March 2026 Reading Wrap-Up: Romantasy and Historical That Hit Just Right
My March 2026 reading wrap-up: 17 books, mini reviews + ratings, top 3 favorites, one big disappointment, and the reads that got me back into my groove (romantasy and historical romance).
March felt like a slow return to reading.
I was still very much in my Heartopia era, but toward the end of the month I could feel my reading brain waking back up again. And apparently what it wanted was fantasy + historical romance. (Honestly? I have a feeling April is going to be the same.)
Here’s where my book reviews for the month stand.
March Reading Stats
Books read: 17
Average rating: 3.6 stars
Reading vibe: slow re-entry after February reading was kind of a mess and then suddenly give me stakes, magic, and/or a ballgown
Trend I did not expect: how many fantasy-ish reads showed up once I got my groove back
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Watch: My March 2026 Reading Wrap-Up Live
If you prefer video, I did a wrap-up live. Watch the live show here:
Top 3 Picks of the Month
I had a lot of 4-star reads this month, but these were the three that I had the most fun with, and I love that they’re all totally different genres.
Queen of the Night Sky by Amalie Howard 4.25 STARS
Biggest surprise of the month. I liked book one, but this sequel was the one that really got me. We got twists every five minutes, surprises at every turn, and I genuinely couldn’t predict where it was going half the time. I loved it! It also surprised me in the direction it took, while still delivering political intrigue, action, danger, real stakes, and plenty of romance/steam. It was a GREAT time. I featured this in my March 2026 book releases and it absolutely delivered
Grab Queen of the Night Sky on Amazon
Star Shipped by Cat Sebastian 4 STARS
Cat Sebastian doing contemporary was such a treat. This is slow burn enemies to lovers with forced proximity, but the best part is the setting: two co-stars on a long-running sci-fi show who’ve been sniping at each other for years…and now have to pretend to be friends publicly. It’s witty, emotional, and quietly delicious in the way only Cat Sebastian can do.
Better Than a Duke by Suzanne Enoch 4 STARS
The perfect historical rom-com if you want meddling children, two adults who are in the same place in life but approaching it from totally different directions, and chemistry that was already working before the kids got involved. The meddling is a cute bonus, not the whole reason they end up together. Plus: sweetness, laughs, and solid steam.
Grab Better Than a Duke on Amazon
Everything I Read in March 2026
I Hope This Doesn’t Find You by Ann Liang 4 STARS
Romantic and painfully relatable. The mess of accidentally sending your draft emails with your most inner feelings? Nightmare fuel. But it’s so fun. If you’re a fan of Jenny Han, you need to pick this one up.
Grab I Hope This Doesn’t Find You on Amazon
The Second Death of Locke by V.L. Bovalino 4 STARS
Devastatingly romantic epic fantasy with loyalty, slow burn, sacrifice, and an intense friends to lovers at the center. Plus we get a female magical bodyguard. Big feelings and strong atmosphere.
Grab The Second Death of Locke on Amazon
The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem 4 STARS
The plot and worldbuilding are genuinely fascinating, and at one point it starts to feel almost like an unreliable narrator… and then you learn why. AND once the last 25-30% kicks in? Non-stop, “can’t put it down” action. Warning: very slow burn and info-dump heavy at first (but worth it if you like the angst and tension).
Mayhem and the Mortal by Shanora Williams 4 STARS
This is the kind of book that feels like Dungeons & Dragons meets Wizard of Oz, but darker and grittier with high stakes, nail-biting plot, slow-burn yearning, and a found-family vibes with a ragtag band of melanated misfits. Also? While everything is trying to kill Zaira and she has no magical powers, the world also has fun cute little creatures like a pink dragon and a horse, small towns and festivals, plus cozy inns with only one bed. Zaira is a relatable mortal heroine even if she can come across as too optimistic, and the contrast of whimsy + danger really worked for me.
Grab Mayhem and the Mortal on Amazon
An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn 3.5 STARS
Benedict Bridgerton’s Cinderella-ish story. Not my favorite Bridgerton book, but still solid when you want a classic Regency setup.
Grab An Offer From a Gentleman on Amazon
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Love You a Little Bit by Kasha Thompson 3.5 STARS
Small-town + celebrity heroine retreating home after relationship chaos. Sweet and readable with that “quiet romance” pacing.
Grab Love You a Little Bit on Amazon
My Summer Girl by Maeve Black 3.5 STARS
Why-choose mates energy with big feelings and spice. If you want spice + comfort with “fate is meddling,” this fits.
West of Wicked by Nikki St. Crowe 3.5 STARS
A fun, dark twist on Wizard of Oz that absolutely delivers on the dark and definitely delivers on the spice.
The Serpent’s Sin by Kathryn Ann Kingsley 3.5 STARS
Solid read, but I still loved the first book more-this one felt like the “messy middle,” and it let the foot off the gas a bit. That said, the chemistry/plot/story is still so good and I’m excited to see what happens next. (Still recommending for fans of Jeaniene Frost.)
Grab The Serpent’s Sin on Amazon
The Scoundrel and the Siren by Christy Carlyle 3.5 STARS
Treasure hunt! English/American pairing! Not in London! And I always enjoy a rakish hero type falling hard for a heroine who can absolutely keep up. This was a fun time.
Grab The Scoundrel and the Siren on Amazon
Witches of Dubious Origin by Jenn McKinlay 3 STARS
Librarian discovers she’s from a line of witches + magical book chaos + undead Vikings and ghost pirates. Cute premise and cozy fantasy vibes.
Grab Witched of Dubious Origin on Amazon
Sparring Partners by Erin Rose 3 STARS
This one had a lot of elements I should have loved: forced proximity and workplace romance at an MMA gym, a grumpy hero, and a Gen Z content creator heroine doing the social media thing (the thirst-trap content made me laugh and was genuinely fun). It also doesn’t shy away from darker, more serious topics, which I appreciated. But overall… I wasn’t really feeling the chemistry in a natural way between our main characters, and the couple’s dynamic started to feel a little cliché, so I would say fine, readable, and kind of forgettable for me.
Wrath of an Exile by Monty Jay 3 STARS
This was my biggest disappointment this month-not because it was “bad,” but because it felt so early-2010s New Adult to me… and I was never really a big reader of that vibe even back then. The energy was there 1000%.
Grab Wrath of an Exile by Monty Jay on Amazon
Ruinous Creatures by Jessi Cole Jackson 3 STARS
I love the concept (phoenix skull magic!!), but it didn’t quite land for me the way I wanted. Still, I can see it working really well if you love creature-magic systems and fated bonds.
Grab Ruinous Creatures on Amazon
What I Watched in March
My favorite thing I watched this month was Season 3 of The Night Agent. High stakes as usual, lots of tension that had me screaming and holding my breath most of the time, and honestly this show has been solid for me all three seasons. It was the perfect watch for nights when I wanted something propulsive and plotty… but didn’t quite have the brain space to start a new book yet.
And yes, a lot of those nights still included a little Heartopia time too. If you’re in the mood for comfort without overload, this post might help: 5 Cozy iPad Games That Kept Me Sane.
April Predictions
If March is any indication, April is going to be more:
- fantasy that keeps the pages turning
- historical romance that’s funny and charming
- anything with twists, danger, and/or chemistry
Tell me your best read of March, and if you have a fantasy or historical romance that’s unputdownable, I’m listening.
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