodrigues debuts with a deeply moving exploration of love, growth, and resilience. In A Wistful Symphony, she masterfully portrays two characters with unique struggles, never reducing them to mere labels.
Eric’s battle with OCD and Andrew’s gentle yet enigmatic nature are the main focus of the narrative. Their reunion after ten years apart is as heartwarming as it is gut-wrenching, with the story balancing the weight of past heartbreak against the hope of rekindled love. The emotional depth is complemented by the rich settings, from the quiet and sometimes suffocating countryside of their youth to the frenetic energy of London, where Eric grapples with his dreams and mental health.
With vivid prose and a tender understanding of its characters, this book captures the complexities of love and the courage it takes to open one’s heart again while struggling with self-acceptance. Fans of second-chance romance and stories with authentic neurodiverse representation will find this novel impossible to put down.
June 2025
The murder garden gods blessed (or cursed) me with an ARC of this novel.
I could not put it down. It crawled under my skin and enchanted me, with my heart pounding and feeling SO MUCH for Evander and Laurie. Oh, Laurie. My sweet baby.
I didn’t think it was possible, but this is even better than Don’t Let The Forest In.
This book mostly targets US romance writers, and after finishing it I’m still not sure where to draw the line between a trope and a Universal Fantasy, as the book doesn’t give a clear definition of it.
From what I’ve gathered, a UF should be a fantasy that resonates on a human level and engages the reader emotionally. While some of the examples mentioned in the book are actually universal (eg. death of a loved one / competition / desire to escape a suffocating life) others seem more tailored to a specific audience (eg. bossy MMCs tend to appeal to romance readers who fantasize about being taken care of for once instead of being the caregiver, as they often are in real life).
Even though some aspects of the book left me a bit confused, it sparked an interesting reflection about the Universal Fantasies that I love as a reader and that, as I was growing up, shaped me as a writer. It also helped me understand why some people gravitate toward tropes or UFs that I personally don’t enjoy, which is always appreciated 🙂
Listing my own Universal Fantasies helped me reflect on the kind of writer I am and what kind of emotional elements readers will a
lways be able to find in my books, regardless of the genre I choose to write in.
And that’s a wrap! Have you read any of these books? What do you think of them? Let me know!